I have also been corresponding with what I think is a robot at Hotmail.
July 14, 2016 9:22 AM Subscribe
The Emails of Natalie Portman and Jonathan Safran Foer by Jonathan Safran Foer [The New York Times] For over a decade, the Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman and the author Jonathan Safran Foer have amassed countless email exchanges about family, creativity and angry koalas — until earlier this year, when their epistolary archive mysteriously disappeared. On the eve of her ambitious directorial debut, the old friends start anew, reconnecting online to reflect on how the times have changed, and how they have changed over time.
I'm immediately a bit bothered by the fact that the only visual component of the article is a panoply of cheesecake photos of only one side of the conversation, which gives me a creepy "...and she's kinda bright, too, fellas!" vibe.
posted by Shepherd at 9:26 AM on July 14, 2016 [22 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 9:26 AM on July 14, 2016 [22 favorites]
*cue wild cackling*
posted by The Whelk at 9:29 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 9:29 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
OmieWise, that was my first thought as well and I think I heard about that on metafilter. The only source I'd been able to find was this one, though: link.
It seems like it's an "industry" open secret, but for outsiders like us there's basically only hearsay to go on.
posted by coolname at 9:30 AM on July 14, 2016
It seems like it's an "industry" open secret, but for outsiders like us there's basically only hearsay to go on.
posted by coolname at 9:30 AM on July 14, 2016
the only visual component of the article is a panoply of cheesecake photos
A printed copy of the NYT Magazine is a big, glossy insert in the Sunday edition that reads like a typical fashion/style magazine: models wear clothes, and the captions show the makers and prices. The print is filler. That part of this perhaps doesn't come across too well via a web page.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2016
A printed copy of the NYT Magazine is a big, glossy insert in the Sunday edition that reads like a typical fashion/style magazine: models wear clothes, and the captions show the makers and prices. The print is filler. That part of this perhaps doesn't come across too well via a web page.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2016
Oh my god yes between the thing where he supposedly left his wife for her without checking to see if she was interested first, and the long series of photos of Natalie Portman living in a world where I guess pants don't exist, this whole thing just comes across as unspeakably creepy.
I can't help wondering if the he wrote the entire thing himself, composing her half in some fugue state.
posted by Adridne at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2016 [28 favorites]
I can't help wondering if the he wrote the entire thing himself, composing her half in some fugue state.
posted by Adridne at 9:32 AM on July 14, 2016 [28 favorites]
"It's disgusting that you're acting like you have the right to paw through those hacked Foer/Portman emails and--What? They did? VOLUNTARILY?" - Mark Harris
posted by griphus at 9:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by griphus at 9:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [10 favorites]
Glad to see I wasn't the only one going, "Uh, so the email exchange is punctuated by pictures of Portman in various states of coquettishness. Right. Gotcha. That's not sexist and weird at all."
posted by Kitteh at 9:36 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 9:36 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
sad boner confessional
posted by radicalawyer at 9:41 AM on July 14, 2016 [58 favorites]
posted by radicalawyer at 9:41 AM on July 14, 2016 [58 favorites]
They should post the same article, only with pictures of the dude in a checkered bikini.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 9:44 AM on July 14, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 9:44 AM on July 14, 2016 [14 favorites]
Did Portman know about the article itself? I can't imagine. Or maybe she did and that's why she seems so miserable in these photos. Like, fuck I'm a pretty dope actress and a director and I still have to get naked in front of the camera? And that loser Foer is going to write about "us" again. Ugggghhh, fuck my life. Uuuuugggggghhh ugggghhhh uuuugggghhh. Ok fine, but I'm keeping my grandpa socks and cardigan on, fuck you very much. Oooh, I totally look like Adele in these photos!
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:49 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:49 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
I've hit my NYT celebrities-in-undress monthly article cap
posted by beerperson at 9:50 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by beerperson at 9:50 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm just going to go ahead and post this shallow thing because the pictures mean I don't need to take the high road:
Here's the thing about Foer/Portman: In all of history, has somebody ever left a hot French dancer for a writer?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2016 [19 favorites]
Here's the thing about Foer/Portman: In all of history, has somebody ever left a hot French dancer for a writer?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2016 [19 favorites]
I swear to god I am going to sucker-punch Foer if I ever see him, mostly for his crimes against literature, but this just bolsters the need for me to punch him. One time I was sure I saw him at the West 4th stop but I couldn't get to there in time.
posted by clockzero at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by clockzero at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2016 [9 favorites]
Isn't this kind of like them both admitting, publicly, to their spouses that they have been emotionally unfaithful? If radicalspouse chose, say, Facebook to announce such a thing to me, I would be rather upset.
If the spouses pre-cleared it, what did it take to convince them? "Sweetie, the success of my next [book/movie] depends on developing a dedicated community of people writing slashfic about me and [Natalie Portman/a schlubby author who is trying to sublimate his bitterness about domestic life]."
posted by radicalawyer at 9:55 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
If the spouses pre-cleared it, what did it take to convince them? "Sweetie, the success of my next [book/movie] depends on developing a dedicated community of people writing slashfic about me and [Natalie Portman/a schlubby author who is trying to sublimate his bitterness about domestic life]."
posted by radicalawyer at 9:55 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
God I hate Jonathan Safran Foer so fucking much it's palpable.
From when he was competing with Dave Eggers for most pretentious possible book title, to whatever this horrible, horrible thing is, I just want every word the man has ever written to be pulped, and I would demand a public apology if it wouldn't allow him to further grovel in self-pity.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:57 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
From when he was competing with Dave Eggers for most pretentious possible book title, to whatever this horrible, horrible thing is, I just want every word the man has ever written to be pulped, and I would demand a public apology if it wouldn't allow him to further grovel in self-pity.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:57 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
Next up Jonathan Franzen reveals he also tried to leave his wife for a beautiful actress but she's Canadian and he met her at camp and she goes to a different school so you don't know her
posted by griphus at 9:57 AM on July 14, 2016 [93 favorites]
posted by griphus at 9:57 AM on July 14, 2016 [93 favorites]
I am not getting any emotional infidelity from Portman's end at all, IMO.
posted by Kitteh at 9:58 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 9:58 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
I kind of wondered while reading this if Foer actually wrote both sides of the email exchange himself, he does write fiction, after all. It's annoying that he gets the author credit for that whole piece when Portman actually wrote half the content. I just can't stand his bland "I'm so deep and interesting" style of writing, I'd be way more interested in reading literally anything else Portman had to say instead of Foer's half of the exchange.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 10:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 10:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah, where's Safran Foer with his pants off?! Huh?!?!
posted by mrgrimm at 10:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mrgrimm at 10:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
Brrrr it's cold in this bikini let me get my cardigan.
posted by adept256 at 10:02 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by adept256 at 10:02 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
It’s Thursday, garbage day. One of the garbage days, I should say. Thursday and Sunday are garbage days. Tuesday is garbage and recycling day. Monday and Tuesday are alternate-side parking days, which makes Tuesday — parking, garbage and recycling — a very special day, indeed.
sobs into my coffee
But yeah, I'm Team He Wrote the Whole Thing. The voice, cadence, rhythm is remarkably similar for both POVs so...you know...I write a pretty good multiple POV, Safran Foer. Hit me up if you ever need help with your craft.
posted by weeyin at 10:07 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
sobs into my coffee
But yeah, I'm Team He Wrote the Whole Thing. The voice, cadence, rhythm is remarkably similar for both POVs so...you know...I write a pretty good multiple POV, Safran Foer. Hit me up if you ever need help with your craft.
posted by weeyin at 10:07 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh god. Read your comments, then read the first three exchanges. Cannot read another word.
Gross.
posted by vitabellosi at 10:07 AM on July 14, 2016
Gross.
posted by vitabellosi at 10:07 AM on July 14, 2016
Mallory Ortberg's classic tweets on JSF:
"at least once a month I think about how Jon Safran Foer left his wife for Natalie Portman but forgot to ask Natalie Portman first"
"Step 1: leave wife
Step 2: begin beautiful life with Natalie Portman
Step 3: get Natalie's buy-in"
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:11 AM on July 14, 2016 [45 favorites]
"at least once a month I think about how Jon Safran Foer left his wife for Natalie Portman but forgot to ask Natalie Portman first"
"Step 1: leave wife
Step 2: begin beautiful life with Natalie Portman
Step 3: get Natalie's buy-in"
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:11 AM on July 14, 2016 [45 favorites]
If this appeared in the New Yorker and not the Times I would be certain it was parody.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:18 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:18 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
Extremely Shout and Incredibly Murmur
posted by griphus at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by griphus at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2016 [16 favorites]
Can anyone here help me get a court order to punch JSF in the face? Thanks in advance
posted by clockzero at 10:20 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by clockzero at 10:20 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
i've been loving those mallory ortberg tweets all over again and miss the toast badly today. i think her response to this could rival the letters from chris kimball.
posted by nadawi at 10:20 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 10:20 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm trying to imagine (1) being married (2) doing something as atrocious as leaving my wife for somebody else I met, let's say a married A-list actress, without asking the new person first whether she wanted to ride that crazy train with me (3) but and then also, when she said she didn't, continuing to correspond with her and doing things in that correspondence like referencing our long friendship. I mean, I struggle with item 1. Item 2 seems like some the-worst-thing-you-ever-did-type shit, where people who aren't within four degrees of separation from you are telling their friends stories about you.
But item 3 feels like maybe it's time to retire from human company entirely, go dig that cold damp hole in the earth you've been thinking about and maybe just live inside there forever. I'm trying to imagine what it would feel like to write those emails and keep writing them. I'm trying to imagine what it would feel like to tell whoever I'm currently in a relationship with that I'm writing them, what it would feel like to know the actress I'm still writing to is telling her husband about them. I feel like it would feel like high school, like the whole world's high school just came and lived inside and on top of your head forever. Like you're made of high school. The world of celebrity is so fucking weird.
posted by penduluum at 10:21 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
But item 3 feels like maybe it's time to retire from human company entirely, go dig that cold damp hole in the earth you've been thinking about and maybe just live inside there forever. I'm trying to imagine what it would feel like to write those emails and keep writing them. I'm trying to imagine what it would feel like to tell whoever I'm currently in a relationship with that I'm writing them, what it would feel like to know the actress I'm still writing to is telling her husband about them. I feel like it would feel like high school, like the whole world's high school just came and lived inside and on top of your head forever. Like you're made of high school. The world of celebrity is so fucking weird.
posted by penduluum at 10:21 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
This frustrates me especially because JSF's wife (ex wife?) is a much better writer than him
posted by clockzero at 10:23 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by clockzero at 10:23 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
Can we take up a collection to get her some pants? Directors should have those puffy jodphur things.
posted by LuckyMonkey21 at 10:24 AM on July 14, 2016 [19 favorites]
posted by LuckyMonkey21 at 10:24 AM on July 14, 2016 [19 favorites]
I didn't know about any of this until it came up on Celebrity Gossip Academic Style this afternoon and I had a full body cringe. And yes, why is Natalie half naked?
NY Magazine has excerpts if you're getting a pay wall.
posted by apricot at 10:27 AM on July 14, 2016
NY Magazine has excerpts if you're getting a pay wall.
posted by apricot at 10:27 AM on July 14, 2016
Well I'm not leaving my wife. But I would be willing to quit my job if Natalie Portman asked me to.
But she hasn't yet, and that being the case, just going ahead and quitting on my own seems kind of disrespectful, so I'm still here.
Today, I would probably settle for someone claiming to be Natalie Portman. Who am I to judge?
posted by Naberius at 10:28 AM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
But she hasn't yet, and that being the case, just going ahead and quitting on my own seems kind of disrespectful, so I'm still here.
Today, I would probably settle for someone claiming to be Natalie Portman. Who am I to judge?
posted by Naberius at 10:28 AM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
Because I have a naturally curious disposition, I have tabulated the costs of the cardigans that Ms. Portman has elected to wear to protect herself from the chill of wearing naught by a bikini in a frigid studio.
$1100
$650
$355
$765
$415
$1050
$415 again
Average sweater cost: $679
Thus we can conclude that the intended audience for this piece is anyone currently wearing a sweater whose retail price exceeds $679.
posted by Mayor West at 10:30 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
$1100
$650
$355
$765
$415
$1050
$415 again
Average sweater cost: $679
Thus we can conclude that the intended audience for this piece is anyone currently wearing a sweater whose retail price exceeds $679.
posted by Mayor West at 10:30 AM on July 14, 2016 [15 favorites]
fashion in these sorts of pictorials is almost always aspirational. what they seem to actually be selling is the dior makeup.
posted by nadawi at 10:37 AM on July 14, 2016
posted by nadawi at 10:37 AM on July 14, 2016
Basically, if this turns out to be a fictional exercise by JSF, then it just got a bajillion times grosser.
posted by Kitteh at 10:39 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 10:39 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
But I would be willing to quit my job if Natalie Portman asked me to.
Maybe Natalie Portman should ask JSF to stop being a terrible human being
posted by beerperson at 10:40 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
Maybe Natalie Portman should ask JSF to stop being a terrible human being
posted by beerperson at 10:40 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
Well I'm not leaving my wife. But I would be willing to quit my job if Natalie Portman asked me to.
At long last, I will finally drop my veil of anonymity to tell you, "Do it."
posted by leotrotsky at 10:41 AM on July 14, 2016 [17 favorites]
At long last, I will finally drop my veil of anonymity to tell you, "Do it."
posted by leotrotsky at 10:41 AM on July 14, 2016 [17 favorites]
HE: I have such a profound spiritual and intellectual connection with this woman! I have so much to say, all the words and thoughts that have lay dormant within me for so long now burst forth, alive, rising toward the eyes of the one who will truly understand them like the flower turns toward the sun! What a profound and deep correspondence this will be, like kindred souls exchanging letters in a bygone age, while the hollow people trudge about emptily texting memes to each other we will exchange deep and soulful letters! Yes! Yes! Yes!
SHE: omg this guy wrote a novel I guess I should respond lol
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:43 AM on July 14, 2016 [14 favorites]
SHE: omg this guy wrote a novel I guess I should respond lol
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:43 AM on July 14, 2016 [14 favorites]
Maybe Natalie Portman should ask JSF to stop being a terrible human being
"I'm planning on focusing my energy on more achievable goals, like ending all human consumption of animals and peace in the middle east."
posted by leotrotsky at 10:44 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
"I'm planning on focusing my energy on more achievable goals, like ending all human consumption of animals and peace in the middle east."
posted by leotrotsky at 10:44 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yeah, where's Safran Foer with his pants off?! Huh?!?!
Bad news for you: that was your one wish
Bad news for us all: it worked
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:46 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
I don't know anything about the history between the two and really don't care anyways, but simply reading the few phrases excerpted in the post made vomit come up in my throat a bit.
posted by mannequito at 10:49 AM on July 14, 2016
posted by mannequito at 10:49 AM on July 14, 2016
"May we all remember Bastille Day 2016 as the day we saw two famous people jerk each other off in the pages of the New York Times." - Joanna Rothkopf for Jezebel
posted by bologna on wry at 10:49 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by bologna on wry at 10:49 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
Whole article career reeks of narcissism.
posted by clockzero at 10:52 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by clockzero at 10:52 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
How does any woman in her right mind consent to that article and that tacky sequence of morning-after-the-night-before photos? Convincing an intelligent grown-up to do something like that is surely a form of gas-lighting.
posted by Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez at 10:56 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez at 10:56 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Safran Foer is, like, the Wes Anderson movie that just went a bit too far over the line.
posted by allthinky at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by allthinky at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2016 [8 favorites]
What editor at NYT thought this was a good idea? Fire them quick and let me know.
posted by valkane at 11:03 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by valkane at 11:03 AM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
i'm still confused by the byline - why isn't it both of them? or is it like an interviewer getting the byline even though this isn't a traditional interview?
posted by nadawi at 11:06 AM on July 14, 2016
posted by nadawi at 11:06 AM on July 14, 2016
Safran Foer is, like, the Wes Anderson movie that just went a bit too far over the line.
you mean it's like a Noah Baumbach movie except it's real and instead of a fucked-up, precious teen we get JSF who is only a fucked-up precious teen in his own imagination/novels
posted by runt at 11:09 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
you mean it's like a Noah Baumbach movie except it's real and instead of a fucked-up, precious teen we get JSF who is only a fucked-up precious teen in his own imagination/novels
posted by runt at 11:09 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
JSF: As you know, Natalie, we are very good friends and very very smart people. Also, Hotmail ate all our old emails.
NP: OH THANK GOD
JSF: My kids have guinea pigs. Tell me what the concept of Freedom means to you.
NP: I'm excited about my upcoming movie.
JSF: Today I thought about garbage and taught my kids to hone their pretentiousness to a fine point. Tell me how you weave Ritual and Wonder into your days.
NP: I have a pretty busy, full life!
JSF: Have you ever met a ghost?
NP: Ok I need to give the NYT profile some meat here, so I'm gonna pretend you asked a better question and answer that one instead.
JSF: The minutiae of my own life fascinates me. Natalie, is Time even real?
NP: So back to my movie then
JSF: Hey guess what, I've been on the phone with Microsoft for thirteen days straight and called in some favors and I got all our old emails restored!
NP: [no reply]
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:10 AM on July 14, 2016 [54 favorites]
NP: OH THANK GOD
JSF: My kids have guinea pigs. Tell me what the concept of Freedom means to you.
NP: I'm excited about my upcoming movie.
JSF: Today I thought about garbage and taught my kids to hone their pretentiousness to a fine point. Tell me how you weave Ritual and Wonder into your days.
NP: I have a pretty busy, full life!
JSF: Have you ever met a ghost?
NP: Ok I need to give the NYT profile some meat here, so I'm gonna pretend you asked a better question and answer that one instead.
JSF: The minutiae of my own life fascinates me. Natalie, is Time even real?
NP: So back to my movie then
JSF: Hey guess what, I've been on the phone with Microsoft for thirteen days straight and called in some favors and I got all our old emails restored!
NP: [no reply]
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:10 AM on July 14, 2016 [54 favorites]
Do you guys seriously think Natalie Portman isn't pretentious enough to have written her half of the correspondence herself? She went to Harvard, people!
posted by escabeche at 11:34 AM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 11:34 AM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
The sad thing is that JSF is actually dating Michelle Williams. I HATE HIM SO MUCH, how did he get involved with some OTHER pretty and smart actress???? How has life rewarded him in this way???
posted by leesh at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by leesh at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [5 favorites]
When she was at Harvard
She smoked weed everyday
Cheated every test
And snorted all the yay
posted by a fiendish thingy at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [17 favorites]
She smoked weed everyday
Cheated every test
And snorted all the yay
posted by a fiendish thingy at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [17 favorites]
PS I one hundred percent agree that his ex, Nicole Krauss, is a far superior writer. Where is her hot actor boyfriend?? Of course, if she had one, she would be too cool to parade it around.
posted by leesh at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by leesh at 11:35 AM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yeah, where's Safran Foer with his pants off?! Huh?!?!
Please, no.
posted by theorique at 11:38 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Please, no.
posted by theorique at 11:38 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm sure he only got $3-4 a word for this drivel.
posted by gottabefunky at 11:42 AM on July 14, 2016
posted by gottabefunky at 11:42 AM on July 14, 2016
garbage and parking are among the many rituals around which my daily life is organized
is he describing how he writes - parking in front of the keyboard and getting garbage on the page? Or his apparent approach to interpersonal relationships?
posted by sockermom at 11:55 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
is he describing how he writes - parking in front of the keyboard and getting garbage on the page? Or his apparent approach to interpersonal relationships?
posted by sockermom at 11:55 AM on July 14, 2016 [7 favorites]
Zach Schonfeld: JSF to Portman re: re: is hot dog a sandwich (parody)
posted by larrybob at 12:01 PM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by larrybob at 12:01 PM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
I didn't think I was such in the minority of Mefites who kind of enjoyed Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud. Huh.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:20 PM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:20 PM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
I didn't think I was such in the minority of Mefites who kind of enjoyed Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud.
Is anyone discussing either of those books? Most people here are discussing the garbage person he is in real life, to real people.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 12:26 PM on July 14, 2016 [9 favorites]
Is anyone discussing either of those books? Most people here are discussing the garbage person he is in real life, to real people.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 12:26 PM on July 14, 2016 [9 favorites]
extremely loud is amazing. and this is icky. shrug.
posted by andrewcooke at 12:27 PM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by andrewcooke at 12:27 PM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
has somebody ever left a hot French dancer for a writer?
I know it didn't play out like that, but this would have been a plausible thing for Henry Miller.
posted by chimaera at 12:28 PM on July 14, 2016
I know it didn't play out like that, but this would have been a plausible thing for Henry Miller.
posted by chimaera at 12:28 PM on July 14, 2016
I didn't think I was such in the minority of Mefites who kind of enjoyed Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud. Huh.
I actually liked his first book, but Extremely Loud made me EXTREMELY ANGRY and his real life pretentiousness (he is trying to be evocative about GUINEA PIGS here) is too much to bear. Maybe if his public persona wasn't so smug and pompous, we wouldn't be dissing him to this degree.
posted by leesh at 12:35 PM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
I actually liked his first book, but Extremely Loud made me EXTREMELY ANGRY and his real life pretentiousness (he is trying to be evocative about GUINEA PIGS here) is too much to bear. Maybe if his public persona wasn't so smug and pompous, we wouldn't be dissing him to this degree.
posted by leesh at 12:35 PM on July 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
JSF's line "I can hear the guinea pigs stirring" is both one of the strangest attempts at mood I've seen in print *and* a respectable Little Lytton entry.
posted by SandCounty at 12:58 PM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by SandCounty at 12:58 PM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
I haven't read the email exchange or the article or Everything Loud or anything else, really, but from this vantage point, Foer's leaving his wife, even without Portman's, eh, reciprocity, seems like the correct thing to do.
posted by notyou at 12:59 PM on July 14, 2016
posted by notyou at 12:59 PM on July 14, 2016
Most people here are discussing the garbage person he is in real life, to real people.
Eh, there's a fair number of 'i hate him!' and 'garbage writer!' 'every word her writes should be pulped' and such. But yes, I agree he's a douche canoe.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:07 PM on July 14, 2016
Eh, there's a fair number of 'i hate him!' and 'garbage writer!' 'every word her writes should be pulped' and such. But yes, I agree he's a douche canoe.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:07 PM on July 14, 2016
If they just printed the pictures alone, or maybe with just the prices and names of the garments, it would have been a lot less creepy. These days, I find most fashion to be at least a little creepy though.
posted by newdaddy at 2:10 PM on July 14, 2016
posted by newdaddy at 2:10 PM on July 14, 2016
fashion in these sorts of pictorials is almost always aspirational
It definitely worked because now I aspire to never be a person who wants to wear a $1100 sweater.
posted by Justinian at 3:06 PM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
It definitely worked because now I aspire to never be a person who wants to wear a $1100 sweater.
posted by Justinian at 3:06 PM on July 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
if this sort of hate is thrilling to you, i suggest reading "the love affairs of nathaniel p"
posted by ennui.bz at 3:40 PM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ennui.bz at 3:40 PM on July 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
in suffer able
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:52 PM on July 14, 2016
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:52 PM on July 14, 2016
Eh... it's pretentious, but it's nominally an interview with a director promoting her new movie. It doesn't register so much on my outrage meter but I do think it's pretty sad that not only does female actor have to take off her clothes to promote her movies but apparently female director does too.
posted by latkes at 8:08 AM on July 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by latkes at 8:08 AM on July 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
What weirdly stiff, self-conscious blather.
posted by branravenraven at 12:05 PM on July 15, 2016
posted by branravenraven at 12:05 PM on July 15, 2016
Yeah the email thing is just a conceit for the interview. There's no more reason to put her name as coauthor as there would be for any other celebrity puff piece.
posted by zutalors! at 12:09 PM on July 15, 2016
posted by zutalors! at 12:09 PM on July 15, 2016
he should have included some deep ponderings about why he doesn't like sand
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:10 PM on July 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:10 PM on July 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
It is weird that they would both agree to this method of interview and just doing the interview together based on the past controversy. But I guess they feel like it's a mutual benefit. Kind of gross.
posted by zutalors! at 12:18 PM on July 15, 2016
posted by zutalors! at 12:18 PM on July 15, 2016
I will also happily discuss his writing, which I also hate, but yeah, my own visceral reaction is definitely more for him as a personified sad boner confessional. Although I'd never have known who he is if it weren't for the writering.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:32 AM on July 17, 2016
posted by aspersioncast at 8:32 AM on July 17, 2016
fashion in these sorts of pictorials is almost always aspirational. what they seem to actually be selling is the dior makeup.
Natalie Portman reps for Dior, so I'm sure that's why they mention it - most fashion spreads wouldn't specify the brand of makeup. Dior has treated her well fashion-wise, unlike poor Jennifer Lawrence, who always looks uncomfortable in their clothes.
posted by Coffeemate at 10:41 AM on July 17, 2016
Natalie Portman reps for Dior, so I'm sure that's why they mention it - most fashion spreads wouldn't specify the brand of makeup. Dior has treated her well fashion-wise, unlike poor Jennifer Lawrence, who always looks uncomfortable in their clothes.
posted by Coffeemate at 10:41 AM on July 17, 2016
yes, that's what i was saying. the spread is likely in conjunction with dior and specifically the makeup. i'd have to look it up again but either the stylist or the photographer works often with dior and dior's brand ambassadors.
posted by nadawi at 1:21 PM on July 17, 2016
posted by nadawi at 1:21 PM on July 17, 2016
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posted by OmieWise at 9:25 AM on July 14, 2016 [17 favorites]