JoalRyan JournalistAuthor

Selected articles from E! Online, Los Angeles Times, public radio's "Marketplace," Variety, Us Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, American Journalism Review, Movieline, Movies.com, Hollywood.com, Metropolis (Japan), Creative Screenwriting, ACCESS DirecTV Magazine, Swing.

Book reviews & columns

"Book Review: Taboo's Story Is an L.A. Story" (Los Angeles Times, 2011)

"Book Review: Is Nicole Richie's New Novel a Jackie Susann Redux?" (Los Angeles Times, 2010)

"Book Review: 'The Carrie Diaries' by Candace Bushnell" (Los Angeles Times, 2010)

"'Book Review: Albert Maysles' by Joe McElhaney" (Los Angeles Times, 2009)

"'Book Review: Evel Knievel: Life of Evel' by Stuart Barker"' (Los Angeles Times, 2008)

"Life Is but Brett Favre and Zac Efron..." (Former Child Star Central, 2008)

"No Small Wonder: The Legend of Jerry Supiran" (Former Child Star Central, 2008)

"The Deep Meaning of 'Ferris Bueller' and 'Sixteen Candles'" (Los Angeles Times, 2007)

"New Year's Resolutions" (Creative Screenwriting, 2007)

"You've Got Scams" (Creative Screenwriting, 2007)

"Hansel & Gretel Go Spec'ing" (Creative Screenwriting, 2007)

"Coping and Carping on the Road to Self-Discovery" (Los Angeles Times, 2006)

"Farewell, Sensei" (Metropolis -- Japan, 2005)

"Book Review: Vertical Hold: Comprehensive history traces blacks' changing television roles (San Francisco Chronicle, 2001)

"Book Review: Seven Days' Hard Time as a Couch Potato: Facile critique of TV programming is irritatingly uninformed (San Francisco Chronicle, 2000)

Radio features

"It's Not a Mall, It's a Lifestyle" ("Marketplace," 2007)

"It's Becoming a Matter of Convention"  ("Marketplace," 2006)

News features

"Did Amy Winehouse Suffer the Curse of the 27 Club?" (E! Online, 2011)

"Do Prince William and Kate Middleton Make a Red Carpet Redder?" (E! Online, 2011)

"Five Reasons You're Watching TV--and Not Going to the Movies" (E! Online, 2011)

"Jeff Conaway: What Might Have Been" (E! Online, 2011)

"Is Robert Pattinson Really a Leading Man, Magic 8 Ball?" (E! Online, 2011)

"Is Donald Trump's Presidental Talk Killing Celebrity Apprentice?" (E! Online, 2011)

"Who Killed the Daytime Soaps?" (E! Online, 2011)

"Is Charlie Sheen Winning? The Scoreboard" (E! Online, 2011)

"Five Meanest Awards-Show Moments" (E! Online, 2011)

"Eclipse Eclipsed Harry Potter--and Four Shockers From the Year in Movies" (E! Online, 2010)

"Charlie Chaplin Time Traveler? (E! Online, 2010)

"Eclipse at Midnight: We Were There--and We Know Who You Screamed for" (E! Online, 2010)

"Whoomp?! There Obama Was?!" (E! Online, 2010)

"From T-Shirts to Tears at Michael Jackson Memorial" (E! Online, 2009)

"Michael Jackson Death Theories: the Roundup" (E! Online, 2009)

"Stars Dying in Threes: What Are the Chances?" (E! Online, 2009)

"Michael Jackson's Animals: Where Are They Now?" (E! Online, 2009)

"Why Oscar Might Want to Reward Robert Pattinson, Reward Chris Rock" (E! Online, 2009)

"Is Slumdog a Victim, a User...or 'Citizen Kane?'" (E! Online, 2009)

"To Write In, or Write Off, 'The Dark Knight' (E! Online, 2009)

"'The Dark Knight's' Road to $600 Million...or Not" (E! Online, 2008)

"Eye Spies Anchor for 'Divorce Night' Block"  (Variety, 2008)

"Zac Efron...and the Giffen Paradox!?" (E! Online, 2008)

"How Much Would You Pay for Gary Coleman's Pants?" (E! Online, 2008)

"Eye Spies Anchor for 'Divorce Night' Block"  (Variety, 2008)

"The 'Chocolate' Reign of Tay Zonday" (E! Online, 2007)

"The Close Shave That Shook the World" (E! Online, 2007)

"The Misspeak USA Pageant" (E! Online, 2007)

"Monroe v. Chewbacca?" (E! Online, 2007)

"Keith Richards and the Yanomamo" (E! Online, 2007)

"New Irony Saps Emmy's Love for 'Leno'" (Variety, 2007)

"Britney and Postpartum Depression" (E! Online, 2007)

"Exit WB, UPN: Enter the CW" (E! Online, 2006)

"Inside Britney's Underpants" (E! Online, 2006)

"Reaching Out to 'Vanished' Kid Star Via MySpace" (E! Online, 2006)

"Getting Inside the 'Bubble' (E! Online, 2006)

"The Art of Britney Spears" (E! Online, 2006)

"Will Ferrell Still Kicking" (E! Online, 2006)

"Faster, Higher, Stronger...Hoth?" (E! Online, 2006)

"Hello, Mr. CHiPs" (E! Online, 2005)

"Superman II Lives--Live" (E! Online, 2005)

"Michael Jackson's Bahrain Dance" (E! Online, 2005)

"A Breath of Fresh Pitt" (E! Online, 2005)

"Michael Jackson's Magic Man" (E! Online, 2005)

"Now Showing: The Jackson Trial" (E! Online, 2005)

"Explaining Zellweger's 'Fraud' Claim" (E! Online, 2005)

"Michael Jackson's Career Is Toast" (E! Online, 2005)

"Curly, Larry, Moe--and Michael" (E! Online, 2005)

"Hutt Wheels for Sale" (E! Online, 2005)

"Blake: Not the Trial of the Century" (E! Online, 2004)

"Not Nick Nolte's Diary" (E! Online, 2004)

"Britney's Tangled Wedding: A Primer" (E! Online, 2004)

"Superman Steals X-Man Singer" (E! Online, 2004)

"The 'Desperate' Games Sports Play" (E! Online, 2004)

"Miss America Splits Up with ABC" (E! Online, 2004)

"Leno Roasts Recall Candidates" (E! Online, 2003)

"Grandpa Munster Goes to Albany?" (E! Online, 1998)

"Miss America, 'Ambassador of Service'" (E! Online, 1998)

"Spice Girls Take Manhattan" (E! Online, 1998)

"How to Swing" (Swing, 1997)

Feature features

"The 25 Best Movies You've Never Seen" (Movies.com, 2007)

"Hollywood: Where Green Is the New Black" (ACCESS DirecTV Magazine, 2007)

"Inside Secrets of the Gift Bag" (Movieline, 2003)

"How 'Fast Times' Flies" (Swing, 1997)

"The Screw Sundance Party" (Swing, 1997)

"Lou Grant Made Me Do It" (American Journalism Review, 1996)

"When Your Beat Moves Out of Town" (American Journalism Review, 1996)

"Not Valid When Used After..." (Los Angeles Times, 1996)

"Sealed with a Kiss: The Words to Woo By" (Los Angeles Times, 1995)

Geek stuff

"Barack Obama: Commander-in-Geek" (E! Online, 2008)

"To Be 'Thor' Director, or Not To Be" (E! Online, 2008)

"What's the Matter with the Hulk?" (E! Online, 2008)

"Hollywood Kryptonite?" (E! Online, 2008)

"Meeting KITT" (E! Online, 2007)

"Takei Joins Galaxy of Asteroid Stars" (E! Online, 2007)

"What's Star Wars Again?" (E! Online, 2007)

"Zombie Fever" (Movies.com, 2007)

"The Subject Was Roses...and Stormtroopers" (E! Online, 2006)

"Reclaiming a Superman" (E! Online, 2006)

"A Batman Family Outing" (E! Online, 2006)

"'Star Wars' on DVD, Again...For the First Time" (E! Online, 2006)

"'Smallville,' Big Stakes" (E! Online, 2006)

"Hulk Smash Crime!" (E! Online, 2006)

"Chewbacca Does America" (E! Online, 2005)

"Wayne Manor Forever" (E! Online, 2005)

"Is the 'Trek' Over?" (E! Online, 2005)

"The Adventures of Super Ringo" (E! Online, 2005)

"Martian Manhunter Need Not Apply" (E! Online, 2004)

"Beaming Aboard Vulcan" (E! Online, 1998)

Counterpunch (all for E! Online)

"Neil Patrick Harris, These Oscar Hosts Are All Your Fault" (E! Online, 2010)

"Well Played, Joaquin Phoenix, Well Played" (E! Online, 2010)

"Hey, American Idol Fans, Can Please Stop Voting for the Same Guy?" (E! Online, 2010)

"Is Betty White Getting an Old Lady Pass?" (E! Online, 2010)

"What If Sandra Bullock's Marriage Were More Like Mo'Nique's?" (E! Online, 2010)

"The Problem Isn't John Mayer--It's John Mayer's Penis" (2010)

"Kate Gosselin's Hair Extensions Good for America!" (2010)

"Mackenzie Phillips Was Not Oversharing!" (2009)

"Michael Jackson Was the Baby Daddy!" (2009)

"Blame Michael Jackson, Not His Doctors!" (2009)

"Sex Tapes Are Good for You!" (2009)

Child-star stuff 

"Five Top Troubles of Teen Stars" (E! Online, 2011)

"Gary Coleman: The Child Star Who Never Had It All" (E! Online, 2010)

"Five Saddest Child-Star Stories" (E! Online, 2010)

"The Real Curse of the Child Star," (E! Online, 2010)

"Remembering Corey Haim: From Lucas to Lost Boy," (E! Online, 2010)

"Attack of the Stage Parents!" (E! Online, 2008)

"For Formerly Famous, It's in the Cards" (E! Online, 2007)

"Missing Teen Idol Found Dead" (E! Online, 2006)

"98 Degrees Candidate Runs Cold" (E! Online, 2005)

"Tiffany's 'Playboy' Makeover" (E! Online, 2002)

"Trouble for 'Family Ties' Star" (E! Online, 2001)

"What Gary Coleman Believes" (Hollywood.com, 2000)

"'Christmas Story' Kid Is Back" (E! Online, 1999)

"Saving Gary Coleman" (E! Online, 1999)

"The 'Lost' Bradys" (E! Online, 1999)

"The 'Diff'rent Strokes' Kids: Cursed?" (E! Online, 1998)

Celeb stuff

"Comedy Impact  Report: Steve Carell" (Variety, 2008)

"Comedy Impact Report: Kathy Griffin" (Variety, 2008)

"Comedy Impact Report: Michael Patrick King" (Variety, 2008)

"The Sweetheart of Sin City" (ACCESS DirecTV Magazine, 2007)

Comedy Impact Report: Rowan Atkinson (Variety, 2007)

Comedy Impact Report: Michael Cera (Variety, 2007)

Comedy Impact Report: Jonah Hill (Variety, 2007)

Comedy Impact Report: Seth Rogen (Variety, 2007)

"Stars Who Hate Fame" (Us Weekly, 2003)

"Matthew Perry: The Bachelor About Town" (Us Weekly, 2002)

"Stars' First Loves" (Us Weekly, 2002)

Cast/crew Q-&-A's (all -- except Jack Nicholson) for About Schmidt official site (New Line, 2001)

Political stuff

"Is Donald Trump's Presidential Talk Killing Celebrity Apprentice?" (E! Online, 2011)

"The Michael Jackson Referendum?" (E! Online, 2006)

"Bush Tie Not Looking Good" (E! Online, 2004)

"Ah-nuld Elected Governor" (E! Online, 2003)

"Arnold Watch" (E! Online, 2003)

Obituaries

"Michael Jackson, Pop's Thrilling King, Dead at 50" (E! Online, 2009)

"Farrah Fawcett, First Among Angels, Has Died" (E! Online, 2009)

"The Lady Munster Dies" (E! Online, 2007)

"Elusive, Iconic 'Cleopatra Jones' Star Dies" (E! Online, 2006)

"Dark Day in Doodyville" (E! Online, 2006)

"The Stars' Singular Inspiration?" (E! Online, 2005)

"Remembering TV's Riddler" (E! Online, 2005)

"Scotty Says Goodbye" (E! Online, 2004)