How I Became a Redneck Racist Who Hates Fat People

So I recently posted an article here on Open Salon, that then got posted on Salon, regarding Gabourey Sidibe and Howard Stern's comments regarding how she's never going to work again.

I tried to be very careful when writing the article, because I don't agree with Howard Stern lambasting her for her weight. I did agree that it's ridiculous for people to say she's going to get so much work in Hollywood if Hollywood stays as it is right now, a shallow place obsessed with appearance. In closing, I asked to be proved wrong because I loved Sidibe's performance in "Precious" and watching her on talk shows is always delightful.

Cue floodgates opening.

First, most of the people who looked at the article (and I say "looked at" rather than "read" because anyone who read the article would have noticed some things that many overlooked) and commented on the fact that Sidibe is doing a new television show and has another independent movie coming out. I also mentioned this, and said that although I PERSONALLY do not feel that television is a step back, I do think that if Sandra Bullock came out next week and said she's going to television, the media would say she's crazy and that she's a movie star.

Yes, she's had a longer career, but I doubt that's why people are saying to Sidibe--"Yay! You're getting work!"

SHOULDN'T she be getting work? She's an Oscar nominee.

To me, this was condescending coming from those people who say they're fans of hers.

Then, the inaccurate response blogs started.

I had mentioned that a lot of African-American Oscar winners don't tend to enjoy the same success that white actors and actresses enjoy, and I felt that was yet another sign that Hollywood isn't the kindest place to minorities.

Somehow this turned into me saying that African-American actors and actresses aren't talented or that I was downplaying their career achievements.

I mentioned Denzel Washington as being an exception, and someone claimed that I wasn't taking Denzel Washington into consideration and THEN she spelled Denzel's name wrong. Clearly, she's a big fan.

The main points of contention were Halle Berry and Forrest Whitaker. I said that Berry and Whitaker didn't experience a career bump after their respective wins.

Again, I wasn't saying I'm not a fan of the two of them, just that I felt they didn't receive the post-Oscar opportunities that white actors and actresses did.

Well, the Berry/Whitaker fan club took MAJOR offense to that. They mentioned all the projects Whitaker has done--None of them, I should mention, high profile. The man turned into a revelatory performance in "The Last King of Scotland" and he's still on the B-List. George Clooney plays himself and he gets invited back to the Oscars.

Anybody see anything wrong with that?

Oh, and I love the "Halle Berry took time off to have a baby" line. Yeah, she took time off AFTER having three or four flops. Am I the only one who remembers Catwoman?

Once the article reached Salon's main site, the personal attacks started. Not only was I racist, a Howard Stern sympathizer, and hater of fat people, but I also became a heterosexual.

"I have to wonder if you have ever truly enjoyed a movie for the ride that it takes you on or you were too busy looking for boobs with your hand down your pants."

I'll admit--that was just plain funny.

Things came to a head when I was referred to as a "redneck."

Being a New England democrat, through and through, I've been called many things in my life, but redneck was never one of them.

The crazy thing about all of this was that people ignored the fact that I was only trying to say that I feel bad for Sidibe because she IS talented and I think she has a hard road to hoe, but that I HOPED she would continue to work and prove me wrong.

I guess that doesn't leave people much to comment on, so instead I turned into a country bumpkin who waves the Confederate flag and strums a banjo.

Yikes.