From Rosie O'Donnell's Blog:

earlier this evening
kirstie alley told matt lauer
that her fattest was 201
I almost choked on my yodel
I am 220
fess up kirstie - 201 my ass
i started to fume


Having seen many photos of Kirstie Alley at her high weight, I would have to say that I agree with Rosie (although this would be the first time I CAN say I agree with Rosie about anything). Kirstie Alley is 5'7". I realize that tabloid photos are taken intentionally to be as unflattering as possible, but come on ... 201? Who on earth does she think she's fooling here?

And Rosie is also right in stating in interviews that Kirstie currently claims to have lost 20 pounds with Jenny Craig (http://www.jennycraig.com/kirstie/) which would make her what, 181 now? Ummm ... No. I'm sorry, but no.

So, I'm confused. Is Kirstie's message supposed to be that it's okay to be a "fat actress?" Or is it to love yourself even while trying to hide and change who you really are? Or is there no message at all besides "haha, I'm big and still earning a paycheck in Hollywood!"

I could have supported Kirstie deciding to buck the Hollywood stereotypes, to stay big and just be happy that way. I could have supported a decision from her to be public about her weight struggles as she worked to bring her weight down. However, her decision to lie about her actual weight, IMO, is a big fat slap in the face to the very women that she purports to champion.

I also feel that the direction that her TV show, "Fat Actress," has taken, is cheap, exploitative, and in very bad taste (if that's the phrase). From a review of the show:

"Early in last week's Fat Actress Alley bent over, her giant behind filling the screen. She sits clueless in front of some studio heads while they exclaim her pitch for a show will be "enormous" and "huge." She begs Travolta to do Look Who's Talking 4 -- "we haven't explored all the possibilities!" she mock-pleads and gets her assistants to rip the plus-size Lane Bryant tags out of her clothes and replace them with ones reading Prada, size eight."

The show has also used such topics as bulimia as punch lines, where co-star Kelly Preston informs Kirstie that all she has to do is purge to lose weight.

Wow. Way to advocate, Kirstie. I'm going to have to reject her as spokeswoman for overweight women everywhere ... as far as I can see, we've all managed to struggle with our weight with far more dignity and self respect than this woman. And we didn't get million dollar contracts to do it with.

I don't buy the 201 lbs either, but I'm not going to knock the show..its adult humor, not a how-to...and like alot of things in life..not for everybody.

I wish I could GET the show, but my cable company doesn't even offer Showtime.

I'd put some of the pictures of her I've seen in the 250+ range, but it's hard to tell. Take a wander through the gallery. There are as many different shapes for the same weight as there are people posting. They can't ALL be lying or in denial, although some may be.

My opinion is that it's a cable tv station you have to pay extra to even GET, not the public airwaves during family hours. Just based on the reviews and scenes they've shown, I'll take her word for it that she's poking fun at herself and the whole entertainment industry.

show's funny. and thats the whole point. i mean, have you seen other hbo and showtime shows??? they arent really "how to's." kirsties show mentions bulimia, and sopranos mention mob hits....i dont think that suggests you go DO either!

and personally, i like seeing a "fat actress" on tv. there have been a small handful of others, but you know what, those werent as candid and blunt as this. i've personally experienced quite a few of the things ive seen on the show.

eve

I could never stand rosie. She's annoying to me, and not funny. I don't watch t.v. at all; we don't even get basic reception (got rid of antenna), but i heard that quote, too, on the msn homepage. it's impossible to stay completely away from! Quite frankly, why does she care about kirstie's weight? she seems pretty bitter; it's not right. rosie can spend some of her huge fortune on a personal cook and trainer to lose some weight, if she chooses to be petty for some reason about kirstie's weight. I mean, heck, what woman HASN'T ever lied about her weight? No big deal. Maybe kirstie doesn't even weigh herself and is just guessing (a long shot, but,) maybe rosie, as a popular media figure, should try to be more positive about another overweight woman who managed to even GET on television. Very immature.

I just have to say that i admire both Kristie and Rosie for being strong self suporting woman who dont take any crap from anyone about anything.
I am sure both of them have lied about there weight and really who cares.
I don't think Kristie thinks she is fooling anyone,she is the one with the new show.

I agree with you on that ..........Wow, could you imagine having that much money and being able to eat anywhere that you wanted? I think I would be fat too!!!!

I can barely afford low carb tortilla's and crystal lite........

I'm hoping we are going to get this show in New Zealand some time soon, we hear about it in all our weekly womens magazines, as well as that "Housewives" series starring Teri Hatcher.

oh i just wanted to add....can you IMAGINE how hard it must be for kirstie to be her size in hollywood?? you see what these celebrities look like!!! even the old ones!!

but really, i guess that IS the whole premise of the show. if any of that stuff really happened to her (which i am sure some has), thats great that she shows it!

I saw an article several months back that had the headline "At 260lbs, Kirstie Alley says she misses sex, but cannot have because she is too fat." Right there is shows she is over 201. And it is not true that someone that weighs that much can still have sex! Anyway, I haven't seen her show, but I would like to. It is good to know that show business will allow a few overweight people on TV. Why is it more acceptable to put fat men on tv and not fat women?

She was previously quoted as refusing to have "fat sex". That's what she means about "can't have sex because she's too fat." She has a problem with being her size and probably feeling sexy.

Also, no one should be fooled into thinking that this show is empowering in casting an overweight woman in a TV show called "Fat Actress".....it should be titled "Exploitation of a Fat Woman". But on the flip side, she signed up to be made fun of, in the same style a la Anna Nicole Smith.

She not only signed up for it, it was HER idea...

I havent liked her ever since she was on People saying she had fun getting fat but now she has to lose the weight.

What she needs in some therapy to help her love herself.

By the way-I was 353 when I was 9 months pregnant, and you better believe I was having LOTS of fat sex (preggo and all! LOL) LOL

I think the idea for the show was a good one on her part.
I really don't think she feels bad about herself and doesn't love herself.
She is the brain behind the hole show.Smart and beautiful to boot.
Maybe she did have fun eating anything she wanted for a while.I know I have had fun eating.She definitly doesnt need any therapy,she is way too happy.
She never said she couldnt have sex she said she didn't want to.
I just saw her on the View,she looks fab and no way is she over 200 lbs.
I say all the power to ya Kristie

I don't think the premise of the show is in any way meritorious. I think it is just a comedy.

I don't know what to think about her weight because when I see some of those people on those weight loss adds because they never look the weight they say they are.