new idea

New Idea Pay Big Bucks For Mildly Interesting Photographs To Brighten Up The Normally Dull Back Pages

8:30AM Jess McGuire | The Daily Telegraph are confused. They love nothing more than following the Isabel Lucas/Adrien Grenier/Joel Edgerton romantic triangle in their hallowed pages. It’s a big story! Nearly as big as that time Alex Dimitriades went to the beach with a girl they didn’t recognise! So they’re totally confused as to why New Idea has deemed the coupling(s) to be back page material in the latest edition of the gossip rag, especially when the magazine handed over more than $10,000 for three pictures of Isabel and Joel pashing. Fair point, actually! The sought-after pics of Adrian Greiner’s ex Isabel Lucas kissing co-star Joel Edgerton have finally surfaced – buried in the back pages of this week’s New Idea. More »

More Sackings In Gossip Mag Headquarters As We Insert Another ‘No Idea’ Gag Here

10:13AM Clem Bastow | In the scheme of things, New Idea’s year so far has been about as good as Channel Nine’s; in between breaking embargos and paying Wayne Carey to talk about getting wasted and punching his girlfriend, suffice to say it’s been a red letter start to the year for the mag. Well, as though they didn’t already share plenty of characteristics with Nine, New Idea is now apparently going on a boning frenzy, with staffers dropping left, right and centre. Health reporter Jane Worthington was apparently sacked via a phone call this week and is the latest to go. Her firing follows the dismissal of New Idea veterans Patrice Fidgeon and Sue Smethurst last week. Confidential sources yesterday alleged the sackings were part of a secret hit list poised to target current staffers Phil Koch, Lee-Anne Carter and Donna Ogier for the chop next. Publisher Suzanne Monks denied the existence of such a list, confirming the trio’s on-going employment. “All (are) valued members of the New Idea team and are part of New Idea’s plans going forward,” she said yesterday. In other staff changes, the magazine’s beauty writer Chelsea Clark has been promoted to associate editor. Naturally I assume Clark actually knows how to be an associate editor and that isn’t just a classic case of women’s magazine “editor’s BFF” musical chairs. It’s worth noting, too, that Smethurst is considering legal action as her sacking occurred two weeks before the end of her maternity leave, as is Worthington, both fighting the bonings on unfair dismissal grounds. Awesome, top work New Idea! Walkleys all ’round! More »

Memo To Kate Neilson: Denial Is Not Just A River Etc Etc

9:21AM Clem Bastow | Following intimations on his Enough Rope appearance on Monday that he and girlfriend Kate Neilson were assessing whether they were “good for each other”, it looks as though Wayne Carey has split with his girlfriend of two years. Only we’re not so sure Neilson knows it’s for real this time. Family sources close to Carey said last night they believed it was a final break-up rather than a separation. But Ms Neilson denied their relationship was over. More »

They May As Well Just Change The Name To ‘No Idea’ And Be Damned, Now

8:52AM Clem Bastow | We’re almost – almost – starting to feel sorry for New Idea magazine these days. To say it’s been an eventful few months would be an understatement, and things just seem to be getting worse. Apparently editor Mirella Cestaro – who is only a month into her role as the women’s mag’s editor – decided to cough up mad bucks for the Michael Clarke and Lara “Intellegent” Bingle engagement story. Problem is, if New Idea’s competitors’ decisions are to be believed, her readers probably don’t even want to hear about Bingle. The Pacific Magazines title paid a massive $135,000 for a two-part love story of the blonde couple’s engagement, despite ACP competitor Woman’s Day pulling out of negotiations at $80,000 – saying it wasn’t worth more because Bingle does not resonate with female readers. Following poor sales after Monday’s “exclusive”, billed as such despite the fact the news had already broken, Cestaro is understood to be facing criticism for orchestrating an overpriced and unsuccessful deal. Drunkards, alleged domestic violence perpetrators, gold diggers, dorks – perhaps Cestaro should just make expensive cover deals with unpleasant people her “thing”, and try and own this shaky time in New Idea’s life? We suggest a tell-all cover story about Ivan Milat’s high school sweetheart, the readers will love that! More »

New Idea Counts The Cost Of Kicking Goals In Journalism; Shit Happens When You Party Naked

9:07AM Clem Bastow | It’s shaping up to be a red letter year for Australia’s favourite emergency toilet paper substitute women’s magazine, New Idea. First they blew Prince Harry’s cover in Afghanistan, then they claimed they had no idea (ho ho) that there was an embargo on the Prince’s service (which suggested it was possible New Idea had contacted neither the Army nor the Palace to confirm or deny their leads), then they put Wayne Carey on the cover amid a storm of criticism that by paying him a rumoured $180,000, they were in essence supporting violence against women. Well, said criticism has reached fever pitch as it is beginning to emerge that New Idea’s advertisers are pulling lucrative contracts left, right and centre so as not to be seen to be ’supporting’ Carey’s alleged assault of girlfriend Kate Neilson by way of providing, in essence, the money the magazine – allegedly – used to lure the Fallen AFL Superstar™ to spill his guts. More »

Wayne Carey, New Idea Continue In Their Fight To Become ‘Best Humans Ever!’

9:26AM Clem Bastow | In case you thought Wayne Carey couldn’t get any shitter, and if you figured New Idea wouldn’t stoop any lower than, you know, opening the third-in-line for the throne up for a grenade to the head, think again! It seems New Idea think that the best way to rehabilitate blokes who allegedly bash their partners is to hand them a sweaty wad of cash and get them to talk about feelings while their partner sits at their side like some Tammy Wynnette song writ large. New Idea reportedly paid $180,000 to Carey and his girlfriend Kate Neilson for an interview in which they discuss drug abuse and their tumultuous relationship. Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service board member Jane Ashton lashed out at the payment. “If they’re paying for a story based on someone beating up somebody else it’s sleazy and it goes back to the fact that most people think that it’s not criminal,” she said. “It undermines all these people who work in family violence who are trying to reassure women that it’s not normal and it is criminal.” … The magazine last November launched a massive campaign – endorsed by celebrities including Nicole Kidman – denouncing family violence. Good PR move, New Idea! Look, we know celebrities – especially celebrities gone wild – sell magazines, but surely they could’ve just interviewed Neilson? They still could’ve used the phrase “WAYNE CAREY” on the cover, which presumably would make all the vultures who think they’ll never (allegedly) get a champagne glass to the face in a Miami restaurant happy to drool over someone else’s misery. More »