I really enjoyed an analysis of the Billy Bob Thornton hissy-fit that was published in the Globe and Mail today. Columnist Russell Smith says that stars in the U.S. are far too used to dictating terms to the media, and he wonders what it would be like if more journalists had the cojones that Jian Ghomeshi did:
Ghomeshi’s gentle demolition of the childish star, and the subsequent popular revulsion toward the guy who insulted Canadian audiences, was so discomfiting that Thornton’s band cancelled the rest of their Canadian tour. (The band’s website claims they got the flu. It’s the kind of flu that comes when you’re booed and mocked on your opening night. Yikes, that mashed potato was hot!)
But the little kerfuffle was also instructive. It can teach us a lot about the uneasy relationship between the arts media and the most popular entertainers.
Thornton was obviously under a misconception about the kind of broadcaster he had agreed to work with. He’s a guy who is used to dictating terms to the media. His publicists no doubt don’t really think of the media as media at all, but as a branch of the marketing department.
I’m not usually a big fan of Smith’s columns, which tend towards the trite and the “fashion”able. But this one’s worth reading.
Grant Hamilton
5 Responses to “Deconstructing Billy-Bob”
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Lovely! Can’t remember the last time I read an interview with a popular entertainer that wasn’t fawningly uncritical. Even the last Uwe Boll interview I found. Sheesh.
Great tag, by the way.
I like that he made the same Angelina dig that I did. Hah.
Here’s a comment from that article…if it’s accurate, then it’s kinda funny that even BillyBob’s publicist isn’t defending him for being a jerk:
“Country Wife from Rocky Mountain House, Canada writes: Apparently the only one who thought there was a commitment not to even mention Billy Bob Thornton’s non-musical career was BBT himself. According to BBT’s own publicist, this didn’t happen: “[Arnold] Robinson confirms that while it’s true Thornton does not like to be asked about his movie career while he’s out promoting his band, Ghomeshi was never “instructed” to avoid the topic. ‘Bottom line: We don’t tell people what questions they can or cannot ask,’ Robinson says.” (from MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30138866/ )”
Unfortunately, the URL she gave doesn’t work anymore
No fear, Stumpy — I’m a god-damn internet WIZARD! and I have found the original story for you:
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/04/billy-bob-thorn.html
(It’s an Entertainment Weekly blog, and they have a time-limited content-sharing deal with msnbc)
You’re a true Canadian hero, Grant. And magical too!