Star Trek fans are legendary for a deep, abiding devotion to the series (and movies!) that extends well beyond the loyalty of most fans &mdash. For the first time in almost twenty years, there is no longer any on-air remnant of creator Gene Rodenberry 1960's series &mdash so the fans have taken the series into their own hands. Armed with ever-cheaper digital film technology, faster internet speeds, and a sense of humor, the fans have filled that void with a new golden era of homemade episodes.
CNN/AP
Alessandra Stanley's takeaway from last night's Anderson Cooper-Angelina Jolie interview: Angelina is a much better person than Anderson is a journalist. Stanley notes that the two-hour special — Jolie's first interview since delivering daughter Shiloh Nouvel in Namibia last month — was more of a conversation than an interview, in which the main focus was Jolie's charitable work, "extravagant philanthropy," and how Anderson Cooper has been to Africa, too. Stanley notes that Cooper was "a little too eager to put himself on par with his guest, as if the two of them belonged to an elite club of the concerned and caring" and often returned the conversation to his own experience in African war zones (though to be fair, that is precisely why Jolie hand-picked Cooper for her first post-Shiloh interview).
For all the hype leading up to the broadcast (Larry King asked fellow CNN-er Cooper: "Got to ask this. You're talking more about the interview than the interview. Are you getting a little tired of it?"), there wasn't the explosion of coverage one might have expected (maybe that's a good thing). A collection of assorted links below:
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced today that former Real Simple special projects editor and international editorial liaison Sarah Humphreys has been named editor in chief of Blueprint magazine, its new shelter and lifestyle magazine. Humphreys will be working across platforms, developing Blueprint editorial content for other MSLO divisions including "Martha" on NBC and "Martha Stewart Living Radio" on Sirius. The next issue of Blueprint is scheduled for late August 2006, with six more issues issues to follow in 2007. Humphreys replaces founding editor Rebecca Thuss, who left the magazine shortly before the May 1st launch, citing personal reasons. She had been with MSO for ten years. Full press release after the jump.
NB: The original version of this post incorrectly referred to Ms. Humphrey's as "Susan Humphreys" in the title of this post. ETP regrets the error, and anyone it may have misled (er, sorry, Keith). A red-faced thanks to Jossip for pointing this out. I know we're all going to laugh about this real soon.
Rachel Sklar
Dana Milbank has a great article in today's WaPo about the relentless use of the phrase "cut and run" how it's become a Republican meme. Note this exchange:
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), an expert windsurfer, had heard quite enough of this nautical term. "Cut and run, cut and run, cut and run, cut and run -- that's their phrase," he told Don Imus. "My plan is not cut and run. Their plan is lie...
Maia Szalavitz
The New York Times recently reported on a controversial public health campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services which compares not breast-feeding one's baby to riding a mechanical bull while heavily pregnant.
While the Times noted some concerns of women who cannot breastfeed, it was completely uncritical of the strength of the research connecting breastfeeding to health and failed to mention the dilemma faced by women with postpartum depression (which affects...
from FishbowlDC
After almost-Village Voice editor Erik Wemple called off his new job, he's back at the Washington City Paper, with the support of his staff. Patrick Gavin interviewed Wemple, who said that his staff would be right to question his intentions and commitment after his almost-defection; however, Gavin couldn't find anyone who actually did: "Proof of Wemple's worth to the City Paper can be found in the fact that you'll be hard pressed--and trust us, we've tried--to find a CityPaper employee who's not pleased to have Wemple back in the saddle." Wemple's so-called goodbye party is still on, with subtly changed theme: "BYO Village Voice to ridicule, burn."
Jeff Jarvis
CNN is trying to be hip. Take from a guy with a gray beard: There's nothing more pathetically cringeworthy than an old fart trying to be with it. (Just ask for my son's reaction when I play hiphop in the car.)
But that is what CNN is dying to do with its new video podcast called The Grist. They announce that "this isn't news, people, and it certainly isn't important" as they...
Getty Images via NYO
The NYO's Rebecca Dana has a long feature on Rather's departure from CBS, including the revelations that Rather had been gamely submitting story pitches to "60 Minutes" right up to the end and that Rather's office was already being cleaned out when the CBS statement was released yesterday. Money quote:
Mr. Rather has not agreed to any settlement with CBS; the network plans to keep paying out his current contract, which runs through November.
Other reactions:
www.gentiuno.com
Roger Ailes met to UBS analysts yesterday that Fox News was on track for "record profits"in the upcoming year, and anticipates newly-negotiated deals with carriers reflecting FNC's value and increasing worth. According to TVNewser's Stelter, Ailes said FNC expects to sell 50 percent of Fits inventory in the upfront, sales of which he expected to be complete by September.
Ailes also said that he hopes to launch the much-anticipated Fox Business Channel in early to mid 2007. Ailes doesn't think the fledgling channel will cut into those profits, either; there are no plans to offer carriers discounts for taking the channels as "he believes that the Fox Business content will stand on its own."
www.wusa.com
Shocking news: Publisher Philip Merrill, who went missing on June 10th after going for a solo sail on Chesapeake Bay, actually committed suicide, shooting himself inthe head after tying weights to his ankles. Tom Marquardt, executive editor of the Capital, Merrill's flagship paper, said he was "speechless"; his family revealed that Merrill had been on heart medication since surgery last year and that lately his "spirit had dimmed." Prior to the discovery of the body, the death of the experienced sailor was generally assumed to have been an accident.
Vanity Fair
Is Graydon Carter trying to get a jump on Portfolio? Keith Kelly reports that Carter just hired Forbes' Peter Newcomb as senior articles editor, who had overseen the ranking of wealthiest Americans, and will be expanding its "New Establishment" feature, taking it from 50 to 100 names. Kelly was told that Newcomb had spoken with both magazines. Portfolio hits newsstands in April 2007.
