Rex Reed: Starfish

[Care Bear]

In a review of the upcoming movie "Identity Thief," starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, Reed manages to refer to McCarthy as "tractor-sized," a "hippo," and "obese," all in one short review.

Question: What the ****?

I don't read this geezer, but maybe it's time he put down the quill.

http://observer.com/2013/02/declined-in-identity-thief-batemans-bankable-billing-cant-lift-this-flick-out-of-the-red/

 

[dooley_womack1]

God knows what he'd say about a Kate Upton movie

 

[PCLoadLetter]

It's so strange to be reminded every once in a while that Rex Reed still exists and is still working somewhere. To me he's forever trapped in the '70s sub-D list, the guy the Match Game producers would call if Debralee Scott was too high to go on.

 

[DanOregon]

Someone had to carry the torch for Mr. Blackwell.

 

[dooley_womack1]

It's so strange to be reminded every once in a while that Rex Reed still exists and is still working somewhere. To me he's forever trapped in the '70s sub-D list, the guy the Match Game producers would call if Debralee Scott was too high to go on.

Or for someone whom Jaye P. Morgan could flirt with in a blood-curdlingly disgusting way on Thr Gong Show.

 

[DanOregon]

Speaking of the Gong Show, Gary Mule Deer is playing the AT&T.

 

[dooley_womack1]

I would think that typewriter would be distracting to other players.

 

[Versatile]

I have a new addition to my pop-culture shortfalls list.

 

[Bradley Guire]

Even worse, she's not funny.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Outing alert -- **** Whitman is Rex Reed.

 

[Boom_70]

Rex Reed was the stereo typical gay movie critic before gay was in. Always found him highly predictable.

 

[Huggy]

It's so strange to be reminded every once in a while that Rex Reed still exists and is still working somewhere. To me he's forever trapped in the '70s sub-D list, the guy the Match Game producers would call if Debralee Scott was too high to go on.

And if **** Gauthier, Scoey Mitchell and Jo Ann Pflug were not available for some reason.

 

[Azrael]

The review, as brief and bad as it is, raises what to me is an interesting question.

Stipulate first that Melissa McCarthy is a terrifically gifted performer and hysterically funny.

Then note that her TV series has been criticized as a longform fat joke. Now ask why it is that a comedian can call down humiliating imagery or language on herself - in fact make a great living from it - but that the same language and imagery is rightly off limits to the rest of us in our criticism of the same work.

It's not hypocrisy. Rather, it's kind of a fascinating question of ownership of language and privilege of judgment and description.

 

[TigerVols]

You don't think Rex said the same things about John Candy and Chris Farley?

You can't call a comic who makes a living out of being fat and gross, fat and gross, if said comic has a vagina?

The show I produce interviewed her and you know what a topic of conversation was? Her menstrual flow. Take a look:

http://www.reelz.com/trailer-clips/67771/identity-thief

 

[Stoney]

Then note that her TV series has been criticized as a longform fat joke. Now ask why it is that a comedian can call down humiliating imagery or language on herself - in fact make a great living from it - but that the same language and imagery is rightly off limits to the rest of us in our criticism of the same work.

So, in other words: If fat people can mock their fat, why can't others? Kinda reminds me of the line you sometimes hear over use of the N-word.

I don't know why. But I doubt Mike and Molly refers to fat people as tractor-sized hippos. Reed's nasty word choice went well beyond the normal light-hearted fat jokes.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Wow. A Threesome reference. Don't see those ... well, ever.

 

[Care Bear]

Rex Reed was just being nasty. Plain and simple. I don't think one needs to think this thing into the ground. No decent, integrated-with-the-real-word reviewer would refer to McCarthy as a "hippo." She's obviously not that big. Or "tractor-sized." She's obviously not that big. Reed was just being mean because he didn't like her or the movie.

So I called him a "starfish." Which is perfectly OK.

 

[Songbird]

Ahh, The Gong Show. Good times.

 

[Songbird]

On the flip side of that dancer:

 

[DanOregon]

A movie critic referring to a well-known large-size actress as fat is the kind of insight it must take years to hone.