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Kate Beckinsale made a great point about having a young male lover on-screen.

In 'The Only Living Boy in New York,' Kate Beckinsale has a romance with a 21-year-old. So what’s the big deal?

Age may be just a number. But in Hollywood, it's a number that reflects a totally BS double standard between men and women.

Just ask Kate Beckinsale.

The actor sat down with Chelsea Handler on the comedian's Netflix talk show alongside "Transparent" creator Jill Soloway and actor Niecy Nash to discuss current roles for women in the industry. During their chat — which garnered attention online for Nash's excellent explanation of why diversity goes far beyond "black and white" — Beckinsale brought up a particularly absurd double standard she experienced firsthand on the set of her new film.



In "The Only Living Boy in New York,” Beckinsale's character has sexual relationships with both a 21-year-old (played by Callum Turner) and his father (Pierce Brosnan).

The public's response to each relationship says a lot about how we view gender, age, and romance on-screen, Beckinsale told Handler.


"Women on television are doing different things," Handler said to the actor. "In your movie, you’re having an affair with a 21-year-old."

"And his father," Beckinsale, 44, interjected to cheers from the audience.

Beckinsale continued:

"The thing I found funny about it was, in that movie, I’m having an affair with a married man, who’s Pierce Brosnan. They got paparazzi pictures of [me and Brosnan] shooting — they’re like, 'Wouldn’t they make a lovely couple in real life?' And actually, they made a big deal out of the [21-year-old actor] being very young. But he’s 16 years younger than me, and Pierce is 21 years older than me. And I thought, that’s really interesting, because nobody bats an eye about the age gap that way. You can be a 90-year-old man, everybody goes, 'go for it.'"

[rebelmouse-image 19488143 dam="1" original_size="750x526" caption="Beckinsale (second from right) and Turner (right) alongside other cast members of "The Only Living Boy in New York." Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images." expand=1]Beckinsale (second from right) and Turner (right) alongside other cast members of "The Only Living Boy in New York." Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.

Beckinsale's experience reflects a much larger issue facing Hollywood's leading ladies.

Movie executives are far more comfortable pairing younger women with (much) older men than they are with the reverse.

Just yesterday, a trailer for the new film "Mother!" raised eyebrows, as viewers realized Jennifer Lawrence, 26, was playing the love interest of Javier Bardem, 48, in the horror film.

This double standard has been the status quo for decades, with few signs of significant progress on the issue.

In 2015, a casting decision affecting actor Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Dark Knight," "Donnie Darko") made waves for its overtly sexist implication.

"I'm 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55," Gyllenhaal explained to The Wrap. "It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh."

Gyllenhaal's experience, although frustrating, is not a rarity.

This double standard isn't just obnoxious — it has real ramifications, too.

Most leading roles are for men. So, too often, talented women are pigeonholed into playing the love interest — or some other role revolving around the male lead — instead of telling their own character's stories.

Because Hollywood generally prefers younger women in love interest roles, this limits the already limited opportunities available for women as they grow older, exacerbating the problem and affecting their paychecks. It's in part why Hollywood tends to categorize women into either "young and hot" or "old and dowdy" characters — a binary that doesn't exist for their male counterparts.

Maybe age really is just a number. But when it's a number that affects opportunity and income, we all should care about righting an industry wrong.

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10 anti-holiday recipes that prove the season can be tasty and healthy

Balance out heavy holiday eating with some lighter—but still delicious—fare.

Albertson's

Lighten your calorie load with some delicious, nutritious food between big holiday meals.

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The holiday season has arrived with its cozy vibe, joyous celebrations and inevitable indulgences. From Thanksgiving feasts to Christmas cookie exchanges to Aunt Eva’s irresistible jelly donuts—not to mention leftover Halloween candy still lingering—fall and winter can feel like a non-stop gorge fest.

Total resistance is fairly futile—let’s be real—so it’s helpful to arm yourself with ways to mitigate the effects of eating-all-the-things around the holidays. Serving smaller amounts of rich, celebratory foods and focusing on slowly savoring the taste is one way. Another is to counteract those holiday calorie-bomb meals with some lighter fare in between.

Contrary to popular belief, eating “light” doesn’t have to be tasteless, boring or unsatisfying. And contrary to common practice, meals don’t have to fill an entire plate—especially when we’re trying to balance out heavy holiday eating.

It is possible to enjoy the bounties of the season while maintaining a healthy balance. Whether you prefer to eat low-carb or plant-based or gluten-free or everything under the sun, we’ve got you covered with these 10 easy, low-calorie meals from across the dietary spectrum.

Each of these recipes has less than 600 calories (most a lot less) per serving and can be made in less than 30 minutes. And Albertsons has made it easy to find O Organics® ingredients you can put right in your shopping cart to make prepping these meals even simpler.

Enjoy!

eggs and green veggies in a skillet, plate of baconNot quite green eggs and ham, but closeAlbertsons

Breakfast Skillet of Greens, Eggs & Ham

273 calories | 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (5 oz) pkg baby spinach

2 eggs

1 clove garlic

4 slices prosciutto

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 medium zucchini squash

1/8 cup butter, unsalted

1 pinch crushed red pepper

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bow of cauliflower ham saladGet your cauliflower power on.Albertsons

Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Ham, Celery & Dill

345 calories | 20 minutes

1/2 medium head cauliflower

1 stick celery

1/4 small bunch fresh dill

8 oz. ham steak, boneless

1/2 shallot

1/4 tspblack pepper

1/4 tsp curry powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/8 tsp paprika

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

tofu on skewers on a plate with coleslawPlant-based food fan? This combo looks yums. Albertsons

Grilled Chili Tofu Skewers with Ranch Cabbage, Apple & Cucumber Slaw

568 calories | 20 minutes

1 avocado

1/2 English cucumber

1 (12 oz.) package extra firm tofu

1 Granny Smith apple

3 Tbsp (45 ml) Ranch dressing

1/2 (14 oz bag) shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix)

2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

frittata in a cast iron skilletSometimes you just gotta frittata.Albertsons

Bell Pepper, Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata with Parmesan

513 calories | 25 minutes

6 eggs

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

2 oz Parmesan cheese

1 red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

8 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with slices of grilled chicken and a caprese saladCaprese, if you please.Albertsons

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Classic Caprese Salad

509 calories | 25 minutes

3/4 lb chicken breasts, boneless skinless

1/2 small pkg fresh basil

1/2 (8 oz pkg) fresh mozzarella cheese

1 clove garlic

3 tomatoes

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 3/4 pinches black pepper

1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

four stuffed mushrooms on a plateThese mushrooms look positively poppable.Albertsons

Warm Goat Cheese, Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

187 calories | 35 minutes

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1 1/4 pinches crushed red pepper

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with open English muffin with goat cheese and sliced baby tomatoes on topMove over, avocado toast. English muffin pizzas have arrived.Albertsons

English Muffin Pizzas with Basil Pesto, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes

327 calories | 10 minutes

3 Tbsp (45 ml) basil pesto

2 English muffins

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

3/4 pinch black pepper

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

pita pocket on a plate filled with veggies, meat and cheeseThis pita pocket packs a colorful punch.Albertsons

Warm Pita Pocket with Turkey, Cheddar, Roasted Red Peppers & Parsley

313 calories | 20 minutes

1/4 (8 oz) block cheddar cheese

1/2 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

4 oz oven roasted turkey breast, sliced

1/2 (12 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers

1 whole grain pita

3/4 pinch black pepper

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp mayonnaise

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with toast smeared with avocado and topped with prosciuttoDid we say, "Move over, avocado toast?" What we meant was "Throw some prosciutto on it!" Albertsons

Avocado Toast with Crispy Prosciutto

283 calories | 10 minutes

1 avocado

2 slices prosciutto

2 slices whole grain bread

1 5/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bowl of chili with cheese and green onions on topVegetarian chili with a fall twistAlbertsons

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili with Cheddar

444 calories | 30 minutes

2 (15 oz can) black beans

1/2 (8 oz ) block cheddar cheese

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 green bell peppers

1 small bunch green onions (scallions)

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin purée

1 medium yellow onion

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 7/8 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes, visit albertsons.com/recipes.

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