Does Weight Loss Kill the Careers of Fat Comedians?

She isn't a comedian, but I know Star Jones career just seemed to flat line when she went from jovial fat lady with interesting things to say to thin, and almost deflated looking lady. She just isn't as pretty thin as opposed to fat, her face radically changing to the extreme. One would hope that weight wouldn't influence so much, that it would change your career, because one's mind, brain and humor would remain the same but in Hollywood, isn't "your look" sad to say, what is most banked upon?

The title here is horrible:

"Do Fat Comedians Lose Some Giggles When They Lose the Jiggles?"

However, the article has lots of interesting questions about Drew Carey and other comedians who have lost weight. Why do their careers fail?

"But there are situations when shedding excess poundage can ruin one’s career, like if you are an overweight comedian who has built a career making others laugh at, or at least in part because of, your overweight state.

“Losing weight can be the ultimate comedic curse if you have established yourself as a fat comedian. Once we create our images of famous people and actors, we don’t like those images to change or to be challenged,” human behavior expert and celebrity life coach Patrick Wanis Ph.D. told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “John Goodman and Drew Carey lost weight and lost our attention because we had already embedded in our mind, our association with their old image as the funny fat guy. John Candy and the character he portrays in the movie ‘Uncle Buck’ is the epitome – so warm and funny that you want to run up and hug him.”

See my other blog entry: "The Troubles of Fat Comedians: John Belushi and Chris Farley"


I have to admit when some comedians I used to watch like Roseanne Barr lost weight, it was like they became less approachable. I even felt that way, and I'm fat! With some of these people like Drew Carey, see picture at top, they start looking like everyone else, there is little distinction, I could have ran across that guy at the grocery store, and not recognized him. Alton Brown while never obese, looks terminally ill, from his weight loss. John Goodman lost weight too? I wonder why I haven't seen him around lately.