THE STEPFORD WORLD
I saw Demi Moore's new movie last night, "The Substance" Let me just say, it was full of hidden messages that make it worth seeing, once you get beyond the ridiculously insane visual effects. It's a sci-fi horror flick, but I consider it more of a reality drama, and much more sad than scary. Demi plays a woman who is facing the horrifying truths about ageing in a youth obsessed world. She, like billions of women, struggles with letting go of her youthful appearance, and chooses to take a substance that will give her back her childlike skin and teenage body. Demi, like most, forgets that we don't lose ourselves when we age. We are still the same person we always were. But she tries killing off her "old" looking self and re-creates a new and improved younger version of herself. But as always, it backfires. The Substance ends up making her look like a monster.
The character hates herself and holes up in her apartment watching TV all day. She has no friends, no hobbies, and no purpose. She looks back at her younger self with love and admiration as if they were two distinct people. Her career, which was 100% dependent on her looks and vitality, ends abruptly when her perverted misogynist boss, Dennis Quad, replaces her with a much younger woman. In desperation she buys into the lie that a secret formula, "The Substance" can give her back her life and youth. But this comes at a deadly cost. It requires continual maintenance, and it begins sucking the life out of her, making her angry, exhausted and miserable, while obsessing over that youthful beauty. She's never satisfied obviously. She can't get enough, she keeps going back for more and more. As with women today who are obsessed with cosmetic surgeries, fillers, artificial hormones, botox, etc. until they no longer look normal and have become a fake version of themselves.
The character feels like a fraud, and becomes extremely paranoid. Out of desperation, she reaches out to an old highschool classmate to reconnect, but because she hates what she sees in the mirror and keeps comparing herself to her younger self, she stands him up and stays locked away in seclusion. She hates who she is becoming, and longs for who she was. When in reality she has always been the same beautiful person, but sadly, fell for the lie that ageing is a disease needing a cure. Today, menopause is being treated like a disease needing a cure the same way wrinkles and ageing are. Who profits from this? Not women. The beauty industry, Big Pharma, and perverted old men who get their rocks off on young beautiful girls at the expense of these girls health and happiness. These con-men don't give a damn about women's well being. As long as they keep smiling, stay compliant, happy and eager to please, they will continue destroying all that is good and true and wholesome. It's a corrupt business. Fortune and fame come at a deadly cost. But, imagine the power that comes with being content and satisfied with who we are and the changes that come with time. With not needing the approvals of men and others to feel worthy and whole. With finding purpose in making a mark in the world through good deeds, and meaningful contribution, instead of how young and perfect we look. I can imagine it would put these money hungry perverts out of business, and make the world a much better place to live in.
The movie was way over the top on many levels, and I'm actually shocked that Dennis Quad and Demi Moore starred in such a film. But I think they saw the important hidden messages too and the need to expose it, and on that point alone made it worth seeing and staring in. Demi Moore is gorgeous as always but she has unfortunately taken many a "substance" to try keeping her youthful looks, but if she didn't Hollywood wouldn't want her... so there's that. Corruption abounds in this wonderful life we share, and it's what keeps things interesting I suppose. I sure love a movie that makes me think and this one will keep me thinking for days.
BTW.. this comes days after Sean P. Diddy Combs, was sent to the country’s most dangerous “hell on earth” prison and denied bail twice for sexually torturing, abusing, and exploiting young women for decades, sending an enormous warm wave of justice and validation to women everywhere.
