Pete Wentz on baby names and Ben Affleck
Posted by Lorrie Lynch
With the birth of Pete Wentz’s first child rumored to be just days away, associate editor T.J. Walter caught up with the dad-to-be in Philadelphia last week for an upcoming feature in the magazine. He reports that Wentz and the rest of Fall Out Boy (they're pictured at left; Wentz is second from the left) arrived in a very low-key manner: in two minivans. Not exactly rock 'n' roll style, and they grabbed their own bags before making their way into their hotel lobby. The easy arrival was a break from the norm for this rock quartet, especially Wentz, who has become a favorite of the paparazzi in L.A. and New York City. A little later T.J. met up with Wentz in his suite. With his signature flat-ironed hair tucked under a cap and a Clandestine hoodie (his clothing company), Wentz opened up becoming a dad, baby names and what Ben Affleck taught him. Click on read more below for all the details, and check the Dec. 14 issue of USA WEEKEND for more of our interview with Wentz, including his thoughts on the new album, Folie a Deux, Fall Out Boy’s inaugural plans and his high-ranking political relative.
Wentz on fatherhood: Yea it’s a little nerve-wracking but only in the way that you go to sleep with a phone in your hand. At the same time for me it is like the moment before I step on stage. I am almost always nervous and I am sure the crowd won’t be there and I am sure they are going to hate us. But once I hit that stage and the music starts it all melts away. I think that is a good metaphor to how I am feeling but really its all a shot in the dark because I have never had a child before and this is all so new.
On baby names: Here is the thing with names. It is like going to a music store where you have a million CDs picked out before you get there but once you walk in and you’re like, "Oh wait what was I here to listen to? I have no idea what I wanted." The main thing is that when I meet people they usually are what their name is or their name just really fits them. It is so hard to know and it’s kind of like the cart and the horse — does the name make the person or does the person make the name? With that said, we have some names that we like but honestly I want to meet the baby and spend some time before we decide on a name.
On celebrity causes: We have done a lot of work with Invisible Children but that isn’t the
only organization that we work with. For us, that was a group that we
could really get behind and outwardly support. After going to an event
it was important for us to go to Uganda and see what was happening. We
filmed the video for Me and You while we were there and you always
hear from people that trips like that produce some profound change. But
for me the change happened in ways that I never expected. It changed me
in inexplicable ways. You know I can still remember a moment where we
got blocked in at a roadblock and we practically had to buy ourselves
for 5000 shillings. I couldn’t be like, "Hey man, Google me, I'm that
bass player from Fall Out Boy." The world spins around and makes sense
but it doesn’t really make any sense when you stop and think about it.
We didn’t feel like Uganda was getting any attention. There was a lot
of Hollywood attention going to the Sudan and Darfur but Uganda was
being left out. I feel like certain things that we do should be
billboard big when it happens but there are other things we do because
they are our beliefs and we know they are things that we should be
doing. We don’t always need or want a camera there to show what we are
doing so it can show up in some blog the next day.
I actually learned a lot about this from Ben Affleck. We were filming the I’m F******* Matt Damon video for Jimmy Kimmel and we started talking
about Uganda. I thought I knew a lot and then Ben then started going
from country to country in Africa and I was blown away. I had thought I
knew a lot and then Ben was talking about referendums, trials and
regime changes. I would never know that he was so well versed on what
was happening. He never really puts that out there but it something he
really cares about and he does it because it is something he believes
in.
(photo Pamela Littky/Island Records)
Comments (2)
I very much appreciate and support the efforts FOB is making in regards to the Uganda situation. I personally have been very involved in this campaign for 3 years now, and it is fantastic to see that this campaign is actually making a difference in our world. For all who don't know about Invisible Children, please check it out. It may change your life--or at least your perspective on it.
It's sadly refreshing that the closet thing to human decency in the all to surreal world of stardom is four boys in a band caring for something larger then themselves. Props to you gentlemen for promoting a worthy cause. Take that Lohan.