Defamer.com

Gawker Media, publisher of chic commercial gossip blogs, just launched Defamer, which aims to skewer LA and Hollywood culture. Publisher Nick Denton said that "L.A. is crying out for a Defamer. For a city that's in many ways the cultural capital of the world, it's woefully under-gossiped."

Sure, the celebrity weeklies give the latest tittle-tattle on the reality TV romance of the week. But the real stars of Hollywood are the producers, and agents, and PR flacks, and studio execs, and screenwriters. They're usually behind the scenes. No longer.

Gawker Media also publishes Gawker (focused on NY), Wonkette (DC politics), Gizmodo (tech gadgets) and Fleshbot (porn).

The challenge, of course, will be that the existing Gawker sites have depended on readers to send in gossip and join in the fun, but as L.A. residents famously have no sense of perspective or self-effacing sense of humor, it remains to be seen whether Defamer will find a receptive audience or not. The idea of smart Hollywood gossip, however, is rather appealingly refreshing.

Unlike the other Gawker media products, the writer of Defamer will remain anonymous, him- or herself "a Hollywood peon," according to Denton.