That's true -- Lobster-Man does seem to have some interest in MJ, but he's... I'm not sure how to describe it. A character made for her instead of Peter? Others have noted that MJ doesn't seem to have many friends of her own, that they're all related to Peter in some way. Which makes sense, because this is Peter's book, but it's a little odd for someone so outgoing.
As for the producer, I LOVED that scene. I don't know if it was intentional, but it really reads to me like JMS's commentary on how MJ was often treated by the Spidey-Writers. ("Just shut up and wear the lingerie", indeed.) In fact, the whole storyline is to an extent.