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