He would prefer universal single-payer! He introduced an amendment to that end! It did not even make it to a vote, though, because of parliamentary tactics, whee. But he decided, "this bill will help poor and working people, and no bill will hurt them," and so he is using his leverage to attempt to improve it, like a good socialist senator.

He is not throwing a tantrum (though he does get shouty sometimes!) and inventing a new reality in which this bill's failure means we'll totally get a better health care bill next year or something. I mean, what? The options are literally "pass this HANDOUT to the insurance industries (that they are still lobbying against!) that will insure millions of people and improve the social safety net for those in danger of losing their insurance" or "fuck off home to let people continue to die because we got super mad at Senator Fuckface from Connecticut." There is not a third "Alan Grayson and Keith Olbermann and Matt Taibbi are all elected to a new kind of Senate that only needs three votes to pass legislation and they declare us Canada for Christmas" option.

Look — we like Alan Grayson. We will defend him against those centrist "oh but Democrats have to play nice" assholes who say he goes too far when he says truthful things about Rush Limbaugh. Alan Grayson gives good quote and is a credit to the House of Representatives. He should continue to let his freak flag fly.

But jesus, christ, an Alan Grayson 2012 primary challenge against Obama? Obama, who is not just "Bush-lite" but Bush-same! (Remember when Bush attempted to negotiate an international climate deal, pass a jobs-focused economic stimulus, reform the nation's health care industry, and come up with a hopefully coherent plan to end the Afghanistan war in one year? And remember how his attempts at all those things were stymied by an uncooperative and undemocratic Senate, but he still managed to make real and tangible gains on each of them? Oh, no, you probably don't remember that because it was a joke we were making about how you have lost all sense of perspective.)

What happens when Alan Grayson is elected president, exactly? His sharp tongue embarrasses Ben Nelson into supporting a woman's right to choose? A well-timed quip convinces the Republican party to give up on a scorched-earth style of obstructionist opposition that will probably yield them electoral victories next year? He would pull the troops out. There's that! Maybe you would like some members of his cabinet a little more!

But what we actually need, if you like Alan Grayson, is more Alan Graysons in the House and in the Senate. (Well, what we need is the complete abolition of the Senate too, but let's start small and aim big, the way progressives did things in the days before a millionaire sportscaster was their spiritual leader.) The last couple guys broke the nation, basically, and Barack Obama's best quality might be that he has a very realistic idea of how to begin going about fixing some shit.

• In Morocco, nobody can hear you scream. Actually, in Morocco, Jennifer Aniston is the biggest thing since sliced bread. Apparently, she was there for a week, and she got into a car with Orlando Bloom, and there was "breathless speculation" about romance. That said, this woman couldn't get into a car with a Clydesdale and a brass instrument without sparking breathless speculation about romance between the three of them. Her vagina must have some kind of magical property to it, or it must be some kind of unspoken Hollywood male birthright: If you don't touch this vagina, you will never be in contention for People's Sexiest Man Alive. Robert Pattinson's at least given her a foot massage. At least. [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Daily News didn't have any good gossip items today, so instead they ran two pages about how Jake Gyllenhaal is a "jack of all trades" or something. They go very out of their way to assure us that him and Reese are definitely dating, and that his two new movies—the melodrama with Natalie Portman about whatever with Tobey Maguire, and Prince of Persia, where he gets to dress in clothing Tom Cruise only dreams about wearing in public—are very different. Sometimes, I just want to knock over the Daily News gossip page. Nothing else, just "knock over." [NYDN]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• OKAY. OMG. OMG. You can't be serious right now. Crackface Courtney Love ran into DJ Qualls at 1OAK when they were both clubbing on Thanksgiving eve. Qualls and Love ended up making out, and then they went to a strip club together. Yes, you know who DJ Qualls is. This dude. Always ending up in crazypants situations like that, isn't he? Related: JESUS Page Six you are the best. Sometimes, you just make me want to knock over the Daily News gossip pages. Nothing, just "knock over." [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Years of wearing comically oversized stiletto heels that she uses to make the bouncy dog toy otherwise known as her husband David Beckham squeak has left Victoria "Ground Cumin" Beckham in need of foot surgery to remove bunions. Ah, yes, bunions. I can think of nothing sexier for Becks and Posh's image than some bunions. That oughta help. [NYDN]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Somehow, Lindsay Lohan can still afford a dickhead security crew, because there was one ready to erase any pictures the lead singer of Cobra Starship had on his phone after he snapped away at Lohan getting trashed at Hudson Terrace. He was the DJ there, but Lohan's security people could care less. Because, like Lohan, they're clueless assholes. This is how you win back the love of the people, Lohan. Truly. [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Michael Phelps has dated not one but two Miss California ladypeople. Which is two more Miss California ladypeople than everyone else gets to date. The plot, however, thickens: Phelps dated Carrie Prejean at one point. The entire subtext behind all reporting of this fact is: we hope they made a sex tape. I...can't argue with that sentiment. Also, I hope she didn't suck any of Phelps' brain cells by osmosis. That wouldn't be nice. [NYDN]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Who eats at The Waverly Inn on Thanksgiving? Try Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone on for size. Yeah, these two guys, who do all the movies about the crooks and the psychopaths and the sociopaths, guess where they have dinner on Thanksgiving? Yes, The Waverly Inn. Of course. [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• So, J-Lo's sex tape is coming out and before we go any further, am I allowed to submit a name for this? Is Jenny From The Cock too vile? Yes, it kind of is. Okay. We can just go with Gigli. That's not vile. Anyway: J-Lo's sex tape is on its way out and it might involve spanking of some kind. Yeah: spanking. Great. Can you tell how underwhelmed I am by this? Normal celebrity sex tapes are just so passe, nahmean? I want to hear about the DJ Qualls/Courtney Love sex tape. Hear about, not necessarily watch. [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• File Under: Happy Families You Never Thought Would Be Happy. Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith saw West Side Story with, like, 15 people. And then they had lunch. This is the kind of reporting you won't get from the New York Times (and especially not the Daily News): "Banderas, who had missed breakfast and lunch, ordered two entrees and finished them both." Revelations. [Page Six]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Paris Hilton opened her mouth to talk about what a tomboy she is. Yes, because if there's anything a straight guy loves to do, it's dress in pink, carry around small dogs, and blow Rick Salomon on camera. Paris Hilton, there are tomboys out there who flinch at that distinction. For them: don't. People called this a "style revelation" or something. I want to drill a hole in my face. [People]

Did you guys all have a good Thanksgiving? I hope so. It's good to know that some people, however beleaguered time and time again by the mystical forces of love in the universe, will not back down. Jennifer Aniston, for example. If I'd put the good money on her still making the top of the gossip roundup before there was a gossip roundup, I would've lost it. Anyway: This jam goes out to her, and you all. I hope you bought tons of useless wonderful things yesterday and stimulated our economy and hopefully those useless wonderful things will go to wonderful, resilient people. Like Jennifer Aniston! See how I did that? Neither do I.

[Photo via Bauer-Griffin.]

Her email continues:

I'm stuck in the South—what if people look down on us... for giving her a harlot name? What if she gets older and people call her Jizz? Could a name like Jezebel become a prophecy?

Like I said, I love the name Jezebel, but at the same time I wouldn't want
to be one of those parents that curses their child with a stupid name. This
is a kid, after all, not a cat.

Former Jezebel editor Moe Tkacik once weighed in on why Jezebel is an awesome name for a blog, but, being named after a woman the Old Testament depicts as "a truly vicious tyrant who makes all the Israelites join her own heathenous religion and kills a lot of people" could be rough on a girl too young to defend herself through blogging.

She may have an easier life with a "Jezebel" variant like "Jessabell," but our own Irin Carmon says those can be problematic too:

I actually just found out that Jezebel is a variant on Isabel (maybe everyone knew this, but it was sort of a revelation for this Hebrew speaker). It's not a popular name in Israel because it sounds like the words for "island of garbage."

Iron & Wine thinks Jezebel is a name worth singing about, but Hortense found an old religion book called All of the Women of the Bible that's pretty anti-Jezebel (see image above).

The best person to ask would probably be... a woman named Jezebel. Fourteen Jezebels responded to a survey on Baby Names World, and 72% said they liked their name. But, the majority also reported being teased because of it. Said one:

They called me a whore so much it got a problem. Since my name is another word for prostitute people began to believe tha I actually was one. The boys started un-buttoning my shirt and attempted to panse me constantly. One guy actually came in to the girls bathroom and took pictures of me while i was changing. I was hurt so much by all of this that i legally changed my name to Bella. I cant imagin the type of person who would want this name.

Which does make "Isabel" sound a lot more appealing.

Jezebel By Iron & Wine [Grooveshark]
Should You Name Your Baby Girl Jezebel? [Baby Names World]

Earlier: Jezebel: A Love Letter To The Most Awesome Name In The Universe

• PETA named Madonna one of its 6 worst-dressed celebrities, along with "Maggot" Gyllenhaal and the Olsen twins. "Someone needs to tell Madge that wearing fur doesn't make you a cougar," the animal-lovers sniffed. [PETA]

• Meanwhile Madonna might be doing a line with Ed Hardy. Expect lots of rhinestones. [Elle UK]
• An Armani Exchange ad featuring the naked ass of male model Parker Gregory has been rejected by billboard company Van Wagner. [Towleroad]
• Did Forever 21 knock off Alexander Wang's shoes? Does the pope shit in the woods? [Fashionista]
• Model turned photographer Christina Kruse started learning how to take pictures back in 1996, by concentrating on the only convenient subject available — herself. When traveling for work, she'd also create collages and drawings, and compile them into books. Her first show is now up at the Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea. Says Kruse, "I didn't show anything to anyone for a long time. But I think that's good. Doing things by myself meant that I didn't just teach myself to take pictures, but that I also got to teach myself how to see." [Style.com]
• Valentino Garavani is sure glad he quit last spring, before the economy cratered. Now he just gets to do fun things, like go around the world to places like Aspen and New York City where a documentary made about him, Valentino: The Last Emperor, is opening. Just don't call him "Emperor": "That doesn't sound very young or fresh," says the former designer. [W]
• I realize Roberto Cavalli is in trouble, and all, with the bankruptcy of Just Cavalli's licensee, Ittierre, and the lawsuits stemming from that, and the ranting in front of reporters and the tears and heartbreak of it all, but I wonder if launching the "Roberto Cavalli Pets" collection is really the answer. [W]
• Angela Missoni, who built her family's clothing company into the multinational knitwear brand we know today, was honored at the annual Women's World Awards in Vienna. Princess Rania of Jordan gave her her prize, which I'm imagining as a kind of Stanley Cup of womanhood. [Elle UK]
• There's a fashion line called Jezebel, which we like. Unfortunately, it's done by the daughter of a celebrity, and seems to be exclusively overpriced t-shirts, which we don't. Shoulda trademarked that shit, Denton. [WWD]
• Anna Kournikova, new face of K Swiss, poses seductively with a variety of tennis nets and balls for the spring campaign. [Daily Mail]
• Bertrand Hennet, an executive at Elite Model World, the parent company of Elite, the world's largest modeling agency, has been charged with buying and transporting cocaine. Hennet admitted sending as much as 2 grams of the Colombian marching powder up his snout every night, and both his home and office were searched during the bust. However, he was not charged with supplying the drug to others. [Breitbart]
• Lambertson Truex, makers of $3,995 python handbags, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the state of Delaware. The company reports debts of $10-50 million, and assets of $1-10 million. [WSJ]
• Three editors at Cosmopolitan have reportedly been fired. [Daily Intel]
• Olivier Theyskens takes a different approach when folks try to fire him. Theyskens, creative director of Nina Ricci, has been the subject of increasingly urgent rumors about his future at the company over recent months. This week, after he showed a masterful collection for the brand in Paris, the word is that Puig boss Mario Grauso fired Theyskens but that he will not leave. [The Cut]
• Also not taking any crap from anyone is cantankerous Canadian septuagenarian Morley Safer. Following Anna Wintour around the global fashion circuit, Safer might have missed his bedtime a few too many nights in a row; he stopped editors and celebrities from taking their front-row seats at Balenciaga and "shushed" them so he could finish a chat with Wintour, whom he's covering for 60 Minutes. [NY Times]
• Apparently, Marky Ramone used to play in a band called King Flux with Andy Hilfiger. This led him to meet Tommy Hilfiger, King Flux's sometime manager/stylist, which in turn led him to design a line of Authentically Punk (TM) ripped (of course) jeans and studded (natch) leather jackets, which you can now buy at Tommy Hilfiger's stores. [Observer]
• Katy Perry, a celebrity designer Marky probably wouldn't want to be associated with, is making sure to take her time with her clothing line. She wouldn't want it to look opportunistic, after all. [Hindustan Times]
• Ann Taylor's fourth quarter loss has widened significantly, to $375.6 million. [Crain's]
• Dior's strategy for the recession: insuring that nobody forgets their brand is the meaning of luxury. Those that will brook no substitutions will still probably be wealthy enough to shop there. [Portfolio]
• Yves Saint Laurent is also digging in to an ambitious plan for growth. [WWD]
• We had the Lipstick Bellwether (which wasn't actually true, but sounded good) and then the Hemline Indicator (which just never made any sense to begin with). Then it was the Heel Height Index and the Platform For Economic Growth, because you know platform shoes were invented during the Depression (not). If you can abide one more idiotic trend story about what item of clothing we are, or are not, buying in this economic climate, this one about the Skinny Tie For Lean Times is good for a laugh. [Telegraph]

First, disclosure: Managing editor Anna Holmes, former editor Moe Tkacik and this website's commenters are all quoted at length, posts are cited, and Jezebel is credited as one of the progenitors of the the new openness, "the leader of the oversharing crusade, with vibrant, aromatic and really graphic posts about everything from lodged tampons to yeast infection remedies to bloody period sex to female ejaculation." And we can't deny it: we have been known, on occasion, to wax anatomical. Not only do we as a community not happen to find the female body an uncomfortable subject, but it's safe to say we all appreciate that there's something uniquely fascinating about its mysteries. Graphic accounts can be gross, sure, but also comforting, reassuring, informative and funny in ways probably mysterious to men but very important to women.

In a larger sense, it is, of course, as Anna terms it, "cathartic." Traister identifies the phenomenon's larger implications: "Oversharing is in. And for a lot of people who are doing the sharing, or experiencing it, it's not so much "too much information" as it is the next, necessary step in personal-is-political, enlightened honesty about the female body." What may have been rooted, as Traister says, in a touchy-feely second wave Our Bodies Ourselves mentality, in more politicized "reclaiming" of the female body and, more lately, vaginas-are-outrageous shock-value humor is, hopefully, morphing into something neither shocking nor particularly charged.

As Moe says in the article, these pieces are about more than just tampons, female ejaculation and garlic cloves: they're about vulnerabilities, insecurities and fears - a female shorthand that implicitly evokes the biological push-pulls that govern so much of our lives. Such accounts can be frank, but what people are learning is that they are not inherently vulgar. Quite simply, when talking openly and honestly about women's issues, it would be disingenuous and bizarre not to "overshare" about our bodies. The female body will not be ignored: it burbles and leaks and creaks and drips and emits and produces and reproduces and generates and puffs and inflates and occasionally reeks. It is fascinating. It is scary. It is alarming. It is hilarious and silly and mysterious. As the range of experiences in "My Little Red Book," the new "first period" compendium, makes clear, this openness is a stark contrast to the fear and secrecy and implicit judgment that surrounded anything anatomical in the past. So when you're grossed out, just remember: we overshare because we love. And you can always skip the post - at least we have the option.

The Great Girl Gross-Out [Salon]
Earlier: Aunt Flo Visiting? My Little Red Book Demystifies Periods
Ten Days In The Life Of A Tampon
Shejaculation: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gush
Where Garlic Has Never Gone Before: Or, How Not To Cure A Yeast Infection

Readers have emailed us and told us that Jezebel is blocked by the US Army, MBTA, Bonhams Auction House, the Embassy Suites in Bentonville "Home of Wal-Mart" Arkansas, a Chicago Hilton and the Curtis Hotel in Denver — usually by automated web filters that block sites according to meta tags or words that appear on the page (like "sex" or "dick" or "pot").

Sure, we may discuss sex every now and then and we are sometimes known to use potty-mouth language when the mood strikes us, but are we ban-worthy? According to What's My Blog Rated, Jezebel is PG-13 because the word "sex" appears four times on our page and the word "shoot" (?) appears once. Our site probably would not appeal to someone under the age of 13 but that isn't because our content is inappropriate... it just isn't directed towards tweens.

Websites May Be Given X-Rating [Times UK]
Jezebel Blog Rating [What's My Blog Rated?]

8. Lindsay Lohan
Even though certain Jon Lovtiz look-alikes refuse to believe that La Lohan can willingly shack up with a lez lover, Lindsay seems happy and healthy with her DJing lesbian girlfriend/BFF, Sam Ronson. Although she won't publicly come out and announce that she is a full-blown lesbian, Lindsay proves that for some people, sexuality isn't a clearly defined "gay or straight" division.

7. Sam Ronson
Okay, so she won't DJ at lesbian bars, but SamRon seduced America's Bad Girl to the Isle of Lesbos, instantly making her one of the most well-known lezzies in America. Ronson also spoke out against Proposition 8, turned Lindsay into a blogger and has such a cute "fuck it" attitude that you almost forget she is the daughter of a socialite.

6. Portia de Rossi
Portia didn't get a whole lot of press this year other than being Ellen's new wifey, but she did wear this awesome shirt recently. Now if she would just officially sign on for the Arrested Development movie she will be aces in our book.

5. Cynthia Nixon
God Bless a woman who could come out from the debacle that was Sex and the City: The Movie and not make us want to stab ourselves in the eyes. Nixon opened up about her previous battle with breast cancer in 2006 this year and even though she is "shocked" by her own lesbianism, she was totally the number 2 lez (after Ellen, naturally) for average middle-aged moms everywhere.

4. Maj. Margaret Witt
Major Witt, a former flight nurse, got national attention when she continued her fight against the U.S. military for dismissing her from her post because she is a lesbian. Standing up against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy takes a lot of bravery, something you think the military would reward rather than meddling into the private lives of their soldiers.

3. Del Martin
The lesbian activist Del Martin passed away in August at the age of 87, but not before she got married to her longtime partner, Phyllis Lyon, in the first legal gay marriage in California on June 16 of this year.

2. Ellen Degeneres
As one of the most visible lesbians in Hollywood, a lot of people were looking to Ellen to spread a positive image of lesbians to middle America during this eventful year for gays and lesbians. And Ellen did not disappoint, when she wasn't making ol' Walnuts McCain get on the real Straight Talk Express or urging people to vote against Prop. 8 on her blog, she was marrying a bananas-hot babe and great actress and becoming a Cover Girl model. Damn, what didn't Ellen do this year?

1. Rachel Maddow
This was definitely Rachel Maddow's year: she got her own show on MSNBC and quickly became the star of the network with her sarcastic but smart insight into politics. We obviously love her and she is so awesome that even our boyfriends have developed a crush on her. She even got to pose in Vogue this month without having to wear Louboutins. Cheers, to Rachel!

Can you think of any other Lezebels who stood out this year? Name them in the comments section!

• Dupre had no idea her client Spitzer was the governor, on account of his clever alias "George Fox," Dupre's professionalism ("I was there for a purpose, not to wonder who [he] could be") and Dupre being "not really a TV person... I was wrapped up in my family, my music. I knew the name, but [not] the face."
• Spitzer wasn't chatty like some clients: "It was more of a transaction. Strictly business."
• Dupre has been in "intense" psychotherapy since March.
• She ran away from home at 17 and was soon in Florida "drinking a bottle of Grey Goose vodka at a time and partaking in a "'lot' of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine." During this period, she was raped.

Despite the seemingly coordinated burst of publicity, Dupre does not indicate she has a book or any other such project to promote, telling People (for publication in Friday's issue) she wants merely to "get on with my life." Maybe the new publicity will finally temper public interest in Dupre — or maybe it will spike and shape that interest in a way more appealing to book publishers and other media dealmakers. It's entirely possibly Dupre will have some options in how she "gets on" with life.

(Image from ABC)

• Despite attempts by residents in Austin, Texas to get billboards depicting aborted fetuses taken down, the city government says they can't do anything about them because they aren't breaking any laws. • The manager of Image Hotel on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey claims to have fired all of his male staff after he caught them having affairs with foreign female tourists. • According to collected tax data, women "out-gave" men in gifts by $5 billion in 2005. • A Pakistani newspaper claims that there are 100 rapes occurring in Karachi per day, but, of course, that number may be higher that due to rape victims' fear and silence. • A study of hospital discharge records in California revealed a decreased number of complications as a result of a hysterectomy over the past 15 years. • A study of Lipitor, a drug prescribed to men and women to reduce the risk of a heart attack and lower cholesterol, has revealed that the drug is mismarketed towards women and makes unfounded claims about the effectiveness of the drug for them. •

1. For one, seriously, I was tired as hell when I met Bill Hemmer, but I am usually better about remembering to get at least an email address when I meet a cute guy. This was a decision I regretted when I saw him outside the media security line on Thursday and he was looking ever cuter and I was sunburned, sweaty and stuck in line.
2. Besides barely sleeping, I barely ate this week. And, while that's great for the fit of my pants — except when I'm out dancing and they start to fall off — it makes the tired thing way worse.
3. Speaking of dinner, the one time I did actually attempt to go eat some, I met these awesome women and did an interview that I am now going to publish because they deserved to get written about before. Linda Crayton, Bonita Bell, Sheila Gilmore, Stacy Cole and Antoinette Leon had no idea when they asked to share my table at dinner that they would end up doing an impromptu interview, but they were too much fun to talk to not to share! For everyone but Linda, who has attended 6 conventions, this is the first convention for all of them. Antoinette told me, "It's a beautiful thing, being here with so many different women, sharing their experiences about how they got here, got to be a delegate, were never into politics but now want to make a difference in their communities." She thinks that it's a testament to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Sheila told me, "I wanted to come because I wanted to be a part of history. I wanted set an example for my children and their children." Bonita was encouraged by her friends to attend, and Stacy just felt she had to be here. Linda, who is a rather experienced conventioneer, said that this convention is different: "This is a historic convention in so many different ways — the first woman candidate to go this far, the first African-American man as the candidate, and the first time I've seen so many young people engaged in the political process." That, at least, is what Barack Obama is hoping for in November.
4. I earlier mocked the free condoms distributed by Planned Parenthood, and I regretted forgetting to take them out every single time I opened my purse because they were so bright pink it was obvious and I feel stupid carrying condoms around especially when I had no intention of using them. But then a friend needed one, like, badly and I was all, yay Planned Parenthood!
5. Our Unconventional Conventionaire and I ended up at all the same parties on Monday night, but only she had the balls for this:
   

   The insane ratio of men to women (and the conveniently alcoholic sponsorship) had me curious about what kind of shenanigans were going down — because aren't lobbyist parties the place where that sort of stuff happens? So while down in the below-ground bathrooms, I tried to bribe the bathroom attendant into spilling the goods, but it turned out she's a cheap talker because there wasn't a whole lot to spill. "Actually, it's really quiet down here," she offered helpfully. Which was true. And so there you have it: there was no sex happening in the bathrooms of last night's lobbyist party.

6. This probably goes without saying, but I utterly, utterly regret having left my sunblock in my suitcase before waiting 3 hours in the line(s) to get into Invesco Field for the Obama speech. I'm not peeling yet, though.
7. Not finding this bottle of wine myself: Not that I drink Pinot Noirs or anything bottled in 2007 (yet), but, still.
8. I really regret that my one friend who knows Cyndi Lauper didn't introduce me.
9. This guy was there live and in the flesh, but he was either too embarrassed to meet me or realized that I was insane and avoided me.
10. Oh, and everyone who I've neglected to call, text or e-mail back this week, everyone that I missed seeing, forgot to get in touch with or seemingly avoided, I'm sorry, I wasn't ignoring you. Really. Well, maybe that one guy, but not the rest of you.

I think we've all been in a situation where you are just yourself and are hanging with a dude who seemingly likes "you." Only, the "you" he has in mind has longer hair, or bigger breasts, or is more inclined to wear pink or be demure than you are. But, you know, he knows if you just changed these small details about yourself, if you just saw it his way, you'd be perfect. And that brings us to "Dave". Dave really totally likes Jezebel, you know, but he has some gentle suggestions about how we should be less off-putting and strident — you know, be more girly. Softer! Gentler! Like a girl blog 'should' be! Gosh, I think we are totally going to take that under advisement.

I have been a reader of your blog since its inception and, don't get me wrong, I like it! It has interesting links and even the occasional zinger. However, I have noticed lately that the blog is taking a much more militant bent: angrier, screamier, irate-er. It's not exactly off-putting, but it does, well, sort of put me off. What's up with that?

I too write a (medicore-defining) blog and have noticed too that, after a while, you just sort of settle into this routine where you mention something and then kvetch about it. I say this not as a criticism, but rather an observation. If you are aware of the subtle shift in tone and celebrate it as "finding your voice," then more power to you; I will still read the blog. If not, maybe you will notice it more as you guys write and take a softer, gentler, and dare I say, more feminine voice as you post.

Regardless, good stuff, and that new chick Sadie Stein** is a pretty addition and a proud member of the tribe.

thanks,
Dave

**Sadie, by the way, isn't actually a member of the Tribe, as her mother wasn't Jewish and she's never practiced Judaism. She would like to add, "A pretty addition?' Ew! I'll assume he left a word like 'good' out between those two." She's a more generous person than I am.

Earlier: You Can Take The Girl Out Of Jezebel But You Can't Take The Jezebel Out Of The Girl

Section 1: How You Approach Life and How You Appear To Others

The following is a description of your basic stance towards life, the
way others see you, the way you come across, the face you show to the world.
In Chapter 3 you will read about the "The Inner You: Your Real Motivation",
which describes the kind of person you are at heart and where your true
priorities lie. Read this chapter and the next one and compare them - there
may be significant differences between them, in which case "the inner you"
may not shine through and others are in for some surprises when they get to
know you at a more than superficial level. This chapter describes the
costume you wear, your role in life, while Chapter 3 talks about the real
person inside the costume.

Leo Rising:

Ferociously proud and somewhat vain, you like to be impressive and to be
seen as Somebody Special. You are not timid, meek, or self-effacing, and are
rarely content being in the background or in the subordinate position. You
are a natural leader, and do not take orders from others very well. You must
have something of your own, something creative - be it a business, a
project, a home or whatever - that you can develop and manage according to
your own will and vision. Whatever you do, you do it in a unique, dramatic,
individual way. You like to put your own personal stamp on it.

You also have a very strong sense of dignity, self-respect, and personal
honor and are deeply offended if someone treats you in a humiliating or
dishonorable way. You will rarely confront the offender - you are too proud to do so - but you will lose your affection and respect for them. You dislike pettiness and hate to be snubbed or ignored.

You admire others who are strong individuals like yourself. When you befriend someone, you are tremendously loyal, sincere, and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to make that person happy. You are very giving and generous, but your gifts are never anonymous - you expect recognition and appreciation for them. You also expect the intense loyalty that you offer to your dear ones to be reciprocated. However, you often have trouble working with people who are as strong as yourself, for you do not really cooperate or share the leading role very easily. If you are not in the leading role, you aspire to be and will compete with the person who is.

You have great heart and courage, and people often look to you for strength, encouragement, and affirmation. You always have your best face forward and rarely allow others to see you hurting, disheartened, or vulnerable. You also have a very strong need for love, admiration, appreciation, and praise, although you don't like others to realize just how important it is to you.

Your outlook on life tends to be very personal and rather self-centered. Your own self-expression, self-actualization and self-realization interests you more than anything else. You feel that if you do your best where you are, the rest of the world will take care of itself.

This goes on for about 23,000 more words, but I'm going to stop and encourage you to watch this instead:

Earlier: What To Expect Of A One Year Old

Oh, and then there was that story about Jezebel.

Obviously, the nonchalant tone of that last sentence is total bullshit: I — and most of the other staffers, I believe — spent the majority of the weekend reading the Times piece, then reading it again, and again, and again, all in an effort to process how we felt about it. (And, of course, our appearances. I was horrified by vast amount of forehead on display; Tracie thought she looked like a drunk; Dodai marveled at her abundant cleavage; Jessica disdained her lack of it.) My reaction to the story was one of amusement and disappointment, feelings that did not change even on my fifth or sixth reading, although I admit they were much-amplified after I got a look at the crazy-ass commenting thread about the story that sprung up on Gawker on Saturday; all I have to say about that right now is Jesus Christ.

There were some amusing moments in the story, like writer Lauren Lipton's acknowledgment of the alcohol-soaked truce between Moe Tkacik and her sometime-critic, SinisterRouge, and the confirmation of a rumor I'd heard regarding a group of disparate, far-flung, longtime commenters and a pilgrimage they took to Dollywood earlier this year. (Also: Redbook editor Stacy Morrison's defensive-sounding intimation that only the impressionable, "fun"-loving youngsters on the lowest rungs of her magazine's editorial masthead deign to visit Jezebel. Guess she's still mad about that Faith Hill Photoshop controversy.) And despite my disagreement that a Jezebel name-check on the website for Gossip Girl has suddenly led to an influx of younger, more (ahem) immature readers — and my disbelief that the Times compared our traffic to that of iVillage, of all things — on the whole, I felt the piece was fun and more than fair to us. (One quibble: We post from 9am to 7pm, not 10am to 7pm.)

But it wasn't fair to the readers. Why? Because: Problems between editors and commenters and between commenters themselves are not specific to this blog — or any Gawker Media site for that matter — and the tensions in the comment threads are a natural side-effect of our surprisingly speedy growth. Because: At least from my somewhat ignorant vantage point, there is simply no evidence of any group of commenters referring to themselves as "cool kids" in any thing but a joking manner. And most importantly, because: Jezebel readers are funnier, more vibrant, opinionated, impassioned, whip-smart — and yes, infuriating —than the Times made them out to be. (Why the paper chose to showcase an unremarkable, mildly-tense exchange within the thread of an Angelina Jolie "Snap Judgment" instead of contributions from readers on, say, "Crappy Hour" or something equally-loaded, such as this post, is beyond me.) Basically I just wish that the commenters had taken center stage a bit more. They — you — deserved it. Because despite all the thoughtful, opinionated, unique work done by Dodai, Moe, Tracie, Jessica, Jennifer and Maria, in the comment threads on our blog you can find sidesplitting humor, impassioned disagreement, emotion-laden provocations, expert anecdotes, and a variety of voices that inspire as much, if not more, than they annoy.

In fact, I can guarantee that you will.

Not On Our Blog You Won't [NY Times]

NEW YORK, New York, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — CondéNet, the leading creator and developer of upscale lifestyle brands online, has agreed to acquire Jezebel.com (http://www.jezebel.com), a leading women's news and entertainment website founded in 2007 by New York-based Denton Media. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The deal welcomes into the CondéNet fold one of the most buzzed-about new brands in women's media. Launched in May 2007 with only three staff members, the site quickly became popular with affluent, well-educated female "tastemakers." In March 2008, a month in which the site enjoyed more than 14.5 million pageviews, Jezebel brought two prestigious Weblog Awards home from the annual South By Southwest Media conference.

"Jezebel has quickly become a go-to site for upscale, trendsetting 18-34-year old women with its promise of 'Celebrity, Sex, Fashion. Without Airbrushing.,'" said Sarah Chubb, President of CondéNet. "Of course, even the best concepts need airbrushing! We think CondéNet can introduce Jezebel readers to some of the fashion and beauty world's most aspirational brands, while leveraging the diverse national audience of CondéNet's female-targeted properties to drive more traffic to Jezebel's original content."

A unique asset of the Jezebel brand is its popular commenting function. Jezebel quickly became the most-frequently commented site in the 14-brand Gawker Media Empire and is currently developing a suite of functionalities that CondéNet will use as the basis of a sophisticated platform for social networking, user-generated content creation and grassroots marketing.

"Jezebel's vibrant and growing base of users represents a rare opportunity for CondéNet's hundreds of existing sponsors to reach passionate, trend-focused female consumers," Chubb continued. "Uniting their passion and our products, including our stable of women's magazine titles like Vogue, Glamour and Lucky, will mark the start of a fruitful relationship."

About CondéNet: CondéNet is the leading creator and developer of upscale lifestyle brands online, providing enjoyable, useful services that build upon the heritage of the world's most prestigious magazines. The company publishes online properties in the categories of fashion (STYLE.COM), men's lifestyle (MEN.STYLE.COM), food (Epicurious.com), travel (Concierge.com), and technology (WiredDigital). CondéNet is an Internet unit of Condé Nast Publications. Condé Nast Publications, a unit of Advance Publications, includes twenty-six consumer magazines and their websites, eight uniquely branded websites, the Fairchild Fashion Group, Parade, the Condé Nast Media Group, and the Shared Services Centers.

About Jezebel: Jezebel (http://www.jezebel.com) is the most talked-about new online media property targeted at women. Since its launch in May 2007, the Gawker Media weblog has established a devoted fan base of more than a million unique users, garnering more than 15 million monthly page views. It was voted one of the "World's 50 Most Powerful Blogs" by the London-based Guardian newspaper in March 2008.

Press Contacts: Denton Media: 212-655-9524 or press@jezebel.com
CondéNet: Jennifer Miller: jmiller@condenet.com

Earlier: Meet The Editors