Related News
A wild romp in NYC’s pop culture
Print Edition
IN his new book, “The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year,” author Andy Cohen tries to explain to his rescue dog, Wacha, the luck of going from a West Virginia kill shelter to lunching at Jerry Seinfeld’s estate in East Hampton, New York. Wacha may not get it, but we do. The talk-show host and man-about-town takes his beloved pooch and readers along for a joyride of endless parties, A-list interviews, decadent vacations and a little work in between.
The book is inspired by “The Andy Warhol Diaries” — a thick tome published after Warhol’s death — that covered his day-to-day life over nine years at the center of New York’s art, music and entertainment worlds. In the introduction, Cohen calls Warhol’s diary a “pop culture time capsule,” exposing celebrities in their natural habitats.
Some 25 years later, Cohen, also at the epicenter of pop culture in New York, provides a captivating look at hanging with the rich and famous.
Cohen — host of a late-night talk show on the Bravo network and executive producer of “The Real Housewives” series franchise — worked hard to get where he is, but he makes it look easy. A typical day in his downtown Manhattan playground includes a workout with his personal trainer, a romp at the dog park, lunch with friends, a meeting or conference call, a nap, hosting his show and drinking with pals until the wee hours.
His writing style is conversational and tight, infused with snarky and self-deprecating humor. He sticks to a diary format, which includes everything from activities to weigh-ins, to random thoughts and dream analysis. But he often uses only first names, and no explainers, so an index of his round table of pals would be helpful.
An engaging storyteller, he creates a narrative with reappearing characters, including his hilarious, bossy mother, Evelyn. Other players range from the famous — talk-show host Kelly Ripa, actress Sarah Jessica Parker and musician John Mayer — to the amusing — his loyal doorman Surfin, an overly chatty flight attendant and his butt-kicking personal trainer, whom he calls “the Ninj.”
Cohen addresses the obvious risk in recording his every move and mood in the book’s subtitle, and in the introduction. He owns the name-dropping and navel-gazing, but has the honesty, wit and confidence to pull it off, striking a balance between being self-involved and self-aware. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, and isn’t afraid to point out behavior gaffes and personality flaws.
TV fans and Bravo devotees will enjoy the backstage intrigue of his talk show, but he also has scoop from the dressing rooms of Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon.
Many entries are reminiscent of the New York Post’s Page Six, with plenty of gossip, bold-faced names and a blind item to leave you guessing.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
