HBO has always been the hub of stellar TV content, and those with a Max subscription are currently being treated to the third season of Mike White's The White Lotus. The public has been obsessed with each new episode, with the internet exploding when Jason Isaacs did a full frontal nude scene. The discourse surrounding that sequence also got the Harry Potter actor into some hot water, and he's now clarified his comments about the "double standard" in Hollywood related to nudity.
As soon as the unexpected nude scene occurred, the internet wondered if Jason Isaacs was really showing his genitals or using a prosthetic. After all, White Lotus had given other actors like Patrick Schwarzenegger a prosthetic previously. Isaacs was originally offended by this line of questioning, and name dropped Anora's Mikey Madison and The Substance's Margaret Qualley, who he said would never be asked about their genitals. This got the Potter star into some hot water, and he spoke to Variety about what he meant. In his words:
I said the wrong words in the wrong way. I used the phrase ‘double standard,’ which I didn’t mean at all. There is a [different] double standard — women have been monstrously exploited and men haven’t.
Clearly Isaacs has heard the discourse online about his comments, which didn't really land the way the 61 year-old actor intended. While he was offended by the comments about his genitals in White Lotus, he wasn't claiming that men have it harder in Hollywood.
Women have long been exploited and objectified in Hollywood, which is why Jason Isaacs' idea of a "double standard" turned so many heads. Later in the same interview, the Lucius Malfoy actor expressed contrition for bringing Madison and Qualley into the conversation. As he shared:
It came out wrong, and I was tired — I’d done so many interviews. I absolutely should not have mentioned those two actresses, whom I respect enormously. Mikey Madison I’m a massive fan of. My point wasn’t that men have had a harder time than women — that would be absurd. Women have had a monstrous time on camera forever, and I hope to God that is changing.
Both Qualley and Madison had to do some nudity for their roles in The Substance and Anora respectively. For the latter actress these efforts won her an Academy Award at this year's ceremony. Jason Isaacs made it clear that the respects their talent, and that he simply misspoke after a long and grueling day of press. Considering how many interviews actors are expected to do while promoting projects, the exhaustion factor is very real.
All this chatter about prosthetic penises might inspire folks to figure out how to watch The White Lotus Season 3 before it's over. It's already been a season with a ton of nudity, so only time will tell what goes down in the final few episodes as they air as part of the TV premiere list.
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