Anorexic Action Heroines

I recently ran across a movie trailer that highlighted a trend: actresses so skinny a light breeze could knock them over playing tough chicks who beat 200lb men into pulp.  Fictional stories always require the willing suspension of disbelief, but when they ask too much suspension of disbelief from the audience, it ruins the story.  Is it too much to ask that the actresses who play ass-kicking roles actually look like they might be capable of kicking ass?  That brings me to the trailer of "Haywire".



If the lead actress, Gina Carano, looks like she can kick ass, that's because she has.  Ms Carano is a professional fighter with a 12-1-1 record in kick boxing and a 7-1 record in MMA.  She's (wo)man handled almost all her opponents.

I don't know if Ms Carano can act, and that brings up one problem.  It's much easier to take a good actor and teach him/her a few MMA moves than to take a good MMA fighter and teach him/her how to act.  Still, is it too much to ask that the actresses playing these roles take their skinny butts to a gym, lift something heavier than 5lb once in while, and give up their vegan diets for a few months so they actually look like they could perform those moves in real life?

A few actresses have.  Demi Moore did for GI Jane, which sucked.


Linda Hamilton did for Terminator II, which rocked.

But for the most part, studios give us Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider, Salt)...

Mila Jojovich (Resident Evil, Ultra Violet)...

Scarlett Johansson (Iron Man II, The Avengers)...

and Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)...

all of whom seem to need a steak ASAP, and exemplify "skinny fat"; people who are thin, but flabby and devoid of muscle.  They're all nice to look at, but none of them can play an ass kicking role convincingly.  On top of that, Mila Jojovich and Scarlett Johansson aren't even good actresses, so that excuse doesn't fly (Anne Hathaway is alright as long as she doesn't try to speak with a British accent).

Now, compare those frail waifs with a genuine ass kicker like Gina Carano.  I'll be the first to point out that fitness is all about what you can do, not how you look, but movies are all about image, and the women producers typically hire to play action heroines portray an image of frailty, weakness and hunger.

So, why do producers insist on hiring such women?  Movies are big business, so I suspect that producers think audiences don't want to see fit women on film, and if audiences stay away they loose millions.  But, who do they think is repulsed by fit women?  Linda Hamilton certainly didn't keep men from watching Terminator II.  GI Jane bombed, but it was a crappy movie (57% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

I don't think producers are afraid of losing men with fit female leads.  Every single time, without fail, I've talked to a woman about lifting weights, each of them always game me the same response; "Eew, I don't want to get bulky".  Considering that, I think producers are afraid to lose the women in the audience.  Am I wrong?  I hope so.  I hope women aren't still stuck in the mentality that weakness is feminine and strength isn't.  What do you say?

UPDATE: I should have added Zoe Saldana to the list.  She looks like she couldn't beat up a third grader, much less the 200lb trained killers she dispatches with ease in "Colombiana" and "The Losers".