Billy Bob Thornton Acting Like a Douche

[The Cunning Linguist]

Me'thinks Kilgore has an agenda of his own.

Either a fired, bitter CBC ex-employee, or not able to get a job there. Maybe an expat American living here with a big chip on his shoulder, like MLAM(E).

 

[The LoLRus]

But let's be honest here, Jian Ghomeshi is a talentless, only-in-Canada-on-the-CBC hack. A terrible musician, a piss-poor writer and a clown masquerading as a TV/radio host. Scary thing is, he's even more annoying and self-important in person

Maybe, but what does that have to do with BBT acting as a douche??

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

Over inflated ego and sense of self importance.

Oh, and get over yourself.

x 2.

"Don't you know I'm a music historian?". Puhleaze indeed.

 

[tarkovsky]

Typical, offended, sensitive, sanctimonious Canadian response.

I always love it when people go on a Canadian board and criticize Canadians while hiding behind the internet. If you're going to do that, first state what country you're from.

If I may, I've noticed the same thing about Toronto; this is a Toronto board and there's been a lot of remarks lampooning the city of Toronto from people I'd bet aren't from here.

Have the balls to state where you're from before criticising Toronto or Canada on a Toronto forum dumbasses. Hidden agendas indeed.

 

[BigBear7]

You're in the tiny minority that sees it that way

I'm certainly in that minority.

James T Kirk makes a comment about BBT that seems to be consistent with everyone's else opinion: BBT has an "over inflated ego and sense of self importance."

The conditions of the interview were such that the focus was to be on the band and the music -- not BBT. To me the mistake in the host introduction went beyond his mentioning his film career, but totally ignoring the other bandmates. They never get mentioned. Not once.

And, of course, when the interview starts, who gets addressed? BBT, of course. Did BBT get upset when his bandmates stepped in to answer questions directly only at him? No.

For a time BBT tactic works. The host throws a few questions at the others. But he can't resist going back to the "star."

How is any of this the actions of egomaniac, prima donna, filled with self-importance? Such a person would do everything in his power to snub his bandmates -- as the host clearly did. BBT did no such thing.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Maybe, but what does that have to do with BBT acting as a douche??

I clearly stated that Thornton acted like an ass. Maybe if you read and quoted my entire post, you would see that.

Jian Ghomeshi is also a clown - look at how he "handled" the interview and how he acts in his TV and radio appearances. He comes off as a smug, self-important twat. Thornton, who's also a wanker, responded in kind. Two overindulged prats having a pissing contest.

At least BBT has an international movie career and an Academy Award to fall back on...

 

[tarkovsky]

How is any of this the actions of egomaniac, prima donna, filled with self-importance? Such a person would do everything in his power to snub his bandmates -- as the host clearly did. BBT did no such thing.

I doubt you guys even watched the video. BB wants publicity for his new band and uses his celebrity status as an ACTOR to get it. However he wants to be taken seriously so he "instructs" the interviewer not to mention it. You can't have your cake and eat it too. He's trying to get free publicity and is using the media to sell records while "instructing" them what they can and can not do? This isn't acting like a prima donna?

Jian never asked a single question about BB's acting career; he simply introduced BB with that background. If BB wasn't such a "prima donna, filled with self-importance" then he should be reasonable enough to see Jian acted without malintent.

BB compares himself to Tom Petty and calls himself a "music historian"; if you don't think this is "the actions of an egomaniac then I'd like to see what you do. On top of this he has the gall to insult Canadians (gravy comment). What video did you or not watch?

 

[squash500]

I think the video is hilarious. Everyone is supporting the CBC host; but, I support Billy Bob.

Compared to commercial radio, CBC is a massively bloated bureaucratic organization with massive numbers of producers bumping into each other all over the place.
One of them was tasked to write a long tedious intro for Billy Bob's band and they made the host read the whole long winded overly scripted epic in front of the band who were all sitting there waiting to be interviewed which is bad form.

In commercial radio, they don't do that crap. They don't have the budget to pay people to write massive bloated scriipted intros which in this case is just so much tedious CBC intellectual masturbation anyway.
Commercial radio just cut right to the interview with whoever is in front of them.

Plus CBC violated a promise they made to BBT and the band in that tedious bloated CBC intro not to delve into BBT's acting background and to focus everything on the band and the music.

Since CBC broke the promise and commitment they made I totally take BBT's position. He was clearly fuming over the whole epic intro thing and spontaneously decided to stonewall the douchebag CBC dude.

As for Canadians being offended about BBT suggesting a lot of Canadians were mashed potatoes without the gravy; well, stop being so sensitive and self important. Get over yourselves.

The guy is a creative artist and can have any opinion he wants. No need to fit him into a straight jacket and curb his creativity. I want to hear his artistic opinions and not some sanctimonious, offended, douchebag CBC asshole.
Again, the CBC started the whole thing by violating the promise and commitment they made to BBT and the band and deserved to get fucked over by BBT. Good for him for sticking it to them. The sensitive douchebags.

I don't agree with your comments . If it wasn't for the fact that BBT is a celebrity then CBC radio wouldn't have even bothered interviewing this broken down Boxmaster band in the first place. To be perfectly honest nobody gives a sh** about this band. It's only because BBT is in the band that it suddenly becomes newsworthy.

Why BBT had to demand these stupid concessions from the CBC producers in the first place is beyond me? I think that the interviewer did a good job in very tense and difficult circumstances.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Well, since someone is curious, first of all I'm Canadian, from Toronto, and I've never worked in media, radio, tv, or government. And believe it or not I have never in my life felt any desire to work in that kind of environment. If you don't believe it, fine. Don't care.

Anyway, like all arguments there's one side, there's the other side, and maybe somewhere in the middle is the truth. And if it's me in this case versus 200 CBC people I'm comfortable going down that road. I'm not going to drink at some vat of purple Reverend Jim Jones CBC Kool aid just because everyone wants me to.

Believe it or not I am flexible and at the end of the day I roll with what feels like the truth to me. It's just that so far no one has put forward a position against Billy Bob that I feel I can get behind. If that means I'm stupid and don't get it then, la de da, I'm fine with that.

Anyway, I don't think Billy Bob's side of the story has been heard. Believe it or not when a person goes on TV or radio to promote a business enterprise or in this case, some new music thing, the people being interviewed often negotiate before hand with producers to steer the discussion in the direction they want discussed.

In this case it sounds like Billy Bob went over it, and over it, and over it, again, and again, and again with CBC producers to keep the discussion locked in to what they are currently promoting, in this case the band.

If the CBC doesn't like those terms they have complete liberty and freedom to say Billy Bob, screw you, we are not going to confine the discussion to the parameters that you want to contain it to and we aren't going ahead with the interview.
But in the end the CBC agreed to Billy Bob's conditions.

So, one tenth of a second after Billy Bob sits down for the interview the CBC drops a 5 gallon pail of wet diarrhea on top of Billy Bob accumulated from the collective CBC sphincter in the sky.
They do this by going on and on and on about Billy Bob, Billy Bob, Billy Bob and more Billy Bob and his prior acting career instead of focusing on the band as was agreed to beforehand.

So, Billy Bob is fuming and blows a gasket over being lied to by CBC producers. I'm sure it's like groundhog day for him because he's had this done to him many times by media while he's promoting the band.

To me he's trying to defer attention away from himself and not suck all the oxygen out of the room because he is labeled as a "Hollywood movie star". He wants focus on what is right here, right now and that's the band and what the band is up to and he wants to focus on his band mates and their talents.

But CBC media people have blinders on their eyes and all they want to see and talk about is Billy Bob and his acting career even though they agreed with him before hand not to go down that road.
To me Billy has a right to be angry. CBC broke the promise and commitment they made to him.

 

[rafterman]

The intro to Thornton made a passing reference to the fact that he was an award winning actor and director.

 

[Don]

Maybe, but what does that have to do with BBT acting as a douche??

Many stars act like douches.

 

[james t kirk]

I doubt you guys even watched the video. BB wants publicity for his new band and uses his celebrity status as an ACTOR to get it. However he wants to be taken seriously so he "instructs" the interviewer not to mention it. You can't have your cake and eat it too. He's trying to get free publicity and is using the media to sell records while "instructing" them what they can and can not do? This isn't acting like a prima donna?

Jian never asked a single question about BB's acting career; he simply introduced BB with that background. If BB wasn't such a "prima donna, filled with self-importance" then he should be reasonable enough to see Jian acted without malintent.

BB compares himself to Tom Petty and calls himself a "music historian"; if you don't think this is "the actions of an egomaniac then I'd like to see what you do. On top of this he has the gall to insult Canadians (gravy comment). What video did you or not watch?

Exactly.

People went nuts on Garth Brookes when he did the Chris Gains thing, but part of me understands why he did it.

Whether BBT likes it or not, he is BBT actor, writer, and he's famous for that. If you use your fame to get your foot in the music door, then there is a price you have to pay.

I don't know what his band sound likes, but the other guys in the band seemed very respectful and decent sorts.

 

[BigBear7]

I doubt you guys even watched the video.

Doubt no more. I was sent the link before it hit the mainstream. My first reaction was the same it is now. Then I forced myself to watch it a second time to verify the host failed to even mention the other band members in the intro, and tried to avoid them in the interview portion.

Jian never asked a single question about BB's acting career.

Nobody said he did. But he did make assumptions about his interests and such (e.g. the bit about his "first love") instead of letting BBT speak for himself.

BB compares himself to Tom Petty

He cited another musician, who has also acted in major Hollywood films (The Postman). If he cited my buddy Steve as an example, no one would have understood the comparison. Maybe Ringo Starr would have been better comparison. In any case, they were on a music radio show to talk about music, and Billy Bob Thorton is a name that needs to introduction. That's it. I haven't checked, but I'm sure Jian is doing everything he can to talk to as many media as possible, and make sure they have his picture.

As for the "gravy" comment, I don't get the insult. If anything, Americans should have been more offended because he said they "throw stuff at each other" which suggests they're much more violent, rowdy and undisciplined (sounds about right -- chicken wire wasn't just something that appears in the Blues Brothers movie).

So, Canadians are offended because we're not considered a bunch of neanderthals? Good gravy! What video did YOU watch.

 

[tarkovsky]

You addressed specific quotes of mine so I hope you'll let me do the same.

But he did make assumptions about his interests and such (e.g. the bit about his "first love") instead of letting BBT speak for himself.

BB ASSUMED out of paranoia Jian was treating BB's acting career like a "hobby" when Jian never even mentioned the word. I think it's was totally legit to ask (yes even Tom Petty) if he was always passionate about music, especially in light of the fact they were discussing the band's musical influences at the time. There was no underhanded dig there imo.

He cited another musician, who has also acted in major Hollywood films (The Postman). If he cited my buddy Steve as an example, no one would have understood the comparison. Maybe Ringo Starr would have been better comparison.

I know what your point is but in citing Tom Petty in relation to himself, he put himself in the same league as Tom Petty (whether inadvertant or not). Which you can agree, is a long shot. Tom Petty is a legend where most people don't even know BB is a musician.

In any case, they were on a music radio show to talk about music, and Billy Bob Thorton is a name that needs to introduction. That's it.

If BB believed what you said, that would be another example of his arrogance. I'm sure there are people out there who don't know the name "Billy Bob", maybe they might recognize his face. To assume BB needs no introduction is to make him a bigger star than he is, which these days is probably d-list.

As for the "gravy" comment, I don't get the insult. If anything, Americans should have been more offended because he said they "throw stuff at each other" which suggests they're much more violent, rowdy and undisciplined (sounds about right -- chicken wire wasn't just something that appears in the Blues Brothers movie).
So, Canadians are offended because we're not considered a bunch of neanderthals? Good gravy! What video did YOU watch.

BB's tone, especially at that point was aggressive and angry. He clearly meant it as an insult; mashed potatoes without gravy is dull, tasteless and boring. Do you think otherwise? I almost wonder if the explanation given of their not performing (due to members of the band having the flu) was a last jab at Canada as they could've simply said they were sick.

Stepping out, will reply if necessary later.

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

Only on the Internet, carve up the obvious into a thousand points of maybe.

He was a douche, end of story. Night night.

 

[rama putri]

He's a Hollywood actor, so he gets a passing "meh" from me. Who gives a $hit about him?

 

[luckyjackson]

If that means I'm stupid and don't get it then, la de da, I'm fine with that.

I've rarely seen a better line on which to end a thread.

 

[golffan17]

Typical, offended, sensitive, sanctimonious Canadian response.
And please get over yourself too dude, because it's all just so much of a preachy, generic, boring, CBC position.
You've been assimilated and absorbed into the Borg collective mindset and don't know it.

Canadians worship at the altar of the CBC too much. The place is a stiffling, smothering, suffocating institution that kills creativity and demands mindless adherence to "CBC mindset" .

As an artist I'm sure Billy Bob sensed the oppressive environment right away and had a natural artistic response to it.
So in addition to being lied to and getting fucked over by CBC producers, he had a natural response to the bland, flat, generic, soul destroying bureaucratic atmosphere in the dump.
So my position is: You go Billy. You're a great artist and fuck the sensitive, sanctimonious, preachy douchebags.

I'm not a huge BBT fan (he has done some decent movies), but I'm going to side with you here. I thought the interview was hillarious, personally.

Whether Thorton is genuine about music or not, I don't know...but, if it was agreed upon about not mentioning his acting career, I don't think he was necessarily wrong.

And I don't understand why people just assume he's an asshole. If people were constantly in my face day in and day out, I'd be an
"asshole" too. Now..I understand that much of it comes with being a celeb, but people fail to seperate celebrities from their "tv" persona, and real life persona, and assume that because they're a public figure, they actually give a shit about every person who watches their show. I don't think celebrities owe us anything except entertainment. What they do on their spare time is up to them, and they really shouldn't be bothered.

However, if they are doing a promo for something, they should obviously be professional.

Although he was doing a promo here, he was also presented with abnoxious questions and behaviour by the interviewer (and was told that his prior career would not be mentioned as agreed upon), so I don't blame him for giving abnoxious and ignorant responses.

While the insulting Canada thing was a little assholish, I do believe he was just trying to get under the skin of the reporter and nothing more. I didn't take much offense to it.

It's sad how 99% of people can't see a little humour from this.

 

[spatial_k]

In this case it sounds like Billy Bob went over it, and over it, and over it, again, and again, and again with CBC producers to keep the discussion locked in to what they are currently promoting, in this case the band.

...
But in the end the CBC agreed to Billy Bob's conditions.

Am I missing something? Is this a fact and if so where did you read it? The interviewer and BBT's comments made it sound like there was a request not to focus on Billy Bob's acting career and talk about the music instead- which in my opinion in the interviewer did. He made a few passing comments about Billy Bob and then focused entirely on the band. I don't see how this could be a breach of anything except a stone cold agreement to make ZERO reference to the acting career whatsoever, which would be ridiculous.