Note to Mario Lopez: People Watch You When Your Clothes Are On, Too

Mario Lopez stiffed the coat-check girl at Tao. Kate Hudson beat out Sienna Miller and Anne Hathaway for the role of Stephanie in the movie version of the Broadway musical Nine. Controversial photographer Andres Serrano is using a bunch of feces, including his own, in his upcoming top-secret show at the Yvon Lambert Gallery in Chelsea. Desiree Gonzalez, the general manager of Jay-Z's 40/40 club, allegedly threatened employees who were considering participating in the class-action lawsuit against the club which accuses Gonzalez of paying staffers below minimum wage. Hamptons eatery and nightclub Nello had to be evacuated after a fog machine set off a fire alarm, costing owner Nello Balan $10,000 in business. A pajama-clad Julian Schnabel talked art and politics with a hot blonde in front of Wallsé.

The gays are angry that Mamma Mia! actress Amanda Seyfried and her screen "fiancé" Dominic Cooper bailed on attending the homosexual film festival Outfest. Some journalists and forensics experts think Bobby Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy theory, but his family isn't really interested in opening up his case again. Quentin Tarantino is flying to France today to try to get Brad Pitt to star in Inglorious Bastards. Pics of the Jolie-Pitt twins could fetch between $15 million and $20 million. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson refused to be photographed together while walking into a club in L.A. but sporadically made out once inside. The parents of 24's Kate Mara are proud of her torture scene in Transsiberian. Minnie Driver says she's not sure she wants to have her baby's father in her life.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:49 pm

How Should the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Writers Kill Off Katherine Heigl?

Last month, when Katherine Heigl declined to submit her name for Emmy consideration, citing the crappy writing and her diminished role on Grey's Anatomy last season, she had to expect there'd be consequences — and now there will be, probably! According to E! Online, show creator Shonda Rhimes is considering killing off Heigl's character, Izzie, on an upcoming episode. Reps for the show have already issued denials to E! and the L.A. Times, basically confirming that it's definitely going to happen. But how should they do it?

The laws of television dictate that Izzie will probably die in a car crash on this season's finale, tearfully joining her beloved Denny in Heaven, or some such nonsense. But couldn't they make it more interesting? Since Heigl is clearly angling to be let out of her contract (she's reportedly signed for at least the upcoming fifth season) so she can pursue more movie roles, the obvious solution would be to make hers a slow, painful death, keeping her on Grey's against her will — perhaps by inflicting Izzie with some miserable, debilitating, season-long terminal illness (like the one that turns people into trees!) that would hamper Heigl's ability to emote and win another Emmy, even if she wanted to. Still, though, we think there's an even better way.

Rhimes and the Grey's writing staff have the perfect chance to make Heigl's onscreen offing the most hilarious, nonsensical, out-of-the-blue fatality in TV history, more ignominious than the death of even the most hapless red shirt — and we hope they take it! Given recent events, does anyone not want to see Heigl struck by a meteor? Or pulled apart by a pack of lions right in the middle of the ER? Or simply explode for absolutely no reason? No matter what the circumstances, it's highly unlikely any tears will be shed, so why can't they have some fun with this? How about a death at the hands of a mysterious smoke monster that would never be spoken of again? Or maybe she could slip on a banana peel and into an inexplicably placed wood chipper. Haven't you always wanted to see a shark crawl out of the ocean, walk into a fictional Seattle hospital, and bite a doctor in half? We certainly have!

Gone, Heigl, Gone? [E!]
'Grey's Anatomy' to Katherine Heigl: Emmy revenge can be murder? [Gold Derby/LAT]

Earlier: Vulture's Open Letter to Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl Withdraws From Emmy Race; Will M. Night Shyamalan Follow Suit at the Razzies?

Related Ten Beloved Characters, Ten Ignoble Deaths

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

Multi-Million-Dollar Fight for Brangelina Twins

Two magazines are fighting for the rights to the official first photographs of the Jolie-Brad Pitt twins.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:31 pm

The Man Comes Down on Rumormongering

In Rumors by Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High #37) Susan Stewart is besieged by rumors that very nearly ruin her reputation at Sweet Valley High. Because they are sympathetic to Susan, who is nice and pretty even though she is poor, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield go on a mission to find the source of the rumors, and it turns out, to the surprise of no one, to be popular mean girl Lila Fowler, who was trying to sabotage Susan because she was jealous that wealthy Gordon Stoddard asked her to the Bridgewater Ball. Lila is shamed by Elizabeth and Jessica, and in the end everyone agrees that rumormongering is bad and wrong.

You may not think this is relevant to what's currently going on on Wall Street, but it totally is.

As Elizabeth and Jessica decided to track down the source of the rumors about Susan Stewart, the SEC yesterday announced that they, too, would come down on rumormongers, specifically the short-sellers and others who have profited from tall tales that were responsible, many believe, for the collapse of Bear Stearns and the current troubles with Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Because like high-school girls, bankers cannot be expected to act conscionably on their own: They have to be threatened with grounding or humiliation. Or, you know, jail. According to the Times:

“Traders know there is false information in the market. They need to think twice if they are going to pass it on,” said Lori Richards, director of the S.E.C.’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.

They began their anti-rumor campaign Friday, according to sources quoted in the Journal, by subpoenaing records from hedge funds related to Lehman. But outside of a town like Sweet Valley, finding the source of a rumor is difficult to do. Perhaps the SEC ought to put to their interview subjects the question that Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield put to Lila Fowler: By spreading rumors, you may get to go to the ball, but who are you on the inside?

S.E.C. Warns Wall Street: Stop Spreading False Rumors [NYT]
Related: DealBreaker's Andrew Ross Sorkin vs. DealBook's John Carney

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:30 pm

Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza Crowned Miss Universe

Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:03 pm

Sales: Thakoon, Isabel Marant, and Designer Bridalwear

STARTING TODAY
• The beads, bangles, and other jewelry from Alexia Crawford are up to 80 percent off. Prices range from $5 to $20. Through 7/18. 35 W. 36th St., nr. Fifth Ave., sixth fl. (212-629-6615); Mon.–Fri. (9–7).

• This week Gilt offers another lineup of online exclusive sample sales. Today Thakoon goes on sale. Tomorrow you'll find markdowns on Lucy Sykes Baby, Walter, and Ralph Lauren Black Label. Wednesday features items from Behnaz Sarafpour, Thursday is Malo Men's, and Friday is Alvin Valley. Not a member? No worries! Click here for your nymag.com invite.

• Les Tout Petits, Kenzo, CZ Kids, and Petit Bateau kids' clothes are 50 percent off. Through 7/18. 207 W. 38th St., nr. Seventh Ave. (212-239-7272); Mon.–Fri. (10–7).

• The bridal salon at Bergdorf Goodman is marking designer gowns 50 to 80 percent off. Find gowns from Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, and more. Through 7/19. 754 Fifth Ave., at 57th St. (212-872-8957); Mon.–Sat. (10–8.)

ENDING TODAY
• Curve's stock of Isabel Marant, Vivienne Westwood, and Missoni is marked down by 30 to 50 percent. Through 7/14. 83 Mercer St., nr. Spring St. (212-966-3626); Mon.–Sat. (11–7); Sun. (noon–6).

STARTING TOMORROW
• Bird is moving its Park Slope store and marking down Loeffler Randall sling-back pumps, United Bamboo pleated dresses, and Rachel Comey tops. Through 7/27. 430 Seventh Ave., nr. 14th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-768-4940); Mon.–Sat. (noon–8); Sun. (noon–7).

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Jack Black Is Heading Back to ‘School’

White, Linklater Held Back Too: As recently revealed by Mike White, Paramount is developing a sequel to School of Rock, reuniting the original team — Jack Black starring, Mike White writing, Richard Linklater directing, and Scott Rudin producing. School of Rock 2: America Rocks follows Jack Black as he takes a group of summer-school kids (unfortunately not these summer-school kids) on a road trip where they explore the roots of rock, blues, country, and rap. And obviously they meet up with Kyle Gass at some point. [Variety]

Cooper and Helms Feeling Hungover: Ed Helms and Wedding Crashers' Bradley Cooper will star in Todd Phillips's Hangover, the story of three buddies who lose a groom at his Vegas bachelor party. We kind of wish some of these movies that happen in Vegas would stay — well, you get the idea. [HR]

Zobel Drinks His Milk: Craig Zobel will direct Loudermilk for Rogue Pictures and Jon Heder's Greasy Entertainment. Comedy centers on a "Napoleon Dynamite–like oddball" who gets superpowers. Dear Jon Heder: If you're producing and starring in your own movie, it's canonically douchey to call your main character "Napoleon Dynamite–like." [HR]

2000 Minutes to Midnight: Fox 2000 has picked up One Minute to Midnight, Michael Dobbs's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yes, Fox 2000 is aware that they're making a movie that already exists (cough, Thirteen Days), so they're going to focus on a "nearly forgotten incident": a U-2 spy plane that accidentally entered Soviet airspace and had to land in Alaska. [Variety]

Grazer Invades Iran: Universal has bought Richard Regen's Tehran for Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment to produce. Drama follows an American professor living in 1977 pre-coup Iran who works for the U.S. government, reporting back to them on the state of affairs. [Variety]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Scott Boras Reenters the A-Rod Picture

Superagent Scott Boras has reentered the lives of Alex and Cynthia Rodriguez. Despite being dumped by A-Rod, his star client, late last year, Boras stepped in to help the two begin to settle their differences, reports the Daily News. He flew up to Toronto over the weekend, where the Yankees were playing the Blue Jays. Cynthia, who recently filed for divorce in Miami, was also up there so that her daughter, Natasha, could visit her dad.

The agent sat down with the two, but it's unknown what was discussed. What is known is that Yankee brass (who previously refused to deal with Boras after he announced A-Rod was opting out of his contract during the World Series last year) is relieved that someone is quieting the pair down.

Meanwhile, A-Rod's new manager, Guy Oseary (whom he hired on Madonna's advice), was nowhere to be found. Apparently you don't get to take part in mediation discussions when you're besties with the other woman.

A-Rod's ex-rep in Toronto to broker truce between slugger and Cynthia [NYDN]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

something in the hair: juan carlos obando expands into shampoo

West Coast fashion talent Juan Carlos Obando, a.k.a. the man who taught himself pattern-making by meticulously deconstructing Azzedine Alaïa jackets, has added another title to his ever-expanding list of vocational attributes (he's also the CEO of his label and the interactive art director for various web sites): creative director of a haircare brand. "No.4 is a high-performance assortment of haircare products which runs parallel to the fashion design cycle each season," explains the Colombian expat. The 15-piece collection, which is made from certified-organic essential oils and extracts, will make its debut as the sole sponsor of Obando's first runway show in New York this September. So will Obando be expanding into makeup? "Lets just say that's a well-guarded secret," he said.