French director Coralie Fargeat has gleaned fresh perspective about representation of women and aging in Hollywood, in light of Novo Nordisk’s new weight-loss drug, Ozempic. She highlighted the integral role of such medications as amphetamines in the past, but lamented the consistently violent approach to weight loss. Fargeat’s comments stirred a crucial conversation about the industry’s approach towards body image.
Fargeat’s stance comes in the wake of Ozempic’s arrival as a groundbreaking solution for weight loss. However, she draws attention to the aggressive means that were prevalent before, specifically focusing on amphetamines. Very much like the societal pressure applied to women to adhere to particular body standards, she likened this previous reliance on amphetamines to a form of violence.
Although Fargeat acknowledges the progress implied by the introduction of new, supposedly safer drugs like Ozempic, she expresses concern over the unchanged tone in the discourse surrounding women’s bodies. “The industry may have shifted from amphetamines to Ozempic, but the violence remains,” she says. This verbalises the director’s unease about the persistent pressure on women to fit a certain mould, signifying an inherent ‘violence’ in the processing and packaging of Hollywood femininity.
Fargeat’s critique also extends to the issue of aging in Hollywood. As someone privy to the industry’s inner workings, she takes a critical stance towards the ageist stereotypes and expectations that could potentially lead to negative body image, and in extreme cases, health risk behaviours.
The director’s perspectives have been undergirded by her own experiences and observations in the industry, sparking a much-needed dialogue concerning body image norms. As her comments echo through Hollywood’s glamorous halls, they may serve to galvanize changes in the industry’s approach to women’s bodies – especially with respect to age and weight.
This freshly sparked conversation, triggered by Fargeat’s reflections, has the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in the portrayal of women’s bodies and aging in Hollywood. While the introduction of drugs such as Ozempic signifies progress in weight loss treatment methods, it also highlights the urgency to tackle underlying societal pressures and expectations contributing to what Fargeat describes as ‘violence’.
Last modified: February 6, 2025
