Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Page 1 Consider (02/25)

  • Leisure Suits, Etc.: The costumes from the Oscar-winning film “Milk” will be on display at Universal Studios Hollywood. Now if only James Franco were available for mustache rides. (ETonline)

  • The Audacity of Hope: Could President Obama be just what we need to save the newspaper industry? (Frederick News-Post)

  • Along for the Ride: Is Sean Combs trying to pimp Xzibit's hide? (HipHopRX)

  • Vote Needed: For the last decade, members of the Rhode Island State Legislature have regularly proposed bills to allow the state's same-sex couples to marry, only to see the issue die in committee without coming to a vote. The Times editorial page urges proponents there to redouble their efforts, since a favorable vote could help raise the issue in the national consciousness. (NYT)

  • A Reconciliation on Gay Marriage: In Sunday's Opinion pages, David Blankenhorn and Jonathan Rauch argue that a federal compromise on gay marriage could satisfy both sides in the short run. (NYT)

  • So Sorry, He Said: After much hemming and hawing, Rupert Murdoch apologized Tuesday for a cartoon in his New York Post that critics said likened a violent chimpanzee shot dead by police to President Obama. (NYT)

  • Dance With a Stranger: In Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Alex Witchel profiles Rupert Everett: turning 50, with no regrets about being out -- and about to star on Broadway. Would being an out gay star make living in Chelsea out of the question? “No, they’re very standoffish, queens. They’re so busy worrying about how we’re looking at them, they wouldn’t notice if Jesus came down the street.” (NYT)

  • Milk Toast: Sewell Chan writes in the City Room blog that the film "Milk" has evoked strong memories for Harvey Milk's East Coast relatives. (CityRoom)

  • Record Sales: Despite the global economic crisis, a lot of money seems to be left over. On Monday, the private collection of Yves Saint Laurent and his partner became the most expensive one ever sold at auction, bringing in more than $264 million on the first night alone. (NYT)

  • RIP: Howard Zieff, the commercial director and ad photographer who stuffed an actor with spicy meatballs in a memorable Alka-Seltzer spot and used an American Indian in print ads to convince people “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish Rye,” then went on to direct movie comedies, including "Private Benjamin," died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 81 and lived in Los Angeles. (NYT)
  • 1 comment:

    Anonymous said...

    I can't argue with 'Obama as inspiration' --- whether to a greater or lesser extent...I agree that if Obama can get more people to get more education and therefore more involved, news consumption will increase.

    And there is positive: the core function of newspapers --- informing --- has been and will continue to be relevant.

    But the only companies that will survive to do that are those that stop seeing themselves parochially as being in the 'newspaper business' and start seeing themselves as as being in the 'news business' and adapting and delivering that information in the constantly evolving formats that consumers demand.

    Newspaper companies find themselves in this horrible predicament because of the same affliction of Detroit's Big Three: complacency --- the complete failure to forecast and adapt to evolving technologies. There have ben no surprises here --- the Internet writing has been on the wall for at least 15 years and more like 20. I was running a tech mag back in the 90s and it could be seen on the horizon even then and general-interest news companies failed to jump in. But then newspaper companies have always been among the most conservatively run (read this as 'C-H-E-A-P!) businesses. Now they're paying for their lack of vision, only we'll be paying for it along with them.