Creeped Out By Travolta in Hairspray- Page 3

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 12:45pm

Really? I thought it was the House Photographer. Learn something new.

At any rate, we're in agreement. We can't wait for the Hairspray movie!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 12:47pm

Never assume.

Enjoy the film!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 12:52pm

I find it ironic (and not in an amusing way) that you are all ripping on JT's appearance in this film - a film which one of the major messages is tolerance and to not judge people by appearances. Mock who you will... it's petty.

Craig, were you serious? JT's appearance has nothing to do with weight or the color of his skin or a physical disability of some sort. It's about what the studio chose to put on him. This has nothing to do with tolerance and not judging PEOPLE. It's about choices made while creating a character. There is a huge difference. What about anything (other that the occasional jabs at other posters) anyone has said here screams intolerance?

I am a fat chick. I have never denied that. The fat suit is looks much more feminine and realistic than the bodies of the former actors. I said Travolta in particular looks odd in the photos, it doesn't seem they tried to work with his assets and the character looks too young for the particular role. So bah.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 12:58pm

Jersey Girl, right on. Craig, having an opinion on what mask someone is wearing or how a casting director sees a particular role has nothing to do with intolerance, it has to do with difference in taste. No one said "fat people creep me out" we are saying that the prosthetics that are used and the voice Travolta is using in this film (that he was able to take off at the end of the day and leave the set the somewhat hunky screen idol that he was coming in) do NOT look or sound like a real person, but more of an icky doll come to life...a walking Talking Tina. How is that being intolerant of someone's skin color, size or looks?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:04pm

And let me just add that I think it is interesting how anyone who has a negative thing to say about the MANY MANY MANY clips that have been released already OF THIS PARTICULAR FILM are put down and told to "Don't comment until you see the whole film."
If you don't want people discussing the performances before opening day don't let anyone see them prior. But if you see fit to give us so much for free you can't expect us to stay silent.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:16pm

Whether Harry Potter, Hairspray, or (fill in the blank), we're supposed to salivate over the hype but withhold opinions?

But then, I find the ethos at this boards hypocritical in general. They exist soley for the sharing of opinions, often, the earliest take on the earliest performances. Yet someone always gets bent out of shape if a mere (top dollar charged) preview performance is used as a basis for any analysis--particularly negative. It's the single most recurring debate here, next to absenteeism on broadway.

Sometimes, these boards can be summed up in one prototypical sentence: "Is Donna Murphy there, and is she any good (yet)?" How you respond to those questions can provoke uproar.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:18pm

Broadway shows have a long history of casting men as women (Little Mary Sunshine, La Cage, Charlie's Aunt)...that doesn't make it right! I guess even movie stars must have morgages to pay off! I LOVE Award winning make-up artist Rick Baker, but what sort of trend has his fat-make-up started? Nutty Professor, Big Mama's House, Medea...when will Hollywood stop casting famous actors because there's great make-up available, and get the right person for the role for crap's sake?
CREEPY indeed! And why are his eyes beside each other? He looks like a bloated flounder in my aunt's mumu!

I Was A Teenage Homo

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:23pm

Broadway shows have a long history of casting men as women (Little Mary Sunshine, La Cage, Charlie's Aunt)

- You forgot CHICAGO.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:36pm

Excuse me, but not ONE of those roles you mentioned are "Women's" roles. They are MEN DRESSED AS WOMEN. There is a huge difference.

[DG]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:36pm

Mary Sunshine is the character from CHICAGO.

[DG]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 1:36pm

And they kind of moved things into strange territory when they cast Christine in the movie.
Updated On: 7/4/07 at 01:36 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 2:00pm

SueleenGay's right...I meant to say there's a long tradition of Men Playing Women in musicals (atleast she knew what I meant)! I should have 2 cups of coffee before typing anything, lol.

And how could I forget "Ruthless"?

My writing partner and I wrestled with this very topic in our new musical "I Was A Teenage Homo" (in other words, should we have a man play a womans role), but decided not to go that way...it's been done to death.

I Do agree with others comments that we won't know how good/bad Travolta is until we view the entire movie, and other clips from the movie look fantastic...but the first impression of Travolta IS still creepy!

I Was A Teenage Homo Updated On: 7/4/07 at 02:00 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 2:01pm

Why, DG? I thought Baranski was the best I've ever seen him.

[WaitingForKathy]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 2:14pm

Brava JerseyGirl. You are absolutely correct! The comments here have nothing to do with intolerance. I'm sure all our holy than thou posters here never get creeped out by the appearance of anything. Cause that would make them bad people. Which they aren't case they said so!

Travolta creeps the heck of of me.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 2:20pm

Off topic a bit, but the Mary Sunshine role in the original Chicago made a statement about how EVERYTHING can be slanted by the press to make it look as if things were "not as they seemed" (i.e. Mary being a MAN). But by the time the film was made this device would be too easy to see through. So in adapting the film Mary was made a "real" woman. I totally understand the decision, but I think the role lost a bit of it's edge because of it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 2:43pm

Unfortunately, if they'd cast a man as Mary Sunshine, people would have just gotten hung up on the drag gimmick and forgotten the role and the plot.

...which is what I hope doesn't happen in Hairspray with Travolta.

I think he'll win me over, from what I've seen... but then again I've always liked Cabbage Patch Dolls. They're awful cuddly, and everybody had to have one, back in the day.

Updated On: 7/4/07 at 02:43 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 3:24pm

Chris Baranski is a girl? Clutch the pearls, what a sneaky thing to do!

[ExpressThis]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 4:59pm

When I saw it touring off-broadway they didn't TRY as hard to make him look like a woman, it should be one of those obvious 'hey he's actually now a woman' characters in my opinion. Looks like they worked too hard to make him...um...look like a woman?

so scary, not funny at all if that is what they were going for

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/4/07 at 5:13pm

You should never have seen it touring off broadway when it was still playing uptown. Caveat emptor.

[Chita1933]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 1:23pm

My only problem with Edna's appearance is that the character looks "cartoonish" and everyone else less so. But I'm sure I'm going to enjoy the movie and I'm glad it got made.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:39pm

Maybe this has been mentioned already--but my question is why in the world did they have to use a fat suit or prosthetics for John Travolta anyway? Is it just me--or isn't John Travolta naturally gigundus now anyway?? Harvey and Divine didn't need use any extra padding, and Travolta is not too much (if any) thinner than they were.

Was it an ego thing? Did the director decide to put a fat suit on John Travolta because he was scared he would hurt John's feelings? Somebody should address the elephant in the room--literally.
Updated On: 7/5/07 at 04:39 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:42pm

I don't know about Divine, but I do know Harvey (and all the other Ednas on Broadway used padding.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:44pm

Besides the breasts? That would be understandable, but John certainly has it all over (including whatever they did to his face).

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:49pm

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 4:54pm

Divine's padding may very well have been "natural."