AwardsDaily.com makes an assassination attempt on Gold Derby! Is this WAR?
For the first time ever, our rival awards website — AwardsDaily.com — has not only launched an attack on Gold Derby, but is hurling insults, ridicule and hate at us like Britney Spears wielding that umbrella. It's a meltdown not to be missed. CLICK HERE
Both sites have been around since about 1999 (AwardsDaily.com originally as Oscarwatch.com, TheEnvelope.com originally as GoldDerby.com) and have co-existed with mutual respect and even, I'd like to think, friendship. Often posters over there come roaring at me — haaa! —that's fine and that's fun. However, never before has a lead, official voice of either site attacked the other and certainly not with the same wild blood lust you can spy in the eyes of Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem while winning their Oscars.
It's not our dear Sasha Stone who's gone ballistic. It's a chap who helps her to mind the blog, Ryan Adams. So that makes him an official blog voice there. He's speaking on behalf of AwardsDaily.com. That's important. And shocking.
Normally, when two sides disagree over something, they focus on the details of the issue, to sort them out. Not Ryan Adams. Nowhere in his hysterical attack on me does he address the specifics of how he and I disagree on the topic of Melissa Leo's diva tantrum on the set of "Frozen River." He skips over all that and just insists that I'm "scrambling to twist Leo's words into something as ugly as [my] own motives." Apparently, he believes that if he keeps saying that over and over it'll become true, even if it isn't.
Oh, and, by the way, Ryan: What's my secret ugly motive? I'd love to know.
In his blog attack and comments underneath, Ryan Adams wants you to know that I am a "Puff Ho'" who fictionalizes "reality for maximum trashiness" while engaged in a "smear campaign" — and he ridicules me as such journalistic scum that it causes him to have less and less respect for mainstream "news" coverage because I exist. We've never met or spoken, Ryan and me, but he knows that I am personally deficient in kindness, consideration and class and that I'm at a website that is really about gossip, not serious awards coverage like AwardsDaily.com.
Oh, yeah? Because you brought the subject up, Ryan, let's compare AwardsDaily.com and TheEnvelope.com in terms of covering showbiz awards over the last few months, OK?
TheEnvelope.com has more detailed Emmy info than any media source on the planet. We broke the Katherine Heigl story over the last few weeks. Also, I leaked the Top 10 semifinalist lists before nominations came out. (For a third year in a row I've done that, by the way.) We also were the first media source to reveal what episodes are being viewed by Emmy judges — that's the most important Emmy information of all because that's how winners are chosen.
What Emmy scoops did AwardsDaily.com break, Ryan?
Also, TheEnvelope.com had the most thorough coverage of the Tony Awards and Daytime Emmys — no contest. We reported on them both in exhaustive detail and reported live at the scene from both ceremonies. I didn't see AwardsDaily.com there.
Re the Oscars: A few weeks ago Pete Hammond and I teamed up to issue one of the year's first thorough lists of contenders — that's how it was widely hailed.
What have YOU done, Ryan? What's your expertise? Since AwardsDaily.com is the real thing and Gold Derby/TheEnvelope.com is mere gossip, let me know how you surpassed our coverage in any single way over the last few months. Name just one. I'm dying to know.
Next, Ryan, please reveal your credentials so that we all know what gives you the authority to be posting at Sasha's blog. Why should anyone accept your wacko assassination attempt against me? And your contempt?
I assume you know my background, which must be trivial in comparison to your accomplishments in this field. I literally wrote the books on showbiz awards, of course, and they included the first real ones ever penned on the Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc. -- (click HERE, HERE and HERE to see) — books published by Variety and Penguin Putnam. In order to gather the material, I had to join armies of researchers whom I hired over many years to go where no journalists had ever gone before.
Sure, dozens of people had written Oscar books before me, but we're such a nation of film snobs that no one had bothered to investigate the other top showbiz awards. Until I came along, you know, I personally pioneered much of this field where you stand, Ryan.
Much of the history about showbiz awards you read anywhere, online or in print — including thousands of pages of lists of award winners at IMDB.com — are the result of my tireless research over nearly two decades. In fact, I helped IMDB.com compile its awards database, freely giving them lots of my stuff. That's why IMDB used to feature links to GoldDerby.com so prominently at Oscar time. It was their way of thanking us.
Among the many things I dug up that were considered lost to history: the nominations for the first 20 years of the Golden Globes. You can thank me for those, plus the old voting scores at the New York Film Critics Circle dating back to 1935. Lots of new, vital historical info like that appear in my books.
I've written professionally about all showbiz awards for the L.A. Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Variety, TV Guide, USA Today, E! Online, Billboard and scores of other top publications. I am the person most often quoted by the Associated Press and Reuters when award articles are written. I launched the first website all about all of the awards and it involved the contributions of 45 of America's top journalists writing for free just because they wanted to be part of it. The Los Angeles Times was so impressed by GoldDerby.com that it acquired the site in November 2005 and folded it into the launch of TheEnvelope.com.
For 20 years I have appeared frequently on TV as an authority about all showbiz awards. I can't think of a TV show or network that covers Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tonys that I haven't appeared on — and often. Over the last 30 days, I've appeared as an awards authority on "Entertainment Tonight," CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and CBS' "The Early Show."
Speaking of the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tonys, I own them all. I possess what I believe is the largest private collection of historic showbiz awards anywhere on Earth. Over decades of careful collecting, I've amassed such treasures as the Golden Globes won by "Ben-Hur" (best film) and "Dynasty" (best TV show), two of Katharine Hepburn's Oscar nominations ("Suddenly, Last Summer," "The Rainmaker") and some of her academy membership cards, the Tony Award for best play ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), the Writers Guild of America Award won by "High Noon," etc. — plus lots more, all on view at the Hollywood Museum in the Max Factor Building at 1660 N. Highland Ave., just south of Hollywood Boulevard.
Gold Derby breaks news and voices opinions every day that are quoted around the world. Just the other day, for example, when the London Guardian wanted to reveal to its British readers the reaction in America to obscure British comedian Russell Brand being named host of the MTV Video Music Awards, the paper quoted this blog. SEE HERE.
Just over the last month, I and/or Gold Derby were quoted by the Associated Press (HERE) and Reuters several times (click HERE, HERE and HERE). Also: USA Today, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News (click on newspaper titles to see articles) plus dozens of other major newspapers.
In addition, I was quoted frequently by EW.com, TVGuide.com, HollywoodReporter.com, AccessHollywood.com, E! Online, even Defamer.com and AwardsDaily.com.
Those are just some examples from the last 30 days. I can give you many more. And thousands over the past year.
Let's see the equivalent coverage that you have received, Ryan.
The reason that Ryan has attacked me with such fury publicly is because he's upset that I had the nerve to criticize Melissa Leo for her diva fit on the set of "Frozen River."
Really, that's what he's carrying on about. Can you believe it? That's how he uses (abuses?) his blogging privileges at AwardsDaily.com — just to drive his tantrum home with a slammed fist, stomped foot and a jungle scream.
Details of Melissa Leo's hissy fit are not in question. Basically, things got tense between Leo and director/writer Courtney Hunt while shooting one scene of the film. Leo must've behaved in such an inappropriate way that Hunt asked her, nicely, to please address her with respect. Instead, Leo threw a hissy fit and ordered the producer to "Talk to her!" We all know what that means.
I took issue with that incident when my ol' pal Thelma Adams of Us Weekly asked to me read a piece she'd written about Leo at the Huffington Post. She wondered if I had anything I wished to comment on in her piece — you know, in that way that bloggers encourage each other to cross-chatter and cross-link, thus building traffic.
I'm always game to pitch in on that score, so I was happy to oblige Thelma. Looking over her article, I sure felt I had something strong to say about Leo's diva fit. Enough! Why do stars always have to do this? Tell us stories about how they threw a righteous tantrum during filming and saved the day? Apparently, they think these stories make them look tough and important.
But actually, these huffy stars usually come out looking pretty pathetic when you examine the details of these stories they tell on themselves. You can usually see through the self-delusion and catch a glimpse of what really, sadly, took place if you bother. In Leo's case, her situation is interesting because it's odd: She tells a version of what triggered her diva fit that's hard to believe. Why? If it was as innocent as she claims — Leo merely asking for a clarification — Hunt wouldn't have asked Leo to address her with respect, causing Leo to explode.
That's what I found so interesting about Thelma's story and I thought it worth commenting on because Leo is now an Oscar contender for best actress. She better knock off this diva bit. As an awards blogger, I thought it was OK for me to convey that suggestion to her while building on Thelma's article.
But apparently not. When Sasha Stone read my post, she described me as a "shark circling" Leo with an apparent agenda to reap publicity for myself. Oh really, Sasha? I planned to do that by attacking an unknown actress in an unknown movie?
Oh, it doesn't matter. Sasha was just being bawdy as a blogger, and that's great. When I read her item, I chuckled and smiled, winking at her 3,000 miles away.
I also got a kick out of Jeff Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere.com pooh-poohing my complaint against Leo too. Fine. As a follow-up, I did a post acknowledging (and linking to) their views plus more thoughts from Thelma insisting that I was wrong. Fine, great. Apparently, Melissa Leo piped in with a comment at that blog spot too.
At this point the case should've been closed, but then, suddenly, roaring out of the distance — eyes bulging, teeth gnashing — came the king of all award experts Ryan Adams, and not to discuss any details of this contested issue. No, he came bearing flame-throwers and ridicule and disgust because it's clear that I’m not worthy to be in the same blogosphere that he is.
But Ryan: what gives you the right to be here at all? Please answer — and I insist that you address me with respect. That's something you and your pal Leo aren't fond of doing, but now I must demand it — just like Courtney Hunt did.
(Photos: AwardsDaily.com, PenguinPutnam, Tom O'Neil)





Wow, this post is sad. Please Tom, reign in your ego and keep what dignity is remaining. Somehow this seems more like a "diva fit" than anything Leo did.
Posted by: TC | August 02, 2008 at 03:37 PM
"...does he address the specifics of how he and I disagree on the topic of Melissa Leo's diva tantrum on the set of 'Frozen River.' "
Tom, the specifics are simple and obvious, and maybe you missed me addressing the issue because I summed it up so quickly: I don't think there was a "diva tantrum" at all. I think you're choosing to portray a simple incident of creative conflict in inflammatory and potentially career-damaging terms.
It appears to me that you're determined to characterize the dispute as a "diva tantrum," but very few readers on any of several interested movie sites see it that way. (But, "apparently, he believes that if he keeps saying that over and over it'll become true," folks.)
Simply: We disagree about the topic's worthiness as a topic. It seems beneath the lofty standards you're so proud of, Tom. In fact, convinced as you are that your imperious words carry so much weight in the community, doesn't it feel like a rather unseemly misuse of your considerable powers to beat up on one of the first serious awards contenders of the year?
I don't pretend to be an "awards expert' like you do Tom. I'm a rookie blogger with an opinion and keyboard. Maybe your attitude that your opinion is so much more valuable than anyone else's makes you feel good about yourself. But don't expect it to intimidate people, ok?
"Insisting" and "demanding my respect is about the last way to get it from me. Where I come from, respect is earned -- and you have, in fact, earned mine. But these past couple of days, you've lost some respect as well.
I don't need to have written a book or be quoted by Access Hollywood to have the credentials to know when I'm offended by something I read, Tom. And if offends me enough, I'll write about it.
I want to keep this short, because who cares what a nobody like me has to say, right? It's way more fascinating to watch the fizzled fireworks rain down from Mt. Olympus. Keep up the hysteria though, because this is a side of "professional" journalism we rarely get to see.
The photos of book covers and your shrine and stuff are really neat. I mean it, I'm genuinely impressed. I'm glad this gave you a chance to remind everybody how important you are, so you could show us pictures of your collection. That's probably worth all the aggravation, right?
You've done a lot of great work over the years; nobody is disputing that.
But here's the thing, Tom: Just because you've done so much that's right, doesn't mean you never get anything wrong.
Posted by: Ryan Adams | August 02, 2008 at 03:15 PM
Tom, did you ever think that freaking out like this and devoting thousands and thousands of words in this post hurling insults and slapping yourself on the back is exactly why people have a problem with you? All of us read the Thelma Adams/Melissa Leo piece as well. YOU are the one who completely overreacted to it and wrote two hysterical columns personally assailing Ms. Leo's professionalism and openly questioning whether this will derail her Oscar chances. This isn't the first time you've tried to derail an actor's Oscar run with a whispering campaign impugning the actor's personal character (Bill Murray comes to mind). It's unprofessional as hell, Tom. I don't give a flying crap that you get to hobnob with TV shows and get to be an Oscar pull-quote source for cable TV, you're still acting like an unprofessional twit. My guess is that if Melissa Leo was 27 instead of 47, and had runway model good looks you wouldn't have bothered to comment on her on-set demeanor with the viciousness that you did. Hmm...good looking young actresss who throws colleagues under the bus at the drop of a hat? Why, that sounds like Katherine Heigl. But, she gave you an EXCLUSIVE, so you don't rant on and on about Heigl being a "diva". Your conduct this week, Tom, has been borderline disgraceful. Further proof that the Goldderby brand is decaying more and more as your ego increases proportionally.
Posted by: Pete | August 02, 2008 at 02:49 PM
Your books and awards gewgaws and Defamer quotes are a nice smokescreen Tom, but they don't hide the magnitude of your original error.
Why don't you just admit you made a big deal out of nothing because it created a jucier blog headline and wash your hands of the whole thing? Seriously. You'll feel better.
Posted by: Craig Kennedy | August 02, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Yawn.
Posted by: this is still happening? | August 02, 2008 at 02:20 PM
This is crazy and completely unprofessional. You're the one being hysterical here. This is the very definition of a diva. I enjoy the blog, but you clearly have lost your mind.
Posted by: Jaime | August 02, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Not sure how to respond to this yet, Tom, and I'm busy with more urgent work this afternoon. Just one thing though, to help clarify the issue. You say,
"That's how he uses (abuses?) his blogging privileges at AwardsDaily.com — just to drive his tantrum home with a slammed fist, stomped foot and a jungle scream."
Want to tell me how your three repetitive tirades about 'Frozen River' over the past couple of days are so much different? No fist-slamming or foot-stomping coming from you?
So you can blog in the harshest terms about anything you want, and write things that you must know have the very real potential to harm an actress's reputation. And that's all ok. But anybody who dares disagree with you is "abusing" his blogging "privileges"?
I'm so new to this blogging game, Tom, they didn't even send me the rule book you're throwing at me. Can I borrow somebody's copy?
(also, can we please take a break from your Word-of-the-Week,"tantrum"? I'm afraid somebody with no license to blog might get the idea to pick that word up and boomerang it right back at you.)
Next thing we know, you'll be writing to Sasha and demanding, "Talk to him!" ;-)
Posted by: Ryan Adams | August 02, 2008 at 01:37 PM
Hey Tom, no one cares about your scoops and innuendo...LET IT GO!!!
Posted by: Bagg O'Glass | August 02, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Tom you are so overreacting! You did embelish the Leo story and did make it seem worse than it actually was. I have to agree with Ryan Adams. I think all the years in the biz has given you a huge ego and a god complex. Just remember: take three deep breaths and never blog when you are angry!
Posted by: Anthony Chavez | August 02, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Please, Tom, this is not a war between you and Ryan Adams. I heartily disagree with your characterization of Ms. Leo. Your repeition of your totally false accusation, taking a quote out of context, only does more and more harm. You are wrong in your analysis and yet you keep repeating it until it has the ring of agreed-upon truth. I want you to wake up, wise up, see the movie -- isn't that what we're about? --, and stop the character assassination. Come to your senses, man! Please treat the indomitable Ms. Leo with the respect she deserves. Also, to set the record straight, I didn't invite your negative comments. I wanted Ms. Leo to be on your Oscar radar for a peerless performance in a gem of a film. I never anticipated the Pandora's box this would become. No good deed goes unpunished. Again, I urge you: step away from your computer and see Frozen River. Judge the performance, not the performer. Although, I repeat, she herself is blameless.
Posted by: Thelma Adams | August 02, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Well you ARE wrong Tom, and that was the basis for the article at awardsdaily.com. You took something miniscule and turned into what seems like a bit of a smear campaign.
Posted by: filmboymichael | August 02, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Wow- I'm a bit shocked. I think you might be feeding into their jealousy a bit, Tom! Don't give them what they want. Clearly they feel threatened by us here..
Posted by: dannyboy | August 02, 2008 at 11:36 AM