This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Melissa McCarthy 'Felt Bad' For The Critic Who Called Her A Hippo
Melissa McCarthy (Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com)
Back in February, film critic Rex Reed took to the pages of The New York Observer and described Melissa McCarthy, in her performance in "Identity Theft," as "tractor-sized" and a "female hippo."
They were words that should have been left in Reed's tiny, vile little mind, but they weren't, and at first, McCarthy stayed mum about the commentary.
But in a recent interview with the New York Times, she finally came out with a response, and it's as thoughtful as Reed's article was douche-y.
At first, she says, she was shocked that the words had made it past an editor:
“Really?...Why would someone O.K. that?”
Then, she throws this epic back-handed pity party:
I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot.
Sponsored message
The actress proceeds to get serious for a minute, noting that part of the reason she can laugh off Reed's criticism is that she's gotten more confident with age, but adding that his comments still contribute to a culture where girls believe that their worth is based on their size and their looks:
Had this occurred when she was 20, Ms. McCarthy said, “it may have crushed me.” But now, as a mother raising two young daughters in “a strange epidemic of body image and body dysmorphia,” she said articles like that “just add to all those younger girls, that are not in a place in their life where they can say, ‘That doesn’t reflect on me.’ ” “That makes it more true,” she said. “It means you don’t actually look good enough.”
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
