Former Disney Chief Michael Eisner: A Woman Who Is Funny and Beautiful Is "Impossible to Find"

[Liberal_in_LA]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by TexasTowelie (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Hollywood reporter

"In the history of the motion-picture business, the number of beautiful, really beautiful women — a Lucille Ball — that are funny, is impossible to find."

Michael Eisner thinks that funny, beautiful women are hard to find.

That's what the former Disney CEO told an audience Thursday at the Aspen Ideas Festival, according to The Atlantic.

During an onstage conversation with Goldie Hawn, he theorized on why she'd been so successful: "From my position, the hardest artist to find is a beautiful, funny woman. By far. They usually—boy am I going to get in trouble, I know this goes online—but usually, unbelievably beautiful women, you being an exception, are not funny."


Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-chief-michael-eisner-a-806748

[msanthrope]

1. My ex beamoans the fact that this funny and beautiful woman divorced him.

I suspect Jane Eisner and I could share some stories....

[Warpy]

2. Same here.

The problem with Eisner is that his definition of "funny" is likely far too narrow to appreciate humor with more subtlety than physical, pie-in-the-face humor. I see that a lot in men who think women can't be funny. What leads me to this conclusion is his focus on Lucille Ball, who specialized in physical humor in her TV shows but was a hard headed businesswoman off screen.

You and I and probably Jane appreciate humor that would fly right over his pointed little head.

[wilt the stilt]

9. picture and proof of humor

please

[peacebird]

3. What a maroon...

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. he is getting big backlash on intertubes

[Orrex]

5. Now that's what I call fucking goofy.

[wendylaroux]

14. isn't that why

Minnie Mouse got fired?

[jberryhill]

23. It was Mickey in divorce court

"No, your honor, I didn't say she was strange, I said she was fucking Goofy."

[wendylaroux]

28. Love it!!! nt

[Flatpicker]

6. Ok

I would also believe that funny and beautiful men are hard to find too.

From the position that Eisner is looking at.
Most beautiful men/women come from the modeling industry.
A good portion of models aren't the best actors, but can be a lead if they have strong supporting casts.

Humor, mainly comes from the those who have some very good acting chops and good timing. Not usually from the leads.
Hawn pulled it off by playing to the misconceptions of the culture.

I could say there are 5 women who historically combined both.

Gar
Hawn
Ball
Peters
Kahn

Sad to say, I don't see those skills in most of the actresses today. Though I may give Anna Faris some credit, because she allows herself to look less than perfect for the sake of the joke.

[wilt the stilt]

7. He does come from the funniest cultural group

jewish people and especially New York jewish people so i imagine he has some understanding of humor. having grown up with jewish guys they are funny and they are incredibly quick witted. Jon Stewart is no accident. He is obviously making a generalization but one that for the most part accurate. Instead f being politically correct an just immediately being on the defensive and think about it he is pretty accurate.

[R Merm]

24. A stereotype is a stereotype even if it is not insulting.

[Evergreen Emerald]

10. I've also heard that about CEOs

You cannot find a head of a corporation who is good looking AND smart. And sometimes Michael, you find one that is neither.

[wilt the stilt]

13. and you would know that because?

He was pretty damn successful running Disney.

[msongs]

11. umm how is this news? sounds like lounge material to me nt

[davidpdx]

27. You are right, either that or the general forum at the least

The standards for what is LBN around here is pretty low.

[BlueJazz]

12. Depends on the humor. Never cared for the Lucille Ball/Jerry Lewis/3 stooges type of humor.

I've known lots of good-looking women who were funny...but they didn't do the slapstick stuff.
Stuff reminds me of American's funniest videos. Yuck.

[tazkcmo]

15. It's hard to find a "Lucille Ball"

That's what makes her special. I'd include Lily Tomlin and Carol Burnett in a very small class.

[hedda_foil]

16. Marilyn Monroe, anyone? She was an awfully good comedienne.

[McCamy Taylor]

17. Idiot. Funny handsome men are just as hard to find--but Hollywood does not demand men look good.

[tclambert]

18. Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Mila Kunis,

Christina Applegate, Nikki Cox, Kristen Bell, Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Allison Janney, Katherine Heigl, Kaley Cuoco, Lauren Graham, Zooey Deschanel, Aisha Tyler, Debra Messing, Jenna Fischer, Sandra Bullock, Jenna Elfman, Tea Leoni, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Jane Krakowski, Cameron Diaz, Alyssa Milano, Valerie Bertinelli, Bernadette Peters, Carol Kane, Shelly Long, Kirstie Alley, Nicole Sullivan, Selma Blair.

From farther back:
Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden, Loni Anderson, Sally Field, Gracie Allen, Dawn Wells (Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island), Donna Douglas (Elly Mae Clampett), Mary Tyler Moore, Cybill Shepherd, Candice Bergen, Brooke Shields, Susan Saint James, Laura San Giacomo, Marilu Henner, Madeline Kahn, Doris Day, Donna Reed.

That didn't take very long. I'm just sayin' . . . not impossible.

[kwassa]

25. Great list. Thank you.

[bhikkhu]

19. Name one funny woman who isn't beautiful then?

I can't really think of any, but then my idea of beauty isn't exclusively superficial.

[Drunken Irishman]

21. Roseanne.

I don't find her the least bit beautiful - inside or out. But she's pretty hilarious. Or was.

[bhikkhu]

22. She is one possibility

...though without having personally met her I'd still reserve judgement.

[Drunken Irishman]

20. To be fair, I can't think of many truly beautiful male comedians.

[Moonwalk]

26. Also to add to the list....

Anne Hathaway, who started out in comedic DISNEY movies doing clownish prat falls, etc.

[PatrynXX]

29. oh I don't know

Maureen O'Hara was funny never thought of Lucille Ball as Beautiful ever. Funny yes.

[PatrynXX]

31. course before I insert a foot

Looks don't matter

[renegade000]

30. I'll never understand the fixation with ascribing "exceptional beauty" to people

It's all subjective, and the difference between "exceptionally/really beautiful" and merely "beautiful" is pretty useless in one's everyday life...unless you happen to be the editor of a fashion magazine or something...

Yes, I was pretty much a buzzkill during all those "which celebrity is hotter" debates during college.

"Well, I'd totally date any of the actresses you just mentioned in the exceedingly rare event I had the opportunity. Then I'd have to decide based on whose personality was most compatible..."

[freshwest]

32. Please, Mr. Eisner. Do womankind a favor. Stay away. Too bad all those millions didn't help. n/t

[TexasTowelie]

33. Locking thread.

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Article was published 7/3/2015 9:21pm PDT which is beyond the 12 hour window for LBN.