Teens' Economist Rap Less Uncomfortable Than One Might Suspect [The Economist]

Two American 17-year-olds sampled podcasts from The Economist to create a rap song about the starchy British business magazine, and the limeys are atwitter. Writes the Guardian: "The rap will be music to the ears of Economist senior executives who are trying to broaden the appeal of the title beyond its traditional business readership." The song will certainly be more effective marketing than the magazine's terrifying childrens' ads. It's not entirely uncomfortable to listen to! Probably because the teens, Ike Edgerton of Chicago and Chris Misa, had already released two albums as the group Psikotic, focused on nerdcore-ish themes like the rise of China and "The McDonald's Corporation." Excerpt of their Economist rap, and links to a full MP3, after the jump.

Full MP3 via Bellicose Studio

[Guardian]

Bravo Steals Project Runway Producers [Feuds]

Will cable network Lifetime ruin reality fashion television forever when it takes over Project Runway from Bravo later this year, de-snarking the show on behalf of overearnest spinsters and partnering with a third-tier fashion magazine? Bravo is working hard to make sure it doesn't have the chance. First it sued to stop the show from moving. Now Bravo owner NBC Universal has cut a deal with Runway's longtime executive producers for new shows. The deal would presumably enable Bravo to create something very similar to Runway if its lawsuit fails, assuming the poached producers never signed anything that would prevent a Runway copycat. In any case, the producers are definitely done with their old show. Reports the Wall Street Journal:

The two said in an interview Monday that signing the deal was part of a plan to own more of their work.

"It is sad," [Jane] Lipsitz said of leaving Runway behind. "But in terms of the bigger picture of building our business, it was a decision that we had to make."

A Weinstein Co. spokesman said, "They've been fantastic producers, and we wish them well." Weinstein Co. and Lifetime have already signed deals for host Heidi Klum and fashion mentor Tim Gunn to stay with "Runway" — even though Mr. Gunn also stars in Bravo's "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style."

[WSJ]

Hillary Clinton Should Have Eviscerated This Interviewer [Journalismism]

In the following clip, Hillary Clinton is asked to choose between celebrities Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell and Jimmy Kimmel as a vice president. "Who would you pick and why?" asked Mary Alice Haney, of MomLogic.com and TV channel Extra. The only appropriate response, of course, would be for Clinton to use the lasers behind her cyborg eyes to set Haney's hair on fire, but it's 2008 and the Democratic presidential candidate needs to out-cool Barack Obama and John McCain, so she just laughed (at the sad future of our country) and said they'd all be on her short list. I really wanted her to snap and live up to her reputation as a caustic bitch, but she didn't, not even when asked about inane advice from Cowell. Clip after the jump. [Extra]

Candice Bergen's Heartwarming Pre-Mother's Day Message [Candice Bergen]

"After some rough, knockout years with my mom, we grew close and when she died, I loved her very much. I didn’t, however, cry when she died (or for my father, for that matter) and don’t understand why. Perhaps because of youthful choices not to be my mother. But my mom was bedridden for the last four years of her life. She was a great sport about it. But now, whenever I find myself sleeping until eight o’clock AM or stretching out on my couch to answer emails or read the paper … I panic. Am I turning to sedentary sludge? Am I steps away from being bedridden?" [wowOwow]

Lurn To Speek English, Morans! [Pic Of The Day]

This woman in Houston, Texas argues that people who can't communicate in English should be deported. That's not an awful idea, I'm starting to think, based on the typo in her sign. But where would we send her? (See also: "Get A Brain! Morans") [SF Chronicle] (Image by Houston Chronicle)

Wriiight [Delusions]

Click here to read Lara Cohen, of Us Weekly, try to defend her tabloid-lite magazine by saying the the real tabloid is the news media, because they've been covering the Rev. Wright hullabaloo so very much. Star-Ledgers, they're just like Us! Um, sort of!

Once Again, Life Rewards Assholes [Breaking]

Bear Stearns might lay off 10,000 employees as it's subsumed by JP Morgan. But it's the Wall Street kind of layoff, where you get nine months pay and one-third of last year's bonus. Why the hell are we bloggers again? [Dealbreaker]

Hipster Kickball League Appears to be Under Control, For Now [Hipsters]

Both Hamilton and myself walked by Williamsburg's McCarren Park at different times this Sunday, during the hours of Opening Day Part 2 of the hipster kickball league that's been causing so many dramatic fights and epic letters. Everything seemed under control. But you'll tell us if any scandals or noteworthy scuffles break out, won't you? Comments like this, especially: "[The Kickball commissioner] IS kind of awesome. He asked me to spit his own beer in his face just so I could show him exactly how the guy from [rogue team] Prison spit on me." There's an entire season ahead of us. I'm listening...

Zinczenko—Designated Magazine Industry Hottie—Passes The Torch [Dave Willey]

Dave Zinczenko of Men's Health has ceded the American Society of Magazine Editors honors to his Rodale colleague, David Willey, the industry association's incoming president. But that's not all the editor and best-selling author has given up. Willey, editor of Runner's World, appears to have been acclaimed the new hot magazine editor. Women's Wear Daily gushed that, at the ASME's awards event last week, Willey's looks prompted female editors to giggle "like teenagers." (The reception given by mag fags such as Adam Moss was not deemed fit for publication.) But it's confusing: Zinczenko and Willey both work on Rodale fitness titles, they're both good-looking by the low standards of the magazine industry, and they've both attracted the attention of that fame diviner, Star magazine talking head Julia Allison. Here's how to tell the two magazine hotties apart.

WSJ Does Good Imitation Of Portfolio Blogger [Blog Wars]

"Jack Flack" at Portfolio.com is one of a small handful of bloggers who writes things that are interesting and intelligent about corporate PR. One of his trademark constructions is "Parsing XYZ," where he takes some statement or speech or press release full of corporate doublespeak and decodes it. I identify him so closely with that stuff that I even gave him credit the last time I used the word "Parsing!" But not so for the Wall Street Journal, which ran a column last weekend with a premise virtually identical to an earlier Jack Flack column:

Parsing Ballmer-to-Yang: See You Again Real Soon, Buddy...

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