Last night's entertainment journalist tag-team match at the Central Library found NY writers Sharon Waxman and Laura Holson facing off agaist LA's own Patrick Goldstein and John Horn over who covers show biz best. Really, it was NY Times vs. LA Times, with Dana Harris from Variety ref'ing. LAObserved has some semi-juicy morsels, to wit:

Horn also said that LAT editors have asked film writers to start taking digital video cameras to interviews with filmmakers, which met with laughs from the panel...

But for coverage with a point of view, you can't beat Luke Ford.

Ford asked a question about David Geffen, characterizing him as a thug:

Patrick: "He's a thug? I have a list on my wall of people I think of as thugs and David Geffen wouldn't come close to being on that list."

Sharon: "Patrick, come on. David Geffen is the one man....who you ask around town, people are afraid of him. They do not pick fights with him because David Geffen has nothing to do...He has a very long memory. He bears a grudge. He will mount a campaign against someone to get back..."

I chatted with a reporter after the event and we agreed that LA Times staffers are like a battered wife who dreams about being rescued.

By a big, strong gazillionaire.