This 'Red Sparrow' Cast Photo Says So Much About Women In Hollywood
For celebrities, dressing inappropriately for the weather comes with the territory—whether they're filming summery scenes in cold weather or wearing strapless gowns to wintertime events. On Tuesday Jennifer Lawrence took an outdoor photo shoot in chilly London in stride, posing in a black slinky Versace gown with plunging V-neck and hip-high slit in 40-degree weather like it wasn't a big deal at all. And it wouldn't have been, if not for a photo from the shoot now making the rounds on Twitter that shows brave, jacket-less J-Law standing next to four of her male Red Sparrow costars, all of whom are bundled up in pants, boots, and long coats.
Twitter users shared their concerns about the photo, with many pointing out that it seems to highlight the differences in how men and women are treated in Hollywood. "This is such a quietly depressing (and revealing) image. Not least because I've been outside today and it's bloody FREEZING," New Statesman editor Helen Lewis, among the first to comment on the photo, tweeted.
In a follow-up, after someone wondered why Lawrence hadn't simply refused to go bare-armed, Lewis directed her followers to the Oscar winner's comments during The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable in November. "I finally made the decision to stand up for myself…and then I was punished, and I got afraid that I wasn't going to be hired again," she said at the time. "I was called difficult and a nightmare. I think a lot of people aren't coming forward because they're afraid they're not going to work again."
There are plenty of perfectly good reasons why Lawrence may have opted not to wear a coat for the photo call. For one, she probably didn't want to cover up her gorgeous gown with a jacket or sweater; for another, she was presumably outside only for a few minutes before wearing the dress to other indoor press events. That said, the photo does highlight some major differences in what we expect from male and female celebs: Women are often expected to be "sexy" at all times and in all climates, while men are allowed to cover up as much as they want in the exact same situations. It also creates a pretty shocking juxtaposition between Jen and her male counterparts—Joel Edgerton is literally wearing two coats in the pic.
