Dove Beauty recently accused the makeup artists of actor Brendan Fraser’s recent movie, “The Whale,” of “fat appropriation” after they won the Oscar for makeup and best hair.
Critics of the film argue the movie was profiting from the prominent use of a fat suit on actor Brendan Fraser.
“Fat Appropriation”
The conversation began with a tweet from @KBHeylen on Twitter, who complained that Hollywood studios are commandeering the identities of folks who would not have needed such makeup to perform the role.
The tweet argued that studios should cast only fat actors to play the roles of fat characters.
Dove reacted to the tweet with a declaration, saying that fat suits aren’t worthy of awards and the general public needs a higher quality of representation.
However, some pointed out that the weight being portrayed in the film was not just unhealthy, but also proven to be dangerous for his character.
The Critical Drinker retorted that perhaps, given how dangerous it is to be 600 pounds, movie producers would prefer to utilize prosthetics and cosmetics than an actor who is unlikely to make it through the movie.
Despite the backlash, the film’s director Darren Aronofsky and actor Brendan Fraser have defended the use of the fat suit in the movie.
Fraser gained a significant amount of weight for the role in addition to donning the “fat suit.” However, the intent was never to trivialize obesity or make it “a costume.”
'The Whale' star Brendan Fraser and director Darren Aronofsky spoke to Newsweek about fat suit critics at the UK premiere of their movie. pic.twitter.com/ffToAoWZG2
— Newsweek Culture (@NewsweekCulture) October 14, 2022
Fraser said he’s not a small man and he doesn’t know what the metric is to qualify to play the role. He only knows he had to give as honest a performance as he could.
“The Whale” is about bringing empathy to two characters that you don’t expect to feel for, according to Aronofsky. He suggested many of the people who are bothered about their use of makeup didn’t even watch the film.
Wokeness
Some critics responded to Dove’s tweet by telling them to stick to making soap or complaining about the quality of the soap they already make.
Jeremy Boreing, co-CEO of the Daily Wire spoke out about Dove’s wokeness and even supplied a different choice for their products.
In response, Boreing commented that many people aren’t aware of Jeremy’s Razors’ growing product selection. Their soap is superb. Their conditioner and shampoo are excellent.
Many people are unaware of our expanding product line at Jeremy’s Razors. Our soap is exceptional. Our shampoo and conditioner are sublime. Body wash, moisturizer, cleanser, beard oil…
We’re building alternatives. https://t.co/lD03SQttqY https://t.co/1wcJcvO0IG
— Jeremy Boreing (@JeremyDBoreing) March 14, 2023
The use of a fat suit in the film “The Whale” has sparked controversy with some critics accusing the movie of profiting from “fat appropriation.”
However, the film’s director and actors have supported the use of the fat suit, arguing that the purpose was never to trivialize obesity or make it “a costume.”
The Dove Beauty brand has called on Hollywood to quit handing out fat suits awards.
