Whoops, The Media, it looks like all your jobs have been outsourced to the Internet. While Notre Dame faculty held a conference for aspiring journalists to feed them lies like "If you can write well and gather news, you will always have a job," the current situation in the press rooms speak otherwise. Jobs are being cut (god forbid you are a movie critic these days), whole papers are folding (god forbid you are The Sun these days), and the industry in general is desperately lashing out at whatever available resource they can get their hands on to keep afloat. Unfortunately, that means grabbing up journalism students once they graduate and putting them in unpaid or minimally paid internships that go nowhere.
Unfortunately for the papes, there are some paying jobs for students out there, in the burgeoning and exciting field of blog writing! CONTINUED »
Either Ian Parker was giving Alex Baldwin a really long back-handed compliment, or the 8,500 words he used to describe his interview with the actor is an accurate description of how depressing it is to be a Baldwin.
Baldwin, 50, has had a long career in films, is currently winning awards for his role of Tina Fey's boss on 30 Rock, and is the most successful of his tribe. Yet the man just can't seem to catch a break, at least in his own mind. And he's going to tell you allllllll about it: CONTINUED »
Gawker's scruffy-haired managing editor Choire Sicha is either an edgy, post-modern social anthropologist or a bitter self-loathing Jew. Either way, he's still single. [Queerty]
• Britney Spears' timing of her divorce announcement could've been a snub to Us Weekly to favor People. Except Britney is snubbing People, too.
• Very important people have lots to say about Ed Bradley's death.
• It was former LAT editor John Carroll who first suggested the newspaper's current bidder Eli Broad make a play for it.
• Just because you give the rich a shiny magazine for free doesn't mean they'll read it.
• Choire Sicha will be live blogging the Out 100 party tonight. Clearly, he'll also be drinking heavily.
• Rachel Congdon goes from vlog to HBO. We hear Ellen DeGeneres followed that same path.
• Is a Radar exclusive really ever an exclusive?
• The real victims in all these celebrity divorces are the court clerks who have to dig up the documents.
Do you have a journal (actual paper, not a blog) where you babble on about random stuff that has to do with being nerdy-fabulous in New York? Well, Choire Sicha is desperately seeking your contributions for the New York Observer. There's just one catch: no college grads. You can have attended college and then dropped out, or applied and never gone, or you can just have spent your post-high school years fishing upstate and/or roaming about Washington Square Park begging for change, playing chess, and bumming cigs from NYU kids.
You should probably be smart-ish (or just know lots of large words) — but just don't be "degreed." Sicha has enough well-bred intelligence floating around his desk (office? we don't know) for now.
College drop-outs and never-applieds are invited to pitch or send, for consideration, stories to The Daily Transom at csicha@observer.com. Written is fine; if not, a good pitch—since you don't have no prof to tell you—is about three sentences long, contains the nugget of news obtained or sought, shows flair, and has nothing to do with any of the following:
· Celebrity poker
· Food-eating competitions
· Ryan Adams
· MisShapes
· Janice Dickinson
· Stunt karaoke
· The Museum of Sex
· Speed-dating
· "9/11"
· MySpace
· A strange coincidence.Email any questions. Proof of non-attendance is required. Pay is somewhere between "a pittance" and "sure better than a day's work digging ditches." Opportunities for advancement not un-possible.
A word of advice: your chances of landing gig will possibly be improved if you show up for a face-to-face drunk and/or on drugs.
Screw J-School: Transom Seeks College No-Gos, Drop-Outs for Digital Apprenticeships [The Transom, New York Observer]
We aren't the only ones who noticed David Carr's piece in the New York Times today seemed a little to close for comfort to what was basically the same exact article written by Michael Calderone in the New York Observer two weeks ago. But that's not going to stop us from reiterating.
From Carr's piece today:
Many reporters are now forced to conduct themselves like C.I.A. operatives, encoding files, shredding notes and switching cellphones. But technology also makes forensics on determining where leaks came from far easier.
From Calderone's piece :
“With this crazy environment, with subpoenas and so on, there is this feeling that you have to act like a drug dealer or a Mafioso,” Mr. Barstow said ….
Mr. Barstow said he suggests disposing of story drafts and cutting back on telephone and e-mail contact with sources—or using disposable cell phones for important calls. Reporters should be wary of meeting sources at their offices, Mr. Barstow said, so as to avoid sign-in sheets and security cameras.
Sure, Carr went the CIA route versus the drug dealer route – also a big surprise, considering he is the new king of drug lit – but more or less it's the same piece.
But that's not the only Carr news we received today. Check out Fishbowl, NY:
So what does Carr think about being one of the poster children for publishing's "Rehab Lit" movement? "I don't think about it," Carr said, adding that he liked Choire Sicha's recent piece in the New York Observer on the budding phenomenon.
In October, look for a Times piece by Carr, about himself, which will incorporate lines like, "Members of A.A. have been struggling with the significance of that second “A” for more than half a century."
An Obsession With Leaks and Plugs [David Carr, New York Times]
Times Studies How to Shake Feds: Disposable Phones, Erasable Notes: "Act Like a Drug Dealer" [Michael Calderone, New York Observer]
Rehab Lit: David Carr Sorting Through 30 Hours Of Video, 40 Hours Of Audio For Addiction Memoir [Fishbowl, NY]
Well, we guess it was inevitable. How Jim Romenesko and Mediabistro had the news before we did may be a sign that we are among the reasons Sploid wasn't sold off. We, like most people, didn't really read the site, though we did sort of take comfort in knowing it was there. And when Nick Denton and Lockhart Steele announced last month that Sploid was on the buy or bust block, we sort of had a feeling the era would quickly be ending.
Just like YouTube, Lebanon, Joe Lieberman, newspaper circulation and airline travel, Sploid is being demolished.
It is a great victory for bullshit peddlers everywhere … if they had any idea Sploid existed.
And though we weren't the greatest fans, the death of a blog is always a bit more heart wrenching than the death of a mag. Even when it's Denton's. Do yourself a favor and read the re-cap of Sploid, the blog without a blog, just so you don't look like a moron when you're at a party and the family is all gathered around spewing weird words like Sicha and Chicago.
It's a very educational essay. For instance, we just learned that their demise stemmed from week one, when they were compared to the the Drudge Report.
Goodbye Forever [Sploid via Mediabistro]
We know we're supposed to read the New York Observer for the insider media gossip and Gabe Sherman's copious coverage of the New York Times. But, as New Yorkers who love our social lives almost as much as our jobs, we can't help but let our eyes wonder into the Transom section for the socialite gossip and then over Suzy Hansen for the latest gossip on Brooklyn.
Today, however, we were a bit surprised. Not only was the paper' cover story about movie stars, but both Choire Sicha and Hansen had movie reviews. (Yes, we realize coverage of The Devil Wears Prada focused on the premiere party, but still.)
The Observer on The Devil Wears Prada:
The film, jaw-droppingly good and very satisfying and somehow containing Meryl Streep at her unbelievable best, describes New York as a horrible, horrible place of people who never say goodbye on the phone, who do not give a shit about each other, who cannot live without car services, and who live secure in the belief, as the film’s not–Anna Wintour puts it, that “Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.â€
The Observer on The Break-Up:
The Break-Up is instead about a relationship as a superficial arrangement; the actors are reduced to their conventional relationship wants and needs, not their romantic ones. In The Break-Up, the terms are, or have become, practical, not passionate. The film portrays modern cohabitation: Xbox headsets, convenient live-in situations, real estate, e-mail break-ins, e-mail, text-messaging, work-life balance.
Which is fine. Surprising, but … fine. The only thing we wonder is, when Robert De Niro comes, will they only be allowed to cover movies that star Chloe Sevigny and Jason Schwartzman?
The Devil Wears Prada Premiere [Choire Sicha, New York Observer]
Defending Break-Up [Suzy Hansen, New York Observer]
Reporting on the gay bashing of drag queen Kevin Aviance, the New York Times never did, outright, label Aviance as "a drag queen" in its two articles (one, by Kareen Fahim, and two, with Sarah Garland co-bylining) thus far about the incident — and that got Slate's Eric Umansky in a tiff. Why the fence leaning on what to call Aviance, West 43rd? He's labeled a "dance recording arist," "Manhattan singer," and part of a "group of like-minded people."
Except, as the New York Observer's Choire Sicha points out, there wasn't that much ambivalnce to Aviance's profession. Writing in to Romenesko (which is about the closest media folks can get to Penthouse Forum), Sicha retorts:
That paper's first article on the attack of Mr. Aviance in the East Village appeared on June 11, was headlined "3 Arrested in Attack on Singer on East Side," and is, oddly enough, slugged on the web as "11drag.html." More relevantly, it contains this phrase: "Mr. Aviance performs in drag but was "dressed like a boy," before the attack…."
On June 12, in a story called "Fourth Man Is Arrested After Attack on a Dance Recording Artist in the East Village" (slugged "12beating.html" on the web), a picture of Mr. Aviance in an off-the-shoulder gown accompanies the story.
The reporters at the Times on this story — particularly Kareem Fahim — deserve more respect, and a better reading of their work, than Mr. Umansky has given. (And perhaps Mr. Umansky could spare some outrage for the revolting conclusion of this incident: 40+ years after Kitty Genovese, and New Yorkers will still walk right by someone being beaten on the street without intervening.)
Reuters, however, is sticking to "gay performance artist." There is no mention of "drag" in their report.
Umansky's wrong about NYT [Romenesko]
The Times' Drag Queen Problem [Eric Umansky]
Fourth Man Is Arrested After Attack on a Dance Recording Artist in the East Village [NYT]
3 Arrested in Attack on Singer on East Side [NYT]
Hate Crime Alleged in Aviance Beating [Reuters]
Sure, last night might've been the official start to Passover, but in media land, we're not the only ones who miss deadlines. Which is why only today are we getting around to polling various personalities from inside the bubble as to their holiday plans, whether they're more likely to suffer from mother's guilt (and celebrate Passover) or daddy's drinking (and celebrate Easter) — or, like us, both. Let's see who else will be dipping their herbs (in gin) twice.
Jeff Bercovici, Women's Wear Daily
I attended a seder in the west village last night. We had Maxwell House-sponsored haggadahs that seemed to have been translated from Hebrew into Yiddish, then into Russian, German, and finally English, by someone who spoke none of those languages. This morning I had pancakes and pork sausage for breakfast. Take that, Yahweh!
Joe Scarborough, MSNBC
Going to be hosting an Easter egg hunt for my little girl's friends at our home in Pensacola, FL. If it's anything like last year, all the adults will be enjoying adult conversation and beer while I am dressed up like a 6'4" Peter Cottontail, sweating my rabbits' feet off.
Sunday to church and lunch with the family.
Tray Butler, HX
Normally Easter is the weekend of my annual pajama party, which has become a notorious tradition among friends over the years. I’m actually putting the ‘jamas and jelly-bean shots on hold this year for the sake of a more wholesome holiday, heading South to hide Easter eggs for my four-year-old brother. (Yes, there’s a bit of an age gap. Long story.) I’ll also hopefully catch up with a few friends in the ATL, and those kids are crrrazy. I’ll be packing some PJs, just in case.
Jack Shafer, Slate
I worship no deity, including the newly improved Jesus Christ. That means I'm available to break bread wirth anybody who asks me to attend their celebration. I have no invitations in hand, so I'll probably grill something and drink beer on Sunday.
Choire Sicha, New York Observer
Well, I don't know the month of Nisan from a Nissan. I prefer to use any of these less-high Holy Days to sit idly at my desk, IMing with the goyim. After sundown, I'll be playing poker, chain-smoking, and eating pepperoni pizza. Please send someone around on Sunday to roll away the emotional stone that keeps me trapped in my house on weekends.
Jesse Oxfeld, Gawker
I will, as always, be heading to the American Jew's promised land: The New Jersey suburbs. I believe today's Pesach Express leaves Penn Station at 5:20. I should be back in the city by 11 (as I was last night, too), ready to commence Gawking again in the morning. In observance of the holiday, though, I do write while reclining.
After the jump: Post-It Keith Kelly, Times ad man Stuart Elliott, Gawker gal Jessica Coen, Huffington Post's Rachel Skarl, and the NYO's Gabe Sherman.
CONTINUED »
It has been quite an emotional morning over at Jossip. We're not sure if it was the extra shot of Johnny Walker in our au laits, or the mini shiva we just hosted for the death of a Boldface, but now, a profile of a fallen gossip mogul is practically moving us to tears.
Choire Sicha spent an evening with Jared Paul Stern on Monday night, in the midst of reporters' calls (we have no idea who could have been ringing so often) … and plenty of gin.
It was cocktail hour inside Mr. Stern’s home in the Catskills on Monday, April 10, a little after 5 p.m. His house—tall and pointy and white and green, like a comic-book schoolhouse—is tucked in a plateau on a steep hill. Over the weekend, the local police had removed photographers and reporters from the property.
The rest reads less like the gossip focused profiles in the New York Times or the Daily News and more like the makings of a JPS bio. Pure gossip poetry.
The harder news on Stern comes in the form of a time line, mapping out the moment of exchange between Stern and Ron Burkle, complete with "the tapes" the FBI investigation and the dangers of owning a clothing line.
So far, Wednesday is shaping up to be quite an emotional ride through the dark underbelly of the gossip world. And as if things couldn't get worse, we just found out that they are letting Britney Spears' keep her baby.
In Jared’s Cottage [Choire Sicha, New York Observer]
Burkl'd: How Billionaire And Page Sixer Both Got Stung [Jason Horowitz, Anna Schneider-Mayerson and Gabriel Sherman, New York Oserver]
• "Good" and "bad" are not descriptive enough words for reviews of books. (We would add "or reviews of book reviewers" to that concept.) [Slate]
• Choire Sicha says he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing as the editor of Gawker. But, as an editor at the Observer, he is definitely supposed to call publicists stupid. [PR Week]
• Only James Wolcott could fall in love with the checkout line at Barnes & Noble. [VF]
• Diane Sawyer should probably just end it now, before they make her a host on CNN. [Sun]
• There is no such thing as much too much Bonnie Fuller gossip. We thought we'd offer you the option of splurging with a third helping today. [Variety]
• Please, people. There is a very good reason why Elle Girl had to die: its audience grew up. [Ad Age]
Perhaps the best description of the New York Observer's style of writing:
obscure pidgin-hybrid of Klingon and Upper East Side Douchebag
Even better: The same item this delineation comes from reports on former Gawker scribe Choire Sicha namecalling blogs. It's a lovely entree into the weekend in that gossip about gossip kind of way.
Irrelevant pink weekly to bloggers: Get Serious! [FrinkTank]
Raise your hand if you're surprised Choire Sicha tackled the Brokeback Mountain item. Anyone?
You know that fagala threw himself onto the conference table to secure the assignment.
Chokeback Mountain [NYO]
• Good Morning America's much sought after weatherman Tony Perkins is splitting the Disney network for, uh, local news. He's signed on with Washington's Fox affiliate WTTG-TV, where he'll be a "weather anchor and as a contributor in other ways." Moral advisor, maybe? [TVNewser]
• Judith Miller is back in front of a grand jury today, where we're hoping she'll finally shed light on how she continues to look angrier than look-a-like Anna Wintour. [E&P]
• Disney joins Viacom and NBC Universal in suing to quash new FCC rules that require expanded children's educational programming expanded. Yes, the Mickey Mouse company doesn't want to be forced to brainwash children. [LAT]
• If it weren't for Jon Friedman's daily ramblings on media shlack, you might not have known that the New York Times' purchase of About.com didn't fit into the company's news empire expansion. [MarketWatch]
• Crime doesn't pay, except when you illegally pay radio stations to play your clients' songs, and then it pays quite nicely actually. Well, until you get fired. [LAT]
• Is anyone really surprised to see another gay-themed article by Choire Sicha? Color us impressed. [New York Observer]
Editorial Director
