PCMS: Andrew Douglas on John Goodman

The Philadelphia Cinema and Media Studies Seminar continues next Friday:

"The Multitalented, Multivalent John Goodman"
Andrew J. Douglas, Bryn Mawr Film Institute

Respondent: Heidi Schlipphacke, Haverford College

When considering that for many years, John Goodman has been the de facto poster boy for obese men in Hollywood, it is interesting to note that he did not begin his career as a particularly overweight man. Indeed, it would appear that Goodman’s weight has risen as his star has, and while a case could be made that this direct relationship is a hindrance to him as well as a help, its existence substantiates the notion that weight is an important facet of an actor’s star text. If the physical fitness of a traditional leading man is typically taken for granted, yet understood to be crucial to his status, so too is the fatness of an obese star—especially one of Goodman’s stature and popularity.

Friday, 7 December 2007
6:30pm-8pm

Temple University Center City Campus (TUCC)
Room 620

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