What You Have to Sign When You Want to Interview Tina Fey
Tina Fey has long been a journalist's dream: a smart, funny, well-known actress who gives great quote. Put her on your cover and you're guaranteed at least a dozen clever lines that will be quoted ad infinitum on the blogs; call her for comment on a story and she'll toss off a zinger that could have been devised by the 30 Rock writers room. In short, you can always count on Tina Fey to say something awesome -- so why is her publicity firm trying to clamp down on that?
Journalists who attended the Date Night junket this weekend were dismayed and confused by a contract proffered by Fey's reps at WKT that had to be signed by the writers pre-interview (and which contained so much overprotective, press-wary language that you'd think you somehow landed an interview with Angelina Jolie by mistake). Here's the contract, which was leaked to Movieline:
RE: INTERVIEW WITH TINA FEY
The following will serve as an agreement between ____________________ and Tina Fey in regard to their interview for ___________________________ .
Journalist may not use text produced by Tina Fey for any purposes other than what is originally intended without securing the prior written permission of Tina Fey and WKT PR. The obtained quotes may only be used for _______________________.
Journalist may show the completed article as an example of his work, but journalist agrees not to publish any quotes supplied by Tina Fey in any manner without obtaining written consent.
The text may not be used for any merchandising purposes, without prior written permission. Should you fail to strictly comply with the forgoing, our client will have the right to exercise all of his rights and liberties at law and in equity.
On the other hand, journalists interviewing Steve Carell didn't have to sign a thing.
What gives, guys? Tina Fey is hardly some Chloë Sevigny who's going to accidentally blurt out a criticism of her writers -- she is her writers. Did Mo'Nique send Tina a strongly-worded, NSFW letter or something?
[Photo Credit: Joe Kohen/Getty Images]
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Comments
I don't want to go to there.
2 possible reasons:
1. She's out of zingers and doesn't want the press to print that she's got several writers feeding her lines through an ear-piece.
2. She and her publicity team are starting to take her and her career way too seriously.
It's a dealbreaker.
It makes complete sense. During the election the media manipulated her quotes as much as they did Sarah Palin's. Just looking for the best story and the best headline. She's doing the smart thing by protecting herself rather than bitching, moaning, and finger pointing.
It's like what Tina (and others) wrote for Tracy Jordan:
"I need to protect my reputation. You take away my street cred, and I am Wayne Brady."
It's just one of those papers to make sure nobody does anything "funny", because there are cases like that, where people misuse information. Like that infamous Bashir's interview with Michel Jackson. It just takes one idiot to destroy a career. So, what I'm trying to say is, good professional journalists don't have to worry about signing this document. In the same way that we don't put locks on our doors because of honest hardworking people, but rather because of criminals who break in!
* Sarina Van der Poel
It's because her words have been manipulated way too much the last few years and it's exhausting to even watch her trying to clarify and defend herself every time 'journalists' put her jokes in their headlines and mislead.
I feel so sorry for Tina every time I see those manipulated words in print. Those journalist manipulators should be shot! Tina is the most manipulated star in Hollywood. Of course she should have anti-manipulation protection! Steve Carell only wishes he was as subject to the kind of manipulation Tina Fey endures!
I think she has every right to do that. I remember an issue of TIME magazine with Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan on the cover, with a headline posing a question about the future of feminism. Well, the answer is feyminism! She makes the f-word sound good.
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