The sniping inside Elle continues, and the fella with the biggest target on his head is creative director Joe Zee.
Fresh off bitter internal reviews of the the magazine’s reality show Stylista comes more criticism of Zee, who, with editor Robbie Myers, threw a viewing party for the twosome’s Ugly Betty season finale cameos.
“Your story about the hype of the ‘1 second’ cameo for Joe Zee on Ugly Betty was very accurate,” says a spy. “No one could believe he would throw a party for such a thing. He is such a lens fly - will do or go anywhere to get on TV.”
But it’s not just Zee’s vanity that’s vexing staffers. It’s what it’s costing the magazine. A source says all of Zee’s personal vamping and obsession with being on TV – and, apparently, in the magazine: he’s spotted with Rihanna in her issue’s table of contents – means “he has taken his eye off the ball at his day job.” Translation? CONTINUED »
Though we only trust Nielsen’s ratings numbers about as much as Lindsay Lohan’s denials about enjoying a smooch with Samantha Ronson now and then, the ratings company is the bearer of bad news for the starlet and her fam.
Lohan’s guest appearance on Ugly Betty’s season finale only bumped audience numbers up by 300k from the previous week’s episode; and that number was down 16.2 percent from last season’s finale. [E!]
Not only that, but Lohan fatigue is on its way to officially becoming a trend: E!’s Living Lohan, which only mama Dina, sister Ali, and that little boy appear in, couldn’t even beat Denise Richards’ own reality show It’s Complicated, which premiered back-to-back. Living nabbed 1.45m viewers to Richards‘ 1.5m. [Us]
At least there’s a break between now and Lindsay’s Carlos Gardel biopic Dare to Love Me, which might mean box office receipts will be down a mere 85 percent from I Know Who Killed Me.
After all the chatter, Elle editor Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee made brief – we’re talking approx. one full second each – appearances on last week’s season finale of Ugly Betty, playing themselves when their magazine battled the show’s Mode in a softball match. (Spoiler: Mode won, but they had Naomi Campbell on their side.)
We won’t sweat the duo for throwing a viewing party in their own honor, which they did at the Tribeca Grand. (We’d be writing our moms, too, if we appeared on Betty!) And it’s clear that they made the most of their bit parts: “Myers switched her line to Williams after striking out to ‘Bite this’ from ‘Bite me’ because the latter sounded too crude, while Zee ad-libbed his own zinger [aimed at Williams’ character]: ‘I’m not going to be distracted by how fat you look in white.’” Brill!
One Elle staffer reacted to their appearance in this way: “It was great for the magazine from [a branding perspective], but they came across as complete assholes … which I guess is how Joe likes to be perceived anyhow.”
This is a video featuring Naomi Campbell that does not feature her surrounded by heroin, or throwing a phone. At least not at the help. It’s also an example of ABC’s brilliant promotional scheme for Ugly Betty, by delivering viewers additional content that they’re ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING.
Now. Where’s the Lindsay Lohan blooper reel?
Ya know who’s not excited about Ugly Betty moving to New York? The production crew that’s being left behind in Los Angeles, where the show has spent the last two years filming. So upset are they at losing their jobs, and the possibility that other shows could follow suit to the Big Apple, where tax credits for filmmakers have tripled, that they’re taking out a full page ad in Friday’s Variety “that begs state and Los Angeles officials to do something to keep productions local.” [DHD] They’re going after folks like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to do more to increase incentives to keep Hollywood, well, Hollywood. The text of the ad below. CONTINUED »
New York City’s recent tax credit increase for filmmakers is sure to bring plenty of indie YouTube uploaders to our fair town, but it’s also attracting the majors. Namely, ABC’s Ugly Betty, which normally shoots in Los Angeles but is said to be eying the city’s willingness to subsidize some of its $3m-per-episode budget. So expect sightings of Vanessa Williams at the Waverly, Eric Mabius at the Chelsea Market Building, and America Ferrera at Daffy’s.
Marie Claire’s Joanna Coles is said to be leveraging Elle’s up-in-the-air status as a Project Runway partner to scoot her own magazine in the door as the heading-to-Lifetime show’s magazine brand.
In other semi-PR related news, Ugly Betty, the ABC sitcom that’s been serving as a dumping ground for Runway personalities Christina Siriano, Nina Garcia, and Elle’s own Robbie Myers and Joe Zee, will see Lindsay Lohan grace the set. She began shooting her cameo on Saturday for the same episode Elle v. Mode softball game that had Naomi Campbell at bat. “Lindsay arrived on set 45 minutes early,” a source told Us, which totally means she’s on the wagon again.
UGLY BETTY, PRETTY NAOMI Watch Naomi Campbell swing a bat at something other than a member of the service industry. [Daily Mail]
And you thought Nina Garcia’s guest spot on Ugly Betty, airing Thursday was the only extension of the Elle brand into ABC primetime. Not so.
Now comes word that editor Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee are pulling a Me Too! and will also appear on the show, which actually fits in quite nicely with the rumors we reported back in December about the twosome holding talks with Ugly’s producers. (Those meetings, which included America’s Next Top Model’s producers, also yielded the Elle reality show Fashionista.) Myers and Zee will represent Elle in a softball game against the show’s Mode magazine, with Naomi Campbell guesting for the true-life magazine. (Easy joke: Will she be swinging at BlackBerrys?)
This, on the heels of Garcia having just been spotted (and trying to go unnoticed) leaving Hearst’s glass tower, where it can only be assumed she’s establishing her quote.
Ugly Betty actress Becki Newton no doubt enjoyed herself at last night’s GLAAD Media Awards. Newton and her castmates, including the ever-adorable Michael Urie, took home the prize for outstanding comedy series, while fellow ABC show, Brothers & Sisters, won in the drama category.
Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty accepted the Vanguard Award, and got a little friendly with presenter Ellen DeGeneres. Kathy Griffin won for My Life On The D-List, and shared the award with her lovely mother, just like a gay man!
Maybe-outgoing Elle fashion director Nina Garcia and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano filmed their Ugly Betty appearances last weekend, as Jossip was the first to tell you about, and now comes the photo evidence: This shot of the duo with the cast might be the last time Garcia was photographed as a Hachette employee. Sad!
News that Project Runway winner Christian Siriano would be making an Ugly Betty appearance was reported at least two weeks ago, but now ABC is confirming the rumor, and adding this twist: Judge and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia will also be appearing.
Which shouldn’t be that surprising if you’ve been following our coverage of the meetings Elle EIC Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee have been taking. CONTINUED »
Though Elle magazine had only “no comment” for us about whether EIC Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee were meeting with TV producers about various projects, we’ve learned they did sit down with Ugly Betty and America’s Next Top Model, but meetings fizzled, at least temporarily, because of the writer’s strike. (Even though reality show writers aren’t union, apparently all of Hollywood is not functioning at the moment.) So far, there have just been “talks,” which means any impact on fashion director Nina Garcia and her judging duties for Project Runway are a ways off.
Do you watch ABC’s Ugly Betty? Neither do we! But that doesn’t mean we’re not more than happy to acknowledge its multifaceted contribution to society.
First and foremost, it’s inspired strong, intelligent women with great personalities and below-average looks to follow their dreams of working in completely superficial environments where they’ll constantly be judged based on their physical attributes.
Second, it’s proved an invaluable comeback vehicle for previously forgotten-about actress/singer Vanessa Williams!
And third, it’s evidently helped to generate a significant rise in employment opportunities for Hispanics at all the major networks.
When British Glamour named Ugly Betty star Eric Mabius their “Man of the Year,” what they were really doing is asking: Would you come guest edit the magazine?
If Graydon Carter will let a musician like Bono play in his sandbox, surely an actor – who we know best as “that guy from The L Word who was dating the lesbian who didn’t know it yet” – should get the same opportunity. Which means instead of editing the fictional lady fashion magazine Mode, Mabius is “editing” the “If Men Edited Glamour” issue of an actual lady fashion magazine.
Which will likely look just like any other issue, but with more spreads dedicated to Rebecca Romijn.
Quite often, we’re in agreement with Nikki Finke, such as when she’s poking fun at the Los Angeles Times or wondering what Jeff Zucker is doing with a job, still, at NBC. And then there was the LA Weekly columnist’s Friday piece on ABC’s supposed hypocrisy about the gays.
On the one hand, ABC has fired Isaiah Washington for calling T.R. Knight a faggot. On the other hand, ABC’s programming, such as its daytime soaps, often carry anti-gay storylines. Is ABC having its sugar-free cake and eating it too? CONTINUED »
Editorial Director
