Allen Salkin

[horn honks] [instrumental music plays] The Hollywood Reporter presents Gerbil, a journalistic investigation into the urban legend about Richard Gere and a rodent.

I'm Allen Salkin.

This is episode six, Fear and Biting in Mesa.

[car starts] I pick up Sarah in Burbank, California at 8:00 AM.

To see research materials and send tips, follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or whatever's next at AlanSalkin.

Gerbil is a production of The Hollywood Reporter, AYR Media, LF Podco, and Culture Canvas.

Hosted and written by me, Allen Salkin.

Executive producers Aliza Rosen and Allen Salkin.

Anyways, we have a, a great episode for you today.

I had a fantastic conversation with this gentleman, Allen Salkin, last week in studio.

You can watch it live...

Not live.

But, uh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be okay.

Now, onto our guest, you guys.

Our guest today is Allen Salkin.

Um, he is a journalist, now he's an amazing podcaster.

[dramatic music] The Hollywood Reporter presents Gerbil, a journalistic investigation into the urban legend about Richard Gere and a rodent.

I'm Allen Salkin.

This is episode five, "Without a Base, Without a Trace." [upbeat jazz music] When I first start researching, it appears unlikely that gerbilling is real, especially since, when you think about it, it's so cruel.

Sex columnist Dan Savage reads how he described the alleged practice in a 1998 article.

Ow! Bastard.

Those are, those are vicious.

[gerbils squeaking] Gerbil is a production of the Hollywood Reporter, AYR Media, LF Podco, and Culture Canvas, hosted and written by me, Allen Salkin.

Executive producers Aliza Rosen and Allen Salkin.

And where can they follow you if they wanna write you or anything?

Mostly it's just A-L-L-E-N, Allen Salkin, S-A-L-K-I-N.

Uh, it's, most of my handles are that, and there's allensalkin.com. You c- there's a contact form there.

So you're on Instagram and, and X?

Hmm, maybe register voters.

A woman who is really into ears wonders if there's such a thing as ear porn, and if there is, how do you get the dick in there? And my guest this week, journalist and podcaster Alan Salkin, creator of the new 12-part podcast series from The Hollywood Reporter called Gerbil, which is about what you think it's about.

Alan and I talk about the persistence of this urban legend and why it has such staying power.

A little of my conversation with Alan Salkin from Gerbil is on the micro.

The whole thing is on the Magnum.

To hear the entire interview with Alan, subscribe to the Magnum Savage Lovecast by going to savage.love and clicking on the subscribe button.

Follow me at bluesky@dansavage.

Follow me on Instagram at Dan Savage.

It's a podcast series.

It's through Hollywood Reporter.

I interviewed the reporter, Alan Salkin, who hosts the podcast series.

And it's a great episode.

We talk about a rumor that preceded the Richard Gere rumor about a man by the name of Jerry Penacoli, who was a TV anchor in Philadelphia, and we also try to figure out who may have started the rumor.

[gentle music] The Hollywood Reporter presents Gerbil, a journalistic investigation into the rumor about Richard Gere and a rodent.

I'm Alan Solkin.

This is episode three, Sex Object.

In the last episode, we looked at the outbreak of a gerbil scandal in Philadelphia in the mid-1980s, where it attached to a local newscaster.

Figgis is best known for his 1995 masterpiece Leaving Las Vegas.

But years before that, he is hired to direct Internal Affairs.

Hey, Alan.

Hi.

It's called Gerbil.

It's hosted by journalist Alan Salkin, investigates the now infamous rumor regarding Richard Gere.

You may have heard about it when you were younger.

I know I did.

It's nice.

But, um, Allen Salkin, which is A-L-L-E-N, uh, S like Sam, A-L-K-I-N, so allensalkin.com. There's a lot of links to how you can listen to Gerbil there.

My-- most of my, uh, as a journalist, I've always felt it was important to have my real name on all my stuff, so I, it's all basically just search Allen Salkin.

It's Allen Salkin.

It's my Instagram, and I think Allen Salkin official on TikTok and, and all that stuff.

So, and I'm gonna be posting some, you know, backup documents, uh, on all those channels.

I'm so grateful for your time.

I mean, there's so many interesting topics.

It's a real journalist, Alan Salkin, that is hosting it.

And it's been his baby for six years.

He's always been fascinated by it.