Gawker: show tunes

Joss Whedon hopes to tease fans into buying DVDs of his musical

Jackson West — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:20:00 EDT

In the futuristic wild west of online video, one imagines Firefly creator Joss Whedon would be just the man to figure out a decent business model while actually putting on a good show. Whedon intends to release his new musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog starring Neal Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, online in three acts this month. Then they will disappear, only to return as a DVD you can buy. You'll still be able to get it all for free.

Whedon fans are a nerdy sort, and certainly if the source video links can't be unearthed and the files downloaded, it can always be captured with software, and then distributed on file-sharing networks. Of course, truefans will make noises about then the artist won't be getting paid, but then there weren't exactly enough truefans to save Firefly, and that didn't even have dance numbers.

The point is that any attempt at creating scarcity will ultimately fail online. When the DVD is released with the musical commentary, it'll get uploaded and distributed online as well. This is not necessarily bad news for Whedon and the production, however — the unauthorized copies will likely be downloaded by fans who missed the online tease who are waiting to buy the DVD, or people just checking it out to see if they're really ready and willing to spend money on showtunes.

It raises the question then, why not leave the video up and sell advertising against it, like the creators of South Park have done? Because riding into town with a distribution twist garners more free publicity.

Hollywood power player Randi Zuckerberg struts her stuff

Owen Thomas — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Meet Randi Jayne Zuckerberg Tworetzky, Facebook's rep in Tinseltown, who scored No. 45 on The Hollywood Reporter's list of digital power players. The newlywed, Mark's older sister, was a surprising choice — an infuriating one, to some of our tipsters — but she got the props for brokering content deals with ABC and Comcast, no small feat. Still, we're less interested in Randi Tworetzky's business dealings than in Randi Jayne's musical stylings. (If Hollywood had any sense, they would, to.) Which makes this lip dub of her singing "Going to the Chapel" utterly frustrating. Randi, we don't want to watch you mouth the words. Girl, sing out! (Video by Julia Allison)

David Pogue blacklists Google, sings uplifting show tune

Jordan Golson — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:20:03 EST

I tried to send an email to New York Times columnist David Pogue, but I failed. It appears that Google's Gmail has been blacklisted by the Sorbs spam-blocking system. At the moment, Sorbs claims to be in a "maintenance period." Pogue's email provider could be blocking all mail because it can't reach Sorbs — but why would it be down for maintenance in the middle of the day? See the full error message after the jump and tell me if you can figure it out. In the meantime, David, call me? Everybody sing! Let the sound of your voice turn winter to spring.

Delivered-To: jlgolson@valleywag.com Received: by 10.78.198.2 with SMTP id v2cs346280huf; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:22 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.142.88.20 with SMTP id l20mr5814001wfb.72.1204147941025; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:21 -0800 (PST) Return-Path: <> Received: by 10.142.88.20 with SMTP id l20mr9735271wfb.72; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:21 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <00504502c79604472a8a48285026d3b@googlemail.com> From: Mail Delivery Subsystem To: jlgolson@valleywag.com Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:21 -0800 (PST)
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

xxxx@xxxx.com

Technical details of permanent failure:
PERM_FAILURE: SMTP Error (state 16): 550 5.7.1 Your server (209.85.200.175 [wf-out-1314.google.com]) is in the dnsbl.sorbs.net block list. See http://www.dnsbl.us.sorbs.net/cgi-bin/db?IP=209.85.200.175 for more details.

——- Original message ——-

Received: by 10.142.88.20 with SMTP id l20mr5813971wfb.72.1204147939537;
Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:19 -0800 (PST)
Return-Path:
Received: from ?192.168.1.41? ( [141.157.168.194])
by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 24sm13001017wrl.35.2008.02.27.13.32.16
(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=OTHER);
Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:17 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id:
From: Jordan Golson
To: David Pogue
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v919.2)
Subject: nyc meetup?
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:32:15 -0500
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.919.2)

David, thinking of coming down to New York next week. Meet for a cup =20
of coffee?

—

Jordan Golson
Valleywag — Gawker Media
jlgolson@valleywag.com

——- End of message ——-

Brad Stone, the baddest tech reporter that ever was born

Owen Thomas — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:18:47 EDT

Fake Brad Stone is doing a passable job of celebrating the career of the ruggedly handsome New York Times reporter who outed Fake Steve Jobs. Passable. I mean, I like the idea of supplanting the Pulitzer Prize with a new "Stoney" award. But Fake Brad could do so much more. He could, for example, burst into song. With apologies to George Thorogood — and, while I'm at it, to Brad Stone, Fake Brad Stone, and my readers — Valleywag presents a rock-and-roll celebration of our favorite Timesman. Here are the lyrics to "Brad to the Stone":

On the day I was hired, the Timesmen all gathered 'round
Those hacks all gazed in envy at the ex-Newsweek reporter they'd found
Then Bill Keller spoke up, and he said leave this one alone
He could tell right away, that I was Brad to the Stone
Brad to the Stone
Brad to the Stone
B-B-B-B-Brad to the Stone
B-B-B-B-Brad
B-B-B-B-Brad
Brad to the Stone

I broke a thousand stories, before I wrote about you
I'll break a thousand more baby, before I am through
I'm gonna break your cover, Fake Stevie, in your PJs all alone
I'm here to tell ya bloggers, that I'm Brad to the Stone
Brad to the Stone
B-B-B-Brad
B-B-B-Brad
B-B-B-Brad
Brad to the Stone

I make a rich CEO beg not to cover his shady deal
I'll make the Gray Lady blush, and make other tech reporters squeal
I wanna be your ink-stained wretch, yours and yours alone
I'm here to tell ya bloggers, that I'm Brad to the Stone
B-B-B-B-Brad
B-B-B-B-Brad
B-B-B-B-Brad
Brad to the Stone

"Nerds" musical explores Broadway compatibility

Owen Thomas — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:55:21 EDT

Watch out, Randi Jayne. Hollywood actor Sean Hayes is moving in on your nerd-chic musical territory. Earlier this week, Hayes joined a reading of "Nerds://A Musical Software Satire." Unlike the work of Jayne, however, the Facebook employee and sister of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, "Nerds" is far from Techmeme-current. Instead, the musical explores the decades-old rivalry of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Apple CEO Steve Jobs. As such, it's unlikely to draw much of an audience in the Valley, to whom the story's all too familiar, and old. But the names of Gates and Jobs may just be familiar enough to draw in the the Midwestern tourists who fill Broadway's seats, and Hayes's star power won't hurt. Here's an idea for the producers to draw Silicon Valley fans: Cast the petite but sparky Jayne as diminutive venture capitalist Ann Winblad, Gates's ex-girlfriend and occasional vacation companion.

CNBC interviews Valleywag editor on a Facebook IPO

Owen Thomas — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:21:12 EDT

If you missed our saturation coverage of all things Facebook, here's a nice recap. CNBC's Melissa Francis quizzes yours truly on the scandal about "Valleyfreude," the IPO-promoting video by Facebook employee Randi Jayne, the sister of CEO Mark Zuckerberg: (Video by CNBC)

Facebook's users turn up their noses at its ads

Owen Thomas — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:14:19 EDT

Today, I don't think Randi Jayne, director of market development at Facebook and sister of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, would sing quite so gleefully about "startups [that] get the rag ... from Valleywag." Because now comes her employer's turn. The Reach Students blog notes that a campaign on Facebook drew a 0.04% click-through rate — a dismal response that's far from uncommon in advertisers' experiences. No wonder the site is scraping the bottom of the barrel to find advertisers. If Zuckerberg is to maintain his site's precious independence, he will have to figure out better ways for his company — and its advertisers — to profit from its rapidly swelling user base. Should he consider placing ads on his sister's show tunes instead? They'd get better click-throughs.

A Facebook insider dances her way to the IPO

Owen Thomas — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:34:02 EDT

I've always said that if there's one thing Silicon Valley needs, it's more show tunes. Which is why I'm such a sucker for the oeuvre of Randi Jayne and Jennifer Lee, the comedic duo behind such hits as "How to Get a Guy in Silicon Valley" and "Failure Is Fun (Valleyfreude)." (Jayne, newly solo, has come out with another brilliant number, "Crackberry," which you must go watch immediately.) But if you want to review Jayne's past works, you'll be stymied. "Valleyfreude" has gone missing. "It's a take-down," Jayne's site reads. I can't imagine that the disappearance of "Valleyfreude" anything to do with the fact that Jayne has a day job at Facebook. And that she's the sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And that Facebook's getting ready for an IPO. Oh, wait. I can imagine that.

"Valleyfreude," is a brilliant piece of work, and I'm not just saying that because its lyrics prominently mention this humble gossip rag. No, I love it because it speaks a truth about Silicon Valley: People are supposed to embrace failure as part of the startup process, but in reality, they love making fun of the losers.

Speaking the truth, of course, is a dangerous activity. Especially if your company is about to go public. The SEC frowns on any truth-telling that goes on outside the formal bounds of an S-1 prospectus.

Jayne, née Zuckerberg, has actively tried to mask her identity; back in February, she declined to give her last name to NewTeeVee's Liz Gannes, who apparently didn't press the matter. (Ace reporting, Gannes!) But if it's a secret, it's an extremely poorly disguised one.

And that makes "Valleyfreude," whose lyrics mock Facebook competitor Friendster and profanely brag about how Facebook rejected a $1 billion buyout offer from Yahoo, a dangerous document for SEC regulators to see. Luckily for them, unluckily for Facebook, "Valleyfreude" has spread beyond Jayne's reach, thanks to the wonders of viral video. Here's a replay, courtesy of ~~iFilm~~ Valleywag: