Home Featured Content

6 Reasons To Feel Ambivalent About James Franco

This past month has provided a perfect sample of the man, the myth, the enigma, the bizarre riddle that is James Franco. We’ve been given Oz the Great and Powerful, which for many demonstrated the limits of Franco’s charm. The character of Oscar, aka Oz, is meant to be some sort of redeemable sleazebag, but Franco makes him pretty much all sleazebag, and this makes the witches’ shared infatuation with him more than slightly implausible. I can handle a fantasy land with munchkins and magic but the notion that Franco as Oz is remotely likeable was too much.

[h2]4) Sometimes he does annoying and pretentious things with his life[/h2]

Recommended Videos

Ok, maybe it’s not that annoying but the whole Renaissance Man thing seems a bit much at times, no? I mean good on him for trying all this stuff, and I know it doesn’t hurt anybody. I just can’t imagine he’s good at all these things. If he is, well then I’m just a jealous prick.

So to recap: he writes and directs short films. He makes documentaries. He’s making feature films now himself too. He writes and has published collections of short stories. He makes multimedia art exhibitions. And he’s a lecturer and professor at more than one college. Oh, and he has a band apparently. This reminds me of several people I know, who do everything and are crazy productive and people treat them like they’re brilliant. I’ve heard James Franco speak on heady topics. I’ve read essays he’s written on pop culture, though I haven’t read his scholarly work. He just doesn’t seem like professor material to me, I guess. But I’d be happy to be provided evidence to the contrary. In the meantime, I’ll reserve judgment.

It’s just…I mean can’t he just be satisfied with being one of the sexiest men alive??

Continue reading on the next page…