Sunday, January 09, 2005

Brad 'n' Jen

I read the news story, thought to myself, "That's too bad" in the sense that I don't wish bad things for anyone, well, except for maybe an old boyfriend from years ago, but that's a side issue; and I was fully prepared, prepared-a-mundo, to just let it drop until I came across the section of the announcement that said "for people who follow these things". That's what set me off. For people who follow these things? Do you, Mr Brad Pitt's publicist, mean the people for whose benefit you send your carefully crafted press releases? The people who make it possible for you to have a job? The people who buy the movie tickets so Brad Pitt can make 20 million dollars a pic? Do you mean, us, the Great Unwashed Public? Is that to whom you are referring?

I am trying really hard not to dislike celebrities, man. But they are making it really, really hard.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

dude celebrities are people too. They're just normal people. Would you like it if someone was writing about you and your sygnificant other in some random tabloid? Thanks to their status as 'public figure' they're exempted from a lot of freedoms that you and I enjoy as random strangers.

I'm not defending them demeaning the public, but i just realize how much it sucks to be scrutinized in every aspect of your life. I work in the TV Production industry, and so I see these so called 'celebrity' basketball players, and I realize they're just normal people. Absolutley normal. They could be me or you, but they're just good at shooting a basketball.

Ms Mac said...

I thought the same thing too. It was almost as though they were looking down their noses at us for being interested in their lives. Hey, they put themselves in the public eye- they should expect us to want to know what's going on in their lives. If we weren't interested in what they're up to they'd be miserable about that too! Aaargghh- Celebs really do make it hard for you to empathise with them!

Suburby said...

How would I like it? I wouldn't, but then I am not an actor, or a reality tv show contestant or a game show host or whatever it takes to be a celebrity these days. I would not pick any of those as a career because I wouldn't want the consequences. These people are not fools--they know what they are getting into, in fact I would argue they court fame at every step on the way up. Initially, thy ask us, the public, to be intereted in them, to appreciate their work and so on, but they want everything on their own terms, because when they achieve their celebrity status then they are pissed about what an invasion the publicity is. As I see it the tabloids are part of the job. If you don't want to pick up garbage, don't become a garbageman.

I feel a little differently about professional athletes--I think their jobs are much, much harder than actors, (who seem to talk a lot about how they are so happy that they get paid so much to do a job they love and they would be doing it for free anyway). Also, if celebs don't like being in the public eye, they are free to step out of it.

The irony is that I am one person who really doesn't care, and I sure do not buy or even read tabloids. I am just not that interested. The thing I objected to was the judgment and disapproval inherent in that statement.

Thanks for the comment; I appreciate your pov.

Suburby said...

Yeah, what msmac said!

Anonymous said...

Uh - I think it was $30 million for his last film... not that I follow that sort of thing... haha

Suburby said...

Dawni,

Hahah, yes, it does kinda. Thanks for the comment!

Suburby said...

Tisha,

I am on my way to read your take on it now. I appreciate the comment.