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163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
I’m a sucker for this book. Of course it’s no surprise but these romances really shaped and were shaped by the time and places they occurred in.
Also I’ll laugh my head off 10 years from now when a book like his comes out about romances of the 2000s.
Also I’ll laugh my head off 10 years from now when a book like his comes out about romances of the 2000s.
I think my interest in each section varied, so that's why it took me so so long to get through this book. It was very informative, and I think my lack of interest has more to do with my own ignorance of classic stars than anything. I liked how the author linked the lives of these stars to the celebrity/film trends of the time and today.
These are really well-written and interesting, but I feel like I already read all of these online. I was expecting more new material.
Apparently this is another blog book I stumbled upon. Some of these stories I had heard before, but Hollywood gossip is always fun to read.
In which I am reminded why non-fiction isn't actually all that bad.
So a fun fact about me is when I'm not reading books, I'm reading long-form stories on the interwebs. Anne-Helen Petersen is currently a culture writer for Buzzfeed, was previously a writer on the (now-defunct) Hairpin, including her popular Scandals of Classic Hollywood column. Long story short, I've read everything she's ever written on these sites, and so I knew that I had to one day get around to reading her book based on the column.
And it did not disappoint. This collection of essays, each focused on a star, and organized into sections comparing and contrasting those with similar images, is both fun and informative. Reading about glamourous people behaving badly is as trashy and engrossing as ever. But it is Petersen's extra-textual analysis on star image, explaining how celebrity actions, archetypes, and media coverage can always be viewed through the lens of our own cultural anxieties, that is truly brilliant.
P.S. If you liked [b:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|32620332|The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498169036l/32620332._SY75_.jpg|46885151], not just for the characters but the era and ~vibe~ of Old Hollywood, this is an excellent non-fictional take (or head over to the Rita Hayworth column, who it seems Evelyn was partially inspired by).
4 stars
So a fun fact about me is when I'm not reading books, I'm reading long-form stories on the interwebs. Anne-Helen Petersen is currently a culture writer for Buzzfeed, was previously a writer on the (now-defunct) Hairpin, including her popular Scandals of Classic Hollywood column. Long story short, I've read everything she's ever written on these sites, and so I knew that I had to one day get around to reading her book based on the column.
And it did not disappoint. This collection of essays, each focused on a star, and organized into sections comparing and contrasting those with similar images, is both fun and informative. Reading about glamourous people behaving badly is as trashy and engrossing as ever. But it is Petersen's extra-textual analysis on star image, explaining how celebrity actions, archetypes, and media coverage can always be viewed through the lens of our own cultural anxieties, that is truly brilliant.
P.S. If you liked [b:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|32620332|The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|Taylor Jenkins Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498169036l/32620332._SY75_.jpg|46885151], not just for the characters but the era and ~vibe~ of Old Hollywood, this is an excellent non-fictional take (or head over to the Rita Hayworth column, who it seems Evelyn was partially inspired by).
4 stars
informative
medium-paced
Very intriguing. I didn't know a lot or anything of most people mentioned but I keep being amazed at how much of a front it all is.
I found this an interesting overview of some big names from the 1910s to 1960s Hollywood. So many of these ill fated stars died so young. Some things I learned: Fatty Arbuckle was in San Francisco at the St Francis when the death he was accused of happened; both Judy Garland and Dorothy Dandridge were forced to have abortions by the studios and James Dean was briefly a D.J. at KCRW.
From Fatty Arbuckle to Mae West to Marlon Brando a fun read for classic movie fans like me.
Anne Helen Petersen is the smartest gossip writer out there, author of fascinating long pieces on Kerry Washington, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, etc. on Buzzfeed and The Hairpin. It's fascinating because she sees Hollywood and stardom in terms of the system, and how personal choices become more than personal when considered in the light of fame and gossip. Managing image and publicity in classic Hollywood is the them of this book, which consists of easy-to-read chapters on different stars. It is VERY easy to read.