Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1991
Whoopi Goldberg Ghost 1991
SEX WORKER ROLE
Rita Rizzoli in Fatal Beauty 1987
Character Is A Policewoman Going Undercover As A Prostitute.
Whoopi Goldberg in Fatal Beauty 1987
Whoopi Goldberg plays a cop who goes undercover as a prostitute, dressed to the nines in a street-walking outfit.
The fact that (in film and TV) female police officers are regularly sent out onto the streets in sex-related attire serves as a reminder that they are still working girls. This movie device just affirms that women’s labor is inherently a sort of sexual performance. This portrayal is more problematic than having Whoopi Goldberg genuinely portray a sex worker in a movie. Instead of falling back into the stereotype of making a female cop go undercover as a hooker, the writer of this film could’ve come up with a different profession. How about a barfly? Or maybe a drug pusher? Alternatively, consider the innovative concept of a lone woman enjoying a drink at the bar.
Watch clip of the film “Fatal Beauty” below
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