A Little of the Old In and Out
In: Last Night's Kerry gala at Radio City Music Hall was very "in"; both Gawker and Wonkette had deep-undercover operatives on hand (I'd tell you their names, but then I'd have to kill you) that give their penetrating sociological analysis of the event in question. From Wonkette:
"Just arrived at the Kerry-Edwards gala circle jerk at Radio City Music Hall. Crowd is a mix of high-toned Hamptons crowd discussing real estate and melanomas, and young 20-something staffers and professionals in business garb talking animatedly about Edwards and "energy." And college-aged cute things who surely didn't pay their way in. A lot of people seem to think that everyone should know them, but nobody does. (The threshold for "famous-for-New-York being somewhat higher than for DC equivalents.) Seen no genuine celebs yet."
Seems the genuine celebs and jet set swishy folk were all over at Jean Paul Gaultiers F/W Haute Couture show in Paris. Gawker on the lack of genuine celebs:
"If a terrorist had taken a giant flamethrower to Radio City Hall tonight, there would have been no B-List celebrities left in New York. It really made you realize that no one famous lives in this town anymore, and with presenters like Jessica Lange ... and Chevy Chase (who was straining to see the teleprompter; he looked very confused) this idea was further re-inforced.
" ... The Douche of the Night was Jason Binn. He's about as tall as a jar of Icy-Hot and looks like a fig with a facelift. He was affixed to Arianna Huffington all night, who was in turn affixed to Tina Brown and Fisher Stevens. TWICE in the lobby I saw Huffington make like she was ditching Binn, only to have the little spermatazoa literally yell out "Arianna," (the first time), and when she left with Fisher, "Fisher!!!" This second time Binn was talking to a group of over-tanned buttheads who were just waiting for their car to the Hamptons, but the group quickly proceeded to mock him as he ran after Arianna like the pathetic Heather he is.
Out: Chris Gore of IFC TV's Ultimate Film Fanatic. I just don't like his face. It's part chemical, part playa hating with me: he really makes me want to throw down. Anyhoo, Indiwire writes:
"Chris Gore of Film Threat fame is the show's host, and tells indieWIRE he's qualified to host a film trivia TV show because 'I can read at a 6th grade level and I can deliver lines from cue cards really well. Also, I have mastered the art of walking to a piece of tape on the floor and stopping precisely where the tape is placed.'
"Gore also doesn't mind hanging out with the show's esteemed panelists, including former porn star Traci Lords and Kevin Smith sidekick Jason Mewes. ('Jason Mewes began passing dirty notes and horribly obscene drawings during breaks in the show,' Gore tells indieWIRE. 'All I could think to myself, as any film geek might, is what they would fetch if they were sold on eBay.')
Can I punch him out now? (The Corsair gets "punchy," doing fancy footwork, while simultaneously throwing powerful overhand rights and complex combination shots with the hand not holding the 3/4s-full glass of The Cutty Sark) You know, really show him what the frequency is (The Corsair lunges at the screen).
In: Rock and roll coochie coo. (link via stereogum, it's his fault, so blame him)
Out: Ah, a day in the life of Haley Binn, wife of The Jason, according to Fashionweekdaily:
"Jason and I arrive at the Bulgari luncheon at the Hotel Jerome. I�?m wearing Trish of Capri sandals, Theory pants, an Izod shirt, and my Blinde sunglasses. Let�?s see who�?s here�?you�?ve got 20 fabulous ladies of Aspen, Bill and Kristen Bellamy, Tommy Davidson, and, of course, Nick Warnock (from 'The Apprentice'), who now works for Jason. Even Francois Kress, the managing director of Bulgari, flew in for this event! It was a lot of fun. We all went around the table and introduced ourselves and said why we love Aspen. Bill and Tommy both told funny stories of their first encounters with Jason."
Oh Lord, had Haley dropped one more name, I might have passed out from the altitude. You see, Dear Haley is the Sir Edmund Hillary of Social Climbing
Out: Daniel Libeskind, the architect who wanted too much, in a Gawker Stalker sighting:
"July 4, corner of Canal and Thompson, who should bounce around the corner that World Trade Center development project architect Daniel Libeskind, presumably returning from that morning's ground breaking. (Just caught a very quick glimpse, but how many spikey-haired, nerdy-glasses-ed German-looking guys wearing all black on a 90 degree day could there be?)"
Only an architect, kiddies, only an architect.
In: UberWaif Kate Bush. Big Boi's favorite artist is Kate Bush. Pink loves Kate Bush. Everyone who loves music loves Kate Bush but we are all afraid to say it out loud. Why? I'm going to say it for anyone that has ever been afraid to put it on the boom box and play it out loud and proud: When The Corsair wants to crawl into that special emotional space he puts on his Kate Bush, and cuddles with his Pound Puppy. So there.
Out: Rupert Murdoch, according to Paul Colford of the Post rival NY Daily News, who himself reports on an article in Post rival the The Old Gray Lady (It's confusing to all of us):
"Media mogul Rupert Murdoch himself was behind the New York Post's Dick Gephardt-for-veep fiasco, according to a published report.
"A day after Murdoch responded to the gaffe that made global headlines by saying 'Everybody made a mistake,' the New York Times reported last night that it was the big boss who came up with the elusive exclusive.
"An anonymous Post employee told the Times that Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of the Post's parent company News Corp., called in the tip at about 10 p.m. Monday night, between the first and second editions.
"City Desk editor Mike Hechtman took the feed, weaving it into a front page exclusive, sans byline, on Kerry's pick of the Missouri congressman as his vice presidential running mate, said the report posted on the Times Web site."
In: Dana Milbank's chat at WashingtonPost.com (link via Romenesko) yielded an interesting riff on why George Bush doesn't give a fuck about African-American preachers:
"Rockville, Md.: What is your analysis of the President's refusal to address the NAACP convention?
"Dana Milbank: Before he took office, Bush made clear that he was trying to circumvent the traditional civil rights establishment in favor of new black leaders, particularly religious ones, who shared his conservative views on social policy and favored school vouchers, etc. He's also visited milder groups such as the Urban League. This strategy of avoiding the traditional civil rights crowd has not gone very well for him, but neither is there much to be gained by drawing a hostile reception from the NAACP."
Out: Amish in the City, according to the AP:
"A reality TV series about Amish teenagers exploring the world beyond their community and faith will debut this month despite protests by members of Congress.
"'Amish in the City' begins with a special two-hour episode July 28, the UPN network announced Thursday."
The men's "beard without the moustache" and the women's "long sleeves, no skirt and severe bun hairdo" should play just suuuper on the Top Model network?
Comment here or on the VH1 Best Week Ever Blog.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Chappelle: "I Don't Know What the Fuck (Nader) Thinks He's Doing"
From the August 2004 Blender:
"Blender: You talk about race, this country's great unspoken topic.
"Dave Chappelle: It's hilariously unspoken ... you know who goes through it and no one talk about? Poor white people. Poor white people feel like they're supposed to be rich. That's why they always sound crazy -- like 'Niggers are taking all the jobs at Burger King.' Alright, you sound like a fucking idiot right now ...
"Blender: Who are you going to vote for President this Fall?
"Dave: I'm going to ask you to take a wild guess.
"Blender: Then we'd guess John Kerry.
"Dave: I'm leaning that way. Ralph Nader, I don't know what the fuck he thinks he's doing. He has slavery reparations on his platform, which makes me think he's not serious. If he thought he could win, he wouldn't even say that.
"Blender: A lot of your jokes come from watching television, which you don't seem to like very much.
"Dave: This culture is dumb. The fact that Arnold Shwarzenegger is governor -- people voted for the nigger because he's the Terminator. 'Bring down the budget, Terminator.'"
From the August 2004 Blender:
"Blender: You talk about race, this country's great unspoken topic.
"Dave Chappelle: It's hilariously unspoken ... you know who goes through it and no one talk about? Poor white people. Poor white people feel like they're supposed to be rich. That's why they always sound crazy -- like 'Niggers are taking all the jobs at Burger King.' Alright, you sound like a fucking idiot right now ...
"Blender: Who are you going to vote for President this Fall?
"Dave: I'm going to ask you to take a wild guess.
"Blender: Then we'd guess John Kerry.
"Dave: I'm leaning that way. Ralph Nader, I don't know what the fuck he thinks he's doing. He has slavery reparations on his platform, which makes me think he's not serious. If he thought he could win, he wouldn't even say that.
"Blender: A lot of your jokes come from watching television, which you don't seem to like very much.
"Dave: This culture is dumb. The fact that Arnold Shwarzenegger is governor -- people voted for the nigger because he's the Terminator. 'Bring down the budget, Terminator.'"
Thursday, July 08, 2004
This Sunday on 60 Minutes: Exclusive Kerry/Edwards Interview
Those long, boring, dog days of summer 60 Minutes repeats -- you know, the ones where you get positively intimate with the Kerry-Bush Skull and Bones story all over again, for the fifth time -- may be over. In an age of hyper-competitive television, where 24 hour cable news channels regularly eat the lunch of network news divisions and first run midsummer replacement reality TV programs regularly snack on the bones of newsmagazine reruns, CBS is doing something rather groovy, baby, to be sure. For the second time this summer (Dan Rather's Bill Clinton exclusive interview was the first; remember when Dan dressed in geeky jeans pulled ... just a little bit too far up in 'old man uncool' fashion and roamed through the mean streets of Little Rock, Arkansas with Bill? Priceless), the 60 Minutes gang is cutting short their long and lusty summers in Martha's Vinyard to actually break some news (Just what the fuck is it about liberals and Martha's Vinyard, anyway? Please tell me, I'm clueless). This time, 60 Minutes has the first joint interview with that new political sensation, the John-Johns, Senator John Kerry and John Edwards. USA Today notes (link via Romenesko):
"Sunday, the show will be fresh again when Lesley Stahl interviews Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, fresh off a campaign stop Saturday in Edwards' home state, North Carolina.
"It will be another exclusive: the candidates' first joint interview.
"Executive producer Jeff Fager, who has taken the reins from legendary producer Don Hewitt, will interrupt his vacation on Martha's Vineyard to put the interview together. He has asked commentator Andy Rooney, who is on his traditional July vacation in upstate New York, to weigh in, too.
"Fager says viewers should expect more breaking news in summers to come -- even though, when it comes to ratings, there is little incentive: 60 repeats do nicely in the summer, routinely finishing in the Top 10.
"'When there's news, we're going to be covering it. The viewers expect that. This has become a broadcast where big news is broken. That's an exciting thing . . . so it's not going to matter in the future what time of year it is.'"
Breaking news during the summers ... cool -- and so begins the reign of Jeff Fager.
The CBS 60 Minutes website, which, by the way, is all over this groundbreaking exclusive, touting it's own network horn, says:
"Stahl will talk to both candidates and their wives, Teresa Heinz Kerry and Elizabeth Edwards, in Edward's home state of North Carolina, after the two wind up a campaign swing through Ohio, Florida, West Virginia, New Mexico and North Carolina."
We can't wait either to hear that breathy Mozambique-by-way-of-Switzerland accent of Theresa Heinz. What can I say, we Gemini's get off on odd speech patterns.
Those long, boring, dog days of summer 60 Minutes repeats -- you know, the ones where you get positively intimate with the Kerry-Bush Skull and Bones story all over again, for the fifth time -- may be over. In an age of hyper-competitive television, where 24 hour cable news channels regularly eat the lunch of network news divisions and first run midsummer replacement reality TV programs regularly snack on the bones of newsmagazine reruns, CBS is doing something rather groovy, baby, to be sure. For the second time this summer (Dan Rather's Bill Clinton exclusive interview was the first; remember when Dan dressed in geeky jeans pulled ... just a little bit too far up in 'old man uncool' fashion and roamed through the mean streets of Little Rock, Arkansas with Bill? Priceless), the 60 Minutes gang is cutting short their long and lusty summers in Martha's Vinyard to actually break some news (Just what the fuck is it about liberals and Martha's Vinyard, anyway? Please tell me, I'm clueless). This time, 60 Minutes has the first joint interview with that new political sensation, the John-Johns, Senator John Kerry and John Edwards. USA Today notes (link via Romenesko):
"Sunday, the show will be fresh again when Lesley Stahl interviews Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, fresh off a campaign stop Saturday in Edwards' home state, North Carolina.
"It will be another exclusive: the candidates' first joint interview.
"Executive producer Jeff Fager, who has taken the reins from legendary producer Don Hewitt, will interrupt his vacation on Martha's Vineyard to put the interview together. He has asked commentator Andy Rooney, who is on his traditional July vacation in upstate New York, to weigh in, too.
"Fager says viewers should expect more breaking news in summers to come -- even though, when it comes to ratings, there is little incentive: 60 repeats do nicely in the summer, routinely finishing in the Top 10.
"'When there's news, we're going to be covering it. The viewers expect that. This has become a broadcast where big news is broken. That's an exciting thing . . . so it's not going to matter in the future what time of year it is.'"
Breaking news during the summers ... cool -- and so begins the reign of Jeff Fager.
The CBS 60 Minutes website, which, by the way, is all over this groundbreaking exclusive, touting it's own network horn, says:
"Stahl will talk to both candidates and their wives, Teresa Heinz Kerry and Elizabeth Edwards, in Edward's home state of North Carolina, after the two wind up a campaign swing through Ohio, Florida, West Virginia, New Mexico and North Carolina."
We can't wait either to hear that breathy Mozambique-by-way-of-Switzerland accent of Theresa Heinz. What can I say, we Gemini's get off on odd speech patterns.
A Little of the Old In and Out
In: Gossip; and, on the side, a possible NY Times Sunday Styles story. Fashionweekdaily's Daily Spy notes (second story down):
"New York Magazine is finally closing its Ian Spiegelman gossip column piece for next Monday�s issue (penned by the Vanessa Grigoriadis and Jacob Bernstein tag team), but the New York Times Sunday 'Styles' section wants in on the action and may try to steal some of the mag�s thunder this weekend. Insiders say editor Trip Gabriel has assigned a piece on the proliferation of New York gossip columns and the increasingly competitive market for juicy items. The addition of two Sunday columnists, Elisa Lipsky-Karasz at the Post and Ben Widdicombe at the Daily News, has certainly upped the gossip quotient. The Times piece is said to be focusing on the fact that there are too many columnists and not enough items or events worth covering. Apparently their theory is that sooner or later, it�ll boil down to survival of the fittest."
Survival of the fittest, you say? The Corsair merrily dusts off his college copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species and softly chuckles to himself, reading Chapter 3, the key to the whole book really, entitled "The Struggle for Existence."
In: We have always maintained that the first blog "celebrity" is Wonkette's Ana Marie Cox. Her timing was precise. We like her better than Drudge, to be frank, because Drudge doesn't have a sense of humor, and, what's more, operates more like a Public Access show than a blog proper. Anyhoo: There are many reasons for Ana Marie's success: one, being, that the US is the last superpower left standing; two, is that that fact makes DC the de facto capitol of the world; three, that makes DC gossip -- the gossip of world power -- priceless; four, there is really no minute-by minute-DC-gossip newspaper or radio station or media outlet at all, that task is particularly well suited to the web; five, Drudge is based in Florida, thus Wonkette has the monopoly on the up-to-the-minute DC power gossip; and, finally, six, Ana Marie Cox is fucking funny. Add it all up, and all the ingredients of stardom are there; famous for DC, in an election year, is, basically, influential. Enough with the ass kissing, though, because Ana is covering the Democratic Convention for MTV News, a big multimedia break for us bloggers, according to the Washington Post (fourth story down, link via Romenesko):
"That foul-mouthed red-haired vixen known as the Wonkette ( Ana Marie Cox of Arlington) has leveraged her popular political gossip site, Wonkette.com, into a gig with MTV News. The network will announce today that it has hired Cox, 31, to cover all the incredible tension and excitement that is the Democratic National Convention. It says her 'unabashed style and irreverence' will galvanize young voters."
Rock on, Ana Marie, we like your style. What next? Old Hag on PBS? A Gothamist 30 minute show on NY1? The sexy Miu Von Furstenberg's Socialite Life on VH1? A smart Charlie Rose-like pop culture talking head show on Trio featuring Choire Sicha? Jason Calacanis on CNBC weeknights wrapping up the tech news? Ron Mwangaguhunga doing an edgy Chris Rock-like talk show on that fertile experimental Viacom laboratory, Showtime? We can dream, can't we?
Out: Celebrity Sex videos are so jejune. I mean, we could definitely say something about Cameron and whether or not, in the video, she gets it in "Diaz," but you would forever lose a tenth of respect for my comedic talents, so I'll refrain. According to The Daily News, "Cameron Diaz is calling her lawyers now that a kinky video she made long ago has found its way onto the Internet.
For more than a year, the 'Shrek 2' star, 31, has been fighting to stop the world from seeing photos and video she made over a decade ago when she was a model. But now a Russian-registered Web site (WARNING: ADULT CONTENT!) www.scandal-inc.com is trafficking in an 'S&M' film titled 'She's No Angel: Cameron Diaz.'
"The home page shows a woman who looks like Diaz - topless and in fishnets - joining a brunette in some 'Spartacus'-style role-playing with a grimacing guy in shackles and a loincloth.
"According to www.defamer.com, the trailer for the 30-minute video, which sells for $39.95, shows the actress using a can of Freon or compressed air for a purpose probably not recommended by the manufacturer."
(The Corsair abruptlu declares with heartfelt candor) 'Would that I were a can of Freon!'
Comment here, or on the VH1's Best Week Ever Blog.
In: Vivi Nevo. The Post's Tim Arango mingles with the captains of Industry in Sun Valley, and writes:
"The mysterious international financier Vivi Nevo � who has not yet shown his face here but is expected shortly � is apparently ready to open his checkbook for Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein, The Post has learned.
Nevo, who runs a firm called NV Investments, is a frequent attendee at the annual Allen & Co. confab here and is usually seen bantering with every big-name CEO in attendance.
"But details on his background are scarce; sources will only say that he is a wealthy individual with stakes in many large media companies, including Time Warner.
"Now, a source says, Nevo could become a backer for Weinstein if the Miramax chief, as expected, bolts his employment contract with Disney, which bought Miramax in the 1990s.
"Amid frayed relations with Disney chief Michael Eisner � who has arrived in Sun Valley, but has kept a low profile � Weinstein has been negotiating a possible exit with Disney for months.
"Sources say a preliminary resolution could be reached this week, although a public announcement would likely not come for some time.
"Weinstein is expected to hit the ground (in Sun Valley, Idaho) today."
Intriguing.
Out: A Spy In The House of Mouse! Defamer is reporting that FlyOnTheWall says (The Corsair also is thoroughly confused by the meta-media nature of blog reporting), that embattled Disney CEO Michael Eisner's office was bugged:
"Blogger A Fly On The Wall reports that electronic listening devices ("bugs," in the parlance of espionage) were found in Disney CEO Michael Eisner's office on the company's Burbank lot during a "routine" security check over the July 4th holiday weekend. Just to make sure everything was nice and bug-free (tiny microphones do wreak havoc on an office's decor), some furniture was hauled away, ostensibly to be replaced by furnishings vetted by Disney's anti-spy squad. We've unfairly imagined Eisner as a disturbed paranoid, fortifying his office against bloodthirsty shareholder mobs. But it appears his fears were justified."
In: Would it be arrogant of me to nominate myself as in? Yes? Okay, I'll do it anyway, because it's my party and I'll plug if I want to. I was looking back on my past blog writings, and stumbled upon a series of writings, a la Machiavelli's Prince, to John Kerry, and they are rocking. I mean (The Corsair looks at himself in the mirror and smiles). really good stuff. So, check them out, as they are sure to be added to the standard curricula at good liberal arts colleges:
Prolegomena
Book the First: On Lies and Manliness
Book the Second: Exhortation to seize the UN and Save It From Irrelevance (and, thusly, from Itself)
Book The Third: On The First Lady as The embodiment of Soft Power
Okay, enough plugging.
In: Gossip; and, on the side, a possible NY Times Sunday Styles story. Fashionweekdaily's Daily Spy notes (second story down):
"New York Magazine is finally closing its Ian Spiegelman gossip column piece for next Monday�s issue (penned by the Vanessa Grigoriadis and Jacob Bernstein tag team), but the New York Times Sunday 'Styles' section wants in on the action and may try to steal some of the mag�s thunder this weekend. Insiders say editor Trip Gabriel has assigned a piece on the proliferation of New York gossip columns and the increasingly competitive market for juicy items. The addition of two Sunday columnists, Elisa Lipsky-Karasz at the Post and Ben Widdicombe at the Daily News, has certainly upped the gossip quotient. The Times piece is said to be focusing on the fact that there are too many columnists and not enough items or events worth covering. Apparently their theory is that sooner or later, it�ll boil down to survival of the fittest."
Survival of the fittest, you say? The Corsair merrily dusts off his college copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species and softly chuckles to himself, reading Chapter 3, the key to the whole book really, entitled "The Struggle for Existence."
In: We have always maintained that the first blog "celebrity" is Wonkette's Ana Marie Cox. Her timing was precise. We like her better than Drudge, to be frank, because Drudge doesn't have a sense of humor, and, what's more, operates more like a Public Access show than a blog proper. Anyhoo: There are many reasons for Ana Marie's success: one, being, that the US is the last superpower left standing; two, is that that fact makes DC the de facto capitol of the world; three, that makes DC gossip -- the gossip of world power -- priceless; four, there is really no minute-by minute-DC-gossip newspaper or radio station or media outlet at all, that task is particularly well suited to the web; five, Drudge is based in Florida, thus Wonkette has the monopoly on the up-to-the-minute DC power gossip; and, finally, six, Ana Marie Cox is fucking funny. Add it all up, and all the ingredients of stardom are there; famous for DC, in an election year, is, basically, influential. Enough with the ass kissing, though, because Ana is covering the Democratic Convention for MTV News, a big multimedia break for us bloggers, according to the Washington Post (fourth story down, link via Romenesko):
"That foul-mouthed red-haired vixen known as the Wonkette ( Ana Marie Cox of Arlington) has leveraged her popular political gossip site, Wonkette.com, into a gig with MTV News. The network will announce today that it has hired Cox, 31, to cover all the incredible tension and excitement that is the Democratic National Convention. It says her 'unabashed style and irreverence' will galvanize young voters."
Rock on, Ana Marie, we like your style. What next? Old Hag on PBS? A Gothamist 30 minute show on NY1? The sexy Miu Von Furstenberg's Socialite Life on VH1? A smart Charlie Rose-like pop culture talking head show on Trio featuring Choire Sicha? Jason Calacanis on CNBC weeknights wrapping up the tech news? Ron Mwangaguhunga doing an edgy Chris Rock-like talk show on that fertile experimental Viacom laboratory, Showtime? We can dream, can't we?
Out: Celebrity Sex videos are so jejune. I mean, we could definitely say something about Cameron and whether or not, in the video, she gets it in "Diaz," but you would forever lose a tenth of respect for my comedic talents, so I'll refrain. According to The Daily News, "Cameron Diaz is calling her lawyers now that a kinky video she made long ago has found its way onto the Internet.
For more than a year, the 'Shrek 2' star, 31, has been fighting to stop the world from seeing photos and video she made over a decade ago when she was a model. But now a Russian-registered Web site (WARNING: ADULT CONTENT!) www.scandal-inc.com is trafficking in an 'S&M' film titled 'She's No Angel: Cameron Diaz.'
"The home page shows a woman who looks like Diaz - topless and in fishnets - joining a brunette in some 'Spartacus'-style role-playing with a grimacing guy in shackles and a loincloth.
"According to www.defamer.com, the trailer for the 30-minute video, which sells for $39.95, shows the actress using a can of Freon or compressed air for a purpose probably not recommended by the manufacturer."
(The Corsair abruptlu declares with heartfelt candor) 'Would that I were a can of Freon!'
Comment here, or on the VH1's Best Week Ever Blog.
In: Vivi Nevo. The Post's Tim Arango mingles with the captains of Industry in Sun Valley, and writes:
"The mysterious international financier Vivi Nevo � who has not yet shown his face here but is expected shortly � is apparently ready to open his checkbook for Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein, The Post has learned.
Nevo, who runs a firm called NV Investments, is a frequent attendee at the annual Allen & Co. confab here and is usually seen bantering with every big-name CEO in attendance.
"But details on his background are scarce; sources will only say that he is a wealthy individual with stakes in many large media companies, including Time Warner.
"Now, a source says, Nevo could become a backer for Weinstein if the Miramax chief, as expected, bolts his employment contract with Disney, which bought Miramax in the 1990s.
"Amid frayed relations with Disney chief Michael Eisner � who has arrived in Sun Valley, but has kept a low profile � Weinstein has been negotiating a possible exit with Disney for months.
"Sources say a preliminary resolution could be reached this week, although a public announcement would likely not come for some time.
"Weinstein is expected to hit the ground (in Sun Valley, Idaho) today."
Intriguing.
Out: A Spy In The House of Mouse! Defamer is reporting that FlyOnTheWall says (The Corsair also is thoroughly confused by the meta-media nature of blog reporting), that embattled Disney CEO Michael Eisner's office was bugged:
"Blogger A Fly On The Wall reports that electronic listening devices ("bugs," in the parlance of espionage) were found in Disney CEO Michael Eisner's office on the company's Burbank lot during a "routine" security check over the July 4th holiday weekend. Just to make sure everything was nice and bug-free (tiny microphones do wreak havoc on an office's decor), some furniture was hauled away, ostensibly to be replaced by furnishings vetted by Disney's anti-spy squad. We've unfairly imagined Eisner as a disturbed paranoid, fortifying his office against bloodthirsty shareholder mobs. But it appears his fears were justified."
In: Would it be arrogant of me to nominate myself as in? Yes? Okay, I'll do it anyway, because it's my party and I'll plug if I want to. I was looking back on my past blog writings, and stumbled upon a series of writings, a la Machiavelli's Prince, to John Kerry, and they are rocking. I mean (The Corsair looks at himself in the mirror and smiles). really good stuff. So, check them out, as they are sure to be added to the standard curricula at good liberal arts colleges:
Prolegomena
Book the First: On Lies and Manliness
Book the Second: Exhortation to seize the UN and Save It From Irrelevance (and, thusly, from Itself)
Book The Third: On The First Lady as The embodiment of Soft Power
Okay, enough plugging.
Time to Dump Cheney?
Originally published February 25th, I've tweaked this up a bit:
It's no secret that Dick Cheney is not a popular man throughout the land (a thousand pardon's to the all powerful Wyoming lobby). Even his daughter may have something to say about the Administration's ban on gay marriage. In fact, many consider him too powerful. But now that John Kerry has chosen the dynamic Senator John Edwards as his running mate, the President may want to consider a stronger ticket. In other words, could Dubya ask Cheney to step down (wink, wink) "for the good of the party"? You know, a (The Corsair makes ironic quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air) "health related" stepping down. Is Bush powerful enough? Here's a little imagined dialogue of possibility:
Cheney: Mr. President?
Dubya: Good to see you, Dickey, hows the old ticker doin'?
Cheney: (Taken aback) Oh, fine, sir; got a clean bill of health, yessiree, Mr. president.
Dubya: Oh, is that so (A Sly smile plays upon the President's lips). Are ya sure you wouldn't want to take some time off, Dick?
Cheney: -- S-Sir?
Dubya: You know, like, oh, the entire second term.
Cheney: (Incredulous) Wh-aat?
Dubya: Well, it's this war thing, Dickie, sorry to say. Nothing personal. Edwards is a professional vivisectionist, a trial lawyer, he'll draw and quarter you in a debate, Dick. I can't run on a National Security platform down south if Kerry starts rallying vets against you for being such a goddamned chicken hawk
Cheney: But, sir, I object, I --
Dubya: No, I know you aren't a goddamned chicken hawk, Dick. Wouldn't have asked you to join the ticket if you were. But politics is about (The President makes ironic quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air)the perception. How else do you think I broke John McCain in South Carolina in 2000?
Cheney: But I was Defense Secretary --
Dubya: Speaking of that. Didn't you administer pop's First Persian Gulf War?
Cheney: (puffs up) Why yes, I did indeed.
Dubya: And who was the general in the field, he had a funny name. Polish or somethin'
Cheney: (nervous) Shwarzkopf, er ... Norman Shwarzkopf.
Dubya: (smiles) Stormin' Norman, I like that. See that, Dickie, we've already got a nickname for him.
Cheney: But, sir --
Dubya: And he's from Florida, isn't he?
Cheney: Uhm, yes, sir --
Dubya: Perfect (reaches for a pretzel). Him or Giuliani would be just the ticket for the ticket. Giuliani at the New York convention would be perfect. McCain is a war hero too, and let's not forget Powell, everybody Loves Powell, he's better than that Ray Romano feller. But if I went with Rudy, I'd campaign in the South, and Giuls would just stay right there in the tri state area of NY, Jersey and Connecticut. (quietly calculating to himself) I'm pretty sure we could wrest Jersey away from the Blue states ...
Cheney: (desperation) But, if I may speak frankly, what about Wyoming, sir. You couldn't have swept that state without me on the ticket.
Dubya: I guess we'll just have to manage Wyoming's whopping three electoral college votes without ya, Dickster. A vacation is a good thing. Sound mind and all that. You know, that Al D'Amato's got sound political instincts.
Cheney: (Crestfallen) yes, sir --
Originally published February 25th, I've tweaked this up a bit:
It's no secret that Dick Cheney is not a popular man throughout the land (a thousand pardon's to the all powerful Wyoming lobby). Even his daughter may have something to say about the Administration's ban on gay marriage. In fact, many consider him too powerful. But now that John Kerry has chosen the dynamic Senator John Edwards as his running mate, the President may want to consider a stronger ticket. In other words, could Dubya ask Cheney to step down (wink, wink) "for the good of the party"? You know, a (The Corsair makes ironic quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air) "health related" stepping down. Is Bush powerful enough? Here's a little imagined dialogue of possibility:
Cheney: Mr. President?
Dubya: Good to see you, Dickey, hows the old ticker doin'?
Cheney: (Taken aback) Oh, fine, sir; got a clean bill of health, yessiree, Mr. president.
Dubya: Oh, is that so (A Sly smile plays upon the President's lips). Are ya sure you wouldn't want to take some time off, Dick?
Cheney: -- S-Sir?
Dubya: You know, like, oh, the entire second term.
Cheney: (Incredulous) Wh-aat?
Dubya: Well, it's this war thing, Dickie, sorry to say. Nothing personal. Edwards is a professional vivisectionist, a trial lawyer, he'll draw and quarter you in a debate, Dick. I can't run on a National Security platform down south if Kerry starts rallying vets against you for being such a goddamned chicken hawk
Cheney: But, sir, I object, I --
Dubya: No, I know you aren't a goddamned chicken hawk, Dick. Wouldn't have asked you to join the ticket if you were. But politics is about (The President makes ironic quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air)the perception. How else do you think I broke John McCain in South Carolina in 2000?
Cheney: But I was Defense Secretary --
Dubya: Speaking of that. Didn't you administer pop's First Persian Gulf War?
Cheney: (puffs up) Why yes, I did indeed.
Dubya: And who was the general in the field, he had a funny name. Polish or somethin'
Cheney: (nervous) Shwarzkopf, er ... Norman Shwarzkopf.
Dubya: (smiles) Stormin' Norman, I like that. See that, Dickie, we've already got a nickname for him.
Cheney: But, sir --
Dubya: And he's from Florida, isn't he?
Cheney: Uhm, yes, sir --
Dubya: Perfect (reaches for a pretzel). Him or Giuliani would be just the ticket for the ticket. Giuliani at the New York convention would be perfect. McCain is a war hero too, and let's not forget Powell, everybody Loves Powell, he's better than that Ray Romano feller. But if I went with Rudy, I'd campaign in the South, and Giuls would just stay right there in the tri state area of NY, Jersey and Connecticut. (quietly calculating to himself) I'm pretty sure we could wrest Jersey away from the Blue states ...
Cheney: (desperation) But, if I may speak frankly, what about Wyoming, sir. You couldn't have swept that state without me on the ticket.
Dubya: I guess we'll just have to manage Wyoming's whopping three electoral college votes without ya, Dickster. A vacation is a good thing. Sound mind and all that. You know, that Al D'Amato's got sound political instincts.
Cheney: (Crestfallen) yes, sir --
NY Times Op Ed Bashes Bill Cosby
The Cos takes a bit of a bitchslapping in the mush mouth from the Op Ed page of The New York Times today. Barbara Ehrenreich writes for vacationing Thomas Friedman:
"It was such a dog-bites-man story that I almost skipped right by: Billionaire Bashes Poor Blacks. The only thing that gave this particular story a little piquancy is that the billionaire doing the bashing is black himself. Bill Cosby has been attacking the poor of his race, and especially the youthful poor, for a range of sins, including using bad words, 'stealing poundcake,' 'giggling' and failing to give their children normal names like 'Bill.' 'The lower-economic people,' Cosby announced, 'are not holding up their end in this deal.'"
Crazy, I can't believe the creator of Wierd Harold actually used the term "the lower-economic people" in the perjorative. Dooood (Averted gaze). Babs continues:
"They let me down, too, sometimes � like that girl at Wendy's who gave me sweet iced tea when I had clearly specified unsweetened. She looked a little tired, but, as Cos might point out: How hard can it be to hold a job, go to high school and care for younger siblings in all your spare moments while your parents are at work?"
Ouch, the beating continues, with studied and beautiful Thai kicks:
"But it's just so 1985 to beat up on the black poor. During the buildup to welfare 'reform' in 1996, the comfortable denizens of think spas like the Heritage Foundation routinely excoriated poor black women for being lazy, promiscuous, government-dependent baby machines, not to mention overweight (that poundcake again). As for poor black youth, they were targeted in the 90's as a generation of 'superpredators,' gang-bangers and thugs.
"It's time to start picking on a more up-to-date pariah group for the 21st century, and I'd like to nominate the elderly whites."
Hear-hear, Barbara Ehrenreich, you're on the right wavelength, girlfriend: I mean, there are lots of elderly whites hogging the Enteman's Pound Cakes, many of whom defend the Saudi Royal Family:
Grover Norquist ... Grover Norquist ... talk about poundcakes ... Norquists got em.
The Cos takes a bit of a bitchslapping in the mush mouth from the Op Ed page of The New York Times today. Barbara Ehrenreich writes for vacationing Thomas Friedman:
"It was such a dog-bites-man story that I almost skipped right by: Billionaire Bashes Poor Blacks. The only thing that gave this particular story a little piquancy is that the billionaire doing the bashing is black himself. Bill Cosby has been attacking the poor of his race, and especially the youthful poor, for a range of sins, including using bad words, 'stealing poundcake,' 'giggling' and failing to give their children normal names like 'Bill.' 'The lower-economic people,' Cosby announced, 'are not holding up their end in this deal.'"
Crazy, I can't believe the creator of Wierd Harold actually used the term "the lower-economic people" in the perjorative. Dooood (Averted gaze). Babs continues:
"They let me down, too, sometimes � like that girl at Wendy's who gave me sweet iced tea when I had clearly specified unsweetened. She looked a little tired, but, as Cos might point out: How hard can it be to hold a job, go to high school and care for younger siblings in all your spare moments while your parents are at work?"
Ouch, the beating continues, with studied and beautiful Thai kicks:
"But it's just so 1985 to beat up on the black poor. During the buildup to welfare 'reform' in 1996, the comfortable denizens of think spas like the Heritage Foundation routinely excoriated poor black women for being lazy, promiscuous, government-dependent baby machines, not to mention overweight (that poundcake again). As for poor black youth, they were targeted in the 90's as a generation of 'superpredators,' gang-bangers and thugs.
"It's time to start picking on a more up-to-date pariah group for the 21st century, and I'd like to nominate the elderly whites."
Hear-hear, Barbara Ehrenreich, you're on the right wavelength, girlfriend: I mean, there are lots of elderly whites hogging the Enteman's Pound Cakes, many of whom defend the Saudi Royal Family:
Grover Norquist ... Grover Norquist ... talk about poundcakes ... Norquists got em.
My Story: The Chuck Norris Story
America's favorite Republican karate champion Chuck Norris' new biography is on the verge of being published. According to the National Enquirer, Norris scribblings get into his less-than-ideal backstory:
"'I want (my children) to see the struggles. I want them to understand that it hasn't been an easy road, but that anyone can achieve success in their lives if they keep their focus on their goals, work hard and never lose your faith in yourself or in God.'
"Chuck's profits from the new book will be donated to KICKSTART, an organization he founded to use the martial arts to build character in children in the schools.
"In his book Chuck tells how Carlos Ray Norris -- Chuck is a nickname -- was born dirt poor in Ryan, Okla. The book describes his father as an alcoholic, and chronicles his mother's struggles with menial jobs to raise her children."
That's kind of like our personal hero, Danny Laruso, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and whose mother, Lucielle, did a little waitressing here and there so her son could attend a school where he regularly got the crap kicked out of him by the rich, arrogant Republican Cobra-Kai's (who, incidentally had the coolest terror-inducing skeleton outfits for Halloween).
"In fact, Chuck's very birth was a miracle -- he was born a 'blue baby' and had to be placed on oxygen from birth.
"After high school Norris joined the Air Force and was stationed in Korea, where he discovered karate. The grueling five-hour daily practice sessions taught him to stick it out, no matter how hard the task."
Yeah, that's kind of like Daniel-san, who "discovered" karate from a wise old Mr. Miyage (played adventurously by the late, great Pat Morita, of Happy Days fame) after Daniel-San sets up a water hose in Aryan Cobra-Kai leader Johnny's bathroom stall, totally fucking up his righteous "joint," (the concentration that kid put into it was commendable) precipitating in another major ass whipping, in a lonely abandoned field. Miyage intervenes at the last moment, saving Daniel-San from a sign splitting kick from Johnny, and, in the end, teaching him some special Okinawa-style karate. In the second movie Peter Cetera sings 'Glory of Love,' which is the beginning of the end of the 80s.
"Discharged from the Air Force and with a wife and child to support, Chuck opened a karate school in Torrance, Calif. He entered a karate tournament, hoping to win and pick up more students for his school -- but he lost!"
This is like the charismatic Mr. Kreese, dojo leader of the Cobra-Kai's, with that very 80s cleft in his chin ("We do not train to be merciful here, mercy is for the weak. A man confronts you in the street he is your enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.").
"'Instead of giving up, though, I began to struggle, to train harder and to pray a lot,' he recalled. 'I learned that the only time you lose is when you don't learn from your failures.'"
Chuck is so Republican, with that admirable formula of struggle-to-succeed, it's a very Cobra-Kai philosophy, witness Mr. Kreese ("Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?/ No, Sensei/ Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? /No, Sensei./ Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? /No, Sensei.")
"Chuck went on to become a six-time world karate champion. Then one day movie star Steve McQueen, who had brought his son Chad to Norris for karate lessons, suggested that Chuck try acting.
"'I thought he had to be kidding. I was 34 years old, with absolutely no acting experience. I started going to acting school. Here I was, starting from Ground Zero! But I was determined -- believe in what you want to do, and nothing can stop you.'"
Determination. That's the kind of determination Mr. Miyage showed when some inbred hilbillies placed their beers on his truck after Daniel-San had had that scenic karate in the sunset on the boat moment. ("Excuse me, please. Boy cold. Must leave. Kindly remove bottles. / Drunk: Kindry do it yourself, Mr. Moto./ Miyage sweeps the tops off the beer bottles with a single elegant thrust")
"Chuck's first movie 'Good Guys Wear Black' launched a career spanning 23 motion pictures and a hit television series.
"Now he's planning to film a new two-hour 'Walker, Texas Ranger' show soon in Dallas."
"Said Chuck: 'God never told me to retire.'"
Retiring reminds me of when Bobby is about to face Daniel in the semifinals ("Kreese: Bobby. I want him out of commission / Bobby: But Sensei I can beat this guy. /Kreese: I don't want him beaten. /Bobby: But I'll be disqualified. Kreese: Out of commission.")
Anyway, thanks for standing by me on this 80s flashback, check out Chuck's book.
America's favorite Republican karate champion Chuck Norris' new biography is on the verge of being published. According to the National Enquirer, Norris scribblings get into his less-than-ideal backstory:
"'I want (my children) to see the struggles. I want them to understand that it hasn't been an easy road, but that anyone can achieve success in their lives if they keep their focus on their goals, work hard and never lose your faith in yourself or in God.'
"Chuck's profits from the new book will be donated to KICKSTART, an organization he founded to use the martial arts to build character in children in the schools.
"In his book Chuck tells how Carlos Ray Norris -- Chuck is a nickname -- was born dirt poor in Ryan, Okla. The book describes his father as an alcoholic, and chronicles his mother's struggles with menial jobs to raise her children."
That's kind of like our personal hero, Danny Laruso, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and whose mother, Lucielle, did a little waitressing here and there so her son could attend a school where he regularly got the crap kicked out of him by the rich, arrogant Republican Cobra-Kai's (who, incidentally had the coolest terror-inducing skeleton outfits for Halloween).
"In fact, Chuck's very birth was a miracle -- he was born a 'blue baby' and had to be placed on oxygen from birth.
"After high school Norris joined the Air Force and was stationed in Korea, where he discovered karate. The grueling five-hour daily practice sessions taught him to stick it out, no matter how hard the task."
Yeah, that's kind of like Daniel-san, who "discovered" karate from a wise old Mr. Miyage (played adventurously by the late, great Pat Morita, of Happy Days fame) after Daniel-San sets up a water hose in Aryan Cobra-Kai leader Johnny's bathroom stall, totally fucking up his righteous "joint," (the concentration that kid put into it was commendable) precipitating in another major ass whipping, in a lonely abandoned field. Miyage intervenes at the last moment, saving Daniel-San from a sign splitting kick from Johnny, and, in the end, teaching him some special Okinawa-style karate. In the second movie Peter Cetera sings 'Glory of Love,' which is the beginning of the end of the 80s.
"Discharged from the Air Force and with a wife and child to support, Chuck opened a karate school in Torrance, Calif. He entered a karate tournament, hoping to win and pick up more students for his school -- but he lost!"
This is like the charismatic Mr. Kreese, dojo leader of the Cobra-Kai's, with that very 80s cleft in his chin ("We do not train to be merciful here, mercy is for the weak. A man confronts you in the street he is your enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.").
"'Instead of giving up, though, I began to struggle, to train harder and to pray a lot,' he recalled. 'I learned that the only time you lose is when you don't learn from your failures.'"
Chuck is so Republican, with that admirable formula of struggle-to-succeed, it's a very Cobra-Kai philosophy, witness Mr. Kreese ("Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?/ No, Sensei/ Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? /No, Sensei./ Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? /No, Sensei.")
"Chuck went on to become a six-time world karate champion. Then one day movie star Steve McQueen, who had brought his son Chad to Norris for karate lessons, suggested that Chuck try acting.
"'I thought he had to be kidding. I was 34 years old, with absolutely no acting experience. I started going to acting school. Here I was, starting from Ground Zero! But I was determined -- believe in what you want to do, and nothing can stop you.'"
Determination. That's the kind of determination Mr. Miyage showed when some inbred hilbillies placed their beers on his truck after Daniel-San had had that scenic karate in the sunset on the boat moment. ("Excuse me, please. Boy cold. Must leave. Kindly remove bottles. / Drunk: Kindry do it yourself, Mr. Moto./ Miyage sweeps the tops off the beer bottles with a single elegant thrust")
"Chuck's first movie 'Good Guys Wear Black' launched a career spanning 23 motion pictures and a hit television series.
"Now he's planning to film a new two-hour 'Walker, Texas Ranger' show soon in Dallas."
"Said Chuck: 'God never told me to retire.'"
Retiring reminds me of when Bobby is about to face Daniel in the semifinals ("Kreese: Bobby. I want him out of commission / Bobby: But Sensei I can beat this guy. /Kreese: I don't want him beaten. /Bobby: But I'll be disqualified. Kreese: Out of commission.")
Anyway, thanks for standing by me on this 80s flashback, check out Chuck's book.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Will Kerry-Edwards Spurn Public Funding?
Klaus Marre of The Hill writes an fascinating article today about the internal debate within the Kerry campaign as to whether or not they should even opt to go the public funding route, rife, as it is, with pitfalls and handicaps, especially when up against a well funded and corporate friendly incumbent:
"Some Democratic strategists and fundraisers say Sen. John Kerry should seriously consider opting out of public funding in his bid to defeat President Bush this fall.
"They maintain that Kerry's record fundraising efforts in the Democratic presidential primary show that the senator can reap more money through private contributions than through what the government would provide the campaign."
Add into the mix the fact that John Edwards, a shot of adrenaline to the moribund campaign, the favorite of the urban elites, is also a heavy duty fund raiser with trial lawyers and Hollywood types.
"Until now, it has been assumed that both Kerry and Bush would take the $75 million in public funds after they accept their respective nominations. But this places Kerry, who will be nominated five weeks prior to President Bush, at a significant disadvantage. He has to stretch his money for 14 weeks, an average of about $5 million per week, compared to Bush, who has nine weeks, an average of more than $8 million, to spend his public money."
A brilliant point. Considering the placement of the nomination acceptances, it is bad strategy to remain on "equal" footing with the Republicans; it's not their fault if they take advantage by running negative ads in high end markets that the Dems couldn't afford to counter -- it's just politics. And, remember, the sitting Vice President, Al Gore ran out of money against his challenger, GW Bush, leaving his spread eagle against attack ads at the end of 2000.
"This and Kerry's aggressive fundraising operation is leading some of his most prolific fundraisers and Democratic strategists to suggest that Kerry should take the historic step of forgoing public funds and keep raising money all the way to the Nov. 2 election.
"Since effectively clinching the Democratic nomination, Kerry has raised more than $30 million per month and a total of more than $180 million. That would easily put him on pace to raise more than $75 million until the election, especially because those Democratic donors who have given the maximum of $2,000 for his primary could contribute the same amount again. He has also raised an average of more than $10 million a month online, meaning it will take less administrative effort to bring
in these donations.
"In addition, Kerry would be allowed to transfer any remaining funds from the primary into his general-election campaign war chest. His last Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing showed that he had $27.7 million cash on hand while he was spending and raising money at about the same rate. Kerry would be precluded from transferring money to or raising it for his general-election campaign if he accepted public funds, but he could transfer it to the Democratic National Committee (DNC)."
We have to realize, though, before we get lost midway through life's journey in the thicket of money lust, that this type of calculation and, for Democrats, salivation, over the prospect of campaign funding and cold hard cheddar -- soft and hard -- is a very, very sad development. The Democrats have gone from being an electorate demanding campaign finance reform to one obsessed with behaving exactly like their enemies, the Republicans. This only proves what social scientists like to call The Iron law of Emulation, "Organizations in conflict tend to emulate one another." (For further reference, compare and contrast the FBI's Cointelpro counter intelligence program to silence internal political dissidents, at the height of the Cold War competition, in the 1960s, with the KGB, who were, to be sure, more openly hostile, but still, strikingly similar). But how did we get off on that particular tangent?
"Should Kerry decide to opt out, eclipsing $75 million should not be a problem, according to some of his 'Vice Chairs,' individuals who raised more than $100,000 for the campaign.
"Vice Chair and lobbyist Manuel Ortiz said Kerry's camp should 'take a really hard look at [opting out].' He said Kerry's decision to opt out of public funding for the primary was one of the best the campaign has made.
"At a time when he was running far behind former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Kerry decided to forgo matching funds in order not to be tied to a $45 million primary spending limit. Had he not opted out, Kerry would be lagging $170 million behind Bush in primary funds."
True, this was probably the bold decision which factored seriously into Iowa voters calculation of a Kerry vote after Gephardt and Dean imploded; punching each other out.
"Ortiz said he would support Kerry's opting out, especially because donors who have maxed out in the primary would be allowed to give money again.
"Asked about the possibility of keeping up the fundraising pace if Kerry opts out, John Coale, a Vice Chair and Washington, D.C., attorney, said: 'If he wants us to do it, we'll do it,' adding that it is just a matter of 'getting the list of $2,000 donors and getting on the phone again.'"
Can anyone say: Hollywood? Can anyone say Arianna Huffington fundraiser? Can anyone say Susan and Alan Patricof? Barbara Streisand? John Bon Jovi? P Diddy and Russell Simmons? Oh, it's on like Gray Poupon!
"Vice Chair Robert Clifford, an Illinois lawyer, said the Kerry campaign should consider all options but pointed out that not accepting taxpayer funds would 'siphon money' from other Democratic candidates and the DNC. 'Hard dollars are hard to come by,' he said, and a decision to opt out could have a 'downward impact' on the ticket. 'We might be putting too many eggs in one basket,' Clifford said."
Prudent.
"Tony Coelho, former campaign chairman for Vice President Al Gore, said that there are 'legitimate reasons' not to take public funds and that Kerry would eclipse $75 million if he continued raising funds, but added that there could be a 'big negative' politically as 'pro-[Ralph] Nader people would seize on it.'"
Eminently logical and valid. This would be a Christmas present to that fucker, Ralph Nader -- a validation that there is no difference between the two parties ... hey, maybe ... he ... has ... a point?
"Nader has said that the two major parties are too similar and beholden to corporate interests. Opting out and taking millions of additional campaign contributions, even if a lot of the money would come from small online donors, could fuel those type of attacks.
"Coelho said Nader's criticisms on this issue could especially come into play in states such as New Hampshire and Florida, where Nader collected more votes in 2000 than Bush's margin of victory over Gore."
Motherfuck!
"Others said that if Kerry would opt out, so could Bush and his massive fundraising machine. A Democratic official said, 'People forget that every action has an equal or more powerful reaction. Basic high-school chemistry. If Kerry opted out, why wouldn't Bush?'"
Okay, I was with you there along for the ride, Tony, until you fucked up and had to pretend that you knew science as well as politics on 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,' which is decidedly not chemistry, O Master of the Universe, but physics, specifically, Newton's Third Law of Motion. But I get the point.
"Coelho said the Kerry campaign, prior to making its decision on whether to opt out, should put pressure on Bush to find out if he plans to forgo public funding. The Bush campaign has said it would accept public funding."
A fine idea. You won me back, Tony.
"In May, the Kerry campaign hinted that he might delay the date on which he would accept the Democratic nomination in order to keep raising money. He backed away from that plan quickly. At the time, the campaign said it was looking into other options to make up for having to stretch its general-election funds for an additional five weeks.
"Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to President Clinton and now a partner with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, also said that Kerry should consider all options but needs 'a public commitment' from Bush regarding the president's intentions or otherwise should be 'very skeptical.'
"Scott Stanzel, a Bush-Cheney campaign spokesman, said a public pledge is not needed because the campaign has maintained all along that it will accept public funding and 'nothing has changed.'"
Now this is interesting. So, the President will have $75 million after he accepts the nod, leaving Kerry the option to forgo the funding and become a Republican on campaign finance, or, should he accept the same deal, be handicapped.
"The Kerry campaign declined to comment for this article."
I'm sure that's because they are bewildered by the prospects before them.
The game's afoot.
Klaus Marre of The Hill writes an fascinating article today about the internal debate within the Kerry campaign as to whether or not they should even opt to go the public funding route, rife, as it is, with pitfalls and handicaps, especially when up against a well funded and corporate friendly incumbent:
"Some Democratic strategists and fundraisers say Sen. John Kerry should seriously consider opting out of public funding in his bid to defeat President Bush this fall.
"They maintain that Kerry's record fundraising efforts in the Democratic presidential primary show that the senator can reap more money through private contributions than through what the government would provide the campaign."
Add into the mix the fact that John Edwards, a shot of adrenaline to the moribund campaign, the favorite of the urban elites, is also a heavy duty fund raiser with trial lawyers and Hollywood types.
"Until now, it has been assumed that both Kerry and Bush would take the $75 million in public funds after they accept their respective nominations. But this places Kerry, who will be nominated five weeks prior to President Bush, at a significant disadvantage. He has to stretch his money for 14 weeks, an average of about $5 million per week, compared to Bush, who has nine weeks, an average of more than $8 million, to spend his public money."
A brilliant point. Considering the placement of the nomination acceptances, it is bad strategy to remain on "equal" footing with the Republicans; it's not their fault if they take advantage by running negative ads in high end markets that the Dems couldn't afford to counter -- it's just politics. And, remember, the sitting Vice President, Al Gore ran out of money against his challenger, GW Bush, leaving his spread eagle against attack ads at the end of 2000.
"This and Kerry's aggressive fundraising operation is leading some of his most prolific fundraisers and Democratic strategists to suggest that Kerry should take the historic step of forgoing public funds and keep raising money all the way to the Nov. 2 election.
"Since effectively clinching the Democratic nomination, Kerry has raised more than $30 million per month and a total of more than $180 million. That would easily put him on pace to raise more than $75 million until the election, especially because those Democratic donors who have given the maximum of $2,000 for his primary could contribute the same amount again. He has also raised an average of more than $10 million a month online, meaning it will take less administrative effort to bring
in these donations.
"In addition, Kerry would be allowed to transfer any remaining funds from the primary into his general-election campaign war chest. His last Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing showed that he had $27.7 million cash on hand while he was spending and raising money at about the same rate. Kerry would be precluded from transferring money to or raising it for his general-election campaign if he accepted public funds, but he could transfer it to the Democratic National Committee (DNC)."
We have to realize, though, before we get lost midway through life's journey in the thicket of money lust, that this type of calculation and, for Democrats, salivation, over the prospect of campaign funding and cold hard cheddar -- soft and hard -- is a very, very sad development. The Democrats have gone from being an electorate demanding campaign finance reform to one obsessed with behaving exactly like their enemies, the Republicans. This only proves what social scientists like to call The Iron law of Emulation, "Organizations in conflict tend to emulate one another." (For further reference, compare and contrast the FBI's Cointelpro counter intelligence program to silence internal political dissidents, at the height of the Cold War competition, in the 1960s, with the KGB, who were, to be sure, more openly hostile, but still, strikingly similar). But how did we get off on that particular tangent?
"Should Kerry decide to opt out, eclipsing $75 million should not be a problem, according to some of his 'Vice Chairs,' individuals who raised more than $100,000 for the campaign.
"Vice Chair and lobbyist Manuel Ortiz said Kerry's camp should 'take a really hard look at [opting out].' He said Kerry's decision to opt out of public funding for the primary was one of the best the campaign has made.
"At a time when he was running far behind former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Kerry decided to forgo matching funds in order not to be tied to a $45 million primary spending limit. Had he not opted out, Kerry would be lagging $170 million behind Bush in primary funds."
True, this was probably the bold decision which factored seriously into Iowa voters calculation of a Kerry vote after Gephardt and Dean imploded; punching each other out.
"Ortiz said he would support Kerry's opting out, especially because donors who have maxed out in the primary would be allowed to give money again.
"Asked about the possibility of keeping up the fundraising pace if Kerry opts out, John Coale, a Vice Chair and Washington, D.C., attorney, said: 'If he wants us to do it, we'll do it,' adding that it is just a matter of 'getting the list of $2,000 donors and getting on the phone again.'"
Can anyone say: Hollywood? Can anyone say Arianna Huffington fundraiser? Can anyone say Susan and Alan Patricof? Barbara Streisand? John Bon Jovi? P Diddy and Russell Simmons? Oh, it's on like Gray Poupon!
"Vice Chair Robert Clifford, an Illinois lawyer, said the Kerry campaign should consider all options but pointed out that not accepting taxpayer funds would 'siphon money' from other Democratic candidates and the DNC. 'Hard dollars are hard to come by,' he said, and a decision to opt out could have a 'downward impact' on the ticket. 'We might be putting too many eggs in one basket,' Clifford said."
Prudent.
"Tony Coelho, former campaign chairman for Vice President Al Gore, said that there are 'legitimate reasons' not to take public funds and that Kerry would eclipse $75 million if he continued raising funds, but added that there could be a 'big negative' politically as 'pro-[Ralph] Nader people would seize on it.'"
Eminently logical and valid. This would be a Christmas present to that fucker, Ralph Nader -- a validation that there is no difference between the two parties ... hey, maybe ... he ... has ... a point?
"Nader has said that the two major parties are too similar and beholden to corporate interests. Opting out and taking millions of additional campaign contributions, even if a lot of the money would come from small online donors, could fuel those type of attacks.
"Coelho said Nader's criticisms on this issue could especially come into play in states such as New Hampshire and Florida, where Nader collected more votes in 2000 than Bush's margin of victory over Gore."
Motherfuck!
"Others said that if Kerry would opt out, so could Bush and his massive fundraising machine. A Democratic official said, 'People forget that every action has an equal or more powerful reaction. Basic high-school chemistry. If Kerry opted out, why wouldn't Bush?'"
Okay, I was with you there along for the ride, Tony, until you fucked up and had to pretend that you knew science as well as politics on 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,' which is decidedly not chemistry, O Master of the Universe, but physics, specifically, Newton's Third Law of Motion. But I get the point.
"Coelho said the Kerry campaign, prior to making its decision on whether to opt out, should put pressure on Bush to find out if he plans to forgo public funding. The Bush campaign has said it would accept public funding."
A fine idea. You won me back, Tony.
"In May, the Kerry campaign hinted that he might delay the date on which he would accept the Democratic nomination in order to keep raising money. He backed away from that plan quickly. At the time, the campaign said it was looking into other options to make up for having to stretch its general-election funds for an additional five weeks.
"Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to President Clinton and now a partner with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, also said that Kerry should consider all options but needs 'a public commitment' from Bush regarding the president's intentions or otherwise should be 'very skeptical.'
"Scott Stanzel, a Bush-Cheney campaign spokesman, said a public pledge is not needed because the campaign has maintained all along that it will accept public funding and 'nothing has changed.'"
Now this is interesting. So, the President will have $75 million after he accepts the nod, leaving Kerry the option to forgo the funding and become a Republican on campaign finance, or, should he accept the same deal, be handicapped.
"The Kerry campaign declined to comment for this article."
I'm sure that's because they are bewildered by the prospects before them.
The game's afoot.
A Little of the Old In and Out
In: Hugh Grant, manwhore, slab of beef, that lucky fucking dog; He who we once thought of as an ass -- Hughdie dodged the Elizabeth Hurley bullet, managed to parlay his little "hooker episode" into a career as the suave bad guy, as opposed to the boring Merchant-Ivory wag whom uncultivated Midwestern housewives pine after; and now, mirabile dictu, Grant is moving in on to the ever-elusive fiscal security with jet set heiress Jemima Goldsmith as his "sugarmommy", easily one of the best looking women in the world -- total eye candy. Make us proud, Hugh, at least, according to British Vogue:
"NEWLY-SINGLE Jemima Goldsmith and eternal bachelor Hugh Grant were again spotted at the same event last night, adding fuel to the rumours currently doing the rounds that the pair may be about to become an item. They arrived separately at David Frost's annual garden party, a regular feature of the summer social scene, at which other glamorous attendees included Elle Macpherson and Sienna Miller. Pictured for the first time since her divorce from Imran Khan became public, Jemima looked ice cool and elegant in white lace. Grant was less so as he was pictured rushing in, his face set into something of a grimace. The stunning heiress was first linked to the actor after they were spotted enjoying a night on the tiles at London club Annabel's (named after Jemima's mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith), last month, shortly before Jemima's divorce was announced. Grant has been linked with a string of glamorous women since his split from long-term love Elizabeth Hurley, but remains resolutely single. As Jemima is now back on the singles market herself, perhaps we should watch this space."
Perhaps.
Out: Dan Rather. Why is this thus? What is the purpose of this thusness? Why is Dan Rather a network news anchor? According to Drudge:
"JENNINGS FIGHTS BACK, BEATS BROKAW: ABC 'WORLD NEWS' TOPS NBC 'NIGHTLY' FOR WEEK ENDING JULY 2, ALL 3 ANCHORS REPORTED FROM IRAQ ...
"JENNINGS 8,630,000 VIEWERS"
"BROKAW 8,290,000"
"DAN RATHER 6,720,000"
What's the frequency? I'll tell you what the frequency is, true believer: nearly two million less viewers, that's what; Dan Rather isn't even really competitive.
In: Demi Moore. According to Jeanette Walls' Scoop:
"'(Regarding) Fahrenheit 9/11' ... one celeb has already weighed in with an unofficial rave. A source was sitting behind Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher at the Hollywood premiere and says that Moore was 'really, really vocal' throughout the Bush-bashing documentary."
The Corsair could make a crass but sly remark, scoring cheap points with regards to Moore being "vocal," but he will refrain, withholding satisfaction, lying in wait for the big payoff:
"'She was hollering and cheering at the screen and yelling things at Bush,' says the source. 'And she was pumping the air with her fist and saying things like, That was really harsh and That was really crucial. '"
What a coincidence, says The Corsair, slowly removing his red velvet gloves, pouring himself a glass of aged champagne, a reptilian-predatory look about his eyes. What a coincidence indeed, why (The Corsair smiles, wanly), when I first saw the E! True Hollywood Story, the Demi Moore edition, I, too (Averted gaze), pumped my fists in the air, yelling, 'That Was Really Harsh," when Demi dumped her husband Freddy Moore, because he was not famous enough for her liking.
And, what's more, I, too, spoke to my tv screen, saying 'That was really crucial,' when Demi's trailer park mom began selling secrets of her past to the highest tabloid bidder (The Corsair softly chuckles, followed by a small closing cough of feigned detachment)
Out: Oh, sweet Jesus, nononono (hits his screen) no -- this is just fucking disgusting; Rush and Molloy have entirely wrecked my appetite for lunch:
"Macy Gray performed in nothing but a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes Monday night for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in London. Mercifully, for those of us who never really wanted to see her naked, Gray kept her privates concealed behind a chair."
The Corsair shivers uncontrollably at the thought of Macy Gray's "privates"
Dreadful, simply ghastly, really: Someone call the EPA Administrator, because this is naught else but pure pollution.
In: Jessica Alba. I have a (The Corsair makes quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air) "love jones" after Jessica Alba. Such a little hottie. If I had an interview with her -- which is technically impossible, unless Little Miss Jessica rescinds this little restraining order -- it would go something like this:
The Corsair: Jessica, may I call you Jessica?
Alba: Yes ..
The Corsair: (Shivers)
Alba: So, what do you want to know?
The Corsair: Do you have any black in you? You have a sexy, dark look.
Alba: No.
The Corsair: (suggestively) Do you want some black in you?
Two burly members of Alba's entourage attack The Corsair.
Out: Et tu, Coco, et tu. The craziest story I've heard in a while, about former waif Irene Cara, former star of Fame and DC Cab, and former "girlfriend" (wink of wink)of Warren Beatty:
"Twenty-four years ago, starring in the movie 'Fame,' Irene Cara promised us that she would live forever.
"Now she may be trying to fulfill that dream. A recent dispute over the correct birth date for the 40-to-45-year-old Cara is just the latest example of an age-old debate in the parallel universe called celebrity.
"It seems the famous are as scared as always of getting old. And publicists, eager to please their clients, are still fibbing to keep their starlets young.
"Cara, whose real name is Irene Escalera, says she was born March 18, 1964. But several media outlets, including The Associated Press, have her birth date as March 18, 1959.
"Cara's publicist, Bernie Roswig, recently called The AP requesting a correction on the year to 1964. But voter registration records from Florida, where she lives, have her birth year as 1959.
"'There is no one more sensitive about their age than Irene,' said Roswig. 'But she is adamant she was born in 1964. I can't explain the voting record, and there's no way she wants to talk about it.'"
crazy. How disturbing was that scene when the pornographer said to the whimpering Coco, 'Et tu.'
In: And I've been terrible about spreading the love to these two sites I read daily and love -- probably more than I love Jessica Alba, but that forbidden love is rife with all sorts of perversions that ... I'd really rather not get into here: Old Hag and Miu Von Furstenberg. I couldn't get through the day without you.
In: Hugh Grant, manwhore, slab of beef, that lucky fucking dog; He who we once thought of as an ass -- Hughdie dodged the Elizabeth Hurley bullet, managed to parlay his little "hooker episode" into a career as the suave bad guy, as opposed to the boring Merchant-Ivory wag whom uncultivated Midwestern housewives pine after; and now, mirabile dictu, Grant is moving in on to the ever-elusive fiscal security with jet set heiress Jemima Goldsmith as his "sugarmommy", easily one of the best looking women in the world -- total eye candy. Make us proud, Hugh, at least, according to British Vogue:
"NEWLY-SINGLE Jemima Goldsmith and eternal bachelor Hugh Grant were again spotted at the same event last night, adding fuel to the rumours currently doing the rounds that the pair may be about to become an item. They arrived separately at David Frost's annual garden party, a regular feature of the summer social scene, at which other glamorous attendees included Elle Macpherson and Sienna Miller. Pictured for the first time since her divorce from Imran Khan became public, Jemima looked ice cool and elegant in white lace. Grant was less so as he was pictured rushing in, his face set into something of a grimace. The stunning heiress was first linked to the actor after they were spotted enjoying a night on the tiles at London club Annabel's (named after Jemima's mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith), last month, shortly before Jemima's divorce was announced. Grant has been linked with a string of glamorous women since his split from long-term love Elizabeth Hurley, but remains resolutely single. As Jemima is now back on the singles market herself, perhaps we should watch this space."
Perhaps.
Out: Dan Rather. Why is this thus? What is the purpose of this thusness? Why is Dan Rather a network news anchor? According to Drudge:
"JENNINGS FIGHTS BACK, BEATS BROKAW: ABC 'WORLD NEWS' TOPS NBC 'NIGHTLY' FOR WEEK ENDING JULY 2, ALL 3 ANCHORS REPORTED FROM IRAQ ...
"JENNINGS 8,630,000 VIEWERS"
"BROKAW 8,290,000"
"DAN RATHER 6,720,000"
What's the frequency? I'll tell you what the frequency is, true believer: nearly two million less viewers, that's what; Dan Rather isn't even really competitive.
In: Demi Moore. According to Jeanette Walls' Scoop:
"'(Regarding) Fahrenheit 9/11' ... one celeb has already weighed in with an unofficial rave. A source was sitting behind Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher at the Hollywood premiere and says that Moore was 'really, really vocal' throughout the Bush-bashing documentary."
The Corsair could make a crass but sly remark, scoring cheap points with regards to Moore being "vocal," but he will refrain, withholding satisfaction, lying in wait for the big payoff:
"'She was hollering and cheering at the screen and yelling things at Bush,' says the source. 'And she was pumping the air with her fist and saying things like, That was really harsh and That was really crucial. '"
What a coincidence, says The Corsair, slowly removing his red velvet gloves, pouring himself a glass of aged champagne, a reptilian-predatory look about his eyes. What a coincidence indeed, why (The Corsair smiles, wanly), when I first saw the E! True Hollywood Story, the Demi Moore edition, I, too (Averted gaze), pumped my fists in the air, yelling, 'That Was Really Harsh," when Demi dumped her husband Freddy Moore, because he was not famous enough for her liking.
And, what's more, I, too, spoke to my tv screen, saying 'That was really crucial,' when Demi's trailer park mom began selling secrets of her past to the highest tabloid bidder (The Corsair softly chuckles, followed by a small closing cough of feigned detachment)
Out: Oh, sweet Jesus, nononono (hits his screen) no -- this is just fucking disgusting; Rush and Molloy have entirely wrecked my appetite for lunch:
"Macy Gray performed in nothing but a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes Monday night for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in London. Mercifully, for those of us who never really wanted to see her naked, Gray kept her privates concealed behind a chair."
The Corsair shivers uncontrollably at the thought of Macy Gray's "privates"
Dreadful, simply ghastly, really: Someone call the EPA Administrator, because this is naught else but pure pollution.
In: Jessica Alba. I have a (The Corsair makes quotation marks with his fingers out of thin air) "love jones" after Jessica Alba. Such a little hottie. If I had an interview with her -- which is technically impossible, unless Little Miss Jessica rescinds this little restraining order -- it would go something like this:
The Corsair: Jessica, may I call you Jessica?
Alba: Yes ..
The Corsair: (Shivers)
Alba: So, what do you want to know?
The Corsair: Do you have any black in you? You have a sexy, dark look.
Alba: No.
The Corsair: (suggestively) Do you want some black in you?
Two burly members of Alba's entourage attack The Corsair.
Out: Et tu, Coco, et tu. The craziest story I've heard in a while, about former waif Irene Cara, former star of Fame and DC Cab, and former "girlfriend" (wink of wink)of Warren Beatty:
"Twenty-four years ago, starring in the movie 'Fame,' Irene Cara promised us that she would live forever.
"Now she may be trying to fulfill that dream. A recent dispute over the correct birth date for the 40-to-45-year-old Cara is just the latest example of an age-old debate in the parallel universe called celebrity.
"It seems the famous are as scared as always of getting old. And publicists, eager to please their clients, are still fibbing to keep their starlets young.
"Cara, whose real name is Irene Escalera, says she was born March 18, 1964. But several media outlets, including The Associated Press, have her birth date as March 18, 1959.
"Cara's publicist, Bernie Roswig, recently called The AP requesting a correction on the year to 1964. But voter registration records from Florida, where she lives, have her birth year as 1959.
"'There is no one more sensitive about their age than Irene,' said Roswig. 'But she is adamant she was born in 1964. I can't explain the voting record, and there's no way she wants to talk about it.'"
crazy. How disturbing was that scene when the pornographer said to the whimpering Coco, 'Et tu.'
In: And I've been terrible about spreading the love to these two sites I read daily and love -- probably more than I love Jessica Alba, but that forbidden love is rife with all sorts of perversions that ... I'd really rather not get into here: Old Hag and Miu Von Furstenberg. I couldn't get through the day without you.
Michael Douglas' Brother Found Dead
Sure, Catherine Zeta Jones' endlessly flowing rubies and emeralds make a swell story, and Michael Douglas' battle with sex addiction has been well chronicled, but there is a darker side to being one of the lesser luminaries of the Douglas clan, as Hello! Magazine tells us, sadly:
"One of America's most celebrated showbiz dynasties is in mourning after Eric Douglas was found dead in New York. The body of Kirk Douglas' youngest son was discovered in a Manhattan apartment after an unidentified individual flagged down a passing police car.
"The cause of death remains unknown, but 46-year-old Eric had a long history of substance abuse and police at the scene said they believed drugs were involved. Over the years the stand-up comedian had repeated clashes with the law and spent time in rehabilitation clinics."
May he finally find the rest he searched for in this life.
Sure, Catherine Zeta Jones' endlessly flowing rubies and emeralds make a swell story, and Michael Douglas' battle with sex addiction has been well chronicled, but there is a darker side to being one of the lesser luminaries of the Douglas clan, as Hello! Magazine tells us, sadly:
"One of America's most celebrated showbiz dynasties is in mourning after Eric Douglas was found dead in New York. The body of Kirk Douglas' youngest son was discovered in a Manhattan apartment after an unidentified individual flagged down a passing police car.
"The cause of death remains unknown, but 46-year-old Eric had a long history of substance abuse and police at the scene said they believed drugs were involved. Over the years the stand-up comedian had repeated clashes with the law and spent time in rehabilitation clinics."
May he finally find the rest he searched for in this life.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
The NY Tabloid Gossip Wars
Brandusa Niro's Fashionweekdaily has been aggressively covering what may rightly be called "The Gossip Wars," as they increasingly involve many of the major media players as well as stars like Howard Stern and nonentities like Douglas Dechert and New York Press editor-in-sleep, Jeff Koyen. Today, The Daily Spy's war reporting notes:
"New York magazine scribe Vanessa Grigoriadis is making progress on her chronicle of the Ian Spiegelman saga, which has evolved into a story about New York's gossip wars, specifically the NY Post vs. the NY Daily News."
This War, by the way, which makes the World War I look puny in comparison, has, at various times, snagged such media luminaries as Abigail Vona, Billy Bush of Access Hollywood (2nd item, link via Gawker), Vanity Fair's Frank DiGiacomo (3rd item), Howard Stern and Beth Ostrowsky, AJ Benza, and, of course, Page Six and Lloyd Grove.
Like World War I, it was caused, in large part, by arms escalation as well as a breaking of Bismarkian-like treaties. The competition between the Daily News gossip columnist (from back in the day) and Page Six is a New York tradition (remember Mitchell Fink?). Usually the feud ends with the Sixers being magnanimous. When Lloyd Grove got Ian Spiegelman fired, though, things escalated. And now Girgoriades, DiGiacomo, et al are being called in:
"Grigoriadis, who is being assisted in her duties by New Yorks loose cannon/Intelligencer helper Jacob Bernstein, has had in-depth talks with the major players both in the Spiegelman set-to and the New York gossip world in general. Though cooperation has been forthcoming, the subjects should beware: New York magazine editor Adam Moss is no fan of gossip and has all but eradicated it from his own publication, so he may have little compunction about making everyone involved look like sleazy dirt merchants. In any case, New York will scoop Vanity Fairs Frank DiGiacomo, who has been working on a gossip piece of his own. We hear Spiegelmans newfound free-time has improved his work habits; hes said to have lined up a gig with music mag Blender and is also making headway on the manuscript of his second book, which has a bit of a roman a clef element, were told, including scenes set at his former workplace."
To borrow from the guy in the hockey mask from Mad Max, "... just walk away ..."
Brandusa Niro's Fashionweekdaily has been aggressively covering what may rightly be called "The Gossip Wars," as they increasingly involve many of the major media players as well as stars like Howard Stern and nonentities like Douglas Dechert and New York Press editor-in-sleep, Jeff Koyen. Today, The Daily Spy's war reporting notes:
"New York magazine scribe Vanessa Grigoriadis is making progress on her chronicle of the Ian Spiegelman saga, which has evolved into a story about New York's gossip wars, specifically the NY Post vs. the NY Daily News."
This War, by the way, which makes the World War I look puny in comparison, has, at various times, snagged such media luminaries as Abigail Vona, Billy Bush of Access Hollywood (2nd item, link via Gawker), Vanity Fair's Frank DiGiacomo (3rd item), Howard Stern and Beth Ostrowsky, AJ Benza, and, of course, Page Six and Lloyd Grove.
Like World War I, it was caused, in large part, by arms escalation as well as a breaking of Bismarkian-like treaties. The competition between the Daily News gossip columnist (from back in the day) and Page Six is a New York tradition (remember Mitchell Fink?). Usually the feud ends with the Sixers being magnanimous. When Lloyd Grove got Ian Spiegelman fired, though, things escalated. And now Girgoriades, DiGiacomo, et al are being called in:
"Grigoriadis, who is being assisted in her duties by New Yorks loose cannon/Intelligencer helper Jacob Bernstein, has had in-depth talks with the major players both in the Spiegelman set-to and the New York gossip world in general. Though cooperation has been forthcoming, the subjects should beware: New York magazine editor Adam Moss is no fan of gossip and has all but eradicated it from his own publication, so he may have little compunction about making everyone involved look like sleazy dirt merchants. In any case, New York will scoop Vanity Fairs Frank DiGiacomo, who has been working on a gossip piece of his own. We hear Spiegelmans newfound free-time has improved his work habits; hes said to have lined up a gig with music mag Blender and is also making headway on the manuscript of his second book, which has a bit of a roman a clef element, were told, including scenes set at his former workplace."
To borrow from the guy in the hockey mask from Mad Max, "... just walk away ..."
USA: Waif Nation
The Corsair is not just a cute Ugandan-born blogger making his way through this city. Nooooo; you're so not catching the full effect of this revolutionary thing that I'm trying to do here. The Corsair is also a social anthropologist of the highest order, a sort of Amateur sociologist supreme ... well, okay, but I'm still good at it and I have a degree in the social sciences, so you better recognize. Of course, when a trend emerges, a vexing trend, something new and vaguely threatening, The Corsair comes out of the wilderness, web shooters at the ready, to explain it to the waiting blogosphere at large. With snark. And a dash of wit. Sometimes I do this slightly drunk as I am particularly good at analysing social trends after the eighth tumbler of Cutty Sark. So much the better. For me, at least, anyhoo.
So, let me let you in on a new trend, true believers: all the rage, au courant, if you will, and it rises with the fortunes of Senator John Edwards. The Waif, people. Edwards is a waif; not a Kucinich waif -- actually, The Kuc is more Elfin -- but a waif, to be sure. Independent film is tres bohemian; Obscure independent ethnic films with subtitles (for further reference, see the Film Forum's Ingmar Bergman Film Festival) is waif -- as in, "didn't Ethan Hawke waiver on attending a screening?" . Prius? Waif. The waifs are back ... those small, thin people are ruling the media.
You know what a waif is now, don't you? Those slim, adorable, youthful Peter Pan-types (Michael Moore is an exception) who "won't grow up," what with their idealistic politics, and those large, liquid, Japanese anime-like eyes (awwwwww, can we keep 'em?).
They tend to pull off the scruffy, nurtured in the wilderness look; the men sporting goatees (The Ethan), or, in the case of Prince, "slave" insignias (what a meaningful facial statement) in places where models will kiss and notice. They are delicate, so don't hug them too hard, they might break.
Waifs tend to believe more in ideas and social justice than in money and power, often spurning social advancement on behalf of their integrity, causing Machiavellian Manhattan types to whisper, confused -- "what the fuck?!" Paul Fussell wrote about them as "Category X" in his masterpiece vivisection of American social life, Class.
They lack appropriate body mass (look, for example, to Fiona Apple and Bob Dylan or even Daniel Day-Lewis) and are often vegans (Moby), eschewing feeding off another living animal, turning from what they call the cycle of "reciprocal maintenance" -- eating and being eaten, like at Hollywood Studios.
Others, to wit, may be devotees to really exotic and rare ethnic foods -- the more odd the better, as if, almost, to suggest that they are less physical than otherworldly creatures, influenced less by mundane gravity than by cosmic rhythms ("are you up for Mongolian today, guys"). They tend to like France (see Johnny Depp), almost in spite of how everyone else feels about the subject, and they believe in things like "solar power" and "international law" and "world government" ("suckers").
If they are not international celebrities (no such luck here) or artistically inclined (many are, some are not), they aspire to live in fashionable neighborhoods and gravitate towards jobs at "nonprofits," or arts managaement or radical politics and odd spiritual movements, like the Open Center in New York, or Esalen in California. Some also like vocations that bring them into contact with beauty and social beauty (Kate Moss).
God bless their naive, waifish hearts.
Here are some prominent waifs on the media radar:
Jesus Christ: Fashionable, thanks to The Passion of the Christ. Eccentric. Against the status quo. Wore long hair, ranted against the moneychangers in the temple. Political idealist ("what's this mess about turning the other cheek?"). Probably was scruffy. Most influential waif.
Michael Jackson: Disgraced waif. Took that Peter Pan thing to a whole new level (Averted gaze).
Edgar Allan Poe: Eccentric waif. Inventor of The Detective Novel (Rue Morgue). Large bulbous headed geek god. Idolized by Fellini, more popular in Europe than in US. Like fellow waifs DH Lawrence and Virginia Woolfe, a spectacular, if unheralded, literary critic. Died under mysterious circumstances -- way ahead of the curve.
Ralph Nader: Bitter, iconoclastic waif.
Alanis Morissette: Sometimes overly revealing in her music. Crazy, perverted chick. Went down on some dude in ... a ... theater. Thanks for sharing. Canadian, maybe that's her problem. Consults the Eiffel Tower for love advice. Freaky. Your typical Aquarius.
Richard Linklater: part of the waif Holy Trinity with quasi existentialist screenwriting buddies Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.
Janine Garofalo: Unpredictable spitfire. Stalled budding indie film career in Hollywood by signing on as an unpaid Air America radio host. Ruined tv career by mentioning the lack of women at Saturday Night Live, and publicly taking on the Second Iraq War as her pilot was being checked out by ABC.
Marcel Proust: Liquid-eyed Patron Saint of waifs. The definitive chronicler of the waif-important subjects of consciousness and aristocracy.
George Stephanopoulos and Gwyneth Paltrow: The sell out waifs. Dropped the waif cred to sell out to "the man."
Dave Eggers: Scruffy object of affection from Williamsburg. McSweeny Collective founder.
Johnny Depp: Doesn't live in Hollywood; appears to value "fame" and "celebrity" about as much as he does a muggy afternoon. Will never sell out to "The Man," but likes to attack those who do, like Nicholas Cage. Quirky roles; The Craft over Oscars. Lives in France. Bohemian. Knocked up galpal Vanessa Paradis at a "socially inappropriate" time.
Mozart: Youthful child prodigy. Died young. Patron saint. His music tends to be played at waif events.
Whit Stillman: Rare, dying breed: WASP waif, for further reference, see Caulfield, Holden.
Christiane Amanpour: Though a recent mother of a young child, Christiane repeatedly goes into the thick of war zones to cover the War on terrorism. We love you Christiane, but what the fuck?!
Noah Baumbach: Next to Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater, the patron saint film director of waifs.
Uma Thurman: Named after a Buddhist goddess. Played an un waif-like karate killer. Mitigating factor: The Bride was out for idealistic "Justice."
Joan Didion: Preternaturally thin essayist.
Resolved: Move over B-Listers. Waifs rock.
The Corsair is not just a cute Ugandan-born blogger making his way through this city. Nooooo; you're so not catching the full effect of this revolutionary thing that I'm trying to do here. The Corsair is also a social anthropologist of the highest order, a sort of Amateur sociologist supreme ... well, okay, but I'm still good at it and I have a degree in the social sciences, so you better recognize. Of course, when a trend emerges, a vexing trend, something new and vaguely threatening, The Corsair comes out of the wilderness, web shooters at the ready, to explain it to the waiting blogosphere at large. With snark. And a dash of wit. Sometimes I do this slightly drunk as I am particularly good at analysing social trends after the eighth tumbler of Cutty Sark. So much the better. For me, at least, anyhoo.
So, let me let you in on a new trend, true believers: all the rage, au courant, if you will, and it rises with the fortunes of Senator John Edwards. The Waif, people. Edwards is a waif; not a Kucinich waif -- actually, The Kuc is more Elfin -- but a waif, to be sure. Independent film is tres bohemian; Obscure independent ethnic films with subtitles (for further reference, see the Film Forum's Ingmar Bergman Film Festival) is waif -- as in, "didn't Ethan Hawke waiver on attending a screening?" . Prius? Waif. The waifs are back ... those small, thin people are ruling the media.
You know what a waif is now, don't you? Those slim, adorable, youthful Peter Pan-types (Michael Moore is an exception) who "won't grow up," what with their idealistic politics, and those large, liquid, Japanese anime-like eyes (awwwwww, can we keep 'em?).
They tend to pull off the scruffy, nurtured in the wilderness look; the men sporting goatees (The Ethan), or, in the case of Prince, "slave" insignias (what a meaningful facial statement) in places where models will kiss and notice. They are delicate, so don't hug them too hard, they might break.
Waifs tend to believe more in ideas and social justice than in money and power, often spurning social advancement on behalf of their integrity, causing Machiavellian Manhattan types to whisper, confused -- "what the fuck?!" Paul Fussell wrote about them as "Category X" in his masterpiece vivisection of American social life, Class.
They lack appropriate body mass (look, for example, to Fiona Apple and Bob Dylan or even Daniel Day-Lewis) and are often vegans (Moby), eschewing feeding off another living animal, turning from what they call the cycle of "reciprocal maintenance" -- eating and being eaten, like at Hollywood Studios.
Others, to wit, may be devotees to really exotic and rare ethnic foods -- the more odd the better, as if, almost, to suggest that they are less physical than otherworldly creatures, influenced less by mundane gravity than by cosmic rhythms ("are you up for Mongolian today, guys"). They tend to like France (see Johnny Depp), almost in spite of how everyone else feels about the subject, and they believe in things like "solar power" and "international law" and "world government" ("suckers").
If they are not international celebrities (no such luck here) or artistically inclined (many are, some are not), they aspire to live in fashionable neighborhoods and gravitate towards jobs at "nonprofits," or arts managaement or radical politics and odd spiritual movements, like the Open Center in New York, or Esalen in California. Some also like vocations that bring them into contact with beauty and social beauty (Kate Moss).
God bless their naive, waifish hearts.
Here are some prominent waifs on the media radar:
Jesus Christ: Fashionable, thanks to The Passion of the Christ. Eccentric. Against the status quo. Wore long hair, ranted against the moneychangers in the temple. Political idealist ("what's this mess about turning the other cheek?"). Probably was scruffy. Most influential waif.
Michael Jackson: Disgraced waif. Took that Peter Pan thing to a whole new level (Averted gaze).
Edgar Allan Poe: Eccentric waif. Inventor of The Detective Novel (Rue Morgue). Large bulbous headed geek god. Idolized by Fellini, more popular in Europe than in US. Like fellow waifs DH Lawrence and Virginia Woolfe, a spectacular, if unheralded, literary critic. Died under mysterious circumstances -- way ahead of the curve.
Ralph Nader: Bitter, iconoclastic waif.
Alanis Morissette: Sometimes overly revealing in her music. Crazy, perverted chick. Went down on some dude in ... a ... theater. Thanks for sharing. Canadian, maybe that's her problem. Consults the Eiffel Tower for love advice. Freaky. Your typical Aquarius.
Richard Linklater: part of the waif Holy Trinity with quasi existentialist screenwriting buddies Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.
Janine Garofalo: Unpredictable spitfire. Stalled budding indie film career in Hollywood by signing on as an unpaid Air America radio host. Ruined tv career by mentioning the lack of women at Saturday Night Live, and publicly taking on the Second Iraq War as her pilot was being checked out by ABC.
Marcel Proust: Liquid-eyed Patron Saint of waifs. The definitive chronicler of the waif-important subjects of consciousness and aristocracy.
George Stephanopoulos and Gwyneth Paltrow: The sell out waifs. Dropped the waif cred to sell out to "the man."
Dave Eggers: Scruffy object of affection from Williamsburg. McSweeny Collective founder.
Johnny Depp: Doesn't live in Hollywood; appears to value "fame" and "celebrity" about as much as he does a muggy afternoon. Will never sell out to "The Man," but likes to attack those who do, like Nicholas Cage. Quirky roles; The Craft over Oscars. Lives in France. Bohemian. Knocked up galpal Vanessa Paradis at a "socially inappropriate" time.
Mozart: Youthful child prodigy. Died young. Patron saint. His music tends to be played at waif events.
Whit Stillman: Rare, dying breed: WASP waif, for further reference, see Caulfield, Holden.
Christiane Amanpour: Though a recent mother of a young child, Christiane repeatedly goes into the thick of war zones to cover the War on terrorism. We love you Christiane, but what the fuck?!
Noah Baumbach: Next to Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater, the patron saint film director of waifs.
Uma Thurman: Named after a Buddhist goddess. Played an un waif-like karate killer. Mitigating factor: The Bride was out for idealistic "Justice."
Joan Didion: Preternaturally thin essayist.
Resolved: Move over B-Listers. Waifs rock.
A Little of the Old In and Out
In: It's homecoming for the New York Times' Cathy Horyn, according to WWD's Miles Socha, it's all now, apparently, de-lovely between her and de Helmut:
"The Helmut Lang men�s show in Paris on Sunday represented a homecoming of sorts for Cathy Horyn. Since October 2002, the designer has barred The New York Times critics from his shows, saying he simply didn�t like the paper�s point of view on fashion. Meanwhile, Horyn � who has described Lang�s women�s clothes as heavy, overthought and gimmicky in the past � said she was 'thrilled' to receive an invitation. 'Two years is a long time. Too long,' she said. Horyn is expected to review Lang�s show in a report on the Paris men�s shows today."
Too long ... yes (pensive), women have said the same of The Corsair (The Corsair modestly averts his gaze and gives a Sphynx-like smile, arranging himself, elegantly, in three-quarter profile as the light catches a sly twinkle in his intelligent eyes as he tilts his head back and lets out a soft chuckle).
Out: Lunkheaded Joey Tribbianni. Apparently the pilot episode of NBC's Joey has been leaked on the web. That's bad. As a Corsair, a pirate, however, I feel the need to alert you ("Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum") about this booty. And, not that I advocate anything of the sort, but a good place to look -- if you go in for that sort of thing (averted gaze), and I most certainly (feigned cough) don't -- might be the FriendsCafe. But I'm not into that whole downloading of pilot episodes. Besides, true believers, I'll bet there are still no black people. Even on the website purporting to have the pilot download. Whatever.
In: The New York Post. Not since that quixotic Dewey Beat Truman photo, as the Post's detractors would have you believe, has there been a more egregious error in reporting; rise up journos, fight, rise up Alec Baldwin, rise up all those luminaries who have been pummelled by the Post! Sheesh: Lighten up, guys, it's the summer; air out those shortpants; they made a mistake, actual human beings edit the Post, and, on the evening of a national holiday, boo boos are made. And sure, this morning I was also "bewildered" (god, I love that word) about how a conservative leaning paper, such as the Alexander Hamilton's Post, could gain such inside scoop into the Kerry thought process that neither NPR nor Air America had access to, they made a boo boo. Smile. Hold on to the copies, they are sure to become historical curios for media geeks, like us; hold up your copy proudly against your TV sets when Howie Kurtz does the inevitable Reliable Sources on the subject this Sunday upcoming. I still have love for you, NY Post. Or maybe I'm just kissing ass here on a galactic scale.
Out: M. Night Shyamalan is trying to hide his own secrets, according to Rush and Molloy today:
"The filmmakers say that, after hunting down childhood friends and neighbors, they uncovered what they called a 'pivotal event' in the life of the reclusive director, who was born in India and grew up in suburban Philadelphia.
"(Nathaniel)Kahn and (Callum)Greene say their subject grew upset by their questions and, after walking out of an interview, called in his lawyers to try to shut down the project.
"Originally slated to air last fall, it's now set for broadcast July 18.
"An ongoing legal struggle prevents the filmmakers from revealing Shyamalan's hidden past until then.
"'There's one secret that's surrounded by others,' Greene tells (Rush and Molloy). 'We felt that we were finding breadcrumbs through this forest and we followed them.'"
The Corsair shivers.
"Shyamalan's rep didn't return a call."
The Corsair shudders.
In: British Vogue has already swooped down on diva-in-training, Wimbeldon winner, Maria Sharapova, the coolest 17-year old in the world; I wish she's let some of the "cool dust" that covers her blow my way:
"MARIA SHARAPOVA may have only just hit the celebrity big time, but she's already proved herself worthy of fashion note. The 17-year-old Wimbledon winner had Louis Vuitton open especially for her on Sunday so that she could choose an outfit for the Champions' Dinner in the evening. While she was there, she chose a red mini skirt and pink top to wear while watching Roger Federer conquer Andy Roddick in the men's final, and for the evening she accessorised a cream chiffon and satin evening dress with jewelled shoes, a turquoise Theda evening bag and chandelier earrings. '[She] is an absolute advertiser's dream,' PR expert Max Clifford said of Sharapova, who has vowed to buy herself a silver Porsche and her parents a BMW each with her ($ 1,025,000) prize money. 'In 10 years, she could earn ($183 million). It is the kind of rags to riches story we love.'"
Pardon me, Allegra, But: When is she legal again?
Out: Jessica Alba and Derek Jeter, according to that significant cultural artifact Star Magazine:
"New York Yankee Derek Jeter is hitting it big with Honey actress Jessica Alba. The baseball captain, 30, hooked up with the hotter-than-hot actress on June 18 at Hollywood's Spider Club, where they partied until 1 a.m.
"The next day, the couple spent most of the evening paired up at Hollywood's XES club at a corner table. 'She was touching him, flirting with him and totally batting her eyes at him,' says an eyewitness. Once again, the pair stayed until the early morning hours -- leaving separately only to reunite at his black SUV in the parking lot. After two dates with Alba, 23, Jeter's Yankees lost two out of three games to the L.A. Dodgers. Hmm, too many late nights, Derek?
"A source tells Star that the couple rendezvoused the last time the Yanks were in California to play the Anaheim Angels in May. 'Jessica picked up Derek in her car after each game,' says the source. 'They stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, and they were always making out in the hallways.'
So, I'm playa hating. So what? Alba is so hott, it's outrageous; how was I supposed to know that shorty was serious about the restraining order. Jeter beat me to it. Alba likes her black men rich, cafe au lait, and unsung in the blogosphere, or so it would appear. Her loss. Jessica ... call me?
In: It's homecoming for the New York Times' Cathy Horyn, according to WWD's Miles Socha, it's all now, apparently, de-lovely between her and de Helmut:
"The Helmut Lang men�s show in Paris on Sunday represented a homecoming of sorts for Cathy Horyn. Since October 2002, the designer has barred The New York Times critics from his shows, saying he simply didn�t like the paper�s point of view on fashion. Meanwhile, Horyn � who has described Lang�s women�s clothes as heavy, overthought and gimmicky in the past � said she was 'thrilled' to receive an invitation. 'Two years is a long time. Too long,' she said. Horyn is expected to review Lang�s show in a report on the Paris men�s shows today."
Too long ... yes (pensive), women have said the same of The Corsair (The Corsair modestly averts his gaze and gives a Sphynx-like smile, arranging himself, elegantly, in three-quarter profile as the light catches a sly twinkle in his intelligent eyes as he tilts his head back and lets out a soft chuckle).
Out: Lunkheaded Joey Tribbianni. Apparently the pilot episode of NBC's Joey has been leaked on the web. That's bad. As a Corsair, a pirate, however, I feel the need to alert you ("Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum") about this booty. And, not that I advocate anything of the sort, but a good place to look -- if you go in for that sort of thing (averted gaze), and I most certainly (feigned cough) don't -- might be the FriendsCafe. But I'm not into that whole downloading of pilot episodes. Besides, true believers, I'll bet there are still no black people. Even on the website purporting to have the pilot download. Whatever.
In: The New York Post. Not since that quixotic Dewey Beat Truman photo, as the Post's detractors would have you believe, has there been a more egregious error in reporting; rise up journos, fight, rise up Alec Baldwin, rise up all those luminaries who have been pummelled by the Post! Sheesh: Lighten up, guys, it's the summer; air out those shortpants; they made a mistake, actual human beings edit the Post, and, on the evening of a national holiday, boo boos are made. And sure, this morning I was also "bewildered" (god, I love that word) about how a conservative leaning paper, such as the Alexander Hamilton's Post, could gain such inside scoop into the Kerry thought process that neither NPR nor Air America had access to, they made a boo boo. Smile. Hold on to the copies, they are sure to become historical curios for media geeks, like us; hold up your copy proudly against your TV sets when Howie Kurtz does the inevitable Reliable Sources on the subject this Sunday upcoming. I still have love for you, NY Post. Or maybe I'm just kissing ass here on a galactic scale.
Out: M. Night Shyamalan is trying to hide his own secrets, according to Rush and Molloy today:
"The filmmakers say that, after hunting down childhood friends and neighbors, they uncovered what they called a 'pivotal event' in the life of the reclusive director, who was born in India and grew up in suburban Philadelphia.
"(Nathaniel)Kahn and (Callum)Greene say their subject grew upset by their questions and, after walking out of an interview, called in his lawyers to try to shut down the project.
"Originally slated to air last fall, it's now set for broadcast July 18.
"An ongoing legal struggle prevents the filmmakers from revealing Shyamalan's hidden past until then.
"'There's one secret that's surrounded by others,' Greene tells (Rush and Molloy). 'We felt that we were finding breadcrumbs through this forest and we followed them.'"
The Corsair shivers.
"Shyamalan's rep didn't return a call."
The Corsair shudders.
In: British Vogue has already swooped down on diva-in-training, Wimbeldon winner, Maria Sharapova, the coolest 17-year old in the world; I wish she's let some of the "cool dust" that covers her blow my way:
"MARIA SHARAPOVA may have only just hit the celebrity big time, but she's already proved herself worthy of fashion note. The 17-year-old Wimbledon winner had Louis Vuitton open especially for her on Sunday so that she could choose an outfit for the Champions' Dinner in the evening. While she was there, she chose a red mini skirt and pink top to wear while watching Roger Federer conquer Andy Roddick in the men's final, and for the evening she accessorised a cream chiffon and satin evening dress with jewelled shoes, a turquoise Theda evening bag and chandelier earrings. '[She] is an absolute advertiser's dream,' PR expert Max Clifford said of Sharapova, who has vowed to buy herself a silver Porsche and her parents a BMW each with her ($ 1,025,000) prize money. 'In 10 years, she could earn ($183 million). It is the kind of rags to riches story we love.'"
Pardon me, Allegra, But: When is she legal again?
Out: Jessica Alba and Derek Jeter, according to that significant cultural artifact Star Magazine:
"New York Yankee Derek Jeter is hitting it big with Honey actress Jessica Alba. The baseball captain, 30, hooked up with the hotter-than-hot actress on June 18 at Hollywood's Spider Club, where they partied until 1 a.m.
"The next day, the couple spent most of the evening paired up at Hollywood's XES club at a corner table. 'She was touching him, flirting with him and totally batting her eyes at him,' says an eyewitness. Once again, the pair stayed until the early morning hours -- leaving separately only to reunite at his black SUV in the parking lot. After two dates with Alba, 23, Jeter's Yankees lost two out of three games to the L.A. Dodgers. Hmm, too many late nights, Derek?
"A source tells Star that the couple rendezvoused the last time the Yanks were in California to play the Anaheim Angels in May. 'Jessica picked up Derek in her car after each game,' says the source. 'They stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, and they were always making out in the hallways.'
So, I'm playa hating. So what? Alba is so hott, it's outrageous; how was I supposed to know that shorty was serious about the restraining order. Jeter beat me to it. Alba likes her black men rich, cafe au lait, and unsung in the blogosphere, or so it would appear. Her loss. Jessica ... call me?
Will Harvey Bolt the Mouse House?
That other short fingered vulgarian Harvey Weinstein of Miramax, according to those wonderful Page Sixers, "is likely to bolt from the highly successful movie studio he founded as early as this week."
Damn.
Although Bertolluci decribed Harv as "the Sadaam Hussein of cinema," The Corsair prefers to think of him as more Baby Doc-like, with the Begian Chateaux exit strategy as an exercisable option, u nah mean?
Mirablile Dictu, Those fabulous Sixers:
"Under the plan being considered, Weinstein would leave to start his own movie company and Miramax would distribute his films, sources say. Harvey's brother and Miramax co-founder Bob Weinstein is expected to stay at the company, where he runs Dimension Films, a Miramax division that focuses on medium-budget action and horror films. Another possible outcome is for the Weinsteins to buy the entire Miramax studio back, although Eisner has been telling associates he doubts the brothers would be able to raise the money.
"As PAGE SIX previously reported, one scenario being discussed is for Weinstein and Pixar Animation Studios chief Steve Jobs to team up and make a run for MGM, the studio that is on the block for about $5 billion.
"Weinstein is also close to investment banker Steve Rattner, and many in the media industry have speculated that he may take a role in backing Weinstein."
Here's a little something I wrote in January:
For years I have dogged Michael Eisner's Simian ass. He has been ridiculous in his dealings with Pixar, which is the centerpiece, nay, the pearl of Disney's animation operation. In point of fact, it is on the backs on profits eked from it's parasitic deal with Pixar that Eisner -- who holds onto the reins of power at Disney ("my preciousss") with the tenacity of an African dictator -- still has a fucking job.
Eisner was playing the prototypical overmanly Hollywood Power Player game -- talk tough, concede nothing, bully, hector and, when all else fails, threaten lawsuit -- on Steve Jobs. You know, in Power Player fashion he was just fucking with Job's' head.
Why?
Dont ask me; The Corsair is rather naive waif on these matters, prefering Augustine's red-bronze caritas to Nietzsche's dark sepia-colored struggle-of-the-fittest devisings. But now Eisner, the rat who may sink Disney, has handed over to his competition a sorely needed asset. And what would happen (takes out The Corsair's infamous crystal ball, spinkles some Haitian herbs, and says some juju) if Steve Jobs hammers out a deal with, oh, say --- Jeffrey Katzenberg's SKG? Huh? What then, fucker?
I'll tell you what: Eisner's ego will have given his arch nemesis -- "the midget" -- the tool needed to break Disney's animation back. Pixar's every victory over Disney will be fussed over by the Hollywood press and agonized over by shareholders who lost out becuase Eisner was looking out for his ego.
I could easily see Steve Jobs being that vengeful a motherfucker and SKG offering a very sweet deal indeed to indulge him. A sweet deal for Jobs but a bitter one for Eisner and a Cruella de Ville of a nightmare for Eisner's shareholders.
Indeed.
That other short fingered vulgarian Harvey Weinstein of Miramax, according to those wonderful Page Sixers, "is likely to bolt from the highly successful movie studio he founded as early as this week."
Damn.
Although Bertolluci decribed Harv as "the Sadaam Hussein of cinema," The Corsair prefers to think of him as more Baby Doc-like, with the Begian Chateaux exit strategy as an exercisable option, u nah mean?
Mirablile Dictu, Those fabulous Sixers:
"Under the plan being considered, Weinstein would leave to start his own movie company and Miramax would distribute his films, sources say. Harvey's brother and Miramax co-founder Bob Weinstein is expected to stay at the company, where he runs Dimension Films, a Miramax division that focuses on medium-budget action and horror films. Another possible outcome is for the Weinsteins to buy the entire Miramax studio back, although Eisner has been telling associates he doubts the brothers would be able to raise the money.
"As PAGE SIX previously reported, one scenario being discussed is for Weinstein and Pixar Animation Studios chief Steve Jobs to team up and make a run for MGM, the studio that is on the block for about $5 billion.
"Weinstein is also close to investment banker Steve Rattner, and many in the media industry have speculated that he may take a role in backing Weinstein."
Here's a little something I wrote in January:
For years I have dogged Michael Eisner's Simian ass. He has been ridiculous in his dealings with Pixar, which is the centerpiece, nay, the pearl of Disney's animation operation. In point of fact, it is on the backs on profits eked from it's parasitic deal with Pixar that Eisner -- who holds onto the reins of power at Disney ("my preciousss") with the tenacity of an African dictator -- still has a fucking job.
Eisner was playing the prototypical overmanly Hollywood Power Player game -- talk tough, concede nothing, bully, hector and, when all else fails, threaten lawsuit -- on Steve Jobs. You know, in Power Player fashion he was just fucking with Job's' head.
Why?
Dont ask me; The Corsair is rather naive waif on these matters, prefering Augustine's red-bronze caritas to Nietzsche's dark sepia-colored struggle-of-the-fittest devisings. But now Eisner, the rat who may sink Disney, has handed over to his competition a sorely needed asset. And what would happen (takes out The Corsair's infamous crystal ball, spinkles some Haitian herbs, and says some juju) if Steve Jobs hammers out a deal with, oh, say --- Jeffrey Katzenberg's SKG? Huh? What then, fucker?
I'll tell you what: Eisner's ego will have given his arch nemesis -- "the midget" -- the tool needed to break Disney's animation back. Pixar's every victory over Disney will be fussed over by the Hollywood press and agonized over by shareholders who lost out becuase Eisner was looking out for his ego.
I could easily see Steve Jobs being that vengeful a motherfucker and SKG offering a very sweet deal indeed to indulge him. A sweet deal for Jobs but a bitter one for Eisner and a Cruella de Ville of a nightmare for Eisner's shareholders.
Indeed.
Friday, July 02, 2004
Happy Fourth of July
The Corsair loves the slow quiet roar of fireworks on a sultry July night. The picnic in the grass. The celebration of America's victory of Imperial Britain. Happy 4th, true believers, see you back here on Monday the 5th, same bat time, same bat channel.
Ron
5/6: I took an extra day off to recharge the batteries, but am back and jumping for joy at Edwards.
The Corsair loves the slow quiet roar of fireworks on a sultry July night. The picnic in the grass. The celebration of America's victory of Imperial Britain. Happy 4th, true believers, see you back here on Monday the 5th, same bat time, same bat channel.
Ron
5/6: I took an extra day off to recharge the batteries, but am back and jumping for joy at Edwards.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
The Veepstakes: Finalists
And then there were four, at least according to The Boston Globe:
"John F. Kerry spent yesterday in isolation at his wife's 90-acre suburban farm, working on his convention acceptance speech amid signs that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee may announce his choice of a running mate here as early as next Tuesday.
"Kerry's public campaign schedule has been disclosed only through Monday, the day after he wraps up a Fourth of July bus tour through the Midwest and then flies back to Pittsburgh. His staff has assembled the telephone numbers and schedules next week for potential running mates, said a top adviser to one of the candidates. Kerry has asked a select few of his closest supporters to reserve Tuesday and Wednesday to travel with the campaign, which would allow for a barnstorming tour by the Democratic duo in advance of a gala fund-raiser next Thursday in New York City.
"'We're hearing it's going to be Tuesday,' said the adviser, who spoke on the condition that neither he nor his boss be identified.
"Speculation has focused on three candidates -- Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, US Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina -- but Kerry has limited all concrete information about his search to a tight circle that includes his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and James A. Johnson, the Washington banker heading his search committee. In recent days, Vilsack has been the focus of a media boomlet, but Kerry aides say other candidates including US Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and former senator Sam Nunn of Georgia remain possible choices."
Okay, first of all, it will not be Tom Vilsack. You can be sure that when you wake up on Tuesday, the media will not be all Vilsack all the time. Kerry owes Vilsack big time, and that is why he keeps his name on the short list, pumping up his name recognition -- a freebie. If Vilsack and his wife, Christy, hadn't gone out of their way in endorsing Kerry, he would not have won Iowa and slingshotted (Ka-Pow!) into New Hampshire.
Sam Nunn is too dark a choice. Nunn fairly reeks of gunpowder. He would be a fine choice to get moderates and swing voters, but he is way too fucking conservative; his whole life has been around military aircraft and weaponry and the defense industry. Although that may make people sleep soundly in, oh, say, bumfuck Kentucky, this is the Democratic Party we are talking about, a party that will be struggling with Nader votes. And Nunn has been on the head of rather dodgy Boards of Directors, swimming in the trough of special interest backwash. So, while he projects a very "defense industry competent" Dick Cheney-esque vibe, he probably wouldn't even win his own home state Georgia for Kerry. Plus he is boring as watching a plant produce oxygen. A debate with Dick Cheney (I know, I know, he will declare heart problems in about a month only to be replaced by either McCain, Giuliani or Powell) would induce a deep, deep slumber throughout the nation.
And Joe Biden is a very smug guy. He's been in the Senate so long that he has developed an off-putting and rather annoying sense of entitlement. He argues with a smile, but there are daggers in his eye. And it all sounds so phony. His temperament is not equipped for the job. Plus he has the worst comb-over on K Street.
Here's what I have said in the past of the others (I think it goes down to Geph or Edwards):
Ever since NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, a graduate student in power, the wife of Fed Reserve Chief Allan Greenspan, suggested that Hillary Clinton wants the veep slot, it has been hers to lose.
"The problem with Hillary, and there are quite a few, but let me distill the argument against her, is that she doesn't bring much to the ticket and she polarizes her opposition like no one on the radar. Of course, she is also a genuine celebrity beloved like a goddess among African-American, Latino and Asian women. And she's a two-fer: get her and her husband comes along cheap. But Kerry already does well with women; he married a tough one, and that attracts the ladies -- a man unafraid of a strong woman -- like nothing in this world. Women like men who like alpha-women, just look at Bill Clinton's numbers among women even after he cheated.
Kerry will win New York. Kerry will win the Northeast (although New Jersey, surprisingly, is looking like it is in play, thanks to the charismatically challenged Governor, McGreevey). In a sense, Hillary would have been much more useful to the ticket had she run for the Senate seat in Arkansas, where a Southern base would mark her head and shoulders above the sunny and optimistic bright Senator John Edwards, which, quite frankly, she is not. The problem with Hillary is that she was too tepid, she didn't run; Edwards did -- and thus, among many, he should get the nod, it's his turn; Edwards took the risk. But mark my words: If Hillary had won a Senate seat in the less tony and prestigious Arkansas, she would already be Kerry's Veep pick, cric crossing the nation, playing the heavy, being the pit bull to Kerry's "Presidential"-toned listening tour.
John Edwards: The likely pick. Pro: Electoral College votes; he has em. A bombshell convention speech in Prime time to show off his looks, his charm, his charisma. All about taking back the South. Will Kerry go for the Southern strategy, or the Midwestern (read: Gephardt), that is the question. A player in the party to come. 50-50 Plus, apropos of nothing, Edwards is a Gemini, and a Gemini along with a Sagittarius Kerry, would be spectacular (okay, now you can discount all my other analysis because I mentioned astrology)
Max Cleland. The Corsair believes that he is the likely choice for a running mate. Pros: From Georgia, brings the South back into the mix ... former Senator ... triple amutee war hero would make a strong veterans campaign with Kerry -- and Vets are likely Republican voters ... Expert on Homeland Security (big plus, as national security is a Republican stronghold) which Bill Clinton in a closed door meeting warned that the nominee must be strong on ... Strong on health care ... Could humiliate chicken hawk Cheney in a debate
Cons: Health might be an issue. (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: it's a fucking long ass sojourn through the country for a Veep, from Labor Day till the election -- can Cleland do it? I think so. Odds on favorite)
Gary Hart This is not going to happen, but bear with me I just like Hart and want to rant and rave for a bit. Pros: Vast intellect, PhD, Oxford, Political Philosophy ... Wise from his time out in the political wilderness ... Strong in the Southwest ... Devastating debater Cons: Old adultery charge may still stick in the Bible Belt ... May be more useful to the Democratic Party in a Senate bid against the very weak Ben Knighthorse Campbell (note: Campbell will not seek reelection) ... Possible Secretary of State, a la his hero, Jefferson (ed note: Feb 14, 2004)
Bill Richardson He's dropped off the radar screen. Pros: Governor of ultra-crucial New Mexico ... Latino ... former UN Ambassador and seasoned diplomat would give international cooperation credit points to ticket
Cons: None. He's hot like salsa, but I don't see the Southwestern strategy as being tenable as it is quite possible Bush can cockblock Kerry by picking McCain to replace a "heart sick" Cheney. Then Kerry's royally fucked in the Southwest. Too risky.
Wesley Clark Never, ever going to happen. Pros: Longshot, but if he wins big in Oklahoma and the conservative Southwest he could be in the cut ... General would give strong military backing to ticket ... would humiliate chickenhawk Cheney in a debate ... strong with African-Americans
Cons: Too closely tied to Bill Clinton, who wants Hillary '08, which may be an issue. (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: Wes is bitter as the Clintonistas dumped his ass as soon as he started looking like yesterday's donuts. Could be Sec of Defense in a Kerry White House. An effective military attack dog. Will work well with a Cleland Veep)
Dick Gephardt Pros: Outside of Cleland and Edwards, the most likely running mate ... most popular pol in pivotal swing state Missouri ... would be perfect for a Kerry-Gephardt Northern labor-veterans strategy against a Bush South ... comes with the backing of labor, a Democratic must needs ... A truly good guy who dropped out and endorsed Kerry early: he did the right thing
Cons: Wooden on the stump, charismatically challenged (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: this ticket may be too damn Northern top heavy. Could be the greatest and most powerful Sec of Labor in US history in a Kerry White House)
So, in the end, Edwards or Geph, I think Edwards, but Max Cleland would be an incredible choice.
No blog tomorrow because of work commitments. Sorry.
And then there were four, at least according to The Boston Globe:
"John F. Kerry spent yesterday in isolation at his wife's 90-acre suburban farm, working on his convention acceptance speech amid signs that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee may announce his choice of a running mate here as early as next Tuesday.
"Kerry's public campaign schedule has been disclosed only through Monday, the day after he wraps up a Fourth of July bus tour through the Midwest and then flies back to Pittsburgh. His staff has assembled the telephone numbers and schedules next week for potential running mates, said a top adviser to one of the candidates. Kerry has asked a select few of his closest supporters to reserve Tuesday and Wednesday to travel with the campaign, which would allow for a barnstorming tour by the Democratic duo in advance of a gala fund-raiser next Thursday in New York City.
"'We're hearing it's going to be Tuesday,' said the adviser, who spoke on the condition that neither he nor his boss be identified.
"Speculation has focused on three candidates -- Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, US Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina -- but Kerry has limited all concrete information about his search to a tight circle that includes his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and James A. Johnson, the Washington banker heading his search committee. In recent days, Vilsack has been the focus of a media boomlet, but Kerry aides say other candidates including US Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and former senator Sam Nunn of Georgia remain possible choices."
Okay, first of all, it will not be Tom Vilsack. You can be sure that when you wake up on Tuesday, the media will not be all Vilsack all the time. Kerry owes Vilsack big time, and that is why he keeps his name on the short list, pumping up his name recognition -- a freebie. If Vilsack and his wife, Christy, hadn't gone out of their way in endorsing Kerry, he would not have won Iowa and slingshotted (Ka-Pow!) into New Hampshire.
Sam Nunn is too dark a choice. Nunn fairly reeks of gunpowder. He would be a fine choice to get moderates and swing voters, but he is way too fucking conservative; his whole life has been around military aircraft and weaponry and the defense industry. Although that may make people sleep soundly in, oh, say, bumfuck Kentucky, this is the Democratic Party we are talking about, a party that will be struggling with Nader votes. And Nunn has been on the head of rather dodgy Boards of Directors, swimming in the trough of special interest backwash. So, while he projects a very "defense industry competent" Dick Cheney-esque vibe, he probably wouldn't even win his own home state Georgia for Kerry. Plus he is boring as watching a plant produce oxygen. A debate with Dick Cheney (I know, I know, he will declare heart problems in about a month only to be replaced by either McCain, Giuliani or Powell) would induce a deep, deep slumber throughout the nation.
And Joe Biden is a very smug guy. He's been in the Senate so long that he has developed an off-putting and rather annoying sense of entitlement. He argues with a smile, but there are daggers in his eye. And it all sounds so phony. His temperament is not equipped for the job. Plus he has the worst comb-over on K Street.
Here's what I have said in the past of the others (I think it goes down to Geph or Edwards):
Ever since NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, a graduate student in power, the wife of Fed Reserve Chief Allan Greenspan, suggested that Hillary Clinton wants the veep slot, it has been hers to lose.
"The problem with Hillary, and there are quite a few, but let me distill the argument against her, is that she doesn't bring much to the ticket and she polarizes her opposition like no one on the radar. Of course, she is also a genuine celebrity beloved like a goddess among African-American, Latino and Asian women. And she's a two-fer: get her and her husband comes along cheap. But Kerry already does well with women; he married a tough one, and that attracts the ladies -- a man unafraid of a strong woman -- like nothing in this world. Women like men who like alpha-women, just look at Bill Clinton's numbers among women even after he cheated.
Kerry will win New York. Kerry will win the Northeast (although New Jersey, surprisingly, is looking like it is in play, thanks to the charismatically challenged Governor, McGreevey). In a sense, Hillary would have been much more useful to the ticket had she run for the Senate seat in Arkansas, where a Southern base would mark her head and shoulders above the sunny and optimistic bright Senator John Edwards, which, quite frankly, she is not. The problem with Hillary is that she was too tepid, she didn't run; Edwards did -- and thus, among many, he should get the nod, it's his turn; Edwards took the risk. But mark my words: If Hillary had won a Senate seat in the less tony and prestigious Arkansas, she would already be Kerry's Veep pick, cric crossing the nation, playing the heavy, being the pit bull to Kerry's "Presidential"-toned listening tour.
John Edwards: The likely pick. Pro: Electoral College votes; he has em. A bombshell convention speech in Prime time to show off his looks, his charm, his charisma. All about taking back the South. Will Kerry go for the Southern strategy, or the Midwestern (read: Gephardt), that is the question. A player in the party to come. 50-50 Plus, apropos of nothing, Edwards is a Gemini, and a Gemini along with a Sagittarius Kerry, would be spectacular (okay, now you can discount all my other analysis because I mentioned astrology)
Max Cleland. The Corsair believes that he is the likely choice for a running mate. Pros: From Georgia, brings the South back into the mix ... former Senator ... triple amutee war hero would make a strong veterans campaign with Kerry -- and Vets are likely Republican voters ... Expert on Homeland Security (big plus, as national security is a Republican stronghold) which Bill Clinton in a closed door meeting warned that the nominee must be strong on ... Strong on health care ... Could humiliate chicken hawk Cheney in a debate
Cons: Health might be an issue. (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: it's a fucking long ass sojourn through the country for a Veep, from Labor Day till the election -- can Cleland do it? I think so. Odds on favorite)
Gary Hart This is not going to happen, but bear with me I just like Hart and want to rant and rave for a bit. Pros: Vast intellect, PhD, Oxford, Political Philosophy ... Wise from his time out in the political wilderness ... Strong in the Southwest ... Devastating debater Cons: Old adultery charge may still stick in the Bible Belt ... May be more useful to the Democratic Party in a Senate bid against the very weak Ben Knighthorse Campbell (note: Campbell will not seek reelection) ... Possible Secretary of State, a la his hero, Jefferson (ed note: Feb 14, 2004)
Bill Richardson He's dropped off the radar screen. Pros: Governor of ultra-crucial New Mexico ... Latino ... former UN Ambassador and seasoned diplomat would give international cooperation credit points to ticket
Cons: None. He's hot like salsa, but I don't see the Southwestern strategy as being tenable as it is quite possible Bush can cockblock Kerry by picking McCain to replace a "heart sick" Cheney. Then Kerry's royally fucked in the Southwest. Too risky.
Wesley Clark Never, ever going to happen. Pros: Longshot, but if he wins big in Oklahoma and the conservative Southwest he could be in the cut ... General would give strong military backing to ticket ... would humiliate chickenhawk Cheney in a debate ... strong with African-Americans
Cons: Too closely tied to Bill Clinton, who wants Hillary '08, which may be an issue. (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: Wes is bitter as the Clintonistas dumped his ass as soon as he started looking like yesterday's donuts. Could be Sec of Defense in a Kerry White House. An effective military attack dog. Will work well with a Cleland Veep)
Dick Gephardt Pros: Outside of Cleland and Edwards, the most likely running mate ... most popular pol in pivotal swing state Missouri ... would be perfect for a Kerry-Gephardt Northern labor-veterans strategy against a Bush South ... comes with the backing of labor, a Democratic must needs ... A truly good guy who dropped out and endorsed Kerry early: he did the right thing
Cons: Wooden on the stump, charismatically challenged (ed note: Feb 14, 2004: this ticket may be too damn Northern top heavy. Could be the greatest and most powerful Sec of Labor in US history in a Kerry White House)
So, in the end, Edwards or Geph, I think Edwards, but Max Cleland would be an incredible choice.
No blog tomorrow because of work commitments. Sorry.
Spike Lee Talks ... and Talks
Is Spike Lee trying to reignite his feud with red hot Hollywood director Quentin Tarrantino? Does he want to start one with Queen Latifa? Who knows; Spike is in rare form though, in this cover feature with The Independent Magazine, in the July/August 2004 issue with cute editor, Rebecca Carroll:
"(Spike) acknowledge that there have been truly independent films being made, although Pulp Fiction, widely perceived as the film that set the independent renaissance into motion, isn't one of them.
Spike Lee: "Was (Pulp Fiction) really an independent film? I don't think so."
Rebecca Carroll: "Why do you think they wrote (Barbershop) that way?
Spike: "The movie made a lot of money. And there is Barbershop 2, and Latifah's spinoff, Beauty Shop. I love Latifah, but that Bringing Down the House movie she did was bordering on Aunt Jemima.
"... People don't understand that we are still putting on a minstrel show -- half these motherfucking rappers don't know that they are repeating the same history. If somebody came down from space and turned on BET, and looked at black people in music videos, they'd think it was a minstrel show."
The Corsair agrees with the always outspoken Spike on the Latifah comment and the BET comment and not much else.
Is Spike Lee trying to reignite his feud with red hot Hollywood director Quentin Tarrantino? Does he want to start one with Queen Latifa? Who knows; Spike is in rare form though, in this cover feature with The Independent Magazine, in the July/August 2004 issue with cute editor, Rebecca Carroll:
"(Spike) acknowledge that there have been truly independent films being made, although Pulp Fiction, widely perceived as the film that set the independent renaissance into motion, isn't one of them.
Spike Lee: "Was (Pulp Fiction) really an independent film? I don't think so."
Rebecca Carroll: "Why do you think they wrote (Barbershop) that way?
Spike: "The movie made a lot of money. And there is Barbershop 2, and Latifah's spinoff, Beauty Shop. I love Latifah, but that Bringing Down the House movie she did was bordering on Aunt Jemima.
"... People don't understand that we are still putting on a minstrel show -- half these motherfucking rappers don't know that they are repeating the same history. If somebody came down from space and turned on BET, and looked at black people in music videos, they'd think it was a minstrel show."
The Corsair agrees with the always outspoken Spike on the Latifah comment and the BET comment and not much else.
A Little of the Old In and Out
In: Lorne Manley (link via Romenesko). I met Lorne Manley several years ago, during the Dot Com craziness, at the offices of Inside.com. Manley struck me as your typical good natured media addict, as well as a hugely competent writer. Lorne was just named Chief Media Writer at the NY Times. Gawker speculates on what this may mean for David Carr, and, to be frank, The Corsair is a bit confused as well. Whatever the case, The Corsair offers Manley the warmest congratulations.
Out: Restaurateur/ Magazine maven, John McDonald, according to Fashionweek Daily; and, speaking of David Carr:
"The New York Times' dogged media-beat cop, David Carr, has his sights set on a new target: restaurateur/magazine maven, John McDonald. Insiders say Carr is digging up everything there is to know on the boyish bar owner, who started out opening proto-hipster Soho hangouts Merc Bar and Canteen, and then branched out to launch City magazine."
In: Fashionweedaily's aggressive coverage of the fashion and media world's continues apace, with this chestnut on Orly Healy's new project:
"New York Post fashion editor, Orla Healy, is penning a tell-all book about life inside a celebrity magazine. The former In Style deputy editor?s book?which we hear has an outline and four chapters completed, but no publisher as of yet?will dish about the total abuse and wantonness of celebrities and their I-rule-the-world ?tudes. Sources close to The Daily say the book will chronicle the demands, idiosyncrasies, and insecurities of many celebrities she worked with as a celebrity editor. When reached for comment, Healy said, 'The funny thing is that I was originally deciding between writing a murder-mystery novel and about working at a celebrity magazine.' She added, 'The book is a giggle; it?s not really meant to be a thesis about the behind-the-scenes in wrangling celebrity covers.'"
Out: Leonardo DiCaprio, according to that significant cultural artifact The National Enquirer; stunning mannequin Giselle Bundchen -- she of the studied Sphynx like glare -- wants our favorite oversexed Scorpio named Leo to stop fucking other women. Riight (Averted gaze). Like that's going to happen:
"The rumored engagement of Leonardo DiCaprio, 29, and supermodel giggle B�ndchen, 23, doesn't seem to be slowing down The Aviator star's partying ways. On June 9, DiCaprio hung with actor pal Lukas Haas at Hollywood's Concorde nightclub, where they invited about a dozen to come to his Hollywood Hills home for a nightcap, an eyewitness says. Two days later, he hit the scene at Prey (Ed Note: What a meaningful name!), another L.A. hot spot, where he again reportedly hand-picked ladies for a late night get-together around 3 a.m.
"However, the next day, he and B�ndchen looked like the picture of domestic bliss as they shopped for plants in New York City. A source tells Star that the Brazilian-born model is waiting for DiCaprio to outgrow his party-monster ways."
Note to Giselle with the �mlauts: Rich, famous, irreligious Scorpio men who are regarded as godlike on the continent of Asia tend stop partying and settle down into monogamous, bourgois behavior when they are, oh, deep into their mid to late 70s.
In: Ben Affleck was embarrassed, according to Matt Damon in B Magazine (link via Ananova):
"... (Damon) admitted that Ben found it difficult to deal with the pressure of the high profile relationship.
"'I really felt for him because if you're on the cover of a magazine, it's generally to promote a movie... He was so embarrassed.'"
Out: Washingtonienne is getting 300 large for her book. We are so jealous, although ... er, we wouldn't want to do quite what she did to get the gig. I mean, aren't Americans already fucked by the Senate and the House? Why compound a bad situation and make it worse.
In: A propos of nothing, I have been reading St. Augustine's Confessions and while, no, I am not converting to Catholicism and giving up the blog, this essay, comparing and contrasting the moral schemes of both Augustine and Nietzsche is really fucking interesting. I've always thought that virtually every question of morality down the line, from citizenship to the meaning of power, lies somewhere in between the philosophies of Nietzsche and Augustine, one who just touched the Middle Ages, and the other who caressed the Postmodern (we really must come up with a less self-consciously ironic name for Our Age, how about, after Einstein, the Age of Relativity). Forgive me for being the eternal college student, I just turned 33 and The Big Questions are assaulting me, big time; you'll understand when you turn 33.
In: Lorne Manley (link via Romenesko). I met Lorne Manley several years ago, during the Dot Com craziness, at the offices of Inside.com. Manley struck me as your typical good natured media addict, as well as a hugely competent writer. Lorne was just named Chief Media Writer at the NY Times. Gawker speculates on what this may mean for David Carr, and, to be frank, The Corsair is a bit confused as well. Whatever the case, The Corsair offers Manley the warmest congratulations.
Out: Restaurateur/ Magazine maven, John McDonald, according to Fashionweek Daily; and, speaking of David Carr:
"The New York Times' dogged media-beat cop, David Carr, has his sights set on a new target: restaurateur/magazine maven, John McDonald. Insiders say Carr is digging up everything there is to know on the boyish bar owner, who started out opening proto-hipster Soho hangouts Merc Bar and Canteen, and then branched out to launch City magazine."
In: Fashionweedaily's aggressive coverage of the fashion and media world's continues apace, with this chestnut on Orly Healy's new project:
"New York Post fashion editor, Orla Healy, is penning a tell-all book about life inside a celebrity magazine. The former In Style deputy editor?s book?which we hear has an outline and four chapters completed, but no publisher as of yet?will dish about the total abuse and wantonness of celebrities and their I-rule-the-world ?tudes. Sources close to The Daily say the book will chronicle the demands, idiosyncrasies, and insecurities of many celebrities she worked with as a celebrity editor. When reached for comment, Healy said, 'The funny thing is that I was originally deciding between writing a murder-mystery novel and about working at a celebrity magazine.' She added, 'The book is a giggle; it?s not really meant to be a thesis about the behind-the-scenes in wrangling celebrity covers.'"
Out: Leonardo DiCaprio, according to that significant cultural artifact The National Enquirer; stunning mannequin Giselle Bundchen -- she of the studied Sphynx like glare -- wants our favorite oversexed Scorpio named Leo to stop fucking other women. Riight (Averted gaze). Like that's going to happen:
"The rumored engagement of Leonardo DiCaprio, 29, and supermodel giggle B�ndchen, 23, doesn't seem to be slowing down The Aviator star's partying ways. On June 9, DiCaprio hung with actor pal Lukas Haas at Hollywood's Concorde nightclub, where they invited about a dozen to come to his Hollywood Hills home for a nightcap, an eyewitness says. Two days later, he hit the scene at Prey (Ed Note: What a meaningful name!), another L.A. hot spot, where he again reportedly hand-picked ladies for a late night get-together around 3 a.m.
"However, the next day, he and B�ndchen looked like the picture of domestic bliss as they shopped for plants in New York City. A source tells Star that the Brazilian-born model is waiting for DiCaprio to outgrow his party-monster ways."
Note to Giselle with the �mlauts: Rich, famous, irreligious Scorpio men who are regarded as godlike on the continent of Asia tend stop partying and settle down into monogamous, bourgois behavior when they are, oh, deep into their mid to late 70s.
In: Ben Affleck was embarrassed, according to Matt Damon in B Magazine (link via Ananova):
"... (Damon) admitted that Ben found it difficult to deal with the pressure of the high profile relationship.
"'I really felt for him because if you're on the cover of a magazine, it's generally to promote a movie... He was so embarrassed.'"
Out: Washingtonienne is getting 300 large for her book. We are so jealous, although ... er, we wouldn't want to do quite what she did to get the gig. I mean, aren't Americans already fucked by the Senate and the House? Why compound a bad situation and make it worse.
In: A propos of nothing, I have been reading St. Augustine's Confessions and while, no, I am not converting to Catholicism and giving up the blog, this essay, comparing and contrasting the moral schemes of both Augustine and Nietzsche is really fucking interesting. I've always thought that virtually every question of morality down the line, from citizenship to the meaning of power, lies somewhere in between the philosophies of Nietzsche and Augustine, one who just touched the Middle Ages, and the other who caressed the Postmodern (we really must come up with a less self-consciously ironic name for Our Age, how about, after Einstein, the Age of Relativity). Forgive me for being the eternal college student, I just turned 33 and The Big Questions are assaulting me, big time; you'll understand when you turn 33.
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