Pheaturing Sharon Stone

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Friday. How are you doing? It's a sad week for Team U.S.A., as beloved American gymnast Simone Biles has withdrawn from the women's gymnastics team final on day four of the Tokyo Olympics. The four-time Olympic gold medalist and fan favorite reportedly appeared "shaky" on the vault and landed with a big correction, prompting "gasps" from the crowd. She then left the arena to be attended to by the trainer. In an official statement, USA Gymnastics said, "Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions. Thinking of you, Simone!" Twenty-four-year-old Biles told reporters she is "proud" of her team, who went on to win a silver medal in the final (Russia took the gold, and bronze went to England). She later told reporters she made the decision to focus on her "mental health," saying, "Whenever you get in a high stress situation, you kind of freak out. I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being... We have to protect our body and our mind. It just sucks when you're fighting with your own head." Celebrities and fans are taking to Twitter to express their support for Simone. Many people are praising her for prioritizing her mental health, something that is notoriously challenging for anyone, let alone Olympic athletes, to do. Roseanna Arquette reminded people that Biles is likely still coping with trauma. Meanwhile, Simone focused on supporting her teammates, offering them words of encouragement as they continued on to compete without her. Spoken like a true champion. 

Ben Stiller probably wishes he simply did the Blue Steel and kept his mouth shut. The actor/writer/director/son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara chimed into a conversation about nepotism in Hollywood with the hot take that there isn't. Deadline reported on an upcoming short film that reads like a nepotism Avengers: it stars Sean Penn's son, was written by Stephen King's son, and is being directed by Steven Spielberg's daughter. Founder of The Blacklist Franklin Leonard joked, "Hollywood's a meritocracy, right?" Ben Stiller took umbrage, calling it a cheap shot. Leonard explained that he does wish them the best, but it's important to acknowledge the privilege the scions have in a notriously difficult industry to break into. Stiller then stuck his foot firmly into his mouth when his fingers typed out that Hollywood is "ultimately a meritorcracy." While Stiller has had a fruitful career in his own right, there's no denying the fact that having parents who are comedy legends opened doors. The doors fling open for the well-connected while people from margianilized communities can spend decades just approaching to knock. After being confronted with the facts, Stiller responded to criticism and said that he wasn't thinking about diversity... which is often part of the problem. Scholar Alexandro José Gradilla criticized Stiller as being "too literal and dishonest." While children of celebrities are not automatically given jobs, "they know how the industry works and where the industry plays. They know the official and hidden rules. Talented outsiders don’t. They have to catch a random break." Stiller replied, admitting that he might have been "too literal," and agreeing Hollywood needs more "inclusion and access and diversity." I think everybody learned something here: that diversity in Hollywood is lacking, and that insisting Hollywood is a meritocracy to assert that you're talented rather than just privileged is not a good look. 

There are few subjects more polarizing on the Internet than people's hygiene and bathing routines. Seriously, if you want to piss off Twitter, just tweet about how you don't wash your legs and you'll be cancelled faster than the first season of a "Friends" spin-off. Recently, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher created a huge stir on Twitter when they revealed their somewhat traditional choice to bathe themselves and their kids very infrequently.  Stars: just like us! Only much dirtier, apparently. During their appearance on an episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, Kunis shared that they only wash "vitals" every day. "I didn't have hot water growing up as a child so I didn't shower very much anyway," said Kunis, who has apparently continued the tradition of infrequent bathing with her and Kutcher's two sons, Wyatt, 6, and Dimitri, 4. "If you can see the dirt on them, clean them," said Kutcher. "Otherwise, there's no point." Kutcher revealed he washes his "armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever," and will sometimes "throw some water on my face after a workout to get all the salts out." While Kunis said she washes her face twice a day. 

And I say, hey! It is not a wonderful kind of day, as it has just been announced that the iconic cartoon and meme machine Arthur has been canceled at PBS. For a quarter of a century, Arthur has been teaching kids how to spell A-A-R-D-V-A-R-K, and DW has helped sassy kids with attitudes feel seen. The show provided libraries with their unofficial theme song, and a meme for every emotion. Millinnennials are mourning the loss of their beloved Elwood City, crying into their ice cream at the Sugar Bowl and getting angry like Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll. 

Over the last decade, Scarlett Johansson has become a pillar of the Avengers being the only woman in the team and she’s not backing down in real life as she files a lawsuit against the giants she had been working with for the past years, Marvel and Disney, for the Disney+ release of her most recent film, Black Widow, citing that such would be a breach of contract. Johansson has been synonymous with the character Black Widow that when you see her face, you know it is her as that is one of the roles that she really had authority on. However, despite her tenure in the beloved franchise, she is suing Disney and Marvel according to the Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court as Johansson claims that releasing Black Widow on Disney+ is a breach of contract on the part of the studio. Johansson, as feisty as her character in the MCU, is on her way to battle against giants, Marvel and Disney. As quoted from the suit, “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.” The breach of contract arises, in part, from the stipulation that the salary that Johansson would receive would be contingent on the success of the film at the box office. Recently, it was shown that having the movie released on the streaming platform at the same time as in theaters, has hindered the film to be a box office hit, that according to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Widow ranks way below other Marvel Cinematic Universe releases of Disney. 

Okay, so you heard of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, right? But have you heard of Dwayne "The Smock" Johnson? No? Look at this...

If I had as TARDIS I would probably end up in Londonderry, Northern Ireland after an explosion in the city center in 1972 and witness local children taunting a British soldier as he stands guard...

They tell me if I go to Walmart I'd see some odd sights... I didn't believe it until I saw this...

Any stroll through a store would have you believe that "pink is for girls" and "blue is for boys" are the associated gender roles are the very backbone of our society. Products from nail clippers to hand lotion are assigned genders when last time I checked, inanimate objects don't have gender identities. Like these mugs for example...

Ahhh the two genders, Lady and The. Weddings can bring out a person's true colors, whether they're the bride or the groom or even just a casual acquaintance. And one guy is learning the hard way that his girlfriend and his family don't see eye to eye on the issue of family photos. The man emailed the Phile to ask for advice after he and his girlfriend hit an impasse. His family doesn't want the girlfriend in family photos, and she feels insulted by their decision. The man explains the situation...

"I come from a BIG but close family. Just as an example: my grandmother has 15 siblings and she and grandpa had 12 children themselves. We have like 8 weddings a year within the family. More then a decade ago my family made a rule: significant other’s can only be in family photos when the relationship has lasted a year. This rule came to be after to many family photos were “ruined” by exes being on there. Yes my family is dramatic like that. And of course after a year things can still go wrong and photos can still be “ruined” but at least it is less likely. I have been dating my girlfriend for about 6 months and we are in a serious relationship. One of my cousins is getting married soon and she is invited as well. When I told her about the rule she found it absolutely ridiculous and was insulted for our relationship. I told her we can still get a nice photo together and with my parents and siblings but that she couldn’t be in the big family photo. She was still pissed and said that she wouldn’t come if I didn’t demand she be in the family photo. The thing is that I generally believe in the rule, not because I doubt my relationship but because I’ve seen that in general it works. Am I wrong for not demanding she be in the family photo like she says? Is the rule ridiculous?" She's ridiculous for thinking she should be part of a family wedding photo after dating you 6 months. Take her up on her offer to skip the event. Looks like your relationship isn't going to make it to that magic one year mark. Your girlfriend has picked a weird hill to die on. Particularly since this is a cousin's wedding. Does she really think the bride wants her cousin's girlfriend in a family pic? At that point, might as well just take an aerial picture of the whole wedding. You can only fit so many people in one picture. So there you have it. The girlfriend is in the wrong. Family means family only, sorry! If they're even still together... If you have a problem and want my opinion then email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. 

On paid leave...

Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York here is...

Top Phive Things Said About Simone Biles Withdrawing From The Olympic Women’s Team Final 

5. Simone deserves rest, thanks for her exception service, and us to leave her the fuck in peace. 

4. I can't imagine the pressure Simone has been feeling. Sending her SO much love. It's easy to forget she's still human. WE LOVE YOU. 

3. In my eyes, Simone Biles already won. She’s a class act and she’s still the greatest gymnast in history. Our Champion. 

2. Simone Biles is the greatest of all time. 

And the number one thing said about Biles withdrawing from the Olympic women's team final is...

1. Sending a stream of love and prayers to Simone Biles. May she has whatever she needs most right now in abundance. 

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. It's a hard one. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jeff, shall we?

Looks like a nice day. 

Phact 1. Tim Duncan was training to become a member of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Swim Team until Hurricane Hugo destroyed the only pool he could train in. His mortal fear of sharks kept him from using the ocean temporarily. So to keep in shape, he began playing basketball. 

Phact 2. The Hudson Bay in Canada was formed during the last ice age when the weight of glaciers on the continent pushed the crust below sea level. Now that the ice is gone, the bay is currently in the process of rebounding outwards. 

Phact 3. Guinea pigs are members of the cavy family, just like the capybara and wild cavies. 

Phact 4. NASA will text you whenever the International Space Station passes overhead. 

Phact 5. Kenya burned $172 million worth of illegal rhino horn and elephant tusk to demonstrate against poaching in that area. 

Today's guest is is an American actress, producer, and former fashion model and author of the 154th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club, The Beauty of Living Twice. Please welcome to the Phile... Sharon Stone.

Me: Hey, Sharon, welcome to the Phile. How are you? You're such an icon.

Sharon: LOL. Thanks, when I think of icon I think of a statue of Jesus, not me. But thank you. 

Me: In the book, you write, "when I'm not busy being Sharon Stone, I'm rather shy." And it made me wonder, what does "being Sharon Stone" mean? 

Sharon: Well, my friends laugh when we're hanging out and then I have to go to something, and I run upstairs, I slap on the makeup, I put on the outfit, and then I come down transformed. They always go, "Oh look, she turned into Sharon Stone!" And they laugh. It's like, I go in the phone booth and swirl around and turn into Sharon Stone. I get all dressed up, I put on this stuff and then I come down in this new sort of aura. 

Me: Do you feel like your friends do? 

Sharon: Yeah, in fact, I have like a little section of my closet that has the Sharon Stone clothes in it. 

Me: I'll say the book is mainly about the other parts of your closet, not that one part of your closet. Am I right?

Sharon: Right. Obviously, there's a million different ways you can do a memoir. You can write about a million different things. And it just seemed to me that before I wrote about a million other things, I should know who's writing it. I should really explore myself and be clear about who I am. So many people in my life have told the story of who I am and decided who I am for me and told so many things that had nothing to do with me and more to do with the characters I've played. I thought a real profound investigation would be in order. It just was really helpful for me to take back my own identity and to get clear about my own identity.

Me: What's something you got clear on about your own self that maybe you didn't know beforehand? 

Sharon: I think the best thing that happened is that I really understand that I do me and you do you. And, you don't do me, so stop it. And I don't do you, so stay over there. And I'm much calmer about it than I was right at the beginning. Even when I started interviewing about the book, I was really argumentative about that. I took a couple weeks off, and I got very calm about it. When people tell me in an interview, they will say, "You are like this," or "Your childhood was like that," or "You are this kind of person." I let them finish their sentence or their paragraph or their thought. And then I can say, "No, that's not correct. This is how it was." I don't have to panic respond, or jump all over them or get upset. I can just let them live it out for themselves. And then I can say what's true for me.  

Me: Sharon, where are you from?

Sharon: I was born in was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Me: My son lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. I don't know anything about Meadville. What can you tell me about it?

Sharon: It's a very small town in western Pennsylvania. Our house was in Meadville, but the city line was just on the other side of our house. I went to school in the even smaller town called Saegertown. It was really tiny. One traffic light. Kids drove their tractors to school and it was a pretty tiny little farming community. 

Me: What was your life like there? 

Sharon: In many ways, idyllic. We had a big farmhouse with a beautiful stream in the ravine next to our house and acres of land that my mother planted fruits and vegetables in and canned them for our food. My dad worked in a factory and hunted and fished and we froze what he got, and that was the protein that we ate, the majority of it. I would come home from school and there'd be a deer hanging from my swing in the tree and maybe a turkey clipped on the clothesline with its wings all spread out... or a big bucket of fish on the doorstep when my dad and my brothers came back from fishing. Very, very rural.

Me: Was it easy for you growing up there?

Sharon: Well, I wasn't just that kid that kind of rolled through it and wanted to stay there. Because in that town, most people got married right out of high school, had a bunch of kids and worked in the sort of jobs that were there. That wasn't really ever, to me, how I had hoped that things would end up. 

Me: Didn't you go to college when you were like 15-years-old? 

Sharon: Yes, Jason, I went to college when I was really young and that was also really complicated for everybody. Neither of my parents had finished high school. Neither of my parents had parents that they lived with when they were small. My mother was given away because she lived in such horrible, impoverished, violent circumstances. She was given away when she was nine to be a housekeeper and laundress live-in for a family. That was her childhood. It was just not good. 

Me: The book is dedicate to your mom, right?

Sharon: One of the things that I got from writing the book is, I guess, looking at the different ways people can express love. And if love doesn't come to you, from your mother, in a way that seems very traditional, it can be very confusing. I went through the stages of trying to figure out how my mother expressed love to me. 

Me: Why dedicate the book to her?

Sharon: When I was writing the book, I remember saying to her, "You know, mom, you never let me lean on you." And she said, "That's right. I taught you to stand on your own two Goddamn feet." And I remember a couple of my friends were here, and they looked at me like, "Wow." Then as I grew to understand my mother, and I grew to understand the complexities of her life, I grew to understand that was love. She gave me the most loving, the most protective, the most concerned parent, concerned mother to another woman, thing that she could give me. But when I was young, I didn't understand it. But of course, when I was 15, at college, it was a great gift. When I was 19 modelling in New York and in Milan, it was a fabulous gift. 

Me: So, how did all of that prepare you for Hollywood? 

Sharon: I think that I really learned a lot about how to be in a room with people who might not have had my best interests at heart. When I was in Hollywood, I would go to these events or parties or things that I was expected to attend. I would carry a drink around and just pour them in the plants and pretend that I was in the party spirit. But I was not drinking and not getting loaded. I was acting like I was getting loaded so that I could stand on my own two feet.   

Me: Okay, I have to talk about Basic Instinct... here's a photo of you in that movie...

Me: I wish I can show a different pic from that scene. Haha. What was it like being in that movie, Sharon?

Sharon: I talk a little bit in the book about the toll that inhabiting that role took on me. It was controversial at the time. I mean, it isn't now. But at the time, it was so controversial to do something like that. And of course, I was terrified. 

Me: Why were you terrified?

Sharon: I was terrified going to work with this giant star Michael Douglas, and playing such a controversial role. I was playing a serial killer and I took it very, very seriously. I watched a lot of film of serial killers and why they did what they did. I read a lot of research to try to understand what happens to the mind. I was trying to understand a person who breaks to the point where serial killing doesn't have a big impact on them. It's like having a sandwich. It's something they do. It's their biggest thing, but it's still not big enough for them. It's not huge. Everything else has a certain kind of flatness to it.

Me: I remember going to the movies with my parents and seeing that movie. Anyway, what does that do to you to be that person for so long? 

Sharon: I had nightmares. I walked in my sleep. I woke up dressed in my car a couple times, like fully dressed sitting behind the wheel of my car. I never before or since have been walking in my sleep. Once I woke up and I thought my arm was cracking open like the desert and I called the poison control line. I don't even think I was really awake. I think that my mind was having trouble. While I was acting and while I was at work, I felt like I had a real handle on the character. But when I would go to sleep, my subconscious would take over and it was not okay with my behavior during the day. 

Me: How did your life change after the film came out?

Sharon: It's Friday and I'm me. Tuesday, I'm the Beatles. People are climbing all over my car. I try to walk down the street and suddenly 30 people that were shopping are running, chasing me. I'm running and locking myself in stores and the people are like, "Wait, don't lock the door," and I'm like, "Oh, I'll buy something. Please help me." Suddenly I'm in this weird chase. I didn't get paid to do Basic Instinct. I made a little bit of money. Michael made $14 million and has points. I made not enough money to buy my dress to go to the Oscars the next year. I was in this weird limbo where I was suddenly famous, but didn't have any money. 

Me: So, you couldn't afford private security or anything like that?

Sharon: I didn't have what I needed. We went to Cannes and the movie just was insanity. I got back to the hotel and all of my belongings had been stolen except the clothes on my back. My contact lenses, my film out of my camera, my toothbrush... everything was gone. 

Me: What do you mean "gone"?

Sharon: My room was just rifled through and we had to get me out of the hotel, but I didn't have the security to do it. The bodyguards got all the kitchen staff and all the busboys to come up and they created this big circle that I and my two girlfriends were inside of and then they try to take me through the lobby. There were so many people, hundreds of people, pulling at us and going berserk. So this was our introduction, "Hello, you're famous." We had no idea. 

Me: Didn't anybody give you advice?

Sharon: Yeah, after that, veteran actors and veteran famous people just start giving me advice about how to navigate this thing. 

Me: What's the best or what's a piece of advice that you got from someone that sticks with you? 

Sharon:  I think the nicest thing that happened was I asked my chiropractor, "Do you know someone that is really famous that could talk to me and help me because I'm just terrorized? And I don't know what to do?" He's like, "Yeah, I do. And I'm gonna have them call you today." I was working at a job, I think at maybe Warner Bros, and I got a text. Well, I don't even think there were texts, but I got some kind of message from Shirley MacLaine. And she said, "When you're done working, come out to my house and have dinner." And I'm like, "Oh, it's going to be late, late at night. It's gonna be 11 or midnight." She's like, "No problem."

Me: I wanted to get Shirley MacLaine on the Phile but I'm running out of time. Haha. So, did you go see her?

Sharon: Yeah, I drove out to Malibu, and we had dinner on trays sitting on the floor in front of her fireplace. I've never been so happy in my life to have someone understand that I needed to be on the floor. I needed that feeling of being grounded. I needed someone who understood that I needed to sit on the floor, and be in my bare feet, and just have someone talk to me like a human being. Here's this woman, who was the only woman who was part of the Rat Pack, and she told me all about what happened to her, what it was like and how it went. It wasn't like she gave me specific advice, per se. She just told me, this is what happens, this is how it goes. 

Me: That's cool. What do you want people to understand about you, having read this book? 

Sharon: No matter what you see in the public eye and no matter how hard that is for you to cope with, that's not my whole life. Red carpet stuff is so infinitesimal next to what your job is. When you go to work, you're outside in the freezing cold, you're outside in the boiling heat, you're outside in the middle of the night where it's just awful. You're eating off paper plates out of a steam tray. That's your real life. That's how really acting and making film or television is; you're in some crappy location, eating awful food at three in the morning. It's awful, and you're only doing it because this is the thing you love to do. Sometimes you're just like, "I can't believe I have to do this. I hate every second that I'm here." That's the way that it is sometimes. And sometimes it's just fantastic. And that's the way any great job is.

Me: That's true. Sharon, thanks for being on the Phile. Take care and I hope this was fun.

Sharon: It was, thanks Jason. 

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Sharon Stone for a great interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with hip hop duo Little Brother. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Get vaccinated!

Give me some rope, tie me to dream, give me the hope to run out of steam, somebody said it could be here. We could be roped up, tied up, dead in a year. I can't count the reasons I should stay. One by one they all just fade away...