Paris Hilton might have fooled Larry King,

but she didn’t fool anyone World of Wonder.

Jeff Zucker in the Financial Times View from the Top video segment dances around the “pay for Paris” question.

FT: Is that kind of “chequebook journalism” creeping in? And is that a bad thing?

MR ZUCKER: Well, look, I think the key thing anytime you do an interview with anybody, is that you disclose what you’re doing.

(And that makes it all okay? He makes it sound so easy.)

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While Doug Frantz returns to Istanbul, where he’ll be the Mid east bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, John M. Arthur will be the new ME at the Los Angeles Times. He’d been the assistant managing editor, and has been with the paper since 1986.

First on FishbowlDC.

If you couldn’t get to everything at the Los Angeles Film Festival, reading Luke Thompson is the next best thing.

Craig Kennedy also weighs in.

Eugene Hernandez watched our pool chat, and should have been up on the sofa, himself. Jeffrey Wells was busy watching the crowd. Anne Thompson was rather more expansive.

THURSDAY 06.28.07
WHAT: Bookstore Grand Opening, Signing
WHO: Larry Mantle, of Air Talk
WHEN: 3 p.m. — hurry!
WHERE: Flintridge Bookstore and Coffee House
WHY: Mantle will lend his familiar, reassuring voice to his reading of This Is Air Talk: 20 Years of Conversation on 89.3 KPCC

THURSDAY 06.28.07
WHAT: Book signing and show opening
WHO: Robert Stivers
WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Frank Pictures Gallery
WHY: Because one reviewer refers to the photographer’s work as “alchemy,” and who couldn’t use a little more gold?

FRIDAY 06.29.07
WHAT: Walk of Fame Star Dedication
WHO: Mike Curb, guest speaker Casey Kasem
WHEN: 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: In front of Capitol Records
WHY: Because you’re still mad at yourself for missing Barbara Walters.

Doug Frantz says farewell to the LA Times. Franz, who took the managing editor job at the behest of his friend Dean Baquet, was supposed to fall on his sword after Baquet’s ouster. John Montorio–also part of the Baquet boys–is still at the LAT–might he replace Frantz?

Jim O’Shea’s memo said:

He has been a huge help to me, convincing people to give me a chance at a time of uncertainty and turmoil. I can’t thank him enough. I will miss his wisdom, candor, professionalism and solid news judgment. The only comfort I find in his decision is that Doug leaves the newsroom his legacy of high standards and excellent, hard-hitting journalism. Doug’s last day will be July 6. I know you all join me in wishing him well in the future. I will begin the process of selecting a replacement for Doug soon.

Isn’t Paul McCartney sick of being the cute Beatle? FBLA is sick of seeing his pouting lips every time we want a macchiato. (Our spell checker just suggested psychiatry instead–what does that signify?)

If he thinks playing Amoeba was surreal, we have news for him.

And the whole corporate shill thing? We so understand. We’d do the same.

In the NY Times, Stephanie Rosenbloom, the fake trend heiress to Jennifer 8 Lee (Rescue Me had a man-date reference last night and we’re never watching again) writes about daughters who love their mothers so much.

One of her chief examples is LA comedian and author Wendy Spero who said:

I was on the phone with her for hours and hours in school. She would literally stay on the phone with me for six hours. No friend would do that. Such insane unconditional support. With a friend, at no point did I feel I could reveal that much of my neuroses.

Spero’s mom is a sex-therapist. She’s used to listening to the shinky. Spero’s also been milking mom for a long, long time.

Her mom’s in her book.

Her mom’s on her audio book.

Then, there’s the mother-daughter stand-up act.

Not that Spero isn’t funny, but couldn’t Rosenbloom looked a little harder for someone? Or is the fake trend beat that taxing?

No Fun: Reporter Scott Collins can be witty when he wants to be. So why, when given the topic of the dreadfully boring Larry King interview of Paris Hilton, did he not want to be?

Beatles, Live In Vegas: The remaining Beatles, widows, children and loved ones descended on the Mirage on the anniversary of the Cirque du Soleil Love show, and we have never been more jealous of a Vegas reporter in our lives.

Why L.A. Kindergartens Look Different Than Other Kindergartens: It’s not just the toddler-sized designer jeans. Infants born to women taking antidepressants during the first trimester have an increased risk of serious birth defects. And we’re sure reading that won’t unhinge an already fragile population of LAT readers.

Perez Hilton fires back in his war with photo agency X17, claiming that he’s been hurt by “illegal and unethical business practices” and that they exploit the company’s photographers, many of whom are “from Brazil or other countries” and are “believed to be illegal aliens.” He also charges that the agency may “employ photographers with criminal backgrounds and/or gang affiliations.”

Okay, so they hired one sex offender. Ramon “Twist” Kirk. And okay, so he likes to take pictures of Reese Witherspoon and her kids.

But do Brazilians hurt Perez? Getting a Brazilian, sure, but hiring a Brazilian?

FBLA guess we’ll just have to wait for the book.