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Now Everyone's Saying That Steven Spielberg Fired Megan Fox

Michael Bay throws his producer under the bus after taking the blame for a year.

The only appropriate image for this story. Sorry, it's true.
The only appropriate image for this story. Sorry, it's true.

This whole Megan Fox and Transformers thing just refuses to die, but I have to give her credit: it keeps popping up in the news cycle without her actually saying anything. Sure, she initially sparked a firestorm when she (good-naturedly, so far as that goes) compared Michael Bay to a miniature Hitler on set, but she's been relatively level-headed about getting fired thus far, not even speaking about it very much publicly. Can you imagine if this had happened to Lindsay Lohan? She'd be yelling at bouncers about it every night, her mom would take out a billboard across the street from the Paramount lot, she'd OD and blame it on Shia LaBeouf, etc.

LaBeouf, of course, sparked another round of discussion last week about Fox by claiming that her feminism caused problems with Bay, but the final word on the matter might be coming from Bay himself, who told GQ on no uncertain terms:

She was in a different world, on her BlackBerry. You gotta stay focused. And you know, the Hitler thing. Steven said, “Fire her right now.”

That's probably the wishy-washiest thing thing one could possibly say about the situation. God forbid an actress actually use a cell phone while they're waiting three hours for the lighting to get done on a movie set before they scream for 15 seconds and their day is over. And while Spielberg might very well have reacted strongly to Fox's Godwin-Lawing of the situation, Bay has been the one who's manned up and taken the blame for the firing for a year now; why shift it over to Spielberg now? Obviously Spielberg has strong opinions about Hitler, but painting him out to be a humorless martinet doesn't do him any favors. If you'll recall, Fox's quote was pretty innocuous, especially looking back after a year of these stupid stories:

He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. And it's endearing to watch him.

That's hardly the kind of thing I'd fire someone for, but I guess it passes for breach of contract in Hollywood these days. Or, more likely, it was the straw that broke the camel's back in a longer history of strained relations between Fox and Bay. Either way, it's opened the door wide for Rosie Whatsherface; may the road rise up to meet her on her no-doubt long and successful career as a human Barbie Doll.

ScanCase moderator on June 21, 2011 at 10:25 a.m.

At this point we should force them to drink several gallons of water lock them all in a room and just let them literally piss on each other. It would be more interesting then this verbal pissing match that's going on here.

MisterMouseon June 21, 2011 at 10:25 a.m.
Hmm I wonder where Megan Fox goes after this... if anywhere.
Babylonianon June 21, 2011 at 10:28 a.m.

That last quote definitely isn't grounds for termination, but damn, it's pretty excellently scathing, isn't it? It's like a backhanded compliment where even the compliment half is insulting. "He's so awkward, hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. And it's endearing to watch him." Yikes.

This is weird to say (type?) out loud, but the one interview I've ever read of Fox gave me the impression that she's actually a very articulate, intelligent woman. That deliciously passive-aggressive quote only reinforces it for me.

Joeon June 21, 2011 at 10:41 a.m.
@Babylonian said:

That last quote definitely isn't grounds for termination, but damn, it's pretty excellently scathing, isn't it? It's like a backhanded compliment where even the compliment half is insulting.

Why not? She's insulting the director (and I don't just mean the Hitler bit) and saying she doesn't like working with him. Seems like a solid enough reason to replace her to me.
Delta_Assaulton June 21, 2011 at 10:57 a.m.
I dunno, I'd kinda feel like crap if some hot chick said I was hopelessly awkward and had no social skills at all.
Beaudaciouson June 21, 2011 at 11:04 a.m.
Bay probably didn't care, as i expect many of his stars feel the same way. The reason Spielberg is being brought up, is because he was the one who cared about the comment. Spielperge is the Hitler of Hollywood, his name is on every production, he has his fingers in every single part of the business, and he has stock in every single part of the business. Basically anything Spielberg says, is how it goes. For some reason people still view Spielberg as a director or producer, when in fact he's the guy in the suit at the very top.
snake_runneron June 21, 2011 at 11:08 a.m.
@ScanCase said:

At this point we should force them to drink several gallons of water lock them all in a room and just them piss on each other. It would be more interesting then this verbal pissing match that's going on here.

I have an image of Spielberg, Bay, and Fox in a room pissing on each other. And that image shall never leave my mind. Thank you for ruining my dreams for all eternity.
President_Barackbaron June 21, 2011 at 11:10 a.m.

@ScanCase said:

At this point we should force them to drink several gallons of water lock them all in a room and just them piss on each other. It would be more interesting then this verbal pissing match that's going on here.

Great. Do you realize you just wrote the premise for some fetish directors next porno?

Jayrosson June 21, 2011 at 11:26 a.m.
I saw Rosie Whatsherface on Jimmy Fallon a few nights ago, and she actually seemed fairly smart? She looks a lot better than she does in the trailers for transformers 3, and she has an English accent!
Manitouon June 21, 2011 at 11:28 a.m.
@snake_runner said:

@ScanCase said:

At this point we should force them to drink several gallons of water lock them all in a room and just them piss on each other. It would be more interesting then this verbal pissing match that's going on here.

I have an image of Spielberg, Bay, and Fox in a room pissing on each other. And that image shall never leave my mind. Thank you for ruining my dreams for all eternity.
Don't listen to this guy, ScanCase. Your imagery was very...exciting. Tell me what would happen if you made them eat tons of prunes then locked them in a room. 
 
Don't keep me waiting. I need this.
Popcornon June 21, 2011 at 11:37 a.m.
Because the new girl they have in the third is SO much more better. Not hating on the new girl but she can't even make a shocked and distressed face to save her fucking life in the trailer. 
Artieon June 21, 2011 at 11:57 a.m.
Fox's career only exists because of Transformers so I expected never to see her again. 
 
And this new girl seems even worse and she doesn't even have the same sex appeal, looks like an alien-being with an elongated neck and cosmetic face.
zombiesatemycerealon June 21, 2011 at 12:03 p.m.

@pyromaster222: porn.

MetalGearSunnyon June 21, 2011 at 12:49 p.m.
People still care about this?
TadThuggishon June 21, 2011 at 1:29 p.m.

Megan Fox is dumb. Michael Bay is dumb. Steven Spielberg can be okay, but can also be dumb.

Mr_skeletonon June 21, 2011 at 1:39 p.m.

@TadThuggish said:

Megan Fox is dumb. Michael Bay is dumb. Steven Spielberg can be okay, but can also be dumb.

I only agree with two parts of this statement.

Aetheldodon June 21, 2011 at 1:55 p.m.
So calling someone Hitler like is wrong ??? I mean in Germany is wrong and all , but at least in america it is regarded as saying acting like a dictator more than saying that it has to do with nazi ideology etc. Spielberg is acting like a diva.... And honestly you think that working on a movie set is like the "the making of" fantasy set up? All I heard is far from it.
Spiritofon June 21, 2011 at 2:09 p.m.

Transformers 3 is still gonna suck.

NoelVeigaon June 21, 2011 at 2:11 p.m.
...making...me...feel...sympathy...for...Megan...Fox...
 
...can't...process...irony. Must...self-destruct...
Walreese55on June 21, 2011 at 2:54 p.m.

Has anyone thought that Spielberg told Bay to fire her because calling him Hitler was just undermining Bay's authority coupled with the obvious Nazi connotation instead of solely being a Godwin's Law conflict?

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