"I would not let my worst enemy go on a reality TV show," says Michael Adams of Bravo TV's "Top Design." Adams' comment is part of a podcast interview with AllThePrettyPeople.com (http://alltheprettypeople.com/), a celebrity encounters website. During the interview, Adams says he and his fellow contestants were regularly sleep- deprived and then edited by producers to an exploitative level.
"We were shocked and fascinated by Michael's comments," says co-founder of AllThePrettyPeople.com, Brian Masefield. "It wasn't the original intent of the interview, as we like to focus on the lighter side of our celebrity-obsessed culture."
Brian and co-founder Dan McCormick, two Brooklyn-based friends, created the site last year after realizing the need for a positive spin on the celebrity lifestyle. "Most of the existing celebrity blogs are just trashy," quips Dan. "We admit to loving the cult of personality, but think there's a positive, fun side to it that's not being captured." More pointedly, the site focuses on what it's like to meet a celebrity. "We're the Anti-Razzi. We're not hunting celebs, invading their privacy. We're seeking people out there with genuine celebrity-shared moments," adds Brian.
So far, so good: Pics and stories of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Griffin, and Rudy Guiliani (to name only a few) have been submitted by the fans who posed alongside these respective stars. The biweekly podcasts, hosted by Brian and Dan, attract hundreds of listeners, and include first-hand accounts of people sharing their stories of celebrity-meeting moments.
"She was so cool and down to earth -- she ended up giving me a huge hug," says a podcast guest who recently met Ellen Degeneres. Other stories are shared by people who've had run-ins with everyone from Drew Barrymore to Mark Walhberg. Recent podcast Guest Co-host Adams says his "Top Design" experience has attracted attention from celebrities as well, sharing a story in which he was approached by Nathan Lane.
Featuring both pics and stories of celebrity encounters, AllThePrettyPeople's popularity makes one thing clear: There are a lot of celebrities out there, and a lot more stories to tell.
