Gabourey Sidibe’s appearance at the Academy Awards, even though she didn’t actually win the Best Actress Oscar for Precious, put the spotlight on her more than ever before.
And now, Howard Stern is on the attack.
On his radio show, Stern and sidekick Robin Quivers lit into Sidibe due to her size.
Stern basically said that now that she has money, she should “go get yourself thin, you’re gonna die in like three years.”
He also wondered, along with Quivers, whether or not she would have much of a career after Precious, even with Oprah Winfrey saying she would during the Oscars ceremony.
“Oprah’s lying and saying you’re going to have a brilliant career,” Quivers said.
“Oprah’s another liar, a filthy liar,” Stern replied. “She’s telling an enormous woman the size of a planet that she’s going to have a career.”
(You can listen to Stern and Quivers discuss Sidibe’s weight at Jezebel. Warning: Stern uses profane language at times.)
The good news for Sidibe is that, so far, the joke’s on Stern. Variety reports that Sidibe will be in the Showtime series The Big C beginning in May, starring alongside Laura Linney, and in the indie feature Yelling To The Sky with Tim Blake Nelson.
But Stern isn’t alone in wondering about the Hollywood future of Sidibe — PopEater blogger Rob Shuter and Fox News Channel’s Strategy Room were among those in on the discussion.
Shuter wrote that insiders believe Sidibe would have a tough time getting parts unless she loses weight:
“I’m not saying it’s correct, but it’s a simple fact that she will have to lose a lot of weight if she wants to keep getting parts,” one casting director told me. “The same thing happened to Nikki Blonsky from ‘Hairspray.’ Everyone said how great she was, and she hasn’t worked since.”
Meanwhile, the doctor/commenters on Fox News expressed concern more over her health — that she doesn’t need to be “Barbie-doll thin” but will have major concerns soon.
So what do you say — is it anyone’s business?
Related articles by Zemanta
- Is moment in spotlight over for Precious star Sidibe? (thestar.com)
You media types will exploit any story for reader eyeballs.
Of course, it’s your business, and when business is bad, even Howard Stern leftovers are fair game.
Sure she’s working now — but how many parts are there for abused big black girls/women? She was fit to play that role, but I don’t see any “normal” black women role in her cards in 3 years, unless there’s some healthcare drama that calls for a big woman patient.
Stern is right; Oprah is nuts if she thinks it’s not in this woman’s interest to help her health a.s.a.p. It’s like encouraging fried foods and drinking in a pre-diabetic: you don’t do it if you really care about them.
Howard Stern is a noticeably ugly guy, with a personality to match… It has long been a trick of unattractive men to hyperfocus on women’s flaws so that no one pays attention their own flaws. Secure, happy men feel no need to put others down. Not to mention, since Stern left the mainstream airways many no longer know he exists. Thanks for the reminder – still not listening to him and my life is higher quality because of it.
Johanna–
Let’s stop pretending that obesity to that degree is merely “hyperfocusing on a woman’s flaws.”
Look at the flab on those biceps. Think of how hard that heart is working to carry around that weight. If she’s not a diagnosed diabetic yet, she will be.
Pretending that such obesity is not obscene and is just merely “not pretty to look at” is dishonest. Healthwise, we all know what is coming for this lovely lady unless she drops poundage asap. Is that rude to point out unsolicited? Sure. It is wrong to address the topic when others are pretending that the big elephant in the room won’t affect this woman’s career? No.
And I’m not a Howard Stern fan, and didn’t choose to listen to the linked clips either.
This is a joke and sad! Oh can Oprah that has fought with her weight forever condone this or her? Maybe she should hire her Trainer or me to change her life and help her live!
Think of this fact…. OBESITY KILLS more people in the world than starvation! NOT that I want people to starve but there needs to be change! What about the future of our children?? Do we want them to this see woman or anyone else like this as a role model? I have more respect for the men and woman that are on the biggest loser that KNOW they to change than some woman in a movie. Get real people!
How is this woman a role model??
However if she changes her ways.. eats clean… exercises and teaches others to do the same.. so be it.
But to me she is nothing but a statistic waiting to be made!
Put down the cake, cookies, fried anything and eat 5-6 small meals a day.. work out atleast once a day and change!
We know how you feel about certain people Howard.Its sad!!You seem like you prefer people like Daniel Carver!!!!!
Dress designed and provided by: Omar The Tentmaker….
She makes me sick
Howard is right. Oprah USED this underprivileged, morbidly obese woman to get her production company (Harpo) an Academy Award. Why did Oprah use the words “our movie” in her speech at the Oscars? Because she wants credit for the whole thing. And now she’s going to parade this woman all over the country doing press and making Oprah more money. And now Oprah thinks she has a “future” in show business!!! Laughable. Anyone who thinks Oprah is Ms. Innocent needs to know that you don’t get a billion dollars by not screwing people over 100′s of times.
I would hope her career is over as I really don’t want to look at her.
How in ones’ lifetime can one human get so large without ‘putting on the brakes’ is an obvious TOTAL lack of care of oneself. These types are rather disgusting to view. The viewer must analyze what they are seeing, as it is abnormal, and then act as if nothing is out of the norm when in their presence because it isn’t socially acceptable to say something?? Huge people should be told, by anybody and everybody, to go for lifestyle abuse treatment and get a grip. I do not want to HAVE to subsidize, if not fully support, their lives when they become unable to work and have huge medical costs associated that they cannot then pay for.
My point isn’t only about this girl. Howard Stern has frequently critiqued women mercilessly on his show – well, anyone dumb enough to appear on his show. Every time I’ve heard a clip I’ve wondered if he has ever looked in a mirror. Not attractive. Not charming. Not talented. Three strikes you’re out… or exiled to satelite radio. Buh bye.
GO HOWARD GO !!! FAT PEOPLE SUCK !!! REALLY OBESE FAT PEOPLE SHOULD STOP EATING >
This has nothing to do with Oprah. Ms. Sidibe is 27 years old, and has stated “she has a high self-esteem.” What is sad, the weight is unhealthy for her body — that is the major concern. I hope she will open her eyes and get healthy. She does not have to become paper-thin; just get healthy.
She is a big women but she sure looks pretty in that dress. She looks better then the stars with everything showing on them. The way they dress they may as well wear strings. You look beautiful Sidibe.
As we all know it’s still politically ‘correct’ to ridicule overweight/obese/fat women and say heartless things. It’s the last form of discrimination that has yet to have laws passed against it. Howard Stern is the feces that passes out of a slug and everybody that says things comparable to him is ‘up’ there with him. (Yeah, she eats an entire Winn-Dixie of food..ha ha..is that the best you can come up with moron??)
That said I hate to agree with others in saying that her career roles will be limited and very stereotyped. Even the mildly overweight actresses have limited audiences to which they appeal. Sadly, that’s the way our narrow-minded country is…make that world.
I haven’t seen the movie but she appears to be good in it. An Oscar nomination says it all. However, would she do well in other types of roles even if she were thin? With Oprah on her side, well, you know what happens when Oprah touches something…it always turns to gold! I think Howard Stern will have to eat his words, literally, one day.
Wow the comments I read here are so ridiculous and judgemental.
FACT: We all know Gidibe is at an unhealthy weight and is at risk for all kinds of health problems.
However . . . .
Who says that just because she’s not what people would consider sexy, that she should hate herself. Even knowing that she has an issue to deal with doesn’t mean she has to walk around being miserable. You gotta “work with what you got until you get what you want”. I’m proud that she loves herself especially when many “beautiful” hollywood people don’t know how to love themselves. What kind of people are you to actually tell someone to be unhappy and hate themselves, especially over the superficial stuff? We can say its about her health but its not, its about her looks. She’s not pretty enough to have success in life or inspire others [/sarcasm]. Plenty of people “look” healthy with deadly habits.
Secondly, all of a sudden people want to say how she doesn’t care about herself because of her weight when hollywood is infested with drug addicts, alchoholics, people addicted to to plastic surgery, etc. They walk around like zombies, their rude/cocky and could give two shits about you but they get a passed because their not fat. At least Gidibe is someone worth getting to know, in spite of her looks.
Nobody protests the druggies, alchoholics and whores but we protest fatness. People need tto get over it. People come in all shapes and sizes and its time movies and the media portray that instead of these impossible standards of beauty so many stars gave their life to achieve.
@Whatafatass
Yes there are some in Hollywood that do get spotlight but there are still plenty of whores, druggies and homereckers that don’t.
Nobody said that she was healthy but she shouldnt have to hate herself for it.
I am a big girl myself and you know what, I DONT love everything about myself. I see my own naked behind everyday in the mirror when I get dressed so I dont need ANYBODY to tell me I’m big. I wish I was smaller all the time and I do what I can to be healthy. All my bad habits havent changed overnight because I didnt get this size overnight. HOWEVER I still wake up everyday with love in my heart for myself and could give two shits about the next person who has the AUDACITY to think that what they say really matters. If you’re not paying my bills or layin in the bed with me then it shouldnt be your concern.
She may be not be what anybody here considers beautiful but at least (from what I see in the media) she is a genuinely nice person that still deserves respect instead of unwarranted harshness and disrespect.
Plus I’d love to see photos of everybody here having something negative to say. I know all of ya’ll aren’t a size 2.
girl i couldn’t have said it better get them in check
Tyler Perry has her starring in his next 5 films. He will use her obesity to it’s fullest in a few months. He’ll has all the whites portrayed as devils, the blacks and sympathic and she’ll land a pretty boy at the end of the movie and they’ll all sing a gospel hymn! Tyler and Oprah have their new cash cow. Has anyone seen the stars of Tyler’s tv shows? La Van Davis, Cassi Davis, Tamela & David Mann all are overweight, play simple minded, adults that won’t do a thing about their weight.
Sidibe was of course put on her first weight loss diet at the age of six. By the time she was 21/22, she got sick and tired of feeling bad all the time and hating herself.
That is the truth that isn’t spoken amongst all this, Gabourey Sidibe is what looking after your health with dieting looks like.
Those of you that hate need to get over that.
I really liked your post