|
|
|
|
Photo: AP
Ban on Solo Encores at the Met? Ban, What Ban? [NYT]
Photo: iStockphoto.com
She was “10 or 15 pounds overweight,” she said. “But growing up in Manhattan, on Park Avenue, even five pounds overweight was just too much.”She spent the better part of a decade in and out of fat camps. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she went from her regular weight of about 130 pounds to 96 pounds. “I’d go clothes shopping. … I was so happy that I needed to ask for a zero,” she said. “People thought I was either anorexic or had a coke addiction. But I felt so good being so skinny for the first time in my life.”
This article makes you glad that you're an adult, doesn't it? The thing about New York is as long as you can make it past childhood, you’re gold. Because after that we’re all way too self-absorbed to care what other people look like. —Noelle Hancock
Photo: Getty Images
If the jacket wasn't bad enough, she had to add the jewelry. But why?! Jewelry doesn't have to be the same color as one's clothes, especially when one looks like the Caribbean sea after an oil spill. It looks like she bought the jacket, earrings, and necklace in one plastic bag as part of a set, the way bad Halloween costumes come. Perhaps this is her way of saying hello to spring? Perhaps she's trying to appeal to voters by showing them that she, too, shops at affordable department stores? Guess it worked.
Courtesy of Nasty Little Man
"Discipline" sounds like it could've been on last May's Year Zero, which makes sense since around the time of its release, a publicist from Trent's former record label told us he'd recorded Zero and its follow-up simultaneously; whatever this forthcoming album is, we bet it's been finished for over a year. So, he tested the waters by making a quickie LP of ambient instrumentals, and when even that proved wildly successful, he decided to try it with a pop album. Smart guy. And even more so because he seems to be doing this as many times as he possibly can before everybody gets sick of these surprise Internet-release things.
Get the new track DISCIPLINE here right now [NIN.com]
Earlier: Trent Reznor Pulls a Radiohead, Sort of
Photo: Getty Images
Bill Clinton and Rachael Ray are hosting a dinner together in the Barbuto space on Monday. Norman Mailer's former mistress Carole Mallory sold a bunch of letters detailing her sex life with the writer to Harvard. Jenna Bush says her mom has no presidential aspirations of her own. Helen Hunt says the fact that she and Matthew Broderick used to date helped make their sex scenes in Then She Found Me less awkward. Colm Banfield, the mixologist at Telephone Bar, ran the Boston marathon in three and a half hours. Comic Kathy Najimy embarrassed herself by dancing like an idiot atop a table at Butter. Drew Barrymore blabbed on her cell phone that she can't meet quality people. Barbra Streisand is maybe not attending Israel's 60th-anniversary celebration because George Bush is scheduled to attend as well. Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson got married on April 12. O.J. Simpson asked Donald Trump if he could appear on the next season of Celebrity Apprentice, and Trump and NBC are supposedly thinking about it. (Cindy Adams also says there are a dozen books about O.J. currently being shopped.)
Courtesy of Fox
Photo: rickey.org, Getty Images
Photo: rickey.org
She totally would've showed if it were a Dior fund-
raiserPhoto: Getty Images
• Coutourier Bruce Oldfield redesigned the McDonald's uniforms for U.K. employees. Some say the monogram pattern on the new shirts look like a Louis Vuitton knockoff. [Telegraph]
• Less than seven months after Calypso was sold, founder and CEO Christiane Celle resigned. She couldn't deal with the new management. [WWD]
• Bally, the leather brand, has been sold. Management will remain intact. Brow: wiped. [British Vogue]
• The auction of Ralph Esmerian's jewelry collection was stopped at Christie's, but the Louvre still got a piece of it. The museum bought a brooch valued at $4 to $6 million, worn by Napoleon III's bride, Empress Eugénie, on her wedding day in 1853. No word on the price tag. [WWD]
• Kanye West is performing at another fashion party. This time he's celebrating the 25th anniversary of a Casio watch. We get that he's a dense person, but will someone please tell him he really doesn't need to perform at every fashion party on the planet? [WWD]
• Vivienne Westwood received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from a Scottish university yesterday. "Doctor of Letters seems a little strange," she said. "But I have always been a reader, so I accept it on that basis." She's right — this story is totally random. [British Vogue]
• Threatening phone calls and letters are being directed at socialite Jemima Khan for her support of a Muslim organization that promotes religious tolerance. Apparently, people are still upset about the time she kissed Kate Moss in 2006 to raise $120,000 for a Palestinian children's charity. [British Vogue]
• Why was that Tom Ford ad banned in Italy last week, if these other racy ads depicting bare ass are okay? [Trendinista]
• Patrick Dempsey on filming Made of Honor: "I wore a kilt for the wedding scenes, but had to wear something underneath. I tried with nothing, but I was bitten all over by midges." As this paper says, some flies have all the luck. [Mirror]
• Elizabeth Hurley attended a promotional event in Madrid for her new Mango bikini collection, but didn't wear a bikini like the other models there. Blasphemy! [Daily Mail]
• Skinny bitch Victoria Beckham gets ice cream for her sons, but won't eat any of it herself. [Daily Mail]
Photo: Getty Images
• Robert Thomson, the Murdoch-appointed Journal publisher, will not take over for Brauchli as expected, though his role in the newsroom will expand. Also, it turns out that Brauchli's departure had been discussed among News Corp. brass as many as several months ago. [WSJ]
• Brauchli's attitude toward his role as middleman between the edit staff and the paper's new owners had distinctly soured over that period. He went from saying things like "the editors think" to "Rupert Murdoch says." He also felt undermined when Murdoch tried to launch a "cartoonish" London version of the Journal without any of his input. [NYO]
• Meanwhile, Murdoch has been calling around to Long Island officials saying he's closing the deal on Newsday. He's also called Governor David Paterson. [Newsday]
• Which was "shocking" news for Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman, who sources say is still planning a counter offer. Additionally, Jared Kushner hopes to meet with Cablevision execs (they've already dropped out of bidding) to see if he can lure them back to the table with a joint offer. [NYT]
• But the FCC might throw cold water over all of these plans. It's still reviewing the waivers News Corp. has applied for to allow the company to run two newspapers (the Post and the Journal) and two television (WNYW and WWOR) stations in New York. The likelihood of getting yet another waiver past the commission may be slim. [NYT]
 eFluxMedia | Richie Sambora's Lucky Break in DUI Case eFluxMedia - By Jane Ivory Richie Sambora’s frightening experience of being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol ended Tuesday with the rock guitarist pleading guilty to one count of drunk driving and receiving three years’ probation. Drink-drive sentence for Sambora Bon Jovi guitarist given probation for drink driving |
Why do the photogs follow around the reality stars from The Hills but not reality stars from other shows, like The Real World? What's so great about The Hills?
—Julia, Berea,...STARTING TODAY
• Cashmere from the Henri Bendel house label is 25 percent off. Through 5/4. 712 Fifth Ave., at 56th St. (212-247-1100); Mon.–Sat. (10–8); Sun. (noon–7).
• Porridge Clothing launched an online boutique with 25 percent off all purchases to honor the occasion. Try the lace mini ruffle dress for $141 (originally $189) or a high-waisted skirt with button detail for $106 (originally $142). Just type in AP2R at checkout.
• Urban Outfitters is unloading a lot of their men’s and women’s stock online. Check out the sporty racerback band tank for $18 (originally $32) or the luxe pencil skirt for only $5 (originally $58). Geez, that’s cheaper than our lunch.
ENDING TODAY
• The Bottega Veneta trunk show ends on Wednesday, so browse the famous leather goodies and fall clothes soon. Barneys, 660 Madison Ave., at 61st St. (212-826-8900, ext. 2152); 10–5.
STARTING TOMORROW
Archetype Showroom is marking off all their samples to wholesale rates, which means you can find Lorick, Samantha Pleet, Digby & Iona jewelry, 80%20 shoes, and Corpus denim for super-low prices. A Lorick dress that was regularly $400 will be $160 to $200, a Samantha Pleet romper will only be $170, originally retails for $380. More designers included. Through 4/26. 676 Broadway, nr. Bond St., second fl. (212-529-1407); 10–7.
• Find women’s apparel, shoes, and accessories from Dolce Vita, a fave Lower East Side boutique, for only $10 to $80 at their sample sale starting today. Through 4/26. 156 Ludlow St., nr. Stanton St., fourth fl. (212-253-5935); Thurs.–Fri. (1–7), Sat. (12–4).
ENDING TOMORROW
• Plaza Too footwear is marked down at the SSS Sample Sale that starts Tuesday. Word is this spot may also have Kooba, Free People, and Converse by John Varvatos leftovers from last week, so keep an eye out for additional steals. Through 4/24. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., second fl.; Tues. and Thurs. (10–7), Wed. (10–6).
• Jewelry from Diana Heimann is 50 to 60 percent off starting today. Find big gemstone rings, earrings, and necklaces. Through 4/24. 145 E. 48th St., nr. Lexington Ave. (212-906-9132); call for appointment.
Getty Images
Lee Goes to Woodstock: Ang Lee will direct Focus Features's Taking Woodstock, a comedy based on Elliot Tiber's memoir of the seminal music festival. The only eyebrow-raising piece to this puzzle is the script, penned by Focus president James Schamus. In his defense, he adapted The Ice Storm, but it's hard to see a way around this exchange: "Um, James, I have some notes on your script." "Sorry, Lee, but as the president of Focus, I say my script is perfect. Now get me a doughnut." (Lee hangs head in shame.) [Variety]
Russell Nails Caan: James Caan has pulled out of Nailed after a spat with spat-loving director David O. Russell. Caan left the set after a heated argument with Russell over whether it's possible to choke and cough at the same time. No YouTube video yet, but if you've been playing the David O. Russell Set-Dispute Drinking Game™, chug a bonus bottle of beer because it happened on Caan's first day of shooting. [HR]
Holofcener Makes Friends: Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca Hall have joined Catherine Keener in an untitled dramatic comedy from Friends With Money's Nicole Holofcener. Story focuses on a couple (Platt and Keener) living next to an old lady and waiting for her to die so they can claim the apartment from her grandchildren. Expect prickliness and discomfort to ensue. [HR]
Verhoeven Finds Jesus: This September, director Paul Verhoeven will publish a biography of Jesus. For serious. The director of Robocop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct has spent twenty years researching the life and times of Jesus Christ and promises that his book will portray the biblical figure in the most realistic way possible. We look forward to the scene in which Jesus seductively uncrosses and crosses his legs. [HR]
Apatow to Produce Comedy: Judd Apatow blah blah blah Nick Stoller blah blah blah Get Him to the Greek blah blah Jonah Hill blah blah funny funny funny. [Variety]
 eFluxMedia | Are They Too Young to Sing? ABC News - By LISA FLETCHER Reigning "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks could be the hardest working woman in show business. A look at the "American Idol" stars and the risks to their voices. Jordin Sparks Silenced—for Now Sparks battling sore throat, leaves Keys tour |
Clinton Outduels Obama in Primary [NYT]
[via YOU: On My Blog]
One Journal reporter told the Observer, "Marcus said that Murdoch admires a lot of things that are reminiscent of the way Financial Times runs the paper—short, no jump stories." This is not surprising, given that Murdoch's top loyalist at the Journal, Robert Thomson, is a former FT editor, and given Murdoch's stated preference for shorter, newsier stories.
Murdoch expanded on this vision during a January speech to bureau chiefs, according to the Journal:
He praised the paper's "quality, accuracy and depth," but he was also clear that he found the product sometimes a bit stodgy, academic. He said he wanted the paper to be "more attractive," and stories to be told in "as few words as possible." He said he wanted "facts first — news and analysis." He wanted more stories that begin and end on section fronts, complaining of gray "jump pages" — the inside pages on which longer articles are continued.
...The new owners were demanding newsier stories and more general news. Mr. Thomson, who took the floor after Mr. Brauchli, noted that some Journal stories appeared to have the "gestation period of a llama" (that is, nearly a year). He said "the New York Times and the Financial Times are the enemy, but the real enemy is time" — by which he meant the risk of wasting the reader's time. He said stories needed to be shorter and more alluring, and warned of "articles unread, jumps un-jumped, wisdom untapped."
Murdoch also wants his newspaper to sell better at retail, and there is talk of changing headline sizes. It is hoped that a sexier front page, along with more non-business stories, will help broaden appeal to advertisers and readers.
Murdoch is making a dangerous gamble in his hasty push to change the Journal. When he was angling to acquire the paper, the media mogul's apologists said he was too smart and had too much reputation on the line to ruin the WSJ by bending it to his ego. And yet hints have emerged from the Brauchli that Murdoch may be doing just that, and recklessly.
Murdoch had better hope there are plenty more readers like this one, highlighted in the Observer:
“I always used to read The Times first and The Journal second; now I find they are side by side at the breakfast table and I might even start with The Journal,” said Simon & Schuster editor in chief and former Time deputy managing editor Priscilla Painton, who cited two reasons for the shift.
“One is that The Journal has been masterful at decoding things that are currently in the news, like the subprime mortgage crisis and the hedge-fund troubles. The second is that The Journal’s political reporting has become more pointed and aggressive.” Ms. Painton told The Observer. “They seem a half-beat ahead in a way that they weren’t six months ago. Political news that I would normally find on A4 or A6, they now put it on the front page, which makes me think, ‘Gee, I guess I really have to read that.’”
[Observer, WSJ]
(Image via WSJ)
“The Daily News and U.S. News are extras for [Zuckerman]. Very serious, very expensive hobbies for Mort. He is not a dilettante, but it’s not why he is a billionaire,” Mr. Grove said. “Murdoch has ink running through his veins. The guy is the king of all media. And he is happy to own a newspaper in New York that loses money hand over fist in a way that Mort would never tolerate.”
In a shocking twist, Adrian Grenier and the Entourage guys shot a scene in Hawaii in which they appear to relax and hang out with some lovely bikini-clad women.
Sorry, should we have put...
So goes the ultra-inspirational portion of our program. Marlee Matlin, receiver of a standing ovation when all was said and done, was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars Tuesday, leaving...
When rocking the bra and fishnets, Amy, we're pretty sure you're supposed to wear them on different parts of your body.
Nicole Kidman, seven months pregnant and none the worse for wear, is looking to improve the lives of all women, fellow mothers-to-be definitely included. The actress, named a Goodwill...
Has Scarlett Johansson gone out on a limb for her upcoming album?
Judging from this picture, yes. But listen to the music and decide for yourself. Though the disc doesn't drop until...
Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow and Maggie Gyllenhaal get the geek hearts aflutter as they pose on the cover of USA Weekend's summer movie preview. Despite the fact that each is starring in an...
The best new music this week? It's right here:
Ashlee Simpson: Bittersweet World
Discouraged neither by live television mishaps nor the general public's larger...
Christina Ricci totally has a way with the press. The Speed Racer star—she's Emile Hirsch's girlfriend Trixie in the Wachowski brothers flick—explains to me how she plays it so...
Don't miss one song—or one note of British sarcasm—with our performance-show liveblog:
8:05 p.m.: This should be interesting. If David Cook has a secret yen for singing...
Photo: Patrick McMullan
So why the sudden change of heart about the Kubrickian pictorial? Did McCord finally realize the magnitude of her actions, namely how terrifying it is seeing a naked human being topped only with a Mardi Gras mask? Nope. Says Boyd: "Alex told me she thinks she looks fat in some of them." See a copy of the release here (just $100 to sign your boobs away — sacre bleu), and if you missed the pseudo-gimp porn shots the first time around, click here. You're welcome.
Photo: Getty Images
Sources: Murdoch closing in on deal for Newsday for $580M [CNN Money]
Photo: imaxtree, Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Hey you!! What are you up to this Wednesday? My boyfriend, Joe is putting on his first big show downtown at this place called The Bitter End - 147 Bleeker Street. It should be a lot of fun. Blackbook magazine is sponsoring his performance (which means they are giving out tons of free magazines and getty images will be there so photo-op time, haha) and T-shirts designed by Izzy Gold, press (from Blackbook, NY Post, and Observer), photogs the whole shebang, but more importantly a reason to celebrate and have fun!! I hope you can make it. The show starts at 9PM sharp, and then after, fun, fun fun!! xo Lydia
Should you attend said “shebang” and need some talking points, Joe Barney is a former personal trainer, a former Duke University hockey player, and was formerly known as Joe Freimuth. He also went to high school with Lydia. The invite promises that there will be “something for everyone.” But can the night measure up to Lydia’s madcap nights with uneven-balled ex-boyfriend Cisco Adler? Dare to dream. —Noelle Hancock
Photo: danrichter.com, Warner Bros.
So, how did you get the part of Moonwatcher?
Stanley had shot most of the picture already. They were trying to figure out how to do the opening scenes. They had done tests on dancers, actors — even comedians. He and Arthur C. Clarke were talking about it, and they said, "You know, we haven't talked to a mime." It so happened I was teaching private classes in mime in London at the time. Anyway, I was asked if I would go out and let Stanley pick my brain. I said, "If you give me twenty minutes, a stage, leotards, and some towels, I can show you how to do it." So he hired me to choreograph it, and eventually talked me into playing the part of Moonwatcher as well. I always thought of myself as a choreographer on that film. But I saw it again the other day, and I realized I starred in the thing!
Were the other performers who played the man-apes also mimes?
In England, at that time, there were only two or three mimes at that level. You really needed to be very, very skinny to do this, because of the padding of the costume. We looked at tens of thousands of people. Once we got everybody together, it turned into Parris Island. I had to make them forget everything they had been trained to do and retrain them — break them and rebuild them. I also had to build up their stamina, because it was going to be really difficult to do all that movement in that costume, on a set where the temperature was over 100 degrees.
Kubrick was very fond of research. Did you do a lot of research into ape behavior, too?
That may have been the hardest part. I spent a lot of time at the zoo, in front of the chimp cage and the gorillas. I got all the footage of Jane Goodall's work and watched it over and over again. I met with anthropologists. My goal was to take this group of twenty man-apes, drop them in a parking lot without telling them what to do, and they would just look right. We even put milk bladders in the female apes' breasts, because we had two real baby chimps, and we hoped that they would actually drink from the breasts. But they never did.
All this led to one of the greatest Oscar disses in history, where Planet of the Apes was given an Honorary Oscar for Best Makeup, and Stuart Freeborn's makeup for 2001 was completely overlooked.
It's very hard for me to comment on that, because I see everything — I see the seams in the costumes that aren't quite right, all the mistakes. But we did nail the behavior. And … come on! Planet of the Apes? It was so below what we were doing! Also, I'll tell you something else: We had stuff stolen. I can't say it was Planet of the Apes, but they were the only other movie shooting at the same time and same place we were. Stanley and I even had someone steal a mask and some ape hands right out from under our noses on the backlot, where someone had hid in a drainage ditch. We were in lockdown all the time.
There are two famous bone scenes in the film: One where you discover the bone as a weapon and the other where you throw the bone up in the air and it cuts to a spaceship. Was all that bone-tossing planned?
Not really. Stanley planned everything in great detail, but he was also the kind of great artist who could capitalize on things when they just happened. I got there and I sort of just dropped a bone down casually, and it hit a rib bone in such a way that it spun up in the air. At first, I said, "I'm sorry, Stanley." And he said, "No, that's great." So, I hit it once, a bone flips, and then I hit it a bit harder, and another bone flips. And it builds and builds, and finally, it all led up to Stanley saying, "Throw the bones in the air!" But that first accidental flipping was what gave us the idea.
After 2001, you wound up becoming very close friends with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. How did that happen?
In the sixties, I was traveling the world and I wound up in Tokyo. Through mutual friends, I met Yoko, who was doing conceptual performances there. We became very close friends. She translated some poems of mine to use as part of her performance. Later, when I was in London working for Stanley, she turned up there to do some shows. We got together again, and we had apartments side by side for a couple of years. Then when John started coming around, suddenly I was drawn into their lives. When they got married, they asked me to come out and help with their projects.
You did keep in touch with Arthur C. Clarke over the years. Did you keep in touch with Kubrick?
I lost touch with him after A Clockwork Orange. I had designed an editing table for John and Yoko, because we were shooting concert footage. Stanley had heard about it, and he called and asked if he could borrow the table. And John and Yoko were going off to L.A. to have their heads shrunk, so John said, "Yeah, that's cool, let Stanley borrow it." So I spent a day with Stanley, and that was the last time I saw him. Just before he died, I was realizing I had wanted to write about Moonwatcher, so I was hoping to see him again.
You've also written a memoir of your years with John and Yoko.
I lived with them for four years during a critical period in their lives, so I thought it would be interesting for people to read. But I don't have a publisher for it yet. Yoko and I are still sort of sparring over it, and I'm still not satisfied with the version I have, so I'm doing a rewrite on that. —Bilge Ebiri
Hidden in the shadows, it's the J.B., Fedora Edition.Photo: Courtesy of MTV
The girls are going out to Goa, and Audrina’s picking out clothes with Lo and Lauren. Audrina feels like she’s worn everything in her closet already, and, by everything, she means every single shirt that plunges enough to show us an uncomfortably large amount of her never-ending cleavage. Put them away, Audrina! Please! Lauren informs Audrina that the Philip Lim dress she has in green now comes in white. Good to know, L.C.! Is the purpose of this scene to show that Lauren knows something about fashion? We’ve seen her clothing line; there’s no fooling us, gang. And now Lauren announces that she got an A+ in computer class! Since she never seemed to go, never did her work, and she talked to Stephanie throughout the lectures, we’re going to guess that maybe the computer class requirement in fashion school is a joke. Don’t worry, Lauren, we took Astronomy for a math credit — we’re not judging. Lo associates the computer class with Stephanie and wonders if maybe she’ll be coming out with them tonight and bringing Heidi. This leaves Lauren and Audrina staring awkwardly into space, as they lately have very different opinions on Heidi. Roommate tension!
We cut to Stephanie and Heidi, who are also picking out clothes for the evening. Oh, the irony. Two groups of girls who hate each other so much, yet are so, so similar. Heidi tells Stephanie that she finally wants to have a girls' night out. Wait, hasn’t Heidi had, like, twelve girls' nights out in the past three episodes? Whatever: Heidi thinks that maybe things between her and Lauren will be okay now that she’s not with Spencer, and, um, we have a feeling that Lauren’s still going to hate Heidi, regardless. Meanwhile, Stephanie has an unfortunately prominent middle part in this scene, and it’s distracting us from Heidi’s stupidity. We're not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
We transition to the club: Stephanie and Heidi are sitting in one area, and Lauren, Lo, and Audrina are in another. We're prepared for a showdown, BUT WAIT! Stephanie (or is it Heidi?) sees JUSTIN BOBBY at the bar! Lauren comes back from the bathroom and tells Audrina this story, word for word:
I totally, like, bumped into a guy over there, and I thought that I knew him and I was like, "Hey," and he was like, "Hey," and I was like, "I don’t know you!”
What the hell? Nevertheless, Audrina bursts out laughing at this, and it’s true that if Audrina’s good for one thing, it’s being a good audience. Girl will laugh at ANYTHING. Audrina learns about the Justin Bobby sighting and is upset by the news, as she’s still trying to get over him (really, Audrina? Really?). Meanwhile, Lauren sees Heidi at Audrina's table and glares. She and Lo go back there and sit down, and it’s really tense. Then Heidi says to Audrina, “I think I’m going to go, it’s pretty clear Lauren doesn’t want to be friends with you.” And, WHAT! That is the best slip of the tongue we’ve ever heard! Heidi obviously meant that Lauren doesn’t want to be friend with her, but she just brilliantly planted the seed inside Audrina’s head that Lauren hates her. (Which she actually does, but that’s beside the point.) And then, wait for it, people…JUSTIN BOBBY APPROACHES THE GIRLS! In a fedora! He sits down and starts chatting with Heidi and Audrina; Lauren and Lo finally leave, annoyed.
Then there’s some worthless scene with Heidi and Stephanie, in which they decide that things are still weird with Lauren. Well, duh. Lo and Lauren talk more about living together when Lauren’s lease is up, and it’s clear that Lo doesn’t want Audrina to live with them. Ha, Lo! You’re the best.
Audrina and Justin Bobby go on a date to "catch up," and by "catch up," we mean "catch STDs." They are both just as idiotic as ever, and J.B. talks about how he doesn’t shower. Then they, presumably, go off to have sex. Afterwards, Audrina and Lauren have a not-so-friendly recap of Audrina’s date, in which Lauren judges and Audrina…does whatever Audrina always does (nothing?). Audrina tells Lauren that it’s great to have Heidi back as a friend, and Lauren seems stung by this.
Then Spencer, in his first appearance of the episode, acts douche-y while sitting on Stephanie’s couch! Big surprise.
Okay, finally finishing up, we end at a lunch with Lo and Lauren, in which they talk shit about not wanting Audrina move in with them. Lauren is wearing a horrible pink hat, and Lo is wearing a horrible white headband. In the middle of their shit-talking, Audrina shows up to the lunch. Who knew she was invited! Tricky Hills producers. And then what ensues is the most painful scene we've ever witnessed on this show: First, Lo attacks Audrina about Justin Bobby. Then, out of nowhere, they tell her they’ve already been looking for a house and ask her if she wants to live with them, but in a way in which it’s clear that they don’t want her to. This is so, so mean. Lo, we take back that you’re the best — you are a bitch! Audrina says she’s "open" to living with them, but her eyes are dead. We just want to cry and cry for her. You can live with us, Audrina! Sad.
Next week, Stephen Coletti! He’s not looking as good as he did in high school, but he’s still pretty damn hot.
And now, it's time for our Unequivocal Hills Reality Index:
Faker than Heidi's boobs:
• Heidi’s "hope" to reconcile with Lauren. The Heid-ster knows they’re never going to be friends, but she has to keep her reality-TV-star dreams alive, somehow.
• Lauren’s A+ in computer class. Lauren has never gotten an A+ in anything, ever.
• Justin Bobby just happening to show up.
As real as Lauren is awkward:
• Lo’s bitchiness; all real. Okay, we admit, Audrina is really, really stupid. But give the poor girl a break! She can’t fight back!
• Spencer’s indolence. We actually believe that he hasn’t gotten up from Stephanie’s couch for three weeks. Like, not even to go to the bathroom.
• Justin Bobby’s hat.
—Emma Rosenblum
We've just learned that Nautica's womenswear line has been discontinued. Apparently, VF Corp., the company that owns the label, is responding to a decline in revenues and the shitty state of retail:
Despite posting impressive revenue and earnings gains in the first quarter, VF Corp. wasn't immune to the difficulties of the U.S. retail environment – a key factor in the company's decision to exit Nautica's women's sportswear business.VF's sportswear coalition, which includes the Nautica and John Varvatos labels, saw North American revenues fall 11 percent during the quarter. Management had anticipated Nautica revenues would decline as a result of one of its customers deciding to reduce its assortment of the brand. In revealing the decision to close the Nautica women's business, the company said it has decided to devote its resources to the brand's men's sportswear segment.
Now, how often does a company nix women's clothes to concentrate on men's clothes? We can thank the recession for this kind of thing. So rage on, men's lib. Rage on.
VF Net Up, to Close Nautica’s Women’s Line [WWD]
They really could not look less thrilled.Photo: WENN
On the left we have Sarah Jessica Parker. Fine — her dress appears to only contain leaves, but we still don't like it. The pattern reminds us of the board shorts we wore in seventh grade. On the right is Diane Kruger in a Ralph Lauren number. She looks like she got caught in her grandma's window treatments on her way out the door, valence included.Photo: Getty Images, WireImage
Miley Cyrus is on the left at the Country Music Awards. We can deal with her dress, even though it looks like some sort of Asian-inspired dragon print from a distance. On the right, Selita Ebanks looks way frumpier than she should. The tights with that print really rub us the wrong way.Photo: Getty Images
We're pretty surprised Tara Subkoff wore what she did on the left there not only because the cardigan and gray floral combo make her also look way frumpier than she should, but because she wore it to the Jagger Dagger party. It was a party for an ice pick and vodka, not Little House on the Prairie. On the right is Diane Von Furstenberg. She is the only person who can get away with any print.Photo: Getty Images
That's Joy Bryant on the left. She looks like she lost her clothes in the rain forest in Hawaii and had to wrap herself in a bedspread from the hotel. On the right is Rachel Zoe. Looking at all that print and fringe makes us feel carsick.Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
He writes:
Upon arriving in New York on the Acela train yesterday, we exited on to the dank, dark train platform, and passed by no fewer than four idle, frozen escalators for the long trek to the main level to the station. It was like a scene from "The Land That Time Forgot." It is a daily reality for millions of daily commuters. I watched as senior citizens, laden with luggage, hoisted it up the long flight of stairs, some of them pausing to rest and catch their breath on the landing or with each individual step.
Williams writes that, while a few New Yorkers are pushing this issue, "it is much easier to get up each day and put up with it and pretend not to notice." So true! You know, we’ve always thought that trains are like spouses. In the beginning there’s a certain novelty and comfort, but then they get old, start breaking down, and eventually you can no longer muster the energy and just stop riding them. But on the plus side, you’re home to watch the Nightly News together. That 55-and-over demographic doesn't come from nowhere, you know! —Noelle Hancock
Brian Williams [MySpace]
Courtesy of NBC
Fortunately, the ratings for the show's most recent airing, last Thursday, April 17, were up 24 percent from this time last year. America's catching on!
Unfortunately, even with the increase, 30 Rock only drew 6.4 million total viewers, which are Arrested Development–teetering–on–the–lip–of–the–grave numbers. By contrast, The Office drew 9.9 million viewers. America's not catching on fast enough!
Fortunately, 30 Rock is now improving on the lead-in ratings from My Name Is Earl. And 30 Rock is the No. 1 show in its time slot among men from 18 to 34!
Unfortunately, that mostly means that not a lot of people are watching Earl, either. And that not a lot of dudes watch Ugly Betty, Survivor, or Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
Fortunately, NBC announced today that 30 Rock would be shifting from 8:30 to 9:30, following The Office (and, presumably, benefiting from its stronger lead-in, not to mention a much more simpatico comedic pairing).
Unfortunately — well, actually, there's nothing unfortunate about this, since it will not only clump Earl and Scrubs in a convenient Easy-to-Avoid TV block from eight to nine, but it will also free the new, later-airing 30 Rock from getting grilled about doing MILF Island jokes during NBC's "family hour."
Oh, wait — there is one unfortunate thing. 30 Rock will very likely move back to 8:30 in the fall, as the coveted post–The Office slot is being held for the new The Office Spinoff. Clearly, the only thing separating the wildly successful The Office and the not-yet-as-successful-as-it-should-be 30 Rock is a forthcoming spinoff! Coming this fall from NBC: Rachel Dratch stars in Imaginary Blue Dude. Men from 18 to 34 would love it. —Adam Sternbergh
The candidates in Philadelphia this month.Photo: Getty Images
• In Philadelphia, turnout was anecdotally reported as being higher than usual (as it usually is). [Philly.com]
• The Committee of 70, a citywide election watchdog group, fielded a complaint about an "irrate [sic] pro-Hillary business owner (of Bolivian extraction)" who paid people to tear down Obama election signs and harassed workers at a field office of the Champion of Change. [Super Tuesday Blog]
• It wasn't only Bolivians that were angered by the idea that anyone would support Barack Obama. The Democratic City Committee is allegedly passing out several different sample ballots to voters eager to be told who to vote for, with some ward leaders supporting Clinton getting ballots urging votes for Obama, and vice versa. [Philly.com]
• Leaders in Philadelphia's 69 wards usually require "street money" to get out the vote, but both campaigns shunned the practice this year. Fortunately for election-day workers, there was enough in the Democratic City Committee's coffers to pay $100 per worker today. [NYT]
• Newish Mayor Michael Nutter stumped for Clinton on nearly every TV station on basic cable. [Philly.com]
• Yet the main problems in Philly today are related to machines malfunctioning, though there were a couple skirmishes, mostly between supporters of candidates in smaller races. [Philly.com]
• Obama's campaign says he is currently making "unscheduled, unannounced" last-minute campaign stops in Philadelphia after spending the morning in Pittsburgh. He's flying out to Indiana tonight while Hillary Clinton stays in Center City. She's actually in Philadelphia all day, spending tonight at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, in the shadow of City Hall. [Inquirer] — Daniel McQuade
Don't hate the playa…Photo: Joe Conzo / Retna
Bad eyeliner, bad photoshoppingPhoto: Bellasugar.com
• Makeup diva Dolly Parton wants her own cosmetics line. We hate to say it, but, QVC, here she most likely will come. [Chic Report/Fashion Week Daily]
• Bobbi Brown’s limited-edition lip crayons in naked pink, nude berry, red plum, and warm rose don’t make lips look harsh like many lip liners. They're like lipstick and remind this blogger of peanut butter, because they're smooth, not crunchy. Okaaaaay. [Jolie Nadine]
• Did you know that each year Pratt holds a dinner for the cosmetics company with the best packaging? Well, they do! And this year Dior won. Why does Pratt bother? To get people to pay gobs of money for a fancy dinner that the school can put toward scholarships. [WWD]
SKIN:
• Token Earth Day item: Unilever uses palm oil in Dove products, but Greenpeace says the oil leads to major deforestation in Indonesia. Now how are consumers supposed to keep it green when something as seemingly benign as soap is killing forests? [Cosmetic News]
• FatGirlSlim by Bliss is a lotion that claims to firm and energize skin. It’s not new, but this blogger claims it works wonders as part of her summer-fitness routine, but she's also dieting and exercising, so… [From the Floor]
Over 50-plus years, the documentarian Robert Gardner has chronicled the everyday lives of people from the Dani of West New Guinea (the subject of his best-known work, Dead Birds) to the holy men of Benares, India (in the rapturous, Antonioni-esque Forest of Bliss). These journals, reissued in a fine hardcover edition, show Gardner as a restrained, unsentimental, and talented prose writer reminiscent of J.M. Coetzee, and the photographs scattered among his thoughts are refreshingly unvarnished.
Bushwick: If you're going to spray-paint "Stop the Displacement" in Spanish across the front door of a brand-new home, maybe a humble, two-family Fedders-type building isn't the best choice to make your point about the effects of gentrification? [BushwickBK]
Crown Heights: The Notorious B.I.G. biopic has been tweaking the hood lately to shoot here, in this instance, presumably to redo that seminal moment in time when 17-year-old Biggie rapped outside a Bed-Stuy grocery. [Razor Apple]
East Village: A pink, orange, and green mural painted at the corner of Houston and Bowery in 1982 by Keith Haring, who died of AIDS in 1990, will be re-created there on May 4 to mark what would've been his 50th birthday. [NYS]
Long Island City: Here lives Rene Smith, the artist whose work was featured on last night's episode of Gossip Girl, and all she had to do was walk her work over to Silvercup Studios, where they shoot the show, and introduce herself! The show rented her work for an undisclosed sum. [Gothamist]
Midtown: A guy was arrested at Grand Central Terminal for secretly filming up women's skirts on the escalator. Gross! Also, weirdly unsurprising. [NYS]
West Village: Less than a month after they were forced out of their longtime home on Houston Street, the activist group Times Up! faces eviction again, with their rent more than doubling. [Runnin' Scared/VV]
Williamsburg: New filings with the city suggest that the developers of the old Domino Sugar plant want to turn at least part of it into a hotel. Hm, shall it be the Powdered Suite or the Granulated Suite? [Brownstoner]
Photo: AP
Photo: Imaxtree
Model Profile: Anna Jagodzinska
For more minute details on the runway's finest, check out our extensive Model Manual.
Pete Wentz liberates his male self.Photo: FilmMagic
So, let's take stock: Guys of all persuasions can now wear ladies' tight clothes, girdles, and high heels with reckless abandon. It's men's lib, sure, but it's kind of about cross-dressing, in a way. Take it too far with the mass marketing, and it could get messy: Just imagine the chaos when everyone's gaydar gets thrown off.
Boys raid girls' room for fashion [News.com.au]
Related: Pete Wentz Designs and Wears Women's Clothes
| World : News Archives | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Technology | Science | Marketplace Audio |
| India : News | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Telugu | |
| Blogs : Humor pages | Norkay's Blog | Kids Stories | Indian Recipes | Database Tech Blog |
| Sundries : World Video Clips | Songs Clips | Indian Video Clips | |
