[cross-posted from
Harlan Ellison's message board]
I'm probably the only one here who can or would say this, but I actually AM interested in the ongoing saga of Ms. Jolie's and Mr. Pitt's loinfruit--but, I might add, only in a purely sociological fashion.
No, I haven't gone gibbetmind; hear me out.
Whether on their own part or on the part of their publicists, the whole thing speaks to a particular astuteness in owning one's own celebrity.
Think about it: Though each has a small handful of solid acting performances in their respective oeuvres, the two are known and are famous mainly through being easy on the eyes, and little else.
Yet they were able, through judicious appearances and releases, to shape an entire ongoing debate and spate of coverage over what is a simple act of life which billions perform on a regular basis with little fanfare. They were able to do everything entirely their own way, and have it roundly reported on a constant basis in the "news" media.
Contrast this with the reports in the last several years of pretty much all the other celebrity couples or weddings, where the principals were uniformly harassed, put-upon, or painted in unflattering lights.
(Also bear in mind that the last celebrity adulterers to share such a happy relationship with the press as Jolie and Pitt were Burton and Taylor--and the bloom went off that rose pretty quickly.)
This, along with the forays each has taken into social activism, bodes well should either or both ever take a shot at the celebrity-to-politics polka--and politics DOES interest me.
(And hell; if I ever get together enough money to fulfill my long-held dream of running for Congress, I would try to get their publicist as a consultant ...)
