Rosario Dawson Proves The Sexy/Smart Divide Is A Myth

Rosario Dawson’s excerpts from her Esquire magazine photoshoot got us thinking about, of all people, Jessica Alba. (Who are we kidding. We’re constantly thinking about Jessica Alba.)

Anyway. Specifically, we got to thinking about Jessica’s recent interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, in which she’s asked about what we’re going to officially start referring to as the Ladymag Trifecta: Her husband, her baby and her body. Although Jessica and Rosario have both been known for being particularly attractive and being no strangers to “Sexiest” lists, Rosario has managed to keep herself from being defined by the Ladymag Trifecta.

Yeah, she’s hot. Yeah, she’s often in photoshoots that showcase her body. But rarely is Rosario ever scoffed at or belittled in interviews or reviews in the same way that Jessica often is. Of course, this may be because Rosario is a more talented actress. But that hasn’t kept Jessica from seemingly trying to define herself as “more than a pretty face,” and one gets the impression that she takes herself and her work a little more seriously than critics or the public at large.

Take Jessica’s work with voter registration during this past election season, for instance. She seemed to be making more than an altruistic attempt to get young people to vote - she was also attempting to create an image of a smart, savvy Jessica who is knowledgeable when it comes to politics and the world around her. Which, you know. She may be, she may not be. 

Of course, Jessica’s PSAs aimed at getting young people to register to vote was met with criticsm (by us, at any rate) because she was, once again, using her body and her sex appeal to sell a product or idea. Rosario took a slightly different route.  Sometimes we applauded Rosario’s efforts, sometimes they left us crying on behalf of Jane Fonda, but never did they leave us thinking more about Rosario’s body than about her message. 

So, yeah. It’s totally possible to be seen as both a sex symbol and an intelligent, self-possessed who is pretty good at her job despite starring in Seven Pounds. Women are rarely either/or, although it’s a fact that seems often forgotten in Hollywood, where people have to be simplified in order to be marketed. 

In any case, there’s hope yet for Jessica. Something we’ll keep in mind while carefully studying Rosario’s Esquire outtakes for purely anthropological purposes. 

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