A week ago, I covered the multiple covers for ELLE Mag’s November “Women In Hollywood” issue. The covers featured ladies like Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley and Melissa McCarthy. As many of you mentioned a week ago, the styling on Melissa’s cover was… “off”. While Shailene and Reese both showed some skin in their photoshoots, Melissa was covered in a bulky coat, her hair teased up and half-covering her face. I still think it’s a sexy shot, mostly because I like the way Melissa looks with her hair teased up, and because I’m glad that the magazine didn’t default to the standard edit for a “bigger” girl – which would have been a photo of Melissa from merely the chest, or just a headshot. Still, there were complaints. And now ELLE’s editors released a statement about the situation:
The heat is on! Not everyone loves Melissa McCarthy’s Elle cover for its November Women in Hollywood issue. In fact, a significant number of fans are irate over the fashion glossy’s decision to photograph her swathed in an overcoat, her face partially concealed by her hair — especially in comparison to the magazine’s other cover girls that month, all of whom are much more exposed in their photos.
In an essay for Slate about McCarthy’s cover-up, culture editor June Thomas wrote of the full-figured actress’ Elle shoot, “[She] was photographed in a Marina Rinaldi coat so huge that she could hide her Mike and Molly co-star Billy Gardel underneath. McCarthy’s hair covers a quarter of her gorgeous face, and with her hands stuffed deep into her coat pockets, the only visible flesh is a tiny triangle between the coat’s lapels and the briefest glimpse of calf.”
Elle has since released a statement defending their styling of McCarthy. “On all of our shoots, our stylists work with the stars to choose pieces they feel good in, and this is no different: Melissa loved this look, and is gorgeous on our cover,” the magazine said. “We are thrilled to honor her as one of our Women in Hollywood this year.”
While the Heat star certainly looks glamorous and stylish in the cashmere outerwear, she is definitely and suspiciously far more concealed than her fellow honorees are on their covers. Reese Witherspoon wears a sexy cutout Versace dress on hers; Shailene Woodley is clad in a black one-piece swimsuit; and while Penelope Cruz, who was pregnant at the time of the shoot, doesn’t show her body at all on her cover, her face is left relatively bare and natural-looking.
Several things piss me off about this situation. For one, Melissa was in one of the biggest hits of the summer, The Heat, which was actually just a really great comedy starring two very funny and talented women. Melissa is also an Emmy-winner and multiple Emmy nominee and she’s already got one Oscar nomination under her belt. My point? Melissa doesn’t need anyone’s pity. She doesn’t need us to wring our hands over the potential “sizeism” of a magazine editorial. Melissa is already winning at life.
The second thing that pisses me off is that I feel like ELLE is kind of blaming a sloppy editorial on Melissa. Yes, I’m sure she had a say in her wardrobe choices (I really wonder how plentiful those choices were, though, considering most magazine stylists default to sample sizes) and I’m sure she had a say in her styling and poses, etc. But ELLE is ultimately in control, and this is the image they chose for the cover, so they need to own that sh-t.
Oh, and E! News reports that Melissa “loves her cover.” So there. Whatever.
Photos courtesy of Thomas Whiteside/ELLE Mag.
I can understand why some people would find the fact that she’s basically hidden under a massive coat a cop-out / annoying / insulting. I mean, it’s like they’re implying that there’s no way Melissa would have looked good in a sexy dress or a great suit?
Mind you, IMHO it’s not worth frothing at the mouth over but yeah, it is a strange “coincidence” that the bigger woman is the only one really covered up.
My thoughts exactly.
Oops, sorry.
So what if she’s covered up? Maybe she wanted it that way? I’m tired of people saying that bigger people should ‘own their bodies’ and let loose and show skin. Maybe some of them prefer to be modest? I think she looks fantastic. And I prefer her covered up instead of the half naked gals on the other covers. I’m not saying showing some skin is wrong, but people need to stop automatically getting suspicious when someone (especially if it’s a bigger person) is covered up. Rant over.
Here’s the thing though, Melissa is happy with her body and she may have been just as happy showing the dress off (which looks like she’s fully covered)
And I know you’re just giving an opinion (like me) but this rant sounds like YOU would be happier if they were more modest.
I didn’t say she was unhappy with her body…but she’s not the type to let someone ‘cover her up’ if she didn’t want to be covered up. I mean she likes the freakin cover and people need to stop turning everything into a damn controversy.
@Andrew I get what you’re saying – I’m not a fan of the “half nekkid and open mouthed” look myself – but at the same time there’s a big difference between swathing someone in a big winter coat and stripping them down to a skimpy bikini.
She didn’t have to “show skin” on the cover, Elle could have put her in a sharp suit or a dress with sleeves or something. I merely find it a bit too odd that she was the only one who was so covered up.
Maybe she wanted the coat? Why can’t people see the coat as a style choice and not as a cover up? (Sorry to be so insistent on this…I’m sick as a dog, bored, and moody lol)
Andrew (I’m bored as well, ha) wouldn’t the photographer taken photos of her in the coat and out of the coat, isn’t that how shoots work? (I honestly have no idea) But if that’s true then it was ultimately Elle’s decision to show her covered up in the coat right?
Oh and feel better, I hate being sick.
@Andrew, She is totally rocking that coat. Who cares that it’s a coat? It looks as good on her, if not better, than skeletal model counterparts. We know she is on the heavier side. She looks sexy in that outfit, why does she have to prove something to everyone? I don’t get it. She’d be torn apart if she wore something skimpy. Plus everyone is usually shopped within in inch of their lives anyway, so why are people even questioning the realism aspect?
Personally, I think the coat is waaaaaay sexier than a pantsuit.
She looks really hot. I don’t get what the problem is?
It must suck to have the media and public constantly focusing on your weight. It’s like people can’t view her as an accomplished and talented woman and insist on reducing her to just a “BIG woman”. McCarthy is a gifted comedian-why is her talent not the focus instead of her weight?
In a perfect world OKitt. But, Melissa does use her weight for some of the punch lines, you can’t have it both ways. You talk about your weight, so will others. (Same goes with KK)
@blue marie, That’s not the same thing. One can be self-deprecating for laughs in their profession and still have another facet to them, like being sexy in spite of being over weight. That isn’t contradictory. They don’t have to say, “See, I’m over weight” every minute. You know that.
Saying you want privacy, but making everything public on a second by second basis, including your ass, is directly contradictory.
If that wasnt such a great coat and Melissa didn’t look so gorgeous in it, I might see reason to complain, but I love the look. Most womens’ fashion mags wouldn’t have put her on the cover, so it’s at least a step in the right direction for Elle. She could’ve pulled it off with less clothes, but the look is still flattering and glamorous, so no problems here.
@ Kiddo.. yeah I know and I feel bad for mentioning Melissa and KK in the same comment. Obviously it’s not the same thing, I was just using her to make a point? Not a great one mind you, but.. I digress. I just think whether she wants it or not, people do identify with her for not only her talent but also her size. My first thought was that they were covering up her size and I do think they thinned her out a bit. But whatever, she likes her photo and as I said down thread anyone who doesn’t can suck it (including me)
@blue marie, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. We’re still friends.
I think she looks very attractive and classy. Kind of a vintage look. They picked a look that is very flattering for her, and not run of the mill. I love it!
She knows her body size. Look at her legs. She has lost a tremendous amount of weight in them. She’s a vamp!
What I find controversial is the fact, that people are actually upset that a woman does NOT show more skin. What has the world come to? Really? That’s something one would critize? Sad. Just sad.
To me the problem was simply laziness on the part of Elle. They are used to styling stick women and either didn’t have the skill or want to take the time to style a plus size woman.
Agree. I mean, it’s not even like it was an interesting coat. It’s just a plain, drab, grey coat and plain and drab are not the words i think of when Melissa McCarthy comes to mind.
They did style her, and it looks fabulous. Styling does not mean ‘be half naked and let’s make you look like a Barbie’.
I agree! I wish they would cover up more of their cover models! Styling should be what makes the model feel attractive and confident and sexy…it shouldn’t have anything to do with how much or how little clothing is on a person’s body! Personally, if anything, I think this should be applauded for the stance that a woman can look sexy, without making a woman feel like the only way to do that is to take off her clothes…
I still think Melissa’s cover looks like it would be in the pages of a Macy’s catalouge. Her hair is horrible and they used a photo with her body hidden. (I also think they thinned her out which is bullsh-t) If they (Elle) couldn’t properly style Melissa then why use her?
Whatever, Melissa is happy with her body and the cover so Elle and all of us complaining can suck it.
The first time I saw the cover it looked like they were trying to cover her body up. On second look I think it’s very stylish.
I think she looks gorgeous. However, I will say yeah lazy photo shoot.
She looks like Delta Burke.
You mean Delta Work? Hehe
lol! That too! And its a shame because she doesnt look remotely like either one.
I think they styled her to look a bit like Liz Taylor in her younger years.
Delta Burke was always so overly made up with those huge shoulder pads and thick patent leather waist belts.
The folds of the grey coat are obviously draped in a chiaroscuro inverted V, to create the illusion of a slimmer waistline. They obviously thought this sort of trickery was better than photoshopping her actual body away. It kinda amounts to the same thing. They can’t help themselves…
It makes me laugh that you blame the magazine for wanting her to look thinner…I don’t know very many women that wouldn’t do anything they could to look thinner in a photo or real life…when I go shopping, and try on jeans, I always buy the ones that I think make me look thinner…maybe MM wanted to be styled to appear a little thinner…seriously, I don’t know a woman that wouldn’t want that…
when i saw it i first thought ‘of COURSE they put her in a shapeless trenchcoat’…and then i looked at the image again and thought ‘shit, she looks amazing!’
before, people had a problem with magazine zooming in on her face, saying that just because she wasn’t thin, the magazines only wanted her face on the cover (they said the same about Adele too I think)
so you can’t win. somebody is always going to fake-care about everything in this industry because that is how it works. if nobody is talking, nobody is making money.
+++1000 Fake care is exactly correct.
My problem with it is that she appears awkward and uncomfortable. Like she feels bad about her size. Like she was so happy when they offered her something giant and cozy that she could hide in. Have to wonder what the alternatives were…
Lol at you thinking that she looks unhappy. (Sorry, I’m in a bitchy mood this morning)
Projecting much?
The site is called Celebitchy.
Francesca, I thought the opposite. To me she looks like she feels sexy. I actually like the coat and the hair.
I think she looks good- more city sophisticate than we usually see her, and the look reminds me of some amazing photos of 1960s celebrities in Italy in a book I own. Even if the stylists had questionable motives, she looks chic.
Damn, can people find some kind of controversy in EVERYTHING?! If the magazine is happy with the picture…if the actress in the picture is happy with the picture…then who cares?! Personally, I think that’s the best I’ve ever seen her look.
I agree that people are looking for controversy. Much like the other thread about the women with her kids looking all fit. I went back to look at the four covers. They all look very different. A coat. An evening gown. A swimsuit. A close-up. They don’t look like they go together at all. So to say this cover doesn’t fit in with the rest is silly. She looks gorgeous. Better than the Woodley girl in her swimsuit.
I think she and that coat look beautiful.
Tempest in a teapot. They showed NO part of Penelope other than her face; where’s the outrage?? What, no comments about the unfairness of it. Let’s stop projecting our insecurities onto these people, shall we? Melissa looks amazing and she’s doing great, career-wise. She doesn’t need this faux crisis for attention.
Agreed. To me, this controversy would probably make her feel worse than the feeling of being ‘covered up’. Think about, she was probably perfectly happy with the cover, and now people are calling her a ‘bigger person’ that shouldn’t cover up.
LORD everyone NEEDS to be offended by something!
I thought she looked beautiful when I saw it.
It might not be so unflattering if she didn’t have her hands jammed into the pockets. Also, the photo they chose almost looks like an outtake – she’s not really looking at the camera….that being said, her hair and make-up looks very good. She’s an attractive woman – it shouldn’t be that hard to take a flattering photograph of her.
When I looked at the pics of a pregnant Kate Winslet the other day on this site, I thought – that’s the designer MMc should go to. I realize she’s not pregnant, but whoever the designer is understands what to do with a heavy midsection and boobs. Check it out – I could totally see MMc in any of these clothes:
http://www.celebitchy.com/329155/kate_winslet_my_kids_dont_go_back_and_forth_none_of_this_5050_time_with_dads/
It doesn’t look like an outtake. It does look like a picture they would put in the magazine not on the cover. She looks great to me even with the coat.
Here is my take:
1. If they showed just her face like Penelope Cruz, the uproar would be about not showing her body at all so it’s kind of a lose-lose situation. We should celebrate the fact that a major magazine showed the body of a :::gasp::: plus size woman on the cover and didn’t hide her inside.
2. Yes she is covered more than the others but I have seen the other covers and this one is, IMHO, the best. It is fall, fashionable, and it makes me want to BE her and more importantly for Elle, makes me want to pick up the issue with her on the front. So isn’t the fact that she actually looks better than the other ladies something we should celebrate? A funny, intelligent, successful plus sized lady is BRINGING IT on the cover of a fashion magazine is something to be happy about.
3. Sometimes I think people just need to jump down from their high horses and enjoy something when it’s great. The question of sizism will never go away. This should be a win in that war and I’m gonna take it. I’m also gonna go buy her issue if I can find it.
Agreed, I prefer this cover above the others because of the clothes. I love clothes! Magazines should show them more often in their covers.
It also makes me want to go buy that coat!
I think people are overreacting because of the attack upon her by bitchy Rex Reed. People are feeling protective of her because she’s a likeable person. She probably wants everyone to shut up about her weight by now. I think she looks great.
I think she looks amazing! Beautiful picture.
Mellisa is ok with it,so why is people up in arms. It’s not that serious geez.
I like it. What’s the controversy here…no skin? My God people, aren’t we barraged daily with skin shoots? Enough already, it’s getting cold and she’s wearing a coat…the horror.
She looks gorgeous. I like the hair and to me it seems like she is channeling a bit of old Hollywood with the coat.
I got a real Bridget Bardot feel from the shot. I thought she looked very sexy, not sure I see what is so controversial. A short, rail-skinny person would have been lost in that gorgeous coat, I think Melissa showcased it wonderfully without it detracting from how beautiful she is.
Why is this such an issue. If you look at the dresses Melissa usually wears on the red carpet, she is usually covered. Maybe she isn’t comfortable showing some skin.
I think the controversy is bogus. If Melissa felt truly comfortable in something else, she would have gone for it. I doubt she is a shrinking wallfower when it comes to that.
Fashion magazines are open to anything to shift copies and I doubt they’d fret about showing more of her.
Beth Ditto appeared naked on the cover of NME [okay not a fashion magazine] as well as the cover of LOVE magazine.
Geez. I don’t know. My guess is that it’s a combination of everything. ELLE stylists being a bit lazy being the biggest complaint I have. However, I’m a ‘coat girl’ and it’s a November issue – exactly when I want to shop for a new coat, so I like it. Love the color of the coat and I think MM looks sexy and a little over the top. It works for me, although I do think the coat is too big for MM. Again, lazy on ELLE’s part.
I totally agree that Melissa doesn’t need anyone’s pity. I have a feeling nobody makes this woman do anything she doesn’t want to do. I don’t see why everyone makes such a big deal out of something Melissa doesn’t seem to have has a problem with. Maybe she doesn’t want to be wearing cut-out tops and scandalous items.
1. Even on the red carpet Melissa never wears clothes that are revealing.
2. That is a gorgeous coat! Oversize coats are the look right now.
3. Its a fall issue. Fashion mags are supposed to promote current fashion.
4. She could bail on the shoot if she hated it.
I think she looks amazing and I don’t think you have to show a ton of skin to look hot. (no matter what Miley thinks!)
I think she looks gorgeous in the cover shot, and I like that they put her whole body in frame. I think the reason this has become a thing is because Shailene and Reese were, comparatively, scantily clad, and Penelope had the au natural head shot. If it was just Melissa, I don’t think it would be such a big deal. It’s a fall cover, she’s in a coat, it’s a appropriate. But contrasted to the others, it’s a noticeable difference, which leads to conspiracy theories.
Like others have already said, I put this on Elle. A little better editorial thinking and this is a non-issue. Easy fix: Have everyone wear a coat. It’s fall, style them all in different coats and then it becomes a look at seasonal trends.
I don’t understand this. I love coats. I wish I lived in a climate that allowed me to wear a coat all winter as an outfit! I love the way over sized trenches are in and when i see this cover I just think she looks fashionable. When I see Shailene’s pic, I think ran out of ideas and style team? I don’t feel like people should pressure someone into feeling like they should show more skin if that’s not their style. It’s the exact same thing as pressuring them to not show it! People are making assumptions that she was forced to wear this! Maybe they didn’t put her in a suit because she loved this coat (that is actually very in style right now and I would choose it over a suit or typical dress any day) and wanted something different. This IS different. I get tired of people saying modest, maybe it’s just ones personal style? Small, big, short, tall, and so on.
Next thing you know Elle will be accused of refusing to show Penelope’s body because she was pregnant. Sometimes it feels like people are just searching for a reason to bitch……
I like it. They never get chubby ladies right but at least this is feminine and sexy
I think she looks fabulous!
I think she looks amazing. The other women are the ones who should be annoyed that they got the regular “skin” treatment in their photos.
My guess is that when she saw her cover, she said “Damn, I look good”. Cause she does.
If this were a July issue, then I’d think the coat was odd, but it’s a fall issue and I think it looks great.
The coat – okay, whatever, I don’t feel one way or the other about it. But what up with her hair? It’s just…strange… If they wanted to cover up her face couldn’t they find a jaunty little hat, or something?
I’ll bet it was a big step for Elle t even put Melissa on their cover. You mean there isn’t just *one* way a woman should look? Enslavers!
I think she looks fantastic. And it’s a fall issue so a coat on the cover makes sense. Fashion magazines don’t need to show me skin to buy the magazines. They need to show me clothes. Which they did.
I think she looks sexy and rockin the hair & coat…. I want that coat!!
Just asked Hubby what do you think of Melissa’s cover? (He likes her movies.. Cept Bridesmaid, I didn’t either). Ha hubby is awesome he looked @ photo & w/o batting an eye said ‘she looks Sexy’! That’s why I love him so!!
I like the photo, and don’t see anything wrong with it on its own. Compared to the other women on the other covers, she is more covered up, but so what. If she was comfortable and happy with it, great.
i think it is a terrible picture for a magazine cover. not due to the coat. she looks so far away. and her face is kind of dead. but that is what magazines get when they use actresses and not models. who knew smizing was so hard?
I think she looks fckin fabulous.
She needs to brush her hair – it is an ugly mess.
Looks like Abby Lee from Dance Moms
She looks gorgeous. That hairstyle works, it looks great on her.
The photo is fine. Her arms bunch up the fabric a bit but it’s no issue.
That coat looks fabulous. I bet it’s so warm. I’ve been looking for a proper trench coat and this looks very nice.
Nobody wants to see that uncovered.
My first thought was, ‘wow she looks gorgeous!’ I think it’s a nice editorial.
I thought they’d be complaining about the massive amount of photoshopping done to the picture. I wouldn’t even have known it was her if it wasn’t for the hoopla.
Don’t they Photoshop everyone on their covers within an inch of their lives? I give them partial credit for going outside their narrow little parameters (pun not intended)… even though they’ve swaddled the poor woman in a horse blanket.
I, for one, think she has never looked better. Oversize coats are all the rage for winter. If it were another stick thin actress, it wouldn’t be getting a fraction of the attention. Go Melissa.
uhh…its a Fall magazine cover so of course she would be wearing a coat which is what people wear during Fall…duh. If she had a problem with wearing the coat or covering her entire body because people talk about her weight then wouldn’t she say something to the Elle staff about it? Melissa understood that Fall magazine cover meant wearing a coat. I’m not bothered by it at all, she looks beautiful.
That picture is just not cover-worthy. It borders on absurd. The fashion world is so solipsistic sometimes.
I think it’s really cool and different, and her hair mirrors the folds of the coat. She looks fabulous!
She looks great!
I think she looks beautiful, & I’ll have that gorgeous coat, please.
I think the fact that it’s a fall shoot is a good point! I imagine that prior elle fall shoots featured women in coats. I’m not a fan of the cover, the hair is bad and the coat is a little too oversized.
I think she looks GORGEOUS and never understand why we (as a society) must find controversy in every f*cking little thing. If Melissa loves the cover/photo shoot, then who cares if she’s wearing a coat or covered up? She’s beautiful, inside and out. And funny as hell!
I think she looks beautiful on the cover. To me, everyone else looks like they try to hard. She looks great!
I’ve been having a hard time finding a Chicago-weather functional warm coat that doesn’t make me look like the puffy cartoon Michilin Man.
She looks gorgeous.
She has just as much right to be on the cover as anyone else. She’s a skilled actress and think she’s great. This idea that everyone on a cover has to be svelt and thin and sexy is just wrong, to begin with. Let’s pay homage to every woman or every person who deserves recognition in some way. I have always loved Meryl Streep, one of the finest actresses of her generation, but I don’t find her stand out beautiful, but no matter, she’s got MORE than looks…this is just a world in which women feel rated so much on their looks, and I really don’t think it’s a good thing…..
I hate the hair. Surely they could’ve done better?
I think the most offense part of this cover is that awful teased hair. Otherwise, I don’t get the controversy. Melissa is beautiful!
To me, it fits the month: like she just stepped inside when it’s windy and cold outside. I wasn’t thinking “big” hair, I though it was windblown and goes with the movement the coat and pose portray.
Based on the other covers, I wonder if Melissa was supposed to be a face only shot because you have two athletic/skin covers (Shailene Woodley and Marion Coittlard), two black dress covers (Reese Witherspoon and Naomie Harris)a face cover (Penelope Cruz)and a fall outfit cover (Melissa McCarthy)…or am I giving too much credit to magazine cover shoot symmetry?
The whole Size thing is just beyond crazy. And it comes from women. Either a woman is too skinny and she is called all kinds of names or she is too fat and called all kinds of names.
not sure if anyone pointed this out..But Melissa has a background in Design. She wanted to be a Designer and has or is forming a clothing line. I’m sure she loved the looked. Not sure why others are upset. Beside she is the only one that looks FALL..the others are in some clothing that scream spring. Penelope has a full face shot so not sure what people are reading it that..
the argument on that could that PC is so beautiful that she deserved the full face shot and not the other women. What would that say about all the other woman. I actually find all these muli celeb covers interesting. To me they say that no one can really sell a cover so they put lots of different women on them to boost sells.
I don’t think the coat thing is a big deal. Melissa seems fine. so enough for me.
She actually looks more SEXY in that coat than the other women showing skin. MORE can be very hot. They should have focused on just her wearing the coat; Like what is she wearing under it… see that is sexy.
There is nothing wrong with this cover photo.
Nothing at all.
I’m looking at it this way: She put on the oversized coat and sat for the hair. She’s not a powerless actress in Hollywood, so I’m assuming that she was okay with it. in other words, I can’t see her being in a position where she had to do this to put food on the table or to get work. Also, bravo to ELLE for putting her on the COVER. She could have been hidden behind a Neutrogena ad.
I think she looks fantastic. I didn’t see any other magazines featuring a plus-sized model on their cover.
It would have been a really neat idea if the cover is the same but when you opened it up to the actual article it shows smiley faces over her lady parts, like she was flashing us or something, that would have been funny and sexy.
It’s not just the big coat, it’s the way she’s posing with it, I mean all we can see is her neck and her head, which by the way is half covered with hair. It’s looks like a cheap Delta Burke Clothing Collection Ad. Some of you stated ‘what if she WANTED to be covered? Um, Since WHEN does anyone who poses for a cover dress the way THEY want to dress, posing the way THEY want to pose?
Why is it that there is such an up roar because she is wearing a coat? She looks glamorous and beautiful. Why is there a need to have woman wearing less than nothing? She is covered up and still looks fantastic.