ReportWire

Tag: celebrity culture

  • Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the Beyoncé Concert

    Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the Beyoncé Concert

    A headline such as “Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the Beyoncé Concert” seems like the stuff of an AI-generated sentence arbitrarily spit out from some other non-related prompt. And yet, the sentence became a reality (whatever that means anymore) on September 4th (no less than Beyoncé’s birthday), at the final Inglewood date of the Renaissance Tour. Although many had speculated that the duo’s “romance” had already fizzled out, it seems they were just biding their time until they could unveil it in a more bombastic official capacity. For it’s no secret that the Kardashian-Jenner clan is known for making the announcement of their “relationships” in a big way (with none of these men ever deterred by how many children the K-Js might already have from previously failed “interludes”). And, considering, Jenner was also joined at the concert by her momager, Kris, and half-sisters, Kim and Khloé, it appears as though the outing is ultimately made for The Kardashians episode fodder. 

    This, undoubtedly, isn’t something that would bring much joy to Beyoncé, who has never been known for being all that “chummy” with Kim, whose marriage to Ye obviously didn’t sit well with Jay-Z or Bey, with both skipping their wedding back in 2014. And yet, Kim did manage to make the cut for being invited to Beyoncé’s forty-first birthday last year, so who’s to say that she hasn’t “made peace” with any ill will toward the constantly-seeking-attention “reality” star? Though one can imagine her vexation upon learning that the biggest headline to come out of her birthday show was not the fact that Diana Ross (sort of) sang “Happy Birthday” to Miss Knowles onstage, but that Chalamet and Jenner were rather heavy on the PDA as a means to confirm their “relationship” is still going strong, and now in a public capacity. 

    Indeed, even in an article that offered the headline as “Diana Ross Sings Happy Birthday to Beyoncé During Surprise Appearance at Los Angeles Tour Stop,” the topic quickly shifted to the presence of the Kardashians, with Kim’s appearance also stealing some of the spotlight as well. But her “sparkle” was nothing compared to the video footage seen ‘round the world of Chalamet’s displays of affection toward Jenner, some of which were often a bit half-hearted as he actually tried to watch the show and kissed her with his eyes open while Jenner had her back to the stage (how sacrilegious!). The image of Chalamet looking at Beyoncé while kissing Kylie can be interpreted as one would like. One interpretation being that Jenner has already siphoned some of his soul out and he’s growing more dead-eyed and complacent by the day. 

    Jenner, whose skin tone is “on-brand” with the blackfishing that all the Kardashians are known for, is a clear step down from one of Chalamet’s first famous girlfriends (and an actual person of color [“POC” sounds too much like “POS”]), Lourdes Leon. A.k.a. Madonna’s daughter a.k.a. Chalamet is probably never going to do better than that, fucking for clout-wise. Yet that hasn’t stopped him from seeming to relish the so-called perks of orbiting the famous-for-being-famous brood. After all, he hasn’t ever gotten half as much publicity for any of the movies he’s starred in, no matter how critically acclaimed most of his performances have been (even if often on the one-note side). Yet it seems a new “era” is on the horizon for Chalamet…one that might be his “flop” period (Wonka does, in truth, look like a harbinger for that). For it’s no secret that there’s something of a Kardashian-Jenner hex upon any man who dares “enter the fold” (pardon the sexual innuendo of that phrase). With Ye being the most overt example of that amid the various Get Out comparisons that were made before he went entirely off the rails. 

    Perhaps that’s why Jenner has transitioned to “white meat,” as it were, “taking one for the team” by switching it up from the fam’s usual fetishization of Black men as a means to be able to tell the public, “See? We’re not like Rose Armitage.” Chalamet doesn’t seem to mind that he’s an inevitable pawn in their game called “Social Climbing With Our Pussies.” The more they can infiltrate the world of Legitimate (Low) Art (complete with Kim now starring in a season of AHS), the more people will forget that they have no talent of their own, other than, of course, commodifying their names in new, ever-changing ways. 

    And as the two “canoodled” to the tune of “Alien Superstar” (a song choice that’s almost too on the nose for the illuminati theories that abound with regard to any celebrity and their “romantic pairings”), Beyoncé’s extra-sensory “B” feelers could likely intuit the attention being detracted from her performance—and on her birthday! Echoing the effect of Taylor Swift showing up to Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s wedding festivities, the attention strayed slightly too far from the main attraction for the main attraction’s taste. Worse still, Chalamet, in “indie boy” fashion, smoked cigarettes at the concert like some sort of heathen defying a holy place of worship. 

    But of course, Beyoncé is “graceful” and “humble” enough not to be bogged down by such ego-tripping trivialities, n’est-ce pas? At least, that was meant to be the takeaway from her focus on Diana Ross’ “cameo,” running across the stage to embrace her (which was met with typical Ross coldness) and gush, “You are so amazin’—this is the legendary Diana Ross! There would be no me without you and thank you so much for all of your sacrifice and your beauty and your grace. Thank you for opening doors for me.” Because, yes, the ego of every celebrity can’t help but make things about them. Much to Ross’ repressed chagrin. As if women who came before want to be reduced to nothing more than a “stepping stone” for the current “hot thing” (Madonna also knows a bit about being diminished in that way under the guise of being exalted). 

    Thus, while Beyoncé might have given the performance of a lifetime, it was all, in the end, mitigated by this “odd couple” taking their “romance” to the proverbial stage as well. With Jenner adding to the “theater” by engaging in her PDA antics right next to where her murdering ex, Travis Scott, was also standing in the “VIP area.”

    So it is that point one went to the Kardashians for the ongoing celebrity battle to grab attention (even causing people to let persona non grata Lizzo’s presence go, um, largely unpublicized). Perhaps Beyoncé can get back to being the true spotlight at her upcoming Vancouver (a place with far fewer celebrities bound to materialize) show on September 11th. Except that, well, the date of September 11th is always a spotlight stealer in and of itself. Even so, it’s far less “stealing” than Kylie and Timothée, who are so different that they don’t even have monikers that can be turned into a “clever,” one-unit couple name. Unlike Bey-Z, Jayoncé, etc.

    Genna Rivieccio

    Source link

  • When Everyone Wants to Believe A Celebrity Is Andy Kaufman’ing It

    When Everyone Wants to Believe A Celebrity Is Andy Kaufman’ing It

    Ye, Taylor Swift (because Matty Healy), Lizzo, Doja Cat. When it comes to “wanting to believe” a celebrity is merely “putting you on,” the past year has provided no short supply of examples. Nor have the defensive reactions from fans insisting that everyone else deriding their “god” doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or that said “god” is simply “doing an act.” No one better embodies that latter category than Doja Cat. For, as her fans (or what’s left of them) have loved to suggest as a means to cushion the blow of her recent behavior, this entire “thing” she’s doing right now is just part of her “Scarlet persona”—or something. “Scarlet” being the name of the “character” she seems to be portraying. Or rather, an “alter ego,” if you prefer. Either way, fans are latching onto the idea that “she is now playing the role of Scarlet. They are two different characters. In an interview she said she apologized for what would happen later…she also said that she loved us before she got into the role of Scarlet. She doesn’t hate us, but Scarlet does since she’s evil. Doja doesn’t despise us, hate messages are from Scarlet!!!”

    It’s a “grasping at straws” type of reasoning, but one that makes sense considering the post-reality era we’ve been living in since Andy Kaufman’s brand arrived onto the scene. Particularly a 1982 hoax involving pro wrestler Jerry Lawler. Specifically, the time that they battled it out on an episode of The David Letterman Show. With Kaufman already in a neck brace after Lawler supposedly performed the piledriver maneuver on him, Lawler slapped Kaufman during the interview, leading them into another altercation. One that was, as revealed over a decade later, entirely staged. This was the type of “comedy” (or rather, performance art) that not only made Kaufman stand out, but also made him a legend. Mainly for being so committed to his “act” that the truth about it would take years to be unearthed. This also being why many people still speculate that he’ll emerge one day and say his death, too, was a hoax. This “approach” to celebrity would start to catch on not just with other famous people in the twentieth century (see also: Jim Carrey [who, fittingly, portrays Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon] at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards), but even non-famous people as well.

    In other words, those members of the hoi polloi who got the message that “the hoax” was what got people’s attention. And with “reality TV”/daytime talk shows as an increasingly viable medium with which the average joe could secure his fifteen minutes of fame, the opportunities for creating false fanfare were ample. Case in point, a 1998 episode of The Jerry Springer Show (rebranded as part of “Springer Break” for MTV’s illustrious week of spring break programming), during which two roommates named Dave and Matt went on the show with Dave’s girlfriend, Caitlin. When Matt “confesses” he’s been fooling around with Caitlin, Dave goes completely apeshit on him to a level that clearly gets Springer both salivating and scared when the camera flashes to his reaction. In the end, it turned out the trio had bamboozled the talk show host, admitting the drama was completely manufactured. That yes, Dave and Caitlin were boyfriend and girlfriend, but that the affair with Matt was made up for the sake of quality 90s daytime TV. And so, taking into account how “the art of the hoax” and what it could do for germinal forms of virality had already trickled down into the culture of “normals” (a.k.a. non-famous people), its value became apparent to many. Especially as the twenty-first century progressed. 

    That same “hoax-like” quality was also manifest in the comedic stylings of Sacha Baron Cohen, who brought his Borat character from Da Ali G Show to life in an even bigger way in 2006’s Borat (a.k.a. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan). Interacting with “dyed in the wool” Americans who genuinely believe he’s some “ghastly” foreigner with no knowledge of American life or customs, the gimmick Cohen had in mind—to expose prejudice and racism entrenched in the very fabric of American culture—worked like a charm. Between a Southern frat boy warning Borat to “not let a woman ever ever make you who you are” to a Republican at a Virginia rodeo telling Borat he should shave his mustache to look more like an I-talian instead of a Muslim to a crowd of people at that same rodeo laughing at Borat’s thick accent before he delves into an offensive version the national anthem (“I now will sing our Kazakh national anthem to the tune of your national anthem”), the levels of misogyny, homophobia and xenophobia present in the U.S. are exposed at every turn. And all through the carefully-constructed ruse of a character like Borat. 

    Less careful constructions aren’t always met with being hailed as “brilliant.” For example, in 2008, Joaquin Phoenix ostensibly had a “breakdown” (which was in rather poor taste considering Britney’s real one the same year) after announcing his plans to retire from acting so he could pursue a rap career. The result was a 2010 “documentary” directed by Casey Affleck. Quickly revealed to be a mockumentary, I’m Still Here (not to be confused with Todd Haynes’ impressionistic Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There, released three years before) was met with lukewarm reviews, with many critics seeming to feel that it failed as “good performance art.” Plus, it also happened to furnish the film set that would later put Casey Affleck in the spotlight for his sexually harassing tendencies, as well as promoting a work environment that encouraged sexual harassment (à la Lizzo). So really, what “artistic value” did it have apart from being an experimental vanity project?

    The same can be said of whatever Doja Cat is “doing” right now. If, in fact, it’s contrived at all, and not just a desperate bid on fans’ part to validate her behavior (which also says something about the dangers of post-reality existence). This includes going off on their patheticness for saying they “love” her and trying to call themselves shit like “Kittenz” in honor of the way other fan bases have names (e.g., Ariana Grande’s Arianators, Taylor Swift’s Swifties, Charli XCX’s Angels, Kesha’s Animals, Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters, Nicki Minaj’s The Barbz, Beyoncé’s Beyhive, etc.). Doja made it apparent that not only does she think the people focusing their energy on this are total losers, but also that she doesn’t feel she “needs” them at all. At least not anymore. Not now that she has enough money to pursue whatever she wants creatively. Alas, she might quickly come to find that her overhead costs are no longer matching up with what she’s making if a legion of fans aren’t there to support her where it counts: financially. 

    Whether or not this is a “stunt,” some believe Doja Cat is truly immune to public opinion (à la Ye) at this point and that, “No matter how you feel about Doja Cat, it is clear that she is living her life unapologetically right now. While some fans may be freaked out by it, she seems to be happy, which is all that matters.” No one appeared to have that stance about Ye, possibly because it’s as Dave Chappelle said and the one thing you can’t do in Hollywood is speak ill of the Jewish community. Not only “speak ill,” but also go on multiple venomous tirades regarding Jewish stereotypes and conspiracies. Starting with Ye tweeting in late 2022, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” Apart from misspelling DEFCON, the most glaring aspect of the tweet was Ye’s plea for attention, no matter how negative. An escalating need for it that only amplified as he doubled down on his offensive rhetoric, complete with praising Hitler and dining with Donald Trump and a white nationalist Holocaust denier at Mar-a-Lago. All of this occurred at the end of 2022. As 2023 began, Ye became fodder for awards show hosts (i.e., Jerrod Carmichael) and South Park in between gradually fading into the background. Perhaps he’ll try to reemerge at some point and holler, “Gotcha!” It was all an act. Just like Andy Kaufman. Just like, as fans insist, Doja Cat. 

    It’s the safest bet for coming back from bad behavior, after all. “Haha, just kidding! It was part of my ‘art.’” But, unlike Kaufman and Cohen (who Ye would be likely to point out are both Jewish so it must be some kind of conspiracy), the “performance art” being done now isn’t ironic, nor does it serve as a means to highlight a larger, unpleasant truth about humanity. Instead, the so-called performance art itself has become the larger, unpleasant truth about humanity. Even when people want to praise ultimately annoying actors and musicians, they’ll still dredge up Kaufman (because the devil can cite pop culture scripture for his purpose). For instance, Jennifer Lopez compared Jennifer Coolidge to Kaufman after working with her on Shotgun Wedding, in that you can never really tell if “that’s who she is” or she’s simply always “in character.” To put it another way, if she’s just making money off her natural persona in a similar way that Angus Cloud did with his Fez character (though it always irritated him when people wrote off his talent that way). 

    To further debunk the idea that Doja Cat is just “trolling” everyone (therefore, her behavior is “fine”), musicians who have had alter egos in the past have known better than to “trust the audience” with being able to separate the singer from the alter ego without making it explicit. From David Bowie with Ziggy Stardust to Beyoncé with Sasha Fierce to Madonna with Madame X, these were “characters” that had entire albums constructed around them. Whatever Doja’s forthcoming album turns out to be called, it doesn’t seem like the title is going to be Scarlet. Which might be the only way for her to backpedal on what she’s said and done at this point. And isn’t that what every celeb wants to do once they notice that their “artistic integrity” is affecting their bank account’s bottom line?

    Genna Rivieccio

    Source link