Wednesday 22 October 2014

Rush to judgment

Ursula suggested I write a more frivolous post. Well, given there's something utterly frivolous on my mind right now, what the hell, no sooner said than done....

I can't believe the fuss everyone's making about Renee Zellweger's changed appearance. Do they have too much time on their hands? Are they paid-up members of the Image Police? Do they never change their own appearance? Why this rabid Renee-trashing?

Personally I'm the old-fashioned type who believes a person's appearance is their own affair and nothing to do with me. I wouldn't be happy if everyone was zooming in on my own appearance and saying they didn't like the change, they preferred the old me, had I had plastic surgery etc etc. I'm amazed she's taking it so calmly and hasn't fled to some secret hideaway.

I couldn't care less if Renee Zellweger had piled on 10 stone, cut all her hair off and went everywhere in bright pink pajamas. It's none of my business. And the fact that she suddenly appeared in public after a long absence doesn't entitle every Tess, Debbie and Harriet to weigh in with their opinions (and yes, it does seem to be mainly women slagging off one of their own).

What does strike me though is that she now bears an uncanny resemblance to J K Rowling - the same face, the same expression, the same hairstyle. Has she turned into J K Rowling? Has J K Rowling turned into Renee Zellweger? Is this a weird double-case of identity theft? Is Renee now a phenomenally successful author while J K is now a Hollywood icon?

All I can say is, I love the name Zellweger. I could roll it around my tongue all day. Zellweger, Zellweger. A name to conjure with. A name to savour. Apparently zellweg means "path to a small monastery." If the current hysterical opinionising goes on much longer, a monastery would probably suit her nicely.

Pics: J K and Renee. Or possibly Renee and J K.

30 comments:

  1. now as a lady who wears make up every day, the thoughts and wishes for say, a more English Rose complexion rather than my Italian/Greek mama have passed through my head.until about 8 years ago make up in the UK has always had a pink tinge. My skin tone is defo Olive. This has made it for years that make up never really quite worked. I haven't ever thought about surgery but I can see the effects of botox when done lightly can be amazing.

    Some one will probably rip my head off for this comment. Each to their own.

    PS Alpro Almond milk is on offer in Tescos. Usually £1.69 is £1 today. :)

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  2. Sol: I see you managed not to mention Renee Zellweger once. I'm most impressed.

    I'm sure your skin is just fine as it is. Why try to be an English Rose? Personally I find most English Roses rather bland. You're probably right that Botox can do wonders, but I wouldn't fancy being injected with poison myself.

    I usually go to Sainsbury's not Tescos. And I find Alpro anything is absurdly expensive. We buy Sainsbury's unsweetened soya milk, 85p a litre.

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  3. Guilty. I spent at least 15 minutes reading about Renee Zellweger last night. I tried to figure out what she had done to herself. I'm sad she changed her eyes. That's what made her different.

    Anyhoo, I've always liked her as an actress and I know she's working on something new right now.

    Deja vu...I am a big Meg Ryan fan too.

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  4. Maybe it was strange lighting and a funny camera angle wot done it.
    Sx
    P.S Not in the mood for proper English this evening.

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  5. On closer inspection I fear Rene has been replaced by an alien replicant.
    It's like when a favourite soap character is replaced with a new actor.... only this is supposed to be real life. At least it gives me hope that one day I'll get a chance to be Helena Bonham Carter.
    Sx

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  6. Susie: Her eyes look much the same to me - small and heavy-lidded. Can't say I'm a big fan of hers. Cate Blanchett however - her performance in Blue Jasmine was amazing.

    Scarlet: I think she just looks older and wiser. She's lost the Bridget Jones awkward scattiness.

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  7. Scarlet: An alien replicant, that could be it. So what happened to the old Renee? Was she turned into Soylent Green?

    I thought you already were Helena Bonham Carter.

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  8. Am I the only woman not to read the write up? Some people are fortunate to hold their looks, while others like me age like a notebook with lines and dog ears! ;)

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  9. I thought they were the same person!

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  10. I haven't worn makeup in years, and I didn't know who Renee Zellweger was. Since then I did read an article about it --- the idea being why on earth people would pay that much attention to it, that celebrities are damned if they do or damned if they don't try cosmetic surgery.

    I would hate to be a celebrity. It especially bothers me when journalists write about how Hillary Clinton, other prominent non-show business women, look. Hey, guys, they're not supposed to be eye candy!

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  11. As I've said before, I don't give a fuck about celebrities. But, I'm not actually convinced this is Renee Zellweger.

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  12. Grannymar: It's hard to avoid the coverage, her face is everywhere. Indeed, some people's faces age rapidly and some don't, it's the luck of the draw. But so what? The obsession with every tiny new wrinkle is ridiculous.

    Jenny: I rest my case!

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  13. Agent: I don't give a fuck either. I'm just intrigued why so many thousands of people do. Of course you could be right, this may be an impostor. Or an alien replicant. Or J K Rowling's sister.

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  14. Jean: Very true, celebs are damned either way, whatever they've done will never satisfy the fickle general public. I would hate to be a celeb too, it must be a horrible goldfish-bowl existence.

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  15. Forget that she is a celebrity. The fascination lies with how you can look one way one moment, and the next your own mother won't recognize you. The very thought freaks me out.

    By the way, to compare Rowling with Zellweger is totally unfair. Rowling has wonderful bone structure, elegance, class, confidence in oodles.

    Ms Zellweger claims she is happy. Well, judging by her expression in the above photo, you could have fooled me.

    U

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  16. Ursula: Indeed, maybe she turned up at her mother's house and her mother said "Excuse me, do I know you?"

    I also thought she looked a long way from happy. Stressed and anxious, more like.

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  17. I've seen the headlines....but no more...what can it possibly matter how someone looks, whether they have changed in some way....?

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  18. Fly in the Web: It matters a lot "how someone looks, whether they have changed in some way".

    To illustrate: I never knew my first husband other than with long hair and a fine beard. After two years of marriage (we were in our early twenties) strife set in. We were on our last leg and he knew it. What possessed him I do not know (an act of revenge?): He had his hair cut short and shaved his beard. To say I was in shock on opening the door to him would be an understatement. "Don't touch me", I hissed at him. Couldn't bear it.

    Trust me, there is more to looks than meets the eye.

    U

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  19. Fly: Indeed, what can it possibly matter? Maybe all those people who hoped one day to meet Renee Zellweger are hugely disconcerted that they might have been right next to her somewhere but didn't recognise the new Renee.

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  20. Ursula: You're right that we become very used to the way someone looks and can be quite shocked if they radically change their appearance. But why? Do we feel they've somehow "tricked" us by no longer being what we expected them to be?

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  21. I always loved Renee Zellweger because she seemed to me to be different to all the other actresses. Her acting ability and her looks set her apart from the flock. Now she looks just like a thousand other actresses, her unique characteristics have gone.

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  22. Keith: True, she doesn't look unique any more, she looks like a lot of other actresses. But presumably her acting ability is unaffected.

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  23. For something frivolous, you have written a great deal! I did not even know who this lady was till the debate started.

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  24. Ramana: You never watched Bridget Jones' Diary or its sequel? How very remiss of you! I'm just fascinated by the way her face has become a global talking-point.

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  25. I had no idea who either of those two pictures were, so I guess I'm out of the loop. I thought Renee looked a bit odd five years ago or so. Maybe she has that plastic surgery addiction?

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  26. Bijoux: What, you've never heard of J K Rowling? One of the most famous authors on the planet? I don't believe that!

    Like many others, I don't think that actually was Renee Zellweger, I think it was someone else posing as her. Maybe the real Renee was kidnapped?

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  27. I know she wrote the Harry Potter series, I just don't know what she looks like...guess I do now!

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  28. Bijoux: Yes, that's her, with the dangly earrings. Probably wondering why Renee is now going for the "best-selling author" look.

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  29. Hey Nick I meant her change of face is due to botox. Like Katie Price, they have had too much and it alters the face and it actually starts to fall due to the botox wearing off and the muscles not working. that is what I read somewhere was the problem. I neglected to say that it was botox I was getting at.

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  30. Sol: That's interesting, I hadn't heard that before, that over-use of botox can weaken your facial muscles and make your skin droop. Another over-rated beauty treatment?

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