Kerry tells Hainey that he had a telephone relationship with Marlon Brando in 1985 and 1986, during the contras: "He took a huge interest in it. And he would call me. He was always asking questions. And he'd give me advice. I took his advice on a couple of angles. A couple of points."
Who's going to advise him on Iraq, Alec Baldwin?
John Kerry Has a Beer With GQ, Reveals His Admiration for Charlize Theron, the Connection Between Marlon Brando and the Contras, and Why His Years As a Bachelor Were Not So Great
Monday August 16, 12:52 pm ET
NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In the September 2004 issue of GQ, Senator John Kerry sits down with the magazine's deputy editor Michael Hainey, who bellies up to the bar with the contender and dares him to show some personality. Kerry reveals his favorite sports heroes and actresses, his greatest athletic moment, and gives advice on what to look for in a woman. In the interview, "A Beer with John Kerry," Kerry says he loves GQ and always has it around the house. Highlights of the interview include:
On the sexiest film actress of all time: "I think Charlize Theron is pretty extraordinary ... Catherine Zeta-Jones ... and Marilyn Monroe. I thought she was funny. Complicated. And obviously very attractive, very beautiful."
Kerry tells Hainey that he had a telephone relationship with Marlon Brando in 1985 and 1986, during the contras: "He took a huge interest in it. And he would call me. He was always asking questions. And he'd give me advice. I took his advice on a couple of angles. A couple of points."
On what it was like when he was the "Bachelor Senator": "Those were not good days ... I think if you ask anyone, Bob Kerrey, or anyone who's been single on Capitol Hill, you'll find it's no fun ... That's not a good world, and everyone wants a piece of you, and all I can say is thank God I found Teresa."
Kerry gives Hainey advice on what to look for in a woman, reflecting on what he looked for in his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry: "Look for what gets your heart. Someone who excites you, turns you on. It's a quality of character. It's a kind of presentation. Sense of womanhood. Full woman. Confident. It's a woman who loves being a woman. Who wears her womanhood. Who knows how to flirt and have fun. Smart. Confident. Has a sense of self. Strong. And obviously sexy and saucy and challenging."
Kerry says that Teresa has changed him for the better, and opened him up: "[A]fter my first marriage, I was like a lot of people who had a relationship that doesn't work -- you want to make sure that the next one does. And you're a little gun-shy and apprehensive and nervous. And Teresa gave me a sense of confidence about relationships that filled that ... I'm confident about a lot of things, but I'm not somebody who's blind to human frailty and to the need for humility. We all have our flaws. And Teresa, you know, gave me just a great sort of strong, clear commitment to who I am. So you know, she loved me. And I think that kind of love is very compelling."
On his frustration with how Teresa is characterized: "It's very unfair. She's not defined by her money. She's not defined by her surname. She's defined by what she thinks. Who she is. Where her heart is. What her gut is. And by the things she does with all of that. She spent years as a mom, like every other mom in America, taking care of her kids. She wasn't spoiled. She didn't have nannies up the kazoo, things like that. She cooked for her kids, she took care of her kids, she raised her kids, and you know, she works really hard. And after her husband, her first husband, was killed, she took on enormous responsibilities. She is really phenomenally capable. She's a great leader and thinker."
On how Republicans have painted him more the protester than the warrior: "I think it's just pathetic. It indicates how craven they are. You know, in the dark of night I might call them some names, but I just think it's kind of stupid. I really do ... And I think it hurts them."
When Hainey says that Kerry is more the son of George Bush Senior than W is, Kerry responds: "I like Junior, but I like the senior Bush enormously. A very decent, thoughtful guy. And I have great respect for him."
On his sports heroes: "Bobby Orr, Jaromir Jagr, Wayne Gretzky. DiMaggio. I wore number 7 because of [Phil Esposito]. I have a photograph, it's one of my most prized possessions, me with Phil Esposito in a charity game. And he wrote me, 'Keep your head up and your stick on the ice.' I like that." Kerry also includes on his list Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Bruce Jenner, and Frank Shorter.
Kerry says he loves competition, loves the feeling of it, throwing the lacrosse ball around, and talks about his greatest athletic moment: "A hat trick as a senior in the Harvard-Yale soccer game ... I think I got down on my knees and hit the ground."
The fictional character Kerry most identifies with: "There's a little Huck Finn in me; there's a little Tom Sawyer in me ... I like the adventure ... I like Conor Larkin [from Trinity] too. He stood for something. Fought for it. Fell in love. Took risks for his principles and values."
And while Kerry won't say whether he thinks the Stones or the Beatles are the better band, his favorites Stones songs include: ""Brown Sugar," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Satisfaction," and "Little Red Rooster." Kerry says he loves every Beatles song and the Abby Road album and the White Album.
On Bob Dylan: "I love Dylan. He's brilliant. I mean, I can name any number of his songs that I love, but you know, 'Lay across my big brass bed' -- 'Lay, Lady, Lay.'"
On having prostate cancer and mortality: "You know, there's not much that scares me. So I'm not worried about things -- certainly not dying, because too many of my friends did. And so I think it empowers you to go out and tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Bush and Cheney don't understand that. That's one of the things I think is most lacking in their stewardship of our country."
When Hainey reminds Kerry of an encounter they had a year and a half ago, where Hainey felt that Kerry had brushed him off, Kerry says: "I think there are times when you fight for a little bit of privacy zone. I value personal time. I enjoy conversation. I love to sit and talk. But I don't like to feel a lack of control over my life ... I fight that a bit -- being 'on' all the time. I think anybody who's thoughtful fights that a little bit. And sometimes you say, okay, my mind's not in it today. I want a break ... You obviously can't [do that in a campaign]. And that's one of the learning curves. You realize, wait a minute, I've accepted responsibility and that is to always be available."
Michael Hainey's interview, "A Beer with John Kerry," appears in the September 2004 issue of GQ, on newsstands nationwide Tuesday, August 24, 2004. GQ is the leading men's general-interest magazine and part of Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: GQ
Who's going to advise him on Iraq, Alec Baldwin?
John Kerry Has a Beer With GQ, Reveals His Admiration for Charlize Theron, the Connection Between Marlon Brando and the Contras, and Why His Years As a Bachelor Were Not So Great
Monday August 16, 12:52 pm ET
NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In the September 2004 issue of GQ, Senator John Kerry sits down with the magazine's deputy editor Michael Hainey, who bellies up to the bar with the contender and dares him to show some personality. Kerry reveals his favorite sports heroes and actresses, his greatest athletic moment, and gives advice on what to look for in a woman. In the interview, "A Beer with John Kerry," Kerry says he loves GQ and always has it around the house. Highlights of the interview include:
On the sexiest film actress of all time: "I think Charlize Theron is pretty extraordinary ... Catherine Zeta-Jones ... and Marilyn Monroe. I thought she was funny. Complicated. And obviously very attractive, very beautiful."
Kerry tells Hainey that he had a telephone relationship with Marlon Brando in 1985 and 1986, during the contras: "He took a huge interest in it. And he would call me. He was always asking questions. And he'd give me advice. I took his advice on a couple of angles. A couple of points."
On what it was like when he was the "Bachelor Senator": "Those were not good days ... I think if you ask anyone, Bob Kerrey, or anyone who's been single on Capitol Hill, you'll find it's no fun ... That's not a good world, and everyone wants a piece of you, and all I can say is thank God I found Teresa."
Kerry gives Hainey advice on what to look for in a woman, reflecting on what he looked for in his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry: "Look for what gets your heart. Someone who excites you, turns you on. It's a quality of character. It's a kind of presentation. Sense of womanhood. Full woman. Confident. It's a woman who loves being a woman. Who wears her womanhood. Who knows how to flirt and have fun. Smart. Confident. Has a sense of self. Strong. And obviously sexy and saucy and challenging."
Kerry says that Teresa has changed him for the better, and opened him up: "[A]fter my first marriage, I was like a lot of people who had a relationship that doesn't work -- you want to make sure that the next one does. And you're a little gun-shy and apprehensive and nervous. And Teresa gave me a sense of confidence about relationships that filled that ... I'm confident about a lot of things, but I'm not somebody who's blind to human frailty and to the need for humility. We all have our flaws. And Teresa, you know, gave me just a great sort of strong, clear commitment to who I am. So you know, she loved me. And I think that kind of love is very compelling."
On his frustration with how Teresa is characterized: "It's very unfair. She's not defined by her money. She's not defined by her surname. She's defined by what she thinks. Who she is. Where her heart is. What her gut is. And by the things she does with all of that. She spent years as a mom, like every other mom in America, taking care of her kids. She wasn't spoiled. She didn't have nannies up the kazoo, things like that. She cooked for her kids, she took care of her kids, she raised her kids, and you know, she works really hard. And after her husband, her first husband, was killed, she took on enormous responsibilities. She is really phenomenally capable. She's a great leader and thinker."
On how Republicans have painted him more the protester than the warrior: "I think it's just pathetic. It indicates how craven they are. You know, in the dark of night I might call them some names, but I just think it's kind of stupid. I really do ... And I think it hurts them."
When Hainey says that Kerry is more the son of George Bush Senior than W is, Kerry responds: "I like Junior, but I like the senior Bush enormously. A very decent, thoughtful guy. And I have great respect for him."
On his sports heroes: "Bobby Orr, Jaromir Jagr, Wayne Gretzky. DiMaggio. I wore number 7 because of [Phil Esposito]. I have a photograph, it's one of my most prized possessions, me with Phil Esposito in a charity game. And he wrote me, 'Keep your head up and your stick on the ice.' I like that." Kerry also includes on his list Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Bruce Jenner, and Frank Shorter.
Kerry says he loves competition, loves the feeling of it, throwing the lacrosse ball around, and talks about his greatest athletic moment: "A hat trick as a senior in the Harvard-Yale soccer game ... I think I got down on my knees and hit the ground."
The fictional character Kerry most identifies with: "There's a little Huck Finn in me; there's a little Tom Sawyer in me ... I like the adventure ... I like Conor Larkin [from Trinity] too. He stood for something. Fought for it. Fell in love. Took risks for his principles and values."
And while Kerry won't say whether he thinks the Stones or the Beatles are the better band, his favorites Stones songs include: ""Brown Sugar," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Satisfaction," and "Little Red Rooster." Kerry says he loves every Beatles song and the Abby Road album and the White Album.
On Bob Dylan: "I love Dylan. He's brilliant. I mean, I can name any number of his songs that I love, but you know, 'Lay across my big brass bed' -- 'Lay, Lady, Lay.'"
On having prostate cancer and mortality: "You know, there's not much that scares me. So I'm not worried about things -- certainly not dying, because too many of my friends did. And so I think it empowers you to go out and tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Bush and Cheney don't understand that. That's one of the things I think is most lacking in their stewardship of our country."
When Hainey reminds Kerry of an encounter they had a year and a half ago, where Hainey felt that Kerry had brushed him off, Kerry says: "I think there are times when you fight for a little bit of privacy zone. I value personal time. I enjoy conversation. I love to sit and talk. But I don't like to feel a lack of control over my life ... I fight that a bit -- being 'on' all the time. I think anybody who's thoughtful fights that a little bit. And sometimes you say, okay, my mind's not in it today. I want a break ... You obviously can't [do that in a campaign]. And that's one of the learning curves. You realize, wait a minute, I've accepted responsibility and that is to always be available."
Michael Hainey's interview, "A Beer with John Kerry," appears in the September 2004 issue of GQ, on newsstands nationwide Tuesday, August 24, 2004. GQ is the leading men's general-interest magazine and part of Conde Nast Publications, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: GQ
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