We know, we know: “WhatCounts is about helping us send totally awesome emails. What’re you doing getting all gossipy on us?” is what you’re probably asking. Or maybe not. Moving on.
Thanks to the age we live in, we get the benefit of having unprecedented access to individuals previously thought untouchable. And while we absolutely don’t condone some ways this information was initially accessed, we can’t help but look and hopefully learn that no matter how private you think your lines of communication are, always work under the assumption that it can be accessed by anyone at anytime.
4. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award winner, philanthropist, humanitarian and, according to one Hollywood producer, a “minimally talented spoiled brat.”
Minimal talent.
Producer Scott Rudin and Sony exec Amy Pascal were exchanging emails — of which the latter would later be fired over — in which Rudin expressed a less than flattering opinion of Jolie. Calling her “a camp event” he goes on an electronic tirade that seems more fitting for a high school drama class than it does for people who make millions of dollars a year to make movies.
Pictured: How movies are made. We think.
3. Jonah Hill
One silver lining, at least, that came from those Sony hacks was Jonah Hill’s delightful response to the most ridiculous absolutely amazing idea for a film we’ve heard in awhile.
Yes, more ridiculous absolutely amazing than Mac And Me.
Remakes of Men In Black and 21 Jump Street were met with immense success and praise. And while Hollywood attempts to find more inspired ways to milk these cash cows for all they’re worth (talks of a fourth MIB have surfaced and 23 Jump Street is on its way, plus a female spin-off), the proposed combining of the two into one film takes the cake. And while the notion leaves most scratching their heads, Hill isn’t among that crowd (and neither are we).
When emails from the Sony hack began to spill out, with it came the Oscar nominee‘s reported enthusiasm for the project, saying “jump street merging with mib i think that’s clean and rad and powerful.”
We’re with you, Mr. Hill.
2. Tom Brady
Super Bowl bling for days. A world-famous supermodel wife. More money than a handful of small countries combined. What out there could possibly bother Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? Well, apparently something that would bother any normal person as well: The cost of a pool cover.
“What do you mean this doesn’t come in solid gold?”
In an email exchange with his manager released from the Deflategate probe, Tom Brady is incredibly irate that he has to purchase a new pool cover for his New England home. And not only that, but the pool company can’t even get their act together on the colors. C’mon, pool company!
Major burn.
Unfortunately for Brady, in the end his word didn’t mean a whole lot. Mrs. Brady stepped in and put the whole situation to rest:
G’s word is the law.
1. Hillary Clinton
Man against machine: It’s a tale as old as time, or at least 1984. And no one is immune to this classic showdown, not even high-ranking, powerful members of the federal government.
Wherever your heart beats in Hillary Clinton’s email drama, at the very least we can all come together to appreciate her earnest misunderstanding of basic technology. In an email exchange with an aide released from the probe, we learn of the troubles Clinton had with a fax machine (and also that her aide does that annoying “type the message in the subject line” thing).
You’re better than that, Huma.
Whether or not the fax machine debacle came to a positive resolution will remain unknown. For now, we can just be content with the fact that rich and powerful people are only a few commas away from being just like us.
Also check out Think Twice, Clock Once: 3 Company Emails People Regretted Sending and 5 Important Email Types That Should Be In Your Marketing Aresenal.