August 27, 2008

Anne Hathaway on Barack Obama: "I was afraid to trust him and I was afraid to have hope when I first kind of became aware of him."

"I was kind of afraid of Obama the first time I saw him... I was afraid to trust him and I was afraid to have hope when I first kind of became aware of him. It was around the time that he gave his speech on race that I just said 'I can't deny how I feel about you, Barack Obama.'"

Oh, celebrities, please just keep talking. You don't ever need to know how ridiculous you are. We love you this way.

Afraid to have hope
... an interesting fear, really, isn't it? But the human organism produces the fear response for a reason. Contemplate the survival value of the fear of hope.

69 comments:

ron st.amant said...

She's gorgeous though...I can forgive her...again and again and again.

Roger J. said...

Ron: you are going for make-up sex. Shame on you

Palladian said...

Man, what did Shakespeare ever see in this dolt?

Oh. Sorry, different woman.

EnigmatiCore said...

I was afraid of the telephone. A crushing, debilitating fear.

Then, someone came to my rescue.

Bissage said...

Weird. That “afraid-to-love” kind of thing must be a big part of Anne Hathaway’s psyche. Except for the names and a few other changes, that’s exactly how she reacted the first time she set eyes on the giant seething lizard that is my penis.

John said...

Ann got into movies on her looks and her boobs, not her brains. This is the girl who fell in love with a multi-million dollar swarthy European fraud artists who is now in prison. I really like Ann Hathaway, but it is a good thing she is attractive because God didn't deal too many common sense cards when he dealt her hand.

Unknown said...

Tag: celebritneys ... what a deliciously Freudian slip.

Host with the Most said...

Oh, celebrities, please just keep talking.

In a society that rewards beauty first, are we really surprised that there is a lack of developed brain behind it?

Anne Hathaway grew up beautiful, traded on it her whole life, and never had to develop the basic social/mental/common sense skills most people daily need to use to navigate life. She is paid inordinate amounts of money for being primarily beautiful and secondarily somewhat-talented for entertaining us. Her connection to the daily lives of 99.9999999% of the rest of the human race is tenous at best and impossible to improve, as she has wasted whatever brain synapses that could develop to help her understand.

Knowing this, why should real people for even one second care what a celebrity thinks about politics?


Why should any such person be seriously considered to have anything at all of value to say regarding real life?


I know, I know, what I wrote also applies to Michelle Obama, but that's another post . . .

Peter V. Bella said...

Ah another overpaid bobblehead speaks. Question, did she have a cue card or a teleprompter do the thinking for her?

kjbe said...

The survival value = predictability = the illusion of having control = isolated = ruled by fear.

Fear of hope = fear of the unknown = fear of chaos = lack of faith in ourselves, in others = fear of trying = fear of learning = fear of growth = fear of potential.

In short, fear decreases your quality of life. Fear's only purpose is for survival.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Afraid to have hope... an interesting fear, really, isn't it?

Palladian nailed it yesterday in his post regarding the celebrity mindset and this inane comment by Hathaway simply nails it. Nothing more than flowery talk that when actually analyzed for ten seconds simply comes across as stupidty.

John said...

"Anne Hathaway grew up beautiful, traded on it her whole life, and never had to develop the basic social/mental/common sense skills most people daily need to use to navigate life. She is paid inordinate amounts of money for being primarily beautiful and secondarily somewhat-talented for entertaining us. Her connection to the daily lives of 99.9999999% of the rest of the human race is tenous at best and impossible to improve, as she has wasted whatever brain synapses that could develop to help her understand."

All true and why most beautiful women like her live miserable personal lives filled with divorces and bad decisions. I actually feel kind of bad for Ann. Her money and obvious natural advantages cannot make up for a lack of common sense. Moreover, Ann probably realizes that she is where she is because of her looks. How could she not? That sort of knowlege breeds real insecurity. How does someone like Hathaway have any idea who is a genuine friend or lover and who just wants to sleep with her as a trophy or take her money?

EnigmatiCore said...

"Tag: celebritneys ... what a deliciously Freudian slip."

Not a Freudian slip. Done with foresight and delicious malice.

Ron said...

Now, now...Hollywood pays them to think as much as Wisconsin pays you to look pretty!

Tibore said...

Oh, she's so beautiful. Oh, she's so lovely. Oh... oh, wait, did she say something??

kjbe said...

How does someone like Hathaway have any idea who is a genuine friend or lover and who just wants to sleep with her as a trophy or take her money?

True, she did just get duped by her significant other.

Freder Frederson said...

So let me get this straight. A Law Professor in her mid-50's who thinks American Idol is important, wastes her time watching and blogging about it, and apparently spends time reading The Gawker website to find quotes like this has the balls (I mean really that is the only way to describe it) to ridicule Anne Hathaway for being vapid.

campy said...

The only thing we have to fear is hope itself.

Paul Brinkley said...

Thing is, there's probably plenty of celebrities who are quite bright about some things. James Woods known for his 160+ IQ; Ahnold, Rebecca Romijn, and others. You don't tend to hear much from them, though (other than the Governator). Probably also a case of the media only picking out the really silly cases, too; a story of Steve Buscemi talking about firefighting would be informative, but not draw a lot of heads.

Methadras said...

Anne Hathaway is a really yummy woman, but Anne (not you Ann), do please shut up. Your insecurities are showing.

Chip Ahoy said...

What a load. She had no such fear. None atoll. (<--- should be 'at all' and not a ring island, but I prefer shoving them together like that, you know, writing phonetically. Similar to people writing, "alot" when they really mean "a lot" ) What makes her think anybody would fall for that dribble? And by dribble I mean drivel, bubbly saliva slipping out of the mouth and not masterfully controlling a basketball.

A disembodied voice: "Chip, look at her target audience."

Oh. Yes, I see. OK, never mind.

Freder Frederson said...

Anne Hathaway is a really yummy woman, but Anne (not you Ann), do please shut up. Your insecurities are showing.

Actually, Ann is not a particularly lovely woman (although some of the regulars on this site do have a sick oedipal thing going on with her). And with this post her insecurities are showing. Her constant bashing of Obama while claiming that she is more likely than not to vote for him (even though the smart money is on her voting for McCain) makes me think that this quote from Ms. Hathaway describes exactly Ann's emotions.

BJK said...

I was kind of afraid of Anne Hathaway the first time I saw her...I was afraid to trust her, and I was afraid to have hope she might be intelligent when I first kind of became aware of her. (I didn't actually watch the Princess Diaries, but I did notice the lead.)

It was about the time that she gave her speech on Barack Obama that I just said 'too bad.'

Palladian said...

"Actually, Ann is not a particularly lovely woman (although some of the regulars on this site do have a sick oedipal thing going on with her)."

And what do you look like, dickless wonder? Oh, right. We'll never know.

Bissage said...

You know what?

Upon deep, probing reconsideration, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really wish I’d called my penis a giant hissing lizard instead of a giant seething lizard.

These things matter!!!

*sigh*

For want of a nail . . .

knox said...

So let me get this straight. A Law Professor in her mid-50's who thinks American Idol is important, wastes her time watching and blogging about it, and apparently spends time reading The Gawker website to find quotes like this has the balls (I mean really that is the only way to describe it) to ridicule Anne Hathaway for being vapid.

FF you're such a buzzkill. You have no sense of humor or fun.

sonicfrog said...

Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the hope?
Tim: It *is* the hope!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary hope.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered expectation you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that hope's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!

Run Away!!! Run Away!!!

Peter V. Bella said...

Freder,
Did you have the typical liberal unhappy childhood or something? Couldn't get a date to the prom?

Or is your ieda of beauty the haggard looking, washed up, shrivelled, wrinkled, gray streaked hair thrity something vegans who look like refugees from a POW camp?

Freder Frederson said...

FF you're such a buzzkill. You have no sense of humor or fun.

Maybe not, but I do I have keenly developed since of irony. And this post is just dripping with it.

Freder Frederson said...

Or is your ieda of beauty the haggard looking, washed up, shrivelled, wrinkled, gray streaked hair thrity something vegans who look like refugees from a POW camp?

My God, I said Ann was "not particularly attractive". I didn't say she was unattractive.

But you people really need to get a new fantasy. It is really kind of creepy when you start going on about her like she is Demi Moore or something.

Chennaul said...

look at her target audience-

I think that's how Clinton gets away with all the Harriet Tubman references-

Not one person in that shtetl is saying to themselves-

But, but Harriet Tubman was a gun totting-

Republican...

{with trembling fear and oh Hathawayness}


Hillary:On that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice. If you hear the dogs, keep going; if you see the torches in the woods, keep going; if they're shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop; keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. (Cheers, applause.)

Keep going, get the hell outta this shtetl-and go all the way people-vote Republican.

I mean come on you overanalyzing pundits-how did the MoDo and Frank Rich's of the world miss that.

She was also wearing the old flight suit Orange that's for Rescues from the Vietnam era-

John rescue me!

Hoosier Daddy said...

So let me get this straight.

Don't bother Freder as your comparison is pretty lame. Having an interest in a glorified karaoke contest doesn't disqualify Ann from criticizing a vapid actress' ridiculous statement about being 'afraid to hope' over a presidential candidate. I suppse if Ann was taking cues from Simon Cowl and Paula Abdul on who to vote for then I suppose you'd have a point.

Actually, Ann is not a particularly lovely woman

Some standards you have there Freder. Not sure how you get the Oedipus thing going unless you have some particular insight in the ages of the people commenting on here.

You really are a bitter person. Ann bashing Obama? Does that make her a heretic?

Chennaul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hoosier Daddy said...

My God, I said Ann was "not particularly attractive". I didn't say she was unattractive.

Freder, if I said your wife 'was not particularly attractive' how you you interpret that?

XWL said...

Anne Hathaway has a terrible habit of trusting the wrong men.

Chennaul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bruce Hayden said...

Princess Diaries (I) was on again last night, and I do enjoy it. Julie Andrews really makes it work. I wouldn't call Hathaway beautiful there, but you could see her promise. And she sure wasn't that busty then either.

I have liked some of her roles since then, most recently Get Smart. That was one of the funniest movies we have seen in a long time, and she does a good job of playing the straight (wo) man. It was quite funny for the younger generation, despite not catching many of the inside jokes and allusions to the TV series.

But listen to her politically? No more than I do most other celebrities.

AllenS said...

I just came back from Memeorandum.com and this is what Kid Rock has to say:
"I truly believe that people like myself, who are in a position of entertainers in the limelight, should keep their mouth shut on politics."

Didn't he used to nail Pam Anderson?

Freeman Hunt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Freeman Hunt said...

Maybe when Obama stands in his Grecian temple, they can have an alter call and people like Anne can walk the aisle for Barack.

ZeroVoice said...

Yes, Anne (not Ann) Hathaway's comments are a bit silly, but my question is why AA finds it necessary to repeat them, adding only a content-free effort to suggest that the "fear of hope" is a good thing without bothering to tell us why.

Isn't AA's response itself vapid? Why not just ignore what celebrities say about Obama if you don't think it's meritorious?

Is the idea that AA's comments are funny? It's not. I don't understand what purpose is served here.

FF's comment that AA is rather hypocritical here is also well-taken.

Bissage said...

ZV, maybe you’re new around here and maybe this will help: Mort Sahl used to end his act with the line “Thank you all for your individual perceptions.” Althouse is like that, too.

Hoosier Daddy said...

FF's comment that AA is rather hypocritical here is also well-taken.

Evidently neither you or Freder actually know what the term hypocritical means.

vbspurs said...

I'd be afraid to have hope after my last boyfriend turned out to be an embezzling con-artist too.

I like the part when he says he and the Pope were like THAT.

What a maroon.

vbspurs said...

Freeman Hunt wrote:

Maybe when Obama stands in his Grecian temple, they can have an alter call and people like Anne can walk the aisle for Barack.

Ooh, this reminds me of a Progressive Insurance commercial during the Olympics.

Young Greek God-looking athlete strides confidently out of a tent, with all eyes watching him and his digitally-enhanced six pack abs.

He's the Greek girl's (and boy's) favourite; he can do no wrong!

He confidently flings his discus, which sails into the stratosphere...only to have it pierce one of the Parthenon's columns.

The eyes which loved him but a second ago, suddenly look at him with disdain.

That's Obama after HRC's speech last night, baby. Buyer's remorse-city.

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

The eyes which loved him but a second ago, suddenly look at him with disdain.

Obama!

Freeman Hunt said...

Ha. I see that I put "alter" for "altar." I guess an altar call is a sort of "alter call." In the case of leftism, it could especially be an alter call if you use Dictionary.com's second definition of alter:

2. to castrate or spay.

Ruth Anne Adams said...

madawaskan wrote: She was also wearing the old flight suit Orange that's for Rescues from the Vietnam era-

John rescue me!


No. No. No. It was a message to the party: Orange you sad you didn't pick me!

chuck b. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chennaul said...

Damn-

Ruth Anne-

queen o' the puns.

Last night we were trying to work on the symbolism-pumpkins, crash landings and that's the best we could do.

The guys for some reason were particularly freaked out by the color-and insisted it had to be a signal of some sort...

Anonymous said...

It doesn't seem all that ridiculous--she's just describing skepticism giving way to support. That's a pretty normal process people go through when examining potential leaders, no? For that matter, it pretty much describes the GOP's relationship with John McCain over the last year.

Peter V. Bella said...

My God, I said Ann was "not particularly attractive". I didn't say she was unattractive.


Freder you failed the test. Some day, and I really hope that day never comes for you; the woman you are involved with will ask the one significant question. The one question whose answer will determine your mortal fate. I fear for you Freder. I really do. For you are on a path to self destruction and a life of misery.

This question will test your courage, your honesty, your fortitude, and your answer will determine your fate. I fear that you will not answer the question correctly.


The mortal question:






"Does my ass look fat in these jeans?"

Freder Frederson said...

Freder, if I said your wife 'was not particularly attractive' how you you interpret that?

As far as I know, Ann is not currently married and her ex-husband does not comment on this blog.

If any of you are actually dating Ann, then I do sincerely apologize.

Otherwise, you are all kind of creepy.

Evidently neither you or Freder actually know what the term hypocritical means.

Actually, I never said she was being hypocritical. I said her ridicule was ironic considering the vapidity and superficiality Althouse displays.

Now claiming to be "cruelly neutral" but consistently posting negative and snarky posts about Obama while almost never posting anything negative about McCain. Now that is hypocritical.

Peter V. Bella said...

Freder Frederson said...
Freder, if I said your wife 'was not particularly attractive' how you you interpret that?


Freder, you did not answer Hoosier Daddy’s question? I mean, come on. Just answer the man’s question instead of discombobulating all over the place and saying we are creepy. Creepy is such an, oh, I don’t know, teenage word. Stop being immature, man up and give a direct answer to a direct question. I will make it easy. How would you feel if I said your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, French poodle, or whatever you sleep with is ugly?

blake said...

Freder has no concept of what the word "hypocrisy" means. And despite having read Ann for years now--I think he's reading, he could just be commenting--has no idea how she works.

Anne Hathaway is very interesting looking. That's what I always think when I see her. She looks like an anime/manga character. Overlarge eyes, straight-straight nose--her mouth is too wide for a Manga female (at least one that's not evil).

Eventually, though the eyes have it. She had won me over by the end of Get Smart. (Though still no Barbara Feldon. Just as Uma was no Diana Rigg.)

This statement strikes me as kind of tragic, though. Anyone else?

Anonymous said...

I still want to know: afraid to hope for what? And exactly how pathetic does your life have to be in order for you to be afraid to hope? And exactly how pathetic does your life have to be for you to believe that hope can be delivered by a politician?

vbspurs said...

The guys for some reason were particularly freaked out by the color-and insisted it had to be a signal of some sort...

I'm afraid I cannot reveal what those codes are, since I would summarily be kicked out of the Sisterhood.

But let's just say that if you ever see your wife or girlfriend wearing fuchsia and green, DUCK!

vbspurs said...

And exactly how pathetic does your life have to be for you to believe that hope can be delivered by a politician?

Paul, Democrats are people who have been let down by their parents, their spouses, lovers, teachers, friends, dogs, and the odd school crossing guard.

Politicians is all they got. Bureaucrats come a distance but still welcome second.

Life's rough out there, my man. Gomint cheese is the next best thing to Xanax.

Cheers,
Victoria

Hoosier Daddy said...

As far as I know, Ann is not currently married and her ex-husband does not comment on this blog.

Nice dodge there Freder but that certainly doesn't answer the question.

Otherwise, you are all kind of creepy.

Because some of the male commenters on her blog find her attractive? You certaintly do set some odd standards.

Actually, I never said she was being hypocritical. I said her ridicule was ironic considering the vapidity and superficiality Althouse displays.

Actually I was responding to zero who referenced your earlier post. That said, you also don't appear to know the meaning of irony either. Ann's interest in American Idol may be vapid but irrelevant to the topic at hand.

Hoosier Daddy said...

But let's just say that if you ever see your wife or girlfriend wearing fuchsia and green, DUCK!

Vic, help us men out here. We only see in 16 colors. Peach is a fruit not a color so WTF is fuchisa?

ZeroVoice said...

(A) AA asserts that it is "ridiculous" for "celebrities" to try to make serious political comments. (Actually, as is frequently the case, it is not clear what she asserts, but my interpretation is certainly a reasonable one.)

(B) Yet AA, a celebrity who does not consider herself ridiculous (although she is in fact ridiculous), does from time to time attempt to make serious political comments. Thus, her action (B) is inconsistent with, and therefore contradicts, her stated belief (A).

That tracks the dictionary definition of a hypocrite.

As a side point, even if you disagree with my interpretation of her statement or with my characterization of the facts, that just means we disagree - not that I don't know the definition of hypocrite.

jeff said...

What if your premise of A and B are incorrect? Then B does not follow A. With such a logic deficit, we have no evidence that you understand hypocrisy.

Hoosier Daddy said...

As a side point, even if you disagree with my interpretation of her statement or with my characterization of the facts, that just means we disagree - not that I don't know the definition of hypocrite.

Well you don't have facts rather an assumption that Ann Althouse is a celebrity on par with a major film actress. I'll wager that outside of the blogosphere few people would know who she is or even heard of her.

Therefore, considering your premise falls flat on its face simply with what would constitute a celebrity, I'll stand by my original assertion that you don't know what a hypocrite is.

ZeroVoice said...

Jeff - I never asserted that A followed B. They are two independent statements that taken in conjunction add up to hypocrisy.

HD - As noted, your apparent disagreement with my factual assertion doesn't really have any bearing on the point that you raised.

By the way, I didn't assert that AA is a celebrity "on par with a major film actress." I asserted that she is a celebrity. It's logically possible and, I contend, accurate, to assert that AA is a lesser celebrity and AH is a greater celebrity.

blake said...

(A) AA asserts that it is "ridiculous" for "celebrities" to try to make serious political comments.

I don't see that at all.

(Actually, as is frequently the case, it is not clear what she asserts, but my interpretation is certainly a reasonable one.)

Reasonable, but only if you don't get AA.

Yet AA, a celebrity

Depending on your definition of "celebrity", yes. I've been one, to a very, very small group of people. (Although, once a friend of mine called up another guy in my field and mentioned my name, and the guy said, "The blake...?" Wild coincidence, really, but my brush with "fame".

who does not consider herself ridiculous (although she is in fact ridiculous)

Depending on your definition of "ridiculous", frankly. Mostly it's people who perceive her as a political enemy who use that term, but clearly there is a lot of intended whimsy here.

Your statement is a dressed up version of the "You, a law professor!" cliché.

Thus, her action (B) is inconsistent with, and therefore contradicts, her stated belief (A).

Even though neither (A) nor (B) is true, it isn't hypocrisy because you'd have to prove that she thought (A) was true.

As a side point, even if you disagree with my interpretation of her statement or with my characterization of the facts, that just means we disagree - not that I don't know the definition of hypocrite.

But you really haven't demonstrated an understanding here. In order for the charge of hypocrisy to be true, minimally, you'd have to prove that AA regards herself as a celebrity on the level of a famous Hollywood actress.

ZeroVoice said...

I don't have to "prove" that she "regards herself as a celebrity on the level of a major Hollywood actress."

I just have to assert that she is aware of the fact that she is a "celebrity" (her choice of words) of any description, which I have done. The assertion doesn't have to be reasonable (although it is) and I don't have to believe it (although I do).

As noted, you might disagree with (A) or (B) or both, so there is room for debate on whether AA actually *is* a hypocrite. There is not really any room for debate on whether I know the meaning of "hypocrite."

There are other logical ways for me to win as well, but this is one that closely tracks my interpretation of the facts.

I feel as though I'm playing a video game. We get the easy level (Jeff - a complete idiot), the intermediate level (HD, who has something on the ball but is basically pretty lame), and now Level 3 (blake, who is certainly the best of the three, and may actually understand the issue well enough to be making a disingenuous argument rather than a dumb one).

ZeroVoice said...

Another quick point: The only point on which anyone has challenged A or B is Ann's status or self-perceived status as a Hathaway-level celebrity. But AA chose the category "celebrities." She didn't limit it to major actresses or to famous young women whose firm breasts she envies (apologies, Jessica Parenti). She perhaps overbroadly chose a category to which she belongs.

The point is that the pro-AA side seems not only to have lost the debate over whether I know what a hypocrite is (that was a tough one for them to win) but also to be losing the debate over whether AA is *in fact* a hypocrite - at least to the extent that one believes that AA is a minor celebrity and that she is aware of it.

William said...

These posts are a kind of metaphysics of trivia. And I just read them all. I am filled with self loathing.

Hoosier Daddy said...

I don't have to "prove" that she "regards herself as a celebrity on the level of a major Hollywood actress."

I just have to assert that she is aware of the fact that she is a "celebrity" (her choice of words) of any description, which I have done. The assertion doesn't have to be reasonable (although it is) and I don't have to believe it (although I do).


Why do I feel like I am talking with Cyrus?

Well there is an old saying in which you are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts.

Simply put, your argument fails from the get go. Next time bring your A game.