Yes, indeed. But my lips are sealed. I'm not one to gossip. Catherine, married conveniently to Condé Nast general manager Albert Read, is perfect for Tatler, a money- and status-worshipping priestess whose idea of heaven is a string of pearly noughts - she certainly never discouraged writer William Cash at ES from regaling us with news of his latest heiress love interest.
More to the point, Catherine suits her boss Nicholas Coleridge whose own craven attitude to wealth and status has to be seen to be believed - well, read one of his novels: just money measures set to dialogue. I shall never forget observing him running around like a deranged whippet at a Cartier polo day many years ago, trying to get a photo shot of the Queen blocked off by a crowd of ghastly gawpers. In those few moments I sensed all the materialist kinetic energy that drives him on.
As for Catherine, I'm just praying we don't have a Jane Procter re-run. I understand that she is blessed with a clear sense of purpose that sometimes is enforced by a voice that might be appreciated at the Royal Opera House. Or Wembley.
12 comments:
Yes oh dear. Its a safe choice but she has hardly been Dave
I predict a short tenure. Coleridge is sensitive about noise.
I don't understand what you've got against Coleridge. He's actually one of the nicer people in journalism, he's excellent with people and he knows his market inside out. The reason why he got rid of Procter is because she was a terrible bully and drove people out of the magazine. It is very unusual for management (ie Coleridge) to side with the serfs the way he did. You may want to lighten up. Ostler is a fine appointment.
I agree that Coleridge is one of the nicer "society" journalists. His staff tend to like him- a rarity in his field- and he comes across as a genuine person. But I believe that Madame A did say something nice about him at one point (on the video about him reading in the bath)- and doesn't attack his character as much as his obsession with wealth/society. However, with him it seems more of a fascination... as opposed to a full on religion/worship which seems to consume some of the not so pleasant (to put it mildly)members of his ilk...all of whose names have been mentioned before.
When she was on the Express, Ostler was known as Tiny Tears, a reference to both her diminutive stature and her habit of bursting into tears at any given moment.
Her husband is very handsome though.
Ostler was a nightmare on the S Exp mag.
I'm sure Nicholas is a nice person, relatively speaking. But what is there to be fascinated about wealth and status? Isn't this a bit like Liz Taylor loving diamonds - yes, don't we all, dearie. There can be scarcely a hack in all of Britain who's not preoccupied with the wealthy, the privileged, the whatever - just look at the Guardian, the Hello! of the "qualities". What precisely is there to be fascinated about, unless of course one is looking for favours? The result is brown-nosing, catalogue magazines and a dreadful, vulgar snobbery.
Ahh, I am not saying the fascination does not create the snobbery, and indeed, the vulgarity that seems to permeate through much of the media....and I am not saying it is a good thing. I guess I am just trying to give someone a little bit of credit for not putting it above all else- in other words, he does treat everyone equally, he is friendly to even those who cannot offer him something or who are not rich or famous...) in other words, acting like a decent human being! But I don't know him that well, and it is true that all of his books, etc., are preoccupied with the rich and famous, but is it because he values this above all else or is it just the topic he chooses to obsess over? I suppose I have met so many of the media snob types, who really are rather awful,so I am curious as to what makes them tick, etc. And was it always such? Interesting...(or not interesting, perhaps! )
Several years before Aaron Barschak's achievement Coleridge gained admittance to a party at Windsor Castle disguised as a chauffeur.- He wrote about it in the Standard.
That's very enterprising of him. I shall look upon him with eyes afreah. Perhaps I'll like his next novel. I'm a great one for conversions as Arcatistes know.
Currently Tiny Tears is being a total B!!!! and the staff are scared witless by her moods, lots of shouting and bullying. Will Saint Nicholas step in before the troops desert?
Who are the other " Society " journalists ? Are we just talking about the kind of people who work for Tatler ?
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