Despite Barack Obama's insistence that his Access Hollywood/People family interview would be the last tres personal access he granted, the September issue of Essence features a familiar cover: Barack and his three Obama ladies all together! With a cover story from PBS host and MSNBC regular Gwen Ifill, the Obamas are described as those who "pride themselves on creating a family picture that is authentically black with shades of Norman Rockwell." But how did Essence score such access? Ah, right: Because, like People, it's published by Time Inc., and the photos were snapped during the same Butte, Montana, set up that People used. But now that all of Butte's access has been used up, is this the end of Obamamania for the magazine industry? Heh, good one.

You can find Lady Michelle on the current issue of Ebony, all by herself. What was going to be a fashion profile of the potential First Lady, the article "took a different turn once Michelle Obama encouraged [creative director Harriette] Cole to take a trip to Chicago and speak to her inner circle of friends and family." Not that Ebony was going to write anything critical about Michelle, but what a lovely way to secure favorable coverage: By asking a personal favor from the edit staff.

[WWD]