Is "Funny Sexpot" an oxymoron?
One of my and my husband’s favorite lines from a TV show recently spewed forth from the inimitableTina Fey on 30 Rock. All hopped up on mystery prescription pills to get her through an airplane ride, Fey spots Oprah sitting down next to her in first class. In a pitch-perfect drunken garble, she abruptly cuts off a phone convo she’s having, whispering, “I have to go…I’m snitting next to Borpoh!"
Oh, it feels good to laugh so hard you pee your yoga pants a little. Just a little.
Fey has been everywhere lately, collecting awards, spoofing Palin…and flaunting a crazy rockin’ bod. I noticed this for the first time in September, when she won three Emmys wearing a skintight black gown that hugged her curves and showed off a waistline not often seen on new moms.
Now she’s on the cover of Vanity Fair, alllll sexed up. Bust Mag also put her in a wee little swimsuit and fishnets.
But she used to look a lot different. And check her out here, on the right. Hardly the svelte sexpot with flowing locks we see splashed across magazine covers today (many of which, I might add, airbrush away the childhood scar on her cheek.)
Now, Jezebel.com is asking “Would Tina Fey Be a Star If She Still Looked Like This?”... “this” meaning a bit plump, frumpy and 80s-licious. But I’m wondering…would ANY of today’s hottest stars be as blazingly successful in the 00s if they looked like they did 20 years ago? Think about the cast of the old 90210 – Kelly and Brenda wore light denim mom jeans and had poufy bangs but they were sooo cool back then – the epitome of teen beauty. And I fancied myself quite the hot ticket in 1993, sauntering through my high school in a super short Flag Girl uniform and doubled-up green and gold socks...hardly the stunner you picture blogging to you today.
What do you think? Tina Fey – successful because of her looks, her merit…or both?
Lindsay Dunlap
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Comments
Date: 12/02/2008 - 11:56 pm
I must admit that my deep love for Tina Fey colors my opinion but I think that while she might have gotten a boost thanks to her weight loss and classical features, her meteoric rise to the top was all due to her whip-smart sartorial talents. There are tons of pretty actresses in Hollywood. There are not very many successful pretty ones though.
Date: 12/03/2008 - 08:19 am
Is it just me or is she a dead ringer for Leslie Ann Warren? Especially on the Marie Claire cover?
I actually never noticed the scar before this week, I have thought she was gorgeous since Mean Girls. Lucille Ball was gorgeous and funny. I think Sarah Silverman is flippin' beautiful. To me she looks like she's in her 20s, did you know she's almost 40? Crazy. Then again, I think Rosie O'Donnel is so funny, but hardly a sexpot. I think it just depends on the person and the image they put out there.
Date: 12/03/2008 - 10:32 am
Unfortunately, no. She'd be famous, a celb even, but she wouldn't be the icon she is now. Idk. Perhaps my work in the magazine industry airbrushing to super skinny girls I thought were fine had tainted my world view (and hey! I worked on that Tina Fey cover! ^_^) But I've become of the opinion that celb-culture refuses to acknowledge anything outside what they consider "healthy" or "attractive" (ie you can also be *too* skinny - ala Calista Flockheart), which is why I think we should all ignore the hype anyways. Tina Fey rocks, skinny bod and childhood scar or not!
-Meg
http://morfit.blogspot.com
Date: 12/03/2008 - 11:28 am
I think she WOULD be where she is now (and Im not just devils advocating). I love all things FEY and IMO what made her more lovely on the outside is less her weightloss than a sort of BITTER EDGE to her humor which she seemed to lose after having her daughter.
she was (is still?) the BEST writer on SNL and yet one could always identify a tina sketch because it was funny thisclose to meanmean.
now she seems to be far more happy witty snarky smart funny.
mizfit (and her soapbox :)) OUT!
Date: 12/03/2008 - 12:02 pm
I also have great love for the Fey, and have since I first saw her on SNL. And I remember LOTS of guys having the hots for her "sexy librarian with a scar" look. (And, OK, I admit to having a huge girl-crush on her, as well.)
I honestly don't know if she'd be as successful if she didn't look the way she does. My cynicism (and years in Hollywood) lead me to say no, but then there's the other side; the fact that, along with her looks, she is so phenomenally talented and funny that it adds to her sex appeal.
Whatever the case is, I'm glad she's on the scene. I don't know how I got through the week before "30 Rock!"