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Outside of color-blind Shakespeare adaptations, cross-race casting has been one of Hollywood’s obvious taboos for decades now — a no-no so basic it didn’t even merit discussion. No more: Enough Hollywood stars are enthusiastically applying bronzer in 2008, either for a quick gag or for a serious leading role, that we’re forced to hesitatingly declare this movie season the Summer of Brownface.
Click here for a slideshow on the Summer of Brownface.
There are plenty of great oldies tainted by cringe-worthy ethnic impersonations, like buck-toothed Mickey Rooney shrieking his way through Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Charlton Heston occasionally remembering to roll an “R” as a Mexican in A Touch of Evil. But by the time the nineties era of the Sensitive Epic rolled around, it was customary to expect that, say, the Native Americans of Dances With Wolves would be played by actual Native Americans and not rouged Italians.
Not so in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, opening tomorrow, where Adam Sandler plays an Israeli and Rob Schneider an Arab; both have seemingly taken a dip in the same substance used to honey up Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart. And Mike Myers’s The Love Guru is quite possibly the first Hollywood comedy entirely devoted to tittering over turbans since Peter Sellers played Hrundi V. Bakshi in The Party, from 1968. Ben Kingsley, naturally, shows up to meta-travesty his own half-Indian heritage, and by extension his Gandhi role, with a cameo as Guru Tugginmypudha. (Should the homophonic hilarity of that name prove too subtle, there’s also Guru Satchabigknoba.)
Kingsley is also onboard for the just-announced Prince of Persia, the cast of which — unveiled earlier this week — includes such notable Persians as Jake Gyllenhaal and Alfred Molina. Nor is the trend limited to Hollywood blockbusters. In the indie thriller Stuck, out now, ethnic Estonian Mena Suvari rocks the cornrows to play a character based on a real-life black woman. On the small screen, meanwhile, it’s a fairly safe bet that the two-month overlap between the general-election and the TV-production cycles will bring us a lot more Fred Armisen as Barack Obama come September.
And none of the above, of course, is even close in sheer audacity (and, let’s admit it, comic potential) to Robert Downey Jr.’s full-blown blackface in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder. Stiller himself, interestingly enough, previously did not one but two throwaway blackface bits in Zoolander (watch them at 3:31 and 6:00 in this odd YouTube distillation of the film).
Why has brownface suddenly become more common? Perhaps we simply didn’t notice when the taboo began to expire, sometime around 2003’s The Human Stain, with its almost Dadaistically ludicrous casting of Sir Anthony Hopkins as a black man passing for Jewish. (Reader! Anna Deavere Smith played Hopkins’s mom!) In the age of Barack Obama, the idealistic interpretation is that it’s simply not a big deal, and what we’re witnessing is Hollywood’s unusually astute reaction to the onset of the post-racial society. (In the future, everyone will look like Tan Adam Sandler!)
A more cynical explanation for the green-lighting of The Love Guru and especially Zohan is the delayed box-office aftershocks from Borat: If Americans were ready to laugh at a Hebrew-speaking British Jew pretending to be a Russian-speaking Kazakh oaf, then why not fake Arabs and Israelis? If Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming Bruno is a success, we can expect Will Ferrell and/or Owen Wilson as a Teutonic sodomite by spring 2010.
If you look closely at the 2008 crop of cross-race performances, however, they all have something in common that Old Hollywood didn’t. Something more sickening, in a way, than outright minstrelsy. They have excuses.
Jack Tuckner, sans collar. Photo:
When Brockington used Google to search for Metzger's name, the suit says, she found a Web-site ad in which Metzger wrote: "I am a Dominant Woman with a long-term male slave. I seek to add a female service oriented slave to our family," and also "a man who is interested in partnering with me in a cuckold relationship."
Apparently he also kept a screen saver of Metzger in full gear on his desk. The Google-stalking of the girlfriend, the cultiness of the firm's Website (on which Brockington is quoted calling Tuckner "a very special human being"), and the openness with which Tuckner apparently conducted these activities make us a tad suspicious about Brockington's motives. She claims she filed because she "severely misjudged what Jack was about" and wants to warn off other women. But did she misjudge him? Clearly, this is a man who likes the ladies to be in positions of power.
Related: William P. Unroch, Esq
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Coldplay, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Official Release Date: June 17
The Verdict: According to reports, the continued existence of EMI depends in large part on whether Viva la Vida's sales meet expectations, so it's doubtful they're going to be very happy about its surprise Internet release yesterday afternoon. It's also probably unlikely that they're thrilled about Coldplay making a dark (for Coldplay) record with few obvious choruses and even fewer potential singles, but it's actually perfectly fine with us. To our surprise, we liked "Violet Hill" and "Viva la Vida," and, on a first listen, "Yes," "Lost!," "42," and "Death and All His Friends" aren't bad either. Chris Martin's clearly been listening to lots of Neon Bible, but Brian Eno's typically interesting production keeps things from sounding overblown or heavy-handed. Also, none of the lyrics sound cribbed from a ninth-grade earth-science textbook this time. Obviously this is doomed to fail commercially.
I Googled my fellow finalists: a legislative director in New York and a public-affairs director in Seattle. Clearly 9-to-5 types, at a loss for time, who would be unable to take advantage of the fact that the contest is decided by an online vote. You can and must do better, preferably by launching a full-scale viral marketing campaign. E-mail everyone you know. Create a Facebook group. Call in longstanding debts. It helps if, like me, you have no shame. I had musicians pitching me at their shows, professors pitching me in their lecture halls, and old ladies at cafes pitching me to their grandnieces.
Okay, so for this week's contest, we're going to follow his advice and enter the following caption: "I don't care, you're not setting one more foot in here until you take off that dirty parachute." If it makes it, you all have to vote for us, okay? If you have a better unfunny/thoughtful one, put it in the comments and we'll enter those too.
How to Win the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest [Slate via Jossip]
Reuters - France said farewell to fashion designer
Yves Saint Laurent at a memorial service on Thursday attended
by stars of the worlds of fashion and film including long-time
friend and fan Catherine Deneuve.
Reuters - The original cast of the
animated hit "Madagascar" will be joined by new names such as
Bernie Mac and Alec Baldwin in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,"
which is scheduled for a November 7 release.
Battle of the sexagenarian indie auteurs!Photos: Getty Images
The announcement of Werner Herzog's remake of 1992 naked–Harvey Keitel classic Bad Lieutenant definitely qualifies as one of the great WTF? moments in recent film news, especially because Abel Ferrara, director of the original film, seemed as surprised as the rest of us. At Cannes last month, Ferrara offered Herzog and his star, Nicolas Cage, a measured response ("I wish these people die in Hell. I hope they’re all in the same streetcar, and it blows up"), and Vulture is attending tonight's Museum of the Moving Image conversation between Herzog and Jonathan Demme to hear how Herzog responds. Defamer's Stu Van Airsdale got a preview yesterday when he asked Herzog how he felt. Herzog's reaction? "I have no idea who Abel Ferrara is."
I don't feel like doing an homage to Abel Ferrara because I don't know what he did — I've never seen a film by him. I have no idea who he is. Is he Italian? Is he French? Who is he?Defamer: Oh, come on.
Maybe I could invite him to act in a movie! Except I don't know what he looks like.
Right now, steam is whistling out of Abel Ferrara's ears, Yosemite Sam style.
Defiant Werner Herzog to Defamer: 'Who is Abel Ferrara?' [Defamer]
Bad Lieutenant Remake: Abel Ferrara Says, ‘Don’t Count On It.’ [Spoutblog]
Earlier: Nicolas Cage Is a ‘Bad Lieutenant,’ Too
Photo: Courtesy of Calvin Klein
From what we overheard between the police officers and two men who seemed to be representatives of 421 Broome and the party planners, it sounded like the building proprietor pulled the plug on the bash because the building was a residence and didn't have a permit to accommodate all the guests. Or something. We spotted a makeup artist we knew leaving the building; she said the space was set up and ready for a hearty party — a band, models, the works. Pout. It would've been a good one.
Mendes, meanwhile, never brought her racy self to 421 Broome. We heard the party had been moved to Barolo on West Broadway, so we headed over hoping we could catch her there. A few blocks west a whole new set of people were assembled, mostly foreign press who flew in just for the now-canceled party. Since the circumstances surrounding our attendance weren't quite so dramatic, the publicists wouldn't let us inside the party, which seemed like last-minute damage control since we were originally allowed to cover the event had it occurred as planned at 421 Broome. And so we pitifully waited outside for Mendes but never spotted her. Sober, downtrodden, and damp, we turned to leave. As we stalked away from the crowd outside Barolo, we heard one fragrance rep lament to another, "We're going to get a lot of bad press from this." —Sharon Clott
Related: Eva Mendes's New Calvin Klein Commercial Makes TV Execs Uncomfortable
Connor Paolo/Eric van der WoodsenPhoto: Getty Images
Carla Bruni says she was seduced by French president Nicolas Sarkozy's "physique and his intelligence." The New York Young Republican Club has declared its intent to support fellow Republican Bruce Willis's Bowery Wine Company after some hippies protested it. The Lyford Cay Country Club in the Bahamas, where Michael Bloomberg has been sponsored for membership, prohibits jeans, cargo pants, billed hats, untucked shirts, and tank tops, among other things. The Shanghai International Film Festival is considering banning Sharon Stone for life in light of her dumb comments about the earthquake's being karmic payback for China's handling of Tibet. Wanda Sykes joked that Barack Obama just needs "pretty hair" to win the presidency. Brad Pitt bought a ton of expensive furniture for his new French mansion, including a $293,000 table. Guests at Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller's wedding crashed Prince's 21 Nights book party in Bel Air because he lives right down the block in the same gated community as Sheen. Tatum O'Neal says the good thing about her arrest is that it's brought her closer to ex-husband John McEnroe and Rescue Me co-star Denis Leary. Harrison Ford turned down a fan's photo request. Blue Star Jets CEO Todd Rome is cool with the fact that ex-wife Carole is now talking marriage with Florida governor Charlie Crist, and thus may become Second Lady. (Crist is on John McCain's short list for vice-president.) Eighteen-year-old actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse did a shot of whiskey with some thirtysomethings at the Playboy Mansion. Cindy Adams recalls how she once mentioned to an Obama aide back in 2006 that there was "not a chance" Obama would run for president. Gina Gershon tells Liz Smith that she thinks Todd Purdam is a "sleazy liar" for his Clinton hit piece in VF. (Smith also says she thinks cover girl Angelia Jolie is "the most beautiful and interesting woman in the world.")
Reuters - Irish rock band U2 will reissue its
first three albums next month with a wealth of previously
unreleased and rare material.
"It's fair to say we have been less in-your-face," said David Nassar, the executive director of Wal-Mart Watch, which had hammered the company in stinging newspaper advertisements and provocative reports with titles like "Shameless: How Wal-Mart Bullies Its Way Into Communities Across America."
The mellowing of the anti-Wal-Mart movement is an unexpected development for the retailer, whose public image and share price were bruised by the well-financed union campaigns. On Friday, when the chain holds its shareholder meeting in Arkansas, investors are likely to applaud Wal-Mart for fending off these detractors.
What we need now is an activist group that condemns Wal-Mart just for homogenizing the American landscape. The company can have no defense for that.
Until then, Wake Up Wal-Mart is still making propaganda videos like this, which will have to suffice:
[pic via Blizzmax]
• Lolli by Reincarnation’s leather handbags are 65 percent off, and dresses are up to 80 percent off. Through 6/8. 85 Stanton St., nr. Orchard St.; 212-529-2030; Thurs.–Sat. (1–9), Sun. (1–6).
• Men’s hot spot Odin is offering 30 percent off almost everything in stock, including pieces from Rag & Bone, Commes des Garçons, and more. Through mid-summer. Check out their three locations and hours here.
• Another men’s spot, Alter, features 20 to 40 percent off all clothing and accessories. You’ll find Cheap Monday, Takel, Kitchen Orange, and more at this sale. 109 Franklin St., at Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-784-8818); Tues.–Fri. (1–9), Sat. (noon–9), Sun. (noon–8).
• The streetwear duds from Triple 5 Soul are being sold with major discounts. Word says all gear will go for $15 to $70. Through 6/15. 33 W. 17th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; Mon.–Fri. (10–8), Sat.–Sun. (11–8).
• Men’s and women’s apparel and footwear from Fred Perry and Komodo are heavily marked down for this sample sale. Cash only. Through 6/8. 547 W. 27th St., nr. Tenth Ave., third fl. (212-736-3030); Thurs., Fri. (10–7), Sat., Sun. (noon–6).
• Marie Saeki PR is shelling out their samples of Alice Ritter, Cotelac, and Petit Bateau. Cash only. Through 6/6. 41 Great Jones St., nr. Lafayette St., second fl. (212-353-9141); 11–7.
• The diffusion lines from jewelry designer Philip Crangi like Giles & Brother and Academie are marked down significantly. Through 6/6. 147 W. 29th St., nr. Sixth Ave., second fl.; Thurs.–Fri. (noon–7).
• Get 75 percent off evening dresses, gowns, skirts, and more at the Saja sample sale. Through 6/6. 250 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave., Ste. 1601; Thurs. (10–6), Fri. (10–5).
• Spring looks from Derek Lam, 3.1 phillip lim, Just Cavalli, and more designers are on sale up to 40 percent off at eLuxury.com. Through 6/30.
ENDING TODAY
• Rebecca Taylor’s girlie frocks are reduced by up to 60 percent; beaded dresses were $380 but are now $150. 145 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave. (212-388-0339); Tues. (1–8); Wed. and Thurs. (10–8).
• Find 50 to 70 percent off the vintage-inspired feminine dresses and tops at the Secrets of Charm sample sale. A dress that was $350 is only $150. 95 Horatio St., at Washington St., No. 706 (646-414-0052); Tues.–Thurs. (10–6).
• The Theory womenswear sale has blazers, dresses, and knits at 50 to 75 percent off. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., second fl. (212-947-8748); 10–7.
• Find 50 to 75 percent off three designers at this combined sample sale featuring jewelry from Page Sargisson, shoes from 80/20, and clothes from Body. 315 W. 39th St., nr. Eighth Ave., Studio 1405 (212-629-7092); Wed.–Thurs. (11–7).
• Cadeau has deals on non-frumpy maternitywear like chic twill coats (now $150) and silk tunics (now $90). 254 Elizabeth St., nr. Houston St. (212-994-1801); Wed.–Thurs. (10–7).
ENDING TOMORROW
• Handbags and clutches from Jennifer Alfano are up to 75 percent off. Snag some of her exotic leather collection at wholesale prices. 257 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave., tenth fl., Ste. 8 (212-730-4740); Thurs.–Fri. (10–6).
• Organic silk and cotton dresses from Nora Caliguri’s line Larsen Gray are on sale for $85 or less. 80 W. 40th St., nr. Sixth Ave., seventh fl.; Wed.–Fri. (10–6).
• Overstock and one-of-a-kind men’s and women’s samples are up to 75 percent off at the Autumn Cashmere showroom; lightweight cashmere wraps are now $88.231 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave., Ste. 924 (212-398-2244); Tues.–Fri. (9–7).
Photo: Getty Images
Farley Name Lives On: Chris Farley's younger brothers, Kevin and John, have teamed up to make Hollywood and Wine, a satire about a Hollywood chef and aspiring actress who get mixed up with the mob when their get-rich-quick scheme goes south. The cast includes Chris Kattan, David Spade, Norm MacDonald, Horatio Sanz, and Chris Parnell. It's as if Bruce Campbell read the Necronomicon and brought back all the SNL comedy zombies of yesteryear. [HR]
Japan's Funniest Home Videos: Vin De Bona, whose America's Funniest Home Videos showed a nation how hilarious it is to get hit in the junk, has returned to Japan for inspiration. He just acquired the rights to Masquerade, a competition wherein contestants use props and costumes to create ridiculously awesome visual illusions. (Click that link; it's worth watching). Seriously, Japan, is there anything you can't do? Other than maintain a standing army per article nine of your constitution, of course. [Variety]
Gosling Dealing Drugs?: Pensive actor Ryan Gosling will reteam with Lars and the Real Girl director Craig Gillespie to make The Dallas Buyers Club for Universal. True story centers on Ron Woodroof, a gruff Texas electrician diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and given six months to live. He then starts using, smuggling, and selling alternative drugs to other patients, before his eventual death in 1992. [Variety]
Showtime Loves America: Showtime has given the Steven Spielberg–produced United States of Tara the green light to series. Oscar winner Diablo Cody (that still feels weird to type) wrote the pilot, the story of a seemingly ordinary housewife, played by Toni Collette, who suffers from multiple personality disorder, and how her family deals with her them. Episode one: Her husband gets sad when he's feeling in the mood but all eleven wives have headaches? Hire us, Diablo Cody! [Variety]
2) "What does this female talk show host/ B list actress enjoy doing on her weekends more than anything? How about sitting in front of her television all weekend and ordering jewelery from home shopping channels. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth. And the funny thing is she doesn't really wear any, she just likes the shows and buying." [CDaN]
3) "Despite reports to the contrary, what really broke up this celebrity couple was not interference but rather the fact that when our female got home one night her boyfriend was waiting for her. While she was digging for the keys in her purse, a torn condom wrapper came fluttering out. Considering she and her boyfriend didn't use condoms this was distressing to him, hence the breakup. Now any time he spends with her is just to get back at her and is not out of any kind of sense of love." [CDaN]
Clinton plans exit as Obama gathers more support [CNN]
O AHEAD – BUT IT'S THISCLOSE ON MAP [NYP]
Obama Heads to Election With Some Weaknesses [WSJ]
The Rezko Verdict: Guilty [Chicago Sun-Times]
"We have a great relationship with UPS, but Hooters has a great plan to have 450 of their restaurants doing a Big Brown day," Wietsma said.
Hooters is also going to slap its logo on the jockey's legs, and, if Big Brown wins, he will "be greeted by busty Hooters girls in tightfitting T-shirts."
Stay classy, rich people.
[NYDN]
On May 29th, Richard and his wife Jazmin Zepeda welcomed into the world, Riley Maddox Blais. She weighed 7.9 pounds and was 21" long (long? how do you describe things that can't stand up?) These photographs were taken by Whitney and Jesse. It should be noted that on the same day Blais became a father, Lisa probably cut in front of an old woman at a supermarket, opened the Emergency Exit gate in the subway setting off a horrendously annoying alarm though she could have just as easily have gone through the turnstile, stole moleskin from a Mom & Pop drugstore, slashed the tires of an ambulance, hacked her way into an ex-girlfriend's email, and tapped aggressively on the glass window of a pet store, scaring the adorable puppies therein to the point of catatonia.
AP - Dennis Farina has been charged with illegally having a gun in his luggage at Los Angeles International Airport.
AP - The publicist for Kelsey Grammer says the actor has returned home from the hospital, four days after suffering a mild heart attack.
 Contactmusic.com | Brady’s baby is love of Bridget’s life Boston Herald - By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa Bridget Moynahan says that being pregnant and abandoned by her baby daddy, Tom Brady [stats] was traumatic and heartbreaking - but that she’d do it all over again because she wound up with the love of her life, son Jack. Bridget Moynahan Was 'Heartbroken' and Pregnant After Brady Break-Up Gisele Bundchen Jets Out For Brady Time |
 Marie Claire.co.uk | ET Possibly “Victimized” in Jolie Birth Story eFluxMedia - By Jane Ivory Entertainment Tonight confidently reported last week that Angelina Jolie had given birth to her twins. The actress’s lawyers irrefutably denied the story and ET is now saying, without completely retracting the story, that it may have been ... ET "Actively Investigating" Angelina Baby Hoax Brad Pitt drops $500000 on furniture |
 Citizen | Relatives: Alleged R. Kelly victim isn't in video The Associated Press - CHICAGO (AP) - A sex tape that prosecutors say shows R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl has sharply divided the alleged victim's family into those who think it's her and those who don't, a relative told jurors. Defense begins in R. Kelly trial Witness tells of 3 sexual encounters |
 New York Daily News | 'Swingtown' takes on sex & the suburb New York Daily News - By RICHARD HUFF The spirit of '76: Lana Parrilla and Grant Show as a pair of swingers on 'Swingtown.' CBS has definitely been selling the sexy sizzle on its new '70s-set drama "Swingtown," and cast member Lana Parrilla is part of that. CBS takes a bad trip, man, with 'Swingtown' '70s flashback Television Review Borrowing a Cup of Sugar (and Maybe a Spouse) |
 Los Angeles Times | With 'Zohan,' Robert Smigel will mess with you Los Angeles Times - Sandler. Apatow. And Smigel. Of the 'Zohan' creators, he's the under-the-radar guy -- but with quite a track record of his own. Sandler returns to ridiculous with "Zohan" Adam Sandler likes messing with you |
Reuters - As a
commando-turned-hairdresser with superheroic strength and a
supersized crotch, Adam Sandler gets the Israeli accent and the
disco swagger just right.
If he wanted to contribute to Jamie Lynn Spears' baby book, this wasn't the way to go about it.
A paparazzo accused of stalking Britney's pregnant little sis and her...
Angelina Jolie may not have birthed any more babies yet, but Entertainment Tonight is the not-so-proud parent of a newborn controversy.
While not exactly issuing a retraction, the...
Is Johnny a Rotten excuse for a gentleman?
A former reality TV show producer has sued the Sex Pistols frontman for assault and battery, claiming he slugged her in the face because he was...
Sen. Barack Obama wasn't the only one celebrating his winning the Democratic presidential nomination last night.
A source tells E! that Obama supporter Ryan Phillippe expressed...
'Tis a proud, proud day in the Oprah universe.
The talk show maven spilled her thrill Wednesday after her candidate du jour, Barack Obama, claimed the Democratic presidential...
Lindsay Lohan wants to make the bodyguard she says she never knew go away.
The starlet's legal camp is looking to settle a lawsuit brought against her by David Kim, who claims Lohan...
No more View from the cheap seats for Michelle Obama.
The potential next first lady of the United States is slated to appear June 18 as a guest host on The View.
No celebrity...
AP - "Body Awareness," a new comedy by Annie Baker presented by the Atlantic Theater Company, has a slightly familiar look and feel to it: Two middle-aged female academics, live-in partners for the past three years, share their home in rural Shirley, Vermont, with the slightly dysfunctional young adult son of one of the women.
Get a napkin to wipe that drool of your chin already.Photo: Courtesy of Collins
On the left is a photo of Carrie in a Lanvin wedding gown styled by Vogue. In fact, the entire wedding-dress montage was styled by Vogue — the only scene not styled by Field. Here, she's wearing the kick-ass Dior shoes Madonna loves. On the right, she's rocking the coveted Proenza Schouler python studded heels.Photo: Courtesy of Collins
Getting some clothes for the movie took work. This tie-dyed dress, for example, had to be reshot after it had been sent to the Mayan jungle for a Vogue shoot. A wardrobe assistant flew to Mexico to personally fetch the dress, then flew right back to New York. She had time for a margarita in the airport. On the right is André Leon Talley on set during the wedding-dress montage shoot. He had said he was only going to stick around until five but wound up staying to the middle of the night when they finally finished shooting. This picture of him needs a frame. Stat.Photo: Courtesy of Collins
TPMtv: McCain Leaves Fox Speechless [Talking Points Memo]
Look closely, and you can see his ears acting.Photo:
So was Byrne an active therapygoer? "I never felt I needed it," he said, citing Freud's claim that the Irish are immune to psychoanalysis. Instead, he said, he'd studied talk-show hosts to prepare for the role: "Bill Moyers, Dick Cavett, Charlie Rose." Why them? "Because they have to listen in a way that's both nonjudgmental, empathetic, involved — and they also have to be detached. And those guys are not men who depend on the glib question and the glib answer." Seriously? we were thinking. But Charlie Rose never listens to anyone. He totally interrupts people all the time, like the other night when — suddenly we realized Byrne had stopped talking and was waiting expectantly. We scrambled. So, um, do your friends tell you you're a good listener? we finally asked. He again fixed his eyes upon us: "I think it's important to listen to people, don't you?" —Darrell Hartman
Kelsey Grammer has said aloha to his hospital bed.
The actor's rep, Stan Rosenfield, said Wednesday that Grammer is back "resting comfortably at his Hawaiian residence," four...
CHACE SCENE: Chace Crawford, Chris Evans, Nicky Hilton and Lauren Conrad, partying separately last night at Coco de Ville in Los Angeles.
EATING FOR TWO: Ashlee Simpson, enjoying filet...
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Related: Tom Ford Wants You to Be Okay With Penises
Expect to see a little southern comfort to grace the cover of Jessica Simpson's new country album.
No, not the booze.
Sources tell E! News she'll likely be dressed in a...
Photo: Getty Images
It sounds great — a return to the days of substantive, gentlemanly political debate that we imagine existed when men wore top hats and three-piece suits. And of course Obama wants to have a duel of rhetoric: As last night's display of speech-making proved, Obama trounces McCain behind the podium. But let's not forget McCain is a master at the art of the town hall, where his Everyman appeal and candor connect personally with voters. Are these proposed “tweaks” to McCain’s guidelines simply an extra precaution that if Obama's oratory doesn't hold up, his youth will? The Obama campaign is probably aware that those Lincoln-Douglas debates of political yore lasted for a ridiculous three hours each, with each candidate talking uninterrupted for up to 90 minutes at a time. Now, that would never succeed in the made-for-TV era. But a longer format of any kind (with, to be blunt, the candidates standing and roaming the stage) might expose McCain’s age far more clearly than a shorter, more sane debate ever could. Call us cynical, but is it possible that when the Obama campaign specifically suggests “less structured” and “longer,” they really mean “rhetorically demanding” and “physically exhausting”? —Dan Amira
McCain urges joint town halls with Obama [AP]
Courtesy of Sony
So we did some research — that is, we watched the trailer and read some stuff — and are pleased to present our Zohan FAQ, after the jump.
Zohan's a spy?
Yes, an Israeli counterterrorism expert, "Rembrandt with a grenade."
Who's also a hairdresser?
It seems as though that is his lifelong dream. He comes to America to make it happen.
And he's Israeli, or pretending to be Israeli?
Actually Israeli.
Wait, is he gay for real?
No, he ogles women several times in the trailer, so audiences won't be confused! Although we were still confused.
Or just pretending to be gay?
We don't think so.
Or not even pretending to be gay, just conforming to hilarious gay stereotypes?
Bingo! Mariah Carey shirt, hairdressing career, effeminate behavior: all check!
This doesn't make any sense.
We know! Like, we guess that from incongruity comes comedy, but there are so many elements to this we don't really understand how it got green-lit. It's sort of an ethnic comedy! Sort of a fish-out-of-water comedy! Sort of a spy thriller! Sort of a comment on the Middle East! It's impossible to explain in less than a full paragraph!
Is there anything else we should know about this movie?
Rob Schneider follows up his roles as a Japanese minister, a native Hawaiian, and "Prince Habeeboo" with a turn as an Arab-American cabdriver.
Photo: Kate Glicksberg/Retna, WireImage
2. Sisqó, "Thong Song (Baby Diamonds Remix)"
Perhaps sensing that Kellz is about to be defenestrated by the Chicago legal system, Baby Diamonds decided to play kingmaker with this electro mix of Sisqó's annoyingly catchy hit. [Southside Discotheque]
3. Jeff Daniels, "Fashionably Late"
ScarJo's record has been called a vanity project, but this folksy blues track from actor Jeff Daniels takes it to a whole new level, when he exclaims, "I could kiss myself, but I don't know where to start." Get a room, Daniels! [Daytrotter]
4. Tilly and the Wall, "Pot Kettle Black"
If Tilly and the Wall's shout-along choruses and tap-dancing rhythm section usually sound like the high-school theater club, then this new song sounds like a cheerleading squad full of mean girls. [Brontosaur.us]
5. Wu-Tang Clan, "Stomp (Bloody Beetroots Remix)"
Bloody Beetroots remixes are more ubiquitous and harder to get rid of than the cockroaches in the Wu-Tang track they're working with here. [Hyperbole] —Ehren Gresehover
We just stumbled upon this video tribute to Candy Pratts Price, Style.com's executive fashion editor, shown at the CFDA awards before she received her honorary award. As tributes go, this one's pretty entertaining. Maybe it's Kate Moss imitating Candy in a deep voice: "You don't have a Birkin? Oh my God, you have to have one — we're going straight back to Hermès now." Or when Anna Wintour searches for a better word to describe Candy other than "fashion...nista," with awkward scare quotes. But we think maybe it's just Candy. Margherita Missoni says, "She's always the last one to leave my parties." Candy herself says, "We were at dinner at Mr. Chow, and I was bored stiff and I tied everyone's skirt to the tablecloth." Or when someone says, "If you're using ground water, you can get bacteria," and Candy snickers, in response, "Not if you put vodka in it." Watch, worship, enjoy.
Anna Wintour Says "Fashionista" with a Twirl of Her Fingers; Plus, More From the CFDA Awards Videos [Fashionologie]
Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of MGM
Tom Cruise Dons His Eye Patch and Starts Shooting Again [Peter Bart/Variety]
Photo: Guest of a Guest
The Standard Hotel: View From the Inside Out [Guest of a Guest]
Ooh, the collarPhoto: Getty Images
Samantha’s efforts to signal her appeal, which might have seemed languorous on the small screen, are blown up here into an embarrassing semaphore: thudding closeups of her slurping through a cocktail straw or swallowing a mouthful of guacamole. No self-respecting maker of soft erotica would countenance such shots, and, as for the matching dialogue (“Something just came up,” Samantha murmurs over the phone, as her boyfriend stands beside her in bulging briefs), it’s a straight lift from flaccid, mid-period James Bond.
Now it's possible that we're as unqualified to judge the sexism of this passage as many male critics claimed to be to review Sex and the City, but this doesn't seem … sexist to us.
First of all, it isn't really about Kim Cattrall's body — well, we guess her lips. But also, isn't this passage all about Lane's pointing out a problem with the movie's direction? That the choice to punctuate those moments with "thudding closeups" does nothing to point out Samantha's appeal, unlike on television?
We're not arguing that Anthony Lane has never been sexist — although the quote from Lane's Baby Mama review also struck us as a fair comment to make about any comedian, male or female — and we're not defending the illustration accompanying the New Yorker review, which is over-the-top mean, as if Ralph Steadman drew it first and then handed it to Christopher Hitchens to recopy. But Anthony Lane didn't draw that picture (although we bet he laughed at it!).
Plenty of people have expressed problems with Anthony Lane before — famously, newly hired New York Times critic Nathan Lee pointed out, "Anthony Lane is a very witty, very funny writer — and he doesn't know shit about movies. No one who takes movies seriously takes him remotely seriously." But we think that pointing to this passage of this review of Sex and the City doesn't really make a case for him joining the He-Man Women-Haters' Club.
New Yorker Film Critic Anthony Lane Has Female Trouble [Jezebel]
Carrie [NYer]
AP - Gavin Rossdale, "Wanderlust" (Interscope)
Habana Outpost.Photo: Andrew Karcie
Williamsburg: Welcome to this really long piece comparing the hood to a college campus. If, say, you went to Antioch or Purchase or Oberlin or some place like that. [NYO]
Park Slope: Babeland, the trendy sex-toy store, has opened here on Bergen Street, but Slopie parents don't seem to mind, because it won't put vibrators in the window, will offer a changing table, will sell vegan lubricant, and will offer Slope moms postpartum sex-positive workshops. [NYDN]
Red Hook: The big Ikea that's opening here June 18 has commandeered the land of the nearby former Revere Sugar Factory to absorb any overflow from its own 1,400-car parking lot. The store expects up to 17,000 visitors a day. [Brooklyn Paper]
Jamaica: Preservationists want to landmark a bunch of churches, banks, and other stuff here, but pastors from two of the targeted churches say "No, thanks" to the proposition…especially after a historian's walking tour barged in on a first-Communion rehearsal. Those little kids could've choked on the wafers! [NYDN via Queenscrap]
Yeah, no. We don't want to smell like her.Photo: WireImage
• Over in the preppy corner, Banana Republic is reinventing their Classic fragrance (which came out in 1995) for the retailer's 30th anniversary this November. [Styledash]
NAILS
• Kimberly Stewart is the new rep for nail and feet beauty brand Ciaté. She's a fan of the Blood Red nail color and divulged her best beauty tips: Work out and always have your nails done. [Asos Blog]
HAIR
• Lauren Conrad’s hair extensions stay in for about two months. They must stay in place pretty well because her hair lies flat and the extensions are secured with medical tape. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]
• The Tela Guardian SPF 18 protecting product is an organic favorite for shielding your scalp from sunburn. So … this solves the problem of getting sunscreen in your hair? [Beauty Snob]
MAKEUP
• Vietnam has been named the most attractive market for beauty retailers, with projected growth rates of 8 percent. Now you know! [Cosmetic News]
Photo: Christopher Owyoung / Retna
Denise Mickilowski’s Apricots With Purple Tissue (2007)Courtesy of Fischbach Gallery
(Okay, they're apricots.) Once again, we find ourselves falling for the art that Grandma knows can bring sunshine on days of rain: in this case, bright trompe l’oeil works of lush apricots lounging in a bed of fluffy lavender tissue paper. Denise Mickilowski has more such timeless treasures amid a group show titled "Transmitting From the Third Planet From the Center of the Universe" at Fischbach Gallery through August 14. —Emma Pearse
Fashion Wire Daily - Feathers and bows and peony pink, oh my! Donna Karan took it to the boudoir for her Resort 2009 collection, aptly titled "Bonjour New York." Karan's Fall 2008 collection, with its slinky robe-like dresses, had her setting her sights on the bedroom, and this collection followed suit.
Photo: FilmMagic
From left, Fergie at the Sex and the City premiere, the MTV Video Music Awards in Japan, on the Today show, and at Christian Audigier's birthday party.Photo: WireImage
So she wore this jacket once to one of the most highly publicized premieres of the summer, and for three major performances. Surely this can't be a coincidence, especially since a Members Only publicist pinged us to alert us to her Today show garb. We can only imagine what the going rate for that kind of placement is (and we have a feeling it's not just free jackets). But we must confess the look works for her. So carry on, Fergie. Carry on. —Sharon Clott
AP - Steve Conrad may not have been ready for his own promotion just yet.
AP - Ah, the panda.
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