Here’s a little secret, the only people who get off on a little harmless star vs. media controversy more than the star is the media. Any writer who spends their life heaping attention onto others has got to love it when a little media juice splashes on to them. It’s good for getting people to read your work—and also nice on the ego. But when you navigate the world of celebrity press, there’s a fine line between stoking the fire and burning bridges.
So it’s not surprising that Lynn Herschberg, the writer who’s profile on M.I.A. for the New York Times Magazine infuriated the agitprop star enough that she tweeted the writer’s phone number and released a diss track directed towards “journalists,” has backed down from the shouting match. “I was just trying to explain to her what was on the menu,” Hirschberg told the Observer yesterday. “I don’t think the French fries illustrate that much about her character.”
That is, of course, utter BS. While it’s doubtful that Hirschberg ever thought her comment on M.I.A. eating a truffle-flavored french fry while discussing her “outsider” status would become the center of such a kerfuffle, she’s didn’t choose to highlight the contradiction for nothing. Regardless, this whole thing has ru itself into a ditch, and unless M.I.A. tells Hirschberg to “step in the ring” ala Axl Rose’s feud with Motley Crue’s Vince Neil. Yes, before the internet, dysfunctional pop stars had to resort to fisticuffs.
[...] The conflict was originally framed this spring in an article by Lynn Hirschberg, now referred to as Truffle-gate. No comment as of yet from M.I.A.’s camp, although we’re certain there will be [...]
[...] Diplo, M.I.A., Rankin Posted 2 weeks ago This could be used as more fuel for the fire—M.I.A. talking some more about her rebel status while taking part in this very stylish photo [...]
This is definitely a case of After the Internet.