Do you even remember what television looked like before the Barack Obama-John McCain showdown? Neither do we. Thank heaven for Election Day and the conclusion of the longest-running media rivalry...
(Reuters)
Reuters - Singapore's attorney general accused the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday of waging a two-decade campaign to besmirch the Singapore judiciary, at the start of a contempt of court case brought against the newspaper.
Reuters - Could the big winner on Election Day be "Knight Rider"? With the race for the Oval Office considered the most exciting and dramatic narrative this fall, struggling broadcast TV shows might get some ratings relief once election fever subsides.
(Reuters) Reuters - Punk veterans Social Distortion and metal legends Motorhead will headline a North American traveling festival created by popular tattoo artist and cable TV personality Kat Von D. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 4 Nov 2008 | 9:38 am
Reuters - Ginnifer Goodwin and Nicholas Hoult are about to make fashion designer Tom Ford less of "A Single Man." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 4 Nov 2008 | 9:35 am
Reuters - Ginnifer Goodwin and Nicholas Hoult are about to make fashion designer Tom Ford less of "A Single Man." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 4 Nov 2008 | 9:35 am
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Michael Douglas will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Producers Guild of America during the group's annual bash at the Hollywood Palladium on Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 5:23 am
It's true. Sources confirm that Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn (a doctor who recently realized she is gay), has been axed from Grey's Anatomy.
Executive Producer Shonda...
Protect Marriage/Yes on 8 Campaign Demands No on 8 Campaign Call on Television Stations To Refuse to air "Courage Campaign" Television Commercial Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 4:49 am
Outside the church where nearly 200 mourners gathered to pay their respects to Jennifer Hudson's slain family members, the actress' stepbrother told reporters Monday that the private...
(AFP)
AFP - Jurors has begun deliberations in the rape trial of celebrated Indian-born fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander, who faces a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted.
LOS ANGELES - A former UCLA Medical Centre employee has pleaded not guilty to charges that she sold information from Farrah Fawcett's medical records to a celebrity gossip tabloid. ... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 3:25 am
Phil Spector's murder retrial that the music producer was ejected from two of the star's Christmas parties for brandishing a gun and declaring that all women should be shot. Rivers'... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 3:24 am
AP - A security guard for Joan Rivers testified Monday in Phil Spector's murder retrial that the music producer was ejected from two of the star's Christmas parties for brandishing a gun and declaring that all women should be shot.
Dancing With the Stars spiced it up a bit Monday with team dances that counted toward the celebs' leaderboard standings and—at last—the first perfect score of the...
Front Page: Actress to topline 'Variations' -- Jane Fonda will topline an upcoming Broadway production of "33 Variations," the latest play written and directed by Moises Kaufman.
Front Page: Actress in talks to costar with Tom Cruise in pic -- Charlize Theron is negotiating to star with Tom Cruise in “The Tourist,” the Bharat Nalluri-directed remake of the 2005 French thriller “Anthony Zimmer.”
This election has been long. Really long. For some people, it's all they’ve ever known (two year olds, mostly). But as Americans prepare to stand on line for hours to cast their vote, it's finally coming to an end. And though it'll leave a deep hole in all our lives, the memories will remain. We're talking about the speeches, gaffes, controversies, colorful characters, failed strategies, embarrassments, and, sometimes, even uplifting moments that will live on forever in political lore. We recommend you explore the following slideshow while playing Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were" for an optimal viewing experience.
Twenty-five thousand people gathered in a field opposite Duke Centennial Hall at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte late this afternoon to see Barack Obama make his second-to-last appearance on the last day of his presidential campaign. The weather had been fine all day long, but as soon as Obama's jet touched down, the skies began to darken — and as we waited for him to take the stage, the heavens opened up and a vicious downpour began.
One always wants to avoid metaphorizing the weather, but certainly there was something apt about the sudden cloudburst, given what we learned on the bus ride over to campus from the airport: Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died this morning in Hawaii after a long battle with cancer at the age of 86. The news was not exactly shocking; we all knew that Dunham was gravely ill, otherwise Obama would never have taken the time to visit her in the home stretch of the campaign. Still, that this woman — who was Obama's guardian for years while his mother lived in Indonesia, whom he fondly called Toot, and who referred to him as Bear — has succumbed now, a little more than 24 hours before her grandson will most likely be elected the first black president of the United States, is almost unspeakably sad.
It's testament to Obama's unfathomable degree of self-containment that he was informed of Dunham's passing around 8:00am and yet has gone about his business so far today without betraying the slightest hint of grief. His speech this morning in Jacksonville was rousing and fiery. He recalled that on September 15 — a day that will, if the polls hold, be remembered as a decisive turning point in the election — John McCain appeared at the very same venue, and, in the face of the unfolding financial meltdown, declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." "Well, Florida, you and I know that's not only fundamentally wrong, it also sums up his out-of-touch, on-your-own economic philosophy," Obama said, "a philosophy that will end when I am president of the United States of America."
On the way to the event at UNC, however, Obama stopped by his Charlotte campaign HQ to shake hands with volunteers, take some photos, and call a few voters. When one of those voters apparently raised the subject of health care, Obama turned away from the pool reporters and said into the phone, "Obviously this is happening in my own family . . . my grandmother stayed at home until recently." When he turned back, he was visibly deflated, looking glum and tired.
When Obama finally arrives in the field, the rain has stopped, the crowd is drenched, and they are ready for him. He steps to the podium and begins his speech with a remembrance of his grandma. He says, "She died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side and so, there's great joy as well as tears." He says, "She has gone home." He says, haltingly, "I'm not going to talk about it too long because it's hard to talk about." Even so, he says, he wants everyone to know a little about her, and tells her story briefly. He calls her a "quiet hero" — like a lot of quiet heroes in the crowd, in the country. "They're not famous. Their names aren't in the newspaper. But each and every day, they work hard. They watch out for their families. They sacrifice for their families... That's what America's about. That's what we're fighting for."
As Obama says all this, his voice is mostly steady, but tears are streaming down his right cheek — the first public tears he has shed, as far as I know, in his time on the national stage. When he finishes, he reaches inside his pocket, pulls out a white handkerchief, wipes his eyes, then carries on with his speech, returning a few times to the woman who shaped his character as much as anyone in the world.
It would be banal to point out the drama of this moment, the absurdly novelistic timing of it — yet another plot twist in this astonishing campaign that would be laughed out of a Hollywood pitch meeting for its sheer degree of incredibility. Better, perhaps, to end simply with this: Whatever happens tomorrow, Toot, ya done good.
Matthew McConaughey's surfing brethren may have the actor's back, but that doesn't mean they have forgotten how to stand up for themselves.
Two wave enthusiasts accused of...
Look who's got babies on the brain!
Apparently, the producers of many of our favorite shows are crazy with the baby making this month, because I'm told that One Tree Hill, Friday...
Maybe you can't wait for Election Day to be over. Maybe you can't wait for John McCain, Barack Obama, or perhaps both, to go home.
Maybe you don't work for Saturday Night...
The Biggest Loser could be taking on a whole new meaning.
Personal trainer Anthony Badalamenti, who has helped hefty reality-show contestants shed pounds on the hit NBC series, was...
Heather Locklear still has to wait and see. And we're not referring to whether or not she will be called upon to vamp up the new Melrose Place.
The investigation continues into the...
(AP)
AP - Brad Paisley, "Play" (Arista Nashville/SonyBMG)
Front Page: Showrunner to refine tone, simplify storytelling -- The catchphrase from the first season of "Heroes" was "save the cheerleader." This season, it could be "save the scripts."
As you know, getting there early is the best — most polls open at six. If getting up at the crack of dawn makes you nauseous, try the afternoon — unless it's near a school where parents will be picking up children. Common sense has it that the most jammed times are the after-work hours, between 6 and 9. Don't know where your polling place is? Visit the Board of Elections Website.
Chinatown/Soho
One can scope out all the bright-eyed NYU kids (hey, if they’re old enough to vote…) while waiting in line at Soho's Broome Street Residence Hall. But if you want to avoid some of them, try hitting the polls between 10 a.m. and noon, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., when they’re theoretically in class. The same goes for all the CUNY voting centers uptown — although if your polling place is St. Anthony’s Church on Sullivan Street, you might want to hang around: The Times nicknamed it the “Soho Polling Place Full of Love” during the primaries.
Union Square
The 14th Street Y is expecting a major turnout, so hit the polls at off times, between 7 and 10:30 a.m.
West Village/Chelsea
P.S. 41, The Greenwich Village School at 116 West 11th Street, is holding a bake sale, so voters can indulge in brownies and cookies while waiting in line. Woot! Avoid the kids by voting between 6 a.m and 8 a.m. The polls close at 9 p.m., so don’t wait too long.
If you’re voting in the West Village at the Westbeth Housing Center, then you’ll be voting at the largest artists' housing community in the world! So remember that while you wait. And get there in the late afternoon, when the area is generally less busy.
Midtown
If Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School is your polling place, avoid the hours between noon and 2 p.m., a popular lunch time for businesses in the area. Lincoln Square–area voters can beat the morning rush by hitting the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center extra early, at 5 a.m.
Uptown
Try heading to the iconic United Methodists Church on the Upper East Side during lunch hours, as businesspeople in the area will be voting throughout the day. In downtime, pray. P.S. 167 might get less busy after school lets out around 3 p.m. — but parents will be voting before picking up their kids in the surrounding time, so wait until later in the afternoon, between 3:30 and 5 p.m. The same goes on the West Side, at P.S. 53, and all the public schools around town.
General Information
Wherever you poll, you can take part in the Times’ citizen-journalism art project by taking a picture of your poll center and submitting it online here.
And remember to save time by writing down your Assembly District and Election District and bringing it with you on Election Day.
As infuriating as those damn (slightly embarrassed) undecided voters have been these past few weeks, a surprising number of Americans make up their minds as late as three days before Election Day. But that doesn't mean that polls are meaningless. So where are we now?
According to FiveThirtyEight.com, here's where the polling averages (weighted for accuracy) fall for ten key battleground states:
Colorado: Obama leads by 6.9% Florida: Obama leads by 1% Iowa Obama leads by 11% Missouri: McCain leads by .8% Nevada: Obama leads by 3.2% New Hampshire: Obama leads by 7.9% North Carolina: Obama leads by 0.2% Ohio: Obama leads by 2.5% Pennsylvania:Obama leads by 6.9% Virginia: Obama leads by 4.7%
Many of these numbers are well within the margin of error, and McCain has been making a big push in New Hampshire, Florida, and Pennsylvania in recent days. As much as the Obama campaign would like to hint that the enemy's home territory of Arizona is in play, it's not. Many of these big eastern states come in early tomorrow, so expect some big answers at the front end of the evening. What are we trying to tell you? Unfortunately, nothing. Except that if you want to be drunk at the right moments, you're going to have to hedge your bets. Take some shots right at 7 p.m. when the first polls close, then switch to beer for the long haul if you have to. Go to some parties. Check in with us, we'll be live-blogging! Then, if things go until after the midnight hour, we have one word: Flabongo.
1. Justin Timberlake, "Magic"
On what may either be a new song from an upcoming record or a discarded demo intended for a previous one, JT says he's "going to show you tricks you've never seen." Sadly, on this track, he doesn't. [Ants in My Trance]
2. Aesop Rock, "Ready Aim Shoot"
Aesop Rock drops into the Daytrotter studio to lay down five tracks, including this one, which goes faster than a "four-minute mile." [Daytrotter]
3. Ane Brun, "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper cover)
We have always hated this song, but Brun has very nearly changed our mind. Almost. [Speed of Dark]
4. Neil Gaiman feat. Claudia Gonson, "Bloody Sunrise"
Just in time to be Vulture's official pick for best song of this Halloween comes this delightfully sad track by spooky Sandman author Neil Gaiman (with lovely vocals by the Magnetic Fields' Claudia Gonson), about a lonely vampire.
[ Said the Gramaphone]
5. Ya Boy feat. Lil' Wayne, "Rain Man (Strip Club Anthem)"
Ya Boy wants an unnamed stripper to make her thong "disappear like you're David Blaine." Yes, he actually says that. [First Up!]
What was Kathy Griffin wearing to Bette Midler's Hulaween benefit for the New York Restoration Project? "I'm dressed as Aunt Sam," she explained. "It's a statement about Prop 8. I don’t know if I’m an uncle or an aunt, and I will not be put into a box." That settles it! See costumes on Michael Kors, Bette Midler, Pink, and others by clicking through our Party Lines slideshow.
AP - Somewhere in the middle of "Citizen," the very peculiar but fascinating new ballet by Lauri Stallings for American Ballet Theatre, the house lights come on and a random set of people in street clothes suddenly wander onstage, expressionless.
Photo-illustration: Everett Bogue; Image Courtesy of Fox
Last week, the lack of pre-release marketing for Milk caused some to wonder if the film might secretly be a stinker (apparently it'snot). But what of the other unadvertised swashbuckling Oscar contender coming out on the very same day (November 26), Baz Luhrmann's Australia? Hilariously, it's not even done yet! Over the weekend, Luhrmann told his local paper, The Australian, "We're going to give it our all and at the moment it's an absolutely real [release] date. But I would not be truthful if I didn't say it's a little like landing a jumbo jet on an aircraft carrier in a storm."
Yes, that sounds bad! Budgeted at $130 million and with a reported running time of over 170 minutes, Australia's been tipped as a likely Oscar contender basically since anyone found out it existed — but what if it misses its release date? Will it still come out in 2008? Or will Academy voters have even fewer Oscar-quality movies to choose from this year? And, given its huge budget and expectations, wouldn't it be the year's biggest disaster if it were to turn out bad? Also, please tell us the delay is somehow due to Luhrmann frantically trying to use CGI to make Hugh Jackman look even more macho.
Playbill - Cloris Leachman, the 82-year-old Academy Award-winning actress who also has seven Emmy Awards on her mantel, might parlay her recent reality TV appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" into a Broadway bow in Young Frankenstein. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 3 Nov 2008 | 10:07 pm
Sacha Baron Cohen has come stateside as Bruno, the gay Austrian fashion-obsessed journalist. Finally. He appeared at a rally in Los Angeles, marching with supporters of California's Proposition 8 bill, which would make same-sex marriages illegal if passed. He was shooting scenes for his movie, Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Male, but once he was discovered, his "own camera crew worked to shield him. Eventually, he was escorted away inside a van." [Defamer]
Obama with his grandparents, Madelyn and Stan Dunham, in the eighties. Photo: Photo: UPI Photo/Newscom
Madelyn Dunham, the 86-year-old grandmother of Barack Obama, died today in Hawaii. Dunham raised Obama with her husband for years in Honolulu while his mother was away studying and working. From a statement just released by Obama and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng:
It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer. She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances. She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring. Our debt to her is beyond measure.
We have it on good authority that the dude in the tri-corner hat will be at Professor Thom's. Photo: Getty Images
If the past few elections are any indication, November 4 might be a long night. But take a load off, Annie — there's nothing you can do now but pick up your politically themed drink of choice and hope somebody's happy (or sad) enough to go home with you and watch the "late-night talking heads." Here's where to imbibe, win or lose, with your fellow Americans:
BELOW 14TH STREET:
Party Like It's 1992 (when Bill Clinton beat George Bush Sr., and America cheered, always) at Professor Thom's, where a party co-hosted by Drinking Liberally and Booze & Yarn will offer up-to-the-minute poll results on several screens alongside a free knitting class on one floor to soothe your nerves (and booze your nerves!). Free! Begins at 8:30.
Comix is hosting an Election Night '08 Watch Party co-hosted by Planned Parenthood, with drinks, food, compulsive results coverage, and improv commentary. Free! Begins at 6:30, and ends when this election does. RSVP at comixny.com.
Sutra Lounge hosts Questlove of The Roots for a special election-night remix of their scenester-favorite Tuesday party.
For its election-night party, vegetarian hotspot Counter has concocted a drinks list including the "McCain Campaign on the Rocks," the "Palin Whine Spritzer," and the plum-flavored "Joe the Plumber." Free (though those wittily named drinks will cost you $12 each)!
On election night eve (tonight), Savoy is hosting a sit-down dinner with guests like The New York Times Magazine's Matt Bai, delicacies from various swing states, and wines more aged than McCain after this election. Liberal media elite? We don't know what you're talking about … Reservations are required; $110 per person. Begins at 6:30.
The Skinny will be screening the returns on their plasmas, and the bar's earnings benefit AIDS research. Begins at 7.
Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St., New York, NY, 10012; 212-796-0741) is hosting an Election Night Extravaganza for anyone eligible to vote, featuring the Obama Girls of Comedy (including VH1's Mindy Raf, Last Comic Standing's Goddess Perlman, and Comedy Central's Ophira Eisenberg), and the returns live on big screens. Free! Starts at 7.
The Lower East Side's China 1 is hosting an Obama Pajama Party, where guests can watch the returns on three big screens in the comfort of their nightgowns and boxers. A $3 cover benefits a New Orleans charity. Begins at 6:30.
Jason Horowitz's current exhibit at Gavin Brown's Enterprise, "Obama '08," is completed, as televisions screen returns from Fox News and CNN simultaneously, and chili, hot dogs, and beer are served. If Obama wins, a beautiful parade of balloons will shoot up! If McCain wins, they will slowly, sadly deflate, just like your hopes and dreams … Free! Begins at 7.
The Lower East Side's Blue Seats is hosting a bipartisan party, where reds and blues alike can imbibe in disharmony with $5 vodka specials as they watch the results on sixty TV screens. When it's all over, they might line up and high-five, mumbling "good game, good game…" Free! Begins in the afternoon.
Libation plans to pack in partygoers for a politically themed soiree featuring $5 "Obama Mamas" and "McCainiacs" to down during live election coverage. Free! Begins at 7.
Flavorpill NY is hosting a "democratically debaucherous" soiree at neighborhood bar Tom and Jerry's, with editors and anyone who wants to watching returns on a big screen. Free! Starts at 7.
Joe Six Packs and pigs in lipstick are gathering for an American-themed election-night party at Thom Bar, where $5 "Blue Baracks" and $10 "Red Mavericks" will be served, while a D.J. plays music when the returns get boring. Free! Starts at 7.
ABOVE 14TH STREET:
The New York Young Republicans, at this point, might be a bit afraid to step outside in this city, so they're holding their Election Night Party at the Women's National Republican Club Headquarters (3 W. 51st St., New York, NY, 10019; nyyrc.com). It's free for members, $35 for non-members … a fee that also gets you a membership. How bipartisan.
Southern Hospitality lives up to its name, encouraging both parties to show their support and watch the returns on the bar's fourteen screens, while imbibing $2 vodka shots. Free! Starts at 7.
The "liberal media elite" gather at their headquarters, TheTimesCenter (242 W. 41st St; thetimescenter.com) for Election Night Live, a discussion led by Times staff, including Frank Rich and and Jill Abramson, about this historic election. Tickets are $80 (heh!). Starts at 6.
The People's Improv Theater will host the Political Science Theater 3000 — a group of comedians, including VH1's Leslie Collins, cracking jokes about the live, screened returns. Free! Begins at 7.
BROOKLYN:
Comedian Sean O'Connor is hosting the Election Night Shindig at Sound Fix, featuring big-screened election highlights on YouTube, drinking games, free PBR, and the thrill and suspense of the results. Free! Begins at 8.
The ever-cool Glasslands Gallery will offer free pizza and $5 beer and whiskey while a big screen projects the returns. Free! Begins at 8.
DUMBO's Galapagos Art Space is hosting the Obama-Fabulous Election Night Party, with "Yes We Can!-Can!" can-can dancers, a presidential kissing booth, and an inexplicable appearance by Santa Claus. If Obama wins, Galapagos will even kick-start the president-elect's economic plans with free Cosmos for everybody!!! Begins at six. $10 cover.
"Coke Dick and the First Kick" finds family and fornication all mixed up. Hank uses his big mouth to set himself up as an upstanding guy, but just can't avoid sexual chaos; with Marcy's permission, Charlie's life makes about as much sense as a porn script.
Family
After Hank walks in on self-help guru Julian screwing some rocker chick in Ashby's mansion, he tries to convince Karen to pass the information on to Julian's girlfriend (and Hank's baby-mama-to-be), Sonja. Karen, countering that it's none of her business and that Julian and Sonja might have an open relationship, prompts Hank's impassioned and long-winded diatribe against non-monogamy; Karen is as shocked as we are. Turns out she's right. Sonja explains that she's not the go-it-alone type, and fat, hairy, unfaithful Julian might be her last chance. This round of aging-woman-in-L.A. sadness is interrupted by her baby's first kick, which is an opportunity for Hank to reveal his caring and nurturing side. Once he knocks a lady up, she's a Madonna, not a whore.
Charlie has not only invested his savings in a Chinatown-inspired porno, but he's shooting it at home. Marcy isn't exactly thrilled to discover this when she comes home from the waxing salon early, but her mood's nothing that a few lines of coke with a porn stud can't cure. Charlie gives his client, Daisy, a pep talk and almost promises to deliver her from porn, but she sets him straight: "I love porn. Because I love sex. And I lost it at the movies. Literally." Pauline Kael would be proud. Meanwhile, the stud doing blow with Marcy means that Charlie has to fill in for him on set. Marcy fully supports this clumsy plot twist; whether it's really because she doesn't want them to end up living on cat food in La Brea, or because she's playing a mind game related to Charlie's demand that she sober up, we will have to see.
Fornication
Also awaiting resolution: whether Hank will bed the hot housewife who was Ashby's "one who got away." For now, this daddy of the year has decided that it's a great idea to bring his daughter, Becca, and her dangerous almost-stepsister, Mia, to Ashby's den of sin for an afternoon jam session. Karen wisely drags Becca home before Hollywood hell can suck her in. That frees up Hank to flirt with Annika Staley, a Rolling Stone reporter covering Mia's (stolen) book. Turns out Annika wrote one of the worst reviews Hank ever received. Luckily, it wasn't actually because his book sucked or he's the misogynist asshole she suggested; she was just having a rough time, you know, with guys and stuff. Ol' Hank can fix that. When he slips out afterward to fetch her a restorative beverage, he runs into underage and disheveled Mia exiting Ashby's room. And Hank's "Ew!" is ours too.
"Here is my attitude. I think people passing a law against people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time. We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, health care, dealing with the war in Iraq, and anybody, any public official, that is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there. Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants … you know, some people might not want to see your underwear — I'm one of them." —Barack Obama, on proposed bans on sagging pants. [MTV via Cut]
Good afternoon, undecided voter(s)! This just in from MTV: Barack Obama doesn't like saggy pants. (It was only a matter of time before he had a boxers or briefs moment of his own.) A viewer wrote in and asked Obama how he felt about an attempted ban on underwear-revealing saggy pants. Obama responded:
Here is my attitude: I think people passing a law against people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time. We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, health care, dealing with the war in Iraq, and anybody, any public official, that is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there. Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You are walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What's wrong with that? Come on. There are some issues that we face, that you don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people and, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear — I'm one of them.
A poignant answer. He did a good job of working his political message in there at the beginning, but how brilliant would it have been if he used saggy pants as a metaphor for a sagging economy? And how if only we pulled our pants up and showed respect for one another we could tear down partisan walls and change not only our pants but the ailments of our great nation?
Front Page: Cancelled Fox show would be good fit at net -- Reports of "King of the Hill’s" dethronement may have been premature. At least one network has expressed interest in "King," which was handed its pinkslip just last week by Fox.
Malcolm Chesney, who, as an executive for the old Brooklyn Union Gas, pushed the renewal of Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope in the sixties and seventies through the company's Cinderella Program, has died at 87. Can you believe there ever was a time when people were fleeing Brooklyn and you actually had to make promotional films to get people interested in brownstones, or that Robert Moses almost razed a historic part of Brooklyn Heights? It happened, and this guy is a big part of why that era seems almost unbelievable today. [Brooklyn Eagle]
AP - A giraffe in love with a hippo, a zebra with an identity crisis, a lion desperate to win his newfound daddy's respect the makers of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" could have plunked their heroes down in a therapist's office for an animals-with-issues session.
We're all aware of just how much real life has failed to live up to our grand, movie-heightened expectations for the future: Taco Bell is not America's only restaurant; Prisoners are not cryogenically frozen until they can once again be of use to society; We have not replaced toilet paper with seashells. (Okay, those are all from Demolition Man, but that movie was seriously on cable a lot.) But it looks like we may be one step closer to the Hill Valley of 2015: American aircraft-design team Moller International says they are now two years away from a functional flying car. At last! Apparently, the car — dubbed the Autovolantor — will cost about a million dollars, be powered by eight fans, and could fly at altitudes of up to 5,000 feet at 150 miles per hour (we suppose this is reasonable for a first model). But what took so long? Flying cars are the most basic of all sci-fi clichés! We wouldn't be this antsy if science had given us crime-predicting precogs years ago, or if we could take a virtual-reality Mars vacation (two things we figured would've been easy). Also, what's the status on those self-tying sneakers?
Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick. Photo: Courtesy of Bobbi Brown
MAKEUP
• A British Online retailer reports that "one-third of women in the U.K. would prefer to eat less than cut their beauty spending." Does anyone expect women to say they want to eat more, ever? [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]
• The Bobbi Brown holiday collection includes a limited-edition Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick, which comes in candlelight, gold, copper, beige, and sand shimmer shades. Bronzing isn't just for summer, after all. [Beautiful Makeup Search]
SKIN
• Soap company Caswell-Massey stocks the favorite soaps of past presidents. They say Washington was a fan of the citrus-bergamot number Six, while Eisenhower favored the Almond Cold Cream and JFK liked the spicy Jockey Club. Sounds like a good gift idea for history buffs. [Valet]
• If you're heading to Miami, do note that the Fontainebleau resort just underwent a $500 million renovation, including a 40,000-square-foot spa. Also, take us with you. [NYT]
NAILS
• November has hit, and so have summer nail colors. China Glaze's summer 2009 collection is inspired by fruit and looks like "painted glass." [All Lacquered Up]
• Yves Saint Laurent is pushing a new kind of French manicure they're calling "contemporary sophistication": White nail beds with navy-blue tips. Because why should they sell you just one when they can sell you two? [Beauty Counter]
Reuters - Pierre Berge didn't know the first thing about fashion when he sat down one day in 1958 to watch the first Christian Dior show under the atelier's new youthful designer, Yves Saint Laurent.
Catherine Opie's Untitled #10 (Surfers) (2003). Photo: Courtesy the artist and Regen Projects, Los Angeles
Catherine Opie is best known as a provocateur, documenting exhibitionism and voyeurism with her portraits of people who live on the fringes of society. But she also has a talent for subtlety, exemplified in this sonorous image of surfers (in case you couldn't tell). It's up at the Guggenheim as part of a mid-career retrospective on Opie, through January 7.
Agent Provocateur has unveiled its latest video, titled "Pirate Provocateur." Helena Christensen stars as the Pirate Queen, who seduces the captain of a pirate ship so that she and her posse — Alice Dellal included — can rob him. All while wearing thongs and bras, natch. Watch the pirate booty here (warning: NSFW). [Telegraph]
Last we heard from Christian Siriano, he was having a rough time selling pieces from his new label in this economic climate. But some celebrity exposure could soon come his way. He tells TV Guide he's designed some pieces for Anne Hathaway and might do something for Debra Messing. Also: "I may do something with the Pussycat Dolls, which is fun... it's totally different. I like mixes." The Pussycat Dolls? On the one hand, they could certainly use help from someone like Christian in the wardrobe department. On the other hand, we'd rather see his talents put to use for ladies who don't wear bras as tops.
And since we're not going to see new episodes of Project Runway anytime soon, we may as well reminisce about Christian's season. Quoth Siriano:
Rami was annoying. Talk to him for 10 minutes and you'd want to die. [Laughs.] He's really sweet, but he's so serious, you're like "Lord lady, calm down!" ...I think our season didn't have any real downtime to [mess around]. At the end, me and [fellow finalist] Jillian cracked. We went crazy, and I screamed at one of the producers. We were stuck in this room waiting while the judges debated over Chris and Rami. I was so over it and Jillian was freaking out. We were like, having a breakdown. It was so bad. ...The wait was crazy. Jillian called the Animal Control hotline because of Chris March's [use of] real hair and stuff. It was so out of control.
Are you there, Bravo? Because we need a Project Runway: The Lost Scenes stat.
Front Page: Ad market, Paramount to blame for Q3 drop -- Viacom blamed the lack of a "Transformers"-sized hit at Paramount Pictures and a declining ad market for a 37% drop in its third-quarter profits.
Whitney Port on her decision to star in Hills spinoff, The City: "I've looked at Lauren's career and all the wonderful things she's been able to do and all the wonderful ways she's been able to help people and I had a conversation with her that really made me confident with my ability to handle this... It's very scary to have your whole life on camera but, in the end, I decided that it was an opportunity that I would live to regret if I didn't take it." Oh, so it's about helping people. [NYDN]
"An Internet magazine! So you don't have to cut down trees. I'll be damned." —Pete Seeger [Pitchfork]
"Everybody said, 'Oh, aren't you afraid you'll be typecast?' And I said, 'Of course I am,' but if it has to be this — well, that's not too bad." —Daniel Craig on playing James Bond [NYT]
"It's not a special-effects movie, that's for sure. It ain't spaceships. It's not explosions. It's about people, hopefully." —David Fincher on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [NYT]
"Reading the script, I knew that one of the major functions is to be the supporting boyfriend, what in a straight movie would be the supporting wife role. For a female actress, maybe that would sound like, 'Oh, no, another supporting wife role.' But I've never been offered that part." —James Franco on his role in Milk [LAT]
"A lot of babies. I want a lot of babies that are made through my music, to my music." —Maxwell on what he hopes will be his legacy [Pop & Hiss/LAT]
"Obama's talking about change, change, change, and you've got McCain, who used 'Right Now' in his campaign. I've got both guys talking about my philosophy. And I'm fine with that." —Sammy Hagar [Billboard via Reuters]
AP - "To Catch the Lightning" (Sourcebooks Inc. 512 pages. $25.95), by Alan Cheuse: In the glowing, sepia-toned image printed in 1903, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce poses as a warrior in defeat, decades after he surrendered to the U.S. government. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 3 Nov 2008 | 6:04 pm
AP - "To Catch the Lightning" (Sourcebooks Inc. 512 pages. $25.95), by Alan Cheuse: In the glowing, sepia-toned image printed in 1903, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce poses as a warrior in defeat, decades after he surrendered to the U.S. government. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 3 Nov 2008 | 6:04 pm
From left: Kiki de Montparnasse, Buckler, Kate Spade. Photo: Sharon Clott
Before the holiday decorations go up, retailers are getting in last-minute Obama pitches using special window displays. In Soho, Kiki de Montparnasse combined their Halloween and election spirit with naughty-nurse and French-maid costumes inside windows painted with the words "Hope is Sexy, VOTE." Buckler plastered a stenciled image of Obama from floor to ceiling outside their Grand Street shop. They also dubbed their current 50-percent-off sale the "Obama Sale." While those stores touted Obama, Kate Spade took the nonpartisan route, posting signs like "Ask Questions," "Take a Chance," "Break the Rules," and "Freedom." We like the patriotic storefronts. Anything to keep the holiday displays out of view until closer to the actual holiday is a good thing.
Reuters - The co-writer of "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers" is developing an NBC comedy that shares some similarities with his hit movies. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 3 Nov 2008 | 5:49 pm
Photo: Photo-illustration: Everett Bogue; Photos: Getty Images, Courtesy of MGM
Director Marc Forster tells New York he had surprisingly few disagreements with the Bond proprietors (see our profile here). "For instance, my concern was the product placement. And they said, 'We have contracts that say they should be in the background — we don't have to shoot a closeup.'" But he did reveal that there was friction over one plot point that could have turned 007 into a baby daddy. According to Forster, Bond nearly became a father in a plot twist written by one of Quantum of Solace's many screenwriters, Paul Haggis.
"Haggis had an idea they weren't fond of, and I didn't know if it would work or not," says Forster. "The idea was that Vesper in the last movie, maybe she had a kid, and there would be an orphan out there. It wasn't anything to insult the franchise. But they felt it wasn't particularly Bond — him looking for the kid. I think Paul thought he just leaves the kid, he doesn't deal with it. But [the producers] thought that would be really nasty, too, because Bond was an orphan himself. If he would find a kid, would he just leave it? They were so vehemently against it. That was the only time I saw, really, 'No, we can't do that.' They said, 'Once he finds the kid, Bond can't just leave the kid. It's not right.'"
Oh! But a tiny baby Bond would've been so cuuuute! Just think of the adorable sippy-cup martinis! The hot babes in diapers! The Bugaboo product placement (Q could outfit one with machine guns)! And the spinoff possibilities: The Spy Who Changed Me! What a missed opportunity.
At almost 40 years old, Danish supermodel Helena Christensen is showing the world that she is still as sexy as ever with a racy new lingerie campaign, the U.K.s Daily Mail is reporting. Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Nov 2008 | 5:42 pm
Chevy Chase didn't look like Gerald Ford and didn't sound like Gerald Ford. But in the mid-1970s, when "Saturday Night Live" first went on the air, Chase -- then a writer and cast member of the show -- made his impression of the president, rife with pratfalls and slapstick, the talk of the country.
Well here's a head scratcher: Uggs are recession-proof. That's right, despite the economic downturn, these boots are selling quite strongly. We thought there was a larger legion of anti-Uggers out there, but Uggs are one of the most-searched fashion items on eBay, and the new $300 Langley riding boot became a best seller right as the banking meltdown began. So why are these shoes still popular? They should be a long-faded fad by now. They're not attractive, fashionable, or waterproof, and they're apparently terrible for foot heath:
According to the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, their flat soles leave the arches limp and can cause painful tendon conditions, such as a plantar fasciitis. The flimsy sheepskin casing makes a weak ankle cushion.
The Telegraph asserts Uggs are popular because celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are photographed wearing them, and Uggs are easy to identify. We think it's just in keeping with recent footwear trends: The worse shoes are for one's feet, the more popular they become. Masochism is in.
Few would dispute the fact that video games will continue to be massively successful forever, while movie studios, TV networks, publishing houses, and theater companies will all likely be out of business by year's end — everyone knows this. But will a bad bet on a video-game maker be ironically responsible for the downfall of Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone? Maybe! In yesterday's "Sunday Business," Tim Arango reports that Redstone's wacky decision to sink "$500 million to $700 million" over the past 25 years into Midway Games, the floundering games maker that hasn't had a hit since Mortal Kombat (and hasn't turned a profit since the second quarter of 2000), is forcing him to keep the company alive with huge loans (like the $90 million he's given them just this year). Midway's big fall release is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which actually looks sort of awesome, but, come on — really?
Actress Salma Hayek and her ex billionaire-fiancee Francois Henri Pinault may have rekindled their formerly fizzled romance, People magazine is reporting. Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Nov 2008 | 4:18 pm
Tagline: "Behind the mystery lies a truth that will make you question everything you believe."
Translation: But probably only if you've never seen an awards-baiting movie about Nazis before.
The Verdict: Fast on the heels of Friday's better-than-expected new Valkyrie trailer comes this clip for fall's other big movie featuring a Nazi protagonist. In The Reader — the film whose bumped-up release date somehow ruffled the tempers of typically laid-back producers Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin — Kate Winslet plays a former SS prison guard on trial for war crimes, and Ralph Fiennes plays the much-younger lawyer who loves her. Reader is the Weinstein Company's best hope for an Academy Award this year, and, given the talent involved, we're sure it'll be okay (even if this trailer makes it look a little boring) — but if Winslet takes home an Oscar, she'd better thank Tom Cruise's eye patch for making the idea of a Nazi cougar seem comparatively less funny this awards season.
Front Page: Fox makes a double-date with hit action show -- Jack Bauer's long-delayed seventh day finally hits the airwaves with a two-night premiere on Jan. 11 and 12.
At Bette Midler's Hulaween gala Friday night, we asked Michael Kors if Project Runway would ever come back on the air amid the slew of lawsuits sparked by its move to Lifetime. "Listen, it's not in my hands," he said. Does he care which network gets it? "Honestly, no. At the end of the day, I just want people to watch the show." Later, we overheard him telling André Leon Talley the costumes at the party were "nicer" than what Project Runway contestants make.
Front Page: Halloween special nabs 12.5 million viewers -- The annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode of Fox’s "The Simpsons" generated the show’s best demo score in nearly five years on Sunday, a night that also saw good numbers for ABC’s "Desperate Housewives" and NBC’s "Sunday Night Football."
Front Page: Candidates hit swing states on eve of election -- With just hours left in the presidential race, Barack Obama and John McCain put out their final appeals to voters as their industry supporters nervously worked phones, canvassed precincts or stumped to get out votes.
Italian writer Sandro Veronesi shows his novel Chaos calme in Paris. Veronesi picked up France's prestigious Femina prize for best foreign author, while Jean-Louis Fournier won the French writer's prize... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 3 Nov 2008 | 2:39 pm
While her Beverly Hills home was on heat with Halloween festivities on Friday, Holly Madison was getting hot and heavy with her new beau Criss Angel in the city of ultimate sins. Source: FOXNews.com | 3 Nov 2008 | 12:50 pm
Do you even remember what television looked like before the Barack Obama-John McCain showdown? Neither do we. Thank heaven for Election Day and the conclusion of the longest-running media rivalry...
It's true. Sources confirm that Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn (a doctor who recently realized she is gay), has been axed from Grey's Anatomy.
Executive Producer Shonda...
Outside the church where nearly 200 mourners gathered to pay their respects to Jennifer Hudson's slain family members, the actress' stepbrother told reporters Monday that the private...
Dancing With the Stars spiced it up a bit Monday with team dances that counted toward the celebs' leaderboard standings and—at last—the first perfect score of the...
Matthew McConaughey's surfing brethren may have the actor's back, but that doesn't mean they have forgotten how to stand up for themselves.
Two wave enthusiasts accused of...
Look who's got babies on the brain!
Apparently, the producers of many of our favorite shows are crazy with the baby making this month, because I'm told that One Tree Hill, Friday...
Maybe you can't wait for Election Day to be over. Maybe you can't wait for John McCain, Barack Obama, or perhaps both, to go home.
Maybe you don't work for Saturday Night...
The Biggest Loser could be taking on a whole new meaning.
Personal trainer Anthony Badalamenti, who has helped hefty reality-show contestants shed pounds on the hit NBC series, was...
Heather Locklear still has to wait and see. And we're not referring to whether or not she will be called upon to vamp up the new Melrose Place.
The investigation continues into the...
