Anyone seen 'I Feel Pretty' yet and want to give me your feminist perspective on it?

[Italiangreyhound]

Has anyone else see 'I Feel Pretty'?

I started a conversation in 'Film' but not many responses yet (but thanks to those who did reply). Anyone with a feminist perspective seen it yet?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVx9EFK3DWE

What did you think? Has anyone seen 'I Feel Pretty' yet and want to give me your feminist perspective on it?

How do you "act like you're beautiful?" persist in applying to top model agencies and beauty pageants?

lass  Are you joking

No I'm not joking. I didn't know he was dating someone else when I met him. She lived in another city by then.

She was in the year below me at university and was involved in student politics. She was very self confident and presented herself very much as a man's woman- lots of flirting and playing up to men.

She was in the same year as my husband (my husband is older than me but his law degree is a second degree). I didn't meet meet him until after we graduated but apparently he had been an admirer from afar.

I didn't know there was a connection with her and actually burst out laughing in disbelief when I found out.

"acting as if she were beautiful" @Belphegor I think it is the confidence and high self esteem of people who are either very beautiful and know it, or just very self assured.

I wonder if it does work the same for men. If I met a very attractive man who had low self esteem and acted in a way that displayed his low self esteem I might not 'see' him as handsome.

The closest I can think of is actors who play a part. If they play the part of someone sleazy or whatever or 'unattractive' you may view them as such. Even though they are the same person/actor who I may see in a different role, as 'the hero' and feel is attractive. It does show in a way that beautfiy is in he eye of the beholder (I think).

Lass actually I think she is the winner. I imagine by now she has her law degree, her attractive personality and confidence plus she managed to palm off a philandering prick onto you.

You still think about her 35 years later. I bet you don’t occupy any headspace for her.

Do you really think it is appropriate to speak about another woman who you harmed like this? Are you feeling insecure in your marriage at the moment? After 35 years I am assuming your own looks will have matured which is not a bad thing unless you have based your own self confidence on your looks.

How come you get to judge whether she was beautiful or not?

Why should I not? We make judgements all the time about what we find aesthetically pleasing or not.

I think it is the confidence and high self esteem of people who are either very beautiful and know it, or just very self assured

I was beautiful and knew it; she was very self assured. Her lack of conventional beauty had no impact on her self- confidence. She was very much a "man's woman" - she had no interest in women. She loved being the centre of attention in a group of men. Most universities have star personalities - she was one at mine.

Do you really think it is appropriate to speak about another woman who you harmed like this?

I could not care less about her or whether I harmed her.

The concept of the film reminded me of her- someone who was not in the least bit pretty but had all the confidence as if she was. My marriage, career and confidence is doing fine.

@LassWiADelicateAir with respect I don't want to discuss this person from your past. I'm not telling you you can't, of course, I'm just saying for me it makes me uncomfortable to talk about a person from your past and how attractive they are. Especially in light of what else you've said about the connection between the two of you.

I'll give an example of how I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love Jeffrey Donovan. He was in Burn Notice. He was sexy I think. But he also played a really sleazy bloke in Hitch and the personality made me dislike his looks!

Anyway, off to bed, thanks all for engaging.

I suspect I will feel the same way about the film that the Evening Standard Reviewer did. I have been surprised that some of my friends want to see it.

It might be trying to say something about beauty coming from confidence but as far as I can tell, the main character doesn’t just become confident, she becomes a narcissistic bell-end, and the rest of the ‘beautiful’ people spend most of the film looking at her in horror, thinking that the stupid fat ugly girl should know her place, thus undermining the whole proposition.

I probably will go to see it, because it’s the baby club film this week, so I can see if it lives up to the scathing criticisms it has received!

i just read a review of it on the BBC. They said it was a terrible plot and a wasted opportunity.

Yes, I read that. Bloke reviewer, wasn’t it? I think I’ll reserve judgement til I’ve seen it. I like and respect Amy Schumer very much.

Jeez some people really are showing the not so pretty parts of their personalities on this thread.... I won indeed- a bit sad to still be thinking like that in mid-life but I think I have realised that the bitchy girls at school never grow out of it, it’s not immaturity, it’s a personality trait.
I might watch the film for some light entertainment- is it only at the cinema or is it online yet?

Well I think someone needs to get over themselves @lass. I believe Amy won with her great career, amazing new husband and escaping a train wreck of a man that’s you’re leazy husband. Win win win!!!

Oh I forgot to say that I do plan to watch it as I’ve been curious about the trailers. Amy S is too pretty for the role though which won’t help the central message.

I think it's interesting that Lass sees someone with confidence with men and attributes this to them feeling like they're beautiful. Quite a leap there.

I haven't seen this film but was struck by the concept of the Amy Schumer character working in a tech role being 'promoted' to receptionist by dint of her recent acquisition of self confidence.

If that's not the patriarchy in action I don't know what is.
Women know your place. Don't aspire to a tech support role with the hope of possibly working your way up to a development or management position. Oh no... what you really want is to be the piece of eye candy on the front reception, that is the real promotion for a woman of self belief and confidence

What a false victory... along the same lines as 'winning' a husband from their current partner

I am not saying that receptionists are mere eye candy by the way.

Just that I imagine this might be the premise for this film whereby the main character imagines she is now stereotypically beautiful and is overjoyed to be offered a receptionist role over her current tech one.

@tigerdog it's not really about that despite the trailers.

@OtterInDisgrace don't eNt to be sexist but I really would not expect a male reviewer to get it.

@PeakPants worth watching, no idea how you watch a movie in line (I am an old fart! I mean I am young and attractive and too busy to learn?)

If I looked now the way I did when I was 25 I would be oozing with confidence (though not a narcissistic bellend I hope!) When I was actually 25 I of course had zero confidence and assumed I was fat and ugly.

@italiangreyhound, I watched I Feel Pretty today and I have to say that overall I enjoyed it, and it was not as bad as the trailers portrayed it. I was quite surprised! I did still think that parts of the overall premise were a bit rubbish or patronising, like she aspires to become a receptionist and take a pay cut, and the message at the end, which was a bit naff and cliched. Despite all that though, it was entertaining enough. Also, I watched it at the baby screening with my daughter in my arms and I had a tear in my eye at the end (bloody hormones!) thinking about how much I hope she’ll be happy in her own skin when she’s older.

I believe Amy won with her great career and amazing new husband

Who is "Amy" given you are referring to my husband ? The ex girlfriend? If so as far as I know her career actually went nowhere.

I think it's interesting that Lass sees someone with confidence with men and attributes this to them feeling like they're beautiful. Quite a leap there

Not actually what I said. This woman really worked at being a "man's woman". No female friends ; always gravitated to men at any social gathering; lots of touching of arms and flattery ; ignored other women. Basically being the "cool girl" from Gone Girl long before it was invented. You can spare your feminist tears - she would not want them.

@tigerdog whoop whoop as they say.

"...thinking about how much I hope she’ll be happy in her own skin when she’s older." that is really what it is about I think, the last two minutes... of and "I don't want you to hear the splash!"

I have just found out that Anthony LaPaglia who plays the handsome detective in 'Without a Trace' also plays the dumb, dead beat brother of Daphne in Frazier. This really shows me how we think of people views how we see them.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_LaPaglia

I haven't seen it but I wondered if it would be good. It's an interesting premise how much your life would be affected just by believing you are beautiful, because most women don't - since we are given the message through all types of media and advertising that we are never attractive enough, and that looks are a large part of your value as a woman. Even if you reject these ideas when you consciously think about it, the message is so ingrained you don't realise you're even thinking it, for the most part. I'd love to see the effect of conquering this assault on our confidence.