Eat Pray Love Backlash: Why is a woman stuffing herself with pasta considered controversial?

The movie starring Julia Roberts is only hitting Singapore in October, but the reviews from the US are out.

Much have been made about how the book and movie are “priv-lit” – where only a woman of certain economic stature can afford to go around the world to find herself. Definitely true

More have also been said about how this movie is going to ruin Ubud, India and Naples as truckloads of Elizabeth Gilbert-wannabes do a copycat move. I absolutely agree.

But what really got me worked up enough to blog about this discussed-to-death topic was director Ryan Murphy’s comments about the scene where Julia Robert’ gobbles down a whole bowl of pasta. He says in a press conference reported here, “I think that’s the most controversial scene in the movie … A woman joyfully and unabashedly eating pasta—it’s kind of revolutionary.”

Why?

Just because it’s carbs? Because women have been deigned not to savour food? Because we have a love-hate relationship with what we eat?  Or because there is so much stigma attached to a woman eating joyfully and unabashedly till her guts burst and letting her waistline show for it.

There’s been lots of talk and discussion of how magazines/ media portray women and how it feeds into a negative body image for females out there. It’s  true and it’s hard to resist. Even as someone making a living writing for women, and knowing  the anount of work done – in tems of poses, in terms of digital imaging and lighting, in terms of clothes – to make a model or talent look the way she does on the pages, I still get bummed when I see models / celebs waltzing into office.

I fully agree that women magazines, and media in general have to take some responsibility in what they’re showing and offer a more balanced point of view in respecting body image. That is why I’m annoyed reading the editor’s note of US Elle July Issue this weekend where Roberta Myer insisted that good-looking, thin people people will still be desired even if magazines don’t promote them. A good retort to that has been written by one of my fave bloggers at Glossed Over.

So it’s sad that a director of Ryan Murphy’s calibre and sensitivity (as seen in his smart TV hit Glee) would even consider that a woman eating pasta is both “most controversial” and “revolutionary”. It’s just friggin pasta. It’s a basic right to enjoy it as a human being. There should be nothing remotely groundbreaking about indulging in something as necessary and pleasurable as food.

August 15, 2010. Movies, Popchow.