20 Questions with Shinan Govani

If you are a true Torontonian, than surely you’ve heard of Shinan Govani. Best known as The National Post’s ‘resident snoop, town crier and people watcher’ or otherwise known to the rest of the world as a kick-ass columnist. In addition to frequent television appearances and being Page Six’s “go-to-Canadian,” Govani has also appeared in various publications as Salon, Details, George, and enRoute. “Shinan is to celebrity what the Bank of Canada is to the dollar,” Toronto Life once said.

And if that doesn’t cut it, Shinan may now add author and writer to his list of accomplishments with his new book entitled, ‘Bold Face Names.’

A fictitious account of a gossip columnist and town snoop based loosely on Govani’s own trials and tribulations, Boldfaced Names is a fun fast-past read filled to the brim with pop culture references and constant name dropping. We asked him to take the 20 Qs and lucky for us, he obliged.

1. What is your dream of happiness?
Free refills.

2. Blonde or Brunette?
Brunettes. Except on Tuesdays.

3. What Is the quality you like most in a man?
One who sends out mixed messages.

4. What do you fear most?
Losing my genuinely god-given ability to colour co-ordinate.

5. 808s or 909s?
What do you think?

6. What’s your biggest regret?
Making the mistake of being born too late for Trudeaumania.

7. What’s your fav bar or club in the world?
I did feel fairly proud of myself – in a Peter Benjamin Parker way -when I once visited the bar at the top of the Hyatt hotel in Shanghai. 87th floor, baby. Also: the one that Groucho Marx talked about.

8. What’s the one thing you can’t you live with out?
My way around a bad pun.

9. What are the 3 musicians dead or alive you’d like to see perform?
Frederic Chopin, Nina Simone, and Heidi Montang.

10. What is your favourite decade in music?
The next one.

11. If you had to choose, would you rather go blind of deaf and why?
I certainly wouldn’t have minded being blind at certain parties I’ve been, I’ll tell you that much. I’ve been eye-raped so many times by bad behaviour, ghoulish fashion.

12. How old is too old?
When you’re too tired to say, “Kids, these days…”

13. Where did you see yourself in 15 years?
Cliffside in Carpi, swapping bon mots with a classy frenemy. Possibly, also, working as Tyra Banks’ ghostwriter.

14. Who’s your hero?
I turn to Oscar Wilde for this one: “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.”

15. What’s your favourite colour?
A nice Bordeaux shade.

16. What song could you live without ever hearing again?
Happy Birthday.

17. Metallica or Madonna?
Bernadette Peters.

18. What’s your most hated vice?
My infinitely sunny, Annie-like attitude.

19. Who is the most tragic figure in history?
Is it too early to call out the eight Gosselin children?

20. What are the top three live shows you’ve seen in your life?
All the world’s a stage.