Rex Reed is the faux film critic version of Don Rickles

REX REED: A MAN OF MANY INSULTS

By Jerry Saravia

For more than forty years, film critic Rex Reed has attacked celebrities of all sizes and shapes. Usually they are pointed remarks, and some might be perceived as pointedly offensive. He referred to Robin Williams' shaved body in the stupefyingly dull "Hook" as resembling "boiled pork butt." He once referred to Madonna's armpits as smelling like "Bloody Marys" in regards to her performance in 1990's "Dick Tracy." (Yeah, they might if we had Odorama in the movie theater and that was not the case with "Dick Tracy") I cannot leave out another criticism of Madonna's features by Mr. Reed - "Her vulgar, raunchy undulation, her execrable music, her white zombie makeup all add up to the specter of an anguished and rather pitifully sexless corpse selling necrophilia wholesale." OUCH! Not even talk-show host Piers Morgan ever went that far in his criticism of Madonna - he just has a problem with her faux British accent.

And if you think that is bad, get a load of Reed's criticism of Juliette Lewis's appearance (not her performance) in Scorsese's lurid, over-the-top "Cape Fear" remake - "This pouting, oversexed, and unfocused brat is the best defense I can think of for having your tubes tied. Played by the dreadful Juliette Lewis, she's a repulsive, retarded little jerk too." DOUBLE OUCH! It is funny how much Mr. Reed used to get away with in the past. These are just some samples.

Now Rex Reed's negative review of "Identity Thief" has this little soundbite that has got everyone in a tizzy - "Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) is a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success." He also refers to her weight as "tractor-sized." To be fair, Reed once said that De Niro's obesity in 1980's "Raging Bull" was "bordering on the grotesque." Clearly Mr. Reed has a problem with overweight people on screen.

Melissa McCarthy in 1999's "Go"

Reed has defended his remarks claiming the following: “I have too many friends who’ve died [from obesity-related issues],” and “I object to using health issues like obesity as comedy talking points.” Well, excuse me but that is hardly what I think of Melissa McCarthy in general. Her TV show "Mike and Molly" does not exploit her weight for laughs - in fact, her weight is never an issue on the show nor should it be. McCarthy is charming, attractive, sensible and simply a joy to watch on screen. I loved "Bridesmaids" which is one of the funniest comedies I've seen in the 2010 era and her guest-hosting on "Saturday Night Live" was an absolute blast of laughs. Neither of these shows or films exploited her weight for laughs (perhaps SNL ever so slightly in a skit where she kept falling down the staircase). I cannot comment on "Identity Thief" but I doubt the film exploits her weight much, if at all (I read one comment from someone who did see the movie and claimed that there are more fat jokes in the review than the movie). And I seriously have not seen McCarthy ever be anything close to obnoxious - when and what character and what movie? Rex probably doesn't recall McCarthy's brief performance as a giggling soap-opera fan in 1999's "Go" - a movie Rex put on his ten best list of that year.

That is what is odd about Rex Reed. He may hate certain actors based on their appearance but he sometimes praises them for certain films. Reed inexplicably loved "The Evening Star," a dreadful sequel to "Terms of Endearment" that starred Juliette Lewis. I am not sure what he said about her appearance or her performance in the review but I doubt it was as insensitive as what he said about her in his "Cape Fear" review. Reed also liked "Evita" which had Madonna in the title role (my favorite role of hers is actually in the little-seen "Dangerous Game" by director Abel Ferrara). So maybe Melissa McCarthy will one day be mentioned in a review of his without regards to her weight, that is if it is a positive review. A negative review? Forget it, all bets are off.  

"It's fair to comment on any actor's appearance if it's relevant to the character the actor is playing, the performance, and how that actor's physical traits add to or detract from the performance," he tells Us. "But this just smacks of mean-spirited name-calling in lieu of genuine criticism." - Film critic Richard Roeper

Rex Reed has made a career out of personal insults. This is nothing new and, though it is insulting to Mrs. McCarthy, I can't say I am surprised by anything Rex Reed says anymore. McCarthy is a huge movie and TV star. If she had been an unknown, nobody would care.