This Is How You Respond to People Calling You Fat

"Tractor-sized."

"Humongous creep."

"Female hippo."

" ... a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success."

Melissa McCarthy was called all these names and more in less than 600 words when The New York Observer's Rex Reed reviewed Identity Thief back in February. And although the movie certainly didn't do her much justice (her looks are called out at least three times in the two-and-a-half minute trailer), McCarthy's appearance wasn't just the butt of a few jokes in the movie — it was a source of legitimate scorn for Reed, who could not seem to handle the fact that a female comedian doing her job in the public eye would dare to be any other body type besides whatever he deems "skinny."

So in her New York Times profile for her upcoming movie The Heat, McCarthy responded like a damn professional comedian who lives her life and does her job with whatever body type she pleases. Her first reactions to the review: "Really?" and “Why would someone O.K. that?”

“I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate," McCarthy said in the article. "I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs.”

See that, kids? Pro.fesh.uh.nul.

So, next time someone tries to make you feel bad about the way you look, take a lesson from Melissa. Think about all the things you're lucky to have that that person probably doesn't.

Here's a good place to start: you have enough intelligence to not judge someone's character, work or worth simply based on their appearance.