Heavy on my mind

I finally got around to seeing Supersize Me and thought it and Fast Food Nation would make a lovely gift combination for those seeking enlightenment. I'm not going to get on a high horse and say I'll never eat McDonald's again, but if I eat it once a year that's enough.

Speaking of weight, I've seen the first three episodes of Kirstie Alley's reality-cum-satire Fat Actress on Showtime (thanks to the magic of on-demand programming). All the reviews I've read pan the show, but I don't understand why. People are getting all bent out of shape over her Jenny Craig endorsements and lame fat jokes, but I think it takes a lot of guts to poke that kind of fun at yourself, no matter how desperate for work you might be. Not being in on Hollywood jokes, I find it a nice mix of is she for real or is she pulling our leg? Appearances by John Travolta, Kid Rock, and Mayam Bialik as themselves, in addition to character actors Maggie Wheeler (Janice on Friends) and Edie McClurg (the school secretary in Ferris Bueller's Day Off) add to the fun. The show is widely being compared to Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, which does nothing for me. Why does it have to be compared to anything?

Ah well. Even Divine was misunderstood in her day.