With a world full of millions of people who just cant seem to get enough 'inside' gossip or scandal on their favorite celebrities,(or wife cheating politicians), lets go back in the past and take a look at how this 'tabloid' coverage all stated and see exactly who started it. One of the first pioneers of Hollywood gossip and scandal was a publication simply called: 'Confidential' magazine.
Back in 1952 a publisher by the name of Robert Harrison founded a magazine that would become the pioneer in gossip, and scandal. He called it "Confidential" magazine and it orignally sold back then for a mere 25 cents.
People at the time claim that Harrison was influenced to start the magazine after watching live TV coverage of the Kefauver hearings.(the Keauver hearings were a live series of TV broadcasts about corruption and the mafia). After watching the hearings, Harrison then decided to start the magazine and hired family members to help him build his extensive research on his subjects(mainly hollywood actors).
Harrison also was able to employ a secret network of inside hollywood spies, cab drivers, prostitutes, private eyes, and even actors themselves to supply him with inside 'information'. The magazine later 'found' dirt on everyone from Billionairess Doris Duke to Elvis Presley.
It was reported that by 1955 'Confidential' magazine was the biggest seller on local news stands. At that time several other 'copy cat' publications were also hitting the news stands and also achieving some success.
Harrison sold "Confidential" in 1958. And of course, there were a series of lawsuits against 'Confidential'.
Years later, and due to legal action, the magazine changed its format and limited its 'subject matter and celebrity content', leading to a severe drop in its circulation. At the time even well known Hollywood movie stars were known to have been 'fans' of the magazine(except when they themselves appeared in an issue).
The magazine then went through several other publishers, and ceased operation in 1978.
Even the great Humphrey Bogart had this to say about Confidential Magazine: "Everybody reads it, but they say the cook brought it into the house".
Remember the old saying in Hollywood....'no news is bad news, bad news is good news...'
