Even without a face to face interview, New York Magazine still manages to profile internet ace Matt Drudge this week with a very familiar lede.
In lieu of speaking with him, Philip Weiss talks to everyone surrounding him, learning Drudge began to lose his hair in high school, used to deliver the Washington Star and that back then, he was the one who was had trouble reaching people. When he was 15, he was arrested for making “annoying phone calls to a girl.”
Since then, Drudge has been on the straight shot to sanity.
At his $1 million-plus condo in Miami's Four Seasons hotel, Drudge ignores even a "note slipped under his door by the concierge … [and] numerous phone calls and e-mails requesting an interview." He also doesn't want your link suggestions, ya pageview hopefuls. [LAT]
You guys remember that day earlier this week, when all those Wall Street Guys collectively screamed profanities and got completely blitzed (i.e. more so than usual) at an after-work boozefest? It was probably because the Dow took a nose-dive, hitting its lowest numbers since September 11th, and inspiring amazing headlines such as "Giant Dow-Ner Socks Stocks."
But what caused this phenomenon?
Some say it was fedora-wearing Matt Drudge, and his annoying (albeit extremely attention-grabbing) news siren. Others have more boring explanations, involving terms like "capital gains tax" and "falling durable orders." But we're not interested in that sort of stuff, so we're sticking with the far sexier Drudge conspiracy theory.
Anyhow, here's a moderately biased recap of what happened on Tuesday (courtesy of ABC News) for those of you not-so-financially minded:
• First, former Federal Reserve chief, Alan Greenspan, says something fairly self-evident—and not at all incendiary about the U.S. economy.**
• Then…it turns out nobody cares. At all. Except for the Associated Press, who yawns, and makes a half-hearted effort to cover the story.
• Two days later, Drudge links to the story with a scary "Recession Is Now" themed headline, accompanied by that alarmist news siren.
• Suddenly, (Ka-DOW!) The stock market's in shambles, and our financy boyfriend's "not in the mood."
Today's headline by everyone's favorite Markwatch media monger: "The Drudge Report remains a vital guilty pleasure."
No news peg, no real reason to talk about Matt Drudge. But when has that ever gotten in the way of an irrelevant media column?
Ok, we know it's been a little while since we grabbed a Matt Drudge headline, but with this one, we just couldn't resist.
The site has since updated to "Mystery: Trash Bag In Space," which makes us think that somehow Hilary Swank's 2005 Oscars dress was launched into orbit.
NASA: Second Object Spotted Near Shuttle Appears To Be Bag [Local 6]
AccessHollywood.com's report last wek that Katie Couric wouldn't go to the Middle East to report wasn't a NBC Universal swipe at their ex-Today show anchor — it was just a regular, run-of-the-mill error.
On Wednesday, Access Hollywood's website posted an item quoting Katie Couric from May 30, when she was still co-anchor of the Today show, reacting to injured CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier; Couric said she would not go to Iraq, being a single mother of two children who already lost a father, and all. That quote, it turns out, was taken out of context in the AH item: At the Television Critics Association's annual event on July 16, fully representing her new post at CBS, Couric said she would go to the Middle East, especially in light of the current Lebanon situation.
It wasn't until the Drudge Report blared the AH item did anyone really notice the contradiction – and some folks updating Katie's Wikipedia entry – and set Katie's publicist Matthew Hiltzik reeling.
It took two hours between the article's initial filing on Access Hollywood's website for a corrected version to appear, we're told. But on a slow gossip Saturday, Page Six took the incident one step further — alleging (via a NBC source) that the item was a deliberate move from inside 30 Rock to bitchslap their former morning darling.
But after speaking to a NBC Universal insider with knowledge of the situation, we've learned nobody inside NBC chief Bob Wright's camp had anything to do with the AccessHollywood.com item. The erroneous posting was, in fact, just a screw up due to not fully vetting the interview transcript from May and failing to include Couric's most recent comments. So no, there's no conspiracy here. And we, of all people, we're hoping for one.
Which Anchors Put Themselves In The Line Of Fire? [AccessHollywood.com]
'ACCESS' BLOWS KATIE QUOTES [Page Six]
Ok, we get that Matt Drudge is trying to make some point about the celebration around the world over the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but … it's kind of freaking us out.
Mostly because, if only we had celebrated by shooting a gun in the air instead of drinking half a bottle of champagne last night, we wouldn't feel like we're staring into a mirror right now.
U.S. Shows Photos of Battered Al-Zarqawi [My Way via Drudge]
It's been awhile since we've had any solid Drudge Reports to report. But today, Drudgie gives us not only a photo worth gazing at, but also, some actually interesting information that contributes to our knowlege of current events.
Anderson Cooper has the top selling book? He beat out Tim Russert? Props, Coops! While currently, there is no link to the actual sotry… hence the "developing" aspect … one thing's for sure.
Arianna Huffington is surely sending Sklar out for a bottle of Veuve as we speak.
We gotta' hand it to Matt Drudge — again — there is a reason people read his site. And it's really not for the breaking news, but for the totally crazy random stuff he is able to pull from news outlets such as Central Florida's Channel 6 News.
It seems that some high schoolers in Brockton, Massachusettes are wearing Sesame Street t shirts, that depict Big Bird smoking a cig and other Muppets from the block with guns and knives.
On some, Oscar the Grouch emerges from his garbage can, wielding a 9 mm handgun. On others, Bert and Ernie are standing in a gang posture, armed with automatic weapons.
"We were amazed," said the school's principal, Susan Szachowicz. "You focus on the Sesame Street character. But the more we looked at it, the more we saw the things in it, the guns, the gang stuff."
We're not sure why, in this tee, Ernie looks like a psychotic killer while Big Bird gets to rock out and smoke (or what "gang posture" is), but what we really want to see is Snuffalupugus wearing a wife beater and hitting a bong.
School Bans Sesame Street Gang T-Shirts [Local 6]
Just when we thought the anorexic Nicole Richie jokes couldn't get taken any further, we come across this social commentary on high school anatomy books of the future.
Mostly because Matt Drudge has been relatively dissapointing of late with his not funny photos, we feel justified is bringing you this cartoonist attempt at humor. Plus, whatever — like, the New Yorker does it.
High School Textbooks of the Future? [Gallery of the Absurd]
Remember yesterday when thousands of immigrants all over the nation demonstrated against the administration's proposal of new immigration laws? And how the protest was supposed to be about freedom and equality and how our country strongly depends on the population of working class immigrants?
Matt Drudge reminds us that it's not just burritos. Who's going to make your sweet and sour chicken, mushroom pizza, and bagels with lox? Listen up America — we need illegals to eat! And don't say Drudge didn't warn you.
Vista Immigration Protest Turns Unruly [MSNBC via Drudge]
Oh Matt Drudge. What ever are we going to do with you?
Yes, we always knew you were gay, honey. But even we didn't know you were this flaming.
It's been at least a week since we've muttered "oh, Drudgie" under our tequila soaked breaths. But today, not even the lack of shit in a hotel bed can stop us from laughing at Matt Drudge's classic choice of photos to depict his stories.
Some may say he does this kind of ridiculous nonsense on purpose. We don't claim we'll ever really know how the mysterious mind of Drudge works. But we like to think if that is the case, that he's doing it just for us.
Bill Gates makes cryptic remark on Internet rights to China's Hu [Reuters via Druge Report]
Only Matt Drudge can appreciate the irony of placing fallic Duke devils next to a headline like this.
Drudge
Two Duke Lacrosse Players Are Arrested and Charged [Duff Wilson and John O'Neil, NYT]
Ok, actually this is yesterday's Drudge photo, but in our book, it most definitely takes the crazy cake.
Terrorizing vegetables? That's who we're worried about? What about the maniacs like us who browse Matt Drudge on the weekends, and were terrorized in our sleep after seeing a rabbit the size of a six-year-old?
And with Easter right around the corner, too.
Welcome to April — we hope you are all fully rested after losing a most precious full hour of sleep. But, in case you hit the snooze button a few too many times this weekend, we thought we'd fill you in on the immense craziness you may have missed.
As if a baby Wenner weren't enough to make our heads spin, lunch at Michael's on a Saturday really rocked our world. Bonnie Fuller and Janice Min lunched together while Atoosa Rubenstein stole the last Cobb salad, and Maer Roshan dined alone at the bar with his laptop. [Fishbowl, NY]
Pink Is The New Blog's Trent Vanegas decides that Scientology is his true calling in life, and has invited his readers to "join him on his new path." [Pink Is The New Blog]
And finally, in an effort to make itself even more retro, MSNBC has decided to adopt The Drudge Report. Matt Drudge's camp insists that hell has frozen over, and he has practically given his site away. For a price. [Drudge Report]
The weirdest part of the whole thing is that we would have totally expected Anna Wintour to order the last Cobb salad and Atoosa to be in the one in the bathroom with her stylist. So bizarre.
Matt Drudge loves himself some quality service journalism. (Not to mention photos of Asian girls.)
But seriously, with Naomi Campbell running around, brain tumors are definitely the least of anyone's "cell phone induced injury" fears.
Long-term mobile phone use raises brain tumor risk: study [AP via Drudge]
Is it just us, or is spring fever in the air today?
Oh, Matt Drudge. He does always know how to put an extra spring in gal's Monday morning steps.
Size of L.A. March Surprises Authorities [AP via Drudge Report]
Matt Drudge gives us a glimpse into the photo album of Baby W. Bush. (Ok, not really, but that would rock if he did.) This bitching baby is merely a poor conservative in the making.
The claim itself is rather interesting, but, see, we can't figure out what happens to babies that are both resilient and whiny? We want to say they all become bloggers … but, maybe that's just us.
How to spot a baby conservative [Toronto Star, via Drudge]
Television really does make people stupid. Even "smart TV" shows like Oprah and Sesame Street are rotting women's brains into dimentia. This breaking info, of course, brought to you by Matt Drudge.
What's more, they were at greater risk of showing signs of clinical impairment. For example, compared with women who preferred to watch news programs, those who favored soaps were more than seven times more likely to show signs of impairment on one of the tests, while talk show fans were more than 13 times more likely to demonstrate impairment.
Did you hear that Cindy Adams? It's time to unplug the Today Show.
Daytime TV tied to poorer mental scores in elderly [AP via Drudge]
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