Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee. Her name will be pretty well-known soon, seeing as she’s the “other woman” in Sandra Bullock’s love triangle. While Bullock’s husband Jesse James apologized and blames himself for all the bad things headed his way, things may get even uglier than the typical celebrity affair. Photos of McGee in Nazi garb have surfaced, with additional information suggesting that the model and graduate student may sympathize with white supremacists.
That would make McGee decidedly different from most other mistresses that manage to get 15 minutes of fame, and not in a good way. In an era where most mistresses can land a Playboy cover, a reality television show, and an advice column with The New York Post, McGee’s extreme appearance and supposed political views may bring her the worst kind of attention possible. The sad part is, it will still bring McGee plenty of attention.
That attention will affect Jesse James and the Oscar-winning Bullock, who has made a career of her All-American image. The girl that reached stardom with roles such as Miss Congeniality has maintained her clean-cut appearance throughout her career. Having her own husband veer so far in the opposite direction makes the publicity around the affair even more stressful and melodramatic.
While James has already released an apology, we haven’t heard much from Bullock herself. It appears that her marital woes have affected her to some extent, as she has canceled at least one appearance for promoting “The Blind Side,” the movie that won her an Oscar. I’m sure, given the circumstances, Bullock would rather address her needs, attend to her family situation and then deal with the press. If anything, a situation like this forces you to focus on yourself and your relationships.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how McGee’s own public persona plays out. Being an “other woman” is becoming a bit of a stepping stone for the entertainment career, especially as new and digital means of accessing the news keeps us closer to developing stories than ever before. This essentially offers more ways in which someone like McGee can climb up the publicity ladder, appealing to niche audiences in the same way any brand marketer would do for increasing their own visibility.
We as consumers don’t help much–something as simple as a Facebook profile can give us access to an “other woman,” making her popular in her own right. This makes consumers feel closer to their rising celebrity status, increasing their potential and encouraging them to keep it up. More and more brands are finding the monetization options in this level of niche stardom, which has its own downfalls for the future of media.
When it’s all said and done, the story itself isn’t new to humanity. The way in which someone like McGee can get famous isn’t really a new story either–it’s just becoming more transparent thanks to the social web. This is a lesson we can all learn from, as our own privacy and need to face our past discretion could be compromised with a long-forgotten tweet or ill-fated Facebook photo. Instead of shying away from these things and reverting to a more private persona, some will leverage our new-found transparency to their own advantage.
About Kristen Nicole
