All it took was J. Lo in a wedding gown. We are a news feature magazine, but we're not in the market to become Time and News week . In corners of the celebrity world, signs of fluff are re-emerging, although it will be a while, still, before Topic A is swanky parties, glitzy gowns and Sarah Jessica Parker's new short haircut. Day by day, the mood seems to shift, as journalists try to gauge the public's appetite for non-terrorism stories. Whom to book, and what to ask, poses problems.
Stars are at a loss.
Ben Stiller abruptly pulled out as host of this week's Saturday Night Live , saying he doesn't know how to be funny in this environment, yet he was able to make appearances on Live With Regis and Kelly and The Late Show With David Letterman to hype his Zoolander movie. Katie Couric grilled novelist Stephen King this week on terrorism. They don't want every conversation to revolve around terrorism, but they don't want to appear too lightweight and not talk about the serious issues of the day. On the flip side, celebrity journalists feel awkward asking the kind of personal, gossipy questions they would have asked before Sept. 11. The queen of the teary celebrity interview sounds like a changed woman.