Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment and pop culture journalist and host of the podcast, Allison Interviews, which features long form, in-depth, and conversational interviews with newsmakers from film, television, music and pop culture influencers. Her interviews cover a wide range of philosophical, spiritual and humorous topics. With more than three hundred celebrity interviews in syndication, Allison has interviewed entertainment and cultural icons including Gwen Stefani, Lenny Kravitz, Andie MacDowell, Danica Patrick, Master P, Michael Phelps, Deepak Chopra, Shania Twain, Lindsey Vonn, RZA, Michael Buble, Rita Moreno, Jewel and Regina King to name just a few. Her memoir, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record chronicles the early years of her career in entertainment journalism, and her journey with anxiety and panic attacks. The Allison Interviews podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Follow Allison at allisoninterviews.com, and on YouTube and Instagram @theallisonkugel.
FWM: What is it about the entertainment industry that intrigues you?
People and their stories intrigue me. I love giving a human face to people that are otherwise looked at as an “other,” whether it be because of their fame or because of something that has happened in their life that seems outside the realm of what people might consider normal. I find that celebrities are a great conduit for me to share information and inspiration with my audience, because although you don’t know my friend Jane who experienced something, we can all share the common reference of a famous person and their experience. Entertainment personalities also allow me to share stories far and wide because they do get quite a lot of media coverage. And, of course, I have always loved the arts, from theatre and film to certain television genres and music. The arts saved my life as a kid with a learning disability who nearly failed out of high school. Once my learning disability was diagnosed and my parents put me in a high school for the arts, I really thrived and found my people, as they say.
FWM: Share your background.
I come from an upper middle class Jewish family on Long Island, New York, so that was my vantage point, growing up. It wasn’t until I went out into the world that I became aware of this thing called anti-Semitism and that was incredibly jarring to me. But, on the flip side, my college campus was extremely diverse and it really awakened me to the human experience and building bridges with people of all backgrounds and cultures. It was also during those college years that I fell in love with entertainment, and I became the comedy chairperson on my campus, booking acts from Dave Chappelle and Wanda Sykes to Jeff Ross. It was a splendid time. My twenties I spent in Los Angeles, and it was the best crash course I could have taken in how the entertainment industry operates, both politically and culturally. Once I returned to the east coast, I set about pursuing entertainment journalism and it was very paint by numbers for me. I knew the language, who all the players were and I was ready to build upon that. I’ve been interviewing public figures now for a little over 15 years and it really is as natural as breathing to me at this point. I consider journalism and interviewing people an art form in and of itself and therefore that is how I treat it, and that is how I have build trust within the industry.
FWM: You’ve interviewed high-profile people on your podcast Allison Interviews including: Gwen Stefani, Lenny Kravitz, Andie MacDowell, Danica Patrick, Master P, Michael Phelps, Deepak Chopra to name a few. Who stands out in your mind?
Every one of those people you mention stand out in my mind for different reasons. When I opened my conversation with Gwen Stefani I was acutely aware that I was speaking with an icon, but no more than 5 minutes in, I forgot, because she is just so down to earth and enjoyable to speak with. Lenny Kravitz and I spoke quite a bit about his mixed heritage and how that relates to my own son, who is also of mixed race. Andie MacDowell, stands out to me because of her sweet nature and her ability to put those around her at ease. Danica Patrick is one of the strongest and most opinionated women I have ever spoken with and I mean that in the most incredible way! Master P is a business and marketing genius. He understood the power of owning one’s intellectual property and brand before any other hip hop artist really did, and he also has a great sense of humor. Michael Phelps was incredibly honest with me and open about his struggles, which I appreciated. And Deepak Chopra has taught me so much about the meaning of time, spirituality, and the human experience, and he remains incredibly humble with all he has achieved in the world.
FWM: What does it take to master the craft of interviewing?
You have to like people and empathy is the main ingredient. I find, especially in entertainment and celebrity journalism, some of my colleagues see celebrities as commodities, whereas I see everyone as a human being. If I wouldn’t want to be asked a certain question or put on the spot and embarrassed, then why would I do that to someone else? It takes a fair amount of intelligence to ask questions in a way that make someone feel disarmed, safe and comfortable, rather than going for the cheap shot. I want my guests to feel comfortable and safe, because they are entrusting me with their story. That is how I see it, and I think it comes through in my work.
FWM: Tell us about your memoir, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record chronicles the early years of her career in entertainment journalism. Who is this book for?
My book was written during a time in my life when I was going through a painful divorce and experiencing a great deal of anxiety and panic attacks. In order to get a handle on the situation I began journaling quite a lot. I ended up with well over a hundred pages of writing as I began to delve into a lot of the anxiety and panic and OCD I had suffered with throughout my life, including in childhood. It started to take shape as a book, but then I thought, “Wait, when I do write a book I want it to be about my experiences as an entertainment journalist.” Then I had an epiphany that why couldn’t it be about both? So my memoir chronicles what I call the first half of my life: 0 – 39 years of age, and follows how I built the beginnings of my journalism career, while also recalling my journey with anxiety, panic and OCD. Mind you, my book came out in 2017, before it was cool to talk about mental health, and so many people warned me that it would stigmatize me and ruin my career at the time. I have to laugh about that now. Everyone is now lining up to discuss their mental health struggles. But my book has helped a lot of people and that really warms my heart.
FWM: Did you think when you were younger that you would be interviewing high-profile people?
No, I didn’t. I had toyed with the idea of becoming an actress at one point, and at another point, I actually became enamored of the criminal justice field and began pursuing that. I had actually worked as an auxiliary police officer, I worked in a jail, and I had even looked to apply for the FBI during my senior year of college. Suffice to say that didn’t pan out. LOL I stumbled into journalism and writing through sheer happenstance and a lot of naivete about my prospects, in retrospect. One opportunity kind of led to another, and then I fell head over heels in love with it and the rest is history. Now, doing my podcast and branching into multimedia with video as well, I feel like God was looking out for me and I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
FWM: What is a misnomer of a Pop Culture Journalist?
That we are obsessed with pop culture! Actually, most probably are. I try to starve myself of pop culture news when I am not working because it’s like junk food. It’s fun, but too much of it is not good for you. Instead, I try to bring a more philosophical and spiritual approach to my interviews, which my interview subjects really seem to appreciate. I think it’s been a great formula, because you’ve got the pop culture appeal of entertainers, with something that delves a bit deeper and really brings people together. I can’t entirely speak for others who do what I do, but for me, I try to steer clear of what I would call envy-inducing journalism. I don’t care about your house, your car, your jewelry, your bank account. I want to know who you are as a person. I think the misnomer is that we are all shallow celebrity junkies.
FWM: Who can we expect to see on your podcast during the holidays?
One thing I am really enjoying right now is the freedom to bring interviews with YouTubers and influencers into the mix, along with the celebrity interviews. So you can expect a blend of celebrities as well as influencers in other interesting fields with extraordinary stories to tell. As far as entertainment, my Jodie Sweetin interview just ran over the Thanksgiving holiday. Hip hop icon Damon Dash and Oscar winning actress Geena Davis are also coming up next, along with some I can’t reveal just yet. It’s a very exciting time.
