It didn't surprise me that Birdman won Best Picture last weekend. What surprised me is that the movie isn't very good. In fact it's kind of bad. Not, you know, Titanic bad, but around there somewhere. So how does a mediocre movie with schticky camerawork and the most self-serving premise since The Player win filmdom's most coveted statuette? Dirty …

Morning, kids! I promised a new podcast. Ergo and thusly, here it is. Three whole people have won free copies of my new book this week. (Congrats, three people!) Is one of them you? Listen to this latest episode to find out. What's inside? Well... How about what it's like to buy a car while famous? (Hint: Do you get to take possession of a car befo…

So it's Oscar season, and lo! A certain popular historical drama has found itself largely shut out by the powers that be at the Academy. Could it be because the director of Selma is an African-American woman, and the Academy, in contrast, is largely white and male? (That's a silly question. Of course it could be.) But there's more to the snubbing o…

Another week, another two lucky listeners are getting free autographed copies of my new book! A book that's available in paperback or on Kindle here in the U.S. as well as across the pond! Are you one of the two new champions of Hollywood truth and justice? Have a listen to this brand-new episode to find out. (Hint: I answer your questions about ho…

I told you I was going to give away free signed copies of my book, and—unlike many a Hollywood publicist—I do not lie to my public. In fact, whenever possible, I double the hell down. On truth. As in, what if I select not one lucky book winner this week, but two? Yep, this week, two lucky listeners wrote in celebrity-related questions that I answer…

My new book is out! My new book is out! Maybe you're not familiar with my conquests in the world of publishing. Maybe you remain ignorant of my bestselling sort-of selling book, which exposes the real secrets behind how celebrities operate. (Hint: Stars are not just like us.) Maybe you've been waiting for such a book your whole life. Well here come…

So, it's no secret that Renee Zellweger looks... different. Radically. (If you care to remember her how she was, here's an old-timey photo of her. I even put a sepia tone on it for an added level of feel-good nostalgia.) The only question remaining: Precisely what did she do, and, more importantly, was this a good idea? You listeners have been writ…

Tonight marks the return of American Horror Story, the beloved series that's kind of like a toddler's birthday party: It starts off so charmingly, but ends up a total hot mess by the end of its run. One element of AHS that never fails to disappoint—because it always stays the same, episode after episode—is the opening title sequence. Season four is…

This just in: Pretty much every single new TV show debuting right now is not worth your time. I found this out because one of you asked, and because one of the greatest authorities on fall TV subsequently told me so. Let the flame wars begin. Just in case you need details—precisely how cringeworthy is The Mysteries of Laura? Is Shonda Rhimes the An…

No, people. No, Matthew McConaughey is not hurting for money. Sure, he earned an upfront salary of only $200,000 for Dallas Buyers Club—not nearly enough to keep an A-lister in marijuana and bongos. And yes, he just shot a commercial for Lincoln, part of a multi-year deal that seems—seems—to demote him to the farm leagues, warming the B-list benche…

When it comes to red carpet events, Hollywood is kinda like India: There's a caste system. The brahmins at the top get to arrive whenever they want, diss whoever they want, talk to the masses, or not. And the untouchables--fledgling pop singers, wannabe reality sensations, regional beauty queens--scrape and hustle for whatever they can get. A lot g…

Well, look at that. We're at our 61st episode already. That's no small feat, given that I'm starting to rack up mortal enemies. Take the film office for a certain southwestern metropolis, for example. I hear that someone over there considers me formidable, or, at least, enough of a threat to shut out my sources down there. I feel so important! This…

Welcome to Episode 60 of my show! A listener has written in asking why "all" of the celebrities are currently on Ibiza, that sexy Mediterranean island that features eight Scandinavian models for every fake Rockefeller in a sweaty silk shirt. In this latest episode, I reject the premise of this question. "All" of the celebrities are not currently in…

That's a long headline up there. Deal with it. It's a jam-packed podcast, and that's what happens when you record a jam-packed podcast that's jam-packed with jammy-packy dish. For instance: My co-host this week is none other than Harmony Walton of the Bridal Bar, the celebrity wedding planning company that knows more secrets about star nuptials tha…

No they're not. But in my latest podcast, my co-host delves deep into the world of fake documentaries, particularly Animal Planet's amazing two-part "scientific" series that drew millions of Americans in the wild, wonderful and completely fake world of fish people. The Nerd Out's Lisa Jenkins admits she's kinda mesmerized by what Animal Planet has …

The Emmy nominations are out! And they're as confusing and poorly reasoned as an episode of The Strain! But fret not, TV watchers. You have questions about why the nominations came down the way they did, and I have answers. This whole episode is dedicated to your queries about the 66th Annual Emmy Awards. Bonus points to me for managing to mention …

Happy week of Fourth of July! Nothing says American independence like showing up at a synagogue and strippin’ down, amiright, fellow patriots? This week’s podcast features a nifty celebrity sighting that, if not red or white, is certainly blue. Find out which star recently shot a film at a synagogue, and used one of the offices as a changing room b…

I’m back with a brand-new podcast, people! For those of you who voiced concern over the utterly vicious, Uruk-Hai army of a head cold I had last week—and to those three of you, thank you—know that I am back. I am alive. I am ready to, once again, answer your questions about what’s really going on in show business. As promised, this week I dig deepe…

If you've ever wondered why so many pop stars like to compare themselves to slaves–I'm looking at you, Prince–this is the episode for you. Yes, famous musicians are insanely rich, so rich that they can wear mountie hats made by Vivienne Westwood and not lose any of their friends. But that doesn't mean that record labels are beneficent overlords. Th…

This week I promised you a podcast jam-packed with answers to your burning Hollywood questions, and here it is. Red carpet reporter and reality TV obsessive Lawrence Yee joins me for this episode, in which… A listener named Kaitlin wonders what goes on behind the scenes whenever a star appears on a talk show. (Hint: Absolutely nothing that hasn’t b…

Adam Sandler’s latest movie has a Rotten Tomatoes metascore lower than Jennifer Lopez’s necklines, at 15 percent. (For the record, the film, which Shall Not Be Named, is also a flop, having earned a mere $14.3 million since it opened.) This isn’t the first Sandler film to spur film critics to hastily empty their popcorn onto the theater floor so th…

It’s been roughly 8 months, and actress Cote de Pablo has yet to reveal what really led to her departure from oldster favorite NCIS. Indeed, with few exceptions, there's been a nearly Beyonce-level silence about what led the ersatz Israeli to up and leave Scoob and the gang all sudden-like. Listener Kristy wrote in to ask why our favorite Chilean r…

Congratulations to me. The Fame Fatale turns 50 this week! Sort of! This marks our 50th episode. I wanted to celebrate. But I had so much hot Hollywood info to share with you that I kind of forgot to get bombed on champagne. (Looks like Episode 51 is gonna be all kinds of raucous. I apologize to my liver in advance.) In this edition: Baby Vegas has…

Remember Brandon Chase, that cute l’il country singer from Texas who set off not one but two buzzers during last season’s The Voice? He may not have won, but so what? This is a guy who already had sold 20,000 records before show producers even invited him to audition. What’s that you say? You didn’t know that Voice contestants often skip the cattle…

No, I'm not talking about Coachella, though that could fall under the above category. I speak of the big gay Hollywood sex parties that are all the rage among breathless reporters, ever since news broke that a onetime underage boy is suing mega-director Bryan Singer. The allegations: That Singer invited the young actor to a big gay industry party, …

That headline up there’s for my new UK fans. I now appear weekly on iTV’s This Morning, see, and I need to do all I can to charm the home of wee Prince George and the beans and toast. If you’ve seen me on Friday’s Showbiz Showdown, and you’ve been curious about me gobby podcast, welcome to The Fame Fatale, innit? This week’s bits ’n’ bobs: A reader…

Now that Gwyneth Paltrow has consciously uncoupled, it’s time to talk about the purposeful divorce and volitional single life that will likely follow. Will GOOP be able to expand her rabid fan base of urban backyard beekeepers and kale juice enthusiasts? Or will her haters increase their number, swelling into a mob that stages barely civil, bonfire…

So True Detective is over. Now what am I supposed to overanalyze on Reddit? Sure, the food on Hannibal looks amazing, but the show lacks that certain je-ne-sais-Carcosa. I need a crime TV fix, people! Luckily, I have a friend in Nancie Clare, founder of the forthcoming Speaking of Mysteries blog and podcast. When it comes to ferreting out the best …

In case you’ve stepped away from Twitter for more than eight seconds, the South by Southwest festival continues apace in Austin. (Can't understand what I'm saying? Here: #SXSW is happening in #Austin.) If you remain unimpressed by this festival of music and interactive shenanigans and Justin Bieber, you are not alone. A loyal listener wrote in esse…

Now that the Oscars are over, can we talk about that cheesy pizza that Ellen Degeneres had delivered in the middle of the telecast? Answer Dad loved that stunt. Thought it was brilliant comedy. I was more curious about the pizza itself—whether the whole jape was real, an elaborate bit of theater, or just an excuse for Jennifer Lawrence to actually …

It’s the last podcast before the Oscars! Ever wonder how actresses choose one obscene diamond necklace over another obscene diamond necklace before hitting a red carpet? Here’s a hint: Which jeweler is willing to pay the actress the most? It’s the dirty, increasingly open secret of Oscar season: The red carpet fashion pay-for-placement game. Top de…

It’s Valentine’s Day week. In honor of the holiday, I bring you a podcast filled with as much bile and cynicism as I can possibly pack into 30 minutes. I begin by answering a reader question about the sad death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, and go downhill from there. Even my staunchly sunny co-host Baby Vegas gets a little wilted toward the second ha…

With Justin Bieber’s Crime and Punishment Tour winding down, you’d think that the gossip news tide would also recede. That's what I was expecting, anyway; just a day or two ago I was even flirting with making up a kibble-juicing scandal at the Puppy Bowl just to pad my rather empty-looking podcast. (Wait. Are they juicing the kibble at the Puppy Bo…

For a week now, you’ve been plying my Facebook and Twitter feed with questions—nay, prayers—begging me to use my sizable influence to eject Justin Bieber from our wholesome land, to protect our amber waves of grain from his rampaging sizzurp-fueled Batmobile of sin. Kick the egg-hurler out of the country! you cry. Send him back to the frozen Canadi…

It’s all about Oscar nominations on our latest episode! For days, you’ve been writing to me with your questions about this year’s nods—does the Academy hate Leo? Does the Academy have a problem with black actors? (Unless it actually has a problem with Walt Disney instead?) I tracked down an eminent voice in the world of film and got all of the answ…

While the rest of the planet was watching Lupita Nyong'o get robbed on the Golden Globes, I was busy putting together a fresh podcast for you. Among the topics this week: Why you maybe shouldn’t watch the Golden Globes either. And the reason has nothing to do with the fact that Lupita was so completely robbed. What else have I got for you this epis…

It’s January! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If you’re a celebrity personal assistant, that question actually isn’t all that crazy. As I recently learned, stars like their assistants to think like an elf all year ‘round, starting right...about...now. I offer you proof of this in my first podcast of the New Year, courtesy of an interv…

I love Kanye West. Newswise, he’s the gift who keeps on giving—a living, breathing savior in Givenchy boots and layered flannel. If I wake up in the morning and he hasn’t waxed poetical in the media, I simply assume he’s off turning water into moscato somewhere. Uh huh, honey. This week, the rapper insisted that his career is just like that of a so…

Now that Thanksgiving is over and I’ve returned to my regularly scheduled overeating, I have the time to start answering your questions again. And, really, why spend all that holiday time yakking with your family about Pappy’s goiter when you can listen to me hold forth about how celebrities really live? It’s a no brainer, people. This week, one of…

So Miley Cyrus has chosen her opening act for her way-feminist, super-nekkid all-twerking world tour, y’all! But the question remains: Will they even get paid? After all, as I’ve reported before, some acts get nothing for hitting the road, even with a famous act. Some baby performers even have to pay to open for a main attraction. You had questions…

It’s 11 p.m. on a Monday night and my head is killing me. For the benefit for you people—you people!—I’ve just slogged through a half-dozen bottles of wine, each of which has some tie-in to a celebrity or a hit TV show. Why? Because Kristin from New York started it. A loyal listener, Kristin is, and she wrote in to my Fame Fatale podcast, asking wh…

Ever wonder what lies inside Taylor Swift’s head, other than ponies. And guitars that taste like strawberries. And images of One Direction with Harry Styles’s face scribbled out with a glitter pen? You’re not alone. A loyal listener wrote in recently asking what’s really behind the lovelorn lyrics written by award-winning angstress. So this week, I…

Last week I promised you a bloody hell of a Halloween episode. Here it is. If you loved Pan's Labyrinth as much as I did; if you're a true dweeb who is anxiously hoping for a Hellboy 3; if "Hush" was your favorite episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you're definitely going to want to listen to this, my 30th episode and my inaugural celebration of …

What’s better than another Fame Fatale episode featuring three listener questions, answered? Another Fame Fatale episode featuring four listener questions, answered. This week I abstain from a VIP interview in order to give you all more of what you crave, and that’s me talking. You asked whether Elizabeth Berkley’s hopped-up jive performance on Dan…

Now that Charlie Hunnam has announced his departure from 50 Shades of Grey, my listeners are wondering what really spurred the Sons of Anarchy star to bail on what just might be the most lucrative bondage movie ever made. In this week’s episode of my Fame Fatale podcast, Hollywood casting director Bonnie Gillespie addresses that very question, theo…

Fun fact: The best pizza dough in Los Angeles just happens to take two days to make. That’s one day more than your average dough takes. The moral: Sometimes you just need an extra 24 hours to produce perfection. Ditto with podcasts. Episode 27 of the Fame Fatale is out on a Wednesday this week, and that’s because we wanted to make it extra crispy o…

Just how insecure is the average A-list celebrity? Assuming, of course, that the A-lister is really an A-lister? In my latest episode, celebrity wrangler Rita Tateel, that herder of very beautiful cats, dishes on how Hollywood truly defines a VIP in a city of so-called VIPs...and how celebrities tend to rank each other. (Hint: Too many B-listers ca…

When was the last time you heard a podcast that explored Star Wars, celebrity drug rehabs and the civil rights movement in a single episode? Well, scratch that item off your bucket list, kids: It’s all here for you in Episode 25 of the Fame Fatale.This week’s VIP interview is really special to me. After reading of the recent mini-beef between Harry…

It’s Emmy week! It’s Emmy week! For the next seven days my email inbox will overflow with breathless intel from publicists letting me know precisely which chandelier earring Claire Danes is wearing right this very second. It’s all extremely important. Know what’s even more pressing, though? Your questions! About this Emmy season! You sent me TV-rel…

Baby Vegas is back from Burning Man. I’ve just returned from a Mexican bender involving nine cases of Tecate and five bottles of tequila split between seven people over four days. Needless to say, your two Fame Fatale hosts are feeling a little loose in this latest episode. Don’t get me wrong: We’re still exploding with plenty of occult Hollywood k…