Earlier this month, film critic Lena Wilson wrote a lower than favorable assessment of Our bodies Our bodies Our bodies for the New York Occasions, the place she accused its impartial manufacturing firm, A24, of capturing an “commercial for cleavage.”
“The one factor that actually units Our bodies Our bodies Our bodies aside is its place within the A24 hype machine, the place it doubles as a 95-minute commercial for cleavage and Charli XCX’s newest single,” she wrote.
Many individuals who’ve seen the movie have since expressed their confusion on the line as they recalled zero nudity, and only one scene the place the actors wore bathing fits whereas in a swimming pool earlier than masking up with robes as quickly as they left the water.
The remainder of the time, the characters wore T-shirts and tank tops, and one of many film’s stars, Amandla Stenberg — who makes use of she/they pronouns — known as Lena out for her remark in a non-public direct message on Instagram.
“Ur assessment was nice, possibly in case you had gotten your eyes off my tits you can’ve watched the film,” Amandla informed the critic.
Lena replied: “Hey, Amandla! Typically an enormous fan of your work, however this certain is one thing. Actually wishing you nicely in your profession and life. Have a pleasant evening.”
She then put the actor on blast as she posted the DM for her social media followers to see, sharing a screenshot and asking: “Do you suppose she Instagram DM’d Alison Willmore, Justin Chang, and Anthony Lane like this or.”
Lena went on to recommend that Amandla’s remark was anti-gay as she acknowledged that they’re each are a part of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
“At all times bizarre when the homophobia is coming from inside the home,” Lena wrote. “However that is one thing.”
New York Occasions movie critic Lena Wilson shares Instagram DM from Amandla Stenberg following Wilson’s assessment of #BodiesBodiesBodies:
“possibly in case you had gotten ur eyes off my tits you can’ve watched the film!”
Later, Lena posted A TikTok video in regards to the incident the place she mentioned: “I don’t need anything to return of this, I’m devastated to have obtained this message within the first place. I used to be a real enormous fan of hers, however I’m posting this as a result of I don’t need this one who has extra social energy than me to suppose that it’s fucking OK to do one thing like this.”
She additionally doubled down on her accusation of that Amandla’s message was anti-gay, captioning the video: “unfathomably bizarre to get ‘i don’t need you within the locker room whereas i’m altering’ bullying from a complete different lesbian.”
Amandla then addressed the backlash on her Instagram story, the place they mentioned that they despatched the DM as a joke and thought that Lena would additionally discover the remark humorous.
She additionally acknowledged the years of relentless sexualization that she has confronted because of having massive breasts. Amandla mentioned that carrying a tank high in a film didn’t equate to her placing her cleavage on show, as Lena had instructed within the assessment.
“I’m receiving lots of commentary on the web for being a really naughty lady and sending a DM that I assumed was hilarious,” Amandla mentioned within the video. She then gave the backstory to the state of affairs, and added: “[Lena] described the film as a ‘95-minute commercial for cleavage,’ which I assumed was hilarious.”
Between giggles, Amandla recounted the DM that she had despatched, telling her followers: “I assumed it was hilarious. I assumed as a result of Lena is homosexual, I’m additionally homosexual, I assumed as homosexual folks we might each discover this remark humorous. I used to be additionally curious to know what Lena would say to such a press release, however Lena determined to publish it and likewise says that I’m homophobic for saying that.”
“The intention of why I mentioned that, and that is my expertise as an actress. It’s fairly shocking… the quantity of commentary I obtain on my boobs is so excessive, and this has occurred since I used to be an adolescent,” they went on.
“I might actually be carrying a T-shirt and simply due to the dimensions of my boobs, there can be some kind of sexualization or commentary on my chest,” Amandla defined. “On this film I’m carrying a tank high, and I do know that after I’m carrying a tank high the result’s there’s going to be some cleavage as a result of I’ve boobs. So I knew that this remark was most likely principally directed in direction of me.”
“I feel that Lena was attempting to make a commentary about A24 sexualizing me, sexualizing my physique, exploiting younger girls with a purpose to sensationalize them, to make their media extra standard, which I perceive the angle,” she added. “ I can inform you I wore this tank high on this film as a result of me and the costume designer thought that it match the character nicely.”
The 23-year-old actor admitted: “I do get uninterested in folks speaking about my chest. It appears to me in Hollywood it’s not normalized to have boobs which can be above an A or a B cup. I’ve truly seen this in my time as an actress. There appears to be lots of unwarranted dialog round my chest, that simply sort of baffles me.”
Amandla then prolonged an olive department to Lena, saying: “Anyhow Lena, I assumed your view was hilarious, I assumed my DM was humorous, I didn’t imply to harass you. I don’t want you any hurt. You might be allowed to have your criticism of my work and I’m allowed to have my criticisms of your work and that’s A-OK with me. I want you the most effective.”
She went on to publish a screenshot of considered one of Lena’s tweets, which learn: “me: (spends one line of a 500-word assessment facetiously commenting on how A24 objectifies younger girls to promote content material). random males on twitter dot com and likewise, apparently, amandla stenberg: Native Dyke Can’t Cease Speaking About Boobies.”
Amandla tried to lighten the temper as she joked: “@hottakelena I’ll change my bio to Native Dyke Who Can’t Cease Speaking About Boobies if you’ll?”
For sure, onlookers have been engaged in full of life dialogue over the state of affairs, with many agreeing that Amandla was proper to privately name Lena out for sexualizing her physique.
Whereas some claimed that it was unprofessional for Amandla to react to a adverse film assessment, others acknowledged that it was affordable for them to be sad by a reviewer “decreasing the actresses to their breasts.”
“If ladies carrying tank high is taken into account sexualized, Lena ought to stop her NYT reviewer gig and go write highschool gown codes as a substitute,” one individual wrote on a Reddit discussion board.
One other identified that it was Lena who publicized Amandla’s message, including: “Claiming Amandla’s ‘social energy’ was better than hers regardless of lena being an worker of unknown indie publication the brand new york instances AND being the one to publicize the non-public message.”
“The tweet equivocating Amandla and ‘random males on twitter dot com’ was Not It both,” a 3rd individual commented. “Even when Lena had good intentions, Amandla feeling upset as a result of she thought her physique was being mentioned — which could be very truthful as a busty individual — just isn’t the identical as straight males feeling entitled to seeing bare girls on display screen and getting indignant when somebody calls that out. It’s bizarre that she’s portray all of it as ‘Amandla simply doesn’t need the lesbian her boobs.’”
“I noticed Our bodies Our bodies Our bodies final week and barely keep in mind any nudity and cant even recall seeing [Amandla’s] boobs,” another person wrote. “So main wtf in direction of the critic. The film is mainly at midnight your complete time and the characters are lined in mud and blood. So I can see why [Amandla] is aggravated.”
“Very bizarre to accuse a black lady of being homophobic as a result of she doesn’t such as you making bizarre dangerous religion feedback about her breasts in a film,” yet another added. One other commented: “To every their very own, however I think about the assessment slut shaming. However no matter you name it the reviewer is decreasing the actresses to their breasts and I can see why they responded.”
Over on Twitter, one individual mentioned of Amandla: “Very un skilled response to somebody’s criticism,” however one other replied: “Very unprofessional of a longtime critic to be speaking about ‘all of the cleavage’ they noticed as if that takes away from the movie or it’s performing in any respect… she talked about their our bodies first so amandla simply gave the identical vitality.”
@TheFallKingXO @PopCrave very unprofessional of a longtime critic to be speaking about “all of the cleavage” they noticed as if that takes away from the movie or it’s performing in any respect… she talked about their our bodies first so amandla simply gave the identical vitality
Others highlighted Lena’s feedback on her TikTok publish, the place she instructed that Amandla was not nicely and wanted assist. “I cannot be checking her story however I hope she will get nicely quickly,” Lena replied to at least one one who suggested her to take heed to what Amandla needed to say.
“I really feel like I ought to publish this to carry them accountable however it additionally actually looks like she is likely to be going by one thing so. actually wishing the most effective,” Lena responded to another person.
Sharing screenshots of Lena’s feedback, one individual tweeted: “Suggesting [that] somebody ‘is not nicely’ as a result of that they had the NERVE to reply to her criticism. That is past unprofessional.”
“That is getting worse and worse. Amandla inarticulately conveyed a good criticism of an offhand comment within the authentic assessment that was fairly callous of L*na to make within the first place. The doubling down and positing that Amandla should be unwell is actually deranged,” another person wrote.
@mwkcaroline That is getting worse and worse. Amandla inarticulately conveyed a good criticism of an offhand comment within the authentic assessment that was fairly callous of L*na to make within the first place. The doubling down and positing that Amandla should be unwell is actually deranged.
“Amandla’s greater than high quality and finally it is a miscommunication and never an enormous deal however the identical week everyone’s speaking about youngster stars and trauma and also you’re simply wildly speculating that she’s, idk, mentally unwell?? how do you suppose you ended up there??” one other tweet learn.
