Zooey Deschanel: ‘Wearing a nice dress doesn’t mean you don’t have any ideas’

Cosmo June '15 Cover

Zooey Deschanel’s cleavage on this Cosmopolitan cover though… I mean, WOW. I had no idea she was that busty. I guess that’s the good thing about pregnancy, right? Either that or Cosmo used some Photoshop magic to give her a Barbie-doll-chest. Zooey covers the June issue of Cosmo, and she ends up discussing some hot-button issues, like whether she’ll do a photoshoot in a bikini after she has her baby, whether women are funny and whether we should #AskHerMore on the red carpet. Some highlights:

On achieving success: “I’m very focused. I work all the time, but I do what I love and I don’t care what people think of it. You don’t become successful by trying to be ‘a success.’ You become successful by doing things that give you pleasure. That’s a hallmark of mine.”

On not posing for a “body after baby” tabloid photo shoot: “Haven’t we all seen those pictures of a sexy new mom in a bikini after one month? I will not be that person. I’ve always gone my own course and never been someone who had the need to be super skinny. I like a healthy look. I don’t buy into that skinny-is-better mentality. I just eat healthy and work out and don’t worry about my weight too much. Actresses aren’t models, and most of them never wanted to be.”

On women in television: “It’s a good time for women on TV. We can be funny in our own way…and funny doesn’t mean just one thing. Funny isn’t just one-liners. It’s big personalities and individualism.”

On the #AskHerMore Twitter campaign during Awards season: “I’m all for people asking actresses more intelligent questions. Just because you’re wearing a nice dress doesn’t mean you don’t have any ideas. It’s a shame to reduce smart, talented women to clothes models. But you can be a feminist and femmy. I don’t see how those things contradict each other.”

[From Cosmopolitan]

At this point, I feel like I’ve ranted about #AskHerMore about a million times. If you’d like to read one of my month-old rants about it, go here. I have no problem with telling red carpet journalists that they should ask “important” questions to the ladies, in addition to asking them what they’re wearing. But I hate this Pollyanna act from some actresses, like the red carpet isn’t a multi-billion dollar industry, like they aren’t getting thousands of dollars in freebies with the understanding that they say a few sentences about the designer, the jewelry and the shoes. I hate this idea that red carpet show viewers need to listen to actresses talking about “the issues” or “their craft” rather a quick “Who are you wearing? Are you having fun? Is your mom your date tonight?” And I don’t see how a love of fashion and a love of red carpet shows is un-feminist either.

Cosmo June '15 ZD 3

Photos courtesy of Yu Tsai/Cosmopolitan.

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22 Responses to “Zooey Deschanel: ‘Wearing a nice dress doesn’t mean you don’t have any ideas’”

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  1. Kaley says:

    “You don’t become successful by trying to be ‘a success.’ You become successful by doing things that give you pleasure.”

    God I wish I lived in her little idealized world where this was possible for 100% of people and nobody had to worry about “doing what gives you pleasure” not paying your bills at the end of the month.

    • Mispronounced Name Dropper says:

      True. Shits me when people with more luck than talent but their success down to their “winning attitude’

    • Lucy2 says:

      I think what she is trying to say is that success is doing something that you are proud of and care about, vs money, fame, etc.
      But I can see how it sounds privileged coming from someone who doesn’t have the same career and financial worries as most people.

    • Kiddo says:

      It’s just a variation on “do what you love, love what you do, and success will follow”, out of the career self help manual. Plenty of people say this.

    • Isabelle says:

      So true. People with money can say this imaginary BS.

    • Ladybird83 says:

      Right? It’s doesn’t hurt that she came from money and a Hollywood family. Yay white privilege! God knows she wouldn’t be shit without it. Terrible actress and a horrible “musician.”

  2. Norman Bates' Mother says:

    I really like her last answer. It doesn’t have to be either/or. An actress can be asked what she is wearing, but also some important questions males are asked to have some balance. AskHerMore is not just about the red carpets but also about the sit-down interviews, when interviewers have much more time, but many of them still choose to ask women the same old questions about their clothes, diets and make-up routines exclusively. I actually enjoy those reverse interviews where they ask actors the questions designed for actresses and the other way round. The men’s reactions are quite telling. Some women have taken this action to the extreme – there’s absolutely no offense in answering or wanting to know who designed their super expensive dresses on the red carpet, but the general idea is very good, in my opinion.

  3. Mispronounced Name Dropper says:

    having trouble giving anything resembling a damn about Zooey’s comments. They’re so blah.

  4. Chichi says:

    To the vast……vaaaaaast majority of us who” shes wearing means zero. Not just because it all looks the same anyway but because only the 1 percenters can afford that couture anyway.What that question really does is invite the audience to judge her appearance. “Shes too pale for that”, “her body is shaped all wrong for it”, “her boobs are crap, her ass is top big, whats wrong with her” etc

    At this point I think designers who do want to use the red carpet to market their wares (to soccer moms in the midwest? seriously who are they even targeting?) need to explicitly state it so that the actress can bring it up herself. The default should be no “fashion” questions.

  5. Barrett says:

    She may have boobs but based on her women’s have ideas answers, I’m disappointed in the ridiculous photoshop!!!!

  6. Tiffany says:

    I am very surprised that she agreed to a Cosmo cover.

  7. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    If I’m watching the red carpet for an event, I WANT to know about the clothes. I don’t want political opinions or the good life tips or whatever from these people. If they’re being interviewed, yes, of course, ask them what they think. But the red carpet is about fashion and hair and jewelry, at least to me.

  8. Lucy says:

    Nice little interview. And what she says about #AskHerMore is completely on point. How in the world does intelligence contradict with fashion and trends?

  9. QQ says:

    After Years of successfully peddling the Cutesy Manic Pixie Dream Girl Head of the Board of Cuteness Zooey, Decided that she didn’t like the corner she painted herself into,she drops her lovingly crafted Ukulele and parted her bangs to the side, had her agent place a call to Cosmopolitan to get this “Grown Woman’ image going… Next Step? dropping an “o” and a “y” off her name Permanently

    • Kiddo says:

      Well, the twee can’t last forever. Although I think SJP pushed it past the expiration date.

      • QQ says:

        Oh The SJP Baby Voice Carrie Thing… My God!!

      • Kiddo says:

        I know, and she played that character in films too. The coy coquettish free spirit hot body girl who is only vaguely aware of the power of her sexuality.

    • paranormalgirl says:

      People grow, change, and evolve. I find myself changing even after the age of 50.

  10. I Choose Me says:

    Mistook her for Lizzie Caplan.

  11. Meg says:

    the reason it’s sexist is because men aren’t treated as poorly as women are on the red carpet.
    That’s why it’s sexist-it’s that easy.
    George Clooney is asked about his film, jay z is asked about people at his record label, while beyonce is asked how did you lose all the weight?