JK Rowling attacking women's weight obsession

I posted the link below to the story; hope it works. All I have to say is, while I totally agree with her, she needs to start closer to home - did you see how tiny & skinny the actress who plays Hermione is in movie #4? And for that matter, all of the teenage actresses who play characters in the Harry Potter movies are thin too. Maybe she should talk to the casting director about casting more real-sized actresses.

Kate (kissmekate02)

Link

Thu. Apr 6, 12:30pm

Kate,
that was an interesting link.

You are right that Hermione is pretty thin...although I don't think she looks too terribly thin...I thought she looked age-appropriate... I would have to look back at photos of her....

Moaning Myrtle is not a waif thin girl--if I remember correctly, she had quite a rounded face.....

I never really noticed whether or not they have had any not-so-thin girls on the Harry Potter movies, I guess they just all look like kids to me. Part of the problem is that there aren't many speaking roles for the girls in the movies-- the boys, however, have come in a variety of shapes, sizes and physical attributes (hair, teeth, etc.)

Thursday, April 06, 2006, 1:04 PM

I'm thinking particularly of Hermione in the ball scene, where she's all dressed up. Very skinny. True about Moaning Myrtle, but then is she a particularly desirable character? Nope. She's an outcast and was a joke even when she was alive. (Yes, I'm a big Harry Potter fan, but it does illustrate my point.)

Kate

Thursday, April 06, 2006, 1:57 PM

duh...

...the author wrote the *books*, not made the movies. She doesn't have any control over the casting in the films!

Thursday, April 06, 2006, 11:47 PM

duh yourself

Why do people need to be so rude when they respond?

Friday, April 07, 2006, 12:28 AM

Cultural diff

In Europe people are not as obese as we are here. I remember reading a post a while ago about someone who was in a local high school and was shocked at how big everyone was. And, the same for a grade schoolers mom who mentioned that kids never seemed so fat before.

The statistics prove we are the fattest country in the world with the most access to global resources. We control and consume 30% of the world's resources including food and we are only about, what 10-12% of the global population? It's sickening if you really get into the details.

I think we are just desensitized to having larger people in our culture. When I go to England and the EU, I always like everyone is so thin for the first few weeks... then when I come home, I notice how more people are much bigger!

Friday, April 07, 2006, 11:04 AM

to duh yourself poster...

I'm not the duh poster, and from a 3rd person perspective, it is your comment that looks rude on this thread. Loosen up! (meant in good way :)

Friday, April 07, 2006, 11:42 AM

duh comment reminded me of the article I read in the New Yorker a while back about P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins- about how at the Marry Poppins movie premiere, amid all celebrations she was the only person who was crying in grief - the book was totally bastardized by Disney. After much courting Travers, W. Disney finally bought the movie rights to the book with a promise that the author would have her say in the movie making. Of course once the rights were in the pocket, the author had little say over the movie, and today we're more familiar with WDisney version of MP, not the original one... Very good read (NYer article), btw, if anyone wants to get a copy from a library or online archive.

Friday, April 07, 2006, 11:52 AM

Totally right on--

Authors of pic books don't even have a say in who illustrates them unless they do it themselves or are already verrrry big sellers. Ms. Rowling had no power for the first movie, though she may have some now depending on how the contract was written. Hermione did look a bit on the slender side in her gown, but she's not a stick-thin emaciated toothpick. The girl's got some strength in her. Cho was much more Polynesian/Chinese Asian than the thin more Japanese character I had for some unknown reason pictured, and she's definitely a sympathetic character...

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 11:31 AM

Hmm

Actually, Americans are 5% of the global population, consume 30% of the worlds goods, and produce 55% of the world's waste. It is kinda gross how we barely use things and toss them away.

More onto Harry Potter. When I visited London, I noticed that people are thinner there than here. They are also less weight obsessed - less diet pills, shakes, etc. I don't think there was a Gatorade or diet bar equivalent in the Tessco (their version of 711, except it is also has big store fronts, like a walmart - I am referring to the 711 sized one).

I don't find the actresses in the movies particularly thin. The bottom line is that most people (in England and even the US) at age 15 are pretty thin. They haven't really had time to fill out (or go to college). Also, as an actress since such a young age I'm sure that she has had greater access to better nutrtion, etc.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 3:00 PM

After America, the UK is the most obese country on the planet.
Lucozade is our version of gatorade, though it comes in less colours.

As for the Hermione actress - she's a teenager. Most teenagers go through a stick thin phase as they shoot up in height - it's natural.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 3:12 PM

Actually, Mexico is the second must obese. (see link) America certainly has a ton of obese people. The UK is third.

Link

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 3:16 PM

I agree, Hermione looks like an average Teenager to me. I've seen much thinner (the Olsen Twins come to mind). She doesn't appear at all bony to me-- most girls at her age tend to be slender as they are still in the growing phase. Cho is also "normal" looking to me as well (for her age.)

On the comment of people in other countries being obese, I got a first-hand observation of American vs. Russian ideas of food and what a "normal" person should eat.

At one point, I had to introduce some Russian Computer programmers to U.S. Culture (about 10 yrs ago). Obviously things can change over a decade, but here's some things I observed at the time:

1) The men were amazed by our selection in the grocery stores--at the time, they had maybe 1 or 2 choices of Ketchup, they were completely overwhelmed by the selection of Ketchup, salsa, etc. they were being presented in the stores. (I suggested they buy store brands if cost was a factor, otherwise, they needed to try things until they found something they liked.)

2) Because they were used to "simple" foods, (i.e. meat & potatoes), I took them to the Ground Round near the place they were staying. We ordered a pot roast dinner, which was the closest thing to what the liked to eat. When the plate came to the table, their jaws really dropped-- they told me that 1 "American entree" was the size of a whole family's meal.....They simply did not eat that much!

Those 2 things really helped me to realize how much Americans put into their food, and how much we have been "super-sized" into obesity.... Of course, since I've cut back on portion sizes, now-a-days, most "entrees" at restaurants become 2 or even 3 meals for me! (And my waist is appreciating it!)

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 4:02 PM

and what percentage of the world's food do americans consume? I wonder?? 99%???

Thursday, April 27, 2006, 9:13 PM

someone once informed me that kids grow upwards a bit, then outwards a bit, then upwards a bit some more... in other words, if they pack on a bit of podge suddenley, the chances are that they actually need it in order to stretch upwards.. this is sort of a funny image, just thought I'd share it!

Thursday, April 27, 2006, 9:15 PM

"Most teenagers go through a stick thin phase as they shoot up in height - it's natural."

I must have missed that phase! ;^)
-Kate

Friday, April 28, 2006, 1:07 AM

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