The Academy Awards were last weekend, and living in Southern California, it seems the buzz around them is unavoidable. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Oscars or any award shows really because they seem to simply be a popularity contest set up to promote politically correct views of the rich and famous. In fact, the movies and actors themselves are merely a side note in what has become a platform for Hollywood icons to push their own personal agendas on hot button topics.
Apparently I am not the only one who decided to forgo the Oscars escapade. Author Mary Kassian recently wrote about this “time of year when we have to endure Hollywood’s painful, unending fascination with itself” on her website Girls Gone Wise. She specifically discusses Natalie Portman’s win for her role in the movie Black Swan and how this movie is throwing up huge, red cautions for its negative message about women’s sexuality.
Now you may think that this is just a Hollywood movie, but the ideas about female sexuality it promotes are dangerous, and becoming more and more pervasive. Today, young women are inundated with the idea that they need to explore and discover their dark, seductive, sensual side through masturbation, pornography, lesbianism, sadomasochistic and/or multi-partner sex. Until they do, they will remain frigid, undeveloped, and incomplete. Sexual experimentation is how a woman gets in touch with her power. Embracing both ‘darkness’ and ‘light’ bring out her true beauty. It is what made Nina ‘perfect.’
While neither I nor Mary Kassian has actually seen Black Swan, both of us have been sufficiently filled in on what it is all about. Her assessment is right on, and she brings up some really important questions and thoughts for all of us to ponder. You can read the rest of Black Swan Deserves and Oscar here.
