Some of you disagreed with me when I called Jennifer Aniston’s interview on Letterman awkward, and thought she did fine and countered that was a typical interview. Other people agreed that it was kind of a stilted exchange but were split on whether it was Aniston or Letterman’s fault.
This morning Aniston appeared on “The Early Show.” The Huffington Post has analysis of the interview, which they call “awkward,” but in this case if you agree with them you can see that the blame can squarely be placed on interviewer Harry Smith, who acted like a total fanboy around the star, gushing over how great she looked and asking goofy questions:
Smith didn’t talk at all about Aniston’s movie “Marley & Me,” other than playing a clip to introduce the segment, instead spending four minutes talking to Aniston about her appearance, her workout regimen and her life.
Holding up her naked-but-for-a-tie GQ cover, Smith said, “You take a pretty good picture. How old are you now?”
He then gifted her unprompted with an even-smaller bowtie for the next time.
In the minutes that followed Harry’s questions and comments included but were not limited to:
– How do you stay in shape?
– How many hours of yoga a day?
– You wear it well (told she was 39)
– It’s like this is your, Jennifer Aniston time
– You look great, I just, it, mm. It bears mentioning
– I’m blushing
[From The Huffington Post]
Aniston did get the chance to make some decent statements. Smith told her it was “her time,” referring to all the magazine covers and press she’s been getting, and she smartly turned it around into a more personal question and talked about how great she was doing:
“It is my time. I just feel like, you know, every woman that’s ever said… it just gets better. I just agree. You don’t know as much as you know in your 20s as you do in your 30s… I’m startin’ to live.”
As for her tabloid persona, she said that she thinks it’s humorous but kind of tries not to pay attention:
“I honestly see it as a different person… the headlines are just outrageous, so you usually get a kick out of that… You try to walk past it as fast as you possibly can.”
Maybe she’s just trying to get through these interviews as fast as she can too, and who can blame her with the way some of these people are acting. I think I understand now what she was telling Letterman about how journalists ask her ridiculous and strange questions.
What’s more is that there were paparazzi taking pictures of her right outside the window when she was doing that interview. You can tell from one of the paparazzi videos (link leads to video) that it was distracting her and that she was annoyed by it.
It’s got to be a royal pain in the ass to do all that press for a movie.
[quotes via Us Magazine]
haha, he seems like a fan.
like a teenager who meets his favorite actress.
I don’t think it was necessarily awkward. That guy acts like that whenever a pretty actress comes on the show; he gets giddy like a schoolgirl.
I thought it was a cute interview; something very light and silly for the morning. Although she was visibly annoyed by the paparazzi.
I agree…Harry Smith was more like a starstruck fan than a professional interviewer.
He really put her on the spot with his lack of preparation. I thought she was funny and charming in spite of his clumsiness.
and I liked her on Letterman too. (I like Letterman better than Harry Smith!)
des·per·ate: involving or employing extreme measures in an attempt to escape defeat or frustration
I agree with some of the comments. They were taking pics of Angelina when she was on the Today show too. I don’t get the starstruck comments. Jennifer is not a huge movie star. This was not Meryl Streep on the show. So I don’t understand this at all. Jenn looks great, but that being said…What else is there to say? That is the underlining problem…After you talk about her body and hair.. What is there left to say?
That wasn’t awkward, that was CREEPY! Ewww!
I would say he could have asked her about her work with Children’s Hospitals which for some reason no one ever asks her about. They are too busy asking about the UnHoly Trinity or trying to avoid asking about the UnHoly Trinity.
Yes, he was very creepy. What was with his yoga-term dropping, like, “I’m so cool, I do yoga too.”
LAME
He is SO strange! OMG. So creepy!!!!!!!!!!!
If she was ever actually seen at that children’s hospital interacting with the staff and the patients, maybe someone might ask her about her work with the hospital. Throwing a check at a charity is not the same thing as working for that charity.
I agree with Deb. Once you get through asking her questions about her hair and her body, there’s nothing left to talk about. If you read the posts on here and on other blogs, her fans act as if her hair and her body (“She’s so hot!” etc. etc.) are the only things she has going for her.
if i spend $20,000 a month on my beauty regimen, as she does, i’d look a lot better than her – hell yeah, even for less than that outrageous amount—she’s so vain.
mayer looks like he is under probation by her…. gotta be on his best behaviour —try to look like a puppy dog next to her, not engage the paps, look at her like she’s the only one to him….aniston’s to-do list for him goes on…..
she does interviews like she is rachel in friends. so when it comes to seasoned interviews like letterman, she comes across us dull and boring at best. she seriously is not capable of talking straight (unable to focus on the question at hand) even if the question is about the movie and not about her. she can’t even act the part. high time, she gets help from an acting coach or PR consultant.
I didn’t think it was awkward at all. I thought she was a little shy and very cute…super gorgeous. I don’t think she feels comfortable talking about herself or others. She is the opposite of an artist with a big ego. I just love her. ; )
First as to the comment she isn’t even a big movie star. Well – does it get much bigger than this? She is one of the biggest movie stars out there. No other person gets this much attention. Other movie stars will get it due to their children. But what other single movie star is written about as much as Jennifer? None. Most movie stars use their children now to get attention and without them no one would care as much. Just look at this blog daily posts about Jennifer and today two posts. What other star gets that? Somedays maybe Tom/Katie but again more about Suri than them.
Second this interview was not too bad. Obviously this guy was star struck. She must get so tired of the stupid questions.
You don’t know that she never goes to Childrens Hospitals; you are saying that because you hate her for some odd reason.
Perhaps she goes but doesn’t invite the paparazzi along to say “HEY LOOK AT ME DOING CHARITY!!!” Maybe she actually likes the WORK and would rather not cheapen it by having a ton of photos taken of sick children.
Thought it was cute even though the interviewer came across as a douche.
Well that was stalkerish.
Is he a journalist or a fantard?
Aniston is all about the hair, the tan, the body and…. oh yeah, the hair.
That magazine cover may wind up as an iconic photo, like the nude photo of Demi Moore pregnant taken by Annie Liebowitz.
The interviewer was obviously dazzled, which was kind of cute, and Jennifer just sort of hung in there and played along with it. It was all pretty lightweight, but that’s what morning TV is all about.
shallow.
that was almost the creepiest thing i have seen all week.
@Cheyenne: are you trolling? Because arguing that “throwing a check at a charity is not the same thing as working for that charity” is the exact opposite of the positive things you’ve said in defense of the Jolie-Pitt’s charity work. ALL charity is good charity. I thought that was one thing we agreed on. WTF?
i beg to disagree She’s not one of the biggest MOVIES stars out there.. one of the biggest TV STAR.. yes but definetly not ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOVIE STAR.
Lighten up people. It’s a morning show.
He was great and light and it was interesting to ask her about how it’s like to walk by magazines and how her day to day routine goes (working out etc.).
She is really good and funny. I guess she knows how to handle interviews.
She is a BIG STAR, HUGE, MASSIVE. You can deny it all you want if it makes you feel better. If she wasn’t, why are you on her threads every day? Her threads have most comments. More than Brangelina even. She is always named the country’s best loved actress.
The interview was actually sweet. You can tell that that guy was star struck. You may not like to hear it but she is loved by so many people. Many more than Brangelina. Brangelina is famous but not as popular as Jen. And Jen does not need to be a dogooder to be loved. Even when she was with Brad, she was very popular.
Many people do charity but not for PR. Jen does not have to release pictures of her visits to sick children for PR every time her movie is coming out. That is true charity. It does not seek gloritfication.
in fact she does charity.
Jennifer Aniston has supported the following charities:
* Clothes Off Our Back
* EB Medical Research Foundation
* Friends of El Faro
* GLAAD
* Habitat For Humanity
* Lili Claire Foundation
* Luke Neuhedel Foundation
* Project A.L.S.
* Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
* St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
* US Campaign for Burma
here i found more info:
http://www.anistoncenter.com/jen/charity.php
from german wikipedia:
Für die Förderung der Sichtbarkeit und des Verständnisses der LGBT-Gemeinschaft durch ihre Arbeit erhielt sie:
Vanguard Award der GLAAD Media Awards (2007)
and:
“Actress Jennifer Aniston has once again joined the fight against childhood cancer by raising awareness of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s 5th annual Thanks and Giving campaign.” from http://www.looktothestars.org/
That was pretty awkward, I will admit. Personally, i just want her and Bradgelina to go away forever. Then we wouldn’t have to deal with the UnHoly Trinity anymore.
Hard to watch until the end…. Like for the interview with Letterman, I’m gonna say that it would be easier to watch her interview if she had direct answers: she always hesitate, she doesn’t understand all the questions, she speaks weirdly (“hmmmm” “you know” “I… I… I…”), she hardly finishes her sentences, she has a wierd nervous fake laugh… All this make her interviews boring!
Plus, as some people said, once you asked her about her body or her hair, there is not so much left to ask…
She never comes up with good anectote or something interessting about her. Last week I was watching some Jennifer Garner interviews… Even if she doesn’t say anything deep, she appears more interesting, because she speaks about her cooking or her travels… She plays along with the journalist.
After all this years of interviews about Aniston, I still don’t know if she has a hobby… She still appears as this shallow, superficial woman who doesn’t do anything interesting with her life…
Maybe that’s why Letterman and Smith had troubles interviewing her!
She has such a bad fake laugh.
I think that he definately did act star struck. However,at least he did not get into the Brangelina thing that every one else does. As for the Saint Jude charity, the hospital needs funding not a photo op. She is clearly involved in that because Marlo Thomas’s (who played a recurring role on Friends) father was the founder of St. Jude’s. I myself am a supporter of the hospital and I know what they really need is money. Since they turn no child away because of money.
G: Could not possibly agree more.
Christina X: Also agree. We support St. Jude’s, too, and funding is the key.
Lene, thanks a million for that info (with links!) – it does my head in when people throw out facts without a clue as to where to go to verify it. Well done her for supporting worthwhile causes in any way she sees fit.
@ PJ, seriously? That is a horrific photograph of JA, and it would be sad for her if the only reason it’s remembered is for some trite self-censorship.
ssssss – no need to shout love, we’d have laughed at your post anyway *wink*
Mairead:
ti vole
Mairead: thank you. i’m happy you appreciate it.
I just wrote this on another thread, but JA is followed everywhere — she can’t leave her house without a swarm of papparazzi taking her picture — so I’m sorry, but if she did anything more than write a cheque to all of those charities, we’d have seen some photographic proof by now. And I’m not saying she NEEDS to do more than write a cheque — not everyone wants to be hands-on — I’m just saying the fans who think she is hands-on are obviously mistaken. Yes, she’s done a commercial for St Jude’s, but really, what else does this woman do besides vacation in Mexico three times a year, have dinners out at papparazzi-friendly restaurants, and walk her dog on the beach?
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/285022/watch-jennifer-aniston-s-new-charity-advert.html
i actually think the behind the scenes video, which is on this link is very cute.
and i think…when she gets into the spotlight like jolie/pitt with charity…everyone will compare her to them. even if it’s not her intention. that actually happened 2006. so…give money to the charities which need money is perfect. other celebs are not in the limelight like jolie/pitt…so.
and to grangers comment:
i don’t know if fans are mistaken. we don’t know how much she is involved in charity beside spending money. we don’t know.
yeah, maybe she’s not a person who takes her charity work public. but she can work in the background for a organisation. or she doesn’t. so we don’t know. some celebs don’t lke to make their charity work public. don’t know why. maybe for them it seems more honest i could imagine. i compare it to the fact like…some celebs spend money without using their real name. they don’t want to make such a whirlwind about themselves or made pr out of the cause. sometimes a few news came up…like she and courteney cox raised some money together for a good cause…and so on. there is initiative for charity from her. that’s a cool thing.
lene, THANK YOU. That was one of the sanest fan comments I’ve read in a long time. It doesn’t make me change my mind about JA — I still think she’s one of the shallowest celebs out there,
and for the record, this St Jude’s commercial is the only hands-on charitable endeavour I’ve seen her involved with in a lonnnnngggg time. — but I sure do respect your opinion.
thank you granger. i also respect yours.
it’s interesting thing with aniston, ppl like her or not…nothing in between. so it seems so me.
I don’t see anything awkward about it. It was boring, but not strange.