Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness - Jezebel Comments

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ihateyourescalade — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:07:03 EDT

@Archetype: alas, you're probably not reading this anymore...i meant that i didn't understand your last line and was needing clarification. oh well.

ihateyourescalade

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Elaine Chow — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:48:31 EDT

Well, I'm a little late to the game and I can't be bothered to read through all 131 comments before me, but microlending in the end may do more good than all the money other celebrities donate to the vague notion of "stopping genocide in Darfur." It's a sound economic practice which drives resources exactly where they needs to go in an efficient way. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been changed already through that one Bangladeshi operation - what has Project[Red] done in the meantime?

While I guess I'm disappointed that Portman would become the face of microcredit without really reading about it, I'm glad someone's at least willing to bring the issue to the forefront.

Elaine Chow

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Trixie from Toronto — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:56:16 EDT

@inchworm: I just hope she did them all at once.

Trixie from Toronto

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

lermanzo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:39:42 EDT

@ihateyourescalade: you can make a difference, person to person, but when celebrities get involved, you get much more exposure with far less stupidity than you would have to display to get the same kind of media attention. i've dedicated my career to fundraising, and i know from first-hand experience that even lower on the totem pole local celebrities can make a HUGE difference.

don't knock the phenomenon, knock the society that perpetuates it.

also, i enjoy the fact that she does microcredit lending. it's actually on the forefront of new philanthropic efforts in the developing world. check out kiva.org and make one of your own.

lermanzo

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

rantersparadise — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:38:07 EDT

@ceejeemcbeegee:
Exactly-someone speaking the truth! yey!

rantersparadise

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

titilayo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:07:42 EDT

@jagorev: Obviously, someone does, which is why the post makes specific reference to the Nobel Committee. The post is not diminishing the value of micro-lending, it's calling out Natalie Portman on her lack of intellectual curiosity. The post says that micro-lending is "apparently" not sexy, which I took to mean not that it's unimportant, but it's not as high-profile as other celeb causes and activism (the "attention-whoring concerts and meetings at Davos", as you put it).

For my part, I think her comment that "I have time; I just don't want to" read books on economic development is, while honest, pretty damning. It certainly made me think less of her. Not that she cares, or should.

titilayo

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

a_brown_eyed_grrl — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:25:01 EDT

I've read a lot of interviews with Natalie Portman, and this is the only one that paints her as an uninformed idiot. The so-called journalist interviews her less than he/she inserts personal opinion. I'm surprised Jezebel condemns her for not being controversial enough. Maybe she should flash her crotch to some photographers or go to jail for a DWI.

Cut her some slack. First, the interview is obviously framed to support the writer's viewpoint--great in some genres, but dishonest for an interview. Second, I believe in microfinance. I can't afford to give a ton of money, but I do give to Women for Women International, which gives microloans to female victims of war. No, I don't read a lot of books on economic development, but does it make my contribution any less important? It just so happens that I'm not famous, so no one is going to rake me over the coals for not being a freaking expert on the subject.

The fact of the matter is that SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL.

a_brown_eyed_grrl

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

CristinaS — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:01:44 EDT

@TeenageGangDeb: Yeah, you're kind of right, but do we know for a fact that she's actively AVOIDING controversy? That's what the writer says, not what she says. She just happens to support a non-controversial cause.

CristinaS

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

bruitdautrui — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:13:54 EDT

"I want to be comfortable and proud of everything I do."

And therein lies the problem. You just can't change the world if you choose a hassle-free life.

I am seething thinking about her smug self-satisfaction having found this "solution" to world poverty.

bruitdautrui

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

BeAgrestic — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:28:42 EDT

@inchworm: exactly! Seriously though, can we talk about the amount of finger wagging going on? I don't want to bring any more attention to it than it deserves, but like it or not, Jezebel is an offshoot of Gawker. What happened to being snarky and clever vs reactive and accusatory?

It's hard to convey sarcasm on the Interweb, but what happened to giving people (ie commenters) the benefit of the doubt?

BeAgrestic

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:13:28 EDT

@Tippi from Toronto:

totes. talk about taking one (many!) for the team!

here's the thing, anyone who ASSUMED that comment was offensive is asserting that it's wrong/bad/slutty/terrible to bang the whole football team. kind of judgy, no?

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Trixie from Toronto — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:44:03 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Is that hate? I'm quite impressed if Natalie did the whole football team!

Trixie from Toronto

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

speaksoapcube — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:14:35 EDT

Just to reiterate what everyone is saying I think that this post is in poor taste. Jezebel is against girl-on-girl crime. Jezebel recently "executed" commenters for this. However, here we have this post attacking Portman for having a cause. Sure, there are other people out there - smarter, with a greater ability for acting perhaps - who do great things. They should get voice. But Natalie is getting a voice right now. And we need to deal with that.
She isn't hiding coke in her hair or bringing her younger sister to bars - she's just a less than totally informed celeb with a cause, a good cause. Shouldn't we be supporting?

speaksoapcube

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ShoplifterOfTheWorld — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:12:26 EDT

But Britney has given the world so much more...

ShoplifterOfTheWorld

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ceejeemcbeegee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:12:39 EDT

@jammiriffic: It's not just Portman, it's all celebs.

Folks complain about her and Clooney and Jolie being "preachy" with their causes. But out of the other side of their necks they whine about spoiled no-talent celebs like Hilton and Lohan. You can't have it both ways people!

ceejeemcbeegee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

saradanger — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:11:26 EDT

I have a feeling that some of the ladies at Jezebel would prefer that Natalie Portman be less intellegent and more superficial than she is. I think it is because she is really accomplished for a 26 year old that some people want to tear her down.

saradanger

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

jammiriffic — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:56:35 EDT

Ugh, I'm so sick of the backlash against Portman. Why? Because she's gorgeous? Because she went to a good college? Because she's not a brilliant actress? This little piece actually seems to be belittling her for SUPPORTING A GOOD CAUSE. How unbelievably catty. Why do we have to pick certain women to tear down for such trivial reasons? What about the legions of starlets who don't even TRY to use their popularity and power for good?

And yes, I have a long-abiding girlcrush on Portman. What of it?

jammiriffic

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

lisas — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:36:40 EDT

If microfinance is so stupid, why did Jezebel tell us all about getting involved with kiva.org?

lisas

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ellietown — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:09:04 EDT

i don't get the vitriol about the portman at all.
oh hang on, someone said portman supported hilary, ahh yes she must be an evil. moron. for. reals.
and seriously, 'something more meaningful'? like microcredit is meaningless?!?
better tell that nobel committee.

ellietown

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

marie123 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:30:41 EDT

@Archetype: I might be horrible but that "red" shit just annoys me."

WORD.

I'm an asshole who feels bad for buying Old Navy (sweatshop? quasi-sweat shop) b/c it is cheap; the Gap is okay but horribly overpriced.

Instead of jacking up the price for a shitty T-Shirt 50 bucks (40% of which you will give to charity) I will just give to charity. Fuck you and your 78 dollar shirt.

marie123

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

marie123 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:28:35 EDT

@jagorev: Was he on the Colbert Report?

(I'm a bad person...who loves Stewart/Colbert).

They are more reliable than other (to be fair, 24-hour) news sources and they give a small voice to people--diplomats, authors, whomever--that would not have it otherwise.

And they do it in a way that's funny, too. Love them both.

marie123

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:15:30 EDT

@filthygorgeous: yeah, and you can bet there are entire landfills of those things, strangling bunnies and other cute woodland creatures.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

filthygorgeous — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:09:35 EDT

@faire-la-moue: I'll have to check that out from now on. I also hated all those rubber bracelets everyone had. I remember being in AE or something and they were desperately trying to get me to buy one. I told them I'd find the organization and donate straight to them. And I did. The only rubber bracelet I ever wore was one my friend got from her old high school during the winter break in college. It said "don't drink" and I truly enjoyed wearing that wasted.

filthygorgeous

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Dear Blond Diary... — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:02:30 EDT

@nyobserver: ha, well that makes sense now...

Dear Blond Diary...

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:00:18 EDT

@filthygorgeous: oh man, someone did create a site to that effect: "dontbuyuselesscrap.org"or something like that. It was novel--you just gave money.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:59:45 EDT

@sassymoniker:

that's a pretty badass girl crush. well done.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

sassymoniker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:58:24 EDT

Also, I have a serious girl-crush on Queen Rania. She's kind of awesome, and promotes women's issues, which is probably why Natalie contacted her.

sassymoniker

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

funnyface — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:58:08 EDT

@nyobserver: Yeah, it was the news reporter, Alycia Lane, when she got arrested.

See original post here:
[jezebel.com]

funnyface

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:57:47 EDT

@faire-la-moue:

ouch. at least your weather is nice.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:56:36 EDT

Sadly, Los Angeles.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:55:46 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Well, actually, I have not perpetuated it.

I don't have an issue with it, and I can see how new people would be confused. But, once you're told about its origins, why not just let it go?

Seriously, I don't get the big deal. And, it's not going anywhere!

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

filthygorgeous — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:55:08 EDT

my only problem with her is that quote: "I have time; I just don't want to." That was poor taste on her part. Perhaps the interviewer is biased, perhaps she's not that smart, whatever, but if trying to promote a very useful cause/charity by implying that it's boring is not very wise.

While it might not be the most glamorous or controversial cause from my understanding it's a very useful one. Much like heffer international, it's all very "teach a man to fish" and probably overall better for the people than most others.

Besides, I hate Bono and his commercialized shit. I might be horrible but that "red" shit just annoys me. I'll donate, but I don't need to sport clothing or accessories proving that I'm a better person than those who don't buy from the Gap.

filthygorgeous

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:54:06 EDT

@faire-la-moue:

aw, duder, i don't blame you. i mean, it really IS reclaiming the word dyke (for me! i love it)! but also for everyone who was so pissed off at moe about all that shit. instead of STAYING pissed off, we harnessed it as a slogan.

do you live somewhere bigot-y? i'm from WV. hi!

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Lizawithazee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:53:46 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: It's worth it, in this case. My opinion only, of course, you fucking dyke.

Lizawithazee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:52:51 EDT

@nyobserver:

ohhh! maybe! maybe that's what MOE was quoting. totes didn't put that together.

@GoodMorningAngels:

nah. it's pretty funny.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:51:01 EDT

@inchworm: yes. i missed monday's infamous rant, and i work with a bunch of bigots, so my ability to see slurs as funny has been severely challenged as of late :(

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:50:48 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: youre kidding right?

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

nyobserver — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:50:44 EDT

@inchworm: hey, didn't this predate Moe's usage when that newscaster chick used it to scream at some fucking dyke policewoman in chelsea?

nyobserver

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:50:07 EDT

@Yanee: are you snapping your fingers all around?

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:49:33 EDT

@Archetype: Maybe if people are so consistently upset by it, you should reconsider whether it's worth perpetuating? Seriously. Not trying to be a smart-ass. Just, is it worth it? Inside jokes are fun and all, but couldn't we think of one that's more manifestly funny?

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:49:13 EDT

@ineffable.me:

ha, true. it would have been more clearly sarcastic. but i'm sure someone would have been upset by it just the same. no tone in type people! it's hard. maybe give the benefit of the doubt? or, when she says she was being sarcastic, take her at her word?

@Archetype:

it IS a bit inflammatory, if you don't know what's going down. but again, benefit of the doubt...

@faire-la-moue:

YES PLEASE.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:46:38 EDT

@ineffable.me: I'm like the black best friend or something.

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:46:30 EDT

@inchworm: I've never picked up on this (in that I've never said it) and I understand newcomers not getting the reference at first. But good lord, it gets tiresome seeing people freak out about it.

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:45:59 EDT

@inchworm: THANK YOU.

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:45:54 EDT

@inchworm: actually, if she had said that, i wouldve thought that she was being sarcastic.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:45:41 EDT

@inchworm: okay, but only if we can have a "Take Back the Dyke" candlelight vigil.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

jagorev — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:45:12 EDT

Does anyone on this site even know about Mohammad Yunus? He got a Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering micro-credit in Bangladesh. I say rock on, Natalie.

jagorev

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:43:47 EDT

@CrankyOldBroad: regular folks lend small amounts of money ($50, $100) to the poor who have no access to credit through banks. they pay it back, with interest.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:43:37 EDT

@faire-la-moue:

fyi, when someone says "fucking dykes," they're quoting moe on her infamous obama freak out post on super tuesday, in which she called us all "fucking dykes" for not thinking it was HILARIOUS that she said that women voted with their cooters.

it's kind of been adopted as a jezebel slogan. this may offend you. sry. but it's gonna be tossed around a lot, and as a real life fucking dyke, i don't mind. but you're not going to eradicate it, so i hope you learn to recognize it as a term of endearment.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

jagorev — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:43:27 EDT

Wow, what a smug and uninformed post. Micro-credit has a helluva lot more promise to actually help the world's poor than attention-whoring concerts and meetings at Davos.

jagorev

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:42:50 EDT

@CrankyOldBroad: Uh, you need to do some serious googling.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

CrankyOldBroad — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:42:05 EDT

Micro finance??? WTF is that? And when did it become a cause that involves a spokesperson/model/actress and a Queen?? Seriously, ladies, I'm struggling to understand here.

CrankyOldBroad

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:41:03 EDT

if she had said, chill out, stupid n*ggers, in response to a barack obama post, would you let it slide? my mistake.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:40:55 EDT

@Yanee: omg arent you SO sassy.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:39:41 EDT

@inchworm:

sorry, it WASN'T like she said that.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:38:10 EDT

@faire-la-moue:

oh good lord y'all. she didn't even say it like it was an insult. she just SAID it. in a kind of funny, sarcastic way. it was like she said "i heard she slept with the whole football team that DIRTY FUCKING DUMBASS SLUT."

i mean, the way her comment was written she even implied that it was probably a super-exaggerated rumor. or that rumors, themselves, are prone to exaggeration.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:36:04 EDT

@Yanee:

i picked up on the sarcasm.

@GoodMorningAngels:

also, no. but some PEOPLE are.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:36:02 EDT

@ineffable.me: Umm...jokes? I wrote this term paper a couple years ago about what Marx's stance would be on microlending based on his work in Capital Volume One. Should I copy and paste that into the comments? Sorry, I guess I misunderstood the rules!

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:35:39 EDT

@Yanee: This isn't that kind of message board.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:35:07 EDT

@ineffable.me: Totally agreed. Way to speak up even when folks are lashing out. ("If they're shooting at you...")

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

flowers. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:34:07 EDT

there's a piece in this week's new yorker about microloans that i think is worth reading, for anyone who wants to know more about them: [www.newyorker.com]

flowers.

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:30:53 EDT

@Yanee: yeah, but that didn't really bring anything to the discourse.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:29:28 EDT

@ineffable.me: Chill out, fucking dykes. [jezebel.com]

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:27:59 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Yeah, thats totally what she meant. (<---FYI: I was being sarcastic there. Just wanted to make sure you understood.)

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:26:47 EDT

@ihateyourescalade: For crying out loud, why doesn't this kid want to be a Greenpeace activist or a Peace Corps volunteer? Because he has no idea these things exist or that regular people can make a difference.

That last line? No, I got it. That really doesn't change my point, however.

Not digging on your friends, it's just pretty lame to point the finger at a celebrity's involvement in a charitable organization.

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Eeva — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:24:10 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Well said.

Eeva

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:23:48 EDT

@Yanee: SHE HAD SEX? WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON? OH NO SHES OBVIOUSLY A HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING

i dont know what you were trying to get to with that comment.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

landomis — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:23:42 EDT

I hardly think microfinance is "nothingness." Talk to the undocumented folk and others who can't get checking accounts about how they're bilked of their already below-poverty paychecks by checks cashing places -- those places take up to 20% of checks they cash. Yet another way our wonderful country makes our poor even poorer. Rock on to anyone who fights that, even if it's someone as annoying as Natalie Portman.

landomis

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

PhillyLass — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:22:16 EDT

@Yanee: so what if she did?

PhillyLass

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

sassymoniker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:17:24 EDT

Microlending has been and continues to be an incredibly important tool in the fight against poverty -- PARTICULARLY for women. So yeah, what a vapid bitch for supporting that.

We just really like to hate on anyone prettier than us who gets more attention, don't we? We have rules against hating on women's appearances, but a woman's efforts to actually try to create some good in the lives of women who don't have the luxury of obsessing about "celebrity, sex and fashion" all day long are fair game? wtf, jezebel?

sassymoniker

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:17:17 EDT

@ihateyourescalade: and how on EARTH iss that a celebrity's fault? where are his parents that didn't teach him such a thing? or school? give me a break.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:16:16 EDT

@inchworm: Mmmm, another kind of familiar argument--feminists are humorless?

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ineffable.me — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:15:31 EDT

@number13: The profits from the vegan shoe line go to an environmental charity.

The charity benefitting from Natalie Portman's collection for Te Casan is The Nature Conservancy. Since 1951 they've been protecting important ecological locations throughout the world.

ineffable.me

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Sophie — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:14:12 EDT

@Yanee: Harvard has a football team?

Sophie

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

faire-la-moue — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:12:16 EDT

You guys pulled that quote from the very end of the article. I saw it as the reporter's attempt to show us that NP isn't too high and mighty about her platform, i.e. somewhere between Hayden Panettiere and her dolphins and Angelina and her refugees in the celebcharity continuum.

For the bulk of the piece, she spoke rather knowledgeably about microfinance and her role promoting it.

faire-la-moue

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

marie123 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:11:25 EDT

She doesn't want to be controversial, but she does want to be taken seriously."

I read this interview yesterday. She may be less "deep" than she comes off (compared to her cohorts...she's fucking Ghandi), but I think the point is she doesn't want to seem like she's just mouthing off on America (even she has legit points) and be another Sean Penn.

I don't think micro-credit gets enough coverage, even though I've just started learning about them myself. She probably knows as much about microloans as I do (not much, but still--SOMETHING). The difference is I am not a wealthy celebrity giving coverage to a cause that seems to be flowing under the radar.

The interview discussed Natalie's meetings with recipients of the loans. She also (if I remember correctly) said how embarrassed she was that SHE, an actress--not a diplomat, not a not-for-profit organizer--got a representative's ear.

Maybe I'm wrong. It IS a flippant answer. But maybe she's doing just enough intellectually regarding the issue--that she is doing anything to support microloans, period, is important.

marie123

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

yarnmule — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:06:57 EDT

@Archetype:

No; plant fibers (cotton, rayon, linen, etc.) are fine. Just no animal anything.

That's assuming she wears entirely vegan clothing.

yarnmule

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:06:54 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels:

sigh. must we chase away the funny? no hate here.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

LBB — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:06:12 EDT

@ceejeemcbeegee: and if she had been very well versed in the issues, I bet she'd have been criticized for that too.

LBB

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Tocsin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:06:08 EDT

@ihateyourescalade:
But Bono brings the whole world together and makes everything better with his magical celebrity powers. /snark

Not only do I agree with you, you also have a kickin' rad username.

Tocsin

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ASmallTurnip — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:05:14 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Thank you. Thank you for being a voice of reason. It has not gone unnoticed.

ASmallTurnip

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:04:15 EDT

@GoodMorningAngels: Although I have actually heard that, I was mostly being sarcastic. I HIGHLY doubt Portman actually fucked the whole football team and I think that would be clear to most people.

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:03:29 EDT

@vasellina: Right on.

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:02:37 EDT

I thought this line was the bitchiest/most unprofessional in the article:
"...which she says persuaded her that she had an obligation to do some sort of good in the world."

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:01:41 EDT

@Yanee: Again, with the girl-on-girl hate! You have no idea what she was like in college, and even if you did, how can you justify a personal attack like that as even remotely productive? NOTHING good comes from tearing women down like that.

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

number13 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:00:40 EDT

i buy my vegan shoes at payless for $20.

is miss portman donating any of the profit from her plastic shoes to microlending? that'd be a great question to ask.

she is super-cute, but i'm just not understanding the big deal this article makes of her, other than pointing out that you must be a celebrity to talk to decision-makers.

number13

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

nyobserver — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:00:08 EDT

@Lizawithazee: finally. someone who gets why this should totally be a jezebel crush-cause of some kind. [slow clap]

nyobserver

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

vasellina — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:59:24 EDT

this was a catty article. criticizing a woman for doing something helpful? i thought this was a feminist blog.

vasellina

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

AGreenEyeDevil — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:58:52 EDT

Microfinancing DOES make a difference, especially for the women of third world countries. They don't have too many (or any) other options in their male centric societies. Hooray for anyone that brings any attention to this method of helping people overcome disadvantage and poverty!

AGreenEyeDevil

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Lizawithazee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:57:46 EDT

Microcredit/microlending projects are definitely having "an actual impact." And many of the people who get the loans are female micro-entrepreneurs whose businesses make a huge difference not only for their own families but for their larger community as well.

Lizawithazee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:57:46 EDT

@Yanee:

well then. she may not be bright, but she sure ain't lazy.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

miele — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:56:11 EDT

@TeenageGangDeb:

Natalie Portman is not required to be publically controversial just because she is a movie star. It's hard to think of another actress her age who has taken such pains to maintain her privacy/normalcy and I think its fine that she considers that when she chose a cause to be involved in.

miele

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:55:51 EDT

Whoa, I am seriously offended by this. Why on earth does Jezebel jump to criticizing Portman instead of the journalist who saw a self-deprecating young woman laugh when admitting, no, simply wanting to do her part hasn't translated into wanting a PhD in economics--and describe her as "giggling"?? In fact, why would Jezebel pick out the only two paragraphs that criticize Portman instead of the other five pages that outline all the good she does do? Or even just the preceding paragraph, where she gives a thoughtful, nuanced argument in favor of both economic development investment AND direct service (showing that again, she's getting a raw deal in this final characterization of her as a dilettante)?

I thought "no girl-on-girl" hate meant that women would at least get the benefit of the doubt (especially in the question of media depictions of them!!) Moe, this did not live up to Jezebel's aspirations.

GoodMorningAngels (makes me Charlie)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

sequined — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:55:22 EDT

I think she's a good actress, an overall good person (charity! caring about the world!), but just not that fascinating. I don't think that's a crisis. Or a call for vitriol.

sequined

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Lymed — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:54:33 EDT

Why not design vegan shoes that the average person can afford? That might have an actual impact.

Lymed

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

sexydecoy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:54:11 EDT

My big question is what is the deal with that woman's manicure? Regarding Portman, I can only speak for myself when I say that if you must be involved in something as a celebrity, the least you could do is be informed about it. Otherwise, the celebrity preach train leaves me feeling lectured to by people who just seem hungry for publicity. The one exception I can think of is Mia Farrow, who rarely has projects to promote.

sexydecoy

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

VEGAFEM — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:53:56 EDT

I agree with everyone who has helpfully pointed out that Britney Spears teaches a dance class and it's treated like she single-handed found the cure for cancer.
I love Natalie Portman -- she's smart, talented, and actually doing something worth talking about. She's not perfect, but she's FAR more classy than LiLo or Brit.
I think the interviewer had a bias.

VEGAFEM

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

LibidinousSlut — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:52:32 EDT

@AndyDuncan: it doesn't work everywhere. there are places (in sub-saharan africa for example), where microfinance has led to the dissolution of families and where women are beaten/ even more burdened.

LibidinousSlut

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:51:24 EDT

@inchworm:
I heard she fucked the entire Harvard football team. Seriously, I did, but it's obviously totally unsubstantiated.

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

LibidinousSlut — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:50:37 EDT

@FourInchHeels: @KidPresentable: vegan shoes are inherently bad for the environment. Leather shoes are bad for the environment, but they don't have to be (there are sustainable methods of tanning leather, of raising cows etc that are actually helpful to the environment (see bison and the great plains)), plastic = oil = completely not biodegradable. I don't know if corn plastics are strong enough to be made out of shoes, I just know that they aren't yet.

LibidinousSlut

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

nyobserver — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:50:12 EDT

p.s. come on, Moe. full disclosure here. Natalie came out in support of Hillary Clinton. [ducks]

nyobserver

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

rocknrollunicorn — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:50:00 EDT

@ihateyourescalade: That is more an explanation of why I hate much of the media, and also our own obsession with celebrities. We aren't seeing/reading/discussing the profiles on non-famous people who do good things.

I'd much rather hear Portman semi-ditzily discuss her charity work than watch a dating gameshow on VH1 or listen to Paris Hilton discuss... herself.

rocknrollunicorn

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ihateyourescalade — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:49:26 EDT

@Archetype: No comprende the last line?

ihateyourescalade

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

nyobserver — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:48:00 EDT

yeah, I'm all for microfinance. And all its reincarnations, like kiva.org, which is well worth checking out for anyone who doesn't already know of this site. Give a little, improve a lot.

nyobserver

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ceejeemcbeegee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:46:35 EDT

@ItchykooParker: Backlash is the new black. It's cool to think the coolest thing is lame.

This has got to be the blatently biased interview ever. To wit: Portman seemed to know enough about her subject -- but no more than enough. Seesh!
How much further past "enough" can one go?

ceejeemcbeegee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

inchworm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:45:49 EDT

@Cam/ron:

yeah. i have some friends who went to school with her. they said that she was very nice, very pretty, and... just not that bright.

inchworm

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

virginiawoolf — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:43:15 EDT

I totally don't get the Portman hate. She is doing something that is beneficial to other people other than herself, and at least seems to have passions aside from trying to overcome an addiction or one of the many other bullshit issues celebrities have. She may not be the smartest woman alive, but she is intelligent, has the ability to reach a ton of people, and is trying to put that to good use. Give me a break.

virginiawoolf

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

desertbloom79 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:42:42 EDT

Sorry, Moe, but I have to agree with socasweet and itchykooparker. She isn't out there getting a DUI or publicy snorting up, so I'm glad my little sister can have at leat one celebrity to look up to.
And microfinance is one cause that actually makes sense to me- not pouring money into hands that don't know how to turn that around to self-sufficiency.

desertbloom79

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Jezebabe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:42:27 EDT

I love Natalie Portman, but this story really bothered me. I went to college with people who wrote their theses on microlending, it's been an important movement for some years now, sites like kiva.com have taken it to the masses, a microfinancing enterpreneur won a motherfucking nobel for this, and it's a little movie star that gets lauded in the press as the spokesperson for this movement? What has she done?

Jezebabe

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Dear Blond Diary... — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:40:01 EDT

I'm kinda amused that you called a girl who chose to attend Harvard in the middle of a burgeoning movie career "not intellectually curious."
Sounds like the interviewer has a bias. Rainbows may not come out of her butt, and I could care less about her vegan footwear, but this is a celebrity I can be pretty happy is in the world today.

Dear Blond Diary...

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:38:56 EDT

@ihateyourescalade: I understand, but then people dump on someone like Paris Hilton because she does nothing but fame-whore.

It's your friend's responsibility to tell her/his kid that's not the only way he can make a difference.

Personally, I'd rather see them do something rather than squat.

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

TeenageGangDeb — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:37:20 EDT

@miele: There's nothing wrong with supporting uncontroversial causes but actively seeking to avoid it is tiresome and wimpy. Just like Bono and all his self-righteous "WE'RE NON-PARTISAN" crap. No human being on earth is absent of controversial opinions, at least, I'd hope they're not! There's a lot of shitty stuff in this world that larger powers support; if there isn't at least ONE controversial thing that you react passionately to (whether you believe in Israel or ending Darfurian genocide or the war on Iraq or any other number of causes), you are dead. And you're certainly not much of an activist if you're unwilling to compromise bits of your public persona to help people.

TeenageGangDeb

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ihateyourescalade — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:36:32 EDT

OK. Here is why I hate celebrities involved in charity:

On Friday I was talking to my friend's son. He is eight with an IQ through the roof. He told me that when he grows up, he wants to be "A famous movie star. Because then I can use my fame to bring people's attention to important issues, and help solve the world's problems."

For crying out loud, why doesn't this kid want to be a Greenpeace activist or a Peace Corps volunteer? Because he has no idea these things exist or that regular people can make a difference.

ihateyourescalade

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

KidPresentable — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:35:07 EDT

@vivresavie17: The fact that she knows barely enough of her designated "causes" isn't atypical--have you read any of her written pieces/heard any of her speeches? She's less superficial and a little more intellectual than the typical celebrity, but she's not any more intelligent than your average college grad.

KidPresentable

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Cam/ron — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:35:01 EDT

@vivresavie17: I've read quite a few Portman intevriews where she didn't come across as the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Cam/ron

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

socasweet — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:34:05 EDT

Lilo just gets to stay sober and you dump on this girl who at least has a cause other than herself?
Do we ever say good job about anything on this site that doesna involve an outfit?

socasweet

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

ItchykooParker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:34:00 EDT

I have to say, I am *so, so* tired of people being so fucking critical of anyone trying to do something good or make a positive difference in the world. NP for example, or the 17-year-old who is involved in the Obama campaign that so many Jezzies were so down on earlier today.

I am going home. Tired. Of. Hate.

Hoping for less dark and snark tomorrow.

Love to all.

ItchykooParker

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

AndyDuncan — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:33:58 EDT

Apparently vapid response or not, the microfinance thing really appears to be working. It makes sense: If I'm going to donate $100k, why not leverage that to loan $1mil instead? I might lose $100k on it, but I was going to lose that anyway.

AndyDuncan

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

TeenageGangDeb — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:33:55 EDT

People who avoid controversy = ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

TeenageGangDeb

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

haguenite — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:33:51 EDT

@FourInchHeels: I know nothing about vegan shoes, but all the more about vegan streakers.

(seriously NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
This guy is the "vegan streaker" who broke into a Dutch tv show recently, shouting "Meat is murder" and "Release all animals". The host (who is not afraid of controversy) made sure the streaker really became a streaker, 100%. (still not sure how I feel about it)

haguenite

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

redfem — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:33:21 EDT

What a philanthropist. Neocon who supports torture.

redfem

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

miele — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:33:16 EDT

I don't get it what is wrong with supporting a cause that isn't high profile or controversial? As I understand it microcredit isn't a bad thing. Maybe I'm missing something but the venomous tone of the post seems a little out of place.

miele

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

KidPresentable — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:32:50 EDT

Good for her with the vegan shoes thing, although I don't see why plastic shoes should cost $300. Can she micro-lend me some money to buy her shoes?

KidPresentable

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:32:11 EDT

@Kali_mama: Portman must wear all man-made fabrics, no?

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

socasweet — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:32:02 EDT

@FourInchHeels: shoes not made of leather or any animal hides animal glues to put them together that sort of thing

socasweet

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

vivresavie17 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:31:17 EDT

I don't really care for Natalie Portman as an actress/media persona, but I was previously grudgingly impressed by her seemingly humanitarian interests. This tidbit of information disappoints me. Perhaps she was high during the interview?

vivresavie17

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:31:08 EDT

@Archetype: And she didn't die, just in case you think I'm a bitch for talking about a dead girl's smelly feet.

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

KaliMama (Ganesha is my Om boy) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:30:22 EDT

@FourInchHeels: Edible stilettos? You just combined like 3 fetishes.

I guess animal products (wool, silk) are out.

KaliMama (Ganesha is my Om boy)

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Archetype — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:30:19 EDT

@Yanee: Yeah, I am curious what "very bad" thing led to an involvement in microlending.

I knew a girl who studied at a school in Israel that was bombed. She did Scottish dancing, and her feet smelled like ASS.

Archetype

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

virginiawoolf — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EDT

@FourInchHeels: No animal byproducts are used/no animal testing/etc.

virginiawoolf

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

perennial — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:29:29 EDT

@FourInchHeels: Vegan shoes are made without the use of leather.

perennial

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

Yanee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:27:54 EDT

I guess I missed the connection between something bad in Israel and calling up Rania?

Yanee

Natalie Portman's Tireless Work On Behalf Of...Nothingness

FourInchHeels — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:23:53 EDT

How does one make vegan shoes? This little girl thinks vegan means you eat it. I don't eat my shoes. Should I start?

FourInchHeels