Why Won’t the Music Business Hire Nerds?The music business, increasingly facing irrelevance in an economy ruled by technological innovation, has just announced its newest hire — it’s some guy with a background in the music business!
gossipmonger
Ba Ba Ba, Ba BarbaraleeHollywood players like Ben Stiller, Toby Maguire, and Steven Spielberg can’t figure out which Democrat to support for president, so they’re donating to multiple ones. (Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and Jennifer Aniston, however, are firmly in Camp Obama.) Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel was passed over for appointment as executive director of New York State Council of the Arts, perhaps because she has donated money to Spitzer, who’s now trying to look ethically pure. Gwen Stefani loves breast-feeding even though she’s been getting bitten. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz refused to be photographed with their KY Intimacy Kit swag bags at Lollapalooza because they were scared of Joe Simpson. Tracy Morgan wants to get his SCRAM ankle bracelet “blinged out” at Jacob the Jeweler.
the morning line
Puerto Rico, You Lovely Island
• The fallout from Sunday’s Puerto Rican Day parade included 208 arrests, a huge increase from last year’s 50 or so. The police insist all but ten of the arrested were “gang members.” [NYT]
• First Connecticut was on the brink of legalizing medical marijuana; now New York is, too. The legislation may be heading for the governor’s desk within ten days, and Spitzer, who earlier opposed the idea, now says he’s open to it. [NYDN]
gossipmonger
The Battle for CongressCosmetics heir Ronald Lauder wants to overthrow booze heir Edgar Bronfman as World Jewish Congress chief. Two openly gay members of the state Assembly refuse to sponsor a gay-marriage bill out of fear of alienating Speaker Sheldon Silver. Senator Chuck Schumer spent a year writing his book, and used Al Gore as a consultant. Victoria Beckham won’t convert to Scientology, because it’s too expensive. Lindsay, Paris, and Britney were all no-shows at Scott Storch’s birthday party last month, but Derek Jeter and Ludacris were there.
