I grew up watching Madonna’s music video for American Pie and I know all the words. When I found an invitation to interview the original singer-songwriter Don McLean, I made it happen! Always check your junk mail! Don McLean and I agree that social media is basically an archive. I’ve shared the audio from our conversation above and you can find the transcript below.
My annual Instagram break in the winter has lasted longer than usual and I can’t really complain! I’ve posted less often in the winter because it’s hard to take pictures outside in Toronto in the cold. In the past, I lost some followers between December and February as a result. It was noticeable, but not a big deal and then I gained more in warmer months.
Name: Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue)
Best Known For: Nobody Cares (2018)
Favourite Twitter account: An impossible question! I’m obsessed with all 2000+ accounts I follow.
It’s no secret how much you love Leonardo DiCaprio and many other stars from pop culture. Do you identify as a fangirl? I think “fangirl” is such an unnecessary pejorative. What does gender have to do with loving something, you know? And why do we dismiss loving something as a feeling or act reserved for youth? Fans fuel industry. They’re important. But while I’ll always be a fan of Leo, my love and affinity has cooled a bit. I mean, I think it had to! You can’t keep Titanic momentum up for over 20 years. At some point, you have to remember that he was in Woody Allen’s Celebrity.
You’ve watched Titanic over and over again, so what was it like to see Kate Winslet in person? Oh man, I’m surprised you remember that! Probably unsurprisingly, it was very . . . normal? Ordinary? TIFF is strange because you see people you’ve watched in film and TV for years, and they all-of-a-sudden are right there and look like anyone you’d see in a restaurant. But it was obviously cool to see Kate Winslet, albeit very briefly!
Attending Social Media Week was a great experience. I got to hear people like Kirstine Stewart and Claudia Oshry AKA @girlwithnojob on Instagram. The session with Michael Landsberg stood out the most, as it made me think about not just social media, but what it means to be an influencer today. When I say influencer in this context, I mean it in the sense of being a powerful public figure that connects well with fans on a personal level. In today’s culture where everyone’s busy, 1:1 relationships with people you admire and respect can be rare, so that’s what I’d like to explore.
In 2009, Michael Landsberg interviewed an athlete named Stéphane Richerand and convinced him to acknowledge his experience with depression on-air. Once they both publicly confirmed they were dealing with mental health issues, emails started pouring into Michael’s inbox. People started confiding in Michael via email because they connected with him in the interview.
