In Defense of Megan Fox

A major part of contemporary American culture is deconstructing people in the spotlight, whether they are politicians, musicians, actors or even those who are having their fifteen minutes of fame (i.e. Susan Boyle, Jon & Kate, ad infinitum). The list of reasons that we do this is undoubtedly as long and varied as the people who enjoy this pastime so much; there’s curiosity, animosity, jealousy, boredom and countless other reasons. What rarely ever happens is a regular person defending one of these people.

That’s what I am endeavoring to do with Megan Fox, because being in the spotlight as much as she has recently, the woman’s taken a lot of flack, and I’m not quite sure how much of it is deserved.

To get it right out of the way, I’m not going to lie and say that, as a heterosexual male, Megan Fox didn’t first come to my attention because of her looks. Of course she did. The way the first Transformers film was made, that was exactly the point, and let’s be honest: it worked. Myself and countless other males around the country were hooked from scene one. This fact makes me biased, of that I have no doubt, but this discussion could only be started by someone who is biased.

The first thing I’d like to address is the many people online and in the critical circles who claim that Fox is only “pretending to act,” and who completely disregard any acting abilities she has. Let’s be honest: she’s no Meryl Streep, yet. Yet is the key word of that phrase, because I’ve watched her films several times, and I see a definite potential for some serious acting chops. I think most of the basis for these condemnations come from the fact that she’s only been in big-budget summer films (with the exception of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People but there she was basically typecast as a exaggerated version of the person the press thinks she is) which, let’s face it, are hardly the kind of films that really hone actors’ skills. I think that once she gets offered some meatier roles – ones that aren’t just about spectacle – that people will see a different side to her. I’d love to see her in some kind of quirky comedy or drama, because I think she has the talent to do something real and visceral with these kinds of roles.

Of course, one must consider the fact that Fox enjoys the bigger movies better, and who’s to argue with that? If those are the films that she enjoys making, why should she be railroaded for it? “Big” movies like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings have shown that just because a film has a big budget, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be powerful and moving, despite its massive scope. There’s no reason to discredit somebody’s abilities just because they don’t do an occasional indie film here or there. They just aren’t some people’s style.

All the criticism I hear about Fox’s acting – how shallow it is, and is based solely on her looks – calls to mind Marilyn Monroe. She too was considered less of an actor and more eye candy, something she battled her whole career. Yet looking back, who could have brought more humor to Some Like it Hot or heartbreak to The Misfits? Fox has only been in three movies so far – which is a fact that people seem to forget when they’re attacking her – so I would hardly say she’s had a decent chance to develop her skills as an actor yet. There’s some kind of grace period for an actor to really develop their skills that we just don’t allow anymore. Give her time, and the right roles, and I remain confident she’ll surprise a great many people.

The attacks on her personality in my mind are tied together with her image as a sex symbol, so I’ll examine these two things together. Our country is very confused when it comes to sexuality. We condemn those who are too expressive with their sensuality, while at the same time, making fun of those who are more introverted when it comes to that aspect. The fact that Fox is not only completely comfortable with her sexuality, but appears to embrace it and all the connotations – both positive and negative – that go along with it turns a lot of people off. Somebody that comfortable with themselves becomes intimidating to people who aren’t, but perhaps wish they could be. She gets the labeled as a man-eater, or as a stuck-up person just because she is aware of the fact that she is attractive, and goes along with it. It takes a huge amount of confidence to accept a label the way she has, and I’ve admired her from the start for her ability to do this so naturally. Yet in all the interviews, stories (from people who have spent real time with her, not just a minute) and discussions, she has always come across to me as a very confident, funny and sweet person. She has a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and as somebody who is the same way, if people aren’t used to that, it can really alienate or offend them until they get it.

Hollywood and our culture on the whole have a nasty habit of making beautiful women out to either be mean or stupid, something that has been a part of our male-dominated society for ages. That’s why they broadcast during those pre-movie trivia games – like its some kind of shocking news – that Natalie Portman went to Harvard, or that its such a big deal that Emma Watson would rather go to university than act. Megan Fox is just one of countless actresses who gets pegged with this prejudice.

You can throw that whole “boy with the rose,” thing out there – which anyone will admit was an honest mistake (some of these people should try having their picture taken 100 times in two minutes and see how much they are able to notice) – but she handled it very well, apologizing right off and hoping that she could maybe find the boy and apologize personally. That maybe doesn’t fit with how some people view her, since she’s evidentially so conceited, but I see the situation as a glimpse of how she really is, not how people want her to be.

I won’t apologize for being a Megan Fox fan any more than I would apologize for being an Audrey Hepburn fan. I hope eventually people stop talking about what she can’t do, and everyone gives her a chance to show us what she can.