In Defense of ‘Early Show’ Producer Shelley RossShelley Ross, the executive producer of CBS’ Early Show, whose staffers were complaining about her last week, has been out of the office all week, and her things “were seen being taken out of her office” yesterday. “Page Six” thinks she’s probably been fired, and they give a whole rundown of the terrible sins she supposedly committed against her staff, culminating in a quote from former colleague Charlie Gibson, who reportedly muttered at a funeral they both attended over the weekend, “It took us six years to get rid of her. How come it only took them five months?” Maybe it’s because we once had a boss who instituted an office-wide “tackling policy” and occasionally spoke to us through the zipper on his pants, but we maintain our position that Ross’s staff sounds like a bunch of babies and that she has been, perhaps, unfairly maligned.
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The ‘Early Show’ Office Is More or Less As Dysfunctional As YoursEarly Show producer Shelley Ross’s staff is revolting against her! Apparently 21 people have left the CBS program since she started in September, and others are, well, just complaining to “Page Six.” “I can’t stand working here anymore. I can’t stand people being humiliated this way,” one producer told the paper today. Beefs include the fact that Ross supposedly wants everyone to work 18-hour days, made one producer read an apology after he joked about the lameness of a segment they were doing on people who were “addicted to lip balm,” and told a guy to reschedule a colonoscopy because it was sweeps week. “I’ve seen a lot of crazy people, but she takes the cake,” the staffer said. Um, really? We don’t know about you, but we don’t really think this sounds that bad. This is New York, where legendarily crazy bosses flourish as potatoes do in Idaho. Hasn’t this dude ever heard of Ball-Bustin’ Bonnie ? Shriekin’ Scott Rudin? Judith “My cock is bigger than yours” Regan? A certain Prada-Wearing Devil? Chin up, dude. That said, we’re watching The Early Show right now and Harry Smith does look as though he could be wearing nipple clamps, so maybe what the CBS staffers told “Page Six” is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Tantrum Time At ‘Early Show’ [NYP]
gossipmonger
Catherine Z-J Gets the ‘No Way’ From Rob MarshallCatherine Zeta-Jones won’t star in the movie adaptation of Broadway musical Nine because the director wouldn’t beef up her role. Eight staffers have left CBS’ The Early Show because they can’t stand working with hotheaded senior exec producer Shelley Ross. Paris Hilton thinks the guys in New York are “so much better” than the ones in L.A. Since divorcing his wife, George Soros has been hanging out with young girls in their twenties at his home in Southampton. Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad and ex-socialite (and ex-wife of Jets owner Woody Johnson) Sale Johnson may be getting married today. Anna Wintour controlled the seating arrangements at the $50,000-a-table 7th on Sale event at the Lexington Armory. (Speaking of Anna, Tim Burton says that Johnny Depp based the haircut of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on hers.)
