• It's been two years since Ben Silverman became co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. And what a two years it's been, huh? [LAT]
• The largest union at the Boston Globe will vote on a new contract on July 20, even though it's yet to iron out a deal with the New York Times Co. [BG]
• Reader's Digest's plan to remain relevant: It's going to become even more conservative and old-fashioned, and embrace religion and stuff. [NYT]
• How are some newspaper reporters dealing with unemployment? They're turning to careers as go-kart racers. Just as you suspected. [Fortune]

Heidi Pratt was rushed to a hospital in Costa Rica last night for some kind of stomach infection while filming/quitting I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Our source calls the entire thing out.

Well here's a story sure to give pause to any father of twins who's ever heard anyone utter the words, "Gee, your kids don't look very much alike at all!"

• Monthly mags continue to suffer: Ad pages have dropped by 23 percent on average, although the situation is particularly dire at Condé Nast. [NYP]
• Maureen Dowd landed in a bit of hot water after it was revealed she'd "borrowed" from blogger Josh Marshall for her op-ed column yesterday. She's since offered a (dubious) explanation and apology. [E&P, HP, Politico]
• Television networks start selling ads for the fall season today as part of upfront week, although the economy is putting a damper on things. [NYT]
• Despite few successes and many failures, NBC golden boy Ben Silverman still has a job. For how much longer, though, is anybody's guess. [NYT]
• Angels & Demons was No. 1 at the box office with a $48 million haul. [WSJ]
• If you can't find Newsweek on newsstands, that may be because the magazine has totally redesigned itself. [Newsweek, WaPo, HuffPo]

Times TV reporter Bill Carter's profile on NBC co-chairman and Executive Bong Smoker Ben Silverman ran today. To put it lightly: Carter takes Silverman by the collar, beats him, and stuffs him in a locker.

Today Oprah, noted fast food terrorist, took a short break from destroying America with diabolical chicken riots to welcome Dane Cook on her show, who promptly horrified the world with details of his sex life.

According to Nikki Finke, this "performance" was recorded in 2008 at the Aspen Youth Experience Celeb Ski (Wasn't this part of Dumb and Dumber's plot line?). The video was taken by Rob Morrow and features the harmonica skills of Fisher Stevens, both veterans of this event, which prompts one to wonder...What the hell did Ben Silverman do to piss off Rob Morrow and/or Fisher Stevens to compel one, or both of them, to release this video?

Jay Leno's rep says it looks like dehydration sent the Tonight Show host to the hospital last week. But Leno prefers to process his trauma by mocking Conan O'Brien and Ben Silverman.

Jeff Zucker's division made about half as much money last quarter as it did the year before. So to judge by the upward-failure arc of his career, he'll be running GE in about three weeks.

NBC has shockingly ruined the integrity of its dramatic show Chuck by allowing Subway what is perhaps the most blatant (and therefore laughable!) product placement in network TV history. Mmm, smell that chicken teriyaki.

Harvey Weinstein's gracious-in-defeat couldn't last long. After paying off NBC to take his Project Runway to Lifetime, the mogul had "personally" congratulated the network. Now, he's calling NBC chairman Ben Silverman a big naked-arm-wrestling homo.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld gave the New York Times exactly two examples of disputes that might be tackled in his (dubiously) forthcoming reality show The Marriage Ref.

Oh, hey, look: Flailing NBC executive Ben Silverman just bought a reality TV project from Jerry Seinfeld, marking the 1990s comedian as the ultimate trailing indicator of desperation and creative bankruptcy.

For all the e-ink spilled over whether 30 Rock gave the McFlurry too much product placement last week (even Jane Krakowski is unsure now!), we think there's a different, far bigger case to be made.

Way back in October, people were already saying that NBC's 30 Rock had exhausted its "Yes it's a product placement, but it's also a funny storyline!" justification. Oh, how wrong they were. Mmm, McFlurry!

Lord knows that NBC head Ben Silverman hardly needs another reason to fire another VP, but at least this one's creative: someone's hiring hookers on the corporate card!

1/21 — Apocalypse now - COURTNEY LOVE and BEN SILVERMAN (TOGETHER), stumbling out of Giorgio Baldi on Wednesday night. Someone needs to explain this right now.

Tom Cruise is trying to get inside the female mind; Joe Francis slipped into women's underwear and Mike Tyson is, once again, overwhelmed with lady attention.

NBC potentate Jeff Zucker and loyal henchperson Ben Silverman had the aura of proud parents watching their 30 Rock children collecting Globes—but they made the unusual decision to avoid the podium entirely at TCA.

With everyone fired at NBC besides Jay Leno, Ben Silverman, and a particularly bodacious NBC page named Honey, it's now time to examine Silverman's track record. There's just one thing: it used to be good!