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Janice Min

scandal

Madonna And Alex Rodriguez

Having put the Obamas on one of last month's covers in despair at the absence of celebrity gossip, Us Weekly finally has a genuine celebrity scoop. In a new issue on newsstands tomorrow, the magazine reports that New York Yankee baseball player Alex Rodriguez has been making late-night visits to Madonna's apartment on Central Park West. (OK! has much the same basic story but highlights the two supposed lovers' gym trysts.) The singer, 49, is said to have consulted a lawyer about divorce from her husband of seven years, film director Guy Ritchie; Alex Rodriguez, known to sports fans as A-Rod, would have been eight years old when Madonna released her first hit, Lucky Star. More »

Us Weekly Contributor Bill Clinton Ordered To Cut Gross Policy Stuff "Some of the most celebrity-centric, entertainment-obsessed news media outlets have added a heavy dose of political news to their lineups, taking space normally devoted to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ... The gossip-magazine editors appear to hold the cards most of the time. When President Bill Clinton submitted an essay for publication in Us, it did not pass muster with [Us editor Janice] Min. 'It was the magazine equivalent of watching C-Span,' she recalled, a slight shudder in her voice. 'I was a little mortified to do it, but we kicked it back to the president for a revise.'" [Times]

Wriiight Click here to read Lara Cohen, of Us Weekly, try to defend her tabloid-lite magazine by saying the the real tabloid is the news media, because they've been covering the Rev. Wright hullabaloo so very much. Star-Ledgers, they're just like Us! Um, sort of!

horace mann

Poor Mr. Janice Min

Remember New York's cover story this week about the Horace Mann teacher who was shocked—shocked—to learn that students at that tony prep school exchange bitchy gossip and say terrible things on the Facebook? The alarmed history teacher—who, for his role in publicizing the Facebook fracas was forced to take a sabbatical—is Peter Sheehy, husband of Us Weekly editor Janice Min! So, obviously, this "gossiping about people" thing was totally foreign to him. (J/k! Us is the nice one.) SAD UPDATE: Ok. Former Horace Mann history teacher Peter Sheehy's current gig? "Research intern" for award-winning internet blog Talking Points Memo. No, seriously. [NYM]

janice min

This Just Happened

Last week, Salon's Rebecca Traister worried that "The Golden Age of Celebrity Gossip" was "grinding to an end" because of "evil geniuses" like Us Weekly editor-in-chief Janice Min. Min did, after all, put The Hills star Lauren Conrad on the cover of her mag. But the Little Girls of America have a message for the Min doubters: "J-Min is right, and you are old, so shut your old face before I shut it for you." I just went to the corner newsstand to buy cigarettes and while I was waiting forever for this one Nigerian dude to buy a stack of phone cards, two Russian girls who looked to be about eight or nine years old showed up. More »

us weekly

Hollywood For Ugly People

Primary season is so hot right now. Did you see that Will.i.am video? Celebrities are getting into politics, which means we should too! This year, Us Weekly editor Janice Min started covering politicians more or less like she covers celebrities, because that is now the lens through which America interprets everything. (So-called serious political reporting—it's just like Us!) Is it such a stretch? As she tells the New Yorker, "When I was in junior high, I was the annoying kid in the class who always had the answer to whatever current-events quiz was going on. It's definitely a side of me." Min is such a lucky duck to have a job that lets so many sides of her personality come out. [New Yorker]

The Thinking Woman's Gossip Fierce Janice Min is determined to distinguish Us Weekly from trashier celebrity weeklies. But this is a bit extreme: recruiting Camille Paglia, the post-feminist intellectual, to pontificate on the self-infatuation of the Clintons.

tabloid media

'Us Weekly' Online Loses Three Staffers In Two Weeks

"Violet Affleck Has Learned To Sing 'When You Wish Upon A Star'" was an actual headline on Usmagazine.com on November 6th, just 6 days after our sometime Guest Editor Noelle Hancock departed for the greener pastures of Pagesix.com. This was a sign that the site had already started hurting badly; it received two more blows this Tuesday when Us Online west coast blogger Megan Lynn left to join Pagesix.com's burgeoning west coast bureau and Colleen Curtis, who had been overseeing the website, was "mysteriously and abruptly" fired. We don't know much else about the exodus, except that "everyone didn't leave because they hate [EIC] Janice Min because they don't," and that our former Henry the Intern just went to be a Senior Editor there! Also, that one of their headlines this morning was "Angelina Jolie's Stylist Says Those Leather Pants Never Split," so maybe things are looking up, or at least holding steady.

contracts

Janice Min Is One Rich Lady

Hi, can we get a contract like Janice Min's? Maybe if we promise to run more side-by-side photos of celebrities wearing the same outfits? Or, like, photos of Julia Allison at the deli? She's just like... you? Us? $2.5 MILLION FOR TWO YEARS. Way to hold out, lady. Hold us. We're shaking.
Min Signs 2-Year Deal To Run US [NYP]


genius obfuscations

Janice Min Dodges, Fakes, Scores

Us Weekly editor-in-chief Janice Min takes to the online pages of Slate today to discuss her decision to have a Paris Hilton-free issue of Us the week that Paris got released from prison (which some sniped was because People had landed the "exclusive" photo shoot and interview with Paris). And true to form, Janice did what she usually does when she's defending her magazine in more august surroundings: She brings up politics and how George Bush is evil and the war in Iraq has become a footnote in the ongoing national soap opera that is Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or Anna Nicole Smith's life! The woman is a genius. More »

High-minded celeb mag Us Weekly is "100% Paris Free," presumably because People ponied up for the exclusive with Miss Hilton. [NYP]

yes, there will be blood vials

'Us Weekly' Totally Hung Up On Angelina Jolie's Past

Hey! Have you heard? Us Weekly is reporting this week that just six short years ago, Angelina Jolie was vaguely Goth, married to Billy Bob Thornton, had a pet rat, and kept a vial of Thornton's blood around her neck. And now, she's all Miss Humanitarian Adoptive Parent 2007! Oh. What's that? You say you've heard this all before? Well. Maybe that's because Us Weekly keeps reminding us! Although we have to admit, that quote about Billy Bob and Angelina having just fucked in the car is pretty classic. (Click to enlarge.)

the tabloid media

'US Weekly': Deep In Angelina's Womb

Once Janice Min gets her manicure into something, she's not going to let it go. Take the cover of the latest issue of Us Weekly, which proclaims: "The Final Insult: Shiloh Was No Accident! Angelina finally admits she planned to get pregnant while Brad was still married." Oh, snap! The story's not actually as scandalous as that: she and Brad had been together for months by the time they planned to get pregnant, although he was technically not divorced from Jennifer Aniston. Now! Was it tacky for Angelina to remind Jennifer Aniston, yet again, that it sucked getting dumped by Brad Pitt? Yes! But it's also pretty tacky of Us to publish the same story, week after week. More »

tabloid media

Janice Min: "A Few Words In 'Us Weekly' Can Change Someone's Career"


Last night's "Insider" took a look at Janice Min, editor in chief of Us Weekly, the only celebrity rag to never get anything wrong. Celebrity sources! The impact of her magazine on people's lives! Brad & Angie! Tivo jockey Alex Goldberg assembled this fine montage.

media

Media Bubble: Tribulations

  • Tribune: The Chandler family hits the road, Sam Zell talks to David Geffen, gets veto power on the board, bashes Google. [LAT]
  • Jann Wenner hates paying his employees, so Us Weekly associate publishing Charlie McNiff has departed after contract negotiations stalled. Up next: Janice Min! [NYP]
  • Star cuts guaranteed paid circulation, guts fashion department. [AdAge]
  • Defense lawyers claim that Conrad Black never tried to hide all the shady payoffs he received. [AP]
  • Bambi Francisco: Something about stocks and ethics and Dow Jones? Confusing. Great name though! [WSJ]
    [Image via]
  • More »

    janice min

    Janice Min: "Paris Hilton Didn't Start Any Wars"

    We made Doree venture out this weekend to bask in the presence of Us Weekly's Janice Min. Herewith, her report! More »

    janice min

    Tabloid Editor Concerned About Dumbing Down of Media

    Strangely non-evil Us Weekly editor Janice Min is ticked that TV news has gotten all tabloidey:
    "I wanted to turn on news and watch information about the Scooter Libby trial, and all I could find was wall-to-wall Anna Nicole."
    That's how we felt last week when we opened Us and all we could find was an analysis of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's new FY2008 publication! (With online vidcast component narrated by shirtless Battlestar Galactica star Jamie Bamber!) More »

    us magazine

    Remainders: Janice Min Marks Her Territory

  • Us Weekly editor Janice Min vs. celeb blogger Perez Hilton. GO! [FishbowlNY]
  • Broadway in Soho was clogged with cheapskates in line for Viktor & Rolf for H&M clothes this morning. [Radar]
  • Waiter words of wisdom: "If you're going to a restaurant that's rated romantic, you're compensating: It's the first date, or you just had a fight, or you're coming in from out of town." [Grub Street]
  • Time magazine readers are dropping like flies. [Mediaweek]
  • More »