Alloy.com

Why did you choose the name Perez Hilton for the site (and yourself)?
I was in Miami in December 2004. That holiday season, Paris Hilton was hosting a New Years' event at The Shore Club. She was expected in town in Miami Beach, and I was out with friends [at a club she was supposed to be at]. As we were getting ready to leave, [the club owners] were like, "Don't leave don't leave, Paris Hilton is coming. We reserved a table for her and everything." And she never showed. And after the third and fourth time they said that, we didn't believe them. So we said, "Please Paris Hilton isn't coming -- Perez Hilton is." It kind of stuck. I love the name, and I love the concept of having a character. In a way, it made me almost like Paris in that she is her own brand. Her brand is a multi-million dollar, multi-business empire. And instead of being "that dude from that blog," now I'm Perez from PerezHilton.com!

Do your friends call you Perez now?
Some of them. If it's a work function, I insist on it. I trained my friends very well because I'm very brand-conscious, and I treat my brand like gold. At first, I thought it was lame. My name isn't Perez -- it's Mario Lavandeira. Then, I realized it's not lame, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. It created a lot of opportunities for me. Being Perez is a good thing!

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