>>> WE ARE BACK NOW, 8:09 WITH TODAY’S TALKER.
TODAY’S TALKER. IF YOU INDULGED IN SOME BINGE
WATCHING OVER THE HOLIDAY
WEEKEND, YOU MAY HAVE LANDED ON
THE LATEST THRILLER THAT IS
CREEPING THE COUNTRY OUT.
>> IT’S CALLED "YOU."
IT STARS PENN BADGLEY.
IT’S BEEN WATCHED BY MORE THAN
40
40 40 MILLION VIEWERS ON NETFLIX.
IT’S ABOUT A GUY WHO FALLS FOR
AND THEN STALKS A WOMAN HE JUST
MET.
MET. WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO PENN IN A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. FIRST, SPOILER ALERT, WE WANT TO
TELL YOU MORE ABOUT "YOU."
>> HI THERE, I’M JOE, BUT THE
REAL QUESTION WHO ARE YOU?
>> "YOU" IS THE MUCH TALKED
ABOUT THRILLER SERIES ORIGINALLY
BROADCAST ON LIFETIME, NOW
STREAMING ON NETFLIX, WHICH HAS
GAINED MILLIONS OF NEW VIEWERS
IN RECENT WEEKS.
>> EVERYONE JUST CALLS ME BETH.
>> AND THERE YOU WERE, EVERY
ACCOUNT SET TO PUBLIC.
YOU WANT TO BE SEEN, HEARD,
KNOWN.
KNOWN. OF COURSE IOBLIGED.
>> TELLS THE STORY OF A NEW YORK
CITY BOOKSTORE MANAGER NAMED JOE
WHO EXPLOITS TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY
TO FIRST STALK AND THEN WOO THE
OBJECT OF HIS OBSESSION, A YOUNG
WRITER NAMED BECK.
>> TELL ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE,
AND I’LL FIND YOU.
>> AS JOE TRANSFORMS HIMSELF
FROM BEHIND THE SCENES STALKER
TO IN REAL LIFE BOYFRIEND, HE
WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO
ELIMINATE ALL OBSTACLES STANDING
IN HIS WAY, EVEN IF IT MEANS
MURDER.
MURDER. >> IT SCARES ME TO LOVE SOMEONE
SO COMPLETELY AND NOT HAVE THEM
LOVE YOU BACK.
>> BUT SURPRISINGLY, SOME FANS
OF THE SHOW ARE LOVING HIM BACK,
DESPITE BADGLEY’S CHARACTER
BEING A STALKER, MURDERER, AND
STRAIGHT UP SERIAL KILLER.
ONE TWITTER FAN ASKING BADGLEY
TO KIDNAP ME, PLEASE.
BADGLEY SIMPLY REPLYING NO
THANKS.
THANKS. >> THERE’S SCARY PEOPLE IN THE
WORLD, BECK.
WORLD, BECK. >> I’M ON TO YOU.
>> JEALOUSY GOT THE BEST OF ME.
>> SET IN TODAY’S 24/7 HYPER
CONNECTED SOCIETY.
CONNECTED SOCIETY. >> THE THINGS YOU DO FOR LOVE.
>> "YOU" TAPS INTO OUR FEARS OF
HOW VUBL
HOW VUBL HOW VULNERABLE WE CAN.
>> ARE YOU WATCHING ME?
>> UH-OH, STALKER.
>> YOU DON’T SEEM CREEPY.
>> AT ALL.
YOU SEEM LIKE A NICE GUY.
>> JUST YOU WAIT.
>> THIS IS A SHOW THAT HAD A
WHOLE LIFE ON LIFETIME.
NOW IT’S ON NETFLIX, AND IT’S
BLOWN UP.
BLOWN UP. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE WAY
YOUTH CONSUME MEDIA I GUESS.
THE INTERNET IS CHANGING
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. STALKING, IT’S CHANGING
STALKING.
STALKING. >> IT’S MAKING IT A LOT EASIER,
TRUE.
TRUE. BINGEING AND STALKING ARE NOW
THINGS.
THINGS. >> THIS SHOW IS ADDICTIVE.
IF YOU START WATCHING IT, YOU
UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE HANG IN
THERE.
THERE. YOU START OFF THE SHOW JUST
SEEMING LIKE A NICE GUY.
WE’RE NOT REALLY ON TO YOU ALL
OF THE WAY.
TALK ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF YOUR
CHARACTER?
CHARACTER? >> IT’S INTERESTING THE WAY
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT HIM
BECAUSE I MEAN, I DON’T FIND IT
ADDICTIVE BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE
HIM.
HIM. HE’S A PRETTY REPREHENSIBLE GUY.
YOU START TO DISCOVER HIS TRUE
MOTIVES PRETTY EARLY ON, LIKE
EIGHT MINUTES INTO THE SHOW.
AND HE’S A GUY WHO’S CAPABLE OF
STALKING.
STALKING. HE’S A GUY WHO’S CAPABLE OF
MURDER.
MURDER. HE’S A GUY WHO’S CAPABLE OF A
LOT OF MANIPULATION AND ABUSE.
IT’S THIS REALLY INTERESTING
THING WHERE YOU’RE SEEING THE
TRAJECTORY OF A SOUL OF A MAN,
AND HE’S JUST COMPLETELY
OBSESSIVE AND COMPULSIVE AND
BELIEVING THAT HE’S OPERATING BY
THE LOGIC OF A TRUE ROMANTIC,
AND I THINK SO WHAT HE DOES IS
HE TAKES THE TROEPS THAT WE’VE
SEEN IN ROMANTIC COMEDIES,
MOVIES AND SHOWS I’VE BEEN A
PART OF AND MANY OF MY
COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN, AND IT TOTALLY SUBVERTS
THEM BY ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THEM
CLOSELY AND HE COMES TO THIS
REALLY TERRIFYING CONCLUSION.
>> THAT’S HOW HE PULLS IT OFF.
HERE’S WHAT’S WEIRD, PEOPLE ARE
STARTING TO TWEET YOU.
YOU’RE LIKE -- YOU JUST SAID
YOU’RE A TOTAL SOULLESS
PSYCHOPATHIC KILLER TYPE.
>> IN REAL LIFE, YEAH.
>> ON THE SHOW.
SO SOMEBODY SAYS OKAY, BUT PENN
BADGLEY WAS SEXY AS DAN, BUT
LORD, JOE IS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
AND THEN YOU TWEET HER BACK, OF
PROBLEMS RIGHT.
PROBLEMS RIGHT. ANOTHER ONE SAID -- I SAID THIS
ALREADY, BUT PENN BADGLEY IS
BREAKING MY HEART ONCE AGAIN
ABOUT JOE.
ABOUT JOE. AND YOU WRITE BACK, HE IS A
MURDERER.
MURDERER. YOU’RE KIND OF TELLING PEOPLE
MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND A NEW
OBJECT OF YOUR FASCINATION.
>> THAT WAS PARTLY DISINGENUOUS
ON MY PART BECAUSE THE WHOLE
POINT IS HE’S MEANT TO GARNER A
CONFLICTED REACTIONMENT.
CONFLICTED REACTIONMENT. I DON’T SEE HIM AS A PORTRAYAL
OF A REAL PERSON.
I SEE HIM AS A REPRESENTATION OF
THE PART OF US THAT IDENTIFIES
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. THE PART OF US THAT IS A TROLL,
THE PART OF US THAT IS VICTIM
BLAMING, THE PART OF US THAT IS
PRIVILEGED AND BLIND.
WE’RE MEANT TO IDENTIFY WITH
HIM.
HIM. I WAS DOING THAT ON TWITTER VERY
TONGUE IN CHEEK, AND IN FACT, I
REACHED OUT -- THAT WOMAN, HER
NAME IS NOBIA, AND HOPEFULLY
SHE’S SEEING THIS.
WE WERE DM’G.
I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN AND BE
LIKE HEY, I DIDN’T REALIZE --
>> WHAT DID SHE SAY?
>> SHE’S VERY INTELLIGENT.
IT WAS VERY -- SHE’S ON THE
RIGHT TRACK.
RIGHT TRACK. >> THEY’RE HAVING FUN, TOO.
THEY’RE SAYING OH, HE’S SO CUTE.
>> I WAS HAVING FUN.
THEY WERE HAVING FUN.
WHAT IS FUNNY IS PEOPLE KIND OF
JUMPED ON THE JOE TRAIN AND WAS
TROLLING HER, AND IT’S LIKE NO,
WAIT, THAT’S NOT WHAT I INTENDED
AT ALL.
AT ALL. IT’S INTERESTING.
IT’S INTERESTING. >> DO YOU SEEK THESE KINDS OF
ROLES OUT OR DO THEY COME TO
YOU?
YOU? >> IT’S LIKE I’M TWO FOR TWO IN
TEN YEARS, SO IT’S NOT -- OR 12
YEARS, ACTUALLY, I’M 32 NOW.
SO NO.
SO NO. THEY FIND ME, LIKE JOE.
>> IS YOUR WIFE LIKE WHY ARE WE
PLAYING THESE ROLES AGAIN OR
DOES SHE KIND OF GET A KICK OUT
OF IT?
OF IT? >> IT’S BOTH.
SHE WANTED ME TO TAKE IT.
I WAS LIKE I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN
PLAY THIS GUY.
>> IT DOES MAKE YOU THINK ALSO
ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU PUT OUT
THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW
SOMEONE CAN REALLY GET TO KNOW
YOU AND KIND OF USE THAT.
IT’S A LITTLE TERRIFYING.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT JOE IS
ACTUALLY NOT A MASTERMIND.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> HE’S ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS
HE’S EXTREMELY AVERAGE.
>> HE JUST HAS AN INTERNET
CONNECTION.
CONNECTION. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> PENN BADGLEY LOTS OF PEOPLE
ARE WATCHING.