inner city life

Robbie Myers Is Fine With Nationally Televising Elle’s Catfights

The Times poses a fair question for Elle: Is the publicity from its staffers appearing on The City actually good for the magazine? After all, there’s Joe Zee (creative director!), who seemingly employs Olivia Palermo even though she can’t show up to work or do her job most of the time. There’s Erin, who seems like a power publicist with an attitude, but who also spends a lot of time bickering with Joe over her co-worker. And then there’s Robbie Myers (editor-in-chief!), who seems amused by the antics, but then lied about firing Olivia, even though she’s mostly incompetent. Well, in real life, Robbie is fine with the bitchitudes — contrived though they may be — and how that may look for the magazine.

“As we were going into the fourth season, the girls were getting older. They were going to bars. They were meeting guys,” said Amy Astley, the Teen Vogue editor in chief who ended the magazine’s relationship with “The Hills” after three seasons. “And Teen Vogue is very wholesome.”

Fortunately for MTV, Elle is not as wholesome. A subplot on “The City” is the catty infighting at the magazine between the publicity director, Ms. Kaplan, and a part-time accessories editor.

Ms. Myers said she is not concerned that some of the more unpleasant aspects of a workday at Elle will reflect poorly on the magazine. “I think we are very aware what makes interesting television,” she said.

So all (or almost all) publicity is good publicity. Besides, everyone knows offices are gossipy and full of resentment anyway.

Elle, Not Camera Shy, Embraces Reality TV [NYT]

Robbie Myers Is Fine With Nationally Televising Elle’s Catfights