GWSS 3307: Feminist Film Studies, Fall 2008

The idea of beauty as one particular body type has been so deeply ingrained into our culture that often times we forget how prejudicial and marginalizing this can be. Yet people like the Farrelly brothers come along and make horribly offensive films that remind us of this sad fact. Shallow Hal was simply one fat stereotype after another, and it seems hard to believe that anyone could see a positive message mixed in with the constant insults. It was surprising to see that two out of the three women interviewed for the People Magazine article were victims of this system and went under the knife just to change their body in an attempt to conform to the ideal. Emme made some good points about making an effort to change perception, but I did not agree with her when she said that fatness was the "last acceptable prejudice". That statement, and Carnie's comment about how reactions would have been different if it inner beauty was portrayed as white, just seem to pit marginalized groups against each other, which gets us nowhere. Prejudices are just not something that can be compared.