Whether you love him or hate him, Perez Hilton, also known as the self proclaimed “Queen of All Media” has forever impacted the way readers satisfy their cravings for all things pop culture. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., has taken blogging and transformed it into a laugh-out-loud, but painfully true resource for anyone wanting to know about the lives of celebrities. Like a feel good drug, fans can constantly read about Lindsay Lohan’s latest DUI, why Tom Cruise’s daughter is an alien, or just about anyone who’s getting divorced, leaking a sex tape, or making another trip to rehab. Hilton’s scoops, which are updated faster than he changes his hair color, all shock and amuse those who can’t help, but visit his site every five minutes. As the man behind the blog, Hilton has hosted his own reality series “What Perez Sez,” premiered a radio show titled “Radio Perez,” and continues to appear in hundreds of television programs as a celebrity expert.
In honor of his recent book launch Red Carpet Suicide, we took a look back at a conversation we had with the successful 26-year-old Cuban American who lives life by his own terms. Read on to see what Perez has to say about his 4AM wake-up time, partying with Elton John, and the best orgasm he has ever had in Vegas.
I'm on the phone with Perez Hilton. “Can I call you back in twelve minutes?” he asks. Before I can answer he says, “No, six minutes.” Pause. “Ten minutes. I’m finishing up a call,” he apologizes. And herein lies the entity that is Perez Hilton. He’s flamboyant yet reliable, offensive yet honest. He is a paradox, shunning those who obtain fame for absolutely no reason yet becoming an idol himself, simply by talking about others. The self-proclaimed “Queen of All Media” shows no intention of slowing down. Except to talk to us, of course.
nocheLatina: You started the website as an ode to Paris Hilton and now you’re as famous as she is.
Perez Hilton: I don’t treat myself like a celebrity. I don’t consider myself one, but I’m flattered. And it wasn’t an ode to Paris Hilton. I started the website before I worked at any celebrity magazine. I originally was using my name when I began in September of 2004 and it was originally called PageSixSixSix.com. I got sued by the New York Post and Page Six because they didn’t find the name very funny. But before that, I was using my real name and then I started getting very harassing e-mails from angry Clay Aiken fans.
nocheLatina: You must have said something really bad to piss off the Claymates.
Perez Hilton: I was writing about his preferences in the boudoir. And I was like, ‘Wow. If I’m talking about things that can really get a rise out of people, maybe it’s a good idea not to use my real name.’ I didn’t use any name for a while and then I kind of came up with the name Perez Hilton.
nocheLatina: The name that celebrities love to hate.
Perez Hilton: I love the name because it’s kind of what I’m all about. It’s satirizing, it’s celebrating and it’s me. I’m the Perez-the Cuban boy from Miami and the Hilton is the pop culture and the mainstream that I’m talking about and managed to now infiltrate.
nocheLatina: What’s a typical day for you?
Perez Hilton: There is no typical day in my life and that’s the exciting thing. And it’s also exhausting. On the most typical day, I’ll wake up at around 4:30AM, the latest 5AM. If I wake up past 6AM, I’m wrecked. I have to be working right away, all day long. I’m just working, working, working. I read everything from newspapers to the gossip columns. I’m answering e-mails. I’m talking to people, trying to get as much content up on the site as possible. Usually I do a TV thing here, and interview there.
nocheLatina: So when do you go out?
Perez Hilton: I’ll go to an event maybe. I go to four events a week, as opposed to six. I tried to cut back and not go out every single night. An ideal night is staying home and working more, answering more e-mails and being more productive.
nocheLatina: When did you realize you made it?
Perez Hilton: I still have a lot more things that I want to do and many new projects that I’m excited about. But, I think the first time I got on TV, it blew my mind. I was like, ‘Wow, my little blog got me on television. This is crazy.’ That’s when I knew my website had potential to be bigger.
nocheLatina: When did you get the call?
Perez Hilton: Within six months, I got an e-mail from the show ‘The Insider.’ They were doing this segment on ‘Hollywood’s Most Hated Websites’ and they wanted me to be part of it. They asked how I’d feel about being number 1, the most hated. Well, I don’t necessarily agree with it, but hey! I’ll put it on a t-shirt. I’ll make it my banner, my slogan. Whatever!
nocheLatina: There are so many blogs now that try to do what you do. Do you think people will just get tired of celebrity gossip?
Perez Hilton: I don’t think it’s going to decrease any time soon because there’s an interest and I don’t see people’s appetites diminishing. But I don’t care. I’m not really worried. I don’t take into consideration what other people are doing. I’m just focused on what I’m doing, having fun, entertaining my readers, and working hard.
nocheLatina: You’ve had some celebrity confrontations…
Perez Hilton: Sienna Miller. Tara Reid. Jesse Metcalf. It happens regularly.
nocheLatina: Do you become friends with any of them?
Perez Hilton: No!
nocheLatina: Maybe because you post scandalous pictures of them. Which, for some reason, you didn’t do with the Nick Lachey and Vanessa Manillo sex pictures.
Perez Hilton: I didn’t post them because I got a letter warning me not to post them. Then I posted a link and they were threatening to sue me JUST for posting a link to another website that has the photos. I don’t think it’s right.
nocheLatina: But don’t you think posting pictures of people having sex is too much?
Perez Hilton: It all depends on the circumstance. If you see two celebrities having sex in semi-public, then yeah, take the picture.
nocheLatina: Are there times when you will refuse to post certain stories or pictures?
Perez Hilton: I didn’t print any pictures of Lindsay Lohan in rehab because I didn’t want to taint that experience for her. I didn’t want to deter her from trying to get healthy.
nocheLatina: You post a lot of stories about Lindsay. What’s your relationship with her?
Perez Hilton: I wouldn’t say we have a relationship, but we’ve met a handful of times. She is a very complex person. I feel sorry for her because she’s this lost little girl. She’s like Britney-they have a lot in common. They’re just little girls and never really grew up.
nocheLatina: Most of young Hollywood has trouble growing up.
Perez Hilton: Lindsay comes from this really messed up family with both parents being really crazy. She’s trying to find love in all the wrong places and doing all the wrong things. She’s just kind of crazy. She can be a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Lindsay can be really nice and then be really bitchy.
nocheLatina: Like most actresses…
Perez Hilton: Doing drugs makes you really moody.
nocheLatina: Has your friendship with certain celebrities changed your outlook on gossip?
Perez Hilton: It can make things difficult being friends with celebrities, that’s for sure. The ones I’m friends with aren’t really train wrecks.
nocheLatina: Interesting. So who are your friends?
Perez Hilton: Oh, gosh. I don’t know. Does it really matter? I’m friends with a lot of musicians.
nocheLatina
: Yeah, I’ve noticed that you post a lot about musicians. I bet publicists hound you.
Perez Hilton: Publicists e-mail me all the time, but I can’t remember the last time I posted something a publicist sent me. Readers submit music all the time. ‘Hey did you hear about this band or this artists or this that and the other.’ So I listen to everything that anyone sends my way and I listen to people who have a good ear.
nocheLatina: Now let’s talk about Vegas. Where do you usually party?
Perez Hilton: I like Pure. I like Tao. Those are my two favorites. I like Moon. I had my birthday party there.
nocheLatina: I bet you get treated like a VIP.
Perez Hilton: Yeah, sure. I don’t consider myself a celebrity, but I do sometimes get to enjoy the perks that celebrities do.
nocheLatina: Like skipping the line?
Perez Hilton: Well, there’s no way in hell I’d wait in those Vegas lines! They’re ridiculously long.
nocheLatina: What about restaurants? Where does the Queen of All Media eat?
Perez Hilton: I recently went to this restaurant Social House. I had an orgasmic experience being there. They have these Kobe Beef Sliders and they are so amazing. They melt in your mouth. It is an out-of-body experience. I could not stop oohing and ahhhing while I had them. It was like I was close to God. Honestly, words can’t express how amazing they were. But all the food there is really good.
nocheLatina: What is the craziest time you had in Vegas? Aside from the Kobe Beef Sliders, that is.
Perez Hilton: Oh God. I remember this one time. I was with Paris and this was like when she was doing the music thing. It was actually before her album came out, but she had finished it and it was a month or two before it would come out. She was just so excited for people to hear it that she put it on at Pure and started performing. She did the whole album twice!
nocheLatina: I’m sure the audience had just as much fun.
Perez Hilton: Yeah, they loved it. They wouldn’t stop taking pictures.
nocheLatina: If you could go out with anyone in Vegas, who would it be?
Perez Hilton: I would say Elton John. I feel we’d have a really good time. We have a lot in common. We’re both devastatingly good looking. We’re both gay in case people didn’t know and we both love music. The awesome thing about Elton is that he is on the cutting edge himself on what is new and hot out there. Like, he loves new music and supporting artists. I love that about him. And he’s still one cheeky motherfucker.
nocheLatina: What is it about Vegas that keeps you coming back?
Perez Hilton: I love Vegas because it’s a service industry town. That’s what the whole city is built on, so they take what they do seriously and they really do treat you well. You can go to really nice restaurants and clubs. It’s just a fun weekend getaway.
nocheLatina: And do you ever getaway with someone special
Perez Hilton: No, no one. I don’t need one, but it would be nice.
nocheLatina: Maybe Elton? No, wait. He’s married.
Perez Hilton: That doesn’t mean he doesn’t play around, honey!
Additional reporting by Stephanie Nolasco.
