A conduit to divinity
July 30, 2013 12:54 AM Subscribe
The ultimate celebrity interview! McFarlane writes the archetype.
This is awesome. The only thing she missed was the boyfriend/husband standing by her and who she is so much in love with that the interviewer feels privileged and awed to see such love and whom she will split up with two days later.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 4:07 AM on July 30, 2013
posted by lesbiassparrow at 4:07 AM on July 30, 2013
Gold
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:11 AM on July 30, 2013
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:11 AM on July 30, 2013
Why is it that celebrity profiles never actually ask celebrities about their work, the only thing that actually makes them interesting?
Other than that they have interesting jobs, most of them are completely normal people who happen to live in a really crazy environment.
The thing that makes celebrities behave weirdly is the combination of having a lot of people who want a piece of their time, and also a lot of people knowing a lot about them. It's a weird thing for a complete stranger to start talking to you as if they know you, and it happens to famous people constantly. So basically everybody you meet wants something from or you wants to talk to you about your life. It can't help but make you narcissistic, unless you're incredibly grounded -- and grounded people don't tend to be drawn to show business.
posted by empath at 4:20 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Other than that they have interesting jobs, most of them are completely normal people who happen to live in a really crazy environment.
The thing that makes celebrities behave weirdly is the combination of having a lot of people who want a piece of their time, and also a lot of people knowing a lot about them. It's a weird thing for a complete stranger to start talking to you as if they know you, and it happens to famous people constantly. So basically everybody you meet wants something from or you wants to talk to you about your life. It can't help but make you narcissistic, unless you're incredibly grounded -- and grounded people don't tend to be drawn to show business.
posted by empath at 4:20 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Well done, that Eva Braun bit covered my nose and lap with coffee.
before anything else she was just a woman, in love with a man, trying to make a life for herself in Nazi Germany
I'm still giggling.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 4:38 AM on July 30, 2013
before anything else she was just a woman, in love with a man, trying to make a life for herself in Nazi Germany
I'm still giggling.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 4:38 AM on July 30, 2013
Bill Murray and Amanda Palmer both made some pretty astute remarks about fame. Murray said that after you get famous, you're inevitably going to be an asshole for about a year. You're a stressed-out, self-important jerk, and you're kind of entitled to be a jerk because your life has totally turned upside-down. But after that year is up, if you're still a jerk, then you're just a jerk.
Amanda Palmer said that when you're famous, it's like it's your birthday every single day. People keep giving you stuff, and treating you like you're special, and out of nowhere strangers will start singing for you and they'll give you cake. If you're a certain kind of person, that's a dream come true and you'll never get tired of it. If you're another kind of person... well, you're gonna go insane, for at least a year.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:47 AM on July 30, 2013
Amanda Palmer said that when you're famous, it's like it's your birthday every single day. People keep giving you stuff, and treating you like you're special, and out of nowhere strangers will start singing for you and they'll give you cake. If you're a certain kind of person, that's a dream come true and you'll never get tired of it. If you're another kind of person... well, you're gonna go insane, for at least a year.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:47 AM on July 30, 2013
Why is it that celebrity profiles never actually ask celebrities about their work, the only thing that actually makes them interesting?
I think that the experience of being Justin Bieber is considerably more interesting than the work he produces.
posted by jaduncan at 4:50 AM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think that the experience of being Justin Bieber is considerably more interesting than the work he produces.
posted by jaduncan at 4:50 AM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
That was indeed perfect, although I think the line that resonated most was in the intro: It’s founded on the twin principles that A) people who act are the most fascinating beings on the planet, and B) that we, the readers are totally credulous, awed plebians.
posted by DU at 5:07 AM on July 30, 2013
posted by DU at 5:07 AM on July 30, 2013
I am so sick of reading this interview. You read it all the time, constantly, year in, year out, in every glossy magazine and Sunday supplement.
No I don't. How is this any different than someone whining about EVERY cable channel doing 24 hour coverage of the royal baby? It's called marketing. These people have a mult-million dollar product to sell. The people doing the interviewing only exist to make the stars of this product seem invincible and make you feel less than, otherwise, they will be replaced. If you cannot tell the difference between information and propaganda you deserve to be lied to.
posted by any major dude at 5:44 AM on July 30, 2013
No I don't. How is this any different than someone whining about EVERY cable channel doing 24 hour coverage of the royal baby? It's called marketing. These people have a mult-million dollar product to sell. The people doing the interviewing only exist to make the stars of this product seem invincible and make you feel less than, otherwise, they will be replaced. If you cannot tell the difference between information and propaganda you deserve to be lied to.
posted by any major dude at 5:44 AM on July 30, 2013
If you cannot tell the difference between information and propaganda you deserve to be lied to.
I seem to read variations on this sentiment a lot, and I don't understand it at all. It seems incredibly lacking in generosity. What, precisely, have such people done to deserve to be lied to? And how exactly are you so sure that you can always tell the difference between information and propaganda?
Anyway, I loved this - it was pitch perfect.
posted by jonnyploy at 6:05 AM on July 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
I seem to read variations on this sentiment a lot, and I don't understand it at all. It seems incredibly lacking in generosity. What, precisely, have such people done to deserve to be lied to? And how exactly are you so sure that you can always tell the difference between information and propaganda?
Anyway, I loved this - it was pitch perfect.
posted by jonnyploy at 6:05 AM on July 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
Did she do much research? “I avoided reading anything about her because I didn’t want my performance to be affected by other peoples’ opinions.
How many times have we heard this spouted by a vacuous D-lister?
posted by arcticseal at 6:47 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
How many times have we heard this spouted by a vacuous D-lister?
posted by arcticseal at 6:47 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's not just d-listers. Didn't Sophia Coppola say something similar about Marie Antionette when asked if she'd read something other than Fraser's hagiography?
posted by lesbiassparrow at 6:49 AM on July 30, 2013
posted by lesbiassparrow at 6:49 AM on July 30, 2013
Why was the actress wearing a navy wool crepe Jil Sander dress when she could have just thrown on a pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt that instantly conveyed a timeless sense of style for minimum effort?
posted by MuffinMan at 7:43 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MuffinMan at 7:43 AM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
jonnyploy: "I seem to read variations on this sentiment a lot, and I don't understand it at all. It seems incredibly lacking in generosity. What, precisely, have such people done to deserve to be lied to?"
I think the general idea is "I got dealt a nice genetic hand — I'm clever. It is fitting and right that bad things happen to people who aren't as smart as I am."
posted by Bugbread at 7:00 PM on July 30, 2013
I think the general idea is "I got dealt a nice genetic hand — I'm clever. It is fitting and right that bad things happen to people who aren't as smart as I am."
posted by Bugbread at 7:00 PM on July 30, 2013
Wow Bugbread, are you saying stupid people can't avoid cable news or trash entertainment journalism? If that's what you surmise from my statement then maybe we are all truly doomed and my weak-ass genetic sauce is what passes these days for smart. How about this, stop fearing everything and everyone all the time and you won't be so concerned with the fashion of the times devouring you.
posted by any major dude at 8:31 PM on July 30, 2013
posted by any major dude at 8:31 PM on July 30, 2013
any major dude: "Wow Bugbread, are you saying stupid people can't avoid cable news or trash entertainment journalism?"
Not exactly, but essentially: if you're not smart enough to know that cable news and trash entertainment journalism are propaganda and not information, then you're probably not going to avoid them on the basis that they're propaganda, not information. Saying that therefore it's right for these people to suffer boils down to "You're not smart, so it's a good thing that you suffer".
posted by Bugbread at 9:13 PM on July 30, 2013
Not exactly, but essentially: if you're not smart enough to know that cable news and trash entertainment journalism are propaganda and not information, then you're probably not going to avoid them on the basis that they're propaganda, not information. Saying that therefore it's right for these people to suffer boils down to "You're not smart, so it's a good thing that you suffer".
posted by Bugbread at 9:13 PM on July 30, 2013
I have some extremely intelligent friends who still watch - and believe what they watch - on cable news. Media disease has nothing to do with natural selection.
posted by any major dude at 9:18 PM on July 30, 2013
posted by any major dude at 9:18 PM on July 30, 2013
any major dude: "I have some extremely intelligent friends who still watch - and believe what they watch - on cable news."
And you're saying that they deserve to be lied to, because they can't tell the difference between lies and truth? Yet you call them your friends?
posted by Bugbread at 9:40 PM on July 30, 2013
And you're saying that they deserve to be lied to, because they can't tell the difference between lies and truth? Yet you call them your friends?
posted by Bugbread at 9:40 PM on July 30, 2013
But, okay, I'm not trying to convince you that you're wrong in this, I was just trying to address Jonnyploy's comment. If you feel that I've misrepresented you, then what is it you think your friends have done to deserve to be lied to?
posted by Bugbread at 9:42 PM on July 30, 2013
posted by Bugbread at 9:42 PM on July 30, 2013
People who read entertainment journalism and watch cable news are now victims?
posted by any major dude at 9:17 AM on July 31, 2013
posted by any major dude at 9:17 AM on July 31, 2013
If you accept the premise that the people who cannot tell they are being lied to deserve to be lied to, then yes, the people being lied to are victims.
posted by jaduncan at 3:57 PM on July 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jaduncan at 3:57 PM on July 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
ok, so if I'm not allowed to shame the ignorant away from watching cable news, am I just supposed to accept it and rejoice in a new Middle Age? Isn't the whole point of education and intelligence that we lead the weak and stupid away from the darkness? I consider what we are talking about a disease that is destroying the fabric of our society, do you consider it some kind of Soma?
posted by any major dude at 6:01 PM on July 31, 2013
posted by any major dude at 6:01 PM on July 31, 2013
any major dude: "Isn't the whole point of education and intelligence that we lead the weak and stupid away from the darkness?"
Yes. Exactly. It seems what you're saying now ("We should educate people so that they realize they're getting lied to, and can therefore avoid getting fleeced") is very different from what you were saying before ("The ignorant should get fleeced").
posted by Bugbread at 6:15 PM on July 31, 2013
Yes. Exactly. It seems what you're saying now ("We should educate people so that they realize they're getting lied to, and can therefore avoid getting fleeced") is very different from what you were saying before ("The ignorant should get fleeced").
posted by Bugbread at 6:15 PM on July 31, 2013
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This is absolutely perfect. It's kind of like a shorter-form version of the "Allegra Coleman" piece Esquire did in the 90's-- which was, by design, less transparent about being fiction. I happened to read that article before the hoax was announced, and my bullshit detector didn't go off. It was too believable that a magazine was devoting a ton of space to an unremarkable person because they were poised to be famous.
Again, this is really fantastic. She nailed the tone. NAILED it.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:19 AM on July 30, 2013