Carrie Fisher blasts Star Wars body shamers on Twitter

[niyad]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens


Carrie Fisher blasts Star Wars body shamers on Twitter

The actor and writer says her male co-stars from original trilogy have faced little criticism on social media for their appearance in The Force Awakens

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Carrie Fisher with Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
‘Youth and beauty are not accomplishments’ … Carrie Fisher with Harrison Ford in JJ Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photograph: Allstar/Disney/Lucasfilms



Carrie Fisher has hit out at social media trolls who have criticised her appearance in the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. Posting on Twitter on Tuesday, the 59-year-old actor lamented fellow users’ inability to focus on more meaningful aspects of her return to the role of Leia Organa – now a general rather than a princess – for the first time since Return of the Jedi in 1983.

“Please stop debating about whether or not I aged well,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, it hurts all three of my feelings. My body hasn’t aged as well as I have. Blow us.” Fisher later added: “Youth and beauty are not accomplishments, they’re the temporary happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don’t hold your breath for either.”

The actor, who has made a hugely successful career as a writer and comic in the wake of her early Star Wars fame, argued that her physical appearance should not be used to define her, adding: “My body is my brain bag, it hauls me around to those places and in front of faces where there’s something to say or see.”

Some noted that the writer and comic’s male co-stars from the original Star Wars trilogy, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, have faced fewer comments about their appearance in JJ Abrams’ critically acclaimed film. But other Twitter users fired abusive barbs – or told Fisher that as a public figure, she should be prepared for negative comments in the online arena.
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http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/30/carrie-fisher-blasts-star-wars-body-shamers-twitter-social-media

[zazen]

1. progress against female body shaming seems so inconceivable to me--I hope I'm wrong

I remember not too long ago when sexual harassment at work was just what you put up with and skillfully maneuvered, and the woman was always to blame. I never would have believed in 1990 that we'd make as much progress as we have, so I will hope (through extrapolation) that as more powerful older women keep speaking out about this seemingly intransigent part of human relations (where women are devalued as we age) we can really experience a sea change.

I'm not holding my breath, but I'm very grateful that at least these women are speaking out about it.

Ironic that calling this out is most powerful when done "comedically."

[niyad]

2. hard to believe that this is actually the second decade of the 21st century and we are

still having this issue, and so many others.

[Freelancer]

3. Maybe fans thought the light side of 'the force' would keep the princess thin

Star Wars fell into the same body image judging trap that has always been. Is it any wonder that fans would, to some degree, as well?

None of the good guys in 'Star Wars' are wicked-looking. (We all know what that looks like, right?) And none of the dark side characters are pretty -- at least not for long. How predictable. I suspect there are a lot of scarred veterans and amputees that get negative responses from kids because of the body image bias taught in the movies. It's not right.

[niyad]

4. . . .