Friday, February 11, 2011

Drew Barrymore

"I love women who have fought to the change the world and made a difference. I want to be one of them myself". ~Drew Barrymore

Yeah. That's right. I said it. Drew fuckin' Barrymore. And I mean it. You may think I'm way off here, but you're dead wrong. Allow me to silence the nay sayers...


As you well know, miss Barrymore came from a famous family. She began acting at a young age and received critical acclaim for her performance in Stephen King's FIRESTARTER. She was only 9. Now, at 35, she has appeared in over 60 films, produced 35, and directed 3. No small feat by any means.
She is an incredibly strong woman. Being a child actor in the industry, she was exposed to the same temptations as her much older counterparts.

She was already a regular at the famed Studio 54 when she was a little girl, smoking cigarettes at age nine, drinking alcohol by the time she was 11, smoking marijuana at 12, and snorting cocaine at 13. Her nightlife and constant partying became a popular subject with the media. She was in rehab at age 13. A suicide attempt at age 14 put her back in rehab, followed by a three-month stay with singer David Crosby and his wife. The stay was precipitated, Crosby said, because she "needed to be around some people that were committed to sobriety." Barrymore later described this period of her life in her autobiography, Little Girl Lost.

"As much light as I have inside me, there's just as much darkness, I'm afraid. There's a polarity, and I still have demons to work out." ~Drew Barrymore

The next year, following a successful juvenile court petition for emancipation, she moved into her own apartment. Drew has shown incredible strength and perseverance growing up in the public eye and being able to battle her own person demons under harsh scrutiny with no real parental guidance. Such is usually reserved for much older working professionals.

With Women In Horror month comes one of my favorite "old songs". The "I'm more than just a pair of tits" anthem. Does it mean that women don't want to ever been seen as sexual objects? Well, sexual, yes. But, objects? No. It is a sad state of affairs, but women are often pressured to take roles and do things in their performances outside of their comfort, or black listed for not taking their clothes off, or, in some cruel irony, being labeled "sluts" for taking their clothes off.

"I just think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness. If somebody walks in the room and they're drop-dead gorgeous and sexy, it's really fun to look at. But if someone is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that's a whole other level of beauty."
~Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has always embraced her sexuality, taking empowering roles and not being afraid to be provocative. She never let someone else pressure her into anything, instead the former child actor stunned everyone with how comfortable she was with her own body. Drew is openly and famously bi~sexual and is very out spoken for gay rights. Here she is with Ellen Page.

"You can't define love and you can't define a family. It comes in so many radical colors. And children need loving homes and people want to adopt who are gay! Why would we ever try to stand in their way? It's unfathomable.
" ~Drew Barrymore
Though she is not solely a "Scream Queen", she was in horror favorites FIRESTARTER, DONNIE DARKO, and even SCREAM. I admire her confidence and ownership of her own sexuality and body. I commend her dedication to gay rights. I find it incredible that she did drugs like a rockstar as a child and was able to recover from an addiction most adults can't even come to terms with. She is a woman on top and in control of every aspect of her life and self, from child actor to producer/director, Drew Barrymore is a true inspiration. A woman that's already come so far in her career, I wonder what she'll do next?

~Jen

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