Gillian’s Still a Bit Spacey

Funny, I just found this comment where I'd emailed it to myself months ago, so came back to see if I got any response, and I DID -- one that showed me that some people just don't pay any attention to what they read, i.e. "...he didn't know ALL the X-Files"? Your emphasis demonstrates your willful ignorance: the guy said "I don't know ANYTHING about the X-Files." *rolling eyes* Yes, please do stand by what you said so that everyone can see that you said it.

What a dick. If this man had been interviewing me I would have punched him.

To Gillian Zyle : I see I struck a chord here and I gather you are a Gillian Anderson fan. It DOESNT matter that he didn't know ALL the X-Files (he doesn't have to). She DIDNT want to discuss the X-File popularity issue (As clearly indicated in the interview). She IS ignorant by thinking Canada is a continent (Ignorance is not someone's fault and is not necessarily at fault. It means she didn't know, that's all). She WAS acting haughty (What can I say, she was). *Your* opinion means less then nothing to me sorry. I stand by what I said.

@Azawakh: First of all, for a reporter to begin his interview by telling the actress that he knows nothing about his subject is blatantly rude, deliberately sending the message that he doesn't find her important or compelling enough to have bothered to do his homework. Rather than working around this by simply asking her questions, he makes sure that she --and we, the readers-- know that he doesn't respect her, which compounds his rudeness into unforgiveable arrogance.

Secondly, she didn't "not want to discuss the X-file [sic] popularity issue" -- she said nothing of the kind! Clearly, the point at issue was his flaunting of his deliberate ignorance and the style of his flippant question, "Why is it such a big deal?" What could be more annoying that to be asked to explain the relevance of the whole thing to someone who was making it clear that he was not interested.

Thirdly, while The X-Files was the showcase that brought her into the public eye and made her a household name, you are dead wrong when you say that "this is all she is known for"! Apparently, you are at least as ignorant as the reporter if you didn't know that she has won great acclaim as an actress for her post-X-F work, both on stage and the big screen. She has garnered numerous "best actress" awards and nominations, especially for her work in the films "House of Mirth" and "Bleak House", and just this year has replaced Russell Baker as host of PBS's celebrated "Masterpiece Theater" series.

And finally, the only notable thing about the "four continents" remark was the fact that the obnoxious Setoodeh felt compelled to demonstrate his geographic superiority as though he was hosting Jeopardy. And that *you* took this as seriously as if you had money riding on it. In *my* opinion, Azawakh uncovered in just a few comments what kind of person Azawakh truly is -- thanks for showing us your true colors.

Don't know what happened with what I posted below but that is NOT the way I typed my comment...someone please fix the comment box!!

As has been mentioned before, this is not the first time Ramin Setoodeh has displayed his complete lack of skill in conducting an interview. I have been disgusted in the past by his flippant and rude attitude toward other celebrities he has "interviewed" for Newsweek. I am honestly considering canceling my subscription if this is the kind of journalism Newsweek continues to foist on its readership. Get a clue, Newsweek... GGGGGetGclclclNewseek...RaminSettodehs interviews are NOT hip and cute...they're just ugly GecluNewsweekNewsweek,RRRRjfjfjdlssRRamins

This reporter acted rudely. He might even be sexist. He goes into the interview with the actress without researching ???The X-Files???, her best-known work, of which there is a lot available for review. Instead of asking intelligent questions that would prompt insightful answers, he scrutinizes the actress. Can you act with all those kids you cart around? What else besides being pregnant do you do? Bingo! Got her! California and Canada are on the same continent! Actresses must be stupid (just like the reporter thought going in! Why do research when it doesn???t matter?!) Then, the reporter puts the focus onto himself, because he is male-centered and much more important than this mere actress he???s been assigned to interview. (Obama is on a different continent, or something.) Ben Affleck: How does he do it? He???s pregnant again isn???t he? Finally, Ms. Anderson is a crocodile. We all know what that means. You???re even allowed to say that word on television now.

I don't get the joke :| . . . Oh, I get it. He's trying to be like Deborah Solomon of the NYT Sunday Magazine. She's good. You're not.

I agree with all the other posters that this reporter is some kind of super-poser: he lends a whole new dimension to the idea of Blithering Nincompoop. Ms Anderson was insulted throughout and I believe she handled it very well. Has he not seen her superb work in other vehicles besides the X-Files? I'm referring specifically to "House of Mirth" in which she co-starred with the awesome Laura Linney. Her performance in this film was a masterpiece, and did not go unnoticed by film critics. Another great performance was on PBS's fine production of "Bleak House". Gillian is an actress if immense power, intensity and versatility. Why didn't Ramin the Nitwit ask her some serious questions about her career? Gillian is also a perfect anchor in the X-Files to Mulder's often wild, tangential forays into the world of aliens. Give me a break, Newsweek. You're all a bunch of idiots for allowing such slipshod journalism to appear here. As everyone else says, nowadays this kind of crap is supposed to pass for cleverness and cuteness. Despicable!

This reminds me of the time when TIME MAGAZINE did a COVER ON Michael Jackson and there was NO interview with him at all just his dad. This would be perfect for all interviews when no one shows up.

This has nothing to do with Gillian Anderson. It has to do with the moron whom Newsweek sent to interview her. Does Newsweek think this is journalism?Or stupidity?

This has nothing to do with Gillian Anderson. It has to do with the moron whom Newsweek sent to interview her. She has every right to be pissed off.

How did Ramin get his job? He obviously didn't do any research, which I believe is part of his job I've always respected this publication until I read this piece. I don't know who hired him, but for submitting such an embarassing interview he and the person who hired him should be fired. Gillian deserved more respect than he gave her.

Ramin,

It wasn't Gillian who was spacey. It was the inept interviewer. To do no research and to do a "interview-by-number..." I'm not sure who's more inept: Ramin or the assignment editor who gave you this assignment. Then to resort to the ever popular "Slur the subject with the headline" tactic. Very junior league. Great job Newsweek.

What a terrible interview. Ramin, can't you think of any original questions or do any basic research on your subject? Are you an intern or hoping to get fired? That would solve a lot of the mystery here. I never watched the X-files, but I'm at least smart enough to, I don't know, check Wikipedia if I'm looking at something I know nothing about. Your interview was boring, tasteless, baiting. Your statements obvious. The rest of your articles are all interest pieces in the culture section. Are you being punished? Please just..put some effort into it, or else you'll be covering celebrity dog shows for your career. And that person who comes up with your punning titles....please stop them.

What was the real problem here, Ramin? Celebrity fatigue? Don't like redheads? Movies about aliens? Rich creative types who you know hate to do interviews and are, therefore, really easy to annoy and make you look cool in comparison? (Or so you'd like to think...) You waste her time by suggesting you don't know the product she's selling and then belittle her with idle chitchat and have the gall to call her "spacey?" No wonder she hates doing interviews. No wonder they all do. Because of idiots like you who call this exchange of drivel reporting. She's already forgotten this interview and its insulting title. Long after this you'll still be looking for a way to be relevant in a way Anderson was half a dozen episodes into the X-Files.

This was an extremely idiotic interview and was a waste of time for Gillian, Fox, The XFiles sequel and everyone that read it. First, you're a journalist, if you don't know your subject matter, review it before the interview. It's called being prepared.
You asked no questions about the movie at all and you truly failed to control the interview. There was not a coherent structure that seemed to be leading to a goal and you did not care to endear yourself to the interviewee to make them feel more comfortable. This exchange sounded like two people who dislike each other trying to be cordial. Also, I would have corrected the continent thing as well, so she would not say it to another journalist, but as a courtesy, I would not have printed something that makes the actor sound uneducated, unless that was your intent. All in all, D- on your skills as an interviewer.