Was it just me or was Oscar-fest 2012 one of the most sexist in recent history?

I know I’m a bit late in getting this posted, so let’s just dive right in…

• Angelina Jolie: Let’s just go right to it, right away. Forget the leg coverage, which is it’s own kind of sexism, when you think about it. (Reducing a talented woman to just one limb? Really? Yeah her posing was annoying. Does that mean she deserves to lose all dignity?) Let’s talk about the real, incredibly skinny elephant in the room: Is Angelina anorexic? Like a friend posted on facebook, “Her arms are gross. Somebody get her sandwich!” Because that is incredibly helpful to someone who has an eating disorder — public mocking and humiliation. If the actress/writer/director is anorexic, what she needs is help and support (and other resources). Not ridicule. But isn’t all this toxic energy really just a sign of the friction between societal expectation for female thinness and an example of when women go to far (in either direction) when it comes to weight. It’s fat-shaming, with a flipped script. This time we can all see that the person is not fat. But now she’s too skinny. Of course, this discounts our (as in society) complicity in the matter. We demand that actresses be unrealistically thin — even ones that have had babies. In fact, the less time it takes to lose the “baby weight” the better! It’s a trophy to be attained! Congratulations, you are now a MILF! What a mind-fuck! How about we all shut-the-fuck-up about Angelina’s weight? Okay, now that that’s settled…
• George Clooney’s girlfriend: Does she even have a name, because I don’t remember anyone saying it all night. In fact, I had to google it just to write about here: It’s Stacy Keibler. Yes, Keibler was stunning in her gold gown. No question about it. But what was really, really, reeeaaallly annoying? She’s a female Oscar! She’s a true trophy girlfriend! Clooney’s already got his statue! (Yes, really.) It was like people were actually checking their pockets for a magic wand to turn her into a literal gold trophy, instead of admiring a real, flesh-and-blood woman. It was sexism gone wild!

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point: Women are people, not trophies. And people should not be ridiculed for their weight, no matter what it is. (And eating disorders are not jokes!)

While I’m at it, here’s the 2012 best-picture Oscar nominees broken down by the Bechdel Test: