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We ran into Robert Verdi, the former Style Network host and ubiquitous E! talking head, at the Louis Vuitton/Richard Prince event at the Guggenheim last night. So, we said, his business must be booming, what with the writers’ strike and all. “It’s a terrible thing,” Verdi said, solemnly. But! “It’s really good for people who are in reality, because it’s exacerbating our already tragic careers.” Unlike Daily Intel, whose life will be left cold and empty after the season finale of Gossip Girl this very evening, Verdi isn’t really feeling the loss of any specific programs. “I actually don’t watch television,” he confided. “I haven’t had it for two years. When I did a renovation, I got rid of the television, and I never bought new ones.” It was hard living without Oprah at first, he said. But it was ultimately for the best. “This is tragic, but I got to feel lonely, and I’m single so it was a lot of white noise and it keeps you company. I recognize the value of TV for people, but I wanted to avoid the feelings, so getting rid of it was great for me.” So what does he do now, if he’s not slumped in front of makeover shows like the rest of us? “I read more!” he said brightly. “Or, I count my money and try on my jewelry.” — Fiona Byrne
