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No Celebrity Was Spared from Walter Winchell's Wrath

Walter Winchell was the man who legitimized gossip columns, tabloid news, and celebrity watching. He rose from a poor New York family to become one of the most read columnists, and eventually consulted with F.D.R. and Joe McCarthy. Writer Neal Gabler has written a biography about Winchell. "Winchell: Gossip, Power, and the Culture of Celebrity" helps explain the man who was the source of our current celebrity-obsessed culture.

21:10

Other segments from the episode on October 12, 1994

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 12, 1994: Interview with Tim O'Brien; Interview with Neal Gabler.

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