journalismism, great moments in journalism, media, celebrity, gossip, harvey levin, tmz

TMZ At NYU

Today, TMZ vampire Harvey Levin visited NYU's journalism department to talk about how he practices his craft and the entire self-aggrandizing mythos of journalism reportedly ate its own tail and then puked it back up in disgust, forever. Our favorite quotes:

"It's a huge issue, especially with Britney Spears. Her parents are seriously worried that they're going to have to call the coroner soon. And those aren't my words. She has multiple personalities.... It's outrageous that they [U.C.L.A.] would let her go. The paparazzi haven't helped her. We give our cameramen explicit instructions. They're not allowed to chase, break the law, or go on private property."
"I said, 'we're gonna cover Britney Spears the way David Gregory [NBC News Chief White House Correspondent) covers President Bush.'"
"I just read a book about Einstein."

[Radar]

6:20 PM on Fri Feb 8 2008
By Pareene
4,341 views
22 comments

Comments

PimpMyCouch at 06:38 PM on 02/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 245

That last quote is straight from the Ralph Wiggum School of Non-Sequiturs.
ChiefBrody at 06:41 PM on 02/08/08
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The fourth instruction was omitted. It reads, "disregard the first three." What a dick. And his bullpen has NO sense of irony.
In Other News... at 06:59 PM on 02/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 923

If there's one thing about TMZ, it's that they keep it real. For realz! They see right through the bullshit, don't they now? Next week: lecture by Queen of All Media Perez Hilton. Love, Chairman, NYU J-School.
heartbreakturnip at 07:03 PM on 02/08/08
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I'm not a journalist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
Ummwhat at 07:12 PM on 02/08/08
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"I just read a book about Einstein - about him as a Baby. Well, actually I didn't read the book, I saw the DVD. So many cute puppets!!"
stop complaining about... at 07:24 PM on 02/08/08
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What an unfortunate looking face.
heroinandpeeps at 08:33 PM on 02/08/08
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TMZ's ombudsman?
Arundel at 08:36 PM on 02/08/08
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TMZ= Tragedy? Mazel Tov!
Arundel at 08:38 PM on 02/08/08
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ugh that's retarded of me. giving up drinking now.
Michael Jahn at 08:43 PM on 02/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 142

I once heard it said that "a 'journalist' is a 'newspaperman' who's out of work."

I suppose that's changed now that there's no such thing as newspapers.
Rosewater at 08:55 PM on 02/08/08
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It's nice to see their parents are getting their money's worth at NYU.
Thenoodieblues at 08:55 PM on 02/08/08
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TMZ are journalists now?
Rooo sez BISH PLZ at 09:04 PM on 02/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 128

My productivity is sinking in an almost vertical dive.

Damn U, Gawker.
belltolls at 10:14 PM on 02/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 209

I knew Harvey was up to big stuff when I first saw People's Court many years ago and realized that the guy that was interviewing the rabble on their way out actually owned the show.
psst at 11:02 PM on 02/08/08
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That photo should be in the dictionary under Smile, (shit-eating --).
gpdx08 at 04:06 AM on 02/09/08
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Harvey Levin is a journalist? I thought you had to actually have credentials to be one, not just a meth-fueled band of dickheads with cameras on motorbikes. Can't you run them over in Grand Theft Auto and get extra points?
Hockeymom at 06:42 AM on 02/09/08
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I wonder if David Gregory knows about this?
alphafemale at 09:01 AM on 02/09/08
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"We give our cameramen explicit instructions. They're not allowed to chase, break the law, or go on private property."
Right, but do you encourage them to set up live video feeds outside of Britney's housing developement (2days ago). Sure wish I had been able to see the live asskicking your camera-jerks got, or maybe it was just the disgust of even TMZ visitors that made you decide that was a bad idea. Did anyone see that?
hageesheart at 09:34 AM on 02/09/08
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yeah, but, um. Aren't we all the same? or are we better? I get confused about that.

I would absolutely make money off her, her doom, if I could. I need money, and-and I know how to make cameras do things. ish. so there's that! and I know we (we = anybody at all invested, interested in, or annoyed at the growing mono-culture) will all look, click, create revenue for somebody. So there's that too.

But, yeah. We're better than TMZ. I forget that.
pezkills at 02:55 PM on 02/09/08
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Hey if I ate Britney Spears tail, I would "puke it up in disgust" , too".
yesteryear at 11:00 AM on 02/10/08
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wow. suddenly i'm not so embarrassed that i went to a lowly public university. first columbia invites the sh*t head from iran and now this? looks like universities in NY are desperate for attention.
TheBigDoggy at 02:10 PM on 02/10/08
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Next you'll tell us that NYC's best-paid pimp is guest-lecturing at Wharton.