TV's Halloween UGH, when valid criticism becomes a pile on, celebs coming for our Substacks, interview sparks and thuds, security logistics, and partying with Beyoncé
As to the substack thing, I am very picky about who I'm going to throw my money at, as I don't have that much money. I like bang for the buck, which means I'm more likely to throw my money at someplace like The Squawk or Jezebel or Pajiba or Wonkette, or individuals whose work and opinion I respect, like Kayleigh Donaldson, something like that. I think celebrities are boring, I am not a person who is star struck, so I don't really care what they think about anything as a general rule, unless they''re expressing something that offends me, and lord knows I'm not going to pay money for them to offend me.
I know I might be alone in all of that, but if there are substacks by celebrities where fans take over, it's not my problem, I'm never going to go there in the first place. Life is too short to waste it on things I don't enjoy.
Totally agree, and this is also how I feel about podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts, but I’ve never once listened to one of the “celebrity hangout/interview” shows. I’ve already got my favorites from before those became a thing, and sometimes I find new great stuff (shoutout to Normal Gossip, I feel like fellow Squawkers would love that one), but that’s just not a genre I’m interested in. Still, it pisses me off that celebs are getting millions of dollars for their shows, and creative shows that I love might struggle to pay the bills. I do hope that doesn’t happen to Substack.
Just a quick note that you can add "audiobooks" to the artistic worlds celebrities are starting to overload. Lots of journeyperson (and amazing) narrators are increasingly struggling to find work as celebrities and AI crowd out the top and bottom of the industry.
I always wonder about the celebrities doing audiobooks. It's one thing when it's a gigging character actor but there are some huge stars doing an awful lot of audiobooks. I'm looking at you, Paul Rudd.
It's hard to fight, because celebrity audiobooks usually get way more promotion and press (like Canadian Boyfriend, which I narrated with The Joshua Jackson - but which, as a result, got featured in US Weekly and this very blog!), so they sell better. But, as with everything in publishing, imagine if you put that same marketing out for a non-celebrity? (So many authors experience this inequity in trad publishing.) It might sell just as well! But then you'd have to sell it on the plot or the performance, both of which require more effort to package than "It's Paul Rudd!"
I do like it when they narrate their memoirs, because they know when to add sarcasm, drama, etc. for emphasis. But having been a professional librarian prior to the Audible boom, I can tell you there are narration talent with fandoms of their own being put out of work every time a celebrity voices a novel. And don’t get me started on celebrity kids’ books….
When I went to LA I went to Cecconi’s based on Lainey’s story that she saw Beyoncé and Jen there at the same time. The pavlova mess that I had for dessert is my Roman Empire, I still think about it weekly, six years later.
Lainey, I’m one of those people (also a Scorpio and Halloween falls in our season) who gets excited about costume episodes. In particular, I always made sure not to miss The Social Halloween special. It was lights out television GOLD every single time! Thanks for providing this service. It was appreciated!🎃👻⭐️
I'm dying to see A Real Pain! Especially for Will Sharpe who is poised for an absolute breakout soon.
What was the turning point in history where Halloween became something in which adults were expected to participate? Some social scientist has to have the timeline pointing to what changed in society that made this a thing. I hate it and would like to get off this ride.
James Patterson, the guy who doesn't even write his own books yet still rakes in cash by the boatload needs more? This is what irks me about celebs who have to stake out more territory and billionaires in general, when is it enough? Is this a diagnosable personality disorder where someone needs to acquire more and more to fill some need?
I’ll take a reporter in a giraffe costume over a reporter in a hurricane although reporting from a hurricane as a giraffe seems fitting with the sense any of it makes to me.
Would the reporter reporting in a hurricane in a giraffe costume remain in the frame very long or would they need to report in something that catches less wind, possibly like a turtle costume?
If you're looking for something more wind resistant but also horrifying, I'd suggest they go naked. Nothing for the wind to catch, but the HORROR! THE HORROR!
thank you for answering my security question!! I dabble in some event planning (no celebs involved) and so I always wonder about logistics. And, never fear Sarah, the subscription overwhelm is so real that I am very specific about the Substacks I pay to subscribe to and the Squawk is permanently at the top of my list.
As to the substack thing, I am very picky about who I'm going to throw my money at, as I don't have that much money. I like bang for the buck, which means I'm more likely to throw my money at someplace like The Squawk or Jezebel or Pajiba or Wonkette, or individuals whose work and opinion I respect, like Kayleigh Donaldson, something like that. I think celebrities are boring, I am not a person who is star struck, so I don't really care what they think about anything as a general rule, unless they''re expressing something that offends me, and lord knows I'm not going to pay money for them to offend me.
I know I might be alone in all of that, but if there are substacks by celebrities where fans take over, it's not my problem, I'm never going to go there in the first place. Life is too short to waste it on things I don't enjoy.
Kayleigh's Substack is fantastic.
Totally agree, and this is also how I feel about podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts, but I’ve never once listened to one of the “celebrity hangout/interview” shows. I’ve already got my favorites from before those became a thing, and sometimes I find new great stuff (shoutout to Normal Gossip, I feel like fellow Squawkers would love that one), but that’s just not a genre I’m interested in. Still, it pisses me off that celebs are getting millions of dollars for their shows, and creative shows that I love might struggle to pay the bills. I do hope that doesn’t happen to Substack.
Just a quick note that you can add "audiobooks" to the artistic worlds celebrities are starting to overload. Lots of journeyperson (and amazing) narrators are increasingly struggling to find work as celebrities and AI crowd out the top and bottom of the industry.
I always wonder about the celebrities doing audiobooks. It's one thing when it's a gigging character actor but there are some huge stars doing an awful lot of audiobooks. I'm looking at you, Paul Rudd.
It's hard to fight, because celebrity audiobooks usually get way more promotion and press (like Canadian Boyfriend, which I narrated with The Joshua Jackson - but which, as a result, got featured in US Weekly and this very blog!), so they sell better. But, as with everything in publishing, imagine if you put that same marketing out for a non-celebrity? (So many authors experience this inequity in trad publishing.) It might sell just as well! But then you'd have to sell it on the plot or the performance, both of which require more effort to package than "It's Paul Rudd!"
Which book did Paul Rudd do?!
He's in a lot of Audible originals. Just look at their library of original comedy titles, and he's in a bunch.
I do like it when they narrate their memoirs, because they know when to add sarcasm, drama, etc. for emphasis. But having been a professional librarian prior to the Audible boom, I can tell you there are narration talent with fandoms of their own being put out of work every time a celebrity voices a novel. And don’t get me started on celebrity kids’ books….
Thank you for an amazing mailbag as always.
When I went to LA I went to Cecconi’s based on Lainey’s story that she saw Beyoncé and Jen there at the same time. The pavlova mess that I had for dessert is my Roman Empire, I still think about it weekly, six years later.
Lainey, I’m one of those people (also a Scorpio and Halloween falls in our season) who gets excited about costume episodes. In particular, I always made sure not to miss The Social Halloween special. It was lights out television GOLD every single time! Thanks for providing this service. It was appreciated!🎃👻⭐️
I'm dying to see A Real Pain! Especially for Will Sharpe who is poised for an absolute breakout soon.
What was the turning point in history where Halloween became something in which adults were expected to participate? Some social scientist has to have the timeline pointing to what changed in society that made this a thing. I hate it and would like to get off this ride.
James Patterson, the guy who doesn't even write his own books yet still rakes in cash by the boatload needs more? This is what irks me about celebs who have to stake out more territory and billionaires in general, when is it enough? Is this a diagnosable personality disorder where someone needs to acquire more and more to fill some need?
I’ll take a reporter in a giraffe costume over a reporter in a hurricane although reporting from a hurricane as a giraffe seems fitting with the sense any of it makes to me.
Would the reporter reporting in a hurricane in a giraffe costume remain in the frame very long or would they need to report in something that catches less wind, possibly like a turtle costume?
Hedgehog costume and then they roll away in a super strong wind gust.
If you're looking for something more wind resistant but also horrifying, I'd suggest they go naked. Nothing for the wind to catch, but the HORROR! THE HORROR!
Fuck it, let’s just go completely bonkers and have a reporter in one of those inflatable dinosaur costumes. Or maybe the alien abduction one.
🤣
thank you for answering my security question!! I dabble in some event planning (no celebs involved) and so I always wonder about logistics. And, never fear Sarah, the subscription overwhelm is so real that I am very specific about the Substacks I pay to subscribe to and the Squawk is permanently at the top of my list.
I almost couldn’t get back onto this app🤦♀️ but did you guys talk about Liam Payne and Maya Henry by chance? V curious👀