Sorry, don't mean to inundate you with Rudy stuff but this is classic.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Safety City
Well here's a rare gem of good news. It looks like the murder rate in NYC is falling to historic lows: we're on track for less than 500 homicides in 2007, a record not seen since 1963.
There are roughly 8.2 million souls in this town. Considering that this is the biggest city in America, one of the biggest in the world, that means you have a less than 0.000069% chance of getting killed here. At this rate you'll be safer in New York than Sweden.
Read all about it in today's New York Times: City Homicides Still Dropping, to Under 500
There are roughly 8.2 million souls in this town. Considering that this is the biggest city in America, one of the biggest in the world, that means you have a less than 0.000069% chance of getting killed here. At this rate you'll be safer in New York than Sweden.
Read all about it in today's New York Times: City Homicides Still Dropping, to Under 500
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Mayor LaGuardia Reads the Comics
Better known today as the guy the city named an airport and a high school after, LaGuardia - Mayor Fiorello Laguardia, that is, the Little Flower - once ruled this town with imperial power. And what made him such a great politician and an indelible figure was that he knew how to reach the masses. And what better way to do that than with readings comics on the radio? Here he is, from the WNYC Radio archives, entertaining New York's children and teaching them important lessons. Can you imagine Mike or Rudy ever doing something like this? Ha.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Interview: Michael Musto of "La Dolce Musto"
Cindy Adams, Liz Smith, Rush & Molloy -- and Michael Musto. He's one of the legends of the New York gossip and culture scene -- an iconic voice and authority of all things "downtown" -- and if he ain't written about it, it ain't happened.
Michael's been writing his Village Voice column "La Dolce Musto" for more than two decades. He's appeared on PBS, NPR, E! Entertainment Television, and MSNBC (amongst many other media outlets), and although he's got a national presence, Michael's never strays from his New York state of mind.
Michael was kind enough to share a few thoughts with Mr NYC readers about gossip, New York City, and bloggers.
How long have you lived in NYC and been writing "La Dolce Musto"?
I've lived in New York my entire life. I couldn't exist anwhere else. I don't drive and I'm allergic to too much sun--or at least to people who stay out in too much sun. I've been writing the column for at least 20 years. My first column was in hieroglyphics, ba dum pum.
What made you, an Ivy League graduate, want to become a gossip writer?
Even at Columbia, I mainly cared about gossiping about my dormmates and buzzing about Cher's latest hairstyles (in between studying The Iliad, of course), so it all made sense to me. Gossip is what I do best. It deflects attention from myself and onto others who live in a faster lane while at the same time, ironically enough, getting me some attention as well.
Tell us briefly about the art of gossip writing. What makes one a good gossip writer? Who influenced you?
Gossip writing should be fair (there are two sides to every story), yet a bit jaundiced, so your eyebrow is always raised in response to the p.r. hype machine. It should also be carried on with an underlying sense that none of this stuff really matters much--not in the larger picture--yet it's all important because we care about it passionately and guilty pleasures should not be ignored. A gossip writing style should be bold, personal, individual, and opinionated. Through the years, I've been influenced by Tom Wolfe, Rex Reed, Truman Capote, Liz Smith, Cindy Adams, and many others.
What are your favorite "gossipy" things to cover?
A walking train wreck like a Lindsay/Britney/Paris is fun to cover because their entire careers seem to consist of providing great tabloid copy. Plus I like what they do careerwise--Lindsay's a terrific movie star, Britney puts out really fun music, and Paris has a certain poise, even with egg on her face. She's telegenic and in fact so seemingly blank you can project whatever you want onto her and put her in any medium you like.
Who are your favorite people to cover? What makes a person good gossip fodder?
I'll cover anyone on the way up or the way down. These are the people who are desperate for press, so the'll say anything to get into your column. Once they're on top, they're generally too guarded by p.r. watchdogs to say anything interesting. I also like anyone who will provide conflict and good copy. "I hate my costar" is much more interesting than "My newest sequel was a labor of love."
What was your biggest scoop or most exciting thing you covered?
I was the first to run the details of the murder of drug dealer Angel Melendez by club kid king Michael Alig and his roommate Freeze. It was truly grisly, from the Drano injection to the smothering by pillow. I also was ahead of the curve on outing people like Rosie and Ellen, who weren't thrilled, but who ultimately came out with a vengeance and left me behind to out others. It was exciting to push buttons and go where no one was going at the time. Huge magazine profiles of Rosie were portraying her as an ambiguous single mom with a crush on Tom Cruise!
Did you really coin the term "Celebutard?" Please give us a brief definition.
I said the word on Countdown with Keith Olbermann and it somehow went into my Wikipedia profile as having been coined by me. I'll take credit, if they want to give it, but I can't say for sure if I coined it. On other sites, I've been credited with everything from being a martial arts expert to having written a movie starring Jayne Mansfield, so don't believe everything you read (except my column).
In many ways gossip columnists were the original bloggers. Are blogs and bloggers a threat to gossip columnists?
I feel like my column was the original blog. It consists of my wicked, personal thoughts and opinions interspersed (one hopes) with information and insight. The advent of actual blogs has been threatening to columnists, but I feel it's a welcome burst of energy that forces us to work harder and dig deeper to compete. And at least we get paid for it!
What do you love about NYC? How has the city changed in the years you've lived here?
New York has lost much "edge"--God, I hate that word--ever since Giuliani made it a giant Disneyland for tourists and rich people, but I feel those who fled in horror are complete wusses. I stayed and continue to find fringey nightlife and wacky people living on the precipice. I'd rather celebrate them than give up and move to San Diego just because you get a terrace there.
Is NYC still a great place for gossip?
Yes, it's great. L.A. has more celebrities per square mile--you can't even go into a 7/11 without running into a Pamela Lee--but here we have theater, movies, music, nightlife, everything, and it's all on a somewhat higher level.
Tell us something about Michael Musto we don't know.
He's actually a nice guy. Now THAT'S shocking!
Thanks Michael!
Check out La Dolce Musto every week in the Village Voice.
Michael's been writing his Village Voice column "La Dolce Musto" for more than two decades. He's appeared on PBS, NPR, E! Entertainment Television, and MSNBC (amongst many other media outlets), and although he's got a national presence, Michael's never strays from his New York state of mind.
Michael was kind enough to share a few thoughts with Mr NYC readers about gossip, New York City, and bloggers.
How long have you lived in NYC and been writing "La Dolce Musto"?
I've lived in New York my entire life. I couldn't exist anwhere else. I don't drive and I'm allergic to too much sun--or at least to people who stay out in too much sun. I've been writing the column for at least 20 years. My first column was in hieroglyphics, ba dum pum.
What made you, an Ivy League graduate, want to become a gossip writer?
Even at Columbia, I mainly cared about gossiping about my dormmates and buzzing about Cher's latest hairstyles (in between studying The Iliad, of course), so it all made sense to me. Gossip is what I do best. It deflects attention from myself and onto others who live in a faster lane while at the same time, ironically enough, getting me some attention as well.
Tell us briefly about the art of gossip writing. What makes one a good gossip writer? Who influenced you?
Gossip writing should be fair (there are two sides to every story), yet a bit jaundiced, so your eyebrow is always raised in response to the p.r. hype machine. It should also be carried on with an underlying sense that none of this stuff really matters much--not in the larger picture--yet it's all important because we care about it passionately and guilty pleasures should not be ignored. A gossip writing style should be bold, personal, individual, and opinionated. Through the years, I've been influenced by Tom Wolfe, Rex Reed, Truman Capote, Liz Smith, Cindy Adams, and many others.
What are your favorite "gossipy" things to cover?
A walking train wreck like a Lindsay/Britney/Paris is fun to cover because their entire careers seem to consist of providing great tabloid copy. Plus I like what they do careerwise--Lindsay's a terrific movie star, Britney puts out really fun music, and Paris has a certain poise, even with egg on her face. She's telegenic and in fact so seemingly blank you can project whatever you want onto her and put her in any medium you like.
Who are your favorite people to cover? What makes a person good gossip fodder?
I'll cover anyone on the way up or the way down. These are the people who are desperate for press, so the'll say anything to get into your column. Once they're on top, they're generally too guarded by p.r. watchdogs to say anything interesting. I also like anyone who will provide conflict and good copy. "I hate my costar" is much more interesting than "My newest sequel was a labor of love."
What was your biggest scoop or most exciting thing you covered?
I was the first to run the details of the murder of drug dealer Angel Melendez by club kid king Michael Alig and his roommate Freeze. It was truly grisly, from the Drano injection to the smothering by pillow. I also was ahead of the curve on outing people like Rosie and Ellen, who weren't thrilled, but who ultimately came out with a vengeance and left me behind to out others. It was exciting to push buttons and go where no one was going at the time. Huge magazine profiles of Rosie were portraying her as an ambiguous single mom with a crush on Tom Cruise!
Did you really coin the term "Celebutard?" Please give us a brief definition.
I said the word on Countdown with Keith Olbermann and it somehow went into my Wikipedia profile as having been coined by me. I'll take credit, if they want to give it, but I can't say for sure if I coined it. On other sites, I've been credited with everything from being a martial arts expert to having written a movie starring Jayne Mansfield, so don't believe everything you read (except my column).
In many ways gossip columnists were the original bloggers. Are blogs and bloggers a threat to gossip columnists?
I feel like my column was the original blog. It consists of my wicked, personal thoughts and opinions interspersed (one hopes) with information and insight. The advent of actual blogs has been threatening to columnists, but I feel it's a welcome burst of energy that forces us to work harder and dig deeper to compete. And at least we get paid for it!
What do you love about NYC? How has the city changed in the years you've lived here?
New York has lost much "edge"--God, I hate that word--ever since Giuliani made it a giant Disneyland for tourists and rich people, but I feel those who fled in horror are complete wusses. I stayed and continue to find fringey nightlife and wacky people living on the precipice. I'd rather celebrate them than give up and move to San Diego just because you get a terrace there.
Is NYC still a great place for gossip?
Yes, it's great. L.A. has more celebrities per square mile--you can't even go into a 7/11 without running into a Pamela Lee--but here we have theater, movies, music, nightlife, everything, and it's all on a somewhat higher level.
Tell us something about Michael Musto we don't know.
He's actually a nice guy. Now THAT'S shocking!
Thanks Michael!
Check out La Dolce Musto every week in the Village Voice.
Sesame Street Float Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2006
Well well, the Holidays are back and they officially start here in NYC on Thanksgiving Day with Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "Ya can't say Thanksgiving in New York without saying Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!" Ha ha ha. But seriously folks, here's a clip from last year's parade. How can ya now love Sesame Street?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Strike City
Well, it's not exactly breaking news that currently the entertainment industry in this town is paralyzed by twin union strikes. Stage hands want more money and respect, TV writers want more residuals. "Da Man" is screwing "The Workers" and they're mad as hell as they're not gonna take it anymore. Plus ca change I suppose.
It's easy to be cynical about people in showbiz - that they're all rich, spoiled, selfish, narcissistic, sexually amoral, liberal pornographers. But it's important to remember that showbiz is an industry, a vital part of this city and this country's economy that generates jobs and tax revenue. And it doesn't just employ the smiling, overindulged faces of the actors and actresses we see on the stage and screen and tabloids. It employs lots of people just trying to eek out a living like the rest of us - and it's important that they not get exploited.
So here's to a quick and satisfactory resolution for both of sides in these strikes. New Yorkers need you!
It's easy to be cynical about people in showbiz - that they're all rich, spoiled, selfish, narcissistic, sexually amoral, liberal pornographers. But it's important to remember that showbiz is an industry, a vital part of this city and this country's economy that generates jobs and tax revenue. And it doesn't just employ the smiling, overindulged faces of the actors and actresses we see on the stage and screen and tabloids. It employs lots of people just trying to eek out a living like the rest of us - and it's important that they not get exploited.
So here's to a quick and satisfactory resolution for both of sides in these strikes. New Yorkers need you!
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