Do I have your attention?

Wait...isn't that also the name of a creepy cadaver exhibit? Well, that's not what I'm going for. I'm talking about something a little more appealing--say, like, Zoey Deutch and Danila Kozlovsky training for the Vampire Academy movie:



This picture was tweeted recently by Alicia Strom, part of the team who's training Zoey and Danila up to be Rose and Dimitri. To give you context, Danila is resting after a major workout where he "kicked some major butt" and Zoey is checking in on him.

I love this for a couple of reasons. One is that it's just the first pic we've really had of them together (that wasn't PhotoShopped). Another reason is that I'm just so excited seeing them getting ready for the role. That is A LOT of work! I saw some people's reactions to this were: "Wait, they aren't already in complete muscled-up guardian mode?" Uh, no. Don't get me wrong--they're in great shape (and if you hunt, you can find more close-up Danila shots that show he's already got muscles going). But the truth is, most actors don't live their lives in action hero shape. The Avengers, for example? Those guys are all fit and work out regularly, but they kick it up when filming comes around to get that superhero physique. That's what actors do: they take on roles. :) And I love all the dedication that Zoey and Danila are putting into this one. Filming is planned for a couple months or so from now, so you better believe they aren't wasting any time. Just you wait.

I also thought I'd address a question about body type that keeps coming up. People are always speculating on Rose's body. The book mentions her having "curves," which some people read as code for "overweight." When I talk about women having curves, it's code for having breasts and hips...which is what nature has given most women, regardless if your body size is big or small. So, in my head, Rose pretty much has the kind of healthy toned body you'd expect from an athlete, but she also has good-looking hips and breasts like an average young woman would have. You know, because women have children. She's got muscles, but she's not a bulky bodybuilder. She's not stick-thin either. Make of that what you will. If Zoey survives her TRX training and boxing, she's going to be pretty spot-on. :)

The attention is drawn to Rose's "curves" because the Moroi's bodies aren't quite what the average human has. They're tall and slim, with narrow hips and smaller chests--which is why they're often likened to runway models. It's what their genes have given them, though. It's normal and healthy for them. (Though it is unhealthy for someone whose genes aren't geared that way, as we've seen with Sydney).

So, I don't know if that helps you with how I originally envisioned Rose or not. She's active and fit, and her body reflects that. Is she sexy too? Yeah. Because curves are. It's one of my pet peeves that society has a lot of issues with curves and determining what's a normal body. I think there's also a lot of misinformation about what a healthy weight actually is. Like I mentioned above, the media tends to distort things. Whenever I watch America's Next Top Model, and they make a big deal about having a "plus-sized" model who looks pretty average to me, I kind of want to punch my TV.

But I digress. I've turned the awesome training pic into a tirade about body image. It's a hot button issue for me because when I was a teacher, I used to see these beautiful teen girls getting down on themselves for being "fat." And it broke my heart. To be clear: there are a lot of unhealthy habits and bodies in our society right now--which also breaks my heart. It's a serious problem, and I know people often feel trapped by that and don't know how to change it. I lost 40 pounds in 2002, and there were some dark times there. I think at the end of the day we need to measure healthy bodies by our doctor's tests and not the pages of Vogue. Also, at the end of the day, terms like "average" and "normal" are dangerous, so use my words cautiously.

If you want to read something interesting on the topic, check out this interview with Whitney Thompson, ANTM's first plus-size (and extremely beautiful) winner. She has a lot to say about body image--and why runway models really are so small.