Raevengeance
08-07-05, 01:55 PM
Legally Blonde Actress is tired of watching Jessica play dumb
Thanks to her sexy turn in The Dukes of Hazzard, Jessica Simpson is finally realizing her longtime dream of becoming a movie star.ÂÂÂ* But while Jessica and her Daisy Duke hot pants are earning lots of attention, there is one person who's definitely not impressed: her favorite role model, Reese Witherspoon.
In a particularly outspoken interview in Marie Claire magazine, Reese lashes out at Jessica's ditzy on-screen image, saying, "Creating a cultural icon out of someone who goes, 'I'm stupid, isn't it cute?' makes me want to throw daggers."
As the mother of a young daughter, Reese, 29, says she hates how stars like Jessica and Paris Hilton play up their sex appeal and give new life to the old dumb-blonde stereotype.ÂÂÂ* "I want to say to them, 'My grandma did not fight for what she fought for, and my mother did not fight for what she fought for, just so you can start telling women it's fun to be stupid,' " she says.
The Dumb Act
Of course, Jessica has been famous for her dizziness ever since she claimed to believe that Buffalo wings were made of real buffalo on an episode of Newlyweds, and many suspect she continued to play up the persona.ÂÂÂ* While her mother, Tina Simpson, has stated that her daughter has an IQ of 160, Jessica's dumb-blonde routine has been her ticket to success.
According to friends, Reese's feminist side comes out when she witnesses that type of behavior.ÂÂÂ* "For someone like Jessica Simpson to parlay that dumb-blonde routine into a career, well that's the kind of thing that gets Reese's goat," says a friend of Reese's.ÂÂÂ* "She has said many times that women have to work hard enough to get the respect they deserve in Hollywood without having to resort to being a walking punch line."
Reese has been known to put her money where her mouth is - she even formed her own production company, Type A Films, to make films with better roles for women.ÂÂÂ* "I don't think Reese will be hiring Jessica for any of her films," notes the pal.
Jessica's Side
Jessica, 25, who once called Reese "inspirational," has modeled her own career after Reese's.ÂÂÂ* "I don't want a 'here today, gone tomorrow' movie career," she says.ÂÂÂ* "I want to be like a Reese Witherspoon."
So her idol's critical words are particularly painful.ÂÂÂ* "I didn't know Reese called me a dumb blonde," she said at the Dukes premiere in Knoxville, Tenn.ÂÂÂ* "I don't know what to say about that.ÂÂÂ* She's Legally Blonde.ÂÂÂ* I love Reese."
"But Tina wasn't shy about defending her daughter.ÂÂÂ* "Reese is a mother just like me, so she should get to know Jessica before she makes up her mind about her and says things like that," she tells In Touch.ÂÂÂ* "Just like she would expect someone to get to know her children before judging them."
Despite her initial hurt feelings, Jessica says she would like to one day be friends with Reese.ÂÂÂ* "I adore Reese," she says.ÂÂÂ* "I think that she's an amazing woman."
A future friendship between the two blond Southerners wouldn't be totally inconceivable.ÂÂÂ* If they can put aside their differences, they might just have a lot to laugh about one day.[/b]
Another quote from Reese: "It's fun to be stupid?...Saying that to young women, little girls, my daughter it's not OK."
Personal opinion on the article ~ I agree with Reese - and Tina needs to look at what Reese said before telling her to get to know Jessica before making judgments. Reese was complaining about Jessica's 'dumb-blonde' character (which daddy/mommy have both said is an act). It's one thing to make a simple goof-up - but to be PROUD of acting like an idiot - that's what Reese has a problem with...and any woman with a brain cell needs to stand up and tell the celebs who gain fame for acting stupid - that we aren't paying for people to sell out to the old stereotypes.
[ article came from In Touch - Aug 15, 2005 issue ]
Thanks to her sexy turn in The Dukes of Hazzard, Jessica Simpson is finally realizing her longtime dream of becoming a movie star.ÂÂÂ* But while Jessica and her Daisy Duke hot pants are earning lots of attention, there is one person who's definitely not impressed: her favorite role model, Reese Witherspoon.
In a particularly outspoken interview in Marie Claire magazine, Reese lashes out at Jessica's ditzy on-screen image, saying, "Creating a cultural icon out of someone who goes, 'I'm stupid, isn't it cute?' makes me want to throw daggers."
As the mother of a young daughter, Reese, 29, says she hates how stars like Jessica and Paris Hilton play up their sex appeal and give new life to the old dumb-blonde stereotype.ÂÂÂ* "I want to say to them, 'My grandma did not fight for what she fought for, and my mother did not fight for what she fought for, just so you can start telling women it's fun to be stupid,' " she says.
The Dumb Act
Of course, Jessica has been famous for her dizziness ever since she claimed to believe that Buffalo wings were made of real buffalo on an episode of Newlyweds, and many suspect she continued to play up the persona.ÂÂÂ* While her mother, Tina Simpson, has stated that her daughter has an IQ of 160, Jessica's dumb-blonde routine has been her ticket to success.
According to friends, Reese's feminist side comes out when she witnesses that type of behavior.ÂÂÂ* "For someone like Jessica Simpson to parlay that dumb-blonde routine into a career, well that's the kind of thing that gets Reese's goat," says a friend of Reese's.ÂÂÂ* "She has said many times that women have to work hard enough to get the respect they deserve in Hollywood without having to resort to being a walking punch line."
Reese has been known to put her money where her mouth is - she even formed her own production company, Type A Films, to make films with better roles for women.ÂÂÂ* "I don't think Reese will be hiring Jessica for any of her films," notes the pal.
Jessica's Side
Jessica, 25, who once called Reese "inspirational," has modeled her own career after Reese's.ÂÂÂ* "I don't want a 'here today, gone tomorrow' movie career," she says.ÂÂÂ* "I want to be like a Reese Witherspoon."
So her idol's critical words are particularly painful.ÂÂÂ* "I didn't know Reese called me a dumb blonde," she said at the Dukes premiere in Knoxville, Tenn.ÂÂÂ* "I don't know what to say about that.ÂÂÂ* She's Legally Blonde.ÂÂÂ* I love Reese."
"But Tina wasn't shy about defending her daughter.ÂÂÂ* "Reese is a mother just like me, so she should get to know Jessica before she makes up her mind about her and says things like that," she tells In Touch.ÂÂÂ* "Just like she would expect someone to get to know her children before judging them."
Despite her initial hurt feelings, Jessica says she would like to one day be friends with Reese.ÂÂÂ* "I adore Reese," she says.ÂÂÂ* "I think that she's an amazing woman."
A future friendship between the two blond Southerners wouldn't be totally inconceivable.ÂÂÂ* If they can put aside their differences, they might just have a lot to laugh about one day.[/b]
Another quote from Reese: "It's fun to be stupid?...Saying that to young women, little girls, my daughter it's not OK."
Personal opinion on the article ~ I agree with Reese - and Tina needs to look at what Reese said before telling her to get to know Jessica before making judgments. Reese was complaining about Jessica's 'dumb-blonde' character (which daddy/mommy have both said is an act). It's one thing to make a simple goof-up - but to be PROUD of acting like an idiot - that's what Reese has a problem with...and any woman with a brain cell needs to stand up and tell the celebs who gain fame for acting stupid - that we aren't paying for people to sell out to the old stereotypes.
[ article came from In Touch - Aug 15, 2005 issue ]