Ryan McNeil
I’m practically begging to start an argument, but here goes nothing.
I count myself as a fan of Diablo Cody. I don’t look at her as a landmark writer, or a maverick voice. I do like her work quite a bit, and can applaud her success. Perhaps it’s because in a strange way, I see a bit of myself in her: a pop-culture obsessed thirty year old who is an office drone by day but writes smart-assed babble by night. Granted she looks way better in a leopard-spotted dress than I do…but the point is, I get her.
All the same, I understand that many out there don’t, and that they have taken true pleasure over the last year in taking shots at Miss Cody. Well it seems as though she’s had enough, because she finally decided to fire back at the haters. Her thoughts are after the jump.
I am not Charlie Kaufman or Sofia Coppola (much as I supplicate at their Cannes-weary feet.) I’m not Paul Thomas Anderson. I’m not even Paul W.S. Anderson. I am middle-class trash from the Midwest. I’m a competent nonfiction writer, an admittedly green screenwriter, and a product of Hollywood, USA. I am “Diablo Cody” and if you’re not a fan, go rent Prospero’s Books again and leave me the fuck alone.
I may have won 19 awards that you don’t feel I earned, but it’s neither original nor relevant to slag on Juno. Really. And you’re not some bold, singular voice of dissent, You are exactly like everyone else in your zeitgeisty-demo-lifestyle pod. You are even like me. (I, too, loved Arrested Development! Aren’t we a pretty pair of cultural mavericks? Hey, let’s go bitch about how Black Kids are overrated!)
I’m sorry that while you were shooting your failed opus at Tisch, I was jamming toxic silicon toys up my ass for money. I get why you’re bitter. I took exactly one film class in college and– with the curious exception of the Douglas Sirk unit—it bored the shit out of me. I also once got busted for loudly crinkling a bag of Jujubes during a classroom screening of Vivre Sa Vie. I don’t deserve to be here. We’ve established that. But I’m here. Five million 12-year-olds think I’m Buck Henry. Accept it.
(Incidentally, if you were me for one day you’d crumble like fucking Stilton. I am better at this than you. You’re not strong enough, Film_Fan78. Trust me.)
I’m sorry to all those violent, semi-literate fanboys who hate me for befriending their heroes. I can’t help it if your favorite writer, actor, director, or talk show host likes me. Maybe you would too, if we actually met.
I know my name is fake and that it annoys you. What, do you hate Queen Latifah and Rip Torn, too? Writers and entertainers have been using pseudonyms for years. Chances are, you’re spewing bile under an assumed screen name yourself. I’m sorry if you think I’m like some inked-up quasi-Suicide Girl derby cunt from 2002, but I like my fake name. It’s engraved on an Oscar. Yours isn’t.
Listen: I’ve been telling stories my whole life. Even when I was a phone sex operator, I was the Mark Twain of extemporaneous jerk-off fiction. I took every perspiring creep on a fucking journey. I don’t know how to do anything else.
I’m going to make more movies and shows. I doubt they’ll all be good, but that’s the nature of this life. Even though the public only knows me from one book, one movie, and several aborted blogs, I’ve spent the last few years hustling like Iceberg Slim out here to prove myself professionally. The people I currently work for, and with, are more than pleased with my post-Juno output. My pilot was so good (thanks, Toni Colette!) that it got picked up for series. That is rare, children. That is blue-rare.
In summation: you try it.
This is the last I have to say on the subject, unless I’m provoked by a journalist in which case I’ll gladly reload. With relish, as Betty Rizzo might say. That said, I’m a 30-year-old woman with a dwindling interest in blog culture, and I don’t have time to address this bullshit every time one of my projects comes out. I’m in love, I just bought a house, and my boss made E.T. I kind of have to focus on reality.
(Hatter again)So what to make of this? I don’t think anyone should be surprised that a writer like Cody used her smart-assed words to hit back, however I’m sure that every critic she has would likely find a few dozen points in that rant to poke holes and prove their point.
These days the cool thing is to be a cynic, and tear every good thing to shreds. But I for one can’t bring myself to take shots at this sort of success story. I’ve never been cool – why try to start now?
What do you think?
Good question. I like her. She’s bold. She’s original. And she’s not afraid to speak her mind. Who said that you had to struggle for a million years to earn success? Some people just get lucky. Their particular brand of genius finds the right audience at the right time. Some people — her critics — are just plain jealous. But here’s the thing. There isn’t a limited amount of success to go around. Just because she’s got it, doesn’t mean that others can’t have it, too. Tearing her down doesn’t make the nay-sayers any more successful.
I’ve always been one to question this sort of praise, simply because she seems to be trying to play “herself” as a character rather than truly being herself. With her well thought out comebacks and rationale, it seems like she thought about it, wrote something, deleted it, then wrote something else, then came back to it.
I’m not a fan of a flash in the pan, but I am easily convinced if she can sustain a longer career than the luck of the draw that was “Juno” even though I don’t see the hype.
I’m banking that she might not be a one trick pony, like John Heder has proven to be.
I think people are just bitchy because she was a stripper, and wrote an Oscar nominated script.
Have you read her most recent script? It’s even better than Juno.
So all the haters can go away.
I liked Juno a lot, and it’s not the first film to nab Oscars for being fresh and funny when the top picks were dark. But Juno is no Dances With Wolves or Forrest Gump to me. It’s actually quite good. I’m eager to see what she writes next, and while her G-strings to riches story definitely filled the media with glee, I see no reason to bash her for riding the wave. Heck, my own review of Juno was more about the pimply internet nerd rage against it.
I’m certain part of the internet-male backlash came about due to Ellen Page appearing in Hard Candy, which also got its share of bile.
Interesting…mostly ‘pro-Cody’ comments. I thought I might have been calling down the thunder!
Good to see I’m not alone in thinking that it’s good to see people get their moment in the sun, even if – as many of you mentioned – it turns out to only be a moment.
Blake, where did you read her new script? I’d really like to give it a look.
Hell YES! Cody kicks ass. If you don’t like her, fine, but she probably doesn’t like you either. That’s one of the most enjoyable interviews I’ve read in a fortnight.
I’ve never had a problem with Cody – I like her, in fact – but this rebuttal smacks of insecurity. I don’t even purport to know what (specifically) triggered she, but she should have risen above it and not responded, imo.
Mad Hatter, what’s your email address?
mad hatter dot two one at hotmail dot com
The problem is she’s being sincere and ironic at the same time, just like her movie. If your attack on her is too cynical, you’re a hipster-poseur insulting her true-blue American success story. If your attack on her is too serious, you’re a stick-in-the mud loser who doesn’t get it. Lose, lose.
By the way, I liked Juno. It was funny. But it was overrated and it did get very grating at times. It had the misfortune (or fortune, if you judge success in dollar – or Oscar – terms) to appear just at the moment when the hip/quirky ironic-with-a-heart-of-gold Wes Anderson/Napoleon Dynamite/Little Miss Sunshine vibe had reached saturation point in pop culture.
Hence even as I enjoyed Juno, I was aware that it epitomized something I’m finding very annoying right now, and that it was going to appear extremely dated in a few years.
But I think what gets on people’s nerves is Cody and her film’s ability to have it both ways. Indie and mainstream, stripper and screenwriter, pop culture maven and social commentator, deadpan irony and winsome sincerity, little-movie-that-could and studio picture with big (or at least medium-size)-name director and actors. And so forth.