Talk:Jenny Lewis/Archives/2013

Discussion
Is it necessary that her collaborators/boyfriends be referred to as "boyfriends"? This is an article about JENNY LEWIS, influential singer/songwriter. We aren't talking about someone who is famous for their relationships. All the boyfriend talk seems dated, even by the standards of my parents. Was Keith Richards described as Mick Jagger's " Boyfriend?" That's ridiculous, right? Was Lindsay Buckingham called Stevie Nick's "Boyfriend?" I was going to go in and edit this directly, but then I decided wiser heads might find a better solution. I will excise all those boyfriend references, though, if someone else doesn't do it. It might take a year or two, but it will happen sooner or later. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Baron Kimball (talk • contribs) 07:16, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

I changed the wording in the intro paragraph so that her involvement in Rilo Kiley was mentioned first and her notability as a former child actress is mentioned last. Lewis is certainly better known as a musician than for her appearances in several films and tv shows from the mid 90's. If anyone has any objections to this on editorial or stylistic ground, let me know. - anarcho hipster

Date of Birth
Jenny Lewis' DOB is listed as 1976 on IMDb and as 1977 on www.allmusic.com. Can anyone confirm the correct info?

Personal life?
This is not much more then gossip and not fit for an encyclopedia entry.
 * You can't be a "devout" atheist. That's like being a carniverous herbivore. -r
 * I listened to the NPR article, and nowhere does Jenny state that she is an atheist. The song Absence of God does not prove that she is an atheist---it's just a song.  However, let's look at some of her lyrics.  When she sings "the absence of God will bring you comfort, baby" this could be tongue and cheek, because she then says "and planning's for the poor, so let's pretend that we're rich".  Like, yeah right, all you have to do is get rid of God and then you'll be happy---as if it were that simple.  Also, she sings "and I'm not my body, or the things I do to destroy it".  If she's not her body, what is she?  A soul, perhaps?  Considering one's identity to be other than one's body is generally a mark of religion, not atheism.

I'm not saying that Jenny believes in God or not. All I'm saying is that the statement that she is a devout atheist is cannot hold water, and should be removed from the article. Jenny Lewis is an artist, not a theologian or a philosopher. She is exploring her feelings in these songs, and these feelings are obviously ambiguous. If they make us think, so much the better. But stating that Lewis is an atheist based on her music is as "imaginative" as saying that John Lennon was an atheist, based on the lyrics of his song Imagine. I can provide "evidence" (John's own words) that Lennon believed in God. But just as his Imagine cannot be construed as atheism, neither could an offhand comment that seems to confirm a theistic belief be taken literally.

Unless an artist comes out in an interview and says I DO OR DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD, and probably more than once just so we all get the picture, there is no basis for the kind of claim about Lewis made in this article.

And what is meant by atheism anyway? I'm an American Hindu. To some evangelical Christians, I am an atheist because I believe in "a false God". ---Hector Diego, October 2006


 * That said, lets not have this turn into a religion discussion; this is the Jenny Lewis article, after all. Hector's point regarding construing lyrics for personal meaning is a good one; conjecture is not encylopedia appropriate.  --mordicai. 20:52, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I agree with mordicai., Hector, and others. Nowhere in the NPR article does Jenny Lewis say that she's an atheist. In fact, in this article in Interview magazine Jenny talks about her spiritual search and how she's still searching.

" RR: There's a loose theme that runs through the record about a spiritual search, a theme that's writ large in the culture today, be it in the evangelical revivalism, the interest in Kabbalah, the supernatural, Scientology, and so forth, How personal is that search for you?

JL: It is a part of my life, and it is very personal. I didn't grow up with any sort of formal religious schooling, and the older I get the more I question. There are different elements in my life that have led to this: certain relationships that have been successful or have failed miserably, friendships that have fallen by the wayside, lost touch with loved ones. All of these things strip you down in a sense and make you feel alone, and in those moments maybe you look to something bigger than yourself, whether it's God or some sort of ghost friend of L. Ron Hubbard. And maybe just being inundated with images and ideas and fear makes you search for something a little simpler and purer. And the more I search the more confused I become. It hasn't really gotten any clearer, and so the search continues." Rk24 04:00, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

Is her father "Eddie Gordon"? Is her name "Leslie Lewis"? In one source, it mentioned that her father played in the "Harmonica Gang". http://www.filmreference.com/film/72/Jenny-Lewis.html In another source, it mentioned that her parents played in a 70s act called "Love's Way". http://www.songmeanings.net/artist.php?action=biography&aid=137438968986 Eddie Gordon's page here seems to mention both acts. Here: http://www.bassharp.com/edgordon.htm It lists a daughter as "leslie lewis". Jmegill 06:40, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

Continued acting until 2001?
This was recently changed to 1998 and then back to 2001, with reference to imdb. But Don's Plum was filmed in 1995-1996. And I'm not sure if the role in Once and Again counts as acting, apparently she just appeared as herself as part of Rilo Kiley (according to, I haven't seen it). -- memset 22:44, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Personal Life
Look. I love this girl. Is she with that bitch Jake? I will punk his ass out? Addendum to the article please? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.64.235.134 (talk) 20:18, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I will second this. :\ Shrips (talk) 21:53, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Jew
It really should be mentioned that she is a Jew. I just found out about this and was shocked off my rocker. There really isn't much in her personal life section in general. However, like other posts, ethnic and/or religious descriptors should be present. Wow...I'm still aghast! She was my first childhood crush after seeing her in The Wizard...lol...99.33.92.11 (talk) 01:24, 6 June 2010 (UTC)

Jenny Lewis is Jewish??? really? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Riseupwithfists! (talk • contribs) 18:54, 19 June 2010 (UTC)

Yeah she it. Here is a NY Times article about here. It clearly states that she is "Jewish by birth." I added it to the opening paragraph. Unfortunately, I don't know how to cite properly. If someone can cite this article I would appreciate it!99.35.225.222 (talk) 10:14, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

Surprising! I just found out Jake was a Jew too!!99.30.225.87 (talk) 08:23, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Jenny and Johnny
I've heard that she has a new side project with Johnathan Rice, called Jenny and Johnny. Their first album is coming out August 31, 2010 and it's called "I'm Having Fun Now" Riseupwithfists! (talk) 18:56, 19 June 2010 (UTC)

Start of Music Career
It's listed as 1998, but I know she was recording music before that. She sang the song over the closing credits for "The Wizard," which came out in 1989. I think her music career began not long after her film career. TheyCallMeBruce (talk) 4:59, 23 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Are you sure? IMDB seems to think it was Sally Dworsky. -- Bobyllib (talk) 16:55, 23 June 2010 (UTC)

Vegan?
Is Jenny Lewis a vegan? I noticed that on this page: http://cookingwithrockstars.com/artist/rilo-kiley-jenny-lewis she contributes vegan recipes, and according to happycow.net she is at least a vegetarian - http://www.happycow.net/famous/jenny_lewis/

Does anyone have a reliable source, like an interview or something where she talks about this so it can be added to the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.251.127.77 (talk) 23:55, 17 July 2010 (UTC) - Sorry, that was me, for what it's worth :) I didn't mean to do an anonymous edit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Omgplz (talk • contribs) 23:57, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

At one point, she "strived to be vegan" as said in a documentary. But I can tell you Jenny is DEFINITELY not a vegan. I don't even think she's a vegetarian anymore. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.27.180.7 (talk) 04:56, 20 November 2010 (UTC)