The estate of "Rings" mastermind J.R.R. Tolkien is the latest to launch a legal salvo against...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 11 Feb 2008 | 11:43 pm

Hot Off the London Fashion Week Runways: Olsen Garb, Fun Prints, and Voluminous Dresses

The first runway slideshows from London Fashion Week are up!

Ben de Lisi showed nicely cut blouses.

Biba, like Halston, is a comeback brand with "a convincing new start," according to IHT.

Modernist's black, black, and more black could have come straight out of a New Yorker's closet.

Jaeger London is another revived brand with lots of shaggy fabrics and snakeskin tights.

Ann-Sofie Back's deconstructed line looks like something the Olsens would wear.

Sinha-Stanic does color-blocking with a punk edge.

PPQ showed the prom dresses you never wanted.

Eley Kishimoto offers fun prints and pieces.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 11:30 pm

J.R.R Tolkien's 'The Lord Of The Rings'

A handout image obtained 20 June 2007 shows a scene entitled 'Before The Last Battle' from a musical adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's 'The Lord Of The Rings' in London's West End. Tolkien filed a lawsuit...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 11:04 pm

Game Off—Rapper Sentenced to Jail

The Game's got jail. The hit-making rappper has been sentenced to two months in an L.A. lockup after pleading no contest Monday to whipping out a gun during a schoolyard pickup basketball...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:55 pm

Kushner CFO Pleads Guilty

Marci Plotkin, the former chief financial officer for New Jersey real-estate developer Charles Kushner, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, the New Jersey Star-Ledger is reporting. Plotkin, who was indicted three years ago on charges of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction of justice involving the preparation of tax returns, wrote off millions of dollars' worth of gifts, entertainments expenses, and political contributions while working for Kushner and now faces two years in prison. The trial of Kushner's brother-in-law and associate Richard Stadtmauer is set to begin later this week. Kushner, the father of New York Observer owner Jared Kushner, pleaded guilty to witness retaliation and tax and campaign violations in back in 2004, after which he served less than two years in prison.

Former Kushner CFO admits guilt in scheme [New Jersey Star-Ledger]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:35 pm

Roy Scheider Dead at 75

RIP Roy Scheider: Jaws star Roy Scheider died yesterday in Little Rock, Arkansas. No cause of death has yet been given. [AP]

Dolly Parton's Breasts Both a Blessing and a Curse: This morning, Dolly Parton credited her breasts for her success. This afternoon, though, she cited those very same breasts as the cause of a back injury that's forcing her to postpone her upcoming tour. [The Sun, Reuters]

Radiohead to Get Unnecessary Best Of: EMI, Radiohead's former record label, are compiling the band's singles for a greatest-hits album, which will consist of all the songs you already have on your iPod, just in a slightly different order. [NME]

Daltrey, Townshend Consider Embarrassing Themselves: The two still-living members of the Who are exploring the possibility of recording a new album following the runaway nonsuccess of 2006's Wire and Glass, which was their first album in 24 years. [Billboard]

Dr. Parnassus Looking Totally Parnassus-y: In what's likely a bid to convince us that the movie's still actually happening, someone has posted a new picture on the official Website for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It's pretty much what you'd expect. [Official site via /Film]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:25 pm

Stars With Barbara Walters on Oscar Night

Oscar nominee Ellen Page, plus Harrison Ford, Vanessa Williams and Miley Cyrus.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:08 pm

A Harbinger of Things to Come? Hedge Funds Increase Share in ‘NYT’

Avast! According to documents filed with the SEC, Firebrand Partners and Harbinger Capital Partners, the hedge funds seeking to put their nominees on the board of the New York Times, have increased their stake in the paper to 9.8 percent. (It was previously reported they owned 4.9 percent). We're no good at math, but we'd say that there's a 90 percent chance that soon enough, Firebrand's vagilante founder Scott Galloway will be sitting on the board, breathing his fiery Johnny Walker breath all over Arthur Schlesinger and Times chief executive Janet Robinson.

Hedge Funds Lift Stake in New York Times [WSJ]
Earlier: Vagilante Shareholder Scott Galloway Takes on the ‘Times’

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:02 pm

Hollywood Glamour Hops the Pond

A-List actors flocked to the BAFTA awards in London.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:01 pm

ABC Reups Nine for '09

With the writers' strike effectively over, ABC is getting back into the show-making business. The Alphabet net announced Monday that nine fan--and advertiser--favorites would be returning...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:00 pm

Benazir Bhutto’s Argument for ‘Reconciliation’

Finished just weeks before her death, Benazir Bhutto’s book drives home just what a loss the world has suffered with her assassination. Here the Pakistani opposition leader smartly lays out the problem between Islam and the West, offering an agenda for change as well as giving us detailed insight into her volatile final months. It’s ill-guided policies, not the nature of Islam, she argues forcefully, that lead to the frustration that begets terrorism.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:00 pm

Matthew McConaughey (L) and Kate Hudson

Actors Matthew McConaughey (L) and Kate Hudson pose at the afterparty for the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures "Fool's Gold" at Boulevard 3 in January 2008 in Los Angeles, California. "Fool's Gold" took...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:54 pm

Kanye West Makes the Grammys Safe for Space-Helmeted Frenchmen

1. Kanye West feat. Daft Punk, "Stronger"
Last night, Kanye lost his third Album of the Year Grammy — but at least Daft Punk got to be on TV! [Asian Dan]

2. DJ Schmolli, "Funky Kommissar"
DJ Schmolli just released the least-asked-for album of all time (a record of Falco mash-ups) — and here's a track from it! [Culture Bully]

3. Molly Shannon, Molly Shannon, "Bianca Montale"
If you've ever dreamed of listening to Sunset Rubdown and Interpol at the same time, today just might be your lucky day. [Trash Menagerie]

4. Sean Garrett feat. Ludacris, "Grippin' on the Bed"
Sean Garrett is the latest producer to pick up a mike. We hope he puts it back down! [Mixtape Maestro]

5. What Made Milwaukee Famous, "Resistance St."
Presumably named for beer, fried cheese, or polka, What Made Milwaukee Famous are back with their second record. If they sound like Spoon, it's because Spoon's drummer produced some tracks. [Obscure Sound]
—Ehren Gresehover

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:45 pm

Gays Love All Over Posh at Hiro, But Michael Lucas Has a Complaint

Straight from the homo's mouth: Posh Spice, a.k.a. Victoria Beckham, made a surprise appearance at Hiro Ballroom last night, where the gays were congregated to celebrate their weekly dance party. Village Voice scribe Michael Musto today reports on his blog that she strutted to the stage amid a cacophony of cheering from the assembled crowd:

"I have never seen so many sexy men in one place," she gushed to the crowd, I guess never having been to hubby's locker room. "Thank you for supporting my entire career! I think I am a gay man in a woman's body — a very THIN woman, by the way. Have a lot to drink and dance. You are all totally major!" The gays cheered as if having witnessed a visitation from Mount Sinai, but one drunk barreled up to me to belch, "Tell her to go and get her fucking husband here!"

Bless the girl. She knows her fan base. (Meanwhile, we totally saw Baby and Scary Spices the previous night at Marquee for glam publicist Lauren Kucerak's birthday party. Apparently those two don't know that it isn't straight dudes from Long Island at Marquee who are buying tickets to their concerts.) But there's at least one influential New York homosexual who doesn't heart Posh. "I think I would commit suicide if I had her skin," porn star and activist Michael Lucas told New York at the Marc Jacobs show last Friday. "Her skin is yellow with big pores, each pore you could fit a big [piece of] caviar in. I don’t know why there's such a big to-do." Man, if that wasn't the gayest insult you've ever heard in your life, we don't know what is.

Posh Meets the Gays: Spice Spice Baby [VV]
For more dish and disses from the Marc Jacobs fete, click here.
Update: And we totally forgot Ginger Spice was at the opening of the new mega-club Mansion (in the old Crobar space - it's fab) on Friday night. Hello, after we left, there were no gays there either.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:22 pm

Inga Nielsen

Internationally renowned Danish soprano Inga Nielsen, seen here in 2005, has died of cancer in Copenhagen at the age of 61.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:16 pm

Wagner Moura

The blood-soaked drama "The Elite Squad" based on accounts of police brutality in Rio de Janeiro, starring Wagner Moura, seen here, had its foreign premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Monday after...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:13 pm

(L-R)Eduardo Constantini Jr., Marcos Prado, Wagner Moura, Jose Padilha and Maria Ribeiro

(L-R)Brazilian producers Eduardo Constantini Jr. and Marcos Prado, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, Brazilian director Jose Padilha and Brazilian actress Maria Ribeiro pose during a photocall for their movie...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:13 pm

Jose Padilha

Brazilian director Jose Padilha addresses the press about his blood-soaked drama based on accounts of police brutality in Rio de Janeiro as it premieres at the Berlin Film Festival after becoming an underground...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:13 pm

Artist Frank Webster Paints the Much-Fabled Ugly Tree

We found Frank Webster's desolate postindustrial Americana — muted tones (for the most part), no people, nondescript city blocks, factories, and interstates — to be pretty appropriate for a day like today. Dead Tree seems to be just about as chilly as the rest of us, though the looming red in the distance (presumably a sunset) is a nice reminder of a pending spring. Webster's solo show is up at the Bespoke Gallery through March 1. —Rachel Wolff

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 9:00 pm

Scruffy Men Surprise and Dresses Look Like Shower Curtains at the Grammys

The Grammys were a snoozer artistically (for more on that, see Vulture) and so, sadly, were the outfits. We thought music award shows were a time for celebs to wear all that stuff they're not supposed to wear! Is it too much to ask for a nipple pasty here and there? Or a 17-year-old to unveil her "I'm bad" phase with fresh piercings and beeswaxed hair? Apparently, it is. Instead we got a couple of great outfits, a few terrible ones, and a lot that fell somewhere in between. Of those, way too many (i.e. Beyoncé's) looked like shower curtains. Nevertheless, here are our awards for Grammys fashion:

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 8:52 pm

A teen film about the real thing

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 8:41 pm

Are You One of the 3,219 Americans Who Paid to See ‘The Hottie and the Nottie’ This Weekend?

This weekend, Paris Hilton's future Oscar winner, The Hottie and the Nottie, set a new standard for box-office failure, earning an estimated $25,500 in total box office at 111 theaters, for a jaw-dropping per-screen average of $230. /film figures that at an average ticket price of $8, that means that 29 people made it to each theater playing the movie this weekend, and a total of 3,219 people paid to see it nationwide.

Are you one of those people? What was it like? Did your friends choose the movie, or was it your fault? Did you attend ironically or unironically? Are you in the hospital now as a result of your experience? Let us know in the comments!

Box Office: Fool’s Gold with $9.4M Saturday; Roscoe Jenkins Surges [/film]
Earlier: Prediction: ‘The Hottie and the Nottie’ Will Receive One Oscar Nomination

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 8:30 pm

The Army Occupies East 103rd Street; Residents Displeased

East Harlem: There's outrage over a new Army recruiting center on East 103rd Street, on the heels of Army promo teams here this summer that included gals in camo midriffs and short shorts. [NY Latino Journal]
Jackson Heights: Starbucks is here! Gentrification officially begins! [Curbed]
Northwest Bronx: So many parks are being repaired here that there's no place for the massive youth baseball league to play this spring! [Norwood News]

Prospect Heights: After cops recently stopped a videographer from shooting the Atlantic Yards development, a bunch of shutterbugs snapped there this weekend to assert their right to shoot on public property. [Dope on the Slope]
Ridgewood: Wake up, you sleepy hood, the Poles are a-comin' from Greenpoint and the hipsters are a-comin' from Bushwick! [NYO]
Times Square: Fazil's Times Square Studio, the legendary, ramshackle dance-rehearsal space linked to everyone from Judy Garland to Savion Glover, has finally closed. [NYT]
West Village: Putting a Cirque du Soleil on old Pier 40 may be the only way to finance its massive repairs, parks officials signaled at a heated community meeting recently. [Villager]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 8:30 pm

Video: Undercover Braids at Carmen Marc Valvo

How do you get your hair to look like the models at Carmen Marc Valvo? It’s complicated — you’ll definitely need another set of hands (or two). New York’s beauty and market editor Aja Mangum took our cameras backstage to learn the secret from stylist Odile Gilbert. Watch the video and practice at home.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 8:03 pm

‘The Wire’: Can You Really Wiretap a Reporter's Phone?

In last night's episode of The Wire, McNulty and State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman went to Judge Phelan asking for a wiretap of reporter Scott Templeton's phone. The judge eventually refused the request, telling McNulty that he needed more evidence that the (imaginary) serial killer was using multiple phones to make (imaginary) phone calls to the reporter. But given recent controversies about government surveillance, and reporters' rights, we got to wondering: Could the government wiretap our phone? After all, Phelan doesn't exactly shoot down the debate on constitutional grounds: "Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel," he tells McNulty. David Simon famously knows what he's talking about (except on the meaning of the word "evacuate"), so is he right on this one?

Maybe so! There isn't a huge amount of precedent, but in 1986, a Circuit Court of Appeals judge named Antonin Scalia threw out a case in which New York Times reporter Hedrick Smith sued the federal government for tapping his phone during the Nixon administration; the court ruled that the government's national-security justification made the tapping legal. On the other hand, it's hard to argue that a (imaginary!) serial killer is a threat to national security. And wiretaps are traditionally directed at targets of investigations, not third parties, so maybe the government would need to make a higher showing to invade the privacy rights of someone not under investigation — especially if that wiretap could invade a privileged relationship, such as (thanks to Maryland's reporter shield law) journalist-source.

In short: Case law is unclear, but we bet the government would definitely try, and we bet Phelan will, in the end, grant McNulty's request. (Which he is only making to tap other Marlo Stanfield–related phones, of course.) We look forward to the government tapping our phone, and some hapless bureaucrat being forced to transcribe numberless conversations between us and publicists who have never read our blog that all end, "Can you just send me an e-mail?"

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 7:45 pm

Jason F. Is Called ‘Douche’ by His Friends

We admit it. We read Portfolio's story on Outsourcing Valentine's Day twice before we realized it was written by the comedian Andy Borowitz and therefore, totally fake. Yes, we're gullible. But aren't magazines supposed to put disclaimers on this stuff nowadays? Especially when they have paragraphs such as this?

Jason F., a risk arbitrageur whose friends call him “Douche” relates a cautionary tale. “My assistant spent weeks researching the perfect gift for my girlfriend and chose a Givenchy handbag that matched her eye color. But as soon as my girlfriend unwrapped it, she smelled a rat — so much thought had gone into it, she knew that I couldn’t have been involved.”

Okay, a Givenchy handbag that matched her eye color — that, we don't buy. But a hedge-fund guy named Jason F. whose friends call him "Douche"? That sounds completely plausible. In fact, we bet that some of you readers know guys named Jason F that are — or should be — called "Douche." Submit their names in comments below.

Outsource Valentine's Day [Portfolio]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 7:45 pm

Meet the Newly Single Barkers

Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler are officially single again. The ex-couple, whose wedded life was once chronicled in the MTV series "Meet the Barkers," were divorced earlier this...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 11 Feb 2008 | 7:19 pm

Triumph: Worst-Ever Awards Show Scores Better Than Worst-Ever Ratings

Defying our stern warnings, an astounding 17.5 million masochistic viewers tuned into the Grammys, making it only the third-lowest-rated show in the awards' history. A triumph by all measures, especially since last night's show was so bad it nearly made our DVR puke. The worst-watched ceremony ever was 2006's, at which Paul McCartney played a mashed-up version of "Yesterday" with Jay-Z and Linkin Park. Even that would have been preferable to Will.I.Am singing "Mack the Knife."

Grammys a Ho-Hum Affair for TV Viewers [AP]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 7:06 pm

The Multi-Orgasmic Woman Test-driving a Potential New Boyfriend

Once a week, Daily Intel takes a peek at what your friends and neighbors are doing behind doors left slightly ajar. Today, the Multi-Orgasmic Woman Test-driving a Potential New Boyfriend: 23, female, Greenwich Village, straight.

DAY ONE
5 a.m.: Suffering from insomnia, horny. Contemplate how I’ve been single for over a year after an intense three-year relationship, burnt out on casual/drunk/let’s-just-be-fuck-buddies sex. Realize Potential New Boyfriend is just finishing his shift at Über-trendy restaurant. Send booty-call text.
6 a.m.: Potential BF arrives smelling like truffle oil. He suggests he shower, I respond by yanking him on top of me. He tastes like red wine. Excellent sex ensues.

8 a.m.: Potential BF snoring in my bed. Still awake, less horny. Go to gym, run four miles, return, shower, wake the boy. Missionary-style sex again before dashing to the office. Love that we can watch ourselves in my well-placed wall mirror.
11:42 a.m.: Discreetly sniff arm repeatedly during conference call. Can smell him on me. Feel deliciously naughty.
10 p.m.: Contemplate masturbating, pass out before I can summon the strength to find my vibrator.

DAY TWO
1:30 p.m.: My old friend Dave IMs me to say he has broken up with his live-in girlfriend of two years. I immediately compile a mental list of single girlfriends willing to engage in casual sex.
2:39 p.m.: Mutual friend on IM discloses that Dave also has a history with men.
3 p.m.: Grill Dave via IM on his sexual preferences. Indeed, he’s a two-way street. Try to block the screen with my body, so my boss does not see the conversation.

DAY THREE
8 p.m.: Attend swanky art party with Potential BF. Many hot men, feel smothered by his excessive attention. Alternate between feeling irritated and guilty.
10:47 p.m.: Post-party drinks at local bar. Run into my ex’s recently married best friend. Asks how I’ve been while staring directly at my tits. Feel vaguely disgusted, but secretly hope he reports back to the ex that my tits look good.
Midnight: Skip the nightcap in favor of bed with Potential BF. How is it possible he’s figured out my body so quickly? Orgasm twice: Once with me on top, and impressively again with me on the bottom. Doze off while spooning. Awake an hour later and shove him to his side of the bed. The man has no concept of personal sleeping space.

DAY FOUR
2:46 p.m.: Potential BF and I emerge from bedroom after hour-long sex. Love the fact that he doesn’t seem to need/want anal. Discover gay roommate has just stumbled home from a night with his “slam piece.” Get mad when he refuses to disclose details.
4:58 p.m.: Share French toast and berries with Potential BF at late brunch. Excessive kissing, hand tickling, deep eye gazing. Don’t give a damn who’s watching.
8:27 p.m.: Drinks with best friend at Stanton Social. Discuss vulvodynia (chronic vulval pain) and “feminine dryness.” Hope she does not hate me for having orgasms.

DAY FIVE
10:22 a.m.: Masturbate in bed. Rabbit Pearl (in purple) from Babeland, a gift from my ex-boyfriend. Wonder if the orgasms I give myself are better or just different than what I have with Potential BF.
3:15 p.m.: Brother calls from Christian college. Says he’s in love but he and the girl haven’t kissed yet because “they’re saving themselves.” Decide I’m probably going to hell, resent parents for burdening my soul with Catholic guilt.
5:48 p.m.: Ex-boyfriend from five years past calls. Is leaving the country for six months, says he’s in love with me. Freak out. Rationalize the practicality of this with him for an hour. Get turned on when he reminds me of “that time in my dad’s garage.”
6:48 p.m.: Vent to best friend, agree to refrain from taking his calls. Fall asleep remembering the way he could flip me across the bed with one hand. Hot.

DAY SIX
10 a.m.: Chat with co-worker about possibility of serious relationships at such a young age. Refuse to admit I’m dating the Potential BF, retorting, “We spend quality time together.”
11:17 a.m.: Momentarily panic when I realize I’m two hours late starting new pack of birth control. Rummage through purse to find crumpled prescription bag from week before. Inside: pill pack, a $20 bill, and a note, “This month’s on me. Love, [Potential BF].” Holy shit. The man just paid for my birth control. Let me repeat that: Holy shit. The man just paid for my birth control.
11:31 p.m.: Potential BF texts asking if he can come over after work. YES. YES. YES.

DAY SEVEN
8:30 a.m.: Leave Potential BF sleeping in my bed as I head to office. Take journal with me to prevent potential snooping.
Noon: Sprint home at lunch break to wake Potential BF, enjoy quickie, me on top. We both cum at the same time. Loudly. I love this man. Mental anxiety attack when I realize I almost said this out loud.
10:33 p.m.: Catch roomie sneaking out the door “for a walk to get ice cream.” Refuse to believe the shit-eating grin on his face has anything to do with cow’s milk.

Total: Five acts of intercourse with Potential BF; one act of masturbation; one run-in with ex’s best friend while looking conveniently hot; one surprise gift of birth control pills from Potential BF; 1 surprise confession of love from former boyfriend, promptly ignored.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 7:00 pm

'Jaws' actor Roy Scheider dies at 75

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:53 pm

McCartneys back in divorce courts

Paul McCartney and his estranged wife, Heather Mills, return to a London court Monday for the second round of their high-profile divorce.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:49 pm

‘Friday Night Lights’: Season Ends, for Now, Mid–Cycle of Life

The Friday Night Lights writers like to keep the narratives cycles as tight as Tyra’s gym shorts. So in this, the final show of the season (for now), when Smash was trying to sort out his football future — exploring ridiculous options like arena football and begging the recruiter at Alabama to give him a second chance — it looked like a process that could naturally extend over a couple of episodes, at a minimum. Instead, it was suddenly over when Smash went with Coach Taylor to visit Whitmore College, a black school quite far below Smash’s view of his rightful place in life. But the coach there — an older black man with a gray beard, which is to say, pop culture’s leading signifier of wisdom — turned out to be, yes, a wise old man, and after mere seconds of reflection, before he’d even left the practice field, Smash gave his oral commitment to accept a scholarship at Whitmore.

This doesn’t mean the story line is over, of course. In fact, it sets up an obvious reversal: The Alabama recruiter comes back into the picture, possibly because Smash has made a spectacular return to the playing field or maybe just because their other recruit blows out his knee, and Smash is forced into a character-defining dilemma — to stand by his commitment to Graybeard or go for glory with the Crimson Tide. In the real world of high-stakes recruiting, it would be the Tide all the way, but on FNL, Smash might have to make the honorable choice.

Another big choice looming in the near distance is the one to be made by the waitress with whom Jason had a one-night stand. She turned up at Buddy’s car dealership, where Jason now works as a salesman, to announce that she’s pregnant. Jason is thrilled, as he thought his spinal injury left him sterile, but she doesn’t want to have the baby because they’re both just 19 (even if both actors look closer to 40 than 20) and because, well, he’s in a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, one story line that has become loose and baggy is Riggins’s pursuit of Lyla — he just keeps acting like the same jerk over and over again, showing up at her church, hosting a show at the same radio station where she does hers. Hasn’t he been reading his Neil Strauss? The worst of it is that one way or another, Lyla has to come back to him, because if she doesn’t, what the hell have we been wasting all this time for? And now it seems she’ll be back for the dirtiest, lowliest, most animalistic reason — because she needs to get laid. Her beloved Christian dude pulled out of their hot embrace this week, just when things were getting interesting, and man, you could tell that Lyla was fighting with her faith not to rip off all her clothes and demand action.

Finally, FNL’s executive producer Peter Berg appeared in a cameo role, as Tami’s old high-school boyfriend wearing a black cowboy hat. Hmm, what they were trying to tell us? After much annoying behavior and few too many whiskeys, he ends up accusing Coach of unfairly stealing her away from him all those many years ago, and then the two men took to good old-fashioned brawling. In a season of generally strong story lines within the Taylor household, this was generic bullshit, and Berg, though a good actor, could do nothing interesting with what was essentially a crap part.

Oh, and this week, girls' volleyball was nowhere to seen, and there was — can you believe it? — a football game. Matt even did his pal Landry a solid by getting him a score in garbage time to impress Tyra. This is their few minutes of bliss before Landry gets run over by love again. —Hugo Lindgren

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:45 pm

Karlie Kloss Is Fashion Week’s Top Model

All Fashion Week we’ve pitted the bright-eyed rookies against the familiar runway beauties to determine the Model of the Week. Once again, our complex algorithm took into account the number of each model’s openings and closings at big shows as well as a general buzz factor in the tents.

1. Karlie Kloss Kloss clomped down 30 runways this week, including 3.1 phillip lim, Vera Wang, and Narciso Rodriguez. While Tyra Banks may be mocking her walk, designers are loving it. She closed Marc by Marc Jacobs, opened Carolina Herrera, and scored both spots at Doo.Ri.

2. Jourdan Dunn won the conspicuous honor of being one of the few diverse models in an otherwise very white season. The London-born model walked twenty shows, including Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Zac Posen, and Proenza Schouler. Though she didn’t open or close any catwalks, Dunn did buck an unsettling trend of paler and paler models. Let’s hope more designers catch on.

3. Ali Stephens Yes, we know Stephens appeared in only one show, but that was her good call. For her first New York Fashion Week booking, she declined over 30 offers to instead open Calvin Klein. Avoiding overexposure, this chocolate-cake-eating, MTV-watching eleventh-grader has us eager for more of her long-legged walk in London.

4. Irina Kulikova Last year’s button-nosed winner couldn’t hold her No. 1 spot this time around. But it’s not for lack of trying — she walked in 22 shows. The pale Russian’s highlights this week were opening Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan and closing Peter Som and Proenza Schouler.

5. Abbey Lee Walking in 29 shows would be a triumph for any girl. However, Lee turned even more heads debuting in New York with a pierced nose and nipple and a Lauren Hutton–esque gap tooth. The 20-year-old Australian racked up spots at Oscar de la Renta, Halston, and in her week’s shining moment, closed Rodarte. Model fanatics may just have found their irreverent beauty icon in the otherwise rather timid, tepid, and teenage-catwalker climate.

6. Olga Sherer While her flame-colored hair caught attention all week long, Sherer’s boldest move was closing Ralph Lauren. As Lauren usually saves that spot for campaign girls, we have to wonder if an advertising contract is on the way. If not, she’ll surely be seeing some action from one of the other 25 designers she walked for.

7. Suvi Koponen Koponen received a little model-to-model blessing early in the week, scoring the last spot at Alexander Wang, a show styled by Erin Wasson. She went on the walk in 23 more, including opening Carolina Herrera, closing DKNY, and doing both honors at Hervé Léger.

8. Heidi Mount In a week when most of America was only focused on one blonde Heidi (Klum and her Project Runway finale), the sleepy-eyed Mount managed to make us notice another. Of the 24 runways she sashayed down, she opened three (Rodarte, Nicole Miller, Ohne Titel) and closed one (Costello Tagliapietra). Mount’s our second Salt Lake City native (after Ali Stephens) on the list, and we’re starting to be thankful we didn’t spend our awkward high-school years in Utah.

9. Anabela Belikova Opening Marc by Marc Jacobs nearly secured her a spot on the list by itself, but closing Preen and Richard Chai cemented her placement. After a grueling twenty-show week, we were shocked to see the Russian still smiling into the weekend.

10. Magdalena Frackowiak Frackowiak was on our Models to Watch list this year, and, after hitting seventeen shows (including Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs), we expect to keep seeing her. This Polish model opened Thakoon and Tommy Hilfiger and closed Malo and J. Mendel, boosting her momentum as she heads to European castings.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:44 pm

Roy Scheider, of 'Jaws' Fame, Dies at 75

Star of 'The French Connection,' 'All That Jazz' and of course 'Jaws.'
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:26 pm

Union Rat Invades Gramercy Park, Emerges Victorious

After two weeks of unsightly picketing and the (even more unwelcome) presence of a giant inflatable union rat in genteel Gramercy Park, Local 6 of Unite Here and the Players Club reached an agreement Friday afternoon. It reinstates sixteen union members from the club's restaurant and bar operations who were fired as a cost-cutting measure. John Turchiano, a union spokesman, said the terminated union members return to work today with back pay. "They got everything they wanted, and now we will sit down with management and try out to work out any financial difficulty now that they're abiding by an arbiter's ruling," he said, referring to an arbiter's January 15 ruling ordering the Players Club to reinstate the terminated employees with back pay.

The agreement staved off a scheduled picket (with the rat) outside a Saturday-afternoon wedding at the Players Club. The celebration was to be catered by Elegant Affairs, the Long Island company whose non-union workers replaced the terminated union members in August. Turchiano said the signed agreement ends a six-month stalemate with the club. It also scraps the club's lawsuit filed in January protesting an arbiter's ruling in January. He attributed the agreement to "the picketing, the rat and the concern of dues paying members of the Players Club." —Mary Reinholz

Earlier: The Union Rat Descends Upon Gramercy Park

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:15 pm

Morris Day's Been Watching You, Rihanna, and He Thinks He Wants to Know Ya (Know Ya)

"I think she's a sexy young lady. I have kids as old as her … But I enjoyed it. That did not stop me from noticing." —Morris Day on his Grammy co-star Rihanna [MTV]

"We were trying to work in 'cash' as the rally cry for the seventh episode, but they might have cut it out." —Skeet Ulrich, who's hoping that Jericho fans will send money instead of peanuts this time around [LAT]

"I think there will be a lot of people getting liquored up before they go back to work." —Tina Fey on the WGA East awards ceremony [LAT]

"Whatever sign he is, he's supposed to be compatible with my sign. That's just bizarre to me. That he fits with what I'm compatible with. I kind of threw astrology through the window on that one." —Paula Abdul on Simon Cowell [LAT]

"Yo, stop stopping me in the street, asking me why I did that to Joe. It's a television show, man!" —Method Man on getting flack in the streets for the way his character acts on The Wire [MTV]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 6:00 pm

Grammys Load Up on Winehouse, Not Viewers

Amy Winehouse couldn't be at the Grammys in person. And neither could about 3 million viewers from last year. Sunday's 50th anniversary show, featuring big wins for the in-abstentia...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:54 pm

And the winner is ... Herbie Hancock?

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:51 pm

Winehouse Dominates Grammys From Afar

Amy Winehouse Grabs 5 Grammys, but Loses Album of the Year to Herbie Hancock in a Shocker
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:35 pm

Meet Microsoft's ‘Gatekeeper of Funding’

FINANCE
• Now that Yahoo rejected Microsoft's $44.6 billion bid, it's up to Microsoft's self-described "gatekeeper of funding" Christopher P. Liddell to plot the company's next chess move. [DealBook/NYT]
• Fearful that 90 percent of TheStreet.com's franchise revolves around Jim Cramer, today the finance-driven Website launched Mainstreet.com, which will revolve around celebrities and personal finance. You think Britney's psychological drama is intense? Wait until you hear about her bond portfolio. [NYP]
• France's rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel might have had an accomplice. How did police find out? By sifting through 2,000 pages of instant-message traffic. Bet that was a gr8 time. [NYT]

MEDIA
• Oh it's on! Wall Street Journal managing editor Marcus Brauchli compares his broadsheet to the New York Times: "Mr. Murdoch has said publicly that we will compete against the New York Times, the Financial Times and other general-interest newspapers. In the news department here, we believe there is no reason that people should have to go to another news source beyond the Journal to find news of consequence to them in any sphere — politics, economics, even culture and the arts." [NYT]
• Did anybody else notice that Ed Kroft asked Barack Obama about serious policy issues on 60 Minutes, and Katie Couric only asked Hillary Clinton about how she "felt"? [Mixed Media/Portfolio]
• Meanwhile, Obama won a Grammy. And more important, he beat Bill Clinton to do it. [Billboard]

LAW
• Roger Clemens's lawyer is under scrutiny for saying if IRS special agent Jeff Novitzky "ever messes with Roger, Roger will eat his lunch." Now, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman, Representative Henry Waxman, is saying this could be interpreted as trying to intimidate federal law-enforcement official. Let's get real: Novitzky should only be concerned if he has Oreos packed in his lunchbox. [ESPN]
• The New York Court of Appeals ruled that there is no longer a six-month limit on the amount of time people can claim they have been under duress while worrying that they have AIDS. [Law.com]
• The government might have prevented Amy Winehouse from entering the United States, but that didn't prevent her from scoring big at the Grammys. CNN]

FASHION
Sadly, we will no longer be running fashion links in Company Town. For your full fix of news, gossip, and pictures, just hop on over to our newly permanent fashion blog: The Cut.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:30 pm

‘The L Word’: Hey Kit, Where You Going With That Gun in Your Hand?

In a triumvirate of awful ideas, Lez Girls begins filming on the streets of L.A. with Jennifer Schecter in the director's chair (and her star's pants); Shane antagonizes Dawn, the demonic co-owner of Planet rival SheBar; and Cybill Shepherd's mid-gay-crisis story line has reappeared with university administrator Phyllis Kroll's return. Jenny's assistant, Adele, starts going Single White Female on her, and nobody is as disturbed as Max, who caught Adele's creepy vibe early — if this is the show's attempt to illustrate how transgender folks are silenced by society, it's working: Nobody listens to a damn thing this dude says.

Hookups
Tina and Bette get it on not once, but twice. First, Tina drops by Bette's house a few hours before she's due to pick up daughter Angelica and the two have “shit, I left the chicken stir-fry on the stove — oh, fuck it” sex. Later, the two meet at a party, return to Tina's house, and remind us all why straight men enjoy this show as Feist plays in the background.

When Lez Girls star Nikki Stevens fails to perform on set (and acts as bratty as the girl she's portraying, Ms. Schecter), Jenny goes to Nikki's trailer to investigate and thanks to a live mike, they wind up broadcasting their hookup to everyone with a pair of earphones. Yes, Jenny is such a narcissistic character that she is literally fucking herself. Heavy-handed, folks.

Processing
Phyllis's daughter shows up at the inopportune moment when the elder Kroll is about to get topless on a diving board at a party (The Last Picture Show, anyone?). The concerned mother implores Jodi and Bette to demonstrate how stable a professional lesbian couple can be. Meanwhile, Jodi offers to resign in the wake of one of her students' controversial performance pieces, completely unaware that preserving her relationship with Bette may soon be pointless.

After the Planet gets condemned for a rat infestation that's almost certainly the handiwork of the SheBar biatches, there's a seeming non sequitur of a scene where Kit fires off a handgun at a shooting range. Expect this weapon to actually do some damage in Act IV (i.e., two episodes from now). Heavy-handed, folks.

Tasha leaves a distraught Alice so she can focus on her “don't ask, don't tell” defense far away from someone who's primary job is podcasting a show called "Alice in Lesboland."

There's a host of references to the film industry as the show seems to be relishing its opportunity to get all Inside Baseball on the set of Lez Girls. Jenny bitches and moans about the prospect of having Vancouver masquerade as Los Angeles as the location of her film (when, ha-ha, The L Word films in Vancouver); we all get to see how wacky film financiers can be when William arrives on set and applauds Jenny for fucking the star to keep her happy. Tune in next week when said star goes Turkish oil wrestling! Could this show be any more realistic? —Chelsea Brady

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:30 pm

Cindy Adams Knows About Foxy Lettuce

There's much to love about Cindy Adams's gossip column in the Post, but arguably the most charming thing is the way in which it is infused with her personality. The column isn't even really about gossip, it's about Cindy: She writes about things that she likes (dogs) and things that she dislikes (profanity), things that happen to her and things that affect her personally. And as regular readers of her daily insane ramblings, we have come to feel a sense of familiarity with her life and doings. But what are we to make of this item at the bottom of her column today? "Whoever's missing that marijuana shipment, here's what happened to it," she begins.

A giant truck carrying Foxy lettuce from California pulled into a Stop & Shop in Norwalk, Conn. Nestled amongst the load, differing only in that its wrappings lacked the routine bar code, a 5-pound stash of what turned out to be not lettuce. Plant, yes; lettuce, no. Three similar trucks bound for New England Stop & Shops also carried this same kind of 5-pound bag. Authorities grabbed the truckers but, since they'd just backed their empty cabs up to the load and hooked on, they were released. Mary, Mary, quite contrary, wow does your garden grow!

We don't know about you, but when we read this, every single time we have picked up Cindy's column and said to ourselves, "What is this crazy lady talking about? What's with this sentence? Is she on something?" flashed before our eyes and we realized: "Whoever" is missing their pot shipment is Cindy. This explains everything. Also for our money "foxy lettuce" is the best euphemism for weed since "wacky tobacky."

Cindy Adams [NYP]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 5:00 pm

Amy Fisher: 'I Feel No Sympathy' for Mary Jo Buttafuoco

"Long Island Lolita" Amy Fisher says she feels "no sympathy" for Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the woman she shot as a teenager when she was sleeping with her husband — even though she still has the bullet in her brain.
Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Feb 2008 | 4:48 pm

Today's Sales: 60 Percent Off Marc by Marc Jacobs; 65 Percent off Prada and D&G Shoes

Clothes
Through 2/15: Tee Party striped cotton dresses, Issa London butterfly-print halter dresses, and Orla Kiely laminate shoulder bags are normally $108 to $700 at Barneys and Saks, but at the Showroom Seven sale, they’re $41 to $308. 498 Seventh Ave., nr. 36th St., 24th fl. (212-643-4810); A.E., M.C., V.; (9–7).

Through 2/17: Spring Flowers' sweet, European kid's clothes (size 3 months to 12 years) are up to 70 percent off. 538 Madison Ave., nr. 54th St. (212-207-4606) and 1050 Third Ave., at 62nd St. (212-758-2669); Mon.–Sat. (10–6).

Through 2/20: Clothes and accessories from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Hanii Y, and Milly are $50 to $200 at Diane T; that’s 30 to 60 percent off. 174 Court St., nr. Bergen St., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-923-5777); A.E., M.C., V.; Tues.–Fri. (11–7:30); Sat. (11–6:30); Sun. (1–5:30).

Shoes
Through 2/24: Chuckies’ drool-worthy shoes from Marni, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada are 65 percent off. Christian Dior black stiletto booties with mink trim were $1,150 but are now just over $400. 1073 Third Ave., nr. 63rd St. (212-593-9898); A.E., M.C., V.; Mon.–Thurs. (10:45–7:45); Fri. (10–7); Sat. (10:45–7:30); Sun. (12:30–7).

Home
Through 2/24: Armani Casa’s sleek breakfast trays (the Susana is now $174), armchairs (the Rimbaud floor sample is now $3,480), and stools (the Oscar is now $1,000) are 20 to 65 percent off. 97 Greene St., nr. Prince St. (212-334-1271); Tues.–Sat. (11–7); Sun. (noon–6); Monday by appointment.

Through 2/24: ABC Carpet & Home’s Manhattan location is celebrating the Chinese New Year by reducing prices on vintage Chinese Art Deco (a green floral rug is now $4,999) and antique Peking rugs. 888 Broadway, at 19th St. (212-473-3000); A.E., M.C., V.; Mon.–Fri. (10–8); Sat. (10–7); Sun. (11–6:30).

For more listings, read our Sales & Bargains page.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 4:42 pm

Pundits Size Up Obama and the Sweet Magic of Momentum

Even if Obama’s victories in this past weekend’s primaries and caucuses did nothing to clarify the delegate count (either he’s up, or down, or they’re tied — nobody knows for certain), he certainly now has that treasured “momentum” going for him. Obama’s wins in Nebraska, Washington, Maine, and Louisiana weren’t even close. And in the Virgin Islands, he won the popular vote 92 percent to 8 percent (as the old saying goes, “As the Virgin Islands go, so goes the nation”). It looks likely as well that he’ll sweep the Potomac Primary tomorrow and Hawaii and Wisconsin on February 19. Obama even won a Grammy last night — over Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is shaking up her campaign staff. So, are the super-delegates still headed to that smoke-filled room?

• William Kristol thinks Obama’s momentum will carry him to victory in Ohio and Texas, Clinton’s supposed “firewall” states. [The NYT]

• Arnon Mishkin writes that Obama needs to overcome voters’ apprehensions about change and race to win in two out of three remaining big states (Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania). [Real Clear Politics]

• Noam Scheiber wonders whether Clinton is impervious to Obama’s momentum, since voters seem to rally to her every time she’s about to lose. [Stump/New Republic]

• Greg Sargent questions whether Clinton’s coalition of women, Latinos, working-class voters, and the elderly will still be on her side in March after a month without a victory. [Talking Points Memo]

• Greg Giroux and Bob Benenson write that Clinton is looking ahead to the Texas and Ohio primaries but that her campaign shake-up demonstrated a recognition of the failed strategy of de-emphasizing small caucus states in favor of populous primary states. [CQ Politics]

• Michael Tomasky says that if Obama can make inroads into Clinton’s support with working-class whites, he can win. But he wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t happen. [Guardian]

• Walter Shapiro sorts through some endgame possibilities and fantasizes that it all comes down to one undecided super-delegate, Bill Clinton. [Salon] —Dan Amira

For a complete guide to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — from First Love to Most Embarrassing Gaffe — read the 2008 Electopedia.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 11 Feb 2008 | 4:30 pm

Report: Gang Members Infiltrating Britney Paparazzi

The paparazzi who follow Britney Spears have been infiltrated by members of the Los Angeles gangs the Crips and the Bloods, the New York Daily News reports.
Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Feb 2008 | 4:16 pm

Pop Tarts: Lindsay Lohan Back in the Habit

Lindsay Lohan returns to the party scene, making an appearance at Clive Davis' legendary Grammy party.
Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Feb 2008 | 3:54 pm

Get in Bed With Thom Browne

Were you cold sleeping last night? Are your pockets deep? If so, consider getting in bed with Thom Browne. The designer is looking for a financial partner, according to WWD. He's not saving money on his fashion shows, nor would we want him to. After all, as Amy Larocca put it, "they are the only shows we've ever been to in which the audience frequently laughs out loud." Browne's spring/summer '08 show featured lifeguards and palm trees, and his fall '08 line, as Cathy Horyn wrote, "offered the long-awaited thrill of seeing two men share the same trouser leg." WWD takes care to note that Browne isn't acting out of financial desperation (Browne also designs the Black Fleece capsule collection of men's and women's clothes for Brooks Brothers, and his signature collection is sold at Bergdorf Goodman). Nevertheless, cold, wealthy folk looking for something original to put their money into could do a lot worse.

Thom Browne said 'Open' to Financial Partnership [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 3:30 pm

The Fug Girls Present Their Biannual Fashion Week Awards for the Fourth Time

Just when we thought Fashion Week held no more surprises, we discovered that, as usual, we were wrong. After all, if sharing air space with K-Fed, J.Lo, and Liza Minnelli (L.Mi?) wasn't enough to shake us out of our jaded, hard-hearted cynicism for a moment, nothing is. And though the last eight days were often exhausting and occasionally eye-crossing, they were also, as ever, tremendously fun. Here are a few highlights:

Weirdest Musical Statement. Part of the soundtrack at Hervé Léger was the music from Rosemary's Baby. Because what's more comfortable than a skintight bandage dress when you're gestating Satan's baby?

Best Show of Support for an Ex. We hoped against hope that Jennifer Lopez would arrive to watch the Sean John show, thereby wrapping up this category and giving us heady flashbacks to the days when she was crazy-trashy. Alas, Mrs. Lopez Noa Judd Anthony did not show, meaning the title officially goes to Lance Armstrong and Tory Burch for their incredibly awkward pas de deux of noticing yet avoiding each other at her presentation.

Most Unexpected Trend. Shows starting on time. Oscar de la Renta, Thakoon, and Jonathan Saunders all got going promptly, leaving many an editor, a reporter, and a Fugger standing around cursing. Heck, even Marc Jacobs kicked off only twenty minutes late. That's the equivalent of anyone else showing a day early.

Most Welcome Trend. In a season where we saw several models so skinny we thought they might shatter, it was heartening that so many healthy-looking starlets — Sophia Bush, Mandy Moore, an unexpectedly bootylicious Minka Kelly — flew the flag for curvy girls by looking fabulous in just about everything, no matter how tight. Thank you, ladies.

Rumor We Plan to Start. After Proenza Schouler, we passed by Brooke Shields while she was giving an interview that seemed to be about maternitywear — how it often seems to sacrifice fabrics and/or fashion for comfort. Does this mean she might jump into clothing design herself? Each outfit could come with its own packet on postpartum depression as a special little up-yours to Tom Cruise.

Rumor We May Have Correctly Started. After seeing Teen Vogue's Lisa Love — better known as L.C. and Whitney's onetime boss on The Hills — at Y-3 with Vincent Gallo, we swore they looked cozy enough to be dating. We've since learned Love just shot a film with Gallo, so it almost certainly was her holding hands with Mr. Brown Bunny. If only it had happened in time for him to terrorize the girls with a Hills cameo.

Rumor We Are Too Lazy to Substantiate. It's old news that celebrities are sometimes paid to attend shows — shocking! — but for the first time we heard rumblings of a dollar amount. Word had it that Hervé Léger's happy starlets each pocketed as much as $20,000 for the right to wrap themselves in a bandage dress, hold their breath for an hour, and watch the clothes come down the runway. Nice work if you can get it. And frankly, thank God they do, or else we'd be out of a job.

Best-Dressed PR Girls. While most of the PR girls we've dealt with this week have been lovely to us personally, the girls at Michael Kors were also lovely externally, being unusually well dressed this year. We don't know if he's giving them a dress allowance or what, but they all looked mad chic.

Worst Show Etiquette. This field is full of strong contenders — we seem to see more brazen seat-snatching and gift-bag-stealing every season. But we have to hand it to the man we sat next to at Ports 1961, who actually took a cell phone call during the show and had a rather detailed conversation before saying, “Hey, can I call you back? I'm kind of busy right now.”

Worst Pre- or Postshow Etiquette. Does no one hold doors anymore? More than once we witnessed legendary Daily Telegraph fashion director Hilary Alexander — who limped around on a cane this week — get shoved aside or jostled backward. We held a door for her at the tents one afternoon, and she thanked us kindly while grumping that everyone else was being totally douchey. Albeit not in those exact words. We suggested she start beating them with her cane, so watch out.

Most Overlooked Celebrity. About fifteen minutes before Karen Walker’s show began, we noticed a guy who looked shockingly like Justin Theroux in a fedora and dark shades being escorted inside. Once we shook off our alarm at the plumber’s crack that was visible when he took his front-row seat, our certainty increased, as did our surprise that absolutely nobody came over to take Theroux's picture. We are loath to acknowledge Cory Kennedy even exists, but there she was, getting fawned over by the Japanese media while a dude who has actual talent — and gets paid to use it — sat ignored to her right. If not fully a sign of the apocalypse, it might at least be an omen that it’s going to rain really hard.

Most Succinct Commentary. While pointing down to the front row at Max Azria, the girl in front of us hissed to her friend, “See that beautiful blonde girl? She never changes her sheets, and she has an eating disorder.”

Most Cutting Commentary. Upon seeing Fergie drift toward her Max Azria seat in huge sunglasses, despite the darkened room, one girl sneered, “Covering up her meth face. Why else would she be wearing those?”

Cutest Proof That the Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree. At Calvin Klein, we spotted photographer Gilles Bensimon sitting next to an adorable little girl in a school uniform, whom we assume is one of his daughters, because she too was holding a camera. We squealed.

Best Realization We Were Wrong. At Marchesa, we saw designer Keren Craig from a gazillion different angles, but never straight-on. So we thought she was wearing a thick satin dress over pants and, after we woke up from fainting, chastised her accordingly. But photographs later proved it was instead a long jacket. All is right with the world. And we owe her a drink.

Most Surprising Absence. Where the heck were the Gossip Girl girls? We know Taylor Momsen went to Erin Fetherston and one other show, but we thought for sure we’d get a glimpse of Blair and Serena. Sure, their show isn’t currently on the air because of the strike, but doesn’t that mean they should be out drumming up more press? Also: Don’t they understand that we need to ask them what’s going to happen with Chuck?!?!!? Ah, well. Maybe in September. See you then! —The Fug Girls

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 3:27 pm

Fashion Week Starts in London; Marc Jacobs Dances Dirty With Two People at His After-Party

• New York said farewell to Fashion Week, but don't be sad! It's not really over — it just moved to London, where shows began yesterday on a sober note, signified by the appointment of the prime minister's wife as spokesperson. Look for slideshows on nymag.com soon. [Guardian]
• P. Diddy attracted more celebs to his after-party than Marc Jacobs; Jacobs engaged in some dirty dancing at his own with on-off beau Jason Preston and porn star Erik Rhodes. [NYDN]

• Victoria Beckham may add Sonic Youth to her iTunes after hearing them live at Marc Jacobs's Friday show. M.I.A. sat front row at the New York show and D.J.ed the after-party. [WWD]
• Gucci launched the "Gucci [heart] NY" campaign to hype the Friday opening of its new Fifth Avenue flagship; however, the brand never sought permission from the state before putting it on billboards, coffee cups, and handbags. Both sides are working on a deal. [NYP]
• Unlike Paris and Milan, new designers like Rodarte, Derek Lam, and Zac Posen get noticed in New York, says Robin Givhan. [WP]
• Investors are snatching up shares of Saks Fifth Avenue as a buyout by Baugur Group looms. The bid has been in a holding pattern since October but could be moved by year-end sales numbers. [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 11 Feb 2008 | 3:23 pm

The Westminster Dog Show Searches for a New Champion

Rufus merely wanted a closer look at all the other pooches. Instead, the popular Westminster winner with the perfectly shaped head fell forward, toppling off a tabletop and tumbling to the ground.
Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Feb 2008 | 12:58 pm

Dolly Parton's Breasts Cause Her to Postpone Tour

Dolly Parton is postponing her U.S. tour for 6 to 8 weeks because of back problems created by her breasts, according to a statement posted Monday on her music Web site.
Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Feb 2008 | 11:47 am

Day-Lewis, Cotillard take UK film honors

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 11 Feb 2008 | 10:41 am