Sex, Lies and Tabloids!

A more interesting documentary than the titillating title might suggest, filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Péretié's Sex, Lies and Tabloids! is indeed about the surge of tabloid newspaper culture that emerged in Britain and the U.S. beginning in the 1970s. But the film is largely told from the insider perspective of writers and editors—from London's The Sun and News of the World, and America's New York Post, The Star, and National Enquirer—who were on the frontlines, putting out daily papers full of juicy stories about celebrities, sports figures, and politicians. Tabloid reporters and paparazzi might well be leeches, but the interviewees (all male) here turn out to be interesting individuals who were passionate about their jobs, had fun, and clearly remember how things worked at those publications before it all changed. The film begins with the seismic shift that Rupert Murdoch brought to Fleet Street tabloids, focusing on scandals, soccer, and nudity, the latter a staple at The Sun with its infamous “Page 3 girls.” The point, says one former writer, was to give a reader something comfortable and entertaining to read instead of what “fuddy-duddies” said he should read. Trade secrets are also explained, including the extreme exploitation of the always-newsworthy Princess Diana's every move. In the U.S., the emphasis on celebrity gossip changed with the trial of O.J. Simpson, which blurred the line between exploitation and actual reporting, while also forcing the mainstream press to become more tabloid-like. The gruesome death of Diana and public outrage aimed at tabloids for their ghoulish coverage of the tragedy marked the beginning of the industry's decline, as tabloids have since waned in popularity (at least in print). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)