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Village Voice
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reality tv
Strike Possible At Village Voice
Columnist Michael Musto: "We're hoping to settle it, but if it happens, I would turn it out... I'll get out my entire summer wardrobe and put on quite a show." [Daily News]
Columnist Michael Musto: "We're hoping to settle it, but if it happens, I would turn it out... I'll get out my entire summer wardrobe and put on quite a show." [Daily News]
sex
"Petulant" Gays Rejecting Public Sex!
Six years after writer Steve Weinstein first announced the "Return of Public Sex," in the Village Voice's "Pride Issue," the same writer declares "The End of Public Sex" in the Village Voice's Queer Issue. He defends his thesis with this opener: "In a few darkened corners, there were a few guys giving blowjobs and some ass play; overall, however, the scene could have passed for a typical holiday weekend at any East Village gay bar." Hell, that's more action than the straights are getting! But seriously: More »
media
Village Voice's Collective Suicide Threat
Is the entire staff of the Village Voice preparing to jump off a cliff together? The NY Press reports that the once-mighty downtown alt-weekly, which has seen its editorial and business-side staff hacked to pieces since it was bought by New Times two years ago, is on the verge of a walkout over contract issues. Voice stalwart Tom Robbins says if the union there doesn't get what it wants, "all bets are off." The problem here: this paper is in dire economic straits and would surely welcome a good excuse to lay off its entire staff and start over with an all-24-year-old writing staff, at $30,000 apiece. Strikes at shaky print outlets have become totally counterproductive. New Times boss Mike Lacey is probably rubbing his hands in glee at the prospect. But hey, we hope we're wrong! (UPDATE: We're told a strike is set for July 1 if a suitable contract isn't in place). [NY Press]
full disclosure
Xgau in Interest Conflict Conflag
This week's award for most amusing disclosure goes to former Village Voice music critic and section editor (and DEAN OF AMERICAN ROCK CRITICS) Robert Christgau, reviewing a novel by former Ed Park. "I VOLUNTEERED TO REVIEW THIS novel by my former Village Voice co-worker Ed Park because I assumed the conflicts of interest would be so blatant they’d implode—a roman à clef, in which I myself might play a minor role, about the alt-weekly where I got fired the same day young Ed did." Sadly, everything is very fictionalized. Doesn't Ed get the point of these books? Score-settling, not literature! [NYO]
Exciting New "Color" Technology Will Save Alt-Weeklies!
The Village Voice is getting staples and going full-color in May. Also "navigation tabs added down the outside of every page to mark each section and the newspaper will get more convenient in size." Which means it's shrinking! Anyone know how small? Anyone care? [VV]
media
Mike Lacey's Racial Slur Caught On Tape
This is a news report from an Arizona TV station with actual footage of Village Voice media CEO and asshole-in-charge Mike Lacey at an awards dinner last week, where he called a white journalist friend "my nigger" during an acceptance speech (the word is bleeped, but YOU know what he says). This report nicely juxtaposes Lacey's comment with the other item of business at the awards dinner: the 82-year-old mother of recently deceased black journalist Bob Moran accepting an award on his behalf. Classy. At least Lacey prefaces his comment with "if you don't mind the expression...," which is always a bad sign. Click to watch the clip.
print is dead
Village Voice Continues to Collapse
The owners of wilting alt weekly The Village Voice continue to condemn their staff to the torture of a thousand cuts. Last week, the Voice's overlords at cost-cutting conglomerate The New Times laid off dance critic Deborah Jowitt after she'd served forty years at the paper. Now, an insider tells us that writer Chris Thompson—who relocated his family from San Francisco to take the job—has been let go. The problem, our tipster says, is that Voice editor-in-chief Tony Ortega has most of his hiring decisions dictated to him by his New Times bosses "and then he sulks because he doesn't really like them, and then decides they aren't 'working out.'" More Voice woes after the jump. More »
alt weaklies
Village Voice's Dance Critic Out After Four Decades
I suppose that was kind of the Village Voice at least to allow Deborah Jowitt to celebrate her fortieth anniversary as dance critic. Because the storied New York alt weekly, now owned by cost-cutting conglomerate, New Times, has laid her off. We were forwarded this email: "Motherfucking assholes just fired three more people — one a dance critic who’s been here since 1968." The Village Voice says she's been asked to continue writing but, because of "budgetary constraints", as a freelancer. (Nathan Lee, the film critic, also lost his staff job.) That's fair enough: alt weeklies everywhere have been decimated by the exodus of classified advertising to the web; dance is increasingly irrelevant, culturally; and Jowitt had a good run. But the Village Voice's owners should slash costs once, and thoroughly, rather than allow the newspaper to suffer this debilitating torture of a thousand cuts.
lil wayne
Toast Of White Rap Critics Hit With Bottle By Unimpressed Londoners
Lil Wayne is the tattooed, drugged-out New Orleans rapper who, for some reason, causes spasms of hero worship among white internet rap critics. The extent of the enthusiasm for him has always been a total mystery to me, but it's almost comical watching rap nerds try to outdo each other with their verbose online praise for Wayne, who would certainly rather be drinking vast quantities of Robitussin and liquor than reading their bullshit. Anyways, he got booed off the stage at his recent concert in London, and then showered with bottles on his way out, for good measure. Guess the crowd didn't read all the right blogs before they went to the show. After the jump, two recent examples of internerd Wayne worship, and the video of his ill-fated exit in London. I must admit I find this highly enjoyable.More »
'Voice' Loses Lawsuit
Village Voice Media owes the San Francisco Bay-Guardian $15.6 million damages for predatory probing. Trying to put another company out of business is apparently illegal in San Francisco! We're just forced to wonder how this will affect the VV's smug billboard campaign on the Bowery about how New York is played out because there aren't junkies anymore and also its most respected lefty alt-weekly is owned by some libertarian assholes in Phoenix. [MaggieShnayerson.com]
Village Voice Media owes the San Francisco Bay-Guardian $15.6 million damages for predatory probing. Trying to put another company out of business is apparently illegal in San Francisco! We're just forced to wonder how this will affect the VV's smug billboard campaign on the Bowery about how New York is played out because there aren't junkies anymore and also its most respected lefty alt-weekly is owned by some libertarian assholes in Phoenix. [MaggieShnayerson.com]
village voice
As the great Karl Marx said, history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. It's a saying that applies quite perfectly to the recreation, by the sad old Village Voice, of a cover of New York magazine which was itself a recreation of a famous set of photos of the actress, Marilyn Monroe. New York's notorious cover featured a naked Lindsay Lohan, a troubled actress who's modeled herself on Marilyn Monroe, and was taken by the same photographer who captured the drug-addled mid-century star so shortly before her death. Village Voice's model? The faded weekly's 52-year-old gay gossip columnist, the owl-like* Michael Musto, whose natural shyness is only overcome by the sheer force of his desire for exposure. After the jump, an original image of Marilyn Monroe, framed by New York's cover, and this week's Voice.
More »
First As Tragedy, Second As Farce
As the great Karl Marx said, history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. It's a saying that applies quite perfectly to the recreation, by the sad old Village Voice, of a cover of New York magazine which was itself a recreation of a famous set of photos of the actress, Marilyn Monroe. New York's notorious cover featured a naked Lindsay Lohan, a troubled actress who's modeled herself on Marilyn Monroe, and was taken by the same photographer who captured the drug-addled mid-century star so shortly before her death. Village Voice's model? The faded weekly's 52-year-old gay gossip columnist, the owl-like* Michael Musto, whose natural shyness is only overcome by the sheer force of his desire for exposure. After the jump, an original image of Marilyn Monroe, framed by New York's cover, and this week's Voice.
More »
porn
WhoreLore, The World-of-Warcraft-based Porn Series, Finally Gets The Respect It Deserves
What, you hadn't heard of the series formerly known as Whorecraft? This has seriously been over every porn site I know for months. The fantasy-porn series WhoreLore is based on the online fantasy game World of Warcraft. WhoreLore is so bizarrely interesting (it plays like an unrated version of Xena) that the Village Voice interviewed the director and asked more than "hur hur, those nerds sure love their elf women, eh?" (Although it did say that sort of thing too.) Below, the technically safe-for-work trailer for WhoreLore, and one of the episodes ("Rogues Do It From Behind") with all the porn bits taken out. More »
how things work
How to Be All Up In Da Club!
Michael Musto tells us how to be a "nightclub star" in his latest Village Voice blog! His advice is quite thrifty: "Track down the person with the free drink tickets and tell them you love their outfit," and "wear your absolutely shittiest coat. This way you can just drape it on a banquette rather than check it (thereby saving three bucks). Better yet, flirt with the DJ—no doubt named John—and he'll let you leave it in his booth. " Or do what I do: wear a cheap, ridiculous wig, and surround yourself with crazies. [La Daily Musto]
food network
Food Network show "Iron Chef" is somewhat edited to make it appear more exciting. The Village Voice sneaks into a taping and finds out that while the show is only one hour on TV, the taping takes several hours more. And the people don't run around nearly as much in the actual studio—some chefs were even seen stacking up spices, instead of throwing them around wildly as they rushed to complete their gourmet dish in time to bring it over to the celebrity judges. Kind of funny, though: the network uses body doubles for iron chefs Bobby Flay and Mario Batali, on the days they won't be competing. Well, no use dragging Batali out of bed for nothing. When the Voice's Robert Sietsema sees dishes being replaced before they get to the judges, he is outraged; when he feels the wrong guy wins the competition, he is dismayed. If you take "Iron Chef" much too seriously, this is the investigative piece you've been waiting for [VV]. If not, just check out this judge on the show saying "penis:"
More »
Investigation Finds "Iron Chef" Is A Television Show
Food Network show "Iron Chef" is somewhat edited to make it appear more exciting. The Village Voice sneaks into a taping and finds out that while the show is only one hour on TV, the taping takes several hours more. And the people don't run around nearly as much in the actual studio—some chefs were even seen stacking up spices, instead of throwing them around wildly as they rushed to complete their gourmet dish in time to bring it over to the celebrity judges. Kind of funny, though: the network uses body doubles for iron chefs Bobby Flay and Mario Batali, on the days they won't be competing. Well, no use dragging Batali out of bed for nothing. When the Voice's Robert Sietsema sees dishes being replaced before they get to the judges, he is outraged; when he feels the wrong guy wins the competition, he is dismayed. If you take "Iron Chef" much too seriously, this is the investigative piece you've been waiting for [VV]. If not, just check out this judge on the show saying "penis:"
More »
the gays
Michael Musto's Biggest Regret: Sending Out That One Pic of Him Wearing Dress
The HuffPo features Michael Musto in My Favorite Mistake, the column in which they ask luminaries about the big mistakes they learned from. The Village Voice gossip/nightlife columnist reveals that he "purposely sabotage[s] opportunities to get bigger" and is comfortable with being "the alternative weekly guy in the corner." However, he's really torn up about the massive ad campaign he could've been in—if only he hadn't sent the them that one pic of him in a hoop-skirted dress. The year was 1987. The ad campaign? Amaretto di Saronno liqueur. More »
prostitution reform
"RESPONSABILITY IN COUNTER CULTURE," Demands Nutty Sex Flier
The Village Voice will soon be facing a crippling boycott aimed at ending the paper's sex industry ads, if some semi-literate pink fliers littering the East Village have anything to say about it. The improbably located double-sided fliers also call for the automobile industry to stop giving assistance to forced homelessness, and a revamping of prostitution laws: "Greatest prostitution offense; person with AIDS or STD's prostituting patronizing them selves." An interesting viewpoint, certainly. But it's this idea for strip club reform that could succeed in stimulating us economically and otherwise, and may in fact save the world: More »
herogram
