Oh god, this is not a good sign. Prestigious, but previously free internships at Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair are now be auctioned off at a Christie's celebration on Dec. 2nd.

The good news? You don't need to be a celebrity like Francis Bean Kobain or Sean Avery to intern at these previously exclusive mags anymore.

Bad news? Magazines are doing so bad right now that you have to pay to work at them for free. You'll really be missing that $4,000 you plunked down for the honor of getting Ms. Wintour her double caf skinny latte when you're too poor to pay off your college loans.

Oh, and in case you actually wanted to make money while working at a paper, would you consider moonlighting as a valet?

CONTINUED »

Halloween isn't even over yet and marketers are already worried about Christmas. As well they should be: If the past three months have been any indication, things are going to get progressively worse before they (hopefully!) get any better. And that means families having to scrimp and save this holiday season, which means no more lavish tree, no more unending gallons of eggnog, and most importantly, no more $800 video game consoles for every little boy and girl.

And with companies already feeling the pinch in their ad department, how will Christmas be sold this year, on the saddest, most commercial-free celebration of Christ's birth in recent memory?

CONTINUED »

Teen titles are not having it any easier during this recession than any other magazines. Just look at the cruel (or some would say, karmic) fate of CosmoGIRL! earlier this month, or Teen People, or ELLEgirl.

So with only a few titles left, including omg, Tiger Beat(!), how can teen editors reasonably expect to compete in an industry with sagging ad sales and a increasingly disinterested audience that would rather go online than pay five bucks for the same stories they could get for free on the net?

Why, offer them what every girl wants, obviously. A store to hang out and drink smoothies in all day long. In the maaaaaaaall.

CONTINUED »

DO NOT BLOG ABOUT STEALING Why did Teen Vogue, the turf of The Hills for a while, ban high school interns? "last year, one of teen vogue's interns crashed the met ball in a dress she had borrowed without permission from the teen vogue fashion closet, and then [blogged] about all the celebrities she met and exactly what they said to her… and then Kimball Hastings lost his shit, obviously." [Jezebel]

PERPETUAL SYNERGYMACHINES DON'T WORK EITHER Lauren Conrad has left her "internship" at the "West Coast office" of Teen Vogue. [WWD]

Here are the facts: The Hills is fake. It's possible that Heidi and Spencer have never even seen each other naked. Once Lauren grew out of her teenage insecurities, she became more boring than white window treatments. The west coast “office” of Teen Vogue is basically a set.

CONTINUED »

As Page Six ruminates about the possible closure of Teen Vogue – have you heard? the teen category is, like, hurting – comes word that Vibe Vixen, the female spin-off of Vibe, is shuttering. Expect "some" layoffs as Vixen ends its regular schedule with the August/September issue before being relegated to the world of "special issues" and living on as a dot-com.

• "Basically," explains a totally not-crazy Teen Vogue devotee, "all we do is act like psycho stalker sex crazed rapist-murderers or really stupid girls or people who eat too much and start fights and type annoying and get on the general YM's nerves." Oh, is that all?

• The Canadians' schadenfreude obsession with Conrad Black can probably be traced back to that time where he ditched the Canucks in order to become a British lord.

• 'Does YouTube stifle creativity?' wonders Slate. Um, clearly not!

• "As the chances of an alternative to Rupert Murdoch appear to wane," writes the New York Times, "more Wall Street Journal staffers have polished their resumes and peddled them to rival publications."

CONTINUED »

• Alec Baldwin tries, fails, to use that leaked voicemail rant as an excuse to quit 30 Rock.

• 14 new Diana books are due out this year. The books are said to feature never-before-heard details about the late princess, such as her shoe size and her favorite brand of dental floss.

• Forbes tries to figure out exactly how Teen Vogue made Life, Child, Premiere and Elle Girl "disappear."

• "Asking [the Sulzberger clan] to willingly give up their control of the Times is akin to telling the Windsors to put Buckingham Palace up for sale."

• Transsexual sportswriter takes hiatus from LAT to become a woman, mentally prepares himself for the inevitable "you throw like a girl" jokes.

• Bidders vie for editorial control of Dennis Publishing's boobie magazines.

Mary Kate is an intern at Teen Vogue. In fact, she's a veteran intern, so the dek head says, which must explain why the magazine's website commissioned the "Working Girl" blogger to pen an "A to Z guide to life as a Teen Vogue intern." She came up with: A cute slideshow, with one item per letter. You know, the type of print gimmicks they teach you in j-school.

So A is for American Apparel: "The Teen Vogue fashion closet is stocked with classic American Apparel essentials. T-shirts, leggings, and leotards in as many colors as a Crayola crayon box."

And B is for ballet flats: "In the fashionable Teen Vogue offices the temptation to wear chunky platforms and high-heeled Mary Janes is fierce, but the truth is, running errands around New York City all day is no time for three-inch heels. Interns love ballet flats—specifically those from London Sole!"

And C is for cupcakes: "Especially the jumbo ones from Crumbs Bakery. In the fashion closet, interns order frosted and sprinkled cupcakes for everything from birthdays to intern send-offs, and sometimes simply because we need an afternoon treat!"

And what is D for? It's for dismissed. NO EATING IN THE FASHION CLOSET!

• Could all the Democrats dumping Fox News signal an actual change on the left?

• David Carr will tell you exactly where Don Imus went wrong.

• Hearst jumps on "all things green" bandwagon, making us thisclose to getting pissed off with the environment.

• Teen Vogue offering scholarship to breed unhealthy body images at a younger age.

CONTINUED »

• ABC confirms what we already knew by publicly admitting that Amanda Congdon's not really a "journalist."

• Forbes to start their own version of "Business Vogue." Experts predict it will be a lot like Portfolio, except for frumpier women. With spectacles!

• Conrad Black evidently sent out emails bitching about having to work pro bono. Then he embezzled $60 million.

• The L.A. Times opinion editor quits over some sort of embarrassing sex scandal, and Brian Grazer is (probably) to blame.

• Page Six trumpets the romance between Katie Coric and not-exactly-starving musician, Chris Botti. (Rumor has it, he's got "jazz-hands!")

• Teen Vogue sales soar because of Lauren Conrad's tv internship. Or else maybe it's because all the other teen mags have folded. Like, literally, all of them.

• Scarlett Johansson does her civic duty by helping bikini waxers get through their day. [Page Six]

• Meryl Streep is not the devil — which she proves by not wearing Prada shoes. [AP]

• If Kate Moss weren't a fashion designer, no London women would ever leave the house. [NYT]

• Lindsay Lohan has found a new hero in Kevin Connolly. Sure, he's her enemy's sister's boyfriend … but, he did punch Brandon Davis in the face. [Perez Hilton]

• Not getting into the Teen Vogue party? We seriously don't know what could possibly be worse. [Lowdown]

Remember when Conde Nast secretly launched Lipstick.com? Yeah, well, we haven't really checked the site since we broke that news … but, we still remember that Conde is pushing forward with their Internet expansion. Their next project? Flip, an online haven for teenie boppers with dreams of being the next Paris Hilton. (Well, actually it's tentatively, secretly, called Flip, but there's a chance Conde will flop on the moniker.)

With Teen People and Elle Girl moving to a new place online, and Atoosa Rubenstein ruling as the queen of MySpace, CondeNet will have plenty of glaring peers to give them nasty looks in the hallway and spread rumors about them.

The only difference is, Flip's readers will be "business minded" bitches, instead of indy rocker chicks or celeb junkies.

CondeNet, the division developing Flip, declined to comment, but the plans reveal a strategy encompassing not just teen girls' social world, but their inner creative worlds and outer sources of inspiration.

The materials indicate the site is aimed at business-minded teens, citing a survey that found 53% of teens want to be celebrities; 54% want to "go into business or sell something"; and 37% would like to be a fashion designer. (Even better, apparently: "A mere 15% want to be in politics or activism.")

Which should really help when it comes to Conde Nast using Flip to recruit the next crop of Teen Vogue interns.

Sneak Peek Into Conde Site Flip That Turns Teens Into Executives [Nat Ives, Ad Age]

Today, we thought it might be nice to bring you a fun Sunday Styles piece. Y'know, in case you spent yesterday eating plantains and dancing in the streets instead of reading the paper. Llola Ogunnaike spent the day shopping with our new favorite crew, The Hills stars Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag.

Audience patronizing aside (three paragraphs explaining what Laguna Beach is and reviving rumors of scripted television), the article follows, much in the way the cameras do, LC and Heidi and they browse shoes and jewelry, all while chatting about their lives.

And while the chatter skips over the good parts — as in no mention of Stephen or Jason (did Lola even watch this show?)— the piece does hit up Teen Vogue editor and LC's boss Lisa Love for some insider dish on how LC landed her mag internship after practically failing out of high school and her first college.

"I hadn't seen the show before, so I didn't know what to expect," said Lisa Love, Vogue's West Coast editor, "but she was a very good interview. She knew photographers, she knew magazines, she knew why she wanted to work at Teen Vogue."

Did the presence of cameras help Ms. Conrad? "If I didn't like her, she definitely would not have gotten an internship, regardless of what the cameras wanted," Ms. Love said. "She had to pass the test."

So, if you want to be like LC, it's still possible. Just make sure to read magazines, and have your parents' black AmEx card at your disposal so that you never show up wearing the same thing to the office twice.

Blond Ambition Comes in Flats or Heels [Llola Ogunnaike, New York Times]
Earlier: 'The Hills' is Alive With the Sound of LC Licking Stamps

Remember our lovely intern Molly (who we can't refer to as a proper intern any longer)? Well, when she left mamma Jossip to go off and spin her own tales of celebrity trauma for Mollygood, she took the reality TV watching with her. So now we have handed the duty over to our new-ish Intern Calista.

In honor of the The Hills and Simple Life 3, we are bringing back the weekly Reality (Sound) Bites. Without Santino and fits on Project Runway, things just aren't the same. But LC will just have to do while we iron out the kinks, and trying to keep up with the changes in the world of pixel reality. The top five things unscripted moments, after the jump.

10. "I'm comfortable enough in my sexuality to hug another man … I'm just not comfortable enough to hug you right now." — Tater to Christian (who had pissed him off royally thanks to an extra trip to Compton), Fast Inc.

9. "We love you Nick! Fifteen … you're a little shit that thinks he's 21." — Linda Hogan and family celebrate Nick's birthday at a Chuck E. Cheese, Hogan Knows Best 2

8. "Okay, when you're in an interview, you're supposed to lie." — Lauren Conrad, The Hills

7. "Get it together, little Apprentice boy!" — Jaime Pressly on why Lee is fired and Sean is hired, The Apprentice finale

6. "This is the most overly dramatic shit I've ever seen." — Tina shares the audience's view when talking about Johanna and Wes not wanting to lose each other to exile, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat

CONTINUED »

Yesterday morning a book fell on Observer staffer Choire Sicha's desk. The title of this magic piece of literature was Same Sex and the City: So Your Prince Charming Is Really a Cinderella and was "written by two chicks named Lauren."

Lauren Levin and Lauren something else (who once worked at Teen Vogue) compiled their experiences into a revealing read full of "exceptional sexual politics" and NYU girls experimenting with the trashiest ways to attract attention from guys.

But, no matter how much those horny, post-pubescent guys may want to watch Lauren on Lauren action, will they really want to read it?

Well, here's a warning: Even the chapter by some chick named "Liza" called "I Got Hammered and Made Out with My Friend for $30 in Front of 12 Guys… Am I a Lesbian?" wasn't that hot. Particularly because "Liza" got hammered on six shots of Absolut Kurant. No, perhaps "Liza" isn't a lez—but she sure is a pussy.

Whatever, we'll read it. If only to find out if NYU girls and former Teen Vogue Laurens are sluttier than the new Teen Vogue Lauren — y'know Laguna Beach's LC?

We already know she can drink way more than six shots. Hello, we saw the Cabo episode.

The Cockpit: Hot Lesbian Sexy Action [Choire "I Like Ladies!" Sicha, The Daily Transom]

• Gawker Media stretches out its corporate legs in California, giving Defamer a neighbor to the north. [Valleywag FAQ]

• Hachette Filipacchi forms a support group for its depressed women's magazine. Elle was not invited. [Media Week]

• Match Point. Teen Vogue publisher Gina Sanders takes home the Publisher of the Year award. [WWD]

• Jay Rosen's blogging addiction does not include reading Jossip. Jay, you said it yourself — you gotta' keep up! [Fishbowl NY]

• Pissing off armed militants by insulting their prophet is not the best idea we've ever heard. Especially since it resulted in more kidnapping threats for journalists. Nice job, France. [WaPo]

• NBC isn't thrilled that ex-Apprentice contestants Markus Garrison and Jennifer Wallen are talking on the record about producers' editing tricks, especially since they signed nondisclosure agreements. The cease-and-desist letters have been sent, threatening to collect on that little $5 million in damages clause. [Lowdown]

• If a boob is exposed on the red carpet and nobody photographs it, did it really happen? Keira Knightly almost joined the Tara Reid Club when her press walk turned explicit, but unfortunately her breasts were blocked from the flashing lenses. [Gatecrasher]

• Expect to see more of Laguna Beach's Lauren "L.C." Conrad, who's managed to turn her Teen Vogue internship into an excuse for MTV's cameras to follow her around some more. [WWD]

• It seemed like nobody wanted Kate Moss ever since her cocaine exposure, but now Burberry has reversed its decision to end its relationship with the model. First Rimmell, then Cavalli and now Burberry? Who knew drug use was such a career booster. [Vogue]

• First Paris Hilton starts dating Mary-Kate Olsen's trash and now sister Nicky is copying her sister by, uh, dating Paris' trash. [Radar]

• At last, we know what Lloyd Grove does in his spare time: read republican porno novels. The Lowdowner will be auctioning off his personally autographed copy of Scooter Libby's The Apprentice on eBay. [Lowdown]

• Quo nightclub owner Carlo Seneca has been stepping out on his wife Jessica with none other than "the world's first supermodel" Janice Dickinson. Carlo's excuse? He wanted a celeb attached to his new restaurant Pre-Post. Though, uh, Janice is already an investor. [Page Six]

• Congrats to Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Haydon, whose wedding on Saturday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach indicates we'll be blessed with a whole new generation of pretend wealth. [NYDN]

• Eddie Guerrero won't see the inside of the ring ever again. The WWE wrestler was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, though there's no sign that Sean Michaels put him in a sleeper hold. [AP]

Just when you thought MTV had pledged their reality show allegiance to Atoosa Rubenstein at Hearst's Seventeen comes news of camera crews infiltrating Conde Nast's Teen Vogue.

It was only this week we told you about Conde Nast media president Richard Beckman's interest in getting his publishing house involved in the TV genre, and now he's sold out Amy Astley's Teen Vogue (though it doesn't take much) to MTV, letting them implant Lauren Conrad of Laguna Beach into an internship.

Then again, it is Laguna Beach, which isn't so much reality show as clusterfuck of fact and fiction. So technically Beckman has only partially sold out .. and we had such lower expectations of him.