Trolls Commenting on Carrie Fisher's Appearance Illustrate What's Wrong With Society

Earlier this week, Star Wars' Carrie Fisher took to Twitter to express frustration that, once again, her appearance has become a major topic of conversation:

This event is only the latest in a career full of body policing. Fisher has been the victim of countless attacks on her appearance. From people making lewd comments about fantasies of her in the infamous gold bikini, to being told to lose weight to appear in the latest film, The Force Awakens, Fisher has tolerated this kind of crap for years.

It's as if people are surprised that the woman who painted the portrait of Leia in that gold bikini has aged with time. How dare she be a real human who, like all other humans, ages, right?

The sad thing is that Fisher is one of countless female celebrities who've had similar experiences. Who can we blame? How about internalized misogyny, sexism, or patriarchal values ingrained in society? We judge male actors by their acting, and female actors by what they look like on screen (in case you didn't notice, Harrison Ford aged too, and I haven't heard anything about his appearance).

So, to the trolls of the world, allow me to put in my formal request to focus on actors' acting, regardless of gender. I'm sure you expect to be judged by what you do, not what you look like, and celebrities are no different.

Trending Stories

Allison Russell prays for radical empathy and compassion in her and Annie Lennox's 'Superlover'

Breaking down the drama between Bob, 'Drag Race' fans, and Nehellenia

Rising star LAVERN says LGBTQ+ ravers 'bring the fire' ahead of EDC performance

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Rachel Levine fought HIV & STIs at HHS. Now she’s speaking out because that progress is being undone

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis

Johnny Mathis, the queer trailblazer and global superstar, takes a final bow

Billionaire David Geffen is divorcing husband of two years — no prenup

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

How Pride is preparing for a world without DEI

Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more

'The Last of Us' just showed how positive masculinity can survive an apocalypse

HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts

'Evelyn Hugo' author Taylor Jenkins Reid comes out as bisexual

Gay Senate candidate Chris Pappas: The government shouldn’t limit trans people’s health care

More than a stay: Airbnb’s latest release is built for the way we travel today

Lesbian Pride: Here's every Dyke March in the U.S. in 2025

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

From small town charm to big city Pride: exploring LGBTQ+ Ontario

Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic

100 years ago, the pioneering LGBTQ+ rights leader Frank Kameny was born

The Tryst Puerto Vallarta is the perfect destination for gays to embrace their worst behavior

Here's what queer, transgender, and intersex people should know about prostate cancer after Biden's diagnosis

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

And, for the record, Carrie Fisher is a wonderful actor at any age. The end.