So, who do you think, “Is so Vain?”
http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=130337
My bet is on Warren.
I’m betting it isn’t any one person. The model is either completely fictional or a composite.
I remember, years ago, reading an interview in which Carly Simon said (and I’m trying to quote exactly), “It isn’t about any one person… but there’s nothing in the song that isn’t true of Warren Beatty.”
So, I’ll take Carly at her word. The song isn’t “about” Warren Beatty, strictly speaking, but he probably inspired much of it.
Oh, and there’s a funny anecdote in A. Scott Berg’s Katherine Hepburn biography that Carly would undoubtedly appreciate:
Warren Beatty and Annette Bening visted Katharine Hepburn, to try to convince her to appear in their movie, “Love Affair.” After spending some time with them, Kate told Annette “It appears that you and Warren are both in love with the same person.”
I think Carly Simon is pretty vain to think anyone really cares that much about it. She was a fairly minor star even at the height of her career. So who was it about? No idea, my question is who really cares?
Well, Dick Ebersol cared enough to bid more then $50,000 to find out.
And calling her a minor star while at the height of her career shows just how little you know about popular music.
Whoever it is, it couldn’t be more shocking than the suspected target of Alanis Morissette’s ire in “You Oughta Know”.
Full House’s Dave Coulier! (on the right)
FAQ from the official Dave Coulier webpage.
Pash
I’m sorry you feel this way, but if you look back at the 1960s thru 1990s era, I don’t think Simon would crack most people’s top 20 list of artists, but of course I could be wrong. You are correct, I don’t know a lot about popular music. I’m just comparing her to true giants like Elvis and Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
It isn’t Carly Simon who’s keeping the issue alive! It’s millions of ordinary folks who obsess over the issue, and give it far more thought than (I’m sure) Carly Simon ever did.
Quentin Tarantino never thought it mattered what was in Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase, but there have been numerous Internet chat rooms dedicated to that burning question!
Bobbie Gentry never thought it was important what Billie Joe was throwing off the Tallahatchie Bridge, but millions of people HAVE been asking that question for decades now!
So don’t blame the artist, major or minor, when loads of people drive themselves nuts trying to figure out the answer to a movie or music “mystery” the artist left unsolved.
Coo coo ca chew.
$50 on Beatty to win, please.
OK astorian, I stand corrected. There must be a lot of people that care who is so vain. For those that care, I hope you someday find out and that your guess is the correct one. That is, if Ebersol ever decides to tell the secret.
Of course, Ebersol has sworn himself to secrecy regarding the “real” identity of the Vain guy, so this doesn’t really help US very much.
It may be a composite, but I don’t think Simon would’ve auctioned off the answer for $50,000 if the song was ‘completely fictional.’
And let’s not even dip our little…toes into Don Maclean’s American Pie, shall we?
Unca Cecil’s analysis and Don McLean’s response may be found here.
Well, if I were her, I’d tell him it was a real person, but someone who has absolutely nothing to do with current rumours or teh actual inspiration, but a plausible person nonetheless (f’rinstance “it was my dad, since he never noticed me :::
:::”)
then, when the rumour comes out about who it was, you can know if Dick spilled the beans.
And if he doesnt tell anyone, whose loss is it anyway? ::::::bigevilsmilie:::::::
Not only has this thread been done a million times before, but none of you even bothered to go to the Carly Simon Official Website to see what see has to say.
Go to her “You’re So Vain” page and read all about it.
Eh, it sounds like a set-up job to me. I bet it was about Dick Ebersol all along! 
[hijack]
Sorry, but to me, Dave will always be the guy from Out of Control.
does the Diz call
[/hijack]
Wow, that sounded a little bitter!
It doesn’t look like there’s really an answer on that page, anyway. It’s just a lot more tap-dancing around the subject. Unless it really is about a young Oprah Winfrey (haha).