Big Momma’s Balls

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I’ve been wondering this for a while now, but a recent movie release brings up a question that begs to be asked: what is Hollywood’s obsession with men dressed as big fat women? 

I just do not get it. I don’t. I don’t get it. Women spent 99.9% of their time trying not to be big fat women.  Actresses can’t get a job if they’re big fat women. But, lo, if you’ve got gonads, it’s apparently no problem.

At first, it was Eddie Murphy doing his whole Nutty Professor thing, which I didn’t really take issue with. Whatever — I figured it was a novelty.  Then he did the sequel and I let it slide. Imagine my dismay when that same year, Martin Lawrence starred (and I use that term loosely) in Big Momma’s House.  Still, I assumed it was a fad and it would go away.

It’s been ten years since Nutty Professor, kids, and guess what? We’ve had not only these three, but Big Momma’s House 2, Medea’s Family Reunion, Medea’s Class Reunion, Medea Goes to Jail (Is she the new Ernest or what?), Medea Takes Manhattan (not really), Norbit (sweet mercy) and the pièce de résistance: Hairspray.

Oh my god, Hairspray.  It really makes me wonder what John Waters must be thinking.  Sure, the original film had Divine — a man dressed as a woman, but I think we can all agree that Divine is a far cry from John Travolta in latex and a girdle. Divine was an eccentric, outlandish and totally authentic transvestite.  Not a scientologist just looking for another excuse to dance on screen.  What, Wild Hogs wasn’t doing it for you, Travolta?  I suppose I could see how donning a dress might be the next logical step after pretending to ride motorcycles with Martin Lawrence, but seriously… Seriously.

I also don’t understand the whole “Let’s make a musical out of a movie, then make a movie out of the musical” trend that’s been happening but that’s a discussion for another day.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going go buy some support hose and a prosthetic penis and see if I can get a role playing someone’s obnoxious relative.

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14 thoughts on “Big Momma’s Balls”

  1. I’ve been wondering this myself.  It was funny for about 30 minutes during the Klumps dinner scene and now, I just don’t get the man dressed as a heavy woman shtick.

  2. It’s funny if the person doing it is funny.  But the act of a man dressing up as a woman, fat or otherwise, isn’t funny for it’s own sake.  And you had to bring in Martin Lawrence.  The anti-funny.  I can take John Travolta in a dress before I can take another minute of Martin Lawrence playing the manic man-child.

  3. I actually want to see this movie – but TOTALLY NOT for John Travolta, who is a bit nutty if you ask me, but most definitely for Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken – All of which I LOVE!  For the most part, it is a good cast in the movie.

    I do agree though, I am not sure why they had to cast John Travolta for the “Edna” role?  Big Momma and Nutty Professor were cute the 1st Time – and that was it!  I have not seen any of the Medea films or the Norbit one.

  4. I love me some Christopher Walken and he’s in this.  But I cannot abide by Travolta.  John Travolta has gone the way of Tom Cruise (which, in case you’ve been in a hole, is FUCKING CRAZY) and I will therefore be boycotting all of his movies as well. 

    Besides–you can’t fucking beat Rikki Lake and Divine.  Divine would chew Travolta up and spit him out.  (Or maybe swallow–who knows?)

  5. If you figure it out, let me know. My mom LOVES Madea, Norbit, Big Mamma, et. al, but Hairspray? She won’t see that one. Now explain THAT to me.

  6. I actually don’t think this is about Travolta “looking for an excuse to dance on the screen” and I’m no Travolta fan. 

    Travolta has been avoiding musicals/dancing movies for years to get away from Grease and Saturday Night Fever type roles.  “Hollywood” has been trying to get Travolta back in a musical for 30 years now.  It took a role like this to change his mind and actually do it. 

    I did see a lot of clips of the musical numbers from the movie in March at ShoWest (at a New Line sponsored “Hairspray” event) where they brought the actual dancers from the movie + most of the stars out on stage that night.  I have to say that even though Hairspray is not one of my favorite musicals, this does look like a very fun summer movie. 

    I really like Nikki Blonsky the “real life fat girl” who won the role of Tracy Turnblad via MySpace.  She’s totally charming and absolutely perfect for the role.

  7. @joz: oh, come on!  smile It seems like dances in every movie, save Battlefield Earth.  lol.

    Michael: dancing

    Be Cool: dancing

    Pulp Fiction: dancing

    Phenomenon: …  I can’t remember, but surely he danced somewhere. lol.

    wink

    I’m sure it’s a fun movie, but I take issue with remakes like this, I guess (aside from the whole fat lady thing).  ESPECIALLY cult classics.  I thought it was odd when they made it a musical, too, but ok, it makes sense… but to make a movie from a musical that already was a movie?  It seems silly to me.

    But I’m sure it’ll be a big hit and I’m not saying I won’t see it (on cable).

  11. It doesn’t matter how many times Travolta’s career gets ‘revived’ he always manages to make a pig’s ear out of it. Evidently, Dianetics doesn’t give you the ability to avoid crappy scripts. Now he’s going to be J.R. Ewing in the movie of Dallas? Look Who’s Talking 4 surely beckons.