A Little of the Old In and Out

In: Fashionweekdaily's Daily Spy is all over the gossip at David Pecker's American Media:

"The latest staffer to says sayonara to Bonnie Fuller at Star magazine is Nathan Cooper, the popular senior editor and former Harper's Bazaar scribe, who added a dash of glamour to the tabloid and was in charge of all its events coverage. Cooper is signing on to American Media rival Bauer Publishing's (In Touch parent) upcoming celeb mag launch, Life & Style Weekly, set to debut in November."

Fashionweekdaily continues:

" ... JUST ASKING: Meanwhile, while we usually leave guessing Page Six blind items to our friends at other (delicious) websites, the lead riddle today can't pass without comment. Could it be that the former American Media exec, who's this close to filing a lawsuit, is Richard Valvo, the gravelly-voiced AMI PR man, who saw chief David Pecker through many a media crisis? Valvo was ousted by Bonnie Fuller, who first brought in hapless flack, XXXXXX, to assume Valvo's duties vis-�-vis Star before she poached astute Stu Zakim from rival Us Weekly.

Out: The Northeast political landscape is changing, lightening fast. First, Connecticut Governor Rowland was ousted. Now, New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey is feeling the heat. New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is under fire, spending $15,000 to counter charges of corruption. And, finally, completing the labyrinth of Northeast corridor power players, Joseph Bruno is being dumped by the Conservative line. That's not even to mention Andrea Bernstein important public radio piece this week on, as the NPR site describes:

"In late 2002 word began to emerge that New York City Correction Department employees were working on Republican political campaigns -- often while on-duty. Now, in the WNYC News documentary: Politics and Punishment on Rikers Island, Andrea Bernstein takes a close look how and why jail supervisors organized hundreds of their employees as campaign foot soldiers - in apparent violation of city law. "

Read the transcript of this important program here.

The old order changes. But what will arise to fill the vacuum?

In: According to British Vogue's News Bites:

"LULU GUINNESS this week welcomed guests at her Bleecker Street boutique in New York to honour her participation in Contreau's 'Cointreauversial' ad campaign. Warmed by Guinness' sangria (a powerful mixture of Remy Martin, Piper Heidsick, Cointreau, grape juice and fruit) and snacks from Da Silvano, guests including Charlotte Ronson, Lucy Sykes and her pregnant sister Alice spilled out of the tiny boutique and onto the sidewalk. Fifteen per cent of the sales inside were donated to Safe Space, a New York City charity for underprivileged and abused children. "

Out: As The Defamer lets us know in his world weary been-there-done-her Hollywwod oily but cool manner that, yes, the B-Listers are different than us, dear reader, the C-Listers (The Corsair lets out a melancholy, Charlie Brown-like Autumnal sigh).:

"Wizbang deconstructs the battle plan of former Survivor contestant/VH1 host Jenna Lewis once her sex video showed up for sale on the internet. [Ed.note--Lewis is steadfastly C-list. She couldn't get on the B-list if she was filmed giving Vin Diesel a reacharound.]
You are a B-list celebrity... A wedding night porn video of you has just hit the Internet, and now you are expected to go into damage control mode. Some wonder whether you secretly engineered the release. How should your PR firm respond?

"1. Issue a press release weeks after the video debuts.

"2. Make sure everyone knows that you are not happy about the video appearing on the Internet.

"3. Plug the site carrying the video that you are 'fighting mad' over. "

And how would an A lister handle it?

"Naturally, if you're an A-list celebrity in a boring, harmless titty video, your first move is to send scary cease-and-desist letters."

Too true.

In: God, I love me some LA.com's blog and their blind items. To wit:

"What gives with that edgy, eccentric and insanely well paid star? Years of movies and TV have made him so incredibly rich, he never has to work another day in his life if he doesn�t damn well feel like it. He�s always got an amazingly hot young thing clinging to his hunky arm and, careerwise, seems to be on top of the world. But yet waiters hate to see him walk into a restaurant because he tips as if he�s down to his last dime. He dresses like a rag man, constantly clips newspaper coupons--and the rare times he shops, it�s only at sales and thrift shops. Although he lives in a fabulous old LA spread, most of the rooms are completely empty. His parsimonious ways have cost him more than a few friends and several famous girlfriends. Jeez guy, cut loose with a buck once in awhile, will you?"

Everyone on the board is saying Keanu Reeves, but this guy has barely done tv. I think it's someone else.

Out: Okay, this Rance fellow -- you know, the celebrity blogger -- he's starting to get on my nerves, what, with that whimsyish dialog; The Corsair does not fancy whimsy ... it is redolent of ... whim:

"I�m always interested by why people are late. Be it an important meeting, a doctor�s appointment, a wedding, there�s always a story there."

What the fuck? Can't you almost imagine that cloying Andy Rooney voice, except without the mitigating factors of age or Cute Old Man as variables. I think it's time to organize a little blogiverse beat down, n'est ce-pas?