My favorite guilty pleasure: The Treatment hosted by Elvis Mitchell
Jay-Z by Elvis Mitchell (Interview Magazine 01/2010)
I always admired Elvis since the first day I locked eyes with him. It was my first time during the QT (Quentin Tarantino) Fest in Austin, Texas and Elvis was holding a cigar. I was invited by QT and it was an unusual experience. This was in 2006. I never thought I would get back in touch with Elvis again but as fate would have it, I did, by pure accident. I asked a few friends for Mr. Mitchell's number but everyone acted like a damn deaf mute. I started to surf the information highway for an email address to no avail... than I started to dig in a little box of old phones. I used to have a phone for every city I lived in. Well, I still have a French phone. Finally, I found an old phone with a number. I texted it and prayed he would text back. He did but after a few hours. I was so relieved. Elvis proceeded to tell me about a lady friend of his and the story involved me, it made me laugh so hard. During my time in New York, I did spend some time with him this week. It was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't a good week for me in New York but seeing him was a sight for sore eyes. I asked him to interview me for this French television show that will premiere at an art show in Italy. I wanted him to meet me early to prep him and to catch up with him but there wasn't time for that. I felt really uneasy about it all. It was a short ten minute interview. During the interview I realized how much I hated interviews, especially interviews for television. I just hope it turns out okay. I don't like being asked questions about movies or life. HA! I think I would have preferred to have just hung out with Elvis alone than do that interview. But at least I picked someone who was a professional because really, I'm an interview virgin. He broke me in. (HA!)
I had turned down interviews in the past. I was pretty well known in Europe when I was younger so I'd turned down many interviews... mainly because there was one interview I did do for Spanish television that made me so irate that I vowed never to get interviewed again. The Spanish interviewer assumed I wasn't intelligent and proceeded to ask me racist, sexist, and anti-American questions. He didn't understand me at all and refused to. I later was in a restaurant in Spain ordering food and I saw the same famous tv interviewer tapping me on the shoulder telling me that I gave a great interview. Uh... I just didn't like his style of interrogation. It was tactless and mainly in part because he didn't do his homework on me. Isn't that his job? He shall remain nameless for the sake of his pride. (HA!) Oh! Maybe my feelings on this topic bleeds into print... There was a writer at a New York Newspaper that will also remain nameless, that interviewed me and her ignorance shocked me. I didn't know that particular magazine could have such ignorant racist people working for them... She berated me about my work and I intelligently asked her if she had seen any of it or read any of my work... she flatly said, "No." HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just don't understand the point of being interviewed by people who don't do their homework or who clearly don't have love for the art of conversation...
I don't really see the need for interviews to be honest. I just want to do my work and go home. Interviews and press don't really do anything except bring exposure to people selling a project. I'm not quite so sure that the interview Elvis and I did will give you a better impression of who I am... I think I was truly caught off guard with the whole "conversation" and "rhythm".
Actually, there was a list of people for me to choose from. Ingrid Sischy, Bethann Hardison, Yoko Ono, Woody Allen, Bruce Weber... but for some reason, I thought it would be good to have Elvis involved. I didn't want a film director to interview me because I've worked with most of them and I wanted someone whom I hadn't worked with before.... (just a coincidence that Elvis and I never encountered each other in this way before)
Here are some videos for your viewing pleasure. Hit my up on twitter or on this blog and tell me what you think.
PS. I'll let ya'll know when the little interview of us comes out but if I don't like it, I'll just keep it to myself. HA!
Another Elvis Mitchell Link
A special message from Sarah Spitz below:
Tiffany: Now that you are such a fan of Elvis', maybe your fans and readers would like to know that he hosts "The Treatment" a radio show, podcast and on-demand program on public radio station KCRW-Santa Monica 89.9FM and www.kcrw.com/thetreatment
Thanks!
-Sarah Spitz (KCRW)
Elvis Mitchell and Paul Gondry walking down St. Mark's... photo by me and my ancient camera phone. 4/1/2010
Paul GONDRY!
Paul's design! (He said he would design some shoes for Elvis. HA! LMAO!)
