Debut of Anna Marie Tendler at ‘The Other Art Fair’ Coincides With a Debut From Olivia Munn
Artist Anna Marie Tendler’s debut at “The Other Art Fair” began on Sept. 23. There’s no explicit proof that the inspiration for her photography is divorce from expectant dad John Mulaney, but there are plenty of indications.
With captions like “Good Mourning” on melancholy self-portraits, it’s easy to see why fans think she is channeling heartbreak into her art — and they support her in doing so! Mulaney’s fandom seems somewhat fractured, with some pledging loyalty to Tendler and others responding with articles about unhealthy parasocial relationships. But people are really interested in Mulaney’s timeline of events, even if others say they shouldn’t be.
Some fans suspect Mulaney and Olivia Munn are manipulating the narrative around their relationship and pregnancy’s timing through publicity. Now, the emergence of Munn’s bump debut in a prominent outlet almost simultaneous to Tendler’s debut at an L.A. art show could lend more support to those fan theories.
John Mulaney and a ‘parasocial’ fanbase
Opinions on the Mulaney matter have been copious. Many of his Reddit fans agreed it was hard to be happy for a new relationship when they were sad about his divorce. And still worried about his relapse. Some said they felt like they were watching a friend go through what the comedian himself described as a “challenging time.”
This story sparked a conversation about one-sided — i.e., parasocial — relationships and how Mulaney isn’t actually everyone’s friend. Some argue that his fans expect too much from him. But the lines around celebrity fandom and access are blurry.
For instance, Mulaney went on a talk show to chat about his year and announce he’s going to be a dad like someone might catch up with a personal acquaintance. He’s not unfamiliar to his fans — they know a lot about him. But he has no idea how most of them exist as individuals.
Mulaney has been selling out shows on his “From Scratch” tour, so he’s not cancelled. But some fans are vocally upset. Many agree they were connected to Tendler by his comedy.
Now, she’s nourished that connection into her own following through her art.
Fans can catch Anna Marie Tendler at “The Other Art Fair”
Some people glow-up with a glam squad after a break-up. But Tendler leaned into her grief for some much talked about photography. Her Instagram following has been steadily growing since she re-emerged on the platform.
Now, she’s landed a spot as a featured guest artist at a prominent L.A. art show called “The Other Art Fair” from Sept. 23-26, 2021. The show could help Tendler tap into a new audience with her art.
But the day before Tendler’s debut, People published a Munn interview about the excitement of pregnancy with Mulaney’s baby. There’s no way to know for sure if it’s connected to Tendler’s art show plans, but fans think the timing is more than a strange coincidence.
Olivia Munn talks dogs and being ‘excited’ about pregnancy
Munn has teamed up with Petco, so she brought her dogs to talk about pregnancy. She made some important comments about trying not to compare herself to other pregnant women. But those are somewhat lost in the focus of being a dog-lover and pregnant for the first time.
Fans hoping to know more about the sex or due date of the baby won’t find that information there. Munn reiterated that she doesn’t know if they’ll learn the sex of the baby. And the due date is still just “later this year.”
While this could totally be coincidental timing for a light-hearted interview, it appeared on Sept. 22 — the day before Tendler’s big art debut. The exposure is better than some of the other publicity the pregnancy has received due to its timing. And it also negates some of the perception some Reddit fans have shared about her regarding the Mulaney and Tendler divorce.
Users on this Reddit thread think the People interview was a pre-emptive plant in a publication that is generally favorable of Munn and Mulaney’s coupling. After all, People broke the news of his divorce and their new relationship, and published the first pictures of them together. So, the timing of the debut feature on her pregnancy is a little noteworthy.
Whether or not the release of Munn’s interview was planned to coincide with Tendler’s debut, it sounds like Tendler’s art will be in demand either way. She told fans on Instagram she’ll soon begin selling prints from the series on her website.
