issues

Is There a PC Way to Talk About PC?

Richard Lawson · 06/23/09 02:39PM

So NYC Prep—Bravo's "real-life Gossip Girl" series—starts tonight. I must admit, I'm embarrassingly, Facebook-statusing excited about it. But one thing is weighing heavily on me: How the hell am I going to talk about PC?

Cindy Adams' Hilarious Gambling Problem

Richard Lawson · 12/08/08 10:42AM

Cindy Adams, Page Six's also-ran aging gossipeuse, got scooped about ten years ago by the internet, but hasn't let it stop her or slow her. No, she's pressing on, writing columns about topics like the weather today and her insidious celebrity gambling problem. It's true! She has so many famous friends and so many dark impulses to throw her money down a well of anxiety and despair. And she's not betting on ponies. No, she's wagering on strange, ineffable things. Like home repair and Broadway musicals.

Public Will Pay For Checked Bags Over The Airline Industry's Cold, Dead Body

Hamilton Nolan · 05/27/08 09:56AM

One night last week I found myself watching the NBC Nightly News—a rare occurrence, because I am not yet old. The lead story was about how American Airlines was going to start charging a $15 fee for each checked bag. Grumbling! Populist outrage! What will these dang companies do next?! It became clear at that early moment that despite the economic necessity of the move, American was going to get absolutely slammed in the court of public opinion. And now the verdict is in: they did!

Save This Monkey From Modeling!

Hamilton Nolan · 04/04/08 10:32AM

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, a chimp-rights group, is assailing Sports Illustrated with a vicious letter-writing campaign! The group is upset that the magazine used a macaque (FANCY WORD FOR "MONKEY") and a bear in its photo shoot for this year's Swimsuit Issue [Folio]. S.I. is like, whoa! We take care of the animals, and besides, what mammal wouldn't be happy nestled up against the thighs of a swimsuit model? The two bear/ model-relations pictures, which have caused all the human outrage, after the jump. The bear does look kind of annoyed by that muzzle.

The Circus: Evil?

Hamilton Nolan · 03/19/08 02:37PM

In the wee hours of this morning, Barnum & Bailey's Circus paraded their elephants into Manhattan, in what has become an annual tradition and spectacle. PETA is not too happy about this sort of thing. Is the circus really bad? On one hand, they're cruelly exploiting majestic mammals for the pitiful bemusement of humanity. On the other hand: elephants! Below, a clip of last year's NYC elephant march. Is there an easy answer to this one?

Our Nation Is Gripped By A Turkey Carving Crisis!

JonLiu · 11/21/07 09:40AM

The hard part about writing News You Can Use isn't finding the solution; it's proving there's a problem to be solved. Consider today's Times, wherein dining reporter Julia Moskin has a nice Thanksgiving Eve article (accompanied online by a thrilling instructional video) about a new low-stress, expert-approved way to carve up your turkey. But is the old hack-and-slice regime really so problematic? Yes. "Before breakfast on Thanksgiving," begins Moskin's tale, "as the first Americans rise to preheat the oven, the question of who is going to carve the bird starts to ripple anxiously across the land." This being journalism (of sorts), the burden of proof requires at least some civilian testimony, which is where things take a decided turn toward the gothic.

The War At 'Portfolio'

abalk · 08/15/07 09:30AM

The new Portfolio hits the racks today. Before we get to the actual magazine, you'll have to console yourself with gossip about Portfolio, most of it centered around EIC Joanne Lipman's recent firing of second-in-command Jim Impoco. The Observer and the Post, obviously suckling at the teat of different sources, bring you the different perspectives.