Tue. February 26
Jennifer Lawrence: From Cute to Vulgar
by Ashley E. McGuire
Jennifer Lawrence, Hollywood’s new “It girl,” appears to have charmed the world with her post-Oscar press conference, now going viral on Facebook.
I can’t for the life of me understand why.
Rather than present herself as a beautiful, elegantly-dressed 22-year old basking in her Academy Award glory, Lawrence comes off as a slovenly, crass fool.
She alludes to booze and f-bombs all while standing with shoulders slouched and mouth hanging open in a half-gape.
Her funniest line, apparently was, “I’m sorry, I did a shot [before coming]. Hahaha. Jesus!”
She seemed less like a proud woman and more like a caricature of an insecure college student at a frat party with SNL-type cued laughter rolling in the background.
She should be forgiven for tripping up the stairs. In fact, I think she won everyone in that moment. She was the new girl who made a charming mistake. The now widely circulated photo of her rosy champagne dress fanning the stairs and her head resting in her slender hand has an almost feminine, artistic quality.
But her response to the trip, when asked what happened, was obnoxious: “What do you mean what happened? Look at my dress! I had to walk up stairs in this dress!”
I mean, shouldn’t “dress-you-can-walk-up-stairs-in” be a sort of litmus test for Oscar attire?
But she is the new girl in a world where poise and class are no longer valued in women. Or at least a world where those virtues are no longer encouraged in women.
No, this is a Lena Dunham world, where women are encouraged to lean into clumsiness and crassness, where girls need shots to take risks, where a ball gown is a burden rather than a tool.
Contrast Lawrence with Grace Kelly at the Oscars in 1954. Grace Kelly was new on the scene and only two years older than Lawrence. She was shy. She apparently couldn’t swing a speech, because she was so overwhelmed. But she triumphed in her elegant humility.
The difference between falling on the stairs and being likeable and falling on the stairs and being a clumsy fool comes in how you handle it. And handling it, and perhaps the biggest moment of your career, like a foul-mouthed dude annoyed to be in a dress and giving the bird to the Oscar press corps makes you disgraceful.
Ms. Lawrence, you’re clearly going to be here for awhile. So do yourself and young women a favor and put your shoulders back, smile, and own your Dior Haute Couture dress. Don’t be one of Lena Dunham’s girls. Be better. Be a woman.
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This has to be the most ridiculous article I’ve ever read. The whole thing was so offensive but not as much as the last paragraph. “Be a woman.” What exactly is your definition of women? Because to me, there’s nothing wrong or “un-ladylike” about women like Jennifer Lawrence and Lena Dunham. I think your problem is that you’re taking Jennifer Lawrence’s comments way too seriously. She doesn’t even take them seriously, which is why when she fell on stage, she stayed there with her head down. She’s not a Grace Kelly, and she knows that, so why fake it? Why create some overdramatic ‘save’ when everyone in the world just saw you fall? Embrace it! Who cares if she said she had a shot? Women are not the Grace Kellys of the world anymore, and maybe that’s your biggest beef. Women say what they want, fall when they fall and occasionally say something embarrassing. Are we all going to die and feel horrible about ourselves? No. Did you happen to notice that in that list of the women who have showed their boobs in movies during The Boob Song, Jennifer Lawrence is the one person mentioned who HASN’T done that. But that’s the beauty of women today, we have so much freedom to make silly mistakes and not be criticized for it. In the days of Grace Kelly (which I can proudly say I was never part of), she had to be that way, there wasn’t room for a weird, clumsy chick if you wanted to be taken seriously in Hollywood. If Jennifer doesn’t want to wear a long gown and she expresses that, who cares? That’s awesome. That’s real. Who honestly does want to wear a long gown when you could wear pajama pants? The fashion at the Oscars is the most pointless part of the whole experience. I appreciate women like Lena and Jennifer because not only are they beautiful and motivated, but they’re relatable AND famous! Go figure!
I personally don’t understand why you even mentioned Lena. Maybe you’re confusing her with her character on Girls, Hannah, but if girls shouldn’t be like Lena then you’re saying girls shouldn’t be successful, young, go-getters, who graduated from college, made an award winning film at age 24 and created, stars, produces and writes her own TV show that she won Emmys and Golden Globes for at age 26. I’m sorry, maybe that’s not “lady like” enough for you but that’s pretty damn amazing. It’s proving that you can be successful in the boys club that is Hollywood.
And how exactly is a gown being a tool helpful? So we can continue letting men and women downplay our abilities by just what we wear, how pretty we are? Their ability to be open and disgraceful is exactly what makes them real women. There’s nothing vulgar about Jennifer Lawrence. There’s something vulgar about deciding what is allowed and not allowed for women.
I cannot agree more!
Comparing a 21st century woman to Gracy Kelly is ridiculous.
Jennifer has no filter, she is likable and relatable. It’s easy to feel like you know her forever, and that’s why people love her so much.
She is not there to make impressions, to be skinny and non-human, she is real, she is normal and she has imperfections. The “bird on the press room” was a joke, if you search you can see her photo right after it, she didn’t meant to be rude and you were not there to speak for them.
Stop saying how other people should look like.
I totally agree with you, Mara Model! Nobody hired this woman to be a role model. She is a human being that acts for a living, and does a damn good job of it. Comparing her to a woman from half a century ago is narrow, judgmental and uninteresting.
Yes, yes, yes… you took the word right out of my brain
This article is wonderful!!! I agree completely and wish that young ladies would embrace the fact that being a lady is an amazing blessing. Those who carry themselves with poise and dignity far outshine the rest.
Flipping the bird was crass, but otherwise I found Lawrence to be charming and honest. A bit quirky, and that is refreshing. Might I add that Grace Kelly was incredibly promiscuous……I think the shy wallflower bit was an act. Lawrence comes across as genuine. I hope she retains her vitality.
Dunham on the other hand, is just a pig. Her whole schtick is vulgaity and humiliating behavior intended to schock. I can’t see any reason to compare those two actresses.
I like that Lena Dunham doesn’t try to be classically beautiful or lose weight and her character on the show explores her sex life outrageously – i like that she shows her character exercising to an exercise video yet not eating healthily, being insecure but at the same time having the nerve to proposition men and enjoy sex openly – she’s too crazy sometimes to be real but such a paradox at other times she is so real – and the only reason this character is vulgar and shocking is because you see her private/personal life and haven’t just met her on the street
A sense of humor would do the author of this piece well. Lawrence was clearly joking when engaging in most of the behavior the author found objectionable.
You know what I think is vulgar? This article is vulgar. Shame on you for trying to define what a woman should be. Jennifer Lawrence also would probably give a flying you know what about what you think of her behavior. And that’s exactly what I love about her.
This article’s narrow definition of femininity is outdated – thank god.
Some seriously sexist notions of what it means to a be a woman going on here. the idea that women are required to be demure, unobtrusive, and immune to physical discomfort for the sake of beauty is decidedly dehumanizing. Her personality is not shy, quiet, or meek — and asking her to pretend to be to fit a notion of feminiity from the 1950s is absurd. You honestly think that she doesn’t appreciate being a woman?
Honestly there’s so many things wrong with this article I’m stunned into silence. Meek, feminine, silence.
Ashley: You probably perpetuate the “You’re a woman and should be in the kitchen making a sandwich” joke or you live it. If you think what she is doing or saying is not “proper”, that is an opinion that you are entitled to but just because she “sins” differently than you, doesn’t mean you get to unjustly say these things about an honestly kind and beautiful woman. Judgement isn’t a good look for you.
I agree! The standards now are so low, and vulgarity among women in Hollywood reigns. It’s actually disturbing to me. No class, no standards, just the same old Hollywood leftist leaning behavior…and we’re all supposed to accept it. I for one don’t, which is why I’m no longer impressed an iota with the Hollywood scene.
Great article. Quite disturbing how people are applauding her crassness and lack of class.
But the article features Grace Kelly and holds her up as a shy and elegant role model for actresses. In reality, Kelly was notoriously promiscuous and slept with most of her married leading men. The grace and class were all an act. Lawrence was able to parry with the press and has natural charm. I didn’t like the middle finger, but found her to be quite appealing and genuine.
Already women have the white, old men of the GOP trying to define what constitutes their apparently universal femininity – it’s sad that sentiments like those expressed in this article are coming from other women, making the struggle for females to be autonomous, powerful individuals that much harder. I respect the author’s freedom to personally value traits she labels as “graceful” or “full of poise,” but cringe that she feels superior enough to apply her personal tastes as the standard and definition of what makes a “real” or “good” woman
I understand your feelings about culture changing. I am not a fan of most comedies to come out Hollywood recently because I prefer witty, bantering comedies and I do think a majority are a bit crass. However I do think that you are nitpicking the wrong woman. Of the celebrities her age, Jennifer Lawrence is by far the best woman for young girls to look up to. Yes, she took a shot before going to the press conference (she is of legal age, probably had a lot of nerves/anxiety, and its an award ceremony – people are drinking and mingling during commercial breaks), but she wasn’t drunk and she never actually said a curse word. She has said mulitple times in various interviews that she would rather be lounging around in ‘comfortable’ clothes than strutting around in ‘fashionable’ clothing. Hence, why she made fun of the dress tripping her as she was walking up the stairs. Also, its a lot easier to shrug off embarassment with humor. She is committed to her work, sociable, responsible (there are no articles of her getting drunk, no sextapes, etc. – i.e. Rihanna, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton), and witty. She stands up for herself and is comfortable in her body. I don’t think she is vulgar, slovenly (very harsh btw), or crass (“crass – (of persons) so unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility”, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/). She isn’t Grace Kelly? So what? She is a modern 22-year-old woman who doesn’t put up a mask just for the cameras. It is inspiring, especially as a young woman aspiring to go into the film industry, to see a woman be proud of who she is, who stands up for herself and doesn’t let the industry/press put her into a single box.
Pretty simple: she’s a mensch and people like that. I’m a conservative politically and dispositionally, but this article is a stretch in trying to be too conservatively counter-culture against the new “it’ girl. There are plenty of other starlets worth criticizing and taking shallow pot-shots at someone so universally liked (for now) will just feed into the prudish caricature that we conservatives are already tagged with.
I have to add that I just discovered that this same author put up Beyonce as a model worthy of admiration for her family values. http://acculturated.com/2013/02/04/beyonces-soulful-feminism/#comments Reading that piece, I understand here argument and point of view, but I think the writer went in already liking Beyonce and justified that feeling by expanding upon (and perhaps hyperbolizing) her family values while downplaying the sex-selling message Beyonce often promotes. On the other hand, I get the impression that the author is just “sick of” Lawrence and was looking for a semi-feasible angle to express her frustration with seeing Lawrence everywhere.
Imagine what it’s like to have to work with obnoxious young women like her! Offices and workplaces across America are filled with these type of young women. She is just a reflection of the low standards which are seen as acceptable behavior for young women across America these days. And when you dare to speak up to gently correct these type of young women you’re chastised as being too harsh, prudish and outdated in your ways. What ever happened to our fundamental standards of conduct, behavior, decency, manners and acceptable feminine behavior? I’ll bet they’re having a field day w/this interview in the U.K. “Those cheeky young American women! Just dreadful!!”
The ideas in this article are so outdated that it reads like a parody. You seem to be saying that women should bury their talent and personality and rely on their physical attractiveness as their only “tool” for success. If you don’t like Jennifer Lawrence’s sense of humor, that’s fair enough, but it’s your broader attack on women who express themselves outside the boundaries of what you perceive as “feminine” that is truly crass and offensive.
Quiet down, lady-commenters! You’re being total Lena Dunhams when you should be dedicating your lives to being Grace Kellys.
She’s entertaining, you just don’t like her brand of entertainment. The whole show is a spectacle.
How did this get published?
I would just like to point out, that you are comparing two REMARKABLY different instances. Remove all time, era and traditions pertaining to your subject; you’ve compared an instance which occurred directly after victory with an instance which occurred after victory had resonated with its person.
What this says for an editor, if one exists, is nothing of praise I promise.
I’m not saying it isn’t well written in regards to grammar and syntax, but your opinion is irrelevant and you’ve done nothing but harm and diminish your own credibility as you chose to create a false comparison.
And Ms. McGuire (yes, I am assuming you’re divorced), please do keep in mind as you’re writing these articles, that you are indeed allowing your readers to infer from your implications that you have never, ever held yourself in your assumed lower standard by doing any of the following: burping, slouching, leaning –yes leaning is unladylike, squatting, swearing, wearing clothes with rips or holes in them, or any of the like before you comment on what it is to be a woman in today’s age. Also, you’re assuming the Grace Kelly never did either of these things either which is nothing short of ignorant and presumptuous.
Your article is trite, and it’s a terrible thing the internet has done to allow rubbish as such displayed here to be published. YOUR ARGUMENT IS COMPLETELY INVALID.
Please consider an adequate, if not astounding, rewrite that is applicable to your perceived “thesis”. If you won’t consider that then please consider a new life-path.
Challenge accepted?
I just love how people glorify vulgar people in our society. I found her gesture vulgar. Young women have no class these days. Pathetic!