Tom Peters(!) and Rick Kaplan: Who's Who

Tom Peters “Look, there’s Tom Peters,” I whisper to Charmaine. “What’s he doing here?”

We were at a show bizzie garden party in Georgetown in Your Nation’s Capital. It’s a pre-party for a big-party, for media moguls. Drink freely. Talk freely. It’s Off The Record.

There are no name tags.

Tom Peters is a super star. But not in quite the same way as Joe Pantoliano from the Sopranos or Chris Matthews from Hardball or Tom Oliphant with the Boston Globe. (Who is looking good after a brain aneurysm last year. Don’t like his opinions. But glad he’s around to kick around.) Morgan Fairchild, Bernie Trainor and Tucker Carlson, who says he’s quit smoking.

But ! is a business super star. So we elbow our past Michael Barone, Howard Kurtz, and step on Bob Schrum’s feet. He’s got no sense of humor. Democrat.

We go straight for Peters, unafraid to intrude and break in — the roof constitutes an introduction as Miss Manners might say.

We reach our target. “Hello,” I stick out my hand, “Jack Yoest,” I’ve always wanted to meet you…”

He faces me, “Rick Kaplan, nice to meet you.”

Who?

Rick Kaplan Charmaine sees my quarter second silence and knows immediately something’s wrong. She jumps in. “Yes, Rick, I’ve done MSNBC and we loved your work on Nightline…” Kaplan makes eye contact; makes small talk. Bookings, Ratings, Revenue.

Then we are mercifully pushed aside by the slobbering scrum of lower lights, bottom billings. (How did they get in?)

Anyway, I might be forgiven in that Tom Peters and Rick Kaplan are twins, I think. But I don’t think they’ve met.

Alert Readers will note that Rick Kaplan recently left his number three slot at MSNBC. I don’t know his reason for leaving or how MSNBC will fare without him.

But I know that he is a gentleman. Because of how he treats bumbling unknown nobodies.

Like me.

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Thank you (foot)notes:

The identifying names captioned below the pictures are… reversed.

See the Washington Post.