Tag Archives: Melissa McCarthy

Some People Actually Have a Problem With The All-Female Ghostbuster Cast

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all female cast, ghostbusters, sexism, film, Upon hearing a piece of modern music my Grandfather always used the line, ‘You kids today, you don’t even know you’re born.’ Well if you are a young thing and you have not seen Ghostbusters then let me tell you: you don’t even know you are born. The same goes for most 80s & 90s films. The 80s and 90s were great decades for film. Fact. Which is super exciting because not only are they doing a remake of Ghostbusters, but it has an all-female cast. Yes people, you heard it right: an all-female cast. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones will star in the 2016 remake. Problem is, even though it is 2015, some people actually have a problem with this.

Director Paul Feig tweeted the news of the new cast and confirmed the new Ghostbuster film release date: July 22, 2016.

 

Paul said: “It’s official, I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call.” Not everyone is as enlightened as Paul however. Social media was awash with sexist comments about the all-female cast. Funnily enough, no one had a problem with the all-male cast. Some Tweets were funny:

 

 

The most depressing thing is that in 2015, the new Ghostbuster film having an all-female cast is actually a thing. While I won’t be giving any trolls publicity here there was one important person who gave it the thumbs up: the original Ghostbuster himself, Dan Aykroyd. A statement read:

 

“The Aykroyd family is delighted by this inheritance of the Ghostbusters torch by these most magnificent women in comedy. My great grandfather, Dr. Sam Aykroyd, the original Ghostbuster, was a man who empowered women in his day and this is a beautiful development in the legacy of our family business.” 

 Dan Aykroyd is obviously a very awesome and evolved man. As is (@JohnRossBowie) 

 

 

Bill Murray hasn’t said anything about the project but the other surviving member of the original, Ernie Hudson, doesn’t seem happy about it; he doesn’t think it should carry on the Ghostbusters name as it will have  “nothing to do with the other two movies.” and while he said he was not against the idea of an all-female cast his first reaction to the casting news on Facebook was  “No comment”. There are more brilliant reactions in this excellent Radio Times article.

 

Ghostbusters all-female cast: good or bad idea? Have your say.

 

 

 

Were Superdrug’s Controversial Celebrity Weight Scales Offensive?

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Superdrug has dropped it’s controversial ‘celebrity weight scales’ after the product was criticised by a leading UK eating disorder charity. But what did you think of it? Is it healthier to compare yourself to a celebrity or a number? These were novelty scales and surely they were just a bit of fun?

celebrity weight

The scales compared a user’s weight to that of a celebrity such as Cheryl Cole, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Beyoncé.

The scales included Cheryl Cole (8st), Kate Middleton (8st 6lb), Jessica Ennis (9st),  Ellie Goulding (9st lb), Beyonce (9st 2lb), Rihanna (9st 2lb), Adele (14st), Queen Latifah (16st) and  Melissa McCarthy (18st). I am not sure whether or not these weights are accurate but some of them do seem quite low. Especially as the average weight of a women in the UK is 11 stone.

The truth is, weight will always be a sensitive issue and young girls are impressionable. What is to stop them dieting to achieve the weight of their idol? Different people have different natural weights. We should just focus on being healthy, but peer pressure will always be there. For some the scales are just fun and novelty, but like most things in life, they can have a negative impact if used incorrectly.

 

Lorna Driver-Davies, nutritionist at the NutriCentre commented:

 

 “I am very concerned with the concept of celebrity weighing scales.  As a nutritionist I have no objection to women weighing themselves in kg- this is commonplace on normal scales and many women chose the metric method of weight, for example in France and Germany.”

 

“Comparing your weight to anyone- your friends, sister or colleagues would be a very unhealthy way to judge your own weight, so a comparison to celebrities is even worse.”

 

“These scales do not even take into account body fat percentage, height, BMI, waist and hip measurements and common sense on what is a healthy weight for an individual.  Not only is this concept deeply unscientific but also I believe it would encourage even more insecurity and anxiety about weight which is a sad situation.”

 

“These scales also set a very poor example to teenage girls who are often more susceptible to eating disorders and are easily impressed by celebrity status.”

 

What do you think? Should they have been pulled?

 

Identity Thief is worth a watch | Film

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identitytheifQuite often when you plan to go the cinema, it can be difficult to find a film that appeals to both you and the person you’re going with. Some people love historical dramas like Lincoln, while others find them tedious and slow to watch. Others love action movies like the Die Hard series, while some people would rather spend an afternoon at the dentist’s instead!

One film that is out at the moment and that may appeal to everyone is the light hearted comedy Identity Thief starring Jason Bateman (teen star of 80’s sitcoms like It’s Your Move and the Hogan Family) and Melissa McCarthy. This crazy caper is guaranteed to give plenty of laughs and will ensure that any stresses or worries you have on your mind disappear while you watch.

This is a film that is directed by Seth Gordon and has a script written by Craig Mazin. Bateman plays the character of a quiet and unassuming businessman called Sandy Patterson, who lives and works in Denver. One day, Sandy answers a call about someone trying to steal his identity, and gullibly hands over all his bank and security details to the person on the end of the line. This, of course, is the person who is about to steal his identity – and the twist is that she’s a woman.

Melissa McCarthy plays the role of Diana – a woman living in Florida who then spends up Sandy’s bank account on her lavish and dodgy lifestyle. The film follows Sandy’s tracking down of Diana and the subsequent adventures they have avoiding the bad company that Diana usually keeps.

It may not have the most profound plot in the world, but Identity Thief is one of those films that has enough slapstick and farce in it to appeal to a wide cross-section of audiences. If you feel like a fun night out, you should check your local cinema listings and give this one a whirl!

 

 

Bridesmaids Review: Is The Tide Turning For Women In Film?

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Women in films used to be sassy, brilliant, full of quips, But somewhere along the way, we lost it all. Rosalind Russell was replaced with Shannon Elizabeth (The actress in American Pie, who was there to be a sex object and show her breasts), and Katherine Hepburn, replaced by, oh, all those actresses in those dire 1980’s films, too many to name, who were there solely to take their clothes off.

Some people think the film Bridesmaids is ‘ground-breaking’. It is, because Bridesmaids just became a Box Office hit, taking a smidge below $150 million – so far. It was a mainstream comedy written by women, starring women, about women, which won in the only way Hollywood recognises, by making money.

Helen Mirren once said that Hollywood wasn’t sexist, it just made films that people wanted to see. Young men go to the cinema more often and go to see films they liked. Women will only see more films with women if they go out and see them. Vote with your purses!

Bridesmaids is funny, it has wowed critics and audiences alike and it breaks even more boundaries, the actresses are (shock, horror!) not all 21 and a size zero. Some of them are in their 30s and are beautifully curvy. There is nothing wrong with being thin (I have been discriminated against for being thin, so I know it works both ways), I am just sick of my friends thinking they are fat when they are not.

Zoe Williams said this film was more feminist that Thelma and Louise and urged everyone to go and see it.  I am doing the same. Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams went even further, saying the film is ‘your first black president of female-driven comedies’.

It is ironic that as women have progressed, on screen we’ve only gone backwards. As an actress, I know more than most about what people cast and what they want. Women have to be between a size 8-12. Size 12 being a grey area, it hurts an actress to be more than a size 10. I was told by one casting director than anything above a size 10 meant ‘character actor’.

Some people have attacked Bridesmaids for not being ‘feminine’. Do they ever attack men for not being ‘gentlemen’?  I think not. Women have to be celebrated, we have to have our stories told and not just as naked, skinny, 21-year-olds. I will soon be making my own movie about women and their lives, and I thank Bridesmaids for clearing the way.

1.Bridesmaids
2.Production year: 2011
3.Country: USA
4.Cert (UK): 15
5.Runtime: 125 mins
6.Directors: Paul Feig
7.Cast: Chris O’Dowd, Ellie Kemper, Jill Clayburgh, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Matt Lucas, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey