Audiobook Review: The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year by Andy Cohen
The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year by Andy Cohen
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: November 11, 2014
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
As a TV Producer and host of the smash late night show Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen has a front row seat to an exciting world not many get to see. In this dishy, detailed diary of one year in his life, Andy goes out on the town, drops names, hosts a ton of shows, becomes codependent with Real Housewives, makes trouble, calls his mom, drops some more names, and, while searching for love, finds it with a dog. We learn everything from which celebrity peed in her WWHL dressing room to which Housewives are causing trouble and how. Nothing is off limits – including dating. We see Andy at home and with close friends and family (including his beloved and unforgettable mom). Throughout, Andy tells us not only what goes down, but exactly what he thinks about it. Inspired by the diaries of another celebrity-obsessed Andy (Warhol), this honest, irreverent, and laugh-out-loud funny book is a one-of-a-kind account of the whos and whats of pop culture in the 21st century.
After Andy Cohen read The Andy Warhol Diaries, he decided to start keeping a diary of his own. He liked how Warhol’s diary was packed with celebrity encounters and shameless name dropping and decided that his diary would be written the same way.
He doesn’t appear to hold much back. He dishes dirt and not afraid to make himself look bad – like the time the paparazzi caught him full-on picking his nose! His life is glamorous and his social calendar is packed. At the same time, he manages to stay pretty down to earth. His mother definitely helps in that regard. She is full of criticism for him about which he luckily has a sense of humor. I listened to this book – his impression of his mother and other celebrities is pretty awful and he’s aware of that. Much of the diary is about his search for a dog and finally adopting his dog Wacha. At that point his diary becomes very Wacha-centric.
As a fan of both the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Real Housewives Orange County (don’t judge!), I was pleased that he includes inside information on his dealings with the housewives. He doesn’t always mention names but sometimes he does. He mentions tidbits about other Bravo series he produces as well.
He also writes about his late night talk show Watch What Happens Live and his guests. He’ll say if a guest had weird demands or if a particular show bombed or did really well – whether because of him or the guest. It would be fun to search for clips of some of the worst on YouTube and see if you can tell what he’s thinking.
Fans of Andy Cohen will enjoy this book as well as fans of his BFFs because they are mentioned so often – Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Ripa, Jon Mayer, Anderson Cooper and Diane von Furstenberg. Also, even if you aren’t a fan of any of those people, chances are you are a fan of one other dozens of celebrities mentioned. If you enjoy reading memoirs from people in the entertainment industry, this is one to check out.
