Stylista judge and Elle creative director Joe Zee may or may not be ruining the magazine, may or may not be polluting the magazinewith shirtless model boys, but most certainly is leveraging the magazine to cement his own brand.

Enter "From A to Zee," the most clever take on "From A to Z" since Centrum's "From A to Zinc." Zee's new web feature is a 26-page listing of his favorite things for fall; if popular, we see the feature returning in the winter, spring, and that season when everybody leaves New York.

But as with any "A to Z" list, where objects of desire must begin with the letter of the alphabet on whose page they appear, we're never impressed with what they can come up with for letters like B, G, or M. Give a second-grader some blocks with letters on 'em, and he'll be able to find a word that begins with C ("car") or H ("harlequin").

It's those tricky letters, like Q, X, Y, and Z, that must impress us.

Inevitably, X always turns into something that is "Xtreme" (as it does with Zee's list) or "X Marks the Spot," as it does in Departure magazine's "Dress Code: The A-to-Z Style Guide" this month. But how does Zee manage with for the rest of the challenging alphabet?

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It comes down to this: Nina Garcia and Anne Slowey played for separate teams under the same owner. Garcia, the former Elle fashion director who's now connected to the magazine in name only, was a protege of creative director Gilles Bensimon, who did not time to check his wristwatch for incoming Elle editor Robbie Myers, who arrived in 2000. Slowey, the fashion news editor and star of Elle's new fall reality show Stylista, is in the Myers camp, though perhaps only because she wasn't in the Bensimon camp.

Which isn't to say these two never got along — they did — but in the end, it explains why we've heard handfuls of stories, about both sides, trading gossip about each other.

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Once upon a time we ran some insider speculation that Joe Zee, Elle's always smiling creative director and judge on this fall's Stylista, was ruining the magazine. Today none of that matters, because there is a more interesting storyline: Zee hasn't spoken to Nina Garcia since she "left" the magazine for Marie Claire. Then again, who who from Elle is talking to Garcia? After the saucy way she left things with publisher Carol Smith, and the much-talked-about feuding between Garcia and editor-in-chief Robbie Myers, it's not like there's constant Twittering between the two parties. [MB]

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?

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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."

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Despite our excitement about Elle's The CW reality show Stylista, and fashion news director Anne Slowey playing the evil villainess, our behind-the-scenes spies are painting a less entertaining picture. At least for those working on the show.

As Jossip was the first to tell you last month, staffers have been roped into participating in the series unwillingly, being forced to ditch weekend plans to attend tapings at the show's faux office.

Now we're hearing two senior editors, Joann Pailey and Kate Lanphear, were blatantly lied to about their involvement on the show, originally being told they'd be extras, which they begrudgingly allowed, and then bait-and-switched into prominent roles as judges. "Both were completely humiliated and wanted nothing to do with it but were basically lied to by the powers that be," says an insider.

As for the overdramatic Slowey? "Where do you start," says our source.

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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.

Ever since Robbie Myers and Joe Zee decided they wanted their own television project, the Elle brand has taken hit after hit. While they got Nina Garcia to guest spot on Ugly Betty, the fall out from firing her couldn't have been the type of publicity they were after.

Then last week, Ben Widdicombe reported contestants on Elle's reality show Fashionista were "getting under the feet of people who are actually trying to run the magazine"; nevermind the show is being filmed in a fake office.

Now we hear the guest judges Elle has enlisted to grade the contestants keep canceling, which means Elle editorial staffers are being pressured to fill in. Meanwhile, "a number" of senior editors at the mag are "furious" over having to film the show on weekends, two days that are supposed to be a reprieve from the grind. So how are those Elle staffer retaliating?

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On top of its Nina Garcia drama, Elle is now getting melodramatic calls from inside the house. It seems the reality show Robbie Myers and Joe Zee fought so hard for, Fashionista, is causing the staff to revolt. "The contestants, who are being put through various cockamamie challenges, are just getting under the feet of people who are actually trying to run the magazine. 'It's a nightmare,' one insider complained. 'And his real assistant hates it. No one believes they're actually going to hire the person who wins the reality show.'"

SO NOT TRUE! When Seventeen magazine aired MTV's Miss Seventeen in 2005, they totally hired winner Jennifer Steele. As an intern. (Then again, show quitter Brianne Burrowes also scored a minion gig.)

Back in December, we heard Elle chieftess Robbie Myers, and creative director/hatchet man Joe Zee, were looking to oust fashion director Nina Garcia. Naturally, Elle spokespeeps refused comment, which, to us, confirmed our story, but behind the scenes they were denying things.

Cut to today: Elle is said to have "parted company" with Garcia, says WWD. Nobody likes a liar.

It was just last weekend (as in six days ago), we're told, that she filmed her Ugly Betty cameo along with Runway winner Christian Siriano.

Meanwhile, as Jossip also first reported, Myers and Zee were looking to book their own TV gigs at the expense of Garcia; as we predicted, that's taking place with reality show Fashionista.

So we're not entirely surprised to see Garcia make her exit, but the timing is suspect. Or is it? Elle's relationship with Project Runway, where Nina was a judge, is theoretically also in jeopardy now that the franchise is moving from Bravo to Lifetime. Let's hope this is everything Robbie Myers was hoping for …

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.

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Although Elle always had "no comment" for us when we asked them to confirm they were working on a TV project aside from Nina Garcia's involvement in Project Runway, it's clear they've finally found a skein to latch on to.

As we were the first to report in December, Elle EIC Robbie Myers and creative director Joe Zee were running around town meeting with various TV outfits, including Ugly Betty and America's Next Top Model.

Now it seems Myers' minions have sealed a deal with the latter, with Zee and Anne Slowey signing on to a Tyra Banks-Ken Mok-produced project for The CW that's billed as The Devil Wears Prada meets The Assistants. Rumor has it, the show will be called Fashionista, with the contestants all gunning for the grand prize of a gig at Elle.

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.

Are the power-loving (but sometimes well-meaning) twosome running Elle looking to get rid of Nina Garcia? Yes, we're hearing. Is it likely EIC Roberta Myers and creative director Joe Zee will? Of course not.

Two words: Project Runway.

"It is no secret they would like to have Nina Garcia go away," says a source. "Unfortunately she is in TV show that has garnered the magazine many readers, advertising dollars, and also a lot of exposure for the fashion director they want out."

So what are they to do? Find their own TV experience! "They have been shopping around for a show to replace hers and let others know they ALSO exist."

Already they've reached out the produces of Ugly Betty to discuss cameo appearances for both of them. America's Next Top Model producers were also at Elle recently, interviewing staffers about casting a new reality show about the magazine, where contestants compete to become … a fashion assistant. Take that, Nina-compoop.

• Reuters bullpenner Ty Trippet explains why the news service may have put the lives of 21 South Korean hostages at risk because of a faulty report. ABC, who "confirmed" the report independently, also finds itself backtracking. (Did we mention it was the competition – the Associated Press – that jumped on this story?) [AP]

• Having got a look at Portfolio, it's time for Fortune EIC Andy Serwer to gloat. Then again, it's Jon Friedman's who's suggesting he start gloating, so nevermind. [MW]

• New-ish Elle creative director Joe Zee's biggest problem so far hasn't been how to handle the Lindsay Lohan September issue while the starlet deals with her cocaine bust — but how to get Gilles Bensimon off the masthead once and for all. [NYT]

• In the Manhattan Media-owned New York Press, there won't be any more tranny hooker ads. But there will be a Brooklyn edition! [NYO]

• Dylan Stableford has an exciting skateboard project to work on, which is why he's leaving Mediabistro's FishbowlNY. Perhaps Laurel Touby didn't offer any bonuses? Neal Ungerleider and Ron Mwangaguhunga – both with last names we're not sure how to pronounce – are taking over. (Announce-y type emails after the jump.)

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Why can't working at a women's fashion magazine be as easy as the lifestyle perpetrated by women's fashion magazines? For starters, Elle creative director Joe Zee does not exist in the lifestyle portion of the previous sentence.

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Though you already heard it elsewhere, Hachette Filipacchi's Elle has confirmed the appointment of Joe Zee as creative director.

See, Ariel Foxman? There is hope for a life after editing a failed men's shopping title.

Full release, after the jump.

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Taking off early for Christmas just wouldn't be right without leaving you with another edition of Scoop Wars, which asks: Is Women's Wear Daily picking up where Radar's Jeff Bercovici left off? The former Memo Pad scribe and current Radar gossip has run into a score of trouble for repurposing the exclusives of the competition and other misdeeds at his new gig, and now more one media watcher pointed out to us that an item by Irin Carmon in today's WWD column is remarkably similar to Jim Shi's Fashion Week Daily report. That ran on, ahem, Monday.

So what's the news all about? Joe Zee, the editor of Vitals before the floor fell out from under him, is landing at Elle as creative director. Jim Shi had nearly all the details about the new post – plus bonus anecdotes and insider staffer gossiping! – except confirmation. Which was a bit hard to come by when Zee denied the move because he was still under contract with Conde Nast. Fast forward to today's Carmon item, where news comes that Zee has "fulfilled contractual obligations to Condé Nast" and is summarily taking the Elle gig.

We tried touching base with the girls at Memo Pad to see how these paths got crossed and one item became two, but have yet to hear back.

So who gets the win this Scoop War?

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• E&P editor Joe Strupp lambasted for championing the Internet when, like, nobody understands it.

• NYT wading in the best job applicant pool: The New York Observer. Rebecca Dana is said to be departing Jared Kushner's camp for a seat alongside Bill Carter.

• Those redacted Iran documents are now all yours. Gee, whiz, NYT!

• Deborah Needleman, Jacob Weisberg, Malcolm Gladwell and Kim France all have nobody but each other this holiday.

• Google News alerts get the LAT into trouble.

• Joe Zee joins Ariel Foxman in finally landing a new job post-shopping mag fall out.

• Tina Fey to make bad 30 Rock jokes at Writers Guild Awards.

• LAT ain't giving Hispanics enough lovin'.