A cunning manipulator?

[Hermano]

Hi! I was wondering what do you guys think about this quote: Outside of work, Eastwood has led a hysterically convoluted existence and is described as a cunning manipulator of the media. His large number of partners and children are now reported matter-of-factly, but for the first three decades of his celebrity, his personal life was kept top secret, and several of his families were left out of the official narrative. The Hollywood kingpin refuses to disclose his exact number of offspring even to this day. This is an opinion by Patrick McGilligan, and I am especially interested what do you think about the "cunning manipulator" bit. Because I kinda feel offended by it.

[igorina90]

From what I heard it was somebody else who made his private life public. It wasn't Clint himself. I do not recall who, so I won't say any names. And besides, I think it's really mean to say this, especially since it's none of our business who he's been with or not, how many kids he really has or not. The mere idea that people think they're entitled to know what their favorite celebrity does in their private life makes me mad and that you're a manipulator of the media as a celeb if you don't tell everybody every little detail about your private life. Doesn't everyone have the right to their private lives? Also whenever something is not made public by or about a celebrity they act like it was a secret they kept and not just them wanting some peace and quiet.

[Christopher]

Welcome to the board, Hermano and ignorina90!

I agree with ignorina. I remember some years back there was some discussion about the McGilligan book. I haven't read it but it does sound like McGilligan isn't a fan.

[AKA23]

I think most, if not all, celebrities are concerned for their public image and to some extent carefully curate the version of themselves that they show to the public to maximize their likability and help to ensure that they and their films continue to be popular. I don't know if Eastwood does that more than most, but I think being called a cunning manipulator of the media is more a value judgment than a descriptive statement. I think at times the very same behavior can be interpreted positively or negatively. It's not the behavior itself. It's the interpretation of that behavior that can be very easily manipulated depending on what the writer or speaker hopes to convey, and whether the person doing the characterization likes the actor or director, or doesn't.

"Eastwood is a master manipulator of the media. He has them wrapped around his little finger. It's so fake and insincere. He refuses to talk about his scandalous private life! We don't even know how many children he has. He has the media right where he wants them!"

"Eastwood is really good at establishing rapport with the media. When conducting an interview, he casts aside the trappings of stardom by striving to put the interviewer at ease. He doesn't say as much about his personal life as others might, but like many of us, he values his privacy. This helps to maintain an air of mystery around him that keeps people coming back for more. He admirably doesn't feel the need to be the center of attention all the time, even though he's such a huge star! It's so refreshing!"

This is an example of how a neutral behavior can be spun to be wildly positive, or disturbingly negative, depending on how it's written. Celebrities are not the only ones who do this. Depending on what they aim to convey and the feelings they'd like to elicit, the media figures themselves are quite fond of using these techniques in their stories as well! 

[KC]

That's a good answer, AKA.

Patrick McGilligan's biography (from 1999) takes a very negative approach to Clint Eastwood's life and career. We had a thread about it, or more accurately about a lawsuit it occasioned, when it was published in the US in 2002. Since much of it is about Clint's personal life, we discourage discussion of the various allegations it contains, following the principle in our Community Standards:

Clint Eastwood's Private Life

This Board is for the discussion of Clint Eastwood's movies and his career. We strongly discourage topics pertaining to Mr. Eastwood's private life. In particular, we respect his personal privacy and do not think it necessary to post about details of his intimate relationships. Also, such topics have been known to cause hostility among members. Expect any topics pertaining to such matters to be deleted, and any individual posts pertaining to them in any topic to be edited or deleted.

http://www.clinteastwood.org/forums/index.php?topic=3322.0

[igorina90]

So there was even a lawsuit? That should never happen. If you wanna write a bio about somebody, you shouldn't say mean things about them etc. Unbelievable!