She poses foot on the chair, Coconut shy but...

I can recommend the September 2005 issue of Vanity Fair, the "Jen Finally Talks!" issue, and for more than just the interview and pictures of America's favorite cover girl. But about that--looking at the magazine racks at the supermarket over the last few days leads me to the question: How good is your PR (or how famous are you) when your cover story in one magazine becomes the subject of cover stories in other magazines?

As for the interview, well, allowing for spin, she seems like a very nice person. As for the pics... they're the best "my husband left me for another woman, I need reaffirmation of my sexuality and adorability" photos I've seen since Uma Thurman.

How good are they? Well, If I were Brad Pitt, I'd be seriously considering eating my heart out about now. Which is one thing if you're Hugh Grant and risked a relationship with Elizabeth Hurley for Divine Brown.


But prior to this, I would have said Pitt had made at least a lateral move...until I saw these pictures. So I'm saying she looks good.

But I promised there was more to recommend the issue than little miss got-it-goin'-on, didn't I? And so there is, including a good look at "Rovegate" and a funny piece by James Wolcott about a new literary genre: The porn star memoir.

Making a fanciful analogy worthy of a metaphysical poet, Jerry Butler compares erectile disfunction to bottled-up legislation: "sometimes your dick become like Congress. Even though the President puts a bill in to become law, Congress still have to vote on it. Sometimes your penis stalls on the bill."

Now that's a metaphor.