"Charlotte arrived, and I was totally starting to sweat. She said, ‘Now what are we going to do?’ I said, ‘I’m going to show you what I’m going to wear.’ So I went into the bedroom, and I came out in these silver underpants. And she said, ‘What the hell is that?’ ”

At this point, as Ms. Rampling howled, Mr. Teller said, he was having grave doubts about the rest of his plan. “I was smoking my cigarette, breaking out in a sweat. I said, ‘Well, I was just thinking I could kiss you and fondle your breasts.’

“She sat down and got herself a cigarillo. She didn’t say anything. The whole room was quiet for what seemed like months. I was, like, Oh my God, that is the most stupid thing I’ve ever said, how stupid was that? She just dragged on the cigarillo and crossed her legs, and she said: ‘O.K., let’s go. I’ll tell you when to stop.’ I thought, Oh my God, genius. I can’t believe I’m getting away with it.”

Mr. Teller paused. “So that was the ad.”

This scene took place in a Paris hotel suite, and the crazy part is that Rampling, a friend of Teller's, didn't want to endorse anything so probably didn't even get paid. Hopefully she at least got some shoes out of it.

She related the June 2002 threat that prompted the Pellicano investigation: a fish and a rose left on her car, next to a note saying “Stop” and a bulletlike hole in her windshield. She told of phone trouble beginning that month, of learning that her D.S.L. service had been canceled without her knowledge and that large chunks of e-mail had been stolen, and of finding a virus on her computer.

On an August morning, she testified, two men in a Mercedes nearly ran her down. One put a finger to his lips, as if warning her to keep quiet, and then motioned with two fingers as if saying goodbye, before the driver sped off.

That November, she finally got the phone company to check her phones, and learned there had been a wiretap on her lines since June. “I was stunned,” she said.

Ovitz said he did not direct Pellicano to intimidate Busch, and Pellicano's cross-examination implied the threats came from other subjects of her writing.

Couric is also struggling with a network news budget that was chopped approximately in half over the course of nine years, to about $35 million. Her salary, mind you, is $15 million, and Couric has a taste for expensive enterprise work. "People are pissed about Katie because she’s soaking up the money and she’s not making any money," one producer told New York magazine last year.

Couric's big-budget ambitions were developed, of course, at Today, which makes around $250 million per year. Her run, which began in 1991 and became the longest in Today show history, was a key part of one of the biggest success stories in television news.

As Ken Auletta wrote in a 2006 New Yorker story, Couric's chipper personality, mocked in her current role, felt fresh and effortless at Today:

[Jeff] Zucker, who was then twenty-six and beginning his own rise at NBC, told people, "Katie’s the most natural person I’ve ever seen in this role." He would hold the camera on her wide, slightly crooked smile, and Couric, for her part, played the role of a regular girl, with a safe pinch of irreverence. She helped loosen up Today, including the sometimes aloof [co-host Bryant] Gumbel. Once, he turned to her and asked whether her daughter slept through the show.

"Only during your interviews!" she replied with a grin.

This video, which shows one of Couric's first appearances on Today and then one of her last, gives a flavor of the times:

But the anchor, a newly single mom, then began acting moody and unbalanced, according to Auletta's piece. The Times magazine reported she went through five assistants in five years. This is also when the anchor started wearing short skirts, which became something of a trademark, and a rallying point for detractors, who said she always seemed to find a way to show them off. She was said to be "tone-deaf" to the concerns of coworkers, for example with her late studio arrivals, a charge that would haunt her at CBS, primarily over her spending but also in her jostling with colleagues for interviews.

Finally bored after 15 years at Today, Couric was brought to CBS by Les Moonves, who figured, in typical Holywood executive fashion, that a big personality could turn around his third-place Evening News. She may have had the novelty of being America's first female news anchor, but Couric could not make her signature interviews short enough for nighttime audiences. With producer Rome Hartman she burned through several bad ideas, including guest-commentator segment "freeSpeech" and the too-casual newscast opening, "Hi, everyone."

2. Moral absolutism: "Superman has no values of his own, so he's content to just uphold the values of the ruling class."
3. Truth, justice, and the Kryptonian way: "You could say he's a symbol of 'hope,' but not hope in human nature - hope in an all-powerful alien who saves the world daily so you don't have to get off your butt and act like a moral person."
4. Powers given < powers earned
5. Batman > Superman: "It's five times harder for Batman to do anything which Superman takes for granted on a daily basis, yet he often does it a hell of a lot better."
6. To fix these problems is to turn him into another superhero altogether: "Heck, Superman's arc in Kingdom Come isn't even anything deeper than "America has forgotten me and I them, and we need to restore faith in one another." Wow - real interesting. While you're doing that, Batman will be over in the corner, contemplating suicide.

The erstwhile Miss Nevada USA 2007, cut down before her reign had ended by a racy-photo scandal, pleaded no contest Wednesday to five...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 10 Apr 2008 | 4:42 am

Bret Michaels' Destructive Love?

When Bret Michaels goes looking for love, he doesn't let anything get in his way—not even walls, perhaps.   The Poison rocker turned reality-TV lothario has been added to a breach-of-contract...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 10 Apr 2008 | 3:22 am

Ashlee and Pete Fall into Engagement

Looks like Ashlee Simpson can finally rest her head on something real. The pop star and her alt-beau Pete Wentz are engaged, according to a statement posted Wednesday by the couple on the...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 10 Apr 2008 | 2:37 am

50 Cent, Yayo Not Too Gangsta for Civil Court

One teenager is accusing 50 Cent of being more than "Just a Lil Bit" influential.  A New York mom and her 14-year-old son have sued Fiddy, Tony Yayo, Violator Management...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 10 Apr 2008 | 1:20 am

Couric, CBS say she isn't leaving soon

CBS News and "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric are downplaying a Wall Street Journal report that Couric plans to leave the network long before her contract expires in 2011.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 10 Apr 2008 | 1:11 am

Snoop Puts Priority Suit in Order

Snoop Dogg's money isn't weighing on his mind as much now.  The rapper and his former record label have reached a settlement in the lawsuit Snoop filed in 2006, alleging the...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 10 Apr 2008 | 12:29 am

See Jane Fight DUI Charge

Thomas Jane would prefer to avoid punishment, thank you very much.   The star of films such as The Punisher and The Mist pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three DUI-related charges stemming...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:33 pm

'Idol' finalist went from record deal to waitress

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:19 pm

More Hannah Montana on the Way

As if there were any doubt, Hannah Montana is alive and quite well, thank you. The hit sitcom was formally renewed for a third season as Disney Channel unveiled its plans Wednesday for the 2008-09...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:18 pm

Clinton Staffers Walk the Line Between Pessimism and Genius

Here's a Clintonian conundrum. How do you set low expectations for a state as important as Pennsylvania, while still maintaining a lead in the polls? Hillary does better in states where voters see her as an underdog — once they hear her campaign managing expectations, she always does better than expected. It worked very well in Texas and New Hampshire, and even if it does go awry, hey, our expectations have already been managed. But the problem is, Hill's still in the lead in Pennsylvania — even if it's slipping. So what to do? Give a statement like this one, from a Pennsylvania surrogate:

"The fact that we still maintain a lead after Sen. Obama spent six days here and got the backing of [Pennsylvania] Senator Casey, and in light of being outspent, I think it is remarkable that we still maintain a lead," said T.J. Rooney, the state's Democratic Party chairman. "We don't think we have any weaknesses in this state. It has been said before and it bears repeating: we are being outspent financially."

Get it? They're losing even though they are winning! Genius. Sometimes the truth can be a campaign strategy.

Clinton Camp: It's A Miracle We're Not Behind In Pennsylvania [HuffPo]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:10 pm

200 Crazed Rolling Stones Fans Turn ‘Shine a Light’ Into Their Own Live Show

Members of the unofficial Rolling Stones fan club, the Shidoobees, make a habit of traveling long distances to see their aged heroes rock it out live all over the world. But they'd never met up for a mere movie before — until the opening of Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese's Stones documentary. This weekend at the Lincoln Square Imax theater nearly 200 Shidoobees — who had flown in from as far away as Japan and Papua New Guinea — filed up the maze of escalators and giddily danced their way into the movie theater, layered in every piece of Stones merchandise imaginable. Once the film started, the theater sounded less like a hushed movie palace and more like a real concert: Fans stood on their chairs and cheered for the Stones, sang along with their favorite songs (all of them), and took flash photos of the massive 2-D close-ups of their idols on the Imax screen.

No one in the crowd seemed to know who Jack White was during his underwhelming duet on “Loving Cup,” but they went wild when Buddy Guy appeared onstage to sing “Champagne and Reefer,” shouting out loud as he tore into his grinding solos — one of a few occasions when it was hard to tell whether the applause was from the audience in the theater or from the movie. And when Jagger introduced his background singer, Lisa Fischer, as hailing from Queens, the crowed immediately protested; the Shidoobees, knowing the Stones better than the Stones do themselves, were fully aware that Lisa is from Brooklyn. After the film ended the New Guinea delegate presented another Shidoobee with a bouquet of flowers. She'd appeared, very briefly, in a crowd scene in the film, and the entire fan club earnestly congratulated her on her film debut. —Andrew Rozas

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

You'll Never Catch Gwyneth Paltrow Out With Her Husband

We're worried about Gwyneth Paltrow. She's always kind of hate-loved fame, taking total advantage of the perks of being a celebrity while trash-talking it every chance she got. And fine. Maybe that's how she assuaged her guilt in being part of the celebrity-industrial complex. But now, Gwyneth seems to have taken her self-consciousness to a new level, telling British Glamour that she will never, ever go anywhere with her husband, Chris Martin. Anywhere. Ever. "You will never see us out publicly," she explains. "We just don't want to be one of those couples." Wait, what? What kind of couple don't they want to be? The kind that go out together in public? Is this really how you fool yourself into thinking you have a normal life? Cripes. And to think, we'll probably have to wait like twenty years for Sean Preston Federline to grow up and open the Spears Center for the Treatment of Fame Disorders, whereupon these poor souls will at last get the treatment they've deserved for so long. So sad.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Break-Up Rumors Are 'Ridiculous' [People]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:00 pm

Lauren Bush: Ex-Model, Feed Bag Maker, and Probable Democrat

At the rather interesting Theory party last night we bumped into our favorite Bush: George W.'s model (and hence somewhat of a rebel) niece, Lauren Bush. We couldn't help but ask if she'd come up with any fabulous poses lately. "No, I've kind of stepped away from modeling to really focus on my company, on my nonprofit work," she said. Sniff. Really? "I loved it and it was a great way to really get introduced to the fashion world. But I'm happy to be on the business-design side now. It's a little more empowering. It's a little more meaningful." Psh. What could be more meaningful than frolicking in front of cameras in other people's designs? Apparently the offensive-looking Feed Bag (sorry, Lauren, we know the purchase of each Feed Bag feeds a child, but we're just not down with them aesthetically).

So Bush might be through with a profession her family never really approved of, but that doesn't mean she'll stop upsetting them. Like, say, with her thoughts on the election. "I think this election is very exciting. I mean, to have a woman and a black man as leading candidates is pretty amazing, and it's about time," she said. So does that mean she's going for a Democrat? "I'm going to vote for the candidate — I'm not going to vote for someone … you know … you have to look at the whole picture," she stuttered. So her vote's up in the air? "Well, my family isn't … Yeah, I'd say my vote is in the air. I don't want to talk about it." Atta girl! — Andrew Goldstein

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 11:00 pm

Images from Fatasmagoria

An undated handout photo provided by Gaumont Restauration Archives Francaises du Film du CNC/Lobster Films shows a series of images from the groundbreaking 1908 work Fantasmagoria by Emile Cohl. He is...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:35 pm

Emile Cohl

A handout photo provided by the Forum des Images in Paris from the collection Pierre Courtet-Cohl shows a portrait made in New York in 1913 of the father of the animated film, Emile Cohl at the age of...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:35 pm

Black Kids Play One for the Ladies

1. Black Kids, "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover (Sophie B. Hawkins cover)"
Black Kids follow up their hit single by covering another song written from a woman's perspective. They love pushing those identity buttons, don't they? [Pardon My Freedom]

2. Fugazi, "Long Division (Emyd's Disco Edit)"
If only Ian MacKaye had used a club beat earlier, we could've been spared all those lame dance-punk bands. [Pinglewood]

3. Tobacco feat. Aesop Rock, "Dirt"
This track from Tobacco (a solo project from a member of Black Moth Super Rainbow) is like the upcoming Speed Racer movie: full of flash, color and a gazillion cartoon-car-engine sounds. [Pitchfork]

4. Eels, "The Girl From the North Country" (Bob Dylan cover)
What's sadder than Mark Everett's wistful cover (on Minnesota Public Radio) of this Dylan song? The accompanying interview, in which he says that Einstein's dismissal of his scientist dad ruined his childhood. [Smudge of Ashen Fluff]

5. Racine, "I'm Freakin' Out"
Racine is pretty annoyed at the "bunch of fucking monkeys" that have her "swinging from the shit hook." Sounds gross! [Rock Sellout]
—Ehren Gresehover

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:15 pm

In Which We Develop a Forbidden Love for Chris Matthews

Against all of our better instincts, we found ourselves kind of loving Chris Matthews in the Times Magazine's profile of him, which came out today because the paper published it into the future in that weird way that they do. We've never much gone for Matthews boyish wonkiness, but Mark Leibovich showed us the error of our ways by exposing the — at times strangely vulnerable — man behind the forelock.

Leibovich's version of Chris Matthews is sincere to the point of being childlike: "He will, at times, bounce in his seat like a Ritalin-deprived second-grader," he writes. Matthews idolizes colleague Tim Russert (even though Russert may actually kind of hate him) and tends to repeat his best lines "suggesting a speaker who feels insufficiently listened to." Aw. At one point, he becomes mesmerized by his own image on the screen: “Hey, there I am — it’s me,” he says. “It’s me.” He also utterly lacks a filter, as exemplified by this interaction with the actress and Obama supporter Kerry Washington, whom MSNBC head Phil Griffin invites on Hardball at an event.

“I know why he wants you on,” Matthews said to Washington while looking at Griffin. At which point Matthews did something he rarely does. He paused. He seemed actually to be considering what he was about to say. He might even have been editing himself, which is anything but a natural act for him. He was grimacing. I imagined a little superego hamster racing against a speeding treadmill inside Matthews’s skull, until the superego hamster was overrun and the pause ended.
“He wants you on because you’re beautiful,” Matthews said. “And because you’re black.” He handed Washington a business card and told her to call anytime “if you ever want to hang out with Chris Matthews.”

Places like Media Matters will doubtless point out this interaction as further evidence of Matthews's demeaning attitude toward women, but they'd be missing the point. Matthews is a sexist in the same benign way your grandfather is, but at least he tells the truth.

The Aria of Chris Matthews [NYTM]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:15 pm

The New Bridezilla Is Bulimic and Smokes Ciggies

Women face enough pressure to look their best and not let their faces wrinkle on a daily basis. So the pressures on their wedding day may as well be as strong as the heat of a thousand suns. Now we're as single as they come over here at the Cut, and though we've wanted to get hitched, we long ago stopped fantasizing about that big white petit four–saturated affair Disney flicks (and our moms) told us we wanted. Planning an event like that is equivalent to checking your sanity at Heathrow's Terminal 5: You just don't know when — or even if — you'll ever see it again. As the Guardian notes, the details become so overwhelming that brides start fretting over whether their nails match the flowers (um, people are dying in Iraq, but glad you have priorities). Thankfully these crazy ladies have shows like Bridezillas, to egg them on. Just how crazy are they? Consider these stats:

A recent report in Newsweek magazine highlighted the lengths that US women are going to in preparation for their wedding day, including teeth-straightening, Botox and extreme dieting. It cited academic research that found that 70% of US women who were engaged were trying to lose more than 20lb in time for their wedding, and a further 20% were closely monitoring their weight. Of those who were trying to lose weight, more than 20% were taking an approach that the researchers perceived as "extreme", including downing laxatives, vomiting after meals and adopting a new-found smoking habit as a way to stave off hunger pangs.

Isn't the day we enter into holy matrimony supposed to be the happiest of our lives? No, no — apparently brides are walking down the aisle with a nicotine patch where their garters once were. We've got one word for you people: Vegas. And if there are petits fours at our wedding, you better believe we'll be eating all of them.

And the bride wore Botox…[Guardian]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:05 pm

‘30 Rock’ Returns: Greatest Event in NYC Cultural History

In this issue’s anniversary-keyed “New York Canon” culture feature, 30 Rock was given the following description: “Lots of jokes only New Yorkers will get — ‘See something, say something’; the maple-syrup smell — but the true punch line is the romance of workaholism, as exemplified by the oddball duet between overlord Alec Baldwin and dork-serf Tina Fey.” We have but one quibble here: How could you forget Tracy Morgan?!

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 10:00 pm

Monk Psychiatrist Dies

Stanley Kamel's face was as familiar as his credit list was long. The ever-employed character actor, late of Monk, where he played the skittish detective's patient psychiatrist, was found...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:44 pm

Beauty Salons Target Tweens, Teens

From manicures to waxing, how young is too young?
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:37 pm

When the Help Can't Keep Stars' Secrets

Rob Lowe's the latest in a long line of stars to get burned by ex-employees.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:36 pm

‘Observer’ Critic Compares Keith Gessen to Two Authors She Hasn't Read

There it is again, teased on the front page of this week's Observer: yet another profile of a young, buzzy debut author, with all the obligatory cultural touchstones. This time it's Keith Gessen, author of All the Sad Young Literary Men. Alexandra Jacobs compares him (unfavorably) to F. Scott Fitzgerald, who apparently "looms over all first novels by young white male Ivy League graduates." The n + 1 founder is described as "limpid-eyed, sensual mouthed." There's Foer, there's Kunkel, and so on.

But hold on: Where are the quotes? And where's the jump page? Oh wait, it's a review — and on the front page of the second issue of the Observer Review of Books, the pink paper's frothy new answer to dwindling book-review space all across the country.

Whether you agree or disagree with what Jacobs has to say about Gessen in her quite negative review, the real problem is her insistence on rolling in every literary fad she can reference. She readily admits not reading Benjamin Kunkel's Indecision or Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything Is Illuminated, then writes that "the somewhat less-hyped Gessen debut triggers an unwelcome sense of déjà vu all the same." Doesn't that seem a little … facile? From here the piece devolves into observational comedy — Andy Rooney by way of Lee Siegel. Why do these newfangled literary authors keep using their own names? Can't they even invent a name? Enough with the lists and charts! Maybe if they fought in wars, these kids might have something to write about! Fine, fine. Understood. But if lifestyle fiction is the problem, lifestyle book criticism is not the solution. —Boris Kachka

Yappers and Philosophers [NYO]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:30 pm

Michelle Trachtenberg Is Totally a Method Actor!

As you can imagine we were so excited to run into Michelle Trachtenberg last night at an event at the new Theory store. OMG, we said. There are only thirteen days left* until the re-premiere of Gossip Girl, and you're totally going to be on it! Tell us everything! "I play Georgina Sparks. She is basically the evil bitch from hell," Trachtenberg told us. "She's been part of the Gossip kids' lives for a long time, and she's coming back around to make her presence known." Sounds exciting! Will she wreak havoc among the established relationships on the show?

"Oh yes, definitely," Michelle nodded. "She is going to mess with everybody involved."

Ooh, we said. Like who?
"Well," Michelle said coyly. "Her main target is Serena."
Excellent, we said. Because in the last season Serena bored us half to death. Will Georgina get her way in the end?
"You'll have to watch the season finale," Michelle said.
Well, duh. We moved on. So, we asked, was there any truth to the reports that she was dating Chace Crawford?
Michelle giggled in a way that was not so much mirthful as defensive. "I don't read into tabloid bullshit, and I don't discuss my private life," she said. "Chace is my co-worker, so…" Weird giggle again.
Ohhhh, we said. Well, "Page Six" today said you were an item we offered — helpfully, we thought, since Michelle had said that she didn't read tabloid bullshit. They said you were at Upstairs in Soho, "flirting heavily" and an onlooker told them that you were "all over each other," so like, you are dating, right? Or maybe not "dating" but—

Michelle interrupted. "I mean, did you not just hear me? I don't talk about tabloid bullshit, and Chace is a co-worker of mine, so … Tabloids make up crazy shit, and I don't have to play into it."
Yikes! Well, so-rry, we said, and slunk away like a mathlete after being laughed at by the prom queen. It was only later we realized: Michelle wasn't actually being a bitch. She was just showing us a preview of her character. She's so thoughtful like that. Thanks, Georgina! Michelle! Whatever! Love ya mean it! Call us every five minutes! —Andrew Goldstein

*This was last night. Now there are only twelve days left. Twelve!

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:30 pm

Diddy's Humble Sean John Documentary Airs Tonight!

Did you know it's the tenth anniversary of Sean "Diddy" Combs's Sean John label? Now you do! And we can all celebrate with his Diddyness tonight by watching a 90-minute documentary about the most recent Sean John show. We're particularly looking forward to it because of its modest title, If I Were King. Plus, we were lucky enough to witness the filming of this cinematic event backstage at the Sean John show during the last Fashion Week, which was also when we were treated to Diddy dropping trou. Of the documentary, Diddy told WWD, "This will showcase everything a designer goes through — there's laughter, pain, drama … all the makings of a movie. Also, since I haven't done a show in five years, I was a bit insecure, which I thought would be interesting to show on camera." Eloquently put, but we think the trailer, above, speaks for itself. Enjoy.

Fashion Scoops: Diddy TV [WWD]
Related: Special Moments Backstage at Sean John

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 9:00 pm

See Artist David Ellis’s ‘Percussive Cockfight’

Last night, at the new Theory store on Gansevoort Street, Brooklyn-based painter and video artist David Ellis debuted his new performance piece, Hell's Angel vs. DJ RoyOwl, a "percussive cockfight" between a mechanized, Ellis-designed drum sculpture and DJ JTram (playing the role of DJ RoyOwl), dressed in a bird costume made from drinking straws. What does any of this mean? We sent Vulture's Andrew Goldstein and Jonah Green to find out.

Related: Six Motion-Painting Videos That Are Reenergizing the Medium [NYM]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:45 pm

Jean Nouvel Brings in the Big Guns

Chelsea: Police Commish Ray Kelly is pissed that MSG honcho Jim Dolan's taking so long to put a security perimeter around Penn Station … and he's put it all in a letter! [WNBC]Harlem: The recent death of a grad student hit by a car while he fled local thug types has brought to the surface some icky racial feelings among Columbia students … and that dismays this (male!) women's-studies major. [Columbia Spectator via Uptown Flavor]
Midtown: Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel got help from fellow starchitect David Childs yesterday in defending plans for his so-called MoMA Tower, but local opponents still called the building big and ugly … right to his French face. [Curbed]
Prospect Lefferts: The overstuffed pre-K Maple St. School may get more floor space in the big glass tower planned for next door. More room for those cute, little multiculti kids in their cute, little matching school vests! [Brownstoner]

Red Hook: We seriously hope you didn't think that just because a big, shiny Ikea is coming to Beard Street that they'd stop stripping and torching vehicles there. Because they haven't. [Gowanus Lounge]
Washington Heights: Thankfully, an 83-year-old granny shot in the ankle by a stray bullet has survived. The shooter's still at-large. Did we miss this scene in In the Heights? [NYDN]
Williamsburg: Wowza, look at the groovy plans for the big, new riverside park slated for just north of East River State Park. The transformation from a parking lot will start this fall. [Curbed]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:45 pm

Penn Does Wright Thing; Couple Call Off Split

Turns out, whatever differences Sean and Robin Wright Penn once had weren't so irreconcilable after all. Court records obtained by E! News show that the couple requested and were granted...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:39 pm

‘The Office’ Comes Back, Five Looong Months Later

Are Michael and Jan going to break up? Will Pam and Jim stop being so damned gooey? Who cares? We just want to see the Schrutes play Ping-Pong. The Office returns tonight — it has been nearly five months since a new episode — with its specialty: something boring we all deal with on a regular basis (a dinner party) transformed into something gloriously awkward yet, as always, oddly sweet. Maybe Dwight will kill another cat.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:30 pm

Lookie! Kate Hudson Has Scary Blue Hair!

HAIR
• Kate Hudson sported blue-streaked hair on the set of her new movie Bride Wars. We're not sure what scares us more: Hudson's blue hair or that they're actually making a movie called Bride Wars. [People Off the Rack]

• Hooray for politically correct hair tools! The new Mosaic collection of hairbrushes, combs, rollers, and wraps from Goody are specifically made for textured hair, whether it's relaxed, natural, curly, wavy, or whatever else you can come up with. The brand consulted with Chuck Amos, hairstylist to Alicia Keys and Kelis, to develop the line. [Spoiled Pretty]

• If honey's a good skin moisturizer, is it good for hair too? No! Because — get this — it's sticky. [Beauty Brains]

FRAGRANCE
• Ralph Lauren's new scent is called Wild, but it smells anything but. Many say the fruity scent is better left to teenagers. [The Daily Obsession]

MAKEUP
• "You’re Bluffing" by Benefit Cosmetics is a concealer stick that hides redness. You know, like all good concealers do. [British Vogue]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:12 pm

Artist Keith Edmier Gloriously Re-creates Kitchen of His Youth

The press shot for Keith Edmier’s exhibition, for which he has precisely re-created the kitchen from his suburban family home, shows a sparkling blonde woman in lemon-colored housewife garb, smiling as she pulls a box of Popsicles from a fridge stocked with whipped cream, mayo, and milk. Such luxuries are left to the imagination in the actual show, on view at Friedrich Petzel Gallery through April 12. Of course, this also leaves room for other imagined scenarios from all those seventies childhoods hued in mustards and browns. May the happy-memories fairies be with you. —Emma Pearse

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 8:00 pm

Why Celia Birtwell's Express Collection Isn't Working

Remember how Celia Birtwell was supposed to do a capsule collection for Express inspired by her late husband, Ossie Clark? Of course you don't. No one does — that's the problem. But her small collection of printed shirts and dresses made it to Express stores this week with basically no buzz in tow. According to the Shophound, shoppers are taking little note, and it's not necessarily that Birtwell's designs are less then stellar. After all, she's designed clothes for Topshop that sell like hotcakes and the Express pieces aren't bad. But Express and Topshop are two very different things with two very different customers. We appreciate that Birtwell's got some affordable merchandise in there, but we exist in a fashion bubble and the typical Express customer probably doesn't. That's great for them (really, we know we're ill), but not so great for Express. Many don't realize that display in the front of the store of all that patterned stuff is actually something special. We'd probably notice it immediately — if we shopped there, that is. The Shophound, like us, doesn't shop there either and notes, "We would imagine that Bergdorf Goodman's or Barneys' insider-y customers, for example, would be far more receptive to a Birtwell collection, at a much higher quality level, of course."

Sigh. Maybe when Express can work on a branding strategy that's accessible to shoppers who aren't just fashion bloggers, someone can start turning a profit.

Celia Birtwell's Express Collection Debuts To...Crickets [Shophound]
Celia Birtwell for Express [Express]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 7:35 pm

How to Play Lady Macbeth? Imagine Being Mauled by Tigers

Kate Fleetwood, who plays shady Lady Mac in the excellently scary British production of Macbeth that opened on Broadway last night after a sold-out run at BAM, didn't threaten us with violence after the show the way her co-star Patrick Stewart did the other day. Not that her mind can't go that way. The production is set in a dank basement kitchen that players enter via a sinister elevator. "Before I descend in the lift [for the famous "Out, damn spot" mad scene], I can't even repeat what goes on in my brain," she told us. Repeat, repeat!, we demanded. "I was thinking about the Hyrcan tiger that Macbeth mentions and imagining it ripping my arm off. Okay? Also, there's a really nasty conveyor belt suspending the lift. It's really ugly and industrial, and sometimes I imagine I'm lying on it and being thrown in the horrible motor. It's Gothic! But the language requires you to be in the moment," she added. "It's very muscular."

Not that she doesn't psychologize her obliquely written part just a bit. "I became a mum two and a half years ago," she said. "Lady Macbeth had this unknown baby. Who's this baby that she talks about? 'I've given suck, and know how tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me.' Possibly from a previous marriage." She had her own baby, by the way, with her husband, Rupert Goold, who directs the show. Does she ever need to goad his career along in a Lady Mac–ish fashion? "No, no, no!" she insisted. "I'm quite old-fashioned actually, as a wife and mum. I really like making Sunday luncheon and watching him play with the baby while I'm making the roast potatoes." —Tim Murphy

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 7:30 pm

Hilton Bro Mans Up, Cops to DUI

Barron Hilton is continuing to follow the legal path paved by big sister Paris: Act irresponsibly first, take responsibility later. The 18-year-old hotel heir pleaded no contest Wednesday to two...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 9 Apr 2008 | 7:15 pm

Yejin Moon's Buttons Are Mismatched, and That's Okay

When it comes to getting dressed, jewelry designer Yejin Moon likes New York's throw-anything-together attitude. In Korea, where she's from, everyday dress is more formal, but Moon's more down with easygoing, comfortable looks. She scores her style with eclectic finds from flea markets and vintage stores like Housing Works, though she's not afraid to rock some Italian designers when necessary. Watch the Video Look Book for Yejin's tips.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 6:45 pm

'Idols'' Homage to Idols Falls Flat

"American Idol's" inspiration episode was full of let-downs.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 6:32 pm

Bluefly's B*fly: For the Youngster Who Likes Tom Ford at Half Off

More great news for deep-pocketed young shoppers: Bluefly has just launched online boutique b*fly for its more tender customers. It still offers 40 percent off labels like BCBG Max Azria, Nanette Lepore, and Free People, but the clothes have a distinctly younger, more casual vibe than Bluefly's usual fare, though the selection is peppered with work and dress-up pieces. According to the release, the idea is to present shoppers with "an open pallette to mix and match the high and low." For example, high schoolers can get an E.vil T-shirt with angel wings on the back for $53 (was $88), but career women can score Michael Kors pumps for $65 (were $109). They've also got denim, like True Religion jeans at 35 percent off, and accessories like Tom Ford's famous sunglasses for half off. And the best part? They don't seem to offer anything from Avril Lavigne or Heidiwood. Therefore we approve.

b*fly [Bluefly]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 6:00 pm

Whitney Port's Clothing Line Sounds Very L.A.

It's been days since a C-lister launched a clothing line, so we'll revisit Whitney Port's forthcoming "contemporary" collection, Eve and A. We learn in WWD the name came from Port's middle name (Eve!) and her co-creative director Adrienne Baravetto's first name (and A!). The line launches for fall with twenty pieces ranging from $50 to $220. Apparently many will be adjustable:

[A] hood and giant gold zipper help transform a $195 wool jacket into six shapes, ranging from a double-breasted top with a sailor flap in the back to one with a poufy shawl collar.

Another multifunctional item is a $50 slip whose fit can be finessed with adjustable straps and a corset-style tie in the back. The single body, available in hot pink, gunmetal gray, navy and beige, features a ruffled hem that allows the slip to be worn alone or layered under another top or dress. In addition, a $100 wool skirt is constructed with pins that the wearer can adjust to be a mini or float above the knee.

We were kind of excited about Whitney doing a line because the girl really does dress well and is so pleasant and eating-disorder-free. But judging from this description and the above photo of one of the line's pieces, this collection won't inspire us to make a special trip to Kitson or any of the other L.A. retailers who actually bought it. Because no New York store wanted the collection, which is all you really need to know.

Whitney Port of 'The Hills' Jumps Into Contemporary [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 9 Apr 2008 | 5:00 pm

James Bond gets emotional

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 3:43 pm

'Runway' Struts to Lifetime, NBC Sues

NBC is suing to keep hit fashion design competition "Project Runway" on Bravo.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 2:42 pm

James Thierree

Acrobat, mime artist, dancer and performer extraordinaire, James Thierree, seen here in 2007, -- Charlie Chaplin's grandson -- returns to Paris this week with a show that has already wowed New York, London...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 9 Apr 2008 | 2:23 pm

Adam Carolla Gets Kicked Off 'Dancing'

The comedian and partner Julianne Hough were eliminated Tuesday night.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 9 Apr 2008 | 2:05 pm