Jun 16, 2009 03:09 PM
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Tue Feb 9
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GQ assigned photographer Jill Greenberg to shoot Glenn Beck for an interview, in a cheeky homage to Greenberg's notorious series of crying children. Funny! Hey, didn't Beck accuse Greenberg of "terrorizing" children for those photos? Of course he did.
Beck's penchant for hysterical tears makes the pairing obvious—why not ask a photographer famous for taking pictures of crybabies to shoot a blubbering TV personality? But Greenberg is an officially designated public enemy of the right wing: Last year, when she was hired by the Atlantic to shoot John McCain, she boasted of taking extra shots of McCain deliberately lit to make him look old and leaving "his eyes red and his skin looking bad." Also, she posted photoshopped outtakes on her web site featuring a monkey shitting on McCain's head. Republicans didn't like that. Beck got angry and called her a "nut job" on his show and said the Atlantic should sue her:
"The Atlantic" is sending a letter of apology to McCain. They will not be paying her, and they're considering a lawsuit. Good, they should. Greenberg said that, since some of her artwork was anti-Bush, quote, "Maybe it was somewhat irresponsible for them to hire me." Wait a minute. Let me see if I have this right. She does a horrible job and then she blames her employer? That's right, I forgot. She's a liberal.
By the way, this isn't the first time this photographer has been in the middle of controversy. In 2004, to describe her political helplessness, she took a series of supposedly artsy photos of toddlers crying. How did she get this shot? Well, she gave the kids candy, and then she snatched it away from them. They'd cry uncontrollably, and she'd just click away. Isn't it just fantastic art? Nothing more beautiful than a child being terrorized.
Whatever, evil liberal lady. As long as you take one of my chins off, just do what you do. We asked Greenberg if Beck had any idea who she was when she took his picture—and if she has any outtakes with animals shitting on his head—but haven't heard back. How exactly did she get those realistic tears when her subject is an adult? Did she start talking about the Fed or something? To judge by Beck's sympathy for the children Greenberg "terrorized" in her crying toddler series, her strategy probably didn't change much: "And, as a guy that would kill you if you take away my candy, I feel their pain."
The interview itself has Beck saying crazy things like how Jon Stewart is his biggest influence and he's taking up painting, because he contains multitudes.
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