Yatching News #3

The Daily Mail / MailOnline carries a story and video of Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch on their new $30M Superyacht ESTROS as seen in this screenshot from that newspaper. The Estros is certainly a welcolm addition to Sydney Harbour with it's graceful old world charm. The only other yacht that can give it a run for it's money is the ENA (pictured below) which is moored at the Maritime Museum and was restored by a consortium headed by former Prime Minister Paul Keating and sailing legend Dennis O'Neil. Alas, the famous Mail Sub Editing Gremlins have struck once again with this caption : "The rebuilt 42-metre 1954 classic Istros was once once by the Pappadakis shipping dynasty". Still, you get the idea. For the full story go here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10862731/Lachlan-Sarah-Murdoch-look-happy-cruise-Sydney-new-30million-yacht.html

"Poundshop Marilyn"

Ouch!. It's what a British journalist called a celeb who wore the famous Marilyn

Monroe dress to this year's Met Gala. We couldn't possibly comment. Here is the famous frock and MM singing to President JFK.

Real Fake News

Reality

Beach bums! Sydneysiders ignore social distancing rules as they flock to Bondi to lap up the final days of summer.

 While we've become quite used to the UK Daily Mail tweaking their tales that often say the opposite to what is really happening, today they just published a complete load of balderdash and a real example of that infamous Fake News.

Sydney's Bondi Beach has been closed for 10 days now. Whispers should know as we currently live there.
The beach itself is closed off with barriers and there is a large police presence. While some members of the public manage to occasionally make it to the rocks surrounding both ends of the beach they are soon warned off by vigilant coppers and for at least a week now few have bothered. But not a soul has set foot on the sand nor is able to get past the barriers erected along with huge blinking neon signs stating the beach is closed and police vans parked at all entry points with their lights flashing.
Indeed for at least ten days, the suburb has been like a ghost town. While some walk the boardwalk for exercise they are also warned by numerous police officers to practice "social distancing".

How did the Mail manage to publish this obvious complete fake tale along with photographs purportedly taken last Friday (an overcast day with intermittent light showers). The snaps could not possibly have been taken last Friday nor within the last fortnight.
We know tabloids bend the truth but this is a load of claptrap. Comments on Mail Tales can be interesting. Most on this story indicate the readers actually believe the story is real !

Napoleon's Waterloo

Sad news today as the Napoleon Perdis make-up empire collapses and dozens of stores shut up shop.

Whispers attended Napoleon's very first make-up boutique launch in far-flung Paramatta which was Perdis' stamping ground. It was an odd affair. A token red carpet and red velvet rope to hold back the 3 or 4 locals who possibly thought they were witnessing a glittering event.
One collared Whispers to ask who were the glamorous tall models that just arrived by limo and swanned into the party. We didn't have the heart to tell them they were drag queens from Oxford Street.

Napoleon's problem was he rose too fast and became too large. Taking on the USA, especially Beverly Hills  is always a mistake when you aren't known. Selling a product - and they are good products- when there are 100s of similar is a bit like taking ice to Eskimos. And you need very deep pockets. A little known fact is that some of the biggest brand names that occupy ritzy & expensive real estate on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan are loss making but used as advertising for their products and the stores remain there for the prestige value.

And did the name Napoleon bring with it risky karma? After all his namesake ended up on an island which is where Mr Perdis now is- back on his home soil on at least a very large island. Napolean has been trying to sell the business for some time but the problem is, he just wasn't a big enough name.

Read the full story at the MailOnline. We like promoting the Mail- they nick tidbits from us all the time.

Lord Sugar Vs Piers Morgan #1

Whispers noticed this snap on twitter 2 days ago. It's a pic of a young lad at Sydney's prestigious Knox Grammar school. He grew into one of Australia's most loved movie stars. Over drinks that evening we showed it to a pal who works for the MailOnline where it dully ended up today.
Aren't we nice to our fellow struggling hacks?
# Hugh Jackman is the lad in the middle in the plain t-shirt.

exclusive: A new competitor hits town

The invasion of foreign newspapers continues with one of the world's greatest broadsheets The New York Times opening a Sydney office and advertising for staff to produce local content.

They join The Guardian, Huffington Post and the Mail Online, all producing Australian content. Industry insiders say while both the Guardian and HuffPost are doing well, the most read newspaper on the planet, the Mail Online is costing more money than it makes from advertisers. How will the NYTimes fare?. After they were attacked by President Donald Trump subscribers to the NYTimes skyrocketed with over 250,000 new online subscribers alone in under three months. While the local Fairfax newspapers and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp tabloids are losing staff hand over fist along with fleeing advertisers, the arrival of the NYTimes adds another worrying dimension for the locals.
Prospective employees can go here to apply for a perch at the New York Times.

Daily Mail Fail #45

The inimitable Daily Mail newspaper is a source of constant amusement here among office staff (1) and the office cat over cups of tea at the water cooler. Here is their latest blooper with a dig at various signs for typo errors and just beneath..is the Fail's Mail's very own typo.

This still doesn't beat the Fail's Mail's Best Blooper spotted by us when they announced the death of comedienne Tracey Ullman's 85 year old mother Doreen Skinner and ran a picture of her with Tracey...except it was a snap of a fairly healthy 50 year old Aussie star of the Rocky Horror Show Nell Campbell known as Little Nell.

Add caption

She's back !

Reines & Mail stablemate Katie Hopkins

Six months after being unceremoniously dumped by the Sunday Telegraph, Ros Reines, billed as the "columnist they can't silence" has resurfaced as a writer for the Australian edition of the MailOnline (as we predicted).

The Mail seems to specialize in picking up dumped News Ltd columnists after they also employed Katie Hopkins who proved even too inflammatory for the downmarket Sun newspaper.




In an almost perfect Private Eye magazine "Glenda Slagg" moment Reines has been defending the Nine Network's bizarre decision to kidnap children from a Beirut Street while side by side was the alternative view by Mail writer Corrine Barraclough.
Meanwhile the 60 Minutes crew languish in Beirut jails which are not exactly 5 star establishments. Why did any of the crew including presenter Tara Brown accept an assignment that included breaking Lebanese laws?. Even if they had been successful the ramifications would have caused an even worse diplomatic incident than the present one. And as Fairfax foreign editor Maher Mughrabi explains, securing the release of the 60 Minutes crew may be a lot more complicated than people believe.

Ouch ! Roxy Jacenko unloads

Sydney high profile publicist Roxy Jacenko has hit out at those who are attacking her over the controversy surrounding what apparently are some pretty distasteful photographs of her daughter's head superimposed into other pictures. The photos are said to have been circulated among rivals in the fashion industry.

While Roxy, whose events we attend does promote her daughter Whispers cannot see why Roxy should be so viciously attacked for it even if we think it's not very prudent.

An attack on the mum is almost a vicarious attack on the daughter. The child is an innocent party in this and no matter what your views are, she will grow up and read all this (?) in the future.

So hands off as you take a perilous path when tangling with Roxy. You will get back as good as you give and then some.

And so it came to pass

Princes Harry & William were there as was our own princess Kylie Minogue. And this couple finally fronted the cameras : Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall.  Read all about it in the MailOnline.

Matthew Newton answer his critics :"I have been in excellent health for the last three years"

Following our report last week that actor Matthew Newton had slammed the tabloid magazine Woman's Day over recent health claims, the actor has now given an exclusive interview to the Australian MailOnline and scotched rumours about his health and expressed how happy he is that sister Lauren is expecting her fourth child. The Newtons are a close knit show biz family and although the talented Matthew has been through some rocky times due to illness, it's pleasing news that his career appears to be thriving in the USA. You can read the Mail's report here.
# One of the oddest aspects of this mini controversy was a columnist on an Australian newspaper who had hoped that Newton would  "provide evidence to back up  his claims the Woman's Day article was "full of lies"". Call Whispers old fashioned (we are) but the usual expectation is that if a claim is made about a person, the claimant is the one expected to "provide evidence" etc. Still, we live in interesting times where many aspects of life have become topsy turvy.

Sydney (drugs & social ) crime update

Just a few weeks after his portrait was chosen winner of the Archibald Portrait Prize high profile barrister Charles Waterstreet (below left) has had to withdraw from the drugs and murder trial involving former policemen Roger Rogerson (below right) and Glen McNamara who are accused of murdering Jamie Gao. The trial will now take place early in 2016. He withdrew apparently after a series of social media posts appeared under his name but whether they were actually by him is still a mystery.

Waterstreet makes regular appearances on the Sydney social circuit, has written several books and in his spare time is a film producer and script writer.
He produced the 1986 film Howling 3 and is the inspiration behind the successful ABC series Rake which has also been picked up by US television. Waterstreet is also a columnist for the Sun Herald newspaper and a Facebook pal of Whispers, known for his often witty posts.
Sadly, he has gone a bit silent over the past fortnight.

Meanwhile former blogger Lisa Stickbridge  has been jailed for 2 and half years after being busted in a drugs sting. Whispers often spotted Stockbridge at Sydney parties and was always slightly puzzled about how her blog supposedly profited. We better than anyone know how difficult is to make any website even pay for itself and view it as a...public service?.
The schadenfreude shown by some social writers over Stockbridge's jailing has been a bit over the top though. Not mentioned of course is just who are the high profile customers who indulge in cocaine and the sort of drugs that were supplied by Stockbridge which she dealt out of a luxury Range Rover. Do we know? If so we aren't saying.

But the strangest report must be from the world's worst best tabloid the Mail Online and their claim that a Coogee model Kirsty Dayment was a "socialite". Shurley Shome Mistake as the UK satirical magazine Private Eye would say. Other newspapers echoed that the claim the model was a "fixture" on the social circuit. Not in the ones we mix in. But maybe her alleged customers are.

Everything Old is New Again :The Daily Mail

The Daily Mail : It's been described as the very worst and the very best of tabloids. Certainly their online version MailOnline is the most read newspaper website on the planet. The printed version has for decades had the most pleasing layout and graphics of any of the British tabloids and an excellent mixture of news, newsy tales and celebrity, society and show biz gossip.
So it's always a great compliment when the Mail takes a cue from Whispers at thesocialshuttle (as is their wont) to bring the public a tale as they did with this piece on 2nd June 2015  : about former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard with a fab pic of Julia jiving on stage to accompany the late Victorian premier Joan Kirner at the microphone.
The fact our tale with a similar headline appeared on June 29th 2013 is neither here nor there

JUNE 2015                                                                                       JUNE 2013

Hey a good story is always worth recycling and the Mail are experts at it. We reckon the later Peter Allen may have had them in mind when he penned this song:

TV Tonight

All eyes will be glued to the box tonight for 2 locally made tele-movies. On the 7 Network the INXS Never Tear Us Apart premieres while on the 9 Network the film about Shappelle Corby screens.

Pictured here is our exclusive photo of Michale Hutchence and girlfriend Paula Yates with a baby Tiger Lilly, at the first public appearance. Our other exclusive pic was taken at INXS's Tim Farris' 40th birthday party at a Kings Cross nightclub. A surprise guest and avid INXS fan popped in- Mike Myers of Austin Powers' fame.

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We must congratulate the MailOnline for finally catching up to thesocialshuttle and publishing our snaps of a 15 year old Tiger Lilly. It's only taken 2 years !

Mystic Meg Moment

The Shuttle's spooky prediction has been fulfilled not 48 hours after we suggested that the UK MailOnline might find space for a tale about Sydney wireless announcer Fifi Box, much beloved off local outlets like the Woman's Day and the magazine publishing wags naughtily refer to as No Idea.
Alas, the MailOnline's wacky tale about Fifi landing a black eye on My Kitchen Rules' host, French born  Manu Feildel has been given it's own shiner. The report on Manu, whose accent has taken on extraordinary guttural Marseille tones since his TV success, has fallen flat with readers. The verdict is in according to Mail fans, most who seem to be Australian in this case and who have damned the British tabloid's reporting :
      

 


Update :
A feature in today's Mail gives a riveting account of Sydney model Tahyna Tozzi (incidentally-discovered by the Shuttle) who today married her boyfriend dancer and choreographer Tristan MacManus.  

Kim in London has some kind words for the loving pair :

"A warm and heartfelt congratulations ... whoever you are"

Epic Tabloid Fail

Oh dear- just as it was all going so swimmingly well for the UK Daily Mail & MailOnline newspapers as our stories below  indicate.                                         
Now the world's trashiest most widely read tabloid has had to apologise for 'lifting' an supposed interview with James Bond star Sir Roger Moore. The interview and excerts from it swept the world but alas- it was a phony and after Sir Roger complained, editors back pedaled like crazy
You can read the tale here in The New Statesmen.
But there are Aussie culprits in this saga : the media agency Australian Associated Press ( owned by Fairfax Media & News Ltd)  picked up the fake story and syndicated it around the world as an original article.
One thing you can be sure of : tales picked up by the Mail from the social shuttle ( as they regularly are) are accurate and genuine.

Day Five.....

The UK MailOnline's exciting experiment to inject some colour and movement into the storm ridden lives of the English continues with yet another instalment on the great Brynne & Geoffrey Edelsten saga.

Readers again have posted pithy and accurate comments along the lines of "who" ? although one kinder gent called stantheman has praised Geoffrey  and says :"If my wife or partner looks anything like her when I'm 70,then I'm going to go to heaven a happy man.'
A feature on the dating habits of the daughter of cricketing legend Shane Warne has drawn a blank with readers but another on 2 wireless disc jockeys Kyle and Jackie O (she has no last name apparently)- much beloved of writers on tabloids like the Sydney Morning Herald brings the following : "seriously, who is paying you to promote these Z-list Australian nobodies?"Who on earth cares??"never listened to vyle never have never will'

It's just a matter of time before the hapless Brits are treated to tales of over-exposed radio hack Fifi Box falling pregnant again or going on a diet.

Instant Update

"The biggest twit on Australian television."

The UK MailOnline's fascination with Aussie celebrities continues into it's third day , albeit still befuddling loyal Mail readers.
A tale about the Human Headline Derryn Hinch's decision to spend 6 weeks in the pokey has drawn a complete blank with readers. However a photo extravaganza featuring amateur bikini models and 'instababe' stars has set pulses racing with comments along  the lines: "cor blimey look at that.." etc.
Sadly a feature on morning TV host Karl Stefanovic appears to have fallen flat with readers :

"The biggest twit on Australian television."

"Going to say it again, why all the oz stories? Who the hell would be interested in Karl Stefanovic outside oz?"

"What on earth is going on with the over the top coverage of Australian stories on here lately...most of them barely rate a mention in our newspapers..."

Still, it's early days yet.

Invasion from DownUnder

Readers of the world's most scurrilous terrific newspaper, the MailOnline have been expressing puzzlement of the sudden rash of tales about Aussie (alleged) celebrities that have appeared over the last few days.
Glitzy Melbourne estranged couple Geoffrey & Brynne Edelsten have now featured for two days in a row much to the bewilderment of the intrepid commentators on the popular British rag : "who are these people' : "DM seriously this isn't relevant for the UK! (and that's from a Melbourne reader) :No one overseas knows who the hell she is, and no one here in Oz gives a damn! Where to now DM????: "What's this current obsession with Australian non entities?" are some of the more refined comments.

A tale about Charlotte Dawson leaving Australia's Top Model has drawn positive support from one reader- guysomewhere is obviously a fan of Charlotte's with his comment : "top cougar !"

Who are they ?

What can it all mean?. It's a carefully planned marketing ploy to gauge reader reactions and numbers for the imminent launch of an Australian version of the MailOnline. There are big bikkies involved in advertising with the UK version now raking in millions of pounds in revenue. That knocking sound you here is Fairfax and News Corp shaking in their boots.
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 Meanwhile the hapless Edelstens have begun unloading assetts as their 'fairytale" romance crumbles and Geoffrey faces bankruptcy in the USA.
Just released on the market for a price of around $4.5M is the couple's homage to '90's decor, their Palazzo Versace apartment on the Gold Coast. (pictured below)