The actress Melissa McCarthy gave a perfect lesson in how to call out sexist criticism this week.
Appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she discussed an infamous review of her 2014 film Tammy in which a critic seemed to tie her acting ability to her physical appearance.
“He’d said basically I’m only a good actress when I look attractive and that my husband [Tammy director Ben Falcone] shouldn’t be allowed to direct me because he let me look hideous in this movie,” McCarthy said. The reviewer was bold enough to introduce himself to McCarthy at a film festival last year, and the actress promptly asked him to consider his role in not only perpetuating double standards in Hollywood, but also what those messages do to young girls. According to McCarthy, she told him, “I hope you don’t have a daughter. I didn’t mean that in a mean way, and I said… If she comes home and someone says, ‘You can’t have a job because you’re unattractive,’ are you going to say, ‘That’s right’?”
