In recent months, Tina Brown and Frank Rich have both been hired by HBO president Richard Plepler as "consultants" for the network, which means that they are being paid by the network to occasionally share their thoughts and feelings with HBO producers and maybe make a couple of suggestions for programs at their whimsy. But why is HBO hiring journalists all of a sudden? Is it because Brown and Rich have editorial instincts and unlike most people in L.A. have actually, like, read stuff and know what's going on in the world? Or is because HBO has suddenly decided to court the aging boomer demographic? Today in the Observer, Felix Gilette explores that question and comes upon the real reason, courtesy of an anonymous "observer":

If you run a big network, you can spend your money to surround yourself with people you respect and admire and who you want to hang out with.

Oh. You know who's really cool to hang out with, Plepler? Bloggers. We're just saying.

We're here to fix HBO! [NYO]