I wonder if PBS Digital Studios was given any firsthand source material on Janis Joplin? For instance, was PBSDS given photos of Janis Joplin? This character they’ve drawn looks more like Gwyneth Paltrow (with specs) than Joplin. I know these cute animations are meant to stir renewed interest in Joplin (and Jim Morrison, etc) but do they have to visually collapse the audio content into catch phrases and cute niceness and fun? Though I guess there is something heroic about seeing a goofy cartoon Janis Joplin vacuuming like the frazzled mom from “The Family Circus”
That does look like Paltrow.
Yeah. I appreciate the sad and poignant interview snippet, but they should’ve listened closer to Jim Morrison explaining that “fat is beautiful.” Not that she was fat, but she wasn’t stick-insect thin either.
Animation by Pat Smith. Amazing how hard you have to dig to find that out. I think He does most of the drawing himself, which explains the simple drawing style.
My first reaction as well was “That’s supposed to be Janis?” Reminds me of the “makeover” of Princess Merida from the movie Brave (picture in case you haven’t seen it) Janis was an amazing singer, earthy, beautiful in her way but not glamorous.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
