Maureen Ryan’s Hollywood Takedown Book Storms to Top of the Charts
The author's 'Burn It Down' exposé reveals complaints of harassment and bias on shows like 'Lost' and 'SNL.'
By Tim Chan
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June 6, 2023 5:15pm
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'Burn It Down' by Maureen Ryan Courtesy of HarperCollins
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Maureen Ryan’s headline-making Hollywood exposé has stormed to the top of the bestsellers charts less than 24 hours after its release.
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood sheds light on the exploitative practices of Hollywood companies and execs, revealing alarming allegations about shows like Lost, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Saturday Night Live, among others.
Released June 6 by Mariner Books, Ryan’s latest immediately soared to multiple bestsellers lists on Amazon — and the hardcover, audiobook and Kindle edition quickly occupied the top three slots on Amazon’s TV history and criticism chart.
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A longtime entertainment journalist (who has written for outlets including The Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair), Ryan spent more than two years interviewing actors, writers, producers and studio executives to carve out an unflinching, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the harassment, bias and intimidation tactics often employed by industry decision-makers.
Among the celebrities interviewed for the book: Evan Rachel Wood, Harold Perrineau, Damon Lindelof and Orlando Jones, while Ryan also tackles controversies at companies like Lucasfilm and shows like The Goldbergs and Sleepy Hollow.
Mariner Books says Ryan’s book helps to “illuminate the deeper forces sustaining Hollywood’s corrosive culture.” As the publisher’s note states, “Ryan blows the lid on patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms under way, and the labor and activist revolutions that recent scandals have ignited.”
Burn It Down is available for $20 on Amazon (a current subscription saves you 37 percent off the listed price of $32.50). You can also purchase Burn It Down for Kindle, or listen to it as an audiobook (Amazon has a 30-day free trial to Audible, that will let you listen to Burn It Down for free).
In a recent podcast interview with THR, Ryan refutes claims that the book was a “trashy cash grab,” telling co-hosts Lesley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg that she believes these are necessary stories to tell.
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