Billy Bob Thornton is a sad, little man

[lisacurl]

@Hamlet

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I didn’t see someone who was high or mentally disturbed, I saw an out and out narcissistic asshole who was deliberately trying to make the interviewer squirm with stupid answers and inane ramblings. While I’ve certainly heard other things that make me question his mental makeup, the interview I saw was that of a petulant egotist and not a drugged up mentally unstable freak.

You’re describing someone in hypomania. He could step off the razor’s edge at any moment.

[Sampiro]

The BoxMasters have posted a long In Defense of Billy Bob Thornton response on their website. It’s interesting that the defense was not written by Thornton or the band members but by the editor(s) of a website called swampland.

From the defense you learn of course that Billy Bob was the only reasonable person in the room- if not the world.

[Birdmonster]

@Sampiro

The BoxMasters have posted a long In Defense of Billy Bob Thornton response on their website. It’s interesting that the defense was not written by Thornton or the band members but by the editor(s) of a website called swampland.

From the defense you learn of course that Billy Bob was the only reasonable person in the room- if not the world.

I especially liked: “The fact that Thornton is famous goes without mention. The idea that he has used his celebrity to promote the Boxmasters is totally false.”

Dubious.

[Beadalin]

Ghomeshi: It does also occur to me that you’re a pretty new band and part of, …one of the reasons you get attention is because of the [acting] career you’ve had.

This premise of Ghomeshi’s remains the central point of disagreement for anyone who cares to focus on the truth of the situation. Although he never bothered to respond directly to this statement by Ghomeshi, he clearly disagrees with it completely and totally.

**The fact that Thornton is famous goes without mention. The idea that he has used his celebrity to promote the Boxmasters is totally false. **

The bolded part is my favorite. Dude, no one ever contended that Thornton has “used his celebrity to promote the Boxmasters.” Ghomeshi was only stating the (obvious) fact that a key reason anyone has paid attention to the Boxmasters is because of Thornton.

If I, Wendy, go out there and say, “Hey everyone! I have a thoroughly mediocre new band!” my band will not be picked to support anyone’s tour, and I won’t get any widespread media coverage. Why? Because I am not already famous.

[Freudian_Slit]

@Beadalin

If I, Wendy, go out there and say, “Hey everyone! I have a thoroughly mediocre new band!” my band will not be picked to support anyone’s tour, and I won’t get any widespread media coverage. Why? Because I am not already famous.

You’re a Wendy? I always thought you were male. I’m not sure why.

[Beadalin]

@Freudian_Slit

I’m not sure why.

Why? Because I am not famous.

That’s the second time in about a week that someone has said that. Maybe my writing style is more manly that I think?

[Critical_Mass]

@the "in defense of" article on the Boxmasters website

Thornton clearly felt that the entire interview and segment was off topic because Ghomeshi led off with questions about Thornton’s acting career.

I don’t think Ghomeshi asked any questions about Thornton’s acting career. He referred to the acting career and Billy Bob’s fame in the introduction to the segment, but once the interview started, it seemed to be all about the group and their music.

Whatever.

I wonder if there will be any sort of audience reaction to the Canadian happenings once the group is healthy enough to rejoin the tour.

[brewha]

You guys gotta check out today’s WOOT!
(woot is a deal of the day site and totally SFW, for those unfamilar)

[Sparky812]

“Our policy is that we don’t allow anybody to tell us what we can and cannot say,” said Ghomeshi. "Beyond that, it was this notion and the language that he used during the interview that I thought was unfortunate, that we were `instructed’ to say this and that. And I think that does raise interesting questions about ideas around how much journalism is to be controlled, especially when it comes to arts and entertainment and culture, and I think that’s that a concern.

• Jian Ghomeshi

  This quote (Thanks** Muffin**!) says it all! Jian probably worked hard to prepare for the interview and I doubt anyone including the producer(s) or BBT could censor his questions. He understood the interview was not to be about BBT’s acting career but he was obliged to disclose to his listeners who the members of the band are.
  All he said was “you may recognize the name BBT as” …blah blah blah.

Imagine he was interviewing The Travelling Wilburys and he wasn’t allowed to mention their previous careers or bands!?

Jian - So today on Q we have the members of The Travelling Wilburys. Please welcome to the studio Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne.
So Tom, when did this band get together?

Tom Petty - I don’t know what you’re talking about! What do you mean? Would you ask Billy Bob that question!?

Jian - OK so George, what artists or bands influenced this collaboration?

George Harrison - YOU WERE SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTED NOT TO MENTION THE BEATLES!

Jian - Alright then, Jeff … Do you think the recent death of Roy Orbison has brought at least some attention to the band.

Jeff Lynne - No, but I’m here to let everybody know that I am Jeff Lynne from ELO!.. Not the mystery Wilbury! (Sorry, inside joke with friends!)

…and so on…

[Martini_Enfield]

That interview is a textbook example of how an interviewer can keep calm and professional when it turns out the interview is taking place… in The Twilight Zone (Insert Theme Music).

Seriously though, that was brilliantly handled by Mr. Ghomeshi, and Mr. Thornton is completely mad if he thinks that it’s inappropriate to mention he’s an Academy Award-winning actor in the intro/bio.

Otherwise, if he just says “The Boxmasters, whose members include Billy Bob Thornton…” half the population of Canada and the US Border region will be wondering “Is that the same Billy-Bob Thornton who was in all those films and was married to Angelina Jolie, or just someone with the same name?”

In short, Mr. Thornton was embarrassing himself and the other members of his band, IMHO, and Mr. Ghomeshi and handled the whole thing brilliantly and further reinforced the excellence and quality of the CBC in the process, IMHO.

[Khadaji]

Billy Bob Thornton: radio rant gave humpback geeks something to do

Apparently he was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night and this was one of his quotes. Did movie stars of old have melt-downs like this? Do we just see more of it because of better coverage?

[Dinsdale]

DVRer Jimmy Kimmel the other day to see the Boxmasters - not for BBT, but to see Unknown Hinson - one of the THREE (count’em) Telecaster-slingers backing him up. That’s one helluva vanity project if you can get a gun like Hinson to play friggin rhythm!
A fan of “mod-billy” or whatever, but BBT was worthless as a frontman/singer, and the tunes were forgettably mediocre.
FFed thru the interview.

[Sampiro]

@Khadaji

Billy Bob Thornton: radio rant gave humpback geeks something to do

That interview’s even more pathetic. The man has absolutely no clue what he did that was obnoxious and still seems to think that he evidently owns the Jian Ghomeshi show.

[BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed]

@Sampiro

That interview’s even more pathetic. The man has absolutely no clue what he did that was obnoxious and still seems to think that he evidently owns the Jian Ghomeshi show.

Wow, that’s all kinds of stupid. As someone mentioned upthread, the Boxmasters should take the opportunity to kick his ass out, and the resulting news from that action will be more than BBT’s waning popularity could ever do for them.

I’ve always wondered how people like him seem to act relatively competently and have such little understanding of the human condition. Did he turn into an asshole at some point after he got famous, or was he always that way?

[Acsenray]

@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed

I’ve always wondered how people like him seem to act relatively competently and have such little understanding of the human condition. Did he turn into an asshole at some point after he got famous, or was he always that way?

Well, if you think about it, being an asshole is a pretty integral component of the human condition.

[Sampiro]

@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed

I’ve always wondered how people like him seem to act relatively competently and have such little understanding of the human condition. Did he turn into an asshole at some point after he got famous, or was he always that way?

He’s been married five times (currently in a longterm live-in). At least two of the ones he married before he was famous accused him of mental and physical cruelty during the marriage (Angelina seems to have gotten out unscathed but then she was filthy rich in her own right) and he was a deadbeat dad to his oldest daughter, so I’m guessing he was always that way.