Supplemental Post 5: Iron-Man 2

I went to see Iron Man 2 at LA Live last night and the line was around the corner for the film. This is clearly an established franchise behind the star-power of Robert Downey Jr. and is expected to gross 140-150 million dollars in it's first weekend domestically. It has already broken even overseas. It is amazing how easy it is to profit on a film once it has name recognition. However, I was quite disappointed with the film and I was a big fan of the first. For those who still haven't seen it, there are some spoiler alerts ahead. I feel in the movie they packed it with far too many stars to try to drag in different types of audiences. Although Scarlet Johanson is a sex symbol she might be there to attract more females, and Samuel L Jackson could help attract a more diverse audience as well. It is disappointing to see Johanson reduced to a few promiscuous comments, she has shown she is a good actress but is now just shown as a sex doll in films such as "Ironman" and "He's Just Not That Into You". She really has no function in the film besides shaking her butt and making sexy faces at Downey Jr. Samuel L Jackson also has no real function besides doing his normal yelling. Mickey Rourke was another star they used to glitz up the production and he is one of the worst villains in recent memory. He speaks in a Russian accent which at times is barely understandable and quite hard to believe after seeing him as tough New Jersey man in "The Wrestler". For most of the film Rourke just sits in a lab building drones to take down Ironman and when he finally comes out and faces Ironman, he is defeated in about 30 seconds in one of the more lame villain fights in recent memory. Although I wouldn't call this a bad movie, I just think they loaded it with stars to cash in more in the box office rather than these characters actually having a purpose.

Supplemental Post 4: Conan O'Brien

In case you missed the 60 Minutes piece on Conan O'Brien, it made me feel quite uncomfortable. Conan would continuously cackle about the predicament he was put in and you could tell he is VERY pissed off about the situation he's been put in. He is now on a comedy tour, the only thing he's really allowed to do, considering the contract he signed with NBC saying he can't start another show until September. The show seems to mainly consist of him singing songs and telling jokes about how he got screwed by NBC. Although uncomfortable, it was another great piece by the journalists of 60 Minutes to get behind the mind of a famous scorned man. It is easy to see he is very upset about what happened. He will be starting his new late night talk show on TBS, which is an interesting move. He obviously won't get nearly as many viewers as he did on NBC, but he should get a loyal following. I wish him the best of luck.

Super 8: Supplemental post 5

Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams have joined together to create what was supposed to be a highly secretive new film Super 8. The film is not scheduled to release until summer 2011, and it was scarcely spoken about. Unfortunately, yesterday, an illegal recording of the trailer for the film was released online. The film looks action packed and the trailer leaves the audience wanting more, as any good trailer will do. But the question is, why the secrecy? The trailer will be airing soon enough, so what is the purpose of this tactic that PR executives were attempting to utilize. It seems to be a similar tactic to that which many stars use when they refuse to talk about their personal lives. What is it about the secretive that intrigues us so much? Will Smith’s recent film, Seven Pounds, utilized the same sort of marketing campaign where very little was known about the films content and story line. There is something about the unknown that draws us in; we have this itch to know all the details about basically everything, that won’t be scratched until the secrets are revealed. We clearly do it with movies, celebrities, and various other areas of life. Marketing agencies, PR firms, and publicists have all tapped into this need for knowledge we seem to have and have capitalized on their ability to utilize it in their favor; that is, until someone with a camera phone illegally pirates a trailer, in which case your entire marketing campaign is out the window. It looks like Spielberg an Abrams’ people are going to have to come up with something new to get audiences to the theaters next summer.

Reality TV turns to Movie? Supplemental Post 4

With the advent of reality television over the last several years, the way we watch tv has completely changed. We’ve seen couples find their “soul mates,” people make it through hell and back for money, and singing stars find their claim to fame. An interesting phenomenon has been the MTV reality series. Starting with hits like Nick and Jessica’s Newlyweds, Laguna Beach, and taking that into a spin-off of The Hills. Lauren Conrad has been living her life on television over the last five years. She has taken her fame as a true reality tv star and used it to start a clothing line and start a career as an author. In her book LA Candy she describes a young woman who finds fame through a reality tv show, essentially it is her life in a novel. A new phenomenon in cinema seems to be coming from this book; the producers of Twilight have taken on the novel to be adapted into a film. While we have watched many different “art” mediums influence film before, this idea of having a reality television show inspire a film. What does this say about young American audiences? Why are we so intrigued by the lives of others? It will be interesting to see how this film does and where the project goes. Conrad has reported that she doesn’t want to act in the film, but if she had, wouldn’t it have just been The Hills: The Movie?

Sex and the City 2: Supplemental Post 3

It seems that you cannot turn around without seeing another advertisements for the new Sex and the City movie. Whether you are turning on the TV and seeing ANOTHER trailer, driving around Hollywood on a billboard, or even riding your bike to and from campus and passing a Metro bus, Sex and the City 2 is there. The ads are everywhere, so what does this say about the quality of the film? While there are many who buy into the idea that it’s just so good that it’s being over-advertised to get more people to enjoy this sequel to the fabulousness of the original. It seems that when films are advertised to death, they are compensating for something. The first Sex and the City film took the top spot at the box office replacing the long-standing Indiana Jones success. So what’s to expect from this new film? The most raved about aspect of the first film was it’s incredible wardrobe. Women were coming out just raving about the incredible outfits, purses, and of course, shoes. But can a sequel stand on just it’s wardrobe? There was a lot of questioning when they decided to make the hit sitcom into a movie in the first place, but when it did so well, it seems that producers thought they would be able to strike gold twice. With two weeks left until the film hits theaters it seems that we will continue to be bombarded with advertisement, but on May 27th we will see how audiences respond to another attempt to keep the Sex and the City spirit alive.

And The Winner Is…Sandra Bullock For Best Kept Secret in the New Baby Category

The adoption of babies by celebrities is not a new phenomenon for Hollywood. In recent years many celebrities have chosen to adopt babies from foreign countries. There is usually a media frenzy associated with every phase of the process. Angelina Jolie made news when she adopted her son, Maddox, in 2002 from an orphanage in Cambodia. Later Jolie and Brad Pitt would adopt another two children, Zahara from Addis Abada and Pax from Vietnam. In total they have six children. Each time the press jockeyed for the publishing rights to the baby photos. Jolie and Pitt played the media for all that the pictures were worth and wound up donating the money from their sales to charity. Other celebrities such as Madonna also went abroad to expand her family. Madonna went to Malawi to fund six orphanages and one of her own. While there, she met and later adopted a boy, David, and most recently a girl. The most current adoption is that of a baby boy, Louis Bardo, by actress Sandra Bullock. Bullock’s son had been with her three months before the news was released and the story was plastered on the front of People Magazine. Maybe Bullock was able to keep her secret better than other stars because the media was capitalizing on her recent separation from husband and television personality Jesse James.

The public has mixed reviews on adoptions by celebrities. Critics accuse Jolie, Pitt, Madonna, and Bullock of using their celebrity status to shorten the amount of time required to adopt. Others feel these are publicity stunts to bolster music and movie sales. But maybe the public could shift their focus. Just for a moment the public could turn a blind eye toward any ulterior motive and focus on this thought: maybe children adopted by a celebrity are just lucky. They are getting a loving family anxious to have their child leave behind a desperate life and join in on their joy.

Rock Hudson (Core Post)

Shh... Don’t ask, don’t tell could have been the tag line for many of Hollywood’s most successful actors in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Homosexuality was a concept that movie studios tried to keep hidden from the public through the use of lawyers and skeptical marriages. Rock Hudson was just one of many actors to have lived this life of secrecy. His good looks, charm, and masculinity launched Hudson’s career. However, gossip surrounded Hudson and when his homosexuality was going to be exposed he hastily married. The industry kept it quiet and the public didn’t care to confront this screen icon’s life off the big screen. Within a few years this marriage ended. Although his early movies didn’t prove to be blockbuster hits, his star persona kept him in front of the camera. Hudson was best known for his roles in romantic comedies. It was here where he felt most comfortable. He presented his studio-manufactured image, that of the handsome, ladies’ man while also showing his somewhat whimsical side. An excellent example is the movie Pillow Talk, starring Hudson and Doris Day. Hudson’s character, Brad Allen, has a fascination with interior decorating and is seen raising his pinkie finger while sipping tea. Although these traits do not mean one is homosexual; society has often assigned these activities as extremely effeminate characteristics. Is it possible that Hudson used these subtle ways to show his homosexual leanings without opening admitting them? Eventually, Hudson opened up to the public about his homosexuality and his diagnosis of being HIV positive.

Supplemental Post: Re-crafting of a Star Image

Two weekends ago, I helped out with the Iron Man 2 junket as part of my internship. During the international press conference, one journalist asked Robert Downey, Jr. a simple questions, "Did you used to dress up as superheroes when you where a child?" Instead of giving a typical answer, RDJ wittily answered, "Well, in my childhood, no. But in my thirties and right before I was about to get arrested...absolutely." A large wave of good-natured laughter filled the audience.

The intense transformations of star identities - RDJ's image from being perceived as a drugged-out has-been to a suave A-list actor, for example - occur all the time, and the public seems to pass over and accept the almost instantaneously. How is it that these stars manage to do this? Do they just have really good PR people? Or do that completely disregard their past?

I think that the answer is a complex one, and one that many don't think too deeply about. Robert Downey, Jr.'s answer to the reporter is especially telling. He relates back to his "old self," thereby acknowledging a not so bright past, but also simultaneously separating his current image from what it used to be. This mention of his past actions also bring a sense of authenticity to his personality - he admits who he used to be, but he also affirms that he is no longer that person. Therefore, in bringing his dark past to the forefront, he both shows that he is a real person and distances himself from what his older star persona - more so, even, than if he were to not mention it at all.

Supplemental Post

I am responding to Michael Gores' question: Does Arnold Schwarzenegger represent a modern masculine ideal? If so, what kind of ideal?

I do not think it would be incorrect to say Arnold Schwarzenegger represents a modern masculine ideal. As we learned in this class, there can simultaneously be many ideals of masculinity during a particular period of time. But while not everyone looks to size and strength as the necessary requirements to be considered “masculine,” muscle definitely plays a part in the views of many.

Perhaps the steroid look may no longer be as revered as it once was, society does see size and athleticism as a significant aspect of masculinity. Without a doubt, popular athletes of generation (from football to basketball and even tennis) are getting bigger and bigger, both in terms of body size and strength as well as in terms of popularity. And if a woman is unusually muscular, she is called “manly.” Clearly, society sees muscle as an important aspect of masculinity.

When analyzing the masculinity of stars, it is important to consider all aspects of a star’s persona. In Schwarzenegger’s case, the brawn and physique is what made him a star, but it is not all he is known for, particularly now. He is no longer at his physical peak, yet I would definitely still consider him an ideal figure of masculinity.

The ideal that I think Schwarzenegger fulfills is one that has built upon his action star, playboy ideal of a few decades ago. Now I think the ideal he fulfills is one that consists of more aspects of his life, including qualities I think society has found to be important in categorizing masculinity. Just like I think I am not alone in considering President Obama and other politicians a new kind of masculinity, I think Schwarzenegger remains an ideal figure of masculinity because he is a husband, a father, and a politician, among many other things. I think especially today, masculinity consists of a variety of things, and that Schwarzenegger, despite being past his hey-day of 80s action films, continues to be recognized as a masculine figure.