Okay. It's a little true. But in many other ways, New York is just as American as apple pie, peach cobbler, and the DMV. Especially when it comes to the Fourth of July. This year, as Americans across the land trot out in their Keds or whatever to see the fireworks, we will be, too. We'll be having our barbecue and going into our own version of a backyard where we sometimes play football.

And so, in a gesture of solidarity with our hearty brethren across the nation, we're taking it upon ourselves to dispel the rumors of New York's superiority complex, by giving you a little mini-presentation we like to call "New York: It's Just Like America!" After you've clicked through, we're sure you'll see it our way.

See?

In the meantime, we're off until Monday. See you then! And to you, Raffaello Follieri, Anne Hathaway, Christie Brinkley, A-Rod, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Cynthia Rodriguez, Ron Perelman, Patricia Duff, and David Paterson — well, try not to do anything too crazy while we're gone.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 7:30 pm

Week in Review: Ben Silverman Wishes You a Happy Fourth of July

What's up, America! I'm Ben Silverman, head of programming at NBC, winner of the Rose d'Or, and future public servant. On the occasion of America's, like, 500th birthday, I've been driving around Hollywood with my summer tunes pumped up (sing it, Shaq!), looking for ways to get Eddie Murphy and Rose McGowan into an NBC project. Once Katie's Broadway move flops, I should be able to cast her and Tom in a reality show, too.

But that's not what I'm here to talk to you about! I'm here to talk about America. As eventual NBC sitcom star Yaakov Smirnoff once said, "What a country!" A country where you can take a hit TV show about six friends and turn it into a movie, and the network that kept that TV show on the air for years doesn't see a dime. A country where a reporter can just go through a mogul's garbage and report on it. A country that keeps Boy George out but keeps animation-hater Jeffrey Wells in. A country where a fifteenth-century sculpture could fall on your head at any moment. God, what the hell is wrong with this country?

No, no, America is awesome. We've got Kanye! And waterfalls! And Wall-E! And Beverly Hills Chihuahua, an idea I can't believe I didn't have!

So have a great Fourth of July, America! Go outside for a few minutes, grill out, maybe watch some fireworks on your local NBC affiliate. Enjoy your freedom! These babies I've got caged up in my office would envy your freedom. And, as my good friend Gary Oldman would say, "God bless us, every one!" See you Monday ... on NBC!

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 7:00 pm

Who Eats Hot Wings at 8:30 in the Morning?

Co-op City: The Bronx's new, fairly speedy bus-only lane spanning from here to Inwood seems to be working, with one watchdog's ride cut down from the old 65 minutes to 48. Not bad! But some dumb-ass delivery trucks are still clogging the lane. [Streetsblog]
East Harlem: Behold this very long story that repeats the same point about eleven times: The riverside Target store set to open next year (in a new complex also including a Best Buy, Marshalls, and, possibly, a Costco) will attract new dwellers. Point made! [NYS]
East Village: Pity the poor guy on 14th Street and First Avenue who has to flack for those greasy, spicy Atomic wings at 8:30 in the morning. Word to his boss: Dude, that's, like, bagel time! [East Village Idiot]

Harlem: A riverside park has opened across from the Fairway...but let's hope that "gross new chain-link fencing" is only temporary! [Uptown Flavor]
Long Island City: Carlos Leon, the (editorial interjection: hot!) father of Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, has designed a gym for a fancy condo and incorporated a crest with his own name in it into the floor. [Curbed]
Lower East Side: Justin Long, the cutely average-looking Macintosh-TV-commercial guy and Drew Barrymore squeeze, bought a $2.4 mil, 1,975-square-foot unit in the Blue complex, on Norfolk Street. The one with the "pixilated blue glass" and "contorted form." [NYS]
Red Hook: A state judge has ordered the dismantling of an 18-foot-high, 200-foot-long metal fence that cuts off locals from city-owned waterfront property, which, according to parks commissioner Adrian Benepe, is nice for both "active" and "passive" recreation. Commentary withheld. [NYT]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 6:35 pm

Adidas and Cynthia Rowley Move to China

Today might be a slow news day here in the U.S., but WWD went all the way to China with not one but three stories about store expansions and luxury brands opening in the Middle Kingdom — right in time for the Olympics! Adidas, ready to cash in on the sports fervor gripping the nation, threw open the doors to its first-ever Beijing flagship on Saturday. Fitting, as the brand spent $80 million so far to be a sponsor of the Games. The store, at 34,000 square feet, is the biggest ever for Adidas, and 1,000 more stores are planned by the year 2010. Go for the gold!

Jumping into the mix is Cynthia Rowley, whose new store joins other fashiony ones like Vivienne Westwood and Calvin Klein on Hong Kong's Fashion Walk area. All this expansion comes right on the heels of a report by market consultancy firm KPMG China on China's luxury consumers, reports WWD.

The report suggests China's luxury market has become more mature and sophisticated, but also more saturated and segmented. Competition — for customers, retail space and staff — has become more intense as ever more brands pile into the market. Although many luxury brands see China, with its huge population and rising incomes, as the new El Dorado, only a few are striking gold here.

With the average per capita income for the richest residents of Beijing clocking in at about $3,600 (U.S.) according to ChinaDaily.com, who's buying luxury items? Especially when a bag can cost a couple thousand bucks? Apparently, middle-class consumers, and guess why? "Status is still the primary motivation for consumers across China," observed Giovanni Di Salvo of StraBranding in a profile. Ahh yes, fashion and the need to one-up each other — it unites us all. —Amina Akhtar

Aiming for China Gold: Adidas' Beijing Flagship Kicks Off Big Expansion [WWD]
Rowley Opens in Hong Kong [WWD]
Brand Awareness, Luxe Buying Said on Rise in China[WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 6:30 pm

People visit the Japan Expo

People visit the Japan Expo, a Japanese entertainments festival at the Villepinte exhibition center, outside Paris. Some 100,000 fans of all things Japanese were expected from Thursday at a four-day Paris...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 6:22 pm

Mangas are displayed during the Japan expo

Mangas are displayed during the Japan expo, a Japanese entertainments festival at the Villepinte exhibition center, outside Paris. Some 100,000 fans of all things Japanese were expected from Thursday at...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 6:22 pm

Next Harry Potter Movie Will Be Exactly Like ‘Trainspotting’

Desperately unhappy playing a teenage wizard in children's movies, Daniel Radcliffe is trying to ratchet up excitement for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by claiming the movie will feature similarities to 1996's heroin-addiction comedy Trainspotting. "There's a fair amount of sexual energy and drug parallels," he tells Empire magazine, on whose cover he appears this month, bloody and with broken glasses. "We have a couple of what David Yates, the director, calls our 'Trainspotting moments.'"

We can't specifically recall any Trainspotting moments in the original book, so the speculation is that he's lying — but what if he's not? Like Ewan McGregor, Radcliffe hasn't exactly shown an allergy to pantsless acting, and we suppose there's nothing necessarily preventing Yates from taking a little artistic licence (besides the movie studio, Rowling, an army of lawyers, and hundreds of millions of irate Harry Potter fans). At the very least, one assumes there will be a Quidditch match set to "Lust for Life" and a scene in which Dumbledore teaches Harry a spell to get hallucinated dead babies down off the ceiling.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is like Trainspotting, says Daniel Radcliffe [Telegraph]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 6:15 pm

Port Authority Honcho Gunning for World Trade Center Bully Job?

When Port Authority executive director Chris Ward presented Governor Paterson with his report on the sorry state of World Trade Center reconstruction last week, he proposed the appointment of a "traffic cop" to ride herd on the many agencies and companies involved in the project. Just whom might he be thinking of for the gig? "I get the feeling Ward recommended Ward, like Dick Cheney heading the vice-presidential selection committee," says a downtown community watchdog who regularly works with the Port Authority. Ward, a longtime development official who holds a master's in theology from Harvard, might just see himself as the perfect savior for the project, if he was just given the power to do so. Others echoed the idea, citing Ward's experience with construction, his credibility with bureaucracy and unions, and general likeability. "I've now met him several times, and on each occasion, I'm more impressed," says a manager who's been working in the pit since 2002. "He will get this done, if anyone can." Indeed, his scathing report may have been his opening gambit. "Every couple of years," says someone close to a downtown developer, "everyone gets scared, and we move forward." A PA spokesperson didn't return calls. — Alec Appelbaum

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:46 pm

Springsteen Honors N.J. Boardwalk Fortuneteller

Bruce Springsteen is paying tribute to a boardwalk fortuneteller he made famous in a song.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:40 pm

Britain Honors Pop Star Kylie Minogue

Britain has honored Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her services to music.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:32 pm

The Most Amazing Looks From the Menswear Shows

The spring 2009 menswear shows seem like a distant memory, and yet they only just wrapped. Designers finally proved that the boys can have just as much fun as the girls (thank you, John Galliano!). But it wasn’t all a spectacle full of Speedos and mankinis. Oh no, the models were the real highlight. From our hunky true love at Vivienne Westwood to Ann Demeulemeester’s older gentlemen, we had a real feast for our eyes. And so shall you, readers, with our highlights from the shows. Click through, enjoy, and you’re welcome.

Slideshow: Our Favorite Moments From Spring 2009 Menswear

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:30 pm

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Early Films Suffered From Too Much Acting

"I've made 36 movies in 20 years and I overacted a lot in my early career. So it's very difficult for me to look at myself in those early movies." —Jean-Claude Van Damme [Contact Music]

"Like Turtle would still be with Vince everyday, even if Vince was a garbage man. This is where you really get to see the loyalty of the show." —Jerry Ferarra on the upcoming season of Entourage [OK!]

"It'll be tasteful, unless he does it the way I wrote it." —Joss Whedon on an upcoming issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book that includes a naked Willow [MTV]

"You know what I think? That Pauline was a poor Jewish girl who was at Berkeley with all these rich Pasadena Wasps with long blonde hair, and the heartlessness of them got her. And then, years later, she sees me." —Meryl Streep on Pauline Kael's dislike of her [Guardian]

"One, I was at the Oscars. Two, I was on the red carpet at the Oscars. And three, someone introduced me to Daniel Day-Lewis on the red carpet at the Oscars. And four, he was like, 'I really loved your work in Juno.' And the fifth step was me just falling over." —Olivia Thirlby on the "craziest moment" of her life [LAT]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:30 pm

Kylie Minogue poses for photographs after receiving her Order of the British Empire

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue poses for photographs after receiving her Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the Prince of Wales for services to music, at Buckingham Palace, in London
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:20 pm

Kylie Minogue (C) poses for photographs with Beefeaters

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue (C) poses for photographs with Beefeaters after receiving her Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the Prince of Wales for services to music, at Buckingham Palace,...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:20 pm

Report: Alex Rodriguez, Wife Split

Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and his wife have split less than three months after the birth of the couple's second daughter, according to a report in the New York Daily News.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:17 pm

‘The Dangerous Alphabet’: Kiddie Gothic Horror!

This book belongs in a bigger kid's camp pack, along with a flashlight for top-bunk freak-out sessions. Throw in a dictionary so he gets the full gothic horror of Gaiman's rhyming couplets, which outline the nightmarish trip of two kids and a Disney-esque gazelle through a torture-chamber sewer. Grimly's drawings are obsessively macabre worlds unto themselves and full of surprises. The final puzzle: What does “Z” stand for?

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:15 pm

File picture shows Disney characters outside Euro Disney in France

A picture shows Disney characters outside Euro Disney in France. The US media and leisure group Disney wants to boost its European presence by launching new television channels to beam Mickey Mouse and...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:13 pm

It’s Official: Rush Limbaugh Will Never Shut Up

MEDIA
• Do you know how much money Rush Limbaugh makes? Are you sure you want to? Also: "I'm not retiring until every American agrees with me." [Reuters/NYT]
• The Washington Post is expected to announce their new editor next week. (Jeff Bercovici thinks its Marcus Brauchli.) [Politico]
• Charlie Gasparino got all up in arms about Bryan Burroughs's Vanity Fair piece on Bear Stearns, which implies CNBC fearmongering was a factor in the firm's fall, saying the writer "failed Journalism 101." [Dealbreaker]
• The L.A. Times will cut 150 jobs. [NYO]

FINANCE
• Standing on a street corner with a sign saying "Experienced MIT Grad for Hire" is actually not a great way to get a job, Josh Perksy, who made international news when did that very thing at 50th Street and Park Avenue a few weeks ago, has found. But, he says, "I am big in Korea." [DealBook/NYT]
• Carl Icahn is not failing to make Yahoo do his bidding: His own house is in disarray. His $7.9 billion hedge fund had its largest loss yet between October and April, when it dropped by 7 percent. [Bloomberg]
• Henry Paulsen admits that the regulatory system could have "performed better." [BBC]

REAL ESTATE
• Veronica Hearst closed on two apartments at 4 East 66th Street for $36.5 million. [NYP]
• Jill Zarin's favorite things in her Hamptons house include her Pilates machine, Steinway piano, and Viking range. Also, there's a photo gallery! [NYP]
• Cantilevers—bits of building that bulge out into space—are making a comeback, says a guy. [NYS]

LAW
• The imminent energy boom means real-estate lawyers need to start boning up on oil and gas law. [NYT]
• In 2008, "flat is the new up," as far as the market for law firms goes. [LawBlog/WSJ]
• Judge Fredric Block, the Brooklyn native who's in charge of the case against Bear Stearns hedge fund managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tanning, is "a colorful and down-to-earth jurist who frequently speaks his mind." He co-wrote an off-Broadway musical in the eighties, as well as several unpublished country-music songs. Judge Block frequently relies on humor in his courtroom. During a racially charged trial in 1991, he asked a black witness to define the word "'chillin',' for somebody who is not a brother." [WSJ]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 5:10 pm

Who's Out? Strike Three for A-Rod and Wife

Split comes days after A-Rod is spotted leaving Madonna's apartment.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:51 pm

Get Ready For Sing-Along ‘Xanadu’

Last fall, we reported on the untimely demise of the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer sing-along. Despite repeated efforts from creators and fans to resurrect the show, we're sad to report that it doesn't look like The Buffy Musical will rise from the grave anytime soon. But sing-along fans, take heart, and recalibrate your camp-meters, because the producers behind The Buffy Musical will be debuting a new audience-participation event later this month, sans slayer. And who will be replacing our plucky Buffy?

Olivia Newton-John. Yep, that's right. Producers are resurrecting the 1980 camp classic Xanadu, complete with a stage and lyrics so the audience can sing along to the sizzling Electric Light Orchestra soundtrack. For die-hard Xana-fans, creators are even promising bonus trivia. We imagine the sing-along will be able to lure fans of the Tony-nominated Xanadu musical — in our perfect world, the two events would merge, creating one enormous, leg warmer–wearing, roller-skating entertainment behemoth that will take over the city. —Tammy Oler

A new sing along show: XANADU [Official site]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:45 pm

Convict Wesley Snipes Free to Fly Overseas

Judge approves actor Wesley Snipes' motion to travel to London and Bangkok to work on movies after being convicted of failing to file his income taxes.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:30 pm

McCain Shakes Up Campaign, Running for Real Now

John McCain is rebooting (a term he may or may not be familiar with) his campaign for president, shaking up his staff for the second time in a year, as he puts George W. Bush veteran and Karl Rove acolyte Steve Schmidt in charge of basically all the stuff that matters and reducing the role of former campaign manager Rick Davis. The move comes in response to widespread dissatisfaction among Republicans with pretty much everything the campaign has done to date: the lack of a coherent message, the poorly planned scheduling, the wasted monthslong head start, the head-scratching trips to electoral-voteless Canada and Colombia, the nauseating green speech background, the mostly terrible speeches overall, the promise to "veto every single beer" that crosses his desk, etc. So with all of those problems definitely behind us, what can we expect from the new and improved McCain campaign?

• Adam Nagourney notes the elevation of Schmidt is "the latest sign of the increasing influence of veterans of [Karl] Rove’s shop in the McCain operation." Rove himself has offered advice to McCain in an unofficial role, mindful that "his own legacy could be helped should Mr. McCain succeed in winning the presidency." With the change in organization, the campaign will look to basically restart after July 4, traveling to battleground states and talking about the economy. [NYT]

• Matthew Yglesias notes that handing the campaign to Schmidt, who was "one of the main architects of Bush's reelection campaign…seems like a good way to demonstrate that a vote for McCain is like a vote for a third Bush term." [Atlantic]

• Steve Benen also notes an "odd dynamic": At the same time "McCain is assuring voters he doesn't represent a third Bush term," he's "running on Bush's policy agenda and has Bush's political operation running his campaign." [War Room/Salon]

• Ari Berman writes that the McCain campaign is turning to Rovian tactics because the unfavorable political climate is holding McCain down. But "these days Rovian politics only takes one so far," which is why Schmidt's time running Arnold Schwarzenegger's moderate 2006 reelection campaign "may be more instructive for McCain." [Campaign '08/Nation]

• Josh Marshall writes that, far from just a personnel change, the fact that the campaign is dropping its plan for eleven "largely autonomous" regional managers "sounds a lot like they're scrapping the whole operation and starting again from square one." [Talking Points Memo]

• Dan Balz and Michael Shear believe Schmidt's "biggest challenge will be to help McCain deliver a clearer and more consistent message and to do so in the right places." Part of the new message will be "a renewed focus on government reform, a theme that fits McCain's brand but has been largely lost in the daily discussions of the economy and national security." [WP]

• Marc Ambinder writes that McCain's messages have been "scattershot" and "often contradictory," as they revolved largely around long-planned fund-raising events. For example, touting a renewable-energy initiative "on the same day he held a fund-raiser with oil executives." And it wasn't just a message problem, but an execution problem, and some worry "that the power-sharing arrangement between Schmidt and Davis will inevitably lead to more friction, as the lines of authority aren't clear." [Atlantic]

• Jonathan Martin portrays Schmidt as a man known for his focus and execution, a hard worker with a "no-nonsense style" and little concern for social graces. [Politico] —Dan Amira

For a complete and regularly updated guide to presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain — from First Love to Most Embarrassing Gaffe — read the 2008 Electopedia.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:30 pm

Which Celebrities Can Pull Off Couture?

Nothing against our beloved New York Fashion Week, but thanks to the couture collections' froth and fantasy, and the Technicolor head-trip that is menswear, this is one of our favorite times of the year. After the recent slew of shows, we are dying to see which impressionable celebrities dare to try this stuff at home; many of them will, and a few might — might — even succeed. Based on our personal highlights from this week's shows, we're predicting which stars can pull off that walk on the wild side, and who'll fall through the wormhole and come out on the worst-dressed list.

Armani Privé
The sexy jackets and plunging strapless gowns seem designed — and destined — for Armani-disciple Cate Blanchett; everyone else should proceed with caution. However, a shirt that looks like it used to hang in someone's living-room doorway in the seventies is pure Sharon Stone Country: so crazy it's irresistible — and frankly, we may apply for citizenship.
View the Armani Privé collection.

Chanel
Half this collection felt like a love letter to Anna Wintour — ergo, we imagine most of it will end up on that other bobbed wonder, Scientology robo-bride Katie Holmes (although we wish Karl would toss those cute cocktail dresses and coats to Michelle Obama before people try to shoehorn her into boring polyester power suits). As for the hats — the hats! — Sarah Jessica Parker already wore a plant on her head, so a picture frame practically makes sense.
View the Chanel couture collection.

John Galliano Menswear
People say Galliano's menswear confections — here, part Heatherette, part Cosby sweater — are too over-the-top for real life, but those people clearly haven't met Mr. George Clooney. Between his Carrot Top obsession and his obvious affinity for Rastafarian pirates, Cloons is a no-brainer to show up at his next movie premiere in a shower cap, coyly flashing one nipple.
View the John Galliano menswear collection.

Maison Martin Margiela
Who's better suited to bring clothing made of balloons, broken albums, and gift-wrapping ribbon to the attention of Us Weekly’s readership than Jessica Simpson? Listen, the girl needs attention that has nothing to do with her love life.
View the Maison Martin Margiela couture collection.

Christian Lacroix
We’d love to see Nicole Kidman evoke Moulin Rouge in Lacroix’s fabulously French and flouncy evening gowns, particularly if this means her red hair comes with them. And we fully expect to see Rihanna kick up the theatrics a notch in the spectacular short yellow-and-black number, complete with lace hood. Or she could go sexier in a black satin trench over glorified lingerie — essentially, what you’d see on the world’s most chic flasher — but maybe that's best saved for a night in with Chris Brown.
View the Christian Lacroix couture collection.

D&G Menswear
The failure of The Love Guru means Mike Myers is probably more desperate than ever to recapture his Wayne’s World-era success. What better way to revisit those iconic tighty-whiteys? By making them D&G tighty-whiteys. After all, nice underwear makes everyone feel better.
View the D&G Menswear collection.

Christian Dior
After spending half of Cannes in ruffles, Natalie Portman ought to order up Dior's painfully pretty knee-length dresses. The rest are for the divas. Jennifer Lopez is lovely in Marchesa, sure, but we miss the demi-nudist J.Lo, who would storm the Grammys in the couturier's theatrical tiger print. And with Victoria Beckham's low body-fat percentage and high pride in her waxer, we almost expect to see her in the stuff tomorrow. At Whole Foods.
View the Christian Dior couture collection.

Givenchy
Surely Kate Bosworth will make an appearance in Givenchy’s shingled vanilla mini-dress, which appears to be made out of hair that could have been plucked from her actual head. Bonus: It will give the slim actress some much-needed girth, and could be used as a bath mat if needed. She’d probably be better off with the short, one-shouldered purple cocktail dress, which is neatly complicated without being too fussy.
View the Givenchy couture collection.

Bernhard Willhelm
We were all thrilled when Kevin Federline abandoned his XXXL manpris in favor of sleeker, more adult suits, but we think he could be even more suave in Bernhard Willhelm’s Shakespearean bloomers. What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and
K-Fed is the sun, bitches.
View the Berhard Willhelm menswear collection.

Jean Paul Gaultier
We look forward to seeing someone rock any number of these gorgeous coats (Julianne Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow could both work the edgy/classic combo), but who’s paying any attention to coats when there are leather lederhosen? If ironic fashionista Chloë Sevigny doesn’t show up wearing a pair of these within the next month, drinks are on us from now until Fashion Week. —The Fug Girls
View the Jean Paul Gaultier couture collection.

For more of the Fug Girls' sartorial wisdom, check out their complete archive.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:15 pm

‘Stop-Loss,’ an Iraq Flick That Didn’t Need Hot Guys

When it came out in the spring, Stop-Loss tried to distinguish itself from a raft of failed Iraq-themed movies through MTV-friendly marketing of hot shirtless guys leaning on cars. It didn't work. But Kimberly Peirce's heartfelt follow-up to Boys Don't Cry is actually a satisfying rabble-rouser in the tradition of seventies flicks like The Last Detail and Five Easy Pieces — even if Ryan Phillipe isn't quite Jack Nicholson.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:15 pm

This Whole Election Is Going to the Dogs

Hot on the heels of our revelation earlier this week that both presidential candidates are courting the pet-loving demographic comes news that the pets are loving them right back. PetsVote.com, a Website selling political propaganda for pooches, is the brainchild of Lori Lambert (who is actually a serious person — she's a senior vice-president muckety-muck at Universal Music). The Website, where you can buy a shirt that endorses either "Bark Obama" or "John McCanine," was launched this week. Each purchase not only gives a percentage to the pet charity North Shore Animal League, but logs a vote on your pooch’s behalf, as well. (If her sales thus far are any indication, come election day, Bark Obama is going to win by a landslide, despite the fact that the candidate has no pets of his own.)

“We started with rock-and-roll clothing for dogs, concert tees like ‘Muttalica’ and ‘Rage Against the Maltese,’” says Lambert, whose original creations were featured on the Home Shopping Network and at Target. A misheard commentator on NPR was the inspiration for “Bark Obama”; “John McCainine” followed shortly after. The shirts are made in the USA, printed with ecofriendly ink, and go from Chihuahua to mastiff-size. Lambert's own dog, Louis, is undecided: “He is wearing both shirts until he decides which he prefers. He’ll let me know telepathically.” Though Lambert insists “we don’t discriminate — dogs of all ages, breeds, sexes, and pedigrees may vote,” at seven dog years to a human year, we’re of the mind that your dog must be at least 2.5 years old to pull that lever legally. Otherwise, you know, it would just be ridiculous. —Sarah Maslin Nir

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:01 pm

Harvey Weinstein Has a Bigger Problem Than Someone Going Through His Trash

We find it hard to believe that, NDA or no NDA, the Weinsteins will ever let a book detailing every phone-throwing, director-mauling minute of the past fifteen years see the light of day, but it is totally possible that fifteen years of tapes exist. Crazily, many Hollywood assistants tape their boss's phone calls — not out of a desire to write tell-alls, necessarily, but because if you work for a guy who barks out a dozen orders in ten seconds and you'll be fired if you get a single thing wrong, you'd better record him whenever you can. Seems like that's a tradition that's about to go the way of unshredded trash at Weinstein Co.

STUDIO INSIDER WRITING TELL-ALL [NYP]

Note: "On the other hand, Harvey optioned Wolf Boy, so he's okay in our book!"

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 4:00 pm

Peter Cook ‘Privately, Secretly’ Masturbated on the Internet

We're still peering through our fingers at the details trickling out of the Brinkley-Cook divorce trial, the tawdry first round of which was completed yesterday and was characterized by exchanges such as this one:

"Is it correct, sir, that you have masturbated in front of a Web cam?" his lawyer, Mark Winkler, asked.

(Yes, of course, he has to be called Winkler)

Red-faced, Cook replied: "Yes, I have, privately, secretly."

Only on the Internet, Your Honor. Everyone knows you don't get more private than that.

It also came out that Cook met Diana Bianchi, his 18-year-old — 18½-year-old — assistant with whom he had an affair, when she was only 15. And, um, working at a toy store. He hired her three years later at his architecture firm, despite the fact that she didn't have any experience.

Bianchi couldn't recall what she did, exactly, or how much she was compensated.…Bianchi said she was paid "anywhere from $20 to $50 an hour, depending on how much I got done."

Oh, the humantity. Cook's "fitness model" ex, Carri Lyn Ciamarra, as well as, reportedly, other women with whom he's had flings, are also due to testify this month, so there's even more where that came from. Will our souls survive?

Teen Lover Cooks Cad Peter [NYP]
Christy's Ex Porn Identity [NYP]
Related: 'Hey There, I'm a Horny Dude, Spare Me the Philosophy and 'Eff' Me'

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:31 pm

Givenchy Couture: Arty And Andean (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - Givenchy couture took a tour of the Andes this week in Paris, as the house's creative director Riccardo Tisci sent out a phalanx of models in alpaca en route on a motorbike tour of Peru.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:31 pm

Psychiatrists Accuse Ben Silverman of Stealing Babies

Ben Silverman stops at nothing in his tireless quest to make sure America is entertained in these hot summer months, a time when ordinarily all we would have to distract us would be beautiful weather, the natural splendor of our nation's parks, family vacations, Wii hula hoop, and big-budget Hollywood movies. Yet Silverman's laudable commitment to TV-based social experimentation has come under fire from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which is criticizing NBC's new hit, Baby Borrowers. "A child's sense of security should not be gambled with," said AACAP President Robert Hendren, noting that extended separations from parents can lead to babies and toddlers feeling distress or anxiety. The Academy recommends that the show be modified: "A more constructive approach would have had the teenagers shadow a family of a toddler or baby, keeping parents close."

First of all: That show would be so boring. This just goes to show why child and adolescent psychiatrists are rarely put in charge of our nation's critical TV-programming duties, which are better left in the hands of geniuses like Ben Silverman. Second of all: It's three days. "After prolonged separation, a child can feel distrust for his or her primary caregiver," the Academy warns, but we've been away from our children longer than that and it hasn't shaken our daughter's firm conviction that we are the perfect person to put the same goddamn pair of sparkly pink shoes on her every day. Being away from us for three days does not kill our children or even cause them any real distress or anxiety — or at least no more distress than our daughter feels when we ask her to wear a different pair of shoes and she falls on the floor as if shot, screaming in agony.

So, Ben Silverman: Stay your courageous course. Maintain your private stock of fresh, healthy babies, preparing them for shipment to the set of Baby Borrowers or whatever NBC show needs an infusion of cuteness. In fact, we don't know why all NBC programs don't feature babies; after all, some of those tots are a little chunky, and a few weeks on The Biggest Loser could burn off a little of that baby fat.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Calls NBC to Pull Baby Borrowers [AACAP.org]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:30 pm

Since When Is Going to the Gyno a Spa Experience?

Usually we're all giddy about spa openings, but sometimes even we have to stop and say, no, really? Phit, a 58th Street newbie (as seen in today’s Times' Thursday Styles section), is a … different kind of spa. Because it’s for your below-the-belt region, and we ain’t talkin' bikini waxes. It's a "gyno spa." Wait a second, let it hit you. Yes, we said gyno spa.  

Basically, you book an appointment at Phit — which stands for Pelvic Health Integrated Techniques — to check if your goodies are too tight, loose, strong, or weak for overall "pelvic fitness." To put it bluntly, you go to Phit to tone your vag. For example, one of their vaginal-rejuvenation treatments is called "The Other Face Lift." Go ahead, fill in the blanks. The founder, gynecologist Dr. Lauri Romanzi, tells the Times her treatments are "the dental floss of feminine fitness." We just crossed our legs even more.

We have issues with this. See, "gyno spa" and "pelvic fitness" are medically-unfounded terms, hence the overusage of (very necessary) air quotes. Also, Phit's being marketed to Suzie Shopgirl in terms of one-stop shopping to beautify and rejuvenate the skin within. For example, Phit's signature treatment tests your vaginal strength by Romanzi sticking her finger up there while you squeeze. Too much information? Absolutely. And she charges $150 for that action. That's actual insertion, which takes "spa" experiences to a whole other level compared to an awkward-yet-necessary bottoms-up Brazilian wax.

Then, the fact that Phit is called a spa only twists the knife. Surely, we should let Romanzi know that all spas are not created equal. Would you voluntarily walk into a torture chamber with stirrups and jelly? There's a reason why women find it hard enough to visit the gyno once a year. And a spa is relaxing. This? Not so much. Just call it anything but spa. What about something more medical, like The Labia Lab? We hear that store name isn't taken yet. —Sharon Clott

A Spa for Those Women Concerned About ‘Pelvic Fitness’ [NYT] 

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

Hollywood's (Cash) Winning Women

Some female stars far outshine their male companions in salary and status.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:15 pm

Valentino's New Alien Couture (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - Valentino's creative director Alessandra Facchinetti faced trial by jury Wednesday at 6.30 PM in Paris.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:13 pm

‘Times’ Novelist Kills Off One Editor, Skewers Others

When you write a roman à clef about your job, it's okay to leave some characters recognizable — so long as you don't have them murdered. But according to Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici, that's exactly what New York Times writer John Darnton did. The international reporter (who we're told taps away at the books on his downtime in the offices of the paper) has a new book coming out July 31 called, wait for it, Black and White and Dead All Over. According to Bercovici, many familiar Times faces make appearances:

Virtually every well-known Times journalist from the last few decades turns up somewhere in the murder mystery, along with a few recognizable figures from outside the paper, including Matt Drudge (a.k.a. Nat Dreck) and Rupert Murdoch (a.k.a. Lester Moloch). As a guessing game, it's almost too easy. Could the square-jawed, email-addicted foreign correspondent-turned-executive editor be anyone other than Bill Keller? Do you need to know that "Jimmy Pomegranate" is a rotund expense-account abuser to guess that he's a stand-in for R.W. "Johnny" Apple? And whoever could be the inspiration for the hyper-aggressive middle-aged female reporter known for big-footing others' stories and getting excessively intimate with the powerful men she covers?

The book starts out with the murder of former standards editor Allan M. Siegal, who is called Theodore S. Ratnoff (the Times is also rechristened as the Globe). Siegal himself said he "loved" the book and his own disastrous end. "I think it was riotously funny," he told Bercovici. We can't wait to see whether everybody else, who doesn't have the luck to get killed off in the first few pages, finds it so hilarious.

'NY Times' Editor Murdered! (in Fiction) [Portfolio]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 3:06 pm

Pop Tarts: Jessica Simpson Voted Hollywood's Best Breasts

Jessica Simpson gets her revenge on Pam Anderson as she's voted the best breasts in Tinseltown as PETA sets its sights on Sharon Stone.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:55 pm

Naomi Watts Pregnant With Second Child

'King Kong' star Naomi Watts is pregnant less than a year after giving birth to a son, Alexander Pete, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:55 pm

'Hello Dolly!' inspires 'Wall-E' romance

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:47 pm

Despite the Heat Wave, Couture Soldiers On

• Cathy Horyn on Paris couture: Chanel had challenging (weird?) shapes and the best of Karl's "Germanic darkness"; Galliano's Dior is "ultra-feminine," architectural, and less romantic than in the past. Lacroix, meanwhile, was "heavenly," with variations on black with bursts of color. [NYT]

• Alas, some show-goers may have been distracted from the clothes by the heat wave hitting Paris right now. Sun beat down through the glass roof of the Grand Palais, where Chanel showed, and models had to be fanned backstage at Givenchy. Stay hydrated, gang! Champagne doesn't count. [Fashionologie]

• Marimekko is fighting Dolce & Gabbana: More specifically, the sleek Italians filed a request that the cute Finns' trademark on their Unikko textile be declared invalid. Cue the intellectual-property debate. [WWD]

• Lacoste has partnered with the 2009 Australian Open to provide over 1000 uniforms and be the official apparel of the Grand Slam tournament. [Sassybella]

• In other partnership news, Rachel Roy has teamed with Grey Goose vodka to create a special line of, like, vodka dresses. More specifically, she's designing blue and black cocktail dresses to be worn by Grey Goose spokesmodels at events. Fashion and booze, like peas and carrots! [Vogue UK]

• Behold the innocuous Boerum Hill storefront that will someday be home to a Steven Alan outpost. You can just picture the rumpled shirts in the window. [Racked]

• Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer partied in London with Mario Testino and it's 1994 all over again! But seriously, that's kinda retro-awesome. [Vogue UK]

• Did you know Ashley Judd has her own clothing line? True story — it's sold exclusively out of Goody's Family Clothing, Inc., which is in Knoxville (perhaps why this comes as news to us). Anyhow, come fall, she and the retailer are launching a plus-size line. Perhaps not news you can use, but mentally, it's Friday. [WWD]

• Okay, so maybe Anna wears the same dress over and over again. But the Paris Vogue crew wears the same shoes and trousers repeatedly. If they're doing it there, it means we really, really can relax about recycling our wardrobe. [Style File]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

Animator Fujio Tanabe Makes the Darkest-Ever Short Film About Home Refrigeration

Japan Cuts, New York's annual festival of Japanese cinema, kicked off last night with a screening of Naomi Kawase's Cannes-winning The Mourning Forest. The fest runs through July 13th, and this year's slate is particularly impressive, featuring not only the Kawase but also new work from the likes of Shinji Aoyama, Shunji Iwai, and the irrepressible Takashi Miike. As luck would have it, they're also screening a whole bunch of awesome short films. Directed by the Osaka-based illustrator and video artist Fujio Tanabe, the animated Fridges is one of our favorites: It starts off as a touching little film about a luckless, abandoned refrigerator trying to get by in the world, but gradually turns into something way more surreal and disturbing — as if a Pixar movie had been hijacked by Charles Bukowski. Fridges screens as part of Japan Cuts' "Digista Vol. VI" shorts program. You can see their entire lineup here. —Bilge Ebiri

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

Rumer Willis Still Trying, Failing to Nab Chace Crawford

Rumer Willis tried to hook up with Chace Crawford at a party in L.A., but he wouldn't give her the time of day. An ex-employee of the Weinsteins is writing a tell-all about Harvey and Bob's management of Miramax. A bunch of Howard Stern regulars had to be put in a secure bunker while performing a comedy show for troops in Kandahar after the base they were at came under mortar fire. Alex Rodriguez used to be obsessed with a Brazilian stripper named Monique who worked a $900-an-hour room at a club in Chelsea. Diddy and Cassie tried and failed to leave Marquee in a discreet fashion.

CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller was beaned by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium, but is okay. Michael Lohan is trying to sell the "exclusive" story of the 13-year-old love child that may or may not be his, but none of the tabloids are interested. Forest Whitaker was mobbed when he visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Naomi Campbell is cozying up to a real-estate mogul whose nickname is "the Donald Trump of Russia." Billionaire Obama supporter Ron Perelman is hosting a fund-raiser for John McCain at his house in East Hampton, but only as a favor to his deceased friend and McCain backer Howard Gittis. Spice Girl Mel B and Jerry Springer will host the Miss Universe Pageant on July 13 in Vietnam. Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are having a boy. Uma Thurman and her family ate lunch at Aleo. Cindy Adams offers up her favorite July 4 coleslaw recipe.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

Holy Crisis Batman! Dead Star Steals Film

The late Heath Ledger's turn in "Batman" has critics buzzing and execs puzzled.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:35 pm

Samuel Israel’s Lost Weekend

Now we get why former hedge-fund manager Samuel Israel III wanted to turn himself into authorities yesterday: He's been camping.

Israel, who is scheduled to appear in Manhattan court today, faked his suicide three weeks ago, on the day he was due to report for a twenty-year prison sentence for defrauding investors in his Bayou hedge fund out of $450,000. Investigators were immediately suspicious about Israel's glib "note," "Suicide Is Painless," scrawled in dust on the hood of his car, which itself was left temptingly on a bridge over the Hudson. For his last words, they wondered, would a person really turn to plagiarizing the lyrics of the theme song from MASH?

As it turns out, no. But Israel didn't follow in the footsteps of previous outlaws by heading to Nambibia or Cuba: Alas, he didn't have his passport anymore. And so he was forced to bunker down in an RV at the Prospect Mountain Campground, in Granville, Massachusetts, only 62 miles from the prison he was supposed to go to in the first place, where he ate food from cans and frequented the general store, where, apparently, no one watches the news or reads the papers, until finally turning himself in yesterday. Why? Authorities say his mother convinced him to give himself up. But others think the reason could be simpler: "I think he got bored here," a fellow camper told Reuters. Seriously. It's no Mount Kisco — the $32,000-a-month mansion he used to rent from Donald Trump. Also, it's so buggy out this time of year.

Fund Manager Who Faked His Suicide Surrenders [NYT]
Sam Israel's Wooded Hideout [DealZone/Reuters]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:22 pm

Unlikely Chronicler’s ‘Biographical Essay’ Humanizes Kafka

We were surprised to discover that Louis Begley, consummate chronicler of Waspy things, had written a “biographical essay” on Franz Kafka. (Perhaps we shouldn’t have been: Both men, besides being writers, share a Jewish heritage and worked as lawyers.) But Begley does a fine job of connecting the dots between the life and the work and humanizes Kafka to a degree that his more flattering followers don’t like to. “Don’t you get pleasure out of exaggerating painful things as much as possible?” he once wrote to a friend.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:15 pm

Fans Give $20K in 2 Days to Save Indie Mag

Independent music magazine Arthur made a plea, and readers responded in droves.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:04 pm

Weekend Sales: 70 Percent Off Kenneth Cole; 60 Percent Off Helmut Lang

STARTING TODAY
• Skin care and bath products, body scrubs, and makeup from the Body Shop are over 50 percent off in stores and online. Stock up on the pomegranate body butter for $10 a tub (was $20). Click here for stores.

• Kenneth Cole's website says Beware of the Falling Prices. Cheesy, but true! They're knocking 70 percent off retail of men's and women's collections. The strappy Stretch-N-Go sandal was $175, and is now $60. See store locations here.

• Stop by Mayle for discounts on almost all items. Find up to 60 percent off dresses, bags, and accessories while supplies last. 242 Elizabeth St., nr Prince St. (212-625-0406); Mon.– Sat. (noon–7), Sun. (noon–6).

• KidRobot's printed and cartoonish hoodies are 25 percent off at the Soho store and online. Through 7/6. 118 Prince St., nr. Wooster St. (212-966-6688); Mon.–Sun. (11–8).

ENDING TODAY
• The separates and accessories from Alice Roi are 25 to 40 percent off. Through 7/3. 27 Canal St., nr. Ludlow St. (212-673-5753); Mon. –Tues. (closed), Wed. (3–7), Thurs. –Sat. (4–8), Sun. (2–6).

STARTING TOMORROW
• Macy's is having a July Fourth sale, taking 20 to 75 percent off gobs of womenswear, menswear, footwear, jewelry and more in-stores and online. 151 W. 34th St., at Broadway (212-695-4400); Mon.-Sat. (10–9:30), Sun. (11–8).

• Prep for your beach weekend at Lord & Taylor. The store and online outlet has 45 to 70 percent off summer accessories and apparel, and 25 percent off all swimwear and cover-ups. 424 Fifth Ave., at 39th St. (212-391-3344); Mon.–Fri. (10–8:30), Sat. (10–7), Sun. (11–7).

• It seems almost every store is having some kind of Fourth of July discount. We spotted some on the way to work at Banana Republic, Gap, Aldo, Express, Armani/Exchange, H&M ($5 racks), Old Navy, Club Monaco, and more.

ENDING SATURDAY
• Jill Stuart's spring collection is 30 to 50 percent off, and all pre-spring items are 60 percent off. Cotton sundresses are $168 to $198 (originally $335 to $395), patent handbags are $98 to $275 (originally $195 to $550), and cocktail dresses are $330 to $475 (originally $695 to $950). Through 7/5. 100 Greene St., nr. Spring St. (212-343-2300); Mon.–Sat. (11–7); Sun. (noon–6).

ENDING SUNDAY
• Helmut Lang's chic, minimalist men's and women's clothes are 60 percent off. Through 7/6. 819 Washington St., at Gansevoort St. (212-242-3240); Mon.–Sat. (11–7); Sun. (noon–6).

• LeSportsac is celebrating business with a customer appreciation sale, marking 30 percent off all special collections, including Stella McCartney's collection for the brand. See store listings here, or shop online and enter the code "THANKU" at checkout. Through 7/6.

• At the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, sculpture reproductions, jewelry, and books are discounted by 20 to 50 percent. Through 7/6. For store locations and hours, call 212-731-1498, or click here.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 3 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Longtime Bozo the Clown Actor Dead at 83

Larry Harmon, who appeared as Bozo the Clown for decades, has died at age 83.
Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Jul 2008 | 1:27 pm

Surprising country star: Jessica Simpson

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 3 Jul 2008 | 12:30 pm

Japanese Harry Potter fans

Japanese fans wait for British actor Daniel Radcliffe before the Japan premiere of his new film "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in Tokyo, 2007. Online bookseller Amazon has given Japanese fans...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Jul 2008 | 12:07 pm