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Too Good to Fact Check: Flying the Skies with Stars, Scotch, and Scandal
A peek into the world of celebrity and how the journalists who cover them live even more outrageous lives.
What happens when magazine editors behave worse than the celebrities they feature? Shock, comedy and farce, expertly chronicled in Jeremy Murphy’s Too Good to Fact Check , a firsthand account of his ten years traveling with stars as the editor of a glossy magazine. In between taking Julianna Marguiles to the Côte d’Azur, Neil Patrick Harris aboard the Orient Express and LL Cool J to Paris among other locales, the author lived a wild, decadent life that rivaled anyone he was covering, and recounts the most outrageous moments in colorful, candid detail.
Celebrities!
Bar fights!
Hotel bans!
Airplane arrest!
Fires!
Singing to Mary J Blige!
Too Good to Fact Check provides a fascinating look at the rarefied worlds of celebrity, fashion, magazines, and glamour through the eyes of someone who may have been blacked out.
Sarcastic, dishy, self-deprecating, surprising, and fun, Too Good to Fact Check is the summer’s guiltiest pleasure.
What happens when magazine editors behave worse than the celebrities they feature? Shock, comedy and farce, expertly chronicled in Jeremy Murphy’s Too Good to Fact Check , a firsthand account of his ten years traveling with stars as the editor of a glossy magazine. In between taking Julianna Marguiles to the Côte d’Azur, Neil Patrick Harris aboard the Orient Express and LL Cool J to Paris among other locales, the author lived a wild, decadent life that rivaled anyone he was covering, and recounts the most outrageous moments in colorful, candid detail.
Celebrities!
Bar fights!
Hotel bans!
Airplane arrest!
Fires!
Singing to Mary J Blige!
Too Good to Fact Check provides a fascinating look at the rarefied worlds of celebrity, fashion, magazines, and glamour through the eyes of someone who may have been blacked out.
Sarcastic, dishy, self-deprecating, surprising, and fun, Too Good to Fact Check is the summer’s guiltiest pleasure.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 27, 2024
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 21, 2024
ARC for review. To be published August 27, 2024.
So, the editor of a magazine I’ve never heard of before (“Watch” anyone?) wants to impress by showing all the jocks and popular kids that he grew up with that, see, he really DID matter by sharing his incredibly long stories of getting drunk and trashing hotel rooms while traveling with B and C list celebrities while he also makes a nasty, stereotypical joke about the state I live in.
The book is actually even more obnoxious than that as the chapters are typically made up of an anecdote about a photo shoot, gratuitous mention of one very famous photographer (who is likely the only reason any advertiser ever cared about this magazine at all, and Murphy mentions him constantly…you would think he was on the staff of the magazine), stories about how Murphy begged for freebies from choice hotels and airlines (which, don’t get me wrong, is a great grift.)
THEN the chapter ends with a Q&A about what we just read from Murphy’s own friend/fluffer. Sample question: “Your honest humility with writing
‘the magazine was two years old, and it started to feel like TV Guide’ is powerful…”. Dear God.
I don’t give a lot of one star reviews, so congratulations, Mr. Murphy, for really earning it.
So, the editor of a magazine I’ve never heard of before (“Watch” anyone?) wants to impress by showing all the jocks and popular kids that he grew up with that, see, he really DID matter by sharing his incredibly long stories of getting drunk and trashing hotel rooms while traveling with B and C list celebrities while he also makes a nasty, stereotypical joke about the state I live in.
The book is actually even more obnoxious than that as the chapters are typically made up of an anecdote about a photo shoot, gratuitous mention of one very famous photographer (who is likely the only reason any advertiser ever cared about this magazine at all, and Murphy mentions him constantly…you would think he was on the staff of the magazine), stories about how Murphy begged for freebies from choice hotels and airlines (which, don’t get me wrong, is a great grift.)
THEN the chapter ends with a Q&A about what we just read from Murphy’s own friend/fluffer. Sample question: “Your honest humility with writing
‘the magazine was two years old, and it started to feel like TV Guide’ is powerful…”. Dear God.
I don’t give a lot of one star reviews, so congratulations, Mr. Murphy, for really earning it.
June 16, 2024
Had high hopes for this one based on the blurb purporting high life and scandalous stories. Started out ok when he was growing up and setting out on a career but rapidly grew repetitive. And the scandalous stories were never that juicy. Maybe because the author couldn't remember the events, just the cost of it afterwards. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2024
‘Too Good to Fact Check’ means: who cares if it’s true when it sounds that good? Not necessarily in a tabloid way, it can just be an anecdote. Jeremy Murphy’s memoir is titled Too Good to Fact Check and the problem is that you must admit an anecdote should be shorter than a memoir.
I think the idea is very original: an editor of a little-known (but interesting – a TV guide that makes itself a glossy) magazine writing about himself like he is not just the star, but never doing that thing where actual celebs get this close to revealing their real selves when their ghostwriter tells them “Kim, here’s where you say you’re a humble, down-to-earth person” and the text gets adjusted accordingly. Murphy’s is the opposite. The self-deprecating remarks come with pictures showing someone who is neither ‘fat’ nor ugly. Lots of pictures. With stars and models and photographers. And, to make it even more over-the-top, the chapters are rounded up with an adoring friend interviewing him to add more of whatever the opposite of excessive modesty is.
So… why three stars? (the actual rating is 5.5/10 rounded up) This would have worked if Murphy was either a comic, or someone I already disliked for their vanity. Or if the magazine was Vogue and Murphy – Anna Wintour. Oh, it would have been delightful to find out that Wintour thought this was a good idea. Michael K of the sadly departed DListed would have been brilliant, although his memoir would not sound like this. Unfortunately, I didn’t know Jeremy Murphy before and I still don’t. ‘Lucy Poo’ (Lucy Liu) is not the worst pun in the book. And it’s not even fiction.
As for Sophia Paulmier’s interviews? I skipped them all. (My score refers to about 60% of the book – it would have been between 7-8/10 without the interviews.) I’ve just learned a lot about someone I knew nothing about. I don’t need deeper understanding or more detail or, frankly, more gushing. Some of Murphy’s vaguely outrageous schemes are fun and he takes the credit, which is vaguely enjoyable, but they’re never that big, the stars never that booooombastic (LL Cool J insists on bringing his entire team of… six people – that’s how many it takes to do Madonna’s hair every morning, I suspect), and the magazine is… well. A TV magazine I’ve never heard about.
I DNFed the book at 55% mark, because this was an idea better in theory than in practice. Murphy’s self-esteem is either too healthy, or very, very much not so – Paulmier’s loving interviews are occasionally longer than the chapters (and every chapter gets an interview). I suspect Kanye West’s memoir would be exactly like this, with Bianca doing the interviews to underscore the level of greatness we’re dealing with here. It would be hilarious in a sad way. I can’t stand Kanye West. As for Murphy, the main thing I’ve learned was not to go out for drinks with him. Oh, and that Celine Dion uses the word ‘jacuzzi’.
(5.5/10, rounded up to 3/5 for Goodreads)
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I probably DNFed it, so I don't give 2* ratings
1* = actively hostile towards the reader*
I think the idea is very original: an editor of a little-known (but interesting – a TV guide that makes itself a glossy) magazine writing about himself like he is not just the star, but never doing that thing where actual celebs get this close to revealing their real selves when their ghostwriter tells them “Kim, here’s where you say you’re a humble, down-to-earth person” and the text gets adjusted accordingly. Murphy’s is the opposite. The self-deprecating remarks come with pictures showing someone who is neither ‘fat’ nor ugly. Lots of pictures. With stars and models and photographers. And, to make it even more over-the-top, the chapters are rounded up with an adoring friend interviewing him to add more of whatever the opposite of excessive modesty is.
So… why three stars? (the actual rating is 5.5/10 rounded up) This would have worked if Murphy was either a comic, or someone I already disliked for their vanity. Or if the magazine was Vogue and Murphy – Anna Wintour. Oh, it would have been delightful to find out that Wintour thought this was a good idea. Michael K of the sadly departed DListed would have been brilliant, although his memoir would not sound like this. Unfortunately, I didn’t know Jeremy Murphy before and I still don’t. ‘Lucy Poo’ (Lucy Liu) is not the worst pun in the book. And it’s not even fiction.
As for Sophia Paulmier’s interviews? I skipped them all. (My score refers to about 60% of the book – it would have been between 7-8/10 without the interviews.) I’ve just learned a lot about someone I knew nothing about. I don’t need deeper understanding or more detail or, frankly, more gushing. Some of Murphy’s vaguely outrageous schemes are fun and he takes the credit, which is vaguely enjoyable, but they’re never that big, the stars never that booooombastic (LL Cool J insists on bringing his entire team of… six people – that’s how many it takes to do Madonna’s hair every morning, I suspect), and the magazine is… well. A TV magazine I’ve never heard about.
I DNFed the book at 55% mark, because this was an idea better in theory than in practice. Murphy’s self-esteem is either too healthy, or very, very much not so – Paulmier’s loving interviews are occasionally longer than the chapters (and every chapter gets an interview). I suspect Kanye West’s memoir would be exactly like this, with Bianca doing the interviews to underscore the level of greatness we’re dealing with here. It would be hilarious in a sad way. I can’t stand Kanye West. As for Murphy, the main thing I’ve learned was not to go out for drinks with him. Oh, and that Celine Dion uses the word ‘jacuzzi’.
(5.5/10, rounded up to 3/5 for Goodreads)
My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I probably DNFed it, so I don't give 2* ratings
1* = actively hostile towards the reader*
June 4, 2024
2.5 stars. Early on he says “Super P put up with me, and I was very happy he put up with me because not a lot of people do”. Presumably this is because he has a tendency to be a bit manic with wild and crazy ideas, and a bit bitchy. See his comments about anything he doesn’t like, such as Berlin or West Virginia (“The Greenbrier is a stately resort in West Virginia steeped in history, tradition, luxury, blah blah blah. The truth is it’s a giant turd”). But that doesn’t stop him using it and staying in comped rooms for his team and the talent (“They’d been kind to us, and I felt obligated to return the favour. I shouldn’t have.”). Well poor little dude, was the free luxury stay not up to your liking?
Also annoying was the way he’d swan around the world (mostly Paris but sometimes elsewhere) on free trips because of advertising, but then he says “I loathe ‘content creators’ and ‘influencers’, more so the ‘influencers’. It’s a paid racket.” DUDE. Are you even hearing yourself at this point? Do you hear the hypocrisy in such a statement?
He intersperses each chapter with photos of the actors from the photoshoots, and yes, some of these are beautiful - Pauley Perrette in Paris as a Degas ballerina stands out. And he was clearly connected in getting photographers, stylists, etc. to deliver the shoots each time. He obviously likes the fun bits of the job - the free travel, luxury stays, fine dining (and lots of drinking… a few black outs are mentioned, and a lifetime ban from one hotel…), but less so the boring bits. Until someone dangles a luxury hotel visit in front of him and then he’s all ears… Take the press check, which required an annual inspection of the printing site. “Truth was, I didn’t give a shit. What was I checking? The ink? Paper? Drug tests for the operators? It always seemed like a useless exercise, which is why I avoided it up to that point. But in 2009, I found out that a five-star hotel and restaurant I’d longed to visit […] was nearby.” Oh well then, now he’s interested…
Or maybe what annoyed me was how he’d then wangle freebies to celebrate his birthday, or put the talent’s room number on bar bills because the bean counters seldom checked or questioned the stars’ bills, allowing the magazine crew to drink free.
Ultimately the book shows how magazines organise photoshoots and just how much expense goes into them (mostly picked up by the airlines and hotels, throwing around first class tickets and suites). It was interesting to see how much work goes into what might only be a few photos in a magazine, but I can’t say I wound up liking the author or the lifestyle you’d lead… sorry. The Q&A between chapters didn’t really add anything either.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
Also annoying was the way he’d swan around the world (mostly Paris but sometimes elsewhere) on free trips because of advertising, but then he says “I loathe ‘content creators’ and ‘influencers’, more so the ‘influencers’. It’s a paid racket.” DUDE. Are you even hearing yourself at this point? Do you hear the hypocrisy in such a statement?
He intersperses each chapter with photos of the actors from the photoshoots, and yes, some of these are beautiful - Pauley Perrette in Paris as a Degas ballerina stands out. And he was clearly connected in getting photographers, stylists, etc. to deliver the shoots each time. He obviously likes the fun bits of the job - the free travel, luxury stays, fine dining (and lots of drinking… a few black outs are mentioned, and a lifetime ban from one hotel…), but less so the boring bits. Until someone dangles a luxury hotel visit in front of him and then he’s all ears… Take the press check, which required an annual inspection of the printing site. “Truth was, I didn’t give a shit. What was I checking? The ink? Paper? Drug tests for the operators? It always seemed like a useless exercise, which is why I avoided it up to that point. But in 2009, I found out that a five-star hotel and restaurant I’d longed to visit […] was nearby.” Oh well then, now he’s interested…
Or maybe what annoyed me was how he’d then wangle freebies to celebrate his birthday, or put the talent’s room number on bar bills because the bean counters seldom checked or questioned the stars’ bills, allowing the magazine crew to drink free.
Ultimately the book shows how magazines organise photoshoots and just how much expense goes into them (mostly picked up by the airlines and hotels, throwing around first class tickets and suites). It was interesting to see how much work goes into what might only be a few photos in a magazine, but I can’t say I wound up liking the author or the lifestyle you’d lead… sorry. The Q&A between chapters didn’t really add anything either.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
April 28, 2025
The press for the book all implies there are stories about the celebrities but each chapter seems to be as follows:
Author uses connections/pre-existing relationships to obtain low cost/free locations, apparel, etc. to shoot photos of a celebrity. Brief description of why the celebrity was hot at the time. Usually they were the star or one of the stars of a current TV show.
Talented photographer(s) get great photos.
Some minor snafu but with little to no details of how the celebrity acted, what they did, or anything that would make a good story.
Softball interview questions from Sophia Paulmier.
Rinse and repeat…
I kept hoping for a good story or two but after about 75% completion found none.
Author uses connections/pre-existing relationships to obtain low cost/free locations, apparel, etc. to shoot photos of a celebrity. Brief description of why the celebrity was hot at the time. Usually they were the star or one of the stars of a current TV show.
Talented photographer(s) get great photos.
Some minor snafu but with little to no details of how the celebrity acted, what they did, or anything that would make a good story.
Softball interview questions from Sophia Paulmier.
Rinse and repeat…
I kept hoping for a good story or two but after about 75% completion found none.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews