The situation at the Weinstein Co. is getting pretty dire: Poor Bob Weinstein was forced to fly home from Cannes on a commercial plane. In coach, no less. To make matters worse, he was seated at the rear of the plane, "leaving the mogul to stew in the back of the cabin while the minutes to his next plane ticked by, instead of in the front of the line, where he's more accustomed to stand." The gentle, generous demeanor he shares with his brother is unchanged, though. As he left the plane, a woman asked him to help her reach her carry-on bag in the overhead compartment. Weinstein's response: "That'll be ten bucks." Too bad he was kidding! Ever little bit helps when you've blown through $1.2 billion and you still haven't managed to come up with a winner at the box office. [The Wrap]

In your practically-weekend Friday media column: Playboy could be yours, Michael Kinsley wants to fight newsweeklies, a new type of journalism that will fail, and the police department will run your local paper OR ELSE:

If you're willing to brave the uncharted wilds of the section of downtown Manhattan referred to by outsiders as "Nolita", we've got a proposition for you. Gawker and The History Channel are throwing a screening party for the fascinating new show Expedition Africa, and we'd like you to join us.

The Middlesex, Mass., DA confirmed this morning that the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old in the basement of a Harvard University dorm on Monday was drug-related. The victim, Justin Cosby (pictured), had a pound of pot and $1,000 in cash on him, so it was kind of obvious.

Don Drapkin was once one of Ron Perelman's closest associates. A former lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Drapkin spent 20 years working for Perelman's holding company MacAndrews & Forbes as his chief dealmaker and "strategic thinker." He was so close to Perelman, in fact, that the billionaire mogul once likened him to a brother. Until, that is, Drapkin jumped ship in 2007 and joined Lazard as the firm's vice chairman at the invitation of Lazard chief Bruce Wasserstein. The split seemed uncharacteristically amicable at the time—Perelman announced that Drapkin had "done a terrific job," and he'd "miss him." But the relationship seems to have taken a turn for the worse since then. Perelman just hit Drapkin with a lawsuit.

[Submit your own Gawker Stalker sightings to stalker@gawker.com] May 21 @ 9pm Saw Tracy Morgan sitting outside of a bar with his yellow Lamborghini parked right in front. Pretty sure it was a no parking area. Just as angry of a person as you'd imagine.

So the Republicans are going on the offensive against Barack Obama with a lame web ad harking back to an awesome campaign ad a Democratic president made successfully painting his Republican opponent as a dangerous, unhinged warmonger. Yay!

It's just a near-summer Friday, so not all that much is happening. A Trainspotting author turns to directing. Jim Carrey will soon be steaming into your town. And terrible TV series and movies still get made, every day, in this old place of ours.

The Way We Live Now: Broke. Britain's broke. Malls are broke. Even comic strips are broke. Broke, broke, broke.

Is there any creature full of more self-entitlement than a suburban parent? Yesterday, a bunch of kindergartners didn't get to tour the White House because they were an hour late. Their parents are outraged and, no, they won't reschedule because they're too busy, Mr. President That Hates Children.

Haha, we know exactly what to make of this: Axe Body Spray is sponsoring a nightclub in the Hamptons for the whole summer. Brah:

The MTA is making plans to get rid of the MetroCard. Outgoing MTA chief Elliot Sander—today is his last day on the job—says that an E-ZPass-like system will eventually be introduced, so you don't have to wait on lines or actually lift your wrist or anything. Instead, "sensors on turnstiles or near bus entrances would detect a card or key-fob-like device and automatically deduct the fare from bank or credit accounts." The system won't be in place in 2011, though, so you have plenty of time to pick up a Metrocard bikes and dresses before they become collectors' items. [NYP]

Not only was beloved former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich denied his opportunity to be a celebrity wishing to get out of here, now he won't even get his million dollars from his book deal.

[I mean, we're all taking it pretty seriously. But, c'mon. That's Vanessa from "Gossiping Girlies" at a party somewhere stupid in New York last night; image via INF]

Olivia Palermo starts her new "job" in Elle's publicity department next week. But she isn't coming alone: Since the gig will be incorporated into the next season of The City, she'll be followed around the entire time by a MTV camera crew. This probably explains why Elle staffers have been sprucing up the office ahead of her arrival and even repainted the reception area. Or perhaps this is how the magazine welcomes all new entry-level staffers these days? [WWD]

What do party fixtures Andrew Saffir and Daniel Benedict have planned this weekend? Glad you asked! "Memorial Day weekend we divide our time between the South of France for the fin of the Cannes Film Festival and the fin of an all-American East Hampton holiday weekend. While I'd like to say we will be going to an endless array of barbecues, clambakes and Summer kick-off parties, we're more likely to be asleep on the beach nursing our exhaustion from eleven consecutive 3 a.m. nights of rosé and Bellini-soaked parties and trop de Croisette carrousing." [FWD]

Hey, what's this? Our President, Mr. Change, giving a little speech to some guy fucking around on IRC or something? No, look out, it's a Terminator!

Richard 'Dick' Parsons is fallible, after all! The (married) former Time Warner boss and most popular black man in corporate America after Vernon Jordan has a (formerly) secret love child, with a much younger model:

Today we have a cheating TV actress, a celebrity boyfriend who cried because he lost his cocaines, a celebrity wife who's so obtuse that she didn't know a drag performance was men dressed as ladies, and a reality show whose integrity has been compromised.

Who shall be next in the procession of people more famous than you to testify in the sad case of famous society lady Brooke Astor and her thieving-ass son? Lo, it is Barbara Walters, and her sidekick, Henry Kissinger!