Which New York tabloid has the biggest circulation? According to new figures just released, it’s the Daily News over the Post by a mile. The Daily News posted daily circulation of 605,677 over the Post’s 512,067 according to the Audit Bureau. The Post likes to carp about numbers in their biz section. But in the end, the News is obviously preferred. Of course the New York Times has 1,150,689 copies a day, so it’s technically king in New York. The Times is third on the overall list, behind the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. The New York Times is still the king on Sundays with 1, 646,000 copies. The Sunday Daily News had 667. 638. But the NY Post really trails on Sunday– with just 380,000 copies. Surprisingly, it’s Number 20 nationally on Sundays–far below newspapers in other cities. Even the Page Six magazine insert hasn’t helped.
Kris Jenner’s “Book”: A Few OJ Clues, Little About Kris Humphries
Don’t bother buying Kris Kardashian Jenner‘s new “book.” I downloaded it for $12.99 and saved you the time and money. The book is timed suspiciously with yesterday’s divorce announcement. Everything here is calculated. And while the “book”–it’s more of “as told to” written mostly by freelancer Mark Seal–acknowledges Kris Humphries, there’s really nothing about him or the wedding in it. You see, that’s for the sequel. In this book, Jenner notes that Humphries asked Bruce Jenner for permission to marry Kim. There’s not a single anecdote otherwise or observation. In the dedication, Jenner’s son-in-law Lamar Odom is mentioned. But not a peep about Humphries.
What is interesting about Jenner’s book is the OJ Simpson stuff. She’s waited 17 years to write or say something of value on this subject. It might have been helpful back when the two trials–criminal and civil–took place. Now, it’s all questionable. But let’s take Jenner at her word. She says that her ex-Robert Kardashian, and Simpson, went to the airport to retrieve Simpson’s golf clubs after his return from Chicago on June 13, 1994.
They took the clubs to Kardashian’s Encino home, where Simpson stayed overnight. Kardashian told her later that Simpson took a long walk by himself that night in the neighborhood. Jenner speculates that Simpson could have disposed of the murder weapon-a knife-that could have been hidden in the golf club bag. Who knows? This means the knife traveled undetected from Los Angeles to Chicago roundtrip. Of course, this was long before the TSA existed. But still, wouldn’t the bag have been x-rayed?
Jenner’s “book” really just regurgitates a lot of public record stuff about the murders, Nicole’s abuse, and so on. Very little of it is provable. She says that after the murders, Simpson called her obsessively to explain why the murders “couldn’t have happened.” He didn’t say he didn’t do it. She says she remembers buying gloves with Nicole in New York’s Bloomingdales in 1989. They could have been the murder gloves, the “if it doesn’t fit you must acquit” gloves. Again, who knows?
One thing: Jenner was on the prosecutor’s witness list. Then she was told by prosecutor Marcia Clark‘s office that the jury was not going to buy the domestic abuse story, and that Nicole’s friends wouldn’t have to testify. This, of course, was one of many mistakes made by the incompetents in the DA’s office. It led to Simpson’s acquittal.
Jenner (and Seal) writes: “I was upset. I kept thinking: I hope this woman knows what she’s doing, because this decision not to include domestic violence in a case that was all about domestic violence could be a make-or-break decision.”
But Kris Jenner now is all about the money, and the reality TV show. This is her description of Kim and Kris’s engagement: Everybody started screaming, jumping up and down, and crying. It was just a great, great night. We had dinner, and once again I just sat around looking at my six children, my husband, my grandchild, and my three sons-in-law (one honorary and one future), thinking, Life is so good. We had a gorgeous pink Cinderella cake and as a joke, I had rented two mini-horses covered in glitter, and we all wore fake engagement rings. Of course, the camera crew caught every second.”
You bet it did.
One addendum: Jenner drops names like crazy, and mentions the late actress Mary Frann a couple of times in passing as her great friend. But of course there’s no insight into Frann’s tragic death.
Madonna: New Memoir Explains How She Became “British”
Madonna, from the Detroit area, became an Anglophile at some point in the late 1980s. By the time she met second husband Guy Ritchie, who was British, she was already sounding like one of his countrymen. How did it happen? Superstar producer Nile Rodgers, who made the “Like a Virgin” album with the burgeoning pop starlet in 1983, has an explanation. Madonna may have picked it up from his then live in girlfriend, Nancy Stoddart, who’d been reared on the Philadelphia Main Line, educated at Sarah Lawrence, then spent time in Rome and Paris among titled royalty.
“Madonna’ s nose for advancement had picked up the scent of Nancy’s blue blood,” Rodgers writes in his impossible to put down memoir, “Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny.” Rodgers–whose stunning list of hits include those by his own group Chic, plus David Bowie, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, and Duran Duran–earlier recalls Madonna as obsessed with fame. He writes: “I’d never met anyone–ever–who worked so hard to become famous.”
When he worked with Madonna shaping her key second album, “Like a Virgin”–which also contained her other signature hit, “Material Girl”–Rodgers says Stoddart’s traits rubbed off on Madonna in a big way. Madonna became “schooled” by Stoddart, Rodgers recalls, preferring her friend’s uptown Victorian digs to her own bohemian downtown loft.
Rodgers writes: [Madonna] was an apt pupil all right, but she must have missed a couple of Nancy’s classes on life at the top. At her ’85 bridal shower [for the Sean Penn wedding] she received all sorts of presents from her downtown friends as well as Nancy’s uptown friends. A pair of berry spoons from James Robinson’s antiques shop awoke the Detroit girl in her.
“‘Berry spoons! What the fuck are berry spoons?’ shouted Madonna. I bet she knows now.”
Rodgers’ book is such a much read about so many people. But Madonna as Eliza Doolittle sticks out. Don’t worry–he’s very complimentary about her work ethic. But he also reports that Madonna never really knew her own singing voice– and insisting on singing those hits in an “unpleasant” key for her. This does explain why later Madonna sounds so different from early Top 40 Madonna.
“Le Freak” is fascinating. I’ve known Nile for 25 years, yet never really understood his background, the life in drugs, his rise to fame, an early friendship with Oprah Winfrey before she really became famous, and his extremely thoughtful take on race. There’s a lot more, but you’ve got to read it to believe it. Here is the genuine, authentic and moving story of a success that nearly didn’t happen. Bravo!
Hugh Jackman’s Solo Broadway Show Does $1.2 Mil in First Week
Movie star Hugh Jackman’s solo musical show took in $1.2 million in its first week on Broadway. It finished 5th for the week, behind big deal musicals “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Book of Mormon,” and “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark.” This is a pretty cool accomplishment considering that Jackman is one guy versus these huge casts. And his show doesn’t actually open until next Thursday, November 10th. Jackman is a rare contradiction in show business–a combination song and dance man, and action star. A Singing Wolverine! Well, good for him, he’s a lovely guy. Now, if only his producers will let in critics from the Outer Critics, Drama Desk, and then maybe Hugh will get some nice special awards next spring!
America’s Sweethearts to Divorce After 72 Days, $18 Mil
And they said it wouldn’t last. And it didn’t. Kim Kardashian, a ridiculous person whose name I don’t think I’ve ever typed out before, is divorcing husband Kris Humphries after 72 days of wedded commerce. They made $18 million on a celebrity wedding that took place August 20th in Montecito, California. The E! Channel and People magazine paid for it, the kids raked it in, got tons of press. And all of it was fake. Kris is bummed because he’s an basketball player locked out of his job. Kim is upset because she had to whisper her mother’s name to her new husband. (She’s the daughter of Kris Jenner–see previous story.) This was Kim’s second marriage. She’s also had a lovely sex tape. TMZ and all the various tabloids have their opinions. But this is a lot like the ludicrous stuff served up by KISS front man Gene Simmons and his now wife, Shannon Tweed. They “fought” in public, broke up, had spats and then married, all for a “reality” show. Too depressing. The world is a stage, said Shakespeare, or “anonymous,” and the people on it are paid to dupe the public.
Hilary Swank: Oscar Winner Shouldn’t Blame Manager for Chechen Appearance
Hilary Swank, according to British reports, has sacked most of her management and agenting team. The reason has to do with her unfortunate paid appearance in Chechnya for the birthday party of the current dictator. Swank fired Jason Weinberg, who manager her to an Oscar for “Million Dollar Baby” and has been her closest advisor. Swank fired her agents, too, but not her agency, CAA. That’s because her live in boyfriend, John Campisi, works for them. It’s a tough call on all fronts because Swank obviously feels she has to blame someone. But Weinberg, I’m told, knew very little about what was going on and certainly did not advise her to fly to the outskirts of the former Soviet Union and accept blood money. Jean Claude van Damme, no one cares about. Seal hasn’t had a hit since “Kiss from a Rose” in 1910. Those two, you could understand them going to pick up a paycbeck. But Swank works regularly, and while she’s not in blockbusters, she certainly can’t be hurting for money. More will come out shortly, I’m told, exonerating Weinberg. Swank, meanwhile, will have to turn over the money she received to charitable causes. It’s hoped that a list is forthcoming. And she’ll have to just accept responsibility for what happened. Recently I wrote about Sting choosing not to play a concert in Kazakhstan because of the rights abuses in that country. Every celebrity has to make their own decision about this sort of thing–and be ready to defend it.
Kris (Kardashian) Jenner: OJ Didn’t Like Her Very Much, Either
It’s no surprise: Kris Kardashian Jenner is publishing a book she “wrote” tomorrow. Need a hook? How about her finally addressing the 1994 murder of her pal Nicole Brown Simpson? Jenner says she thinks OJ did it. Seventeen years later, this is like saying the sky is blue. D’uh, Kris. But the avaricious stage mom, famous for being famous and making children famous for the same reason, was not an OJ Simpson favorite. Jenner had only recently divorced OJ Simpson pal and lawyer Robert Kardashian and married Bruce Jenner in 1991 when the murders (including Ron Goldman’s) happened.
In Faye Resnick’s tawdry book, released at the time, Kris’s name turned up quite a bit. She was one of Nicole’s hard partying friends. But OJ didn’t care for Kris. In his 2006 civil suit testimony, Simpson concedes that he and Nicole had been friends with the Jenners, but said of Kris Kardashian Jenner:Â “We knew Kris Kardashian — I know Kris — they were friends because of Bob and I were friends. They never did anything outside of Bob and I Nicole wasn’t a big fan of all the fingernails and hair and clothes thing, and that — Kris was — that was Kris’ thing.”
[Note: I’ve corrected the spelling of the first name from Ch, in transcripts, to the alliterative K that Jenner sports as a family kalling kard.]
Interestingly, now Jenner says “I could have saved Nicole” and carries on about OJ. But when Simpson finally went to jail for good in 2008, Jenner told a freelance videographer that she had “mixed emotions” about the ex football player. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFokzhQcSh4
Will Sony Go After EMI Now That Warner Music Is Out?
The Financial Times reported on Sunday that the new-new Warner Music Group, owned by Len Blavatnik‘s Access Industries, is out of the bidding for EMI Music. I’m not surprised. Last spring, when Blavatnik bought WMG and took it private, a source there told me didn’t think it was necessary for Warner to merge with EMI. And now, I guess, that’s come to pass.
Last week, another source spoke to me about Sony Music. Sony/ATV Music Publishing already has expressed an interest in EMI Music Publishing. Sony/ATV contains the Beatles catalog, of course. And EMI recorded music includes the Beatles recordings–all their CDs and packages. That’s the gold ring inside of EMI more than anything else. Who ever gets EMI gets the Beatles. And to marry the Beatles records with their publishing would be hitting a jackpot.
But I’m told as much as Sony in New York may want this, “everything must be run by [meaning talked over] Japan. And they are slow to make decisions.” But it does seem that the moment is now for Sony if they want to sweep EMI and the Beatles into their universe. Everything is up in the air.
EMI is a good fit for Sony on other fronts–Pink Floyd, second to just the Beatles at EMI, actually left Capitol for Sony in the 1970s after “Dark Side of the Moon.” Paul McCartney, now on Concord, did the same thing. They eventually returned. And an EMI artist like Katy Perry would flourish with the Sony A&R teams. Also, labels like Blue Note and Manhattan could be a neat fit, especially in the RCA group.
Madoff Fiancee: “No Such Thing as Bad Publicity’
We all got to meet Catherine Hooper on “60 Minutes.” She’s the fiancee of Andrew Madoff, son of Bernie and Ruth. According to Morley Safer, Hooper is “the only one” of the Madoffs to get income from the new book, “Truth or Consequences,” by Laurie Sandell. Hooper has no shame about taking the money, and if she married Andy, he’ll have some, too. (Although really he seems very well fixed and not the least bit contrite. He didn’t even shed a tear on camera for his dead brother.) Hooper has a business and a website–blackumbrella.com. She writes on her blog, in an essay called “Are Zombies and Preparedness a Perfect Match?” and dated just four days ago:
“There is no such thing as bad publicity,” the saying goes, and the popularity of zombies these days — in books, films, video games and more — presents a publicity option that builds on the “badness” of zombies and the fears they inspire in us humans. Disaster-prepared
ness organizations can, and do, build upon these natural fears in a good and hopeful way even while capturing the essence of zombies and translating it into the language of natural and man-made emergencies and terrors. A disaster that threatens life demands creativity, resourcefulness and ultimately courage, from those in its path, and Elaine Pittman, in her October 2011 article “Are Zombies and Preparedness a Perfect Match?” describes how emergency preparedness outfits are “jumping on the undead bandwagon” to help create survival plans.”
Apparently Black Umbrella has something to do with being prepared for an emergency, like Hurricane Katrina. I’m not sure if it prepares you for losing your life savings if your investment broker turns out to be a crook.
Hooper, by the way, has already a feature in People magazine. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20481526,00.html. She’s a good publicist. And she managed to not be asked on “60 Minutes” why she and Andrew were seen Christmas shopping in Soho in December 2008 shortly after turning Bernie Madoff in to the FBI.
PS Credit to dealbreaker.com. I just found a funny piece from October 11th on Hooper. Great minds this alike!
Add John Goodman to Coen Brothers’ Folk Music Movie
Exclusive: It looks like the Coen Brothers have another of their repertory company returning to the fold. John Goodman–who’s been featured in Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Raising Arizona,” “Barton Fink,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Big Lebowski,” “O Brother Where Art Thou?”– is coming back. I’m told Goodman will join Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the story loosely based on Dave van Ronk and the Greenwich Village folk music scene circa 1960. This will be like “The Mighty Wind” with ominous twists. Goodman is currently seen everywhere, but most especially in two big end of the year Oscar buzzed films– “The Artist”–he’s one of the three American actors– and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” The Coens had better get over to Bleecker Street and start shooting before the whole place becomes a CVS-Ralph Lauren-Marc Jacobs-NYU ghetto.