A viral Reddit post has reignited outrage over archived media reviews of Emma Watson, highlighting inappropriate commentary on her appearance as a child star in the Harry Potter films.

Watson was cast at the age of nine to portray the iconic bookworm Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Like her co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, she grew up in the intense glare of the global spotlight.

However, as the post points out, mainstream media outlets and mainstream film reviewers frequently published uncomfortable assessments about her maturing appearance long before she reached the legal age of majority.

The Reddit thread compiled several vintage excerpts from prominent publications printed throughout the 2000s. Readers were shocked to see how respected journalists casually speculated about Watson’s transition into womanhood.

One article described the young Emma as ‘The prepubescent Watson is absurdly alluring to those of us who always want bossy girls.’ She was nine years old at the time. Growing up, some older writers described her journey as ‘well made-up from baby to babe’.

  • Wren@lemmy.todayEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    I hate the celebrity age countdowns. It’s always women and it always detracts from their accomplishments.

    It crazy that Emma Watson isn’t talked about nearly as much for her superb acting and activism as her body was discussed when she was a child.

  • Sharkticon@lemmy.zip
    22·
    3 days ago

    Y’all remember when there was a website that counted down to the Olsen twins turning 18? Yeah…

  • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    21·
    3 days ago

    I always liked Emma Watson. As a guy who was in his 20s when the movies came out, I think it’s okay to say, and that it should be. Now don’t get me wrong, I was disgusted with the legal age countdowns, but Watson wasn’t the first. I remember the Internet did that with the Olsen Twins. They probably weren’t the first, either. I was too young, at the time, to have a child her age, but I thought I would like to have a child like that. Smart and sassy. Pretty much everything she said and did made me think “that’s how I’d want my child to be.” Still don’t have one though. Helped raise a few but none of my own.

    I was also mad that the American DVD art turned her into a blonde. That should tell you all you need to know about Hollywood.

    But it’s not just Hollywood. Look at the NSFW comms on Lemmy. We’re supposed to be so much better than Reddit, but like 50% of what they post is fauxbait. Might even be real JB. You never know. I don’t like seeing that. I browse /all, and I liked Lemmy a lot better when I found out I could just hide all the NSFW stuff. I don’t mind some porn. I’m not a prude. But I like it a metric fuck ton better when the woman looks like she’s enjoying herself… and when she looks like a woman. I think there’s a whole market for “legal aged” women who look 13-15, but I’m not in it.

    Back to Watson; yes, she’s beautiful, but she also seems to be very intelligent, and she’s been successful not only in movies but also in life, from what I can tell. That’s what I like about her. The fact that she was pretty was actually a mark against her for some of us who read the books: Hermione in the books was NOT described as pretty. She had ratty hair and big buck teeth. No one should have been pining for her regardless of her age. What she was was smart.

    • velma@sh.itjust.worksOP
      18·
      3 days ago

      Oh yeah, it’s definitely not a problem to like Emma Watson. This was specifically about how the media talked about her, especially when she was a minor.

      Like this:

      One article described the young Emma as ‘The prepubescent Watson is absurdly alluring to those of us who always want bossy girls.’ She was nine years old at the time.