A regular feature in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail. The format is very simple: Some newsworthy person (e.g. an actor, a politician, a public figure) and a reporter, Jan Wong, have lunch. And then Jan reports on the event, typically in a highly cutting way. Her unflattering (and frequently amusing) portrayals of Canadian elites have made her a mildly controversial figure.
Jan Wong credits Margaret Atwood for beginning her career as a dirt-dishing celebrity interviewer. Atwood had suggested a promotional lunch with a Globe reporter, and according to Wong, she was selected because she was "the only warm body available on the Labour Day weekend". Normally, celebrity press junkets result in fawning media coverage. Instead, Wong reported on Atwood's being a prickly and difficult lunch companion.
Wong's latest book is called "Lunch With Jan Wong" -- and contains some 60 "Lunch with" columns.
Tip:
If you receive an invitation, think hard about declining. |
