Thursday, December 31, 2009

EW's Up in the Air cover


The latest cover for Entertainment Weekly is out, and I don't know, something about this image just... bothers me.  I haven't seen Up in the Air, but from what I understand, part of its appeal (in addition to the Clooney character) is that Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are presented as real, interesting women with lives, issues, and story arcs of their own.  And yet here they're used as props to the ultimate object of interest, Clooney.  Moreover, in the film Kendrick's relationship with Clooney is not romantic, but here it looks like some kind of love triangle!  Seeing these two fiery women draped over Clooney adoringly (and Vera's lipstick/hair color washing her out so much!) just bugs me.  I don't know, am I being too sensitive?  What do you think about the cover?
(Image via EW.com)
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2 comments:

  1. mongoose6January 2, 2010 at 2:30 PM

    Having just seen this movie (last night) I would say the positioning of the characters is not necessarily a problem. Clooney is the main character, with Farmiga and Kendrick as supporting actresses. If the cover were of "It's Complicated" I would expect to see Streep in the middle with Baldwin and Martin flanking her. (Unfortunately this is not the case - Baldwin and Streep were given equal billing, somewhat undermining my argument.)

    In response to your comment about the implied argument, I would just say that sex sells magazine covers. Nothing revolutionary there! Are you being too sensitive, probably not, but cover photos appear to be a lost cause, so I wouldn't spend too much energy on it. Also, "Up in the Air" is an interesting movie, with well-developed characters all-around, including the women.

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  2. Coca ColoJanuary 3, 2010 at 7:51 PM

    I think it's the hands on the shoulder that get me...not the placement. shrug

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