Shawn Mendes is a treat. He’s a Canadian snack. He’s SO pretty, you guys. I know he’s way too young for me (he’s 20) and way too confused about life in general, but still… I like to look at him. Mendes sat down for another painfully self-aware interview, this time with the Guardian. The topics are the same as always – how he actually spends hours reading tweets and comments about himself online, how polite and generous he is to fans, how he is not gay but worried that people might think he is, but not in a bad or homophobic way. It’s a lot. I feel like this kid needs a break, but instead he’s too polite and Canadian to actually say “I’m out of here for the next six months.” Anyway, Shawn covered the Observer Magazine (the Guardian’s weekend mag) and they called him the new “Prince of Pop.” They compared him to Justin Bieber, only they hyped Mendes up to be better than Bieber. LOL. Anyway, you can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
His Calvin Klein underwear modeling gig: It was “a goal of mine at the top of 2018. As much as it’s a stepping stone for me to play a stadium, it’s a huge moment for me to step in front of a camera and take my shirt off. I don’t see one being less meaningful than the other.” The air is thick with earnestness as we sit down for lunch in the hotel restaurant. I blurt out a question about whether he had to wear extra padding. “No,” he says, eyebrow raised. “They’re really good underwear.”
On the social media reaction to his Calvin Klein ads: “The last 48 hours have been so consuming, just reading what people are saying about me [on social media],” he sighs. Do you have to read it? “No, but there’s something about being human that makes you. I’m scared of social media and how much it affects me. It’s literally become infused with who I am.”
He’s trying to relax about social media comments but: “I don’t think of myself as conceited, but I definitely spend a lot of time reading about myself.”
His three rules: Mendes famously has three daily rules – going to the gym, two vocal lessons and never saying no to a selfie with a fan. He’s managed the first two so far and “took about 200 selfies yesterday… The more open the world is getting, the more people are craving real. I don’t think people want to see a made-up person. [In the past] there’s been a lot of dressing up, and I still think that stuff is amazing – like I’ll wear a sleeveless top – but at the end of it, when it comes down to you, I think it’s about being authentic.”
His success: “This life is more real to me than anything. If I were to walk down the street and no one recognised me, I’d feel something was wrong. When I was really young [fame] morphed who I was. If it was to become normal, it would feel un-normal to me…. A couple of times I’ve worried about [going the way of Britney], too, but outside of all this I live a really normal life. You have to make an effort to carry your own bags, drive your own car and not be afraid of the public. I don’t blame people at all who stay inside. I understand how it could be terrifying to go to a restaurant and eat because you’re scared someone’s going to take a photo of you.”
The rumors about his sexuality: “For me it’s hurtful. I get mad when people assume things about me because I imagine the people who don’t have the support system I have and how that must affect them….That was why I was so angry, and you can see I still get riled up, because I don’t think people understand that when you come at me about something that’s stupid you hurt so many other people. They might not be speaking, but they’re listening.”
Whether he’s bored with his image as an emotionally needy mess/Nice Guy: “Yeah, I am! It sounds so stupid – to be a nice person is the best thing in the world – but, yeah, I’m 20 and I just want to have fun. What I don’t want to do is live the rest of my life thinking, ‘I wouldn’t do that because I’m known as Prince Charming.’ The second that someone corners you into a personality, you don’t want to be that person any more.”
Just my opinion: we need to make a bigger deal about how he’s Canadian. He’s like all of the positive stereotypes about Canadians mixed into one adorable, lanky package with great hair. He’s super-earnest, he’s painfully honest, he’s just as polite as can be and his version of doing something “bad” is “smoking a little weed.” But there’s one way in which he’s not Canadian enough for Canadians: according to Justin Bieber, Mendes isn’t much of an ice hockey player.
Justin Bieber really pressed about Shawn Mendes being called the prince of pop 😭 pic.twitter.com/D3aQhBFoyP
— Shoeb is a miya-ne (@memoirsofswift) April 8, 2019
That’s like the biggest Canadian burn, right? LOL.
Covers courtesy of The Observer.
Actually being KIND is the best thing in the world. Kindness is a virtue. Being nice is an affectation. Even serial killers are described as “nice”. Just saying.
I agree. “Nice” is a terrible word. But then again he lives in a world of appearances so I guess that seeming kind is “nice” for a famous person.
Agree with you @Valiantly Varnished!
“He is the nicest, young man. Wouldn’t harm a fly.” – Every neighbor of a murderer
lol, this is true!
In all fairness, I think he probably meant nice as kind
Lol I’m a proud Canadian and I’ve never played hockey!
Ha ha how dare you ! You never had to play floor hockey in grade school? We did and I loved it. Next you’re gonna tell us you’ve never been to Tim Hortons !
Haha nope, no hockey in school! In summer we played soccer and in winter we played broom ball. I grew up in a very immigrant neighborhood/community so hockey has never played a big role in my Canadian identity. But I did live on Timmy’s coffee in uni!
We had to play floor hockey and grass hockey in high school. P.E. was mandatory for graduating. I hated it with a passion. I was into soccer and basketball, which we did play, but the high school’s PE teacher was into hockey hardcore.
Another proud Canadian here, and I can barely skate! I did play floor hockey in gym class, though…I was a goalie, lol.
Neither have I. Hockey sucks. LOL
Shhhhh deezee don’t say that out loud. As Canadians we all have to pretend Hockey is in our blood lol.
I’m a proud Canadian. I do play hockey. But I’m also a fire-breathing cunt.
I find it touching that Kaiser is so taken by this vanilla Canadian boy but I find it utterly depressing to read an interview about how a person deals with what is nothing more than a persona and what is behind it (or should be).
I’m Canadian and I really don’t get the stereotype about Canadians “being nice”. I meet plenty of a$$holes on a daily basis here…and plenty of sexists and racists too. Where did the “nice” stereotype come from?
Exactly! Plenty of awful people up here – so many racists, misogynist and other awful types
It’s a relative thing. I’m an American whose lived in Canada (both coasts) for 14 years and trust me when I say, the American scale of asshole is LARGE. Canadian assholes generally register in the lower end of that scale. I really enjoy not being told to go ‘eff myself on a near daily basis like I got living in Pittsburgh.
I’m a dual citizen though I’ve mainly lived in Canada, both coasts (also, France.) I did spend a lot of time in Seattle too. I think the stereotype is about on the surface interactions. When I vacationed in NYC people were noticeably “ruder” I know they’re actually not being rude but it feels like it because little things are expressed differently than I’m used to in those interactions. France is “rude” too, in a different way, but I got used to it after time, and it no longer felt abrasive. However I never feel this way in Seattle, is Seattle like Canada ? Im definitely not claiming canadians are kinder though, I don’t have any theory about kindness.
I’ve been to NYC many times and honesty thought for the most part they were nice people. Had one rude cashier and a group of construction workers that were rude but other than that nothing but nice people. I guess visiting rather than living in a place can impact your opinion.
I always wondered why the stereotype came from as well. I’m not saying the Canadians I’ve met are rude per se but I wouldn’t exactly call them nice and certainly not overtly so.
@Me THIS. there are PLENTY of lovely, nice, kind Canadians – but there are also people like Rob Ford, and the people who vote for people like him.
We have got to just stop with these national stereotypes. Its ridiculous. Maybe I’m just felting salty because some of the stereotyping about Brits around here has been particularly nasty of late.
I assume you mean Doug Ford? He is the @sshat in charge these days.
Rob Fords is dead.
@Deezee – yes I meant Doug Ford, sorry and thanks for catching that – but same applies to Rob Ford and the people who voted for him.
@ Clare
Well those idiots wanted their “buck a beer”. Doug Ford is a HUGE mistake on the part of those who voted for him. Andrea Horwath should have won. She would have provided free dental care for ALL…but nope a buck a beer is more important.
Ford is an ass…Doug, Rob, Patricia, you can call him what you like but you can’t call him nice.
*For all our American friends, Doug Ford is the Trump of the north and he currently rules the province of Ontario.
I too am a Canadian and I am WOC and let me just say, the Canadian “kind” stereotype is just that. It’s not true. I have dealt with many a nasty racist, misogynist and mean self interested person.
Our government leaders are selfish and greedy and predominately white and male just like the rest of the western world. There are environmental crisis, homelessness crisis and drug crisis, Not to mention as I have said a plethora of racism to deal with.
It honestly seems that white Canadians are what people think of when they think of Canada. My work takes me outside of my home country and people always assume I am from the US. This is because I am WOC and for some reason aside from Drake it’s like folks assume Canada is devoid of ethnic people and if we are there we aren’t really from there.
It’s annoying and like others have said, I would love to banish this stereotype and stop hyping up this myth and perhaps keep focusing on Canadians like Sandra Oh( which you have yay but said she was Canadian/American which while she might be a dual citizen now she was born in Canada) and Stephan James( which again you have but it would be nice to see more) .
Ok rant over..
Yeah. There is a pervasive myth that Canada is really white, and as a Jew from downtown Toronto – the most multicultural city in the goddamn world – that pisses me off. Don’t erase our immigrants. Don’t erase our First Nations.
OMG yes, THIS all day. I’m born and raised in Alberta and PEOPLE. ARE. EFFING. RUDE. HERE.
Sure it is! Closely followed by being smoking hot. I like Shawn!
Canada, thank you so much! Keanu, the McGarrigle Sisters, Ian & Sylvia, Buffy Ste. Marie, the Ryans, Christopher Plummer, Kids in the Hall, Gordon Lightfoot, the Shat, so many others I haven’t mentioned. A place to flee should we need to. THANK YOU!
I’ve lived in Canada all my life and whenever I go to America I think that they are the nicest people on earth. Of course it depends where you go but generally speaking Americans are VERY friendly, very chatty, very inquisitive and very welcoming. There’s a kind politeness to the majority as well.
At home in Ontario though? People are nowhere near as friendly or chatty. The general human interaction is dictated by politeness but its a mechanism not sincere. It’s all surface.
I so agree with you ! I’ve traveled to America many times and find Americans much nicer for the most part. I don’t know why but Canadians don’t seem as nice to me. Yes, definitely think American “kindness” is much more genuine and sincere where as in Canada it’s just a “sorry” culture. Just saying “sorry” for no reason. LOL every time I’m in the grocery store someone will say “sorry” for just walking by me. It’s like “sorry” for what? I mean there are good and bad people everywhere but just going by my personal observation I have to say Michiganders are some of the nicest people.
I also agree with that. While it might be crazy down here politically, all of the Americans I have met and worked with are incredibly friendly and nice. I am from BC and well Vancouver is cold cold cold. Very polite though. We are all so very polite.
I’ve never once met an American who WASN’T nice, kind and helpful. I love visiting the States (or I did, pre-Trump…I’ll be back once he’s done) because my experience with Americans has been so wonderful. Every time I have travelled to the US and then come back to Canada, I always know I’m home by how freaking rude everybody is once I’m off the plane and back on Canadian soil.
I’m the same. I haven’t been to the US since Trump got into office and I don’t plan on going back until he’s out of office.
Canadians aren’t nice, we’re polite. Huge difference. Huge.
Truth!!
I agree we are not “nice” as a rule, but we are very polite.
This. We’re very polite superficially, but underneath just as awful as people anywhere else on earth.
He’s just too boring and full of toxic masculinity for my liking. But he’s still young, so there’s room to grow.
Prince of Pop though? LMAO. That title belongs to Bruno Mars.
Exactly my thoughts, this guy is so boring. He makes generic pop music and even in his interviews he exudes zero personality. Most interesting thing about him was blind item that he’s gay.
I really like him. I don’t care what anyone says. He’s sweet, cute, doesn’t sound terrible like Bieber and better than one direction.