The New York Observer film critic Rex Reed has defended his criticism of actress Melissa McCarthy’s weight, claiming he’s concerned about obesity being used for comedy. Reed, who infamously called McCarthy “obese and obnoxious,” a “female hippo” and “tractor-sized” in his Identity Thief review, spoke to Us Weekly to brush off the backlash from his comments. In an email to them, he wrote: “I can only repeat what I have said before — that I do not have, nor have I ever had, anything personal against people who suffer from obesity… what I object to is the disgusting attempt to pretend obesity is funny. It is not remotely humorous, and every obese comedian who ever made jokes about the disease are now dead from strokes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. As a critic whose opinions are constitutionally protected by law, I stand by all of my original remarks about Melissa McCarthy’s obesity, which I consider about as amusing as cancer, and apologize for nothing.” No word yet from McCarthy on Reed’s latest rant. She’s too busy enjoying her successful film career. ~Alfonso Espina