This is a great cover on many levels. One, it’s a vibrant shade of green and I enjoy that. There should be more green covers. Two, the cover subject is the magnificent Kate McKinnon, breakout star of Saturday Night Live and one of the funniest women working today. That being said, I’ve never read a good interview with her. She’s a very private person, and she’s at a point in her famous life where she’s learned how to expertly deflect personal questions and political questions and more. Which means that this VF cover profile is a lot of mood and description and quotes from other people about Kate’s brilliance, but very little actual information about her life or process or politics. These are literally the two most interesting quotes:
She gets very emotional talking about Hillary and the election: “I love doing impressions of politicians because the task is always to imagine the private lives of these people whose job it is to project an image of staunch, unflinching leadership and grace, and that’s just not how human beings, in their heart of hearts, work. In doing that for Hillary Clinton, who I admire so much, I started to feel very close to her, just trying to imagine her inner life.”
Her touchstone: A touchstone for Kate is Molly Shannon’s Mary Katherine Gallagher, the Catholic schoolgirl who’s rough on décor and who sniffs her armpit-dipped fingers when she’s nervous: “Mary Katherine is crashing into tables and doing a little dance, and yet she’s so real at the same time. You have to love her so much because she’s a person who’s trying to connect, but is thwarted by everything about who she is. I can relate to that.”
I like what she says about Hillary and apparently they’re still friends – after the election, they’ve been seen out in New York, having lunch or dinner or drinks. I wish Hillary had conducted this interview because then we would have gotten somewhere.
Vanity Fair talks about how Kate is in the public sphere as an “out” gay woman, but it’s clear that Kate did not want to talk about her girlfriend (who was her Emmy date) or anything about that. Which is too bad, because that would have livened up their somewhat overwrought and overwritten piece.
Also: did you know Kate is only 33?? That’s breaking news! I honestly thought she was 40.
Photo courtesy of Getty, cover courtesy of Vanity Fair.
I don’t know about that cover. I get the concept but her beauty doesn’t really shine through that styling or composition.
I also don’t mind her keeping her private life/thoughts private. I know she’s beautiful and talented and smart and I guess that’s enough for me, even with my love of gossip.
So funny EsMOM bc I came here to say pretty much exactly same thing
except
even not knowing about cover or styling
With that green background
I think her beauty REALLY SHINES THROUGH
WOW was my first thought
She looks STUNNING
Beautiful!
great minds think alike! And can agree to disagree too 😉
I agree. They took this luminous gorgeous woman and turned her into what? A clown?
BOOO VF. Bad cover.
She looks like a boudoir dancer whose specialty is killer clowns. Her main act involves balloons, chopped liver and children screaming.
I hate that cover too! I hate that she’s in a bra with her legs spread open. What the hell!? She doesn’t have to be sexualized (in a really bizarre way, no less) in order to be worthy of being on the cover. I’m pissed off!!
Simply Kate the Great
It looks some some weird sexy Elf on The Shelf cosplay. Not great at all!!!
LOL elf on the shelf cosplay.
I think the truly great actors/performers etc are the ones that retain a bit of mystery about them and their personal lives. This way you can buy that they are the character they are playing.
Examples of people that do this well: Rachel McAdams, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, etc
Examples of people whose personas overtake their acting: Tom cruise, George Clooney, Julia Roberts.
Her face looks quite pretty, but everything on her and around her is ugly.
That cover is awful… It reminds me of the 30 Rock episode in which Jenna refuses to let them style her as a “funny woman” because the results are always terrible and embarrassing.
Ha, that’s exactly what it reminded me of well – where’s the rubber chicken and toilet bowl? 😄
LOVE her. She is entitled to her privacy but doesnt make for a great article I suppose. Had no clue she was gay, and I dont care! Love is love.
Why even say “i don’t care” ? What gives you the right to say that, that she has your blessing like it is something questionable? I know you meant well but we need to look at out language towards lgbtq. It can be very demeaning and patronizing
I read Kathryns comment quite the opposite way, totally not patronizing. When I say that I don’t care about someone’s sexual orientation what I am trying to express is that it should not even be part of the conversation. Like… it’s one of mine or anybody elses business. I think we should consider stopping to point of out that someone is gay or black or transgender or female doing a male job or whatever the author thinks makes that person ~special~. Because that is how you make people feel like they are outsiders. I think we should celebrate her for her work, and just that.
I love her, she can do no wrong.
She looks like a posed elf on a shelf.
Dead on! LOL!
Exactly!
Is there a theory that Vanity Fair has been striking out lately? Especially with Angelina Jolie’s interview and now pretty public severed relationship with them? In this day in age, if i’m a celebrity, why would I want to reveal anything to a magazine journalist (Vanity Fair) that just recently embarrassed their last cover story (Jolie). Especially if I can control the narrative on my own various social media accounts.
The Jolie interview was a win for them. It was a coup and the entire media was talking about it for weeks. They’re making less commercial decisions now, including this cover, because their subscriber base has increased hugely in the last year because they HATE Trump, and are covering him relentlessly while he calls for their death.
I think everything on the cover is peripheral to her lovely face— her eyes in particular.
Regarding Hillary, she ought to be very grateful to Kate for helping to humanize her and make her more likable during the election. Clearly Kate relates and feels great affection for Hillary and that came through in the SNL skits.
I think this cover is hilarious. In a good way. Clearly, Kate & her photographer knew how absurdist it would be. That’s the fun of it.
And re: Angelina, when you behave poorly, & respected magazines accurately report on it, stamping your foot just makes you appear more like the crazy bitch you are. 😉
She looks like zoey deschanel during elf movie!
+1
Did they purposely style her in the same top that Britney Spears wore in her VMA – Slave for You performance?
I didn’t know she was gay not that it matters. Love her, think she’s hilarious and thought her HC impressions were great! She’s beautiful.
What a terrible interview!! Vanity Fair, how far you have fallen.