The biggest Vogue of the year, the vaunted September issue (832 pages, four pounds, three ounces), is now on the stands. On its cover is arguably the biggest star of the moment, Beyonc?.
Among celebrity profiles, Vogue is very nearly the holy grail. Submitting to a top-tier magazine profile means a peek behind the well-guarded curtain, a soul-baring interview plus a few hours gamely spent on publicist-arranged fun. For Vogue, they have fed elephants (Reese Witherspoon), browsed Birkins (Anne Hathaway), even wept, albeit over onions cut in a cooking class (Scarlett Johansson).
It is part of the bargain struck between celebrities and the news media, where face time and a few juicy first-person revelations are traded for a starring role.
But inside Vogue?s September issue, Beyonc? says not a word.
The magazine?s photo shoot with her is accompanied instead by a short essay on her star quality by Margo Jefferson, who won a Pulitzer for criticism while at The New York Times. ?It was definitely posed to me as ? call it a think piece if you want,? said Ms. Jefferson, reached by phone. ?I had no contact with her camp.?
This is unusual for Vogue. A review of five years? worth of cover articles indicates that she is the only celebrity cover star not to submit to some type of interview (and on the occasion of her two previous Vogue covers, in 2009 and in 2013, she did). When models appear on the cover, as in the case of last September?s issue, they typically do not get the same profile treatment, but even the ?Instagirls? of September 2014 ? Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, et al. ? answered a few questions online. Not only did Michelle Obama agree to an interview when she appeared on the cover in 2013, she even brought along her husband.
It may be unusual for Vogue, whose representatives declined to comment, but it is no longer unusual for Beyonc?. At some imperceptible point around 2013 to 2014, she appears to have stopped giving face-to-face interviews. A member of her team told a reporter in May that despite numerous appearances, she had not answered a direct question in more than a year. Her publicist declined to clarify this stance. (When Beyonc? does answer questions, it tends to be in writing or, for TV, taped.)
If she is avoiding the news media, it is not avoiding her. Her music scales the charts, and her media domination continues on her terms. In her not-talking mode, she has appeared on the covers of, and in lavish photo shoots, for Time, Out, CR Fashion Book and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. For these magazines, working around a silent star has required dexterity. CR Fashion Book had the poet Forrest Gander ?remix? written statements from her into a kind of free verse. Out profiled her team, the long-serving and devoted operators of the Beyonc? machine (and was granted a Q. and A. with her by email).Photo
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/08/20/fashion/20ROW2/20ROW2-articleLarge.jpg)
Beyonc? attending an Oscars event in February. CreditNoel West for The New York Times ?In some ways, it made her more present and real than if I?d only been granted a single interview with her,? Aaron Hicklin, Out?s editor and the article?s author, wrote from a vacation abroad.
Why has Beyonc? gone mum? Even if the public expects an unreasonable amount of disclosure from its icons, few of her fellow celebrities have followed her lead. She may have concluded that face-to-face interviews are not in her interest. (She keeps an archive of all of her media mentions and all photos of herself.) She occasionally comes off daffy, as when she told GQ in 2013, ?I?m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.?
Ms. Jefferson said: ?She has to be studying how effective her interviews have been so far. She may have decided that they do not contribute as dazzlingly to the portrait of Beyonc? as the other stuff. It?s a perfectly reasonable decision.?
She added that having seen the HBO special ?Beyonc?: Life Is But a Dream,? ?I?m not at all surprised. That is a deeply micromanaged documentary.?
With social media, celebrities can make an end-run around traditional media.
?People are getting more savvy,? said Jesse Parker Stowell, a vice president at Full Picture, which represents high-profile talent including Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima. ?They have their own form of media. They can just put it out on Instagram.? Beyonc? has 43.5 million followers on Instagram; she tends to post mostly photos of herself, many without comment. (She has 14.1 million followers on Twitter, though there, perhaps predictively, she went radio silent in 2013.)
Others see her choice as empowered. Daphne A. Brooks, a Yale professor who teaches a class on black women and popular music culture that includes Beyonc??s music (she is on sabbatical, finishing a book that will, in part, discuss Beyonc?), views her inaccessibility as a hard-won privilege, a reclamation of privacy not historically accorded to African-American women.
?She?s been able to reach this level of stardom in which she?s managed ? in a way that I really think is unique even among other black women entertainers ? hyper-visibility and inaccessibility simultaneously,? Professor Brooks said.
She called it ?refreshing? to think that Beyonc??s reticence in the news media would challenge her listeners ?to think about the art first? as opposed to fostering a presumption about ?getting closer to the entertainer.?
Beyonc?, via her spokeswoman, declined to comment. :plzstop:
Correction: August 20, 2015
An earlier version of this article misstated the year in which Beyonc? first appeared on a Vogue cover. It was in 2009, not in 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/fashion/beyonce-is-seen-but-not-heard.html?ref=music
It's just a big difference if you look at what Bran is doing. I mean..she even did an interview with B Source and her biggest starz. You can tell people who interview her really love her..I guess Bey doesn't need to answer any questions, but I do miss some kind of spontaneity. I mean she isn't the queen of England :pourup:
who's reading that
Shes going the jayz route by not doing interviews
Seems like a big middle finger to her fans imo
Quote from: Tetsuo on August 22, 2015, 01:43:29 PM
Shes going the jayz route by not doing interviews
Seems like a big middle finger to her fans imo
its moreso the media who's been, Ya know, dragging her daughter, marriage, etc.
She's trying to give "legend". I guess it's kind of smart...all the legends had that mystical aura to them, nobody ever knew where they were, what they were cooking up etc. And also she isn't that well spoken, so it does make sense to not be embarassed.
I applaud her for doing this.
Interviewers and a lot of these publications/magazines are disgusting.
One minute they are singing your praises the next they're either hopping on the next gossip about you or twisting your words.
Quote from: Tetsuo on August 22, 2015, 01:43:29 PM
Shes going the jayz route by not doing interviews
Seems like a big middle finger to her fans imo
Not really. lol
I dont care about her interviews tbh. All they ask her about is shit about her personal life and Blue. Stuff I dont care about.
Its never really about music.
As long as this high yellow hooker gives me tours, albums, music videos, Tv performances. Im good (I'd prefer that with any artist I like) :ohwow:
Not to mention an interview wouldn't be beneficial her or her image like her uploading personal stuff youtube/insta/tumblr.
and she's worked hard enough and given enough interviews to attain the right to say no.
Her interviews are boring anyway.
Just take pretty pics and release music.
Quote from: Baphomet. on August 22, 2015, 01:55:28 PM
Not really. lol
I dont care about her interviews tbh. All they ask her about is shit about her personal life and Blue. Stuff I dont care about.
Its never really about music.
Pretty much. Most of us fans could careless. I haven't cared about a Bey interview since 2008. All they do is ask the same recycled questions to which she gives the same PC answers.
They either respect her too much or are too scared to ask her the
risqu? questions. Which is fine cause she STAYS on people's tongues and being debated over without ever opening her mouth.
So just give me nice photo shoots and skip the interviews.
She's reached a point in her career where she doesn't really have to promote herself. Her name sells everything alone.
Quote from: ANIMMAI on August 22, 2015, 02:34:58 PM
She's reached a point in her career where she doesn't really have to promote herself. Her name sells everything alone.
She played the game perfectly. I'm sure most of my faves would love to have that option so more power to her.
Yeah, she won. Kween don't have to do jackshit anymore.
:feelinmyself:
This is what Janet is doing this era
n
J
b
:dead:
I doubt we wanna hear what she has to say anyway :kii:
Bey gives "gonna sit in the corner and laugh by myself" type of looney
Funny!
That's not just her
:usuresis:
s
Quote from: 9 on August 22, 2015, 03:52:12 PM
Yeah, she won. Kween don't have to do jackshit anymore.
:feelinmyself:
!!!
Didn't even have to push out Blu. Slay queens.
:ohwow:
:kii:
I never really sat and watched a bey interview. They really that bad? :plzstop:
no ppl just hate that she wont give them anything to nit pick at
so theyre bored
I do like the documentary style vids artists release to get to know them better...but I agree with the writer that micromanaging is very obvious. However when I see reality shows like Hollywood Divas or R&B Divas I get reminded why some artists need to shut up :dead:
q
Beys documentaries are God awful and she always tries to be deep
I wish she would fade to black.
Quote from: Branzbae on August 22, 2015, 04:38:10 PM
no ppl just hate that she wont give them anything to nit pick at
so theyre bored
How does this make sense :dead: :kii:
Quote from: ANIMMAI on August 22, 2015, 04:03:54 PM
Quote from: 9 on August 22, 2015, 03:52:12 PM
Yeah, she won. Kween don't have to do jackshit anymore.
:feelinmyself:
!!!
Didn't even have to push out Blu. Slay queens.
:ohwow:
!!!!!!!
Didn't do jackSHIT in that elevator either
(https://ionetheurbandaily.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/solange-kick.gif?w=660)
yes, caween.
:helloimangie:
Quote from: Bentley! on August 22, 2015, 09:02:00 PM
Quote from: Branzbae on August 22, 2015, 04:38:10 PM
no ppl just hate that she wont give them anything to nit pick at
so theyre bored
How does this make sense :dead: :kii:
People with decent level IQ would know
Quote from: VILLAIN on August 22, 2015, 09:08:37 PM
Quote from: ANIMMAI on August 22, 2015, 04:03:54 PM
Quote from: 9 on August 22, 2015, 03:52:12 PM
Yeah, she won. Kween don't have to do jackshit anymore.
:feelinmyself:
!!!
Didn't even have to push out Blu. Slay queens.
:ohwow:
!!!!!!!
(http://i.imgur.com/bfOzM6h.gif)
yes, caween.
:helloimangie:
SSSSSSSSSSSD
Talented self :stressed:
Quote from: VILLAIN on August 22, 2015, 09:08:37 PM
Quote from: ANIMMAI on August 22, 2015, 04:03:54 PM
Quote from: 9 on August 22, 2015, 03:52:12 PM
Yeah, she won. Kween don't have to do jackshit anymore.
:feelinmyself:
!!!
Didn't even have to push out Blu. Slay queens.
:ohwow:
!!!!!!!
Didn't do jackSHIT in that elevator either
(https://ionetheurbandaily.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/solange-kick.gif?w=660)
yes, caween.
:helloimangie:
sdfggnfmmmmmmmmm
did they unplug her?
crying
v
Yum', so about what we talked about the other day....
(http://i52.tinypic.com/okah6r.jpg)
jvvbmm
make it happen, sis
(http://i.minus.com/iMylcP4eojmsk.gif)
Quote from: BrandySavedMyLife on August 22, 2015, 01:49:20 PM
She's trying to give "legend". I guess it's kind of smart...all the legends had that mystical aura to them, nobody ever knew where they were, what they were cooking up etc. And also she isn't that well spoken, so it does make sense to not be embarassed.
She learned from MJ.
I ain't mad.
s
oH! mysterious!
plea' kinda too late. she's already overexposed.
wow powerful queens
She doesn't really talk about anything interesting in her interviews anyways...
so, I guess it's for the best if she doesn't speak.
:)
bbbbbbvvvvv
The mystery of you being a turtle looking faggot lolz
sorry, we've never met
Jayden, boy....
after that Oprah interview with her not understanding certain questions and rambling (no shade)
its probably for the best. Like y'all said, she dont be talkin bout shit anyway
Hhhhhhhhhh
Are you calling her slow?
ccvv no. i think she just overthinks things and gets nervous cuz she has to be so perfect
this way she can avoid all that
y'all better watch it
:watchit:
This bitch really think she's the queen of England or some mess :kii: :uhh:
Anyway like people already said, it's probably for the best. She's not got much going on upstairs, bless her heart.
I guess she's the only one truly on that MJ level LMAO
Quote from: Cartier on August 23, 2015, 01:51:56 PM
This bitch really think she's the queen of England or some mess :kii: :uhh:
Anyway like people already said, it's probably for the best. She's not got much going on upstairs, bless her heart.
you just better hope that island rat gets a release date sis
:watchit:
Quote from: Cartier on August 23, 2015, 01:51:56 PM
This bitch really think she's the queen of England or some mess :kii: :uhh:
Gur, where d fck is R8?!
(http://i.minus.com/itTQEjix4gKHW.gif)
n
we're talking about Yawn' guys, keep on topic :raycharles2urmess:
Lmaooooo @ Yawn'
Quote from: Cartier on August 23, 2015, 01:51:56 PM
This bitch really think she's the queen of England or some mess :kii: :uhh:
Anyway like people already said, it's probably for the best. She's not got much going on upstairs, bless her heart.
fck u
Quote from: Boomer on August 23, 2015, 02:07:21 PM
Quote from: Cartier on August 23, 2015, 01:51:56 PM
This bitch really think she's the queen of England or some mess :kii: :uhh:
Gur, where d fck is R8?!
(http://i.minus.com/itTQEjix4gKHW.gif)
Let me bump that thread. Need some Updates :traciandchelle:
Quote from: RIG on August 23, 2015, 03:11:22 AM
after that Oprah interview with her not understanding certain questions and rambling (no shade)
its probably for the best. Like y'all said, she dont be talkin bout shit anyway
Fuck u
QuoteShe has to be studying how effective her interviews have been so far. She may have decided that they do not contribute as dazzlingly to the portrait of Beyonc? as the other stuff. It?s a perfectly reasonable decision.
b
They kinda dragged her :plzstop:
Quote from: RIG on August 22, 2015, 08:50:46 PM
q
Beys documentaries are God awful and she always tries to be deep
!!!
A forced mess
And you know its contrived because that same deepness and edge in her documentaries doesnt translate into her music.
G
It's kinda for the best.
Quote from: Zankou. on August 23, 2015, 04:30:24 PM
Quote from: RIG on August 23, 2015, 03:11:22 AM
after that Oprah interview with her not understanding certain questions and rambling (no shade)
its probably for the best. Like y'all said, she dont be talkin bout shit anyway
wait what interview was this