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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 306
EAN: 9780380810451
ISBN: 038081045X
Label: Harper Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: February 01, 2001
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Release Date: January 23, 2001
Studio: Harper Paperbacks
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Gossip.It's more than just hearsay. society columns, and supermarket tabloids. It has, like it or not, become a mainstay of American pop culture. In Dish, industry insider Jeannette Walls gives this provocative subject its due, offering a comprehensive, serious exploration of gossip and its social, historical, and political significance. Examining the topic from the inside out, Walls looks at the players; the origins of gossip, from birth of People magazine to the death of Ladi Di; and how technology including the Internet will continue to change the face gossip. As compelling and seductive as its subject matter, Dish brilliantly reveals the fascinating inner workings of a phenomenon that is definitely here to stay.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
Dish by Jeannette Walls is an interesting look at scandal sheets (rags) &
how even though you were ashamed to look in their direction at one time have
now become more where America is at rather than news items. I understand
the slow transition into "dirt" but wonder why we care more about who's on
American Idol, who is sleeping with who, instead of where the country is headed.
Sadly the trend seems to be to bury our heads in the sand & watch Jon & Kate plus
8 divorce.
Rating:  -
This well-written book is a modern history of "reporters" that deal with scoops involving the entertainment industry and related political stories. From the many newspaper columnists of the 1930s and 40s to modern tabloid and television journalists, the book is a great overview of the industry, filled with behind-the-scenes stories that at times are shocking.
Most interesting are the truths now able to be uncovered about politicians like President Kennedy. The entire Kennedy family comes across as mafia-like abusers of the political system, with a President who threatens those who report his affairs and his brother who misuses his power of Attorney General to silence people with trumped-up charges. Anyone who questions whether the sexual lives of politicians have any impact on their way of governing needs to read this book--the answer is a resounding "Yes!" And that means that those journalists willing to uncover such abuse of power should be praised, not condemed (see the Bill Clinton saga).
The one question that doesn't get answered is what exactly is gossip. There is no definition of the term here--and there really needs to be one. Catching a President in an affair with a starlet, then using his power to illegally cover up her death is not "gossip"--it's a news story worthy of Watergate-style reporting.
The most disappointing conclusion after reading this book is that the major media, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, ABC and others, are all in cahoots to protect liberal politicians and accept bribes to keep these stories covered up. If it weren't for Matt Drudge we would not have known about the Clinton sex scandal, which was a legitimate news story due to the President's lying under oath and misuse of office (and, by the way, Drudge is uncovered here as not the conservative the media paint him to be but a gay liberal).
The book ends up being an indictment against the terrible job supposed legitimate journalists do by ignoring actual news stories by claiming that they're just gossip. Those in high-level journalistic positions are just part of an insiders club that includes politicians and celebrity PR people, all looking to protect each other's interests. Often what's called gossip is really legitimate news that should get front-page coverage.
Rating: -
If you have any fascination with gossip/celebrities or how the "media machine" works, this is a great book. It is very fast pace, tracing the history of gossip columns from the early "penny papers" through Walter Winchell, Louella Parsons, the ET tonight type programming, and Matt Drudge. Lots of interesting tidbits about celebrities that I never knew, plus lots of information on how exactly the "publicity people" in Hollywood earn their keep. Who gets access to stars, why, and the hoops they jump through to keep it. I have to admit, it made me wonder about my own character (why am I so interested in what perfect strangers are up to) but then again, it is all in fun. A fun, quick read, with lots of historical information and background.
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