Monday, June 10, 2013

Mae West: Filmland's Fat-Shaming

Fat-shaming was in the news in June 1937 and MAE WEST was dragged into this peculiar topic. 
• • "Film Stars Criticised — Mae West's Weight" • •
• • London, June 2nd — Good and bad words for film stars were said respectively by Mr. George Arliss at a meeting of the Royal Society of Arts and Dr. H. W. Taylor at a meeting of the Library Association.
• • Mr. Arliss said Hollywood was not a wild, wicked spot. Work there demanded a clear brain and a reasonably keen intelligence. The industry could not continue to exist if actors became careless of their moral and physical behaviour.
• • Dr. Taylor scathingly criticised British film actresses. 'They are all thin-lipped,' he said, 'and about two nutmegs in weight. All appear to be from about 14 to 17 years or age. I am told that Mae West weighs more than one or two nutmegs — — but she is not British.'
• • Source: Article: "Mae West's Weight" printed in The Courier-Mail (Brisbane); published on Friday, 4 June 1937.
• • This Australian article received so many irate responses from the readership that the topic continued to be discussed and debated in the weeks ahead.
• • On Sunday, 10 June 2001 in The Hartford Courant • •
• • You can give your book a Mae-West-title but will it find favor with critics or the public?  Book critic M.A. Turner did not think much of "Come Up and See Me Sometime," describing it as "A Flat Addition To Tedious Single-girl Subgenre" on Sunday, 10 June 2001 in The Hartford Courant. "Come Up and See Me Sometime," published by Scribner, was written by Erika Krouse (202 pages). Oh, dear. Poor Erika Krouse.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My picture 'It Ain't No Sin' is belly laughs about the low-lifes."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A gossip column mentioned Mae West, who hosted a party.
• • The Film Daily wrote: More Passing Show: William Morris, Jr., Murray Feil [a Hollywood representative of the William Morris office], William Perlberg, Albert G. Ruben, Moss Hart, Harold Hecht, Bert Marx, Alexander Hall, Frankie Eastman, Arthur Lubin at Mae West's Paramount party. ...
• • Source: The Film Daily from 1932
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2667th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Mae West in Hollywood

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