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For years, writers and photographers have made Hollywood seem fabulous. That is, if fabulous is defined as exciting, dramatic, spontaneous and a little insane.
Celebrities are portrayed as thieves, as people who should be locked up and as people who need to eat. Wynona Ryder, Brittney Spears and Mary-Kate Olsen - just to name a few. Basically, Hollywood is a land foreign to reality and oblivious to social standards.
Generally, Hollywood stories are taken well because we love the drama, we love the scandals and we love thin, hot girls getting pregnant, losing their minds and shaving their heads.
Who wouldn't? Historically, reading a People magazine has been the equivalent of going to a Shakespearean play. Perhaps not as fancy, but it's the same general idea: hear the latest rumors of the famous folks and laugh about how miserable their lives are, despite how much more miserable yours is, but end the event with an upbeat, "but we still love you," tagline so as not to be sentenced to death, or slapped with a libel suit. Oh, what would we do without satire?
But recently, Hollywood has become desperate. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are no longer puzzling our minds with scientology babble. John Mayer is no longer messing around with the most beautiful women in the business. And, amazingly, no one is pregnant. News is sparse. What to do?
What will grab the attention of millions of self-loathing Americans and have us spontaneously buy the newest issue while in the checkout line with our candy bars and beer?
Celebrity cellulite? Done before.
Anorexia attacks on young Hollywood? Old news.
Bat boy? No, no, people finally caught on to that one.
Just as any good advertising company's minions, the paparazzi of Hollywood have pushed the envelope and done something never done before.
Headline: "The Good Girl Wins."
And that's not referring to the 2002 semi-decent failure that Jennifer Aniston starred in, nor is it an actual headline. But, that's exactly what is happening.
In case you haven't heard or read the passing headlines at the grocery store, let me catch you up: Brad and Angelina are momentarily split up. Shocker, but wait, it gets better: Brad is secretly paying visits to Jennifer. OMG! Time to IM the BFF.
Of course, no one really knows if any of this is true, and I for one don't really care if one celebrity is talking to another celebrity again. But here's what gets me: since when do the good girls in Hollywood win?
The advertising industry portrays women as objects, as man's prosthetic play toys, as beings whose only power is in manipulation and sex. And with that in mind, it's impossible for the good girl to win. Sadly, it's our culture.
Women are taught from young ages to be the perfect object of a man's desire. The gender construction in this country commands women to be two things in one: a virginal sex machine. Women must act innocent but be coy. She must act submissive but be aggressive. She must be hormoneless without sexual desire, but dress so that she draws that spark of desire from men. She must be good at being bad.
And still, we are taught that stealing another woman's husband is wrong. We are taught that babies sans marriage are a sin. We are taught that private life should be kept private. And in most cases, famous women who abandon these stereotypes are labeled for life.
Thus Aniston, the hurt and abandoned Hollywood ex-wife, is the spokeswoman for any woman who is afraid of not fulfilling her gender prerequisites and consequent spousal betrayal.
Yet, in this flip-flopped world of Hollywood, Aniston is being vindicated. Finally, the woman who lost it all is gaining speed, but what message does that send to women?
Wait and he'll come back?
Don't worry; he cheated on you so he will cheat on her?
Good girls: Hollywood is a lie, just like the original Cinderella story. The Brad Pitts or the Prince Charmings of your life are no more than a child's fantasy. The reality is that you have no prerequisites to fulfill and that any man who finds solace in the woman who is too weak to know that, is no man at all.
Besides, no one really thinks Brad is hot anymore. Even Prince Charming with a mistress and six children wouldn't be that attractive. ?
Tracey Wallace is a senior English and French major.
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