Dan Abrams, with a future client?

The Ghostbusters do not, in fact, take unsolicited calls, which leaves open the question, "When crisis hits, who you gonna call?" Former MSNBC general manager and ex-Verdict host Dan Abrams hopes you've got his business card tucked away, and you'll end up on the line with Abrams Research, the strapping gent's newly formed media counsel firm.

Armed with a phalanx of media know-it-alls — including former Huffington Post media critic Rachel Sklar, ex-media mogul Steven Brill, and former American Media editorial director Bonnie Fuller, who could all use an hourly wage these days — Abrams' new outfit (first client: Ron Perelman!) can put together a "mock jury" for a client suffering a public relations crisis, made up of the very people who are normally responsible for fleshing out the public relations crisis and who, supposedly, could best guide a client out of such a matter.

Critics, naturally, are jumping all over this thing, fingering the grey matter between journalism and what's basically public relations spin, says the WSJ. Since Abrams, son of famed First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, turns to journo types to offer advice to clients, what happens when those same media industry fellas are later asked to, say, report on the matter? Dicey!

Interestingly, Abrams isn't alone in his post-MSNBC strategy.

After leaving the network, former MSNBC editorial director Davidson Goldin started his own media consultancy, DolceGoldin, whose clients include disgraced-cum-celebrated novelist James Frey. And who is the "Dolce" in Mr. Goldin's firm? That would be Joe Dolce, former Star magazine editor, who once worked alongside Ms. Fuller, she of Mr. Abrams employ.

So really, what's the big deal here? At some point in time, everybody in the media biz will have worked for or with each other, reported on or about each other, and have penetrated or been penetrated by each other. Win win.

And really, Abrams couldn't have started his firm at a better time. Now that he's dating Elle Macpherson, he might have to call together a panel of media bloggers to decide how to fend off against the negative publicity Ms. Macpherson's drug-running ex-boyfriend might attract.

[Photo: Huffington Post]