The Interview with Justin Bieber’s Mom.

Justin Bieber’s mom, Pattie Mallette, has a very famous and talented son, a reputation for being religious, and she probably has a house in the South of France. She also has something you don’t know about. A sense of humor.

Just before Christmas, I almost passed up the chance to interview her in anticipation of the release of Justin’s new movie, “Believe.”   Let’s be frank, my sense of humor can be a little twisted. I didn’t think it would be a good fit.

But I am also sincere.  Sometimes.

So I decided to do it — but my way.

The night before the interview, I snuggled in with Asher, my kindergartner and showed him a little of the movie.  Here is how that went down.

Asher is not a Belieber.  He has no idea who Justin Bieber is.  The kid’s way more interested in Legos than saggy-pantsed rock stars.

But as it turns out, it wasn’t very hard for him to come up with questions for the interview. Funny questions from a kindergartner for Justin Bieber

Once Pattie was on the phone, I told her she’d be interviewed by a kindergartner.

Dead silence.

4, 3, 2, 1…

Then I heard her laughing.  And it was on like Donkey Kong.

Justin Bieber Believe movie poster, interview with kid about the movie Believe

Asher: Why are all those girls crying while he dances?

Pattie: (I’m trying to figure out how to answer this as if I’m talking to a kindergartner.  This is so cute.)  Because they’re so excited to see him. They can’t hold back their emotion, that’s what I think.

Asher: I’m scared to be up there (on stage). Was he scared to go up there?

Pattie:  No, Justin doesn’t get scared to do what scares us because he was made to do what he’s doing. He feels most comfortable there and that’s where he gets his energy.

Asher: Why did he marry that little girl (Avalanna Routh)?

Pattie:  Justin married her because he knew that would bring her great joy and he wanted to be a big part of the rest of her life.

Asher: Was he a good boy? Did he get in trouble for not listening to his mommy?

Pattie:  He was not always a good boy. Sometimes he got in trouble. We make mistakes and learn from them. That’s why we have moms and dads to guide us.

Asher: I see his underpants. And all those girls see his underpants too. WHY?

Pattie: (Gasping, giggling) That’s a good question. I ask him the same thing and always tell him to pull up his pants but he thinks that’s the style.

Asher: What does humble mean?

Pattie: We have our own definition of humble which is coming into agreement with who God says you are, but it’s also knowing where you came from, who you are and not thinking less or better of yourself.

Asher: Was he naughty or nice this year?

Pattie: (thoughtfully)  Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I think he gave back a lot and did a lot for other people even though he made some mistakes.

Asher: That mustache is funny. Is that a disguise?

Pattie: (shrieking with laughter then asking, “He wants to know if the mustache is a disguise??!)  That mustache is Justin’s attempt to feel like he’s older than he is and I agree, it’s pretty funny.Justin Bieber's mom, Pattie Mallette, talks about Justin's mustache and lots more

Asher:  Why did he get a spanking? Is that his daddy?

Pattie:  (What?  Oh,  you mean the Zach Galifianakis thing?)  No that was a comedian interviewer being silly. He was just pretending.

Asher:  How old is he? I think he’s about 100. Does he go to school?

Pattie:  (To me:  100!  Hahahaha!)  Justin is 19. He’ll be 20 on March 1. He’s all finished with high school. And I hope he lives to be 100.

Asher:  Why is he going to be in a train-wreck?

Pattie:  When they ask him that (in the movie), they mean is he going to get in a lot of trouble and is he going to fall apart and do things he’s not supposed to do because he has so much freedom. A lot of young people in his position, they become a train-wreck — they make a lot of bad decisions. People want to see Justin make good decisions instead of bad ones.

Asher:  Are you proud of him every day, every week, every year?

Pattie:  (without hesitation)  Yes, I’m always proud of him. Mommy’s are always proud of their children — or they should be.

I only had 10 minutes for the interview so it was over quickly, and as we were wrapping up, Pattie asked me to please send her PR rep the questions Asher had posed for her.  I did and the next day, Pattie called me back herself to say Justin wanted to fly Asher and I out to LA to interview him in person and to be expecting “his people” to call.

Uh, holy shit. What?

More about that next time.

 

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I Beliebe. But That’s Just Me.

Just this week alone, I became a HuffPo contributor, an In The Powder Room writer AND a Belieber. I’m not sure which one is more shocking but I do know which one is most likely to get me arrested.

But I’m not in the Big House, even though I wrote my name on Justin Bieber’s underpants, so there is such a thing as magic and as for me, I beliebe.

But my little Jewish friend — not so much. This 1st-grader who shall rename anonymous proudly brought home this gem to his parents from school a week or so ago. I saw it on my friend’s Facebook page and after I picked my shiksa ass up off the floor, I asked if I could share it with you. Cuz no matter what religion we practice (or don’t), we all need a good laugh.
A Jewish kid writes all over a Santa drawing that Santa is fake and being Jewish is cool

So more about this week.

First there was the hullabaloo a commenter caused after she ripped me a new one saying my husband and I are horrible parents because we celebrate diversity. Funny-story-but-a-sad I really enjoyed your reactions to her and it reaffirmed my faith that perhaps for every ignorant person out there, there is an equal and opposite practicing non-idiot.

Then that same piece got picked up by the Huffington Post.  I’m not even about to #humblebrag.  I’m just gonna flat-out brag.  I’ve been published in HuffPo.  The Huffington Post.  In all seriousness, such a major dream come true.

My friend the Grinch, i.e. Mike, gave you 10 Things to Hate About the Holidays.  But you didn’t really need anymore reasons at this point, did you?  I’ll give you one anyway.  Cookie exchanges.  WTF?

I also agreed to interview Justin Bieber’s mom, Pattie Mallette.  Then I almost backed out.  Then I did it anyway but in kind of a weird way.  And I was pleased to discover that among the many things this lady has that we know about, she also has something a lot of people don’t know about — a sense of humor.

The interview was ostensibly about the Biebs’ new movie, #Believe, opening Christmas Day.  But it became a little more about his underpants and silly mustache.  You can read about it here.  More to come on that story.

And all around the internets, I was reading and seeing amazing stuff like this from Nicole Leigh Shaw, and this from Kathy at Kissing the Frog and this from The Bearded Iris via Elf Shaming.  Go ahead — laugh, cry, laugh, cry.  Then laugh and cry some more.  It’s what all the kids with seasonal affective disorder  are doing this holiday season.

I snapped this picture today of what the bottom 2 feet of my Christmas tree looks like now that it’s been toddlerized.  But it looks just beautiful from there up.  Falalalalalalalalala.1507676_495428283906461_1005827941_n

I hope you have a very merry holiday of your own choosing and you get to see those sugar plums dancing in your kids’ heads — even if it takes a fifth of vodka to do it.  For you, not for them, dummy.  They shouldn’t have more than one drink, two at the most!  KIDDING!!

Raise a glass.  There are only 4 more shopping days until we can finally get off the holiday insanity express. Cheers to one and all.

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Justin Bieber’s in Disguise. #Believe it.

My 6-year-old son, Asher, knows a lot about legos (awesome!), superheroes (not real people), dinosaurs (death by volcano) and how Santa Claus manages to deliver toys to every single child on earth in just one night (magic plus Rudolph).  But he doesn’t know jack about Justin Bieber.

So a few days ago, when I was offered the chance to interview Bieber’s mom, Pattie Mallette, I went looking for the one person who knew even less about him than I do.

Justin Bieber, Believe movie, kid interviews Justin Bieber's mom; beliebersThe conversation went something like this:

“Come over here and watch this boy who sings and dances with me.”

“Do I have to go to bed if I say no?”

“Yes.”

Asher, shoulders slumping.  ”Okay, I’ll watch the boy dance.”

Since they’d sent me a screener of his new movie, “Believe” (opening Christmas Day), we sat down with my computer for Ash’s first ever glimpse of the Biebster.

Justin Bieber Believe Poster“Why are those girls crying while he dances?” said a puzzled Asher.

“I dunno,” I said.  ”I guess they’re in love with him.”

“Ewwwww,” he yelled.  ”That’s gross!”  A pause.  ”I’m never getting married but I might marry you when I grow up.”

Awwww.  But ewwww.

“And daddy’s gonna be MAD!!!”  Laughing oedipally.

A cacophony of screaming girls drew him back to the screen.

“I’d be scared to get up there (on stage).  Is he scared?”

“I dunno.  Doesn’t look scared to me.”

“Can I go play with my legos now?”  He stands up, waiting.

“Let’s watch a liiiittle more.”

On screen, Justin performed in an outfit that mostly consisted of 10 to 12 inches of white underwear.  Asher catapulted himself up from the sofa.  ”Ewww, I see his underpants!!!!” he yelled, eyes wide open — finger pointing to the cottony expanse.  ”And all those girls see his underpants!!  WHY??!!!”

Justin Bieber in concert, Believe movie“Maybe he needs smaller pants.”

“Yeah.  Like mine.” Asher nodded.

Suddenly there was a man with a belt lashing at Justin Bieber.

“Whoa, why is he getting a spanking?  Is that his daddy?”

“That is definitely not his daddy.  That’s Zach Galfkfielfkfkjf…uh, a comedian.”

“What’s a comdemium?”

“Uh, it’s his job to be silly.  He didn’t really spank him.  I don’t think.”

Funny questions from a kindergartner for Justin Bieber in his new movie BelieveAnd then Asher giggled, covering his mouth and stabbing his finger repeatedly towards Justin’s face.

“What?” I said.  ”What’s so funny?”

“That mustache is funny.  Hee hee, hee hee.  Is that a disguise?  Hee hee.”

“If it is, it’s not a very good one.”

Asher leaned back on the couch and sighed.  ”Can I go to bed now?”

“Sure, dude.  Thanks for your help.”

He headed for the stairs, his mind already somewhere else.  Then he looked back.

“I wanna be a Superhero when I grow up.”

Believe movie, Beliebers, Justin Bieber, Justin Bieber's mom“Yeah?  That seems like a solid occupation.  Can you be one of those with a lot of money?”

“Superheros are not real, mommy.”

“Yeah, okay, maybe not.  But you’re my superhero.”

“Thanks, mommy.  Can I have a disguise for Christmas?”

“Okay, buddy.  I’ll see if we can borrow Justin Bieber’s mustache.”

And up the stairs he went.

This is the first in a series of articles about my experience with Pattie Mallette and Justin Bieber.  And my kindergartner.  Please check back for more on the actual interview with Pattie and what transpired after.  Hint: she called me back the next day.

Most of the questions my kid came up with were spawned by watching Justin Bieber’s new movie, “Believe.” The premiere was last night in LA and the movie opens Christmas Day.  Beliebers who’ve found their way to my site, please calm down.  I’m afraid all that jumping about and screaming is gonna give you an aneurysm.  Just toss all that crap Santa gave you aside and get to a movie theater.  Because at least for you, that’s where the real gift is.

 

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