Brad & Jen, The Tabloids Permanently Star Cross'd Lovers

By Ben Widdicombe Posted Apr 30th 2010 08:00PM

Five years after her divorce from Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston still cannot shake the celebrity weekly's conviction that the former couple are still involved in every aspect of each others' lives. This week's story is that Brad called her "pathetic" because she posed for the cover of Architectural Digest, a magazine he has previously graced about a subject that is his interest, not hers.

Us Weekly tells us that Brad feels the maneuver was "desperate" because she "wants to get his attention." Needless to say, the anecdote is attributed to an anonymous source.

The reality of the Brad-Jen situation, of course, is that they never see each other. But stories like this are the result of expensive focus testing conducted by the magazines, which reveals that readers are only moderately interested in the lives of a couple like Pitt and Angelina Jolie -- unless Aniston is involved to make it a tragic love triangle. With the addition of Aniston, reader interest and sales spike considerably.

Aniston and Britney Spears are the first ladies of tabloid sales. The magazines feel we already have strong impressions about what these women's lives are like (Jen is lonely and miserable; Britney is nuts), and they create stories that reinforce that narrative.

Similarly, you will never see a tabloid cover story that Katie Holmes is blissfully happy with Tom Cruise, because editors believe readers think she is "trapped" and that Tom is "controlling." That is the version that sells magazines.

These pre-written stories present a problem in the case of Brad and Jen, given that they have no actual contact. Editors are forced to get inventive about how they might be involved in each others' lives.

Possibly the most egregious example of this practice took place last October, when Brad was involved in a minor motorcycle accident in Los Angeles. He fell off his bike, left the scene on foot and the bike was picked up by a truck.

From these simple events, In Touch magazine produced a cover story that he was "Running back to Jen" when he had the accident. Fate, in the form of L.A. traffic, had cruelly intervened to keep them apart.

As long as either of these people is alive, it seems, a large chunk of the media will be devoted to telling us that they think about each other every waking moment.

Tags: brad pitt, jennifer aniston

Comments

(29)

Saturday 01 May

By Nancy Wagner

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for heaven's sake...GIVE IT A REST!!!!!!!!!!

By Nancy

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Is this not the crux of the entire issue of two people who are boringgggggggggggggg.''Us Weekly tells us that Brad feels the maneuver was "desperate" because she "wants to get his attention."

By nancy

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gee, can't you see the prejudice against Brad? They always use some stupid pic of him & find the best of her! I don't think anyone REALLY cares how unfair the media is!

By Jade

Would NOT call Aniston pathetic, however a new doo would be good. She had a cute haircut back in the day on "Friends". Looked good. But,yeah, time moves on, and the Brad/Aniston thing has really gotton old.

By blady02

Blah blah blah! Has been fake! She doesn't even know all those kids the nannies do! Tradegic end in store for those kids being raised by a psycho and a pot smoking wimp, both are anti-christian so they are not blessed, oh yeah they are protected by the snake! LOL! Jennifer is thanking her lucky stars every day!

Sunday 02 May

By Chet Misiolek

The tabloids are out for sales, but looking at the featured photos, I have to say Jen is looking better all the time while Brad is looking a little more "Pathetic" every day. Has Angelina cutoff his clothing allowance? I did not realize his designer, Tom Ford, was featuring that look this season...it wasn't featured in GQ, but Brad has been wearing it for awhile along with several extra pounds. I think the one that is pathetic is Brad. After all if you mess up a marriage with Jen over someone like Angelina what can you expect? I think it may be possible, even in Hollywood that Jen really loved him, and just hasn't met the one yet.

Monday 03 May

By le

Jen is a big pot head and man get tired of her because she's boring. She puts on a good show, does have a few good friends but most men don't want to live in the shadows of Brad. Can't blame the. Unless it's an unknow I don't see her getting together with someone who's already famous. She should date privatly and stay out of her x husbands affairs. It's no longer her business what he does. He moved on and so should she and her fans. Brad has a new life. Time to move on and get real. This fake stuff is getting old and making her look not just pathetic, but needy and not apealing at all. She should cut that hair of hers.Doesn't have a unique bone in her. Move on Jen. I'm sure both Anjie and Brad have had enought and so have most people. Her place is ok, too contribed and too arranged. Just a show. Stay private and maybe you'll be relevant, but right now all she is Brad's X. Needs to get her own identity and stop pulling his back. He left you. She may want revenge but will never happen. He's moved on and she should not be playing with him since his a father and it's no joke. Get your own life missy...

By Lo

She looks like a younger Barbara Straisand. Looks like her daughter.

Wednesday 02 June

By Brooklyngirl

Wonder if his kids run screaming when they see him???I know my 3 year old does,and says"Boogie Man." Somebody please throw him a razor, so all the children of the world will not be afraid of him..No wonder all of his last pictures have been such a flop..He's scary everbody away,just like his crepe keeper he now lives with...Wonder if she cuts the blooms off of roses too...I know why he now looks the way he does, she is trying to get him too look like "Cousin It!!"

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