It was a full circle moment to meet the original influencer, Paris Hilton! I can’t believe I’ve been thinking about Paris Hilton for 20 years and we finally met. That means she has influenced 2/3 of my life.
Browsing Tag
HarperCollins
After hearing the mental health advocate speak at Western, I was keen to see Margaret Trudeau again at Indigo. Every seat was taken on the first floor at Indigo Manulife and even though she came to promote a self-help book for women, there were quite a few men present.
In her first bestselling book, Changing My Mind, she documented her bouts of depression, but showed no signs of unhappiness last night. Margaret was very giddy on stage, smiling as she spoke about every subject.
When Margaret Trudeau visited Western today, she was introduced through a video narrated by George Stroumboulopoulos, an equally well-liked Canadian cultural icon. Margaret, a mental health advocate, was invited to Western for the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Distinguished Lecture series to talk about her experiences with bipolar disorder, which she discusses in her book Changing My Mind (2010).
Margaret began by saying that she acted like a “drama queen” as a child, who was “quick to cry, quick to laugh.” She first experienced minor bouts of depression when she moved out of her parents’ home during university, noting that she missed the balance once she began living on her own in a basement apartment.
Albeit briefly, Margaret mentioned that the pressure of being a public figure didn’t help her feel better because as the Prime Minister’s wife, she was always expected to be graceful and look good. “There’s nothing more humiliating than being locked up in a psych ward, especially when people who don’t even know you look up to you,” she said. Her position as Canada’s First Lady also contributed to her mood swings, as sometimes her social calendar was filled with fancy events, whereas other times she felt more isolated in Ottawa.
Elizabeth Bromstein, who earns a living commenting on celebrities, work and love, yet refrains from gossiping over dinner at the Spoke Club. Elizabeth’s published work reflects her wit and intelligence that earned her a spot on this list, but my favourite memories with @missbromstein involved meeting in person to discuss Twitter, food and life.
Hilary Duff, Hollywood’s eternal good girl whose [extended] team coined the term ‘momager’ and eventually married a Canadian hockey player.
Kelly Cutrone, a PR pro known for succinctly spreading the message Normal Gets You Nowhere. Both her books gave me a lot to think about – enough material for a term paper about The Culture of Celebrity. I’ll never forget when she pegged me as a journalist, or her knack for bringing people together.
Kelly Cutrone (May 2011)
Lauren O’Neil, a professional internetter and online creep with FIMS training at Western as well. She’s made the rounds helping brands improve their social media, running around Toronto to share insights, and then wound up at CBC, true to her roots in journalism. On a side note, it’d incredible to get us, Julie Geller, Matthew Stradiotto and Jerry Seinfeld in the same room and determine Ms. O’Nizzle’s ultimate job title. Patrick Thoburn can moderate.
Shania Twain, whose motivational life story and lyrics taught me the word ‘prerogative’ once upon a time when I played ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ over and over again on my desktop karaoke software. Many thanks to the Toronto Star for organizing a contest to meet her in 2005, which marked the beginning of my winning streak, and to my pals at Indigo for reuniting us in 2011. I still don’t have a photo with her, but 3rd time’s the charm.
Tomorrow I’ll be of legal drinking age in the U.S. & Canada, so message me when you’re free for a champagne-inspired tweet up.
Cheers!
Name: Kim Izzo
Best Known For: The Jane Austen Marriage Manual (2012), The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum (2001)
Education: Screenwriting, York University
Employment: Deputy Editor/Beauty Director for Zoomer Magazine
Favourite mobile app: My Fitness Pal
Favourite magazines: Vanity Fair and Tatler
Professional role model: Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-chief of Zoomer Magazine
Describe Jane Austen’s influence on your life in 140 characters or less:
Jane Austen made me understand at an early age the importance of manners, subtlety and being witty.
How do you choose your outfits for public appearances?
I try to pick colour because it’s better for television. I like dresses because it adds a touch of glamour and that’s never a bad thing.