JoalRyan.com

Articles

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.

Recent highlights

"Mackenzie Phillips Was Not Oversharing!" (E! Online, 2009)

"Michael Jackson Was the Baby Daddy!" (E! Online, 2009)

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

"From T-Shirts to Tears at Michael Jackson Memorial" (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)

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

"Backstage Report: Gasping Over Jennifer and Angelina" (E! Online, 2009)

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

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

My kind of story

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

"What Octomom Should Know About Reality TV" (E! Online, 2009)

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

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

"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)

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

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

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

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

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

"How to Swing" (Swing, 1997)

News features

"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)

"Chris Brown: Still King of the Prom?" (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)

"The Brooke White Reboot: How Big a Sin?" (E! Online, 2008)

"'Hallelujah' for 'Idol'" (E! Online, 2008)

"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)

"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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feature features

"What Daytime Soaps Taught Us (Well, Besides Sex) (E! Online, 2009)

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

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

Book reviews & columns

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

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

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

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

"'Snoogums' Will Never Live Here" (First-person piece on terms of endearment) (Los Angeles Times, 1995)

Award shows (all for E! Online)

Oscars: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Golden Globes: 2009 |2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Emmys: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Grammys: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

SAG Awards: 2009 | 2008

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)

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

Child-star stuff 

"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

"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)