For
our creative Comparison: Art Talk Virgile and I analyzed the Portrait
of Marguerite Baudard de Saint James, marquise de Puysegur, dressed as a
milkmaid by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. Vigée Le Brun
depicted a member of French nobility in a relaxed, approachable manner contrary
to the restricting and uptight representations of the time.
After much
research and analysis we found connections between Vigée Le Brun and
Coco Chanel in the way they used their relationships with successful
and affluent people of their time to climb to their own personal
successes. However after more reflection I find a parallel between the
image Vigée Le Brun wanted to present of the people she painted and the
way celebrities today sometimes try to be portrayed. Celebrities are
always aware that they are in the limelight and that many people are looking up
to them but just like Ines de Fressange, they always want us to remember that
they are simple people too; believe it or not just like you and I. They eat
junk food, and take naps, lounge around and have bad days. But often we are too
blinded by their positions on the high pedestals we put them on that we never
give them a chance to have a bad day without ridiculing them.
I know we discussed
this in detail earlier in the semester, however how does one distinguish
between a celebrity showing us their true self or when they are trying to
"act" like they are just like an everyday person? Or is this
something they should never try to do because once you are a celebrity there is
no turning back?
The questions you pose are extremely interesting. It seems that once someone becomes famous as an actor, it is almost impossible to distinguish when they flipped their "acting switch" off. Most actors are famous for their incredible abilities do just that--to act, to play a role, convince us that they are someone else. So even if they conduct a lot of interviews where they are just being "themselves," I wonder if that is not an act as well since a few months ago they had me well convinced that they were a spy, an artist, a teacher, etc. I do not think they necessarily should never again sit down for an interview and try to connect with their audience. If they are likable, these interviews can build them a solid fan base and be extremely profitable. And honestly, I would love to believe that Jennifer Lawrence is telling the truth when she tells me that she would rather be eating pizza in sweats than on the red carpet. Because it is nice to think "hey, I am just like that beautiful, world famous multimillionaire," regardless if it is genuine or not. The real problem is when the fan base realizes that it in fact was never genuine... but that is another issue in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteI think this is really interesting too. One of the most surprising things I discovered in writing my last book on the French Revolution was how long the Revolution was in favor of a constitutional monarchy. In fact it was not even a "revolution" until 1792; it was more of a reform movement led by or supported by the king. It appears that King Louis XVI could have remained on the throne (and alive) if he had not made some egregious tactical errors that are similar in nature to what you are discussing above. For example, when the royal family tried to flee from Paris on June 20, 1791, King Louis XVI dressed as a commoner, in a brown suit and flat black hat (such as a banker or upper-level office worker might wear). When the royal cortege was spotted and the king was identified in Varennes (a nondescript town near the Eastern border), the people were confused to see their king in commoners' clothing. He looked like a traitor not only to his country but also to his rank.
ReplyDeleteHad he worn the rich regalia of the French Throne, the people may have been more repectful--or awed, even, in front of this monarch who reigned by "divine right"--and let them go by. However, since Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette appeared to be "just like us," the people refused them passage and eventually stripped Louis of his privileges and title... as he himself had unwittingly done by dressing like a commoner. Beware the importance of sartorial symbolism!