America Ferrera

[hal9000]

I think her GG comments are completely accurate. Considering that the whole point of the show is so the viewers can live vicariously through and enjoy the outrageous behaviour and fashions of its characters, to posit it as some kind Thackerayan moral skewering of the moneyed classes is moot.

[bitsygirl]

Jan 19, 2009 11:12:16 GMT -4 Ladybug said:

This reminded me of something that Amber Tamblyn said when she was promoting SotTP 1. She made some remark about how the movie showed how supportive and positive female friendships could be, and that they weren't showing girls how to tear each other down, like some other movies did. I took this as a direct slam on Mean Girls which came out at the same time. And it's an unfair comparison. Both films show realistic sides of female friendship: sometimes it's supportive, but sometimes girls are mean to each other! And the girls in that movie learn their lesson! Anyway, it just struck me because I hate it when people promote their stuff by criticizing their competitors. Just sell your movie or show on it's own merits! That's why America's Gossip Girl comments rub me the wrong way.

I'd probably agree, but I think the problem I have is that alot of the time when it comes to representing female friendships in the media it's often of the more negative, slant or just poorly dveloped. I always feel kind of sad at how excited I get to witness a positive, well developed representation on screen because it hits me how rarely that actually happens.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2009 14:24:16 GMT -4 @hal9000 said:

I think her GG comments are completely accurate. Considering that the whole point of the show is so the viewers can live vicariously through and enjoy the outrageous behaviour and fashions of its characters, to posit it as some kind Thackerayan moral skewering of the moneyed classes is moot.

Maybe. But I still think it's lame that out of all the shows she could have picked she chose the one that stars somebody she claims to be her friend while making some point about girls and friendship. Way to undermine your own point.

I'm not saying friends should give each other a free pass on everything they do; if someone does something terrible, you should call them on it. However, starring on Gossip Girl doesn't seem like the most terrible thing or even the least terrible thing a person could do so I was perplexed as to why she singled out her friend's show.

I mean, for me, just reading her comments about girls and friendship as tangentially related to Gossip Girl I went "Wait, but didn't you just say you're friends with Blake Lively?....and yet...."

The way she went on about girls and friendship and then proceeded to undermine her own point struck me as both dumb and ironic.

[sugarhigh]

Is she not supposed to criticize the show just because Blake is on it? As far as I know, she wasn't negative about Blake herself, just the concept of the show. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

I didn't get the impression that she and Blake (and the other women from the movie) are best friends forever, but friendly co-workers.

[kali]

I'd say she shouldn't criticize GG because she's got a lot of glass windows that are going to get broken in the process. UB is every bit as catty, superficial, dumb, and melodramatic as GG. She needs to get off her high horse.

[mariposalabrown]

For some reason, I get the "she's jus jellus" vibe from those comments. Sure, she's a beautiful girl, but Blake is that crazily leggy blonde who just got a Vogue cover. I don't buy America's sparkles and sunshine persona at all. Which, if she isn't really like that, would make her way more interesting to me.

[kali]

There's also the fact that while UB still gets more viewers, it's lost almost all of its buzz, and its ratings are way down from what they used to be. Gossip Girl definitely gets more attention and press these days.

[kostgard]

I don't get that vibe at all. If there is anything going on there, I would just guess that she's tired of all the "ugly girl" cutesy tie-ins to her show. She's always struck me as someone who is proud of her hertiage and carries herself well.

I think America is very smart, and very idealistic, and has a rather wide feminist streak in her. She was a big supporter of Hilary during the primaries and stumped for her a lot - and I think it was because she wanted to see a woman in the White House (Amber Tamblyn did the same thing, probably for the same reason). And speaking of Amber, she made similar comments - not against another show or movie, but about her own movie and that it was nice to be in a movie where the female relationships were supportive and not competitive. America seems to be of the same mindset - while I personally would have avoided mentioning my co-star's show as an example of something bad, it is the most promenient show of that type at the moment. And while I don't believe that she and Blake are best friends (Actually, I've seen photos of all the girls from that movie - America, Amber, and Alexis Bledel - hanging out with each other except Blake) I don't think that she means any ill will towards her.

I think the primary thing she might be guilty of is being a bit humorless because of her idealistic outlook. She could probably stand to lighten up a bit, but I really don't think she's jealous of Blake or said what she said about her show in order to take a swipe at her.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2009 18:43:32 GMT -4 sugarhigh said:

Is she not supposed to criticize the show just because Blake is on it? As far as I know, she wasn't negative about Blake herself, just the concept of the show. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

I didn't get the impression that she and Blake (and the other women from the movie) are best friends forever, but friendly co-workers.

I can see that angle but actors specifically get targetted for criticism when they try to criticize other people's work, no matter how bad that work or the concept about it, may happen to be EVEN when they're criticizing the work of people they don't know and even when the point is true (think of some actor saying Titanic wasn't good for whatever reason.). Actors even get in trouble when they criticize their own work (I thought Katherine Heigly was right in her assessment of Knocked-Up but people apparently found it to be bad form). Ferrera may have a point about the show -- though I think there is a parodic feel to Gossip Girl -- but if people find a lack of decorum associated with actors dissing other people's work (even if the points may be true) then perhaps from that perspective that has been imbued in me from reading boards I find it off-puuting that she'd specifically point out the deficiencies of her co-worker's work to get across some point that in the future she may not be able to live up to in the future, because when an actor needs a job all of those principles she originally had have no problem flying out the window.

I also tend to think the statement that "Gossip Girl CONDITIONS (my emphasis) us to be mean" was a bit of an overly strong statement or wrongly worded. Even if I don't like something about a show or I disagree with the way in which a perspective is being put forward, I'd be reluctant to say that any show conditions a negative set of characteristics in the general population. Personally I can't stand Madonna and anything she does, but even I wouldn't say that she conditions women to be a certain way. I wouldn't go that far because I don't really think that's true. Perhaps it was the phrasing of this particular point that made me think Ferrera's comments were problematic, because to blame a show in such a broad way for negative behaviour strikes me as somewhat ludicrous. There might be some basis for truth in it to some degree (I can see both sides of the issue and perhaps there are statistics to back up either side) but I still think the statement is a bit too strong. I would have understood and come to her side if she had perhaps said that Gossip Girl presents a glamourous fantasy world of malice and underhandedness that impressionable young women should be cognizant of while watching the show and to not get carried away with it, but to say the show "conditions us to be mean" is to basically say that Blake Lively is starring in a show that does a great disservice to society. (I will also add that I do agree to some extent that she is not criticizing Blake Lively directly and I don't necessarily think that was her intent; however, by pointing out the negative societal implications of a particular show she does seem to be tangentially criticizing Blake Lively's choice and decision to star in it).

Because of that line of reasoning, I think America Ferrerra should have been perhaps vague in calling out certain shows or not referenced a show at all while keeping her additional point about how the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants maintains a point of view about friendship not seen in other girls' movies. Because there is going to come a time where she may have to take a role where she goes against what she originally pointed out. It seems to inevitably happen to every actor, even the ones that I do think seem to be genuine in trying to do good. (I actually think she may already be going against it; if Ugly Betty is about the fashion world then I do think she may be starring in a vehicle in which people wish to see a somewhat glamorous world even though the main character may not be glamourous herself, and if you're citing the fashion world as a frame of reference for the show then no doubt you will be showing underhanded portrayals of people of both genders and friendships being crossed. I don't see how it would or could be avoided.)

[hal9000]

Jan 19, 2009 22:28:44 GMT -4 kostgard said:

I don't get that vibe at all. If there is anything going on there, I would just guess that she's tired of all the "ugly girl" cutesy tie-ins to her show. She's always struck me as someone who is proud of her hertiage and carries herself well.

I think America is very smart, and very idealistic, and has a rather wide feminist streak in her. She was a big supporter of Hilary during the primaries and stumped for her a lot - and I think it was because she wanted to see a woman in the White House (Amber Tamblyn did the same thing, probably for the same reason). And speaking of Amber, she made similar comments - not against another show or movie, but about her own movie and that it was nice to be in a movie where the female relationships were supportive and not competitive. America seems to be of the same mindset - while I personally would have avoided mentioning my co-star's show as an example of something bad, it is the most promenient show of that type at the moment. And while I don't believe that she and Blake are best friends (Actually, I've seen photos of all the girls from that movie - America, Amber, and Alexis Bledel - hanging out with each other except Blake) I don't think that she means any ill will towards her.

I think the primary thing she might be guilty of is being a bit humorless because of her idealistic outlook. She could probably stand to lighten up a bit, but I really don't think she's jealous of Blake or said what she said about her show in order to take a swipe at her.

kostgard, I agree entirely.

Her comment was regarding the personal attitudes belied by GG. Nothing to do with Queen Blake at all. And Blake most likely understands exactly what she meant, and has mentioned the tawdrier aspects of the show herself. Jealous? No. She's an award winning actress in a show that, by and large, she approves of. And envious of Blake's Vogue cover? I doubt it. She's a character actress and knows it; and her first big role was in Real Women Have Curves, no less. And if America was "vague" about what kind of show she was referring to, she's be accused of being underhanded and bitchy. GG is the really the only show she could realistically be referring to, outside of reality TV.

And yes, she should lighten up, but all indicates that she is a serious person IRL. People probably expect her to be bright and confident in manner, because that's how she acts week in, week out. Not gregarious and outgoing like Betty at all, and I don't think, superficially anything like the character she plays at all.