Last week I saw something, perhaps on IMDB or on some blog site, about how universal it is for women to hate Keira Knightley. First of all, I think it's a pretty strong and alarming word to say that you "hate" anyone, whether you know them or not. I think we could all benefit from erasing that word from our respective vocabularies altogether.
But I decided to take an informal poll of my own to see if this is true, because frankly I like her. I think she's adorable and quite talented. What I found is that almost EVERY single woman reacted simalarly; eye rolls, dismissing her as a trollop or a hack, saying she was "annoying" and underneath it all I sensed envy. I doubt a single one of them would own up to it but that's what was creeping out. I think whenever someone is physically beautiful, naturally rail thin (and admits to eating what she wants and doing no exercise at ALL- God bless her) and ridiculously successful, it elicits this shadow side of jealousy.
Let's remember how young this woman is and then take a look at her composure and her lovely portrayals of coveted roles such as Elizabeth Bennet. I went into that one assuming I wouldn't like the film because I loved the 2 part BBC version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. But I ADORED her version. She and Matty McFadyen were marvelous, in my opinion. It's a very different adaptation, not as detailed and painstaking but I couldn't take my eyes off of a single second.
It's a favorite tabloid occupation, it seems, to plaster Keira on the cover of their rags every time she shows up anyplace in public where they can again spew hateful words her way for being thin. Having dealt with the opposite eating order, in bulimia, for over 10 years I can honestly say that while she is quite thin, she's never looked gaunt, pale, weak or unhealthy to me. To the contrary; every time I see her she appears to be authentically smiling, energetic and rather joyful. If you know anything about anorexia, the experience of it is none of those things. And women suffering from that particular disorder tend to hide their bodies, feeling ashamed.
What I see in Keira Knightley is a confident, talented, beautiful young woman with what I hope will be a fascinating career ahead of her. She seems like the kind of gal who's so easygoing and such a tomboy at heart that she would be quite a giggle.
When I see Keira, or even hear someone mention her, I smile. She seems to me like the sort of gal I'd love to sit down with over a pint and laugh about life. I find energy and vulnerability in her performances alongside an admirable sense of strength. I find her someone to admire rather than envy. Maybe the jealousy stems from her seeming as though it all comes to her so easily, on a silver platter. But I think that's more of a testament to her positive attitude and joie de vive than anything else.
Plus, she's an Aries. ;)
I'm not saying "poor Keira" here because I'm sure she's quite nonplussed by it all but I'm just a bit baffled. When did she become the actress women love to hate?
Hm. Count me way out of that club. I think she's brilliant. (I mean that in the purely Brit sense of the word, by the way.)
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