• February 12, 2012

TNR

TODAY’S MOST IMPORTANT QUICK READ: A 4,200-word pretentious, Roman-numeral-subsectioned screed from the “Dick Cheney of TNR,” Leon Wieseltier, about how Andrew “He Links To Some Good Stuff” Sullivan hates Jews for being so Jewish, those rotten Jews. What, you don’t want to read this? Meh, just click on this Pareene thing instead. [TNR, Gawker]

Soothsaying raconteur Martin Peretz has a little story for you. Come children, gather ye rosebuds, for it is time to hear the sorry tale of Sidney Blumenthal, who is, at this very moment, maybe already on Hillary Clinton’s travel diplomacy team! You see, Blumenthal once worked for Peretz at the New Republic magazine, a “The [...]

Ha ha ha, Graydon Carter’s defunct satirical monthly The New Republic has produced a comical slide show titled “Celebrities With Thoughts.” Apropos of Bono’s most recent instant-classic New York Times editorial — a poetic intellectual exercise, the thrilling denouement of which is: “Could it be that all Americans are, in that sense, African-Americans?” — TNR [...]

Michael Kinsley, the dignified journalist and dinner companion to David Denby, starts his review of the new Newsweek reboot with this: “Having recently been dumped by Time, I naturally had great hopes for this week’s much-anticipated makeover of Newsweek.” And 2,000 annoying words later — including a long bit about masturbating to a large photograph [...]

The New Republic‘s Gabriel Sherman has a lovely new story out about the dystopian hell chamber that is the Politico newsroom. The snarling, leprous leadership of Jim VandeHei and John Harris (a.k.a. “VandeHarris,” or simply, “AnusHair”) greets its intrepid blog reporters each morning at 5:30 a.m. with a hot shower of molten lava, followed by [...]

It was only a matter of time before the The New Republic stopped being an inevitability in this little feature. Well, the time has come—just one week in! Let’s take a look what worthwhile things are afoot in these storied pages this week, for our new feature, Thursdays Are For Magazines.

Uhh: “On a recent reporting trip to Alaska, TNR senior editor Noam Scheiber came across a piece of paper from an old Wasilla city budget, on the back of which Palin doodled and brainstormed her potential mayoral campaign themes (‘time for a change,’ ‘you would be my boss!’) and qualifications (‘life-long alaskan,’ ‘NRA supporter,’ ‘taxpayer!’).” [...]

Important news from the Wonkette Inbox(!): “Today on TNR.com, Dayo Olopade offers the definitive fact-check of Paris Hilton’s energy recommendations in her new ‘campaign’ video. While Hilton’s video is perhaps a humorous response to McCain’s recent ‘celebrity’ ad featuring her likeness, Olopade concludes that even Paris, alas, gets the facts wrong on offshore drilling.” While [...]