Self Promotion: December 2007 Archives

Remember the scene in "Beaches" when Bette Midler's character is watching herself on a television interview and she's saying to the screen: "Don't say it Cee-Cee! Don't say it!" Well, that's how I kinda felt in reading this interview I did recently with PR Week. I'm used to asking the questions so as I read my answers, all I could think of was how my syntax was off and my sentences disorganized. I've come to the conclusion that I write better than I talk!

Anywho, here it is:

By Randi Schmelzer

He's covered business at the Los Angeles Times, the film industry for The Hollywood Reporter -- and since 2001, he's focused on both. As entertainment reporter at the LA Daily News, Greg Hernandez covers box-office trends and DVD release parties, profiles celebrities, and live-blogs awards shows. Hernandez also authors two daily blogs, Out in Hollywood and Hollywood Joe.

PRWeek: What are your feelings about the current state of the entertainment industry?

Greg Hernandez: As far as the industry goes, I think this is as an exciting a time as it's ever been. There are just so many new things going on, you know, creativity [is] flowing. And the public appetite for entertainment is endless.

PRWeek: You've seen the newspaper industry change a lot, too, over the course of your career. What are your thoughts about that?

Hernandez: I think [the LA Daily News] has been very innovative, especially online. We have 40-plus blogs, we have all kinds of interactive kinds of things: photo galleries and videos. We're really trying to move with the times as well as continue to put out a good print product.

PRWeek: Tell us about your Out in Hollywood blog.

Hernandez: I started Out in Hollywood in the summer of 2006. Basically it's a queer-eye view of all things entertainment. And it has been so popular - it's the most popular [LA Daily News] blog that's not sports-related. That kind of surprised everyone.

PRWeek: Why do you think it's been so well received?

Hernandez: Because it's friendly, it's not shocking - it's just a focus on things of gay interest, whether it's gay character on a show or in a movie, or an actor, that kind of thing ... It has a big gay audience, but it also draws a lot of women, it also draws a lot of mainstream viewers.

PRWeek: Has it stirred up any controversy?

Hernandez: I've never gotten any negative response, believe it or not. I was expecting to and waiting to -- I started covering gay [entertainment business] issues in the paper 5-6 years ago, and I've always expected a big outrage factor. And we haven't had it. But I would welcome more controversy. It would just make me more determined to keep doing what I'm doing.

PRWeek: What do you think about the kind of mainstream exposure gay characters are getting these days, in movies and TV shows?

Hernandez: I think that TV's really forging the way on that, especially ABC. On Ugly Betty, they have several gay characters, they have a transsexual character. Desperate Housewives has a gay character and [recently] introduced a new gay couple. So those two shows have really led the way. And Brothers and Sisters probably has the best gay character in all of network TV: Kevin Walker played by Matthew Rhys. ABC is almost single-handedly helping America along.

Also a big deal are the performances of TR Knight on Grey's Anatomy and Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother - both are Emmy-nominated, they are gay in real life and they've come out - it helps. But there's still such a long way to go, in terms of just having it not matter at all.