Grrl Power

Two unrelated videos that found me lately. Both from a woman's perspective of sorts. Both are profound in the sense of stirring a reaction. And both involve actors outside their comfort zones to make a statement.

The first is Keira Knightley making a public service announcement about domestic abuse. It becomes chilling the moment where things get out of hand and she asks the cameras to stop. For a brief second, one is not sure if it is acting or not. That scary.

The next is an old clip from AFI with Dustin Hoffman that is finding a new viral life. It is part of an interview of his Tootsie portrayal and starts casually. He talks about finding the character and making it believable for himself with screen tests of him as a woman. He was at first disappointed that he was not more attractive and was wanting make-up to alter his persona into something more appealing. It then turns very serious when he realizes he has bought into the stereotype perpetuated over decades where men objectify women and choices in his life that he regrets. Powerful stuff.