Curvaceous comedian Rebel Wilson has hit back at critics who say she relies on jokes about her weight.
Wilson has gone from small screen starlet to glamorous magazine covergirl, gracing the cover of lifestyle magazine Hunger, and giving a revealing interview in which she explains why she thinks being fat is funny.
“As long as I look like this, I’m going to make fat jokes,” the Aussie star says.
“You have to use what you’re given to make yourself funny: if you’re super short, super tall, super skinny, have a super big nose ק you’ve got to use that.”
The 27-year-old funny woman insists she has a license to dole out fat jokes, following criticism that was heaped on her by Forbes magazine for the “fat women” jokes she used while hosting the MTV Awards this year.
“All comedians have to use their physicality, so I use my size,” she says.
The Bridesmaids star, who rocks thick curls and a heavy smoky eye on the magazine cover, makes it clear her sense of humour hasn’t lost its Aussie roots.
“I like making fun of myself because it gives me a license to make fun of other people; otherwise, you just come off way too mean,” she says.
“If you ‘pay out’ on yourself, you can ‘pay out’ on everyone else. It gives you room to move.”
While Wilson has previously revealed she doesn’t aspire to be a role model for plus size women, she says that acceptance of different body shapes in the industry pleases her and she is happy to spread the message.
“Before it was all glamorous types like Kate Hudson who served as, like, the female equivalent of a ‘straight man’. Now it’s turning, and it’s really good,” she said.
“I like spreading the message that you can be beautiful and confident whatever shape or size you are.”
