The Perez Hilton Podcast W/ Chris Booker: The Gossip Mongers

People dispensing gossip to the rest of us used to be a function of the newspaper via people like Hedda Hopper or Louella Parsons. Then TV and the internet brought us Rona Barrett and in the 2000s, blogs, social media, and YouTube brought us people like Perez Hilton and the collective crudeness called TMZ. 

The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker has been around for ten years and over 500 episodes. Clearly, Hilton and Booker have been doing something right. The format is straightforward, with Hilton dispensing gossip with a childlike delight that's hard to fake.

Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. was born March 23, 1978), and is known professionally as Perez Hilton.   His blog is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities, and for posting tabloid photos, over which he has added his own captions or "doodles". His blog has garnered controversy for its attitude, its former practice of outing alleged closeted celebrities, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.

Hilton has written four books, runs two YouTube channels, has appeared in various films and television shows, and has acted in two off-Broadway shows. In 2018, he was dubbed "the original celebrity social media influencer" by BroadwayWorld.

The marketing pitch for the show is: "What's hot? Perez and Chris let you know! These two pop culture experts bring you their unique perspective and insight into the trending stories of the week in the world of showbiz and beyond. Nothing is off the table! No holds barred! And these two usually disagree about everyone! It's a highly enjoyable and engaging listen!"

Hilton's co-host, Chris Booker met Perez Hilton on the Amp Radio where Booker hosted  "Morning Show on L.A. Top 40" and also appeared on Carson Daly's Show.

Booker got his big start in radio in 1989 while attending West Liberty University in Wheeling, West Virginia. In 1992, he began his self-described "gypsy years radio tour," where he held the positions of on-air personality and music director at a number of different stations as both Chris Booker and Booker Madison in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Florence, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh.

In 1996, he landed the evening slot at 92.3 K-Rock in New York City, where he met the nation's top radio talk show host, Howard Stern, who made the young DJ a regular on his program. He made numerous appearances on Howard Stern's show under the name "Booger." Booker left K-Rock in 2003 for the morning drive show on the "Blink" version of WNEW. When that format failed and the show was taken off the air, Booker then worked at Sirius Satellite Radio as morning host for Octane Radio.

Booker plays a key role on the show as a voice of reason, a backstop for Hilton's wild-eyed exuberance, and a repository of sharp-witted humor, and intriguing observations.

Excluding the hype, the podcast covers trending stories in the world of show business, interviews with celebrities and interesting personalities, and more. Each weekly episode runs about 35 minutes, which is a perfect length for gossiping. Any shorter and listeners think they're missing something. Any longer and the need for more gossip leads to more mean-spirited and gratuitous rumors, whispers, and canards.

Some of the recent episodes I've listened included Perez's exclusive about Jennifer Lopez canceling her tour, with Hilton sure that lackluster ticket sales, not marital discord with husband Ben Affleck, was the reason for staying home. In that episode, Booker postulated that perhaps the rumors of marital troubles were fabricated by Lopez and her P.R. team to give cover to the tour cancellation.
Most of the episodes deal with social media and reality TV celebrities, such as the one that asked: "Which Real Housewives franchise might be on the chopping block?"

Of course, there is always coverage of the Kardashian clan with rumors about their latest bikini wax or some contrived feud with another family member. 

Due to her global reach as a music superstar, Taylor Swift is a constant subject for the gossip microscope. 

After ten years, The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker must be doing something right. I recommend the show for gossip mongers and rumor addicts. Hilton and Booker make an excellent hosting team. The length of the episodes fits the show perfectly, and the gossip, while spicy, saucy, and sometimes slimy, doesn't possess that sludgy, harsh quality of TMZ.