Who is the man behind the dishy, delightful Daily Beast’s Obsessed newsletter? We want you to be as obsessed with Kevin Fallon as we are, so we’ve devised this pop culture quiz to learn more about who is telling us what to see or skip each week–and, more importantly, who to have a crush on. The Daily Beast’s Obsessed newsletter is becoming a subscriber exclusive. To keep getting weekly sends, start your Daily Beast subscription today with a special discount - just click here. Now, let’s get to know Kevin Fallon: senior editor, pop culture aficionado, and Jonathan Bailey’s spirit husband. Q: In your humble opinion, who is the realest housewife? A: In terms of being incapable of being anything other than real and truly herself, for better or for (usually) the worst, that would be Ramona Singer. Honestly all of the RHONY veterans—LuAnn, Sonja, Dorinda…I’ve spent lots of time with them all—are genuinely themselves all of the time, in all their deranged lunatic glory. As for who is the most level-headed Housewife? Heather Gay from Salt Lake City is genuinely normal and very smart. I’d also say Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby from Potomac rank pretty high on the “real and down-to-earth” scale. Q: What are the qualities you look for in a SEE? A: If hours after watching something, I’m still excited and thinking about what I just watched, that’s a sign that it struck an emotion—and that’s what I care about, feeling something when I watch a TV show or movie. Also if it has butts in it. Q: Which award show would you axe: Oscars, Grammys, or Emmys? A: Grammys. I’m old. I don’t know who half of these people are. What is a Benson Boone? Q: Who was your first celebrity crush (and who is it now)? A: Closeted, pretending-to-be-straight Kevin was obsessed with Sarah Michelle Gellar during the Buffy days. Closeted, going-to-grow-up-gay Kevin had a huge crush on Rider Strong from Boy Meets World. Now, my crush is my husband Jonathan Bailey. Q: What’s a movie or show you hated at first but have come around on? A: Seinfeld. I was too young when I first started watching it. I didn’t understand the comedy. Now—it’s not a novel opinion, by a long shot—I think it’s brilliant. Q: FMK: The Bachelor, Love Island, Love on the Spectrum A: Marry Love on the Spectrum. That cast is so pure. I want the world for them. F--- Love Island, because isn’t that the whole point of that show? Kill The Bachelor. As a [redacted]-year-old single man, I have no sympathy for 23-year-olds bemoaning that this is their last chance at true love. Q: Late nights or early mornings? A: Late nights. I value being asleep for as many hours as possible a day over possibly any other life experience. People who brag about being early risers are the most insufferable people on this planet. Q: Which celebrity do you most want to release a tell-all autobiography? A: Give us that tea, Oprah! Q: Who is your favorite pop-culture Kevin? A: Being a Kevin in the ‘90s meant that not a day went by without someone screaming “KEVIN!” in their best Catherine O’Hara voice because of Home Alone. It was annoying then, but now I love it. Q: How did you get your start in journalism? A: When I was a sophomore in college at NYU, I landed an internship at Entertainment Tonight, and my entertainment journalism career snowballed from there. I worked at ET the year that Anna Nicole Smith died and The View aired its infamous splitscreen of Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck fighting. Part of my job was answering the phone connected to our public telephone number to field viewers’ feedback. Suffice it to say, it was ringing off the hook that season. Q: What’s your Letterboxd top four? A: I don’t trust any of the celebrities who do this. Yeah, I’m sure your favorite movies of all time are that Danish or French indie film from 1973 that four people have watched. Mine are: Erin Brockovich (perfect film), Sister Act (the second one is fun; the first is genuinely an immaculate screenplay); The Talented Mr. Ripley (movie stars being gorgeous); and Beauty and the Beast (the greatest animated movie there’s ever been). Q: Is there a movie or show ending you would love to rewrite? A: Sex and the City. I’m sorry, Big is the absolute worst and the greatest farce we’ve ever been sold is the idea that Carrie and him belonged together. Thank god for that Peloton bike. A hero. Q: Who would you want to play you in the story of your life? A: When I was young and hot, a wedding photographer said I looked like Jake Gyllenhaal. I’ve been dining out on that for a decade. Q: What’s the most memorable celebrity encounter you’ve ever had? A: I recently sat next to Nicole Kidman at an awards show, and I have to say she was genuinely nice, so funny, and friendly. Also, one time Elaine Stritch pinched my butt. Q: If you could uncancel one gone-too-soon TV show, which would it be? A: Happy Endings. That it didn’t run for 10 years makes me question America’s taste. Q: What’s the movie quote you use most in real life? A: “Why is no one ready?” in my best Meryl Streep accent from The Devil Wears Prada. People take too long to get ready! Q: What iconic internet moment lives rent-free in your head? A: My favorite video of all time is a news segment where two pretentious idiots are interviewed during a blizzard about why they like jogging in the snow. After their dips--- interview, they start running away and immediately fall. Losers. Q: Do you prefer binge or appointment viewing? A: Both have their merits! I love when something like The White Lotus airs weekly and we all gossip about it every Monday. But there’s also nothing better than spending a Sunday becoming one with your couch and bingeing an entire series in a lazy afternoon. Q: We’ve seen a bit of a renaissance for actors that dipped out of the limelight only to return to stardom: Jean Smart, Kathryn Hahn, Parker Posey. Who are you rooting for a big comeback? A: Bonnie Hunt, this is your time. Q: Which ensemble cast–past or current tv series–would you most want to get drinks with? A: I think the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are both the funniest and most demented people to walk this Earth. Grabbing a few with them must be a blast. Q: What would be a good theme song for your life? A: “Ironic” because I also like to blame bad things in my life on events that are not actually ironic. Q: What’s your ideal movie snack? A: Popcorn with so much of that cholesterol-spiking butter that it leaks through the bottom of the bag. Q: What is the most underrated show/performance of this year (so far)? A: Somebody Somewhere is a miracle of a TV show. Every episode made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt and also cry so hard that I sounded like a goat bleating. That Bridget Everett doesn’t have every award that exists for this show is a crime. Q: If you could create one new category for the Oscars, what would it be? A: Best Ensemble. I don’t understand why there isn’t an award for the best cast of something. It also would be a way to award more populist fare instead of the indie movie that no one saw but is winning its star Best Actress. Q: If you could only listen to one pop divas music for the rest of your life, who would it be and why? A: This is the cruelest question you could ask a gay. This is homophobia. How dare you. How could I possibly choose? Picking one would make Sophie’s Choice look like a romp. I hesitate to even narrow it down, but for the sake of this exercise, I’ll say it would be between Mariah Carey, Céline Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, and Janet Jackson. Q: What’s a nostalgic show or movie you’d love to see redone with a new cast? A: I love The First Wives Club. I may or may not have memorized the “You Don’t Own Me” choreography and performed it alone in my apartment. (I’m Goldie Hawn.) It’s a perfect movie, but one I think would be fun to redo with a new cast of younger stars. I heard a rumor about 9 to 5 being remade, and I think that would also be a fun one to update with a new cast. Q: What’s a cult classic movie you hope gets the broadway musical treatment (a la Death Becomes Her)? A: I feel like a Julia Roberts rom-com is great fodder for musical comedy. (Well, I guess that already happened; the less we say about the Pretty Woman musical the better.) Can’t you already imagine My Best Friend’s Wedding on a Broadway stage? “I Say a Little Prayer” is gonna be a showstopper. Q: What’s your proudest professional accomplishment? A: Launching The Daily Beast’s Obsessed took so much hard work, but it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had. The fact that people respond to my voice and perspective on pop culture is still wild to me, but it also makes me very proud. I also got to go to the set of the Will & Grace revival and interview the cast, which was very emotional for a person who came of age at the time that show was changing America’s minds and hearts about the LGBT community. Q: Why should people subscribe to the Daily Beast? A: Because I need a paycheck and continued employment. (The rent is too damn high!) But also because, at a time when journalism is so often sanitized or timid, the Beast is unabashedly confrontational and brazen. Usually the phrase “now more than ever…” is followed by the most insufferable words you’ve ever read. That said, now more than ever, we need sites like the Beast. To keep Kevin Fallon employed, become a Daily Beast subscriber. Click here to join up – pay only $25 for your first year of unlimited access to our reporting and exclusive newsletters, like the Daily Beast’s Obsessed. | 