A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via bestshowticketslasvegas)

In: "My Idol." Debuting tonight is the Fifth season of American Idol -- the most watched show of the 2004-5 season -- it should do brisk business for Fox. The intriguing internet and mobile deals, however, add an element of "What's Gonna Happen" into the equation. Newscorp, with the possible exception of CBS, is the most digitally savvy of networks. How will American Idol cross-pollinated on MySpace work out? Will this be the beginning of something big?

The Corsair is definitely going to check out "MyIdol" tonight. The demographic of Idol is a perfect fit for MySpace. Fox has all these interesting programs that could be taken to the next level via the web and mobile phone technology (Simpsons? Family Guy?) and tonight, we suppose, will be the first volley into seeing what could happen. From Paidcontent:

"While contestants vie for fame and recording glory on American Idol, the people responsible for making the show happen will be looking for their own payoffs -- the result of a complex series of deals that started late last year. The players include Fox Broadcasting, judge Simon Cowell, and show producers FremantleMedia and CKX -- all of whom are counting on mobile and online premium services to boost incomes.

"Show site idolonfox.com debuted earlier this month; americanidol.com, which had a murky provenance when we last checked, now redirects to the Fox site. Fans can build a 'MyIdol' profile -- hard not to think of sibling MySpace.com, play games and post on message boards. Upcoming features include blogs, the ability to add photos. A profile isn't required for photo and video ranking"

According to CNN International, "Media buyers said that Fox has been able to charge advertisers more than $700,000 for thirty-second spots on the Wednesday results show, tops for a regularly scheduled prime time show." How much, we ask, could Fox add onto the show's overall revenues with mobile ads on Idol clips of hilarious outtakes?

While the Idol show generates -- in conclusion -- a viable music star, we predict the Myspace/mobile clips will generate the anti-star, the opposite of talent. As we've said it before: If Idol can find a way to disseminate clips of wannabe Idols, the next screechingly-bad William Hung will be a bona fide mobile-phone viral superstar. We're ... not sure, however, if that's a good thing, careerwise. (And we wonder, curiously, what Kierkegaard and Alexis de Tocqueville would think about it)



(image via thehill)

Out: Reform. Whither Reform in the House leadership race? One would think that with the rapid approach of the 2006 Midterm elections and the whiffs of Abramoff scandal, House Republicans would want to get ahead of the issue of corruption by adopting a platform of reform.
If you thought that, you'd probably be wrong, my friend. Republicans -- and, more to the point: Conservatives -- are creatures of hierarchy, loyalty and tradition. Therefore, in an ideological battle between the forces of groundbreaking Reform and the gentlemanly arena of "Whose-Turn-Is-It?" at least as of press time, the former, more revolutionary choice is, quite frankly, getting its ass kicked.

The Reform candidate, John Shadegg, even with the endorsement of the hugely influential Club for Growth, conservative demigod Jack Kemp, and the august National Review, has, as of today's unofficial tally in TheHill, an astonishing 3 votes! (Averted Gaze) And, we cannot fail to note, one of those votes actually belongs to Shadegg himself. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

Whither Reform? That's what we're asking.



(image via wireimage)

In: The Golden Globe Women. Ziyi Yang was, as always, effervescent hott; the canary-yellow only added to the inherent cuteness. Natalie Portman, also, was magnificent, dark and sophisticated (Did you see those sharp predatory eyes she flashed at Leo DiCaprio as he hit the stage? Hott; unexpected.) A dusky-looking Mary-Cate Olsen looked, we cannot fail to note, "filthy hott." Although the desire rarely occurred to us in the past, we now want to commit terrible, consentual "acts" with that particular Olsen.

Rose McGowan appears to have outgrown her goth vampire phase, and, with some skin color, interestingly, looks not unlike a less filthy Angelina Jolie. Hott.

Out:

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In: Amanda Cutter Brooks. Nature, as the philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, abhors a vacuum. God bless the gang at Fashionweekdaily, which has trained its gimlet eye on the vacant Vanity Fair Fashion Director position for what seems now like weeks. According to Jim Shi of the venerable site:

"Is Amanda Cutter Brooks going to Vanity Fair? The socially adept mother of two is said to be engaged in serious discussions with the publication to join its fashion department. What�s up for grabs? The plum fashion director�s position relinquished by Anne McNally when she moved to London this past winter. With McNally�s departure, fashion director Elizabeth Saltzman and editor-in-chief Graydon Carter have said they are restructuring the fashion department.

"... In social circles, she is considered a major bold-faced name and a 'get' for designers whose creations she wears; during this period, she graced countless best-dressed lists in Vogue and Harper�s Bazaar.

"... Her position at Vanity Fair would be to attend high-profile functions, the shows in New York and Europe, and maintain solid relationships with the book�s many fashion and lifestyle-oriented advertisers. The position of fashion director at Vanity Fair has long been touted as�no pun intended�a vanity position. Simply put, Brooks would now be paid to do what she does in New York on a weekly basis."

The full article here.