She's barefoot, in a pasture, around a horse. Okay, yeah, it's a semi-glamorous photo shoot-- which is why I can forgive her for the dress that's more appropriate for a summer afternoon shopping session at a posh mall. But barefoot? Why? Does she want to "get into" the character of Katniss better by experiencing the pain of broken toes? Also, it's kind of nit-picky, but I was taught never to hold a lead rope like that. You never want the rope wrapped around your hand even loosely, because if the horse moves suddenly, you could be jerked off your feet or even dragged. You want to squeeze the extra rope, so your hand cannot be trapped. And then, what's with the un-groomed horse? They couldn't have gotten rid of the grass stains and put it in a decent halter? Finally, there's this picture:
Are you seeing that? I mean besides the totally impractical (but gorgeous) midriff shirt. Yeah, besides the pure white pants that you would never ever ever really wear to a farm. Look closer:
That's a tomb thumb bit. Now, I know not everyone agrees that these are bad, confusing, nasty bits...but hey, it's my blog, and I'm sayin' they are. I actually used to use one until I really researched what they do. The video here is a pretty good explanation; I don't agree with everything he says, but it's useful nonetheless. Here's an even better written explanation.
What are we to make of all this? Is Jennifer Lawrence, as a rider, just a bit young and reckless/inexperienced, like most of us have been at some point in our youths? Or is she a total fake, not a "real" horse person at all, unless you count a brief tween obsession with them? Is the truth somewhere in between?
On David Letterman, she claimed that her parents bought wild, untamed stallions for her to ride (because they were cheaper), and that she broke her horse herself, "deforming" her tailbone and injuring herself multiple times in the process. She also states that her parents discouraged her from using the saddles at their barn, as those were for boarders, so she rode bareback. Um, what?! Is this girl lying, or were her parents total asshats? I really want to know what you think. I want to like Jennifer Lawrence; she's strong, not hyper-sexualized, a decent actress...and she basically told PETA to go fuck themselves. That's always a plus in my book. I'm just not sure I can forgive her for looking like an idiot on this, and kind of setting a bad example for other young riders. No, wait, maybe I can't forgive her parents.
