Celebrity Junkie II: KStew and RPatz

Yes, yes, yes, the celebrity junkie is back. And it is about this month's couple in the spotlight; Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. The tabloids have published pics of Kristen (aged 22) in the arms of Rupert Sanders (aged 41), who directed Kristen in Snow White and the Huntsman. He is married to model Liberty Ross (aged 33)and she is in a long-term relationship with Robert Pattinson (aged 26).

The majority of what I've read indicates that
1) Robert Pattinson (RPatz) moved out of his and Kristen's shared home, won't have anything to do with Kristen and is working really hard to hold his head up.
2) Kristen Stewart (KStew) moved out out too and is holed up while beating herself and crying buckets of tears.
3) Liberty Ross is considering divorce and is flaunting her independence.
4) Rupert Sanders is doing all he can to keep Liberty from divorcing him.
5) Liberty and Robert should be sainted.
6) Kristen and Rupert should be burned at the stake.

Well, maybe not that bad. But from what I've read, Kristen is reaping more than her share of negative vibes and judgement while Rupert Sanders is the "poor misguided" older man whom Kristen bewitched. Ahem. Let me read that again. Rupert Sanders is 41 years of age. Kristen is 22. Rupert has been married 7 years and has 2 children. Kristen has been in a relationship with RPatz for 4 years. And what's worse...the tabloids toss about words like "affair" and "intimate" when no true intimacy has been confirmed.

All that has been confirmed is a hug and a loved-up kiss. And the lives of several people are now potentially forever compromised. How sad. How sick and sad that money mongering people have to chase others around, forever sticking cameras in their faces, yelling to get their attention, and then selling photographs to the deepest pockets. Yes, the objects of the paparazzi work as actors, models, and directors, to mention a few. Yes, their names and faces may be known world over. But guess what. They are people. They pee, poop, fart, burp, chew with their mouth open, snore, and every other disgusting thing the rest of us "normal" people do. They wake up grumpy, have pimples, go a few days without washing their hair or shaving their face/legs. They go to the store and shop for tampons, underwear, socks. They get angry, are misunderstood, get their feelings hurt, get depressed, have weak moments.

And now. Now a 7 year marriage and a 4 year near-marriage are possibly irreparably destroyed. I truly hope not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I watch the Twilight movies, but there is one thing you can't deny. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have a very real chemistry and a very real relationship. Or at least they had one. And I, for one, hope they can repair their relationship. Because even from very, very afar I see a very special duality between the two.

But more important to me; I hope Kristen Stewart will continue to be strong. Even when she feels weak. She stays try to herself. She acts like a bad-ass, but when hundreds of cameras are jockeying for a prime shot 24x7, I would act the same too. Moreover, knowing myself, I would be arrested more than a few times for spitting, hitting, breaking cameras, kicking and cursing. That Kristen does none of these things speaks of immense self-control.

Jodie Foster wrote an essay for the Daily Beast in which she addressed the turmoil Kristen has been facing. Who better than another child actor? One who successfully traversed the hills and many valleys and who is a successful, well-adjusted mother of two, still very much in the business. I quote directly from the article:

"My mother had a saying that she doled out after every small injustice, every heartbreak, every moment of abject suffering. “This too shall pass.” God, I hated that phrase. It always seemed so banal and out of touch, like she was telling me my pain was irrelevant. Now it just seems quaint, but oddly true … Eventually this all passes. The public horrors of today eventually blow away. And, yes, you are changed by the awful wake of reckoning they leave behind. You trust less. You calculate your steps. You survive. Hopefully in the process you don’t lose your ability to throw your arms in the air again and spin in wild abandon. That is the ultimate F.U. and—finally—the most beautiful survival tool of all. Don’t let them take that away from you."

(Entire article can be viewed: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/15/jodie-foster-blasts-kristen-stewart-robert-pattinson-break-up-spectacle.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_morning&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_morning&utm_term=Cheat+Sheet)
Bottom line, give the young people a break. Give them room, space, time. Let them work their issues out in private. As for Rupert and Liberty, they have a few decades on Kristen and Robert. They have a few more years of life-experience. They can work it out.


And Jodie Foster? One day I'd like to meet you. A good conversation will be had.

Celebrity Junkie: Tom and Katie

I am sometimes embarrassed that I am such a celebrity junkie. I have to admit that daily I troll websites such as http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.eonline.com/, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ and the like. I am one of those people who keeps up with the celebrity news of the day. Just ask me about Katy Perry, Ryan Reynolds or (gulp) Justin Bieber. Yes, these folks are entitled to their privacy. And if I were to meet them on the street (highly unlikely), I would most likely pass them by. Why? Because if they weren't famous, I wouldn't know them anyway. That and I don't want to be seen as a hanger-on. So, I enjoy their talents from afar and sometimes daydream that if we were to meet (in some inauspicious way), they would appreciate my talents and consider me know-worthy.

That said, I am compelled to comment on the 'big news of the week' that Katie Holmes has filed for divorce from Tom Cruise.

Good job, Katie! About time!

I've spent the last 24 hours reading several articles about how Katie 'blindsided' Tom, why she filed in New York, that there was no indication in Katie's demeanor, how it will affect Suri, yada yada yada. I may be eons away from these folks, but I think I can make some educated reasons the led to the divorce.

• It's hard living 24x7 in the limelight, most especially when the person impacted most is your beloved six year old child.

We all see photos of Suri Cruise. These are all from the photographers' view. But look at it from Katie's view. Everywhere Suri goes there also goes one to two hundred arrogant, loud and invasive photographers, each armed with mind-numbingly large lenses, each yelling, cajoling, barking at a precocious six year old, trying to get 'the' shot to be seen around the world.

• Being considered a 'has-been' at 33 can be a bit of a downer.

Tom Cruise is larger than life. He doesn't just live, he LIVES! Almost everything he touches turns to gold. He projects a seemingly perfect life. Since they married, Katie has yet to establish bragging rights for anything she's done professionally. Apparently, all projects must be approved by Tom and his cadre of image professionals. While Tom's projects reap profits (for the most part), Katie's projects shrivel and whimper through the cracks in the floor.

• Being forced to extol beliefs one doesn't embrace wholeheartedly can yield resentment.

Hmmm. Scientology. Nuff said.

• Standing by while said beliefs are rammed into your beloved child's every waking moment can also yield resentment.

As a parent myself, I firmly believe children are to be enlightened and not limited. Yes, there are restrictions. But only permitting one parent's perspective to drive a child's life puts that child at a significant disadvantage.

• Continually presenting a perfect life to the world even when it's not can be very tiring.

I am sure Katie has had her down times, as I am sure Tom has had his. But I tend to think that Tom is a bit less introspective than Katie, and if things are sunny he seeks it elsewhere. Not so lucky is Katie. She's the 'adoring wife' and as such is compelled to 'support' Tom. I sometimes think Tom is bipolar and that he is in a perpetual manic state. Must be very taxing to keep that smile on her face. Not only in front of the public, but also in front of Tom. Because, we should realize by now that Tom not only feeds off his millions of adorers, but he also needs total and absolute adoration from his wife. So, even when she's PMS'ing she has to put that 'happy face' on so Tom can feel worshipped and adored.

• Living separate lives can lead to, well, separate lives.

Tom has been busy on his projects while Katie has been busy rearing their daughter. He is traveling the globe, expecting her to do his every bidding, while she lives an insular life surrounded by papparazzi, Scientology trainers, and practically no one else. It has given her time to think. She's young, she's vibrant. Does she really think she will be happy living this kind of life for the next 50 years? I think not.

And therein lays the reason. Katie is seeking the happiness she once had. Peace, family, friends. These are all things she hasn't had in quite some time. She tried to make this marriage work. Tom isn't a jerk. But, this life, this marriage, it has reached its logical conclusion. It it time for Katie to open a new chapter.

You go girl!