Latest news with #T-Birds
Metro
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Hollywood's 'fat funny friend' trope is dying - that might not be a good thing
For years, the 'funny fat friend' was one of the few ways fat women were allowed to exist on screen. Loud, self-deprecating, endlessly available for mockery, the fat actress was never the lead unless the story was about her becoming thin. She offered comic relief, emotional support, and often served as a human buffer to make thinner leads look more desirable, more serious, or more whole. If she was sexual, it was a punchline. If she was confident, it was exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Her humour was a shield and a survival tactic in a culture that treated her body as a problem to be solved. Think of Jan in the movie Grease, a Pink Lady whose only defining traits are her constant references to her size and her love of junk food. The cliché is all the more jarring given that the actress playing her wasn't noticeably larger than the other female characters. The trope is so blunt in this instance that near the end of the film, Putzie (one of the T-Birds) tells her, 'I think there's more to you than just fat' and she reacts like its the nicest thing anyone's ever said to her. And while fat men are certainly pigeonholed for their weight as well, bigger men have always had more space in media. From Oliver Hardy to John Candy to Jack Black, large male comedians were lovable, central, and often the stars. Their size might have been part of the joke, but it didn't define them completely. Countless other examples of the fat funny girl include characters like Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect, Melissa McCarthy's character Sookie in Gilmore Girls, and Nancy in Stranger Things. But now, the fat funny friend is vanishing from screens. At first glance, the decline of this archetype might seem like progress: Isn't it good that fat women are no longer required to joke about their bodies just to be visible? In theory, yes. But what's replacing her isn't better representation, it's just more thin people. The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro has transformed the conversation around fatness. More people than ever – especially celebrities and influencers – are losing weight rapidly and dramatically, often without fully disclosing the methods they use. These drugs have become both miracle and metaphor: an escape hatch from shame and a pharmaceutical reset for anyone who once had to laugh their way through being fat. But instead of challenging the cultural narrative around body size, Ozempic has exposed just how deeply fatphobia still runs. For Emma Zack, self-identified fat activist and founder of the size-inclusive vintage shop Berriez, this moment has been fraught: 'It's been hard watching people who once proudly claimed the word fat suddenly slim down,' she tells Metro. 'I'm like, 'Wait, did you just want to be thin all along? Did you secretly hate yourself?' That's been the hardest.' The list of public figures who've transformed in the age of GLP-1s reads like a roll call of former 'fat but funny' icons: Rebel Wilson, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hill. While few have confirmed using medication, their weight loss has invited speculation and shifted public perception. Comedians like Amy Schumer and Jim Gaffigan have been open about using weight-loss drugs, despite having built careers partly on body-related humour. Even for those who have truly slimmed down through lifestyle changes, the cultural impact remains the same, and it's hard not to wonder if the availability of weight-loss drugs has made thinness more attainable and, in turn, more expected. And with that expectation comes intensified pressure to conform. Framed as personal triumphs, these transformations are often positioned as journeys of health, discipline, or self-love – which many of them very well maybe. Indeed, there's nothing wrong with someone losing weight for whatever reason they may choose and by whatever method they deem best for them (as long as they do so safely). But in a media landscape shaped by pharmaceuticals, it's worth asking how much of that 'health journey' and 'self love' branding is genuine and how much is a survival strategy in a world that punishes visible fatness. Emma admits she's felt pressure to try weight loss drugs: 'I would be lying if I said I didn't feel it. I've had this conversation with so many others… Fatphobia is so ingrained in our culture. You can't help but wonder if life would just be easier if you were thin.' This isn't just a physical shift, it's a narrative one. When fat actors vanish from screens by becoming thin, or when fatness becomes a temporary obstacle rather than a permanent facet identity, the culture isn't evolving. It's regressing – just with a cleaner, more discreet delivery system. For decades, humour was the only reliable pathway to visibility for fat women. Totie Fields in the '60s, Roseanne Barr in the '90s, Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids, Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy all detonated comic relief roles into something bold and physical. But even when the characters were nuanced, their weight came first and it was the filter through which every other trait was interpreted. And even those rare moments of representation came with tight restrictions. Pitch Perfect 2 opens with Fat Amy splitting her pants mid-performance. In I Feel Pretty, Amy Schumer's character must suffer a head injury before she's allowed to feel attractive. The fat body, no matter how central to the story, was always the joke or the obstacle to overcome. The body positivity movement attempted to reframe this, promoting pride, visibility, and self-love. But over time, it was diluted into marketable slogans, co-opted by brands, and rarely centered the people most marginalized by fatphobia – especially Black, disabled, trans, and very-fat individuals. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Now, weight-loss drugs threaten to replace that movement with something quieter and more insidious: compliance. Why accept your body when you can afford to change it? Why be the funny fat friend when you can become the slender lead? But this isn't liberation. It's the erasure of a harmful stereotype, only to replace it with no fat people at all. In a culture where thinness is still the price of admission, choice becomes murky. Representation becomes hollow when those who once stood outside the norm quietly conform – not necessarily because they want to, but because the alternative still invites ridicule, judgment, and exclusion. Still, there are signs of something better. In Lena Dunham's hit new show Too Much, Megan Stalter's Jessica is messy, emotional, and deeply lovable and she doesn't constantly comment on her weight. The camera doesn't flinch from her softness or flatten her into a caricature. Her body is a fact; not a plotline. More Trending Emma points to Lena Dunham's work as another step forward: 'Her character is way more dynamic than just the funny fat girl, and she doesn't talk about her body in the episodes I saw. That's so important, because usually when a fat girl is the protagonist, the whole show is about her accepting her body. Like that's all she is.' Moments like these suggest a future where fat women aren't erased, but reimagined, not required to self-deprecate to be seen, and not expected to disappear to be respected. If fatness remains something we only ever see in 'before' photos – or something that must be overcome for the story to begin – then we haven't progressed, we've simply upgraded the tools of exclusion. The funny fat girl doesn't need to vanish. She needs to be freed from the obligation to make her own body the punchline and from the burden of being both mascot and martyr. She can still be funny, but her dignity doesn't need to be sacrificed for the laugh. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Grease fans only just learn what T in T-Birds actually stands for after decades
The 1978 cult classic, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, is a favourite for many thanks to its charming storyline and catchy tunes - but some people are only just discovering facts about the film Almost 50 years after its cinema release, some fans of the film Grease are still puzzled about what the T in T-Birds stands for. The 1978 cult classic, featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, remains a favourite for many due to its captivating storyline and memorable songs. The film tells the story of Sandy Olsson, played by Olivia Newton-John, who transfers to Rydell High School after a summer romance with Danny Zuko, portrayed by John Travolta. On her first day, she discovers that Danny is also a student at the same school, and their love story resumes but new obstacles arise. Sandy is welcomed into the Pink Ladies group - Rizzo, Frenchy, Jan and Marty, while Danny is a member of the T-Birds along with Kenickie, Doody, Sonny and Putzie. Yet, even after all these years, some fans are still querying on Reddit: "Why was their gang called the T-Birds?" According to Romper, the prevailing theory about how the T-Bird's got their name is linked to their mutual admiration for a particular car - the Ford Thunderbird, which was seen as "the dream car" in the 1950s. A statement reads: "They named their greaser gang after the luxury speedster itself, becoming 'the Thunderbirds' in the process. "From there, it's a quick jump over to 'T-birds.' If they had been around when the gang were all kids, the boys probably called themselves 'the Hot Wheels.'". One thing to note, though: "Danny's cherished 'Greased Lightning' was not - sadly for the T-birds - a Ford Thunderbird. "Greased Lightning was a 1948 Ford De Luxe... but the high school boys could dream, right? "No word on what car will be used in Grease: Live, but maybe this generation of T-birds will finally get their dream Thunderbird." Weighing in on this topic, one Reddit user observed: "Grease is a parody of 60s and 70s high school movies so T-Birds would have been more like integrated into the available car stock at that point. "Those high school movies were not accurate to the T-birds availability. It being a parody is also a part of why the ages of the actors are so odd." A fellow user chipped in: "The car was named after the Native American mythological creature, so I suppose it's possible the gang was as well." Meanwhile, a third contributor warned: "It's best not to start asking questions about Grease, or it never ends. Why did Danny, a California guy, have a New York accent? "Why did high school aged characters look like they were in their 20s or older? Why is the theme song for a 50s musical in a disco/funk style?" The mysteries are endless....
New York Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
LI school trustee accuses board of 'corruption' over Thunderbirds 'Mascotgate'
This bird doesn't fly. A Connetquot school board meeting turned contentious when one trustee accused her colleagues of trying to strong-arm a backdoor deal to modify their Thunderbirds team name, while also claiming members withheld critical information from the public. 'In my two years of service, I've never witnessed such blatant corruption carried out to serve personal and self-interested agendas,' board member Jacquelyn DiLorenzo shockingly said during a July meeting on Long Island. Advertisement 5 'In my two years of service, I've never witnessed such blatant corruption carried out to serve personal and self-interested agendas,' Jacquelyn DiLorenzo said. James Messerschmidt 'I cannot, in good conscience, make an irreversible decision that could strip future boards and future generations of their right to determine their own path,' she added. The district has been under fire from Albany over a 2023 statewide ban on Native American mascots and logos, which it initially fought in court along with other Long Island districts. Schools that are non-compliant with the ban risk loss of state funding and removal of board members. Advertisement 5 The district has been under fire from Albany over a 2023 statewide ban on Native American mascots and logos. James Messerschmidt More recently, however, the Connetquot district quietly communicated to the state Education Department that it had, since around 2020, been allocating at least $23 million for a logo change. Both entities decided in late June to propose to condense Thunderbirds into the already in-use T-Birds. The compromise came just days before Sec. of Education Linda McMahon announced a federal probe over the deal, which her office says may violate Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act. 5 The Connetquot district quietly communicated to the state Education Department that it had been allocating at least $23 million for a logo change. James Messerschmidt Advertisement However, Jaquelyn Napolitano-Furno, a six-year trustee who stepped down this month, is irate over the backroom deal, as T-Birds was initially considered an unacceptable replacement. 'Mascot-gate is unfolding in Connetquot because the School Board decided to defy the will of the people,' Napolitano-Furno told The Post Monday. 'For four years, [T-Birds] was derogatory, and now it's not derogatory,' she previously said. Advertisement DiLorenzo also pointed to 'multiple community surveys' that blatantly show taxpayer interest in continuing the fight rather than kowtowing to the mandate. Both DiLorenzo and Napolitano-Furno said that the school board was reluctant to publicize the data last month and blasted the lack of transparency over the multimillion-dollar issue. The board's reasoning, according to DiLorenzo, is 'for the sake of saving their own trustee seats.' Napolitano-Furno spoke to The Post about the issue in late June, adding that at least one survey showed 60% of residents wanted to continue the legal battle for Thunderbirds. 'Worse, [the board] ignored the rest of the survey suggestions … because it doesn't fit the narrative they've already decided on,' DiLorenzo added. 'They've asked for your input through surveys they never intended to honor — unless the results gave them political cover.' 5 However, Jaquelyn Napolitano-Furno, a six-year trustee who stepped down this month, is irate over the backroom deal. James Messerschmidt She also said that Napolitano-Furno, who remains an individual plaintiff in a lawsuit to retain Thunderbirds, 'has been relentlessly pressured to drop her case' by the board as a means to instead move forward with the T-Bird compromise. 'The pressure didn't stop, not even during her daughter's graduation,' said DiLorenzo, who is also personally in favor of keeping the Thunderbirds. Advertisement Napolitano-Furno, who spoke at the July meeting, was informed that an emergency session would have been held in June to approve the deal — outside of public view — had she changed her position. 5 The board's reasoning, according to DiLorenzo, is 'for the sake of saving their own trustee seats.' James Messerschmidt 'It's disgraceful and sad to see Connetquot blatantly violate Title VI,' said Napolitano-Furno's attorney, Oliver Roberts. Advertisement DiLorenzo, who said she fought tooth and nail to have the board release survey information, also firmly believes that the public must be further involved. 'If change ever becomes unavoidable, it should be done with full community involvement,' she said. 'Not through backdoor assumptions.'
Perth Now
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Didi Conn explains how John Travolta found 'perfect' way to pay tribute to Dame Olivia Newton-John
Didi Conn invited John Travolta to a screening of Grease in memory of Dame Olivia Newton-John. The 73-year-old actress played Frenchy in the 1978 classic, and after Dame Olivia - who starred as Sandy in the film - passed away in 2022 following a long battle with cancer, she was hosting a sing-along at the Hollywood Bowl and managed to get the movie's leading man to attend. She told PEOPLE: "I was the host. "I invited the T-Birds to be a part of it.' 'What's so great about the sing-along, first of all, that it's in the Hollywood Bowl, which is an amazing venue. To see that movie outdoors in that humongous screen for 18,000 people. everybody's dressed up. Why don't you ever invite me? 'I said, 'I always invite you,' And I said, 'Next time I promise, I'll make sure.' I get a text from [his assistant] saying, 'Guess who is coming and tell me the schedule of the event. "They said we had a special guest here in [Olivia's] honour. And who walks out but Danny Zuko. We didn't know he was coming dressed up with the black leather jacket and the strut. And oh my God, that was a surprise to me. "Let me tell you something. When 18,000 people stand up and scream, it is unreal. When I looked out and saw all those people there coming to have fun, and they're all dressed up. There's Pink Ladies, there's T-Birds, there's jocks, there's nerds. It's amazing that this film is a phenomenon. It's just a phenomenon." Didi - who also starred in Grease 2 and then made a cameo appearance alongside the likes of Vanessa Hudgens, Keke Palmer and Carly Rae Jepsen in 2016's Grease Live - explained that it was just the "perfect" way to pay tribute to the late actress. She said: "It was perfect. What is better than a tribute to Olivia and [Sandy's] boyfriend comes out to be there? It was so wonderful. Really wonderful." Immediately after the death of Xanadu star Olivia, John took to Instagram to lead the tributes. He wrote: 'My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. 'Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!'
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
John Travolta crashes ‘Grease' sing-along at Hollywood Bowl in full Danny Zuko flair
For 'Grease' fans in Los Angeles, recent summer nights had a surprise in store. We'll tell you more, tell you more. John Travolta, who brought life to bad boy heartthrob Danny Zuko in the 1978 classic, crashed the Hollywood Bowl's sing-along event Friday. He surprised not just the audience, but also fellow 'Grease' alumni as he sauntered on stage in his character's signature pompadour and leather jacket. 'No one knew, not even the cast,' Travolta, 71, recalled of the moment in an Instagram post shared Saturday. The 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Hairspray' star on Instagram shared a closer look at his Danny Zuko-inspired styling and posted a video of him reuniting with co-stars Didi Conn, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward and 'Grease' filmmaker Randal Kleiser. Video from the sing-along shows audiences cheering and celebrating Travolta with a standing ovation. His surprise appearance came before the beginning of the sing-along, according to Entertainment Weekly. 'L.A.,' he says to fans before referencing a memorable line from the movie. 'I thought you were going back to Australia!' In that scene from 'Grease,' Danny excitedly greets his summer sweetheart Sandy, before quickly playing it too cool and aloof, saving face for his T-Birds greaser squad. Olivia Newton-John indelibly played the role of Sandy. She died on Aug. 8, 2022, at age 73. During Friday's event, Travolta and his co-stars led fans in singing 'A-womp-bop-a-looma-a-womp-bam-boom,' a line from the 'Grease' finale number 'We Go Together,' according to video from EW. He and his cast then left the stage and the sing-along began. 'Thank you for a great evening,' Travolta added in his Instagram post.
