The Danger Of Kate Upton’s Rapid Rise To Fame

There’s nothing unusual about Kate Upton’s rapid rise to fame. Before she even had her first acting role (The Other Woman comes out today) she’d already taken her place in sexual fantasies and online forums across the globe, thanks to the memorable Cat Daddy video where she danced in a bikini to the direction of “fashion’s favorite pervert” Terry Richardson. Upton isn’t necessarily doing anything wildly different from what many women in Hollywood have done to get their names in the headlines and their boobs on the big screen.

She’s complying.

In a recent Salon article titled “Kate Upton, “Cool Girl”: how the supermodel conquered Hollywood,” Daniel D’Addario claims that Upton has replaced Jennifer Lawrence as Hollywood’s new “cool girl” primarily because of her “amiable willingness to do whatever it takes.”

He writes, “where Lawrence’s “cool” is an attitude of general disregard for the fripperies of showbiz, Upton’s is an eager willingness to go along with whatever’s demanded of her. Want her to strip near-naked in Antarctica, for some reason? Sure! Want her to boogie in a bikini on camera? Sounds fun! Want her to appear in a movie that casts her as a vapid young lady who inspires ire in two older and more accomplished actresses? Why not? She isn’t necessarily rebelling against Hollywood’s standards; she’s fully, happily owning them.”

There’s so much wrong with this line of thinking that it’s difficult to even know for sure if D’Addario is being sarcastic or if he could really, honestly be saying to us: A cool woman is an obedient woman.

First of all, this whole notion of the “cool girl” label/template is troublesome. As fellow Luna Luna writer Cee Martinez pointed out to me, “Women’s personalities are so varied that the label, no matter whom it is bestowed on, basically tells any woman who isn’t of that template that she’s inadequate.”

Agreed. In a place like Hollywood, “cool” changes by the day, maybe even by the minute. What was apparently seen as “cool” in Jennifer Lawrence was her supposed “disregard” for Hollywood’s demands, but I’m not sure I 100% agree with that.

After this year’s Oscars, I wrote a piece for Luna Luna about Lawrence’s expected red carpet fall. I wondered if she was merely playing into the label of a clumsy, funny, pitied girl because her fans adored it and Hollywood rewarded the act.

But I do agree with D’Addario’s claim that unlike Upton, Lawrence “has somehow mostly avoided being sexualized — her hit “Hunger Games” franchise is about how able and strong she is, and her performances for David O. Russell have arguably been more about baring over-the-top emotion than her body.”

And that’s enough to keep Lawrence “cool” or maybe even “admirable” or “honorable” in my book for far longer than Hollywood would deem appropriate.

Actors—female and male—will continue making questionable choices to get their names in the headlines. Upton is merely following a trusted Hollywood formula, but, for me, it just feels like a giant step back.

Maybe it’s time to redefine what is and isn’t “cool” anymore.