All eyes were on Conan O'Brien tonight, but talk of the problems at NBC didn't stay confined to his program. Nearly every other late night show took a jab at the network, though Jimmy Kimmel won the evening for doing his entire show as Jay Leno (down to the speech impediment) and giving guest Chevy Chase a Conan pompadour. Also below are clips of Craig Ferguson calling NBC execs "lying rat bastards," and Leno somehow acting like none of this is his fault.
Reuters - If the animated spy adventures of "Archer" look as if they would be a better fit for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim than character-rich FX, there's a good reason: Executive producers Adam Reed and Matt Thompson are Adult Swim alumni, having created "Sealab 2021" and "Frisky Dingo." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 13 Jan 2010 | 12:10 am
AP - Simon and Garfunkel have been added to the lineup for this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 12 Jan 2010 | 11:38 pm
Heavenly Creatures:Zach Galifianakis and Paul Rudd are coming together to star in Paramount's Demetri Martin-penned comedy Will. The story takes place in a world where people's lives are determined by writers in heaven. One day a guy (Rudd) wakes up to find that his writer (Galifianakis) has dropped the ball on his script, leaving the guy to live out his fantasies of riding go karts, playing Ms. Pac Man and other man-child things. [THR]
Star Man: With one remake of an overseas film already under his belt, Chris Rock will tackle another with a remake of the French film La Premiere Etoile. The original was about a black family on vacation in a hoity-toity ski resort, where the snobs don't welcome them. This sounds like the perfect time for Rock to cast Bobb'e J. Thompson as his wise-cracking son. [Variety]
Found:J.J. Abrams has found the female half of his undercover husband and wife spy team. British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star with Boris Kodjoe in Undercovers as a married couple that's re-activated by the CIA after years in retirement. Abrams is planning to direct, something he hasn't done since a little show you might remember called Lost. [THR]
Un-Rom Com:Seth Gordon, who last sat in a folding director's chair on the set of Four Christmases, is in negotiations to direct Celeste and Jesse Forever, a comedy about a couple that tries to maintain a friendship as they re-enter the dating world. Rashida Jones is starring in the film that she co-wrote with Will McCormack, who won't star because he's not famous enough. [THR]
Space Man:Kevin Spacey has signed on star in director Dayyan Eng's comedy Inseparable. The film will be shot in Mandarin and English and center on a young man who makes friends with a mysterious American expat (Spacey). It's like an all-dude version of Lost in Translation. [Variety]
"Sesame Street" video games will now be brought to you by the letters W and B. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has signed a deal with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 11:20 pm
As David Letterman once proved to be a good idea, if NBC gives you lemons, squeeze 'em back in the network's face.
"Hello, my name is Conan O'Brien, and I may soon...
Simon and Garfunkel have been added to the lineup for this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The singing-songwriting duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel will join the... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 11:02 pm
After penning what can only be described as a sensational kiss-off to the jackals who run NBC earlier in the day, Conan O'Brien had to do the impossible and actually show up for work this evening. As the curtain pulled back and Andy Richter introduced the dead host walking to the Tonight Show audience, it felt like an eternity passed before Conan and his shock of red hair emerged from the shadows. It was an electric moment, as the audience gave Coco a standing ovation, one that helped will him through what must've been the most difficult monologue of his career to date. However, Conan displayed little of the bilious contempt for NBC that leaped off the page in his letter; rather, his jokes carried the unmistakable air of someone who was trying to put on a brave face after being deeply hurt. In particular, his joke about watching Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show when he was a boy and making a vow to himself that "Someday, I'm going to host that show for seven months" was one of the saddest moments we've seen on television in quite some time. And even though tonight's monologue left little doubt that Conan is reeling, he should rest a bit easier tonight knowing that he's winning the PR war by a landslide.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin officially became Fox News Analyst Sarah Palin last night with an appearance in the No Spin Zone. She started the interview by showing that she's a team player, promising "the fair and balanced reporting and analysis that voters in this country deserve." After talking about President Obama (he sucks!), O'Reilly hit Palin with some tough questions on Nancy Pelosi ("Do you think that she's a kook?") and Harry Reid ("Do you think it was racist?"). If you were expecting Palin to be any more ridiculous than usual, you'll be disappointed. But if you were expecting Palin to be Palin and O'Reilly to call New York a "left wing magazine," then you'll be thrilled.
Another natural disaster has hit way too close to home for Wyclef Jean.
"Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country...
The only posh behavior on this American Idol premiere came from guest judge Victoria Beckham.
Thousands of aspiring popsters ranging from sublimely talented to excruciatingly bad poured...
At least Sarah Palin's finding work in this crappy economy.
The former governor of Alaska started her new job today as a Fox News commentator, trading opinions and talking politics...
For the fourth year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network earned eight nominations... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 10:09 pm
Glee has given a lot of people something to smile about.
Including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which included Fox's hit musical series among its nominees for...
For the fourth year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network has earned eight nominations for Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 10:03 pm
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Oscars aren't about celebrating diversity. That job falls to more special-interest kudos-fests including the NAACP Image Awards, the Imagen Awards,... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 10:02 pm
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine said goodbye to his state today in a farewell address that the Times said was "tinged with more wistfulness than Wall Street bravado." In his final State of the State address, Corzine acknowledged his inability to provide economic growth to the state and ease its always-growing tax burden.
Still, Corzine, who choked up a few times, found some achievements to be proud of, including his ability to rebuild crumbling schools and increase funding for both preschool education and child health care. Helping the kids, Corzine said, will be his legacy.
"As a father and a grandfather, I believe that the first priority of government after providing for domestic safety must be to protect the health and welfare of our children. That means all of our children. Not just those who were fortunate enough to be born into strong and loving families. Not just those whose parents have wherewithal."
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti earlier today, leveling shantytowns, knocking down a hospital and decimating the president's mansion. The quake was centered just 10 miles outside of capital city Port-au-Prince. This country seriously can't catch a break. [NYT]
Jay Leno led off his show tonight with some predictably lame jokes about getting canceled. If you watch this after watching last night's amazing performance by Conan O'Brien, it'll make you smack you head against the wall as you try to figure out what the hell NBC is doing. Also below are a few clips from the Late Show, in which David Letterman continues to blast NBC and Leno with a perfect suggestion for the network's newly open 10 pm slot (Ice T as Carson Daly!) and some pointed analysis about the "NBC television debacle," plus a totally unnecessary Carson Daly jab!
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Welsh singer Duffy is working with Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and veteran songwriter Albert Hammond Sr. on her second album. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 8:23 pm
ABC went on a sitcom renewing spree today, picking up second seasons of The Middle, Cougar Town and Modern Family, one of the best sitcoms in the history of television. [THR]
AP - Conan O'Brien has refused to play along with NBC's plan to move "The Tonight Show" and return Jay Leno to late-night, abruptly derailing the network's effort to resolve its scheduling mess.
America's Mayor joined the growing chorus of Republicans coming to the defense of Harry Reid today, saying that he doesn't think the Senate Majority Leader should resign for his boneheaded comments about President Obama. This morning he told Don Imus, who knows a thing or two about regrettable remarks:
"I don't agree with the people in my party who say Reid should step down. I don't think Harry Reid should resign for it. I think he should apologize for it; he made a mistake. But I don't think for a minute that Harry Reid is a racist."
"I disagree with him on just about everything," Giuliani said, "but I think he's a man of good faith."
The reasonableness soon ended though when Giuliani added that if a Republican had said what Reid said, "They'd probably try to figure out how to put him in jail."
AP - Sarah Palin accounts for the controversy she attracts by saying her opponents don't like the "commonsense, conservative solutions" she represents.
It's a good thing you're reading the Internet right now, because if you were watching TV you'd be killing yourself. That's the word from a study by Australian researchers (ha!) that says people who watch more TV have an increased risk of death. According to the LA Times, "Researchers found that each hour a day spent watching TV was linked with an 18% greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, an 11% greater risk of all causes of death, and a 9% increased risk of death from cancer." Not to mention a 32% greater risk of your friends killing you because you won't stop trying to explain Daniel Faraday's plan to prevent "the incident."
• More on the epic mess at NBC: Conan O'Brien's manager says the late-night host's missive earlier today "came from the heart" and wasn't a negotiating ploy; TMZ reports that Conan is close to signing a deal with Fox; the public is siding with O'Brien over Leno; Letterman is taking lots of pleasure in the drama, naturally; and as for NBC chief Jeff Zucker, the man responsible for creating this disaster, this latest chapter may (finally!) be his undoing. • Sarah Palin showed up for her first day at Fox News today. [AP, NYT] • Is Rupert Murdoch about to kick Fox News CEO Roger Ailes to the curb? Some people seem to think so, although it's probably pretty unlikely. [NYM] • Longtime Condé Nast exec Richard Beckman is leaving the publishing giant to become the CEO of e3 Global Media, the company that is now in control of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, AdAge and others. [NYP, NYT] • Remember that breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS that Dan Rather lost last fall? His motion to appeal the decision has ended in defeat, too. [AP] • ABC is bringing back Cougar Town, The Middle and Modern Family for second seasons. No word on the fate of Conveyor Belt of Love, alas. [LAT] • Who will replace Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 4? Take your pick! [LAT] • Google may close its China operations over freedom of speech issues. [PC] • "Just how bad was 2009 for magazines?" Pretty bad. [NYT]
Front Page: Actor to star in Mandarin/English-language pic -- Kevin Spacey will scale the Great Wall of Chinese film production.
The special committee convened to investigate State Senator Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend abuse has reached a conclusion about what should happen to him—expulsion! Or censure! Both options will be sent to Senate Democratic leader, John Sampson, who will determine if either comes up for a vote before the full senate. If a vote on expulsion makes it to the floor, Monserrate is toast, the Times says. Not that Monserrate cares. He said today that even if the senate votes to expel him, he won't leave his job. Mainly, his lawyer said, because the Senate doesn't even have "legal authority to expel him." And if Monserrate respects anything, it's the law.
Reuters - The very name Mount Everest conjures so many images and legends in one's mind that any movie about climbing that mystical, foreboding mountain, even by a dull filmmaker, should catch an audience in its thrall. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 12 Jan 2010 | 6:22 pm
Reuters - Young director Marek Najbrt, commendably, is not interested in wringing easy tears from the European experience of World War II. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 12 Jan 2010 | 6:19 pm
Does Ryan Seacrest have it in him to start playing favorites on American Idol?
Sources tell E! News that the idea of Seacrest doubling as host and judge remains in play as producers...
OK, so you saw the news about Harold Perrineau and Cynthia Watros returning to Lost this season, but what about return visits from other original castmember favorites like Maggie Grace as Shannon,...
Following Conan's love letter to NBC today, TMZ reports that if he splits, the network has signed off on a plan to give Leno his old, hour-long 11:35 show back — and it'll likely be called The Tonight Show. But Conan may yet have his revenge! TMZ says O'Brien looks "increasingly likely" to make a deal with Fox for a new late-night show to air between 11 and midnight. In New York, at least, Conan's show would take the place of reruns of Seinfeld and The Office, meaning (presumably) fewer residual checks for both the guy who negged him at TCA yesterday and the former NBC wunderkind whose prime-time blundering necessitated Leno's 10 p.m. show in the first place. Hey, at least it's something.
"Gov. Paterson's teenage son was picked up today after cops caught him shooting dice on an Upper West Side street corner and possessing somebody else's debit card, sources said." [NYP, NYDN]
Back in September, we heard that Sarah Jessica Parker was in talks to be the new face of Halston.
Well, the story just got a bit more interesting…
We hear that the...
The former N' Syncer welcomed his second child Monday in Orlando, Fla., daughter Kloey Alexandra Fatone, after what...
Last month, the hipster producer Diplo announced he’d be remixing Gucci Mane’s Cold War mixtape series as a means to support Gucci’s then-new album The State vs. Radric Davis while the rapper himself was behind bars for a parole violation. That really pissed off the Village Voice’s Brandon Soderberg. In a post titled “Free Gucci, Fuck Diplo, and the History of 'Free _____',” Soderberg wrote “Diplo’s doing what he's always done well: Obnoxiously tweaking someone else's cultural movement to fit his niche audience's needs.” Gucci, and the “Free Gucci” movement, claimed Soderberg, was another thing “to be picked-up and internalized [by Diplo] with little consequence or connection to its real-world implications or context.” Oh boy.
The charge of cultural appropriation is a longstanding one. A quick recap of Diplo’s borrowings: baile funk, with 2004-2005’s “Favela” mixtapes; Alabama hip-hop, with 2008’s Paper Route Gangstaz: Fear and Loathing In Hunts Vegas; and Jamaican dancehall, with last year’s Major Lazer project. (He also put out a mixtape with M.I.A. after her first single “Galang” was released, but considering that he later co-produced “Paper Planes,” and that the two dated, we’re considering that more of a collaborative relationship.) Whether or not you think this is a bad thing is a complicated question — on the one hand, he is a tourist; on the other, he’s expanding the genre/artist’s fan base. To put it another way: that Diplo’s got great taste, huh?
We’ll let the brainiacs fight it out over the appropriateness of the whole appropriation thing. What we wanna know is: What’s Diplo into right now? Which obscure world music sub-genre or regional rap music scene we should be paying attention to this week? To that end, we’ll be keeping (judgement-free!) track of Diplo’s latest obsessions. And right now, that would be the music of the aforementioned Gucci Mane: Diplo’s Free Gucci: Best of the Cold War Mixtapes was made available for download yesterday. Hey, we’re actually ahead of the ball on this one! We were (like tens of thousands of others) already paying attention to Gucci Mane.
Announcing the mix tape, Diplo said, "Gucci is a rapper that doesn’t try and be anything he is not; he’s straight up. Maybe it’s ironic and all, but I’m just a fan and have been since day one. Gucci Mane is the cool uncle I never had even though I’m pretty sure I am older than him.” Appropriately, the remixes — which come from Diplo and friends — stay loyal to Gucci's original vocals. Mostly, they layer new bits of the big bass and dirty dance music Diplo's crew is associated with on top or in place of the extra-heavy original beats (notably, Memory Tape's hypnotic, almost sweet take on "Excuse Me" goes in a lighter direction). Stunt sampless, which Diplo utilized to great effect on the PRG'z tape, are kept to a minimum (it's mostly Mariah Carey and Daniel Beddingfield this time out). The mixes aren't earth shattering, but they don't seem ironic, either.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peter Sarsgaard is in talks with Warner Bros. to play the villain opposite Ryan Reynold's Green Lantern. He'd be "Dr. Hector Hammond, the pathologist son of a senator" who presumably squires the superhero around Paris and convinces him to drop out of school before taking his A-levels. [Heat Vision/HR]
Where there's smoke, there's fire! Both The Wrap's Josef Adalian and Variety's Stuart Levine have tweeted that NBC is currently on the hunt for potential guest hosts for the Tonight Show. Meanwhile, Joan Rivers is currently somewhere on the Upper East Side sitting mere inches away from her phone, hoping against hope that NBC still has her phone number. [TVMoJoe's Twitter, Variety_StuartL's Twitter]
Rachel Zoe has a new employee! Her name is Ashley Avignone, and she is a stylist from Los Angeles. The newbie tweeted her status yesterday, as did DKNY PR Girl, who confirmed that Avignone is the newest addition to the Brad, Rodger, and Rachel camp. This week The Rachel Zoe Project also confirmed that season three is in the works, which will cover Taylor's departure, and most likely Ashley's arrival. But what kind of attitude will she have to replace Taylor's epic eye rolls and upstage Brad's short shorts? Only time will tell. [Fashionologie]
Glee star Lea Michele tried out the spring lingerie-inspired trend at the Fox Winter 2010 All-Star Party in Pasadena, California, last night by wearing a khaki corset, which she paired with a pink skirt that featured an unstructured flower erupting from the waistline.
Would you have styled the skirt and top together like she did? Or would these pieces look better as separates?
Death certificates—so routine, yet so chilling at the same time.
E! News has obtained the L.A. County Coroner's Office's official paperwork concerning Casey Johnson, who...
What was that word again? "Oonagh"? Well, according to Nylon, the name for the new line of streetwear basics by the distinctively feminine designer Nanette Lepore means "pure" to the Scottish ear. And "pure" these T-shirts, tunics, simple dresses, and minimalist tops are, with little of the embellishment and fanciful textiles that usually keep Lepore's work off the shoulders of more edgy New Yorkers. A smart move for a down market, Oonagh has a nice balance of loose, smart construction, up-to-date color palettes, and diffusion-line prices. As Nylon suggests, Oonagh — whose aesthetic is a sharp right turn from Lepore's main line — could open the brand up to a whole new clientele. Just don't ask us to pronounce its name.
It's been a heartbreaking day at NYU Law. It seems a group of students tried to make arrangements to have Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi from MTV's Jersey Shore pay them a visit, but then the whole thing fell through at the last minute. After the jump: The tragic details and amusing memo that was circulated earlier today.
The campaign to bring Snooki to NYU Law began a couple of weeks ago, shortly after it was reported that America's most famous guidette was charging $2,000 to make personal appearances. At those prices, the students were confident they could make the numbers work and started negotiating with "Snooki's people."
Unfortunately, she raised her quote to $7,500 last week and then again to $10,000 just yesterday, and she's now beyond reach. All that was left to do was disseminate the depressing news:
Given these recent stratospheric fee increases, which I foresee continuing at least until we see the epic cast-wide Britney Spears-esque crash-and-burn that inevitably awaits our favorite part-time Seaside denizens, it would seem as though the opportunity to bring Snooki and her backflipping, poof-rocking, pickle-eating je ne sais quoi to NYU Law may have slipped through our fingers, short of a wealthy benefactor coming to the fore. We can always try to bring her in post-crash-and-burn, for a bargain basement price, but that might be more depressing than awesome.
I tell this all to you now not to ruin your first day back at classes, but because a number of people have asked me about the progress of this endeavor in classes and around the halls today, and I don't have the stomach to see hearts break and hopes fall in front of my eyes any longer in person. So let this e-mail put an end to it: Snooki is lost to us.
VH1 has gotten their hands on a clip from Adam Lambert’s latest video for his single “Whataya Want From Me,” set to premiere on VH1 in full on Friday morning between 6am-10am. Here is a short but everlasting clip of the video to rev up your anticipation. Um, it goes without saying, fans of the man are going to flip their sh*t. Those of you taken aback by his blatant sexuality in the “For Your Entertainment” video should be pleasantly surprised, while the rest of you will be finding a way to turn the video into a giant poster to put on your ceiling, Tiger Beat style.
Anyway, this is no time for joking around, people, here it is!
We’ll have ANOTHER exclusive clip from the video tomorrow morning, so be sure to check BWE.tv half a million times each before noon! We’re hoping to get clips of the chorus next time around…
Alber Elbaz was in New York yesterday presenting his pre-fall 2010 collection for Lanvin. On his way to the States, his samples were reportedly stuck at U.S. customs. But they made it, and the little speed bump didn't even put a damper on his attitude. "Sometimes I feel like Carrie from Sex and the City," he said of his pre-fall design process. "I sit in front of my computer and ask myself, 'Does the daytime have to be boring and gray?'" We wonder what other Carrie-like questions he asks himself. [Fashionologie]
The governor's son was arrested today near his school, Beacon High on West 61st Street, and taken to the 20th Precinct for questioning by police. According to the Daily News the 14-year-old was "shooting dice" when the cops came across him, and they later found a stolen credit card on his person. [NYDN] Update: The Governor's office released the following statement just now: "Earlier today, Governor Paterson's son was taken into the 20th precinct and subsequently released to his parents. The Governor and the First Lady ask that their privacy is respected during this personal time."
Because some people have yet to get the message that it's not the best idea to talk on your cell phone, apply makeup and eat lunch while you drive, the Transportation Department is sending out "an army of people that will be traveling the country persuading people to put their cellphones away while they're driving." Yes, Distraction.gov, the "official US government website for distracted driving" has arrived! [AP]
"Nicole Zenel, an MBA student, has read the negative stories about Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s role in the financial crisis, its subsequent record profits and its decision to set aside $16.7 billion for pay and bonuses after receiving $10 billion from the U.S. Treasury. That didn’t stop Zenel from applying there for an internship." Next week: Women to continue having sex with good-looking men they suspect are jerks. [Bloomberg]
SKIN
• David Beckham has a new tattoo on his right abdomen. It is based on a portrait of Jesus by artist Matthew R. Brooks named The Man of Sorrows. Do you like it? [NYDN]
• Guerlain is expanding its Idylle fragrance into a body-care collection next month, which will include shower gel, body milk, body cream, and deodorant. [Fragrantica]
FRAGRANCE
• Avon named Avatar star Zoe Saldana as the face of the company's Eternal Magic fragrance. [StyleWatch/People]
HAIR
• Whenever Whitney Port is in Las Vegas, her cousin Jackie does her hair. The City star even gave out her cousin's e-mail address on Twitter to help boost her business. [Just Jared]
• Mila Kunis wore a slick ponytail last night to the premiere of The Book of Eli, and all of the products it takes to achieve the look cost only $10. [Teen Vogue]
MAKEUP
• Lancôme's new collection by creative director Aaron de Mey is out, named My Rose. It is full of pink and green shades, and Elettra Wiedemann stars in the campaign. [Product Girl]
Today has been quite the downer in many ways. Besides finding out that my own cat had to be put down this morning (RIP Lutzy), yet another shocking blow has been delivered…
Sadly, the show that we’ve all come to know and love, Best Week Ever, has been officially canceled. We just got word of the news about an hour ago, and have been in a mournful state since. The show that turned itself into a household phrase brought a lot of laughter into people’s lives, not to mention paved the way for many of today’s most well known comedians.
The folks that worked on the show were some of the smartest, funniest, kindest people you could find. It was a real creative collaboration from start to finish, and in between hard work and late hours you could find real friendships and dedication. It goes without saying that each and every person who helped make Best Week Ever the success it became will move on to even bigger and brighter opportunities (albeit with many less rainbow transitions). And they did it all for you, the fans, who were the real people that helped put this show on the map.
On the bright side, we want to assure you that BestWeekEver.tv will continue cranking out breaking news, interviews, viral videos and all the pop culture gossip the Internet is currently set to handle. The blog will be here to nurture you, comfort you, hold your hand, and be the footsteps in your digital sand.
Once again, from all of us to all of you, we want to take this time to thank everyone for continuing to support the show through life’s ups and downs. And yes, I might be a little more emotional than usual because, well sh*t, my cat died.
After PR powerhouse (and member-by-marriage of the Murdoch clan) Matthew Freud publicly lashed out at Fox News chief Roger Ailes in the New York Times this weekend, at least two journalists have taken it as a sign that Ailes is inevitably going to be forced out at the powerful cable-news network. It's a pretty significant theory, if it carries weight. First, Michael Wolff (who claimed to be a major unnamed source who helped steer the Times story) claimed that Ailes "may think he’s going to be the kingmaker in the next election, except he’s just been toppled." His logic was that Freud would have consulted with the rest of Murdoch's children before making his attack on Ailes, and he must have been representing their feelings as a whole when he said he was "ashamed and sickened" by Ailes's "horrendous and sustained disregard of the journalistic standards that News Corporation, its founder and every other global media business aspires to."
Now that Murdoch's beloved children are against Ailes, Wolff thinks the end is near. "The process of losing your job at News Corp. takes about a year," he explained in a column this morning. "They talk about you, and isolate you, and then you understand that you’ve been exiled from the tribe."
Wolff isn't alone in making this observation. Not nine hours beforehand, Lloyd Grove reported on the Daily Beast that several "veteran" (that means former) Fox News execs told him that "Ailes's days at News Corporation may be numbered." Said one:
“Rupert picked up his Times at the breakfast table, saw the story above the fold with the big photo of Roger, and probably choked on his coffee,” one insider told me today, noting that the 78-year-old media mogul reflexively bridles when the hired help outshines him. In (literally) the money shot, the Times reported that Fox News earns $700 million in annual profit, the brightest star in the News Corp. firmament, and that Ailes is paid even more than the boss.
Compare that with Wolff's imaginary account of what happened when Murdoch read the Times story:
Murdoch, who protects nothing so much as his own primacy at News Corp., and who always likes somebody else to do his dirty work, would likely have said, in his particular patois, “umm … goddamn … grump … son-of-a-bitch … they’re gonna say that? Who put ’em up to it? Okay, okay, do what you want to do.” By which he would have meant: “Blow a rocket up his ass.”
Grove and Wolff's points are almost identical: The Murdoch kids have turned against Ailes, and if they can play upon Rupert's insecurities, it'll be curtains for the Fox News mastermind. It's a sort of compelling case, but a News Corp rep tells us, "these stories are totally absurd." And it's true — they don't really pass the smell test. The Times did say that Fox News was "the profit engine of the News Corporation," but it didn't quite paint the rest of the company as a "sagging empire." And it's not as though Rupert Murdoch was going to learn how much he was paying Roger Ailes from reading the Times.
Let's look at some of the other News Corporation properties. Some are doing fine, like publishing house HarperCollins, which floundered in the fiscal year 2009 but started off the next quarters with tidy profits. Some are doing quite well, but depend on occasional major successes, like 20th Century Fox, whose Avatar may become the highest-earning movie ever (and will likely move the entire corporation's bottom line). Fox Broadcasting Company struck a victory of unknown proportions when it got Time Warner to pay for its over-the-air programming, which will likely be a game-changer moving forward. Of course, there are Murdoch's newspaper interests, which are doing generally dismally with the downturn in advertising. And MySpace, for which critics say he vastly overpaid, started losing out to Facebook as early as last winter.
Out of those (which are just some of News Corp.'s many holdings), Fox News under Ailes is a rock. It may have just had its best year ever, but it's also been growing dependably for years. In 2008, Murdoch felt strongly enough about Ailes to give him a five-year contract, probably the one that put his compensation above Murdoch's own. Even if the other components of News Corp. continue to recover with the global economy, it's not going to be lost on Murdoch that at a certain point last year, without Fox News, his company would have been in "deep crisis," as the Times put it.
Despite the obvious familial conflicts, signs point to a healthy future for Roger Ailes at News Corp. Whether these repeated attempts to insert himself into this particular story line will help Michael Wolff's book sales, however, remains to be seen.
In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
In a related story, I had my iPod on shuffle this morning, and in an interesting display of artificial intelligence, my iPod just so happened to play Bill Hicks’ bit about Jay Leno shooting himself in the head (language NSFW). My iPod and I then high-fived.
Yesterday the former Merrill Lynch CEO, best known for the $1.2 million office renovation he conducted in the months leading up to the sale of the firm to Bank of America, was coy with Bloomberg about his future plans: “I can’t really say yet, but I’m working on what I want to do next because I definitely do want to work.” We assumed he was talking about realizing his dream of finally opening up a small cafe near a train station, but today they report he's in talks to head CIT group, the small-business lender that just emerged from bankruptcy. [Bloomberg]
Casey Johnson was buried in New Jersey earlier today. As you could have guessed, Tila Tequila wasn't invited to attend the private service. But that's probably just as well since she's been busy today launching her own record label. [NYDN]
By now you've either seen or heard of MTV's Jersey Shore, a probing look at Garden State beach revelers in a quiet, coastal town where hair is fast, muscles are juiced, and skin is orange. Yes, it's an instant classic of the genre. But even at that, we never imagined anyone would want to see more — yes, more —of the graphic T-shirts and Lycra tube dresses sported by its stars. Well, the Oxygen Network believes you don't get enough Snooki-style looks through either The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jersey Shore, or periodic visits to PATH stations. Their new series, Jersey Couture, centers around the Diane & Co. dress shop ("the premiere glamour stop in New Jersey") located in exotic Freehold, and the travails of its staff as they try to outfit their hopefully drunk and violent clients. Okay, okay — that's unfair. While Diane & Co. does appear very much in the Real Housewives world of style, selections from their website reveal that their aesthetic is a couple of boardwalks away from the sartorially challenged denizens of the Shore. Hip, perhaps not. But it will be fun to watch the "grenades" and "hippos" of Jersey try to bring a little more style to their much-maligned state.
When news spread that American Idol’s Fantasia Barrino was coming in to the Bestweekever.tv offices for our second ever “Martini Minute,” the e-mails starting flooding in: People who saw her on Broadway in The Color Purple claimed she was the best live singer they’d ever heard; others were excited to possibly meet and then, yes, greet the 25-year-old North Carolina native who took the Idol crown. But little did I know that on top of all these glowing reviews, Fantasia would also be a hilarious, sweet and over-the-top breath of angel-voiced air.
Soon, however, the entire country will be in on this fact, as her brand new VH1 reality show Fantasia For Realpremieres on January 11 at 10 PM. The show follows Fantasia’s professional singing life, and also introduces you to her family, most specifically her hilarious brother “Tiny”.
So won’t you join us as Fantasia and myself throw back a cocktail and straight up dish on a variety of topics? Sadly, the cameras weren’t rolling for the 15 minutes before the shoot kicked off, when ‘Tasia and I decided to be BFFs. You’ll note that my own speech starts to slur roughly 6 minutes into this vid, which was clearly caused by a stroke… of enthusiasm.
NBC's late-night mess just got a little messier. Conan O'Brien says he is not willing to bump his show to 12:05am, since doing so "will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting." But he isn't necessarily leaving NBC and says he hasn't received an offer to go elsewhere. Your move, Zucker. [NYT]
You saw the awesome floating ringyness of the Kim Kardashian perfume print ad, and now, here’s the accompanying commercial, which is shot like a classy film noir where the mystery is “Who the f*** is this in the commercial? Cause it definitely not this person.”
I also love how every gossip celeb instantly falls for anything remotely “old Hollywood themed,” as though we’ll confuse some vague imagined memory of Grace Kelly and Bette Davis with a Kardashian perfume commercial or a Lindsay Lohan nude photoshoot, thus suddenly deeming it credible.
For the record, Lindsay, my penis is extremely old-Hollywood. It’s Clark Gable meets Fred Astaire, literally. Not their penises. Their existence. And it’s in black and white. You should get on that.
L.A.-based Kimberly Ovitz started in fashion early. At the age of 14 she snagged her first internship at J.Crew, before moving on to college at Brown University. While at Brown, Ovitz spent summers interning at W magazine in addition to apprenticing at Karl Lagerfeld's Rue Cambon studio. Following graduation she moved back to Los Angeles to work for Imitation of Christ as their denim designer. Ovitz then moved on to stints at Ya Ya and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. By the time she was 25, Ovitz was ready to strike out on her own and debuted her line in spring 2009. Drawing heavily from her personal aesthetic of sleek, minimal pieces with a hint of sex appeal and her childhood spent riding horses, Ovitz created a mix of easy-to-wear androgynous jersey pieces along with equestrian-inspired tailored trousers and leather jackets. Retailers took note, and the likes of Forwardforward.com and Switch Boutique in Beverly Hills were the first to place orders. Now Ovitz can count on retailers such as Barneys and Zoe in Brooklyn to stock her urban-chic line, in addition to acquiring a huge celebrity following. Cameron Diaz was the first to scoop up her sexy minimalist wares, but it was Ovitz's Jacob dress that was an instant hit in 2009. We chatted with the designer to talk about her search for the perfect men's tee and what's in store for her brand's future.
What's the first designer thing you ever bought?
A pair of Prada wedges when I was 16.
What trends do you personally like for spring?
I'm not a huge fan of trends — I'm more of a classic-modern-edgy-with-a-twist kind of gal.
Are there any trends you wish would go away?
Eighties influence!
A look from spring 2010.Photo: Courtesy of Kimberly Ovitz
Are there any trends you wish would come back?
Everything is always coming and going.
What designers or labels do you actually wear the most?
I love to mix Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, and Maison Martin Margiela with my own.
Who is one designer that everyone should know by now but don't? Haider Ackermann.
Where do you shop when you're in New York?
I love going to Maison Martin Margiela for anything, and I love IF boutique.
What's one thing you really want to buy right now?
I'm always looking for the perfect T-shirt.
What's the one thing you can't live without?
My Rick Owens jacket.
What's something that everyone should have in their closet?
A good beat-up white men's undershirt and an old-school pair of Levi's.
What’s the one thing you can’t leave your house without?
Gum. It helps me focus and it aids in my creative process. I also can't leave without a camera in my bag.
Can you give us a hint about fall 2010?
I can say that it will be about prioritizing comfort.
What are your plans for the future?
I decided not to do a full-on runway show because I'm looking to expand the brand and perhaps venture into shoes and more affordable pieces.
Front Page: President and CEO of Entertainment Group signs 5-year deal -- Comcast has cut a five-year deal with Ted Harbert that will keep him at the head of the company's entertainment cablers through 2016.
Goldman Sachs is hoping to redeem its damaged reputation by giving away bundles of cash to charity. What happens when one of the world's most profitable companies announces that the checkbook is open and the pen is in hand? Non-profit groups come calling, obviously.
One person now circling Goldman is PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, who sent off a letter to Goldman chief Lloyd Blankfein today:
As the world's largest animal rights organization, with more than 2 million members and supporters, PETA is happy to learn that Goldman Sachs might require its executives and top managers to donate a higher percentage of their salaries to charity as part of its public relations strategy. We are not asking for any of that largesse--just congratulating you and making a suggestion that I hope you will like.
Not surprisingly, Newkirk's congratulatory message is followed by the suggestion that Goldman execs direct their largesse to various animal-related causes, like shelters that are now overcrowded all because of big banks like Goldman. ("Please remember for a moment that when people went through foreclosures, many dumped their animals at the nearest animal shelter or pound.")
But we're going to assume that Blankfein has already decided to comply with Newkirk's request and has mailed off a big check to PETA. A noisy rally outside the office is one thing, but when protesters come armed with fake blood and animal corpses to throw at you? That's another matter entirely.
To be fair, we’ve long said that leggings are breeding grounds for V itch. That being said, paparazzis (paps seems a gross word in this scenario) snapped some photos of Christina Aguilera getting up close and personal with her lady area while on the set of her upcoming film Burlesque:
But at least she’s a lady about it… PINKIES OUT! (Click ahead for ANIMATED XTINA V-SCRATCHING GIFS)
It only took them 30 years, but the video-game industry, through the use of massive-multiplayer games as well as the Nintendo Wii and DS, has finally gotten young women to join what has been a historically male market. Now that the ladies have picked up the controller, the fashion industry is looking to cash in. WWD reports that publishers have already served up a small menu of style-related games (most notably, Style Savvy for DS) and that this spring companies will be pushing to launch two hotly anticipated titles — one based on IMG's trademark New York Fashion Week and another that will employ Michael Kors, Heidi Klum, and Tim Gunn in an interactive version of television hit Project Runway. Frankly, we're more scared of Gunn's withering stares than we've been of any sixteen-bit villain. Interestingly, the gameplay of both the existing and expected programs, while competitive, does not fall into the old kill-or-be-killed model that has sustained a sector dominated by young men and boys.
"A game is almost not what it is," said Peter Levy, senior vice-president and managing director of IMG Fashion, to WWD regarding his company's forthcoming title. “What we are doing isn’t somebody wins and somebody loses. It is more of a simulation. We are trying to do something that isn’t just a commodity, but that is very relevant and embedded in real personalities.” Indeed, these games — sorry, simulations — may eventually have a more solid, real-world component to them than your younger brother's old shoot-em-up. Not only do MMPGs allow users to "buy" simulated fashions for their avatars, but they and other fashion-related games have a potential for personality-driven and creativity-based social networking that Call of Duty just can't match. Taking that one step further, Quiksilver is developing a game with Xbox that will allow players to design and virtually build jewelry that they can then order online from Artbeads.com. Let's see Mafia Wars or World of Warcraft beat that.
The First Lady left the White House today to attend the funeral of Vice-President Joe Biden's mother in Delaware wearing a black dress, black boots, a pearl necklace, circle sunglasses, black leather gloves, and a lovely lace-print wool coat. See the full look in the Michelle Obama Look Book.
Have you ever wondered if your doormen talk about you behind your back? Do they notice when you come home every night with a different guy? Do they have any idea that the kid who stopped off at your apartment the other night was there to make a "special delivery"? Oh, yes. They notice everything. Although keep in mind that if you do engage in something you shouldn't—like order in an escort while your wife is away on business—rest assured a generous tip goes a long way. [Brick Underground]
Oscar-winning actors Tom Hanks(L) and Julia Roberts, seen here in 2007, are reuniting on the big screen for a new movie about a middle-aged man forced to find a new career, Daily Variety reported Tuesday... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 11:52 am
It was less than a month ago that billionaire hedge fund manager (and occasional talk show guest) Steve Cohen was slapped with a lawsuit by his first wife, Patricia Cohen, claiming Stevie had hid millions of dollars from her when the couple split up (not to mention engaged in insider trading, set up a racketeering scheme with his brother, and committed mail and wire fraud).
Sadly, the world won't get a chance to see if Patricia's case had any merit. She "abruptly" dropped the suit today after it became clear in recent days that Stevie "would wage a tough fight."
She's reserved the right to refile the suit at a later date, though, so here's hoping someone comes along and gets her to change her mind.
Much like Bill Clinton, former English Prime Minister Tony Blair has been spending his retirement from public office making money at speaking engagements, playing peekaboo with the press, serving on boards, going on humanitarian missions, and generally receiving more love than he did in office thanks to the lackluster performance of his immediate successor. Sure, that whole EU President thing didn't pan out, but who needs to run Europe when you enjoy the spoils of working for the world's most successful luxury company? Elle UK and others are reporting that the former pol, whose somewhat geeky smile ushered in the "Cool Britannia" era of the nineties, has reached an agreement in principle to serve as an adviser to friend Bernard Arnault, founder, chairman, and CEO of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the umbrella corporation that owns super-brands including Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Sephora, Fendi, Givenchy, and many, many others. Likely to focus on attracting new clients, there are few details about Blair's new position as of yet. Still, sitting at the right hand of the man who steers the course of the world's best fashion, liquor, and perfume labels ain't bad work for a former public servant.
Not sure how long the board meeting lasted before Armani came up with their brilliant, original new “Megan Fox in underwear” campaign (I’m guessing somewhere between a trillionth of a second and a gazillionth of a second), but ‘09 overexposure aside, it’s a welcome departure from Armani’s earlier silver cyborg ads:
More Megan Fox underwear pics in the gallery below. Still no total nudity — let’s step it up here, PETA:
AP - "Iron River" (Dutton, 369 pages, $26.95), by T. Jefferson Parker: Mexico is paying a high price for America's appetite for illegal drugs. The drug cartels have murdered an estimated 15,000 people in that country in the last three years. Recently the violence has spilled across the border to the American Southwest.
Front Page: O'Brien mulls 'Tonight Show' future; NBC may go with guest hosts -- O'Brien, who has kept his lips sealed so far over NBC's decision to bump his show to midnight, other than cracking wise about it on "The Tonight Show," is going public. And he's not happy.
Fashion Wire Daily - It was a busy year for George Clooney, but one that is starting to pay off in the form of official accolades, as awards season for the films of 2009 gets underway.
I’ve ripped on Madame Tussaud’s numerous times in the past — probably more times than my relative not-caring of the institution necessitates — but sometimes, their statues are super-rushed or are the Cloverfield monster.
Sometimes, though, the world’s preeminent manufacturers of wax statues that gets celebrities to stand next to themselves gets wax statues with celebrities standing next to them exactly right.
AP - Battle-hardened Army Rangers turned military contractors Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios are back, and the game built around them is better than ever.
US actor Johnny Depp (right) shake hands with Serbian President Boris Tadic during their meeting in Belgrade. The US actor has arrived in Serbia where he will be the star turn at a film festival launched... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 Jan 2010 | 9:17 am
Front Page: Studio's head of production exits in Rich Ross' latest shuffle -- Oren Aviv, head of production for Walt Disney Studios, is exiting the Mouse House in the latest exec shuffle implemented by new Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross.
Reuters - Italy's fashion sector will emerge from the financial crisis before others but the government needs to help companies be more competitive, the head of an industry body said on Tuesday. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 12 Jan 2010 | 7:59 am
I wondered how directly Conan would mention the Leno / 11:30 move on Monday’s Tonight Show, and whether or not he’d slip in a subtle joke or two here or there or if NBC would keep a leash on the show for the time being and not allow any specific mention of the ongoing Leno rumors.
Turns out, Conan came out and directly mentioned the rumors, then his first four monologue jokes were all about NBC and Jay Leno, then they were followed by this list of “Conan’s Options,” in which Conan seemed juuuuust a little bit…not happy with the network:
After the jump, Conan does an acting exercise with Gary Oldman and tries really, really hard to “think of something that makes him angry”….
As David Letterman once proved to be a good idea, if NBC gives you lemons, squeeze 'em back in the network's face.
"Hello, my name is Conan O'Brien, and I may soon...
Another natural disaster has hit way too close to home for Wyclef Jean.
"Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country...
The only posh behavior on this American Idol premiere came from guest judge Victoria Beckham.
Thousands of aspiring popsters ranging from sublimely talented to excruciatingly bad poured...
At least Sarah Palin's finding work in this crappy economy.
The former governor of Alaska started her new job today as a Fox News commentator, trading opinions and talking politics...
Glee has given a lot of people something to smile about.
Including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which included Fox's hit musical series among its nominees for...
Does Ryan Seacrest have it in him to start playing favorites on American Idol?
Sources tell E! News that the idea of Seacrest doubling as host and judge remains in play as producers...
OK, so you saw the news about Harold Perrineau and Cynthia Watros returning to Lost this season, but what about return visits from other original castmember favorites like Maggie Grace as Shannon,...
Back in September, we heard that Sarah Jessica Parker was in talks to be the new face of Halston.
Well, the story just got a bit more interesting…
We hear that the...
Death certificates—so routine, yet so chilling at the same time.
E! News has obtained the L.A. County Coroner's Office's official paperwork concerning Casey Johnson, who...
Today has been quite the downer in many ways. Besides finding out that my own cat had to be put down this morning (RIP 
When news spread that American Idol’s Fantasia Barrino was coming in to the Bestweekever.tv offices for 
