Exclusive interview with Perez Hilton about SXSW... plus a giveaway! [closed]
A while back I was asked to be one of a handful of bloggers to Tweet the red carpet with Perez Hilton as part of Lean Pocket's Live Famously Sweepstakes (which, incidentally, is still going on. Click this link to enter to win some cool prizes, including a trip to L.A.). As part of my participation in promoting Live Famously, Perez Hilton himself took a few minutes out of his day last week to do a little phone interview with me and we'll be doing a swag bag giveaway right here on Adored Austin at the end of this post. What-what!
As some of you know from my previous posts, I have been reading Perez Hilton since 2005 when one day I hit the Blogger "next" button on the top navbar of my own blog and landed on his. Back then he was on Blogger and used the Scribe template, which was one of the pre-built templates inside Blogger. He has come a long, long way, and it's been amazing watching his growth these past seven years. Because of my longstanding love for his blog, I let all my inner fangirl out in our interview together. The interview flew by, but he was such a delight to talk to that I am absolutely unable to edit any of our conversation out (Trust me! I tried!). Below are some of the highlights and you can read the whole interview and enter a giveaway after the jump:
- Perez Hilton will be in Austin for SXSW for his fourth annual "One Night in Austin" party and gave me some not-yet released details on the party.
- We talked karaoke and have the same go-to song.
- Perez Hilton turned his blog "voice" around and isn't as snarky as he used to be. In fact, he admonished me for saying something not so nice about Dina Lohan.
- He has a favorite celebrity mother. Awww!
Whole interview starts now...
Perez Hilton: I am so excited for my SXSW party next month!
Indiana Adams: Yay, you're coming! I am so excited. Everyone loves your parties. They are always a huge hit. Last year you pretty much got to inaugurate the Moody Theater.
Perez: This year I'm going to top myself. This is the best one yet. This year for the first time ever -- and this could be a little scoop for you-- I'm going to sell tickets. All of the money will go to charity. The reason for selling tickets is two-fold: 1) We can raise money for charity, and 2) it will guarantee people admission. I've had people complain that they couldn't get in for whatever reason. I won't say the charity just yet and I won't say too much more because it's too early for all of that but that's a little exclusive scoop for you.
Indiana: Thanks so much! Are you going to wear a fun hat this year?
Perez: I don't know what I'm wearing yet... to be determined!
Indiana: I'm excited you're going to be in town. Maybe you'll have another run-in with Kirsten Dunst.
Perez: That was a while ago, oh my God, you're hardcore. You totally remember.
Indiana: Oh my gosh, you don't even know! I have been reading you since you were on Blogger. Like, when you had the Scribe template.
Perez: -- no way!
Indiana: Yes! When you were called Page Six Six Six you sent me the nicest note when my grandpa died.
Perez: That's amazing!
Indiana: You broke your camera in 2005 and I Paypaled you some money, and you sent me the nicest note. (Laughing) I've been a big fan of yours for a long time.
Perez: I'm so happy we spoke and the universe has brought us together again.
Indiana: Hooray! (Hears a dog barking) Is that Teddy?
Indiana Adams: Yay, you're coming! I am so excited. Everyone loves your parties. They are always a huge hit. Last year you pretty much got to inaugurate the Moody Theater.
Perez: This year I'm going to top myself. This is the best one yet. This year for the first time ever -- and this could be a little scoop for you-- I'm going to sell tickets. All of the money will go to charity. The reason for selling tickets is two-fold: 1) We can raise money for charity, and 2) it will guarantee people admission. I've had people complain that they couldn't get in for whatever reason. I won't say the charity just yet and I won't say too much more because it's too early for all of that but that's a little exclusive scoop for you.
Indiana: Thanks so much! Are you going to wear a fun hat this year?
Perez: I don't know what I'm wearing yet... to be determined!
Indiana: I'm excited you're going to be in town. Maybe you'll have another run-in with Kirsten Dunst.
Perez: That was a while ago, oh my God, you're hardcore. You totally remember.
Indiana: Oh my gosh, you don't even know! I have been reading you since you were on Blogger. Like, when you had the Scribe template.
Perez: -- no way!
Indiana: Yes! When you were called Page Six Six Six you sent me the nicest note when my grandpa died.
Perez: That's amazing!
Indiana: You broke your camera in 2005 and I Paypaled you some money, and you sent me the nicest note. (Laughing) I've been a big fan of yours for a long time.
Perez: I'm so happy we spoke and the universe has brought us together again.
Indiana: Hooray! (Hears a dog barking) Is that Teddy?
Perez: No, that's Teddy's cousin Charlie.
Indiana: Oh, I was just going to ask you if you were going to get another dog.
Perez: No, my sister got one and we're hanging out.
Indiana: I'm a huge dog fan so I was excited when you launched the Teddy Hilton site, too. [changing subjects] You know, I don't really have anything crazy to ask you. I just wanted to know if you were coming to Austin for South By, and I wanted to ask you if you had a favorite karaoke song for the SXSW Karokake party, because I know you're into music...
Perez: Well, my go-to, my favorite is Total Eclipse of the Heart.
Indiana: Of course! And you have to do a dance with it.
Perez: Oh, well, I totally do a dance, too!
Indiana: Have you seen the literal music video for that on YouTube?
Perez: Yes, that's hilarious. I have seen it.
Indiana: Okay, good. Any time I have a YouTube party I insist on playing that. [Checks time] Augh! I only have five minutes with you! Okay, okay... my big question for you is this: you turned the voice of your blog around in the last couple of years. I think people used to think you were really mean and snarky. I mean, if you look in your archives there was a time when you'd draw, uh- um- spots on people's faces (embarrassed laughing)--
Perez: I always used to call them "love dots" (laughing)...
Indiana: Haha. That's good. But what made you turn? Now you're this really witty, newsworthy place for Hollywood news instead of just snarky or mean commentary.
Indiana: Oh, I was just going to ask you if you were going to get another dog.
Perez: No, my sister got one and we're hanging out.
Indiana: I'm a huge dog fan so I was excited when you launched the Teddy Hilton site, too. [changing subjects] You know, I don't really have anything crazy to ask you. I just wanted to know if you were coming to Austin for South By, and I wanted to ask you if you had a favorite karaoke song for the SXSW Karokake party, because I know you're into music...
Perez: Well, my go-to, my favorite is Total Eclipse of the Heart.
Indiana: Of course! And you have to do a dance with it.
Perez: Oh, well, I totally do a dance, too!
Indiana: Have you seen the literal music video for that on YouTube?
Perez: Yes, that's hilarious. I have seen it.
Indiana: Okay, good. Any time I have a YouTube party I insist on playing that. [Checks time] Augh! I only have five minutes with you! Okay, okay... my big question for you is this: you turned the voice of your blog around in the last couple of years. I think people used to think you were really mean and snarky. I mean, if you look in your archives there was a time when you'd draw, uh- um- spots on people's faces (embarrassed laughing)--
Perez: I always used to call them "love dots" (laughing)...
Indiana: Haha. That's good. But what made you turn? Now you're this really witty, newsworthy place for Hollywood news instead of just snarky or mean commentary.
Perez: It's been a constant growth and evolution. It's been about listening to myself and listening to the universe, and really just growing up and doing what's right.
Indiana: I admire you as a business person. You're doing a lot of great things. How do you get it all done? Do you sleep, ever? How do you even manager your Twitter account? That in and of itself for you is a full-time job.
Perez: It is, but it's important to me to respond to people and I love having that direct contact with them. I think it may be one of the reasons why (incredulous laughter) I have 4.5 million followers. You know, I don't sleep much. I definitely need to work on that, but I love what I do. When you're blessed to find a job that you love that much, it doesn't feel like work. For me, when I work [and] when I do work, that's relaxing.
Indiana: Yeah, I think that definitely shows in all your online endeavors. Do you have any plans to act ever again? You used to do that way back in the day.
Perez: [big pause] I would love that. For sure. My dream is to one day be in a sitcom.
Indiana: Hopefully one day you can get a development deal so you can write your own thing.
Perez: That would be rad.
[The moderator tells me I need to wrap up and invites me to ask one last question]
Indiana: Hey, so I know that you really like children and I like that you never snark on celebrity's kids, do you have a favorite celebrity child?
Perez: Well, I have a favorite celebrity parent, that's for sure and that's Jennifer Garner.
Indiana: Oh, she is adorable.
Perez: She seems like such a normal, grounded, caring, affectionate, loving, present mother.
Indiana: Not like Dina Lohan or anything...
Perez: Nobody's perfect, nobody's perfect.
Indiana: You're right. Hey, thank you so much for taking the time to do all these little interviews. That's really sweet and big of you.
Perez: There's a reason why the universe put us together again and it meant so much to me that you've been reading me for that long.
Indiana: (embarrassed laughter)
Perez: No, no, no. I'm so serious. I can tell because you gave me specific incidences about this, that, and the other... that means so much to me. I never take anything for granted and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. You're awesome.
Indiana: I appreciate you. You're part of my morning routine, my daily reads.
Indiana: I admire you as a business person. You're doing a lot of great things. How do you get it all done? Do you sleep, ever? How do you even manager your Twitter account? That in and of itself for you is a full-time job.Perez: It is, but it's important to me to respond to people and I love having that direct contact with them. I think it may be one of the reasons why (incredulous laughter) I have 4.5 million followers. You know, I don't sleep much. I definitely need to work on that, but I love what I do. When you're blessed to find a job that you love that much, it doesn't feel like work. For me, when I work [and] when I do work, that's relaxing.
Indiana: Yeah, I think that definitely shows in all your online endeavors. Do you have any plans to act ever again? You used to do that way back in the day.
Perez: [big pause] I would love that. For sure. My dream is to one day be in a sitcom.
Indiana: Hopefully one day you can get a development deal so you can write your own thing.Perez: That would be rad.
[The moderator tells me I need to wrap up and invites me to ask one last question]
Indiana: Hey, so I know that you really like children and I like that you never snark on celebrity's kids, do you have a favorite celebrity child?
Perez: Well, I have a favorite celebrity parent, that's for sure and that's Jennifer Garner.
Indiana: Oh, she is adorable.
Perez: She seems like such a normal, grounded, caring, affectionate, loving, present mother.
Indiana: Not like Dina Lohan or anything...
Perez: Nobody's perfect, nobody's perfect.
Indiana: You're right. Hey, thank you so much for taking the time to do all these little interviews. That's really sweet and big of you.
Perez: There's a reason why the universe put us together again and it meant so much to me that you've been reading me for that long.
Indiana: (embarrassed laughter)
Perez: No, no, no. I'm so serious. I can tell because you gave me specific incidences about this, that, and the other... that means so much to me. I never take anything for granted and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. You're awesome.
Indiana: I appreciate you. You're part of my morning routine, my daily reads.
UPDATE [5 March 2012]: Tickets for Perez Hilton's "One Night in Austin" are on sale now for a $25 donation to VH1's Save the Music. Go here.
Awesome interview fun, huh? Okay. If you got through all that, you deserve a chance to win a prize! Enter your info in the form below for your chance to win a Live Famously swag bag that includes a $50 spa gift certificate!
[edit: form removed- entry period over]
To be eligible to win the grand prize that includes a trip to L.A. enter the Live Famously Sweepstakes on the Lean Pockets Facebook page. How cool would it be if an Adored Austin reader won?
