Reese Witherspoon and her husband were arrested last Friday. He was driving while loaded. She was disorderly.
She hassled the cop who pulled them over, because their car was weaving on the highway. And she was all attitude. He told her to get in the car. She told him she could do whatever she wanted, because she was an American. When he told her to knock it off, she responded with a "Do you know who I am?" and "you're going to be on national news."
Yeah, she was drunk, and we're all assholic when we're drunk. She apologized appropriately. But the incident does make you wonder how many other situations she's used the celebrity card.
And now a vote for the best Witherspoon movie… First place goes to Election. Second goes to Walk the Line.
Apt. 11d 
Yeah, she was drunk, and we’re all assholic when we’re drunk.
I think I’m less of an asshole when I’m drunk. Maybe just a high baseline effect.
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The gossip about Reese is vicious. No one likes her, it seems.
EntyLawyer wondered how Variety got the story before TMZ. My guess: someone at CAA sold out Toth and Witherspoon in hopes of positive coverage from Variety in the future.
Reese is doing a good job with post-assholery publicity, though. I guess all her money pays for a really good publicist.
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I’ll make the slight excuse for RW that the report of the incident seemed to suggest that she had a little concern that she was actually being stopped by a legitimate government agent (as opposed, say, to someone who was trying to take pictures).
It is interesting that actors don’t use drivers regularly. It must be the culture in LA (which is definitely about cars). I once peeked in on a discussion (this was a Texan, so not exactly the same) who was planning on visiting NY, and couldn’t get their head around the idea that they had to leave their car behind. The Texan clearly had a life planned around having the car as a miniature house that they would always have with them. So, for example, in Texas, driving somewhere meant you still had your car to retreat to as a private space.
Now, RW and actors in that category could have such a car and just have a driver for it, so you get the impression that they actually want to drive.
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Celebrities usually get to use the celebrity card without asking about it. Imagining that every celebrity doesn’t use it regularly is buying into false publicity. We have plenty of down-to-earth billionaires around here(and, honestly, they are down-to-earth as they can be). But the world still shifts around them.
They also don’t get the privilege of practical obscurity (more so if you’re an actual celebrity, like RW).
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They couldn’t have called a cab? It’s worrisome that she chose to be driven by a drunken driver. The police officer may have saved their lives.
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they were in Atlanta, I bet the celebrity card doesn’t work as well there as it does in LA, plus her hair is dark brown right now. But seriously, if you go out and get loaded with your husband, fine. Just take a taxi/limo. I’m sure where ever they were could have arranged a car service and a valet to drive their car home.
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“I’m sure where ever they were could have arranged a car service and a valet to drive their car home.”
I think we have to build on this cultural expectation. I’m seeing it in my own neck of the woods, where it is becoming increasingly common for folks to arrange a ride (limo) when planning to party (among the middle-aged folks who also have to arrange baby-sitters anyway). It actually adds to the party, ’cause you can stay with your group, travel to more than one place, and don’t have to designate a driver who remembers what everyone else did :-).
And, folks are doing this now even for events where drinking isn’t expected to be heavy (i.e. benefit dinners, where folks aren’t drinking and dancing, but just expecting a few glasses of wine with dinner). They’re expecting the reality of 0.08 blood alcohol level limits like they accepted car seats and seat belts.
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Legally Blonde. Of course Walk the Line and Election are better movies in terms of substance, but Legally Blonde is awesome.
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One word: subdivision. The best thing about my subdivision here in these parts is that you can celebrate with the neighbors and then walk home. It’s made us all a lot closer.
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30 years ago, I drove drunk a time or two. I knew all sorts of people who also said “I’ll be fine.” It’s not the legal implications or the fear of hurting someone that stopped me, but the way the culture has shifted in regards to driving drunk.
I think social stigma has taken away any thought I ever had of driving drunk (or even tipsy) or riding with anyone in such a state. I could not stand to have my name in the paper and everywhere else associated with a DUI. How can someone like a celebrity not feel that pressure even more than I do?
I think it’s a great thing that designated drivers are part of life, even for my kids. My college girls will stay the night at a party, or call their father or I. They wouldn’t dream of getting in a car drunk. For years I have called them even after two drinks at happy hour. I think I set a good example and society reinforces it constantly.
Also, I’m a really nice, fun drunk. I’m only an asshole when sober.
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So many good RW movies! I love Sweet Home Alabama.
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I guess their babymoon is officially over. I’m surprised someone from RW’s upper middle class background allowed this to happen. A mug shot? See me in hell. It is also shocking that she failed to act like a proper Southerner while getting into trouble in Atlanta of all places. One may be able to speak rudely to an LA cop, but that kind of rudeness usually doesn’t fly in the South, and she certainly knows it. No, sir. Blame it on the alcohol – also something her Southern and UMC heritage should have taught her how to handle.
Too bad, I thought RW was one of the good ones, but clearly she’s in Kardashian/Lohan territory now.
The Man in the Moon is my fave RW movie, with The Election as a close second.
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I could not stand to have my name in the paper and everywhere else associated with a DUI.
I’d say something like 1/4 of the adults I know have one. None of two. That’s where the stigma sets in.
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I know people who have one as well. I also know all the whispering, problems at work, car insurance issues, etc. It’s a preventable disaster. There are plenty of disasters in life we have no control over, I want to avoid the other ones.
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