Melissa McCarthy is one of six cover models for Elle magazine’s annual “Women of Hollywood” issue. Much has been made of the fact that Melissa is shrouded in an oversize coat while five other stars show a lot more skin in their respective covers. Reese Witherspoon, whose most recent star turn was a drunken performance in a police dashcam video, wears a body-hugging cut-out dress while up-and-comer Shailene Woodley shows a fully-bared leg in a swimsuit photo. Of the featured actresses, McCarthy is unquestionably the biggest current star with “Bridesmaids,” “Identity Thief,” and “The Heat” proving that she is a major box office draw.
My initial reaction to the photo was that it was stylish and she looked very cool with the windswept look and she was right next to a cover blurb for coats so it all seemed to fit. Until I looked at the other covers. It did seem like Melissa was covered up while the other actresses weren’t. Consider also that when “The Heat” was released, it appeared that her image was extremely modified on the movie poster to make her face and chin look much thinner:
Seems outrageous? It’s not the first time it happened. Compare this poster photo for “Bridesmaids”…
to this photo of the “real” Melissa McCarthy:
Melissa McCarthy has made a career of portraying characters for whom being overweight is an element of the comedic presentation. She delivers over-the-top, highly physical performances and she’s unafraid to totally “uglify” herself for laughs. Still, see any interview with Melissa and you know she is making her own choices on her own terms. She does not play demeaning roles. Her character in “The Heat” is awkwardly unfeminine and sloppy but she’s the best cop on the force and there’s a running gag in the movie that she keeps running into ex-boyfriends who beg her to take them back.
Melissa’s character in “Bridesmaids” was also meant to be a somewhat butch counterpoint to fussy, feminine characters but we find out she’s a very successful, high-ranking government security expert.
More, a lifestyle magazine targeting women over 30, published this flattering cover which was obviously composed to create a frame spotlighting Melissa’s beautiful smile and amazing dimples:
In the days following the Elle magazine controversy, Melissa McCarthy has made it known that the coat was actually her own choice. She has reported that she was in a black dress for the photoshoot but when she saw a beautiful cashmere coat, the Illinois native said she was sick of Southern California summer-like weather and she wanted to wear a fall look.
Even before I heard Melissa’s comments, I felt that she did not seem like she’d let anyone make her do something she didn’t want to do. I think she looks fabulous in the Elle cover with an Elizabeth Taylor-kind of look and if she says she wanted to wear the coat, I believe her!
Melissa McCarthy has become an example of how fat is never ignored. Fat people are not allowed to be anything else; society integrates a fat person’s weight into their identity. As uber-talented as Melissa McCarthy is, I’ve yet to see an interview where her weight is not mentioned. Given the current momentum of her career I’d question if she lost a significant amount of weight, if the roles might actually stop! What do you think of Melissa McCarthy’s rise to fame and how her weight has figured into it?
