Oh NY1, Where Are Thy Stars?Even though it’s celebrating its fifteenth year on local cable, NY1, the city’s 24-hour news station, still has such a lovably, reliably dorky, do-it-yourself feel. But this weekend, it caused a small ripple when the News, then the Times, reported that longtime weekend anchor Gary Anthony Ramsay had left the station. It leaked that he’d phoned into the station’s talk show “The Call” under an assumed name (“Dalton, from the Upper East Side”) and mouthed off his own opinion on the current Bernard Kerik flap. “He did a really stupid thing,” said a former NY1 reporter, now with a local network affiliate. “His judgment was just horrendous.” No argument there — even Ramsey admitted as much in the Times. He was planning to leave the station soon, anyway. Which got us wondering: Just where do NY1ers go when they leave? The channel isn’t known as a star maker for anchors and reporters (why wasn’t Pat Kiernan in the running for Dan Rathers’s job, hmmmmm?). After the jump, a little list of where people have been going after they leave the 1 mother ship.
in other news
Katie Couric, ‘This Tart Is Ready to Go’
We can’t tell if this clip of Katie Couric preparing for a Nashville broadcast is real or an awesome, purposeful spoof on Dan Rather’s unfortunate trench-coat video of last year. Either way, it’s a brilliant piece of daytime cinema, in which Katie fumbles with her own coat issues while talking smack about Rather (“Heh, I’m like Dan Rather on You Tube … What? Don’t you think he deserves a little payback?”), snorts, decries “nursing home” lighting, mourns her missing Uggs, and calls the production guys “dude” and “bro.” As in, “I’m serious, you’re moving the camera all around. I’m like, bro, what up.” We’ve never loved her more.
ink-stained wretches
When Journalists Attack … Other JournalistsRemember Alive? The book/early–Ethan Hawke movie where the plane crashes and everyone’s starving so they become cannibals? Okay, whatever we are old. The point is, we’re kind of reminded of that whenever a journalist covers another journalist’s missteps in that over-the-top holier-than-thou tone. Times are tough, and so they’re eating their own in order to save themselves. We thought about this last week when Katie Couric clamped down on Dan Rather’s “sloppy reporting” with her little white teeth, and today, the smell of media blood is in the air again. Over at the New York Press, Matt Elzweig feasted on the flesh of the Times Magazine’s Deborah Solomon in a deeply self-serious “examination of the questionable ethical choices one very prominent reporter made on behalf of the nation’s top newspaper” blah blah blah blah Jayson Blair blah blah.
in other news
Dan Rather Is Considering Subpoena for Bushes 41 and 43Darth Rather choked back tears today during an emotional interview with “Q&A Café” host Carol Joynt, saying “You’ve never met anybody who had more respect for the presidency than I do.” But when Joynt asked him whether he’d like to subpoena George Bush as a witness in his lawsuit against CBS, he said he’d “like to not answer the question.” Joynt took his response, and his knowing look, to mean that he’s strongly considering the possibility. Rather also got teary when he talked about family members and close associates who said he shouldn’t file the suit. And, he insisted, the whole thing wasn’t born out of resentment. “I’m not angry,” he said. “I’m not bitter.” We’re betting, though, that he’s at least a little bit salty about the way Katie Couric last night called out his reporting in the National Guard story that got him in trouble. “There were things in there that were quite egregious in terms of how it was reported,” she told the National Press Club. “And sloppy work is sloppy work They did not dot their I’s and cross their T’s when it came to that story And our job is to get right.” Which probably comes as a surprise to Rather, who thought Couric’s job was to take the news and “dumb it down” and “tart it up.”
Couric Weighs in on Iraq, Rather [Yeas and Nays/San Francisco Examiner]
Rather Chokes Up, and Hunkers Down [Yeas and Nays/San Francisco Examiner]
gossipmonger
Leo DiCaprio Has Your BackAt Upstairs in Soho, Leonardo DiCaprio had the back of Danny A after the club promoter got into an altercation with a patron. New York Yankee Joba Chamberlain celebrated his 22nd birthday at the Plumm by drinking Red Bull with a bunch of teammates. Tom Touchet, who was a producer at the Today show until he was forced out by Katie Couric, may have to work with her again now that he’s at CBS. The Scores stripper who sold pictures of Oscar De La Hoya in drag regrets having done so for only $70,000. Derek Jeter sat near Hilary Duff at Megu Midtown. French soprano Natalie Dessay, star of the Met’s Lucia di Lammermoor, understands why a lot of people think opera is boring. George Clooney, girlfriend Sarah Larson, and a group of friends dined downstairs at La Esquina.
gossipmonger
Scores Stripper Not So Sure About Drag De La HoyaThe Scores stripper who had the photos of Oscar De La Hoya in drag is now saying she cannot “personally verify the authenticity of the images,” likely because she was threatened by De La Hoya’s lawyer. Lever House owner and real-estate mogul Abe Rosen is forcing tenants (including art collector Robert Wilson) out of his nine-story building on 67 Vestry Street to turn it into a luxury condo building. Miss USA Rachel Smith says she wants to be taken seriously as a TV reporter and not “end up like Katie Couric.” Donald Trump denied having once punched his second-grade music teacher, despite having written about the story in a book. Bruce Willis and his eight-person entourage were denied entry to Socialista at 3 a.m. Ivanka Trump’s jewelry line predictably does not include diamond grills. Dates with some hot firefighters are being auctioned off for charity at Turtle Bay Lounge tonight.
in other news
If Rather Burns Down CBS News, Couric Will Rise From AshesMost people seem to think Dan Rather is nuts for filing his vengeful $70 million lawsuit against CBS. And frankly, amid all of the hubbub and surprise, it’s hard to remember the facts. But Mary Mapes, the 60 Minutes producer who fell on her own sword for Rather during the whole Bush–National Guard reporting mess, walks readers through it pretty simply in her Huffington Post blog, and she raises a good point. Rather, she says, is right in wanting to defend his reputation over this point – and might do some serious damage.
intel
Morley Safer Not Loving Couric’s ‘Bullshit Hype’New York ran into 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer at last night’s Feast of Love screening, and there was a vague sense of embarrassment for having just watched a movie with so much sexing alongside with an elder statesman of journalism. But Morley is a salty elder statesman of journalism, it turns out! “What’s wrong with nudity?” Safer bellowed. “Look, I’d rather watch nudity than violence. A famous director once told me, ‘A tit never killed anyone.’” Ha — it’s always so delightful when the senior citizens say “tit”! Tell us more!
company town
Even Iraq Can’t Save KatieMEDIA
• Jon Stewart will get another chance to piss off Old Hollywood — the Academy just decided to let him host the Oscars again. [NYT]
• If you thought Katie Couric’s Iraq trip was nothing but a ratings stunt, you might want to check the numbers: The week-long tour tied her previous record for the lowest CBS viewership in over two decades. [AP]
• The Wall Street Journal’s softball team celebrates its last season as an “independently” owned team by printing up a cute little fake story. No mention whether Murdoch plans to fire the lot of them and bring in juiced replacements. [Radar Online]
Katie Couric Orders Takeout From IraqOscar de la Renta doesn’t want any socialites at his Fashion Week show because they never actually buy his clothes. (Also, some models for Marc Jacobs are annoyed that he tapped The Hills star Lauren Conrad to stomp the catwalk for him). Kate Hudson is trying to get in touch with Owen Wilson, but has been rebuffed. New York Ranger Sean Avery claims he dumped Elisha Cuthbert, and not the other way around. East Village hipster hangout Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction is for sale for $5.5 million. Tommy Lee may or may not have had sex with a blonde girl in a room full of people at Dune in the Hamptons. Katie Couric placed an Italian food takeout order for her daughters in New York from Iraq.
in other news
Katie Couric and Her Legs Going to IraqKatie Couric and Co. have decided that her personal safety is less important than saving the flagging ratings of the CBS Evening News. Couric will travel to Iraq starting today to do on-the-ground reporting, according to Variety, despite the fact that a CBS employee was killed there only days ago, and fellow network anchor Bob Woodruff was brutally bombed while there over a year ago. Couric has scoffed at anchors going on location before, but her presence in this case has secured high-level access and interviews for the newscast. The goal is to be there in advance of the release of U.S. General David Petraeus’s report on the status of Iraq’s recovery. She’ll begin by doing field research (she’ll travel well outside the safe Green Zone in Baghdad) and then start reporting live after Labor Day. In the meantime she’ll be replaced on the newscast by the Early Show anchors Russ Mitchell and Harry Smith. Ratings are sure to spike with Katie there, but knowing her critics, will it be attributed to her cojones? Or the fact that there’ll finally be a pair of them in the main chair again?
CBS Sending Couric to Iraq, Syria [Variety]
Related: Alas, Poor Couric [NYM]
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
Today, Andy Rooney and Charlie Gibson Equally UnfunnyMEDIA
• Don Imus, his big settlement with CBS finally behind him, is now looking to make a comeback on ABC radio. [NYP]
• Andy Rooney apologizes for crossing the line from crotchety to racist – sort of. [NYT]
• Charlie Gibson wants you to remember that he, unlike Katie Couric and Brian Williams, is humorless. [NYT]
in other news
New Katie Couric Unauthorized Bio Slings Mud, CurryKatie Couric just can’t get a break – the embattled CBS Evening News anchor doesn’t have to just struggle with sagging ratings, now she also has to deal with a new hatchet job by celebrity unauthorized biographer Ed Klein. The Daily News unearthed a few nuggets from Katie: The Real Story today, and it ain’t pretty. Klein claims (quoting, as always, anonymous sources) that Katie’s marriage to late husband Jay Monahan was basically over well before he succumbed to colon cancer in 1998 — and that she’s subsequently painted a happy portrait of their relationship to strategically position herself as a struggling widow. Not to butt in further, but relationships during illness are complicated, difficult, and private. This accusation seems like a low blow even for Klein, whose similar books about Hillary Clinton and the Kennedys were best-sellers. The author also claimed that Couric was jealous of co-presenter Ann Curry and tried to get in the way of her advancement. Which is funny, because we always thought the only thing getting in Curry’s way was her own inability to complete a sentence.
Talk About Katie Hatin’ [NYDN]
Related: Alas Poor Couric [NYM]
gossipmonger
Oh, Poor Fashion WeekFewer Hollywood stars than usual are expected at Fashion Week when it starts September 5, because the Emmys and the MTV Video Music Awards are the same week. Dan Rather was confused by the “Thriller” dance stunt performed by Katie Couric’s staff last week, though he thinks her job is safe. Arianna Huffington may be dating Newark mayor Cory Booker. Cuba Gooding Jr., who is married with three kids, recently made out with five girls in one night at Tenjune. Jeremy Piven got into a heated argument with his mother at Nobu Malibu, though it’s unclear about what. Gwyneth Paltrow has been trekking around Spain with Mario Batali for a PBS cooking show (and hubby Chris Martin almost didn’t get into the premiere of her brother’s new movie). Cameron Diaz had a romantic dinner with John Mayer at Mai House in Tribeca. Residents of Martha’s Vineyard are happy that Larry David and Laurie are broken up and that Larry is dating again.
in other news
Someone’s Finally Sticking Up for KatieAn unlikely champion for the struggling Katie Couric emerged today. Her knight in shining Brooks Brothers is rival Shep Smith, who anchors Fox News’ evening newscast. From an interview today on TV Guide’s Biz Blog:
TVGuide.com: CBS Evening News tried to do something different last year after they hired Katie Couric, and it was rejected.
They didn’t try it for long. And was everybody at CBS News on board? Probably not. Did they give it a chance? Did they take the woman who was successful beyond everyone else’s dreams in the morning and try to change her into something else after a week? Was there a PR disaster that happened? Did they mismanage it beyond the exclusion of every reasonable thought? I think these are all fair questions. I’m glad we don’t operate the way they do.
A feminist at Fox News. Who knew?
Shepard Smith Promises a “New and Better” Fox Report [Biz Blog/TV Guide]
Related: Alas Poor Couric [NYM]
gossipmonger
Breaking: Lohans Not Best ParentsLindsay Lohan’s bodyguard claims Dina and Michael weren’t the best parents. Maria Bartiromo pissed off PETA by posing in a Michael Kors coat with fox-fur cuffs. The Box smelled like burnt hair for two hours after a patron’s hair caught on fire. Jay McCarroll’s friend says he has an Upper West Side apartment, contrary to what the designer told New York. Katie Couric belted out “Sweet Caroline” at a piano bar in Nantucket. Harvey Weinstein picked Clint Eastwood to compose the score for John Cusack’s new movie. City comptroller Bill Thompson says he was able to buy an apartment in Brooklyn shortly after graduating college in 1974, but his daughter couldn’t even afford to rent one. Chris Noth will be in the Sex and the City movie.
gossipmonger
A Money-er Honey?CNBC “Money Honey” Maria Bartiromo is jealous of co-worker Erin Burnett because Burnett is becoming more popular than she is. An upcoming book about Katie Couric claims she planned to leave NBC a year before she actually did and that the staff of 60 Minutes thinks she’s a “lightweight.” State Senator Carl Kruger is not a fan of fellow Democrat Eliot Spitzer. Jeremy Shockey took a bunch of Giants teammates to Scores. The woman who blogged about Keith Olbermann’s bedside manners is no longer maintaining her blog. Naomi Watts finally gave birth. Nora Ephron has spent a lot of time giving her breasts a workout. Christie Brinkley is spending $10.9 million to buy the house in North Haven next door to the one where Peter Cook had an affair.
company town
Couric Will Stay at CBSMEDIA
• CBS News president Sean McManus denied that Katie Couric will leave CBS Evening News before the end of her five-year contract. [AP via Fox News]
• CNBC and the Financial Times plan to join forces and share content in case Rupert Murdoch’s Dow Jones bid goes through. [WSJ]
• TV Guide is moving into The New Yorker’s old offices on West 43rd Street. [NYP]
gossipmonger
Damn You, John StosselAt Live Earth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and John Stossel continued their public feud over global warming. Ron Perelman and Gina Gershon are hanging out on Perelman’s yacht off the coast of Italy, but they may not be dating. Eliot Spitzer and Charles Schumer are weekend telephone buddies. Former Bronx congressman Mario Biaggi no longer holds a grudge against Rudy Giuliani, even though Giuliani successfully prosecuted him for bribery twenty years ago. Al D’Amato is happy he’s going to be a father again. Mel Gibson bought a $39.5 million estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. NBC accidentally featured Katie Couric in a Today-show promo. Hillary Clinton is hosting three Hamptons fund-raisers the first weekend of August.
gossipmonger
Chuck Schumer, Lady’s ManAfter college, Chuck Schumer picked a girl over a scholarship. 50 Cent is really rich. Gay activists don’t like John Travolta in the Hairspray movie because he’s a Scientologist, not because of his performance. Brian Grazer is getting divorced. Eliot Spitzer banged his head on the trunk of his car. Rufus Wainwright defends Anderson Cooper’s lifestyle and choice of gym. Maggie Gyllenhaal might come to Broadway as Nellie in South Pacific. Kevin Spacey partied at Lotus. Lily Allen put on a bad show at the Roseland Ballroom, then she hung out with Josh Hartnett. At Graydon Carter and Anna Wintour’s party for Nicholas Coleridge’s A Much Married Man, Ron Perelman thought the book was about him.
in other news
Dan Rather: But I Don’t Hate Katie! (Just Les.)
Dan Rather insists it’s not about Katie Couric — it’s about Edward R. Murrow. After Les Moonves decried the ex–CBS anchor’s indictment of Katie-era CBS (specifically, his use of the words “dumbing it down” and “tarting it up”) as “sexist” yesterday, Rather issued a clarification through his new employer, HDNet. As nobody gets HDNet, here’s what he said: “This is not about Katie Couric. Never has been … This is not about gender, this is about leadership at the very top of CBS. Les Moonves talked about ‘blowing up’ CBS News and [de-emphasizing] the landmark journalistic work of Edward R. Murrow.” And so, in one fell swoop, Rather’s comment turned from beating up on a newbie to standing up for a mentor. Neat trick, if it works.
More From Rather [TV Newser]
gossipmonger
Jay McInerney Breaks His Foot on a ClichéJay McInerney broke his foot running to hail a cab. Outside the Waverly Inn. Martha Stewart and Cosmo editor Kate White were among Glamour’s “Top 10 College Women.” Pete Wentz and girlfriend Ashlee Simpson cut the bathroom line at Wentz’s bar, Angels and Kings. A documentary adaptation is being filmed of Crimes Against Nature, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s indictment of President Bush’s environmental policy. Hugh Hefner praised a story in Elle that trashed some of his girlfriends, even though he told the girls he’d write a critical letter to the editor about it. Katie Couric had breakfast with Ted Koppel.
gossipmonger
Nobody Knows in America, Puerto Rico’s in AmericaJohn McCain has RSVP’d for the Puerto Rican Day Parade, but Rudy Giuliani has not. Lorraine Bracco will be a onetime co-host of The View. Baird Jones will celebrate Dr. Kevorkian’s release from prison tonight by exhibiting his paintings at Webster Hall. Kevin Costner ate at Michael’s. John Travolta may be in denial about his son’s autism because of Scientology. Paris Hilton plans to keep a diary when she’s in prison, which she can later sell. Sharon Stone is set to star in mock political ads to be unveiled at the upcoming Venice Biennale. Charlie Palmer’s Kitchen 22, on West 22nd Street, closed.
gossipmonger
Billie Jean Is Not My Talk-Show HostBillie Jean King says she wouldn’t mind taking fellow lesbian Rosie O’Donnell’s spot on The View. Socialiterank.com will post no more, but its (still anonymous) founders do have a book deal. Arthur Sulzberger Jr. was marginally insensitive toward deaf people at the New York Times Co. annual meeting. American Idol contestants put on a private performance at Rupert Murdoch’s house. Christie’s exec John Hays made a quip about Katie Couric at the Children for Children benefit. Cameron Diaz went shopping in Soho, then freaked out when the paparazzi showed up. Kate Winslet likes New York’s paparazzi more than London’s. A woman obsessed with Sandra Bullock tried to run over Bullock’s husband with a car. Hugh Grant was arrested on an assault charge after throwing baked beans at a paparazzo.
company town
Will Dior Ditch Galliano?FASHION
• Are John Galliano’s days at Dior numbered? [NYP]
• Alice Roi’s been busy: Her acclaimed Uniqlo collaboration hits shelves this week, and her pop-up store will open in May. [The Shophound]
• Anya Hindmarch reportedly sent her ecoconscious “It” bag to editors in a plastic bag. [Fashionista]
gossipmonger
De Niro and Bowie, Kushner and Trump, Wenner and Nye Make NiceRobert De Niro and David Bowie were cordial at Vanity Fair’s party for the Tribeca Film Festival, despite reports that De Niro is mad that Bowie’s High Line Festival comes right after Tribeca. Also at the party: “Friends” Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump (as we told you yesterday). And Jann Wenner, with cuckolded boyfriend Matt Nye. Amy Sacco will open a hotel in the financial district. CBS’s Bob Schieffer and Lesley Stahl may have been behind a hit piece on Katie Couric in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Speaking of Couric, her cell phone ringtone is the Pussycat Dolls’s “Don’t Cha.” Bill Clinton is going to a party at Gabriel Byrne’s house to fundraise for Hillary. Les Moonves went to go see his son’s rock band play at the Plumm.
gossipmonger
Saddam Lives?An agent claims to have forensic evidence and government documents that allege Saddam Hussein is still alive and well. Former CBS News reporter turned professional CBS basher Bernard Goldberg takes shots at Les Moonves and Katie Couric in his newest book. The relationship between 77-year-old Barbara Walters and 80-year-old Robert N. Butler is heating up. Arianna Huffington broke her cheekbone and got stitches after fainting in her office from exhaustion. Taxi tycoon Andrew Murstein bought a suite at Madison Square Garden for $500,000. The man accused of shaking down Oprah Winfrey claims he was set up by her lawyer, according to Radar. Exes Tom Arnold and Roseanne Barr continue to dislike each another.
gossipmonger
Not Super EnoughThe Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation wanted to donate the late Superman’s wheelchair to the Smithsonian, but the museum wanted more stuff. Katie Couric is dating a 33-year-old triathlete named Brooks Perlin. Scorned socialite Olivia Palermo gave an interview to New York about her relationship with Tinsley Mortimer and socialiterank.com without the consent of her publicist. Naomi Campbell was in talks with MTV to film a reality show but suddenly went MIA. CNN is prepared to pay Anderson Cooper $50 million over the next five years. Reports conflict on whether Marc Anthony and J.Lo have split. Stevie Wonder had to buy back a Grammy he won in 1974 because he never reported it stolen in the first place.
gossipmonger
Bitchin’Hip-hop producer Timbaland called fellow producer and former friend Scott Storch “a bitch” at Marquee. Katie Couric was spotted flirting with a young guy who may or may not have been smoking weed at Peasant in Nolita. Manhattan Mini Storage is getting flack from Republicans and Paris Hilton alike for some of its ads around the city. Married Island Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid exchanged a number of rather flirty e-mails with a female co-worker in 2005, but she insists they were just kidding around. Former state comptroller Carl McCall is claiming he’s Elliot Spitzer’s choice to head up SUNY as either chancellor or chairman of the Board of Trustees, but a source close to Spitzer says no way. Jon Bon Jovi is doing charity construction work in Brooklyn.
company town
Heatherette Honcho Throws Weirdly Normal Birthday PartyFASHION
• Heatherette designer Traver Rains turned 30! And, apparently, his “Wild West” surprise party started on time and everyone invited actually got inside. [Fashionista]
• Calvin Klein has high hopes that CK in2u will replicate the success of CK One. [NYT]
• Giorgio Armani will design uniforms for Russell Crowe’s Australian rugby team. [British Vogue]
gossipmonger
Kaplan to the Rescue!Former CNN and MSNBC honcho Rick Kaplan is coming to save Katie Couric’s CBS Evening News. Bono disagrees with an Ad Age’s cover story saying that his RED campaign has been a financial failure. Brandon Davis mocked Paula Abdul for having an Arabic-sounding last name. His real surname? Zarif. Two staffers quit Star’s beauty department. Leslie Stahl’s contract at 60 Minutes is almost up, and it’s unclear whether she’s staying. Stephen Colbert’s new Ben & Jerry’s flavor is called “AmeriCone.” (And we told you all about it on Tuesday.) Buddha Bar fired its CEO. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown hung out at their kid’s birthday dinner.
in other news
See, CBS’s Strategy Is for Katie’s Ratings to Suck
With yesterday’s news about Charlie Gibson’s recent ratings victories over Brian Williams, we wondered what the folks at CBS think about the whole thing. After all, they’re spending $15 million a year on their new anchor. Then we remembered: They don’t care! They’ve never cared! Why would you care about a $15 million investment?
September 2006: “Where we were last week or even in the weeks to come is not as important as where we are next year and even the year after that.” —CBS News President Sean McManus to the AP
October 2006: “It takes months and years to change viewer habits.” —McManus to USA Today
November 2006: “”Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will the CBS Evening News.” —Katie Couric to USA Today
February 2007: “As we’ve said all along, this is a very long process that takes many months, if not years. We’re not losing any patience.” —McManus to the New York Times
Earlier: Good News for ABC, or Just Bad News for NBC?
in other news
Public Life Means Having to Say You’re SorryInspired by Italy’s Veronica Lario — who in a front-page letter printed in yesterday’s La Repubblica requested a public apology from her husband, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, for flirting with and ogling various comely young women and then, even more remarkably, received one — we’d like to see if we, too, can elicit a public apology or two.
To everyone involved in ground-zero reconstruction:
It’s been five freaking years, and this is all that’s been accomplished? You should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you. (And, yes, at this point that includes you, too, sainted widows and family members.) We think you owe us — all of us, all New Yorkers — an apology.
Sincerely, Daily Intel
gossipmonger
Tom and Katie, Together AgainTom, Katie, J-Lo, and Marc double-dated at Prince’s Golden Globes after-party. And Drew Barrymore and Bruce Willis hooked up at the same party. Diddy tried to pick up Sienna Miller at the CAA after-party, but he couldn’t get in. Cameron Diaz blew up at Jessica Biel for chatting up former boyfriend Justin Timberlake. (Although the Daily News claims their encounter was a bit more jovial.)
in other news
Katie Couric Perhaps to Consider Lesbianism, Too?Yes, yes, we’re a little late in getting around to today’s Observer. But have you seen soon-to-be-Timeswoman Rebecca Dana’s profile of the perkily gummy Katie Couric? The mega-million-dollar anchor has been severely ratings-challenged at the CBS Evening News, and the piece has lots of fun details on the woman, on the Iraqi-like divisions her arrival has caused in the CBS newsroom, and, especially, on her sometimes less-than-sensitive on-air reactions:
On Sept. 7, after a piece about the cervical cancer vaccine that mentioned teen sex practices, Ms. Couric, a mother of two adolescents, told correspondent Jonathan LaPook that he had “just ruined my day.” On Oct. 27, she handed correspondent Steve Hartman a pair of pink slippers after his feature about a Texas sheriff who makes his prisoners wear pink. On Oct. 30, in her introduction to a story about Arnold Schwarzenegger, she mimicked the California governor’s pattern of speech.
Which points, perhaps, to a strategy: What other TV show made a high-profile cast change recently? And what high-profile new TV star has been regularly offending people? And what regularly offensive new star has seen her show’s ratings jump — rather than fall — since those changes? Um, Miss O’Donnell, that’s Katie Couric on line one.
Katie Go-Nightly [NYO]
gossipmonger
Giuliani Not the Only GOPer Who Knows His Campaign Faces ProblemsSome Republicans think his business and the press will keep Rudy Giuliani from running for president. Robin Williams made friends with a bunch of former enemies in the New York Film Critics Circle. Ron Perelman brought rabbis over to bless a plot of land he purchased on the secluded Harbour Island in the Bahamas; locals, having never seen a rabbi, thought they were terrorists. Dita Von Teese left Marilyn Manson because he was partying too heartily with Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, and Evan Rachel Wood. Word association with Forbes publisher Steve Forbes: Nancy Pelosi: “Trouble.” Hillary Clinton: “Future Trouble.” Speaking of Pelosi, daughter Alexandra’s latest documentary features a telling interview with outed pastor Ted Haggard. Claire Danes’ new boyfriend, Hugh Dancy, seems to be more interested in boys than in poor Claire. Simon Cowell prefers Kelly Clarkson to Bob Dylan. Britney Spears went out drinking, shacked up with model Isaac Cohen at the W Hotel on Monday. Bill Nighy prefers his matzo-ball soup without matzo balls. Coke-loving, hooker-loving Pat O’Brien is out at The Insider. Amy Sedaris was listening to “Desperado” when she lost her virginity; an 11-year old Tracy Morgan had “Superfreak.” The guy behind the N.J. sale of Whitney Houston memorabilia may not actually own all the stuff he’s selling. Paris Hilton pleaded innocent to her DUI charge from September. Katie Couric is having a 50th birthday party at Tiffany this weekend. Cross-town goalie rivals Henrik Lundqvist and Marty Broedeur avoided each other at Tao. PETA claims that the makers of POM pomegranate juice fund experiments in which the arteries of male bunnies are severed so that researchers can study the effect of the juice on male impotence.
gossipmonger
Now It’s Condi’s Turn to CryKatie Couric may have made Condoleezza Rice cry during an interview, and a tape of it may exist. Bob Dylan is suing the producers of Factory Girl for defamation over their portrayal of his relationship with Edie Sedgwick. John Mayer and Jessica Simpson might be dating after all — at least according to a spy who saw them making out at a New Year’s Eve party. Even Harvard alums aren’t immune to high-profile, high-cost divorces. In a shocker, Donald Trump was named “Most Annoying Money Personality” by AOL users. A former model is suing real-estate honcho William Haines for sexual harassment, despite his best efforts to quash the suit. Billy Condon made an embarrassing faux pas in his bid to garner support for a Best Director Oscar for Dreamgirls. Governor Eliot Spitzer watched the ball drop from his new home — the Executive Mansion in Albany. Access Hollywood host Billy Bush is looking for a new job, and it probably won’t be at NBC. MTV retread Kristin Cavallari has a new boyfriend, and her old boyfriend is jealous. Former trashy talk-show host Richard Bey will play a sanitation worker in his Off Broadway debut. Liz Smith has some New Year’s resolutions for 2006’s leading ladies: Lindsay, stay out of harm’s way; Britney, keep your panties on; Paris, get off the red carpet.
gossipmonger
Bloomberg Gets Frisky, or NotMayor Bloomberg and Diana Taylor got naked in the back of a car. (And it wasn’t as exciting as you’d think.) A special-effects guy lost a hand while filming Leo DiCaprio’s Blood Diamond. Kelly Ripa says Katie Couric avoids her. Someone took pictures of Jennifer Aniston; Aniston’s bodyguard gave chase. A 16-year-old girl posted vaguely illicit photos of herself with Vincent Gallo on her blog; the world got creeped out. Molly Sims and her boyfriend are on the rocks. Barbra Streisand’s contract requires bomb-sniffing dogs, “neatly dressed” security guards. Bono buys overpriced jeans because David Beckham does. CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante’s adult son made a weird bomb threat on Martha’s Vineyard. Ron Perelman had dinner; so did Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson. Liz Smith thinks Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should be Time’s “People of the Year.” People hate Ann Coulter, unless they love her. Everyone hates Heather Mills. “Page Six” refutes reports that Emily White is Giacchetto’s ghostwriter, which was reported on “Page Six.” The residents of 25 Tudor City Place have an overzealous super and will have a nasty co-op meeting. It’s good to be the “Let’s get ready to rumble” guy.