Despite a growing number of gossip columns, magazines, and websites, Richard Johnson remains the preeminent emcee of the gossip world. For nearly 25 years he’s built a “Page Six” following for the New York Post, as the column’s top editor. And although the column doesn’t actually appear on page six, it’s the most-read column in the paper, bringing millions of page views to the paper’s website each month. The sharp-tongued scribe gave us a few gossip-friendly tips, honorable mentions, and insight on how it feels to be the best.
GOTHAM: How did you become Mr. Page Six?
RICHARD JOHNSON: I started as a regular reporter covering murders, fires, and demonstrations, and I decided gossip looked like it was more fun. So I gravitated toward “Page Six” and volunteered for the job.
G: Did you trend toward gossip when you were a child?
RJ: No. In fact, I don’t think I have any natural talent for it. Even now I’m the last person in the office to know about my coworkers’ affairs.
G: On a scale of one to 10, how does your column stack up as the most-read in the country?
RJ: The most-read? Well, I think we would be the most-read. So I give myself a 10. I’m an easy grader.
G: How does one get into “Page Six”?
RJ: I’d like to think that it’s a meritocracy, in that we’re writing about people who are achievers and elite. But we have people like Paris Hilton, and people wonder, How did she get in? Basically she’s a sexy girl who goes to a lot of parties, so the criteria that paparazzi use is the same criteria we use.
G: What is your criteria?
RJ: Some people aren’t interested in hip-hop artists or reality-TV stars, and a long time ago I decided that I didn’t want to write about soap stars because I figured anybody who’s working wouldn’t be watching soaps. You have to have a cross-section, and that’s the reason why the names are in boldface—you can skim through the item and if you don’t like the name or you don’t recognize the name, you just don’t read the item.
G: What is the worst backlash that you’ve received?
RJ: I had to issue an apology once to Sandy Koufax, the legendary Dodgers pitcher, for—well, I don’t want to get into it, or else I’ll have to apologize again!
G: Any punches ever thrown your way?
RJ: I’ve had two drinks thrown at me from two different people. One was that ancient agent out in LA, Ed Limato. He tossed a drink in my face at a Vanity Fair Oscar party.
G: And what did you do?
RJ: I just wiped myself off. I didn’t want to see a headline: “Homophobic Post Editor Attacks Elderly Super-Agent.”
G: What’s another perk of that power?
RJ: I have maître d’s kissing my ass, as it were, in the finer establishments.
G: Tell me a few over-the-top gestures people have made to get into “Page Six.”
RJ: They hire a publicist who then proceeds to harass us. Some hire more than one.
