Benji Madden has a new extensive interview in Newsweek for the 20th anniversary of his band, Good Charlotte (with his twin brother, Joel). Good Charlotte returned from a multi-year hiatus to release a new album last week. I’m not too familiar with Benji and apart from the fact that he seems to be genuinely in love with and supportive of his wife, Cameron Diaz, I don’t have a strong opinion about him. A quick glance at our archives reminds me that he’s dated several famous women including Paris Hilton and Holly Madison and apart from hearing about his other occasional hookups, I haven’t heard a bad word about him in the 10 years I’ve run this site. No scandals, no paparazzi beat-downs, no DUIs. That’s really saying something. So he seems like a serial monogamist and a standup guy. He’s also very supportive of Cameron, and they’ve each gushed about each other on their social media and to the press. That’s all background to this interview, which just impressed me with how wise and thoughtful he sounds. I mean I don’t agree with him about Cameron Diaz, but he comes across extremely well.
On how the music industry can be hard on artists
My brother and I feel blessed to have survived and still have loving, connected relationships with each other, with our wives, with our family. We feel like: “Hey, there are a lot of artists who might be able to use our experiences.” We’ve been able to withstand a lot of things in the industry because we had each other. We feel protective of other artists.This is not a business that is set up in favor of artists. It’s important for artists to value themselves—whatever that means. Everyone’s going to take that in a different way. If you don’t value yourself, you will be bought and sold.
On the public’s obsession with celebrity
I think it’s a very unhealthy trend that will eventually be broken when people realize how hollow it is for our minds, it’s very cancerous…it’s like fast food. Fast food companies are trending down, lots of places are going out of business. People figured out: “This is killing us, it’s f-king terrible.” The celebrity obsession is doing the same thing for our minds—it’s very hollow and I think that trend is going to break soon enough.On how Cameron uses her platform for good
I’m extremely proud of what she uses her platform for. She just released The Longevity Book, and before that she had The Body Book [a lifestyle guide to diet and health], and she spent thousands of dollars doing all the research, to get information to share with women who don’t necessarily have the resources to get that information. She’s a modern day feminist—she wants to change the conversation that’s being had about women and ageing. With The Body Book, she wanted to share all this information she has gathered over the years with women so they can live happy, pain-free lives.I’m proud of her because of what a light she is in a world where it would be so much easier to use that stage to promote products. But she’s using that platform she has to share positivity. It’s been one of the most inspirational things in my life watching a woman be so courageous…she’s got so much integrity. I’m a lucky guy that I get to experience that.
He talks a lot about the industry and about how music gets made and artists are managed, and I didn’t excerpt that as it’s not relevant but it’s worth a read. Benji wants to empower young artists to do it on their own and not get chewed up by the industry, which can be brutal. Getting back to Benji’s thoughts on Cameron, she tried. I covered a lot of the press she did for The Longevity Book and she made some misinformed statements about women and aging, but she tried and she meant well. She’s not an authority on health or aging but she used her platform to try to be. It’s true that she’s not just shilling products, and that’s something.
Also, of course I disagree with Benji’s opinion that celebrity obsession is terrible for us. Using his same fast food analogy, you can go to McDonalds and get something to eat once in a while, you just balance your calories and get your nutrients from other meals. Just because you like to follow celebrity news doesn’t mean you’re not informed about more serious events or that you don’t care. Sometimes we need a diversion.
Here’s a video that Cameron shared of Benji. She left this gushing caption about how proud she is of him, which seems to be mutual.
He seems to adore her, and I think she needed that. They seem genuinely happy.
I don’t think you have a right to decide who is a “modern day feminist” when you wrote a song where the chorus is “Girls don’t like boys girls like cars and money. Boys will laugh at girls when they’re not funny”
Isn’t that line like more than a decade old? Maybe he’s matured as he seems to be a pretty decent guy.
Not surprised at her Instagram post.
Cameron tends to fall hard. Hard.
Esp when compared to her ‘don’t-give-a-damn’ reputation/interviews.
She almost had a nervous breakdown when Timberlake and ARod ended it with her.
I do hope she’s really found her happiness.
The relationship with ARod was painful to see unfold because you could just see the insecurities as time went on. You just wanted to say, Cam, you are rich, pretty and working. Just STAP.
And no comment on Timberdouche. My name for him says it all. I believe he totally used her to get his foot in the door acting wise.
This. Wasn’t it after A-Rod she got her boob job?
Anyway, the thing I didn’t like about all of Cameron’s smug interviews on not believing that monogamy is possible and moving on to men, and nothing wrong with being single or childless, which there isn’t, was not once in her interviews did she talk about loneliness or a painful breakup. It was all rah-rah-rah the footloose and fancy free single woman, sees life as maybe every seven years moving on to a new relationship. Did she ever talk about having her heart broken or any vulnerabilities? I don’t know. Maybe I missed it. I didn’t find some of her interviews authentic at times. But now that she had a man commit to her monogamy is possible. Whew. Thanks. I was worried. LOL
I guess that’s why I liked Nicole Kidman back during her single days before Keith. She was a driven career woman, but she showed her vulnerabilities in interviews. Even the amazing Laura Linney did.
I’m being too hard on Cammie, I know. I really do like her. I just got tired of some of her interviews a few years ago.
Celebrity obsession isn’t a new thing. It’s been with us since humans started sharing information. It’s current form is more immediate, but it’s rubbish to say it’s a new trend or that it’s dying out.
It’s not a new thing but having access to it 24/7 is fairly new. I also doubt it’s dying out but hopefully more people will start to realize that there are better, more productive and positive ways to use their social media platforms/internet access.
That’s only because technology is giving that type of access. If the ancients had social media, they’d have been doing the same thing. They certainly made an effort to follow their favourite celebrities even though technology was at snail pace.
It used to be gossip (celebrity or any other type of news) via the market place, then the printing press, then the telephone, and now social media. Humans don’t appear to have evolved to use their time usefully as a result of better tech. They just use it to continue to behave as they always did.
Good points, thank you. It’s easy to forget that the digital age wasn’t the first revolution in communication. Although I’m not sure the rise of Trump, for example, would have been as likely in an earlier era. We used to demand or at least assume that our nominees for POTUS be at least marginally qualified and not just a reality celeb.
They were young, maybe too young. But she and Matt Dillon were a gorgeous couple back in the day.
But sounds like Benji has a beautiful heart and that’s what matters as we get older…
Whatever happened to Matt Dillon?
He’s still around professionally, in the show Wayward Pines. Personally, though, I have no idea.
I’m not so sure he’s a good guy. Paris, Holly and Sophie Monk all lost a ton of weight (weight they couldn’t afford to lose) within a couple of months of starting dating him, and all ramped up the plastic surgery while with him too. They all looked deeply, deeply miserable and sickly towards the end of those relationships.
He also defended his brother when he was dating an underage Hilary Duff, and there’s always been rumours about the type of women they picked up on tours.
Good points.
But Diaz had her own issues too, so maybe they’ve reached equilibrium.
I’ve wondered if something changed, because both brothers were sketch until Nicole Richie got pregnant, and then they took a hard turn.
That stuff he says about Cameron clearly comes from a man very much in love. Good for them. Cameron is cool.
However, I don’t think he is referencing people that follow gossip when talking about celebrity culture, more like people that make threats if their favorite celebrity is criticized or people that still go to shows of the likes of Bieber after being so badly treated by him.
A performer should be praised and admired for his work and sanctioned for his bad treatment of fans. But in a celebrity culture there’s only total adoration or hate.
Again, not a new thing. Just more visible.
Youth Authority?
These men are 40 YEARS OLD!
i loved good charlotte and blink 182 when i was in grade and high school, but they’re still going with the same schtick and it’s kinda weird no?
you’re 40…are you the youth authority? lol
Oh man if I had a nickel for every 40-something who things he/she is still a “youth authority.” Just saying.’
You are so right! Men in their 40’s are middle aged toddlers
I’ve told this story before but we regularly see the Maddens round our hood when they’re in town filming the Oz version of the Voice.
Anyway a couple of winters ago I was basking in the sunshine drinking coffee when the Maddens wandered past. A girl shyly came over and asked for a photo, followed by a couple, followed by a whole stream of fans, all wanting pics.
Well those boys were so damn gracious and kind, smiling and joking even though they were waylaid by about half an hour.
I thought to myself ‘Those boys have been brought up right!’ because they seem genuinely kind and loving men ❤️
That’s a very sweet story and so nice! I’ve always liked Cameron a lot and I hope to find the kind of love they share one day.
I find myself really kind of rooting for them! Especially hearing stories like that. And Positvity! I’m still on a Prince music bender and that’s one song that’s been stuck in my head. 💟
Can’t stand their music, but I’ve always heard they were really nice dudes.
I’ve always liked them and used to listen to them back in the day. Both him and his brother seem like lovely people.
She looks like Jennifer Lawrence, Christmas future.
These two still seem like such a weird pairing.
Not so much when he takes off his cap. Then they look nice together. I never got his Paris Hilton pairing. I was so disappointed in him, or maybe expected more from him, because I like the Madden brothers.
I don’t get why they still wear their caps around all the time, tilted sideways no less, heading into their 40s. They have good hair.
They don’t have good faces, the hats and ridiculous 2002 emo accessories distract.
I love LOVE – a great story! Wow, Good Charlotte is back to cranking out tunes. Awesome
Today is my son’s 18th birthday!!! Happy happy happiness to EVERYONE!!!
She may not be shilling products but her book/s have made her a lot of money (far more than the thousands she spent researching information that us plebs could never afford to have learned!). Number 2 on the NY times best seller list, contributing to her 120m dollar fortune. Being a feminist/health icon sure is lucrative! I think she’s a smart business woman/aging actress, cashing in ala Suzanne Somers but without (perhaps) the dangerous health advice. It’s good she’s spreading a healthy message though, but unless the profit goes to Women’s rights groups or something then she’s no saint, just another business woman.
Yeah, that’s what popped into my mind, too.
Someone in the music industry for 20 years wants to talk about how music is made and how artists are managed, but it’s not relevant? That would be way more interesting than the quotes about Cameron.
I guess I’m the only one who sees Cameron schilling books on topics she’s not informed on other than her own personal work-outs as not much different than schilling products. The main difference I see is schilling products, you’re just a face representing, but schilling books is a way to come off as an intellectual, which sorry, but Cameron Diaz is not. All she ever talked about was what a guy’s girl she is, how sporty she is, monogamy doesn’t exist, I don’t want kids, marriage is impossible, etc…..until she found somebody that makes her feel loved and wanted. It’s all very narcissistic to me. Glad they love each other but I wouldn’t listen to anything she has to say b/c she is and forever will be, to me, a ditz.