Melissa McCarthy lost 30lbs on the Shitty Photoshop Diet

"Hi! I'm actress Melissa McCarthy! You may remember me from Bridesmaids, or recent US hit Identity Thief! I'm here to tell you all about a new weight loss programme called The Shitty Photoshop Diet! It couldn't be easier!"

Without wanting to sound insensitive, Melissa McCarthy is I guess what you'd call a "larger lady" – certainly by Hollywood standards, anyway. She's a big girl. And obviously that's fine. She's built a very strong career off the back of being a bit bigger than your average LA rake. It would be nice if her weight was not an issue, but then that's not the world we live in.

This poster for McCarthy's forthcoming comedy The Heat from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, however, is something fucking else. Nobody is unclear what Melissa McCarthy's body size is – she's plus-sized and proud. So why have the designers of this poster done their utmost to Photoshop a good 30lbs off of McCarthy's face? This is one of the worst Photoshop jobs I have ever seen, but it's not just offensively bad craftsmanship – the intention behind it is downright nasty.

The picture you see below is my approximation of what Melissa McCarthy actually looks like. Roll your mouse over the image below to see how they've made her look on The Heat's poster. Be prepared to recoil in terror.



Am I missing something? Are they trying to pretend it's not her? Surely the whole point of The Heat's dynamic in the first place is that Sandra Bullock's character is skinny and prissy and uptight and Melissa McCarthy's character is bigger and bolshier and her diametric opposite? I'm flabbergasted at this flabby-blasting.

Edit: A few people have said they assumed this was a joke. It's not a joke. Here's the full poster.