Popbitch @popbitch Twitter profile

Last Seen Profiles

@JanneAhola3

@lovestruckzine

@UMNBiomed

@DJMocini

@kazsdesire

@WTPmarch

@blockboyjt

@JudeSemugabi

@selendaxo

@NeauBleat

@TheKaigan

@melindmelon

@Maxredblack1

@Umez7

@Rugratmusic_

@vaxee_Japan

@KenobiiX

@fatouma___

@elizb_we

@Dynamic361037

@YusufDYusuf

@ramos_rodrigo

@barker_ins

@Appata_siri

@dawntheapl

@sasucakee

@oomfbutt

@mosaelmuhammed

@jishuable

@badBoyKabir12

@shigekixmini

@stwmaniax

@ZDidem_Duru

@exudacalunga

@SenatorWong

@KaanaNSFWGen

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Last year, we ran a four-part series on the fascinating history of the National Enquirer, its parent company American Media, Inc. and its ties to the Trump administration. In light of the news over the last few days, we thought we'd do a quick primer...

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

ALSO: Here's our new series on the strange political influence of American Media, Inc. and even its stranger history

4

11

48

25

348

639

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

Ah, go on then...

11

265

386

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Geoffrey Boycott...

5

136

253

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

This is going take us around the houses a bit but, to briefly explain the point: this is how the Hollywood Strikes of 1988 and 2007 accidentally upended the world of television, news, politics and, arguably, even reality itself...

3

124

249

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

L: Popbitch Issue 884, 31/05/2018 R: Evening Standard, 18/11/2019

5

70

228

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

RIP Keith Chegwin

0

83

202

Popbitch

@popbitch

9 years

When Lemmy collapsed on stage from dehydration in 2005, his management got him to officially agree to start taking ice in his Jack Daniels.

3

250

189

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Cohn represented a 27-year-old Trump in the federal lawsuit he was handed down in the 1970s for discriminatory rental and leasing practices. There, their mutual love of being total fucking cunts blossomed into a life-long friendship.

4

28

171

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Shame about Alan Duncan's resignation letter. His first draft was much more punchy...

4

71

171

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

We'll start with Costello. Without the New York mafia, it is highly likely the National Enquirer would never have existed – as it was initially bankrolled (in large part) by Frank Costello: the head of the Luciano/Genovese crime family.

6

70

115

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

Our lawyer suggested that we provide some editorial context here to make it clear that this is “the unauthorised rushes of a dead criminal”. That being said: this is worth a watch...

10

60

107

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Needs no words...

8

31

112

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Michael Gove wears wellies to the beach.

2

30

108

Popbitch

@popbitch

9 years

Some bonus Yentob gold from the archives...

9

147

96

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Our sincere apologies to Ms Lawson for the error...

Nigella Lawson

@Nigella_Lawson

5 years

@Tweet_Dec A whole jar. I’m sure more than 20

32

38

530

1

10

103

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

RIP Bruce Forsyth...

3

71

92

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Why is #SimonCowellOverParty trending? It seems the new generation of pop fans have just discovered the £50,000 bail payment Cowell once made for Jonathan King – but the wider story surrounding that is a lot more complicated, and a lot more interesting...

4

41

87

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Geoffrey Boycott: Late Night Edition...

9

35

83

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

This little fact about Bruce Forsyth from Issue 709 is one of the items we've fielded the most responses to in the history of Popbitch.

3

75

78

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

An utterly pointless fact that always makes us laugh: Andrea Leadsom's parents are called Richard and Judy.

1

22

76

Popbitch

@popbitch

4 years

Carol Kirkwood's unfortunate dogging incident in Greenwich Park this morning has reminded us of one of the boldest bits of breakfast programming that BBC ever considered... (From Popbitch 790: 17/06/2016)

3

9

76

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Always nice to be able to put a name to a face...

1

21

73

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Roy Cohn also had one other significant client on his books, one who has spoken often about how he considers Cohn to be his biggest mentor: Donald J Trump...

3

32

64

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Sorry, but as Otter High Command on the internet since 2000 we veto this and will not be hearing any appeals. Yours, Popbitch.

The Sun

@TheSun

5 years

Boris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds calls him 'Bozzie Bear' and he calls her 'Otter'

46

12

37

2

7

70

Popbitch

@popbitch

4 years

1

11

65

Popbitch

@popbitch

4 years

Fun Fact: To get to Dominic Cummings’ family farm just south of Durham you need take a turning off the A167 at a junction that’s known locally as Cock O’ The North.

1

19

63

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The fact that Pecker ran a vanity publishing company before starting at AMI is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL to understanding what happened in the 2016 election. Put a pin in that information and remember it. It is the key to a lot of this story.

1

18

58

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

In under the wire, the Popbitch messageboard just managed to outlive Anthony Scaramucci's career. Well done, everyone.

3

11

62

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The key players in the early years (1950s-80s) are: – Generoso Pope Jr, the founding editor and son of a New York media magnate – Frank Costello, the head of the New York mafia in the 40s/50s – Roy Cohn, the shadiest motherfucker to ever earn a law degree

3

19

55

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Frank Costello was a BIG deal in 50s New York mafia. Not only did he sit at the head of the Five Families (the 'Capo di tutti Capi', the Boss of Bosses), he is supposedly the mobster that Brando modeled Don Corleone's distinctive voice on...

2

18

48

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Who was on Cohn's books at his private practice? Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno: head of the Genovese crime family Carmine "Cigar" Galante: head of the Bonanno crime family John Joseph Gotti Jr: head of the Gambino crime family All in all, a great bunch of lads...

1

27

50

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

In advance of tonight's Super Bowl, we thought you might be interested in a gratuitously detailed look at how pop stars have altered (and perhaps permanently re-written) America's national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, over the last 30 years or so... #SuperBowl

3

34

55

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Costello wasn't the only one footing the bills at the Enquirer though. The magazine had another angel investor: Roy Cohn. Even in a story crammed full with bastards and bullies, Roy Cohn stands alone. He was absolutely ruthless.

3

26

47

Popbitch

@popbitch

8 years

RIP John Hurt – a Popbitch untouchable...

0

21

57

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The man installed at the top of American Media, Inc – who would use this portfolio of competing titles to pool resources, buy up bad stories about his friends and dilute the evidence in tiny amounts across multiple mags? The guy who just got granted immunity: David J Pecker...

2

23

50

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

There's been an interesting development since we started publishing our four-part series on the National Enquirer...

5

16

53

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The history of the National Enquirer cover sixty years of American history – touching on the New York Mafia, the DC corridors of power, the tabloid industry of Florida, newspaper strikes, commie witch-hunts, Soviet espionage and much, much more...

1

20

51

Popbitch

@popbitch

9 years

(Just kidding. Here's the Tom Baker story you really want...)

4

37

54

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

POPBITCH POPQUIZ: Morrissey vs Hyacinth The rules are simple. We're going to give you a title. All you have to do is decide whether it's the title of a Morrissey song (solo or with the Smiths) or whether it's the title of an episode of the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances...

2

42

51

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

With such tumult in the Tory party, and no clear contender for the top spot if they do topple May, who can we expect to see take over No.10? Michael Gove?

4

38

54

Popbitch

@popbitch

9 years

Happy Birthday, Tom Baker!

2

30

51

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

There's loads, loads, loads more to the Cohn story – the fuller story of which you can read here...

1

20

48

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Week after week, Costello would give the editor of the Enquirer thousands of dollars in cash to cover his payroll and print run. His two conditions: 1/ To be paid back on time 2/ To have the Enquirer 'overlook' certain unflattering mob-adjacent stories

2

13

41

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

There, Pope laid the foundations of a company that would eventually come to control almost all of the supermarket tabloids on sale in America. A company called American Media Inc... (The full story of Costello, Pope and the Tabloid Triangle is here )

1

17

41

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Roy Cohn eventually died in disgrace, disbarred from practice for multiple crimes, including breaking into the hospital room of a dying, senile millionaire and using their drugged and semi-conscious hand to trace their signature, making himself a co-executor to their will.

1

15

44

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

RIP Jeremy Hardy...

1

14

51

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Throughout all of this, Roy Cohn was also helping to bankroll the National Enquirer. Why? Because Generoso Pope Jr and he were old schoolfriends. In fact, the two of them used to share a limousine to primary school together...

1

14

42

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

ALSO: Here's our new series on the strange political influence of American Media, Inc. and even its stranger history

4

11

48

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Every time one of the GOP candidates in the Republican primary started to pick up any momentum in their polling numbers, the Enquirer, Radar, Globe and other AMI titles would start running stories slamming the front runner. In Sept 2015, it was Carly Fiorina...

1

26

46

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

A very happy birthday to Popbitch Immortal, Tom Baker...

1

7

48

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

If you need a weekend read: we wrote about Weinstein, the complexities of reporting gossip and a media 'open secret'

2

26

45

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

In order to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, we have taken a look through the archive to compile a list of known celebrity sink-dodgers – which we will be adding to in the coming days and weeks...

2

14

47

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Generoso Pope Jr began to wonder if he was maybe in a little deep, but it wasn't until his security guard was found dead in the back of one of Enquirer's delivery trucks with a note knifed to his chest that read "DON'T FUCK WITH US" that he properly shat it and fled to Florida...

2

14

41

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Before David Pecker joined America Media Inc, he was CEO of Hachette Filipacchi where he set up a 'custom publishing operation' (i.e. a vanity press). One of the people to avail himself of that vanity press in 1997 was Donald Trump, who had Pecker print him Trump Style.

1

20

43

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

This round is probably a little too niche for our Popbitch Popquiz on Tuesday – so let's play it here instead... WHO SAID IT: LEE RYAN OR MATT GOSS?

1

28

47

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

LEFT: The Sun, 21st Nov 2018 RIGHT: Issue 316 of Popbitch (entitled "Meet Mr Happy"), 7th Sept 2006

2

14

46

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

We would like to offer a correction to a story that appeared in this week's Popbitch. Apparently Jeremy Hunt offered his employees the choice of a mousemat with the slogan "I ❤️ Hotcourses" printed on it –OR– an "I ❤️ Hotcourses" mug. We sincerely regret the oversight.

3

9

46

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

“...decision to step down” (From our March 8th mailout)

4

8

44

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

We'll probably have cause to go back to the root source of a lot of these stories when the spotlight catches Roger Stone – but if you want to find out more about his involvement before all of that hits the fan, we talk about it in this...

2

12

40

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Cohn's skill at catching and killing Commies put him on the radar of Senator Joseph McCarthy (he of the now infamous hearings). McCarthy hired Cohn and installed him as his right-hand man, whereupon he acted as the operation's muscle.

2

15

37

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Sir Geoffrey Boycott...

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Geoffrey Boycott...

5

136

253

1

24

42

Popbitch

@popbitch

3 years

5

42

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

(NB: You'll notice there's a micropayment paywall up on this part of the story. That's because we're using a new system called Agate [ @agatehq ] to process small transactions on these long form pieces so we can sustain and fund the research, writing and hosting of these stories.)

2

9

42

Popbitch

@popbitch

9 years

RIP Lemmy

1

40

41

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

ISSUE 900: "Popbitch Is Still Going?" ft. Georgia Toffolo, The Crown, Mark Lamarr, Zoë Ball and Sara Cox, Urban Cookie Collective and this wholesome gem of a Rick Astley story...

2

6

39

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Unsurprisingly, Pope's brash, big city, mob-tinged attitude to tabloid journalism caused quite a stir in small-town Florida - but many of the world's most ruthless hacks wanted a piece of the action. So they flocked to him, making Boca Raton the capital of the Tabloid Triangle...

1

11

33

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The easy read on the situation is that David Pecker consciously used American Media Inc to push pro-Trump/anti-opponent stories into the news cycle throughout 2015 and 2016. Which is true. That did happen. For example...

1

13

38

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

But keep your eye on the Enquirer covers over the next few weeks. Pecker has put himself in a pretty tricky bind, because he still has to run his magazine. And if he tries to turn the tide of AMI's coverage before his readers are ready for it, it might cost him his business...

3

11

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Roy Cohn first came to national attention as the lawyer who secured the death penalty for two American citizens accused of being Soviet spies: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. (Al Pacino famously played him in Angels In America, opposite Meryl Streep as the ghost of Ethel)

2

15

31

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

At his own expense, Pope had branded magazine racks built that were designed to fit in the deadspace he'd spotted was present at every supermarket checkout till. He lent the racks to supermarket bosses for free and cut them in on the cover price too. A win-win for both parties...

1

12

35

Popbitch

@popbitch

4 years

Things are probably going to be pretty weird in the coming weeks, so if you're worried that working from home will drive you a bit loopy, we're starting a temporary daily email list to provide a bit of light relief. [You'll need to opt in to receive it... ]

3

11

37

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The third part of our four-part series ("Suburban Decay") explains exactly how Pecker was able to do this, and how the industry stranglehold that AMI has was used to silence Playboy playmate Karen McDougal about her affair with Donald Trump...

1

14

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

This makes the Enquirer a really useful bellwether when trying to take the political temperature of the public. You can see when various Trump allies have fallen out of favour with the man on the street, because that's when it's safe for the Enquirer to run bad stories on them...

2

15

37

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

A SLIGHT DIVERSION NOW: There's been a development in this story since we first wrote it back in October 2017 and it's probably worth touching on here. It involves Omarosa Manigault Newman, and it explains why Pecker was so eager to pull such a legally dodgy favour for Trump.

1

17

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Anyhow. The end.

5

1

35

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Every time this clipping does the rounds (as it has been doing these last 48 hours) a bunch of eagle-eyed people start asking “What’s the Popbitch thing mentioned below?” If anyone knows what it refers to, we’ll gladly share the full story...

2

3

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

When the crowd had really thinned out, Ted Cruz started getting the proper, completely batshit Enquirer treatment...

1

15

34

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

In advance of tonight's Stormy Daniels interview on 60 Minutes, we've dropped the paywall on our own little theory, re: the NDA. (It'll be free to read for 24 hours...)

2

19

35

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

Also, this week's Big Question has caused QUITE a stir in the inbox. Among those searching for clues: – A Labour MP – A C4 host – The agent of a third (different) Loose Woman, who was curious to know if it was their client as "it sounds like something she'd say"

3

9

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

1

9

38

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The next month, in Oct 2015, it was Ben Carson...

1

12

34

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Generoso Pope Jr (the founder-editor of the National Enquirer) realised he couldn't rely on mob boss Frank Costello and shitbag lawyer Roy Cohn to fund his magazine indefinitely – so hatched a plan to get it sold in the fancy new supermarkets that were popping all over America...

1

13

33

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

In ten years of running this quiz, this might be the best topical team name we’ve ever seen...

3

6

37

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The Enquirer's sales spiked, and rival magazines were soon begging Pope to let them have some of the space in his branded racks. Which he did. For a fee. Very quickly, he found he was earning huge money not only from his own magazine, but from all of his competitors too...

1

9

32

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

The reviews are in for this week's issue...

8

6

33

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Meanwhile, during the Republican Primaries, the Trump coverage looked like this...

2

15

33

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

McCarthy ended up taking most of the flak from the ensuing shitstorm that Cohn's unconventional tactics whipped up. Cohn himself managed to escape with barely the skin on his arse – shifting into private practice, where he racked up a singularly inglorious Rolodex of clients...

1

10

32

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

POPBITCH POPQUIZ: Goosebumps Or Glastonbury? The rules are simple. We'll give you a phrase. All you have to do is decide whether it's the title of a book from the popular children's horror fiction series Goosebumps, or a band that's played Glastonbury in the last five years...

3

17

36

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

It worked that way for years, quite happily... until someone tried to bump Frank Costello off.

2

10

32

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Then it was Marco Rubio...

1

11

31

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

0

21

35

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Together, Trump and Pecker used their personal relationship and the scattered corporate infrastructure of American Media Inc to launder this little legal problem into nothing. This one benefited Pecker; but Trump would later call in the favour in 2016, when running for president.

1

8

31

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

Effectively, Gene Pope had moved into magazine real estate. By the time he died in 1988, everything was in place for a parent company (American Media, Inc) to begin formalising and consolidating these interests – by buying up all the magazines on those racks.

1

14

31

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

There is, of course, miles more to the story than just this. We've tried to touch on much more of it here – including how the Charlottesville rally, Mar-A-Lago, Roger Stone and others such things play a part in it – but there's still tons left out...

2

13

30

Popbitch

@popbitch

5 years

UPDATE: We have it on good authority that Gillian Anderson is a thorough hand-washer – and doesn't much care for the slowness of the hand-dryers at the Curzon Mayfair.

1

3

30

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

Can't believe the Russian who might actually take down Trump is a Michael Buble impersonator we've taken for dinner at Century club

3

11

29

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

They went in double hard on Jeb! Bush...

1

10

32

Popbitch

@popbitch

6 years

AMI engages in extremely comprehensive market research, conducting continual rolling telephone surveys to keep an open, ongoing dialogue with its readers to find out first hand what they are interested in reading. Who do they like? Who they hate? What are they keen to hear about?

1

8

29

Popbitch

@popbitch

7 years

We had a farewell party for the Popbitch Messagebord this weekend. Huge, huge thanks to @PinatasLondon for this incredible Clarkson piñata...

2

4

31