Vanity Fair Apr-15

1 Annie Leibovitz For this month’s issue, Vanity Fair’s Principal Photographer, Annie Leibovitz, shot Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe, stars of the Broadway revival of The King and I (page 152). “It took three people to carry Kelli’s gown, which spanned five feet,” says Senior Photography Producer Kathryn MacLeod. “Once we saw her in full regalia, we realized we’d need a bigger set.” Leibovitz also photographed two V.F. Portraits (pages 144 and 170) and financier Mellody Hobson (page 172). 2 Michael Bloomberg In the V.F. Portrait on page 170, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg—or Mike, as he’s known around town—honors John Whitehead, who died in February. A former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs and deputy secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, Whitehead also headed the agency tasked with rebuilding…

If we had to put a name on the times we are living in, we could do worse than calling it the Age of Money. I mean, you could rightfully say that every age is an age of money. This period is different, though, in that it seems to be about only money. Some of this is the result of seismic political shifts, such as China’s ravenous embrace of capitalism. Some of it comes from re-structuring in the ways of finance, and the resulting billions minted through venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. There are the vast fortunes created by the digital revolution. And there is always oil. A friend sent an e-mail recently reminding me just how much a billion is: a million seconds are equal to a…

I couldn’t put down Bryan Burrough’s article on the Ebola outbreak in Dallas [“Trial by Ebola,” February]. As a resident of that city, I’m really impressed by all the people involved in the story, whether center stage or backstage. Judge Jenkins and Mayor Rawlings made it up as they went, and they did a damned good job. All of the epidemiologists, nurses, police, firemen, and Fort Worth cleanup-crew members are heroes. Thank you, Vanity Fair, for a great piece of history told in such a memorable way. STACY CLARK Dallas, Texas Though the picture Vanity Fair painted of Judge Jenkins in Bryan Burrough’s article was accurate, the criticism of the C.D.C. was unwarranted. The C.D.C. came in to assist Dallas County, not to take over. It is politically unwise for…

In this month’s poll, Americans reckon with a complicated matter: our privacy versus our ever expanding, intrusive, and pervasive new technologies. (How pervasive? Well, 87 percent of us say people are “addicted” to their smartphones.) Despite the trickiness of the issue, to us it’s crystal clear: a majority of us are not O.K. with being spied on, but we also aren’t willing to pay to prevent that. Specifically: (a) Most Americans (53 percent) say that these new technologies are worth the loss of privacy. Yet (b) most of us hate the idea of anyone monitoring our own Websurfing habits. Still, given the opportunity to secure our privacy with even a small monthly fee, we’re (c) just not interested. By the way, most of us can’t identify “Don’t be evil” as…

AGE: 26. PROVENANCE: Los Angeles. SPEAK EASY: Gerard grew up speaking three languages—English, German, and French. “My sister and I had the ability to switch into different languages. It worked in our favor.” PAYING HER DUES: Gerard booked her first commercial when approached on the street before attending U.C.L.A. “I thought, Oh, this is a good way to pay for school.” ON ACTING: “I was going to school because I didn’t trust my [acting] ability. But the more I did it, the more I fell in love with it.” BREAKING OUT: She had bit roles in The Social Network and Magic Mike, and is starring in Oscar winner John Ridley’s highly anticipated drama series, American Crime, which premieres this month on ABC. “I’ve worked with really good directors, but, to…

ERA Ancient Egypt AVATAR Ramesses II VOCATION Pharaoh. AVOCATION Erecting temples dedicated to himself. STREET CRED Led one-million-person army. BILLION-DOLLAR IDEA Start propaganda department. DISTINGUISHING FEATURE Uraeus headdress, prehistoric soul patch, crown. RESIDENCE Piramesse royal city. FAVORED ARCHITECTURE Sandstone human/animalhybrid spectacular. LOOMING NEMESIS The Nubians. SKELETON IN THE CLOSET Wore man makeup. PET PEEVE Rivers turning to blood. PREFERRED SNACK FOOD The blue-lotus aphrodisiac. HANGOUT Artificial bargerowing lake at Malkata. PICKUP LINE “Bring me to the daughter of Ptolemeus.” LITTLE BUDDY Queen Nefertari. ERA The Renaissance AVATAR Cosimo de’Medici VOCATION Banker and uncrowned monarch of Florence. AVOCATION Giving Donatello his big break. STREET CRED Impossible to assassinate. BILLION-DOLLAR IDEA Audit the Pope. DISTINGUISHING FEATURE Red chef’s hat, puffy tunic, gherkin. RESIDENCE Palazzo Medici Riccardi and a dozen or so country…