Trigger Warning: brief mention of eating disorder, objectification, anxiety, depression, and body insecurity
Mary Kate and Ashley. The Olsen Twins. Even though neither of them has been in projects for at least ten years, they remain pillars in modern-day pop culture. Most people will recognize them from Fuller House, an american sitcom that ran from the late 80s to the mid-90s. There they both shared the role of Michelle, who was the youngest out of the Tanner Family. From then on, they continued to star in various movies and tv shows. They seemed to be everywhere in the late 90s to early 2000s. From their multiple Mattel fashion dolls to their fragrances and clothing line. They were dominating the pre-teen market. But nowadays they seem to never be in the limelight and are only mentioned in the past tense. But what happened to them, and where are they now? When looking at their careers it's easy to get caught up in all their accomplishments and not realize that two teenage girls were behind all of it. Since they first started starring on Full House at the age of one, they spent their childhood in the limelight and mostly working. Between 1992 (when the girls were six) and 2004 (when the girls were 18), they appeared in a total of 27 projects. In an interview with Mary Claire, Mary Kate described feeling as though she and her sister were “little monkey performers”. She went on to say that she looks back at old photos of herself and feels disconnected from them. Another contributing factor to their departure from Hollywood was the lack of creative control they were receiving. On top of that, in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Mary Kate mentioned how the twins rarely felt like actors due to the amount of time they spent behind the camera building their business. She mentioned always viewing herself as a businesswoman, even as a child. Another factor that could have added to their decision to leave the limelight is the way they were objectified by men and the media at such a young age. Leading up to their eighteenth birthday, a disturbing amount of websites were dedicated to counting down the days until they were “legal”. Objectification, especially constant objectification, can lead to habitual body monitoring, self-consciousness, and anxiety. All of these factors can contribute to depression and the development of an eating disorder, which Mary Kate has struggled with. By the time that their final film together called New York Minute, which came out in 2004, arrived in theaters it seemed that both girls were ready for something new. That something new came in the form of two clothing brands called The Row and Elizabeth & James. The Row was created in 2005 and was created after Ashley challenged herself to make the “perfect” t-shirt. Then in 2007, Elizabeth & James was founded to merge the worlds of luxury fashion and affordable clothing. They eventually continued on with their love of fashion by curating a book of interviews with the top names in the fashion world called Influence back in 2008. By 2009, they had become the youngest designers to be invited to join The Council of Fashion Designers or the CFDA. Oh and to add to all of that, they also head the Italian shoe label Superga. Well, there you have it, folks. Since their departure from Hollywood, the Olsen Twins just seem to be living all our best Devil Wears Prada fantasies, but as better bosses than Miranda Priestly.
love,
your fairy godmother
(because sometimes fairies need help too)
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