fat actress?

[keryx]

You're probably exactly the wrong crowd to ask this question, given that I'm probably more of a teevee watcher than all y'all put together. But I'll ask anyhow: any of you seen Fat Actress?

We don't have Showtime, and I was honestly not all that interested [I really don't care for Kirstie Alley, and she has never been a candidate for big fat media icon in my book.], but with all the kerfuffle in the fat activist community about it, I went ahead and watched the damned pilot on Yahoo (available via the BFB post on the topic).

My verdict: It is ass. But just because it's a truly, truly stupid (and thus, in my mind, also unfunny) piece of badly acted schtick. I really do think it's supposed to parody the ridiculous race, gender and size stereotypes it presents; it's like Chris Rock, but less incisive and smart. A lot of other fat activists have been really offended as they watched the show, though - very hurt and defensive in their responses to the stereotypes (you know, fat lady eating cheeseburgers in her pjs in her car kinds of things). Is it because fat is such a contentious area? Because the stereotypes people accept as truth about fat folk are so ridiculous already that you can't really go over the top enough to make it clearly parody? Or just because the show's so patently not funny?

I don't know, but clearly it's not as dismissable a show as I thought.. What do you think?

Comments

[missmeridian.livejournal.com]

i now want a cheeseburger.

actually, i was kinda hoping twop would recap it, since there's no way i would actually watch it. but they aren't.

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

i now want a cheeseburger, pjs, although my car is not the comfiest snacking spot.

i haven't seen the show but then i haven't seen basically any shows since that last episode of missy elliott's idol-type show which, if i watched tv, i would have watched religiously.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I think TWOP would be challenged to snark it effectively, unless they snarked the flat acting.

[kdiddy.livejournal.com]

given that I'm probably more of a teevee watcher than all y'all put together

actually, you and I are probably neck and neck. I watch more tv than anyone I know.

I don't have Showtime, though, so I haven't seen Fat Actress.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

you can watch it on the internet (well, the pilot only) - that's where i saw it, as i don't have showtime either.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

Sooooo... Was it better, worse, or (as my eye doctor says) about the same?

I will admit that the weird statements Alley's made does give me the feeling she's pulling one over on everyone. And yeah, that did make me like her just a leetle bit.

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

Charlie's Angels 3: The Forgotten Angels. It was her, a little person, and a "Canadian."

Wow.

I haven't seen it, but I think she is putting one over on everyone -- but only in a self-interested way. She couldn't get a sitcom because she's "overweight" so she created a way to get her own show because she's "overweight." So (because I am catching up on LJ in reverse-chron order) I think she's interested in individual self-empowerment but not feminist empowerment.

[deadpoet83.livejournal.com]

I tried to watch the pilot, but it made my head hurt about four minutes into it. I don't know...I just couldn't stand her over the top bawling.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

i totally relate, that's always been the root of my loathing for Kirstie Alley. she reminds me of Jerry Lewis in that.

[lil-ms-drama.livejournal.com]

I guess I didn't mind it too much partially because it was improvised and I'm really big (no pun intended) into improv.

It is sad, though, that we have to point out that she's fat and not just do a show about an actress.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

Given the level of performance, I think the show would be appallingly bad if it weren't for the parodies of all the stereotypes (like the diet advice she gets... just insane, and a little bit funny for that).