"I'm Pretty, So I Have Value Now!" [/Crow]

[bloodyrosemccoy]

And this right here sums up my hatred of pretty much every Anne Hathaway movie ever made. (Only Marigold did forget the all-important switch from glasses to contact lenses.)

Well, except Ella Enchanted. My hatred for that Anne Hathaway movie is summed up in Answer 11 here. BUT OTHER THAN THAT.

Comments

[beccastareyes]

I remember one thing I liked about the Katara and Toph story in Tales of Bah Sing Sei was that, while it was kind of a makeover story (Katara talks Toph into going to a spa with her), it was more about how Toph found an activity she wouldn't enjoy on its own fun because it was with a friend. So the story was more about Katara not trying to be Team Leader and Toph not trying to be Team Rebel and the two of them just taking a day off to chill. And it didn't change how Toph looked -- we already knew Toph could dress nicely if she cared from previous episodes, and she didn't take Katara's interest in feminine things as some kind of cue to do the same.

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

I thought the same thing when I got to that scene. Well played.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

That one didn't bug me because it wasn't put in as a permanent change, or a change for the better--it was just a thing to do on a day off.

I also like that it lets us see another side of Toph--the somewhat insecure side. (I also thought it was nicely written so that Toph opens up while still saving her pride by insisting she doesn't really care how people see her.) So Toph remains true to herself and the face paint is treated as just face paint, rather than some metaphor for her New Leaf.

The thing that irritates me is how in a movie the makeover montage is seen as some important stride forward for the character, like some big positive moment of character development. (My sister wrote a paper once on the way the newly-made-over woman is praised and rewarded for finally caving in to society's expectations and learning her place.)

[beccastareyes]

Yeah. Thought it was an interesting contrast because of it: that it was just 'Katara and Toph have fun together and we see a bit of Toph's own insecurity, while not changing her personality or her way of interacting with others'. The same outward idea, but a different undercurrent so it comes off as 'that's a nice short story' rather than 'set this idea on fire and salt the ground as a message to the others'.

[sofish-sasha.livejournal.com]

So tell me, what do you think about Anne Hathaway being cast as Selina Kyle in the next Batman film?

Also, my favourite makeover scene is the one in Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs: the pretty girl puts on a pair of thick glasses, pulls her hair back in a ponytail, and the "hero" proclaims her to be prettier than before. :D

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

...I think it makes about as much sense as casting Christian Bale as Batman.

I never realized it, but that reverse-makeover in Cloudy was actually pretty impressively subversive! In most movies the effects of the makeover are seen as nothing but positive, and the woman is praised for trying to look more attractive. Here you see she did get the praise, but she's deeply unhappy with the results anyway, and feels much better when she returns to her original self--DESPITE ridicule! It's enough to make me want to go back to college just so I can write about it for a film studies class!

Although I have to say, I don't think I'd ever wear a Jell-O scrunchie. Too sticky.

[tears-of-nienna.livejournal.com]

Man, I have always hated that trope. Mostly because if you take away my glasses I can't freaking see, and that's not hot.

Also YES to everything about that travesty of an Ella Enchanted movie. What the hell was that.

Now with 100% more closed tags! *argh*

[shadesofmauve]

What do you mean? I'm sure there are sites on the 'net for people with giant forehead bruises from walking into walls...

(disclaimer: I had a giant forehead bruise from walking into a wall two weeks ago. It was amazing).

[shadesofmauve]

I also HATE HATE HATE this trope.

Also, that there's never an actually ugly or even plain, normal looking actress involved. Just your standard over-gorgeous actress wearing really dorky glasses.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

The other thing this trope misses is that looking that way takes a shitload of sustained time and effort. You've got to work at it to keep up a look like that.

And I tend to find that the people who care enough about their appearance to put in that kind of time and effort (that's not gender-specific, BTW, I've run into plenty of guys like that, too) suck to hang out with. The people who are actually fun to be around have too much going on to be able to devote that much time to their appearance.