FALL HAS FALLEN NBC will no longer unveil its new lineup in the fall, as networks have done for no good reason since the radio days. Since people watch TV during the winter, spring and summer as well, the network will stagger its shows throughout the year. An NBC spokespipe claims “this is going to change the industry.” And by change the industry, they mean formally acknowledge a trend that has been happening for years. [NYT]
PUNCTUATION STATION The Wall Street Journal’s new magazine will be called WSJ. Not WSJ, but WSJ. Right about here, we wish italics made a difference on periods. The point is, we care. And we don’t understand why either. [WWD]
BLOGGER GOES BIG TIME Josh Marshall, author of the ever wonky Talking Points Memo, became the first blogger to win a Polk award this year. Maybe there is something to this whole internet thing. [Attytood]
THE 50 STATE SOLUTION The New York Observer is 20% complete with their new project, Politicker. This site is a hub for political news from all 50 sites; ten states have launched so far. The plan is to put a journalist with a laptop and a BlackBerry in the state capital and let them go. We'll be sure to let you know about any openings in the Honolulu bureau. [NYT]
PERSPECTIVES "One in four newspaper jobs have disappeared since newspaper employment peaked in 1990." If you're currently employed in media, you can either feel lucky or depressed about that news. We choose lucky. Much like death, what's the point of about getting depressed about our inevitable lay-off now? [AdAge]
SPEAKING OF BITCHES … Did anyone read the State the Unions column in Sunday Styles and think that the marriage was doomed and their kids were in trouble? And as long as we're on the topic of Vows, the New York Times seems desperate for couples for their video feature. The couple this week met on Craigslist.
VIDEO GAMES ARE STUPID When did it become socially acceptable for adults to sit around playing video games all day? We blame Guitar Hero, the game that enables office managers to think of themselves as musicians, if not heroes. And for these people, there is no greater hero than Joe Perry, a middle aged man who looks good in spandex. So in the ultimate act of wish-fulfillment synergy, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Edition" is coming out in June. Dream on indeed. [MTV]
Being a designer, philanthropist and part time copyrighter isn’t enough. Kenneth Cole is starting his own blog because “I've always been a frustrated activist.”
Based on his billboards, his issues include dress sizes and shoes. One wonders why KC doesn’t take his brand of celebrity activism to the one-stop blogspot for celebrity activism, the Huffington Post. Maybe Kenneth Cole thinks he better than the Huffington Post.
We’ve been to the midtown store. He’s not.
COUPLES WE ARE NOT JEALOUS OF Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo had what passes for Italian in Dallas for Valentine's Day. According to an insider, "They sat in a corner booth to try and get some privacy." Yeah, these two seem so desperate for privacy. Everything about their date, from the champagne to the chocolate mousse, is about as a trite as their relationship. [People]
ANTICIPATING AN ANXIETY ATTACK Don’t stress, but in two weeks, Starbucks will close for three hours. It’s scary. Believe us, we know. On February 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Starbucks is retraining all of its employees. That means for three hours, there will be no non-fat, decaf lattes. Yuppies are going to take to the streets and this city will fall apart. [Seattle Times]
A VALENTINE'S DAY SURVEY WORTH TAKING In terms of masturbating, most people think of Valentine's Day as any other day. [Fitted Sweatpants]
STILL :( Michelle Williams is still bummed about the death of her ex-lover/father of her child. Whatever, that was like two news cycles ago. We kid. The death of Heath Ledger continues to be very sad. [People]
SOMEONE DIDN'T READ THE RULES Scarlett Johansson refused to speak to an Us Weekly reporter because of the plastic surgery feature they did on her. Um, that's how the tabloid industry works. They say horrible things about you, and you continue to grant them access to promote your movies and/or relationships. [NYDN]
PEACOCK SHAKE-UP TVNewser is reporting that NBC is going to close its Dallas and Chicago bureaus. Some staff members will move to the local owned and operated stations; Chicago will fall into the New York hub, Dallas will go to the Los Angeles hub. [TVNewser]
EVEN COWBOYS GET THE BLUES The Naked Cowboy is suing Mars for their "Naked M&M" ad in Times Square. The real cowboy claims the anthropomorphic one is infringing on his trademark of making an ass of himself in Times Square. He wants $6 million, but would probably settle for much, much less. As the tourists say, "Only in New York!" [Gothamist]
UGH Rumor has it that NBC might sue the WGA for canceling the Golden Globes. Does NBC even have a PR consultant? [Deadline Hollywood]
SPARE The writers strike is officially over. 92.5% of writers agreed to end the strike. The other 7.5% just wanted to continue their vacation. [NYT]
POSER According to rumors, Fergie is pregnant with Josh Duhamel's baby. Even though they're engaged and stuff, we never thought that was a real relationship. But now there's proof that the two are intimate with each other, or a fertility doctor at the least. [Page Six]
NEWSSTANDS ARE FOR SUCKERS And yet people continue to buy magazines from them. Despite its price hike, Us Weekly's newsstand sales grew by 10% according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations report. We know people who choose not to subscribe to Us Weekly because they'd rather get it earlier in the week at a higher cost from newsstands. These people are idiots, but fortunately they have found the right magazine for themselves. [NYT]
Editorial Director
