'I am super proud to be an American,' one excited voter said.By Jocelyn Vena Crowds in Times Square celebrate President Obama's victory Photo: Julie Jacobson/AP Daphne McWilliams has waited for... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 5:55 pm
The economy was the overwhelming motivating force for most voters, according to polls.By Chris Harris Senator Barack Obama at his Chicago victory rally Photo: Stan Honda/ Getty Images After all... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 5:44 pm
Key wins in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia sealed the deal for the Democrat's victory over John McCain.By Chris Harris Barack Obama addresses supporters in Chicago's Grant Park Photo: Stan Honda... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 5:29 pm
Rightful American Idol winner David Archuleta will appear at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27 and be joined by Miley Cyrus, Darius "Hootie" Rucker, and "900 clowns" (no word yet on whether David Cook is among them). [Hollywood Insider/EW]
AP - A woman who dated Phil Spector for four years testified Tuesday in his murder retrial that liquor transformed the legendary music producer into "a demon."
Yes, Barack Obama's victory was a historic one, and a nail-biting finale to one of the longest and most intense campaigns in election history — but can there be any doubt that last night's unquestionable highlight was Will.I.Am's momentous appearance in CNN's Election Center IN HOLOGRAM FORM? No. (Gizmodo has an explanation for how this was accomplished, sort of.) If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, last night was your answer. CNN, you've earned that new puppy.
Don't worry, Al. You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. Photo: Getty Images
Let's be honest, a lot of you checked out after McCain and Obama's speeches. Maybe you went to bed, maybe you went on a bender, maybe you had some really fantastic angry sex. Regardless, the night was not over yet — in fact, a lot of things are still undecided. The Democrats control the U.S. Senate now with 56 seats, for example, but three races remain undecided. Here's what else happened that you might want to know about:
• The late-breaking states are almost entirely decided. Montana went red in the early morning, with 50.1 percent voting for McCain. Indiana is nearly a percentage point in Obama's favor, and North Carolina is still incredibly close, with 100 percent of precincts reporting. 49.8 percent are for Obama, and 49.6 percent for McCain. Likewise, Missouri is hovering at 49.5 percent for McCain and 49.3 percent for Obama. [NYT]
• Here in New York, the Democrats seized control of the State Senate for the first time in decades. With 32 seats, they now hold a slim majority in the 62-person body. There remain two outstanding races that have not been conceded. [NYDN]
• Proposition 8 in California, which hopes to overturn the State Supreme Court ruling legalizing marriage equality there and take marriage away from thousands of happily wedded gay couples, continued to gain in the returns. To which we say, forgive us, but fuck you, Mormon Church. [LAT]
• In Minnesota, the contentious Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken was called this morning in favor of Coleman, the Republican incumbent. [Politico]
• In Oregon, GOP incumbent Gordon Smith is holding onto a slim 14,000-vote lead in the Senate race over challenger Jeff Merkley. Around 11 last night, though, Smith conceded that it would take much more time to get the final result. Only 75 percent of precincts have reported so far. [Oregonian]
• In Georgia, GOP incumbent Saxby Chambliss has a 4 percent lead in the Senate race over challenger Jim Martin. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, it is still unclear whether Chambliss will break the 50 percent barrier. If he doesn't (it looks like he will), there will be a run-off in December. [ Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
• In Alaska, Republican incumbent (and recently convicted felon) Ted Stevens has still clung to a narrow 4,000-vote lead over Mark Begich. Ninety-nine percent of precincts have reported, but there are still 50,000 absentee ballots to count, so this could be up in the air for days. [Time]
Michelle last night at Barack's victory speech and the dress on the spring 2009 runway. Photo: Getty Images, Imaxtree
The fashion set has genuine cause to be excited this morning. Not only because last night's victor is Barack Obama — who the fashion industry overwhelmingly supported and whose campaign they generously helped finance — but because Michelle Obama shall go with him to the White House with truckloads of fabulous taste and clothes. Last night she wore a dress from Narciso Rodriguez's spring 2009 collection, one of the most critically acclaimed of New York Fashion Week. Michelle's style has impressed on the campaign trail with frugal finds from places like J.Crew and H&M and designer threads by designers like Narciso and Thakoon. But we don't recall seeing her jump seasons ahead. That dress hit the runway less than eight weeks ago and isn't on sales floors yet, which means special arrangements were made between Michelle and Narciso. Perhaps he lent it to her, or she asked to purchase it after he sent it to her. We have a feeling she'll continue to mix affordable pieces with designer pieces as First Lady (squeals!), but this wardrobe choice proves this woman knows fashion and we have an exciting four years of political fashion ahead of us. What will she choose for the inaugural ball? The suspense is so exciting already! And you know what else is great about this? We don't have to envy France for Carla Bruni anymore!
As expected, Broadway's A Tale of Two Cities will close early, with its last-ever performance on November 16. Among the reasons for the shuttering were the show's poor ticket sales and the fact that it was a huge stinker. [Playbill]
AP - Veteran Indian filmmaker B.R. Chopra, whose Bollywood career spanned five decades, died at home on Wednesday. He was 94. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 5 Nov 2008 | 2:32 pm
AP - Jimmy Carl Black, drummer, vocalist and self-anointed "Indian of the group" of Frank Zappa's The Mothers of Invention, has died at age 70. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 5 Nov 2008 | 2:27 pm
While Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt opted for the live version, a couple of Friends got together to watch their guy win it all via satellite.
Courteney Cox and hubby David Arquette hosted...
EVENTS
• Meet designer Phillip Lim when he presents his feminine, ruffled, and zippered spring 2009 collection today at Barneys New York. 660 Madison Ave., nr. 61st St., seventh fl. (212-826-8900, ext. 2648); 2–4.
SALES STARTING TODAY
• Clothing and accessories from Hayden-Harnett’s fall 2008 collection are 40 to 70 percent off at EDGE*nyNOHO. Through 11/8. 65 Bleecker St., nr. Lafayette St. (212-358-0255); Wed.–Sun. (12–6).
• Find 75 percent off jeans, swimwear, and clothing at the Shoshanna and Anlo joint sample sale; dresses are $150 (were $350), tops are $100 (were $250), and bikinis are $65 (were $165). Through 11/6. 231 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave., Ste. 422; Wed. (10–6:30), Thurs. (10–5:30).
• Tibi's lamb's-wool sweater capes are $104 (originally $414), long-sleeved gowns are $200 (originally $784), belted cape jackets are $140 (originally $559), and the rest of the stock is up to 75 percent off. Through 11/7. 336 W. 37th St., nr. Eighth Ave., Fifteenth fl., penthouse fifteen (212-966-3773); Wed. (1–7), Thurs. (9:30–7), Fri. (9:30–5:30).
• A silver metallic dress from Vivienne Tam is $150 (regularly. $795), and a taffeta appliqué dress is $120 (regularly $495). Through 11/7. 260 W. 39th St., nr. Seventh Ave., third fl. (212-840-6470); Wed. (9–8), Thurs. (9–7), Fri. (10–6).
• Select fall/winter merchandise is up to 65 percent off at Iisli's sample sale, including blazers, leggings, pants, and sweaters. Plus, Emily & Ashley jewelry with fourteen-karat gold and precious stones is also up to 65 percent off at the same location. Through 11/6. 25 Bond St., nr. Lafayette St.; Wed.–Thurs. (11–8).
ENDING TODAY
• Malo cashmere and clothes and accessories from Gianfranco Ferré are up to 70 percent off. Through 11/5. 317 W. 33rd St., nr. Eighth Ave.; Sun.–Tues. (9–6:30), Wed. (9–5).
STARTING TOMORROW
• Mantero has Pucci, Christian Lacroix, Viktor & Rolf, and other designer scarves and ties available at sample-sale prices. Through 11/11. 32 W. 39th St., nr. Fifth Ave., seventh fl., (212-575-7050); Thurs.–Fri. (9.–6), Mon. (9.–6).
• Abaeté's sample sale has sundresses, sweaters, jackets, and more from the spring and fall 2008 collections for up to 80 percent off. Through 11/8. 560 Broadway, nr. Prince St. (212-334-4755); Thurs.–Fri. (11–7), Sat. (12–6).
• For brides-to-be, the Lara Helene Bridal Atelier is having a sample sale, with gowns up to 70 percent off. Through 11/7. 13 E. 69th St., nr. Madison Ave. (212-452-3273); call for appointment.
ENDING TOMORROW
• A mink jacket from Adrienne Landau was $1,890 and now is $950, and an embroidered velvet coat with fox trim was $2,000 and now is $890. Other pillows, accessories, scarves, jackets, and more are up to 85 percent off. Through 11/6. 519 Eighth Ave., nr. 35th St. (732-539-7329); Tues.–Thurs. (10–6).
The Return of Rob: Everyone's favorite gigolo, Rob Schneider, will star alongside Jenna Dewan in Virgin on Bourbon Street. Directed by The Wedding Date helmer Clare Kilner, the sex comedy focuses on a sexually abstinent college student and the night of debauchery that threatens her academic career (to say nothing of her future film career!). [Variety]
Unlucky Number:Ray Liotta and Ray Winstone have joined the loaded cast of 13, the American remake of 2005 French film 13 Tzameti. The psychological thriller centers on a man, played by Sam Riley, who wanders into an underground club in which rich people compete in a Russian-roulette-like game. The film will be directed by Gela Babluani, the director of the original, with a cast that also includes 50 Cent (though he will presumably be edited out in post). [Variety]
He Keeps Going And…:Jackie Chan is set to produce, write, and star in Junior Soldiers, a road-trip movie set during the Qin dynasty. Details are thin on the film's plot, but it is expected to take place some 2,200 years ago and focus on three people and a horse, because if there's one thing better than road-trip movie, it's a period-piece road-trip movie. [Variety]
Killer Chats: The Japanese director of The Ring Two and Dark Water, Hideo Nakata, will direct Chatroom, a thriller about teens who encourage each other's destructive behavior the only way they know how — on computers! The film was written by Edna Walsh, who adapted it from his own stage play. Chatroom will likely be followed by a sequel, Twitter, in which teens kill each other with sub-140 character messages. [Variety]
Returning Stone: CBS is making another Jesse Stone flick starring Tom Selleck. Jesse Stone: No Remorse is the sixth installment of the TV adaptations of Robert Parker's novels. This one sees Stone fired from his job as police chief and moonlighting in Boston as a murder investigator. Air dates have not been set, but just ask your grandma in a couple of months. She'll know. [HR]
Pitt Battles: Paramount has acquired the rights to Battling Boy, Paul Pope's upcoming graphic novel about the son of a god who fights the monsters inhabiting a huge city. Brad Pitt's production company Plan B is onboard to produce. The book is not out until spring 2010, giving Pitt ample time to work on his other comic adaptations, which include Black Hole and World War Z, and spend some time with his nineteen children. [Variety]
A scene from Fort Greene last night. Photo: Getty Images
As we crossed downtown last night on the way home after an election party, it was impossible to go more than half a block without hearing whoops and chants from New Yorkers ecstatic over Barack Obama's victory. Mobs descended on Times Square, Harlem, the East Village, and several parts of Brooklyn. We even saw two cars burning on Second Avenue! You all did such a great job of helping us cover parties all over the city last night, so let's try this again. Tell us in the comments about where you were last night, and what the scene was like. If you have pictures, e-mail them to election@nymag.com. (Oh, and whoever screamed at us over a cab in the West Village, come on — you could have taken a hint from your candidate and conceded gracefully.)
AP - As you watch Chris Lilley playing all three leads in his new mockumentary series about an Australian high school, you can expect to have three responses.
Barack Obama's historic victory has given yet another boost to his million-selling books, "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope." Both were in the Top 25 on Amazon.com's... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 12:19 pm
PISCATAWAY, New Jersey, November 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A name synonymous to excellence and quality, eventsbot.com has carved a niche for itself as a market-leading online... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 12:16 pm
(AP) AP - Along with "Change," the big theme during Campaign 2008 was one of disbelief. Here was a just-when-you-thought-you'd-seen-it-all brand of amazement, voiced over and over, even by seasoned political observers. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 5 Nov 2008 | 6:43 am
Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States, becoming the first black man to lead this country in its 232-year history.
The freshman senator from Illinois, who...
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are pictured in a scene of movie "Australia," due for release on November 26. As Australia suffers along with the rest of the world through the worst global financial crisis... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 3:33 am
It is predicted to be a blockbuster on the scale of "Titanic" but much more than box office returns will hang on the success of Baz Luhrmann's (pictured) sweeping new outback epic "Australia." As Australia... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Nov 2008 | 3:33 am
Julianne Hough would love to just get up and dance. Alas, she still has a bit of recovering to do, from a condition that she says was much more serious than anyone previously...
So, got any plans tonight? If you're like us, you're glued to the TV watching the election returns roll in. Are you celebrating, or sad or wondering why no one is talking about...
Anderson Cooper? Brit Hume? Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart?
So many choices for getting the ballot results. Who are you watching, and what are you seeing? Tell us! (And is anybody...
Front Page: Remake stars Riley, Rourke, Statham, 50 Cent -- Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, Jason Statham, Sam Riley, 50 Cent and Ray Liotta will star in "13," an English-language remake of the 2005 French pic "13 Tzameti."
Front Page: Becomes 44th president of United States -- Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in a historic triumph that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. • Election 2008 • Voters storm polls (Photos)
Fair warning: Carrie Underwood may or may not approve this message.
While the masses head to the polls in record numbers today, a slew of celebs are putting their civic duty where their...
Hope everyone out there either voted today or is planning to vote, totally last minute, of course. Did Lindsay Lohan's blog post from last night have anything to do with you hauling ass to the...
As you know, Ugly Betty hasn't shied away from guest stars who have hit a few bumps in the road.
Nikki Blonsky, in need of a little image rehab since she and her dad tangled with an...
Question for the retooling Heroes: Ever given any thought to writing in a flying Sarah Palin?
Saturday Night Live scored its latest ratings coup last night, with a two-hour, prime-time...
Deftones bassist Chi Cheng is in a coma after being involved in a car accident Monday in Santa Clara, Calif., according to the Sacramento Bee. Frontman Chino Moreno confirmed Cheng's condition but declined to give further details. Source: Billboard News - Daily | 5 Nov 2008 | 12:00 am
The great DVR of American politics, after going on fast-forward for nearly two years, has finally caught up with real time. There's no buffer time, there's nothing else to watch — all that’s left to do is watch the returns come in. We know that's scary, so we'll be here with you, live-blogging, until this whole thing gets shut down. We'll be providing commentary from our magazine writers and updates from parties and events around the city. You're welcome to take part, too! Send us e-mails at election@nymag.com, or put your thoughts in the comments. Here we go! We're gonna get through this together, we swear.
6:02 p.m.: Republican attack ads against Reverend Wright are still running on cable news networks. Wow. Guess they're pitching for the angry-commuter vote. 6:14 p.m.: RNC robocalls in Florida are rolling out, touting Fidel Castro's endorsement of Obama. 6:22 p.m.: Kentucky and Indiana have started reporting as polls there have closed. Kentucky is going roughly one-third Obama, two-thirds McCain. Indiana keeps us in suspense. Hook-toed bitch. 6:52 p.m.: Fox News is reporting results in other states before the polls close, obviously. 6:56 p.m.: MSNBC quotes a "Republican strategist" who says tonight we're going to see an "Obama tsunami." Man, that network and that word!
6:28 p.m.: Okay, early Indiana numbers favor Obama slightly. Wolf Blitzer keeps reminding us this is meaningless. Judging by how early our urge came to grab onto his beard and yank, swiftly, we probably drank too much caffeine today. Does anybody else feel frantic for no reason? Or is it just people with live blogs? (Seriously, did he overshave today or what?) 6:45 p.m.: According to a CNN exit poll, 72 percent of new voters are for Obama. That number includes students, empowered African-Americans, and at least 279 Mickey Mouses. 6:48 p.m.: This lull has us wondering, who are all those B-level pundits on CNN with the laptops in the background? How do you get to be a varsity laptopper? 7 p.m.: Polls open in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, the rest of Indiana and Kentucky, and portions of Florida and New Hampshire. Everybody is very calm. Brit Hume's hair is like a helmet. Seriously, it's like he uses Laura Bush's hairdresser. 7:01 p.m.: Fox News calls Vermont for Obama and Kentucky for McCain. 7:05 p.m.: The giant splintered USA visual in NBC's Virtual Reality Election Map Studio hurts like a hangover. Even having Chuck Todd bounce around at the foot of it doesn't make it any easier on the eyes. They should have him skate around on the rink in Rockefeller Center, where there's also an electoral map. We would really love that. Surely Chucky could muster a triple axel or two? He's got the goatee for it! 7:09 p.m.: Oh God, Ann Curry is in a room that is entirely green screen. 7:10 p.m.: Turn on PBS for a palate cleanser. We catch Jim Lehrer talking to a correspondent: "So what's the weather like there, Judy?" 7:10 p.m.: Rachel Maddow is looking particularly snazzy. Her hair is styled a lot like Keith Olbermann's. Is that weird? 7:11 p.m.: A tipster texts from a party: "At Le Poisson Rouge's Election Night Extravaganza, Arcade Fire is playing loudly, the crowd is booing McCain and cheering Obama, and the best of the cheesy political drink names is a Joe Six-Pack of Rolling Rocks." Ooh, Arcade Fire! That's what would chill us out: haunting tones. 7:16 p.m.: OH MY GOD. THEY HAVE BEAMED JESSICA YELLIN INTO THE CNN STUDIO AS A HOLOGRAM. 7:18 p.m. Yellin: "It's like I followed the tradition of Princess Leia." Even Wolf can't seem to find the words to explain why this was necessary. 7:24 p.m.: Overheard on Bergen Street in Cobble Hill: a father speaking to his daughter on the walk home. Dad: "Well, McCain is going to change things, too." Daughter: "But McCain is gonna change things the wrong way!" Sounds like mommy has better propaganda, Pop. 7:27 p.m.: From a tipster at the Young Republican party on 51st Street: "Some of these people are definitely over 40. That's supposed to be the cutoff." 7:30 p.m.: Ohio, North Carolina, and West Virginia polls have closed. That's 40 electoral votes, with a total of 98 in the air so far. 7:31 p.m.: Fox News gives West Virginia to McCain. No surprise, but the others are up in the air. 7:32 p.m.: It's not even 8 p.m. and John King is practically molesting CNN's touch screen (er, perceptive pixel). The night is young, John — don't get spent on Indiana alone. 7:35 p.m.: Sometimes when Chris Matthews is talking and the camera pans to Rachel Maddow, she is caught with an expression on her face that we can only describe as "Wanda Sykes watching a pigeon eat a chicken wing." 7:38 p.m.: Does anyone else think that Lester Holt is never so sexy as when he wears those glasses? 7:40 p.m. Isn't it kind of weird that CNN doesn't let the election coverage fall under the "Situation Room" banner? Because if ever there were a situation, it's tonight. 7:43 p.m.: Update from our political contributor Peter Keating, who says Obama supporters are receiving positive news:
We’re starting to get some indications about key states from people who know what they’re talking about but can’t actually call races before the polls close: In Virginia, MSNBC exit polls put McCain ahead, 58 percent to 41 percent among white voters and Obama ahead, 91 percent to 9 percent among blacks. If 20 percent of Virginia voters are African-American, as expected, Obama would be winning overall, 51 percent to 48.2 percent. In Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell says Obama is rolling up huge tallies not only in Philadelphia but in its suburbs. Rendell thinks Obama could net a margin of 600,000 to 650,000 votes overall from greater Philly, which would be virtually impossible for McCain to make up elsewhere. And the early-reporting counties in Indiana, which trend Republican overall, are still pretty evenly split, setting up that state to get swamped by Democratic votes from Gary later tonight.
7:45 p.m.: From a tipster at the party at Gavin Browns Enterprise: "Officially run out of chili a half hour in, which is bad news for red-state stomachs. But there's plenty of Yuengling being served in honor of PA!" 7:46 p.m.: CNN calls South Carolina for Obama McCain. 7:53 p.m.: Luke Russert appears on NBC, reporting from some loud and scream-y campus — he says he feels a lot like Tom Brokaw at the Berlin Wall. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, kid. 8 p.m: Polls close in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. From that, MSNBC calls Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, for Obama. Tennessee and Oklahoma went to McCain. The Arizona senator now has 34 electoral votes and Obama has 103. And in the big news of the hour, NBC News calls Pennsylvania, where McCain had been campaigning endlessly this week, for Obama. Chris Matthews says, "The McCain campaign's electoral strategy has crashed." 8:05 p.m. From a tipster at the Obama party at New World Stages: "Overheard waiting in the coat-check line. Two girls discussing that there are no boldface names here or Democratic politicians. A blonde Obama supporter turned around and snapped, 'What? We're all superstars here!'" 8:06 p.m.: From a tipster at the French TV5 Monde party at the Pennsylvania hotel: "It's an early contender for best spread: Mumm champagne, a dozen or so cheeses, pâté, and chef making fresh dessert crêpes. French expat Laura Jaoui compared Palin to Sarkozy opponent Segolene Royal, who is also beautiful and gaffe-prone: 'She's crazy, but in a different way. We take her more seriously.'" 8:07 p.m.: With all of MSNBC's early-early projections, Obama's well over 270. You can practically see Chris Matthews shivering. 8:10 p.m.: From a hipster tipster: "Outside Galapagos in Williamsburg, the line of twenty people waiting to go inside inexplicably erupts in cheering." 8:13 p.m.: CNBC just flashed to the setup for the McCain campaign party at the Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. Apparently later on, "Native American hoop dancers" will perform. They panned away from the scene as the musicians began playing "Nowhere Man." "That was an odd choice," said Mark Haines. 8:14 p.m.: From a newsy tipster: "At the CNN Grille in Time Warner Center, Eddie Izzard is munching on fries while Christiane Amanpour, looking lovely in purple, watches with rapt attention. Free burgers and fries!" 8:15 p.m.: Chris Matthews compared Howard Dean to "St. John the Baptist." No, really. Even Dean looked confused. 8:17 p.m.: "There are a ton of people watching it all live in Rock Center. They are screaming for Obama victories and booing McCain. It's a big party down there. For those still at work in the building, it's worse than the daily Today Show concerts." 8:18 p.m.: Overheard at the Young Republicans fête: "Why is there so much press here? There's more press than Republicans." And old people, according to a tip earlier. Sounds like a kickass party. Bet Lily van der Woodsen is there. 8:18 p.m.: In a remarkable show of maturity, Fox News seems to be the first to call the North Carolina senate race for Kay Hagan. 8:19 p.m. Anderson Cooper's hair is so iridescent you can actually see through it. It's like ghost hair. Holy hair? Whatever, we want to give ourselves a full-body loofah with his head. 8:21 p.m.: Update from our party princess, Jada Yuan, who is at the CNN Grille:
U.K. citizen Eddie Izzard didn't vote today. (Greencard). But he's still sitting at the CNN Grille, fretting about and swooning over election results. "I donated money. I wanted him to get in," he said. "And I pay taxes here, so I feel very invested." Izzard's not going to be a beneficiary of Obama's tax cuts for the middle class, but he doesn't care. "I'm happy to pay tax," he said. "I like putting back in and I work my ass off." Izzard pays taxes in every country where he performs … the U.S., the U.K., France, Australia, and Iceland. "That one I'm very proud of. They can use it."
Yeah, particularly Iceland, eh? Björk is currently carrying the entire economy over there. 8:25 p.m. From a tipster over at Obama's HQ in Chicago: "Everyone's in a good mood, there's a good vibe here. Also, someone just randomly shouted, 'Pennsylvania made John McCain look like an asshole!'" 8:28 p.m.: PBS gives up, airs Nova. 8:30 p.m.: Okay, we just got choked up watching a Pillsbury commercial where people click their heels like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, wanting to go home and eat crescent rolls. We are officially way too wired. And unforgivably gay. 8:33 p.m.: Speaking of which, might we say that Katie Couric's accessories are very Cindy McCain? Understated but expensive-looking. And her lashes are KAPOW. They're like sexy eye-shrapnel! 8:35 p.m.: An update from our man at Obama HQ in Chicago: "All anyone wants to talk about are the CNN holograms." Obviously a Yellin plant. 8:47 p.m.: From our hipster tipster again: "At Galapagos, the Obama 'yes we can-can' dancers have the letters of his name spelled out on their asses." Oh, bless. We're living history, people. Liv. Ing. It. 8:40 p.m.: CBS calls Alabama for McCain. That brings his electoral count up to about 54, a little more than half of Obama's. 8:47 p.m.: Oooh, now we get why election coverage isn't part of CNN's Situation Room. It's now taking place not in the Situation Room, but the BALANCE OF POWER STUDIO. Mind. Blown. 8:53 p.m.: So: That New York proposal about disability payments — did you guys see it? We noticed it just as we were about to pull the lever and walk out all teary-eyed, but the way it was hidden on the bottom, right? Who's looking down there?! Four out of five people we've talked to didn't even know it was on the ballot. 8:56 p.m.: Bill Kristol's body language is speaking volumes. No conservative cruises next year, huh? 9 p.m.: Polls close in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the rest of Michigan. 9:02 p.m.: The party is just getting started at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Tower, the site of the state Democratic Party's election celebration, but the Roosevelt comparisons are already flying! A tipster writes: "Governor David Paterson said Obama, when talking about the financial downturn, 'speaks with the clarity of the call of a Roosevelt.'" 9:06 p.m.: Party-hopping Jada Yuan reports: "Even though Time magazine is in the Time Warner building, the only staffer who's shown up at the CNN Grill Room is editor Rick Stengel, who was on CNN for a moment, dropped in for a drink, and then left. The magazine is closing tonight, so everything has to be done by 9 a.m. to be on newsstands for Thursday, a day early. A source tells us TVs are on in every room, ribs have been ordered, and there's talk of spending the night. There are three covers at the ready, one for Obama, one for McCain, and one if it's up in the air." Oh, please don't let it be the third cover. Our hearts can't take it. 9:07 p.m. Fox called New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin for Obama, then accidentally put up a check mark showing Ohio for Obama. Shep Smith took it right back. 9:08 Everyone in the CNN Election Center just had a love-in about what will happen if Obama wins the election. Really, Jeffrey Toobin practically misted and you could tell David Gergen wanted to try out a few bars of "Kumbayah" but wasn't sure if it was appropriate yet. You could see his lower lip wobbling a little. 9:10 p.m.: On MSNBC, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm says that Michigan is going to "pull out" for Obama. We snicker, because we are children. 9:15 p.m.: Our tipster at Poisson Rouge writes: "Here's a sign that we're all ready to say good-bye to Sarah Palin: No one is laughing at any Palin jokes." 9:19 p.m.: And … Fox calls Ohio for Obama. "No Republican has won the president of the United States without winning Ohio," says Shep. Giuliani comes on; he's already speaking of McCain in the past tense: “Nobody could have done better.” 9:25 p.m.: CNN is promising a BIG PROJECTION when they get back from the commercial. 9:27 p.m.: Why is Chuck Todd bringing up bad memories and saying this is going to be 2000- or 2004-level close? Because he wants us to keep the television on? We love Chuck, but this strikes us as kind of dickish. 9:28 p.m.: A large contingent of skinny white men with fancy rectangular-rimmed glasses and funny accents have just shown up at the Democrats' Sheraton bash, writes a tipster. Who are they? "Danes," replied one of them, a man named Jens Christiansen. They're Danish parliamentarians and other politicians from the Social Democratic Party visiting America to study Obama's campaign. Obama, said Jens, has run a "fantastic campaign from a professional perspective." 9:30 p.m.: "Mary-Kate Olsen is at the Gavin Brown party. She seems to be excited!" 9:35 p.m.: CNN's big surprise was Ohio. "A huge, huge win," says Wolf. 9:36 p.m.: Whoa. We just caught a glimpse of the scene in Times Square, which is kind of epic/insane. Does Ryan Seacrest know about this? 9:38 p.m.: Wolf goes to Dana Bash in Arizona, who says that for the McCain campaign, "Reality is definitely setting in." Except not really — because, she adds, as soon as they found out about Ohio they turned off the news at the Biltmore, where McCain supporters have gathered to celebrate. "They know what's going on, they all have their BlackBerrys … They are making a point of not putting the bad news on the screen," she said. That's, um, weird, in an I-sleep-with-my-dead-husband's-skeleton kind of way. Dana's hubby John King, checking the map, says that things are looking "grim" for the McCain campaign. 9:47 p.m.: Incidentally, the Huffington Post party is every bit as smug as one might imagine: "Along with copious pizza and a keg dispensing free Brooklyn Lager, there's no shortage of snark at the 23/6 party in the Website's Soho offices," says a tipster. "When CT is called for Obama, an onlooker said: 'Wasn't that decided yesterday?' Surrounded by his own kin, a Prospect Heights magazine editor was unimpressed: 'This is unpleasant.'" 9:48 p.m.: Would it be okay to watch the special live The Daily Show at 10 p.m., even if they're not tallying electoral votes? Because wouldn't it be great if Jon Stewart called this thing first? 9:52 p.m.: There are a lot of things not going Karl Rove's way tonight, but his pumpkin-orange tie is near the top of the list. Bonus: The cameras catch Fox News handing consolation cookies around the studio. 9:54 p.m.: Did anyone see Anderson Cooper's "breaking for a commercial" face just now? He puckered his lips and squinted like Keira Knightley. He must be trying out a new thing. 9:55 p.m.: Says a tipster: "At the CNN party, everyone is saying that Obama Girl will be at Haven tonight." Note to self(s): Never go to Haven ever. 10 p.m. Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Utah. CNN calls Iowa for Obama; Utah and Kansas for McCain. 10:02 p.m.: At the Sheraton, Hillary's adman Jimmy Siegel summed up Obama's advertising campaign: "Just ordinary ads," he said. "But he didn't need great ads." 10:05 p.m.: Paul Begala: A little bit sexy tonight? Or that it just our election talking? What? We're drinking, by the way. 10:08 p.m.: Wow, America's Funniest Home Videos these days is all senile grandmothers and toddlers doing sexy dancing. Yes we would rather watch James Carville. 10:12 p.m.: Luke Russert needs to work on his Serious Face. A little more "Thinking," a little less "Columbine." 10:15 p.m.: The Rocky Mountain News calls Colorado for Obama. 10:18 p.m.: Overheard at Gavin Brown: "You went to Starbucks for a free coffee? Babes in Toyland was giving out free vibrators. You lose." 10:22 p.m.: Ooh, Dana Bash is back reporting live from the Hotel Denial. John McCain and Sarah Palin are apparently up in the Barry Goldwater Suite at the Biltmore, where they are watching the returns. Bash says she asked people on the McCain campaign if they saw a clear path to victory: "The answer I got was no." 10:23 p.m.: Our tipster at Obama HQ in Chicago writes: "I'm staring directly at Oprah. She looks like a weepy billionaire." 10:25 p.m.: Biggest fuck-you of the night so far: When Keith Olbermann pointed out the obvious but as-yet-unstated fact that with Ohio in Obama’s bag, the West Coast states will put him over 270 electoral votes, Chris Matthews said with an acid smile, “You have a jeweler’s eye.” 10:28 p.m.: Friend of Intel Jodi Call, who is watching ABC, notes that Charlie Gibson seems obsessed with his board. "If there is a lull of any kind, he hopefully suggests that they go to the board and look at things closer." All dudes are going to want these things from now on. 10:29 p.m.: There are a lot of contenders for Worst Line of the Night, but Howard Fineman on MSNBC is going for the gold: "We may be witnessing a sea change," he just said, "but it's happening on a lake." 10:33 p.m.: The numbers are getting clearer in Pennsylvania, and Obama did markedly better than Kerry in 2004. 10:39 p.m.:: Tipster: "Ethan Hawke is at the Comedy Central bash. He says the fat lady is warming up." Thanks, Ethan. 10:42 p.m.:: Nancy Pelosi is speaking in Nevada. Someone crazy lady in the audience keeps yelling, "I LOVE YOU NANCY!" Who? 10:42 p.m.:: Huffington Post calls it for Obama, Drudge calls it for Obama (in his own way), FiveThirtyEight calls it. OBAMA IS TOTALLY THE NEXT PRESIDENT. Meanwhile, Anderson Cooper is talking to Will.I.Am by hologram. 10:43 p.m.:: Anderson, in trying to dismiss the Will.I.Am by hologram, comes up with the Most Amazing Line of the Night: "Will.I.Am, thank you for being with us via hologram." "Check it," the hologram Black-Eyed-Pea says by way of good-bye. But then he doesn't disappear! He continues to toddle around the stage in hologram form. WHY. Anderson looks alarmed. 10:49 p.m.: Pat Buchanan says Obama is looking at eight years. And he said it without sobbing. 10:50 p.m.: In honor of this historic night, the Daily Show's black correspondents are taking over the show. 10:56 p.m.: VIRGINIA! 10:59 p.m.: The networks are being careful, but let's face it, this is over. The Election Center folks are doing misty water-colored memories. Kat Seeley is being tempted by The Office, and HOLY FUCKING SHIT YOU GUYS (sorry, bosses) WE HAVE A NEW, AMAZING, SMART, COOL PRESIDENT! This is going to be awesome. 11 p.m. CNN called it! And Fox! OH MY GAAAWWWWWWD. 11:05 p.m.: At the Sheraton: Jerrold Nadler, the New York City congressman, had this to say about the challenges Obama will face next year: "The mess he is going to inherit is beyond anything that has been understood."
At Galapagos: "The girl in the tutu takes off her shirt."
At Gavin Brown: "Balloons fall from the ceiling and people play in them." 11:26 p.m.: McCain concedes. We wish his speech were better, or more emotional, or that at least the crowd didn't boo and chant in that scary way. But these are details.
Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to throw some confetti around, get wasted, and shag someone who looks like Paul Begala.
AP - "Gerard Manley Hopkins: A Life" (Viking . 496 pages. $34.95), by Paul Mariani: Readers moved by religion, poetry and their effects on people's lives may be fascinated by this almost day-to-day account of English priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. It's by an American poet who is also a biographer of American poets.
You can’t get much bluer than Manhattan, but we had a hunch that at least a few McCain voters live on the island. So we sent ace political correspondent Tim Murphy out to find them. He explored the East Village. He scoured Murray Hill. And while he did uncover a few McCain voters, he also heard questionable job advice for Sarah Palin and got shoved by an angry guy! Before you watch the returns tonight, watch democracy in action in New York City.
It's November, and that can mean just one thing: Resort campaigns are out! The supers — who made an amazing comeback in recent seasons — have all been replaced with newer girls. After all, times are tough, and the Old Guard doesn't come cheap. And why have one girl when you can have, oh, six! D&G paired Mario Testino with rising stars Karmen Pedaru, Elsa Sylvan, Zuzana Straska, Kelly Kopen, Cato van Ee, and Jules Mordovets. Emporio Armani's new ads feature icy Dutch beauty Kim Noorda, who replaced Freja Beha. But it's not all newbies who are getting the attention. Carmen Kass posed for Michael Kors, Karen Elson did a languidly beautiful shot for Donna Karan, and Catherine McNeil is Louis Vuitton's new girl. See all the new ads (while pretending you have a cruise to pack for) in the slideshow.
Tagline: "It may be crazy. It may be dangerous. But if you make the right connections, the possibilities are endless."
Translation:Fanboys? Didn't this movie come out like three years ago? No?
The Verdict: Due to a nerd-friendly premise (a bunch of dudes set out to steal a print of Episode I from George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch on the eve of its premiere) and more delays than your average rap album (its release date recently got pushed back again to next February), Fanboys already has a decent-size Internet following for a movie that almost nobody's seen yet. It's also got Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, the dude from Balls of Fury, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Star Wars jokes (light sabers, hyperspace, and deadly trash compactors all get shout-outs in this new trailer). This looks charming enough, but we're not sure it'll be easy to root for this motley crew since we already know what's awaiting them is, you know, The Phantom Menace.
Taken today at P.S. 316, Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Photo: Reader Nicole Hala
As you might expect when upwards of 8 million people all engage with bureaucracy at the same time, voting in New York today has been fraught with problems: from minor irritations ("I nearly bitchslapped a woman because of her annoying kids," reports one New York editor, who voted in Ditmas Park) to the more serious issues, such as the wasting of movie stars' time. If you haven't been to the polls yet (and the window is closing!), know that things are disorganized and a little bit hysterical — imagine if everyone had to renew their driver's licenses at the same time and the DMV was staffed with temps. But through it all, the irritation has been shot through with moments of joy as voters, stuck in long lines, bonded with their fellow citizens.
Reader Stephen, for instance, e-mailed that the two hours he spent in line with two older black folks "telling stories about their grandparents and great-grandparents" was "the best two hours [he] ever spent standing in line." John Wilson, who works in New York's video department, befriended a woman at his Harlem polling station who was clutching a framed photo collage of her great-grandmother, grandmother, great-aunts, etc.
"She was weeping openly, and telling me about how her relatives had come up from Mississippi and participated in the Freedom Riders movement, and that she had to bring the picture with her to vote," he said. Plus, she helped him skip to the front of the line with her because she knew someone at the polling station.
Which brings us back to the bureaucracy. In the end, a lot of the bonding in our fair city today took place over the inadequacy of the system. Overall, the "sweet, elderly people running the show were slow as molasses, but remarkably patient," as reader Rachel Zoe Insler, who voted in the East Village, put it. Except for when things went horribly wrong, as they did in New York contributor Sarah Bernard's district. Her epic tale, complete with a villain in a leopard-spotted velour catsuit, is after the jump.
I got to my polling location at Baruch College on 22nd Street between Lex and Third at 9:30 a.m. The long but manageable line for my particular district, 67, was not moving and had not moved since 8:05 a.m. — when the voting machine broke. We’d actually all been waiting and thinking the line was moving because a significant amount of people kept leaving in frustration and we all inched up. We finally found out it was broken because a lady wearing a leopard velour catsuit and a black fur hat eventually came out — picture Eartha Kitt but crazier — yelling to us that a repairman had been called. She is the “chairman” of this polling location, it turns out. There was talk of emergency paper ballots arriving and everyone started talking about how they feared this was exactly what was happening in all the swing states. More people left without voting.
A few minutes later, velour-catsuit lady returns. “OH OH OH! I just realized something! You can use the handicapped machine! I should have thought of that at 8:05 a.m.! Ladies and gentleman in 67 — you can vote now. The handicapped machine is very cool! It’s like a computer!”
The line started moving, but when I got closer to the district desk, after another 30 to 40 minutes, it turns out everyone in front of me hadn’t voted — they were simply in yet another line waiting for the handicapped machine, which had also broken. Again, more people left.
The only option left was filling out paper ballots, folding them up and sticking them through a slot in a sad cardboard box that looked like no one would ever remember to open it. When I finally got to the district desk, the woman behind it started to cry. “Do you see what kind of pressure I’m under?!” she was yelling to a neighboring district table. Her sidekick — an elderly red-haired grandma — had been writing down the numbers on the cards out of order and the crowd was closing in. “All we can do is pray to God we get paid.”
Finally … the original machine started working again. Now, the people who had voted on paper were coming back to say they changed their minds and wanted to wait for the machine instead, which really puts the woman at the district desk over the edge. “I haven’t eaten my breakfast yet!” she yells. “And I am pregnant!”
Suddenly, everyone is pregnant. All sorts of people come from the back of the line with excuses about why they have to move up. They’re pregnant. They had an accident and feel faint. The people who were waiting at the handicapped machine think they should start at the head of the line for the regular machine again. The people on the regular line won’t have it. So what is she going to do? “I just work here,” she shouts through her sobs. “You have to ask the boss!” And the boss, of course, is the cat lady.
I finally voted at 11:45 a.m.
Got a good Election Day photo or story? Send it to election@nymag.com.
Daily Intel is staying late tonight, and from now until we know who's president, we and our various correspondents will report, weigh in, pontificate, and make obscene jokes about all things election-related, be they at the polls, on the TV, at parties, in the streets, or inside Chris Matthews's pants. Well, actually, we'll probably leave that last bit to Chris Matthews. But you can tell us what's going on in your pants! Or, wait, not really that either. Anyway. Do send your pictures, observations, and odes to John King's hair to election@nymag.com, where we will be more than happy to receive them.
What are designers doing this Election Day? Skipping town, that's what! Diane Von Furstenberg will be in London watching the returns from bed in her hotel room. "If Obama wins … I will go and celebrate, dance in the streets and all!!" she says. VPL designer Victoria Bartlett will "be wrapped in the democratic flag" in her hotel room in Tokyo. Thom Browne will be on a plane to Milan. We trust they mailed their ballots in. [Refinery29]
Front Page: Taylor Woodrow exec succeeds Crispin Davis -- Ian Smith has been appointed CEO-designate of Reed Elsevier, succeeding Crispin Davis, who will retire in March after nine years as CEO.
We've long thought that CBS and the rest of the media didn't give Katie Couric a long enough chance to prove herself before the naysaying set in. Like her or not, she's demonstrably different than any other solo anchor on an evening-news broadcast (Those legs! Those eyelashes! Come on, when Dan Rather uncrossed or fluttered, it just wasn't the same), and she needed a long time to change people's perceptions of what one should be. So we were pleased when she hit the ball out of the park this fall with her political coverage, particularly her devastating interviews with Sarah Palin. Today the Observer talked to the former Today host about what many people have been saying — that she's having a comeback, even though she's been here for years.
Couric told reporter Felix Gillette about how much she enjoyed her freewheeling Web-only segments, which follow every night's broadcast.
“It’s much less buttoned up,” said Ms. Couric. “It feels to me more like the Today show environment, where you can kind of shuck and jive a little bit … But you don’t have to dress up for Halloween.”
With hard economic times coming up, Gillette argues that CBS is unlikely to be willing to buy out the rest of her $40 million contract — something that had been discussed this spring. Plus, now that she's so relevant, they probably won't want to. So is Katie Couric finally relaxing in her anchor seat? Not quite. She says that now she wants "an hour" every night, rather than the traditional half hour. She tested it out yesterday, and she thinks the added space helps a lot. "I think time is not our friend at the Evening News," she said. Funny, because time has finally proven to be a best friend to Couric herself.
If for no other reason than the fact that we love both M.I.A. and The Wire and will use practically any excuse to indiscriminately post things tangentially related to either of them, here's M.I.A. and Blaqstaar's awesome (and presumably cost-efficient!) new video for "Way Down in the Hole," a track which samples the Tom Waits song by the same name, which you'll likely recognize as the theme from The Wire. Phew! Now if only R. Kelly, Helen Mirren, and Ben Silverman would all announce some project together, Vulture could take the rest of the week off.
Front Page: Newbies seize indie crisis -- Going in to the American Film Market, which starts Wednesday, the mood of most folk is somewhere between somber and grim.
MAKEUP
• Cheap drugstore cosmetics brand Physicians Formula's profits jumped to $1.7 million from $102,000 at the same time last year. Damn. [WWD]
HAIR
• Frédéric Fekkai stylist Adir Abergel is calling the "lob" (short for long bob) the hairstyle of the season. Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Eva Longoria are sporting it. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
• Brandy and Estelle have the blues: Both wore peacock-blue shadows at recent public appearances. Apparently the new thing is to wear colored shadows that make a statement with otherwise subdued outfits. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure and BellaSugar]
FRAGRANCE
• Citrus scents are out; classic, heady scents are in! Those include Pure Poison by Dior, Love by Ralph Lauren, Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, Strip by Agent Provocateur, Angel by Thierry Mugler, and Youth-Dew by Estée Lauder. Maybe they go with the economy or something. [LAT via Jezebel]
SKIN
• In a lesson in obviousness for the day, Lucky editors remind us that it's not nice to ask people if they've had work done. Thank you. [Beauty Department/Lucky]
Yesterday the cast of the Greatest Show of Our Time filmed a funeral scene here in New York. (Could this get more Cruel Intentions?) Paparazzi nabbed some photos, including the one above. We'd heard that someone was going to get killed off, but we didn't expect it to happen so soon. The main characters — Dan, Nate, Chuck, Serena, and Blair — are all accounted for, but we never thought that they would be the ones to go. It would have to be one of the more annoying peripheral characters, right? The ones without contracts? Well, notably missing from the photos are Jenny, Eric, Vanessa, Rufus Humphrey, Bart Bass, and Lily van der Woodsen. That doesn't really narrow it down — but what does give us a hint are the peripheral characters who are there: Aaron Rose and Cece Rhodes, Serena's boyfriend and grandmother. Ruh-row. Is one of the van der Woodsens van der Deadsen?
Then again, would Serena really dress so skankily at a family member's wedding?
1. NASA feat. Kool Keith and Tom Waits, "Spacious Thoughts"
The first thing Kool Keith says on this awesome track from the upcoming NASA debut is "Take the spotlight off me!" But with the ultra-well-connected NASA (who are Spike Jonze's brother Sam Spiegel and Ze Gonzales) to back him up, that spotlight probably isn't going anywhere for a while. [Pitchfork]
2. J Period feat. Q-Tip and Barack Obama, "Q-Tip for President"
Those of you waiting for Q-Tip's much-coveted presidential endorsement now have all the information you need. [So Much Silence]
3. T-Pain feat. Kanye West, "Therapy"
You know a rapper's at his wit's end when he's so stressed out by his girl that he'll say things like, "I don't need your sex, I'll masturbate." [First Up!]
4. Fireflies, "Cherry Blossom Girl" (Air cover)
Chicago's Fireflies turn in a gorgeous cover of the Moon Safari track. [Skatterbrain]
5. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Blitzen Trapper, "Funk #49" (James Gang cover)
Malkmus and opening act Blitzen Trapper are "out all night," laying down a loose cover of this James Gang sorta hit. We definitely think they're acting right. [Pitchfork]
Is a win for Barack Obama tonight the therapy retail needs this holiday season? A survey conducted by International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs of 1,000 Americans reveals 8 percent would probably increase their holiday spending if Barack Obama won, but only 5 percent said they'd increase holiday shopping if John McCain won. Respondents said the election was a greater influence over holiday shopping budgets than the tanking stock market or how secure they felt about their jobs. So no matter what, spending will increase. Do your worst, stock market! (Except, you know, not really.) [Heard on the Runway/WSJ]
AP - As one historic duel the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain ends, another is heating up. The stakes are high: nothing less than the soul of rock 'n roll. The competition is fierce.
Front Page: Campaigns a challenge for all-news cablers -- The culmination of the two-year battle to succeed George W. Bush in the White House amounted to a marathon workday not just for Barack Obama and John McCain but for newsies of all stripes. •
Complete and utter obsolescence has certainly come at a high price for the music business this past decade, with sales down a hilarious 36 percent from eight years ago. And now, Wal-Mart, America's retailer, is "rapidly downsizing" the amount of floor space it allocates for CDs, a move that definitely won't mean good things for an industry whose revenues are largely dependent on confused consumers who frequently wander into stores and purchase things by mistake. Adding insult to injury is Wal-Mart's wacky decision to replace its vanishing music sections with shelves of Blu-Ray DVDs, a high-def movie format currently preferred by practically no one. This also comes a day after Circuit City announced plans to shutter 155 stores nationwide, which means you might be buying this year's fourth-quarter releases on iTunes or not at all.
YES. It's true. Alexander McQueen will design a diffusion line for Target based on his McQ line. WWD reports:
The collection will have rock 'n' roll influences and edgy details such as studs and tattoo-print fabrics. Designer Initiative is a separate program from Target's Go International, which focuses on young or emerging designers. Target said additional Designer Collaborations will be announced in the future. Each collection will be available in stores for a limited time.
And we thought the election was exciting. It's official: This is the best day ever!
Heidi is, like, soooo drunk you guys oh my God slur slur. Photo: Courtesy of MTV
Election? What election? You think you're gonna find Audrina and Lauren working a phone bank? Not this week! Instead, we get the girls chatting in Lauren’s room (and it's only Aud’s second time in L.C.'s sanctuary!); Lauren is trying to figure out an outfit for the “rock show” she’s attending that night. Maybe she could borrow one of Audrina's shirts? You know, that one that shows lots of cleavage? Anyhow, Audrina springs the news that she’s moving out this coming weekend and that she wants Justin Bobby to move in with her. Of course Lauren's expression upon hearing the news is amusingly judge-y. We foresee some awesome "J.B. tries to drown Audrina while wearing jorts" scenes.
Meanwhile, Heidi has some drama. Shocking, right? We see her and Kimberly standing outside (er, "working") for a club opening, and their bosses drive up in some Mercedes space vehicle. “Here come the kings!” says Heidi — and by "kings," she means two slimy dudes who look more like guys who’d hit on you during ladies' night at Pacha. Anyhow, the girls have to coordinate the opening, and Heidi mentions to Kimberly that she’s going to invite Spencer. Kimberly looks nervously at Heidi and her frosted lipstick. Later on, at the opening, a shorn Spencer shows up (as do all the usual suspects), and Heidi drinks tequila. Wheee! This leads to some shouting about how wasted she is, and it’s sort of endearing. But, uh-oh, here comes boss Tweedledum, and he doesn’t look too happy! “Are you still working?” he asks Heidi, and you can see her plastic face trying desperately to contort into “sober.” Then, amazingly, Spencer asks him if he wants a shot. Back at Bolthouse the next day, Brent calls Heidi in to have a chat. “I can’t have you visibly drunk in front of my partner. It’s not okay to have your boyfriend there. I fight for you all the time,” he tells her. Then he promptly fires her ass.
Now back to Audrina: She’s all grown up and moving into her own place. She dines with J.B. at a “cute” place (“Everywhere we go is cute,” he counters. Okay, grumpy…). She tells him about her new apartment. “Do you want to move in, maybe?” she asks him. Whoa, girl, relax. Justin just stares into space. “You know what? Let it happen and see what happens,” he says. We’re usually all for Justin’s incomprehensible mantras, but really, J.B., Audrina invites you to MOVE IN and that’s your only answer? Boo, J.B. That's up there with your "only time and truth will tell" koan.
Back at Camp Judge-y, Lauren and Lo discuss Audrina’s move, and the only recap-worthy insight is when Lauren says that Justin Bobby is “a man so great, he needed two names.” Funny, L.C.! Lauren helps Audrina pack (Aud puts 27 tubes of toothpaste in a box — no wonder her teeth are so blindingly white!), and Justin is suspiciously absent. Audrina insists that he’ll assist with unpacking, which we doubt. Sure, he spins a mean extended metaphor, but being helpful? Not one of J.B.’s strong suits. Lauren and Lo wave good-bye to Audrina as she leaves, and Lo pretends to be sad. Pretend harder next time, Lo.
Next week: Spencer confronts Brent for firing Heidi! Whitney upgrades to a new male model! And Kelly Cutrone returns! Thank God.
And now, our Unequivocal Hills Reality Index:
As Real As That New Club Is Lame
• Heidi’s intoxication. Her numerous acting skills don’t include “drunk.”
• Justin Bobby’s aversion to moving in with Audrina. There’s no way that guy wants a live-in girlfriend, even if it means more face time on this show.
• Audrina's hipster/skater movers. We bet that in California, they all look like that.
As Fake As J.B.’s Commitment to His "Relationship" With Aud
• Heidi’s boss suddenly appearing when she’s drunk. An MTV producer led him over there by the hand. Duh.
• Heidi’s firing. She never had a real job, she wasn’t really fired, etc., etc. We could go on.
• Lo’s angst over Audrina’s departure. Come on, Lo, where’s the bitchy girl we know and love?
Jonathan Horowitz's Nightmare on Main Street: Election '08 (2008) Photo: Courtesy of Gavin Brown's Enterprise
For those still undecided, Jonathan Horowitz has some voting advice up at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise through November 15. We think the choice is pretty clear.
Haidee Findlay-Levin on the scene of a shoot. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Antitch
Haidee Findlay-Levin is one of those stylists who are equally known for their personal look as for their professional work. You've seen her vision in Fantastic Man, Acne Paper, Muse, and more. And you've seen her wearing her signature item: eyeglasses. But what's been a lifelong obsession is now becoming a new career: She's developing her own line of eyewear. We caught up with Haidee to talk styling tips, favorite designers, and why you probably shouldn't follow her lead.
Styling Chanel Iman for FAT; Fantastic Man Issue #8Photo: Courtesy of Creative Exchange Agency
You always have the best glasses. What do you look for in eyewear?
Although I had the misfortune of needing glasses since the age of 5, they have always been my most vital accessory. They must be well made, as glasses tend to be worn consistently and for a long time; they need to function well for you to function well. I have several hundred pairs, but I rotate wearing about ten to twelve pairs. Sometimes I decide which glasses to wear and then dress accordingly.
Where do you shop in the city?
I love flea markets, vintage stores, and vintage fairs for endless inspiration. Silver Lining Opticians and Fabulous Fanny's for eyewear. A Détache, Project No. 8 for more of the unpredictable designers. Marni and Comme des Garçons stores because the whole shopping experience feels special. Freemans Sporting Club for men for the aesthetic, although many stores are now trying to copy it.
What advice would you give people who wanted to be stylists?
Don't do it. Find another career. People have so many misconceptions about this job and what is required. Styling is 90 percent production and sometimes only 10 percent creativity. Loving clothes is not a good enough reason to do this job. If you love clothes, go shopping; don't become a stylist. I love music but have no illusion to thinking I could be a musician.
If you could give us a rule or two about styling ourselves, what would that advice be?
Less is more, one idea at a time. Wear the clothes and don't let them wear you. Fashion victims look just that, like victims. Sex appeal should be a suggestion, not a billboard. It's more about concealing than revealing.
What’s something that every woman should have in her closet?
The little (or not-so-little) black dress. And a really well-cut black jacket.
Both Keren Ann and trumpet player Avishai Cohen mounted the tiny Joe's Pub stage last night wearing dark pants and tops that almost perfectly matched the glass of burgundy clutched in Ann's hand. Though the pairing of her electric hollow-body and acoustic guitars with trumpet seemed less intuitive than the guitar-and-drums of another color-coded duo, the arrangement was often compelling. Her bangs carefully shielding her eyes, a perpetual smile playing in the corners of her lips, the chanteuse broke from her role as jazz-folk ingénue only once, to rib the crowd: "So what are you guys doing tomorrow?" she said, eliciting more than one nervous laugh.
Cohen was a logical choice as accompanist, with his sad, muted trumpet throbbing like a red-wine hangover; he called to mind Chet Baker, a fellow Blue Noter whose lyrical and vocal sensibilities loom large in the singer-songwriter's work. Recorded, Keren Ann can sound overly angelic, indistinguishable French lullabies so hushed and comforting as to be inhuman, like piles of Xanax on high-thread-count sheets. Live, she was a little more raw, her famously whispered delivery at times even approaching the volume of a normal singer. It never got so loud you couldn't pick out the imperfections: a muzzled cell phone chiming in a pocket, the buzz of the monitors, a waitress twisting a cork out of a bottle. Still, it's hard not to be stirred by a voice as beautiful as hers singing softly in a language you don't understand.
Big Love's Ginnifer Goodwin has joined the cast of Tom Ford's directorial debut, A Single Man. She stars alongside Colin Firth and Julianne Moore as Mrs. Strunk, "a suburban mom who doesn't share her husband's dislike of their neighbor, a gay professor (Firth)." Now if only Katie Holmes or Greg Kinnear would sign on, Tom would have the ultimate indie flick. [HR]
Front Page: Branagh, Spacey, Ejiofor up for actor trophy -- Kenneth Branagh, Alan Rickman, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kevin Spacey are among the nominees for London's Evening Standard Theater Awards.
AP - "Lulu in Marrakech" (Dutton. 307. $25.95), by Diane Johnson: A shocking scene late in Diane Johnson's latest novel isn't just cause for revulsion. It's a reminder of the dark terrain her cultured characters trod upon so frequently.
Whatever happens today with the presidential election, this much is a result: Barack Obama is a bestselling author. Source: FOXNews.com | 4 Nov 2008 | 5:38 pm
Albania and Serbia might finally enjoy a "honeymoon" period -- at least on the big screen with their first-ever co-production of a film. Directed by Serbian filmmaker Goran Paskaljevic, seen here in 2004,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 5:13 pm
Front Page: Arguments heard in Fox v. FCC -- The Supreme Court spent an hour on Tuesday morning considering the question of what makes a bad word cross the line to indecency when it's uttered on broadcast TV.
Producers for 'Grey's Anatomy' deny that the decision to cut a gay character had to do with orientation, but abrupt end still raising eyebrows Source: FOXNews.com | 4 Nov 2008 | 5:09 pm
Cambodian rock fans attend a concert. Cambodia's first-ever Broadway musical-style rock opera, which will incorporate Cambodian lullabies and Khmer Rouge propaganda songs, will premiere later this month,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 4 Nov 2008 | 5:07 pm
Front Page: 'SNL's' election special brings in big numbers -- Fox made it two straight weeks atop the primetime demo leaderboard, riding the conclusion of the World Series and the best numbers for "The Simpsons" in nearly five years to a victory in 18-49.
the surgery at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital was a success and that the 71-year-old country crooner was in stable condition. Source: FOXNews.com | 4 Nov 2008 | 4:43 pm
Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens are pretty coy about their personal relationship in the public eye, but the Disney duo went all-out in "High School Musical 3" -- and seeing their onscreen chemistry gave co-star Ashley Tisdale a heart-warming buzz. Source: FOXNews.com | 4 Nov 2008 | 3:48 pm
The star of the upcoming film 'Revolutionary Road,' says she had doubts she would ever be famous because she was fat. Source: FOXNews.com | 4 Nov 2008 | 3:28 pm
Front Page: Company expects 'modest' profits next year -- Marvel Entertainment delivered some much-needed superhero news Tuesday, reporting "Iron Man" boosted third-quarter profits 40%.
While Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt opted for the live version, a couple of Friends got together to watch their guy win it all via satellite.
Courteney Cox and hubby David Arquette hosted...
Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States, becoming the first black man to lead this country in its 232-year history.
The freshman senator from Illinois, who...
Julianne Hough would love to just get up and dance. Alas, she still has a bit of recovering to do, from a condition that she says was much more serious than anyone previously...
So, got any plans tonight? If you're like us, you're glued to the TV watching the election returns roll in. Are you celebrating, or sad or wondering why no one is talking about...
Anderson Cooper? Brit Hume? Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart?
So many choices for getting the ballot results. Who are you watching, and what are you seeing? Tell us! (And is anybody...
Fair warning: Carrie Underwood may or may not approve this message.
While the masses head to the polls in record numbers today, a slew of celebs are putting their civic duty where their...
Hope everyone out there either voted today or is planning to vote, totally last minute, of course. Did Lindsay Lohan's blog post from last night have anything to do with you hauling ass to the...
As you know, Ugly Betty hasn't shied away from guest stars who have hit a few bumps in the road.
Nikki Blonsky, in need of a little image rehab since she and her dad tangled with an...
Question for the retooling Heroes: Ever given any thought to writing in a flying Sarah Palin?
Saturday Night Live scored its latest ratings coup last night, with a two-hour, prime-time...
