Critical Drinker Examines the Male Gaze

This is a very well written, entertaining essay that asks some deep questions about human nature and Hollywood. He says everything I could have said. What Hollywood has done to destroy itself begins and ends with its inability to understand what movies and movie stars represent to us. They are, or were, our gods and goddesses. That was the whole point of movie stars.

Sure, acting figures into it. We can appreciate a great performance. But in general, even if it’s Dustin Hoffman, it comes down to charisma. With women, the sex card is the most powerful card in the deck, hands down, no question.

It isn’t sex so much as beauty. If you are beautiful, chances are you will find your way to some kind of fame. True before TikTok and YouTube, still true after. We like to look at beautiful people. Scarlett Johansson would never have become famous were it not for how she transformed from a geeky childhood actor into one of the hottest women in the world.

I saw her once in person, and she was even more beautiful. That is true of every actress - and some actors - I’ve seen in real life. Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder. That’s how to rise to the top of the pile, at least in an honest industry that cares about giving its audiences what they want. That no longer describes Hollywood.

They are comfortable with every kind of sexual expression except heterosexual males, who, for a long time, made up the bulk of their audience. This is great. Give it a watch.