The question, koan-like in its infinitude and all-meaningfulness, of whether Rupert Murdoch‘s self-importance outstrips his actual importance at last seems capable of an answer. Today, one of Murdoch’s papers, The Australian, carries a story on a briefing Murdoch gave to announce the unexpectedly rosy results his media conglomerate Newscorps, enjoyed last quarter. The answer appears to be yes.

In case you haven’t heard, this year’s Vanity Fair Hollywood issue is extremely monochromatic; nary one person of color made the cover. But something else VF staffers failed to note? Two of the actresses in their “New Decade: New Holly” article were featured in 2008 as “Hollywood’s New Wave.” Guess they are still up-and-coming?

New technology invariably brings, along with change, a torrent of anxiety about what that change will lookl ike. This anxiety can be more or less poetic. “Twitter is crack for media addicts,” wrote George Packer in a recent blogpost. The new anxiety – induced, primarily, by the new media – is the prosiest prose.

Did you ever wonder how many Americans want to replace Uncle Sam with an older version of New York Yankees star and former steroid-user Alex Rodriguez? I mean, of course you did, because you smoke marijuana.

Anyway, CBS News decided to take the best ideas you probably thought up while you were high and ask a bunch of Americans in the latest 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll. Click through for the results to that question and more!

Ooh-la-la! Look how sexy Twitter just got! It’s got sexy ladies! In heels and trenchcoats! With gleaming hair and long legs and sleek gadgets and attitude! Ladies & gentlemen, Twitter has just been Vanity Fair-ized.

The February issue of Vanity Fair features an image that is sure to raise eyebrows: a shirtless Tiger Woods pumping iron, photographed by Annie Leibovitz before his alleged scandalous behavior became public. The featured article is penned by Buzz Bissinger, who weighs in on the apparent disconnect between Tiger’s public image and private life.

2009 has been a horrible year for magazine publishers. Much has been made of the perfect storm of an ad recession (brought about by a dismal economic climate), and the growth of up-to-the-second digital media. But in the midst of this sea of bad news, there has been one beacon of hope for the magazine biz: Stephen Colbert. Vanity Fair tells us that putting Colbert on the cover leads to sales!

There was a day when magazine covers could make or break a career or a magazine (remember pregnant Demi Moore’s cover for Vanity Fair? Of course you do, that was 1991).

Those days are mostly long gone. To wit: Time has put together a top ten list of magazine covers from 2009…see how many you actually remember.

The results from the December 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll is in, and Rush Limbaugh wins again.

The talk radio host was the top pick, by far, by respondents when asked who was the most influential conservative in America. Here’s more on the results of that question, and others.

I remember when Christopher Hitchens wrote that ridiculous Vanity Fair piece about how women aren’t funny. I wrote a screed about it and got in a public scrap with Graydon Carter after at a very awkward luncheon. What can I say, this line of reasoning has always irritated me. Women aren’t funny? Really?

Last night, the official White House Flickr feed released the official portrait of the First Family as photographed by the illustrious Annie Leibovitz. Vanity Fair has more on the Leibovitz, the magazine’s most notable and consistent photographer, and her past work with the Obamas.

As if the McKinsey evaluation uncertainty that’s been hanging over 4 Times Sq. these past few months isn’t bad enough, Vanity Fair honcho Graydon Carter apparently couldn’t even be bothered to show up to relay yesterday’s bad layoff news himself. Business as usual?

Earlier, we noticed that former Governor Eliot Spitzer had mounted a comeback and cracked the Power Grid’s top 5 TV Pundits, putting himself right back in the spotlight. We chalked his most recent surge in face time up to some big money real estate deals and a new scandal involving a former aide, but this explanation overlooks Spitzer’s well-paced and respectable return to form. How has he once again become a man to watch?

Slate’s Jack Shafer comparing the fate of Conde Nast to that of that other overreaching, reality-ignoring American powerhouse, General Motors. Next up: Graydon Carter and Anna Wintour fly to Washington in their private jets to beg for a bailout!

the shuttering of Gourmet remains to many the biggest shock of today’s Condé Nast layoffs. The fate of its equally well-known editor Ruth Reichl is unknown right now, though considering the company plans to keep both the publishing and television arm of Gourmet active chances are they will find a place for her. That said, what does Reichl’s precarious position say about the fate of Condé’s other high profile editors?

Vanity Fair pokes fun at the ongoing McKinsey evaluation — which may or may not have made a stop at Graydon Carter‘s office — and the ‘benefits’ they are worried about losing.

With all the recent talk of McKinsey and the demise of Condé Nast, it is with some nostalgia (and perhaps some little schadenfreude) that we recall a time when a ride in the Condé elevators was enough of a life- (and closet!) changing experience that the Times felt the need to devote an entire column to it.

Well this puts a new spin on the Condé Nast McKinsey saga. WWD’s Memo Pad is reporting that despite all the recent focus on the recommended 25% budget cuts across the board, reported earlier this week, the powers that be at Conde may still opt to close down some magazines altogether. Who knew that was even an option?

The money’s not coming into Condé Nast like it used to, and the company’s days of lavish spending have to end. Will Graydon Carter, who reportedly makes over $2 million a year, be able to survive at the company in his current incarnation?

Today in The Daily Beast, Tina Brown remarks on the somewhat remarkable image recovery Anna Wintour has undergone since the release of the documentary The September Issue. As a former, high profile, controversial, Conde Nast editrix, Brown probably knows a little from whereof she speaks.

It might just be wishful thinking on his part, but here’s what Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter had to say to the New York Observer at a book party last night about. A good attitude can get you far in life, you know.

Last night VF opted to make excerpts of Levi Johnston’s ‘Me and Mrs. Palin’ piece available online, though just enough of it to whet your appetite. In the article Johnston discloses a number of juicy tidbits, however it’s one quote in particular about Sarah Palin’s reaction to Bristol’s unplanned pregnancy that will no doubt set tongue’s wagging and issues flying off the stands.

There is nothing populist about Vanity Fair‘s annual top 100 Information Age powers list — it is brazen in its celebration of the worldwide corporate aristocracy. What can we say, we’re suckers for power rankings. But as the media’s old guard works on curbing its exorbitance in the midst of a shifting economic reality and technological innovation, is there any room on the list for the Elite Media?

Gawker is reporting that Levi Johnston has penned an article entitled “Me and Sarah Palin” for the forthcoming October issue of Vanity Fair. While it’s not difficult to guess what will be discussed in the piece, what other revelations should we expect from the book?

I met Dominick Dunne when I was a cub reporter for Court TV on the OJ Simpson case. He was, at that time, just beginning to enjoy his notoriety as a celebrity journalist. Day after day we took our assigned seats in the courtroom and then met in the hall during breaks as we stalked the attorneys.

As a 28-year-old reporter for a small cable channel, I turned to him as a mentor. But he wasn’t looking to be the purveyor of sage advice. He wanted information from me too. What started as a symbiotic professional relationship became a cherished friendship.