Amy Schumer doesn’t deserve ‘I Feel Pretty’ backlash

We have been blessed with a new Amy Schumer movie trailer.

“I Feel Pretty” is a film written by Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, who in the past have brought us films like “How to Be Single,” “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Never Been Kissed” on top of many more rom-coms.

Their newest film is about a woman, played by Schumer, who is struggling with insecurities and self-esteem issues. After she falls and hits her head, she gains extreme confidence and self-assurance, even though her appearance has not shifted.

There has been chatter about Schumer playing the lead in the film that focuses on self-confidence in women. Many argue that Schumer already fits the Hollywood standard of beauty. Hence, someone else should portray the role of such a self-conscious character.

Taking into consideration the amount of hate Schumer receives on her weight and personality, I personally do not think she fits this so-called standard, which I may add, is perfectly OK. This draws the question as to what this standard is and why it’s even still a thing.

When we think about what fits the Hollywood standard of beauty, we automatically think about appearance. We think about corset-tight waists, big butts and chests, clear skin and flawless hair. Schumer doesn’t completely fit this cookie-cutter idea.

She’s curvy, has a round face and as per her Instagram, flawless hair is not always a concern of hers. Although she’s not stick-thin with a J.Lo toosh, she’s still attractive in her own way.

So why are we still comparing women to each other? It’s 2018, and as women we should be building each other up instead of breaking each other down.

In this day and age we have models like Ashley Graham, “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Edition’s first plus-size cover model: Graham’s figure and curves challenge the norm in the world of modeling. We also have actresses such as “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz, whose weight has always been a subject of talk, yet her talent outshines everything.

On top of it all, Schumer herself has always been a topic of conversation and judgement when it comes to her appearance. When she had her nearly nude 2016 “Pirelli Calendar” shoot, Schumer faced a lot of backlash, but was also called brave for her decision to do the photo shoot.

Needless to say, Amy Schumer’s never one to apologize for her appearance or the persona she delivers, which makes her absolutely perfect for the role in this new film. Though there seems to be no evidence of insecurities in Schumer’s real life, it’s clear that she’s booming with confidence when it comes to her body and looks.

So all in all, she’s the perfect person to play an overly-confident and eager-to-succeed woman. Even if she weren’t, there really is no valid argument as to why she shouldn’t portray a certain character. Acting is all about portraying something that you are not. That’s what actors get paid to do — to play pretend.

Schumer makes a statement in the entertainment world. Whether it’s her humor, personality or running off and getting married — we’ll save that for another time — she’s always catching our attention and laughs. Whether she fits the Hollywood standard of beauty is truly a personal opinion. In this world, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as corny as that sounds.

So, let’s see what Schumer’s newest film is all about and what kind of social norms of beauty it touches upon when it comes to the big screen on April 27.