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Apr. 24, 2005 There was recent news report about Ben Affleck becoming very serious about Jennifer Garner, actually buying her a gargantuan ring or doing some such silly amorous thing, this being Ben Jen Two, coming as a consequence after Ben Jen One, one in a long tradition of mating rituals going all the way back to Adam and Eve, I suppose. The importance of Ben Jen One is that not only did they make two regrettable movies, Giggly in Jersey or some such disaster, for which Ben Jen collected a big Paycheck but imdb lists 13 joint appearances meaning they, as a couple, had to withstand an international media circus that, admittedly, they brought on themselves but did not work out to their liking for reasons mainly, but not entirely, beyond their control. After all, where’s the action, Dude? I can feel empathy for all three BenJens (ah, Ben, Jen, too, and Jlo the djinny from da block) because like Ben my relations with women have also been difficult and even harder to explain for a number of reasons starting with the well- known fact that women are not men and going on to the fact that they can think and have over active minds when contemplating standard social situations and going on to the fact that they can be over demanding. Fortunately, I have not yet had to live in a media fish bowl but, then again, I am not a photogenic movie star. In fact, I am not even a media personality. Right now, all I am claiming is that I am a ‘umble writer with a working keyboard that I constantly worry about because I have had problems with hacking viruses in the past. I want to make it clear that my personal opinion of Bennifer One was that, as a couple, they were bushwhacked ab ovo by the people around them, by the people who were supposed to be dutifully working for them, by the allegedly sympathetic media and by the media hysteria that was incited by their proposed merger and by their national audience following the heavy hints presented by the many sets of business supporters and sympathizers and advisers that did not look upon their relationship (the kind of advice I admittedly try hard to avoid) with kindness. Luckily for Ben and Jen they did not, repeat NOT, have to cope directly with national political demands. If you want a BUMMER that is one big frustrating hurdle to get over. All they have had to work on and with is their celebrity status, which would be enough for most people, but it is something they already have so they need to create a little added media magic or else things go poof, as they did in reality, like an unreleased movie or an unpublished novel. On the other hand, down the years, even in Hollywood, there have been a number of successful couples in the media and an even greater pileup of flops. From Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, united artistes, to Gable and Lombard (isn’t it romantic?), to Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, a grand old pair facing up to the vagaries of coldly indifferent public relations. In the thirties, Norma Shearer and Marion Davies vied for Oscars because their steady consorts had media clout. Jennifer Jones (Jen the First? Hubby bubbly number III was even richer) made a number of films for David O. Selznick. But Ben Jen’s demographics are not as positive as the above pairings. How long can a sure to age couple survive as a high wire act while their following has to cope with paying for rent and groceries and surviving ordinary jobs. There are throngs of people looking for media success. There are restless hordes of people hoping to be glamorous. How can Bennifer Too survive when they are up against Swanky Hilary and Pithy (Pittied) Brad, who are getting better counsel for hopping the hype. Ben Jen are neither a business deal nor inspiration for a jet set age group nor media powers in and of themselves. So sad. So true. So what’s it going to be? Where are they headed with this? Keep in mind that politician’s as well as the media’s concept of relationships and everything else is they, the all powerful, are oh so powerful and a Hollywood relationship is something cheap and tawdry not worth worrying about. To the Machiavellian mind the purpose of power is bare fisted power itself and power is paramount. Power in and of itself is everything. Remember power to the people? Certainly, celebrities are a different type of people. But what power do or would BenJen have you ask? Possibly the power to attract an audience that will listen. So long as they lend their ears. For what? We have not come to bubbly Caesar but to raise him. In a small way, I have been through something like this since I once tried to pick up Linda Ronstadt. She flirted, not that I got anywhere. I take no for a response. But, I too, have a dream. But I, too, am up against immoveable, indomitable forces. I want to make the point that when I started writing this I had intended to write about my relations with, gasp, women but in light of the preceding I have reconsidered. Ah, yes, as the DVD of The Phantom, yes, , Erik the Phantom of the Paris Opera, streaks across my tv screen. Ben and his DJennies may need the drama but I am not sure that I do. Ah, there’s the rub. As I listen to “The Music of the Night.” ------------ About the author Mr. Neil Levine: Where I stand. I can be reached at neillevine@yahoo.com OR neillevine3@aol.com. Please make the purpose of the email clear as I try to ignore spam. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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