I have to say, except for that time I threw a hissy-fit when I was about 15 years old and my Dad couldn't hook up my VCR to Cher's Mask-era interview on Phil Donahue fast enough, (after which my Dad refused to try anymore and I missed the interview entirely until I saw it later in my late 20s), this has been a very frustrating Cher press junket season for me. First of all, I gave up cable months ago. I'm still not sure I'm going back to it. Then I broke my TV antennae moving it last month. Then I find out I can't receive CBS in Albuquerque. Is this an issue with the broken antennae, I do not know.
Well, at least I'll be able to watch The Today Show concert tomorrow. Not so fast, Cher freak! I need to take my husband to the airport exactly during air time tomorrow morning. What the!! So I'm totally dependent, like a Cher fan on a deserted island (with wireless, however), to watching these interviews and promotions online.I spent all day today (on and off) stalking the Internet for a clip of this morning's CBS interview.
The This Morning CBS Interview
This clip has sound issues but it covers the interview. This is the interview that caused Cher so much Miley Cirus grief this week. This preview in particular. First Cher is asked about her secret to being provocative. The host surmises it's her sense of humor but I think it's her genuine commitment to being herself, in other words–her authenticity in the act. "I just do what I want," she says. She never made a cynical play for attention. Also, she understands the art of the tease. If you show it all, game over.
As each generation tries to "up the ante" on provocation, the area for the tease shrinks and the game becomes harder to play. "I just do what I want," Cher said. But then they go on to critique Miley Cirus' Video Music Awards performance.
The press (and some of my friends) loved Cher's candor about it. Cher News tracked the story well:
- Cher's initial comments: http://www.chernews.blogspot.com/2013/09/cher-on-mileys-vma-performance-i-didnt.html
- Cher's backtrack of remorse: http://www.chernews.blogspot.com/2013/09/cher-ashamed-of-miley-remarks.html
- CBS touting its own story: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57604026/cher-speaks-her-mind/
I always enjoy Cher's candor but I can see why she expressed regrett for her statement, being almost led into a bitch fight by CBS. Maybe innocently enough, but it's all so unproductive. It's just one appearance by Miley Cirus and she didn't commit a felony, as Cher said. Except maybe a fashion felony. But those laws are so subjective.
On the bright side, the CBS interview gave Cher plenty of respect, saying she's earned every honor show biz has to offer. They showed the Cher Show skit with Cher, Bette Midler, Elton John and Flip Wilson in an entertainer's old folks home and later Elton telling Cher she'll be going strong in 50 years. Cher again talks about hating the aging process. How can the world stop worshipping youth, if Cher won't stop worshiping youth? CBS agrees that even the word icon doesn't cover Cher anymore. They quote a line stating she's the "Sherman tank of divas." When asked if she wants to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame she says she doesn't need a hall to rock. In truth, Cher has defined fame and has broken many records in service of the industry of rock music. But a clique's a clique. Rock stars are so hypocritically insiders just posing as outsiders.
Cher jokes that she uses witchcraft to stay young. We get to see a young picture of Sonny shirtless. After watching so many episodes of The Sonny & Cher Show, I have developed a taste for seeing Sonny shirtless. Cher talks about how she came to fashion, how women would tune into the TV show to see what she was wearing. She started to care about it then, too, and it got "interwoven" (no pun intended) into her personality. I love how she talks about clothes being neither an aid nor barricade (in the theory of ex-boyfriend Josh Donen) to her true self. "Clothes are nothing" she says.
I'm also so glad she's telling interviewers to piss off about her love life. That's so right. The last line of the interview is funny…Cher asking about herself, "Isn't she over?"
Note: the online posted Extended Transcript seems to go on much longer than the 13 minute interview. I haven't read it yet but it printed out to 18 pages!!
Cher at Grauman's Chinese Theater to see The Wizard of Oz
This week, Cher made an appearance in Los Angeles. You can see clips of Cher at Grauman's in the CBS interview. Cher News also has photos.
Recap of interview in Gay & Night
Last week I linked to the interview in the Netherlands magazine Gay & Night. She talks about her record label, about the themes of this album and not intending it to be about women's empowerment, about how painful leaked songs can be and why "The Greatest Thing" came not to be. She says "Dressed to Kill" is "a drag queen dream come true. She talks about hesitations over touring again, about the only outfit she regrets having worn. (Think Take Me Home era roller skating party). She admits she's had "a couple" of loves of her life: "I've had three."
Oh boy, another Cher fan guessing game. I vote for either Robert, Gregg & Sonny or Robert, Gregg & Current Mystery Bf.
She talks about why she dated younger men and about what her tattoos mean to her now, how passe they have become (Miss Kansas at Miss America last week was half-tattooed). She also says she hasn't yet purchased a plot at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris but that she still hopes to eternally rest there.
She talks about Chaz and her gay fans and she talks about her mother's circle of friends and her mother's lack of prejudice. Cher says her first best friend was Jewish. I would LOVE to hear more Cher-as-a-kid stories.
Cher talks about the structure of the possible Broadway show based on her life (which is very interesting and I hope that comes to be).
Recap of Interview in Canoe
Last week, I also linked to the interview in Canoe. She talks about paving the way for Katy Perry, Madonna, Lady Gaga and how rough it was for early Sonny & Cher with their then-unusual outfits. They talk about Cher's ability to hit high notes, the quality of her voice (Cher says she was pretty bad in the beginning), being able to watch her movies or look at photos of herself and how she loves Tony Bennett and Betty White.
Cher Interview in USA Today
Cher also appeared in USA Today. They called her a "stage warhorse" and "fashion daredevil." They talk about her voice, touring, Tina Turner touring. She "sips Dr. Pepper" during the interview and her cat, Mr. Big, attends. The article jokes about her age and "crossing the Medicare threshold."They talk about her album cover and how she was trying to to be camp, like a Playboy cover. Which just proves how much you can't do camp on purpose. She says people took it so seriously. She talks about being a fan of Bruno Mars and the civic duty of the stars to "give back." She talks about Buddhism and the 1980s being so fun. She says the low point for her being after her divorce from Sonny and all the financial trouble she was in. She says something interesting as she's talking about being in that financial hole in the mid-1970s, "A lot of people were gigantic, and then they were gone."
This is what constantly amazes me watching the Sonny & Cher shows…all those celebrities who were on top, more on top than Cher was, celebrities who Sonny & Cher had to pay deference to as guests on their variety show: Chad Everett, Lorne Greene, Sandy Duncan, Bobby Sherman (just the stars I watched last night alone) and they're all gone. Think of this, Sonny & Cher were equals with Peter Noone and Herman's Hermit's in the 1960s. Less than 10 years later, they had Peter Noone on one of their "Years" specials as a nostalgia act. All the hot 1970s stars then disappeared by the 1980s. The 1980s stars were gone by the 1990s, and so forth. There's a 1950s skit in the first "Years" episode of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour where Cher sings an satirical 1950s-style song called "Superstar" in a space outfit and then goes on a tirade telling everybody how "big" she's gonna get, bigger than all the guests on the episode, Frankie Valli, Dick Clark. The whole skit is eerie.
In USA Today, Cher talks about how much she didn't like her early voice, "My voice was so strange and different." She talks about Pink and writing "Lovers Forever" for Interview with a Vampire with her friend Shirley Eikhard and how her songwriting tends to be dark and personal.
My favorite quote: "Even Cher underestimates the power of Cher."
The Guardian Interview
Last week, Cher also appeared in The Guardian. She talks about where she learned all her British swear words, about Sonny and Mark Taylor being her favorite producers. Really? Sonny? After having to do all those takes?
She talks about how odd Phil Spector was and working on background vocals for a John Lennon album with Phil and Harry Nilsson. Which song(s) was this for???
She talks about song leaks and Hillary Clinton and showing her navel on TV.
The Sunday Morning Herald Interview
Cher was in Australia's Sunday Morning Herald this week as well. She talks about how "women should hang together" and stop "bitch fighting" which is why I think she regretted her Miley comments. The interviewer calls Cher, "two parts rock chick, one part opinionated lady, with side orders of mother and superstar…She's detailed like a prestige car."
She talks about not remembering how many albums she's made and forgetting she recorded certain songs, how for her Sonny was "total hero worship." The magazine claims Cher says their marriage was a happy one. Earlier this year, Cher described it as Russian Roulette. But she says they never discussed politics. She talked about how she struggled to get into movies and how Francis Ford Coppola made her cry (after telling her she should be in movies) and how brave Robert Altman and Mike Nichols were to finally cast her. She talked about making the documentary about her mom and the title of her new album….
…which I hope to get soon. I've been holding off listening to it until I get the physical thing in my hot little hands.
Cher and Nillsson were doing back up for John Lennon’s “Rock ‘n Roll” album that Spector produced – hence the “A Love Like Yours” single – she’s NOT credited on the album and I’m not sure if they ever used her vocals – I haven’t played it in decades – it’s not very good!