Via the NY Post:
Kristen Stewart is under fire for appearing topless and in a threesome in her new movie, “On the Road,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday. But while decency groups cause a flap about the edgy role, Stewart has defended her choice, saying “I like pushing myself.”
“In the film ‘On The Road,’ Kristen Stewart engages in a threesome and masturbates two male characters,” Dan Gainor of the Culture and Media Institute complains to Radar Online. “How will parents who took their daughters to see the ‘Twilight’ movies explain this? It is irresponsible of Stewart and manipulative of Hollywood bosses.”
Well, Mr. Gainor, if your daughters are old enough to encounter this story on their own (I’m presuming that you are not taking them to “On the Road”) they are old enough to understand that when an actor or actress is in a role, he or she is only pretending. Kristen Stewart was only pretending to be Bella Swann in the ‘Twilight’ movies, which were, by the way, based on a work of fiction.
Easy.
Next question, please.
“She’s an Actress”
And no actress can be a role model… or ever be asked to be a role model… so don’t ever question actresses.
Well, first you should question your choice of “role models”.
Andrew, agreed. I feel the same way when a pro athlete does something some people don’t approve of. “But, we hold them up as role models.” What do you mean “we” kemosabe?
When I was a pre-schooler (early 60s), the TV studio host for the cartoon shows did product endorsements in character. That practice was banned just a few years later, and since the 80s children’s programming has been required to put up an announcement telling the audience when they switch between advertising and programming.
I think the FCC got that right. Anyone who can’t distinguish an actress from a vampire, won’t be seeing On The Road.
I reject out of hand the premise of the entire post. Dame Dench is an ACTRESS. Maggie Smith is an ACTRESS. This Kristen waif is but a sloe eyed, one dimensional flash in the pan.
But I totally agree with telling the uptight crowd to bugger off. If you are paying Hollywood $10 to lie to you for two and a half hours, YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE.
Piety has no place in the lap of Pop Culture.
I think the word “actress” should always be placed in quotation marks when used in reference to Kristen Stewart.
On a more serious note, like it or not, Hollywood stars are brands in themselves. Their presence in a film gives it their imprimatur. That she was in a (crappy) film series targeted at teen girls, and then moves into this sort of thing isn’t as neutral as the OP would have it. Yes, we’d like teenage girls to understand there’s a difference between actors and their roles, but teenaged girls are morons, and they must be treated as such.
I would hope I have raised my daughters with enough self-respect and common sense that when they do see something like this on the screen their first thought won’t be, “I’m gonna do that as soon as I can!”
And what would art (or Hollywood) be like if we could only portray good behavior for fear of turning some member of the church choir into a prostitute?
While I suspect very few people will actually imitate Kristin Stewart’s character, the bigger problem is the overall environment. It sets the bar for deviancy a bit further down the road. A girl will say, “Jack two strangers off at once. No way. I have my limits! One customer at a time!”
And what would art (or Hollywood) be like if we could only portray good behavior…
That would be a serious argument for an actress who markets herself to adults. A younger Meryl Streep could do this because she’s never spent the majority of her time marketing herself to teenage girls. Kristen Stewart has a name SOLELY on the basis of her roles in movies geared towards teenagers.
There are two villains in this piece. The first is Stewart, who’s trying get herself some “credibility” by overcoming her lack of talent by shooting a sex scene, and the filmmakers who are using her to sell a few more tickets to horny teens and dirty old men. They’re certainly not casting her for her ability to deliver a memorable line.
I’m not saying I would outlaw her performing in this movie, but we don’t have hold back from criticizing the morality of this casting choice.
Stewart has already played Joan Jett in that movie about “The Runaways.” That contained drug and alcohol abuse, plus (gasp) a lesbian kiss. So it’s not like she was only doing “family friendly” movies before she did “The Road.”
Does Stewart actually market herself to teens? Yes, for Twilight and such. But surely she can venture into more adult territory without being accused of moral treason.
Besides, Stewart is the age when many people fall in love with Kerouac’s “On the Road.” I waited until I was 50 to read it. It’s more like a historical document.
Yes, she already did the stunt casting trick once, so why not try again?
Does Stewart actually market herself to teens? Yes, for Twilight and such.
“Twilight and such..” is all she’s known for. Sorry. That’s her claim to any fame.
So, yes, we can call this what it is, a shameless cynical move to pump up ticket sales for a shitty arthouse flick.
i don’t worry about my kids. They have enough sense and taste to avoid nasty offerings. I worry about the general degradation of culture served to the directionless masses that need to be indoctrinated to behave better lest we suffer the consequences of their actions.