Scarlett Johansson is the January cover girl for Harper’s Bazaar UK, and I’m kind of in love with the cover image. This is one of the prettiest pictures I’ve ever seen of Scar. She’s a pretty girl, but she’s been going off in this vampy, bombshell, Marilyn Monroe-meets-Courtney Love type thing in many of her recent ads and photo spreads. I find this image really classy, and classic. She’s looks like an old pin-up, like Janet Lee. Love it. The photographer is Alexi Lubomirski, and he needs to work with Scar again and again. Here’s Harper’s gallery.
As far as the interview goes, the full text hasn’t been released, so we only have pieces here and there. The interview was actually done by Bono, probably because Scar is an ambassador for the One campaign, and she actually models some “Red” clothing in the photo shoot. In the interview, she talks about her work in Africa, and how she came to he realization that for many people, toilets are a luxury:
On one of her campaign trips to Africa: “In Rwanda, I’d been warned that we might see disturbing things, and that some people might be close to death. So I had a bit of apprehension walking into the first hospital. But I soon realised that you’re standing before people. They might be very ill, but they’re just people like everyone else. Suddenly you’re not aware of how you’re feeling, how you’re going to look. If you let your guard down and stop being aware of yourself, you’re able to really connect with people and listen while they tell their stories.”
On the strength of women: “I’ve always found that women have power in numbers. We draw strength from the support of other women. In some cultures, girls can be seen as a burden to a family because of the need to pay out a dowry when they marry, and they are vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. When I visited shelters for female victims of violence in India, I found that a lot of the women had been raped, even at home. That’s still very taboo. Even in the United States, it’s hard to talk about being sexually abused by your husband or your boyfriend. So being able to find solace in support groups makes a huge difference.”
On her newfound appreciation of the simple things: “You do gain a certain perspective when you see how people get by with so little and how they’re just happy to have simple things like a well with clean water nearby. I felt lucky just to live somewhere that has running water. Suddenly a toilet seems such a luxury. It’s miraculous! You really are thankful for the small things.”
Bono on Scarlett being an ambassador for (RED): “[US music mogul] Andre Harrell said to Bobby Shriver, who founded (RED) with me: ‘You and Bono need to be like the lions of Africa, just go sit in the shade because we’re all getting sick of the sight of you. What you really need is some lioness energy!’ He was being playful, but it’s true – I think women talk about these issues with more potency. I love your [Scarlett’s] tenderness towards the people you met, and you don’t even have kids yet.”
Bono on his changed priorities: “I don’t give a s**t how things look anymore. I just want to get the results, get the cheque signed. If it takes me looking like a totally unhip white messiah, I don’t care. You do whatever it takes to get people what they need to survive. For me, it was coming home that was the hardest. Coming back to my privileged life. I used to find that really difficult. It’s hard when you find yourself in such a harsh juxtaposition with somebody who’s fighting for their life. It used to make me feel more awkward than it does now, being this rich rock star next to a starving African.”
[From Pop Sugar]
Gah! I can’t stand to read Bono’s stuff anymore. I used to really think his whole deal was a mixed bag – that he did some really great work while also being sort of douchey. But the line “If it takes me looking like a totally unhip white messiah, I don’t care” was a douchey comment too far. How says sh-t like that? It would be like me saying “I don’t care if I sound like the best writer in the world, I’m just here to bring you gossip!” Who talks like that? A douche, that’s who.
Harper’s Bazaar UK cover courtesy of CoverAwards. Additional photos from Bazaar’s site. All photos by Alexi Lubomirski.
I remember a joke doing the rounds about Bono on a stage in Ireland, telling people “Every time I snap my fingers, another person dies of Aids in Africa”. Someone in the audience shouted “Well, stop doing it then, you ***hole!”
People must be getting tired of Bono, but his message is still very very important. I do applaud him and Geldof (and others) for getting in people’s faces trying to spread the message that we can all do more to help.
Would love this article more if it read ‘in Rwanda toilets are a luxary.’ It annoys me so much when all these celebs refer to Africa like we are 1 big country!! Its 52 countries, each with unique issues. Yes poverty is a major problem but really to ‘paint us all with the same brush’ just contributes to the ignorance that some people have.
True Tsholo, but I don’t know of a single country in Africa where everyone has toilets. Not here in South Africa where I am…
But I know many people in other countries outside Africa also don’t have toilets!
has scarlet been living under some kind of glittery hollywood rock?
and although i think bono is trying to help people and that’s awesome, he is still a twat
Scarlett looks pretty on the cover. In general she tends to look a bit messy and her haircolor is always off.
toilets a luxury…. what ever. thats such a typical vain comment from someone with no idea what “Africa” is all about! if you stuck on the luxuries that is absent and how greatfull you have to be for your priviliged life, u miss the point completely. LIEF AFRIKA
I admire Bono’s work immensely. I haven’t seen or heard him be “douchey.” Perhaps I was sick that day . . .
Why does she and Portman yammer on in interviews like they’re giving a lecture at Oxford? and it ain’t your diary entry either, bitch, so think before you speak.
it’s nice that she’s helping others, but i still don’t like her cuz she stole my man!!! 😀
Oh no, not that whole BS “women have strength in numbers” crap again. No thanks, as a woman, I stay the hell AWAY from other women. I don’t need or appreciate the cattiness, hatefulness, backstabbing and viciousness that women use against other women. I just wonder where these fantasy “good women friends/allies” are, because I’ve never seen one.
And for Bono…maybe I’d take his activism more seriously if he hadn’t used Irish tax loopholes and moving his money around the world to avoid paying his full share in taxes. He wants to “help people”, but he doesn’t want to pay his taxes? HYPOCRITE.
Holy wonky hell, I just noticed her eyes
Exactly Tsholo…I read her comment and rolled my eyes. I distinctly remember my family’s apartment in Morocco having toilets AND a bidet. She’s oversimplifying to the point of sounding ignorant.
I love how celebs say how much they’ve changed after visiting the less fortunate. Yet they still don’t seem to have a prob shelling out ridiculous amounts of $$ for homes, vacations, shoes, bags, list goes on and on….