• Hollywood Elsewhere •

“A rarity and a gem...Hollywood Elsewhere is the first thing I go to every morning.” —Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Blog Whisperers

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 19, 2007 at 02:41 PM

Stephen Rodrick's Los Angeles magazine piece about Oscar bloggers ("The Blog Whisperers") hit the stands yesterday, the main focus being on myself and MCN's David Poland. I suppose Rodrick or his editor Kit Rachlis thought the Poland vs. Wells bitchfest was the tangiest aspect to run with, but...

The piece is okay but a bit myopic in the sense that no attention is paid to The Envelope's Tom O'Neil and Hollywood Wiretap's Pete Hammond. Poland and I are heavily in the game, of course, but these two guys mainline it. If I'm a "lapsed Catholic" or even an agnostic, O'Neil and Hammond are Elmer Gantry-like evange- licals.

Nonetheless, the subhead of the piece reads, "How two middle-aged, apartment- dwelling, Hollywood-obsessed rivals are quietly -- and not so quietly -- transform- ing the Oscar race."

Rodrick talked, appropriately, to Oscarwatch.com's Sasha Stone and In Conten- tion's Kris Tapley. They're both flatteringly portrayed, Sasha especially -- she comes off as the most grounded and level-headed of the bunch.

Here's the cover and here's the piece in five chunks -- the opening visual, the cover page, page 3, page 4 and page 5

I'm running the link-and-look piece in order to argue and correct a few things, to wit:

Correction #1: Rodrick implies unholy collusion by saying that when he called to interview me in Manhattan last month, (a) he noticed a Little Miss Sunshine ad on HE and (b) I told him I was staying in Sunshine screenwriter Michael Arndt's place in Brooklyn. I've explained this before but let's do it once again: Arndt and I met on Craig's List in the spring of '05 -- I was looking for a summer-long apartment swap so I could lie in New York from June to August, and he was looking for a place to stay in Los Angeles while he was working on the Sunshine shoot. He 'd read me and all, and yeah, we've stayed friendly since, but to imply a quid pro quo in terms of Sunshine ads is bogus and lame.

Correction #2: The production company I wasted 18 months working for in the late '80s was called Kodiak Films, not "Kodiak Kodiak."

Correction #3: I got divorced in 1991, not '89. (A fact-checker called me in early January but she didn't even ask me to confirm the biographical stuff.)

Correction #4: I didn't switch to the internet in '99, but in '98, when I began my column for Mr. Showbiz. The Reel.com column, which began more or less when my L.A,. Times Syndicate deal ended (after five years), launched in August '99.

Correction #5: Poland has a spacious two-bedroom apartment; Rodrick writes that he lives in a one-bedroom one.

The piece is the piece is the piece -- make of it what you will. Rodrick tries one more time to make me look like an ad suck-upper in a discussion of Children of Men and my having had difficulty getting an ad from Universal. My basic policy/ attitude is that I want ads from everybody -- like any other web publication, my income is based on ad support. But the appeal of Hollywood Elsewhere is that I tend to write bluntly and candidly about stuff I've seen and am hearing from trusted sources and am thinking about. (Within the bounds of political propriety, of course.) Any whiff of editorial ass-kissing would obviously harm my credibility. On the other hand, I do try to make nice and encourage media buyers to look on the bright side and the benefits of advertising with HE.

Overall it's flattering to be written about and I can roll with most of the snarky stuff that Rodrick and Rachlis are putting out. I mean, it doesn't bother me hugely.

I was amused by the observation that "my eyes dart constantly, as if he's going to have to fend off an attack at any moment." I like that because it makes me sound like Leonardo DiCaprio's character in The Departed, whom I relate to. "He's like a scared rabbit through it," I said to Rodrick. "I thought he was great. I'm like a scared rabbit every day."

Comments

Pete put you up to this, didn't he?

Anyway, don't get me started on this thing, full of typos (I was never called for fact-checking) and gross misrepresentation.

They put me at 23, I'm 25.

They say Sasha and I are "Tony Angelotti {sic} finds" and that Tony "encouraged me to move to Los Angeles," the latter being the same false rhetoric spun either by agenda-driven publicists or a Tony-obssessed online personality - I can't be sure which - for some time now.

I know the guy was facing a tight deadline, but a lot of this shit is just sloppy. And not calling me to fact check is questionable indeed. Someone at the mag sent me an email the night before they went to the press, but that's not good enough. If you can't fact check it, don't print it.

But whatever...I'm gonna try to let it go. Thankfully I don't come off in a poor light, and I stand by the statement that if I'm doing this in five years, I'll kill myself.

And hopefully the publicist or online personality can try keeping his/her libeling mouth shut...finally.

Posted by: Kristopher Tapley at January 19, 2007 05:10 PM

As an avid reader of both Wells and Poland, I have to say that this article made me chuckle multiple times....
Good job, LA Magazine.

Posted by: Zoidberg at January 19, 2007 05:28 PM

I can't wait until Poland gets his teeth into this and self-righteously rips it up. I also wonder why they made him look like the third Belushi brother.

Posted by: jeffmcm at January 19, 2007 05:48 PM

Is it just me, or doesn't Poland look like "Mafia Goon #4" from some 70's cop show? Not suggesting anything, mind you.

Posted by: RoyBatty at January 19, 2007 05:55 PM

"Third belushi brother" "mafia goon"...I say keep going, it's too funny.

Posted by: Geoff at January 19, 2007 06:01 PM

I bet Poland ignores it entirely. I had to admit it made me laugh. Poland didn't really unleash on Wells as he has on numerous occasions on his site, though. Jeff finally got a chance to tell his Poland stories in print. I love the "House of Poland" thing. So funny. I thought Roderick did a good job - he was on a tight deadline and his fact checker didn't do a thorough enough job on some things, I thought. I second Kris' points about us not being Tony A's bitches. People may think that now but my only point was that Tony was aware of the net and blogging (or whatever) long before the other studios or publicists caught on - this is back in 1999 or 2000. I admire him for that - he is a smart SOB.

Posted by: bipedalist at January 19, 2007 06:16 PM

Once this article gets around, I really wouldn't be surprised if someone at a major studio pitches a movie in which, say, Steve Martin and Eugene Levy play rival Oscar-bloggers.

Posted by: LYTrules at January 19, 2007 06:27 PM

The funny thing is, they AREN'T Oscar bloggers. Both write about and try to influence the race but have little impact ultimately.

Posted by: bipedalist at January 19, 2007 06:39 PM

Helen Mirren is a hottie, but that cover makes me feel like she's about to flash me her mastectomy scars - accusingly at that.

Posted by: Hallick at January 19, 2007 06:42 PM

"Third belushi brother" "mafia goon"...I say keep going, it's too funny."

Aw, come on guys. Dave looks more like a Reservoir Dog - Mr. Avocado.

Posted by: Hallick at January 19, 2007 06:44 PM

My first thought upon seeing the illustrations was "What's the point of that picture of Al Capone?" Regardless of what you think about Wells, if you see that video of Disco Dave on Carpetbagger, you'll have to admit Poland should be in the market for a treadmill.

Posted by: T. S. Idiot at January 19, 2007 06:46 PM

Jeez, I don't think Mirren HAS masectomy scars.

Both Poland and Wells come off a lot more attractive in person, IMO. That's a really bad pic of Poland. Both of them need new "official" photos.

Posted by: bipedalist at January 19, 2007 07:03 PM

I'd totally shack up with Helen Mirren. With or without masectomy scars. But I'm a freak.

Mr. Rodrick didn't capture that part of my essence.

Posted by: Kristopher Tapley at January 19, 2007 07:07 PM

I knew it.

Poland looks smug and satisfied.

Wells looks guilty and dazed.

You two just had prison sex, didn't you?

Posted by: LuckyWilbury at January 19, 2007 07:37 PM

"Once this article gets around, I really wouldn't be surprised if someone at a major studio pitches a movie in which, say, Steve Martin and Eugene Levy play rival Oscar-bloggers."

I think the reception for "For Your Consideration" will cure anyone of wanting to make a movie about the madcap world of Oscar campaigning for a few years.

Posted by: Chris Willman at January 19, 2007 09:18 PM

Interesting and funny read. I thought all four characters came off pretty well. A little kooky maybe, but human and excited about movies. Sometimes it's easy to forget there is an actual human being on the other end of these blogs.

Posted by: cjKennedy at January 19, 2007 10:17 PM

OK, if someone answered it long ago on another thread, I apologize, but are Wiretap Pete Hammond and Maxim Pete Hammond one and the same?

Posted by: Nick Rogers at January 19, 2007 10:23 PM

Are there any Jews reading this comment?

Happy New Year from all of us at Hollywood,Interrupted!

Cheers!

Mark Ebner
http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com

Posted by: MarkEbner at January 19, 2007 11:02 PM

What?

Gross misrepresentation in an article about someone?

Why, I'm sure that's not even possible. No journalist would ever set out with an agenda and then shape his reportage to support that agenda no matter what the facts are.

That's an outrageous claim, Kris. I'm sure every word written about you is just as true as every word written about me.

This one's going to follow you, man. And I would be upset if I were you. Misrepresentation or not, this makes everyone involved except Sasha look opportunistic, craven, and completely mercenary.

Posted by: Drew at January 19, 2007 11:38 PM

Thanks for the scan Wells. Im lovin' it.
Poland sucks.

Posted by: Thrudvangar at January 20, 2007 12:28 AM

Hallick: "Mr. Avocado", LOL.

Drew: You should notice something about the fact that nobody has ever, _EVER_, written to defend you. What's up with that?

And I think that Helen Mirren just has naturally huge cans. She was in Caligula, remember.

Posted by: jeffmcm at January 20, 2007 01:06 AM

Drew, I AM opportunistic, craven, and completely mercenary. But I'm allowed. I'm 25.

Posted by: Kristopher Tapley at January 20, 2007 01:48 AM

Dammit I remember MR SHOWBIZ - it was a highly entertaining webpage with some good reviews and info, until Disney starting changing the format. Then it died.

As for Poland and Wells, I'm a fan of both men. I rely on Poland for box office analysis and the occasional well-written movie review. Personally, I think Poland is #1 when it comes to info pertaining to box office screens, former and current openings, number of screens etc - he takes all that info, analyzes it and presents an argument.

Once in a while he's also ahead of the conventional wisdom and had the guts to tell it like it is (the negative review for SUPERMAN RETURNS).

Wells is also someone I check daily. He is also an articulate writer with a passion for film and I like his smargasbord-like spattering of movie and showbiz-related items throughout the day with an interesting assortment of stills.

I know there are fans who traverse in both camps.

And yes, I do see a movie in this.

They are the web male equivalents of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons and we love it.

Posted by: Spacesheik at January 20, 2007 04:14 AM

LMAO.....this is pretty funny stuff and, yeah, a movie, why the hell not? Now who would be the perfect director for this stuff?

Posted by: austin111 at January 20, 2007 06:49 AM

can't read it. in the links jeff provided the type is too small. and the la mag website doesn't have this issue up yet.

Posted by: Breedlove at January 20, 2007 07:19 AM

Breedlove, you need to "scale up" the page images. On windows, hold your cursor over any part of the page for a few seconds -- an icon should pop up in the bottom right corner, click on it and you'll be able to read everything just fine.

Posted by: OddDuck at January 20, 2007 07:33 AM

In other news, oscar blogger Jeff Wells was served notice by the publishers of Los Angeles magazine for copyright infringement...

Posted by: c. fontana at January 20, 2007 07:39 AM

Is that really Poland on the left? I like the third Belushi and Mafia goon comments, but I thought it was Mayor Richard Daley. The OLD Mayor Daley, the REAL Mayor Daley from when I was a kid in Chicago back in the 60s.

I can really see Poland reaching out to crush some uppity alderman on the city council.

Posted by: nemo at January 20, 2007 09:09 AM

I first started reading Jeff Wells at Mr Showbiz way way back in the day. Back before Reel.com and moviepoopshoot even.

I especially liked Jeff's movie blogging successor at Mr Showbiz. Does anybody remember his name. He died a couple of years after he took over Jeff's Mr Showbiz spot.

I'll always remember that guy for his response to a reader who called him "a bitter old queen". He drew himself up and replied, "I am not bitter!"

Posted by: nemo at January 20, 2007 09:15 AM

Oh, that was a fun read. As usual Sasha came across as the only person with not only their head screwed on but facing in the direction she is walking in. Kris Tapsley came off worst, and should burn every copy.

"House of Poland" was hysterical.

Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 20, 2007 09:54 AM

Aw, Ian, you're just biased. :-) This is all very silly, this insular little world. Whenever I start feeling like it matters I go to Breitbart and read the Iraq headlines - like this one: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/20/D8MP5IUO0.html. That puts it all right back into rational perspective. Not for nothing, Wells at least aknowledges on his site that there are other things going on worth discussing than movies, she says as she updates her latest lengthy Oscar predictions article.

Posted by: bipedalist at January 20, 2007 10:53 AM

Sorry, I don't know why that link didn't work - here it is (cause I really want to bum you all out of a Saturday, damn it)

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/20/D8MP5IUO0.html

Posted by: bipedalist at January 20, 2007 10:55 AM

Good article. Would kinda like to know how you two met though.

We need an Episode I.

Posted by: Eddie at January 20, 2007 12:20 PM

Bip - there's a war in Iraq?

Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 20, 2007 12:29 PM

(looking befuddled) Iraq? Is Cate Blanchett in that? Is it up for any awards?

Posted by: cjKennedy at January 20, 2007 09:16 PM

I never knew that D Polamd looked like a Belushi.

Posted by: Hal at January 22, 2007 03:00 AM

Posted by: kimi98 at July 25, 2007 07:54 AM