Senator George Clooney Interrogates Nick Denton - Part Three

Continued From Yesterday.

Unlike most Senators, Senator George Clooney made that little speech without once looking down at a script. Clooney had it memorized. Nick refused to believe Clooney made it up on the spot. Nick refused to believe Clooney was improvising, even though that’s what actors do at times. Clooney going on and on about Gawker Stalker in the Senate Chamber on national television; it was surreal. I mean, afterall, Gawker Stalker was started almost as a goof over at Gawker Media, Nick Denton’s parent company that had given birth to all his blogs and internet properties. When Google gave everyone the means to use its mapping service, hundreds of websites spawned overnight mapping everything from real estate to impromptu meetings and political demonstrations. All Nick thought of mapping were celebrities. And with cell phone cameras and on the spot internet access, why not map the location of a celebrity instantaneously. Nick had thought it cute, at first. But Nick had no idea how it would take off, how Gawker Stalker was to become one of the hottest websites. And clearly it had pissed some people off. But it never mattered pissing a celebrity off. In fact, it was good to piss celebrities off. Celebrities who complained always seemed so silly and defensive. The celebrities who ignored the tabloid press maintained some dignity. The celebrities complained were babies. But now there was the Clooney option. Ignore it, or become a politician.

“Mr. Denton, would you like me to repeat the question?” asked Senator George Clooney.

“No, sir, I heard you,” said Nick. Hillary, leaned over.

“The Senator has made his speech, and his friends in Hollywood are no doubt now satisfied. Remember not to get angry. Be the small businessman that you are, trying to make a buck, feeding your family,” whispered Hillary in Nick’s ear.

Small businessman? Well, maybe, compared to Gates and Jobs and the CEO of Exxon Mobil. But the millions have poured in over the last few years, and he did not think of himself as a small businessman, like the guy who owns the drugstore or the local coffee shop. Nick Denton was the master of a corner of the internet, a big corner, and he was anything but small. But he got what Hillary was saying. What irked Nick was that there was a larger issue here. And that larger issue was freedom of speech. But no one was talking about freedom of speech or the First Amendment. Clooney was on the bandwagon of privacy, the right to privacy, as if he was taking the pro-choice ride through Hollywood to save the asses of his phony and very rich actor buddies.

“Senator, I am a small businessman that is merely trying to exercise his rights under the First Amendment,” said Nick.

Senator George Clooney’s eyes went wide in shock, as if this statement came as a total surprise.

Hillary placed her hand over the microphone and clearly indicated to the panel of senators that she needed a consult.

“What are you doing?” whispered Hillary. “You know the agreement I worked out with Clooney’s staff. No discussion of the First Amendment. No freedom of speech grandstanding. This is about privacy concerns. Clooney is a big supporter of the First Amendment and does not want to talk about it. OK? Are you hearing me?” whispered Hillary who was clearly upset. Nick knew why she was upset. When you work out a deal with a Senator of the United States Congress, you make certain your client sticks with the deal or else your career is ruined. Hillary would never again be able to walk the halls of Capital Hill as a power broker again. This was serious stuff.

“Yes, Hillary, I know. But maybe it is time to take a stand. Maybe there is a reason I am here? And maybe it is the First Amendment,” whispered Nick back at Hillary.

“The reason you are here is because of me, Nick. Don’t start thinking you have some higher calling. You are not Edward R. Murrow. This is not some Good Night and Good Luck thing here. This is a deal I worked out to save your ass and make Senator Clooney happy. Stick with the program,” whispered Hillary harshly.

Nick turned toward Senator George Clooney, who was glaring at him. Stick with the program. Make the Senator happy. He won’t get any legislation passed that affects Nick. So everyone gets what he wants. But something inside Nick told him that he would really not be able to sleep at night. Something told Nick that Clooney and Hillary could both kiss his ass. The hell with them. But then, money is money, his life was his life, and maybe it would be better to pick this fight on another ball field at another time.

All the video cameras were aimed at him. All the photographers were pointing their zoom lenses at him, clicking away, recording each second. What to do? Stick with the program? Maybe it was a matter of phrasing. Maybe he could somehow communicate that this was an early inning and not the bottom of the ninth. Maybe. Damn, he wished he had one of his writers with him.

“Senator Clooney, I apologize. I did not mean to change the subject. Afterall, today’s topic is the right to privacy, not freedom of speech. And that is the issue I will address,” said Nick. He was not totally happy. He thought the blogosphere will get it. Today’s topic is Clooney’s topic. But tomorrow’s will be Nick’s. He hoped. With the internet, you always had the last word, at least for a moment.

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1 Comment »

1. Liners: Tax Deadline Edition

   Here’s the stuff we missed this week while we were in line at H&R Block: Metroblogging Azeroth launched. Our geek cred isn’t nearly high enough to provide anything new on this….but BoingBoing and Wil Wheaton seem to have it covered….

   Trackback by Blogebrity — April 14, 2006 @ 6:38 pm

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