Let's Talk About Hollywood™

Ep. 42: That's Hollywood - I Didn't Make the Rules (2002)

Welcome! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support [https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support] This episode: It's late September 2002. The Hollywood Hills are fogged in. My promotion at The Hollywood Reporter just landed, but my mind is on Bebbles. A routine doctor visit sends Stone to the hospital for observation. High blood pressure, salt ban, no more Primatene Mist. I cover the Sweet Home Alabama press screening with Nigel. I file copy. I run three loads of laundry. I call Stone's boss, update his co-workers, learn from a music editor that her client spends 4K a month on hair. I take HR's payroll apology with a side eye. Meanwhile, Augustus Meep's publicist wants coverage. A power wife's assistant can't remember her party schedule. And I tell Nigel, for the 139th time, to get over the 32 waist he'll never see again. Stone jokes from the hospital bed about blood pressure and traffic. He hates the idea of a month off. He hates the echocardiogram stall even more. I hate New York bureaucracy, and coming home to an empty apartment sucks. It feels like limbo until Friday. Work is oddly comforting. The fog is thick. Stress is useless. Love is real. See you next time. From the newsroom floor to 22 countries. This is Season 2: 2002 of "Let's Talk About Hollywood." Written and read by Karl Gibson. or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2 [https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2] The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

Ep. 41: One Big Tuxedo-Clad Orgasmatron! (2002)

Ep. 41: "One Big Tuxedo-Clad Orgasmatron!" — ATS Synopsis Emmy Sunday, September 22, 2002. The Hollywood Reporter newsroom. One of the reporters privately called awards season "one big tuxedo-clad orgasmatron." That was Emmy Sunday: tuxedos, stress, deadlines, and nobody sleeping. Before that was my birthday at Skybar at The Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Blvd. then the next night was me and Bebbles' housewarming party.. I made two dozen butterscotch muffins, Bebbles made mac and cheese, ribs. Guests included Armand fresh from his ex's porch, Renata with two boys and a cold, Chantay with greens and a baby, and a guest named Andres who left early because he was "uncomfortable." I thought: this isn't a support group. It's a housewarming! Gifts: Rubbermaid, scented candles, Chronic, crock pot, toaster, rice cooker. Everyone ate till they sweated. 10:30, Stone and I sat happy. First housewarming. Emmys: 'Six Feet Under' shut out. Michael Chiklis wins for The Shield. Bob: "Chiklis is actually a sweet guy." A team leader curses at production. I watch a woman walk away red-faced. "What did I do?" My promotion's sinking in. That's the episode and a recap to wrap it all up! Sending love to our UK and Western Europe listeners in this heatwave, and to our community in Kenya. No Ebola cases there as of May 30, 2026. We're a global community. From the newsroom floor to 30 countries. This is Season 2: 2002 of "Let's Talk About Hollywood." Written and read by Karl Gibson. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support [https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support] or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2 [https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2] The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

Ep. 40: Assistant to the Editor (2002)

September 13-18, 2002. The Hollywood Reporter newsroom. Looking back, the job and salary negotiations were straight forward and direct: my boss called me in, closed the door, and a plan to fill the Assistant to the Editor role was cemented. Clear. Direct. Respect. I took the role: Assistant to the Editor. More than a 1/3 salary jump in 11 months. My co-assistant is the editor for the Calendar of Events page with her much deserved byline. I keep my 52-extension phone console so we all have access to breaking news. "What I don't know, I need you to H-E-L-P me," I told my boss. He said, "You're good at math." Stone wanted to run around the office yelling. Mom said get close to the salary number. Peter Pryor said "great hire." Bob Dowling still has to approve it, but "there's no turning back." Black journalists were ∼5% of U.S. newsrooms then. I was one of them. On the phones. On the floor. Everyone's career peak is their respective ride....just be ready. I'm frustrated with the news ecosystem today, but I will always and still do believe in talent, writers, and journalists with integrity who truly inform, edify, take risks and explain a complex world and the complex human beings that we are. From the newsroom floor to 30 countries. This is Season 2: 2002 of "Let's Talk About Hollywood." Written and read by Karl Gibson. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support [https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support] or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2 [https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2] The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

Ep 39: Leaving It All on the $50 Million Dollar Floor (2002)

September 10-12, 2002. The Hollywood Reporter newsroom. My supervisor's leaving. I turned her job down. Twice. Boss asks my salary and the first two numbers lower than my age. He looks astounded. "Your boss needs you both. If you leave, he's f*cked." Raises submitted for January 2003. $13.50 an hour. Sales up 23%. It's the 1-year 9/11 anniversary. Moment of silence in the office park. THR's issue: no exploitative pictures. Stone's IT department confiscates his World Trade Center photos for their commemoration. "Why do you need these?" Emmy meeting. "No way in hell I want a temp on that night." 3pm-1am overtime. Red carpet. Bomb sweep. Stone: "Think positive!" Me: "It's about thinking realistically." I was 32. Leaving it all on the $50M floor. Because that's how you stay A-list on any rung of the totem pole. From the newsroom floor to 30 countries. Season 2 continues. Pressing play is enough. If you can donate, link in notes. No ads. No brand notes. Just truth, Stone, and receipts. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support [https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support] or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2 [https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2]

Ep. 38: Thank You to My Audience in 30 Countries!

Thank you to my listeners in 30 countries, so far. It is a true honor to be a part of your day or evening. This is Episode 38 of Let's Talk About Hollywood : a listener appreciation episode from the newsroom floor to you. Less than 1% of independent podcasts reach 30 countries. This one did. With no ads, no PR, no notes from brands. Just a 2002 newsroom diary that leads to 24 years (and counting) of Hollywood and you. In this episode: My thank you to my listeners both in America and the world! Why I'm here. To share not just my Hollywood journal, but the loss of a spouse, the weight of $100 million and multi-billion dollar brands, and the truth that art and entertainment are the great equalizer. Audiences are the key to any profession and I'm grateful you're here with me. I talk about which episodes you've connected with most, and my aim to stay honest while building a global narrative community. From editorial assistant to studio executive, this archive is ours now. Season 2 continues. Thank you for making this more than an audio memoir. Love is real and I wish you all great things!