Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty
Never make yourself the story.
In more or less words, most college journalism students learn something similar to the above statement, while also forging through years of AP style quizzes, breakdowns of the First Amendment, and PR prep. Your subjects should tell the story, not you. It’s a simple, steadfast rule, broken from time to time when journalists’ reporting becomes just as interesting as their subjects; see: All the President’s Men, Spotlight, or She Said.
It’s clear that the infamous celeb gossip account Deuxmoi never learned this rule. A pseudonym shared by two women, whose real identities were finally unearthed earlier this year, Deuxmoi fancies herself a celebrity reporter, writing about a broad range of topics from Joe Biden’s whereabouts (shockingly, he’s in Washington, D.C.) to nasty celeb breakups. But a journalist, “she” is not. The Deuxmoi account tattles on celebs via anonymous tips sent in from around the world, spinning their private lives into a hobby, rather than what they actually are—real, human lives. On top of this, Deux has now turned herself into the story with a narcissistic (and boring) novel about her rise to fame, a move that undercuts any idea that her goal was ever actually to spread the truth about celebs. No, it’s always been about getting famous herself.