There’s a lot to be said for stuntwomen, and there’s a lot that SHOULD be said about stuntwomen since just like the men they take on some of the riskiest and dangerous jobs imaginable, and they’re doing it to make the movies they’re in look good without as much recognition or even as much pay as their more famous counterparts, and sometimes less than the men. This is unfortunately true, just as the fact that sometimes stuntwomen have to perform their stunts in far less clothing is true since Hollywood has certain standards that it wants to hold up and less clothing for women to make them appear sexier is one of them. Without trying to get into such an argument it’s not entirely fair but it is insanely impressive just what these women go through and what they do in the name of entertainment. The kind of danger these women put themselves in continually is mind-blowing since if anyone’s ever watched the behind the scenes footage then they’ll realize that very few women in movies ever do their own stunts. There are a few individuals that want to take on the responsibility and do quite well, and there are a good number of male actors that want to do the same, but oftentimes insurance companies won’t allow this since the stars are why the movies are so popular and gain as much attention as they do, but allowing them to damage themselves is not seen as a good idea.
This is where the stunt people come in, and to say that one should be in awe of what they do is putting it mildly since some of the stunts they perform would be enough to fold a lot of us in half and make it impossible for us to ever function at the same capacity again. Stunt people are often those that are skilled in martial arts, be it one discipline or more, have been schooled on how to take certain hits, are in great shape, and are able to perform these physically demanding tasks on a regular basis. They get hurt, don’t ever think that they don’t. All the preparation in the world can’t keep a stuntperson from taking the kind of damage that physics and the laws of probability demand. In other words, stuntpeople are good at what they do, they train relentlessly, and they make certain that the damage they might incur will be minimized, but things happen, and not everything can be prevented. This saddening fact has been seen to be absolutely true throughout the years since some stuntpeople have died in the act of making a movie, while others have taken serious damage performing stunts that should have been routine. One reason why women have a harder time was already mentioned, since they’re sometimes expected to perform the same stunts without as much clothing, meaning there are fewer ways to hide and necessary padding and protection. At times they’re also asked, or required, to keep a slim figure so as to keep the image of the character they’re portraying. Unfortunately, this can mean weakening muscles that they need for their job, which isn’t optimal in any case.
When it comes to stuntpeople the proper thing to do is show a great amount of respect since without them a lot of movies wouldn’t be able to show the impressive feats that are so popular, and they definitely wouldn’t be able to keep upping the bar when it comes to the overall entertainment that people enjoy so much. The fact is that stuntwomen are every bit as skilled as stuntmen and have been doing this kind of thing for a lot longer than people appear to think. There was a time when men would be used to perform women’s stunts and would do so in wigs and women’s clothing, but that time has come and gone thankfully since stuntwomen have really stepped up in the last several decades when it comes to taking on the industry to show that they can do whatever is needed to make the movie work. The fact that their story hasn’t been highlighted as much is kind of an insult really that needs to be set right by telling just what women have been going through in the decades leading up to now. Watching a stuntwoman performing her craft is extremely impressive since not only is it enough to realize that women are taking these massive hits and doing the same kind of things as the men, but one also has to realize that they’re often doing it for less pay and with more restrictions on them when it comes to what they can wear and what they can look like. Men have these restrictions as well, but not nearly as often.
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