On Wednesday I tried to express a similar thought to Page Six’s negative article about Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. I think that, for casual gossip-followers, they can be fun and refreshing in small doses. For people like me who follow entertainment news all the time, they’re tiresome. I wrote that “I wish they would tone it down a little because they can be extra” and I was being nice because I do think it’s helpful when celebrities talk about therapy and mental health issues especially, but when they overshare we can be embarrassed for them. Sometimes I cringe at some of the things they say, and I would get fremdschämen if I cared more. Well I’m not the only one who feels this way apparently. Page Six spells it out a lot more harshly:
In Kim Kardashian’s Hollywood, it’s tough to be embarrassingly overexposed.
But Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard have pulled it off.
The hubby and wife — who are shilling their movie “CHiPs” — have industry types gagging over endless oversharing in interviews, spilling a litany of sound bites about their marital therapy, her breast-feeding issues, fights over furniture, Google searches for “murdering my husband,” his fearlessness about directing naked, quitting sugar, and more to “any media outlet that will listen.”
These two are of course promoting the CHiPs movie, out now, and which is being skewered by critics. I was hoping it would be funny, I love a good raunchy comedy (the 21 Jump Street remakes are some of the best), but with only a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes I’m going to skip it. So they’re both on the promotional trail and their go-to tactic in interviews is to overshare about their personal lives. This is in contrast to the fact that they spearheaded the “no kids policy” to protect their children from paparazzi. Maybe they should be a bit more judicious with their interviews. When they talk about heavy issues like Kristen’s anxiety and Dax’s history of addiction it’s worthwhile and can change lives. People read about celebrities facing the same issues and it can really help. But when it’s peppered with a bunch of other details that are best left private the message gets diluted. Maybe they should work on being a little less transparent.
Also, this picture:
photos credit: WENN and FameFlynet
i don’t find them transparent, but super fake. and omg that pic, i wrote it a few days ago that it made me want to vomit, and my feelings have not changed.
Same. And he is a horrible actor I really dont know how he got parts. I never saw her in anything ? I know who she is but never watched anything she has done.
I thought he was pretty darn good on Parenthood. Ugh I miss that show.
She was good in Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Wasn’t she the voice of Anna in frozen?
She’s fantastic in house of lies. HBO or showtime, can’t remember. With don cheadle. It’s a great show.
I thought he was pretty funny in “Baby Mama” with Tina Fey. But then again he was playing a giant doofus, so maybe it wasn’t acting?
She was great in Bad Moms!
The extras had an interview with her and her mom and it was pretty funny too.
I Thought he was really good in Parenthood, just recently finished binge watching it on Netflix. And her show The Good Place is so good. I hope they don’t cancel it!!!
Ever seen a little film called Frozen? LOL!
She also played Nikki in Burlesque!
Veronica Mars!? She was soooo good in that show and yes, House of Lies, she was fabulous. I love her to bits. Don’t know him or his work.
They’re just wackadoodle crazy kids!! Lol That’s that couple you see at the furniture store bouncing on every mattress with these facial expressions 😃😀😆😉
Don’t kill me but I love their interviews! Binge watched all of them because they are hilarious:) **Runs and hides out**
Me, too. I just love them. I will watch anything either of them are in or on!
What’s so funny to me is they do all these stunts and think they’re so important but the average person has no clue who they even are. Maybe and that’s a big maybe they’d know who Kristen Bell is but Dax Shepard….yea no. Which is what makes this all even more embarrassing if you ask me.
I enjoy their commercials. So people in general may know them from those.
I can’t recall seeing them in anything but their commercials for household appliances. Those commercials are kind of charming.
Veronica Mars! Maybe that’s why she doesn’t bother me. My love for Veronica Mars and now The Good Place gives her a pass in my book.
I kind of like them, too.
off topic: they made the same mistake with CHiPs that they did with the Starsky and Hutch movie.
they went for a mocking “camp” redo rather than make it a serious cop show. I realize that CHiPs was kind of cheesy, but they could have done what they did with the Miami Vice movie…that is, make it “serious” like the show was, but step up the story line and production. TBH, I thought that S&H was funny, but I would have preferred they did the movie like the show. a little bit gritty, and more serious, less camp/silliness.
They’re in commercials?
They’re in commercials for Samsung washers and dryers. The ones with fancy additions like rinsing basins and little doors to add more stuff after the loads have started.
I like them..I believe they show young people people that marriage doesn’t have to be the end if fun if you marry for love..also..I respect the fact they keep their kids off limits to the paps and public..period..
The fact that most people don’t know who they are is exactly why I was so annoyed when they made a big deal about the paparazzi’s intrusiveness and how they must keep their kids’ identities secrets at all costs. They complained a lot about the paps, even though I wouldn’t know these people if they passed me on the street, and, yes, I live in L.A., where that’s possible. With so many celebs who are much more successful than they are weathering through the paps, I thought it was very disingenuous that they were on this huge anti-pap bender. Do I think celeb kids deserve privacy, sure? But these two behaved as if they were being so persecuted, and it all seemed attention-grabbing to me. They are self-important C-list celebs.
Dax was sexually abused as a child. I don’t think it’s that strange that he’s EXTRA when it comes to trying to limit his kids exposure.
Of course no one knows who they are. That’s the point of all this PR. They’re working very hard to change that.
I know of Veronica Mars but have never watched the show. Ironically my mother watched the show. I’ve seen Bell in Bad Moms and Frozen. Her claim to fame and the only reason why she is allowed in the Oscars and at Vanity Fair parties is due to her voice work on Frozen. Otherwise she and her husband are C-list celebrities. They should feel lucky if even only a small portion of the A-list Hollywood celebs tolerate them hanging around and their events. Whenever they speak they seem super annoying and very thirsty for attention. I have been waiting for the day that these two stop getting parts and slowly fade away, but my guess is that they will continue with these stunts for attention and the money/C-list parts that comes with that.
I love them unapologetically. Bell, in particular, has been really good to talk openly about mental health stuff like depression. Benefit of the doubt, I think they really do try to bring a sunny, positive, possibly over-animated energy to discussion of topics that really do (unhealthily) get swept under the rug.
All I can think of is, “Wasn’t he part of Jackass?”
Eh. I adore her, and like him now by extension. they are a little much sometimes, but harmless.
Cosign. i adore her and find them refreshing
Agreed.
Agree! I find them refreshing as well. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and what could be construed as “TMI” to some is just them saying “f-it, we live in a glass house, under the microscope of media, so here ya go” to others. Their video montage to Toto’s “Africa” was pretty damn funny in my book.
Me too. Veronica Mars is my favorite show ever. I love her, and he’s hysterical in Baby Mama, so he’s cool too.
Agreed, Lucy. They were thoughtful in explaining why they wouldn’t marry. They have openly discussed mental health and addiction issues. I enjoyed him on Parenthood and love her on The Good Place. Give me them over any Kardasian any day!
Yessss CB. As I commented on the last post, I smell hypocrisy in the privacy plea and public displays. I can’t even watch those Samsung commercials without a side-eye.
Totally! I loved her so much as Veronica Mars but then the campaign for privacy for children really annoyed me – not that I’m opposed to that idea but the ones who were pushing the hardest for it were her (while she does ads about her pregnancy) and Jennifer Garner (who totally uses her kids for photo ops when her husband is campaigning for an Oscar). You never see Matt Damon’s kids or Julia Robert’s kids, so the cries for privacy seemed a bit hypocritical coming from “stars” who seemed to be using it more as a platform for attention than as a means to protect their kids. And I never got Dax’s appeal so I’m officially over both of them, although I love Michael Pena and want him to do well!
I mean… would we rather people be contrived and aloof and snobby? Like… why is transparency and honesty such a bad thing now? You can tell they genuinely love each other and I think they’re really sweet. But just like Jenny Slate, I guess it’s too uncool to just be yourself and so you must be annoying and embarrassing. I’ll take vulnerability and honesty over most of the Hollywood bullshit.
Agreed!
Totally. Also, personal oversharing does not have anything to do with asking for privacy for your kids.
They can be extra but I’m with you Shambles. Rather that then some of the alternatives.
And isnt this the same Page Six that claimed Pitt and Cotillard having an affair was the reason behind Jolie wanting a divorce. SMH.
surely you can be honest and real without having to overshare and being extra all the time? like a happy medium. these two are too much. and they’re also racists.
@Ell, What did they do or say that was racist?
they were fetishizing riz ahmed in this interview here: http://people.com/tv/kristen-bell-dax-shepard-shamelessly-flirted-riz-ahmed-golden-globes/
riz isn’t even indian, he’s british pakistani, but suggesting she has a fetish for indian men is so ignorant and disrespectful, and not funny at all.
Yes, the thing with Riz really bugged me when I heard about it. Dax was being quite unpleasant on Twitter to people calling him out for it as well.
@AlmasMartyr, he really was. if they wanted to compliment riz it would have been enough to say he’s an incredibly good looking lad, which he is. talking of someone nationality/race as a fetish is just gross, and nagl. his behaviour on twitter was even worse, i bet he’s one of those white privileged dudes who goes on about PC gone mad or people getting offended at anything UGH.
and it’s very annoying to me that people who like them are just ignoring these behaviours.
This CHiPS movie that he wrote is also extremely homophobic.
I think they’re both pretty unpleasant people underneath. Kristen’s had a rep for being nasty since Veronica Mars and Dax’s bigoted views really come out via his ‘comedy’.
Jenny Slate didn’t bug me at all. But these two? To me there’s such an undercurrent of contrived, “look at us aren’t we CUTE? Don’t look at us, we are private people!” that I can’t get past.
See- I’m exactly the opposite. I can’t stand Jenny. I don’t like any role I’ve seen her in, I HATE that damned Marcel the Shell junk. But at the same time, she’s free to be as contrived and extra as she wants to – doesn’t really affect me unless she pops up in something I’m watching.
Alternatively – SO much of Hollywood kisses Jimmy Fallon’s ass. If you looked up thirsty or ‘extra’ – you’d find a photo of that man. So I find it strange when other people get shot down for it.
Well that’s because Jimmy Fallon is the worst. Just the worst.
Where I have an issue with these two is that a huge part of their brand is their relationship and themselves as a family unit. Which is fine, until you get high and mighty about keeping your children private when you’re literally the ones creating the demand. And I find them to be rude and dismissive when confronted with something they don’t like.
But realistically, we’re talking about avoiding a couple of crappy movies and some commercials, so I’m trying to keep vitriol in check. Like, I find these two irritating but they’re not the devil.
i have this thing, where i really REALLY distrust charming people.
they immediately make me suspicious, like, where’s the poop. What are you hiding. No one has a life that is sunshine and roses, and only has positives to say, not unless they are lying some times.
I think its because of my history with these types of people, but i much prefer an awkward or annoying overshare, because it seems more likely to be honest.
It’s funny you say that because I am in the midst of a little work crisis that involves a “charming” person. She is really difficult to work with but most people have no idea because she puts on this charming act in front of management and parents (we are teachers). People get really sucked in to her orbit…but whenever she’s alone with me she is awful and grumpy and two-faced and negative and miserable. We will be in the classroom together and she will be phoning it in or inappropriately reprimanding a kid…and one of our managers will come in and like a light switch flipping on, she will suddenly start laying on the charm and energy and creativity. It’s insane. I can’t even explain it to anyone because I’m afraid they wouldn’t believe me. It’s scary.
I’m really sorry. I was dealing with two lady bullies at my previous position, and they are very much like that. its exhausting and make you question yourself, and can be dangerous if they think you are a threat.
no one believed me for months, until they started getting bolder about their comments. Even still, zero support from mutual friends, because they didn’t want to ‘take sides’.
we are looking into escalating now only because I have enough documentation to support our case, and a few more people have come forward with major concerns. I would strongly suggest documenting everything. it gives you some support if you need to escalate in the future, especially if the safety of kids are involved.
my new trick is to see how people treat others who are considered ‘lower’ than them. Waitstaff, cleaning staff, support admin, etc. If you are actually a nice person, you will treat these people well too. If you are a crappy person, you don’t bother because they don’t ‘give’ you anything.
detritus, ha, I have always used how people treat waitstaff as my barometer for judging a person’s character. In fact, years ago, I was finally able to convince my husband that his old college friend who would visit us about once a year was a garbage human based on how he treated waitstaff whenever we went out. Once I pointed it out my husband couldn’t unsee it. I’ve never seen my co-worker with waitstaff but now that I think of it, she doesn’t give our custodians the time of day. Ugh.
Anyway, you are spot on about my co-worker being dangerous if she would ever think I was a threat. That’s her in a nutshell. After too many sleepless nights worrying about our kiddos being shortchanged I’m ready to talk to someone in management. I have plenty of documentation. I also have a feeling the one person I plan to talk to might be on to her.
This is not fun, as I am probably the least confrontational person you could imagine! I don’t want to see someone lose her job but at the same time she is just not equipped for the position she’s currently trying to do. In fact I think that’s why she works so hard to keep up such a colorful facade — it distracts from how overwhelmed she actually is. Sigh.
good for you, it sounds like you’ve got this all in hand (as much as it can be). I also found it helpful to stick to straight facts (which is hard for me) and let others connect the dots about her being threatened by me, etc etc. I’m sure you are on that too though.
The one reason I didn’t push for things when I was leaving, is because I felt too bad. This person was bullying me, using me, and I felt guilty, like I was ‘tattling’.
The main problem person is now promoted to the position my friend left (she left a more powerful position for the same reasons I did), and feels justified in everything she’s done, and never faced a single consequence.
I deeply regret it, because now she’s doing the same thing to others, but from a higher position.
my fingers are crossed for you, it’s such a complicated situation, and i hope it works out!
Yes! Cosign. Yep.
I always liked her but he’s never not bugged me to no end. I’m wondering if she’d be less insufferable without him.
All this Hollywood doesn’t like this person; or Hollywood doesn’t like this person. Hollywood is not this big moving body. I have always been surprised by the number of people in Hollywood that don’t know each other or who have never actually met. These people are doing their own things. And I doubt they are spending time deciding as a group who they don’t like
Exactly. And Page Six is in the NY Post, which is a right wing rag, so I discount what they print.
If anything, wouldn’t most of Hollywood just be annoyed that these two are getting more attention? The general public obviously likes them if Samsung is willing to do an entire advertising campaign with them.
Yes! Page Six is being obnoxious with their Hollywood hates this person articles. Being a celebrity does not mean you know every other celebrity or that you care what they are doing or about their personal lives of personalities.
Totally agree Nemera77
I love Kristen Bell in “The Good Place.” But I find the two of them to be too much to take.
I am glad that I’m not the only one who feels like this. They are so try hard.
Veronica Mars would never.
loved that show!
Yes!! Thank you for bringing this issue to light.
IF Hollywood saw the picture above, I can see why these two would be considered annoying.
She seemed less annoying before she got married. I don’t remember photos like that when they were just dating. Maybe they’re struggling to keep their careers afloat now that they’re older.
She’s in the best network comedy on TV
A network comedy that was at huge risk of being cancelled after one season and is unlikely to make it past two if viewership doesn’t increase substantially.
I know! How are more people not watching it?! And yet they’ll make two more seasons of Big Bang Theory and another NCIS or CSI Narnia ugh!
At worst they seem merely annoying? There are more suitable candidates to “hate.”
I know of Dax because he’s been on Ellen and I find him funny on that show. But that’s the only time I see or hear him and I don’t think I have seen an interview with Kristen Bell
I’ve loved her for a long time and Its wonderful that she’s happily married, but I can’t help but feel like he’s one of the worst things to happen to her career. They can be cute in small doses I guess, and they used to be pretty low key about their relationship, but I’ve always found her to be at her least likable when he’s by her side. Increasingly it feels like so much of his career hinges on the fact that he’s married to her and that people have long had a soft spot for her. I have no idea why she keeps agreeing to be in his dumb dudebro movies. She doesn’t need to do them to maintain her career, but it feels like he wouldn’t be able to get them made without her attached to them. Love will make you do some dumb stuff I guess.
@Starryfish-maybe she’s doing them to maintain their relationship… just a thought.
They’re just living their life.
Page 6 needs to cool it. They act like they are the gatekeeper of Hollywood.
I love her and I thought he was good on Parenthood. I feel like Hollywood makes insanely stupid choices constantly, so I don’t care who they can’t stand. Anne Hathaway may’ve gotten annoying but man, talk about picking on someone clueless and really just harmless. Now we have them apparently hating these 2 and I just feel like there are SO many worse people out there and they all get a pass. Let’s not forget this is the group of people who would still be praising Woody Allen if it hadn’t become unpopular. Obviously there are many, many others but for the sake of keeping this comment short, I’ll end it here.
C-listers…
C-listers…no1curr.
I like her by herself, good actress, very pretty.
I don’t see his appeal at all.
I’m trying to recall the name of the cable series she was on…Showtime maybe w/ Don Cheadle (I think that’s his name).
She was really good in that.
I’m fascinated by the difference between this article and the one about Megan and Nick. Both couples overshare, but Megan and Nick are adored for it, and Kristen and Dax are disliked. And I say this as someone who loves Megan and Nick and finds Kristen and Dax try hard.
Just an interesting comparison – maybe a commentary about how it’s less about oversharing and more about how they overshare? Maybe also the authenticity?
The difference is when they both turn it “on”. There have been some candid moments with Kristen and Dax that seem legitimately sweet (them visiting his dad before he died while she was pregnant) but when they try to perform as a couple it comes across as cloying. While Mullaly and Offerman are pros. If I were to put my finger on it, Dax is the weak link and not nearly as funny as he thinks (his movie work supports this theory of mine too).
yeah, I don’t know if I’d pay attention to Page Six considering they have been known to make shit up and are part of that Tr*mp-supporting right-wing rag the NY Post.
hahahaha they suck but I doubt all of Hollywood hates them. Probably just 75-80% can’t stand them and probably because they are overly open with their personal lives and everyone else just wants todo their job to promote a movie and not get in too deep about their personal life. There is an over sharing trend now among celebs which is why you see people say they roll their eyes when they come out with a pet cause. Like you have to sell your beliefs to stay in the publics mind and to beef up your *gag* BRAND. bleh
I was done with her when she started preaching respectability politics to oppressed people on twitter.
Ugh. Really? She’s a tone policer? Yuck. Welp, that just lowered my estimation of her. I don’t care about “oversharing” one bit. But tone policing is a deal breaker, for me.
I can’t bring myself to have any negative feelings towards them. I read Dax’s essay he wrote some time ago on the sexual abuse he suffered as a child. I think his personality and need to always be so jokey and happy is in part due to that. I once saw how he surprised Kristen with a baby sloth on Ellen (I think) and the way she cried with so much joy and how happy he was to make her happy it just warmed my heart. I think they bring out a lot of good in one another but that’s just my opinion.
I actually watch the sloth video anytime I’m hopelessly depressed
Wait, we’re supposed to be annoyed by these two, but be enchanted by Chrissy Tiegen’s endless ramblings?
I remember Lainey saying Kristen was a huge b&$Ch
I don’t know much about them but I really enjoyed Dax on ”web therapy” with Lisa kudrow, he was really funny, and it’s mostly unscripted I think. I’ve liked her too in the small snippets I’ve seen, but it does sound like they could tone it down a notch!
She was thirsty for that fame during her VM days to the point she happily killed off that show to move on to bigger things. She wanted & believed she was a triple threat like JLo. She was unpleasant & snotty to fans when she deigned to do fan events. I was finished with her years ago. When she dumped her boyfriend/manager to hook up with Dax, I laughed because he was as annoying as his ex-girlfriend. Dax has never been funny or interesting to me. Never.
Their campaign was ridiculous since no one was fighting to get a photograph their kids. One photog saw her on the street, and it was suggested she called them or went to a pap friendly area to be photographed.
They are fake & phony & it thrills me people are calling them out on it.
Hasn’t Dax gotten into petty Twitter wars with civilians where he wound up blocking them?
I used to like them as a couple, but the more I find out about him, the more I think that goofy exterior is hiding a dude with major anger management issues.
Could not agree more. I’ve seen him block people for simply asking him a question about something he tweeted. He absolutely can not handle the possibility of anyone disagreeing with his ranting. It’s like a child constantly throwing temper tantrums when his mom tells him no. He must be exhausting to live with because he seems to have a very thin skin and snaps easily.
Bell abandoned her brother. She is heartless.
I happen to think they are really funny and real and they seem anti Hollywood bull crap which I find refreshing. I never liked either one until they got together. To compare her to Kim Kardashian is an insult.
I think they’re both decent actors. He was good in The Judge as the quirky southern lawyer. She does similar things in most films/tv shows but is natural and watchable. I think they’ve always been oversharers and really want this film to sell and they are quite eccentric. She’s an animal nut and he borrowed a sloth for one of her bdays and I think she was on Ellen talking about it. She’s got a super sweet singing voice perfect for Disney.
Hollywood has it right.
I know I like to take my cues about how to treat people from Hollywood.
That being said, I’ve heard unpleasant things about her from a couple of industry types. Which breaks my heart, because I love Veronica Mars, but even if they’re true, they seem like odd targets for a takedown piece. Most stars are egomaniacs; why focus on non-players? They must have really pissed someone off.
I like both of them. And I do think they are kinda cute. They sure are better than the obnoxious and fake Hollywood types that get so much praise for causes and ideas that aren’t even theirs. Like them better than most Hollywood couples, aside from maybeTom Hanks and his wife and Samuel L Jackson and his wife.