Rolling Stone (Jan. 31st 2002)

Gwen Stefani

[taken from Neil Strauss’ Nobody Loves You When You’re Dead; transcript of an interview that, in its edited form, appeared in Rolling Stone]

As No Doubt walked down the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, paparazzi screamed not for the band but for “Gwennnn,” who obliged them by opening her fur jacket and sticking out her chest, which was covered by just a teeny bikini top. She gave a big patronizing smile, her body a bone for the dogs. Later, a teenage fan ran up to band bassist (and singer Gwen Stefani’s ex-boyfriend) Tony Kanal. “Man, I love your band,” he said. “You’re my hero. I have to ask you something: When you guys first got together, did you just think, ‘Wow, she is hot!’?” Kanal didn’t answer.

Over a Japanese meal the following week in New York, Stefani wrestled with the concept of being a sex symbol.

So you were saying about the new record…

GWEN STEFANI: Yeah, I think it’s a cool record. It does have a sexiness and a hipness that we’ve never had before. The thing about the sexy side, for me, is that I earned it (laughs). I feel like I didn’t play my cards too soon on that because I never felt comfortable.

When did you start feeling comfortable with that side of yourself?

STEFANI: It wasn’t until, like, two years ago that I felt comfortable wearing high heels, because when you’re on heels—dude, you should try it—all of a sudden you’re sexy. It doesn’t matter who you are. It just gives you a different way you walk. I never felt old enough before. I think I finally feel like there’s a side to me like, “I’m a woman now,” which is cool. It’s fun.

That’s pretty good—you’re thirty-two.

STEFANI: Yeah, I never felt really strong growing up. I think it was the way my parents raised me, in this really Catholic way. And maybe being insecure about being the girl in the scene back in the day. I didn’t know where I fit in. All the women around me that I could look at were in bands like L7 or Hole. And these were hard girls. They were angry and they were pissed, and I didn’t really feel like that. And then the other ones were these folky girls. So there wasn’t really anybody, until I discovered Blondie. She was sexy and she wasn’t ashamed to just be rocking out. And to me, that’s having it all because we all want to be sexy, even guys do. It’s in human nature, because we’ve gotta have babies.

It’s interesting, because when we went to the Billboard awards, you would vamp and show skin and give the photographers what they wanted, but you’d do it sort of tongue-in-cheek.

STEFANI: I think the whole being sexy thing, to do it seriously is just a joke. The only time it ever becomes serious is when you’re one-on-one with the person you love, and then you can’t be silly about it—other than saying, like, “Come on, dude. I mean, have you seen me when I wake up in the morning?” Nobody’s perfect. I don’t get it. I don’t get the whole thing.

WAITER: Everything okay? Did you like the noodles?

STEFANI: Yeah! It’s so weird to think that noodles came from Japan, right? And then they somehow made it to Italy and turned into pasta.

One thing I’ve noticed after talking to you is that you’re a very traditional person.

STEFANI: It’s from my family. You’ll meet my mom, and you couldn’t get more traditional.

What does your brother do?

STEFANI: My brother was always an artist—since the day he was born—and he always got all the attention. He would win all the awards at school. I didn’t have to do anything, because I had him. That was my claim to fame.

Were you popular in school?

STEFANI: I was always a pretty passive person. I was a one-on-one person. I had my one best friend, and I didn’t have lots of girlfriends. I never have. I can still name all of my best friends: the three girls from growing up, my first boyfriend—who was the first guy I kissed —and then Tony. And that’s it. There’s not much before the band. I wasn’t doing drugs or having premarital sex or anything.

Were you more of a studious type?

STEFANI: I was always a really good girl, but I was really bad at school. So I decided that once I graduated, I was going to start over again. I went to college, and I took it really seriously. I wanted to, like, get smart. I took every class from the very beginning: beginning English, beginning math. It took me a long time.

What did you want to do with that education?

STEFANI: I guess I never had any dreams and never really thought that far ahead. At that point, I just decided, “Okay, I’m going to take art for my major, and then I’ll decide what I’m going to do with it after I explore it.” But then we went on tour, and that was that. I never headed back. I didn’t have to fucking decide.

The waiter returns.

WAITER: This is the last thing. Usually after finishing your food, you drink this to your health.

STEFANI: Okay, I need the health stuff. (Downs the drink in seconds.)