With the third season of the
award-winning webseries Out With Dad only weeks away, we fans have been treated
a new series of “Rose’s Video Diaries” to entertain us during the wait. The Rose’s Video Diaries are a series of short
videos featuring the main character, Rose Miller, talking into the camera about
her thoughts concerning things that affect her character and sometimes move the
overall story along a little bit. I don’t
usually comment on these videos (I did so once.)
but the most recent video diary segment has had me thinking, and I think I have
enough thoughts for a blog entry. The
diary is called “Body Issues” and can be seen here. I’ll try
to comment on the character, the writer and actor, Kate Conway, and also society
in general as it relates to this issue.
At least that’s my plan. I’m not
using an outline or rough draft here, so it may meander a bit.
 |
| Kate as Rose Miller |
Kate comments about this diary
that she wrote it based on her own experiences and feelings and what her teen-age
character would think about the issue.
It reminded me of some stupid comment I read, probably on YouTube, back
when I first discovered the series. I
can’t quote the comment but it was something about “fat ugly girls” and why
would you want to watch them. I don’t think
Kate is fat at all. And I’d also say she’s
attractive. Is she Gwyneth Paltrow?
No. Does she have to be? NO! She’s just perfect for whom she is and she’s
certainly perfect for the role of Rose.
My point here is that there’s no “perfect” body type, and I think people
in society are too often over-critical of others, and of themselves. On the other hand, if you look around at
people and talk to them, you find a lot of people are not really that
critical. There’s a huge variation in
what different people find attractive and everyone seems to be the answer to someone’s
dreams.
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| Gwyneth as Pepper Potts |
I do think women are held to a
far more critical standard on our society than men are. I also think women are often their own worst
critics. I’m sure men aren’t nearly as
critical as women think we are. Kind of
like how just because so many of us can’t help but notice Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t
mean we think everyone has to look like her.
In the video diary, Rose does a good job comparing herself to the other girls
on the show. And Rose is right that
Claire (Caitlynne Medrek) is tiny and Alicia (Laura Jabalee) is pretty,
but she makes the incorrect assumption
that this somehow affects Rose. Rose
only has to be Rose and she has enough friends and admirers as it is. And I guess this is my advice to all the
people (especially young women) out there: you are you and stop trying to match
anyone else.
Artist's rendition of Rose
Particularly on the issue of
weight, I understand the desire of most of us to want to do better, and weight
issues seem to be one of those areas where we think we should be doing better
than we are. I do think there’s too much
emphasis on “super-skinny” rather than just “healthy”. I have personally known people who lost huge amounts
of weight, and I’m happy for them because I think they will live longer,
healthier lives. But People need to be
smart about weight and weight loss. The
extreme ways Rose mentions people try to lose weight are not good and
healthy. Diet and exercise; that’s the
key! And yes, I’d like to lose about 10
pounds myself. I’ve gotten too sedentary
as I’ve aged. I need to get up and
move. Right after I watch some Out With
Dad, of course!
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