Let’s Talk About Hollywood™
Hollywood isn’t just a place: it’s a mindset. Part memoir, part behind-the-scenes insight, this podcast offers stories, reflections, and encouragement from Karl Gibson, a veteran of The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix, Warner Bros., Tubi, and Disney+. Whether you are industry-savvy or just curious, get comfy and settle in for a real, unvarnished take on the dreams, detours, and heart behind the Hollywood dream machine.
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Ep. 40: Assistant to the Editor (2002)
05/19/2026
Ep. 40: Assistant to the Editor (2002)
September 13-18, 2002. The Hollywood Reporter newsroom. Looking back, the job and salary negotiations were straight forward and direct: my boss called me in, closed the door, and a plan to fill the Assistant to the Editor role was cemented. Clear. Direct. Respect. I took the role: Assistant to the Editor. More than a 1/3 salary jump in 11 months. My co-assistant is the editor for the Calendar of Events page with her much deserved byline. I keep my 52-extension phone console so we all have access to breaking news. “What I don’t know, I need you to H-E-L-P me,” I told my boss. He said, “You’re good at math.” Stone wanted to run around the office yelling. Mom said get close to the salary number. Peter Pryor said “great hire.” Bob Dowling still has to approve it, but “there’s no turning back.” Black journalists were ∼5% of U.S. newsrooms then. I was one of them. On the phones. On the floor. Everyone’s career peak is their respective ride....just be ready. I’m frustrated with the news ecosystem today, but I will always and still do believe in talent, writers, and journalists with integrity who truly inform, edify, take risks and explain a complex world and the complex human beings that we are. From the newsroom floor to 30 countries. This is Season 2: 2002 of "Let's Talk About Hollywood." Written and read by Karl Gibson. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!
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Ep 39: Leaving It All on the $50 Million Dollar Floor (2002)
05/14/2026
Ep 39: Leaving It All on the $50 Million Dollar Floor (2002)
September 10-12, 2002. The Hollywood Reporter newsroom. My supervisor’s leaving. I turned her job down. Twice. Boss asks my salary and the first two numbers lower than my age. He looks astounded. “Your boss needs you both. If you leave, he’s f*cked.” Raises submitted for January 2003. $13.50 an hour. Sales up 23%. It’s the 1-year 9/11 anniversary. Moment of silence in the office park. THR’s issue: no exploitative pictures. Stone’s IT department confiscates his World Trade Center photos for their commemoration. “Why do you need these?” Emmy meeting. “No way in hell I want a temp on that night.” 3pm-1am overtime. Red carpet. Bomb sweep. Stone: “Think positive!” Me: “It’s about thinking realistically.” I was 32. Leaving it all on the $50M floor. Because that’s how you stay A-list on any rung of the totem pole. From the newsroom floor to 30 countries. Season 2 continues. Pressing play is enough. If you can donate, link in notes. No ads. No brand notes. Just truth, Stone, and receipts. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 38: Thank You to My Audience in 30 Countries!
05/08/2026
Ep. 38: Thank You to My Audience in 30 Countries!
Thank you to my listeners in 30 countries, so far. It is a true honor to be a part of your day or evening. This is Episode 38 of Let’s Talk About Hollywood : a listener appreciation episode from the newsroom floor to you. Less than 1% of independent podcasts reach 30 countries. This one did. With no ads, no PR, no notes from brands. Just a 2002 newsroom diary that leads to 24 years (and counting) of Hollywood and you. In this episode: My thank you to my listeners both in America and the world! Why I’m here. To share not just my Hollywood journal, but the loss of a spouse, the weight of $100 million and multi-billion dollar brands, and the truth that art and entertainment are the great equalizer. Audiences are the key to any profession and I’m grateful you’re here with me. I talk about which episodes you’ve connected with most, and my aim to stay honest while building a global narrative community. From editorial assistant to studio executive, this archive is ours now. Season 2 continues. Thank you for making this more than an audio memoir. Love is real and I wish you all great things!
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Ep. 37: It'll Get Better, Trust Me (2002)
05/01/2026
Ep. 37: It'll Get Better, Trust Me (2002)
It's fall 2002 in Hollywood and everything is shifting at once. A new apartment, a new schedule, a boss who keeps telling me it'll get better and a newsroom that never stops. In this episode, I take you inside my Labor Day move-in with my husband Stone, including the moment I grabbed him by the chin and made it clear he wasn't going anywhere, and why that mattered more than he knew. We swim, we laugh, we plan a housewarming with a very strict guest list, and I become a human catamaran. Meanwhile at work, my supervisor is leaving, the Emmys are calling, a Shannen Doherty superfan flew 7,000 miles for reasons I had to talk her out of, and two executives had a shouting match that was just this side of Itchy and Scratchy. Episode 37 is about new beginnings, holding on to what matters and growing up. Written and read by Karl Gibson. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!
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Ep. 36: Hollywood Heatwave 2002: Labor Day Fight, 125 Degrees
04/24/2026
Ep. 36: Hollywood Heatwave 2002: Labor Day Fight, 125 Degrees
Labor Day 2002. New apartment. No A/C. 125 degrees inside. Me and Bebbles Stone, unpacking boxes, making daiquiris, trying to start a life. I was an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter. He was staging our new home, I was cooking, and the heat got into everything. This is Let’s Talk About Hollywood. Career clarity plus real life from the mediasphere, for adults. I’m Karl Gibson and this is a first-hand audio Hollywood memoir from 2001 on. No blind items. No gossip. Just what it costs to build a marriage and a career in the shadows of the A-list. Love is not naive. It is a choice you make...even when you are exhausted and overheated. Bebbles was my first husband. I honored him in Season 1 in In Memoriam: Thank You, Bebbles Stone. I will tell that story in Season 5. For now, it is 2002. It is Labor Day. It is hot. We are a hidden power couple. Written and read by Karl Gibson. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready!
04/16/2026
Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready!
This week of April 12, 2026, Disney laid off 1000 employees. My LinkedIn filled with 86,000 impressions in my written response to lazy AI slop about “streaming failure.” Disney+ is a streaming success. But 1000 careers were cut. I see you. You have value. You’re not done and your success will land anew. I’ve been out of work 18 months. That’s not a trauma dump: that’s my receipt. I’m still here. I’m still making things. And if I am, you are. The layoff ended your job. It didn’t end your career. This episode is for Disney employees and any worker in the world who just lost their job and can’t see the horizon right now. How could you? It’s fresh. So, here’s what I’ve learned in 18 months: no timelines, just truth. Process it. Give yourself permission to feel it before you fix it. The shock is real. Get referrals. Your network remembers how you treated people, not your badge number. Kindness outlasts credits. Message or talk to people you work with since referrals are at a premium in this current job market. Know your metrics. List the things you did at Disney that exist outside Disney. Streaming launches. Franchise management. Global rollouts. Subscriber growth. Churn reduction. Marketing successes. Your three biggest achievements are your passport. Not your title. Not your tenure. The wins you drove. Write them down. Those go on every call, every email, every intro. That’s what travels. Create a sandbox resume. Everything you’ve done and know how to do. Every show, every deal, every fire you put out. Plug it into AI engines you trust to contextualize it. Next, frame it in your own voice. AI can organize. Only you can own it. Don’t let it write you; let it reflect you. You could even start a podcast like I did. Mine runs on donations. They’re modest and all appreciated and the podcast will grow. I don’t have ads. It’s not my job. But if you build it, the community will grow around you. The point isn’t money, the point is building and connecting with your audiences who trust you. This isn’t hustle happy talk. It isn’t “just network harder.” It’s reality. You’ll be okay, even if the horizon isn’t in sight right now. Regroup. Recalibrate. Ready. Not on my schedule. On yours. Let’s Talk About Hollywood™ is written and produced by Karl Gibson. New episodes on Thursdays or Fridays. 621 downloads. 31 countries and counting. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 34: AKA - Ask Karl Anything
04/10/2026
Ep. 34: AKA - Ask Karl Anything
In this week’s Ask Karl Anything episode, I answer listener questions about leaving Los Angeles after 29 years, starting over on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and whether making this podcast and sharing candid parts of my life is ever hard. It’s an episode about home, memory, reinvention, career and what it means to speak honestly about your life. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you there! The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 33: Hollywood Assistant: Pay Your Dues, Not Your Identity (2002)
03/27/2026
Ep. 33: Hollywood Assistant: Pay Your Dues, Not Your Identity (2002)
In this episode, I talk about what it's like being an assistant at an multi-million dollar enterprise and how being the best at your work and paying your dues is smart, but losing your identity and your own unique career path doesn't come with the job. I share a slice of life, the clashes and the wins that set a precedent for the career to ultimately come. As always, it's not what you say yes to, it's what you say no to and why. Assistants rock and this episode represents for all! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 32: Summertime Madness (2002)
03/24/2026
Ep. 32: Summertime Madness (2002)
In this episode, it's the summer of 2002 and everyone (except my Mom and sister) is pissy and stressed. I'm working 6-day weeks at The Hollywood Reporter, my spouse has just gotten a new job, we've got a new apartment just weeks away from moving into, my then-best friend is tripping, and overall it's just a slice of life of pre-autumn summertime madness! I The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 31: Chaos & Confrontation on the Sunset Strip (1998/2002)
03/22/2026
Ep. 31: Chaos & Confrontation on the Sunset Strip (1998/2002)
In this episode, an update comes in 2002 about one of my closest actor friendships, an actor I'd worked with for nearly two years and shared off-the-set experiences with, that came to a chaotic and argumentative end on Sunset Blvd. at 2 a.m. in 1998. This episode honors friendship, grief, and touches on the start of when a loved one's drug use overpowers everything you used to know about each other. If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 30: It Comes Back to Your Career (2002)
03/13/2026
Ep. 30: It Comes Back to Your Career (2002)
This week's episode talks about the current armchair analysis of Hollywood in certain forums that incorrectly see a wholesale AI takeover and is crowning winners of a future consolidate Hollywood without taking into account that the paying customers and audiences will be the judge of that. The 2002 journals detail an impending move, the stress of trade-offs in a career, leaving Hollywood in style, and why it's not so much leaving in style so much as it is leaving on your own terms and with your sanity intact. Let's talk...about Hollywood! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 29: "You're the Golden Child, It Doesn't Matter" (2002)
03/05/2026
Ep. 29: "You're the Golden Child, It Doesn't Matter" (2002)
I'm back and offering prayers for love, peace and safety in our current global conflict. My first solo invite to a party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is part two of a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, the vibes of trying to get on the radar of PR execs and the town. I throw Bebbles a party and, later, a bar brawl nearly ensues when an admirer gets too close. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 28: The Hustle and the Hell (2002)
02/19/2026
Ep. 28: The Hustle and the Hell (2002)
Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, or a career, where the hustle feels like hell until your career kicks off - but it does get better, so hang in there! Sometimes it just takes one manifest to let you know you're on the right track. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:
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Ep. 27: Running Toward Him (2002)
02/12/2026
Ep. 27: Running Toward Him (2002)
Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first and only husband and a moment of missing each other that I see even more clearly now. It's been 20 years, yet he was so intrisic to my career and life that there are times, in dreams, where all I want to do to make sense of the world is...to go running toward him for that moment. If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week. xox - Karl 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:
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Ep. 26: This Time I'm Getting In (2002)
02/05/2026
Ep. 26: This Time I'm Getting In (2002)
Welcome back! In this episode I talk about being torn between wanting to make my new career as an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter, balancing a 440-hour a month work schedule and the same class system I left as a stage actor that I'm starting to see is different, but also the same: it's nuts! Breakthroughs - yours and mine - are never too late. If you'd like to support the podcast: The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 25: Shake Up the Algorithm! L.A. to Tampa Bay (2026)
01/28/2026
Ep. 25: Shake Up the Algorithm! L.A. to Tampa Bay (2026)
It's a New Year and I'm back from a 4-week hiatus after leaving Los Angeles for the Tampa Bay area. In this episode I talk about what informed that move and how when you know you know. Big leaps of faith can lead to big results, just shake up your own algorithm in life! It's not easy, it takes adjusting and you'll have your days...just know that greater connection awaits! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! Thank you and see you next week xox The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 24: Happy New Year's Eve from Karl & Leaving L.A. (2025)
12/31/2025
Ep. 24: Happy New Year's Eve from Karl & Leaving L.A. (2025)
Happy New Year's Eve! I'm leaving California after 29 years in Los Angeles. Time to find work, but I won't be leaving the industry or this podcast! The podcast will be on hiatus until January 28th, but until then, I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year's Eve! The podcast runs on donations, so if you're so moved, I appreciate your support! Much love and see you all soon - don't go away! : ) The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep 23: These Players Will Come Back & Need Something (2025)
12/17/2025
Ep 23: These Players Will Come Back & Need Something (2025)
It's back to the journals of spring 2022. In this episode, the Oscars are over and things get tense at the magazine for some, Stone is fired, and a date night to a criticially-acclaimed play - where the entire audience leaves and the actors come back to an empty stage - becomes a tense situation 8 years later. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:
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Ep. 22: A Studio Worker's Guide to the Warner Bros. Discovery Sale (2025)
12/10/2025
Ep. 22: A Studio Worker's Guide to the Warner Bros. Discovery Sale (2025)
As a former contractor for both Warner Bros. and Netflix, I have lived the billion-dollar chaos with the former, while Netflix was a dream job. This is your studio worker’s guide to the preliminary Warner Bros. Discovery sale fallout in 2025. Real talk: Streamers had the cash. Legacy studios were making their case to regulators. If Hollywood’s worried about losing the culture, then change the culture. We claim we’re future forward, so take back the narrative and keep Hollywood. I break down surviving above-the-paygrade stress, why studio redundancies are coming, the danger of making alliances too fast, and how technical proficiency keeps you untouchable when execs gamble with billions. Is this the end of a Hollywood era? Not if workers anchor to audiences, not mergers. Audiences decide. That’s who you need to prevail. If you’re inside the system watching it shake, this episode is your survival blueprint. As a former contractor for both Warner Bros. and Netflix, respectively, here's my take on the studio worker's guide to surviving uncertainty, above-the-paygrade stress, and keeping your cool when a studio and billions of dollars are on the line. Is it an end of a Hollywood era...or can Hollywood change it in its favor? Ultimately, audiences will decide and they are who you need to prevail. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 21: Thanksgiving Thoughts, Thanks & Love! (2025)
11/27/2025
Ep. 21: Thanksgiving Thoughts, Thanks & Love! (2025)
Happy Thanksgiving! In this episode I wanted to take the time to thank you, the listeners, for your support, downloads and helping this podcast grow over the last 2 months and 21 episodes since it launched. It's about hope, loss, resilience, faith and knowing you're not alone! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:
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Ep. 20: The Oscars, AFM, Girls Next Door & Recap Chat! (2002)
11/19/2025
Ep. 20: The Oscars, AFM, Girls Next Door & Recap Chat! (2002)
In this episode, AFM is still in full swing, the Oscars are approaching, Bebbles and Karl go to Vegas, plus plenty of stories including: The Girls Next Door, Raquel Welch, Gloria Allred, getting kicked out of Six Flags in 2000 (for the day), keeping the faith in 2025 and more Hollywood observations from 2002 and more! It's a real-cap recap - I think you'll like it! The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 19: "There's A Price for All This" (2002)
11/12/2025
Ep. 19: "There's A Price for All This" (2002)
In this episode, the 2002 Oscar nominations are out, the annual American Film Market (AFM) comes to Santa Monica and Hollywood's nerves are on edge. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 18: Lily Allen, Britney Spears, AI, WGA, Layoffs & Hope (2025)
11/09/2025
Ep. 18: Lily Allen, Britney Spears, AI, WGA, Layoffs & Hope (2025)
Episode 18: Hot Topics: Lily Allen-David Harbour, Britney Spears, WGA, AI, Hope Pop-culture topics for the week of Nov 2, 2025 including the divorce album heard around the world, in defense of Britney Spears, WGA talks, AI and layoffs, DEI hope for a world that's already there. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 17: If Hollywood Gets to Be Too Much (2002)
11/05/2025
Ep. 17: If Hollywood Gets to Be Too Much (2002)
Episode 2: If Hollywood Gets To Be Too Much It’s the start of 2002 and awards season is in full swing with growing pains, staying out of the fray as an assistant, and hoping I can do a full year at The Hollywood Reporter. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 16: Season 2: How Hollywood Lost the Plot (And How to Break Through Anyway)
11/02/2025
Ep. 16: Season 2: How Hollywood Lost the Plot (And How to Break Through Anyway)
Season 2 kicks off with a supersized 83-minute truth session on Hollywood in 2025. After 24 years inside the system, from mailroom to The Hollywood Reporter, I’m calling out what’s broken: studios crying broke while DEI-angry cosplay kills audiences, post-strike fear and anger driving bad decisions, and why YouTube and creator-owned content are eating the industry’s lunch. This isn’t doom. It’s real talk on what still works, why global audiences are our focus now, how faith anchors you when the pipeline collapses, and the exact mindset shifts to break through anyway. I've worked it and lived it and so have you. We can do this! If you’re an industry worker holding on, a creator watching the old gates crumble, or finding a new way in this episode is your blueprint. Hollywood is a mentality and a strong determination goes a long way. --> Related episodes from Let’s Talk About Hollywood:Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready! My take on the Disney cuts in April 2026, how to regroup, how to approach this phase while tending to self-care, and getting ready for your next step. 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 15: The Let's Talk About Hollywood Season 1 Finale!
10/29/2025
Ep. 15: The Let's Talk About Hollywood Season 1 Finale!
Episode 15: The Season 1 Finale! In this episode, 2001 draws to a close, the labor market in Hollywood gets soft, layoffs are sure to happen and a New Year – 2002 – awaits! The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 14: In Memoriam: Thank You Bebbles Stone (2025)
10/22/2025
Ep. 14: In Memoriam: Thank You Bebbles Stone (2025)
This episode is extra personal. It’s a goodbye and a thank-you to Bebbles Stone, who was my partner, my love, and the person who saw me through more chapters than most ever got to witness. It isn’t a typical episode, but it’s a moment of reflection, love, and loss. It's a way to honor a person who shaped my life and, in many ways, The Hollywood Reporter seasons I worked and experienced, as well as my career to come. Thank you for listening, for being part of this serial Hollywood memoir podcast, and for allowing space for moments like this. I know I'm not alone and wanted to share with you in this episode before the Season 1 finale. - Karl The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 13: The Fire Escape (2001)
10/17/2025
Ep. 13: The Fire Escape (2001)
More details from a different vantage point of The Hollywood Reporter's 2001 Next Generation event in Hollywood as reporters, agents, writers, worker bees (me) and more converge for our own mini-party, I find some clarity and plenty to be grateful for in retrospect and, inside, a director goes off the rails. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
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Ep. 12: I'd Dance on a Box First (2001)
10/16/2025
Ep. 12: I'd Dance on a Box First (2001)
After a long Emmy night and a lesson in newsroom politics, Karl finds humor, observational realities, and a touch of childhood fandom at The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation gala....including a surprise encounter with Three’s Company’s Jenilee Harrison. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
/episode/index/show/3e7a0348-94e5-472f-9ee4-8b213ab331ef/id/38606955
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Ep. 11: These Are the Times (2001)
10/15/2025
Ep. 11: These Are the Times (2001)
Karl lands his first major job in Hollywood at The Hollywood Reporter, with his contract being bought out to work there full time as an editorial assistant. Long hours, adjusting and balancing the rhythm of home and the Industry's needs is a learning curve, especially at home. The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you! 💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here: or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available:
/episode/index/show/3e7a0348-94e5-472f-9ee4-8b213ab331ef/id/38594710