Friday, September 30, 2011

My Weekend Crush

Melissa McCarthy is having more than a moment. She is having an era. Sure, maybe not necessarily in length, but definitely in importance. Breakout star status doesn’t usually happen to 40-something, plus-sized women. And when I say “usually,” I mean ever. But here she is with a brand new Emmy on her mantel and a blockbuster comedy hit on her resume and a highly rated sitcom on every week and more movie deals and TV deals coming her way and a hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. It’s just, well, it’s just great. And I can honestly say it couldn’t happen to a more likeable and hilarious gal.

To just say Melissa was funny in “Bridesmaids” is like just saying the Grand Canyon is a big hole in the ground. Sure, it’s true, but it’s a massive undersell. She was pee, or in this case poop, your pants funny in that movie. Her Megan was a singular cinematic creature - a confident, pragmatic, butch, sexual and loveable oddball who you laughed with more than at. And out of all of that, I think the confidence of her character was the most amazing attribute. We’re used to funny women in comedies being neurotic messes. They fret and thither, over-think and under-appreciate themselves. But not Melissa’s Megan. Confidence made that character more than just the punchline, it made her a heroine.

And that all came from Melissa, who has made herself a new kind of comedy heroine for us all. Of course, some of us knew years ago when she was the sweetest little chef in all of Stars Hollow. Let’s hope her era never ends. Happy weekend, all.

EDIT: To the skeptics who doubt it when I say “breakout star status doesn’t usually happen to 40-something, plus-sized women,” it really doesn’t. Ages when they found breakout success: Roseanne Barr, 36; Oprah Winfrey, 32; Anna Nicole Smith, 26; Liza Minnelli, 26 (also not exactly plus sized at the time); Queen Latifah, 19; Nikki Blonsky, 19. Also, Rosie O’Donnell got her talk show at 34. So, no, sadly almost never.

11 comments:

  1. I have just started watching Gilmore Girls and I have to say she is just so sweet in it :) And I loved her in Bridesmaids of course.

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  2. SOOKIE FOREVER!!!

    I'm so happy for her for having all that success! (-: She surely deserves it! She always was one of my favourite characters on GG, from beginning to sometimes-sucko last seasons, she's witty, charming and incredibely fun! Yay Melissa McCarthy!

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  3. Am I one of the only people that didn't loooove Bridesmaids? If it weren't for Melissa the movie would have completely sucked. I might have turned it off. Melissa was the whole movie to me. She is a gorgeous talented woman for sure!

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  4. I <3 her. If Kristen Wiig wasn't as hilarious as she was in Bridesmaids, Melissa would have totally stolen that movie. She almost did really.

    I only wish we could watch SNL in the UK... :-/

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  5. To see her with this success now, after all those years of loving her on Gilmore Girls just has me beaming! Go Melissa!

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  6. Anonymous7:50 AM

    "Breakout star status doesn’t usually happen to 40-something, plus-sized women. And when I say “usually,” I mean ever."

    So... Rosanne Barr, Oprah, Anna Nicole Smith, Liza Manelli (Part 2), Queen Latifa, and Nikki Blonsky don't count?

    Interesting.....

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  7. Always loved her in GG. And yes she made the last seasons of the show suck less. Haven't seen Bridesmaids. But I'm glad she is getting much success. This whole late "blowing up thing" reminds me of what Jane Lynch has been going through the last five years.

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  8. As much as I loved all of BRIDESMAIDS, I do think McCarthy was my favorite of all the women. And I loved that her character was so butch and so straight at the same time. As you know, in the Midwest, that's the way a lot of women roll, but it was nice to see it on the big screen.

    Truth be told, I've never been able to watch the pooping scene. I think my favorites probably were either the entire plane sequence or when the scene between McCarthy and Kristen Wiig toward the end.

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  9. Anonymous10:30 AM

    Dull, dull, dull, dull! - the earlier anon comment that is, not the article. "Breakout", the Snarker stipulated... you even re-typed it out yourself - "BREAKOUT". Another clue to the other anon: B-R-E-A-K-O-U-T. That clear things up?!? Jeez, some people are hard work!

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  10. gilmore girls had been my guilty pleasure for years! i love sookie! she was one of the best parts of the show! bridesmaids was hilarious. i don't usually go for such chick flicks, but it was a good laugh.

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  11. Ang7154:55 PM

    Excellent choice, Ms. Snarker.

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