It's always a headline. When a rich person dares to enter the dark underworld of the transit system and mingle with the lowly peasants below ground level, they are celebrated for being JUST LIKE US but also for being so humble that they would risk it all by venturing into the MTA.
Katie Holmes rode the subway in New York City and now she's the latest rich person to baffle the minds of outlets everywhere who just can't understand why someone would choose to trap themselves in a sticky, smelly subway car with commoners.
I lived in New York for six months when I was 21 and commuted in from deep in Brooklyn to Manhattan every day so I'm clearly an authority on the city's transit system. Real New Yorkers, feel free to yell at me. Here's why I don't think it's that weird for celebs to take the subway: driving in New York SUCKS. I also don't drive so I'm clearly an authority on this too. Sometimes, taking the subway is way faster and more convenient. Katie is a proper New Yorker. She's lived there for years. I don't think it's that big of a deal that she decided to ride the E Train (probably) uptown on a Thursday.
That said, if someone else was spotted reading Joan Didion on the MTA I'd probably roll my eyes and call them out for intentionally trying to seem down to earth. Why does it feel more authentic when Katie Holmes does it?
I think it has to do with the fact that Katie has held up the air of mystery that Tom Cruise is now striving for. Katie Holmes keeps her sh-t locked when she wants to. Granted, she's not as famous as Tom Cruise anymore but I think that's partially by design. Katie Holmes probably takes the subway a lot. Would she be able to have that freedom if she and Jamie Foxx went public? Or if she was making movies/promoting movies every few months like her ex-husband?
In Katie and Jamie news, they allegedly went on a date recently so their relationship or whatever is fine. As Maria broke down earlier this month, the breakup rumours are bullsh-t but their cagey weirdness about their relationship status is still there. I think it's a healthy combination of Jamie wanting to keep his options open and Katie wanting enough privacy to be able to take the subway.
Finally, another clue Katie is a seasoned subway-rider? She knew to grab the corner seat so she could have a head rest and maximum room to lean as far away as possible from the person next to her.
