Seventeen editor-in-chief Ann Shoket turns 37 today. Author Joyce Carol Oates is turning 71. Famed photographer Irving Penn is 92. Former New York Sun editor Seth Lipsky is 63. New York's marketing chief, George Fertitta, is turning 63. Architect Richard Gluckman is 62. Univision CEO Joe Uva turns 54. Hedge funder Michael L. Gordon is turning 65. American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo is 22. And professional golfer Phil Mickelson turns 39 today.
"The hardest thing is coming up with something to say every day ... Although a couple of my posts are about things that I have done, the purpose is to talk about things in their life. I don't want to talk about what I had for dinner." That's new-minted Seventeen EIC Ann Shoket on the challenges of blogging daily. Pain: felt. So if dinner's out, what does Ann discuss with her tribe? Well ... lunch.
Did we know that West Village gastropub-whatever hotspot Spotted Pig had a third floor? We did not, but the gals at Seventeen did, and so they threw the tiniest of parties there last night to celebrate new editor Ann Shoket's first issue. Entrance through the rear, as they say! The top floor is like a cute Parisian apartment, with an open kitchen, two refrigerators, a hell of an oven. And so how was extremely tall editor Ann Shoket's day? "Meetings, meetings, meetings, meetings, meetings, and then a party!" the East Village gal said. She was in a two-tone dress, white in the bodice, black to the knees, black hose, undistinguished but not untoward shiny closed-toe heels.
April's ish of Seventeen is the first produced under new E in C Ann Shoket's regime. Is she working hard to differentiate herself from her predecessoress, the voluptuous, tribe-gathering, sparkling magical rainbow that is Atoosa Rubenstein? Well, our first clue was in her editorial letter, where she mentioned her formerly frizzy hair. Straight from the Toos's duckling-to-swan playbook! But a darker side of Shoket lay on the selfsame page: "I had three Red Bulls to get through this loooong photo shoot!" she claimed. Hmm, do girls with healthy body images chug three Red Bulls? And do they run cover lines like the one at right, or like "Get Your Best Butt?" We asked the Atoosa Rubenstein who lives in our mind what she thought of the changes.
Ann Shoket's first issue as editor of Seventeen hits the stands next week. Will she crawl her way into our hearts like Atoosa Rubenstein did so scarily before her? (Related: Will she blog about cutting and emo?) Her first editor's letter—click to enlarge!— plays it smart; she casts herself as the new girl at school. (Whether she turns out to be a Heather or a Veronica, well, we shall see.) So far, she's getting points for chugging Red Bull and including shirtless pictures of David Beckham on her page. That's the kind of gal we want instructing America's teens! Also, we hear that her first covergirl is post-post-punkey fifth-wave-feminist Avril Lavigne, pegged to the Canadian lass's new album in April. So there, 'Toos!
The Wall Street Journal reports today that Hearst's partnership with gaming company Arkadium will soon result in a game at Seventeen.com called "Editor's Assistant," wherein you're the assistant to new 'Toos replacement Ann Shoket and you have to complete "certain tasks" to win. But that's not even as cool as the game that's planned for Cosmpolitan.com: to win "Boy Toy," players will control a virtual man's attempts to "keep his girlfriend satisfied." How lezzie! And how downmarket!
The newly installed editor of Seventeen magazine, Ann Shoket, was [at Ben Widdicombe's birthday party], flanked by her publicist. "Ben is the most charming, most dashing .... "
Right, right, now what are you wearing?
"What? Oh no, I don't want to tell you that," she gasped. She wore a tube top and jeans. "Now I'm starting to get into trouble with my publicity department. They're like, 'Don't talk to anybody.'"
Her publicist, Scott Gorenstein, stepped in. "She's wearing an appropriate outfit for a humid evening in the East Village."
The kids at WWD and Jossip are both reporting that CosmoGirl executive editor Ann Shoket has been named editor of Seventeen. Finally, our long national nightm- eh, whatever. Just let us know what the arm hair situation is.
