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Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

Sunday 8 January 2006, by Webmaster

You know what really ruins a moviegoing experience?

A lousy movie trailer.

That happened to me last weekend when I went to see "The Ringer." There I was, settling in with popcorn, ready to see a funny movie when a preview for "Date Movie" came on. The trailer opens with series of shots of Alyson Hannigan, aka Willow on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," in a fat suit dancing in a city street to Kelis’ "Milkshake." Meant to to be a play on "Bridget Jones’ Diary," the shots show her character shimmying in front of a cabdriver (who grimaces), an overweight gay man and a group of firefighters (who hose her down until she flips over).

I froze, midpopcorn. Here was an actress whom I admired basically making fun of women like me.

At first, I felt shame. Is that how people really see women like me?

Then, I felt disgust. What makes these filmmakers think this is funny?

Finally, I felt rage. How dare "two of the six writers of ’Scary Movie’ " make fun of overweight women? I could be really mean and overgeneralize these so-called writers using clichés about guys who think making jokes about people who are different from them are funny, but I won’t. I like to think I’m above all that.

I’ve read in numerous magazines and books that many people see weight as the last acceptable form of discrimination. Remember how ticked off Hispanic organizations got about the Taco Bell Chihuahua because of its accent? That doesn’t happen when an actor dons a fat suit.

Now, I’ve been on this soapbox before. When I was a columnist at UTEP’s student newspaper, The Prospector, I wrote a column that revolved around the Farrelly brothers movie "Shallow Hal." In that film, Gwyneth Paltrow dons a fat suit. Since seeing the movie a few times, I’ve revised my opinion of it. It’s one of the least offensive movies about overweight people I’ve seen. It does have fat jokes, but most of them aren’t malicious.

After I wrote that column, I got a couple of nasty unsigned e-mails about how nobody wants to be with, I paraphrase, a 150-pound sea mammal. Lovely.

"Shallow Hal" did make me see movies in a different way. Instead of relating to the characters in a movie, I see them as living in a world where no one’s fat, short, nonwhite or mentally or physically challenged.

The worst part of it is when you see an overweight woman onscreen and start to think that that’s the way people see you, your best friend, your mom, your sister, your co-worker, your teacher, your kickboxing instructor ... .

And it’s always women.

Fat men are funny. Fat women are to be pitied. For example, in "Hitch," Kevin James’ character — an everyman, i.e. slightly overweight — eventually wins the heart of a socialite (supermodel Amber Valletta). Or how about ABC’s "According to Jim," where Jim Belushi’s character, another everyman, is married to a slim blonde known for her role on the pretty-people-with-problems ’90s drama "Melrose Place."

Or "King of Queens." Heck, even "Family Guy."

The last time network TV showed an everyman married to an overweight woman was in "Roseanne" — which ended in 1997.

But maybe things are changing.

In a little-watched 2004 ABC teen drama, "Life as We Know It," one of the characters, Jonathan, is going out with a, by Hollywood standards, overweight girl named Deb (played by a perfectly average-weight Kelly Osbourne). His friends tease him about her and make fat jokes galore, causing him to doubt his attraction to her. Is that what people are being taught now? That it’s embarrassing to like someone who isn’t a size four? That it’s OK to make fun of someone who doesn’t fit the Hollywood mold?

Jonathan realizes that he just doesn’t care. He likes Deb because of who she is, not how much she weighs.

The writers of that show should go have a little chat with the writers of "Date Movie" and tell them that the fat jokes aren’t funny anymore.


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15 Forum messages

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 01:47, by Anonymous

    Good For You - I think it is totally disgusting the way our society discriminates against people who are not considered "within normal weight/height parameters." I am amazed how Hollywood and TVLand blantly make absusive and degrading commentary abpit people that are "fat."

    Considering that most American Citizens are now either on that "FAT" profile, or well on the way to being on it, we all need to start thinking about the people we make fun of. Next time you see one of these "fat people film jokes" or hear them, just remember that you probably know some real and wonderful person, maybe even your mom or dad, who is the person being hurt or made fun of with this crazy "Only The Thin are worthwhile" mentality being sold to the American public. And before anyone thinks that this is just one Large Size Lady ranting, I am not, but I do have a wonderful sister that suffers from these type of nasty and thoughtless comments.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 01:53, by EPJ

    If one has never had a weight problem, then they don’t see what the rest of us do. I have a weight problem due to medication. I have been working hard to get it down and it is a struggle to do so. Heavier people can have the confidence to ignore, as I do, or they might be really sensitive and if this is the case, I can see where one might be really upset.

    I would love to see Alyson Hannigan in a fat suit. I can’t imagine her being heavy. I am a woman that is not going to be upset at what others think of me. I love myself no matter what. Don’t blast somebody for their view.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 02:48, by Duckie
    I agree with Ravez Duncan- You and you alone are responsible for your weight. And you shouldnt critisize Alyson Hannigan for playing a fat character in a movie. And I WILL be going to see that when it comes out.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 05:12, by Fortyseven

    “Here was an actress whom I admired basically making fun of women like me.”

    Bias. Neeeeeext.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 07:53, by SUSAN
    When I saw the trailer for this...I laughted..I liked the bits with the cat trained to use the toilet ..then lighting a match to kill the smell...I found it in all funny...I didnt just focas on the fact she was a huge person...there was so much more going on in the trailer too....but i guess you could only focas on her weight.and didnt see the whole funny side of the movie.so i guess you had the problem ...i personally cant wait to see this...

    See online : >Alyson Hannigan-"Date movie"-Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 15:09, by Anonymous

    Wait...You went to see a movie that is all about making fun of retarded people..and you were offended because there was a trailer for a movie that made fun of someone else?

    Pot.. there’s a call for you on line one... a Mr. Kettle.

    I would think that you would be more ashamed of admittiting to going to "the ringer" in the first place. serves you right

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 19:36, by Anonymous
    the whole movie isnt about a "fat chick"...

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    9 January 2006 20:58, by Anonymous
    if you got paid as much as she did for this role...i bet you would have done it too

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    10 January 2006 08:24, by Anonymous
    Maybe if you didn’t chow down on an oversized bucket of popcorn every time you went to see a movie, you wouldn’t have anything to complain about, Tubby.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    15 January 2006 05:06, by Tenneale

    I saw this trailer and pissed myself laughing it is funny. I think some people are taking this overboard. I don’t think Alyson would of meant to hurt any ones feelings by acting in this movie she is just doing her job and getting paid millions to do it.

    If I can go into a movie theatre for 90 minutes and forget about my problems for that period of time and have a laugh I don’t give a crap what she does as long as she keeps making movies I am gonna keep watching them.

  • > Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    12 February 2006 16:56, by Ender

    The first time I saw commercials for this movie, I was a little upset. It was an instictive reaction because my wife is concerned about her weight.

    But after I thought about my reaction to this particular scene, I realized something. Overweight people may feel a particular vulnerability, but they are not any more or less sensitive than homosexuals, any particular race, "nerds", midgets, tall people, or anyone else that is the typical target for jokes.

    If this movie were nothing more than long fat joke, I wouldn’t want to watch it, and I would agree that it is offensive. Just like any other movie that targets only one group of people and picks at them mercilessly, Momma’s House, Napoleon Dynamite, whatever.

    But Austin Power’s movie was great, despite (or really because of) Fat Bastard’s presence in it. I expect Date Movie to be the same thing.

  • Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    2 June 2006 07:26, by Anonymous
    kelly osbourne is overweight

  • Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    17 August 2008 05:16, by Al

    You’re an idiot. I don’t mean to be offensive. Really, I don’t. But you’re an idiot.

    First of all, about criticizing the actress - which you did, even if it wasn’t so obvious - that’s not fair. Alyson Hannigan was not making fun of you. Do you know what acting is? It’s taking on a role written by another person (most of the time). It’s not right to condemn the actress, because she didn’t come up with the character. Yes, she took the job, but who are you to say she was making fun of overweight people? She might have hated that part of the movie, and only taken it because the rest of it was incredibly funny or something (I thought the whole thing was funny, but...). You don’t know, do you?

    I know this has been mentioned before, but how many movies out there are making fun of nerds, homosexuals, mentally challenged people, people with learning disabilities, rape victims. A ton. And somehow you think that teasing (if you can even call it "teasing") fat people is a colossal sin. Maybe it is mean, but it is not wrong to give people something to laugh at, even if two or three people are not laughing. I went to the cinema to watch this, and not once did I see someone freeze midpopcorn. Not once did somebody stand up and shout, "Hey, I am overweight and I don’t think that’s funny!" Not once was I the only one laughing at the so-called "fat jokes."

    People are different. Everybody is different. I have heard many say that flaunting our differences is nothing to be ashamed of, differences are what makes us us. And sometimes, yes, these differences can be funny to people, and it’s not always meant to be insulting. And now people out there are telling us that no, we have to hide differences because when there’s a hilarious woman dancing in the middle of the street with breasts big enough to flip to her backside when she jumps...Others get offended. Others think it’s wrong. And why? Why can’t these people get over themselves and their problems and enjoy a silly movie with a fat person every once in a while?

    Eh, I was just venting. What I really mean is - get over it. The movie isn’t a fat-bashing movie, and it’s all good fun. I’m sure the writers weren’t thinking, "Ah, let’s go hurt the feelings of some overweight people! Fat is so disgustingly hilarious! Hahaha!"

    - Al

  • Alyson Hannigan - "Date Movie" - Hollywood’s fat jokes no longer funny

    30 January 2009 20:06, by Kate
    Oh please, get over it fatass. No one’s making fun of you and just because you’re pathetically insecure doesn’t mean that hollywood should censor themselves or people need to feel pity for fatties. Sometimes, sure things get a little out of hand, but still shut up and move on. I’m chubby too, I was never skinny, and that’s fine, I watch what I eat and I like the way I look. I have a wonderful boyfriend and plenty of amazing friends, and most importantly I don’t feel personally hurt when someone or something makes fun of obesity, because I don’t consider myself obese or ugly or fat or anything of the sort - I like myself and my body. Period. By you whining publicly on the internet [bright idea of the year] you’re just pathetically stating that you don’t like how you look and it hurts when pretty actresses make fun of you. You’re just insecure. Fat people aren’t funny or different, personalities are what should matter, but comedies are comedies and hollywood is hollywood, so move on and lay off the twinkies.