Don’t get me wrong, I love Easy A. Emma Stone was spot on and everything her parents say makes me happier than a baby monkey riding on a pig, but when my dad and I came across the movie while flipping channels this weekend he said the thing we’ve all been thinking: What happened to Amanda Bynes? There she was plain as day, playing the insecure antagonist when just a few short years ago she would have had this lead on lock. What happened to that actress from The Amanda Show who wasn’t afraid to look ridiculous or take a few risks? What happened to the girl who only accepted roles that showcased her independence, courage and gumption? What happened to the Amanda that inspired a generation of girls to fight for what they want?
Maybe Hollywood happened, I know I would crumble under the pressure of an interviewer telling me to lose 15lbs before he’d hire me. Maybe sex changed her, I heard she likes to meet boys at clubs now and her twitter posts aren’t exactly empowering. Or maybe it was just good old fashioned drugs and alcohol; a ton of alleged hit and run (while possibly intoxicated) charges in the last few years seem to signify a problem. I don’t know what happened, but instead of seeing my favorite energetic, intelligent, passionate on-screen friend, I catch glimpses of someone else, someone wrong. New Amanda seems like an insecure girl who isn’t happy, isn’t inspired, and frankly doesn’t seem to realize who she is. What happened Amanda? Are you okay? How do we get you back?
I refuse to believe that her writers and directors are solely responsible for her magic. And I refuse to believe that all that epic that she once was has simply disappeared never to return. Maybe it will take a few more years before she figures it out, and maybe it will take a few years after that for everyone else to come back around but until then I’m going to keep on believing in Amanda, because we’re all 20-something and figuring it out; she just has to do it in front of the world.
So here it is! I give you my
TOP TEN REASONS WHY AMANDA BYNES WILL ALWAYS BE AWESOME:
- She’s a professional. Amanda started acting at 7, that means she’s been working for almost 20 years straight. I’ve been working for three, give or take and I’m already burnt out. Who knows what color my hair will be when I hit 35? I can’t wait to run around without pants!
- She’s multi-talented. Did ANYONE ELSE EVER have their own variety show at 13?! Much less a girl? She broke the glass ceiling for funny kids and every other article I read about her past compares her comedic timing to Carol Burnett. As well as Miley Cyrus and the rest of the Disney tweens have done for themselves, no one will ever touch the magnificence that was Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show.
- She’s relatable and inspiring. Say what you want about this cheesy sitcom and her whiny older sister, but Amanda’s character on What I Like About You was a strong, independent role model I still look up to. She was wild and selfish and dramatic, but despite all the mistakes she was never afraid to fight for what she wants. She knew how to get things done and without Amanda that show wouldn’t have lasted a year, much less still be getting reruns.
- She’s doing it all on her own. From what I can tell she has no friends. No family. No support system. Every article, picture, post in the last ten years has been about her and her alone. Sure they’ll mention she has parents and that her friends are concerned, but still, she’s always alone, nary an assistant or besty in sight. Maybe her early success has kept her from staying in one place long enough to form lasting friendships or maybe she’s never known how to be close to people without them wanting something from her. But whatever it is, she’s dealing with everything on her own, and that takes strength.
- She’s stared in a movie with Colin Firth. Granted he played her father, but still, she got to film a fun day montage with him shopping around London. You know you’re jealous.
She’s the queen of physical comedy. Her face can go in every way and she isn’t afraid to fall hard. She’ll try anything and push her limits. She’s not afraid to make a fool of herself on camera. And because of that we love her all the more- She’s designed her own fashion line and another round launches later this year.
- She’s still beloved. The internet can be a terrible place and comment sections are usually black holes of death but oddly enough there is still TONS of Amanda love out there despite her recent slamming in the media. Sure we hope all the stars get it together soon, but Amanda in particular could win us all over in a second if she wanted to.
- She’s got a 20-something condition just like us, except her freak outs are televised. Can you imagine a camera following you home after a night out drinking with your friends? I’ve seen the drunk pictures I’ve taken with my friends, I can’t imagine what drunk pictures taken by my enemies would make me out to be. It’s impressive that she’s made it this long.
- SHE’s THE freaking MAN. One of the few “girl” movies I can say that my dad and brother have watched all the way through, everyone agrees She’s The Man is literary chick flick gold. Speaking as a completely objective third party observer with absolutely no personal interest in the matter, if you don’t like Amanda Bynes then you don’t like awesome.
WE WANT AMANDA! WE WANT AMANDA! WE WANT AMANDA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JC-FNKLl3sg
Okay, I feel really bad admitting this (please crowds of internet fans, don’t come for me!) but…. well,I have always had a particular disliking for Amanda Bynes. Maybe the problem is that I am not the world’s biggest fan of comedy, but I have never liked any of her stuff. Even way back, when I was in elementary school, I avoided the Amanda Show like a plague– couldn’t handle it for a minute. Later, I would particularly hated that movie where she stars with Colin Firth– even though one of my middle school besties loved it a lot. If it was played at a sleep over, I would go read my book in the back room. I kid you not. And, if asked what my big problem was, I would say ‘I really just don’t like movies with that actress’.
So. It is pretty funny to me that for my beloved Sleeping Booty she was such a favourite. I have to say, I haven’t seen her in anything for a long time, so I have no current feelings or opinions on her skill– but back in the day, she was almost my nemesis.
I’m all for having a nemesis. I think it’s good for us to irrationally dislike something every once in a while, especially when a few years later we come face to face with it and realize it wasn’t worth the trouble.
But just so you know, kid Amanda isn’t the same as teen Amanda who is NOTHING like new Amanda. To be honest I didn’t have cable TV growing up so what I know of the Amanda Show is only the greatest hits on Youtube. For all I know it could have been unbearable. It’s just shocking to compare this seemingly smart, energetic, fearless person then to this lost, sad, scared human now.
She was late teens, early 20s when she did the Colin Firth movie and yes, it’s not the most amazing movie ever, but she still had that light in her eye, that spring in her step. What changed in 5 years? Why can’t she remember? How do I keep something like that from happening to me?
P.S. I know for a fact that if you give She’s The Man a chance you’ll like it more than you expect. It’s (loosely) based on twelfth night for crying out loud! But you don’t have to like anything you don’t want to, I’ve learned the hard way that telling you to do something is the clearest way for you to dig your heels in and hold. So fine, avoid Amanda. But emulate her spirit. Her old one at least.
Dear Sleeping Booty,
I would be the first to admit that my opinions concerning Amanda are out-dated. I have no reason to believe that I would not like She’s the Man–other than, well, the fact that I rarely enjoy comedies in general. However, my point is that I don’t really hate Amanda, I just used to. It was pretty hilarious to me though that you wrote a post all about this actress towards whom I used to have such pointed animosity.
But yes, let’s watch Who’s the Man together sometime. I am totally open to changing my mind.
Merskank
Hilarity Agreed. I keep trying to remember my middle school nemesis to see if you liked her. I must have had one. or multiple. I know i had real ones, but the celebrity ones i just can’t remember…