Page Six Magazine ran a rather poignant story yesterdayabout the strange, post-divorce twilight of Bill Murray. It seems the 58-year-old SNL star and current Wes Anderson repertory player has been popping up at a lot of parties hosted by twenty-something hipsters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn lately — or at least one, on Halloween, while reportedly tagging along with the band MGMT — and chatting up pretty, young coeds in bars. This, to me, is not necessarily news. First of all, whatever Bill Murray chooses to do is Bill Murray’s business. The divorce papers that showed up on The Smoking Gun were certainly tragic, but I’m not about to pass judgment on either his relationship with his ex-wife or his current mental health. It also seems quite easy to exaggerate the number of alleged Bill Murray sightings for dramatic purposes — although I will say that I’ve had my own this year, backstage at the Jenny Lewis show at Austin City Limits, where he raved about the singer’s new album and was again hanging out perilously close to MGMT. And unlike the person in the Post story who told Murray, "I think you’re making bad life choices," I personally feel like the only thing he’s doing wrong — so long as his work doesn’t start to suffer — is hanging out with bands like MGMT.
No, the thing I find interesting about the story is this: At the Halloween party, he reportedly helped the host pick up spilled beer bottles. When hanging out with the pretty girls in the bar, he bought them champagne and offered to send them awesome avocados. And after crashing a house party in Scotland a couple years ago, he did the dishes. The dude is apparently a total mensch. If this is Bill Murray’s nervous breakdown, we should all go out in such a considerate blaze of glory.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Do you buy this story, or even care about Murray’s exploits, being so free of scandal in this age of football players toting guns in their sweatpants and whatnot? Would this story be more or less interesting if he was hanging out with Vampire Weekend? And do you think we could throw a party and get Bill to come? That would kind of rule.
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Who cares? IS he breaking the law? Leave him alone.
I’d post my address here and leave a standing invitation to Bill, but my husband is afraid of who else might show up.
What’s your problem with MGMT, Ugly Whitney?!
It would be a pleasure to have Bill at my holiday party. We could drink Scotch together and once everyone leaves he could help me swiffer the wood floors.
Bill Murray has always had the aura of strange behavior. Rumors have always flown about Billy, but really (hey I rhymed)Bill Murray is very much the same in real life, and film. A unique talent, and a guy I’m proud to say I grew up watching on SNL. Way back then when he was the “new guy” I pointed him out telling my family, and friends hey this guy is gonna be big someday. Kind of like Adam Samberg now. I think its neat that Bill’s divorce has brought him out of hiding, and into the limelight. He was so Howard Hughes that even his agents had trouble finding him. Well not anymore. Go Billy go!
What is that about commiting random acts of kindness? Obviously the man is deranged.
I’d love to have him come to my party. I’d even let him drive my golf cart!
I’d love to have him come to my party. I’d even let him drive my golf cart!
Actually, my friend Macey Taylor, the bass player in Connor Oberst’s band hung out with Bill at a bar. Said he was a stand up guy. He came to the show, hung out on the bus, and went to see a band that Macey suggested, sat at the table and drank with all night. Sounds like Bill is hip to the scene. I mean, if the guy is doing Wes Anderson movies, can we fault him for being so hip?
Do you think he would drive me to the infusion room on chemo days and keep me company? I’d like that. I’d buy him lunch and then release him back into the wild.
How strange… I was at the Elvis Costello party for his new show a month ago and Bill Murray was there hanging out with Jenny Lewis. They seemed very close. He and I shared some wine. After that we all went to a bar in the village where again, he and Jenny hung out all night. In fact he drove her there. I have a great picture of him driving the car, where a goofy baby blue visor. At the bar, he was in fact mingling with the young ladies, but it seemed innocent enough. He was very nice, but seemed to be very sad.
Rarely is a divorce action going to say “Yeah, my spouse is a stand-up guy, so I’m divorcing him!”
I take anything one person says with a grain of salt. It was one person’s word against another’s.
I rather like hearing about Mr Murray’s random acts of kindness. It’s a breath of fresh air in an otherwise fairly cynical world.
It seems to me he might be doing some belated atonement. He was a real jerk to his wife and kids, disowned old friends (like Harold Ramis) over seemingly nothing, and was generally a self-destructive dick. Maybe this is healthy?? Hope so.
I can’t imagine being very happy if it were my life being picked apart in this manner.
He’s a notorious eccentric. I have a friend who survived the making of Charlie’s Angels and boy does she have some stories!
A million years ago, I read a Rolling Stone piece on Murray and the (male) author made the following comment:
“in all my years as a reporter, this is the first time a male celebrity helped me off/on with my coat”.
I think Murray is just a polite guy. he grew up in a big family, maybe manners were big. Good on him.
Bill needs to start writing some songs. All of the quirkyness and heartbreak would probably make a great album.
Its his life, let him do what he wants. There is nothing wrong with engaging yourself with new and interesting people, regardless of how young or old they are. Don’t believe everything you read and see….
I live in Brooklyn. Bill, come hang out! You’re the man.
So he likes the company of young women. Nothing wrong with that. I know he’s old enough to be my father, and I’m probably too old for him to enjoy hanging out with me, but ya know? It takes all kinds, and Murray’s quirks are part of why I love him.
everything Bill Murray does is A-ok in my books..
Maybe he is doing to research for a What About Bob sequel???
Maybe he is doing to research for a What About Bob sequel??
Bill Murray rocks. I know peeple think he has gone the serious, depressing movie route but I think he just got much more subtle and philisophical. I love the man and The Life Aquatic is soooo underraated to me.
Bill should come to Sheepshead Bay for dinner out (Emmons Avenue)…if he can find parking.
You know after being in movie after movie in the eighties, I think that he’s trying to rekindle the party life he had when he was on SNL.
I have a bigger problem with him hanging with hipsters than hitting on pretty coeds.
I am 40 and work with college kids in their 20’s. They are SO much more fun and interesting–and honest about their desires and feelings and thoughts–than most 40-year olds I know. I think there are healthy and unhealthy ways for someone from an older generation to spend time with those from a younger one, and in fact, I think intergenerational mingling, discussions, perspectives, etc can be very good for all involved. Remember that the idea that older people should be shut out of the homes and lives of those younger than them is relatively new, and relatively American. Older people used to be (and should be) as included in our lives as much as babies and children and youth and adults. We will all inhabit old bodies someday, but that doesn’t mean our spirits or intellect will be old. If Bill Murray isn’t being lecherous, then who cares? Let him be. He is just living life as it interests him, as we all do in our own ways.
Bill is reaching his golden years and going strong. If I were to divorce, I would be out and about too… By the way, manners and random acts of kindness were common-place when we were growing up. Don’t fault the man for being nice and maybe trying to get lucky… Don’t worry. Be Happy…
God bless Bill Murray.
RobM is right. In Ireland and other European countries, all ages spend time together socializing in pubs, etc. Why are we so rigid in this country about age? It’s silly. Bill Murray is cooler than most people, including 20-somethings, anyway.
Live and let live, life is too short.