14 DAY TRIAL // The current issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine features the gorgeous Angelina Jolie on the cover. The pages of the magazine also contain a lengthy and extremely flattering piece written by feminist writer and political consultant Naomi Wolf in which she tries to explain why the world is constantly so fascinated with the Hollywood actress. The entire issue is offered on the Angelina altar, they say – and she didn’t even want to be a part of the whole thing, reports claim.
Admittedly, Angelina is accustomed to having the entire media at her feet, and with being constantly assaulted with interview and photo spread offers. However, Harper’s Bazaar has a longstanding reputation and even a good relationship with her; add to that the fact that the entire issue was dedicated to her, it’s hardly understandable why Jolie would refuse even to take part in a simple, short photo shoot. Yet, she did, insiders reveal.
“Angelina [Jolie] refused to participate, so they went ahead and did a write-around and bought an image from a photo agency.” an unnamed source says, adding that Angelina literally forced the popular mag to resort to a paparazzi shot for its cover for the first time in its existence. A rep for Harper’s Bazaar seems to confirm the ongoing rumors, saying, “The interest in Angelina has reached fever pitch. In a recent online poll, our readers voted overwhelmingly for Angelina as the woman they admire and most want to be, so we responded as quickly as possible.”
For those who are not in the know, the current issue of the magazine elevates Angelina to the status of undying symbol of female empowerment, a charming and fascinating mix of right and wrong that can get away with almost the unthinkable. Editor Wolf says the actress is the perfect example of living and breathing ideal woman, the kind that gets the same praise for her merits as she does for her flaws, which is something few other female stars can honestly boast about.
“She makes the claim, with her life and actions, that, indeed, you can get away with it. All of it. Against every Western convention, she has managed to draw together all of these kinds of female liberation and empowerment. And her gestures determinedly transgress social boundaries – boundaries of convention, race, class, and gender – giving many of us a vicarious thrill. […] So she becomes what psychoanalysts call an ‘ego ideal’ for women – a kind of dream figure that allows women to access, through fantasies of their own, possibilities for their own heightened empowerment and liberation.” Wolf says in the Harper’s Bazaar piece arguing why Jolie is the woman all other women aspire to be – and even bed, if that’s not a stretch of the imagination.