The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School “THE MELISSA MCCARTHY EFFECT”: FEMINISM, BODY REPRESENTATION AND WOMEN-CENTERED COMEDIES A Dissertation in Mass Communications by Catherine Bednarz © 2020 Catherine Bednarz Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2020 ii The dissertation of Catherine Bednarz was reviewed and approved by the following: Matthew P. McAllister Professor of Communications Chair of Graduate Programs Dissertation Adviser Co-Chair of Committee Michelle Rodino-Colocino Associate Professor of Communications Co-Chair of Committee Kevin Hagopian Teaching Professor of Communications Lee Ahern Associate Professor of Communications iii Abstract Immediately following its release in 2011, Bridesmaids was met with enormous critical praise as a woman-centered and feminist comedy. This praise was due to the largely female cast of characters in a major film comedy, a rarity in Hollywood. Women face sexism at every level of Hollywood, especially in comedy, so the success of a woman-led movie within the comedy genre was significant. Reviewers described the triumph of Bridesmaids as a game changer, claiming it would open the door to other woman-fronted comedies. This potential was labeled the “Bridesmaids Effect” (Friendly, 2011) by reviewers. However, while some comediennes may have benefitted from the success, I argue that the influence may be more accurately described as a “Melissa McCarthy” effect. This is particularly significant because though there have been several notable and successful female comedians before Melissa McCarthy, very few would be considered fat and feminist. The presence of fat women is not accurately reflected in mass media (Henerson, 2001). Though the visibility of actresses like McCarthy is a notable trend, McCarthy’s representation is still ideologically complicated through her slapstick and gross-out comedy and the masculine roles that she plays. This dissertation examines Melissa McCarthy as a “text” in the circulation of meanings that is the Hollywood movie comedy genre, the economic incentives of such films and their future in the industry, feminist and post-feminist debates and discourse, and representations of the body in the films and other supplemental texts. Melissa McCarthy provides an illustrative case study for understanding the impact and importance of a film not just by critically engaging the potential cinematic meanings in the film itself, but also its political economic significance as iv illustrated in paratexts such as marketing and reviews. I analyze McCarthy’s popular comedy career from Gilmore Girls to Ghostbusters, as well as paratexts including promotional literature, fan and anti-fan material, critic reviews and industry interviews. I argue in part that McCarthy’s role in Bridesmaids was informed and enabled by a particular mix of her own professional background and the industrial context of the film. Her later work in films such as Identity Thief and Spy often fragmented the “Megan” character into more crass or more mainstream versions. In addition, the resulting impact that Bridesmaids and McCarthy has had, as of this writing, on the opening of new gendered roles and portrayals in film comedy is mixed. v Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 “Female fight club. We grease up, we pull in.” .................................................................. 1 The Hollywood Industry ..................................................................................................... 3 Fat Representation .............................................................................................................. 4 Project Rationale ................................................................................................................. 7 Organizational Flow of this Dissertation .......................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Women in Comedy History, Feminism and Fat Representation ................................. 14 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 14 The History of Women in Comedy ................................................................................... 15 Political Economy ............................................................................................................. 18 Synergy and paratexts. .......................................................................................... 21 Postfeminism and Feminism(s) in the Popular ................................................................. 22 Feminist and Postfeminist Humor .................................................................................... 27 Fatness, Feminism and Framing ....................................................................................... 28 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 33 Texts ...................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3: “Am I Crying or Laughing?” A Conflicted Reading of McCarthy’s Sitcom Television Performances................................................................................................................................. 39 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 39 Gilmore Girls and Post-Network Television .................................................................... 40 The Supportive and Competent (and Clumsy and Romantically Awkward) Sidekick, McCarthy’s Sookie in Gilmore Girls ................................................................................ 44 Always a “Chubby Best Pal” ............................................................................................ 51 Climbing to Co-Stardom in Mike & Molly ....................................................................... 53 Introduction to Mike & Molly. .............................................................................. 53 vi Fat representation. ................................................................................................. 58 Feminism in Mike &Molly? .................................................................................. 62 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 63 Genealogy of production....................................................................................... 63 No room for the fat body on TV. .......................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: “Chick Flicks Don’t Have to Suck!”: The Complicated Feminist Messages in the Production, Promotion and Reception of Bridesmaids ................................................................. 66 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 66 Plot .................................................................................................................................... 67 The Masculinist Backstory of Bridesmaids ...................................................................... 69 The Cast and Crew ............................................................................................................ 72 Marketing and Promotions ................................................................................................ 75 The trailers. ........................................................................................................... 76 The posters. ........................................................................................................... 81 Attendance as Social Responsibility ................................................................................. 87 Critical Reception: Focus on the Ensemble and Gross Out .............................................. 90 The Clash of the Producer and the Writer ........................................................................ 92 Reading McCarthy in Bridesmaids ................................................................................... 94 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 99 Chapter 5: A Woman Can’t Do That! A Tale of Sexism at the Movies Starring Melissa McCarthy and Directed by Paul Feig.......................................................................................... 101 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 101 Becoming a Box Office Star ........................................................................................... 104 A preamble to later Feig films: Identity Thief. ...................................................