New York's Elite Gather at The Hollywood Reporter’s Media Power Players Celebration | Vanity Fair

Ella Emhoff is a Shoshanna. “I’ve been rewatching Girls,” she said Thursday at The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful People in Media party. She’s currently reading Lena Dunham’s new book, Famesick, and “taking a break from media to center myself.” She has found a newfound appreciation of the show, watching it as she reads Dunham’s memoir, and relates to Shoshanna’s “anxiety and OCD. I’m not a Marnie, not at all,” she joked.

On Thursday night, THR celebrated its New York issue and the return of its annual power list at Daniel on the Upper East Side. Cover star, Stephen Colbert, entered the room fashionably late and greeted guests that included CBS News’s Gayle King, Bravo’s Andy Cohen, and CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil. Sure, the media landscape is in total disarray, but that didn’t get in the way of having a good time. I’ve Had It podcaster, Jennifer Welch, who has become a prominent voice in left-wing politics, chatted away with Billy Eichner in the neo-classic dining room of the famed restaurant.

As the media industry has evolved, so has the guest list for this event. This year, there were a large number of content creators in the room, from fashion commentator Nicky Campbell to Recess Therapy’s Julian Shapiro-Barnum. Hot Ones host Sean Evans was featured on the Most Powerful People in Media list and contemplated who his next dream guest would be. “Tom Cruise,” he said. “I just know I could crush that interview.”

Writer, professor, and opinionist Roxane Gay was on hand to weigh in on the most important news story of the past month: The Summer House scandal playing out on Bravo. “It’s gotten a little ridiculous and overblown,” she said. “But it’s the best thing to happen to the show.” She admitted to not being a Summer House fanatic; however, she is all-in on Real Housewives of Rhode Island. Cohen, who was close by, would be happy to hear the news of a fan.

Andy Cohen

Print media was alive and well represented at the party, with W’s Sara Moonves in attendance alongside New York Magazine’s David Haskell and Vogue’s Chloe Malle with Vanity Fair’s own Mark Guiducci. Of course, THR's own Editor-in-Chief Maer Roshan was there to greet guests as they arrived. With so many stories about traditional media’s gloomy forecast, the night provided a respite from the usual negativity and instead offered a reason to celebrate. “I’m optimistic always,” Gayle King shouted as she made her way from the carpet into the dining room.

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