Jon Bon Jovi is 56 years old. He’s still a rock star/actor and activist, and he generally seems to be a good guy. But there are things about the current pop culture landscape that he just does not understand. He remembers a time when TV shows had actual plots and actors and such. But nowadays, everything is a reality show starring the Kardashians or various fake “housewives.” And Jon Bon Jovi wants all of those bitches to get off his lawn.
Jon Bon Jovi is clearly not who you’d call if you want to binge on reality TV. The “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer dished on his feelings toward the current celebrity culture in an interview on Sunday, October 28, and didn’t hold back.
“I think it’s horrific that we live in that world and I can tell you I’ve never given 60 seconds of my life, ever, to one of those Housewives of Blah Blah and Kardashians,” the 56-year-old singer told Australia’s The Sunday Project. “I don’t know their names. I’ve never watched 60 seconds of the show, it’s not for me.”
“What’s gonna be in your autobiography? ‘I made a p-rno and guess what I got famous,’” the New Jersey native quipped. “F–k, sorry, I’ll pass.”
As for today’s most popular celebrities, Bon Jovi took aim: “Go and write a book, paint a painting, act, study, sing, play write. Fame is a by-product of writing a good song.”
I think I’ve admitted this before, but I’ve never sat down and watched an entire Real Housewives episode. It’s been years since I’ve even watched five minutes of any of the Real Housewives franchises. But I have watched five or ten minutes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians here and there, and I enjoy it for what is it: a mindless, uncomplicated, dumb soap opera. Not everything has to be Mad Men and The West Wing – sometimes people just want to watch something stupid and trashy. We all have to self-care in our own ways, and everybody’s got different taste. So while I sort of agree with Jon Bon Jovi, I also think that he sounds… I don’t know, a bit out of touch? I mean, I agree that those trashy reality shows have contributed to the dumbing down of society, but also… it’s just the world we live in now, that people with no artistic talent are famous.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.
Cue for Kim or whatshisname to diss Jon.
kardashian’s response is always, ‘well..i’m more famous than you so….yeah.’ ALL they are about is fame.
Well, rich people with no artistic talent have always been famous in their own societies. It’s just that “how” people are famous changed and the actual nature of fame has changed. There is a difference between famous in 1618 and 2018, you know?
Now that said…I do agree with Bon Jovi in that the only time I really think about these people is when I’m reading a story on here or another gossip site and I think “I have no idea who these people are.” I know who the Kardashians are but just loosely. Like I can point Kim out to you in a crowd but I couldn’t pick the others out.
I understand the appeal of mindless entertainment at times, but the hero worship of these people in our society is just over the top and extreme.
(now I’m a hypocrite because I’m running back to the posts about royals.)
The kardashians came in when I was breastfeeding and basically stuck in one place typically at home. The Ks 1st episode was the we family crying together in he anniversary of their patriarchs death. I thought it was healthy- open sincere weeping. I watched a few episodes but stopped as was afraid I’d affect their valley girl vernacular, as I’m an oratory chameleon. I’ve never once seen the housewives and only know Bethany because she actually visited my native Puerto Rico right after hurricane Maria. We have a gaping hole of a culture vacuum, I agree. I’m hungry, we all crave MORE.
Yes. Courtesans were open about their profession.
Jon Bon Jovi has an “I’d like to speak to the manager,” haircut.
LOL! He’d look pretty ridiculous with his 1980s hair as a 56 year old though. I’d say his haircut is age appropriate.
sorry but he got a ladies haircut
I think it’s a bit “Jersey”.
Lol Lol LOL!! So true!
I do think every generation has their thing.Mindless TV is a current hit for many.
I’m sure some group of millennials years and years from now with be comparing and remembering Real housewives & Kardashians to whatever current show will be on at that time.
I love me some Jon Bon Jovi but I laugh every time I see his hair these days. “I’d like to speak to the manager” is spot on! LOL
LMAO. I remember when I first saw him with short hair, it was on Ally McBeal. He’d never been hot to me but then suddenly he was. I agree it’s looking a bit strange and cheesy now. Tie to change it up again, I’d say, it’s been more than 20 years.
Still hot AF tho.
Bettyrose, I agree he’s definitely still got it, and has more hair than lots of men his age…..DEFINITELY still hot!
He looks great, aging nicely. Good head of hair. When my husband complains about his hair getting gray I tell him “Be happy you have hair.”
“be happy you have hair”
right? lol
I guess I’m also out of touch but I completely agree with him. I hate that the KKs in particular have so much influence.
Same! I’ve never watched any Housewives of anywhere and I clicked out of the first episode of KUWTK after about 30 seconds. TBH, I think a little less of people who enjoy those shows. They’re pure trash.
Same here. There’s mindless and there’s MINDLESS. The Ks and all those others fall into the second category. So mindless it hurts.
And I just want to say good on him for not using Just for Men or whatever it’s called to dye his hair brown.
Same. I don’t know those housewives apart from Yolanda. And i skip Kardashians news. Easy.
I agree with him too. I have never watched those shows and mourn the dumbing down of society because of the people who do watch them. And yes, JBJ and I are around the same age.
COMPLETELY agree with him, yes
Now I like him even more.
Me too.
Reality tv isn’t only the dumbing down of society, it’s also contributing to the slow death of the performing arts and the related loss of employment for all those behind the scenes. Always liked Bon Jovi – he puts on a great show – now like him even more.
Yes. I get that people want and like mindless fare — for me it used to be cooking shows on PBS — but we’ve gone too far down this road that it’s become truly detrimental.
@esmom – yes or at least something that requires a talent – like Project Runway for want of a better example…
Yes, Project Runway is a good example, I loved it back in the day. More recently I tried to watch the Amy Poehler/Nick Offerman crafting show and I didn’t really like it. It was too slickly packaged or something.
Yes. It’s one thing to be harmless, “mindless” entertainment, but KKs and House Wives crap is proving to be quite harmful in the role models they represent of being fake people for profit and attention.
It’s an indication of the degradation of our society imo.
I watch and like top chef and project runway and various british cooking shows. The rest of the dreck is mind numbing, fake drama bs. We basically got a fake businessman from a reality show as our terrible president. Millions watched the Apprentice and believed trump was some sort of genius. Ugh.
Well lah dee dah, Mr. Bon Jovi, I love me some RHOA and RHOC. 😛
I think that the Kardaishains reinforce super problematic ideas especially with their culture vulture attitudes.
BUT I (assume) lots of people are like me and they engage with high brow entertainment alongside low brow entertainment. You can use critical thinking skills when engaging with any form of entertainment.
Bon Jovi’s commentary strikes me as shallow snobbery because he isn’t offering a nuanced critical commentary on why he doesn’t like trashy tv. Lots of people are time poor & exhausted so I endorse the desire to cope by watching mindless entertainment.
I find it a bit snobbish and I also find it pretty sexist. People only bitch about Kardashians and Housewives because it’s entertainment for *women.*
Sportscenter is just as mindless and stupid as Kardashians, and Bleacher Report and similar sites are really no different than celebrity gossip sites – they are just about athletes instead, but no one complains about not giving those avenues of entertainment the time of day because that is traditionally seen as entertainment for *men*
I am not here for it.
That’s so true! Virgina Woolf made a similar point in A Room of Ones Own. Fashion is a ‘feminine’ interest so it’s considered inferior to masculine interest like ‘sports’. Even tho they both serve similar functions ie entertainment and bonding in casual conversation over a light hearted topic.
I think that the damaging tropes used by reality tv reflect issues within our everyday experience. And there is loads of discussion & theory that can arise out of analysing our fascination with banal reality tv.
I just wish Bon Jovi had offered a more interesting contribution to the topic.
I’m totally here for discussion and theory about our cultural obsession with these shows and celebrity culture in general. That’s why I love CB, Lainey, Anne Helen Petersen, and even Taffy Akner, etc… they are offering interesting commentary on celebrities.
@millenial i have to disagree, kardashians and the houselwives are low brow bc they are one dimensional, shallow and lack any redemable qualities but not because they are geared towards women. There are planty of tv shows that are female centric (big little lies, orange is the new black) that are critically acclaimed shows and enjoyed bt the public. Its the faux reality shows that are deemed low brow ( another example, jersey shore) because they perpetuate the worst stereotypes.
hahaha…no nuanced commentary is needed. it’s obvious they are trashy. and it’s obvious that they’re not quality tv. people who are not interested in them shouldn’t be considered snobbish. they’ re the sane ones. I am not against the kardashians. they’re thriving on people being voyeurs and not living their own life and admiring just money and fame. they’re business savy. but I do find it scary that nowadays kim has become the icon, the fascination, the inspiration even for the A list celebrities. I’m expecting meryl streep declare her undying love for her or kris any day now. that’s really sad. they should have their audience but that audience should be silly teens and losers and not successful people who lead interesting lives. the same thing with the housewives. all that content is fun if you watch it once and take it lightly, but if you’re an admirer of those people then I find that disturbing.
Since he doesn’t watch the show, he only knows Kim Kardashian as the one who got famous for a sex tape. In that sense, I can see why he’d be snobbish about it. And I don’t know necessarily blame him for knowing who she is only in that context — it’s referenced by everyone, including herself, so frequently.
JBJ was one of the few ‘cock rock’ and ‘hair metal ‘ band members that somehow rose above all the silliness and stayed cool as a freaking cucumber.
It didn’t hurt he was easy on the eye back in the day too (and still is I might add…)
Um, didn’t he have an affair with drama queen, LeAnne Rimes? I’m not sure you get to be smug and ‘above it all’ with that in your rearview mirror…
NO FREAKING WAY!
NO WAY!!!
omg whaaaaaaat?
I’m not sure you can really call a duet an “affair” but do go on…
Failing to see a correlation…?
I was just thinking about this the other day. I think tv is evolving just like it always has. I love the Real Housewives because it’s mindless, sometimes dramatic and lets me checkout from the stresses of my life. It’s a nice distraction. I can’t watch The Kardashians though. That show is too mindless for my taste but I will never judge someone for watching it. We all have our ways to escape from our own reality.
Agreed! I love watching Housewives episodes when I need to unwind from a really crappy day or week.
I am in complete agreement with him. I don’t mind a bit of mindless entertainment but real housewives and Kardashians are a bridge to far. For me it’s the obsession with consumerism at an extreme level. The video I can’t avoid but makes me want to retch is the latest one of one of them gifting their mother a luxury car.
It actually makes me feel nauseous.
I don’t watch the show but I did see the car video on gossip sites. I know the gift was completely ostentatious but I would do the same for my mom in a heartbeat if I could. I would buy her a house too because my mom is incredible! I completely understand what you’re saying though.
I totally agree with you Brunswickstoval …..I also find the obsession with youth and physical appearance super, super extreme on these shows. It is sad and in my mind more crap created by men. I am NOT interested in my daughter worshipping a teenager who has constant plastic surgery. I’ll pass.
Sorry …. this posted in the wrong spot!!
Everything I know about the Kardashians/Jenners comes from sites like this one. I don’t watch their shows and have only caught the occasional glimpse of an episode or two at a friend’s house. They just seem so boring. As for the housewives- the only thing I remember paying attention to was when Teresa G. flipped that table several years ago. But to each his or her own.
I’ll admit the same. The only reason I know about anything Kardashian is because I come here most mornings lol. I’ve never seen a consecutive 60-second stretch of either Kardashians or any of the Housewives. I have other guilty pleasures which don’t include watching ridiculous women behaving badly. A couple of friends like to tease me about being out of touch or old or whatever. My reply is that I’m smug and aloof. 😀
I did, however, watch that video of Kanye doing Kim on a motorcycle which was hysterical and illustrated the polar opposite of talent lol.
I don’t think a man in his mid- to late 50s or older is really the target audience of either of the shows. I wouldn’t expect him to know, like, or even watch those shows which is fine. I don’t like or watch those shows either. It doesn’t mean he needs to publicly try and shame them for their fame or in an indirect way, shame those that do watch and enjoy the shows.
Can I just say how well he’s aged? He looks great!
I saw him CLOSE up in person, and the picture doesn’t even do him justice!!! He’s gorgeous. AND, he’s a really, really nice guy. Friendly and polite, and does a lot of charity stuff.
I want to see his painting in the attic. He’s such a babe.
Jon will never give 60 seconds of his life to those things.
HOWEVER, he will give endless hours to coiffing his hair.
Priorities!
he will also give 60 seconds to the “Housewives” and “Kardashians” plastic surgeons….
My middle school rock star crush (we were totally going to meet, fall in love and get married) continues to justify my love. I once checked out part a KUWTK episode out of curiosity and only lasted a few minutes (never seen a single Housewives episode) so, yeah, I’m right there with you, Jon!
Hee ….. YEP!!!!!
I had a poster of him with his superman tattoo on my wall when I was in junior high. LOL.
with the black tight tshort or naked one, cause i had both of them on my walls.
I’m with him on this for sure-I have never watched any of those shows, and I think it’s all part of the dumbing down of society. However, I read celeb gossip and comment on it-so I certainly can’t be holier than though.
THIS!
This makes me love JBJ all the more! He hasn’t the time for these trashy “celebrities”. Neither do I.
JBJ and his charities do more than what these trashy celebs do! More respect to him!
I met him once in a hot dog restaurant in Deal, NJ in the summer of 97 and got my picture with him. Nicest guy ever, and he told me I had a beautiful smile.
Well then he’s missing out. Real Housewives of NY is one of the best shows on tv. They gathered a bunch of narcissists and made them interact with each other instead of bothering emotionally healthy people, and I also like seeing a group of older women going out and unrepentantly partying and enjoying their lives.
Sure buddy. He probably watches that trash all the time lmao
I’ve always felt a weird connection with him. Now I know why. Like him, I also cannot give my time this bizarre celebrity- as-a-result-of-outrageous behavior culture. If you want mindless entertainment read something, watch stand up. The need for mindless outrageous entertainment from people who are desperate for fame is, in my opinion, LAZY. It’s what gave rise to Drumpf.
I have never seen one minutes of Housewives anything! I never know who any of the people are and skip over the stories.
Didn’t he have a short lived reality show? Something like “if I wasn’t a rock star”.
Look, he can get all snotty if he wants about the kardashians and the house wives……that’s kind of why they exist, for gawking and distain in return for cash……but that’s a cash cow he hitched up to himself so I kind of roll my eyes at his hypocrisy. With distain.
Pot, kettle, whatever Jon.
Totally agree with him. And there surely is a middle ground between The West Wing and this trash.
Mindlesss and dumbless shows/soaps have always existed, but at least writers, actors were paid for them, used some kind of craft, and the audience knew they watched fiction, they were not sold as reality or didn’t pretend to showcast real lives.
Point of disagreement: porn stars are disrepected when they’re lumped with Kim Kardashian. They’re professionals in they’re industry. This tart didn’t even make porno, she leaked a sex tape.
Worse, her MOM leaked the sex tape.
Word JBJ
Thank you so Jon Bon Jovi for speaking the truth about these low informational reality shows!
Kim got famous for doing a lowlife video that her family wants the public to forget by rewriting history.
I don’t watch the Housewives’ seasons now (I watched the first seasons of OC and Atlanta), but I love a good reunion or Housewives themed podcast. Yes, it’s mindless and trashy, but there is a lot of high brow, prestige stuff that is mindless with a veneer of “intelligence” that isn’t nearly as entertaining.
I’m with him, I have no interest in those shows and dislike that people with no talent are becoming famous.
But people can watch what they want to watch.
Despite being a famous rock star, Jon Bon Jovi still has that down to Earth, average guy vibe. He’s been married to the same woman for 30 yrs, his kids live a normal life, he works and goes home. Why WOULD he watch the Kardashians or The Housewives? No normal man I know does.
I agree and happen to be a huge Bon Jovi fan. BUT, although I agree with him, this didn’t need to be said……………..
I’ve never given 60 seconds of my life the Kardashians or Housewives, but you are a registered Republican so…
Doing p-rn is an actual job.
I think he can get kindly get the F off his high horse and have several seats. I’m a lawyer and I’m time poor. In the few moments of freedom I have when I’m not billing, I enjoy a little RHONY and/or internet shopping to de-stress and cleanse the palate. It doesn’t make me any less of a creative connoisseur than he is. And let’s call a spade a spade. Bon Jovi’s music is hardly poetry anyway.
Hahahahahahahahaja
Word.
I’m with Jon. Reality TV isn’t reality, it’s a Producer’s manipulation of a bunch of people who are desperate to be famous, regardless of how ridiculous or inane they look. It’s just organized rubber-necking.
He’s a 56 year old man. He may sound snobbish about it, but I really wouldn’t expect his type to be interested in those shows. I’d find it a lot weirder if he was.
I wouldn’t expect a 23 or 33 year old man to be interested in these shows either.
The majority of the viewers for both KUWTK and Real Housewives are female. So what’s he trying to say? There is nothing wrong with watching some reality TV to get your mind off how sh*tty the world is.
Jon needs to watch out, she will bombard him with her tacky products and gifts she sends her “enemies”. But I do agree with him. The situation we are now in, with people rejecting facts, reality and science comes from the habit of not thinking, which is being sold though such shows as the KKs, showing that you do not need to educate yourself to be successful or wealthy.
He also mentioned in this interview that he’s had people walk up to him saying they want to be famous. He seemed to be saying fame for fames sake is pointless and doesn’t understand why people would want that as opposed to ‘I’m getting attention because people like the song I wrote and want to see me perform it in person’ or ‘I believe in the message of this film I was in, so I need to promote it so audiences will see it’ etc. but in between promoting things or live performances many celebs ‘go away’ and you don’t see them. Even Jennifer Lawrence is capable of doing that. I remember jerry Seinfeld saying something similar previously, that TV used to be like the Olympics of performers, only the best of the best were on TV and now instead its filled with reality shows. VH1 used to do behind the music and save the music, now it’s just reality shows. They’re cheaper to do and there are way more shameless people who want fame at any cost than people with raw talent. I do think it contributed to our current president-he’s a narcissist which I think you’d have to be to want fame for fames sake. There’s clearly something missing in your life if you want that. This isn’t like conan obrien who said during his documentary after losing the tonight show that he needed an audience-he meant to do comedy in front of -not wanting attention for attention’s sake for doing nothing. I really think if someone needs that they have a void in their lives they’re trying to fill.
I saw one episode of a housewife show and the very first Kardashian show and was totally bored. Never watched again. That being said, I used to say “Why watch a show about someone else’s life instead of living my own?” Then I thought about that. If I watch a comedy or drama, I’m just watching a fictionalized version of other people’s lives. So as much as I have no interest in reality tv due to the boredom factor, I got off my high horse about it.
I agree with him. And if we want to change our superficial culture, we need to be the change.
I totally agree with Bon Jovi! I grew up during what was considered tv’s hey day part 2 (Mary Tyler Moore, Cagney Lacey etc.). Now it’s totally meh on tv (not talking about cable – which I do not have).