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Photo: Getty Images
• John Broder writes that yesterday Obama offered his "most pointed and sustained attack on Mr. McCain’s economic agenda," a strategy meant to "move those concerns ahead of Iraq and national security matters, where Mr. McCain has more experience." [NYT]
• Justin Fox contends McCain's economic policies really would be an extension of President Bush's, as Obama likes to claim. If the election "becomes a referendum on the recent performance of the U.S. economy," Obama will win, clear and simple. At the same time, Fox notes that Obama's own economic policies "haven't coalesced into anything you could really call a rallying cry." It's not that his proposals are bad, but, for the most part, "they're not what you could call new or transformative either." [Time]
• Scott Helman sees Obama's economic "broadside" against McCain as a marked departure from the way John Kerry began his general-election campaign in 2004. Where Kerry "sought to burnish his commander-in-chief credentials and downplay criticism of the president," Obama has "decided to go right at McCain." In his speech yesterday, he highlighted his own proposals, but his real focus was on attacking McCain's plan. [Boston Globe]
• Perry Bacon Jr. notes that despite Obama's call for a new kind of politics, "much of the Illinois senator's speech here could have been given word-for-word by John Kerry four years ago when he took on President Bush." [Trail/WP]
• David Paul Kuhn thinks McCain will suffer from the public's record-high concern about rising gas prices, as people tend to blame the president's party for a poor economy. Also, McCain's support for a gas-tax holiday hurts him among independents. [Politico]
• Alex Koppelman notes that states with areas hit hardest by rising gas prices also happen to be important battlegrounds. So while a gas-tax holiday may not make sense economically, it could help McCain politically. [Salon]
• Richard Johnson reports that "Money Honey" Maria Bartiromo is sounding the alarm about the effects of an Obama presidency on the middle class. Obama plans on raising the income taxes on "people who make over $200,000. That's not rich. So it's actually going to impact more people than you may think." [NYP]
• Chuck Todd and friends see a lot of Hillary Clinton in Obama's speech yesterday, with the focus on the middle class, the "dash of populism," and the "Clintonian theme of fairness." [FirstRead/MSNBC] —Dan Amira
Related: Possible V.P. Jim Webb Speaks on Obama, Rednecks
For a complete and regularly updated guide to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain — from First Love to Most Embarrassing Gaffe — read the 2008 Electopedia.
Photo: Getty Images
Can we borrow some oil? Just kidding. Did we just make things awkward?
What we really wanted to talk about was Barack Obama. We're still trying to decide between him and John McCain over here. We know, we know, you hate George Bush and you are afraid McCain will be the same — but we have a lot of thinking to do. Like, a few months' worth.
We've begun reading stories over the past few days, since Obama secured the Democratic nomination, about how much you'd like the Illinois senator to be our next president. The Times of London said you were all for him, and that it was "unfortunate" that you got no vote. In Spain, El Pais has been running an adorable photo series of the handsome candidate. In Belgium, Le Soir's American-politics Website boasted that 74 percent of the country supports Obama (over a measly 12 percent for McCain).
That's a lot of support! But you know what would really help your candidate get elected? If you shut the hell up. The Americans who would listen to the advice of Western Europe are the ones who listen to the BBC feed on NPR in the morning for their international news and opinion — in other words, the people who are already going to vote for Obama. The people who he is trying to win over at this very moment, as he campaigns in the red states, are the ones who will view a European endorsement as a total minus. Remember when there was a movement to rename French Fries "Freedom Fries" over here? Yeah, it's those people who will be alienated by your support. Frankly, they think you're a bunch of Socialist sissies.
We're not saying they're right. But you guys, who are always slightly smug about your understanding of our politics, have clearly missed out on the nuance here. A true endorsement of Barack Obama from you would be no endorsement at all.
We know we totally butted in that time in Finland, so we're total hypocrites. But what can we say, we're Americans.
Anyway, toodles! See you at Century 21!
Barack Obama Would Win Big — In Europe [WSJ]
Courtesy of Little, Brown
But it turns out the country's biggest bookstore disagrees: Barnes & Noble is listing Sedaris's new collection, When You Are Engulfed in Flames — which contains at least one of the pieces whose provenance was questioned in The New Republic — on its hardcover-fiction best-seller list.
Of course, a cynic might point out that what matters isn't what list it appears on, but the number that appears next to Sedaris's name: 22,279 copies sold in his first week. We imagine Sedaris isn't really complaining.
Barnes & Noble Throws a Gauntlet at David Sedaris; Says His New Book is Fiction [NYO]
Earlier: David Sedaris's Wit Surgically Removed by 'New Yorker' Fact-Checkers?
Coco RochaPhoto: Patrick McMullan
"It got so much negative press … that we weren't doing enough, that we weren't considering body mass index … Everybody should recognize that there is a certain aesthetic that designers are looking for to show clothes, but it shouldn't be at the expense of someone's life and health. It's not about a debate on whether fashion is good or bad, but about our industry having a dialogue about how we can be and should be more responsible."
So the goal isn't really to change the toothpick aesthetic, it's to be sure that only natural toothpicks are working the runways. But maybe what the CFDA doesn't realize is that some folks want to see the industry promote a different aesthetic. Ain't nothing wrong with naturally skinny minnies, but there also ain't nothing wrong with girls of a size that won't beg questions about their health.
CFDA to Discuss Model Health [WWD]
"While good business sense is often lacking, I view many of their mistakes as being more mistakes of trust, credibility and lack of life experience than anything else... Sometime mistakes are made and bad judgment is used in who we hire and hang out with..."He talks to sports agent Jordan Woy, who says:
Most athletes play for four to ten years if they are lucky. After they pay taxes (can be 40 to 50%) and agent fees and buy their first homes, cars, outfits, jewelry (plus, cars, clothes and jewelry for friends and family), they are left with very little. When they first "strike it rich" all of their longtime friends and family expect help. Most athletes feel obligated to help everyone out at first then they wise up. They also want to keep up with their teammates. If someone buys a Bentley, they have to buy one; if someone buys a $75,000 watch, they have to buy one to keep up the appearance. Then, of course, when the career ends and they are still living in a multi million dollar house, driving 3 expensive cars (and insurance), traveling in private planes and taking Limo's when they go out on the town, reality sets in. The money dries up very quickly.[Brian Cuban]
Title: Life on Mars
Stars: Jason O'Mara (Grey's Anatomy), Colm Meaney (The Unit), Rachelle Lefèvre (Boston Legal), Stephanie Jacobsen (Battlestar Galactica)
Network: ABC, Thursdays at 10 p.m.
The pitch: David E. Kelley's remake of the beloved BBC series (the setting is moved from Manchester to Los Angeles) in which a contemporary cop travels back to the seventies where he's free to solve crimes unencumbered by modern-day annoyances, like political correctness and search warrants. Of course, Kelley recently left his role as executive producer, and ABC now plans to either tweak or scrap the entire pilot, so it may end up a sitcom for all we know.
Pilot report: LAPD detective Sam Tyler (O'Mara) is on the trail of a serial killer when his girlfriend, fellow cop Maya Robertson (Jacobsen), gets abducted by a suspect. Understandably upset, Tyler walks in front of a car while listening to the titular Bowie song. When he regains consciousness, it's the seventies and he's wearing bell-bottoms. He stumbles onto a crime scene where he meets his Fourth Amendment–flouting new boss, detective Gene Hunt (Meaney), and learns the LAPD of 1972 is expecting him as a transfer. Tyler suspects he's either dead or in a coma, but a man has needs so he befriends Annie Cartwright (Lefèvre), his department's only female detective, who inexplicably buys his story, and helps him crack a murder case not dissimilar to the one he'd been working on in the future (thereby solving that one too). At episode's end, he considers leaping off a building thinking it's his ticket back to the present, but Cartwright — whom he's known for approximately a day — convinces him not to.
Representative dialogue:
Tyler: I used to get all my CDs here!Cartwright: Your what?!
Or:
Hunt: "I don't like him. I admit he can solve crimes, but he seems kinda mental."
Breakout star: O'Mara doesn't exude much charisma, and Chaves-Jacobsen gets kidnapped before she has a chance to do any acting. If ABC keeps any of the original cast, we hope it's Lefèvre who transcends her sidekick status and manages to be charming despite her limited screen time.
Worth a season pass? Not in its current form. Kelley's pilot works from the same script as the British version's series premiere, which suffers from trying to speed through the exposition plus pack in an entire episodic story line. The fast pace requires coincidences and logical leaps even more fantastical than the show's time-traveling premise. Still, the original got better as it went on, and there's no telling how ABC might retool it. Maybe it's the next Cavemen!
Mysteries of 'Life on Mars' [LAT]
"Something this blatant, this bizarre, something that is just so compromising - this was a monumental error," said Stanford journalism professor William Woo..."The whole tone is, "How can I believe what I read now?' " [Times columnist Patt] Morrison said. "That hurts. Reporters don't pass bar exams; we don't get board-certified like doctors. We're hanging our asses out there everyday. For all of us, this is 10 or 20 or 30 years of our lives put in jeopardy to add another 3 cents to somebody's dividends per share."
Will there be a huge public uproar this time around? No! Because everybody in the newspaper industry knows that their business model is dying. And while they might not like it, they'll grumble quietly, or just go ahead and retire. Because we're far past the days when complaining about jaw-dropping things like this would do any good.
"I'm not sleeping with anybody else. Are you?
Wait, ARE you?"Photo: Getty Images
Vogue intern Sean Avery hung out in the paddock before the Belmont Stakes. John McCain is catching heat for divorcing his first wife, former swimsuit model Carol McCain, after he returned home from war and found that she'd been disfigured in a car accident. (He has also confessed to cheating on her.) Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen are still battling in court over how much of Sheen's money and assets Richards is entitled to. Molly Sims showed up for her reservation at the Surf Lodge in Montauk an hour late because she was hanging out on the beach. Julia Roberts ate toast while her son gobbled Cheerios at Norma's at Le Parker Meridien. Three of the contestants on NBC's upcoming Celebrity Circus have injured themselves during filming. B.J. Novak and four buddies hung out at Rose Bar in the Gramercy Hotel. In his upcoming book, The Case Against Israel's Enemies, Alan Dershowitz calls Jimmy Carter a "critical threat" to the existence of Israel as well as a bigger threat than Hamas and Palestinian terrorists. Cindy Adams says Tom Cruise and Paramount have come to terms on a deal for Mission Impossible: 4, and that this time around Cruise is getting virtually zero money upfront. Liz Smith thinks that Penélope Cruz will get a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in which she makes out with Scarlett Johansson.
Smashing!Photo: Getty Images
• Barack Obama made the list of British Esquire's top ten best-dressed men. Take that, McCain! [Independent]
• Bonwit Teller will return to New York by the end of this year after closing its last New York outpost in 2000. No word on where it will land and only vague ones on what it will be like. [Shophound]
• The World Health Organization doesn't want tobacco companies to put their logos on apparel like hats and shoes because it turns young people into moving billboards and brainwashes them. Kind of like those Abercrombie logos in high school. [WWD]
• Women still love to buy dresses these days, and everyone who wants to sell ladies' clothes knows it. [WWD]
• Elie Saab is designing a boutique hotel at the Tiger Woods Dubai resort. Since when did designers start doing hotels like celebrities do clothing lines? [British Vogue]
• DKNY guest designer Rachel Bilson: "I tried to make a skirt but it came out about 10 sizes too big. It was pretty bad." [Mirror]
• In four months Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet got engaged, pregnant, and married. Damn. [NYP]
• Agyness Deyn went partying with Henry Holland in London and looked "tipsy." But, uh, what is she supposed to do when she goes out? [Daily Mail]
• Molly Sims was late to her dinner reservation at Surf Lodge in the Hamptons so she lost her table, but patiently waited for another anyway. [NYP]
Photo: Getty Images
So how does one celebrate entering the home stretch of his child-pornography trial? If you're tireless R&B auteur R. Kelly, you release a new track from your highly anticipated upcoming album, 12 Play: Fourth Quarter (purportedly due in July, no matter what the jury decides). "Body Body" hit the Internet yesterday, and it's (predictably) excellent and (predictably) all about raunchy sex at a club. Can nothing stop this man from delivering? We guess we'll find out after they read the verdict!
Defense rests in R. Kelly case [Kelly Chronicles/ Chicago Sun-Times]
New music from Kelly — could he rebound? [The Kelly Chronicles/ Chicago Sun-Times]
R Kelly, "Body Body" [Fader]
 Los Angeles Times | Review: Raw emotion fuels new Morissette album CNN International - By Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly) -- Once upon a time -- oh, let's just call it North America in the mid-'90s, shall we? The importance of being Alanis She's 32 flavors and then some |
 RTE.ie | Stiller, Whiterspoon, Crowe Make Trio for Film eFluxMedia - By Charlie Brett It’s for sure! Columbia Pictures has good negotiation skills, as the company managed to win the battle to produce a new romantic comedy adventure. Stiller, Witherspoon sign with Crowe Ben, Reese hook up |
Tales Told in School [NYP]
York Prep Academy [Official site]
The Tom of Finland fragrance is designed to smell like "a guy coming out of a shower" according to Antoine Lie, who creaqted it for Etat Libre d'Orange."He's clean, but not fragranced. And he puts on leather pants." Mr Lie added.
So it smells like Dial soap and leather pants. Mmm, masculinity.
Nick Denton's take: "The images are iconic, and ironic—but hardly inspiration for a fragrance."
[Telegraph UK via Queerty]
Mr. Spitzer is moving aggressively to occupy a niche created by the credit crunch, the subprime mortgage crisis, a surge in foreclosures, and a declining real estate market. He is looking to mine for riches in projects that banks are no longer willing to finance.
Distressed real estate funds — also known as "vulture" or, more euphemistically, "opportunity" funds — typically promise returns of more than 20% and are active in Florida, Nevada, and Southern California. They rely heavily on pension and university endowment investments. Mr. Spitzer is said to be envisioning projects valued between $100 million and $500 million.
This is precisely the sort of thing Spitzer could never have gotten away with back when he had to pretend to care about Regular Folk, so really that whole hooker thing has turned out to be something of a boon! As he told the union officials, people have been surprisingly supportive of him when they stop him on the street. Especially Europeans! Sex is "no big deal," he says people tell him. And the Europeans probably say "ees no beeg deal" or "c'est la vie!" Or "way to fuck hookers, Mr. Governor! Now please pay me significantly less than I paid for this property I bought and flip it for a small profit!"
Spitzer Mulls Starting Vulture Fund [NYSun]
2) "This former B list television actor on one of the biggest network dramas ever, and now a C list actor with B+ name recognition has some strange rules in his home. He and his wife have kids.
1. Apparently both of the parents are obsessed with germs and bugs (the insect kind, not the germ kind.) Each child must inspect the other children for any ticks or fleas on the body of the other before they go to sleep each night.
2. Each child must wash and dry all their bed linens every day.
3. No sugar in the house. None.
4. The parents take turns sleeping on the floor of each child's bedroom once weekly to ensure the children are sleeping normally. (not sure how they do this if the parents themselves are asleep)
5. Despite the fact that all the children are in at least elementary school, they each have a baby monitor in their room so the parents know what they are doing at all times.
6. Because of the germ phobia, any guests of the kids who come over to play are confined to one room of the house, and one room only. No sleep overs." [CDaN]
During the meeting, Mr. Spitzer expressed relief that he was no longer burdened with the frustrations of being governor, according to the source. And, in contrast to his repentant resignation speech that he delivered beside his tearful wife, Silda Wall, he took a more relaxed view of his indiscretions.
He has told friends and associates that he is consoled by passersby who stop him on the city sidewalks and tell him that sex is "no big deal" and that the disclosure that he frequented prostitutes was distorted out of proportion, the source said. Europeans, the former governor has noted, have been especially supportive of him and perplexed by the fallout from the scandal.
"Europeans have been especially supportive"? Well, that changes everything! Next you'll tell us Charlie Sheen sent a fruit basket!
Spitzer Mulls Starting Vulture Fund [NYS]
Photo: Getty Images
Grant and Zhang Get Lost: Hugh Grant will bumble his way into Ziyi Zhang's heart in Lost for Words, a comedy that Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire) is directing for Universal. Story centers on a British film star who falls for a flirty Chinese interpreter on a movie set, only to realize he actually loves the film's director (Zhang), but can only express his feelings through the interpreter. Our fortune cookie says: Humor comes from misunderstandings! Also, lucky numbers are 11, 23, 14, 34. [Variety]
Sony Smurfs the Smurf Smurfily: Columbia and Sony Pictures Animation are bringing a live-action/animated Smurfs to a theater near you. Shrek 2 and 3's David Stem and David Weiss are in negotiations to write the script, which better discuss whether Gargamel wanted to turn Smurfs into gold, or just eat them. [Variety]
Irons and Allen do Impressions: Tony winners Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen will come back to Broadway in the world premiere of Michael Jacobs's Impressionism in spring 2009. As if two Tony winners aren't enough, Jack O'Brien will direct. Play centers on a photojournalist and a New York gallery owner who realize "there might be an art to repairing broken lives." It's worth clicking through to see Irons's press photo, where he's posing at a bowling alley sporting what's definitely a team bowling shirt. [Playbill]
Tucker Looks in the Mirror: 2929 Productions has snatched up Jeremy Gough's spy-thriller script, A Forest of Mirrors, for Shopgirl's Anand Tucker to direct. The story follows a CIA agent traveling to Guatemala to investigate his brother's death. [Variety]
Christensen to Jump Again?: Hayden Christensen has told the Toronto Sun that he's all about being part of Jumper 2, a project that he freely admits Fox isn't "rushing to get into production." Still, he assures the paper that a sequel definitely possibly is going to maybe happen, he thinks. [Toronto Sun]
STARTING TODAY
• The funky hats, belts, and hair accessories from Eugenia Kim are 50 to 70 percent off. The Max fedora that was $270 is now $110, and the Muffy equestrian cap that was $179 is only $85. Through 6/13. 347 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., Ste. 502 (212-674-1345); Tues.–Fri. (10–7).
• The 100% Kids sample sale offers 40 to 50 percent off kids' clothes from Lili Gaufrette, Flowers by Zoe,Splendid, IKKS, Les Tout Petits, Lemon, and more with sizes from infant to preteen for girls and boys. Through 6/11. 207 W. 38th St., nr. Seventh Ave. (516-524-4416); Tues.–Wed. (10–6).
• Sparkly jewelry from the spring collection of M+J Savitt is up to 60 percent off at this two-day sample sale. Through 6/11. Jolly Hotel, 22 E. 38th St., at Madison Ave., Raffaello Suite, mezzanine level; Tues.–Wed. (9–7).
• The Chaudry, Alara, and Fusun showrooms are banding together to put all their womenswear samples from twelve contemporary collections on sale. Through 6/13. 214 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave. (212-840-0600); Mon.–Fri. (10–6).
STARTING TOMORROW
• Delman’s signature flats, wedges, and sandals are as low as $75 at the warehouse sale. Through 6/13. Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave., fourth fl. (212-399-2323); 10–7.
• Earnest Sewn jeans, sweaters, and tees are $22 to $100. Through 6/14. 71 Gansevoort St., at Washington St., third fl. (212-242-3414); 8–8.
• Tory Burch’s tees, totes, and dresses are from $40. Through 6/14. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., second fl. (212-947-8748); Wed. and Fri. (10–6); Thurs. (10–7); Sat. (11–5).
ENDING TOMORROW
• Stop by Robert Graham for 75 percent off or more men’s and women’s knits, shorts, jackets, and more. A men’s jacket is $125 (originally $598), and a women’s blouse is $40 (originally $198) or three for $100. 264 W. 40th St., nr. Eighth Ave. (212-869-8001); Mon.–Wed. (9–5).
 E! Online | Morning Mix: It's NOT 'Puff Daddy' Again. Please Keep Up. Washington Post - Headlines: Keeping up with the Combs: It's "Puff Daddy" again Diddy still Diddy, asks us to vote in NSFW video... Rupert Everett apologizes for calling soldiers "wimps"... Tori Spelling gives birth to her second child, baby girl Stella Doreen. Combs Reverting to Puff Daddy Status? Diddy Going Back to Daddy? |
AP - An 800-word prequel to the Harry Potter series, handwritten by author J.K. Rowling, will be auctioned for charity Tuesday night.
 ChattahBox | Lil Wayne's New Album And Upcoming Film Focus On His Hometown, New ... MTV.com - 'I'm just speaking about the city in general ... how we were before the hurricane and how we are after,' Weezy says of Tha Carter III track. 'Tha Carter III': Lil Wayne As Nonsensical Genius On 'Carter III,' Lil' Wayne perfects the art of the brag |
 Country Hound | Pop Tarts: Kim Kardashian Loves Being a Sex Symbol, Allows Peek at ... FOXNews - By Hollie McKay AP LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian is probably more famous for her rear end than her reality show, especially since former best bud Paris Hilton recently made some not-so-nice comments about her cellulite on a Vegas radio program. Usher Album Tops Billboard 200; American Idol Runner-Up Signs ... Jessica Simpson making strides in Nashville |
 KIDK | Prosecutors won't pursue charges against rapper The Associated Press - LOS ANGELES (AP) - Prosecutors said Monday they won't pursue charges against rapper Warren G, who was arrested a day earlier for being in a car with marijuana. UPDATE: Warren G Arrested For Marijuana Possession No drugs prosecution for Warren G |
AP - Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott are parents again.
AP - Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott are parents again.
AP - It's crystal-ball time. I've been wrong before and I will be wrong again but there always is room for predictions and a wish list of 2008 Tony Award winners.
 Chatter Shmatter | Swayze Plans to Act Through His Cancer ABC News - By RADHA CHITALE Nobody puts Patrick Swayze in a corner, and it seems that cancer won't, either. Patrick Swayze is battling pancreatic cancer, but is not giving up his acting career. Why Patrick Swayze's new A&E series makes us happy Patrick Swayze Doesn’t Let Cancer Stand In The Way Of His Career |
Tori Spelling's home sweet Hollywood needs another crib.
The actress and hubby Dean McDermott welcomed their second child together, daughter Stella Doreen McDermott, today in Los...
"I write about my life. At this point if I don't write about a guy, he's probably insulted!"
—Alanis Morissette, in an interview airing Tuesday on Entertainment...
Sean Combs addresses the nation's power center—you know, bloggers—to debunk widespread speculation that he has changed his name back to Puff Daddy. He has not. And as a bonus, the...
Anne Hathaway's boyfriend is having money trouble. Again.
The New York State Attorney General's Office is investigating the Follieri Foundation, a charity run by Hathaway's...
CITY GIRLS: Michelle Williams, going for a stroll in her Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood with daughter Matilda Rose.
MOVIE NIGHT: Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz checking out new flick...
Top, the men's Lion; bottom, the women's Liu.Photo: Courtesy of Terra Plana
If you can't make it to the Nolita store, you can snag a pair online starting tomorrow. The store estimates only about 50 pairs of each style will be available online. But once they're gone, they're gone. And come September, the fall line hits. For up-to-the-minute alerts of when each style hits the store and e-shelves, sign up for Terra Plana's VIP e-mail list here.
You Walk Wrong [NYM]
Vivo Barefoot [Terra Plana]
"I knew I was a redneck when…"Photo: Getty
About Obama’s unimpressive primary bowling performance in Pennsylvania, Webb contended, to laughter, that “Rednecks don’t bowl, and I am one.” On “Bittergate,” he said he didn’t agree with Obama’s choice of words but that the sentiment was correct: “They’re mad, not bitter,” he said of lower-income whites. He's optimistic that most of Hillary Clinton’s supporters will come around to Obama eventually. (Webb also claimed that Obama would not only be the first African-American president, but the “fourteenth president of Scots-Irish heritage.”) The senator, though, could still do a lot to help Obama with potentially crucial Appalachian voters. Asked about his role in the campaign, Webb said, “I’m happy to give Barack all the advice he needs.” Pressed on what he could offer as a running mate to Obama, he was coy: “You’ll have to ask the people that want to talk to me.” —Dan Amira
However much their paths diverge, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards will always have court.
During a brief hearing today, a judge ordered the estranged exes to split $150,000 in...
• John Varvatos will show his spring 2009 collection three months earlier in Milan since he might not show at New York Fashion Week in September. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Heidi Klum looks unusually high fashion on the cover of Citizen K shot by Ruven Afanador. It almost makes us forget she was Us Weekly's Style Icon of the Year. Almost. [Models.com]
• Self-proclaimed fashionisto and Project Runway lover Michael Strahan is retiring from football. Will he get into the fashion biz, now? Hey, Sean Avery did it! [Daily Intel]
• Here's a video of Agyness Deyn faux-sumo-wrestling. Yes, Agyness in a fat suit! [Fashionista]
• In more Aggy news, rumor has it she may have broken up with boyfriend Josh Hubbard of the Paddingtons. Please, Aggy, stay away from Pete Doherty. [Fashionologie]
Renderings: © Olafur Eliasson, 2008/Courtesy of the Public Art Fund
We'll let that sink in for a minute.
Twenty-six percent of citizens who live in the five boroughs are walking around with herpes, a full 7 percent above the natural average. Here in NYC, the rate is even higher among women, black people, and gay men. Straight white men, don't think you're safe — you have all of us herpes-ridden women and gay men still running around trying to trick you into having sex with us.
We shouldn't be surprised at the statistics, we suppose; it's not a life-threatening condition and is easily controlled (or concealed) with the help of prescription medication. In fact, initially we suspected that the very advertisements for that medication might be the cause of the problem. All those Valtrex ads? The people on them are so sexy and healthy! And they're trying to keep it that way.* The way they make the herpes lifestyle appear, with all that bike-riding and meadow-traipsing, who wouldn't want a sip of the ol' Simplex?
But then we realized that the AP had its own theory. Above we've screen-grabbed Breitbart's choices for "Related Stories." Note the last one on the list. Blast! The movie has wreaked its final destruction upon us — and it got us from the inside.
Study: 1 in 4 adults in NYC have herpes virus [AP]
Related: New York's Best Doctors [NYM]
*Side note: If you take a moment to Google Image "genital herpes," you'll note only about one in every 40 photo results is an attractive couple in a field.
According to MGM CEO Harry Sloan, though, "[T]here's a lot of evidence that we've begun the turnaround." What is it? Sloan's recently hired former Universal executive Mary Parent as MGM's motion-picture group's new chairwoman, gambling that she can reboot the studio as an actual production company. Parent is hoping to green-light twelve movies for 2010, something for which it doesn't yet have the funding, exactly. In the Times piece, Parent turns in an impressive performance not totally unreminiscent of that of the shopkeeper in the Monty Python parrot sketch. ("She also says she has been wooing talent by casting MGM’s negatives as positives. So, Ms. Parent says, the studio isn't understaffed; it's 'streamlined.' It's not desperate; it's 'hungry.'"): "Nothing else matters — it's just the movies," she says. "And making sure that the people driving the movies aren't panicking. And that they're not panicking because they think we don't have money."
In the two months since her hire, Parent's been optioning books and pitches in the hopes that something might turn into a 2010 tent pole. What's she got so far? A Robert Ludlum thriller (with Denzel Washington attached), a Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remake, and "a romantic comedy from the director of Wild Hogs." The production push is purportedly to raise the value of the company in advance of a possible sale, but if Walt Becker's Wild Hogs follow-up turns out as bad as we think it might, you could probably buy MGM.
MGM: A Lion or a Lamb? [NYT]
After delays worthy of a municipal construction project, Tha Carter III is actually here. And it is everything we’d hoped it would be. After years of feasting in the mix-tape jungle, Wayne simply comes out and kills it again — officially. We love Weezy’s unexpectedly restrained tack on some tender Kanye productions, but hearing the kid flip out is still the point: “He’s a beast, he’s a dog, he’s a muthafuckin’ problem / okay you’re a goon, but what’s a goon to a goblin?”
Photo: WireImage
• Beverly Hills–based hairstylist Christophe charges $500 for a haircut, but he wanted to mass-market his success. So he created a hair-care line that's cheaper than Kerastase at CVS. We love when they think of the broke people. [BellaSugar]
MAKEUP
• Target retail domination is in full effect: Not only is the company partnering with designers like Botkier for the Target Go collections, now three makeup artists — Jemma Kidd, Napoleon Perdis, and Pixi's Petra Strand — are creating their own diffusion lines for the chain. [WWD]
• Sadly, the price of your makeup is probably going up. Suppliers like Dow Chemical Co. are raising ingredient prices by 20 percent. [Cosmetic News]
SKIN
• One tester said the anti-aging M Lab skin-care line that promises to reduce wrinkles actually reduces wrinkles. Whoda thunk? The Anti-Aging Treatment Serum supposedly works immediately to tighten lines. It costs just $275 a bottle. [Specktra Net]
• Though it’s not unsafe to remedy under-eye bags with the hemorrhoid cream Preparation H once in a while, it’s not something you should do all the time. You’re better off eating a banana to boost potassium, which naturally squeezes out extra eye fluids. [Derm Blog]
Clint and Spike, during happier times.Photo: WireImage
In other news, though, a commenter on our last post on this beef claims that, in fact, black soldiers do appear in Flags of Our Fathers, possibly rendering this entire argument moot.
The commenter, alynch, presents as evidence this photo:
And says that while "it's only a brief cutaway," "it's enough to refute Spike's main charge that the film's not even acknowledging their existence."
Is alynch right? We don't know — we've never seen Flags of Our Fathers, because we find most war movies super boring. This photo could be from that movie, or it could be from basically any other war movie that we also haven't seen. It would be really funny if this entire argument happened because neither Spike Lee nor anyone else actually cared about watching Flags of Our Fathers. Why hasn't anyone YouTubed this yet? Get on it, people!
Spike Strikes Back: Clint's 'an Angry Old Man' [ABC News]
Earlier: Clint Eastwood vs. Spike Lee
The Warren G situation has already been regulated.
After determining there wasn't enough evidence to move forward, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has opted not to...
Stuart Sugarman spins no
more.Photo: Nypost.com
"We have all seen how the high burden of proof in criminal cases has resulted in anomalies like the acquittal of O.J. Simpson,'' Sugarman's attorney Samuel Davis, of Teaneck, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. "The civil case will clearly get to the truth on a more level playing ground.''
Oh, and because he and his lawyer are both batshit insane.
Stuart Sugarman, Victim of 'Spin Rage,' Sues Broker [Bloomberg]
Earlier: Spinning Vigilante Victorious
Photo: Ben Kaller, Courtesy TNT
Title: Truth in Advertising
Stars: Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Tom Cavanagh (Ed), Monica Potter (Boston Legal), Sarah Clarke (24), Griffin Dunne
Network: TNT, premiering late in the year
The pitch: Two sitcom lawyers return, in an ad-agency drama.
Pilot report: When new girl Sarah (Potter) finds her Chicago ad agency's creative director dead on the floor of his office, Mason (McCormack) and his creative-director glasses get promoted. This doesn't sit well with Mason's longtime collaborator, Conner (Cavanagh), but Conner has a change of heart when, while speaking at the old CD's sparsely attended funeral, he realizes he doesn't want to end up like his former boss. Meanwhile, the group head (Dunne) has demanded that Mason win a cell-phone campaign over a competing team within the company, so Mason heads to the client presentation sans partner, and sans ideas. When the client asks for the tagline, Mason looks at his phone and his buddy Conner has texted it to him. Hooray for teamwork!
Representative dialogue:
Conner: You promise me you'll give up coffee?
Mason: I have never been healthier.
Conner: Promise.
Mason: No.
Conner: Promise.
Mason: No.
Conner: Promise.
Mason: I'll do half-caf.
Conner: Great, good, let's get to work. Let me just take a nap first.
Breakout star: Well, McCormack is basically playing straitlaced Will, Cavanagh is basically playing wacky Ed, and Potter is annoying, so … man, we are tired. Coffee would sure help. Starbucks sounds delightful. What? Oh, breakout star? Um, we guess the product placement.
Worth a season pass? Probably not. The inevitable comparisons to fellow ad-agency series Mad Men won't help; it's hard to beat a Reason to Love New York, especially when you're set in Chicago.
—Lori Fradkin
Some things just go together, don't they?Photo-illustration: Getty Images, iStockphoto
For a mere £9,170 the ponciest angler on the planet can kit himself out with a Chanel rod and a set of meticulously tied, monochrome Chanel flies, complete with the famous "double C" logo on the gossamer wings, presented in a rather fetching, quilted black leather box.
Wow, it even costs more than the bike! Chanel has previously made skis, tennis rackets with matching balls, and a boomerang. But the fly-fishing rod has a special history. Coco herself used to practice the sport when she was dating the Duke of Westminster in the twenties and got so good she would routinely catch more fish than he would.
We do hope this catches on with all the fancy people like all those fish did Coco's hook, if for no other reason than having more photos to run like this one. Except, you know, not Photoshopped.
Fly fishing is so this season, says Chanel [Guardian]
Sean Combs must be feeling nostalgic.
The nickname-friendly hip-hop mogul, whose "official" alternate moniker has metamorphosed over the years from Puffy to Puff Daddy to P....
If you've ever wanted to get intimate with Jessica Simpson, here's your chance.
It seems the singer is creating a lingerie line to add to the handbags, shoes, sunglasses and...
R. Kelly's lawyers have called it a case.
The defense in the R&B superstar's trial on kiddie-porn charges rested its case today, after spending only two days calling...
AP - Kaskade, "Strobelight Seduction" (Ultra)
2. Radiohead, "The Rip" (Portishead cover)
Apparently in a generous mood this weekend, Radiohead have decided that giving away their own songs just wasn't enough, so they gave us a cover of one of Portishead's most recent tracks as well. [Stereogum]
3. Jay-Z, "A Billi"
Hov sees ten times more dead people (the kind who used to be presidents) than Lil Wayne does on this reworking of his "A Milli." [Nobody Dance No More]
4. DMX feat. Freeway, "Where You Been?"
We understand why DMX named his sweet new party anthem "Where You Been?," since he's probably asked that question a lot. [Get Weird Turn Pro]
5. Ladyhawke, "Paris Is Burning (Peaches Remix)"
Peaches cobbles together a particularly sizzling remix of Ladyhawke's recent Francophilic single. [Electrorash] —Ehren Gresehover
Raccoons have invaded Harlem.Photo: iStockphoto
Midland Beach: Here in the wacky, weird parallel universe of Staten Island, a guy burned down his neighbor's home over a $375 car-repair dispute. The neighbor's cat, however, was spared. [SILive]
Midwood: Uck, can you believe this atrocious prefab-looking two-family just went for $2.5 mil, even if it does have nearly 5,000 square feet including a garage? Look at that thing! [Brownstoner]
Prospect Heights: The law firm that lost a 2005 Connecticut eminent-domain case in the U.S. Supreme Court has filed to get the Supremes to stop the Atlantic Yards project, saying that government officials approved it as a favor to developer Bruce Ratner. [NYS]
Upper East Side: Katie Holmes has been looking at $60,000-a-month furnished rentals up here for when she comes to New York to star in the Broadway revival of All My Sons. [Curbed]
AP - "Off The Deep End" (Algonquin Books. 224 Pages. $21.95), by W. Hodding Carter: Dreams die hard, especially athletic ones. The difference is today you can do something about it.
AP - Sloan, "Parallel Play" (Yep Roc Records)
Top row (left to right): Steve Madden Sirprise, Old Navy rope T-strap sandals, Jeffrey Campbell Maya sandal. Middle row: Dolce Vita Aegean, Matiko Ivana wrap sandal; Bottom row: Pleaser Domina, Gap European Editions, Berdy by Lauren by Ralph Lauren.Photos courtesy of stevemadden.com, oldnavy.com, nordstrom.com, shopdolcevita.com, urbanoutfitters.com, endless.com, gap.com, and zappos.com.
Steve Madden Sirprise
Price: $90
We love the bright-purple shade and python detailing, which add some higher-end finishes to this thong. Die-hard flip-flop lovers: Consider this an upgrade.
Old Navy Rope T-Strap Sandals
Price: $19.50
The nautical trend keeps going and going … and at this price, you can stock up on every color. You may not actually yacht, but you can fake it.
Jeffrey Campbell Maya Sandal
Price: $96.95
The triple-strap detailing and platform heel scream Parisian chic when paired a body conscious dress or mini.
Dolce Vita Aegean
Price: $72
These are about as minimal as you can get without actually walking barefoot on city sidewalks. And the silver patent will go nicely with a mid-summer tan (or, you know, an early June faux-tan).
Matiko Ivana Wrap Sandal
Price: $88
Let your inner hippie out! Skip the Birks this summer (and, um, this decade) and instead slip into these braided flats.
Pleaser Domina
Price: $51
Toughen up your summer wardrobe without having to resort to the dreaded gladiator. The patent-leather and zipper detailing scream biker, but the heel and crisscross straps are all femme.
Gap European Editions Ankle-Strap Flats
Price: $78
Brown leather sandals are a closet basic, but the little bit of blue patent adds a perfect little accent. Flair, people, flair!
Berdy by Lauren by Ralph Lauren
Price: $99
Don't just do plain metallics this summer: Marry the trend with a vibrant color, like these strappy wedges. The result? Your favorite new evening shoe. —Diana Tsui
Fashion Wire Daily - Just when the Resort trend appears to be loose, flowing frocks or shapeless sack dresses, Isaac Mizrahi can turn around make a girdle dress look just as easy and about a hundred times more sharp, as he did in his Spa 2009 collection, aka Resort, which he presented in his showroom in New York, Thursday, June 5.
AP - Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III" (Universal Motown)
Photo: Public Image Worldwide
Model Profile: Boyd Holbrook
Click through thousands more images of your favorite models in our ever-expanding Model Manual.
|
Mixtape strategy pays off with new "Tha Carter III" • Tha Carter III Review Lil Wayne was in the middle of one of his all-night recording sessions when he had a breakthrough. "He called and said, 'Slim, come here,'" recalls Ronald "Slim" Williams, president and CEO of Wayne's longtime label, Cash Money Records. "He played 'Lollipop' for me, and I'm like, 'Play it again, I love this record.' He played that record about 10 times, and I said, 'That's it, Wayne, that's the record right there. We hit the lottery.'" On "Lollipop,"... |
AP - "Evil Urges," My Morning Jacket (ATO)
AP - Priscilla Ahn, "A Good Day" (Blue Note)
Photo: Getty Images
Now wasn't that story just so satisfying?
TOILET TRAIN [NYP]
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