Update: Mickey Kaus points to a 2004 Los Angeles article by Ann Louise Bardach suggesting the mother of ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's love child is not the family maid, as a naive reading of today's news accounts would suggest.
If you are Arnold Schwarzenegger, you employ lots of people besides a cleaning lady. This 2004 article points to a stewardess on Arnold's Gulfstream jet. (Assuming there's only one such family retainer Arnold got in a family way.)
Okay, now the story makes more sense. Arnold has his foibles, but he isn't Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Mounting the maid while she's vacuuming might be standard operating procedure in International Monetary Fund circles, but Hollywood action heroes are expected to show more discretion and stick to the Gulfstream.
UPDATE: According the Brit Daily Mail, there are two love children and the second mother is indeed the maid.
UPDATE: According the Brit Daily Mail, there are two love children and the second mother is indeed the maid.
By the way, speaking of antitrust, that 2004 article raises some interesting points about the broad political effect of the fairly recent monopolization of supermarket tabloids by AMI.
The tabs will pay for stories and hire private investigators, so they get juicier stories about important people than does the prestige press (e.g., Gennifer Flowers). However, in the 1990s, they were all consolidated under the ownership of AMI (the first victims of the anthrax mad scientist, by the way), because nobody much cares about enforcing antitrust laws anymore.
Then, in the early 2000s, AMI bought the Weider magazines for muscleheads, like Men's Fitness.
The tabs will pay for stories and hire private investigators, so they get juicier stories about important people than does the prestige press (e.g., Gennifer Flowers). However, in the 1990s, they were all consolidated under the ownership of AMI (the first victims of the anthrax mad scientist, by the way), because nobody much cares about enforcing antitrust laws anymore.
Then, in the early 2000s, AMI bought the Weider magazines for muscleheads, like Men's Fitness.
This provided a lot of synergy. For example, when AMI's National Enquirer obtained a photo a number of years ago of Tiger Woods in a parking lot with a local waitress, they spiked publication in return for Tiger flexing his new performance-enhanced bicep on the cover of AMI's Men's Fitness magazine and allowing an interview with his musclehead trainer. This 2007 story may have offered us our first clue into the ongoing physical collapse of America's most famous athlete. (Notice the lattice of coincidence?)
On the other hand, Arnold had a long relationship with the Weider interests, which apparently got transferred over to AMI. With the tabloids now financially in bed with Arnold, he was free to run for governor of California in 2003 without the tabs doing much snooping about his ever-interesting life story.
By the way, what are the chances that M. Strauss-Kahn, a 62-year-old with more energy than a frat boy on spring break, might have a prescription for some kind of chemical enhancement, like Arnold, Tiger, and Joe Weider?
By the way, what are the chances that M. Strauss-Kahn, a 62-year-old with more energy than a frat boy on spring break, might have a prescription for some kind of chemical enhancement, like Arnold, Tiger, and Joe Weider?
Details emerge about la victime:
ReplyDeleteHer attorney characterized her as a "simple woman, with little education" who is a single mother from Guinea. Manhattan attorney Jeffrey Shapiro said the life of his client has been upturned as some have characterized her as part of an effort to trap Mr. Strauss-Kahn and several French media outlets have released her name....
Mr. Shapiro said his client, a 32-year-old widowed mother of a 15-year-old girl, was granted asylum in the United States seven years ago from her native country of Guinea. He said she had worked for the hotel for three years and didn't know who Mr. Strauss-Kahn was until after the alleged incident.
From the WSJ.
On the other hand, Arnold had a long relationship with the Weider interests, which apparently got transferred over to AMI. With the tabloids now financially in bed with Arnold, he was free to run for governor of California in 2003 without the tabs doing much snooping about his ever-interesting life story.
ReplyDeleteNice one.
Arnold has his foibles, but he isn't Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Mounting the maid while she's vacuuming might be standard operating procedure in International Monetary Fund circles, but Hollywood action heroes are expected to show more discretion.
ReplyDeleteNicer one.
"because nobody much cares about enforcing antitrust laws anymore."
ReplyDeleteNo, you got badly beaten in the comments by people who know what they're talking about this. I thought you went to business school or something; shouldn't you know elementary antitrust law?
or just keep making these mistakes; also cool.
"In 2009, American Media was taken over by its bondholders to keep it out of bankruptcy."
ReplyDelete"n November 2010, American Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to nearly $1 billion in debt, and assets of less than $50,000. Its subsidiary, American Media Operations Inc., listed assets of $100 to $500 million and debt of over $1 billion."
These are the dreaded monopolists you want the heavy hand of the law on, eh? OK then, champ.
"Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"In November 2010, American Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to nearly $1 billion in debt, and assets of less than $50,000. Its subsidiary, American Media Operations Inc., listed assets of $100 to $500 million and debt of over $1 billion."
That in itself is an interesting angle. How do these scandal rags stay afloat with so much red-ink? Do they have an angel standing behind them (like Carlos Slim behind the NYT)? And what would such an angel gain by pumping out a sinking ship? Perhaps their product - the revelation of scandal, and even more importantly, the suppression of scandal - might be a clue.
The Unified Field Theory of Tail.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - good post, Steve, as usual. There's always something interesting at isteve.
"Perhaps their product - the revelation of scandal, and even more importantly, the suppression of scandal - might be a clue."
ReplyDeleteI thought everyone just assumed that this was universally the case with all forms of news media. I don't see too many hard-hitting exposes anymore, especially not about companies with large advertising budgets. There's no way anyone could find that coincidental, right?
I am certainly no admirer of Mr.Strauss-Kahn or his discriminated-against potential successor.
ReplyDeleteHowever in his case, the WSJ tells us the maid didn't know who Mr. Strauss-Kahn was until after the alleged incident.
But a French newspaper revealed Strauss-Kahn's picture was posted in the maids' quarters for the staff to take special care of this V.I.P.
Did it lead to some gossip about his proclivities and wealth ?
Does an immigrant need more than 3 years in the U.S.A to understand how to play the system ?
Is this shy and modest lady, who waited to be 15 or 16 to have her first baby, going to greatly gain if all works according to (her?) plans ?
Now, what are the odds for a white man to rape a black woman ?
Shouldn't the memories of Tawana Brawley or Crystal Gail Mangum ring some bell, should they ?
Steve, usually, they do.
The Game is not a zero-sum game. Its the maid AND the flight attendant (though reportedly the stew's kid isn't a DNA match).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/05/arnold-schwarzenegger-mistress-revealed
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/05/lawyer-woman-linked-arnold-took-dna-test-determine-paternity-son
nice link Bantam. Curiouser and curiouser.
ReplyDeleteThe rise of tabloid-killing online sites, complete with ambush video (the specialty of TMZ and Radar Online) helped kill the tabs. If they were all controlled by one person or not, it was just one more gossip website away from being irrelevant anyway. Gossip sites use low level guys with vid cameras baiting celebs with obnoxious behavior / questions to get video which they run online.
ReplyDeleteBut they get a ton of traffic, the web is now mostly female-oriented, and the White female readership loves that stuff. I expect the various TMZ/Radar Onlines/X11s etc. to go illegitimate kid hunting now that the appetite for this has been whipped up.
Ace of Spades notes that Arnold is 100% Certified RINO, because the LAT would have destroyed him with the story (they had it and hid it). KFI's John and Ken speculate that Arnold got blackmailed, first by Dems on the Global Warming Bill, then by that Latino Pol whose kid he pardoned after a murder conviction. Peralta maybe?
He said she had worked for the hotel for three years and didn't know who Mr. Strauss-Kahn was until after the alleged incident.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking as well. DSK god-daughter, whom he tried to rape was silenced by awe of his position, but most Africans don't give a hoot or even know anything about about all the fancy Euro-US institutions. Even if they knew who he was, they have a healthy self-respect and would not let such a sick character walk all over themselves. I'm often in South Africa, and whilst black Africa has many pathologies, one of their better traits is lack of respect for all the sick international institutions.
Bantam said...
ReplyDeleteHowever in his case, the WSJ tells us the maid didn't know who Mr. Strauss-Kahn was until after the alleged incident.
But a French newspaper revealed Strauss-Kahn's picture was posted in the maids' quarters for the staff to take special care of this V.I.P.
On our company information boards there is lots of information, most of which I don't even bother to read. So why should she necessarily read everything. Africans are mostly ignorant of western institutions and personalities, and good for them! We allow these "powerful" people too much power over our lives, and every now and then we see what low-lifes they are, such as Polanski.
Interesting, Whiskey. Schwarzennegar went from Reaganite to Rockefeller Republican without much of an explanation. Maybe somebody did have something on him, which they used as political blackmail. The timing of all this seems suspicious. Almost like a Democratic operative planned on releasing this info after the Governator was of no more use.
ReplyDeleteNone of these scandals are the least bit surprising. What do you think is the *point* of rising to a position of great power and prominence? The magical joy of staff meetings?
ReplyDeleteI find all this talk about Strauss-Kahn as an old man offensive. I recall 62 as my sexual peak.
ReplyDeleteI dated more than one hundred women that year. I frequented sex clubs, attended orgies and had three ways. I've slowed down now - a lot, but at 62 I was one horny old goat.
The big difference is that I was single at 62. I don't approve of marital infidelity.
For me there was a certain desparation about it all. I knew time was running and I needed to act fast before my libido evaporated. I blew most of my retirement money, but it was worth it.
Albertosaurus
America's most famous athlete.
ReplyDeleteI assumed you were speaking about Swartzenegger. When I re-read it I realized you meant Woods.
America is said to be too obese. Yet the chubby Presidential candidates - Gingrich, Huckabee - have all taken early exits. The remaining candidates - Romney and Pawlenty - are ectomorphs. Come to think of it, when was there last a really fat President? Taft?
Similarly male movie stars all seem to pump iron. Last night I watched a second rate remake of an old Charlie Bronson movie. The most memorable thing in it were Jason Statham's abdominals. Poor bastard can't have much time for lounging by the pool. He was an athlete before he became a movie star. Now he is another kind of athlete - action movie star.
Tiger Woods is an old fashion athlete. He's no where near as fit or as cut as Ryan Reynolds - a light comedian.
Albertosaurus
>Tiger Woods is an old fashion athlete. He's no where near as fit or as cut as Ryan Reynolds - a light comedian.<
ReplyDeleteBut compare him to other golfers.