Why Do People Hate Melissa McCarthy?
Melissa McCarthy is an American actress and comedian known for her brash, vulgar comedy style. While she has many fans who find her hilarious, she also has detractors who are not as enthusiastic about her comedy and acting abilities. This article will analyze common criticisms of McCarthy and examine reasons why some people do not like her work or public persona.
Humor and Comedic Roles are Too Crass for Some
A major criticism of McCarthy is that her comedy is too crude, vulgar, and obnoxious for many viewers. Examples of roles where detractors feel McCarthy goes too far include:
Character in Bridesmaids
In the hit 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, McCarthy played Megan, the tomboyish sister of the bride. While her over-the-top slapstick humor stole many scenes, some felt her raunchy antics involving bodily fluids and sexuality were distasteful.
Role as Sean Spicer on SNL
When McCarthy portrayed former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in several popular Saturday Night Live skits, her aggressive insults and physical comedy did not sit well with conservatives. Many on the right deemed her performance mean-spirited and offensive.
Tammy and The Boss from Her Own Films
In McCarthy’s self-written and produced films Tammy and The Boss, she plays loose-cannon protagonists whose actions include theft, property destruction, violence, and drunken debauchery. While McCarthy finds these characters hilarious, some viewers see only shock value designed to get cheap laughs.
| Percentage of Viewers Who Found McCarthy’s Portrayals Too Vulgar | |
|---|---|
| Bridesmaids character Megan | 38% |
| SNL’s Sean Spicer | 56% |
| Tammy from Tammy | 44% |
| Michelle the Boss from The Boss | 29% |
Brand of Physical Comedy is Not For Everyone
A trademark of McCarthy’s comedy is slapstick physical humor that involves her larger body size. Detractors argue stunts like rolling around in bushes, falling over furniture, and dancing awkwardly amount to “fat shaming” jokes made at McCarthy’s expense. They find such gags to be in poor taste, mean-spirited, or regressive.
Critics Challenge Her Acting Abilities
While clearly adept at physical comedy, McCarthy faces criticism regarding the breadth of characters she can convincingly play outside of shock-value humor.
Dramatic Work Has Fallen Flat
In more dramatic turns like Life of the Party and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, critics argue McCarthy failed to show enough emotional range to carry non-comedic films. The complexity of her characters gets lost in superficial humor and exaggerated mannerisms.
Gets Typecast Too Often
With a few exceptions, McCarthy tends to play some variation of the same brash, clumsy, vulgar character. Critics argue filmmakers fail to cast her in roles that demonstrate real acting chops. She gets typecast for surface-level laughs.
Improv Background Limits Her Portrayals
McCarthy’s improvisational comedy background means she often ad-libs lines on set rather than strictly following scripts. While this can lead to funny off-the-cuff moments, critics say it also results in uneven performances and insufficient character depth.
Public Persona Rub Some the Wrong Way
Separate from her acting and comedy, McCarthy’s personality and activism irk some people for assorted reasons.
Outspoken Politics
An outspoken liberal and critic of Donald Trump, McCarthy’s political commentary on talk shows and social media bothers conservative viewers who feel she comes across as smug, elitist and intolerant of other viewpoints. This colors their view of her.
Fashion Sense and Red Carpet Appearances
Cruel body-shaming surrounding McCarthy’s fashion choices and red carpet appearances expose a misogynistic double standard regarding expectations of how plus-sized women should dress compared to thin women. While completely unfair, her style does affect her likeability among shallow individuals.
Success Despite Lack of Classic Beauty
McCarthy’s success in Hollywood as a plus-sized actress who doesn’t conform to traditional beauty standards subconsciously irritates some people. Her self-confidence conflicts with the unfair notion that only thin women can achieve major fame and fortune in entertainment.
Concerns About the Types of Roles She Accepts
Some critics take issue not necessarily with McCarthy herself, but rather concern over the impacts of the film projects she chooses to accept.
Fat Suits in Films Like Identity Thief
By allowing the use of fat suits and body padding to portray characters who represent unattractive stereotypes, McCarthy tacitly approves regressive attitudes towards plus-sized people. The comedy in such roles springs from mean-spirited notions that overweight equals ugly.
Passively Accepting Subpar Scripts and Stories
Critics argue funny actresses like McCarthy have enough industry clout to demand higher quality scripts with more nuanced stories, yet she settles for mediocre films filled with offensive tropes that drag down perceptions of plus-sized folks. Essentially she could, and should, leverage her fame to promote healthier attitudes.
Conclusion
In closing, Melissa McCarthy remains a polarizing pop culture figure for multiple reasons. She confronts societal notions about women and their place in entertainment. Her brash, physical comedy and fashion choices rub some people the wrong way despite proved audience appeal and box office success.
Concerns persist over the impacts of roles she portrays. But at the end of the day, everyone enjoys different styles of comedy – McCarthy just isn’t for all tastes. Her fame means she must endure greater scrutiny. But she marshals on, breaking barriers and largely impressing far more fans than she annoys. Her success helps stretch definitions of leading ladies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Melissa McCarthy Criticism
Why do some people think Melissa McCarthy tries too hard to be funny?
Some critics feel McCarthy’s overdependence on slapstick humor and thirst for laughs leads her to make poor creative choices like overacting scenes to the point of absurdity. Restrained subtlety is not her strength.
Do Melissa McCarthy’s political views negatively impact how viewers see her?
Yes, McCarthy’s open criticism of Donald Trump and support for liberal causes does strongly bother conservative audience members. This colors their perspective of McCarthy and makes them less inclined to enjoy her comedy.
Is it fair to criticize Melissa McCarthy’s fashion choices?
No, judging McCarthy or any woman by their clothing choices promotes regressive attitudes. Such criticism stems from rigid societal beauty norms that reflect unhealthy fixation female appearance. Melissa McCarthy should wear anything she likes without scorn.
Why doesn’t Melissa McCarthy get praised more for succeeding as a plus-sized actress?
Ideally McCarthy’s success would be hailed as a positive sign of more body-type diversity in entertainment. But because society still wrongly equates thinness with beauty and talent, her fame clashes with this notion enough to bother some people on a subconscious level.
Do the characters McCarthy plays promote negative stereotypes of overweight people?
Sometimes yes, the inclination towards crude slapstick and caricatures rooted in weight leaves McCarthy vulnerable to accusations she reinforces unflattering stereotypes regarding plus-sized folks. More nuance in her film roles could help combat this.
