April 8, 2007: Jimmy Kimmel Takes on Paparazzi But Gawker Takes the Hit
Did you see Jimmy Kimmel filling in for Mr. Suspenders on Larry King Live? He's now Jimmy the pitbull as far I am concerned.
The topic was paparazzi; here's the transcript. Jimmy took them on, but as this YouTube clip attests, he really went after Gawker with guns blazing. Gawker lied about his alcohol consumption, and he took Gawker editor Emily Gould to task for Gawker's reporting of unsubstantiated facts, going so far to note that even US Magazine fact checks (gulp). If that wasn't bad enough, the silly GawkerStalker site spurred a "this will cause the next John Lennon!!" furor among the lowlife panelists, who, in true paparazzi fashion, went below the belt to get an opportunistic shot.
It was an awesome show, and those of us who follow celebrity culture took a hit, too, right along with Emily. She should have conceded that Gawker is the funny Spy Magazine of online celebrity web sites, instead of grabbing at straws to defend its journalistic integrity.
See it on repeat if you can; the other guests included:
- Two paparazzi photogs were on, including Peter Brant and the dude who took the pictures of panty-less Britney. He went to UCLA and got a Political Science degree. Way to use it, bro!
- PR guy Howard Brantman, who hates the paparazzi, but forgot to concede that his clients who want to be stars actually kiss the paparazzi's ass.
- Ryan Smith , reporter for OK! magazine, which pays celebrities for coverage. Smith finally coughed that nugget up after interrogation by Jimmy, who could at least score a role as detective on CSI: Miami after his guest host shot.
- Larry King veteran Mark Geragos, who we know from the Michael Jackson and Laci Peterson trials. He came off the best, which says everything.
- Reichen Lehmkuhl, who was asked about the paparazzi's impact on his relationship with Lance Bass. Poor Reichen thought this was about him. Wrong. What did Lance think? How was Lance impacted? In fact, where is Lance right now?
LEHMKUHL: Well, I mean that's not a war I would even waste any energy fighting. It's just -- you know there are people out there who are going to write things that are not true. I mean we were just talking with this woman Emily; obviously, you let her know that she had no point and that she did not know what she was talking about. And it was really obvious because I completely relate to that. There have been so many times where things have been written about me in relation to my relationship that became very public and it just simply wasn't true. And yes, that's something that upsets me.
KIMMEL: Mark Geragos is with us.
LEHMKUHL: But it might not upset someone else.
KIMMEL: Mark...
LEHMKUHL: I mean I'm not like a...
KIMMEL: Excuse me, Reichen.
posted by Dave Singleton @ 9:00 PM
2 Comments:
From New York Post on 4/10
No Check, Please
ONE of Gawker's acid-tongued editors, Emily Gould, blew her snarky site's credibility the other night when she haughtily branded its Gawker Stalker Map as "citizen journalism" - and then did an about-face, telling Jimmy Kimmel, subbing for Larry King on CNN: "Everyone who reads it knows that it isn't checked at all." When Gould insisted celebs can protect themselves with their millions, Kimmel shot back, "You know that's a silly and stupid thing to say . . . Just because people have money means it's OK to say false things about them, to tear them down?" Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Gould squeaked, "It's not OK to say false things about anyone." To which Kimmel retorted, "Well, you should check your Web site then. Thank you for talking to us," and then cut her off.
This was SO painful to watch.
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