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1 year ago
52
Time to find out if this is just my algorithm serving me a specific question.
Sorry everyone, there's new discourse in town. This time it's about the release of the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, which has prompted Americans everywhere to publicly declare that they do not know who he is.
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Paramount / Via youtube.comAs a Brit married to an American, I have done this dance before. So, here is a quick explainer on what's going on:
Who is Robbie Williams?
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Robbie is a British singer who rose to fame in the '90s with boyband Take That. He then launched a hugely successful solo career (think the Harry Styles of the millennium). His hits include "Angels," a staple at British functions since 1997.
How popular is Robbie Williams?
Rune Hellestad - Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images
In the UK, extremely. He's had seven number-one singles and 14 number-one albums. For comparison, that's more than Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, David Bowie, or Adele.
He is also successful internationally (albeit with a major caveat), with the New York Times noting in 2003, “Despite past difficulties reaching an audience in the United States, Mr. Williams’s popularity in Europe has led EMI to make him one of the highest-paid artists in the music industry."
So, why isn't he big in the US?
Michel Linssen / Redferns / Getty Images
The jury's still out on that one. For whatever reason, Robbie's work never translated to a breakthrough in the US. "Maybe my writing is too colloquial. Or perhaps Americans simply don’t like me," he said in the '00s. On the former, some have hypothesized that Robbie singing in a British accent didn't help things translate across the pond, as most crossover acts tend to sound more Americanized.
What's Better Man?
Paramount / Via youtube.com
Better Man is the new Robbie Williams biopic. Notably, a CGI monkey plays Robbie. "I don't see myself how others see me," he says in the trailer. "To be honest, I've always been a little less evolved." It's directed by The Greatest Showman's Michael Gracey and documents Robbie's career as well as struggles with addiction.
What did critics think of Better Man?
Paramount / Via youtube.com
With 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's gone down well. BuzzFeed's own Mychal Thompson called it "great" over Slack, stressing that you don't need to know who an artist is to enjoy their movie (see: movies about fictional musicians).
How's Better Man doing in the US?
Paramount / Via youtube.com
Commercially, not great. It was acquired by Paramount for $25 million but only got $1.1 million at the box office this weekend. It's faring better in the UK, though it's not exactly a runaway success.
What is the discourse?
!["I still don’t know who the [expletive] Robbie Williams is." It quotes a Variety tweet about Robbie Williams' biopic opening](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2025-01/13/17/asset/6c6d837e7ef3/sub-buzz-456-1736790869-7.jpg)
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Better Man has been publicized a decent amount in the US. Again, it's inherently attention-grabbing because it stars a monkey. The trailer opens, "I'm Robbie Williams. I'm one of the biggest pop stars in the world." This led some to take to social media to say that they do not even know who he is. In turn, others defended the project, saying that it shouldn't prohibit enjoyment of the movie. Discussion over American culture ensued.
Why are British people so annoying about Americans not knowing who Robbie Williams is?
Paramount / Via youtube.com
There can be a brand of (perceived or real) smugness around American cultural dominance, with there being an insinuation that things aren't worthwhile just because they're not big in America. This is a broad strokes summary; people are also just really annoying.
Why are Americans so annoying about not knowing who Robbie Williams is?
Marc Piasecki / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
See previous point.
English (US)