Weighty Matters

A director recently told me that most casting directors would recommend that I “lose 20 pounds, or gain 60.”

Weight is always a stressful issue, and one of the most visible vestiges of sexism in our society. Women are far more often the victims of unrealistic and unobtainable media images of what a body “should” look like, which creates an environment of psychological and physical self-abuse. In the performing arts, the problem is amplified, with performers who are already at or beneath their ideal weight expected to starve themselves — thus perpetuating this image of the false ideal.

Men do not suffer from this, largely because men are still for the most part the rulers of media and therefore get to set the standards. How often do we see an attractive, skinny woman walking down the street with a big fat boyfriend? And how rarely do we see the reverse? Men even escape the judgment of weight in the entertainment industry. John Goodman is one of the most talented film actors working today. But would a Jane Goodman have made it nearly as far?

I have had psychological issues about my weight since adolescence, even though in medical terms I am only slightly overweight. (For someone of my height, as long as my weight begins with a “1” I am probably okay.) While I have successfully overcome other issues in my life — notably, giving up alcohol entirely — I have a hard time staying away from frivolous snacking. This has not been an issue for me as a performer, but it remains one in my personal life