OPINION: Is Hollywood Afraid of Fit Women?

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Hey ladies, if you ever want to have a successful career in Hollywood, here’s a small tip I can give you…don’t ever pick up a weight, but if you do, make sure it’s those colorful weights that weigh 3-5 pounds each.

You think I’m joking, don’t you? You honestly think I’m making a joke here. Sad thing is…I wish I was.

It has been made abundantly clear that Hollywood and the mainstream media seem to have some form of intimidation issue with fit woman and don’t want to showcase them in any positive manner when it comes to the entertainment world. However, the sports world is a different story, especially more now than ever before.

On August 1^st, 2015, Ronda Rousey defeated previously unbeaten Bethe Correia to remain undefeated in UFC, retaining the World Bantamweight Championship in the main event of UFC 190. Yes…the MAIN EVENT. As in THE fight that people pay to see the most. Since then, things in the division began to get very interesting when Holly Holm shocked the world at UFC 193 and defeated Rousey for the title (main-event, as well) and then at UFC 197, Mishea Tate defeated Holm to finally capture the title (part of a massive double main-event). For several UFC events, fit, tough women have been in the spotlight and have shown that fit women can draw a crowd if done right.

While it hasn’t always been that way, the sports world is beginning to see that women just aren’t the same “cute, cookie-cutter stereotype” they used to be. They are starting to realize that strong is the new sexy. The NFL has recently hired their first coach in Dr. Jen Welter, a football player herself who has no problem showing the men how it’s done on the gridiron. The NBA hired their first coach in Becky Hammon, who ended up making even more history by becoming the first women to win a championship in the NBA (yes, it was the Summer League, but a championship is a championship, nethertheless). CrossFit has become super-popular in a short amount of time, and many would argue that the reason for that is Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet, who won last year’s CrossFit Games but has been viewed as arguably THE Face of CrossFit (not just the female side) for quite some time. Even WWE’s got in on the “Strong is the New Sexy” movement with their #DivaRevolution with NXT favorites Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch making waves on the main roster (and will be heading to Wrestlemania to compete for the Divas Championship in a much-anticipated Triple Threat match), with ladies such as Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Askua, Emma, and Dana Brooke (who DOUBLES as a fitness competitor in addition to being a wrestler, BTW) leading the NXT women’s division to new frontiers. Pretty sad that Hollywood is too stuck on their ways that they can’t see something awesome that’s right in front of them.

WWE Divas Champion Charlotte leading the #DivasRevoltion in WWE, with fit, gorgeous women changing WWE's Divas division a day at a time, with names such as Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Asuka, Emma, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, and Nikki Bella, among others. WWE will be launching a Tapout fitness line in April, shortly after Wrestlemania 32 in Dallas, Texas.

I mean, seriously, what is it going to take for Hollywood to see that fit girls CAN move a company and/or sport to new heights? Are they THAT scared of women with a little bit of muscle? There’s all this talk about “diversity”, but it seems to only be involved with color, sexual orientation/preference, and SOME body types. Apparently, it’s fine in Hollywood to be practically anyone (and I mean ANYONE) in Hollywood except a fit woman it seems. I mean there are tons of women in the bikini division (the least muscular of the female divisions) that would be great in Hollywood, and Hollywood is too afraid to give them a proper look. I swear I wish I was exaggerating, but here’s something big I want you to ponder on for a bit:

Unless you have been living under a rock the last few years, you have probably heard of a certain movie that is out, quite possibly THE biggest superhero movie of all time when it's all said and done…Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As of this post being published, I’ve yet to have seen this movie, so I’ll hold off judgment on the movie as a whole until I’ve seen it. But one of the roles in the movie was for Wonder Woman, arguably the most famous female superhero of all time, and part of the Trinity (along with Batman and Superman). The disappointment I personally had when Warner Brothers/DC Comics choose Gal Gadot for the role was beyond words, but not because of WHO Gal was (I have no personal issue with Gal whatsoever, so please don't label me as a hater), but WHAT she represented: typical Hollywood outer beauty that would attract the masses. I will give credit where credit is due, she did take this role serious and according to an article on Yahoo.com, she did put on 17 pounds to give her a bit more of an intimidating look, but that depends on your definition of “intimidating”. (Oh yeah...this exact quote from the article gave me bad vibes;  “I don’t want to be big and bulky… I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.”) You would think that Hollywood would have tried to get someone that would have fit the bill better, but ultimately they didn’t. I doubt the movie will suffer because of that reason (I hope it doesn’t), but imagine how better it would have been if they would have given a fitness-based woman an opportunity like that. Can you imagine what that could have done for women to see someone like that ON THE BIG SCREEN and go “Wow…she looks amazing! I would love to know her secret”. It’s revealed in some articles in magazines and BOOM. Gym memberships increase, fitness awareness in increased. Hollywood looks good in the progress sending a hell of a statement to a lot of people. It's a win-win for everyone. But clearly, they don’t want to go with that and choose sexiness over substance.

Think I’m still crazy?! Allow me to go even further.

Amazons?! Ehh...well it's Hollywood's version, at least. 

Next year, Wonder Woman gets her OWN movie, and earlier this week, the first photo from the movie was released. Yes, that's the photo about this paragraph. In addition to Wonder Woman (Gal) on the photo, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), General Antiope (Robin Wright), and Antiope’s lieutenant Menalippe (Lisa Loven Kongsli). Great photo, but someone (not me) summed it up better than I ever could: It looks like an ad for a Victoria’s Secret Amazon Skinny Line. I mean, COME ON!! Can you REALLY say that the Amazons pose a legit threat when they look like they do in the photo? If you can say it to my face without hesitation, more power to you.

In comparison to men and muscles as it related to Hollywood, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck went through hell to put on muscle for their respective roles as Superman and Batman. Ezra Miller was trending due to his apparent muscle gain for his role as The Flash in the DC Cinematic Universe. Will Smith packed on the mass to play famed boxer Muhammad Ali. Zac Efron is looking like a men’s physique competitor (borderline classic physique, to me) for the upcoming Baywatch movie. Apparently Mike O’Hearn is up for the main role in a potential He-Man reboot. Do I need to go on?

Yep...Zac is DEFINITELY out of High School (Musical) now. He's playing in Baywatch next year, but he actually looks...intimidating and believable as a badass (I can't believe I called a HSM alum a badass. Yikes!) 

I know what you're probably thinking…but Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey have had Hollywood roles, so your rant is kinda unjustified, don't ya think? Yeah..no. Both ladies were able to get Hollywood roles based on their MMA careers, not based off their fitness backgrounds. Oh, and before you go and think I'm a DC hater bring up Wonder Woman in a "not-so-positive" light, (far from it), I doubt Marvel Studios will get it right either. They can POTENTIALLY make a bold move when it comes to casting Captain Marvel (the only top female superhero for Marvel that I can think of coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now) and even that's pushing it. And if She-Hulk is ever part of the MCU or on a Marvel Netflix show, I shutter to think of who they will pick to cast her.

I hope one day that Hollywood will see the light and realize that fit women can truly play a great part in their world just like everyone else, but I fear that this something they will never understand or want to understand. But then again, it shouldn't be much of a surprise when a business like Planet Fitness exist and flat out discourages ANYONE with even a hint of muscle on them (male or female). I would love for myself to be wrong and eat crow and humble pie for the rest of my life if Hollywood were to ever embrace fit women into their world. Some will argue to their grave that this would never work. How can it never work when it's never even been given the opportunity TO work, or fail for that matter? What is Hollywood and the mainstream media so afraid of when it comes to giving fit women an opportunity to show that they are more than just ladies who happen to workout in the gym? Since we're so into hashtags these days, here's my hashtag to Hollywood about fit women...#WhatAreYouAfraidOf?

Someone as beautiful as Amanda Kulco (Latona) is considered "manly" by Hollywood/mainstream standards because she works out with weights...and that''s sad. :( 

Now that I've spilled my guts out involving a subject that has been eating away at me for quite some time, I want to hear from you all: fans and critics alike. Can fitness-oriented women be a part of Hollywood and the mainstream world outside sports in a positive manner? Why or why not? Leave a comment below or send us your thoughts at fitgemsnation@gmail.com, or on Twitter or Facebook.