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Happy Christmas and Hanukkah eve to all those who celebrate, and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon guide to the best new work at Puck.

First up today, Matt Belloni reveals his annual Hollywood Villain(s) of the Year, a decidedly infamous distinction bestowed this time upon the publicists involved in smearing It Ends With Us star Blake Lively on behalf of her co-star and producer-director Justin Baldoni. Alas, do their cutting-edge media machinations represent the town’s new normal?

Plus, below the fold: Lauren Sherman dissects the revival of Calvin Klein as the brand’s new designer, Veronica Leoni, readies her debut collection for NYFW. John Ourand reconsiders Netflix’s live sports ambitions after its stunning acquisition of two FIFA Women’s World Cups. And Peter Hamby presents his sweeping conversation with multiplatform content maven Brian Tyler Cohen about how the Democratic blob can finally move beyond its depressing greenroom biases. 

Meanwhile, in Puck’s podcast universe: Famed Democratic strategist David Axelrod joins Dylan Byers on The Grill Room to muse on the fine art of podcasting. On Fashion People, Lauren is joined by Harper’s Bazaar executive editor Leah Chernikoff to discuss how covering designer appointments has changed over the years. And in a special throwback Fashion People–The Powers That Be crossover, Casey Lewis, author of the After School newsletter, joins Lauren to break down Gen Z’s consumer behaviors and brand loyalties.

HOLLYWOOD

Sure, Hollywood’s old P.R. system had its flaws, but what has replaced it is essentially guerilla warfare. It’s an always-on battle for attention, for impressions, for sentiment, all of it subject to manipulation and, at any given moment, outright implosion. And the battle behind the scenes of—and now completely engulfing—the summer hit It Ends With Us has become the saddest, nastiest, and unfortunately the most cutting-edge public relations war of 2024. For these reasons, the publicists involved in this fight—mostly the team smearing star Blake Lively on behalf of her co-star and producer-director Justin Baldoni, but many others involved here, both directly and tangentially—are Hollywood’s Villains of the Year.

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FASHION

As recently as a year ago, it was universally accepted that Calvin Klein was no longer a Fashion Week brand—the company last sent models down the runway in 2018, and has long since coalesced its business around underwear and denim. But they’re turning the clock back (to the Raf Simons–Pieter Mulier–Matthieu Blazy era, natch) with last week’s announcement that Veronica Leoni—their new Italian designer and one of Europe’s rising stars—will show her debut collection during New York Fashion Week in February. The pivot comes under the leadership of Stefan Larsson, who joined CK’s parentco, PVH, in 2019, and has spent the past few years working to transform the company into a strategic organization that operates and nurtures brands, à la Kering or LVMH. While the return to NYFW may represent a reversal back toward high fashion and relevance, Lauren reports that it’s also likely a last-ditch effort by PVH execs to determine whether the brand has any influence left beyond its advertising.   

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SPORTS

In a surprise move, Netflix has acquired the rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup, stunning the industry and amplifying expectations about its live sports ambitions. While we don’t know the specific details surrounding the acquisition, the fact that Netflix is now in the World Cup business has contributed to the pervasive fear among traditional mediacos that the streamer is insidiously preparing to eat their lunch, one or two one-off live events at a time. Indeed, with their upcoming Christmas Day NFL debut—including a performance by Beyoncé—coming about a month after the blockbuster Tyson-Paul fight, the chatter among industry insiders is whether Netflix is primed to take over the sports media business the same way it did Hollywood. For others, it’s not a matter of if, but rather when?  

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WASHINGTON

As Democrats struggle to understand an evolving media environment mastered by Donald Trump, Peter shares a conversation with progressive content creator Brian Tyler Cohen, who has more than 7 million followers across platforms—and some advice for Dems on how to start prioritizing the small screen over the big one. In this illuminating conversation, B.T.C., as his friends call him, explains how Dems can adopt his playbook of generating attention-grabbing content, the shortlist of Democrats he believes are actually flourishing in today’s digital media landscape, whether the Harris campaign focused on TikTok too much this cycle, and much more. 

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MEDIA

Famed Democratic strategist and CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod joins Dylan for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about podcasting. He reflects on being an early mover in the space, the art of the medium, the influence that podcasting has had on our politics and culture, the future of the political-media landscape in the age of Elon, and much more.

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FASHION

Lauren is joined by Harper’s Bazaar executive editor Leah Chernikoff to discuss how covering designer appointments has changed in the 15 years since they first worked together, and why Matthieu Blazy going to Chanel is a seminal moment. They also rate designer panettone (from Gucci to Etro to Prada), contemplate the future of department stores on the back of the Nordstrom take-private news, and break down the significance of Calvin Klein’s return to the runway. Plus, some thoughts on the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy auction at Sotheby’s.

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FASHION

In this special throwback episode, Casey Lewis, author of the After School newsletter, drops by the pod to dissect Gen Z’s behaviors and brand loyalties. And Dylan Byers phones in from the wilds of Sun Valley to discuss the sartorial trends among the .0001 percent at the Allen & Co. conference. 

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