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| Divo and diva: Wolff, Brown |
Michael Wolff has been phoning in a media column for USA Today since September, when the paper relaunched in print and online with a promise to publish more pronounced voices.
He's also a contributing editor for the far more upscale Vanity Fair magazine, the slick monthly whose status-conscious audience, it's safe to say, is of far greater interest to him. (Not for nothing that he lists his VF credentials first on his Twitter and Facebook pages, and at his very own Newser.)
Which brings us to the White House Correspondents Dinner, the hottest annual entertainment ticket for the media, political and Hollywood elite. The party, nominally for charity and drawing 2,500 guests, is scheduled for April 27. Conan O'Brien is host. President Obama will be there.
As always, the A-list media are drawing the A-list celebrities to their pricey power tables. Tina Brown of The Daily Beast (and a Wolff target) has snagged Nicole Kidman, media mogul Barry Diller, and Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein. Arianna Huffington took N.J. Gov. Chris Christie. The Wall Street Journal scooped up Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
And then there's USAT
First on what the paper itself calls a motley list: Courteney Cox of TV's Cougar Town. (Looks like a do-over for Cox, who was a no-show two years ago. USAT had invited Cox and her then-husband, David Arquette, but the couple soon announced they'd separated.) The other guests also are actors: Kristin Chenoweth, Kate Walsh, Ashley Judd and Josh Gad.
But the night's entertainment only starts at the dinner itself. The after parties are at least as popular, with VF's being the biggest draw of all. "Panicked members of the Washington press corps will try to call in favors in futile attempts to score invites to the Vanity Fair and Bloomberg party at the residence of French ambassador François Delattre," Women's Wear Daily reported today.
And what about Wolff? It's a safe bet he'll want to be at the dinner. But which employer's table would he favor: upmarket Vanity Fair or downmarket USAT? And which party later that night: Graydon Carter's or Larry Kramer's? One thing's for sure: a certain chief marketing officer will be keeping score.
Who gives a shit? Really? In't there anything interesting to write about?
ReplyDeleteFor an event like this, I would love to be a police officer with a book full of tickets to be written and a breathalyzer at the ready.
ReplyDeleteA whole lot of people at Corporate care about this shit, including Maryam Banikarim and Larry Kramer.
ReplyDeleteBanikarim only cares about which outfit she's wearing and whst she can tweet from the event like some starry eyed schoolgirl.
Delete9:30 = ex-marketing person. Same old shit, different day.
DeleteJim = burnout. Has nothing new to offer. Time to wrap it up, Jim.
Actually, this is something Jim should be writing about. USAT annually forks out tens of thousands to hang with C-listers. May as well be Titanic deck chairs.
DeleteI don't really care about this stuff, but acknowledge it's your blog and you're free to write about whatever you find interesting.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am much more curious about how those USA Today buyouts are going. Haven't read anything about it since the 55-and-up buyouts were offered. Isn't time running out for people to "volunteer?" And if they don't, any clue as to whether USAT heads will force people out and when that might happen?
This is the kind of stuff that impacts careers and lives, as well as the biz as a whole, and is the sort of thing I am most interested in reading about. And there is no other source that I know of for this kind of info other than Gannett Blog.
How about a follow-up on the USAT buyout situation?
Fair enough. Let me see what more I can learn.
DeleteThe deadline to submit a request for a USAT buyout is April 25. That also is the date by which you must be 55 to qualify. You must also have a least 15 years' service by that date.
DeleteDecisions are expected to be announced in early May.
I've now heard that perhaps only 110 employees were eligible for buyouts, less than the earlier reports of 150 employees. And I think they're hoping to grant at least 30 requests, but that number isn't necessarily fixed.
Company-wide, USAT employs well less than 1,400.
The buyout list is only about 100. They wont get more than two dozen from the bloated newsroom. Why would you leave a comfortable desk when you arent required to justify your job beyond editor meetings and the easy life?
DeleteBut so many come here and proclaim they hate working at USAT. So many beg for buyots. So now that it's here they are suddenly silent? I guess it's not that bad. I mean they have a columnist that writes about his dog most weeks. Trust me, he isn't looking for a deal. He has the best deal in the country.
DeleteThe biggest complainers are doing the least amount of work. But the true damage to morale and initiative is the long stsnding, top down management structure that got fatter and sillier after Callaway inflated the team last fall. Why did he bloat the place with editors who have virtually no hand in producing the product? Why were incompetents rewarded with promotions and titles?
DeleteThanks for the update on the USAT buyouts, Jim. Certainly seems that 30 is an attainable number, and I presume those all won't come from the newsroom, but I would still prefer to see USAT trim the staff based on things like day-in-and-day-out competence and work ethics. When you go after older workers, you not only send the wrong message to those seasoned employees, but to the younger staffers who seem prone to think that middle age means expendable these days. Creates unnecessary stress fractures in the newsroom.
DeleteBy the way, there has always been tension between young and old journalists, but there used to also be a mutual respect, which actually energized newsrooms and balanced out the news report, whether in print or broadcast. That kind of "diversity" seems to be fading away as corporations like Gannett have it in for anyone over 50.
As folks age, they tend to get a bit more serious about life. They vote more. They get involved in their communities. I don't know what is going to happen to news products like USAT today, but I would suggest they not abandon more mature readers, because they will always exist. Today's 20somethings will be tomorrow's 60somethings. And at 60, believe me, you want to focus on things that are truly important, not on celebrity sightings and silly online graphics.
And therein lies the downfall of journalism in today's landscape. Be it newspaper, magazine or television, "reporters" strive to become celebrities. No longer reporting on the stories of the day from a distant and impartial point of view, but rather becoming part of the story. Think Robin Roberts "interviewing" Michelle Obama...the two gal pals swapped compliments on hairstyles. Riveting and hard-hitting journalism.
ReplyDeleteOne of Kramer's first requests to Life was "get me some A List celebrities" for last year's relaunch extravaganza. As usual, Usa Today marketing waited until too late, then wanted to do it on the cheap. Courtney Cox is cute and smart, but seriously, she was barely A list five years ago.
Deletebuying in to the WHCD is so passe as well.m
"Passé" is USAT code for "I didn't get invited!!!!"
DeleteHave you seen who is at the Gannett tables over the years? Why would you want to go with such poseurs? You can watch it on C span.
ReplyDeleteJiim, no one cares about the dinner except those who are going. Please stay focused.
ReplyDeleteI chuckle at recalling the desperation of suits trying to strong-arm us into getting sports A-listers to attend an event you wouldn't be considered for attending. (Gee, wonder why there was no enthusiasm put into that effort?) There, the honchos could schmooze and suck up to A-listers who they would otherwise show contempt for the majority of the time.
ReplyDeleteHow utterly true!
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to hire Ed Cassidy back again for USA Today. His guest lists for the Hollywood Hero dinners were able to bring in Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Chaka Khan, Debra Messing, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Magic Johnson, half the cast of Glee and bigger A listers. Now we just get the same old rehashes.
ReplyDeleteEd??????? Oh thanks for the belly laugh. Oh I needed that. Thank you!
DeleteProbably a great idea, but of course, now youll be lumped in with all the other allegedly disgruntled ex-marketing people. And if I were Ed, there is no way I would work for these thoughtless, foolish people again.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I see Banikarim and hear This Girl is on Fire, the nonsense just becomes that much clearer.
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Delete"This Girl Should be Fired"
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