I posted the "Fuck me, Ray Bradbury" video the other day and it seems everybody is curious about the chick singer so I called her on the phone and asked her a few questions about the song.
Alright-alright I found it on another blog but here it is anyway. I'm probably not supposed to post it in full so I've cut some boring parts out. The interview was originally posted on Seattle PI Reader Blogs and you can read the interview in full here (and it contains links which I haven't bothered to copy). Thanks to Seattle PI Reader Blogs for letting me post it here (which I'm sure they would have if I'd asked them).
PS: And interesting to learn that the chick is actually a Ray Bradbury fan and has been so for many years, it's not just for the video.
The Girl Who (NSFW) Loves Ray Bradbury
by stephenjgertz (August 20, 2010)
Last Sunday, August 15, 2010, novelist Ray Bradbury received a very special advance birthday gift in celebration of his 90th birthday on August 22, 2010, that the whole world was invited to share.
Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury, a video valentine/birthday card by Rachel Bloom has since been viewed 441,407 times on YouTube.
Once upon a time the novel stood at the pinnacle of culture and novelists were idolized. That time has, alas, passed, so it's good to see a little old fashioned hero-worship by a very sincere fan who has brought novelist-worship into the 21st century with a video camera, wit, and a wink.
It's a tender testimonial, in the tradition of Judy Garland's love letter in song, You Made Me Love You, to Clark Gable on the occasion of his birthday in 1937 - with sex and grrrl power!
Booktryst reached Ms. Bloom, an aspiring stand-up comic, for comment.
Booktryst: Tell us a little about yourself.
RB: I'm twenty-three, and a student at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.
How long have you been a Ray Bradbury fan?
I've been a Ray Bradbury since I was about 14.
What's your favorite book by Ray?
The Martian Chronicles, which is also not only my favorite book of his but my favorite book of all.
Do you collect books by Ray?
I do collect his books, especially now, since I had to buy all the books for the music video!
Any other favorite authors?
Other favorite authors I have intensity for...probably no one as dear to my heart, but I'm a huge fan of Philip Roth, Kurt Vonnegut, J.K. Rowling (huuge Harry Potter fanatic) and all comedy books by George Carlin (which were based on his standup). Also, I'm a big fan of Bryan K. Vaughan.
What's your boyfriend's reaction to the video?
My boyfriend, bless his heart, is so proud of me. His name is Dan Gregor, and he's a writer for "How I Met Your Mother," as well as a member of the sketch comedy group ChubbySkinnyKids . The Britney Spears parody-angle to the video was an idea that partially came from him, and he encouraged me to dress accordingly. After all, I'm not showing my boobs/saying dirty things for sluttiness' sake- I'm doing it because it fits in with the comedic intention of the piece. At the end of the day, this song and every other comedy song I will continue to write is a musical comedy sketch.
Was this a project for school?
This was a private venture. I came across this song on an old word document on my comp, and I was like "Oh. I should record this and make a music video." I produced this whole thing pretty much on my own. I think being an only child really helped me with stuff like this.
My budget was the budget that a recent college grad could barely afford.
What is it about Ray that you find so attractive?
First of all, the number one thing I am earnestly attracted to is intelligence. Writers are thus the pinnacle of intelligence. While actors are great and awesome, writers literally create new worlds from scratch. What is sexier than that? Personally, I don't know why every person out there isn't dating a writer.
If you had a chance to meet Ray, what would you say to him?
If I were to meet Ray Bradbury, I would say very earnestly that I am overwhelmed with how well he combines such mind blowingly cool ideas with the realism of how humans deal with these ideas. That's what struck me especially about Martian Chronicles or The Illustrated Man...I found myself as emotionally engaged as I was mentally. If I really met him, I would be nothing but respectful and probably like the 12 year old boy I secretly am inside.
What do you hope Ray's reaction will be?
I just heard through the grapevine that Ray Bradbury saw the video and loved it.
Does this relationship have a future?
We'll see what happens!
I think it safe to presume that rarely, if ever, has a ninety-year old man been the object of a 23-year old coed's literary libido. This may add another ten years to Ray's lifespan. Or shorten it. What a way to go.
10:31AM Update: Rare bookseller James Pepper, a friend of Ray's, reports this morning that "Ray has not seen it yet, but tomorrow the Mayor and the city council are declaring Ray Bradbury week at city hall. Ray is going to be shown the video after that event at his house by my friend John Tarpinian who is accompanying Ray downtown. So hopefully we will know his reaction late tomorrow."
12:48PM Update: It has been reported to me that Ray Bradbury has watched the video twice and liked it.
Houston, we have a throblem!...and someone on the Internet posted this photo of Ray finally watching the "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" video.
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