Was Jennifer Lawrence Too 'Curvy' To Play Katniss In 'Hunger Games'?

Fan groups respond to one critic's suggestion that Lawrence's 'womanly figure makes a bad fit' for Katniss.
By Elizabeth Lancaster


Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

Fans flooded in droves into movie theaters this weekend to see "The Hunger Games." In the wake of the highly anticipated release, much of the criticism surrounding the movie has been not about the young stars' performances, but their appearances.

Most recently there has been criticism of Jennifer Lawrence's weight, with some sighting that as Katniss, a girl who grew up in a famine-stricken district of a dystopian society, she should have been thinner.

New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis wrote, "A few years ago Ms. Lawrence might have looked hungry enough to play Katniss, but now, at 21, her seductive, womanly figure makes a bad fit for a dystopian fantasy about a people starved into submission."

The statement is receiving much backlash, considering Lawrence is now a certified movie star that countless young women look up to. Putting aside the negative body-image issues the comment suggests, one wonders whether Dargis is accurate in her assessment of the actress/character disparity? MTV News asked expert "Hunger Games" fans to weigh in. Most had the same message: They loved what Lawrence brought to her character and that the scrutiny is misguided.

"Katniss may not have been as thin or small in stature as depicted in the book, but it's not unfathomable that her hunting prowess would have allowed her to have some meat on her bones," TheHob.org's Gabby Vittoria responded. She went on to point out that "Peeta wasn't tall in the movie; Clove wasn't big and brawny; Katniss wasn't smaller than most of the Tributes. These physical changes certainly didn't take away from the story and messages in the movie. Besides, for me, Jennifer's acting and the quality of the film makes her weight a non-issue."

Many fans not only disagreed with the film critic but were affronted by these reviews of Lawrence. "I'm offended by this critique on so many levels, and honestly, I was shocked that it was ever an issue and that a professional critic would bring it up in the film's review," Sara Gundell from the Hunger Games Examiner fan site stated.

This backlash about Lawrence's weight comes in the wake of the questioning of Rue's race in the film. The pre-teen is played by Amandla Stenberg, who is African American. In recent days her casting was the subject of racially fueled criticism by a handful of moviegoers who have suffered their own backlash.

What do you think of the criticism of Jennifer Lawrence's weight? Sound off in the comments below!

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Justin Bieber Releases ?Boyfriend? Single, It Sounds About As Horrible As You?d Imagine

Lyrically and sonically contrived to act as a three-minute fantasy in which Justin Bieber can ?be everything you want, hey, girl,? (actual lyrics) for the tween and teen audiences that just devour this stuff, the Biebs? new single, ?Boyfriend,? was released on Monday.  Mysteriously enough, the skies did not darken with the blood of space-lambs, [...]

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Usher And David Guetta 'Proud' Of 'Without You'

'When you see R&B and pop and house, as well as electronic, come together, that's the reality of what music is,' Usher tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Jim Cantiello

<P>When Usher and David Guetta hooked up for the French DJ's latest album, <i>Nothing but the Beat,</i> the two superstars created a chart-topping smash, "Without You," that combines Guetta's ear for house beats and Usher's ability to convey a range of emotions with his voice. It's a song that has really stuck with fans of all genres of music. </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="David Guetta, Usher Found An 'Incredible' Song To Collab On" id="vid:713197" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>The track &#8212; a swirling pop ode to not giving up on love in the face of adversity &#8212; struck Usher with its emotional core. </P><P> </P><P>"David Guetta is an amazing artist," he told MTV News last week at a Pencils of Promise charity event. "We talked for many years about working together, and we found a record that was incredible." </P><P> </P><P>Usher said it was a song that resonated with him personally. "I think the world wanted a record like that. That [song] really spoke to the journey that I've actually been on in the last three years," he said. "Traveling all around the world, music sounds different. There's many different genres, and when you see R&B and pop and house, as well as electronic, come together, that's the reality of what music is." </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Usher Gave David Guetta A Chance Before Anyone" id="vid:688619" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>When MTV News talked to Guetta on the American Music Awards red carpet Sunday, he said "Without You" is a standout track on the album. The LP dropped earlier this year and also includes Nicki Minaj, who performed with Guetta at the AMAs. </P><P> </P><P>"It's one of my favorite songs," he said. "It's just, I'm a DJ, so I want to make people dance always, but I also want to give emotions. When it comes to that, 'Without You' is probably one of the most emotional songs that I've done, and yes, I'm very proud of that record." </P><P> </P><P><i>What do you think about "Without You"? Share your reviews in the comments!</i></p>

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Carrie Underwood's Pre-ACM Awards Press Duties

Dolling up for one of country music?s biggest weekends, Carrie Underwood was on hand for press duties on Saturday (March 31) on the eve of the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

The gorgeous songstress looked fabulous in a simple black dress and heels while greeting fans and signing autographs in Las Vegas' Westwood One Remotes room.

Miss Underwood has been taking to her Twitter page over the past few days, keeping her fans and followers updated on the weekend activities, at one point writing, ?Helloooooo Las Vegas! It's good to be back! Got my dresses and I'm ready to get my #ACM on!"

?Vegas is hot! Rehearsals yesterday went great! Did another fitting for dresses. I see yellow in my future!,? Carrie later added.

You can catch Underwood, along with all of your favorite country stars, tonight on CBS when Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton host the 47th Annual ACM Awards starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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Justin Bieber Takes A 'Leap' With 'Boyfriend'

'He's an incredible, incredible writer and amazing vocalist,' producer Mike Posner tells MTV News about Bieber's new single.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Justin Bieber dropped his bumping new single "Boyfriend" on Monday (March 26), teasing his next album, Believe. It's a grinding, midtempo song that hears Bieber proclaiming all the ways he can make a girl happy (swag and fondue included!). </P><P> </P><P>Co-produced and co-written by "Cooler Than Me" singer Mike Posner, the song shows growth from Bieber's "Baby" days. When MTV News caught up with Posner last week, he told us what it was like to hit the studio with Bieber (and co-producer and co-writer Mason Levy) for the track. </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P><P>"I've known [Bieber's manager] Scooter [Braun] for a few years, so I actually ran into Scooter at a Clippers game and told him I would love to work with Justin," Posner said. "I got the opportunity to write with Justin. I didn't really know what to expect at first, but he's an incredible, incredible writer and amazing vocalist. </P><P> </P><P>"Because I'm an artist myself, I can be pretty selective on who I produce for and who I make beats for ... and really what I'm looking for is an amazing vocalist, somebody that can sing better than I can," he continued. "And the other thing is somebody that's willing to not try to make something that succeeds within the matrix of what pop music is now, but makes something that moves that matrix to where it is, and Justin was willing to take that leap with me." </P><P> </P><P>Bieber spoke to Ryan Seacrest on his radio show hours after the song's world premiere Monday, explaining why this was the perfect track to kick off the <i>Believe</i> era. </P><P> </P><P>"It was a really hard choice. I mean, we had so many songs, so many uptempos we could release, [that] I thought, 'Let's slow it down,' " he said, adding that there are already plenty of fast songs all over the radio. "It's just something a little bit more mature, but it's also something I think I'm ready for." </P><P> </P><P>While fans and industry insiders had been wondering what a more grown-up Bieber would sound like, he said he tried to block out all the noise when making the track. "There's so many people that are going to give me opinions, but I'm the only one who can ultimately make those decisions, because I'm going to have to live with my career for the rest of my life. So I thought this was the perfect single," he said, adding that this song "was me all the way; it is a representation of me." </P><P> </P><P>And Bieber said "Boyfriend" perfectly sets up what's coming next. "It's kind of classic," he said of the album. "The songs, I feel, won't get old. The music is very fresh, but it's also &#8212; I'm taking a lot from old-school music, a lot of Michael Jackson, a lot of old R&B, a lot of old pop. It's pretty special." </P><P> </P><P><i>What do you think of "Boyfriend"? Share your reviews in the comments below!</i></p>

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