A step in the right direction, I'd say, although the double-standard shown here of "it's okay for men to be a bit flabby, but not women" irks me a bit. This guy makes some great points, though...things I've seen said here before.
There's a video link on the CNN site to a Showbiz Tonight segment, but since I can't view it from work, I'm copying the transcript of the show that I found here. (highlights mine)
"Now last night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT we declared flabby is fabulous. We just couldn`t help ourselves after seeing so many movies this summer with flabby men as the leads. In fact, we got such a big response, we decided to dig around for some more stars who are flabulous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to tell you that flab is, well, fab.
Flabby is fabulous. That`s right: we said it. From Main Street to the big screen, love handles are making a comeback. And that`s got a lot of people talking, including our friends, Robin Meade and Glen Beck from Headline News.
ROBIN MEADE, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, are you saying you`ve arrived?
GLEN BECK, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: This is proof that God is a man.
HAMMER: From real life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh that six-pack stuff? Yes, that`s old.
HAMMER: .to show business.
JACK BLACK, ACTOR: Big dudes.
HAMMER: .there`s no butts about it. Men with more in the middle are making headway.
KEVIN O`KEEFE, AUTHOR, "THE AVERAGE AMERICAN": But we actually prefer average-looking people. We actually do, because there`s a certain comfort and trust we have in them. Yes, we`d love to be with a hot model in the short term. But over the long term, there`s more comfort and more security with a common-looking person.
HAMMER: Man flab must be making a comeback. Otherwise we wouldn`t be seeing it on the stars. Just like at "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks, named America`s sexiest bachelor. Or leading man John Travolta. Heck, even Carrie`s boyfriend, Aiden, on "Sex and the City."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah right.
HAMMER: All brawny, but not buff. Guys who we call "flabulous."
O`KEEFE: The average American wants to see an average-bodied person on the big screen, without a doubt. Women don`t want guys that are weighing less than they are. So there`s a certain femininity equality with men who are trim and have the six pack.
HAMMER: Even this summer`s hot blockbusters are full of beefy guys. There`s Jack Black from "Nacho Libre"; Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up"; and Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights."
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE) Help me Tom Cruise!
HAMMER: Three average-looking guys with above-average appeal - guys that most gals feel they can relate to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s always to see somebody and say, Hey, you know what? I could - I could get that, you know? That`s somebody I could be with in real life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Joining me here in New York, Kevin O`Keefe, the author of "The Average American."
Kevin, it`s a pleasure to welcome you here.
It`s unbelievable the response that we have gotten to this particular story. Let`s talk about a guy like Vince Vaughn. He`s 36 years old, which apparently is the average age of American men.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I wasn`t aware of that.
O`KEEFE: .all Americans.
HAMMER: Of all Americans. OK. He`s from the Midwest. He`s got, shall we say, a little extra meat on the bones.
Is the fact that he is kind of obtainable at least in appearance, is that - is that what the appeal is here?
O`KEEFE: That`s a great word, obtainable. But it`s also the balance that he has in his life.
There`s this projection among people that are a few extra pounds right here that there`s a balance in their life, that they`re not spending half the day in the gym. Women are attracted to guys who have balance. That means they have time for family and friends and community. That`s attractive.
And also, America is ready for realness. You know, we`ve grown from a sitcomland where friends - the "Friends" episodes, where these apartments where these young professionals - they certainly can`t afford these apartments. But yet, we go to "Everybody Loves Raymond" - OK, a sports writer can afford that type of a house, and he probably has that type of a wife and kids.
But now we want more realness. And to have realness, you need to look like an average American. You need to have a few extra pounds.
HAMMER: And is that basically the deal? Because, you know, you look around America, America by and large, as we`re seeing, is flabulous. You know, Main Street America, they`re more flabulous than not.
Why has it taken Hollywood so long to catch on?
O`KEEFEE: Hollywood is always - you know, a bit back there in catching up. It`s because they`re - the decisionmakers are in the cities.
Now right now, we just passed a major milestone: most Americans now not only live in the suburbs, but work in the suburbs. But the decisonmakers are in places like Beverly Hills and New York City. They - it takes awhile for them to realize what`s going on in the country. And they need to get more of a suburbia mindset on how they make their decisions.
HAMMER: But obviously - and one of the things that kind of kills me about this whole thing is the double standard that just jumps right out.
You know, for women, not so accepted. You know, we see the flabulous men. But the question is, will we ever get to that point where it will be acceptable for women in Hollywood to be more flabulous than not? I can`t believe I`m using this word over and over, but it - it works.
O`KEEFE: Right. And when you say flab, we`re not talking too much.
HAMMER: No. No. And - and to be clear on that, we`re talking about an unhealthy lifestyle.
O`KEEFE: Not at all.
HAMMER: We`re just - we`re just - we`re talking about people who necessarily, you know, are not eating salads all day and working out at the gym for two hours a day.
O`KEEFE: Right. The average American is actually of - of healthy weight. Has some body fat there, but is actually still in the healthy zone. The average male is 5`9 and a half, 190. So I - yes, I don`t want to give the impression that we`re talking enormous fat here.
But the reason that Americans are so attracted to somebody that has a little bit of the fat - again, it just keeps going back to realness. It`s that simple.
HAMMER: When do you think that we`re going to see it more coming from the women..
O`KEEFE: The women - it`s just, again - it`s there already. Middle America understands what they`re attracted to. But Hollywood`s not giving it to them.
Unfortunately, A.J., I think it`s going to probably take something extreme, like a death. It`s going to take a Karen Carpenter situation, which happened back in 1983. Some young actress is going to have to die of anorexia. And when that happens, we`ll see a change in Hollywood decision- making.
HAMMER: Because it would seem to me, and - and I honestly can`t recall a time when somebody has put this out there. But if some studio or some filmmaker would go out on a limb and cast the more flabulous women in a big feature role, then people would identify with that, and then it would sort of lead the way.
O`KEEFE: Absolutely. They need to get their heads out of the sand, because if you look at every poll - and your poll will definitely show tomorrow that most Americans want a leading actress with a few more pounds. Absolutely.
But the polls are all showing the same thing: we want average people, not only in movies and television, but in advertising. Leo Burnett (ph) Advertising did an - a great poll last year. And most men - over 70 percent - said there needs to be more average-looking guy in ads. I think ads don`t relate to the average American.
Hollywood needs to wake the hell up.
HAMMER: Yes, because they do eventually - you know, if they can get on board with it, realize, Hey, that`s actually what people do want to see.
So -- so my question Kevin now is, can we officially declare a menaissance here? Is metrosexual - metrosexuality out the door, and flabulosity officially in?
O`KEEFE: Yes, we`re now into a retrosexual land, back before there was metrosexuals.
And again, because metro means city, and most Americans are now in the suburbs and working in the suburbs as well. So let`s star having a suburbia mindset in Hollywood, and then things will change. And let`s do that before there`s a death in Hollywood.
HAMMER: That would be very nice to be able to make it all happen before it comes to that.
Kevin O`Keefe, thank you very much. I appreciate you being with us.
O`KEEFE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: It`s all very fascinating. And we`ve been asking you to vote on this very subject for tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking, "Flabby But Fabulous: Do you prefer your stars with a few extra pounds?" Go online to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? Our e-mail address is [email protected]. We`ll get into those e- mails, which will be fascinating I`m sure, tomorrow.
There's a video link on the CNN site to a Showbiz Tonight segment, but since I can't view it from work, I'm copying the transcript of the show that I found here. (highlights mine)
"Now last night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT we declared flabby is fabulous. We just couldn`t help ourselves after seeing so many movies this summer with flabby men as the leads. In fact, we got such a big response, we decided to dig around for some more stars who are flabulous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to tell you that flab is, well, fab.
Flabby is fabulous. That`s right: we said it. From Main Street to the big screen, love handles are making a comeback. And that`s got a lot of people talking, including our friends, Robin Meade and Glen Beck from Headline News.
ROBIN MEADE, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, are you saying you`ve arrived?
GLEN BECK, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: This is proof that God is a man.
HAMMER: From real life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh that six-pack stuff? Yes, that`s old.
HAMMER: .to show business.
JACK BLACK, ACTOR: Big dudes.
HAMMER: .there`s no butts about it. Men with more in the middle are making headway.
KEVIN O`KEEFE, AUTHOR, "THE AVERAGE AMERICAN": But we actually prefer average-looking people. We actually do, because there`s a certain comfort and trust we have in them. Yes, we`d love to be with a hot model in the short term. But over the long term, there`s more comfort and more security with a common-looking person.
HAMMER: Man flab must be making a comeback. Otherwise we wouldn`t be seeing it on the stars. Just like at "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks, named America`s sexiest bachelor. Or leading man John Travolta. Heck, even Carrie`s boyfriend, Aiden, on "Sex and the City."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah right.
HAMMER: All brawny, but not buff. Guys who we call "flabulous."
O`KEEFE: The average American wants to see an average-bodied person on the big screen, without a doubt. Women don`t want guys that are weighing less than they are. So there`s a certain femininity equality with men who are trim and have the six pack.
HAMMER: Even this summer`s hot blockbusters are full of beefy guys. There`s Jack Black from "Nacho Libre"; Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up"; and Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights."
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE) Help me Tom Cruise!
HAMMER: Three average-looking guys with above-average appeal - guys that most gals feel they can relate to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s always to see somebody and say, Hey, you know what? I could - I could get that, you know? That`s somebody I could be with in real life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Joining me here in New York, Kevin O`Keefe, the author of "The Average American."
Kevin, it`s a pleasure to welcome you here.
It`s unbelievable the response that we have gotten to this particular story. Let`s talk about a guy like Vince Vaughn. He`s 36 years old, which apparently is the average age of American men.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I wasn`t aware of that.
O`KEEFE: .all Americans.
HAMMER: Of all Americans. OK. He`s from the Midwest. He`s got, shall we say, a little extra meat on the bones.
Is the fact that he is kind of obtainable at least in appearance, is that - is that what the appeal is here?
O`KEEFE: That`s a great word, obtainable. But it`s also the balance that he has in his life.
There`s this projection among people that are a few extra pounds right here that there`s a balance in their life, that they`re not spending half the day in the gym. Women are attracted to guys who have balance. That means they have time for family and friends and community. That`s attractive.
And also, America is ready for realness. You know, we`ve grown from a sitcomland where friends - the "Friends" episodes, where these apartments where these young professionals - they certainly can`t afford these apartments. But yet, we go to "Everybody Loves Raymond" - OK, a sports writer can afford that type of a house, and he probably has that type of a wife and kids.
But now we want more realness. And to have realness, you need to look like an average American. You need to have a few extra pounds.
HAMMER: And is that basically the deal? Because, you know, you look around America, America by and large, as we`re seeing, is flabulous. You know, Main Street America, they`re more flabulous than not.
Why has it taken Hollywood so long to catch on?
O`KEEFEE: Hollywood is always - you know, a bit back there in catching up. It`s because they`re - the decisionmakers are in the cities.
Now right now, we just passed a major milestone: most Americans now not only live in the suburbs, but work in the suburbs. But the decisonmakers are in places like Beverly Hills and New York City. They - it takes awhile for them to realize what`s going on in the country. And they need to get more of a suburbia mindset on how they make their decisions.
HAMMER: But obviously - and one of the things that kind of kills me about this whole thing is the double standard that just jumps right out.
You know, for women, not so accepted. You know, we see the flabulous men. But the question is, will we ever get to that point where it will be acceptable for women in Hollywood to be more flabulous than not? I can`t believe I`m using this word over and over, but it - it works.
O`KEEFE: Right. And when you say flab, we`re not talking too much.
HAMMER: No. No. And - and to be clear on that, we`re talking about an unhealthy lifestyle.
O`KEEFE: Not at all.
HAMMER: We`re just - we`re just - we`re talking about people who necessarily, you know, are not eating salads all day and working out at the gym for two hours a day.
O`KEEFE: Right. The average American is actually of - of healthy weight. Has some body fat there, but is actually still in the healthy zone. The average male is 5`9 and a half, 190. So I - yes, I don`t want to give the impression that we`re talking enormous fat here.
But the reason that Americans are so attracted to somebody that has a little bit of the fat - again, it just keeps going back to realness. It`s that simple.
HAMMER: When do you think that we`re going to see it more coming from the women..
O`KEEFE: The women - it`s just, again - it`s there already. Middle America understands what they`re attracted to. But Hollywood`s not giving it to them.
Unfortunately, A.J., I think it`s going to probably take something extreme, like a death. It`s going to take a Karen Carpenter situation, which happened back in 1983. Some young actress is going to have to die of anorexia. And when that happens, we`ll see a change in Hollywood decision- making.
HAMMER: Because it would seem to me, and - and I honestly can`t recall a time when somebody has put this out there. But if some studio or some filmmaker would go out on a limb and cast the more flabulous women in a big feature role, then people would identify with that, and then it would sort of lead the way.
O`KEEFE: Absolutely. They need to get their heads out of the sand, because if you look at every poll - and your poll will definitely show tomorrow that most Americans want a leading actress with a few more pounds. Absolutely.
But the polls are all showing the same thing: we want average people, not only in movies and television, but in advertising. Leo Burnett (ph) Advertising did an - a great poll last year. And most men - over 70 percent - said there needs to be more average-looking guy in ads. I think ads don`t relate to the average American.
Hollywood needs to wake the hell up.
HAMMER: Yes, because they do eventually - you know, if they can get on board with it, realize, Hey, that`s actually what people do want to see.
So -- so my question Kevin now is, can we officially declare a menaissance here? Is metrosexual - metrosexuality out the door, and flabulosity officially in?
O`KEEFE: Yes, we`re now into a retrosexual land, back before there was metrosexuals.
And again, because metro means city, and most Americans are now in the suburbs and working in the suburbs as well. So let`s star having a suburbia mindset in Hollywood, and then things will change. And let`s do that before there`s a death in Hollywood.
HAMMER: That would be very nice to be able to make it all happen before it comes to that.
Kevin O`Keefe, thank you very much. I appreciate you being with us.
O`KEEFE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: It`s all very fascinating. And we`ve been asking you to vote on this very subject for tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking, "Flabby But Fabulous: Do you prefer your stars with a few extra pounds?" Go online to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? Our e-mail address is [email protected]. We`ll get into those e- mails, which will be fascinating I`m sure, tomorrow.
