Hes chummy with Paris and the Simpson sisters. He goes to really cool parties at VIP hot spots around the world. He gets lots of free stuff. But Perez Hilton, whose Web site has become a go-to source for juicy celebrity dish, says he knows his place in the bold-faced world. Outside looking in.
"Im not a celebrity," Hilton -- no relation to Paris, his is a nom de gossip -- told The Associated Press in an interview Monday. "I dont take myself too seriously. I know where I stand in the food chain. And no matter how much of an insider I ever become or am, Ill still always be an outsider."
That attitude has made the openly gay Hilton -- the self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media" -- an increasingly addictive distraction to millions of celeb-hungry Web surfers, bored office workers and people just looking for a laugh.
His Los Angeles-based site, PerezHilton.com, has shaken and stirred the gossip crowd since its debut last year. Hilton, 28, posts tabloid photos of celebs and adds cheeky captions and rudimentary doodles. He coins nicknames for both A-listers (Kirsten Dunst is "Kiki Drunkst," Jake Gyllenhaal is "GyllenHO") and C-listers (Wilmer "Valdiarrhea," er, Valderramma).
"Even though what Im doing can be harsh at times or biting or cynical ... in my own subservient way I am trying to make the world a better place," he said. "I will push the envelope. Im not afraid to offend or be dangerous, whatever. Because I can."
Even Doogie Howser isnt safe. Neil Patrick Harris, who played the namesake doctor on the series "Doogie Howser, M.D.," publicly admitted last week he is gay weeks after Hilton posted an item pleading with the actor to come out. And N Sync star Lance Bass, one of Hiltons favorite subjects, disclosed his sexuality in July. Hilton wrote, "This has been a monumental year in gay history!! ... Come out NOW! Come out in droves!!"
