Gabriel Byrne to Photog: Have a Seat, B*tch!

46. Personally, I have always hated getting my photograph taken. I'm not a touchy-feely person either. Some people just aren't. I could never handle the intrusiveness endured by celebs. No amount of money would be worth trading my privacy for. I thought about going into teaching, but I knew I could never stomach getting up in front of people to talk. One on one is fine, so I've done work with people in that way. My idea of Hell is to be the guest of honor at a surprise party & have to relive it over & over. Too much attention focused on me. I like to be of great help behind the scenes. One can do it, but it often goes unappreciated. That's not why one does charity work in the first place, so it shouldn't matter, but at times it does.

Pictures don't always say the truth. Bill Clinton never appears to be the liar & cheat that he is in life. He always looks like a stand-up guy. Beware of the charming ones. They can stab you in the back giving you the sweetest, most sincere-looking smile you ever saw.

It's too bad actors are forced to rely on publicity to get any real credit. It always comes down to how popular they are. It's a double-edged sword though. If they are well known they're judged for everything. They could do all kinds of great deeds, but unless it makes the news it doesn't count. And anything they do try to do is never enough for some people. If all our temper tantrums were caught on tape, we'd be labled 'losers', and 'castoffs'. I feel bad for the actors who went into the profession not for money & fame, but for how that ultimate freedom of expression & exploration of emotions made them feel alive. It's not fair that they are forced to play the fame game. They can live quietly, but sometimes that means less acting opportunities and can limit their options in efforts to enact the kind of strong positive change in the world they desire. I imagine Gabriel is conflicted. All of us are, just not about the same things. We've all got lessons to learn. You, for example, have been an extremely gracious listener and a most interesting person to converse with. I feel lucky to have learned a thing or two from your input.

Posted at 4:42AM on May 19th 2007 by Brigid

47. The day I saw Mr. Byrne sniffing the air as that very beautiful desi young woman walked by, I had no idea he was in the neighborhood, I had just walked out of my favorite sari shop, and he was standing there. Just a bit of luck I guess. He came in the restaurant I was eating in. I left and took the subway home later and he was still there. I would never stalk him; I know what that feels like. I’ve never even had the guts to say hello, or ask for his autograph. I always felt he wanted to be left alone.
As for the cab drivers, from what I understand he does seek them out. He wants them to dive him home, one of the cabbies told me. He lives out of area, and he does pay them well. One cabbie told me Mr. Byrne paid him enough for his medallion for a week. The restaurant owner told me Mr. Byrne leaves very generous tips. My friend who owns a sari store says he buys things from her and often pays her more than the price for sale.

Mr. Byrne says he believes in Indian philosophy, not religion, not in God or gods. Karma, dharma, ahimsa; have nothing to do with God or gods. I believe in them too, and I’m an atheist.

I don’t think he’s obsessed with India, but I know he’s always had a thing for Indian women. I have family in Hampstead Heath, London. My uncle is a friend of Peter O’Toole’s. Mr. Byrne as well as Mr. O’Toole lived right near my uncle 25 years ago. Mr. Byrne used to see my cousin pass him by in traditional South Asian clothes on the street, he would tell her that her clothes were very beautiful, that her hair smelled nice and he would stare at her. My cousin is very beautiful. He did tell her one time that there is something very special about Indian women. Was he trying to get into her pants? Did He? I’ll never tell. He wasn’t married then, so it doesn’t matter.

I know all about Irishmen and their charm, I grew up around mostly Irish people, my boyfriend is Irish, all of my boyfriends have been. My aforementioned uncle, friend of Peter O’Toole; is Irish. My great-great-grandfather was Irish. He served in the British army in India over 150 years ago, and fell head over heels for my Indian great-great-grandmother. I have always found that Irishmen like Indian women. My beautiful cousin is part Irish and part Indian.

Just because a guy likes Indian culture, food, music, art, literature, philosophy, yoga and Indian women doesn’t mean he isn’t a very proud Irishman. I like Irishmen best, that doesn’t mean I don’t think that there are wonderful, beautiful men from the rainbow of all over the world. I like the charm, wit and grace of Irishmen. Just because Mr. Byrne likes the beauty, grace and femininity of Indian women doesn’t mean he doesn’t like women from all over the world. Obviously though there is something about us that mesmerizes him. If Mr. Byrne likes us Indian women a little more than any other group of women, what’s wrong with that? Could it be that the people of South Asia, both male and female, our features lend themselves in such a way that we are either very good looking or very homely? With the latter being most likely.
Despite the image of South Asian women being demure, could it be that we know yoga and can bend ourselves backward? Put our legs in back of our heads? Could it be we learn the Kama Sutra at a young age? Could it be we know yonic Tantra? Even the music group Gaelic Storm has a song “Punjab Paddy” on one of their CD’s. The charm of Indian women does not escape Irishmen.

I hardly live the high life; I make less than $11,000 annually, I’m disabled and can’t work full time, but work I do. I like to take care of myself; my rent is cheap because I’ve lived in this apt for a very long time. There are many good Indian restaurants in New York where you can get a good meal for $6, which is usually what I spend.

Politically you and I aren’t going to agree, I’m very left wing, and my mother was American btw. My parents were socialists; I’m an anarchist humanist pacifist. I don’t believe in countries. I feel there is only one world.

Get this strait, I have no respect for the paparazzi. I don’t like them at all, and I’ve never been interested in a celebrity’s personal life, or whom they sleep with. This is the first time I ever looked at T.M.Z. Two weeks ago on the news, they mentioned the incident. I googled it and the first link was to T.M.Z. So I posted. The mainstream news is going to far with all this celebrity reporting.

Leaking someone’s home address is absolutely disgusting; whoever did that to Mr. Byrne should be arrested. I know how that feels. Right after 9-11 my name and address were posted in an internet phone book, even though I’m unlisted. Some guy went after people with “Muslim” sounding surnames. My surname is Hindu. It didn’t stop him from kicking in the building door, writing “dot-head’ on my apartment door in pigs blood, pulling my hair, punching me in the nose (he came close to breaking it), kicking me in the gut and when the police came he was trying to set me on fire. Then telling the cops that he didn’t care that I wasn’t an Arab, because “dot-heads are just as bad.

I know I’m wrong, but the look in Gabriel’s eyes in looks like that guys when he was kicking, and punching me and dousing me with gasoline.

Posted at 1:12PM on May 21st 2007 by MissIndiaM(Saravasvati)

48. Gandhi is my hero, so is George Orwell, even though it is well known they did not like each other. I am well aware of Gandhi’s demons, I like him all the more for them. When it comes to sex I’m am the complete opposite of Gandhi, one of our greatest gifts to the world is the Kama Sutra, and the beautiful temples showing people enjoying sex in every position possible. I like Orwell because even though he remained a leftist his whole life, he was willing to criticize Lenin and Stalin.
I had the pleasure of knowing Malcolm X’s widow Betty Shabazz, I know all about his good and bad side thanks to her. As I was not quite 3 when he was killed. I also knew and called friend father Mycal Judge who died in 9-11. I work with the homeless btw.

I don’t mind people having faults; you can’t be human without them. The chair throwing came too close to the Clinton soirée. I feel that the Clintons are millionaires, let them use their own money. Yeah, I’m an Obama fan. I understand him more, we were both were born to fathers who were born in former British Colonies, and white American mothers. However Byrne’s support for Hillary is his right, as I have no wish to be the thought police. Irish people are not the only people affected my U.S. immigration policy. People from all over the world are. It would have been a finer gesture to host an event for people of all backgrounds; this is America, the melting pot. Yes, I’m concerned for people off all backgrounds, from all over the earth. Even though I hate Imus, I don’t think he should have been fired, to me free speech is still free speech.

As for Mr. Byrne’s movies, most have been good, but some have been junk. “Wah-Wah” I saw, it was good. Gabriel was too good in it. I could never like his character; the guy was too violent and mean. The second marriage was unbelievable. She was too loopy, had no sex appeal, and Emily Watson has no chemistry with Byrne.
Leningrad wasn’t released yet so far as I know.
“Jindabyne”, I won’t bother. I didn’t like his two previous films with Laura Linney. They have no chemistry, I could never believe them having sex. “A Simple twist of fate” is a bad version of Silas Marner. “P.S”. is unbelievable, what woman would be more worried that in the last two years of their marriage that while he had sex with hundreds of other women, and a few men, would be more worried about the fact they didn’t have sex, then going and getting an A.I.D.S. test. I mean a guy says he had sex with hundreds of partners; you’re bound to get something, some STD.

In Vanity Fair he was excellent, my problems with the film have to do with Mira Nair. I don’t like the way she has Steyne try to rape Becky. In the book Rawdon walks in and finds Becky singing and playing the piano for Steyne. I don’t like the scene of the white women doing what they imagined to be an Indian dance; it should have been real Indian women. Steyne had some kept women in the book. Mira of all people should have given him an Indian honey in the film. I’m not Gabriel’s only desi fan. Mira said she carried a torch for him for many years. All us desi girls are waiting to see Gabriel with a beautiful Indian girl in a film. A woman with long dark brown hair, wearing a purple sari. We are waiting to see that. Come on Mira, next time have Gabriel make mad passionate love to a Beautiful Indian girl in your next film. All us desi girls are waiting for that. I’m sure Gabriel would enjoy it, bet he always was waiting for it. You know the Irish boys love us Indian girls.

Gabriel is the one that suggested you should make a film of Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake”, said he had a crush on her too. Come on Mira, you know you want to see Gabriel in an Indian woman’s arms too.
I wasted money going to see “The Namesake”, I thought he was in it. He’s not. Another lost opportunity to give him an Indian honey. That’s what I was hoping to see, Gabriel making mad passionate love to a beautiful Indian woman, like Sarita Choudhury, Indra Varma, Parminder Nagra, Lara Dutta, Laila Rouass, or Shabana Azmi.

Posted at 1:22PM on May 21st 2007 by MissIndiaM(Saravati)

49. There are many reasons I thought that the Clinton soirée was a mistake. For openers it was listed as an exclusive party. That in it's self supports the class system. In an interview 6 months ago Mr. Byrne made a big thing about carrying an Irish passport. My heart may be Indian, but I'm an American citizen born and raised and I proudly carry an American passport. The money is a problem. I'm sorry but it looks like Irish-Americans for Hillary paid Mr. Byrne for that soirée. Mr. Byrne said he was against the war in Iraq from the begining, he spoke at a protest. Ms. Clinton voted for the war in Iraq, and refuses to say she was wrong.
Mr. Byrne should not have had that soirée in his house. He bought bad karma to his home.

As for Mr. Baldwin, my point is that is ex-wife used the fact he attacked a paparazzi against him in the custody battle over their daughter. It becomes one more strike against him. He may very well never be able to see his daughter again. That is very sad. What you do does affect you. This happened to Peter O’Toole, certainly a man I think is one of the top three living actors of our time. Nonetheless Mr. O’Toole was considered movie poison for many years because of his reputation.
We don’t know if the photographer will sue Mr. Byrne, she may just do that in the future. She has to be out of work for some time to claim lost wages. She may also sue him for her broken camera equipment. This only happened two weeks ago. It takes time for an attorney to work out a good strategy. Mr. Byrne is far from out of the clear. He may stand to loose literally millions of dollars. If she comes into court with a convincing injuries and a believable doctor, x-rays, exedra. If the jury believes it. She could take him for almost everything. Then unfortunately he may find it hard to get work because if he loses a lawsuit he becomes uninsurable, no studio will hire him if they can’t insure him.
Is it right, no, but I’ve seen it happen all the time.

You know, you’re real judgmental to me because I changed my opinion about him for now, anyway. Do you ever think that it was not just the chair throwing incident, but some other things he’s done lately that made me feel like this? I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, yes everyone has flaws. Actors are like everyone else. Just as with people we know, sometimes they do something that shocks us. We still like them, but would like to keep a distance from them. This is the equivalent, not seeing his movies or plays for a while.

This is a strange feeling for me. Certainly my feelings ran the other way not long ago. There is a photo of him from a “Touch of the poet”, in that uniform. Yes, I did go to see the play. The photo and then seeing him in the play sitting in the uniform like that, with that pensive look on his face, wearing those black boots, with his legs casually apart, made me want to put it bluntly, eat the knockwurst. Yes, I imagined myself going to his dressing room pulling down his pants and you know, giving him a good Lewinsky. I am a gutless wonder when it comes to meeting people. I would be so terrified to even say hello to him. I passed him on the streets many times, I get palpitations, and my heart goes up in my throat, but I can’t even bring myself to say hello. I know that kind of thing is simply a fantasy, and sometimes it’s best not to fulfill our fantasies.

I probably will wind up going back to Gabriel’s movies and plays. Just chalk up my previous comments to P.M.S. Maybe he had it too and that’s why he threw that chair.

Posted at 1:37PM on May 21st 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

50. If I seem a bit behind in my posts, I am. I can’t post on weekends.
You can tell a lot from photos. It just takes learning to read body language. In those photos I mentioned you could see Mr. Clinton is a phony. Mr. Byrne looks like he’s having second thoughts. I shouldn’t have said he looked insincere, he looks unimpressed. He looks contemptuously at some of his guests not because he thinks he’s better than them, but rather I think because in spite of all their fawning, he found them to be insincere.

I found this on a website saying Gabriel Byrne wrote it. I say that it's an urban legend. As much as it seems like something he would write, there is no proof. I leave it as author unknown. I'm posting it because I think it's sweet. The author knows us Indian girls. So for Irish and Indian détente. I would love to think as a desi woman that Gabriel wrote this.


In praise of Indian women.

One evening sometime ago in Bombay, now Mumbai, I stood on Marine Drive, also known as the Queen's Necklace, watching two young Indian women of exceptional beauty talking to each other as they looked out at the pale rose coloured sky over the Arabian Sea. I watched them engrossed in their conversation, wearing Punjabi trouser suits, their long dark sweet smelling hair blowing in the breeze. They were totally unaware of me watching them. Over the years I have to say, I have never found any women finer or more beautiful, than the women of India.

Starting in Mumbai, the most beautiful women in India go to Mumbai hoping to make it in Bollywood, India's Hollywood. Most of them of course won't make it, but they dream of it. Sad, but amazing how more beauties are found looking for fame in Bollywood, than in Hollywood? The beauties of Bollywood seem so real, where, as the beauties of Hollywood seem so fake and plastic.
It's not just Bollywood; even the fisherwomen at the Sassoon Dock fish market near the Mumbai waterfront are real beauties.

Back home they say, "When God made time, he made plenty of it." That could be the motto of women of India. Indian women always seem to have time for leisurely talk, and will engage you in the most innocent of conversations. Yes, you're right, I've fallen under the spell of the women of India. I can't think of any more pleasant thoughts than their beauty.

One thing though, I'm not trying to sell the exotica of Indian women. That is a horrible reason to like someone so far as I'm concerned. Indian women have an innate class; grace, intelligence and femininity that western women have seem to have forgotten. Is there anything more beautiful than an Indian woman in a sari? I have yet to find anything more beautiful than that.

Whether the tall fair beauties of the Punjab, or the dusky beauties of Kerala, Cochin, Bangalore and Chennai, or the Oriental beauties of Darjeeling. I find Indian women of exceptional beauty.

Lately I've taken to dreaming about living on the Dal Lake in Kashmir in a houseboat with a beautiful Kashmiri wife. A woman with dark brown hair and green eyes in a deep pink trouser suit making naan bread.

Now it seems when I'm home I stand by the Liffey after I've completed my yoga, look east and imagine I'm having an interesting mental conversation with an Indian women standing on Marine Drive in Bombay facing west. Yes, I'm hooked.
* * * *
I am well aware that Mr. Byrne says provocative things in interviews. In an interview in a men's magazine some years ago Mr. Byrne stated that he liked women to have body hair. Not too hairy, but he said that he didn't understand why women shaved or waxed their arms, legs, bikini line, armpits or pubes. He felt that too many women didn't know what a turn on body hair is to many men. Then he made his most provocative remark; "men that refuse to munch natural carpet are wimps."

I hope that this will not affect Mr. Byrne badly in the future. I also think he is a very conflicted man. No one who is really normal can be a really good actor. Good actors act out their neurosis. He made a mistake, a bad one. I hope he can work out what is really bothering him. I think that Mr. Byrne should go to the National Theatre in London. Peter O’Toole said in an interview that he could think of no one else who would be a better head of the National than Gabriel Byrne. What better complement can Mr. Byrne get than Peter O’Toole saying, “Gabriel Byrne is the finest actor of his generation. I have always been impressed by his performances. We all do bad films sometimes, but I have never seen Gabriel give a bad performance.”

You have also been an extremely gracious listener and a most interesting person to converse with. I also feel lucky to have learned a thing or two from your input Brigid.

Posted at 10:07AM on May 22nd 2007 by MissIndiaM(Saravati)

51. I'm amazed at the lengths you've gone to find information about this guy. I can't doubt the articles you quote because I haven't researched him so extensively. I have a friend who sends me articles she think may interest me & she loves Gabriel Byrne, so I've read a number of them. She'd be jealous of the wealth of info you have. I just don't collect this kind of data so I wouldn't know. I've not seen the photos you mentioned, so I couldn't confirm or deny your assessment. I just know that people think they're adept at reading other people all the time, but most often they have no clue about what's really going on inside. You can examine photos, analyze handwriting, read body language etc and they may tell you nothing about one's true identity.

As far as interviews go, we see & hear our wildest fantasies or our worst nightmares, depending upon our particuar state of mind at the time. We read too much into things to conform to our sensibility. I'll see a look or gesture and flash back to a specific incident, then superimpose my emotion from that past incident on the person I am presently dealing with, thinking I know what's going on in his head. It could be they are shy, or tired or grieving etc, & I'm reading anger, apathy, boredom etc.

There's no reason to doubt Byrne likes Indian women. Why not? More power to him. I believe in God wholeheartedly, but his being an atheist or throwing a chair (not a heinous act in my opinion under these circumstances) would not deter me from seeing a film he appeared in if I thought it looked interesting. How do you distance yourself from someone you never knew in the first place? What effect would it have on them? I'd still be interested in listening to Bill Clinton speak even though I don't trust him. Mind you, I wouldn't pay thousands of dollars to do it for anyone even if I had that kind of money to spend. It's just that I've seen these guys in action. I take what they say with a grain of salt. They're good at the flattery. Even if they are sincere, they go over the top to impress, or add to their appeal. A lot of the time it wins the favor of many. By the same token sometimes their words get them into trouble. They get misquoted, misinterpreted, & often outright lied about. I just don't think that pic tells the whole story, nor do their interviews. There have been stories & quotes attributed to people and everyone knows them, believes and talks about them. Years later, we find it was completely made up.

I felt for Baldwin after he went after a paparazzi once when he was bringing his daughter home from the hospital. He was protecting his personal space & the safety of his wife & daughter. I disagreed with his recent phone call to his daughter but totally understood his frustration,. True, Kim B. may not have had that info to use against him had he not erupted the way he did, but she is equally to blame for inciting his anger for the purpose of gathering amunition against him. He lit the match, but she doused him with gasoline. Both inflicted equal brutality on their daughter. I agree the article you quoted sounds fabricated, but what an excellent fantasy! Nothing wrong with that!

Posted at 11:58PM on May 22nd 2007 by Brigid

52. I don’t have to seek out any information on Gabriel. My uncle in London has a craft services company, and as I mentioned before a friend of Peter O’Toole’s. My uncle keeps me informed about Mr. Byrne. My cousin talks to him sometimes. So I do know a lot of what’s going on with him. My boss where I work with the homeless also informs me too. It’s one of the richest churches in New York. It was Jackie Kennedy’s church. Hint. Hint. My boss is Ed Begley Jr.’s cousin. They all keep me informed about him.
As for reading photos and body language, you don’t expect me to say I wasted the bonds I cashed in for six years of collage to get my PhDs in psychology and sociology.

When I look at interviews I study the person being interviewed, as I would look at someone who was a client when I was a social worker. I think I can read people pretty well.

I have no problem with Gabriel being an atheist; I’m an atheist myself. Throwing a chair, I still gotta problem. It’s not throwing the chair that’s so much the problem, as it was so out of character for him. Should he be able to get on with his life, yes? My not wanting to see his films for a while does nothing to him. It gives me a chance to see how I feel about him. Politicians I take to be liars, I never believe anything they say.
On this show about Tony Blair last night there was a scene of Mr. Byrne shaking his hand.

As for Alec Baldwin, while I think he was very wrong to attack that paparazzi, I don’t think he should loose his daughter. That hasn’t stopped his ex-wife from using it against him. Personally I think Ms Kim always resented Mr. Baldwin because he’s a very good actor, and she can’t act herself out of a paper bag. I really thought I was wrong when I saw her in L.A. Confidential, then I saw the films she did after that, and she proved me right. It’s a shame because “The Door in the floor” was a good film.

Now back to Mr. Byrne, now I will complement him on something he did Sunday. Not show up at an Oprah Winfrey soirée. Shows he has the convictions to stand up for what he believes in. Don’t believe what you read. It had nothing to do with his comment about Oprah always appearing on the cover of her magazine airbrushed to look like a 12 year old. Does anybody believe Gabriel is that shallow? One of the reason’s he didn’t show, there was more than one, got this from my boss, he didn’t like how Oprah cut off the questions of one of her audience guests, when they questioned the war in Iraq.
Also my source says he’s not in the country right now. Don’t ask where, I don’t know, I wasn’t told.

The men’s magazine interview was from a really out there British men’s magazine. I have to get my boyfriend to show it to me again. It was Men Only (Club in the U.S.), I think. At first I thought what a come down, but then I felt it proves he’s just not a snob. Despite the best efforts of the interviewer to get him to say what his sexual proclivities are, Mr. Byrne does not say what he likes or does. He just says that people shouldn’t be so hung up and inhibited. That people should try new things. He also states he likes women with some flesh on them, with round hips and full thighs and full rears and not skinny, or too slim. The body hair statement, and he says he prefers long hair on women.

Posted at 10:56AM on May 24th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

53. Stalking is something different, but saving articles, googling names of celebs, gathering facts or opinions from personal sources to keep abreast of their wherabouts and activities is seeking out info. I don't imagine the topic of Byrne or Begley just pops up. One has to enquire, or make their interest known to the point that the source, knowing the fascination, then seeks to provide info. It's not a crime. I was just saying that like my friend, it's a bit obsessive, but maybe you're just a devoted fan. I certainly don't begrudge anyone their fantasies as long as it doesn't include possible harm to others.

I don't doubt what you say mind you. I don't know what you're referring to concerning Oprah. I assume the press is highlighting some sort of beef he has with her? Maybe he was looking for a way to bow out of what I imagine was another pretentious, boring, high-profile event. They shouldn't be expected to go every place they're invited. They ought to be able to say "no I don't feel like going, I've got other things I'd rather do". Instead, they often feel compelled to issue what will be perceived as a more substantial excuse. It would sound better to give a good pc reason for not attending, but perhaps he was being truthful. Oprah though, is likely trying to remain objective, steer clear of controversy & avoid possible agitators. Although she certainly didn't shy away from endorsing Obama. Who knows?

Like I said, they try to maintain a solid fan base by trying to be procative, and attempt to play it safe at the same time. Can't please everybody all the time. It'd be nice to be completely honest & just let the chips fall, but that's easier said than done. Their careers could be cut short with just a small slip of the tongue, or a series of events that occur when they're under pressure.

Posted at 5:11AM on May 25th 2007 by Brigid

54. Chair? What chair? Gabriel threw a chair? I forgot all about it. Gabriel took on Oprah Winfry. I love him all over again.
He said stuff like "So the effect that it has is that, women look at those pictures and say, 'Why don't I look like that?" " Her show is a one hour long infomercial, no matter what the subject." "I will make out with you on a couch during your 50th birthday party!" "I'm so sick of these barely legal women being lauded over. Women don't really look good until they turn 45."

"People who believe that being incredibly famous or wealthy or powerful is going to make them happier are on a fool's mission. I'm famous enough, that suits me fine. The relentless emphasis on celebrity in this country drives me around the f______ bend. Everywhere you go. The new religion is celebrity, but nobody stops to question what it means when you achieve it. Honestly, I'm scared of the whole notion of fame. You take it on at your own peril.” Gabriel Byrne.

Posted at 2:05PM on May 25th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

55. Actor Gabriel Byrne ripped Oprah for featuring airbrushed women in her O magazine.
Here’s what he said: ““There’s a picture of Oprah on the cover where she looks about 12. If I bought a magazine and put pictures of myself looking 19, somebody would say to me, ‘Stop it’. I saw this hilarious as that had this woman with two tiny wrinkles by her eyes. It said, ‘This is what you look like at 60.’ I know nobody who looked like that even at 20.”

Posted at 2:33PM on May 25th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

56. Oh I see. I'm assuming the media was hoping to incite another celebrity feud a-la Rosie vs. Trump? Typical.

I like Oprah. I think she's done a lot of good. However, every time I've seen her interview celebrities, she fawns over them so much she practically drools. They can't all be the 8th wonder of the world, but you couldn't tell by her. It's always stuff like, "Your skin is like silk", and it goes on from there. Well duh, that's what regular spa treatments, personal trainers & chefs, plastic surgery & botox, along with hair & makeup artists will do for ya. Whatever film or book they are there to promote is the one she claims "will change your life". Gimme a break! And just how many makeovers can be forced down our throats before all women are finally brainwashed into thinking our only means of being acceptable is via our bodies? Like John Lennon said, "...when you're dead, you won't take nothin' with ya but your soul".

The over 40 women posing nude doesn't help matters either. Of course 50 & 60 year olds are physically beautiful. There's no denying that. But why is physical beauty considered to be our only true measure of sexual attractiveness? Unless we look great naked, we can't be considered sexy? This holds true for both men & women, but no one judges men this way. How many naked men do we see on the covers of any magazines? How many 50 year old men are made to prove they're still sexy in any capacity? It's just accepted that they are.

I'm hoping Gabriel meant what he said, but I'll bet the majority of women he sleeps with are about 20 years younger than he, & look like supermodels. Obviously, he has the right to be with whomever he pleases, but these guys are notorious for taking great care to make pc statements and then don't foolw through. I'm skeptical of their motives for making these comments.

Posted at 10:35PM on May 25th 2007 by Brigid

57. Actor Gabriel Byrne ripped Oprah for featuring airbrushed women in her O magazine. Here's what he said:
"There's a picture of Oprah on the cover where she looks about 12. If I bought a magazine and put pictures of myself looking 19, somebody would say to me, 'Stop it'. I saw this as hilarious as that had this woman with two tiny wrinkles by her eyes. It said, 'This is what you look like at 60.' I know nobody who looked like that even at 20."
"So the effect that it has is that women look at those pictures and say, 'Why don't I look like that?”
" Her show is a one hour long infomercial, no matter what the subject."
"I'm so sick of these barely legal women being lauded over. Women don't really look good until they turn 45."

Byrne takes a pot-shot at Oprah Winfrey's airbrushed pic
London, May 19 (ANI): 'The Usual Suspects' star Gabriel Byrne has made a quip at ... "Women look at those pictures and say, 'Why don't I look like that? ...

Gabriel Byrne on what he likes in women:
“I like it best when a woman has little weight on her. 38-24-38; I think that is a perfect woman’s figure.
Women worry too much about the wrong things unfortunately. I like a certain amount of body hair on a woman. Women with bikini waxes look like freaks to me. I like a little downy mustache above the lip. I like a little downy hair on the body. A little trim of the armpits and pubes is fine, but completely hairless armpits and pubes looks like a 12 year old to me, and is a real sexual turn-off for me.
The threading that Indian women do removes excess hair, but leaves them with the fine downy hair I love. I like thick eyebrows on a woman. Two much plucking looks freakish.
Hair color is unimportant, but I prefer women with dark hair, dark brown or black hair. Eye color is unimportant, but I prefer green, hazel or brown eyes. There is nothing worse than a bottle blonde or redhead. A woman with fair hair on her head and dark pubes is another sexual turn off for me.
I like long hair on a woman. It’s very feminine.
Height is unimportant; a woman can be taller than me.
Bust size is unimportant; anything from AA to DD is fine. T___ bigger than DD are freakish and ugly to me.
A fairly small waist is nice. I like full round hips and big rears. Big thighs are nice too.
The best is when you look at a woman from the front or back and she looks like a figure 8, and when you look at her from the side and she has that S bend. A little bit of a belly below the waist is nice too. Flat and hard is painful.”

"Gabriel Byrne had raved to me about the novel The Namesake while I was dubbing "Vanity Fair." Mira Niar

"I would like to break out of this "dark, brooding" image, cause I'm actually not like that at all. In Ireland, brooding is a term we use for hens. A brooding hen is supposed to lay eggs. Everytime somebody says "He's dark and brooding" I think: "He's about to lay an egg"." Gabriel Byrne.

'The Usual Suspects' star Gabriel Byrne has made a quip at Oprah ... India News: Entertainment
Gabriel Byrne's news. ... NewKerala.com, India - May 12, 2007

Posted at 10:15AM on May 29th 2007 by MissIndiaM

58. I really don’t seek out much information about Mr. Byrne or Mr. Begley. I only tend to look up what they will be appearing in next. Or in Mr. Begley’s case, what he has to say on the environment.
For instance I had no idea what part of New York Mr. Byrne lived in until the newspapers printed it last month when he had that Clinton soirée. I googled the chair throwing incident, and the Oprah remarks after they appeared on the news. Before last month I had no idea what Mr. Byrne was doing or where he was unless there was something in the newspaper about him. Even Entertainment Tonight hasn’t run a story about him in six years.
I try not to seek out any information about him. I’ve always felt he wanted his privacy. Now if I do find an article or an interview with him or about him I will save it. I don’t seek it out though.

Now my list, favorite actors:

Gabriel Byrne
Ed Begley Jr.
Sam Waterston
Iain Glen
Shashi Kapoor
Sean Bean
Brian Cox
Paul McGann
Adrian Dunbar
Kenneth Brannagh
Liam Neeson
Art Malik
Alexander Siddig
Naveen Andrews
Denzel Washington
Blair Underwood
Colin Salmon
Tobey Stephens
Jeffery Byron
Gerard Butler
Benjamin Bratt
Jesse Martin
Benicio Del Toro
Peter O’Toole
Albert Finney
Shami Kapoor
Patrick Bergin
Kavi Raz
Richard E. Grant
Hugh Laurie
Guy Pierce
Terence Stamp
Timothy Dalton
Aiden Gillian
Stewart Townsend
Colin Farrell
Jonathan Rhys-Myers
Cillian Murphy

Posted at 10:17AM on May 29th 2007 by MissIndiaM(Sarasvati)

59. That's a great lineup. Ahh Denzel, just his looks alone are enough....I'd add Brian Dennehy, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, James Woods, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, Geoffrey Rush, Johnny Depp, Paul Newman, Colm Meaney, William Peterson....etc
I adored Richard Harris, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon........

Funny how men are so specific about what they like & dislike about women. If they like blondes with big t*ts for example, and someone they're eyeing who has those features turns around & he sees she has a big nose, that's pretty much the end of that one. They can't get past it or have a very difficult time doing so even if all other features meet their preferences. If they themselves are blond & blue-eyed, and they overhear a woman they have their eye on talking about how much she loves dark hair & eyes, they assume they have no chance with her. I myself don't feel I have the luxury of confining myself to a type. I have far too many flaws myself to be too picky. And I'd miss out on a lot of great ones.

I only watch snippets of ET here & there so I'll have to take your word that they haven't featured Byrne in six years, but for me, the less I hear the better in terms of personal life. Probably better for him as well as far as maintaining his privacy. These quotes are interesting in terms of how they relate themes in their films to personal experiences, but beyond that, sometimes I feel sort of like I'm spying. Also, I may interpret a comment differently than the way it was intended, or see something that is or isn't there based on what I'd like to believe. Like with the Clintons.

I have a hard time believing the veracity of interviews. The writer often pens the story he or she wants to tell, or the story that sounds the most provacative. We are led to believe things that are too good to be true. You & I were talking fantasy, but I know women who take these quotes from actors quite seriously. They have crushes, and get the idea that they can land those actors (or someone like them) if they conform to what they've read is their ideal.

Byrne's preferences are his own & that's great, as long as women don't think his vision is the one to take their cues from. What he says he prefers does not mean he isn't open to all kinds, but fans may not realize this, & try to make themselves over to fit what he likes. If a woman doesn't like body hair on her own body, she shouldn't feel a need to grow it just right in order to please a man anymore than she should wax to suit him. I mean if he had said he prefers thongs or g-strings too, I could see these women wondering, well how much should I shave to make that apparel look good with my body hair? They may be naturally hairy, or have very little body hair. It would be a shame to think they may never be good enough.

I met a girl (young) who had all kinds of work done to look like what one star stated as his ideal, teeth, eye-shape, hair length & color etc. I would hope no one took Byrne's comments to mean this is what all women should be. Most women with 38 busts would have a hard time maintaining a 24 inch waist naturally. These guys say breast size makes no difference, but how many 38s have AA boobs? And in that combination, would that then be a turn-off? If one has a larger bust, she most often has a large waist, hips, butt etc, & if she loses or gains weight naturally, it doesn't always give her that perfect proportionate curvy outline. I think we're better off ignoring someone else's personal taste & developing our own. I think that's very difficult for women because we're so conditioned to please one another, both men & women.

The best thing the film industry could do is to show us an equal amount of women of various size, shape, color, age etc, so that women could go with what they are truely comfortable with, & not feel compelled to conform to what pleases another. It's weird. I have no trouble appreciating the not-so-picture-perfect bodies of others, but I find it difficult to maintain a positive body image myself. It's not easy to escape the pressure to look a certain way because of all the images that constantly surround us.

Posted at 4:03AM on May 30th 2007 by Brigid

60. Don't ask me how she knows this. I truly do not want to know. But my friend tells me this guy has his eyebrows tweezed regularly.

Probably one of those myths in my opinion. I mean what straight man pays to have this done much less do it on his own? Made me laugh though.

Posted at 7:41PM on May 30th 2007 by Brigid