Gawker: defamer, chinese theater

Walk Of Fame Spider-Man May Be Too Sexy For The Hollywood Tourist Crowd

Mark — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:13:58 EST

Somehow finding the one red-costumed individual in this city patrolling a sidewalk in front of a Hollywood landmark with no interest in discussing the WGA strike, Defamer videographer Molly McAleer enjoyed a brief chat with the Chinese Theatre's Reasonably Passable, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, inviting the Polaroid-proferring hero to share his origin story.

(Sadly, he wasn't one of the characters chosen for the excellent documentary Confessions of a Superhero, denying us—for now, at least—a deeper look into his wall-crawling psyche.) Though we're sure he would have had many illuminating things to say about the stalled negotiations between the writers and studios had he been pressed, we're glad the duo's conversation steered clear of strike-related matters in favor of somewhat less timely topics, like how Spidey's web-slinging magnetism turns passing tourists into arachnid-craving sexual predators.

Previously: The Hollywood Blvd. All-Stars Review Britney Spears' 'Blackout' [Defamer]

Clooney, Pitt, And Damon Achieve Hollywood Tourist Trap Immortality

Mark — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:45:09 EDT

· Can't three Hollywood buddies pose for some photos on their knees without people taking cheap shots at the nature of their friendship anymore?
· That's right, ladies: Larry David is back on the market. And as for the guys, Laurie David's got to be worth at least $100 million (assuming Larry didn't have her sign a Massey prenup), so bone up on your environmentally savvy pick-up lines (the one about checking out the back seat of your Prius is a classic) and get to work.
· E! Online details the hidden dangers of your innocent searches for photos of Britney Spears' vagina.
· Though he finds Judd Apatow cuddly, Peter Bart isn't buying the Knocked Up hype. Is the cantankerous Var chief's heart made of stone?

[Photo: Getty Images]

Takedown!

Mark — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 16:08:17 EDT

The WSJ has updated its story on Shake-Me-Down Elmo and the Hole in the Boulevard Gang to include this amazing reader-submitted photo of the LAPD's dramatic Elmo/Mr. Incredible sting operation. These grisly, public beheadings are sure to serve as a powerful deterrent the next time Painfully Skinny Spider-Man and his toady, SpongeBob DirtyPants, think about helping themselves to a tourist's wallet.

[Photo: April Yi/WSJ]

Previously: Shake-Me-Down Elmo And The Hole-In-The-Boulevard Gang [Defamer]

Shake-Me-Down Elmo And The Hole-In-The-Boulevard Gang

Mark — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 13:04:34 EDT

The sidewalk in front of the Chinese Theater may seem like a Tinseltown paradise where delighted visitors cavort with shabby versions of their favorite movie characters, posing for no-strings-attached pictures with Batmen and Charlie Chaplins before returning to measuring their extremities against the Chinese's world-famous concrete monuments ("Mommy, Tom Cruise's hands are the same size as mine!"). But this is Hollywood, after all, and things are rarely as innocent as they appear. Concerned that many of these characters were shaking down tourists for tips, the LAPD called a Starving Superhero Summit to lay down the law, and when the super-behavior didn't improve, the cops went deep undercover:

Though many characters left the meeting excited about their roles as responsible "Hollywood Ambassadors," the aggressive solicitation did not abate. So last week, an undercover operation was launched.
Mr. Harper, the 40-year-old Elmo, says he was set up by the cops. But upon returning to his spot a day after his arrest, he conceded that things are tense these days among the characters, who form cliques and alliances to defend their turf and make money. Mr. Harper, for example, says his Elmo is a foe of Batman and Superman, but in cahoots with Mr. Incredible, SpongeBob SquarePants and at least one of the half-dozen Spider-Men who prowl the street.

Members of Elmo's clique often pose in pictures together and split tips when the dollars are flowing. Because many of the costumes have no pockets, wads of cash are often visibly clenched in characters' hands. But as a Saturday stroll down the boulevard showed, other characters are alone and adrift, often wearing ragged costumes and seeming to horn in on others' turf. One Spider-Man and a Puss 'N Boots character, for example, jumped into other characters' pictures at the last minute, then tried to wrangle some of the tip. Both declined to be interviewed.

We don't want to give the impression that all of the characters littering the Boulevard are violent and corrupt; somewhat predictably, there are twin Johnny Depps (in Capt. Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka flavors) who seem committed to keeping their vocation pure. Maybe the Chinese can hire a Sean Penn ringer to help the Depps self-police more effectively, and let the LAPD's fuzzy vice squad off the hook.

UPDATE: The nice folks at the WSJ have released the article into the wild so that Defamer readers can enjoy the whole thing.

Hollywood Boulevard Just Isn't Big Enough For Elmo and Friends [WSJ.com via HuffPo]
Previously: Batmen Grapple In Front Of Chinese Theatre! [Defamer]