Chicago Sun Times Article: Film Critic Richard Roeper Believes Gabourey Sidibe May Not Make It In Hollywood Due To Weight & Race.
Stern’s remarks on Sidibe crude, but accurate
Weight is an undeniable issue, for health as well as Hollywood
Whoopi Goldberg was making a point about Howard Stern’s comments that Gabourey Sidibe is “enormous” and is “never going to be in another movie.”
Said “The View’s” Whoopi: “John Candy, John Belushi, John Goodman, Chris Farley . . . I don’t recall anyone saying they would not have careers. Gabby actually has a TV show and two movies that she’s doing, so — you’re entitled to your opinion. You think she’s big? OK, but at least get the facts right. She has a lot of work . . . know what you’re talking about . . .”
OK, let’s check the facts.
John Belushi: Died at age 33.
John Candy: Died at 43.
Chris Farley: Died at 33.
John Goodman: Was reportedly told by doctors in 2005 he needed to lose 100 pounds or risk serious health problems.
Yes, Farley and Belushi had serious addictions that might well have been fatal regardless of their weight. But there’s little doubt the extra poundage all those years put intense strains on their systems.
You want to make a point about sexism in Hollywood, fair enough — but you might want to come up with a list that doesn’t have a 75 percent premature fatality rate.
Sidibe’s indelible performance in “Precious” was one of the most impressive lead debuts I’ve ever seen. And as we got to “know” Gabby through the blitz of appearances that followed, the work seemed even more amazing, because the witty, confident and charming woman we saw on TV was so far removed from Precious and her world of pain.
(I know: it’s called acting. But more than occasionally, a performer’s on- and off-screen persona can seem quite similar.)
Throughout the awards season, lots of showbiz folks talked about how beautiful Sidibe is. Often the people offering such opinions were actresses with hummingbird physiques. Am I the only one who thought some of the fawning over Sidibe’s appearance was just a tad condescending?
Certainly Stern isn’t the only one questioning whether Gabby will have the same kind of career, as, say Carey Mulligan, or Amanda Seyfried, or any of the other rising young actresses (all white and all quite thin) who appeared on Vanity Fair’s recent Young Hollywood issue.
Should the outrage be directed at Stern, or at the status quo?
Of course, few would be as crude as Howard was in assessing Sidibe.
“There’s the most enormous, fat black chick I’ve ever seen,” said Stern. “Everyone’s pretending she’s a part of show business [but] she’s never gonna be in another movie.”
Comments such as that led to headlines such as, “Howard Stern slams ‘Precious’ star Gabourey Sidibe for her weight” (New York Daily News), and, “Criticism of Gabourey Sidibe by Howard Stern is just wrong!” (MTV.com).
Stern also blasted Oprah Winfrey for saying Sidibe has a brilliant career ahead of her, saying, “Oprah’s [a] liar. … She’s telling an enormous woman the size of a planet that she’s going to have a career.”
As many of Stern’s critics have pointed out, Sidibe has already been cast in the new Showtime series “The C Word” and in a feature film titled, “Yelling to the Sky.” Gabourey might indeed have a long career, just like many other character actresses (and actors) who more closely resemble the average American than the George Clooneys and Angelina Jolies of the world.
But in his own crude fashion, Stern was speaking the truth — and it wasn’t a criticism of Sidibe, it was a very obvious truism about the movie business. The vast majority of leading roles — especially lead roles for females under 40 — go to the most beautiful people on the planet.
Is that really so shocking to people?
When Hollywood makes “He’s Just Not That Into You,” the cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. He’s just not that into you, my ass. In the mega-hit “Valentine’s Day,” the role of a lonely, desperate, date-free chocoholic was played by . . . Jessica Biel. Uh-huh.
To paraphrase Stern and Co., if there’s an overweight black female lead in a movie, the sad truth is the character is more likely to have been played (for laughs) by Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy or Tyler Perry than an actress.
In “Precious,” Sidibe’s character has fantasies about becoming a star. In real life, Sidibe’s an Oscar nominee with undeniable talent. Here’s hoping opportunity knocks again and again.
But not even Precious would indulge in the fantasy she’s going to be offered as many roles as the skinny white girl from “Twilight.”
You can tell me that’s not right and I’ll agree — but you can’t tell me it’s not true.
Gayblackcanada 