I Bid $100,000 (plus equity) for Bess Levin !
OK, let me help resolve this:
Delightfully foulmouthed Wall St. watcher Bess Levin is somehow gumming up the NY Observer’s purchase of Dealbreaker, the site that is essentially Bess Levin (plus other unimportant stuff), according to Henry Blodget’s site BusinessInsider.
Girlfriend, get yourself an agent and get in the big leagues. Regardless of your use of language (which sure as hell doesn’t offend us), there are lots of sites that could beef up their coverage of Wall Street with you:
• Rolling Stone.com: Taibbi has made it clear that there is no language restrictions;
• New York Magazine Intelligencer has never steered clear of salty language;
• Blodget’s Business Insider would love to maker you part of his growing site (hence the coverage);
• StockTwits Network (but Howard pays more equity than cash, so you would have to wait till someone takes them out before your payday).
I’m not sure I agree BI’s reason for Dealbreaker “going for so cheap.” Its widely read, but only because of Bess. And i don’t buy that “its hard to sell ads against its very entertaining but gossipy and sexed-up content” as tobacco, liquor and Vegas have no problems with R-rated language.
Hence, my offer. If no one steps up, and Bess cannot extend her contract on acceptable grounds, I will. I am confident we can sell at least $10k a month against her traffic . . .
>
Source:
The New York Observer Is Close To Buying Dealbreaker, But Bess Levin Is Holding Everybody Hostage
Nicholas Carlson
Business Insider, Oct. 4, 2010, 12:00 PM
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-observer-is-close-to-buying-dealbreaker-but-bess-levin-is-holding-everybody-hostage-2010-10
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October 4th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
The offer in the link is a pretty sad “bonus” for BL. I’ll agree that she IS Dealbreaker.
I’m reminded of the episode in Mad Men where Don Draper is forced to sign a contract as part of the purchase of Sterling-Cooper.
October 4th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Have you noticed that it is impossible to go a day without coming across a Madmen reference?
October 4th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Very noble, BR! Hope she takes you out for dinner at least because you’ve helped raise her value!!!
October 4th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I support this message!!! The Big Picture: Where Barry and Bess happens..
October 4th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Or maybe she could get a job as a proofreader. I wonder if any blog needs one?
October 4th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Have you noticed that it is impossible to go a day without coming across a Madmen reference?
BR,
worse than that, one of the ‘Characters’ is pimpin’ Lincoln’s..(in TV ads)
~~
re: Bid
shows you’re a Trader, at heart, BR, you know there’s plenty of Upside there..~
October 4th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I think the offer’s a tad low. Star writer should go for $120 base plus equity or bonus.
October 4th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
There really isn’t that much money in blogging, is there?
Seems like it would be tough to live in the city for the less than $200-$300/year…ridiculously expensive place to live and work.
October 4th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Would you then become TheBigBrokenPicture.com?
October 4th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
I agree Barry, Bess is great, I don’t know much about blog revenue but it would seem she’d easily be worth $100k to a Rolling Stone. I’d bet she would appeal to readers that don’t know her because they aren’t involved with wall st.
would add an interesting element to TBP…
October 4th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
[...] Felix Salmon is rooting for her to demand, say, a $100,000 signing bonus and a $200,000 salary. And Barry Ritholtz says he’d bid $100,000 (plus equity!) for [...]
October 4th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Note to self: Data analysis and charts don’t pay. Potty mouth does.
October 4th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
@Invictus
“Note to self: Data analysis and charts don’t pay. Potty mouth does.”
Try,
Note to self: Shitcan the Data analysis and charts. Fucking crash porn sells.
October 4th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Best quote ever-
Michelle, along with Caruso and Cabrera….
Mad men is not even worth the mention. It’s one of the better parts of a televison era that really sucks. There is nothing really revolutionary about it. The stories aren’t much beyond soap opera. The acting is average. The “period” aspects of it aren’t even done that well. It’s the latest incarnation of the future meets the past meme on TV. Happy days, aired in the 70′s about the 50′s is another example.
Best recent TV was the first season of “Californication”
One of the best series ever was “The Wire”
October 4th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Go make a deal to put Bess on the next season of The Apprentice (I don’t think the show, but she would kick ass) then lock up her up for a long term contract with the Big Picture. Watch the readers pour in for a killer combo of BR and BL.
October 5th, 2010 at 5:42 am
Invictus, some guys like it when a woman talks dirty. It makes some men pay more attention, and some less, when she’s also good at charts and analysis. ;)
Women in professions dominated by testosterone often swear a lot in my experience. I’m not sure if it is reflective of the culture, or the type of woman who enjoys breaking the boys’ club. I was a courtroom litigator. My children are all the time reminding me that we banned the “f word,” and rolling their eyes at me. They are threatening to institute a swearing jar and use the money for more of those damn, foot-puncturing Legos.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:22 am
[...] for sale…but without Bess Levin, you've got nothing. (TBP) and [...]
October 5th, 2010 at 7:51 am
Why would she sell out to that little Kushner D**chebag. You know once those corporate pr*cks takeover the website is doomed.
October 5th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Wow. I never thought I’d read a post like this on here. I check TBP, a few other blogs, and always make a stop at Dealbreaker.
I had no idea she was selling the site or whatever. She needs to go see “The Social Network” and think much bigger.
I don’t know any other site that covers Wall Street and Business from her angle. And you are 100% correct that it is Bess and her writing style driving that site and not necessarily the stories. Hopefully she works something out with TBP. That would be amazing.
October 5th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
bobmitchell – “Mad men is not even worth the mention. It’s one of the better parts of a televison era that really sucks.” “One of the best series ever was “The Wire””
How is “The Wire” in a different “television era”? There was a period where the two shows aired simultaneously. I know some people like to pretend the fifth season of the Wire doesn’t exist, but seriously, different television ERAs?
I guess someone should take all those Emmy’s away from the Mad Men crew because it’s a poorly done period piece soap opera with average acting that has simply had the good fortune of running during a Television Era that really sucks.
October 5th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
[...] “DealBreaker’s readers are frothy-mouthed fans of Bess. Any acquisition that didn’t bring Bess along would be counter-productive. Bess’s fans would turn against the site, and Bess would likely find backers for a competitor. (Barry Ritholtz has already offered to stake her.) [...]