- Jesse Champlin
- Fiona Apple at the Newmark, Thurs Oct 3
Fiona Apple gave an interview to Pitchfork’s Carrie Battan following last week’s heckling incident in Portland (read all about that here, ugh). Here’s some of what she had to say:
She hurt my feelings. I don’t think what I look like is relevant. And by the way, this whole “unhealthy” thing has me baffled. It’s really confusing to me why anyone would have an opinion about that. And [the heckling] just takes you out of [the live performance]. People around me try to tell me that’s not going to happen, but it always happens. It’s really disappointing. I can’t laugh—I’m an emotional person. And I’m just very sensitive about that. Many people are, not just women. The heckler said, “I saw you 20 years ago, and you were pretty.” That’s just rude, and I don’t want her there anymore because it’s my stage, you know? I got very angry. But I’m going to try and be more prepared for that. I’m assuming that people are going to start to say those kinds of things just to egg me on now. Those people are going to have to leave if they interrupt me. I need to be able to do my job.
Apple adds:
I don’t even know what I’m being accused of. Do they think I’m on drugs? That I have a life-threatening illness? Do they think that I’m anorexic?
The anonymous heckler, for her part, continued to prove that she just doesn’t get it, by leaving this anonymous comment on Rolling Stone:
[I] am the “heckler” in question. My only comment was to tell her that we, the audience, love her, and want her to be healthy so she can be around for a longer time. I made no statement regarding her beauty, the shape of her body, etc. That was another person. Nor was I escorted out. Upon seeing how quickly everything devolved, I left of my own accord. My plea came from a place of sincere concern and love. I will own that perhaps it was the wrong venue and a rash decision, but I have no regrets. After seeing Fiona give a vibrant, engaging performance in July 2012 (despite looking ill), it was an utter shock to see such a spiral in such a short time. The show was of significantly poorer quality compared to the three other times I have seen her, and the tone of the evening was just plain sad. Sure, I could have kept my concerns to myself. However, as I looked out at the audience from the balcony, it saddened me to think that I was one of many enabling her self-destruction, in whatever form that may be. I love FIona’s music and have for years. In the same way I would feel regretful if I did not share similar concerns to a friend, I acted emotionally and expressed my concern to Fiona. There was no ill-intention behind my actions, although I am saddened by how it impacted her. Bottom line, I didn’t feel ok lauding a mediocre performance, or sitting idly by while someone I have grown to care about wastes away. I think deep down Fiona understand that. I will always be a fan, and hope I can continue to support her. I feel the most regret at how misinterpreted I was, and want to insure all Portland fans that, should she come here, again, I promise to stay away. Not because I don’t love seeing her live, doing what she does best, but because I want to see her continue to thrive. And I don’t think she would feel comfortable doing that with the threat of anything like this happening again in the future. Be well Fiona. Your fans love you.
Despite this heckler’s self righteous tone, it remains painfully obvious to anyone who’s ever spent a single evening in public that shouting out an uninvited comment about a performer’s appearance during a show is a terrible idea.
“Sure, I could have kept my concerns to myself.”
Yeah, worry about that giant problem you have with being an empty-headed asshole first, then you can fix other people.
You are an unspeakably stupid motherfucker.
“I saw you 20 years ago, and you were pretty.”
Did you really? Apple was thin as a rail when she first debuted. Go back and watch the Criminal video and tell me that’s a woman with a healthy amount of weight but NOW she looks alarmingly frail.
Know what’s changed in 20 years? She’s 20 years older.
The Neumark should have trespassed this woman so that if she ever came back she could be arrested. Venues need to hire ushers and use them when people are being disruptive by heckling or cell phone use.
She needs to suck it up and act like a professional.
Boo hoo, she still got paid. If she doesn’t want her appearance judged, then maybe she should have settled for being an accountant or janitor.
Even if you can’t comprehend that, then wrap your head around the fact is she still looks like hell.
If you don’t feel bad for offending the singer and think you were somehow doing her a secret “favor,” you could at least feel bad for ruining the show for hundreds of other people who paid to be there to see her, and not to hear what thought happens to pop into your stupid wind-tunnel of a head.
As a man, I always feel like its my place to comment on women’s bodies and what I think about them. This example is clearly inappropriate because it was a women making the commentary about Fiona Apple and women should know their place better than to yell things in public.
Seems to be a pattern of very dumb attention-seeking Portlanders trying to interject themselves from the audience into shows be they comedy, music, etc. Dumb heckler-you are not friend, associate or even acquaintance. You are as detached from the performer”s life as you are from being the reason people paid money to show up that night. Unless they’re exactly like you and mutually self-serving, I doubt anyone in your life thinks of you as a genuinely warm friend. My advice-get a large two-wheeled novelty recreational vehicle, foster your bad case of Tallbikeitis and stay away from public performances. You can even imagine you’re in Cirque Du Soleil!
God, these people and their unwanted, snarky comments …
Wrong. Fiona ruined the show. Crying onstage because of some jerk in the audience and then walking off was her decision. She didn’t have to react in that manner at all. It was totally on her, period.
Hecklers happen. Might as well expect to walk barefoot through a city dog park and have clean feet, or explain quantum tunneling in hydrogenases to a Mercury reader and have them derive the waveform equation for you.
Yeah, what the guy said above, Fiona has been criticized for her weight since she debuted, and that was when she was on MTV and therefore the complaint might have some validity, but I have seldom read anything about her in many years that didn’t mention her weight. She has always been very sensitive about these comments and any fan should know that. She cried during a Rolling Stone interview when they asked her about the Criminal controversy. She has always been emotional and weird. It’s not like she went from Kate Winslet to Iggy Pop in a couple years. And I don’t believe this heckler that it had nothing to do with body size. Her “beautiful” comment says it all.
“or explain quantum tunneling in hydrogenases to a Mercury reader and have them derive the waveform equation for you.”
Shut the fuck up and make another cold call, dick.
Not that it would have made any difference, but I wonder what the reaction would have been to someone yelling at Kurt Cobain to chill on the white horse during a set.
ThatFeltGodd said it best.
That person needs to do some serious self examination. Having “no regrets” blows my mind. You are a total and complete asshole, lady. Women want to blame men for all sorts of evil shit, but ultimately (we) women do it to each other and take no responsibility for ourselves.
I wanted to add that anyone who has some degree of familiarity with anorexia would understand how much pain these women are in. It is one of the highest risk factors for (often very violent) suicide in women.
I am so sorry that this performer was called out in such a cruel way, but kudos for her for kicking the person out.
Pay no mind to Posted by Intanett Tuffguye on 10/07/2013 at 1:06 PM, they have been trolling the Reddit thread in the same way.
Poor Fiona thought starting her tour in PDX would be a good idea.
Fuck that dumbass heckling bitch.
@Agit: What?!? You’re claiming that the needlessly antagonistic commenter named ‘Internet Tough Guy’ isn’t posting from a place of deep internal honesty? Clutch the pearls!!!
Portland people ruin everything