Barack Obama's Gift To European Models [Hope]

Here in America, Barack Obama spends most of his time insisting he is a non-terrorist, American-born Christian who doesn't hate white people, and who impregnated his wife only after they got married. Sad. But in Europe the Democratic presidential candidate is actually producing uhhh, what's it called — CHANGE. And HOPE. French newspaper Le Monde credited Obama with "stirring up high hopes" among French blacks, while the Times said Obama "hastened... a new black consciousness there." And today fashion writer Cathy Horyn reveals that Obama helped inspire a forthcoming issue of Italian Vogue with all-black models, including Naomi Campbell, pictured at left in a shot from the issue. The idea, executed by photographer Steven Meisel, was to highlight inequality in the fashion industry:

Under its editor, Franca Sozzani, Italian Vogue has gained a reputation for being more about art and ideas than commerce. Ms. Sozzani also doesn’t mind controversy.

She said that, as an Italian, she has been intrigued by the American presidential race and Mr. Obama, which was one source of inspiration when she and Mr. Meisel began discussing, in February, the idea of an all-black issue. Also, she was aware of the lack of diversity on the runways in recent years and the debate it fueled last fall in New York, where Bethann Hardison, a former model who ran a successful agency, held two panel discussions on the topic.

Ms. Sozzani said the issue was not a response to criticism that she, too, has under-represented blacks or portrayed them as stereotypes.

It all sounds very progressive, and is enough to make one long for the days when America was known for its optimism, and the Western Europeans, all too often, for xenophobic fear of immigrants, relative religious intolerance, and for being too cynically stuck in their ways to engage in genuine, constructive racial dialog. How the tables have turned.

[Times]

(Steven Meisel photo via Times)

Hearst Chief Fired Over Web Issues? [Jobs]

"The word had come from on high that they weren’t doing enough getting into digital, nothing big enough to fundamentally change the business model." [Times, Previously]

Tim Russert, Remembered [Roundup]

• Tim Russert's son, Luke, asked Barack Obama and John McCain to sit next to one another at his father's funeral Wednesday. They complied, and listened as he urged them and the rest of the mourners to "engage in spirited debate but disavow the low tactics that distract Americans from the most important issues facing our country." [Times]
• At the Kennedy Center memorial service, Tom Brokaw opened by lifting a bottle of Rolling Rock beer pilfered from Russert's cooler, as well as a mug the newsman gave him, and declaring, "We are going to do this Irish style. There will be some tears, some laughs, and the occasional truth." [AP] (Photo via FishbowlDC)
• Brokaw on the crowd: "Family... closest friends from near and far, the powerful, the ordinary, and the largest contingent of all, those who think they should be his successor on Meet the Press." [TV Newser]
• Meet The Press executive producer Betsy Fischer: "In the seventeen years I've had the great honor of working with you and learning from you, you have never once steered me wrong." [FishbowlDC]
• Mario Cuomo recounted how, as governor, he pushed through the country's first seatbelt law, then promptly got into a car accident and banged his head on the dashboard because the belt was not tightened. " The press appeared immediately and asked how the governor was. 'Thank God for the seatbelt,' said Russert without missing a beat." [Broadcasting & Cable]
• NBC anchor Brian Williams: "Tim spent a fortune on his hair. And on the day when he got it done, he looked outstanding for 60 to 90 minutes afterwards." (AP)
• "Williams reports Tim's last words were, 'What's happening,' to Washington bureau editing supervisor Candice Harrington." (TV Newser)
• Luke Russert: "My dad... said to him, 'Michael... What if God had come to you and said... I will give you a beautiful, a wonderful, happy, and lovable son for 17 years, but then it will be time for him to come home? You would make that deal in a second, right?' Well, I only had — I had 22 years, but I, too, would make that deal in a heartbeat." [HuffPo]
• The Huffington Post has video of each tribute, along with transcripts (scroll down). [HuffPo]

Readers Outraged At Perez Hilton's Phone-Call Scheme [Perez Hilton]

The discerning readers of Perez Hilton's site, which features cum stains, genitalia and unborn babies drawn crudely onto paparazzi photos, were shocked when the celebrity gossip today launched a tasteless plan to enrich himself through the suffering of others. Hilton's "Gossip On The Go" phone-call service costs $5 per month and threatens "you'll be hearing from us almost every day... whenever something big happens." His commenters called the plan "too expensive," "tacky and presumptuous," and "quite possibly the stupidest thing i've ever heard." Also, Hilton himself (real name: Mario Lavandeira) was called a "sell out" about a thousand times, as though he had once possessed a reserve of dignity and credibility, and is now trading it in. Here are some of the more interesting comments from PerezHilton.com, followed by an email from an "avid" Perez reader who is defecting to Gawker.

[Perez Hilton]

Poke Jason Preston, Please [Facebook]

Jason Preston, the on-again off-again boyfriend of designer Marc Jacobs, was, the last time we checked, off-again, and seems to be dealing with the resulting depression the way so many of us do: through sad, small gestures on the internet. The cry for help above came in a Facebook status update, but it may as well have been in an instant messenger away message or Twitter post. Preston should take solace in the fact that, while we're all "gradually... dying," we're not all doing so in beautiful $2,000 Dior boots. In case he doesn't, please remember to "poke" him, in the Facebook sense (of course). [Guest of a Guest]

Insane Political Ad Must Be A Joke [Advertising]

This campaign ad that's been making the rounds, for Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, is such a complete self-parody that it must be an intentional joke. From the John Wayne voice-over to the longtime lawyers' ridiculous cowboy outfits to the poetry, yes, poetry, the whole video is just crazy. Crazy enough to get linked and laughed at all over the internet (Wonkette did a nice poem). But not so insane — and this is the giveaway — in any way that makes Cornyn seem unelectable to a typical voter. It's full of lines like this: "That place out yonder needs more men like you/who shoot straight/and talk straight/and enjoy a good brew/Big John!" See? The first three lines sell the candidate's key messages, just like a political ad, while the last two are nutty enough that you'll forward the ad to your friends, so "Big John" doesn't have to spend a lot of money to defeat upstart Democrat Rick Noriega. At long last, the Web is empowering highly-placed Republicans, instead of just confusing them. [YouTube]

Keith Gessen Is Having A Party! [Take Back The Internet]

Novelist Keith Gessen, having been ridiculed here and elsewhere on the Web over the past week, is still trying to take back the internet from mean people. But he just had a sudden, happy epiphany, in which he realized that these vicious critics are not really being mean to him but toward their own caricature of him. They're just "bored at work" and are trying to have fun, so they imagine Gessen to be the juicy target they crave and lash out. "So, it's cool," the very important intellectual wrote. (He later rephrased this as, "You know, whatever.") Gessen is so relieved that the internet meanies don't hate him (just the distant, imagined "him") that he's invited us all to his place, or at least his workplace, for a big Friday night bash! Our nice, in-person selves will "take back the internet" from our anonymous-behind-a-keyboard selves! Bring your kittens and so forth!! Time/place, along with a longer explanation of why Gessen is so totally over you, after the jump.

I had always imagined the commenters as a pack of wolves… and if they smelled blood, my blood, because there I was with them, they would pounce. And then we could have it out.

Instead, the commenters wanted me to leave. It was as if I’d misunderstood. Dude, said the commenters, in effect: We weren’t talking about you. We were talking about “Keith Gessen.” You’re just a name to us. Kind of a funny name, actually. And an author photo. Kind of an obnoxious author photo. But we don’t mean you, personally. We’re bored at work. Come on.

And that was really strange. I have a friend who occasionally makes the argument: You’ve put yourself out there, now people can take their shots. I have another friend who puts it a little differently: You manifest yourself in public, and then people will make of it what they will. But this didn’t feel like either of those things. It was more as if I’d given up my name and photograph as an offering, for people to take shots and interpret those things—not me. That was the deal.

And, if you look at it that way, it’s kind of hard to argue. I have no interest in ruining other people’s fun. I like fun.

So, it’s cool.



... Enough! Ultimately the battle for the internet will have to take place somewhere OUTSIDE the internet, that is to say in the world of flesh and blood, and toward that end, readers of this Tumblr, I announce a TAKE BACK THE INTERNET PARTY.

This Friday night. 8 pm until midnight.
n+1 office in DUMBO
68 Jay St. #405
York St. F stop closest stop
Entrance on Jay St. a little past the intersection with Front

All Tumblr readers welcome! And others. Even if you’ve said terrible things about me on the internet, I forgive you. I know you didn’t really mean me. Even if you did.

[Keith Gessen]

(Image via Titlepage)

Bush To Wipe Out Polar Bears, Implies BBC Photo Editor [Journalismism]

Look, it's an adorable polar bear, roaming free in an ice field! Awww. But, wait, why is the BBC using it to illustrate their lead story about President Bush's renewed push for offshore oil drilling? Because Bush is also calling for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which could be allowed by Congress, and then there could very well be (33-51% chance!) an oil and gas "leak," which in turn could hurt polar bears. This wouldn't be media bias, would it? Choosing this distantly, arguably related photo instead of, say, a shot of an oil rig? Or of Bush? Oh, right, it is bias, but it's the kind only POLAR BEAR HATERS get upset about.

The Story That Made Arianna Huffington Hate Tim Russert [Political Wives]

It's a tangled web. Liberal-ish MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews hates liberal convert blog-runner Arianna Huffington because of a feud between Huffington and center-liberal deceased NBC journalist Tim Russert, whom Matthews idolized (and who never cared for Matthews). Why? Where did this all begin? It all started with a terribly nasty Vanity Fair piece written back in 1994 by Maureen Orth, Tim Russert's wife. The piece is about Michael Huffington, who almost bought himself a seat in the US Senate back when he was married to Arianna. This story helped end his political dreams, won Orth an award or two, and caused bad blood that lasted up until the day Tim died. And we have awesome clips from it!

It is a seriously nasty story that makes Arianna sound like a loopy new-age cut-throat bitch who doesn't even care about orphans. Much like the Private Eye story reported by Ed Rollins some time later (in which Arianna allegedly hired a detective to tail Orth), it's hard to know how much of it is actually 100% true. But it's still a fun ride! Click through for a couple excerpts from the piece.

So. Orth calls Michael Huffington a brain-dead idiot a number of times, quotes a dozen people calling Arianna his pupper-master, and even calls Michael gay, in two separate passages. (Michael Huffington came out as bisexual—though lots of people doubt even that—years later when the couple divorced.) Arianna joins a crazy new-age cult, whose leader organizes her wedding to a wealthy fool. Arianna pretends to volunteer for a childrens' charity but it's all a photo-op and she never does any work. She also fires all her servants and according to one unnamed observer calls Mexicans lazy.

As we said, an unfriendly story.

Years later, after the divorce, when Arianna became (once again, if you believe this piece) a bleeding-heart liberal, Vanity Fair amusingly ran another long profile of her. This one was glowing (comparatively). But then compared to the Orth piece, 13 pages of "WHAT A BITCH" would've been a friendly review. And here are some excerpts!

GALLERY














END

Kanye West Angers Hippies [Concerts]

Kanye West was scheduled to play at the hippie-infested Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee last weekend at 8:15 p.m. Then he pushed it back to 2:45 a.m. to better take advantage of his fresh-ass neon stage set. Then he didn't show up until 4:30 a.m. This angered the assembled hippies, who took to booing, scrawling anti-Kanye graffiti, and waving signs protesting his insensitivity for hippie time management. One, he's a jerk. Two, why would anyone stay up all night waiting to see a Kanye West show? Three, every hip hop show starts two hours late. Get used to it, hippies. [via Animal NY]

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