Gabourey Sidibe
I read and heard what Howard Stern said about Gabby and everyone's reactions to it. I thought I'd share my view.
Gabby is an incredible talent, her performance in Precious was excellent. She had to play a poverty stricken victim of physical and sexual abuse. Her character, as wounded as she was, had a strong hopeful spirit and rose above her hardships. It was a stereotype (most is not all movies have them) but there are real people like Precious in this world, the movie and Gabby's performance gave them a voice and hope.
Gabby's personality is wonderful as well. I don't think I could have said that I wanted to do Gerard Butler to his face. lol Every talk show she has been on, she just shined. She's also very honest and open without being rude or offensive.
She is also obese and she does need to lose weight in order to have the possibility of having a long life and career. Her weight loss needs to be on her terms and no one elses. She did admit to going to a fast food restaurant after the Oscars which is obviously not a healthy choice. However, she is not the first actress to admit to hitting a fast food restaurant after an award show. Hilary Swank went to In-n-Out Burger after her Oscar win. People can't change unless they want really to and are willingly to put in the work. Being cruel by calling them names is immature, abusive and malicious, it's not funny or helpful. I don't see Gabby doing that to others so she is not deserving of it.
A woman does not have to be be rail thin and white to have a successful career, Queen Latifah (a grammy winner and Oscar nominee) and Jennifer Hudson (an Oscar and Golden Globe winner) have done really well and they are not twigs but still maintain healthy weights.
Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for playing a stereotype in My Cousin Vinny and she was great at it. It was almost ten years later when she received her second Oscar nomination and then seven when she got her third nod. In between those years, her career was nowhere near as successful as Reese Witherspoon's, Sandra Bullock's, Kate Winlset's or even Cate Blanchett's. The same can be said about Gwyneth Paltrow after her Oscar win. Her and those other women are white and slim (the opposite of Gabby) yet their careers in the industry do not mirror each other.
There is no doubt that Gabby's choices in roles will be more limited because of her looks and gender. Another the reason is because there are so few good parts written for non-white women in Hollywood. There's been progress but it's slow and it takes time. I don't agree with Howard and those who agree with him when they say that her weight will cause her to "Never work again". She will appear in a Showtime series and a dramatic film. Her weight will only determine how long her life and career will be. Talent will bring her far but no one really knows what path Gabby's career will take, only time will tell.
Chillin'
He just ranted against Oprah saying to Gabby she would have a "brilliant" career. He said that she "would never work again" because she's "enormous". I don't think calling her "enormous" is mean or cruel because she is big, no doubt she is. She knows it, we all see it. I don't think her career is over because of her weight, that's where I disagree with Howard.
I consider myself to be a life-long fan of Howard Stern even though I disagree with him on many subjects. I don't think he meant to insult Gabby at all because lets face facts, she's gotta be 350-400 lbs without question. He's just saying that he feels the way films work that unless she's some stellar beauty that she'll never see another role again. Unless the role calls for an overly-obese African-American woman.
Basically, Howard just talks out of his ass sometimes. But he's still the king to me.
I'm a HUGE Stern fan and this is what he's about actually. He's a lot like Simon on "American Idol". He's honest but also not especially respectful or classy. He basically "tells it like it is" and even though I disagree with him to a certain extent, he IS RIGHT. Sidibe will NOT have a fruitful career in Hollywood (a place where 110lbs actresses feel as though they're "fat") unless she SERIOUSLY loses some weight.
That said, I've seen the chick on a few talk shows and she could not be a more exuberant person. She is bubbly, smart, funny and self-deprecating, but having said all that...the woman needs to lose a lot of weight. Maybe Oprah can help her out on that front...
She does need to lose weight. I don't want her to be the female John Candy and Chris Farley with successful movie careers but die before their time because of their health issues. Although they were two white guys and it's ok for them to be overweight or obese in Hollywood as long as they stick to comedic roles. Ron Lester from Varsity Blues lost over 200 lbs (gastric bypass surgery) and is having trouble getting roles. His last role was a guest spot in 2005 on CSI:NY.
I don't know about Oprah she is not consistent with her weight loss. This year her goal is lose it and live her "best life" but she went to a county fair and ate at least one corn dog, maybe more. Oprah is rich and has access to best personal trainers and chefs yet still mad bad choices whe it came to eating and not exercizing.
An ideal example would be someone who has successfully maintained his/her weight loss by using the most realistic and sustainable weight loss by eating healthy and exercizing. I know she's controversial but Jillian from the Biggest Loser woud be ideal because she is a personal trainer, used to weigh 175 (she's 5'1) and is now 115 lbs. She has maintained that weight for years now.
As long Gabby has a healthy BMI like Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and America Ferrera and chooses the right roles, her career will be fine. If she stays at the weight she is now, she will be limited to dramas and comedies and those roles will probably not be leading unlike Precious.
Yea I agree with what's been said thus far in response to yr post MrsData- it's obviously much easier for an overweight man to have success in Hollywood than it ever has for an obese woman...period. I think there is a need for overweight/heavy females for various roles in film-it's just they're too few and far between for an actress to bank a career on it. She's a very cute girl-I hope she can lose some (well lots) weight but in the few interviews I've saw her in...she ain't too worried about that.?
She could be or maybe not, she is s good actress but we don't know what's in her mind. It's possible that she has no health issues but she is at a size where the simplest tasks like walking around wears her out quickly, that's not good.
What did Stern say, other than trying to be funny?