The Daily Beast has an article by Torontonian John Ortved about his new book, The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, and the massive amounts of trouble that Fox and show producer James L. Brooks threw in the author’s way as he tried to write it. It’s pretty brutal:
“Something I gleaned early from this experience is that Hollywood publicists are so used to journalists kowtowing to their every request that they no longer understand what journalism actually is. We’re talking about cartoon characters here, not Watergate, but the light subject matter doesn’t exclude the possibility of doing real research and telling interesting stories. They actually thought that we were all on the same team, trying to get their client the maximum exposure, using our words and outlets only to extend their message. Vanity Fair and other magazines are complicit in the lionization of celebrities that has led to this imbalance of power, but the editors at Vanity Fair understand that at the end of the day they’re very much a journalistic entity, and pursue stories accordingly.” – John Ortved, The Daily Beast
The full article is outstanding, and I recommend you check it out: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-13/when-homer-wont-take-your-call/full/. And hey, the book is out and in stores now.
How about that, entertainment reporting doesn’t have to be vapid and toothless pr-fanning after all!
– Chris
Right on.