Theatrical Slut Shaming: Daily Caller Attacks Ashley Judd For Nude Scenes

[UnrepentantLiberal]

Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2013, 11:42 AM - Edit history (1)

By Alyssa Rosenberg
Think Progress
Mar 4, 2013

It’s a sign of how anxious the right wing is about the possibility that Ashley Judd might run for Senate against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that the attacks on her have geared up before she’s even formally entered the race. There’s the American Crossroads ad trying to frame her as out of touch with a series of relatively anodyne and contextless quotations. And now, the Daily Caller, which has been trying to frame Judd’s feminist beliefs as fringe, has launched the stupidest salvo against her at all: arguing that Judd, because she has done nude scenes for her work as an actress, “has—literally—nothing left to show us.” In an exceptionally gross piece, Taylor Bigler, the Caller’s Entertainment Editor (Entertainment, in Caller parlance, apparently means surfing Mr. Skin and publishing clickbait trash gossip) writes:

We are used to knowing just about everything there is to know about serious political candidates. But will Judd be the first potential senator who has —literally —nothing left to show us? The actress has bared her breasts in several films and has had some raunchy sex scenes in others. According to MrSkin.com, which bills itself as “the largest free nude celebrity movie archive,” Judd has flashed just about everything on-screen. It seems like she was particularly liberal with nudity early on in her career…Judd did a lesbian sex scene in 2002′s Oscar-nominated “Frida” and has nine other films categorized as “sexy” by Mr. Skin, meaning that there is at least one racy scene in those films.

It may come as a surprise to the Daily Caller, but actresses don’t generally take their clothes off on-screen as an expression of some sort of groovy seventies lifestyle, or as a way to have sex with people who are not their spouses or partners. Rather, getting asked to take off some or all of your clothes is, for a lot of actors, a frequent requirement of the job, and something that until recently, tended to be asked of women more frequently than men. When men do get fully naked on-screen, they’re often protected to a certain extent by the comedic framing of the scene,whether it’s Jason Segel stripping down in Forgetting Sarah Marshall for a scene in which his character expects to surprise his girlfriend and ends up getting dumped by her after he refuses to get dressed, or Will Ferrell going streaking in Old School. There’s a separation between actors and their bodies—no one considers men who get naked the sum of junk, the kind of person who, in real life, would pound a lot of beers at a frat party and take off, flapping in the breeze, down a suburban street. Ferrell can get down to his BVDs and still be happily married, raise money for cancer charities, and play the straight man in movies like Stranger Than Fiction. We know that Michael Fassbender is not actually the sex addict he portrayed in Shame in the same way that we know that he doesn’t actually have the capability to manipulate metal with his mind possessed by another one of his characters, X-Men‘s Magneto.

But with actresses, that division appears to be less certain. If a woman takes off her top in a movie, much less baring it all, Mr. Skin and his ilk will be there to catalogue it to make sure people who only want to see her as, in the parlance of that site, “breasts, butt, bush, underwear, sexy,” can skip the parts of her performance that would give her character humanity and context, and would remind us that she’s a woman playing a part. The movies Ashley Judd’s taken her clothes off in tend to have that kind of context, whether she’s playing a woman in love with a mentally ill man who claims to be a veteran in Bug or in Norma Jean and Marilyn, a biopic of Marilyn Monroe, a woman who, in real life, was devoured by audiences’ inability to see both her body and her mind simultaneously. If an actress goes nude for roles frequently, as, say, Lena Dunham has, she’s likely to be the subject of speculation about whether she’s some sort of exhibitionist, rather than whether her nudity enhances her roles, as if there’s no possible creative reason she could have for taking off her clothes or doing sex scenes. It’s a bizarre suspension of logic that applies to all other on-screen actions: no one thinks that Judd’s been married to a southern lawyer pulled into a racially-tinged trial, as she was in Time To Kill,or that she’s killed the ex-husband who framed her for murder as she did in Double Jeopardy,or gives her credit for knowing how Washington and politics work because she’s playing the First Lady in the forthcoming Olympus Has Fallen.

More: http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013/03/04/1665011/theatrical-slut-shaming-daily-caller-attacks-ashley-judd-for-movie-nude-scenes/

Who cares about seeing Ashley Judd naked?

BY IRIN CARMON
Salon
March 5, 2013

You have probably seen Ashley Judd naked. The Daily Caller would like to remind you of this in the context of her probable plans to run for Senate in Kentucky. The question is, does anyone care anymore about whom they’ve seen naked? And if they do, will they care in a decade or two?

Yes, the Daily Caller piece, to which I refuse to link, was sexist and gross. It was, as ThinkProgress’s Alyssa Rosenberg put it,“part and parcel of the right’s current strategy to discredit promising female advocates,” and “an attempt to make her seem less serious by impugning her sexual chastity.” Was Scott Brown’s strategically placed arm over the flesh he bared in Cosmo the difference between his getting elected to the Senate and not, or was it the double standard?

In any case, the fact that the Daily Caller treated the Judd images as breaking news in the right’s overall attempt to discredit her is itself revealing, as Amanda Marcotte noted,and the same astonishment should be applied to Brown: “I mean, we can’t prove for certain from the photographic evidence that Brown has a penis, but the overall nakedness does suggest —and I know that the folks at Daily Caller are in utter shock over this —that he has a body under those clothes that looks like a naked one, and so we can probably assume the penis is there.”

Here’s what else we can assume: Naked images of people we are simultaneously asked to take seriously are not what they once were. Yes, everything that happened with Anthony Weiner happened (including an unverified nude photo courtesy of Andrew Breitbart). Yes, a shirtless shot sent to a Craigslist contact led another congressman to resign. But both were in the context of infidelity and/or dishonesty. Judd’s nudity and sex scenes were in the service of plot. And more to the point, those men arguably were subject to the standards of a shifting age, a generational lag time.

More: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/05/who_cares_about_seeing_ashley_judd_naked/

[AndyA]

1. Senator "Treasure Trail" Scott Brown (R-MA) posed nude in the eighties

He didn't bare all, but he was naked.

Don't remember hearing a big stink about that. Just another example of the hypocrisy that defines the Republicon Party: "do as I say, not as I do."

I hope Judd mops the floor with McConnell, who--thankfully--has NOT posed nude! (At least, as far as we know...)

[lunasun]

6. Oh but they did mention Brown posing with a wink to the repug ladies on how cute he is

before the election thinking it would get him more female votes, The media had the photo out there but in a nice way not shaming
He was naked but crotch covered I think that is all

Double standard squared

I have never seen a turtle with out it's shell - bring it on McConnell

[blm]

8. Same GOP gave Bo Derek high-profile duties at their conventions, though her many nude scenes and

Playboy pictorials brought her enormous fame and her extramarital affairs have included George W Bush (during Poppy's 88 campaign).

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Hard for Mitch to pose nude.

That shell is pretty much physically attached to him.

[Bucky]

28. You asked for it... Mitch McConnell's cock

Don't finish what you can't start, Jackpine.

[Jackpine Radical]

43. Mitch gets excited when David Koch handles him

[samsingh]

41. that's an unjust comparison to the turtle!

[MADem]

45. His wrist was all he needed to cover his fiddly bits.

And yes... he was nekkid in that pic!

[marmar]

2. Isn't the "Daily Caller" edited by bird-beeked Tucker Carlson?

Talk about a pathetic little man who's terrified of women......

[MADem]

46. Whatever that oddball is, he's not terrified...he has a ton of children.

Though he might be mixing them up in a lab, but I suspect he's doing it the old fashioned way....

He's just a wingnut jerk....and that's certainly enough!

[marmar]

48. You can be married and still terrified of strong women.

[MADem]

50. Well, the original thesis was "terrified of women..." and their relative strength/weakness

was not part of the speculation.

That said, I imagine a woman who has the strength to give birth to four of his offspring is no weakling.

He is married to Susan Carlson, née Andrews. They have four children together: Lillie, Hopie, Dorothy, and Buckley.[6][7][8][9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Carlson#Family_and_education


I think he's more likely just a boor, and not terrified at all. He no longer identifies as Republican, if that little biography is even halfway accurate.

[lunatica]

3. I don't see any reason to have to justify nudity in movies

Unless you're an uptight guilt ridden prude full of thoughts of dirty sex. Frankly I find those politicians bizarre and strange people.

[Walk away]

4. I think the Main Stream Media should give Mitch McConnell equal time!

Everyone in Kentucky should be forced to view Mitch in flagrante before they are allowed to vote!

[Le Taz Hot]

5. This is going to backfire on them.

1) Nobody cares that Ms. Judd was nude while engaging in her profession and
2) they're just going to look like overbearing bullies, which they are.

[Jim Lane]

11. I wish I had your confidence.

You write, "Nobody cares that Ms. Judd was nude while engaging in her profession...."

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people will care. Most of them would've voted Republican anyway, but this could swing some voters who might otherwise have backed Judd.

The double standard isn't completely dead. My image of Kentucky (forgive me if this is an inaccurate stereotype) is that it's stronger there than in many other states.

[Mnpaul]

7. I bet they are concerned

They will spend many hours behind closed doors "researching" this.

[NBachers]

9. I guarantee you- Nobody wants to see me nude in the movies!

And I bet the same could be said about the Daily Caller person

[brooklynite]

40. You don't think Tucker Carlson wearing only a Bow Tie would sell?

[magellan]

10. Funny, when it was rumored back in 2008 that Sarah Palin had posed nude in her youth

...the cons jumped to her defense.

http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/blog2/129

"Who cares anyway, she's hot!" and "THe past is the past, quit dwelling on people old mistakes. The point is, Sara Palin is 10 times more qualified to be Vice President than Barack Obama is, and people want to make him the President."

btw, it wasn't her.

Nothing but the usual hypocrisy.

[MineralMan]

12. That will probably gain her as many votes as it loses.

Her on-screen nudity is well know, and will no doubt be brought up in the campaign. She should just say, "So what? I have worked as an actress. Some of my roles required nudity. Now, let's talk about my stand on issues, shall we?"

The only time nudity should be a problem is if it comes as a big surprise to people, or is out of character somehow.

[Dawgs]

13. Why? I thought Seth McFarlane was to blame for all nudity in movies.

At least according to some that I won't mention.

[Indepatriot]

19. Seth was pilloried for lampooning Murrikkka's grade school obsession with breasts

in a room full of women who have no problem baring their wares on the red carpet. ( I have no problem with the ladies using what they were blessed with to get what/where they need ) But the hypocrisy we were "treated" to here was pitiful. Hollywood lives on sex and violence, and I'll take more sex and less violence any day of the week. It brought to mind one of McFarlane's better lines about Jody Foster taking the stage in front of a billion viewers to plead for her privacy......... I'll donate to Ms. Judd as soon as she declares.

[Politicub]

14. Keep it up GOP. Each time the GOP bashes women the democratic

coalition gets a little bigger.

Ashley Judd is going to roll over the GOP and leave McConnell scratching his ass and drooling in a corner.

[Kath1]

20. That's true and they are stupid enough to keep it up!

A strong, intelligent, highly educated, progressive WOMAN. A Republican's worst nightmare!

[samsingh]

16. i've seen her naked and she has my vote

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. Mitch needs a break...

[MADem]

47. He should look so good after shedding his shell! nt

[ReRe]

17. Go Ashley!

.... and Mitch McConnell? He can now have the rest he needs so desperately.

[Dryvinwhileblind]

18. Ah yes, shills for the toe-tappers spewing false equivilency whilst furthering r/w self misogyny...

...and I'm sure if Gubnah Sarah looked like sax Willie's Sec/state, it would have been a shoe-in, no? Thassariot!

[bemildred]

21. If that's all they have, Mitch is in big trouble. nt

[pipi_k]

22. I wonder how many

times most of them had to view her nude scenes over and over again so they could be absolutely sure they were outraged.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Ah yes,...the Conservative Vision for Amercia....

Where teachers are supposed to be virgins and politicians are supposed to be old flaccid white men who look like turtles.

[Iggo]

24. "She's a pretty girl and looks really good naked."

That's what they're going with?

[Bucky]

26. I am issuing a call for payback. I'm willing to pay $50 for nude photos of Mitch McConnell.

We'll show those Republicans. Two can play that game and by jinky we'll beat 'em at it!!

[MineralMan]

27. I would not give a plugged nickel for those photos.

You can have them, with my blessings.

[Webster Green]

29. Blaagh!

I'm getting sick just thinking about that.

[snooper2]

30. you mailing a check or wire transfer?

[adieu]

31. The GOP has given a rather warm support for

Mary Carey, the former porn actress who ran for governor of CA on the GOP ticket. So IOKIYAR.

[MurrayDelph]

32. Which is worse:

showing your ass or being one?

[sheshe2]

33. Oh the Faux outrage!

Go Ashley Judd!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

34. Well if she'd worn a diaper in her scenes she would have received a standing ovation

David Vitter of course was never nude when he engaged in his adventures.

[PatrynXX]

35. besides the nude guys..

there's always that fully nude b/w photo of Sarah Palin supposedly As a GOP advisor said on MSNBC the other day they have a serious problem with women. ahem well thanks idiots at Daily Caller. For helping Ash out . should make her number 1 with women now. Thanks for driving that point home. Hey there's always armpit hair. Wonder if they'll pick on that movie. X_X no wonder they can't figure out why guns should be banned. Can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality. X_X

[EC]

36. Oh yeah,,,,

I remember when they were on Scott Brown for hanging his dick in the pages of Cosmo...

[Brigid]

37. Could it be jealousy?

Nobody wants to see them naked, I'm sure.

[pintobean]

38. It's a good thing she didn't

wear an Elmo t-shirt on SNL.

[librechik]

39. they're just envious, because NOBODY EVER wants to see Yertle without his shell

Ugghhhh!

[SoCalDem]

42. Like I said last week.. she will be pilloried

SoCalDem (99,028 posts)

Tue Mar 5, 2013, 01:44 PM

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022463150

Ashley Judd's run for office (will she?) will be ugly..count on it.



It's different when an actress runs for office.

Ronald Reagan got some good-natured ribbing over the Bonzo movies he made, but other than being a not-very-good- B actor, that was about the extent of it.

Young women who are starting a career, often HAVE to "bare some skin" in order to get acting jobs, and once it's on film, it's always there and will always haunt them, when they shift to more mainstream/political endeavors.
Young female actors are usually eye-candy and do not carry a film. They are there because they are pretty, sexy and the men who see the film will fantasize about them.

Young male actors are nice to look at too, but they can get their start by being in action films, or as the buddy of the star, and their early work usually is clothed, since the star is the one who is intended to be the one in the limelight.

Scott Brown's playful "nude" picture is not in the same vein, and as a man, was not the issue it would be for a woman doing the exact same thing.

Nudity in movies is usually tied into sex scenes, which are acting, but are intended to be titillating.

Even as a woman ages and becomes less "starlet-y", her early work lives on and she is constantly compared to what she "used to look like".

I have no doubt that Ashley Judd would be a better senator than the chinless-wonder has ever been, and I hope she can weather the storm that is sure to come her way.. Look at the dirt they have already dished just in case she runs..

[Scuba]

44. Hopefully, she'll respond somewhere along the lines of ....

... "shills of the party that wants to deny healthcare to Americans while providing taxpayer funds for private jets for their wealthy friends has no business trying to lecture me about morality."

[Carolina]

49. Exactly, she's got it all:

A pretty face, a body they secretly drool (or otherwise ) over, and a sharp tongue backed by intelligence, wit and an actresses timing/delivery.

I can see her responding just as you wrote (great retort, BTW).

They fear her. I cheer her and will support her.

Go Ashley!

[CincyDem]

51. Just watch The Terminator last night and it made me wonder...

How did Californians separate Arnold from this future cyborg character ?

I mean, were voters scared when they shook hands with him that his all powerful metal alloy skeleton would crush them?

Were they afraid that he would suddenly reach for a double pump shotgun anytime a Linda Hamilton look-alike passed by?

Did they vote for him because they were convinced his bionic eye could see their vote and he would seek revenge on any Bustemante voters ??

I know many of us look at Kentucky and their "gifts" of Mitch and Rand to the national landscape but I'm willing to go out a limb here and believe that the citizens of Kentucky are smart enough to realize that movies are make believe, even if they don't involve time travel from the future.