If any of you have been paying attention, you know by now that Jossip has unofficially adopted ex Page Six freelancer Fernando Gil. Mostly because he is a displaced foreigner, doesn't know "who the fuck Jessica Joffe is" and spends time explaining blogs to his friends.

So when he agreed to sit down with us for a Q+A, we just had to get the goods on what it's like being a gossip who hesitates to call himself a gossip.

He does not hesistate, however, to bash President Bush or the New York Times. An artist and non-scenester party hopper at heart, Gil went from NYU to Page Six and barely noticed the difference. After the jump, he reveals his affection for Midget Kiss Bands, Chris Wilson, and hypothetical gossip relating to Bush Twins and coke.

(**Please note that the opinions in this interview solely reflect those of Fernando Gil are are by no means supported or unsupported by his foster parents.)

How did you get started at Page Six?

I had been living in Argentina, and came back to the city, and I was out a lot. It randomly happened. I didn't apply, or whatever, it was just from being out, I knew Richard Johnson and Richard's son, and Richard asked me to come in to fill in one day, and I think I broke a story on something funny that happened on the set of Growing Up Gotti. I tapped into a different demographic than Page Six and I think … at that point I was living in a hovel in Greenpoint with a bunch of derelicts … I was considered the hipster Page Six guy by Elisa Lipsky [Karasz] when she worked at the Post. Which shows you how un-hip the Post is. I fulfilled the South American quota I suppose, but you'll have to ask Richard. I've noticed the page has become less "caliente" since I've left.

Were you on your own to dig out stories, or did they put you on assignment?

There was the morning list – and then we had a meeting where all the departments would go in and discuss what they were working on for the next day … a lot of Page Six's material actually gets taken by the front page because there's a lot of overlap with our stories, and what's considered "hard news" at the Post.

Do you gossip on your own scene?

Never. It's not wise to talk shit about people you've done unspeakable, illegal, and generally disturbing things with. Not the smartest move. Most of Page Six's tips are actually called in by random people while you're sitting at the office. Calls come in from all over the world, so you sat at the freelance desk and just waited for it to pour in … and out of 10 phone calls maybe 2-3 become items. If I had written about my friends then I wouldn't have friends anymore, because most cool people don't want to be in the paper. They don't need the validation.

If I had ever thought about making a career out if, Like Paula [Froelich] for example, then maybe I would write about people I know. But, I have a terrible memory and I don't remember what I ate for dinner let alone who else was in the restaurant or what they were doing.

Who are your favorite people to gossip about?

Well, I'll tell you who I don't really care about: the Lindsay Lohans and Paris Hiltons of the world. The Us Weekly types. I don't read gossip magazines … I didn't even read Page Six much until I started working there. If I got a call that so and so was at a club I'd get on google or IMDB to figure out who these people were. I was the one asking the questions like "is Britney Spears married?" or "is Ricky Martin gay?" and people would sort of roll their eyes and correct me.

My favorite people to gossip about are funny quirky stories. I recently wrote an item on a Midget Kiss bands. That's what makes Page Six interesting. The midgets called up afterward, they were fired up because they were going on TV 'cuz of the story. Or if somebody was a complete dickhead or affiliated to one. Like say hypothetically Jenna Bush was doing coke on the roof of the Gramercy Park Hotel on June 12, 2004, then I might be inclined to write about that. As I said, affiliated to a dickhead.

Is everything at Page Six really checked and followed through with?

It's such a misconception that we don't check our tips. You couldn't get past Richard without calling someone or checking a story, let alone Steve Cuozzo or the legal department. That's why Page Six hasn't been successfully sued by anyone that I know of for libel … at least while I was there. The Times is forced to run way more corrections … and no one even reads that shit. A smart publicist will always deny a story. If something's not true we won't run it, but if good sources swear up and down that something happened, and we can confirm it, then we got with it.

What is the best part about being at Page Six?

I see Page Six as an New York City icon … working at Page Six was like working at the New York Stock Exchange … except for the no money part. It was interesting to see it from the inside. When I first got there, I think it was Chris Wilson, told me, "imagine someone gave you the key to New York, literally, and you could open every single door you've ever wanted to open." Or maybe something less dramatic, like "hey go get me coffee" but in any case, it really touched me and I weepy thinking of tat moment. I had a pretty fun life before Page Six and I have a pretty fun life now … but it opened up a few other doors … such as the Exit door, ha ha.

Who do you think is the funniest gossip? What about the most offensive?

Chris Wilson is hilarious; he draws from such a wide range of people and sources and he has this old school hard boiled style about it. But he's referencing Biggie lyrics or whatever. It's a funny mix. Jessica Coen is the most played out, I think. You can't hate everything. You have to like some things. It's like "what to you like?" It degrades your mockery because you're mocking everything, even puppies and nuns. You read it and you see her issues and personal shit come through in her writing.

She inexplicably hates page six, which is silly — you can't really hate it or love it, Page Six is like the Empire State Building or a rat or a squirrel, it's part of the city. It's older than me, it's older than her. That said, fuck pigeons.

How does the Post, and Page Six in particular, compare to other gossip or news media?

This may sound like bullshit but I've never once read the Daily News except during this whole Burkle vs. Jared Paul Stern thing, so I'm not sure what they have going on. I'd rather give the extra quarter to a homeless dude. I remember that I would always pitch stories to Richard, though and the Daily News would have already had it. And he would say that I had to read the competition. But I never did.

The Post is such a visceral paper. The Post is like the stomach of New York, the gut … the Times is like the logical head, which doesn't mean it's more accurate, just more serious. It comes off as a credible, academic. You're not looking for spin or hype, though it's definitely there. I think Page Six's spin is more obvious and brazen … louder, which in a sense is more honest. If you don't see that the Post has the Lizzie Grubman's of the world, you're blind. The Times have the Michael Sitricks … Lizzie reps clubs, bars, she's on MTV and blatantly plants items in the Post. Sitrick reps Enron, the church's pedophilia scandal … truly shady motherfuckers like that. Concive the credible guy that everybody believes and you've won the hearts and minds of lots of other influential people.

The Times' subtle spin jobs affects more than a bunch of people choosing Lotus over Marquee. It affects policy and people, and that's really fucked up.

What is the first piece of media you digest every day?

The Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole (www.ole.com.ar). And I read the sports gossip column in am New York because it's so earnest and wack it's actually funnier than The Onion, but without trying.

Finally, what is the breakfast of a fired Page Six freelancer?
Mate, the official drink of underemployed Argentines everywhere, toast, and a dutch master.