Send Us Your April Fool's Media Memos
Yes, we saw the Guardian piece, YouTube's upside-down layout and Google's blogging robot Panda. Sorta funny. Funnier are the memos being forwarded around media orgs, such as "Forbes to Sell Brother." Send us others!
We're not quite sure who wrote this Forbes missive — it's being passed around by in the growing ranks of former Forbesers, such as here and here, ), but eccentric Malcolm Forbes (that's him kissing Elizabeth Taylor), whose empire the Forbes brothers have run into the ground, would probably approve.
Politico's joke memo, according to Ben Smith, meanwhile includes the line, "Win the Dawn!" We'd like to see the rest, please. (Here it is.)
FORBES TO SELL BROTHER
March 31, 2009
New York CityIn a further sign of worsening conditions in the magazine industry,
Forbes LLC today announced it would be selling one of the company's
namesake brothers.The announcement, made late Tuesday by Chairman and Editor-in-Chief
Steve Forbes, came amidst a new wave of layoffs at the magazine and
caught few observers by surprise. The company in recent years has sold
off assets ranging from its south seas island, a helicopter from the
company yacht, Faberge eggs, a Colorado cattle ranch, toy soldiers, a
palace in Morocco and historical documents
including Lincoln's final address as President. The Forbes building
itself, at 60 Fifth Avenue, was put on the market in 2007.Yesterday's announcement squelched rumors the company has nothing left
to sell."Pop always told us," said Mr. Forbes, referring to his late father,
legendary publisher Malcolm Forbes, "that people are our greatest
asset. Now the time has come to prove him right by monetizing one of
my three brothers." Exactly which brother would be sold was not
immediately clear.Initial speculation favored Christopher, 'Kip' Forbes, whose role in
the organization has been diminished following the sale of artworks
from the family collections, over which he had responsibility. A
number of Middle Eastern buyers are believed to be interested in the
still-boyish executive, bon vivant and man-about-town. Siblings
Timothy and Robert manage other divisions of the company, for now. A
sister, Moira, has no involvement in the business and is believed not
to be for sale.In making his announcement, Mr. Forbes professed optimism about the
future, especially that of Forbes.com, which attracts some 20 million
users daily. "If pop were here," he said, grinning broadly, "I'm sure
he'd crack open the world's most expensive bottle of wine." The Forbes
family once owned the most expensive bottle, bought at auction for
$156,000 in 1985. It was later found to contain vinegar.Mr. Forbes is author most recently of 'Flat Tax Revolution: Using a
Postcard to Abolish the IRS.' He is a four-time winner of the highly
prestigious Crystal Owl Award, given annually to the financial
journalist whose economic forecasts for the coming year have proved
most accurate.