Joe Dolce: Methods of Asshattery
Our cup overfloweth with anecdotes about douchebag Star EIC Joe Dolce, who we understand is celebrating a birthday soon ("Why is Dolce a complete mess lately? He's turning 50 next month! Yes,underneath the surgically-enhanced face lies a half-a-century-year old relic. Male menopause, anyone?") After the jump we'll take a look at just how far Joe will go to get a story, and we'll give you a bonus Maer Roshan appearance!
Once when we were on the Gwyneth Paltrow pregnancy story he made a young female reporter make an appointment at Gwyneth's gynecologist to see if she could find anything out. They got the address by blowing up a paparazzi photo of Gwynnie leaving the doctor's office. The girl, who was new to the tabloid biz, was understandably put off by having going to have her genitalia probed because Dolce thought the doctor might just let slip some tidbit about Paltrow; some of the other editors thought it crossed the line and wondered if it wasn't grounds for a sexual harassment suit. But Joe insisted and made snotty remarks in the end she did go and was a good sport about it - got no useful info. Of course. She parted ways with the mag a short time later.
And, as promised:
About 5 years ago, when I was at New York magazine, I edited a story that mentioned Joe Dolce in some context (I forget what, but it was innocent) and I identified him as the former editor of Details. Maer Roshan changed that, to ID him as a movie producer. When I pointed out that this seemed like a rather flattering description for someone who hadn't actually produced a movie (not sure whether that's still true, but it was at the time), Maer told me to shut up. The description stayed.)
Well, according to IMDB, he still hasn't produced a movie, but he did record "Shaddap You Face." *
* We know.
