Jennifer Aniston got one of Variety’s Power of Women covers, and bless it, I love that sweater. I’m such a sucker for a baggy, nubby, soft-looking sweater. I would wear it with pants though! Jennifer is promoting The Morning Show, which begins streaming on Apple+ in November. We’re going to hear “we completely rewrote everything after Me Too happened” about a million times from Jennifer and Reese Witherspoon. That’s mostly what this Variety interview is about too – the story of The Morning Show, plus stuff about the changing entertainment business, streaming and Friends nostalgia. You can read the piece here. Some highlights:
To prepare for ‘The Morning Show’ she watched Matt Lauer’s last day on air: “Did he know? Did he not know? I was so devastated. It’s such a strange thing; it felt oddly like my dad did something terrible. I trusted him and had been interviewed by him. He was there for so many moments in my life. And when ‘Friends’ was ending, it was Katie [Couric] and Matt interviewing us… I went to the DVR that I had of “Today” before Matt Lauer was fired and then the day he was fired, because that was so fascinating to see. Mitch Kessler is not based on him at all. He’s just sort of the archetype of all of the men that he’s representing.
The archetype of the charming predator: “[The characters are] All fictional, but also kind of highlighting aspects of the archetype of a charming narcissist, of a generation of men that didn’t think that was bad behavior. ‘That’s just the way it works. And men are flirts and women are coy and find it flattering.’ And thankfully, with the sacrifices of these women who have come forward, this isn’t going to happen anymore. It’s wonderful that you’re accountable and you have to check yourself.
The one time she worked with Harvey Weinstein: “I did one movie, “Derailed,” with Clive Owen. I had to [spend time with Weinstein]. There was the premiere dinner. I remember I was sitting at the dinner table with Clive, and our producers and a friend of mine was sitting with me. And he literally came to the table and said to my friend: “Get up!” And I was like, “Oh my gosh.” And so my friend got up and moved and Harvey sat down. It was just such a level of gross entitlement and piggish behavior.
Weinstein bullied her about wearing Marchesa: “He knew better. I remember, right when [his ex-wife] Georgina’s clothing line Marchesa was starting. That’s when he came to visit me in London while we were shooting. He’d be like, “Ok, so I’d like you to wear one of these to the premiere.” And I went through the book, and at the time, it wasn’t what it is today. It was not for me. He was like, “You have to wear the dress.” That was my only bullying. And I was like, “No, I will not wear the dress.” What was he going to do? Come over here and make me wear it?!
Deciding to make a TV/streaming show: “It wasn’t until the last couple of years when these streaming services were just sort of exploding with this amount of quality that I actually started to think, “Wow, that’s better than what I just did.” And then you’re seeing what’s available out there and it’s just diminishing and diminishing in terms of, it’s big Marvel movies. Or things that I’m not just asked to do or really that interested in living in a green screen. It’s changed so much. I think we would so love to have the era of Meg Ryan come back. I just think it would be nice to go into a movie theater, sit cozy. I think we should have a resurgence. Let’s get the “Terms of Endearment” back out there. You know, “Heaven Can Wait,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Goodbye Girl.”
On Friends nostalgia and social media: “I want to know what people love so much about it, because there wasn’t any of this. Now most people’s consumption is the screen, which I’m very conflicted about. If you can’t drive until you’re 16 and you can’t drink until you’re 21, why should you be allowed to have social media? Like to have a distraction that prevents you from learning to connect with people? I don’t know. I don’t have kids. I just know that I’m watching my girlfriends’ children and they’re all struggling because of social media. Do you know that mental health has gone through the roof? And primarily what they’ve discovered, it’s because of social media. It’s compare and despair, over and over again. Do they like me? Do they not like me? Am I good enough? It’s hard enough as it is being a kid without the damn “likes” or “not likes.” I wish they would remove the “like.” Why do they need them? Why do we need a comments section, where these trolls with no lives try to be hurtful?”
I’ve never really thought about whether the “like” button should be abolished. Probably because I am An Old and I barely use Instagram for anything other than light stalking (friendly creeping!). And on Instagram, you can shut down the comments, which I think is smart. I think maybe that would be a good move for parents: you can have an Instagram at this age but you have to disable the comments. As for her nostalgia about the mid-budget comedy… I too have that nostalgia. But it feels like streaming services are filling that gap too? Also: her Weinstein story is very interesting – that would have been 2005, when he tried to pressure her to wear Marchesa. What a mess.
Cover courtesy of Variety, additional photo courtesy of WENN.
Regarding Weinstein – She was powerful enough to say no, she was at the height of her Friends fame. So many women were not in that position. I do hope she sees and understands that.
Also, I agree about social media. There’s so many benefits, but we really have to find that balance and re-learn self control.
Finally, I love that black leather dress.
Happy Monday to all and Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadian Celebitches!
I didn’t think she was passing judgment on anyone as to how they got involved with him, either through sheer force or some form of coercion. Sounds like she was saying what the rest of us are thinking — he’s gross and entitled!
Nonetheless, Gwyneth Paltrow was well-connected and she still had to run away from him in tears. She may not have been as famous as became later on, but she still was in a fairly “safe” position and he still tried to hurt her.
It sounds like he could have hurt you even if you were in a big position in life. Even someone like Meryl Streep who has more accolades than anyone never really fully distanced herself from him.
This. He went after plenty of powerful it girls. Aniston was just lucky and it reads to me that she understands that.
@ Perplexed Totally agree. I didn’t hear any judgement regarding Weinstein in her comment either.
OKAY HOLD ON! This woman is leaving a LOT out! Or else Brad Pitt is even more WEAK than I thought. FIRST OF ALL, ‘Derailed,’ was supposed to be one of the films that PROPELLED Jen Aniston into dramatic film stardom POST-Friends (it was savaged by critics ultimately).
The huge power player Harvey Weinstein who got Brad Pitt’s ex Gwyn Paltrow her OSCAR for Shakespeare In Love (MANY say Brad REBOUNDED to Aniston from Paltrow, as he was disgusted at her betrayal with Weinstein) was producing Derailed, and yet PITT never TOLD Aniston, that Weinstein was an effing pig who tried to sexually assault Paltrow, and pressure her or threaten her job if she didn’t succumb?!!
What’s wrong with this picture? Do we really believe this? I’m sure Pitt probably told Aniston everything. She even said in some interview once, Pitt ‘was healing,’ alluding to his heartbreak over Paltrow and that whole mess. Remember Paltrow said she was ‘the architect of her own misery,’ when it came to Pitt.
Did the interviewer just totally MISS how those 4 DOTS connect (Brad, Paltrow, Weinstein and Aniston)?
1 of 2 things happened. 1) Brad told Aniston what a gross pig Harvey was to Paltrow and Aniston didn’t care, wanted to get that Weinstein powerbroker mojo in her corner REGARDLESS. Or 2) Brad never told her.
So Brad’s not the man I thought he was, but I don’t think he’s weak enough to let his then wife, become beholden to the same pig who made his fiance ‘The First Lady of Miramax,’ after sexually harrassing her.
I call BS on Aniston. She was willing to do whatever to get that film stardom going. She’s just not saying, and the dumb interviewer who couldn’t connect simple dots isn’t asking.
Seriously. You need to chill. We are not entitled to total transparency from Aniston or any other woman actor. You will barade her for choosing not to keep whatever there is to her relationship to Pitt and other men she encountered during her life and work life private. Seriously when will people stop requesting the thing we can and should request only from politicians, which is transparency and accountability from celebrities and when will we stop blaming and condescending women for whatever men do? It is not her responsibility to answer for Weinstein or for doing whatever so many other women, aiming to keep and advance their carriers, will do – go around and stay silent about the abuse and harassment of powerful men they often find themselves at the mercy of.
@SM, you’d make a good point if you were talking about a private citizen who didn’t want to speak out. But she’s a public figure, hawking her streaming movie to the public and addressing Weinstein, calling him a pig after the fact. What’s so hard about saying, “Sure, I had heard what kind of pig he was almost STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE” – instead she gives us BS about ‘No, he did nothing to me – except try to get me to wear his wife’s dress – and he knew better than to do this or that with me, yada yada yada.’ <– THAT is disingenuous. You got a part in his film, even knowing your husband had to threaten to kick his ass for sexually harassing his then-fiance. She went for self, and now she's getting questions and she can't say she IGNORED his reputation. She doesn't want to appear like,' yea I heard about Paltrow and others, but F her and them, who cares.'
I don't know, if I was a millionaire tv star, I'd figure out another way to make my beans, if this was the guy that almost tried to destroy my husband, and who harassed women.
I thought the architect of his own misery was Affleck
I don’t expect her to relate private conversations she had with Pitt about another famous woman. Time and memory can distort how and when things were said and it would probably be best not to get into an area that involves other people. That would be weird and I suspect Paltrow herself wouldn’t like it unless Aniston got permission. Most people don’t like other people speaking for them.
As for ignoring his reputation, isn’t that what everyone has done to some extent? Even Meryl Streep called him “God.” (Why? I have no clue). The option to take him down probably meant the end of one’s career. The only reason anyone is able to take him down NOW is because his brother turned against him for control of the company (or something to that effect) and Ronan Farrow had the determination to put up with a lot that most of us wouldn’t be willing to go through (i.e his new book talks about being tailed and followed while investigating).
I think she does get that. I thought she was recounting her limited personal interactions with him. She knows her position and her autonomy at the time. She doesn’t seem to have been manipulated by him but at the same time, I wonder what projects she wasn’t offered because of that.
Somehow she’s on a media blitz and every magazine cover has her on it. She’s just so mediocre. I’d love to stop seeing her face all the time. Same with Gwyneth.
While I agree to some point, I find Goop completely insufferable. I can handle doses of JA.
Yes, I find JA simply boring and superficial. She never has anything interesting to say. Goopy, on the other hand, is truly conceited and snooty.
“Do you know that mental health has gone through the roof?” She’s trying so hard to have something to say.
I want her to go away. If she was as powerful as she thinks she is she wouldn’t be on every magazine. Speaking about stuff that is playing to women. That crap she said about Marvel was hilarious like she is some big movie star. LOL
Well I love seeing her on magazine covers. Shrugs.
“If she was as powerful as she thinks she is she wouldn’t be on every magazine.”
I don’t understand this comment. if she is on “every magazine”, wouldn’t that indicate she has fairly significant power?
and why shouldn’t she be speaking about stuff that plays to women? isn’t that how she’d attract women to buy her product? isn’t that what MOST female artists (actress/singer/dancer) do?
More isn’t always better. This woman was voted one of the most beautiful and sexiest women in the world on People and Maxim magazines. So what does it tell you? That she had a good expensive PR team to get her face on any magazine she wanted or to purchase her tons of empty fake awards to boost up her reputation as one of the most powerful players in HW. As if.
@ Janetferber I agree. One of the good things about these days is that people like her and Meg Ryan no longer dominate TV and movies. She misses the age of the White woman.
I know people of colour who worked on Friends and Anniston and her pals are not good people. David Schwimmer had to beg to get a Black woman on that show and the ladies especially were not happy at all. Maybe because Aisha was better looking than all of them combined.
Correct. She is the epitome of arrogant and pretentious. I don’t exactly hate her but I cant stand people like her who basically is a liar and depend on people to fight for her and she sit back and gain all the sympathy and glory for just being a ‘friend.” GMAFB. She has nothing to offer of substance to anyone. If so, someone enlighten me!
kerwood: hit the nail on the head.
Also, for the cover with the headline “Power of Women” it truly ticks me off that she either felt it necessary, or gave in to the “cuddly sweater with no underpants” look. Yes, I believe in body positive. But the headline and the image don’t match. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to send a message, make it a good one-
I wish people would stop talking about dinosaur men who did not know any better when what they did includes rape. There were and still are men who think they can say whatever they want, or even touch a woman, harass even, but everyone knows that rape is completely different. It always was wrong even when sexism was ok. And the person in question here is not some mobster of 1940-ies, he is accused of rape in the 21st century.
I felt she was talking about the fictional aspect (i.e charming narcissist) of the characters placed in her new tv show — that they were based on a certain generational archetype (i.e Mad Men era) and they used that to fill in the shades of the characters.
I didn’t think she was talking about an actual sociological dissection of why men in real life harass women (and do worse). I think someone like Matt Lauer is straight-up criminal. I’ve never thought of him as having the charm of Don Draper (i.e see the Sandra Bullock interview on Youtube) . I always got a creepy vibe from him; now I just think he’s a straight-up sociopath!
She strikes me as the type of Cool Girl who might’ve seen or heard some things but as long as it didn’t affect her she let it go.
Exactly this.
This is how I’ve always seen her, but you can sense the awkwardness she must feel as she’s rapidly aging out of the privileged position she’s filled for decades. More interesting women might take on daring new roles, or branch out into other businesses, but Jen is basic. She tries not to change while the world has changed around her, so she doesn’t even know how to communicate with people who would speak up or fight for progress.
Very true. She’s a 90’s/early aughts woman in a completely different era. She still looks and presents herself as if she’s waiting for that next rom com role that’s not going to come.
To @Claire, this is Aniston in a nutshell. At her core she’s an opportunist, it’s how she became so successful.
@Oracle I think every actor is an opportunist. I think that’s how most actors have become successful. I don’t really understand your criticism here.
I am getting really tired of Hollywood attacking superhero movies from Marvel, DC & Disney.
There is a reason why those movies are making billions in the box office. People have enough problems in life that they just want to be entertained for a few hours.
Why is that bad?
They are just jealous. I am not a fan of those movies but I do not look down on anyone who is.
It’s such a lazy take and it ignores the very real communities that have nurtured and built the rich worlds of superheros. Lots of people grew up reading comic books, trading them, discussing them, consuming other media about them and now people are mad we have our wishes fulfilled on them?
I honestly think the only ones hating on them are people who didn’t know or understand just how many superhero fans therec are out there.
Also, I like romcoms, don’t get me wrong but the lack of diversity, racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic is problematic at best. Sci-fi, fantasy, superhero tales have always had more diversity than other genres. That’s part of their appeal.
I don’t need romcoms coming back unless we can get more Always Be My Maybe.
What I fear is the lack of empathy and increase in Narcissism from watching mostly super hero movies and social media influencers with photoshopped bodies and lifestyles not relateable to most people.
Will people decrease empathy for stories about real people who aren’t super heros or who have body flaws? We have a guy in the white house with no self awareness and brags about doing things we know he didn’t do, that’s a hatred of himself and feeling the need to be amazing just to get through the day, like super heros portrayed in these movies and social media influencers.
I don’t think she was attacking Marvel. She’s saying that we are in the Marvel age though. That means no, or very few, films like Goodbye Girl. You know I forgot about that film! That’s a great movie. And she says right there that these are things she’s not asked to do. I think she’s being very honest. She does say some she has no interest in too.
And btw, Marvel STAN here. Fanatic.
I’m not offended.
She says it right there that movies out there are diminishing (mentioning Marvel specifically).
Diminishing is not a positive word so I am a bit offended.
I hope you recover. Thoughts and prayers.
No need to be condescending.
I like Marvel movies too and I’m not offended. I thought she was referring to the diminishing amount of roles for her due to the big Marvel and green screen films that she mentions.
I agree, Daisy, I think she saying that the other roles out there, other types of movies, aren’t happening that much because the studios are putting all of their money into big comic book movies. And she’s not wrong, there’s been a lot written and discussed about that in the last few years, that mid range romcom or adult drama is hardly made anymore.
That doesn’t have to be a knock against the comic book movies, but against the studios who aren’t willing to fund other stuff in addition to them.
yeah, what Americano and Lucy2 said. she’s not attacking those movies. she’s not saying they’re not worth watching or that they don’t have their place. I don’t think she’s saying that Marvel movies “diminish” the cinema world, but that the roles like she is used to playing are diminished. I am a fan of comics, and what I don’t like about the Marvel and DC movies is that there isn’t enough about the characters as people, like you’d get in the actual comic books. it seems to be more about the action than the characters.
and honestly, she’s not the only actor saying this.
I agree, Daisy. A lot of actresses are saying what she is saying here: roles are diminishing for aging women. It’s all about action and the green screen. You have a lot of big names working on streaming projects because there are more substantial roles and willingness to allow women to tell their stories there than the silver screen. I live what she says about sm too. They’re talking about getting rid of the like button. I didn’t think about growing up with these fears of rejection, but what she says is true. And the trolls are awful. Bullying is unchecked on the internet.
There are a lot of great movies that have nothing to do with marvel the only reason she is not getting any thing it’s because she is a bad actress, plus marvel has gotten real top notch award nominated or award winning actors they don’t want her, she is not a movie star she should have realized that years ago.
I’m not offended at all what Aniston says about Marvel even though I don’t necessarily agree with her. Of all things to be offended about, Aniston’s comments about Marvel isn’t getting my goat. BUT – I really don’t want Meg Ryan Rom-Com movies to come back either. They were ok for the time period but I’d rather have something totally and completely new.
It’s not just movies for older women, I think she’s talking about a whole category of films in general. Kumail Nanjiani said something similar not too long ago too. There’s a bunch of other articles about it. If it’s not a superhero/comic book or a franchise, it’s hard to get made. The films she mentions likely wouldn’t get made today, or would be a streaming film rather than a theatrical release. It’s an industry change that’s been happening for a while now and shows no signs of changing.
@DaisySharp – I completely agree with everything you say. I feel like people are twisting themselves into pretzels, determined to get offended over anything Jen Aniston says. It’s ridiculous.
I got from that that nobody has asked her to do one or Kevin Feige has rejected her calls.
I think she was rejected even though she is close friends with Robert D Junior.
@Sierra, and both Gwyneth and Marissa Tomei got the call because RDJ suggested them to Feige. Feige does listen to his leads on who they want to work with.
More Marissa Tomei, please.
@Jerusha, SpiderMan 3 coming up! But Aunt May needs to cross over into the other films too. Or pop up in the Disney Plus series. A series of her own. Aunt May!
I feel I must defend the Avengers series, especially the last 2 films. They follow a tradition that began with The Illiad, The Odyssey, The Mahabharata (hope I spelled that correctly!), and the Ramayana, that was continued by stories like Lord of the Rings. They have a place in our culture and a role in our collective psyche.
And people wept at the ends of those two movies, including the woman sitting behind us at Endgame. People took the journey with those characters and they love them.
It feels kind of snobby to denigrate those films.
I do see how they take up all the oxygen though. For awhile though it was all slasher films, or women in peril films, or rom coms, or loud action films (80s!). These things cycle through.
The Recluse, I totally agree with you. It’s quality world/story building and high emotional investment.
I cried at Endgame.
And Black Panther means so much to me.
I just watched Endgame this past weekend for the umpteenth, and I will admit, I totally cried. People can hate on the Avengers all they want, but that ending is powerful. When they all come together, it really hits you how wide spread these stories are and that they all make such an exciting web together.
She’s not wrong that there aren’t a whole lot of other options right now, though. I’m feeling it from a viewer’s perspective, I can only imagine it from an actor’s perspective. Loud, flashy, big budget, action ensembles aren’t for everyone. I’d love a few more quiet little movies with people talking to each other in them. I don’t think she’s slamming them, she’s just saying they aren’t for her. They’re not really for me either, most of the time.
I was a Marvel comic book fan for decades. I have watched the movies numerous times with my granddaughters who are huge fans. But I also love Meg Ryan movies, I adore French Kiss, When Harry met Sally, You’ve got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, silly and romantic movies. Dances with Wolves, The Killing Fields, Waking Ned Devine, Terms of Endearment are simply solid entertainment. I don’t think Jennifer Aniston has any interest in being in a Marvel movie, her production company is doing interesting small movies like Dumplin and now The Morning Show. It will be interesting to see how the Marvel universe evolves without Black Widow, Iron Man and Captain America. As with all Hollywood eras, studios will put out formulas based films that draw in ticket sales. I can tell you the last movie I went to with my granddaughters but I can’t remember the last time I went to a movie alone with my wife. It’s simply not worth the effort we would rather stay home and watch the terrific streaming selections.
People don”t go to see the types of movies she is talking about any more. They stay at home and wait until those films are available on Netflix, itunes, or On Demand. The comic book movies are better on the large screens and can be a communal experience. People are fine watching Meg Ryan stand in a vineyard to kiss Kevin Kline on a smaller screen in their living rooms. The studios aren’t making many of those films any more because they don’t bring in the money. And when they do, they aren’t casting Jennifer Anniston because she’s one note.
I just watched Dumplin, and although I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it because of Danielle MacDonald’s wonderful performance. Danielle’s a fantastic actress and she acts circles around Anniston.
@Rosalee. Jennifer was doing what she always does. Speak before thinking piggybacking off of what someone else said. She isn’t a big movie star, never has been and never will be. She has a stigma and it is TV rom coms. Sorry. She once Said very loudly, not too long ago, asked to play a superhero. So I don’t know where this newfounded speech came from, but i’ll guess.
Anyway FYI Reese Witherspoons production company has the Apple deal for the morning show not Aniston. Idk what her production company produces.
Seems as if Netflix will be her retiring home along with her appearances on her good friends Ellen and Kimmell shows. She should ride of into the sunset with that I guess.
I hate her Weinstein answer. What does she think is so special about her that “he knew better” and yet seemingly didn’t know better with the variety of women he did harass including Gwyneth Paltrow, the daughter of two well respected actors and the god daughter of a widely acclaimed director?
And only a basic, cis-het, neurotypical white girl with basic, mainstream interests would say something so asinine about social media.
For many teens, social media IS a way, often the only way to connect with people like you, who understand you, who share your interests.
Well said on all points
I read that as he knew better because she taught him better when he bullied her into wearing his wife’s gown, and she didn’t wear it. Kinda simple.
No. It’s not “kind of simple” and it makes it sound like all you have to do to stop abuse is say no.
Read Salma Hayek’s account. Harvey didn’t pursue Anniston because he didn’t want to. That’s the only part that’s simple.
This is what happens when you surround yourself with people who tell you consistently that you are some powerful force in HW. Which she is not a never will be. She is tabloid heaven because of the scandal being married to PItt. It made her the poster child for scorned women. And she ate it up got richer because of it and feels like she is more powerful, beautiful and important than Jolie which she is not.
Just a few weeks ago we got this leak of a book by some celebrity gossip writer about how HW thinks she is better looking, has the better career now and blah blah blah than Angelina and it is downright shallow and stupid. A reflection of her. Angelina does not give one damn about Aniston and that is all.
@truth hurts…Jen was very famous and popular before she married Pitt. Why can’t Jen AND Angelina both have great careers? Pitting women against each other in this way benefits nobody but men.
The Derailed movie came out in Nov 2005 so she probably filmed it in late 2004. She said she rejected the dress while they were shooting so, unless it was during reshoots, that could have happened during 2004 as well. Friends had just ended in 2004 and she still had a good deal of clout from that. Furthermore, she and Brad announced their separation in Jan 2005. It is possible that Harvey “knew better” because Brad had already defended Gwyneth, his girlfriend/fiancee. What would Brad have done to defend his *wife*? There are a number of men who won’t go after a woman only out of deference to the man she’s with (sad but true).
We really forget how different the media landscape was back then.
Television clout was no guarantee of a movie career then. There was still a huge divide between television and movies.
DS9 She already had a thriving film career with some big box office successes before Friends ended.
And yet he went after the daughters of Bruce Paltrow and Paul Sorvino and Naomi Judd.
@DS9 Aniston did *not* have a “thriving film career,” back then, that’s total BS. She even talked about her bombs herself. Was she able to get cast in silly rom-coms, and this one Weinstein drama?
Yes, but they bombed big time, and didn’t make money.
This is in large part why her PR power broker Stephen Huvane made her such a tabloid staple, and stoked the ‘triangle fire,’ with sad pitiful performances on Oprah taking it to Angelina, and in enumerable magazines hawking her heartbreak and reject status. Huvane was able to get her cast in silly films that went nowhere based on her popularity re the tabloid triangle post Friends. It wasn’t until THAT SAME YEAR 2008-2009’s ‘Marley and Me,’ from Disney that she had a bonafide hit, and the dog was the star in that one.
That movie hit #1, and it did only after her PR flunkie married her career solidly with her tabloid persona — he did a number of things: 1) made her dog movie a competition with Brad’s Oscar nominated Benjamin Button which was releasing same day (Christmas 2008). 2) Started the whole catfight WAR (one-sided) with Angelina with opening salvo being the VOGUE ‘Angelina is UNCOOL,’ cover which she went on Oprah to hawk and whine some more. She followed that up with another article attacking Angelina (before 2008) she hadn’t really gone after Angelina – but these new articles, were a debut of spicy confrontational Jen. Then lastly 3) Her PR flack Huvane signed vicious anti-woman comic Chelsea Handler to beat Angelina up on the regular (she literally would come out every 3 mos like clock work and call Angie an evil C U Next Tues), and Aniston didn’t have to get her hands dirty.
All of this combined, increased her profiled even more, and sustained that level of interest in her post-Friends. Kept the triangle alive, and single sad Jen was always out there giving hope to her stans.
It was on the heels of this that she FINALLY, after many horrible movies that were duds that even SHE acknowledged, had a hit with the Dog movie, it beat Benjamin Button which came in 2nd.
I personally think things shifted for her when she stopped making Brad the focal point of her fans angst (he IS the golden boy after all, her fans really couldn’t hate him like they wanted to) – and she switched to making her boogeyman, Angelina (the catfight was on!) – that really worked well for Aniston, because her stans live to hate AJ, to this day.
However Brad got his back when both he and Angelina were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars that same year.
@Oracle I am the one who said she had a thriving film career before Friends ended, not DS9. You’re ranting at the wrong person. So Friends ran from Sept 1994 to May 2004. Bruce Almighty was a huge hit in 2003. Along Came Polly was released in 2004, a few months before Friends ended, and that was a big hit too. The Object of My Affection and Picture Perfect came out in 1998 and 1997 respectively and were modest hits. Their budgets were under $20 mil and they both grossed above $44 mil. She was critically acclaimed for She’s the One (1996), The Iron Giant (1999), Office Space (1999), and The Good Girl (2002). The Good Girl was also considered a box office hit since it scored $14 mil with a limited release. And Office Space was a flop at first but gained status as a cult classic once Comedy Central started airing it. All in all, I think any actress would love to achieve this kind of film record while also appearing in a hugely successful, heavily award-nominated TV show for 22 episodes a year.
Sorry @DS9, I meant @Boxylady
Office Space, a cult flick now, would have been a hit with anyone in Aniston’s part. She was barely known. No one who watches Office Space watched for Aniston. Also, how are you gonna attribute Jim Carey and Ben Stiller’s mid-90s box office cache, to Aniston. She played ‘the girlfriend.’ Much like her pal Courtney Cox played Carey’s girlfriend in ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Next you’ll be saying Courtney Cox was film box office gold and could open movies, because she was Carey’s love interest in that.
Come now.
None of those movies were her films to open. She was the supporting cast member, interchangeable and unforgettable. They weren’t well reviewed films for Carey or Stiller either. It’s not like she was Cameron Diaz in The Mask, or There’s Something About Mary. I know she wanted to be. She wanted to be Sandra Bullock so bad she started dating her boyfriend. LOL It never happened.
She never did what Lisa Kudrow did, have critically acclaimed films that were hits – See Romy & Michelle, on her own SANS a huge mega superstar comedian,
Yea, her PR flack is genius, he hitches her to the biggest 90s comedians of the day in some of their worst films, as their plus one, and he lets her stans pretend she’s a film star.
Unless she’s saying he “knew better,” because Weinstein had already tried with her husband’s ex-fiance Paltrow, and wouldn’t dare go there with her, his wife.
Which then begs the question, why would you work with him at all if he was that sh*tty to your husband, and a pig with women.
Aniston=rank opportunist.
Oracle, there are a lot of charities who really need help during the day hours when most people are working. They do good work and they need help.
Almond milk is back w her 100th name lol.
Your essay long Aniston rants are truly disturbing girl.
It’s almost 2020…..let it go..
You have let Aniston live in your head rent free for over a decade now.
And this is your business how?
Don’t like someone’s post? Keep on scrolling. Some people acted like they are better than others, smh.
I think both can be true, I agree with you that finding support online is good and beneficial as I’ve found it myself; but there are also negative aspects to social media too
Her Weinstein answer is Bullshit! This is a woman who looks shit scared everytime she’s interviewed in case she’s asked a question her publicist hasn’t vetted. Yet Weinstein who was the biggest brashest bully in the industry should be afraid of J Aniston? ‘He knew better’ please!!! 🙄 She’s only her own hero way after the fact & on the bandwagon.
Harvey’s a pig and a disgusting human being, but maybe he doesn’t go for that kind of look. (masculine). Jen has been known to make up stories or embelish them so she can get on the Me Too wagon or other subjects she chimes in on to stay popular.
I want the sweater, too! Can anyone ID it?
Well, as always Jen is a rorschach test, but what the results tell us is beyond me. I’ve never figured it out.
I like her. I don’t love her. I don’t know her. But…She seems nice. She hasn’t done any harm I know about. She was being honored btw, for her work with St Jude’s Children’s hospital. Kinda of an important aside. Cause you know, they save little children with cancer. She has worked for them for decades. Hat tip.
ps edit; Yeah, it’s gettin wild. Time to peace out of this thread. Enjoy! Get her! Get her!
Totally wild, right? I do not get the hate for Jen or Angie. Can’t we enjoy them both? I like them both as actors and celebrities. It’s super misogynistic to hate on one of the other because of Brad Pitt ‘s stupidity and selfishness.
My dislike for Aniston has nothing to do with that asshole Brad Pitt who gets away with crappy behavior on account of being a good looking white men bleh, I just don’t like her she is like keilie kouco 2 ordinary women who were touted around as the hottest thing in Hollywood for being in a TV show and hardly did anything with the platform they were easily given.
I don’t hate Anniston, but I never saw the appeal. I used to get her mixed up with Helen Hunt back in the day. And if Anniston hadn’t married Brad Pitt and all the publicity that came along with it (including the divorce, the manufactured feud with Jolie, the search for a new husband, would she ever have kids, etc.), she would have slipped into obscurity like Hunt. She just never seemed to have the talent (or even looks) to back up her “star” image.
Not to derail, but as a fan of classic gossip I must point out that the speculation was Hunt did not so much slip into obscurity, but was pushed by a famous actor and his wife.
If she is powerful and happy with her career, why is she always complaining about not getting the roles that she wants. She said in a video that she wants to play a superhero ina movie and she called out Marvel to call her. Of course, they did not, instead they called her rival Angelina. Now she is bad mouthing marvel. The only reason why she went back to TV is because she has no movie offers already. She is just using Meg Ryan’s name, but actually its short of saying that she needs romcom movies so she can have a movie career again. she probably forgets that she is a 50 year old woman, and even if romcoms come back she will not be called also.
So why is begging to be a superhero here in this video. Sour grapes much?
https://mobile.twitter.com/queerdeliagoode/status/978943609218113536
Nice find! Mystery solved.
LOL nice find! She probably saw that Eternals cast had some known Hollywood names but still no place for her that’s why she’s butthurt about Marvel. I’m sure if Kevin Feige cast her in something she would be all about how new Marvel era is promoting girl power or some other rehearsed PR answer. Unfortunately for her, Marvel’s generic white girl casting started and ended with Elizabeth Olsen.
I just can’t see her in that kind of role anyway, it wouldn’t be in her wheelhouse at all.
I could see her playing a role like Julianne Moore’s in Kingsmen-The Golden Circle though.
I feel this should be shared so Post it wherever you can
Lmao. That tweet is gone. Who would do such a thing?! Is it someone who got hurt cause she was called ‘homely ‘ at one point.
I kind of hate Jennifer Aniston threads. It seems she cannot be discussed on her own merits. Someone always has to come along and bring up Pitt or Angelina or these odd attributes that were put on her during that whole mess.
Excuse me @DS9. Read the piece again. They asked her about Harvey Weinstein, who sexually assaulted/harrassed her husband’s ex-fiance, leading her husband to threaten him. The fiance chose fame and Weinstein and Miramax leading to his rebounding with Aniston, not too long after.
How do you not bring up Pitt? All those dots connect. I find it interesting, Aniston is playing like she didn’t know what he was about, when she had a husband who would have told her everything – I’m sure he didn’t like she was working with the same pig that tried to mess with his fiance, then went they went bust, attempted to smear him in the press.
Aniston knew none of this? Riiiiiiiiiiiight.
These comments in the thread, Oracle. That’s what I’m referencing and there is so often a need to compare and contrast Angelina and Jennifer, or discuss their “competition” as if both of them don’t have work and causes and thoughts that don’t involve the other actress.
She bought all of it on herself for that infested manufactured way they tried to roll on Jolie. Now Pitt does the same and people see right through it. She and Pitt are obsessed with the woman. And yes Angelina is brought up because if Jen stomps her toe it’s Angelina’s fault. Shrugs!!
Leave Angie out of this.
This thread has nothing to do with her.
Every Aniston thread Angie comes up and vice versa.
This unhealthy obsession is truly bizarre.
It’s 2020 and y’all still pressed and obsessed!
It’s a bit strange that both Aniston and Pitt’s latest magazine covers were called Eternal Babe and Eternal Cool, respectfully. After Jolie signed up to be in the Eternals. Creepy much.
People are BALLS out crazy when it comes to the trio. When people write a dozen unhinged multiple-paragraph comments, it’s too much.
LOL @ Tiffany, right? I am cracking up, I was like woah!
“Woah!” is right! 😉
This woman really irritates me!!!
One interview she says she doesn’t care what people think about her….. next interview she’s complaining about her feelings getting hurt from comment sections.
She begged to be in a superhero film…… now she hates them?
Her actions are completely different from her words. She spends a couple of afternoons with Gloria Steinem now she’s a powerful feminist & confident woman, yet complains in every single interview about how poorly she’s treated from media/press, public, film industry, everything & everyone etc. 🙄
I think the like button is annoying because sometimes it can’t convey the broad spectrum of feelings you may have about something.
I don’t think she’s butthurt about Marvel.
I don’t believe those are the type of movies she wants to make. She wants to be seen as a good actress. I love Marvel but very few people see them as a way to critical acclaim, and certainly not for acting.
Jealousy is a lazy argument and it’s rarely real motivation.
@DS9 She’s hardly going to be seen as a ‘good actress’ in the god awful films she’s does with the likes of Jason Bateman & Adam Sandler. The Good girl & Cake are the indy character films she should be doing…… not silly comedies.
Oh I totally agree.
I think she makes the movies she’s offered, that fit her but still looks for opportunities to do work that fits how she’d like to be viewed.
She wouldn’t be the first person to take the work her resume draws while hoping and trying to get work she really wants.
Most of her interviews bear this up, imo.
Well, did you see the video, she wanted to be a marvel superhero.
The thing with Jennifer, is that everything about her is superhyped or exaggerated, and thats because of her super PR machine. She is being talked about as this beautiful and sexy hw actress, when in fact she actually has mediocre looks. she is always in the forbes list as top earner, which i think her earnings are being inflated by her people. She is being touted as this powerful hw actress, when she has not been ever considered to be cast in any award winning movies. Her only real success is the Friends show and its not even solely her own doing, thanks to the rest of the cast. I just dont think she deserves all these hype about her.
Everyone knows she got the hype due to the triangle, and poor pitiful Jen persona. That made her stans LIVE in the hopes that she’d rebound with Clooney or someone they might pretend was ‘hotter,’ than Brad. They would geek out over whoever she was dating, it was like a fever. Even Vince Vaughn they were claiming was hotter than Pitt. Vince. Effing. Vaughn. They had convinced themselves that they were the golden couple part deaux. Vince couldn’t take it and ran away to England. There was a countdown clock on how many days it had been since he had seen Aniston. Then it was some pitt lookalike model as I recall, John Mayer and that dumpster fire (him dumping her on TMZ).
‘Brangelina,’ was SUCH a worldwide event, constantly and breathlessly and her hitching her wagon to theirs, as the one they had wounded and left in a fetal position, really ramped up her interest and profile. Huvane is kind of a genius, and evil one.
Oracle = Citney = TLOL1365
Jen is a high earner in her own right. She’s got that (awful, planet-killing) Smart Water contract, the $20 million a year or whatever they get from Friends, and a bunch of other endorsements. Plus the Apple series. She’s rich and, although not universally popular with people, has enough of a profile to command those. Dull? Yes, probably a bit.
I’m sorry but rom-com films don’t make the same connection with the audience anymore. Not like how it used to be in the 90s and early 2000s. People used to eat up those cute stories where an average to pretty girl bumps in to this hot, hunky, rich, pretty boy at the grocery store, charity gala where the dude is a guest and the chick is a waitress or while walking the dog and makes a connection (insert situations/circumstances/reason that they can’t be together) but ends up being together and lives happily ever after. I think by now, we all know that things like that seldom happen in real life anymore and usually only happens in the movie. And those kinds of films don’t fill up the seats in movie theaters in this era. I mean, why would you drive to the movie house when you can find similar shows with similar plot lines in the Hallmark Channel and Netflix at the comfort of your own home.
Jen’s all right. Likeable enough in my opinion, but doesn’t necessarily come off as deep. However, I agree with her thoughts about social media. And I’ve been a major Marvel fanboy, but it’s all so tiring now.
I am about her age, and like today’s movies. Yes, there is a lack of quality “calm” comedy, but there were so many rom-coms in the whole 90s that the movies were confusing and started to look the same. I was tired of Meg in the latter movies, and actually a lack of diversity. I like very very old romantic comedies, like those from clark Gable, etc. it has faded probably because the actual culture and technology available makes it difficult to have “misunderstandings” and loss of communication because it would not be believable.
She is still a bit hung n the past.
I feel like she tries too hard to be down to Earth and sometimes i think it’s not sincere.
Maybe because I’m over 50, I prefer movies that feature older characters like “Book Club” with Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda. There’s romance but with older characters. I love those kinds of films.
I have always liked Jen A. films and I don’t care if she plays herself repeatedly. Not everyone has to be a great multi genre actress to be enjoyable to watch.
I’m not a superhero film fan. I saw a few early on, enjoyed them and that was enough. Except for Wonder Woman. I’m totally here for her.
How I wish we would stop blaming outside factors like social media on bullying and mental health. I am a late 80s early 90s kids and back then, it was rock, rap, and MTV that got the blame. I believe at some point in time prior it was comics, marijuana, x-rated books, alcohol, etc… Now it is social media. The reality is that mental health affects our social skills and also how children deal with one another. There will always be bullies just as sure as there will always be horomones, rebellious teens, kids with negligent parents, abuse at home, and all the like. We need to focus more on how to nurture confidence and open up the conversation about what kids and teens go through in their transition from childhood to adolescence. But Jen is just doing what basic b’s do, which is harp on buzz words and hot topics. Disabling likes and comments is ridiculous and takes away the ability for people to engage with one another.
In my day, we had pen pals. Now kids have social media and video games. My son goes to “away camp” every summer and he keeps in touch with the friends he makes via social media and Forte Night. The comment section allows them to speak with one another freely and crack jokes, use slang, and do what kids do: DEVELOP CHARACTER. I beg of anyone reading this, please allow your kids to develop their own personality and character through free speech and thought. Talk to them about what is and is not appropriate. But these celebs and their ideological views when half do not have children and the rest live in a bubble. Grow up!
While I agree with your points that there’s always “something” to blame, I do think social media is a bit different. There’s an immediacy to it, and much bigger reach.
I think there are great aspects to it, the idea of community and the ability to have a voice, for sure, but there are also a lot of negatives. Like most things, we need to find the balance, especially for kids.
It’s funny to me that these Hollywood people think because Harvey was taken down that means no man is ever getting away with being a perv. LoL they really are out of touch with reality.
Yea, meanwhile the demented sociopath in the White House has been accused by 40+ women, and many MANY women are fine with it.
article schmarticle; Oh Ma Gah that sweater IS fantastic.
this right here is the best comment of the thread. 😉
Yes…a bygone era. So many white movies, so little time. Jesus…