Pretty Woman - 1990

[malaise]

Hubby and I were talking last night about the methods used in the media to glorify the corporate raiders and their excesses. I told him I thought Pretty Woman was the metaphor for Reaganomics. Here was this dysfunctional man who raided even his father's business spending money like a drunken sailor on his whore of choice. And they sure 'prettified' all that was wrong with these Wall Street types.

How many young women got the idea that the easiest way to earn money to pay for college or a grand lifestyle patterned their lives off Vivian Ward. I wonder how many had such a supposedly happy ending. That movie grossed $464 million - why?

I'd love someone to produce a movie about Vivian Ward and Edward Lewis 19 years later.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. You're right and lots of other movies, shows, books, etc. personified the

blood-thirsty greed of Republicans. Republicans sold the product very well and Hollywood went along with it, even tho they knew better than to do that. Since then, everything has put greed on a f pedestal. And now here we are, with the ultimate greed gods (finance CEOs) whining that they can't give themselves mega-million dollar bonuses for running companies and our country into the f ground. What a f sense of entitlement the rich got from Republicans.

[malaise]

5. Indeed

but it also gave young woman unhealthy ideas for lifestyle choices.
I'd love to see the data on the increase of young women whoring for a grand lifestyle following that movie.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. Yep, and young women and girls now are also dressing like prostitutes

That also came right along with the greed. I find it sad. There was a great article the other day in the NY Times called something like, "People don't let your daughters dress/act like prostitutes." I paraphrased but it was something like that. From the sexting, to dressing like prostitutes, girls feel the need to let there be no difference between pole dancers and street walkers and themselves. VERY SAD, really.

[SmileyRose]

13. My grandma said the same thing in 1960 something.

The grandmas in the 20 were having a fit because women were going around with their ankles showing.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

17. I don't compare women to women like grandmas did. I compare women to men

I don't see men running around showing their tits and ass nor photographing their naked bodies and sending the pics around school.

Does that make any sense at all? Women are making clowns of themselves and for NO REASON other than they believe it's the only way they'll get a man.

Grandmas have nothing to do with the fact that compared with guys, women and girls are acting like prostitutes, while men are keeping themselves fully covered and not sending pics of their ass anywhere.

[SmileyRose]

18. men flash their money and muscles, women flash their T&A

if women had all the money and men were economically dependent, the men would be out flashing whatever body part the women wanted. Men are out flashing what they think women want now.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

20. Women need to flash their money and power and stop spreading their butt cheeks and legs nt

[SmileyRose]

22. That would be nice wouldn't it.

if women DID have money and power to flash............

Most don't.

Edit to add, I'm not sure why women's bodies are a problem for you...........

[Sarah Ibarruri]

23. I don't see middle and working class men flashing their money, do you?

So why do middle and working class women have to spread their butt cheeks and legs?

[SmileyRose]

24. Yes they do.

This conversation feels like it's getting just a little strange so I'll end my part in it with -- I hope you'll do a little introspection on why you feel compelled to control what another woman does with her body. That's really all I can think of to tell you at this point.

That and PEACE. :hi:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

25. Oh yeah? They flash $1.50 for a Sonic small shake? I think not

Women need to stop spreading their butt cheeks and legs, period. They need to flash their intelligence, their charm, and their careers and money (even if they too only have $1.50 for a Sonic small shake).

[elleng]

2. Why?

Julia Roberts and Richard Gere

[malaise]

3. Watch it again

Imagine you're not watching the handsome Gere or Julia Roberts. You'll see.
add.

[elleng]

15. I understand the criticism;

my point was the answer to the question, Why so Popular?

[SmileyRose]

4. I've already gotten slammed for this more than once. but......

while I'd like to see women given MUCH better options on earning a decent living, I have no MORAL problem with a woman using whatever she can to earn a better life. If she's "hawt" and men will pay big money to see her nekkid while she puts a diaper on him then why not? If we are going to have a market for this then I wish we'd just legalize it and put these girls in a business where they can get some security, medical care and mental health support.

I know, obtuse reply. Sorry. It's that kind of day.

[malaise]

6. I am not discussing morality here

I am discussing what was glorified in this movie - the corporate raider and his excesses.

[TahitiNut]

12. I don't think it was "glorified" ... it was equated to pimping and prostituting.

Remember the ending ... "what happens after he saves her? she saves him right back."

The corporate grave-robber ... selling the body parts ... was portrayed as a failure in all his relationships and living a life AFRAID OF HEIGHTS. The lawyer was aptly portrayed as "loving the kill" ... and enriched by being a parasite.

Besides being a reiteration of Pygmalion ... like 'My Fair Lady' and a long line of such movies and plays ... it was also the story of two flawed people finding their way to wholeness together. It was, in that respect, similar to "As Good As It Gets" ... mirror images in incomplete psyches.

[malaise]

16. The real ending would show me what happened

after they started living this 'wholeness'. In my sequel she'd probably be a born again Xtian selling snake oil and he'd be arrested while picking up younger women or for a Ponzi scheme. :D

That would be real life.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. Nobody is saying that if a woman has no other choice, she shouldn't sell her body parts....

But to uphold it as if it were some sort of wonderful thing? No way.

[TahitiNut]

9. It depends (no pun intended) on one's MORAL philosophy.

If one is morally deontological and adheres to Kant's Categorical Imperative, then one sees the moral problem with selling sexual favors. If one is a consequentialist ("pragmatist"), they're less likely to see the moral problem.

Ethics. One size doesn't fit all.

[SmileyRose]

11. OK don't laugh

I was relieved I knew what "pragmatist" meant. LOL I mostly have no idea what you are talking about (forgive me, I struggled to get through public school) but I did get the overall gist in that everyone has their own point of view on morality. :)

BTW - :loveya: :P

[FSogol]

10. GASP, But she got to go shopping! n/t

[HelenWheels]

14. The worst movie EVER! nt

[ErinBerin84]

19. interesting!

Heh, such a silly movie. THough, we are supposed to believe that Edward had found some kind of moral center by the end, when he decided not to take over that guy's company and to toss his lawyer aside. "We're going to build ships together....great, big ships!" Haha. But yeah, the original ending of the movie was supposed to end with Edward tossing Vivien out of the limo and calling her a whore or something, right?

[malaise]

21. It sure wouldn't have earned

$464M with that ending, but that is way more realistic.