MovieChat Forums > Fat Actress (2005) Discussion > Complaints not valid?

Complaints not valid?

posted 19 years ago by Treuburg
16 replies | jump to latest

I don't really understand the complains the show makes. It is not "reality". It's just Kirstie Alley's reality. Or maybe some kind of warped version of it.

I actually don't think the tv/movie biz is as discriminatory as the show makes out. There are a lot of mature full-figured actresses. The Drew Carrey show had a full-figured female character, the Gilmore Girls has one, The Practice, Reba, etc. etc. etc. Big deal. Where is the discrimination?

I read an interview with a plus-size actress who is doing a teen tv show in Canada. She seems to have a career going on, she doesn't have a lot of complaints about the industry, seems well adjusted. I just don't know if the complaints of Kirstie Alley in the show are all that valid. Maybe I'm wrong.

http://www.judgmentofparis.com/cschmidt.htm

I think Kirstie claims not to be getting roles because of size, but maybe it is more because of age, and competition. There are a lot of actresses competing with Kirstie for the kinds of character roles that are usually written for actresses in her age range.

The only thing that really has NOT happened in Hollywood yet is that there have not been any younger full-figure actresses as girlfriends/love interests. But in the real world, you see hot guys and curvy girls together all the time -- in every ethnicity and culture. And I think Hollywood will reflect this reality in the future.

[–] Mel_66 19 years ago

Actually the point is once you are skinny then it is not ok to become fat. All of the actresses that you have pointed out have always been full-figured, while Kirstie has not. Of course she was at her skinnest doing cocaine so she is not really capable of being natually real skinny like Nicole Kidman. But like the rest of us she could lose a few pounds by eating less garbage and moving more.

"Don't hate Jesus just because Christians are buttheads."

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

It's a show. It's not reality. Maybe if she had played someone with a name other than her own, people wouldn't take it so seriously. The stuff like her being asked when the baby was due actually happened, but I seriously doubt her family comes over to her house and smokes crack, or she chases after Kid Rock in real life.

If you see your favourite actor in a show and he shot someone, that doesn't mean he actually does that or thinks it's okay to do so. It's a role.

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
greatestjournal.com/community/fatactress

[–] c_semerad 19 years ago

This why I completely disagree with the poll IMDB is running right now, with Kirstie Alley as the winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it). THIS IS NOT REALITY TV! "Fat Actress" has to be THE funniest and most irreverent show out there today. I record it every week so I can watch it and see who guest stars next. Blossom? Oh my God!! I never pictured her having sex.... EVER! Gwen Stefani lookalike? Her "obsession" with Gwen is too funny. Kirstie has the guts (and balls) to embrace her weight and make fun, while the rest of the world points fingers and prints unflattering photos in the Enquirer of her butt. I knew she was funny, but in this scenario, and with her co-stars and different guests, she is downright side-splitting hilarious. I hope this show stays around a while, and people stop taking things so literally and just get the joke!

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

"Blossom? Oh my God!! I never pictured her having sex.... EVER!"

LMAO! Nice one! I haven't even seen Blossom since her show years ago.

Yeah, sadly, people take the show waaaaaay too seriously. The same people who watch even worse stuff (violent shows, etc) are probably the same ones saying this show is bad. But, as long as some of like it, that's all that matters. It's a relief to turn on a show that isn't the same predictable stuff that's usually on.

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
greatestjournal.com/community/fatactress

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

Chris was HUGE. KA isn't THAT big. She's already losing weight since the show, isn't she?

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
greatestjournal.com/community/fatactress

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

If she reads these boards, I think she'd realize that people prefered her more when she was thinner, so she's not gonna try and stay fat to be funny.

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
greatestjournal.com/community/fatactress

[–] RSmith7250 19 years ago

If she were ACTUALLY funny it probably wouldn't matter what size she is. As it is, she's just pathetic and I don't see that changing no matter HOW much weight she loses.

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

In your opinion, she's not funny. In others opinions, she is.

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
greatestjournal.com/community/fatactress

[–] Alkara 19 years ago

LOL You compared Canada to Hollywood? LOL

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] faux_paus 19 years ago

I think you're kind of right. Kirstie really hasn't faced much discrimination. I hope I don't get banned and deleted for posting this but like I always do but I'm going to post it again anyhow because I think it's true. Kirstie Alley has never been stick thin. This is not an insult but just a fact. She was average sized on cheers. She was has never been underweight or under pressure to ultra skinny. When she got her own show (Veronica's closet), she was average weight in the beginning but during the little time the show was on the air (it got cancelled), she became obese. Her weight was didn't matter. She went on to be in some movies that weren't exactly hits but she was still getting roles and she didn't have to lose any weight at all. She also starred in plenty of tv movies as well and her weight has never been an issue except for a few pics of her taken by some tabloids. So, where is the discrimination? As far as I know, Kirstie has had a great career and continues to get parts no matter what size she is. I don't understand her complaints or her issues with hollywood. If it was maybe Delta Burke (who was actually fired from Designing women for weight gain), maybe you could see it but Kirstie doesn't seem like someone who has had to deal with being judged over her size except by dumb tabloids which noone cares about.

[–] OckGal 19 years ago

I think it falls under the same thing as some people who are pretty and they refuse to think they are. They don't see themselves as attractive and they wanna BE pretty. They put pressure on themselves to reach that ideal goal to make themselves happy. And if they don't think they're pretty, they don't believe others think they are, either.

She has her valid reasons for having gained weight, and if she's not happy with how she looks, then it's gonna affect other things in her life. If she says she doesn't wanna have sex while she's fat, that's just her feelings. If she thinks people didn't hire her because she's fat, that's just how she sees it. I'm sure if she walks into an audition, doesn't get the role and she's fat, she'll be thinking that if she were only skinnier, she may have gotten it. Everyone does that. "If I had left the house 2 minutes sooner, I woulda beat this traffic." Everyone has those thoughts.

None of us were with her when she's dealt with Hollywood stuff, so I don't think it's fair to say that she didn't get turned down for things because of her appearance. Maybe she did. Maybe she was turned down for other reasons, but to HER, it was because she was fat and not what they were looking for.

~Lisa
kirstiealley.allstarz.org
kirstiealley.proboards40.com

[–] pazzobella82 19 years ago

I'm sorry I will admit to never having seen Fat Actress but I think that when you name 4 shows to defend that fact that Hollywood is not discriminatory that that isn't enough. Yes there are shows with full-figured actresses. In the ones that you mentioned only one, was not a supporting character/funny person. Let's see...didn't Eleanor on the Practice only receive a love interest in the last year or so of the show? Or did she even have one? Didn't she adopt her child?? Christina Schmidt of Degrassi The Next Generation in Canada left the show because she wasn't getting enough attention. Yes that is a show with many characters but isn't interesting that that big girl hardly ever had a storyline?

Let's see was there ever a "fat" (excuse my bluntness) girl on the Creek or cruising around 90210?

Okay you can name the shows with one full-figured actress but how many have more than one???? It's just not real life. All those shows that were previously mentioned the actresses are over 30. Where are the shows with realistic women under 30 and teens?

In my opinion I think that society which includes Hollywood caters to the size 2's of this world. It's very unrealistic. You even have these reality shows that hardly depict a real variety of people when it comes to size and shape. And then when there is that one time that there is a bigger person it's like a big deal. It shouldn't be a big deal. Look around people come in all shapes, colors, ages, and sizes...but that not how Hollywood and other media want to see things.

[–] TheCommenteer 19 years ago

id like to say ive never read so much *beep* in my life, but alas its not true, but im sure its right up there.

firstly, why do u think they should have to cast people for their shows if they dont want to? if i wrote a story with characters and wanted them cast a certain way i wouldnt exactly want to change the way i see my characters because dumbasses think its discriminatory.

who cares if its not reality? u want reality? GO THE *beep* OUTSIDE. this is whats known as TV, and MOVIES, not REALITY. u know ur right, tv should be more like reality, we have to lose all the schwarzenegger movies, ANYTHING sci fi, horror, pffft, drama? yeah right, half that *beep* would never happen, comedy? nope, nowhere near realistic, hey look we're left with the true story section and thats about it.
perhaps if u wanna see reality u should live in it, and not wonder why other people arent doing it for you.

if theyre descriminatory, its because thats what most people WANT to see, get it? they cater to a demographic, they have a business to run, its not a *beep* charity.

oh the fat person didnt get enough attention *tear*
u know what, there are things that thin people cant do too, why is it i never hear of them taking up court cases for being rejected from jobs for being too thin? why didnt a thin white person get the role of fat albert? THATS *beep* DISCRIMINATION. gimme a break. some characters are black, some are white, and some are thin and some are fat. who are you to say they shouldnt be how they are. you didnt write the story, u have no role in the production of it.

meanwhile ill be sure to send u a postcard from reality, u dont know what ur missing.