The video that we mention is on People.com and we can’t embed it.
I’m kind of hot and cold on Jennifer Aniston. I try not to judge celebrities by their media-crafted persona, but in Aniston’s case she seems content to let the media define her and to play along. In some interviews, Aniston is very funny and engaging, but on others, she’s kind of awkward and doesn’t seem to have a lot to say.
While I understand the criticism of the media’s focus on her single status, I also get the impression that she’s not really working that hard to change it. She’s a “live and let live” person though, and maybe she figures there’s no point fighting against an abstraction. We might get a different impression of Aniston once she branches out from romcoms and puts out the musical period film Goree Girls next year.
Anyway, I’ve said all that before and the point was to talk about Aniston’s endearing introduction to her good friend and yoga instructor Mandy Ingber’s new DVD. You can tell that she really loves to do yoga and is so happy to help out her friend. In a video clip available on People.com, Aniston says that yoga “completely changed my life” and tells us that doing the video “will totally pay off.” The new video is called “Yogalosophy” and is available through Ingber’s website for $29.95. There’s no better promotion for an exercise video than an endorsement from a celebrity with a great body.
In this introduction, you can see that Aniston is really in her element. This kind of reminds me why she was America’s sweetheart on TV for so many years. She’s still making plenty of movies and she just needs to bring more of this happy yoga mojo to her media appearances. I’m getting too philosophical about a quick video, but I definitely see the appeal of yoga.
I’m also including this gratuitous photo of yoga instructor Rodney Yee, because I’ve often thought “damn, he’s so hot” while I’m doing the downward dog to one of his Gaiam videos. I just googled him and found out he’s a creep, though. There goes that fantasy.
barf…
That is exactly right, in spite of what people would like to think, but she is a live and let live type person.
ITA, Yoga dude is hot, but sad that like a lot of instructors, he is a creep.
I love yoga. It does pay off. I’m 39 and I was having a lot of achiness in my back. I started doing yoga twice a week and within a 3 week time frame my body felt like I was 24 again, all pain was gone, and my body got more shape to it. That said, I had to go to classes, I’ve done yoga videos and found them dull, dull, dull. But I do think the right class and instructor can change your life.
Sometimes I wonder about celebrities and the sort of inconsistent interviews that you describe above. I think maybe we forget about the influence of the actual journalist/interviewer. Not only do they choose the quotes to include and the main body of the text, they are present in the moment of the interview itself. They help to set the tone, just like I do in a meeting. (If I go in snarky and cold, the person I’m meeting with will feel it and respond) I doubt that interviewers are much less opinionated than the rest of us, so if they are assigned an interview with someone dislike, I think it could result in a colder piece unintentionally. The magazine editors/show producers wouldn’t allow a real hatchet job in most cases, because they’d still want to get interviews in the future… but a little bias may be slipping in all the same.
Just a thought. I don’t even mean this specifically about Aniston, but I was thinking about it and then you mentioned it so I thought I’d put it out there.
You’re right, Princess Pea and I think that Aniston is one of those people who really needs a good rapport to give a good interview. I’m like that too, but there are plenty of people (and celebrities) who aren’t as affected by the person they’re talking to and can just bring it. The thing that kind of changed my mind about her was her interview in Elle, in which she was talking to her best friend and still brought up the lonely girl business. It was like “oh, she wants to talk about it.” But I see your point.
Princess, I agree. Journalists are people too — plus they get to ask the questions. Remember when they always asked Jennifer about Brad? Then when she answered the question, the haters would say “What’s wrong with her, why is she talking about him all the time?” They seem to have cooled off on that subject lately, thank God.
One other thought: The writer also has to comply with the instructions of his/her editor (“get some dirt!” or “she’s America’s sweetheart and it’s the Christmas issue, so we want something wholesome and upbeat”). So that’s what the writer writes about.
Wif: That is awesome news. Glad to hear it worked out well for you!
There was a yoga article she did in a magazine a while back (can’t remember which one) that includes her friend Mandy showing Aniston’s favorite yoga poses and Jen explaining why she liked the particular pose. I saved the article and that was my toe-dip into yoga. Good article and I can definitely see why Aniston did NOT show the poses herself. Nice to see she is still with Mandy too.
Is Goree Girls going to be a one-woman show? On imdb.com, which lists the cast and crew and production data of all movies, the only cast member listed is Jennifer Aniston.
Musical Period Piece?
Crash. Fail.
As someone who sells workout videos (yep!) and has a degree in exercise science, I think there is something to yoga. Granted, I’m not a yoga instructor, but I’ve done it on many occasions. I find when I am consistent with it (2-4 times a week), I do somehow feel less pain and lighter (like my body moves around in space easier). I think when coupled with weight training and cardio, it can be very beneficial. 🙂
Nice write CB.
Maybe it’s just me, but past 40 celebs shouldn’t try to be “cute.” It’s just not cute.
j ferber– normally I’d agree, but unlike C Diaz, Aniston is not *trying* to be cute, she just is.
Aniston is always more fun and relaxed during an interview if she has smoked a big doobie before she goes on. A love of Maryjane is one of the things she had in common with Brad.
Totally agree J. ferber. The last outfit she wore was these really ripped jeans that teenagers wear. She seems childish. How do you explain her falling for someone as immature as John Mayer? She’s still stuck in her Rachel, cute-girl persona, except she’s not that anymore, and refuses to give it up.
Why should she give her persona up? Maybe there is a lot of aniston in Rachel Green. Whats the problem with that? And why is aniston not allowed to dress young? Women are so mean to each other. I don’t understand that.
Aniston is not one of my favorite actresses but i like to look at her or read her interviews. And i like to read comments about her. But i always ask myself why women are so mean to her. She did nothing wrong in the past and she is said to be a very nice person. How would you act in her position? She does not need to care what unknown people write in comments, but i am very interested what reasons do women have to write such things.
My english is not good. Sorry for that. I’m french.
Cee, your english is fine.
And I’d be it’s a lot better than the French skills of most of the folks on here.
Welcome. or, better yet, bienvenue.
(sorry if I spelled that wrong…it’s been a while since I was in French class!)
jen rocks… she amazing
Whatever Cee. You don’t know her to say that she’s a nice person. We do know she dates babies like John Mayer, which tells me she needs to catch a clue. Don’t jump on people just because they aren’t celebfans.
@ lolo – How about you try not jumping on people just because they don’t hate to the same degree that you do?
I guess you didn’t notice that Cee said she is said to be a very nice person, huh? Because she totally didn’t imply that she personally knows Jen. Nice try at putting someone down just for having a different opinion than yours, though.
ps. How was that post “jumping on” you? It was really respectful, I thought.
@Princess pea. You are hysterical. Hey, I’m not a fan of any of the 3 . . . and, of course, anyone who isn’t a fan of Jen riles up all the Jen fans to a frenzy. You guys are as bad as the Brange fans. Flip side of the same warped coin.
sorry, lolo, pea is right.
cee only said that Aniston is “said to be” a nice person.
and when pea pointed that out to you, you deflected with some bs about “jen fans”.
cee’s post didn’t “jump on” anyone. as pea said, it WAS polite and respectful.
too bad we can’t say the same for you.
@Praise–I haven’t said anything disprespectful. I agreed with J. Ferber and Cee said I was “mean” for not liking Jen. Then, princess pea called me a hater. Seriously.
Like I said, you Aniston fans can dish it out, but sure can’t take it. Flip side of the same warped coin.
except that neither of those two (nor I) are Aniston “fans”. or, at least, the kind you’re referring to.
cee said Aniston “is said to be” a nice person, and you jumped on her for “acting like she knows” Aniston. she did no such thing.
she just wondered why people are so mean to Aniston. and let’s face it, people ARE mean to her, for no reason. (same goes for Jolie, before you freak out and call me a Jen Hen.)
then, when pea pointed out what you seemingly (nay, what you DID) read into what Cee posted, you became deflective.
no one is in a “frenzy”, just pointing out that you may have mis-read what Cee posted, possibly because of your own biases.
go ahead and hate her if you want, you’re entitled to your opinion, but don’t put words in other people’s mouths and act defensive when someone points it out your mistake to you.
@St. Angie. You’re not a fan? What a hoot! The only ones who patrol the Aniston/Brangelina threads are the fans. Time to come out of the closet, dearie. We are all biased to some degree, and your biases are SO OBVIOUS by the very screen name you’ve picked. You’re not fooling anyone. Anyways, I’m done chatting as fans give me the heebie-jeebies. Have a good Day! 😉
nope, not a fan in the sense that you’re talking about. I think I’ve only seen one movie she was in – Office Space. Oh, and Bruce Almighty…but neither were HER vehicles, she was a supporting in both.
the screen name I’ve picked is an homage to MichaelK at Dlisted.
yup, there are nuts on both sides, but I’m not one of them.
but, keep deflecting. All anyone did was point out that you made a simple mistake and snarked at another poster because of it.
I’ve never encountered anyone as unwilling to admit they made a simple mistake as you are. I guess it’s just easier to point your finger and yell “crazy fan!” than it is to just give a simple mea culpa.
I’m just getting sooooo tired of hearing about little Miss Jen. She’s about as interesting as Jennifer Garner and Cameron Diaz. Put them all together and who needs turkey and wine to fall asleep.
I agree NFLer! But, I think the worst thing about Aniston is the strange people she attracts (like St. Angie above). Anyone who says a non-positive word about Miss Jen (like Cheyenne or lolo), and she attacks them, calling them a “hater”? so strange these people are