Hope you all have been reading up on Tina Brown/Barry Diller's new Huffpost-style aggregator-slash-news source The Daily Beast. Because unfamiliarity with Brown at this point is almost (exactly) like saying you didn't know who Arianna was five years ago: it is just not done in polite media circles.
But what you may not know is how deeply entrenched Tina and her famous friends are submerged in each other's works and how many fingers/pies there are to go around. For example: Tina's husband Harry Evans is one of those vague editor-at-large deals at The Week magazine, run by Felix Dennis.
So does Brown link to The Week on her site? No, that would be tacky. Instead, she has friend/famous person Sheryl Crow submit a soundbite to her Buzz Board section, "The Week magazine has been a necessity for me in keeping up with what is going on in the world of politics, news, and, of course, the odd gossip."
Ooh, that saucy minx. First Tina rips off a Philly rag's logo, and now she is practicing the media equivalent of insider trading? Next week: The Daily Beast gets questioned by Homeland Security for social espionage, surely. How else are they going to keep their numbers up? CONTINUED »
Every gossip outlet gets things wrong now and then. When a mistake is made online, it's fixable in minutes; just throw a strike through the error, insert the accurate info, and you're all set. When a mistake is made in a daily, it's only 24 hours before the next issue pops up to make readers forget. But when a mistake is made in a weekly, well, that's seven long days of staring at your error.
This week, Us Weekly is doing just that. It was only after they mocked up their Love Notes page and sent it to the printer did anyone notice their gaffe: In their story (pictured, left) on Sheryl Crow's new man friend, John Cassimus, the chief of southern restaurant chain Zoë's Kitchen, they feature Crow with somebody, but it isn't Cassimus.
It appears the photo agency WENN (at least according to the magazine's photo credit) misidentified the guy she's walking with, and editors at Us didn't double check. Meanwhile, the story itself is several weeks old; blogs like Just Jared picked up on Life & Style's report from a May issue (pictured, right), where the actual Cassimus is shown.
Full image below. CONTINUED »
• Puff Daddy is literally begging for you to participate in democracy. If that and Facebook status updates don't do it for you, the terrorists will win if you don't vote.
• If your idea of a good time is to get stoned and watch the 10 funniest anti-drug commercials in advertising history, you might have a problem. Also, you're in luck because Best Week Ever did all the work for you. CONTINUED »
Lance Armstrong gave us (and Sheryl Crow) quite a scare when we read an article detailing how a yellow jersey-wearing American bicyclist "will have to forfeit his Tour de France title after arbitrators Thursday upheld the results of a test that showed [he] used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory."
We laughed. We cried. And then we realized it was just a boring article about some dude named Floyd Landis. [CNN]
I've always wanted to adopt. Even if I'd had my own kids, I would have adopted. I love the idea of adopting. I always thought I had an immense amount of love to give…The day that he came home, I felt like the whole house had changed. The house felt fuller. For the first couple of weeks, of course, you just feel like nesting and making sure that he's acclimated to the world. It is all so fascinating. You don't want to miss a thing. I've barely left the house…My favorite moment is waking up in the middle of the night and seeing him next to me and realizing, 'Oh, he's still here! How fantastic! It's not a dream.'
Sheryl Crow speaks on out the new love of her life, her adopted son Wyatt in the current issue of OK! magazine.
Remember yesterday when we told you about Sheryl Crow's latest "Stop Global Warming" crusade, in which she asks that everyone limit their toilet paper usage to merely a single square?
Well, apparently not everyone appreciated her 'holier than thou' attitude. Yesterday, Rosie shot back by asking Crow, "have you seen my ass?"* and today, the NY Post totally blows up Crow's spot by revealing her penchant for tractor trailers (which are really bad for the environment!) and an insatiable appetite for booze (which is irrelevant, but still highly amusing!)
SHERYL Crow should eat crow. The save-the-environment rocker who's on a "Stop Global Warming College Tour" with Laurie David and just proposed a limit on toilet paper usage is a big gas-guzzler. Her performance rider demands for each show include three tractor trailers, four buses and six cars for her entourage, TheSmokingGun.com reports. She also insists on 12 bottles of Grolsch beer, six bottles of "local" beer and a bottle each of "good Australian Cabernet" and "good Merlot." Crow's flack said the rider was "an old one from 10 years ago" but declined to show us a current one.
We say, give Sheryl a break. Sure, she may be slightly hypocritical, but all she wants to do is have some fun! And so what if her idea of fun involves diesel fuel and Australian Cabernet and inadequate amounts of TP?
*Worst. Mental image. Ever.
Over the weekend, Page Six shocked us with the news that Hank Azaria and Sheryl Crow were spotted having a romantic dinner together at Tower Bar, despite the intrusion mutual friend (and awkward third-wheel) Patricia Arquette.
But the possible new twosome isn't nearly as surprising as Richard Johnson's revelation that both Azaria and Crow are still recovering from being dumped by world-class cyclist, Lance Armstrong:
Hank, we never knew you and Lance were so buddy-buddy, but frankly, we can kind of see it. And since Sheryl seems cool with your sordid "history," our only question is: what would Jake Gyllenhaal think?
• It's been way too long since Michael Jackson put out a charity single. And, really, who needs more charity than Jacko himself? [Page Six]
• The LAPD knows who killed Biggie Smalls — it's just going to take half a dozen lawsuits to get it out of them. [NYDN]
• Why is it so easy to believe that Jack White is a knife-wielding psychopath? [NME]
• Sheryl Crow is back to music after taking a break to battle breast cancer … which was seemingly easier to deal with than her break-up with Lance Armstrong. [MSNBC]
• Usually we hate rappers trying to act … but since Missy Elliot invented getting your freak on, we'll give her the benefit of the doubt. [E!]
• It really took this long for the Red Hot Chili Peppers to score a number one album? Freakin' Philistines. [Billboard]
• In the latest battle of British bands with strange names, Razorlight calls out the Arctic Monkeys. Stay tuned for clips of next week's battle of Pokemon. [NME]
• If Britney Spears is such a hick, then why does Janice Dickinson want her to dump K-Fed? Old people mining for attention is so sad. [MSNBC]
• Sheryl Crow performs onstage after undergoing surgery for her cancer. It was no Tour de France, but still pretty impressive. [MSNBC]
• The world's most expensive violin ever sold at an auction fetched $3.4 million. And if they make a movie about it staring Samuel L. Jackson, that could fetch $10 million. [NYDN]
Leave the marathons, triathlons, and tours to the granolas on the West Coast. New Yorkers are way more hard core than that. They stand there and actually put their hand on the bike. For, like, days.
As proven by the second annual "Hands on a Frame" contest, which is currently (right now! live!) being held at SBR Multisport triatholon shop on 58th between Seventh and Broadway. It is an "endurance" competition in which the last one standing wins … a new bike frame.
… a few multisport athletes in need of a new bike are (still) standing with one of their hands touching a bike frame in midtown Manhattan in chance to win one. They haven’t slept in 72 hours. And neither one is giving up so easily.
“I have had the Scott frame on my wish list since I saw it [in a magazine]. When I saw the contest’s ad it seemed like the right thing to do.â€
On Friday night there were 11 competitors lined up to compete for the awesome honor of a winning bike frame, and now, only two are left standing. And when that last hand drops, the winner will not only win a bike, but a spot in the revolving door which is Sheryl Crow's love life.
What New Yorkers will do for kicks [Big & Sharp]
Sheryl Crow faced a scare last week, when she underwent surgery for breast cancer. While her prognosis has been reported as "excellent," Crow is still planning on postponing her March/April North American tour.
On her site, Sheryl gives fans a note of encouragement.
“Approximately 1 in 7 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and more than 2 million American are living with breast cancer today. I am joining the more than 200,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
We are a testament to the importance of early detection and new treatments. I encourage all women everywhere to advocate for themselves and for their future – see your doctor and be proactive about your health."
Star, of course, has "unshaven and dejected-looking" Lance Armstrong's reaction to the news.
"She's doing okay; she's going to make it … I was shocked when I heard," he said. "But, I feel she's going to beat it."
We're surprised Lance wasn't like, "what a wuss! I still Tour de' Franced when I had cancer." Maybe it's because, in comparison to Britney Spears (who cancelled her tour due to a fake hurt leg), Crow's excuse looks pretty legit. The full press release from Crow's website after the jump.
CONTINUED »
• Britney Spears misses traveling. The old ball and chain (deadbeat husband and cumbersome baby) are really bringing her down. Not to mention her checking account. [Billboard]
• The "are they or aren't they" question shifts focus from Anderson Cooper and Ryan Seacrest to Coldplay and their break-up ambiguity. [NME]
• It must be the fake wood paneling that really makes the Kid Rock sex tape skeevey. [R&M]
• Scissor Sister's music goes well with "gourmet finger food." So, um, is that what the kids are calling it these days? [Stylus]
• Even Snoop Dog and Sheryl Crow can't fill XM's void left by Howard Stern. [LAT]
Blogger Jim Hanas may have picked up on a media trend. Either that or his lack of decaf is leaving him in a psychotic paranoid state of conspiracy.
I began tracking the Redbook curse a year ago, when Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards graced the February cover, then promptly hit the rocks. Since then, cover subjects Nick and Jessica (March 2004), Jennifer Aniston (June 2003), and Heather Locklear (October 2001 and July 2005) have all taken up residence in Splitsville. Hilary Swank (March 2005) has also been pricing real estate there.
Between the glossy sheets, Sheryl Crow dishes, "“Lance and I were and are just happy to be together.†That was probably back in November, before the curse of the Redbook had time to work its magic.
And what about poor Richie Sambora? Bet he wishes he had known about this curse … then, maybe he wouldn't have been the very last person on the planet to know that his wife was filing for divorce.
Curses. Again. [Updated] [Encyclopedia Hanasiana]
• Simon Cowell is producing a new reality show, where celebs learn to sing. We pray it's more Reese Witherspoon a'la Walk the Line than Bai Ling on VH1. [Billboard]
• Jermaine Dupri wants to publish a memoir about his life in the music industry, including his relationship with Janet Jackson. The book, titled Young, Rich, and Dangerous will most likely be boring, self-indulgent, and arrogant. [Page Six]
• The Black Eyed Peas continue their sell-out by headlining the Honda Civic Tour. We guess their other corporate affiliates (Apple, Dr. Pepper … the NBA) won't mind. [MTV]
• Creed's Scott Stapp is engaged to Miss New York 2004. Everyone else still considers him a total freakin loser. [CNN]
• Hey all you RENT fans — get your super secret bootleg recordings of rough drafts of songs from the musical here [The Modern Age]
• Sheryl Crow says that she doesn't need fertility drugs • she's going to exercise herself preggers. (Doesn't Lance Armstrong have like one ball or something anyway?) [People]
• Ya know what's really pissing off Bonnie Fuller? Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong remaining a happy couple. [AP]
• How Stella Got Her Groove Back author Terry McMillan and gay ex-husb Jonathan Plummer may not be having sex anymore, but they still enjoy a nice bath together. [NYDN]
• When she's not pushing her liberal agenda on Huffington Post, Laurie David is pushing her eco-friendly agenda — and her last name. Too bad, then, that she's embroiled in accusations of trashing the wetlands on her Martha's Vineyard property. [Radar]
• Like babies on an airplane, the celeb glossies weren't welcome at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards. And neither was couture. [Gawker]
• Conde Nast is searching for someone to fill the unenviable position of public relations manager where responsibilities include "pushing Graydon Carter towards the treadmill, covering up the failure of Cargo (now with 20% more boobies!), and helping to keep ladies and dark folk out of the New Yorker." [Daily Transom]
Lance Armstrong's life was going really, really well. He had just completed his seventh straight Tour De France win after a very public successful fight with cancer.
And then things came crashing down when the French newspaper L'Equipe claimed he used pharmaceuticals to boost his performance.
How to battle the onslaught of negative publicity? It took more than wearing a yellow Livestrong band this time. First he pushed ahead with a quick engagement announcement with Sheryl Crow.
Now he's replacing his drug use headlines with rumors of returning to the race.
"While I'm absolutely enjoying my time as a retired athlete with Sheryl and the kids, the recent smear campaign out of France has awoken my competitive side," Armstrong said. "I'm not willing to put a percentage on the chances, but I will no longer rule it out."
He will also not rule out (smartly) listening to his publicist. Well played, Lance, well played.
• Jimmy Choo president Tamara Mellon, who's been dating Girls Gone Wild bad boy Joe Francis, found out the real reason he didn't show up for a dinner date: he was smooching up Kimberly Stewart at the recent Pam Anderson roast. Her revenge? The following day, instead of flying off to Mexico with him, she sent a messenger with a manila envelope containing photos of Francis kissing Stewart. Gives a new take on the phrase, "air mail."
• Colin Farrell, chi chi man? So say his friends in Jane Kelly's unauthorized bio Colin Farrell: Living Dangerously, who claim his masculine image was sculpted by handlers. When he was a kid, he was a sissy. And that Irish accent? New to them!
• The World Music Awards, if you've heard of them, were a disaster, to put it simply. Taping was scheduled to being at 8pm but didn't get underway till 9pm. Throw continual stops and starts in the mix and you've got Stevie Wonder closing the show well after midnight.
• How do you detract from a steroid scandal? By getting married, of course! Lance Armstrong proposed to Sheryl Crow on Wednesday at Sun Valley, Idaho. No date's been set, but we're betting they won't be honeymooning in France.
• Without the long wigs and plastered on white make up, we just might not recognize the new Michael Jackson when he reappears post-makeover. Well, only if we're wearing our Jesus Juice goggles.
• Moby is moving on up — to Central Park West. The electronica tea drinker is leaving behind the Lower East Side for a $4.5 million five-level penthouse (two 360-degree views), but he'll venture downtown to make sure teany's running lemon-y.
