When Do you "Tell All?"

I chatted with Billy Bob Thornton, about his new book "The Billy Bob Tapes." The book got some media attention, not because of Billy Bob's big acting talent or love for music ...No, it got publicity because of two words: Angelina Jolie.

The stormy marriage of Billy Bob and Angelina fed the media with colorful stories about bloody cuts, tattoos, bad girl Angelina, wild guy Billy Bob ...Neither of them responded to these reports while they were married. Even their later split and divorce wasn't accompanied by the usual "He says ...She says..."

Ever since - Angelina has transformed herself into a loving mother for her own biological and adapted children from around the world. She has won admiration for her charity work in different parts of the globe. In fact, Joe Simpson told me, that his role model for transforming the image of his famous  daughter Jessica,"is Angelina. The way she has changed ... Her image ..."

Add to all these good things a partner like Brad Pitt, and you get the full "Angelina Factor:" a boost for media sales, books and so on.

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I was surprised a bit to hear that Billy Bob wrote about his ex wife. He didn't come across as the man, who would write, a "Tell All Book" ...But when I chatted with him, I learnt that he had refused many book proposals before (I bet ...). He wasn't interested in gossip or spilling the dirty laundry. And it took him a while to write this book: "You know, I wrote it, left it ...Came back ..."

Billy Bob made it clear that some publicity around the book is a bit misleading: No, it is not a "Tell All"...In fact - the book is opening by a fascinating intro by ...Angelina.  She writes such a personal essay about her ex husband, that it reads like HER Tell All about HIM ... 

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So where do we draw the line between in depth accounts which tell a lot (or "All") and other kinds of "Tell All?"

The answer has to do with the motivation behind the book: Does the book have a message? Does it have a historical value? An -  artistic value?

Billy Bob's book is starting with: "Why a book now?"

I start "My Benazir" the same way.

And Billy Bob's reply is the same as mine: "I wanted to put my two cents in...I wanted people to think ..."

*   You can find more info about "My Benazir" at www.daphnebarak.com or www.pipublic.com