David Carr Stands Up to Fox News

In the 'Times,' David Carr calls out Fox News publicists for their ruthless tactics.

Posted 07/07/08 in Daily Intel : Ink-Stained Wretches

Tags: david carr, fox news, ink-stained wretches, jacques steinberg, media, new york times, publicists

MSNBC and Olbermann Creeping Up on FNC and O’Reilly

For the first time, Olbermann overtook his rival in the key demographic ratings last week.

Posted 06/10/08 in Daily Intel : In Other News

Tags: bill o'reilly, demographics, fox news, In Other News, keith olbermann, media, msnbc, publicists

New DolceGoldin Media Firm to Strategize for Denny Farrell, Emily Brill

The firm that James Frey made possible already has a clientele that defies categorization.

Posted 05/30/08 in Daily Intel : Intel

Tags: davidson goldin, details, dolcegoldin, emily brill, intel, james frey, joe dolce, media, msnbc, publicists, star magazine

Great Moments in Liquor PR: The Cointreau Teese and the Jagger Dagger

Seriously, we are blown away that these publicity stunts worked. And WELL!

Posted 05/05/08 in Daily Intel : Intel

Tags: alcohol, belvedere, cointreau, dan klores, dita von teese, intel, jade jagger, jagger dagger, laforce & stevens, liquor, publicists, publicity stunts

Publicist Catherine Olim Does Cindy Adams Wrong

Let's just say it. Hollywood publicists and particularly PMK-HBH publicists are notorious for being … difficult. But today, Nicole Kidman's flack, Catherine Olim, crossed a line! Yesterday, Cindy Adams reported in her column that pregnant Nicole Kidman enjoyed a nice glass of white wine backstage at the Oscars the other night. Nothing wrong with that, we said to ourselves when we read it. Nicole's just being European, and anyway our mom drank 40s of malt liquor all through her pregnancy and look how great we turned out. But Ms. Olim, it turned out, was not about to let this slide. "I try to ignore your column, unlike most of the rest of the world, because it is so nasty," she wrote in a charming e-mail to Perez Hilton, who had picked up the item from Adams. "But I have to tell you that Nicole Kidman most certainly did NOT drink white wine or any other alcoholic beverage backstage. She had water and lemon zinger tea. That’s it. I know, I was there with her." Then she said the unforgivable. "I cannot remember that last time that Cindy Adams got anything right. She’s an idiot, and you can quote me."

Posted 02/27/08 in Daily Intel : In Other News

Tags: catherine olim, cindy adams, In Other News, publicists, small attempts to take the power back

When Peggy Met Liza

Publicist Peggy Siegal was on Barbara Walter's Sirius Radio show today — we know, right? Everyone has one of those things now — talking about how the best thing she ever did for her first client, Liza Minnelli, was, er … introduce her to controlled substances.

I walk my way up … and I get to the rope [saying] “Liza’s in the car, Liza’s in the car” and there was Steve Rubell … who owned it … who I went to Syracuse with … he said go get her … I take her to the velvet rope — opens up — he grabs her, he kisses her, he gives her God knows what in her pocket, they go off into the sunset and they forget to open the rope for me … and that’s how Liza met Steve Rubell, that’s how all that trouble began with Studio 54 and that was probably the only good thing I did for her.

But one imagines that night at Studio 54 wasn't just a turning point for Liza, but for Peggy Siegal. Picture her there, standing in front of the closed velvet rope, abandoned by her famous friends, left literally and metaphorically out in the cold as the beautiful people float by her. What was young Peggy saying to herself, do you think? That moment, ladies and gentlemen, is the kind of moment that makes a publicist.

Posted 10/24/07 in Daily Intel : Cultural Capital

Tags: barbara walters, Cultural Capital, liza minnelli, peggy siegal, publicists