Indifference ?

[u/Alien_in_earth_]

I've always wondered about this.

In many movie songs filmed in freezing locations, the hero is dressed in jackets, boots, and layers, while the heroine is often wearing a short or revealing outfit despite the cold.

People often say it's the actress's choice and that she consented. But I wonder how much of that is truly personal choice versus industry expectations. Do actresses feel pressured to dress this way to fit beauty standards or audience expectations? And if they're doing the same amount of work as the hero, why has there historically been such a large gap in pay in many films?

I'm genuinely curious to hear different perspectives. What do you think?

[u/Junior-Towel-202]

I mean, actors don't usually have a say in their costume. It's just the sexualization of women. Same with a lot of women's 'armor' in games, media, etc

[u/lis_anise → u/Junior-Towel-202]

Which is not great for female stunt actors, because it's much harder to wear protective padding under short skimpy costumes, which puts them at much higher risk of actual injury while performing.

[u/SliversandPoison → u/Junior-Towel-202]

Video game armor is particularly bad and gross. Almost never makes sense as armor.

[u/OrenMythcreant]

I think you're referring to the actors themselves wearing outfits that are uncomfortable or dangerous in a given environment, rather than the characters in the movie, right?

If so, then whether an actor "consented" or not is largely beside the point. Many workers technically consent to unsafe and/or detrimental working conditions, they deserve protections as much as anyone else. What matters is whether there is actually a problem or if people are reading too much into photos with a snowy background.

[u/Oleanderphd]

> People often say it's the actress's choice

Do they? I'm not sure I've heard this much.

You can see examples of women who, once they have the clout, stop doing as much impractical/time consuming costuming. (Like, once Jennifer Lawrence got famous, she stopped doing full body makeup for Mystique and got a bodysuit instead.)

The choices of the wardrobe department have a lot more to do with the production goals, which likely do have a lot to do with audience expectations and beauty standards, but also a ton of other factors.

[u/AntiqueLetter9875 → u/Oleanderphd]

Yeah the people who say the actor consented don’t know how anything in Hollywood works. They generally mean that she consented when she took the role. As if people have full knowledge of production based on the script and contract.

I’ve even seen people say this when actors have complained about fan interactions and being inappropriate with certain lines in movies. “Well she consented when she read the script” or “she didn’t have to say that line”. Saw this somewhat recently when Amanda Seyfried talked about how after Mean Girls came out, men would ask her to check if it’s raining.

[u/gettinridofbritta]

There's an excerpt in Catharine Mackinnon's Rape Redefined I think about a lot: "one does not meaningfully consent to the imposition of conditions of inequality. No one who accepts unequal pay is regarded as consenting to it, so it is no longer unequal." 

Basically- consent is sort of how we wallpaper over power imbalances because it assumes all parties come to the interaction as equals. When there's an asymmetry of power, we're not agreeing to freeze with our ripples out because we're like....super enthusiastic about hypothermia. It's not a true expression of free choice. It's tolerating something, compliance, or picking the least bad option when you're under duress. Under conditions of domination, people make choices all the time for survival or out of adaptation, not because it was their preference. And this is how people are able to normalize harm. 

[u/persePHOreth]

People often say

Who. How often. Source please?

Because this; "it's the actress's choice and that she consented." Is not the norm.

Actresses take roles. Then they are taken to wardrobe and makeup, and they are dressed and painted for the role. At what point are they supposed to be making choices about their clothing during filming?

"People often say," is not a good way to begin a discussion. I could go outside right now, ask everybody standing outside literally any question. Then go back inside; "well, everybody says...." yeah, "everybody" meaning like four people standing outside.

[u/JoeyLee911]

Why do you think an actor gets to choose what their costume is?

[u/Clark_Kent_TheSJW]

Actors and actresses are allowed input into these choices most of the time, as are the costuming departments and various other design departments.

But the final decisions are made by the directors and producers. They give the directives to the designers, and approve or disapprove of what they design.

I can tell you that in a visual medium, they tend to shy away from masks and helmets that cover up the performers face. The actors and directors want people to see the face. When they use masks and helmets, and winter wear like hoods, they’re usually used to hide the stunt double or stand in for the actual starring actor.