Actresses go dark
Rick in Oz
04.story?coll=mmx-celebrity_heds
To entice Oscar, actresses go dark
By Karen Heller
Knight Ridder/Tribune news
This is how you, an average mortal, know when a movie star is being serious,
and wants to be taken seriously as an "actress."
She dyes her hair dark.
Correction: She stops dyeing her hair blond. And goes back to her roots.
Literally. She also removes half her makeup.
In other words: She starts to look a lot like an average mortal.
These are the dark months of Hollywood, when movie stars become serious
actresses, letting their roots and the circles beneath their eyes grow dark
all in an effort to have Oscar gold brighten their lives.
Meg Ryan appears as a brunette in the current dark thriller "In the Cut."
She did this in "Courage Under Fire."
She usually does this when she tires of being perennially perky, the box
office's leading romantic comedian. She might as well slap a "For Your
Consideration, Academy Members" label across her chest.
In "The Hours," Nicole Kidman was a frizzy brunette with a sizable honker --
much worse than that of Virginia Woolf, the author she was portraying -- and
ended up winning an Oscar. She also dyed her hair dark for her new film,
"The Human Stain," which may net her another nomination.
Shedding her makeup and wearing frumpy clothing in "Monster's Ball," Halle
Berry won an Oscar, though the truth is that even without much makeup she's
impossibly gorgeous. Berry and the equally scrumptious Penelope Cruz,
already brunettes and highly remunerated cosmetic and fragrance models, go
makeupless mano a mano in "Gothika," opening later this month.
Cameron Diaz, with model's looks and azure eyes, went darker in Martin
Scorsese's 1860s period piece, "Gangs of New York." (Manhattan didn't have
many hair salons specializing in superior highlights back then.) And in
Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich" she was downright frumpy. Translation:
frizzy brown hair, baggy clothes, sensible shoes, brown contacts. In other
words, she looked like someone you might actually know.
Charlize Theron, another goddess, goes brunette with less makeup as serial
killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster," opening nationwide early next year in
most places.
The positive side of all this is that it indicates brunettes are worth
taking seriously, perhaps more seriously than blonds.
On the other side, it means brunettes are dull and normal and average and
common. And blonds still have more fun and become movie stars or models or
cheerleaders. And nothing has changed since the advent of peroxide as a
life-altering tonsorial tool.
Most male actors aren't blond most of the time, except Brad Pitt, who for
serious roles retains his highlights, though fewer of them.
Male movie stars don't tend to go blond as much as bald, fat and gray. Plus
they add glasses. Like real men. You can always tell when Bruce Willis is in
a serious role because he sheds hairpieces or wears really weird ones. Or
shaves his hair off entirely.
Such alterations, of course, are not limited to thespians.
Television reporters and hosts seem to change hair color depending on how
seriously they want to be taken, the most famous case being Ashleigh
Banfield of MSNBC and NBC, who went dark to travel to Afghanistan. "Saturday
Night Live's" Tina Fey joked that Banfield lost her glamor by changing to
resemble, well, Tina Fey. Humorist Andy Borowitz fantasized the headline
"NATO agrees on interim hair color for Ashleigh Banfield."
Going in the opposite direction is NBC's Katie Couric, who gets lighter,
flashier, and less anchor-next-door by the day -- as she competes with the
fetching Diane Sawyer, her morning rival on ABC. Meanwhile, CBS deploys
three dark-tressed women to battle both of them.
All this obvious manipulation is as irritating as it is fun. But it seems
harmless enough, as long as we don't wake up one morning to find a
raven-haired Kelly Ripa reporting from the Pentagon.
From Sunny Oz, Rick :)
Proud Keeper of the talented & beautiful Halle Berry.
Woodie69
: Literally. She also removes half her makeup.
:
: In other words: She starts to look a lot like an average mortal.
Hmmmm.... Not all brunettes look like an average mortal. :)
--
~*~ Keeper of Monica Bellucci ~*~
Shell-Don
I thought this post would be about Nicole Kidman "gettin' wit" Duddy Kravitz
;-)
- Shell
"There's a .sig that sucks born every minute."
Kenny McCormack
Shell-Don <shel...@aol.compostheap> wrote:
>>Subject: Re: Actresses go dark
>
>I thought this post would be about Nicole Kidman "gettin' wit" Duddy Kravitz
>;-)
Seriously - and something about never going back.
But, it was nevertheless an interesting read. It is interesting to note
that most sitcoms/soaps have a clear notion of "blond good, brunette bad",
or vice versa. It is interesting to note which ones fall in into which of
these categories.
Just to get you started, all of the following are in the first category:
1) Bewitched
2) I Dream of Jeanie
3) Dynasty
Dallas, OTOH, fits into the second category.
Am I showing my age? Feel free to provide more "au courant" examples...
Scott
> : Correction: She stops dyeing her hair blond. And goes back to her roots.
> : Literally. She also removes half her makeup.
> :
> : In other words: She starts to look a lot like an average mortal.
> :
> Hmmmm.... Not all brunettes look like an average mortal. :)
Angie Hamon merely mortal? never!
ANIM8Rfsk
<< Dallas, OTOH, fits into the second category. >>
Brunette good blond bad?
Hmm. Okay, I'll give you Pam good. Little pig slut bad.
But beyond that . . . I think it's just a mixed bag.
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Kenny McCormack
ANIM8Rfsk <anim...@aol.comNOSPAM> wrote:
><< From: gaz...@yin.interaccess.com (Kenny McCormack) >>
>
>
><< Dallas, OTOH, fits into the second category. >>
>
>Brunette good blond bad?
>
>Hmm. Okay, I'll give you Pam good. Little pig slut bad.
I assume by "lps", you mean Lucy.
>But beyond that . . . I think it's just a mixed bag.
Well, first of all, note that I am only talking about the women.
That's the scope of this conversation.
I think of Sue Ellen as basically a good person - very put upon. Crazy,
yes; if she had a lick of sense, she'd have taken whatever she could have
carried and run away, in maybe the 3rd episode.
Lots of blond sluts on that show - just think about it.
Then again, Kristin was a brunette...
P.S. I have several more examples of "Brunette good blond bad" - just
didn't feel like listing them.
Woodie69
:
I was actually speaking of my keepee, but I do think that Angie is far from
normal, she's a knock out.
Woodie69
"Woodie69" <wood...@tampabaySPAMLITE.com> wrote in message
: : Angie Hamon merely mortal? never!
: :
:
: I was actually speaking of my keepee, but I do think that Angie is far
from
: normal, she's a knock out.
I meant mortal... that's what I get for having a conversation and typing at
the same time.
ANIM8Rfsk
<< >Hmm. Okay, I'll give you Pam good. Little pig slut bad.
I assume by "lps", you mean Lucy. >>
Yeah, the ugly little thing that looks like Miss Piggy. The thing that can't
possibly have sprung from the loins of Joan Van Ark (who was a 'good' blonde).
<< Well, first of all, note that I am only talking about the women.
That's the scope of this conversation. >>
Understood.
<< Lots of blond sluts on that show - just think about it. >>
LOL, lots of brunette sluts too. And let's not even get started about Jenna,
who changed hair color and faces 3 times.
<< P.S. I have several more examples of "Brunette good blond bad" - just
didn't feel like listing them. >>
Ah, come on, let's go for it.
from IMDB. I left the actresses names in, 'cause half the characters didn't
mean anything to me any more . . .
I don't think I'm hitting anything resembling a trend here.
Barbara Bel Geddes .... Eleanor Southworth Ewing Farlow #1 (1978-1984,
1985-1990)
Blonde, Good
Linda Gray .... Sue Ellen Shepard Ewing (1978-1989)
Brunette, stupid, slut, probably good
Victoria Principal .... Pamela Barnes Ewing (1978-1987)
Brunette, Good
Charlene Tilton .... Lucy Ewing Cooper (1978-1985, 1988-1990)
Blonde, slut, Bad then Good
Susan Howard .... Donna Culver Krebbs (1979-1987)
Blonde, Good
Priscilla Presley .... Jenna Wade #3 (1983-1988)
Donna Reed .... Eleanor Southworth 'Ellie' Ewing Farlow #2 (1984-1985)
Sheree J. Wilson .... April Stevens Ewing (1986-91)
Blonde, Good
Cathy Podewell .... Calpurnia Elizabeth 'Callie' Harper Ewing (1988-1991)
Blonde, Good
Kimberly Foster .... Michelle Stevens Beaumont Barnes (1989-1991)
Blonde, Good
Lesley-Anne Down .... Stephanie Rogers (1990)
Barbara Stock .... Elizabeth 'Liz' Adams (1990-1991)
Barbara Babcock .... Liz Craig (1978-1982)
Leslie Bevis .... Diana Farrington (1989-1990)
Stephanie Blackmore .... Serena Wald (1980; 1982-1985; 1987; 1990)
Blonde Hooker with heart of gold
Lindsay Bloom .... Bonnie Robertson (1982)
Morgan Brittany .... Katherine Wentworth (1981-1985; 1987)
Brunette, very very very bad
Danone Camden .... Kendall Chapman (1983-1991) (as Danone Simpson)
Karen Carlson .... Mrs. Scottfield (1987)
Barbara Carrera .... Angelica Nero (1985-1986)
Joanna Cassidy .... Sally Bullock (1980-1981)
Lois Chiles .... Holly Harwood (1982-1983)
Brunette - probably good but stupid
Pat Colbert .... Dora Mae (1982-1991)
Mary Crosby .... Kristin Shepard #2 (1979-1981)
Brunette and very bad
Marj Dusay .... Marge Billings (1986)
Barbara Eden .... LeeAnn De La Vega (1990-1991)
Fern Fitzgerald .... Marilee Stone (1978-1990)
Susan Flannery .... Leslie Stewart (1981)
Blonde, indeterminate
Anne Francis .... Arliss Cooper (1981)
Jeri Gaile .... Rose McKay (1989-1991)
Meg Gallagher .... Louella (1978-1981)
Evelyn Guerrero .... Nancy (1989-1990)
Jenilee Harrison .... Jamie Ewing Barnes (1984-1986)
Blonde, good
Alice Hirson .... Mavis Anderson (1982-1988)
Gayle Hunnicutt .... Vanessa Beaumont (1989-1991)
Deirdre Imershein .... Jory Taylor (1991)
Karen Kopins .... Kay Lloyd (1988-1989)
Brunette, good
Audrey Landers .... Afton Cooper (1981-1984, 1989)
Tina Louise .... Julie Grey (1978-1979)
Susan Lucci .... Hillary Taylor/Sheila Foley Impersonator (1990-1991)
Shalane McCall .... Charlotte 'Charlie' Wade (1983-1988)
Brunette, good
Jeanna Michaels .... Connie (1979-1981)
Margaret Michaels .... Jeanne O'Brien (1990)
Priscilla Pointer .... Rebecca Barnes Wentworth (1981-1983)
Kate Reid .... Aunt Lil Trotter (1982-1983, 1986)
Deborah Rennard .... Sly Lovegren (1981-1991)
Blonde, good
Sherill Lynn Rettino .... Jackie Dugan
Annabel Schofield .... Laurel Ellis (1988)
Martha Scott .... Patricia Shepard (1979-1985)
Shari Shattuck .... Kit (1991)
Deborah Shelton .... Mandy Winger (1984-1987)
Brunette, slut, good
Alexis Smith .... Lady Jessica Farlow Montford (1984,1990)
Amy Stock-Poynton .... Lisa Alden (1987-1988) (as Amy Stock)
Francine Tacker .... Jenna Wade (#2) (1980)
Deborah Marie Taylor .... Debi (1987-1988)
Leigh Taylor-Young .... Kimberly Cryder (1987-1989)
Beth Toussaint .... Tracy Lawton (1988-1989)
Deborah Tranelli .... Phyllis (1981-1991)
Deborah Tucker .... Debra Lynn Beaumont (1991)
Joan Van Ark .... Valene Ewing (1978-1981)
Blonde, good
Merete Van Kamp .... Grace Van Owen (1985-1986)
Shannon Wilcox .... Anita (1990)
Elaine Wilkes .... Mary Lou Lassiter (1987-1988)
Lesley Woods .... Amanda Ewing #1 (1980)