March 20, 2008
Bryan Burrough | Public Enemies
Bryan Burrough: Another Side of Celebrity Worship
Do all movie productions feel like this nowadays? The director Michael Mann began filming a movie based on my book, Public Enemies, in Wisconsin on Monday, and while I’m not sure what I expected, it certainly wasn’t this: hundreds, perhaps thousands, of photographs, news stories and blog entries scattered across so many Interent forums I can’t begin to keep them all straight. First-hand reports from extras. Even video on YouTube of Johnny Depp in his first days portraying the outlaw John Dillinger.

I must be the last person online to have been struck with this realization, but it’s amazing how the Internet has empowered hundreds of ordinary people, turning them into little Diane Sawyers and Anderson Coopers as they snap and blog away. There’s a fellow named Rod Melotte in Columbus, Wisconsin, where they’re filming most of this week, who, I swear, has forsaken his day job to post around the clock. I don’t think poor Johnny Depp can step out of his trailer without being photographed, and every last picture makes its way onto the Net, along with commentary.

Granted, this is a small corner of the Internet. The hubbub centers mostly around three groups: film fans, who argue and interrogate one another on the IMDB movie site; Wisconsinites, for whom Public Enemies has been front page news for weeks; and, especially, the legion of Johnny Depp fans. Two Depp sites, Johnny Depp Zone and a wonderful little site called Johnny Depp Reads, post every last detail of filming. Both sites have book clubs that have adopted the Public Enemies book for discussion and have interviewed me at length. (You haven’t lived til you’ve gotten a phone message from Karen at Johnny Depp Reads.)

Each group has its own feel. The film fans are feisty and argumentative. The Wisconsites are just stunned to see Johnny Depp and Michael Mann on their sidewalks. It’s the Depp fans, many of them ladies, who leave one with the strongest impression. I’m accustomed to Internet forums where rudeness and incivility are the rule, where too many people seem to take pride in their insults. The Depp fans are stunningly polite and generous, to visiting authors and to one another. It’s like stepping into a small-town quilting bee. Everyone thanks everyone profusely for their posts. Everyone coos at Mr. Depp’s latest photos and pronouncements, but none of it comes off as silly or trivial. It’s actually sweet.

This is a side of American celebrity worship I’d never experienced, and it’s heartwarming. I’m happy for everyone who is following the movie’s production, but I reserve a special admiration for these nice people who enjoy nothing so much as congratulating one another for braving a long Wisconsin evening just to shake Johnny Depp’s hand.

http://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/blogs/d...ie-pr.html#more

:claphands :thumbsup Congrats Karen! Take a bow. :D

Thanks for posting this! and Congratulations Karen and thanks for a great Depp site. Anne r :thumbsup woohoo

What an awesome story! Thanks for sharing!!!

And kudos to Karen and JDR! This is why I joined the group!

Side note: Karen, can you post a link to the interview with Burroughs for us newbies? :D

I am proud to be a JD fan :teamdepp ... and a member of JDR!!! :jdr

Congratulations from me also. :balloons This is just great! :thumbsup

woohoo Congrats Karen!!! woohoo What great comments! You must make a great first impression! He sure had some kind words about you and this group. :thumbsup

What a fantastic article, and he is right, Depp fans are the best. :D

WOO HOO!!! woohoo Well done for getting your name in there Karen, I am so proud of you, my friend.

:thanks Maggy for posting, and :thanks Mr Burrough for recognising this wonderful site, and our fabulous Karen.

Anne x

very cool!

Congratulation Karen!! That was a very apt review of JDR and the JD fan community!
Johnny certainly does have the finest fans on the planet!

Woo Hoo Karen!!!! woohoo

Congratulations and a well deserved nod! Very nice comments by Bryan about the fans too!

You and :jdr rock! :snoopy

This brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful article. I can't say how happy Mr. Burrough made me with his words. If you're reading this, thank you very much!!!

And congratulations, Karen!! This is absolutely well deserved. Without you JDR wouldn't be what it is. And I'm just soo incredibly happy to be part of this lovely group of people. You guys are the best!!! *hugs*

Yep, I now believe like I used to, that nice things happen to nice people. I was becoming skeptical in my old age, but Mr. Burrough has given me hope again.

Karen, you have always stuck to your guns when it comes to Johnny and Johnny Depp Reads. An honest fan site that is PG13 and doesn't put up with rudeness and hate. Thank you for that. That's the reason why I have withdrawal when I don't sign in for a day or two. LOL I love the people here. Mr. Burrough is right: we are like "a small-town quilting bee." We genuinely care and are excited for the fans who get up close and personal with Johnny.

Thanks again to Mr. Burrough, Johnny, Karen and all my JDR friends.

BTW: is that Rod from JDR that Mr. Burrough acknowledges in his article? If so, WTG Rod! You're becoming quite famous! LOL

Congrats on this Karen. :snoopy

Nicci :angel

:snoopy Congratulations Karen! How special this is for you and all of JDR!
Joanie

Congratulations Karen! woohoo :snoopy

Wow! Karen, your incredible site has come a long way. Congrats and thanks again for our wonderful community here @ :jdr

This is so AWESOME! Congrats to you, Karen! And Rod! woohoo

That is quite an accomplishment!

Yvonne in LA

Oh my Oh my!! Thank you Maggy for posting this here for everyone to see!! woohoo

I've been taking deep breaths and trying to calm down since I heard about this!! I was literally shaking so badly I couldn't type.

The thanks go to Bryan for being so kind and giving so much of his time to us Depp fans on both JDR and the JDZ forums! I've been saying since Dec of last year that Bryan is a nice, kind and generous guy.

And what a great mention for Rod! WTG Grinder!! He has a fabulous blog too, but you all know that.

I can't help but love this: "and a wonderful little site called Johnny Depp Reads, post every last detail of filming. Both sites have book clubs that have adopted the Public Enemies book for discussion and have interviewed me at length. (You haven’t lived til you’ve gotten a phone message from Karen at Johnny Depp Reads.)"

And I love that he recognised the kindness that we try to have as fans towards each other and Johnny. I've always referred to us as a Johnny community and I feel thrilled and proud that Bryan sees what we try to do here and how Johnny's fans appreciate him and how happy we are for each other when someone has their Johnny experience! Thanks to each and every one of you who make JDR the wonderful, global community that it is. JDR is nothing without each and every one of you!

Thank you Bryan for writing such a wonderful book, for letting us be a part of it by visiting with us about it and sharing your thoughts with us and thanks most especially for including us in your blog today.

We are humbled.

We are grateful.

We are blessed.


In case you missed what Bryan had to say to us, here is our interview with him. Click here.

Karen this is just wonderful. I am so proud of all that you have achieved here on JDR, from the small humble beginnings to this fabulous website that you have created for so many Johnny Depp fans. Your achievement is quite remarkable and is an inspiration to us all.

Thank you to everyone who has given Karen the recognition she rightly deserves. Her hardwork and dedication to Johnny Depp, JDR and the members here is a shining example to everyone.

I am so proud of you. :jdr

woohoo OH MY GOODNESS!!!! woohoo

What kind words from Mr Burrough's. But, very well deserved on your part Karen. It is days like today that make everything all worth while. :)

It is so very nice to read that someone else finally "gets" us and understands!!!!!!!

What a wonderful and complimentary article from Mr Borroughs! He gets us! He seems to be a very gracious man.. how he referred to us here in the Depp fan community!!

Big kudos to you Karen... I loved this comment!! Woo Hoo!!!!
(You haven’t lived til you’ve gotten a phone message from Karen at Johnny Depp Reads.)

~ Mary Kay

Kudos to Karen and Grinder! Well done!! :balloons

Am I the only one who teared up at this? *sniff* We all know how wonderful Karen and JDR are, how lovely that Bryan "gets it"! Congrats Karen, and thank you Bryan! Drinks all around! :teamdepp :jdr

Nah, you weren't the only one who teared up BuccaRoux. Wasn't a pretty sight here let me tell you. B)

Edit: Drinks??? Did you say something about drinks???

woohoo :snoopy

Thanks Maggy for posting this---I just was on Bryan's blog and read it so I zoomed over here and of course---it's HERE! Karen those words are so well deserved---you do so much to keep this site great.

To all the :jdr members---you're why I keep coming here for sure :D It's so nice to share our thoughts/interest about Johnny. It is nice as many of you mentioned, that Bryan "gets" us. :P

So proud of you Karen! woohoo

-Donna

woohoo

Woo-Hoo!! Congratulations Karen. You know how proud and happy I am for you. You deserve it for all your hard work and dedication. I know I really appreciate the kind words from Brian for our JDR "family". I too love the "quilting bee" comment. That's exactly what it feels like to me too. Don't you love it!!! Believe me, it takes alot to get me teary eyed and this did it. Karen, thank you again.

Yo

This is wonderful!

Congratulations first to Karen, not only for the mention, but for giving us a place to come that's free of stress. This IS a true community of kind, decent people and it's lovely to see that appreciated. Kudos to :teamdepp :jdr

Also, congratulations to Rod for the mention and for all the work he's putting into his blog. It's so much fun to read his daily accounts.

And thank you, again, to Mr. Burroughs for metioning JDR and for the time you thoughtfully gave us with your interview. You're welcome here anytime!

And, of course, thank you to Johnny. We're here because of our admiration for your work and your beautiful spirit.

I wanna sing We Are Family now...

OH Goodness gracious!
Karen Karen Karen!!!
AWESOME!
Great going!!!
I'm SO GLAD your efforts paid off!
My heartiest congratulations!!!

Hi Maggy!Thank you, thank you so much for great posting!

Wow! This is a wonderful article. I've read it over several times and it is just awesome. And so true. JD fans are warm and generous and polite, just like Johnny. We all have the same values and are united in admiration for someone basically just like us. We understand each other.

Congrats to Karen and Rod. This whole week has been so much fun and I'm no where near Wisconsin. Thanks for keeping us up-to-the-minute with news and pics. Can't wait to check out JDR every night and see what's happening. And reading this today was a special treat. I have to go read it again! Thanks Bryan.

Debbie

I think we should all be pretty proud of ourselves and each other, of Karen and of Johnny. How generous of Mr. Burrough to say such flattering things. Not sure how I'm feeling about the quilting bee comment, though. Kinda weird.

Fantastic! I wouldn't be surprised if that JDR reference leads to extra visits to JDR and some new participants. Very nice.

Thanks again everyone for so many really nice messages, PMs and emails! I can't tell you how thrilled I am for us all, and how blessed I feel we are here!

Karen, I'm so excited and PROUD of you and JDR! You are becoming quite a celebrity yourself! I can't think of anyone else that deserves the recognition for their honest hard work and dedication other than YOU!! :bow
Yes, the mention is so well deserved and over due! CONGRATULATIONS!! woohoo

I'm PROUD to call myself a "family" member of this number one Depp Community!! :jdr I love you all!! :teamdepp

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Rod (Grinder) as well and thank you for keeping us posted and giving Karen and JDR the over due mention. :thumbsup

This is the best Depp Community on the net and like I've said before, I'M SO PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY!!! :thanks Karen for all that you do....I'm so proud of you!!

And, :thanks Mr. Burrough for all the kind words about Karen and JDR!!!!

~Denise~

Fantastic Karen. Congratulations on your well deserved praise.

Amy Quoted
Without you JDR wouldn't be what it is. And I'm just soo incredibly happy to be part of this lovely group of people. You guys are the best!!! *hugs*

I agree with the above except that Karen IS JDR.

Thanks Karen for being such a devoted and hard working fan to keep us up to date with everything that Johnny gets up to.

We are the number one site.

Deckhand

Congratulations, Karen!!!

;)

:snoopy

Congratulations, Karen!!! woohoo That's fantastic!! :balloons You really have deserve it!! :thumbsup
What a nice article about JDR, Johnny and his fans!! I'm so glad to be a part of this great :jdr family. :snoopy

:thanks Maggy for posting!

Gosh y'all, I am still so over whelmed!

:snoopy :snoopy


That is just lovely!

Thanks Mr. Burrough and thank you Karen.

I had a few minutes and figured I sign on and see whats going on. So much news! Had to add my :thumbsup to a classy site and the best book club. I don't add much, not too much time, but I always love to read your author interviews and what you guys are saying about the books. This place gets the best. :writing Thanx Mr Burrough!