We all behave stupidly sometimes, but when famous people do it, it becomes so visible that it is difficult to ignore their childish behavior… Think what you want about Billy Corgan – and the Smashing Pumpkins frontman has proven many times he can be a pompous ass – there was nothing stupid, pretentious or comical about this picture of him, all smile, and holding cats for the cover of Paws Chicago magazine… he is an animal lover, good for him! Plus he was raising money for the no-kill animal shelter PAWS Chicago, so it is very honorable.
Nevertheless, ‘journalist’ Anderson Cooper made totally fun of the situation, declaring during his show ‘Anderson Cooper 360’:
‘So perhaps Billy Corgan is I don’t know, off his alternative rocker, but I think maybe there’s more to this. Maybe he’s being ironic, or maybe when the cool rock stars start doing less rock starry things, it kind of makes us face our own mortality. See I want R.E.M. to stay just the way I know and love them, I don’t want ‘Everybody Hurts’ to suddenly be used in an Excedrin commercial. I don’t ever want to see a product called Eddie Vedder’s Prune Jam. I want to see neither Stephen Malkmus nor Thom Yorke on the cover of AARP Magazine.’
What did he mean? That holding cats make you old or a pussy? I have an issue with this Cooper, because I happen to live with a cat and there’s nothing wrong with that! I know I am a female, so Cooper probably thinks it’s normal, but a middle-age guy raising money for cats? Not macho enough for you Cooper? How old fashioned is this pseudo journalist? Should I remind him that his opinion was totally ridiculous, as plenty of intelligent, influential male writers, movie directors, artists and musicians had/have cats… Anyway he was just in need of some stupid rant to feed his already-lame 360 segment on a slow day…
But Corgan didn’t take it very well, and he first took Twitter to address Cooper in a series of tweets:
‘@andersoncooper Sorry to disappoint, but when I’m not raising cain for a great organization like @PAWSchicago, I’m still making REAL music’
‘@andersoncooper I realize you’re too busy being a globalist shill to know the difference, but there are those of us who do as we like
On Thanksgiving eve, the response took a new level (see pictures above) with these shirts showing cute cats and a special message for Cooper: ‘Hope everyones rockin the #fuckyouandersoncooper tee at the @SmashingPumpkin‘s concert tonite! With @MrThomandSammi!’
But go back to this picture of Billy with the cats, he looks so happy! So are these shirts an over reaction? A Morrissey-over-the-top-kind-of-reaction? Maybe, but Cooper, a pretentious dog-lover who estimates himself above cat-lovers, did deserve it. Plus this shirt could apply for so many situations if you have ever watched Anderson Cooper’s show…
