Outrage as Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner says Funny Women usually aren't Beautiful

Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | July 4, 2015 | Mia de Graaf

[Cecily]

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner believes women are rarely both funny and beautiful.

Speaking with Goldie Hawn at the Aspen Ideas Festival, he said: 'The hardest artist to find is a beautiful, funny woman.'

He prophetically added: 'Boy I'm going to get in trouble, I know this goes online. But usually, unbelievably beautiful women - you being an exception - are not funny.'

Accordingly, his words have have prompted outrage on Twitter, with thousands of people name-checking comedians such as Tina Fey, Mindy Kalig and Kristen Wiig as examples of the supposedly unattainable formula.

[Blueflag]

Iliza Shlesinger. Enough said.

http://m.digitaljournal.com/a-and-e/entertainment/comedian-iliza-shlesinger-expertly-analyzes-female-behaviour/article/404602

[dangus]

It's the nature of comedy. Unlike actors, comics aren't selected to be famous because of sex appeal, and then they do unattractive things for the laughs.

Take JIm Carrey.

I would think this is a man most women would find attractive.

But try to find a picture of him NOT making a silly face.

Of course, even that isn't inherently unattractive (is it, ladies?), but you see that smile and somewhere your brain thinks of:

or worse

[dangus]

On the other hand, there is no comic reason why this beautiful woman now looks like this

[fuzzylogic]

Most people aren’t funny and most aren’t beautiful either...so the chances of being funny and beautiful are small. It’s just the odds but it doesn’t mean they’re mutually exclusive...hence the word “most”, not “ all”.

What are odds of being a good looking man and have a high IQ? Not much. I don’t see the difference.

[Tax-chick]

there is no comic reason

Only tragic reasons: fear of rejection, fear of aging, fear of death.

[King Moonracer]

He must be thinking of Whoopi Goldberg, but she’s not funny.

[cld51860]

Oh, well. Guess it’s that time of the week for someone to be “outraged” over something...

[hsmomx3]

They sure do ruin themselves when they undergo the knife!

[real saxophonist]

Jenna Marbles.

[wintertime]

Hm?.....I am thinking?.....Are funny men usually knockout handsome?

Nope! Don’t think so.

[JoeProBono]

[Delta 21]

Lucille Ball was one of the most beautiful sensual women that lived. Only about 5% of here appearances were in not funny roles tho.

I hated her when she broke into her funny character, acting stupid and vapid for the laugh track.

She was better being real than anything she even did for a laugh.

[real saxophonist]

I used to like Margaret Cho, before she got all tatted up and radical.

[CaptainK]

I can think of more beautiful comediennes than handsome comedians.

[BwanaNdege]

Different people have different strengths and attributes. Few have ALL traits which are considered exceptionally desirable. Those of us lacking in one area usually work to develop others. The rarity of any one individual having all of the traits deemed desirable is noted when an individual with two are more is emphasized.

There is a YouTube video circulating of two young men in their early twenties. One might be considered a "dweeb", the other is a published mathematician, moreover, he is also an NFL lineman and.....(gasp!) he's black! The video has obviously gained popularity because it goes counter to several stereotypes.

Eisner's comment is simply about another stereotype. A 1953 definition of "stereotype" was "assign preconceived and oversimplified notion of characteristics typical of a person or group".

"Preconceived" has become a perjorative for many writers. Yet, "the adjective is formed from pre, "before," and conceived, which here means "taken into the mind," from the Latin concipere, "to take in and hold"." IOW, something which you have thought about beforehand, reached a conclusion on and filed away for quick reference in the future.

We call this learning about our environment.

Snarling dog with barred fangs, straining at his chain = Danger!
Motorist in car at stop sign, observing dump truck loaded with gravel approaching on the cross street at 50mph = Danger!
Motorist in car at stop sign, observing motorcyclist approaching on the cross street at 50mph = "Whatever - he's much smaller that my car."

Jesse Jackson said a few years ago, “There is nothing more painful to me … than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

Two stereotypes here - "footsteps behind" and "he's white - I'm NOT in danger". Jesse Jackson could never be accused of pro-white bias. In this comment, he has simply demonstrated that he has LEARNED from his environment. Likewise, Michael Eisener is in an environment populated with:

Whoopi Goldberg
Bette Middler
Rosie O'Donnell
Ellen DeGeneres
Kathy Griffin
Joan Rivers
Wanda Sykes
Carol Burnett

He has made the observation that "Funny Women usually aren't Beautiful" - probably true, but very, very non-PC!

[Lorianne]

Goldie Hawn is not beautiful (not that she has to be).

This guy might want to look around a bit. Most people in any profession are not beautiful/handsome. Most are just average looking.

[ElkGroveDan]

[bigbob]

I first wondered if he might be mistakenly thinking Rosie O’Donnell was funny. She sure adds a lot of weight to the ugly pile.

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

Generally, most liberal comedians aren’t funny.

[SamAdams76]

I think we can rest our case with Lily Tomlin.