Has Al Gore Been Touching Bono in a Bad Way?
Bono says that being with Al Gore is like “being with an Irish priest.” Mel Gibson supposedly distanced himself from Heath Ledger after Ledger chose to play a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain against Gibson’s counsel. Celebs like Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey may like Hugo Chavez because of his drugs.
in other news
Paula Zahn and Richard Cohen Argue About When Sex Stopped, StartedPaula Zahn and her husband, Richard Cohen, are duking it out in the tabloids again, and this time, at least, they’re keeping their kids out of it. Team Paula tells the Daily News that “she and Richard weren’t having sex for some time,” maybe even a year. But Team Richard hits back in the Post, alleging that the former CNN anchor was having her affair with Contigroup CEO Paul Fribourg for at least a year before the shtupping stopped. Fribourg and Cohen were friends and would frequently golf together or share family outings, say both papers, even after the trysts began. Though Fribourg has started proceedings for a (reportedly amicable) split from his wife, no divorce papers have been filed between Zahn and Cohen themselves. And they’ve been publicly sparring since April! They’re probably just psyched to be in the papers for something other than that godforsaken Pale Male debacle.
Zahn Pal: She Left for Sex [NYDN]
Paula’s Affair Shock [NYP]
Earlier: Paula Zahn and Richard Cohen Start Fighting Dirty
intel
Rachel Sklar Available for All Your Quoting NeedsThere’s already been much ado about Charlie Gibson’s refusal to play along with Stephen Colbert’s goofy “WristStrong” campaign, and the Times article that exposed the mini-controversy. Colbert asked the Gibson and Katie Couric and Brian Williams to wear bracelets on air in order to raise awareness of “wrist violence,” and Katie and Brian, the fun anchors, are playing along. In the article Huffington Post media editor Rachel Sklar said their participation shows “good humor” and “humanity,” and then Portfolio blogger Jeff Bercovici jumped on her for it — pointing out that the whole reason people like hearing the news from Charlie Gibson is because he isn’t fun, he’s serious. But our question is why was blogger Rachel Sklar quoted as a TV news expert in the first place? Why not someone with experience in the biz who could lend more insight — or an insider? Because the article was written by young Brian Stelter, a.k.a. the wunderkind behind the blog TVNewser, that’s why. Before he was recently hired by the Gray Lady, he was Sklar’s co-worker and buddy at Mediabistro. Silly Stetler — you can’t just quote your friends. This is the Times, not the Observer!
Two Out of Three Anchors Join Colbert in Wrist Stunt [NYT]
Charlie Gibson Only Cool in the Ratings [Mixed Media]
company town
Private-Equity End-Time Is Near!FINANCE
• The big private-equity guns are sounding warning shots of a bubble. Henry Kravis and David Rubenstein believe the good days are waning. [WSJ]
• Despite the bullish market, Goldman Sachs initiated a “pause” in hiring. Is an industry-wide freeze likely to follow? [Breaking Views via DealBreaker]
• Wall Street firms are having trouble keeping analysts because the work is boring and the pay better elsewhere. [NYS]
party town
Fab Five Wonders if Party Invite Lost in Mail• Glamour Fashion Gives Back event. Milk Studios penthouse, 450 W. 15th St., nr. Ninth Ave., 7 p.m. Tim Gunn, Anna Paquin, Elie Tahari, Padma Lakshmi, and Jamie King are among the expected guests. Todd Oldham has to sit this one out. In case of a catastrophic event, Bravo requires a designated survivor to ensure reality-TV continuity.