Well, just in case you didn't already see this story making the rounds the past 24-36 hours ... the video of Jay-Z (plus entourage and security and fans) riding the R train to the Barclay's Center... and being asked by the kindly woman, Are you famous? (Gawker has more here.)
As The New York Times noted, the woman is Ellen Grossman, an East Village-based artist who lives on St. Mark's Place.
And given the world we live in, she is an instant celebrity of sorts. Per the Times:
To what does she attribute this new found celebrity? Given the economy, the wars and talk of the end of the world, “I think the world is in the mood for a sweet, old lady,” she said.
You can see the exchange between Jay-Z and Grossman at the 19:30 mark of the video ...
h/t The Wall Street Journal
gotta say, was irked by this "adorable old lady" thing (propagated by Gawker). she's a working artist! she's a person who moved from long island to the city to be creative...and her work is pretty cool. but she's automatically and knee-jerk-ishly reduced to CUTE OLD LADY, a glyph, the star of the Jay-Z's show by virtue of her not recognizing Jay-Z. my mom talks about how she's become a non-person now that she's older, and that seems to be the same dynamic at play here, too. not to be a humorless semi-old fart about this, of course.
ReplyDeleteI hope her work skyrockets and sells like mad after this!
ReplyDeletejay-z = the american dream
ReplyDeleteEllen Grossman = the East Village dream
ReplyDelete7:10, 8:07 and 9:18 = right on!!:D
ReplyDeleteLooked like a set-up to me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the "adorable" thing bothered me too, but it was a very sweet little moment, and Ellen was very charming. I suppose it is possible to be adorable without being condescended upon.
ReplyDeleteI thought this whole Jay Z rides the subway to the Barclays Center was kind of a embarrassing move, but this clip won me over somewhat. Im a big fan of Jay Z, a Brooklyn boy just like me, and it is fair for him to feel enthusiastic about the new Nets etc. but dont mess w everyones commute for a photo op.
Ellen seems great, and her artwork is very cool.
i agree, she can be both adorable and an artist. but the media attention reduced her to just the former. CUTE OLD SWEETLY CLUELESS LADY. (catching up on last week's NYT magazine, saw charlotte rampling saying "After a certain age, people don't look at you. They look at youth.") i think her chatting with jay-z and her evident humor and engagement (she's heard of jay-z!) is very east village creative type -- we talk to strangers! my new england grandmas would not have chatted with jay-z...or for that matter taken the subway.
ReplyDeleteThe ageism is depressing. I'm ashamed of my age-peers in my building whom I overheard commenting about the "boring old people" who still remained in the building and neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, am thankful that this neighborhood spans the generations. It provides some semblance of continuity, history, community, and a reminder of the bigger picture of life.
Give the benefit of the doubt to those older than yourself. They've been on this rock longer and might know a thing or two. And kindness and civility should be a given in any interaction.
- East Villager