Actor Stephen Baldwin isnt one to renege on a bet just ask Miley Cyrus who dared him to get a tattoo honoring her television alter ego Source: FOXNews.com | 12 Nov 2008 | 12:44 pm
AP - Joseph Boyden, a New Orleans resident who was raised in Toronto, has won the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize for his book "Through Black Spruce." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 12 Nov 2008 | 12:02 pm
(Reuters) Reuters - Luxury Italian fashion house Versace expects that strong demand from a still resilient Asia will help it ride out the current global economic turmoil, its CEO said on Wednesday. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 12 Nov 2008 | 9:58 am
Reuters - Luxury Italian fashion house Versace expects that strong demand from a still resilient Asia will help it ride out the current global economic turmoil, its CEO said on Wednesday. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 12 Nov 2008 | 9:58 am
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Diane Warren's office is located near Amoeba Records, the be-all and end-all record store in Hollywood. If one were to go through the stacks with an eye toward... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Nov 2008 | 9:52 am
Maurice Greene won't be running around the "Dancing with the Stars" ballroom anymore. The former sprinter and his professional partner, Cheryl Burke, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 12 Nov 2008 | 9:23 am
"So many tears! Everyone was crying when he left."
This is how Lance Bass describes the scene backstage tonight at Dancing with the Stars, as the cast said goodbye to running...
John McCain didn't win the election, but he did claim a seat on The Tonight Show couch for his first post-election interview.
Take that, David Letterman.
The...
But not to worry, the Girls Next Door star is not...
And Dancing With the Stars has a semifinal lineup.
Another twinkly toed celeb was booted from the ballroom Tuesday after failing to impress America with either a proper dahnce or a saucy...
As George Clooney is one of Hollywood's most outspoken and informed residents, been waiting to hear how he felt about Prop 8, one of the most controversial political developments in our...
Front Page: Veteran soap opera gets 18-month pickup -- NBC has inked a deal with Sony Pictures TV to extend its run of daytime sudser "Days of Our Lives."
Front Page: Cabler has taste for Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is developing a series for HBO based on his unconventional, rock 'n' roll childhood.
Call it...KIMYM!
Sources tell E! News exclusively that Kim Kardashian is joining Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt in an upcoming episode of How I Met Your Mother! CBS confirms that the...
Front Page: Former presidential candidate appears on Leno -- In his first interview since conceding the presidential election, John McCain said Tuesday that Sarah Palin did not damage his presidential bid and he dismissed anonymous criticism aimed at her following their crushing defeat.
You can call Britney Spears oh-so-many things, but "negligent" isn't necessarily one of them.
Longtime Kevin Federline attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan exclusively tells E! News...
Contrary to the photographic evidence, Brad Pitt and his security guard weren't hugging it out at the premiere of the star's Oscar-bait The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last...
AP - Mike Birbiglia knew he needed to get help when he found himself running in his underwear at 3 a.m. on the front lawn of a motel in Walla Walla, Wash., shortly after having jumped from his second-story window in his sleep.
AP - The setting may be America of four decades ago but there is something eerily topical about the Roundabout Theatre Company's tough-minded, thoroughly engrossing revival of David Rabe's "Streamers."
Sean Penn has some high-profile costars in the upcoming movie Milk: James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin and Diego Luna.
But his most adversarial costar in the film doesn't...
Finally, an adventure that the whole Spears clan could get behind.
A day after 2-year-old Jayden James was released from the hospital after suffering an allergic reaction, Britney took...
Front Page: Greg Mottola, Martin Campbell set new projects -- Despite shaky economic conditions and a possible SAG strike, the majors are ramping up for a busy 2009 in pic production. And there's no shortage of helmers ready to sign onto projects following this year's long lull in feature film activity.
Kitschy outfitter Fred Flare opened its first-ever brick and mortar outpost on an out-of-the-way corner of Greenpoint late last month, unleashing mountains of cute on eager shoppers. On a recent visit, the store's pack of browsers included teenage girls swooning over accessories (knit hats that look like cupcakes, chunky gold jewelry, candy-colored sunglasses) as well as young parents and hipsters scouting out menswear and womenswear from brands like BB Dakota, Delicia, and WeSC. Alongside tables full of retro knickknacks, the discerning selection of apparel, winter accessories, and housewares is surprisingly affordable — few items top $100. In this economy, we'll take cheap over cute any day. Click ahead for some of our favorite items in stock.
Fred Flare, 131 Meserole Ave., at Leonard St., Greenpoint; 718-349-1257.
Regular Vulture readers will know that blogger-musician Kanye West, widely revered as Earth's most productive inhabitant, holds a special place in our hearts. We love his albums, his puppetry, his altercations with paparazzi, and, not least of all, his blog (which we're actually on record as calling the very finest destination on the whole Internet — and we'll stand by that). But this doesn't mean we weren't upset last month when we learned he'd shamelessly plagiarized someone else's writing (ours, in fact). And now he's done it again! Fader's blog today reports that he's lifted some of their photos for this post without linking or giving credit. Like us, they are flabbergasted to have been stolen from by Kanye. We can only imagine what T-Pain must feel like.
Most of you are familiar with the term "bitchassness," right? No? Well, the Urban Dictionary has a number of helpful definitions, but basically it's a term that Sean "Diddy" Combs coined during his show, The Making of the Band, to describe an attitude of general whininess, wimpitude, and laziness. You know, bitchassness (see image). Anyway, comedian and writer Aziz Ansari is currently in the final stages of editing a piece for the New York Times about Diddy's multitudinous YouTube blogs. Of course Ansari hoped to include Diddy Blog No. 10, "Bitchassness Alert Level Orange." It's a really wonderful representation of his oeuvre. Anyway, this for some reason caused a problem with the Times copy desk.
Ansari (who is launching a comedy tour called "Glow in the Dark Standup" and is working on the Office spinoff with Amy Poehler) decided to argue for the inclusion of the word in the article, and to plead his case the way he thought the Times would understand: using research and evidence. The Paper of Record has used the word "bitch" several times and "ass" thousands of times, apparently. And even the conjunction "kick-ass" once! From his emotional e-mail appeal, which is posted in full on his Website:
“Kick-ass” is not too far off from “Bitch-ass” and I already showed we have several instances of Bitch being printed in the Times. Once again, “Kick-ass” is in the context of a quotation, which is the same thing I’m trying to do.
Based on all this information and research, hopefully you can stretch the standards to allow “Bitchassness” to be printed. The word is in the title of a piece of work I’m writing about and is part of a quote that is essential to understanding the subject of my piece.
I’d also like to add, this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever argued for/researched in my life.
What? How can you even say that!? To say that the fight to evolve America's working language to include necessary adjustments in a changing world is "dumb"? Why, that's … that's … it's just Bitchassery, is what it is.
Only yesterday, we wondered if we'd ever see the end of the standoff between Alistair Economakis and the rent-stabilized tenants of the East Village tenement he's long tried to evacuate in order to convert the building into his own mansion. Well, it's ended: The tenants, foreseeing yet another loss for themselves in a higher court, took buyouts of $75,000 each, with one elderly resident getting $175,000. We're curious (a) where the tenants will land with their $75,000 kick-start, and (b) if this will lead to more landlords trying to clear a rent-stabilized building for their personal use, which the law indeed allows. [NYP via Curbed]
Sarah Palin addressed her $150K wardrobe on Fox News. She says the clothes weren't her idea and that she "did not order or ask" for them. "When I arrived at the convention, there were clothes waiting for me and clothes being ordered for me and for the family — for eight of us," she says. "And ever since then those clothes — knowing that they didn't belong to me — many of them had been returned, many were put in the belly of the airplane, and, um, some of them were returned home with me and we boxed 'em up, sent 'em back to the rightful owners — the Republican National Committee." Palin rambles on that she "hadn't really heard how all that evolved," contrary to the McCain campaign who assert her team picked out the clothes. She also questions the $150K price tag and if anyone's asking the Democrats about the clothes, styling, and makeup provided to them. Well, Governor Palin, they are! We already know who styles Michelle Obama's hair and that the First Lady–elect chooses and purchases her own clothes and reportedly doesn't use a stylist. See Palin acknowledge her own stylist in the video.
Rachel Roy's beauty case for Beauty.com. Photo: Courtesy of Beauty.com
MAKEUP
• Today Rachel Roy launched a makeup kit with Beauty.com, including products from Korres, Fresh, Murad, Phyto, Remède, and Fekkai. It's free with any purchase from the site of $100 or more. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
• Survey results show that L'Oréal has the most listings for in-flight retail programs. Their total was 1,006 listings on 99 airlines. So if you're air-bound, L'Oréal's after you. [Cosmetic News]
• Ricky's owner Todd Kenig plans on opening a full-time store at Flatbush Avenue and Bergen Street in Brooklyn, saying that "our core demographic is moving to Brooklyn." Is that a compliment or a dis? [Brooklyn Paper]
• Makeup artist Robert Jones's new book, Looking Younger, includes tips. Original, we know. But this one's useful: "If you are trying to decide between foundation shades, pick the darker one. Lighter shades can be aging." [BellaSugar]
Taylor Swift, according to a piece on the cover of this Sunday's New York Times "Arts & Leisure" section, "has quickly established herself as the most remarkable country music breakthrough artist of the decade." And indeed, we think we got a little fairy dust in our eyes listening to "You're Not Sorry," which debuted at No. 11 on this week's Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single off Fearless, out today, isn't the stuff of redneck women but earnest suburban princesses, and while we can think of better songs from the last ten years (in fact, better songs by 18-year-old female singer-songwriters in the last ten years), this bittersweet bit of pop fluff succeeds splendidly. She's an American idol, on her own terms.
The recession might affect the future of Lipstick Jungle … in a good way! At least that's what Brooke Shields is hoping. Last night at Cipriani 42nd Street, Shields seemed uncertain about the future of the Candace Bushnell–inspired ladydrama, which NBC recently moved to the dread Friday-night time slot. "They seem to think it's a better place for us," she said. Did she? "I think so?" she tittered nervously. "You know, people get very nervous when they see a show that switched nights. For us, it's a positive thing. Especially with the economy — more people are inclined to stay home on a Friday night or watch television live. Or moms are more likely to stay up and watch a 10 o'clock show if they don't really have to get up with the kids. Well, kids don't sleep on the weekends, either. But at least they don't have to rush to get them to school. So I think that that's … there is that audience." Anyway, she hastened to add, the low ratings were not indicative of the popularity of the program. "We have a huge audience; it's just that people aren't watching it live. People are DVRing it and watching it, but those numbers don't mean as much to networks, because advertisers aren't as interested in shows where you're gonna fast-forward through the advertising … I've never really been in that position before." She hesitated. "I think that — I definitely think we could improve, you know, writing-wise and quality-wise, but that's where our hands are so often tied. So, you know. But it's so much fun to do. I would hate to see it go away. I'm just loving it so much."
Jussara Lee in her made-to-measure boutique. Photo: Melissa Hom
Brazilian-born designer Jussara Lee is a fashion veteran, having worked in the business for nearly twenty years. The Fashion Institute of Technology graduate launched her first ready-to-wear collection in 1991, participating in the Bryant Park/Seventh Avenue/wholesale scene for ten years (and twenty seasons) before chucking it all in 2001 in favor of a made-to-measure boutique in the meatpacking district that's become a go-to spot for hard-to-find, well-crafted labels like shoes from Sue London, hats from Worth & Worth and Magar Hatworks, Brelli umbrellas, and Eairth jeans. We caught up with Jussara to talk about how fashion has changed, why Sex and the City fashion needs to go away, and more.
You call your look understated elegance. Why?
People have a tendency to infringe their taste on others. It's understated because that is just my opinion: that elegance is desirable and that the clothes I make are the most well balanced.
If you could describe the woman who you want to wear your clothes, what would she be like?
Guilt-free women who can't stand looking like anything but the best.
You've been in the business almost twenty years. How have you seen fashion change?
It has lost its integrity in a way because everyone is into it but they all follow the same path, so that's why the trends — I don't respond to them. Fashion is my profession; it's not entertainment to me. I'm constantly thinking, what's going to make someone look good. I'm not very into the celebrity scene. The whole Sex and the City thing was a huge influence on ordinary people. It looks too done up to me. It's too much hair. Everyone looks like they've spent too much time, too much money, and then in the end everyone looks the same. It's curious that people would go the whole extent to look so the same.
Collars are chosen by the shirt.Photo: Melissa Hom
How do you respond to challenging moments in fashion?
I had a moment after September 11 where I thought it was so hard, and I didn't want to do it anymore. But that's when I was celebrating ten years of the Seventh Avenue thing. It was the perfect moment to say "I'm bailing out" — downsizing, forget about wholesale, just do something that I think is good. And if it works, good. And if it doesn't, I'll figure out how. It was a very difficult moment. But if you're passionate about it, it's worth it.
Do you think the economy is affecting your business?
I'm oblivious to what goes on. I haven't really felt it yet. I think it's because the people that come and order clothes, they buy it knowing it's not an excess, it's long-lasting. Who can't use a great black jacket? That's what we convey. They don't think they're splurging if it can last a long time. You just need to be able to afford it, which is a bummer.
Working in the shop.Photo: Melissa Hom
What's the first designer item you ever bought?
Probably Jean Paul Gaultier. I was attending FIT and he was the shit – just so much fun and very revolutionary to me. It was a jacket, tailored and black. And it had a fun lining. It was over $1,000.
What designers or labels do you actually wear the most?
I'm cheap. I make my own clothes.
Where do you shop?
I only shop for groceries: Yoga Center on 13th Street is the best and any farmer's market.
What's one thing you really want to buy right now?
A snowsuit for my goddaughter.
What's something that every woman should have in her closet?
Fitted shirts but please no darts! Shirts are very pure piece of clothing, an ancient part of wardrobe. If you put darts in it, you are suffocating the whole purity of it, when you can achieve that fitted look without darts if you just cut it right.
What's something you can't leave the house without?
My hairpins — it's all about hairpins.
Jussara Lee, 11 Little W. 12th St., nr. Ninth Ave. (212-242-4128); daily (11–7).
Obama's already shaking things up more than we even expected, and liberal bloggers are already like, right on! Except he totes needs to be more careful, because if he keeps pulling this crap, the Bush team, which probably isn't that mad, they just want to send a warning, is totally going to get mad for real.
Anyway, oh my God, Becky, look at her butt. It is so big …
It may seem unsurprising that Grace Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep and sister of Mamie, is taking to the New York stage less than a year after finishing college, but acting wasn't actually in her immediate post-graduation plans. Still, when her brother's friend, director Kristjan Thor — a future famous person, as predicted by New York Magazine — sent her a script for The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents, she was intrigued by the lead character, Dora, a girl who after ten years on tranquilizers is taken off her medication and experiences the power of her sex drive. The play opens tonight at the Wild Project, and Vulture sat down with Gummer and Thor to discuss Dora's sexual awakening and the challenges of her changing character.
This is your New York debut. Were you looking for a provocative kind of play? Gummer: No, I wasn’t even planning on being in a play. After graduating, I didn’t really want to. I did a lot of theater in college, but I was working in Rome doing costume design, and then my brother said Kris is doing this play. So I read it thinking I was going to design for it, and then when I was done reading it, I was like, Well…
Thor: And she immediately expressed interest in the part of Dora, so I auditioned her for that part. I auditioned a lot of Doras, like 40 to 50 Doras.
Dora’s on tranquilizers for like ten years before they take her off. Did you do research about medications to prepare for the role? Gummer: I didn’t really do any research. I just sort of thought about it a lot. I actually had this episode in September when I was in L.A. I fainted and I hit my head really hard and I had to get an MRI. And I was in this MRI machine for about an hour and I thought about Dora, and I was like, This would be a normal, routine thing for her.
What was the biggest challenge for you about her? Gummer: I think the biggest challenge for me was — I don’t want to be so simple in saying this, but — maintaining her weirdness. Because there is this progression from where she’s like a robot and then slowly she becomes this kind of science project and she’s manipulated by these people and she’s taken off the meds. This whole world opens up for her, so especially when falling in love with the Fine Gentleman, it was hard for me to not get so cuddly and lovey with him and maintain this sort of isolated distance from everybody else.
Thor: I remember we worked a lot, like "It’s actually turning too much into you, Grace." We had to sort of pull back from identifying because that’s what you do as an actress. It didn’t allow for as much of that as a lot of other roles would.
Once she goes off the meds and experiences sex, it becomes like an obsession. Why do you think that’s the thing she gravitates toward? Gummer: I think since she went through puberty on these meds — I mean, when you’re becoming an adult, that’s the most important thing, coming into your sexuality and knowing your body and the desire for other people’s bodies. That’s the most ingrained natural human thing.
Thor: That’s the one thing that everybody around her wouldn’t want her to attach to because they want to keep her pure and their pet.
Was it hard to master all the different voices? Thor: The answer to that is no. I made a CD, and she didn’t need it all. I sent the play to your brother and he clearly didn’t read it right away, and then I cast Grace in the interim and then he read it like a week later, and then he called me and was like, “Kris, Kris, Kris, you’re going to be so excited that you cast Grace. She’s incredible at imitating people.” I called her was like, “Are you really good at imitating people?” And she goes, “Well, yeah…”
Gummer: I’ve been told that I’m good at impersonating people.
Do you think Dora really loves the Fine Gentleman? Gummer: I think she does fall in love with him, I do. And I think they have a strange love for each other. But they’re both like creepy, weird people so it can’t work.
Thor: The Fine Gentleman is written for an older actor. So we made a decision to cast him as younger because if he was a 50-, 60-year-old dirty man, I think one would never feel like true love was actually going blossom between these two people.
Some of the scenes are very uncomfortable, especially when you're being groped in the bedroom. What was it like in those first rehearsals? Gummer: It helps that I like Max [Lodge] as a person, and I think he’s great so I was immediately comfortable with him. Because going into this play, I was pretty skeptical about, like, everything. [Laughter] It was a big thing for me. I didn’t know whether I was totally comfortable with everything, but as it went on and I understood why we were making certain decisions, it made more sense and I became more comfortable. And the physical aspects of it just really happened on their own later in rehearsals … Literally, when he touches my ass, we decided that a couple days before the show. [Laughs]
Editorials aren't often deemed too racy for a European magazine and then snatched up by an American one. But such is the case with Steven Meisel's recent shoot inspired by "dogging," the British term for engaging in sexually explicit acts in semi-public places, like cars or movie theaters. Starring Anna Selezneva, Daul Kim, Iris Strubegger, and Naty Chabanenko, Italian Vogue reportedly turned down the borderline-pornographic photos. But V magazine snatched them up, and they appear in the upcoming issue, hitting stands later this week. We have a peek at the entire spread (pseudo-cunnilingus shot included!) in the slideshow. As if we need to warn you, but this one is NSFW.
The election may be over, but people won’t shut up about President-elect (!) Barack Obama. At the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Charity Gala last night, guests suggested potential First Dogs to join the Obamas in the White House. “The quintessential dog is a golden retriever,” said Lindsay Price. Despite concerns for Malia’s allergies, Price’s Lipstick Jungle co-star Robert Buckley agreed on the breed. “Obama gave up cigarettes, you gotta give up breathing out of your nose. I'm sorry, little girl,” he said. “Yeah,” concurred Price. “You know, Claritin.” Get more health tips from Jessica Szohr, Kim Raver, and Gilles Mendel by viewing our Party Lines slideshow.
Oliver Stone's biopic "W." has gotten little feedback from the Bush White House since its release last month. Perhaps that's no surprise, considering the film's depiction of President Bush as a young man who partied hard and chased women.
Casey Ruble's gouache works on paper look like adult versions of scratch-n-sniff books: scratch-n-sniff-n-hallucinate. Delirious scenes of battle with a nod to the great Yves Klein — “As soon as there are two colors in a painting, combat begins” — are on view at Foley Gallery through November 15.
Payless is donating $1 million in shoes to children in need for the holiday season. Rather than donate to just one charity, they want to donate to many charities. They're asking for local not-for-profits that work with underprivileged children to apply for a portion of the giveaway at paylessgives.com. Applications are due November 21. [Payless Gives]
Front Page: Documentarian to helm New Line comedy -- New Line's tapped documentarian Nanette Burstein ("American Teen") to direct romantic comedy "Going the Distance," with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot producing through their Offspring Entertainment shingle.
Today isn't just a day for veterans and their families and friends to look back on their times at war — it's a day for all Americans to salute those in the military who have protected our freedom and the freedom of other nations for over 200 years. We've always thought it was sad that the United States doesn't have a symbol for our Veterans Day the way the British do for Remembrance Day (a red poppy pinned to the lapel). It's all too easy to let it slip by without recognition, since it often isn't a bank work holiday — which is especially shameful as America is churning out more and more brave disabled veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan every month.
That's why, when we saw this picture on the news today, over and over on a couple of channels, we weren't annoyed. Sure, it's a squirrel in Nebraska waving a miniature American flag, and yes, in other pictures it's actually eating the flag. But if it makes more people take a moment to think about our veterans, that's okay by us.
Except if that flag touches the ground. Then we've got some serious problems.
Front Page: Studio nabs rights to 'Concert Movie' -- Cheech and Chong, whose budget-friendly stoner pics a generation ago created a comedy paradigm in the movie biz, are reuniting in a Weinstein Co. concert film.
Remember the episode of Lost that gave the backstories of Nikki and Paulo, two random background characters? To integrate them into the ongoing story, the producers actually reshot iconic scenes with the duo in the foreground. There’s Nikki screaming as the plane burns behind her! There’s Paulo talking to Arst like they knew each other all along! They were always here — you just didn’t see them! For about the 450th time, Heroes borrows a Lost trick, with a “One Year Ago” episode — told through the eyes of a hallucinating Hiro, for no apparent reason — where Robert Forster’s Arthur Petrelli shows up in scenes from Heroes past. Turns out he was behind the whole shebang all along! Perhaps that’s why the show hasn’t made any sense for two years: It's been controlled by a character who was just introduced.
Not to say it isn’t entertaining to see the great Forster sniff at some of the show's dumber conceits — we had forgotten Peter Petrelli was originally a nurse until Forster sneers at his son’s “compassion” — or watch Malcolm McDowell’s Linderman, who was initially an omniscient force of evil, follow Arthur around like a puppy dog. We still, though, haven't figured out Angela Petrelli — one episode she’s a mastermind, the next a confused, put-upon wife — and her backstory is muddying the picture. The “shock” ending of having Arthur pop up behind Hiro doesn’t make any sense either, though it’s difficult to argue with another peripheral character (Usutu) being beheaded.
But the real work is once again done by Zachary Quinto who, as Sylar, it turns out had been observed by the company for years before he was exposed as a killer. Quinto is the one actor who doesn’t seem to think he’s in a schlocky Lost ripoff … and the one who, when he’s making big Hollywood productions in ten years, you’ll likely forget was ever hanging around this show. Heroes needs to wrap his character up before his role as Spock in J.J. Abrams's Star Trek peels him away.
Michelle Obama's red and black Narciso Rodriquez Election Night gown has been a hot "love or loathe" debate for a week now. But let's not forget that the woman accessorized! And her jealousy-inducing Election Night earrings have been identified. Loree Rodkin designed the white-gold, diamond-encrusted, triple-dangle baubles, priced at $11,000. Sarah Palin might have been criticized for her pricey wardrobe, but Democratic National Committee funds didn't purchases these diamonds (which are forever, mind you). Plus, last Tuesday certainly was worthy of them. [British Vogue]
This morning at the Time/Life building, CNN founder Ted Turner took every opportunity to blast the management of his former company during an interview with a Time writer about his new autobiography, relaying, among other things, a story about how Gerald Levin had tried to forestall his resignation by offering him $1 million a year at a time when the company was laying off workers. "I told him, 'You take your million dollars and shove it up your ass,'" he said. Guffaw! The mogul turned farmer also made use of his platform to defend groundhogs prairie dogs* against those who allege they are a danger to cows, which supposedly sometimes stumble into their burrow holes. "Cows don't fall in the holes. That's a bunch of beans." Yeah. What? *Sayeth Bercovici: "I mistakenly said groundhogs when I meant prairie dogs. Sorry." City slicker. [Mixed Media/Portfolio]
Gossip Girl star Blake Lively had to lose "serious" weight for the movie Elvis and Annabelle, she tells W. “I play a beauty queen who died of bulimia,” she says, so she couldn't very well be flouncing around screen with those ginormous, gyrating girls of hers. "But beauty queens are still very toned," she assures readers in the December issue. "So I lost weight, but I got toned. It was the healthiest I’ve ever been!"
Oh dear. And we thought Blair throwing up an entire pie was going to screw up teenagers.
Elsewhere in the W profile, the young actress discusses her academic aspirations. She says wanted to go to Stanford before she came to film the show on the East Coast, a move she claims she only agreed to because producers promised she could attend Columbia one day a week. But producers Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz laughed that off:
“I think the real carrot for Blake was the opportunity for clothing,” Schwartz says, chuckling. “I remember talking to her about that. She was like, ‘Wait, so you’re asking me to move to New York and wear the most incredible clothes, some of which you might actually let me keep?’ So I think the wardrobe-reinvention carrot was stronger than the college-degree carrot.”
We have faith in Blake, though. We see her enrolling in Columbia within the year. She can have both carrots! It's the healthy bulimic thing to do.
AP - "The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It" (Colllins. 288 pages. $25.95), by Tilar J. Mazzeo: If you like champagne, "The Widow Clicquot" by Tilar J. Mazzeo is definitely worth a drink.
To celebrate today's 50th anniversary of the publication of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Vintage is releasing a new, paperback special edition of the book. If you've only seen the movie, you might be surprised to learn why Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly: In the book, she was more prostitute-y. [NYO]
A number of women have reported nasty reactions to their Victoria's Secret bras, like rashes, hives, and permanent scarring (oh my!). Roberta Ritter is one:
"I had the welts … very red, hot to the touch, extremely inflamed, blistery. It itched profusely … I couldn't sleep, waking up itching. I was just utterly sick."
The Angels Secret Embrace and Very Sexy Extreme Me Push-Up bras she bought prompted her to sue the company in May. Her lawyers say they've received similar complaints from many other women and a class-action suit could be brewing.
Victoria's Secret is aware of the complaints, but the bras are still on shelves. Roberta's legal team did some scientific tests on the bras and found they contained formaldehyde. Victoria's Secret issued this statement in response to the formaldehyde allegation: "We have strict quality controls around our products, and we do not use formaldehyde in our bras." We wouldn't think anyone would purposefully make formaldehyde bras, especially during holiday shopping season, but somehow, Roberta's lawyers assert, the chemical is filling those cups.
Dozens of women want Victoria's Secret to reimburse them for medical bills and suffering. Class-action paperwork has been filed, but a judge won't decide until May if there's enough evidence to move the case forward. So until then, Extra Cool Blue Aloe?
AP - Occasionally, a video game will reshape the way gamers see virtual worlds. Much like "Wolfenstein 3D," "Super Mario 64" and "Half-Life" before it, the stunning first-person action-adventure game "Mirror's Edge" (Electronic Arts, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $59.99) smashes the conventions of its predecessors.
"Teddy Riley can't do it better than Roger Troutman. I can't do it better than Teddy Riley. And can't nobody do it better than me." —T-Pain [LAT]
"We are a true recap rock band, not just a band that sings about Lost." —Adam Schatz of Previously on Lost would ask that you not pigeonhole them [WP]
"Stand-up comedy is all about people like Lenny Bruce — they made it possible for there to be no censorship. And I'm somebody who's like, 'Thanks for all that work; I'm going to talk about beanbag chairs.'" —Jim Gaffigan on being a clean comic [A.V. Club]
"Beyond being a bad guy, I couldn't tell you much about Richie. I don't have a strong recollection of Richie. What I remember mostly was giving Farrah that foot massage." —Robert Davi on doing an episode of Charlie's Angels [A.V. Club]
"There is only one Batman in the world. The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." —Hüseyin Kalkan, mayor of Batman, Turkey [Guardian]
"The show is a chess game. Chuck and Blair are the king and queen. Everyone else, except Serena, is a pawn." —Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz has never played chess in his life [NYP]
Pushing it for awards consideration, Warner Bros. has officially released the script for The Dark Knight online. It's 141 pages long and, since it was penned by Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, we're assuming the film stayed pretty faithful. Community repertory theaters and high-school drama teachers, have at it! [PDF via /Film]
Front Page: Southeastern city in Turkey fights for name -- The mayor of an oil-producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser "The Dark Knight."
The girls do not compute. Like, in general. Photo: Courtesy of MTV
Okay, people, the time for a plot change has come to The Hills — and not a minute too soon (though we are eagerly awaiting the spinoff, Decorating With Aud). We begin this week at People’s Revolution, and Kelly’s on speakerphone, telling her staff that she’s going to need help at men’s Fashion Week in New York. Obviously, Lauren and Whitney are chosen for the job, thus reuniting Whit with her long-lost male-model Ivy-graduate crush, Alex. “It’s going to be insane!” says their stereotypically fashion-gay co-worker. Totally!
Over in Speidiwood, Heidi’s upset about losing her job with Brent Bolthouse, so she decides to apply copious amounts of makeup in order to work on her résumé. Spencer is happy that Heidi was fired, because now he has her all to himself. They go out on the town to “celebrate” Heidi’s early retirement, and of course they run into Bolthouse (what a coincidence, MTV producers!). Spencer decides to confront him about Heidi, and Brent tells Spencer that he’s making him “uncomfortable.” Ha! Welcome to our world, Brent-ster. Heidi tries to smooth things over with Brent, and she begs him to take her back. We can see he’s relenting (not surprising, since she was never fired! Since it was never a real job! Since this isn’t real life! Etc.).
Meanwhile, in the land of the employed (we use that word loosely), Lauren and Whitney have arrived in New York. Thank God, because now we get some Kelly Cutrone: When we see her, she’s screaming out instructions to her gaggle of black-clad assistants (“If someone comes up to you and acts like they own the world, do not roll your eyes at them!”). In sail Lauren and Whitney, with their L.A. tans, blonde hair, and pastels. “Where’s your black?” Kelly asks them, wiping the West Coast smiles right off their faces. Heh.
The girls are working the Andrew Buckler show and proceed to flirt with every male model who crosses their path. Sadly, Lauren has STILL failed to wax her mustache, which is particularly unfortunate for this occasion. In walks Alex, and he’s stiff and uncomfortable around Whit. You can’t blame the guy for not wanting to flirt on TV (in his UNDIES). One of the models invites Lauren and Whitney out in the city that night, and everyone’s in. They head to Il Bastardo (really? Il Bastardo? That place is a few blocks from our apartment and we’ve never, ever ventured inside, and from the looks of it, we’ve been right not to), and Whit immediately falls in love with the guy who’s singing in the Snow Patrol ripoff band onstage. She flirts with him and buys him a shot, then leaves with him without telling poor Alex and his trucker hat.
Next week: Holly moves in with L.C. (where has she been living this entire time? In her car?), Heidi gets a second chance at her fake job, and the return of Justin Bobby — toothbrush in tow!
And now, our unequivocal Hills Reality Index:
As Real As Kelly’s Hairdos
• Whitney’s attraction to the singer. Who could resist those ballads and that hair?
• The fact that the hot model Adam is dating a hot model Allie and living with a hot singer Jay. All those hot people do hang out together.
• Alex’s hurt feelings. We think he’s actually, like, a person, as opposed to the other caricatures on this show. How’d the poor guy get involved with this lot?
As Fake As the Male Models’ Tans
• Heidi and Spencer just happen to run into Brent? Right.
• And while we’re on topic, the whole Heidi-being-fired plotline is one of MTV’s lamer creations. Haven’t you guys learned by now that Heidi can’t act?
• The “hip” party at Il Bastardo. That was clearly the only place that would allow The Hills to film inside.
Not that we're totally convinced the album actually exists yet, but Rolling Stone has posted the world's first official review of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy — and they like it! David Fricke hails Axl's thirteen-years-in-the-making opus as a "great, audacious, unhinged and uncompromising hard-rock record." But while he cites no specific faults with it, Democracy receives only a measly four (out of five) stars. What exactly would that fifth star have required? Did Fricke not think it sounded polished enough? Maybe it would've benefited from another six years of Axl's attention? Would a better cover have helped? Perhaps some guest vocals from Mick Jagger? In any case, this is definitive proof that hard work never pays off.
Fashion Wire Daily - For women, the night was bigger than the Oscars, the Emmys and the Grammys combined. If you combined all those awards with the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, then you might have a sense of what it felt like to attend the 19th Annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards, held Monday night, Nov. 10, at Carnegie Hall, one of New York's architectural splendors.
Following last week's inane passage of California's Proposition 8, which amends the state constitution to ban gay weddings (including George Takei's!), opponents are calling for a boycott of Utah tourism to punish the Mormon Church for its support of the initiative. Obviously we understand why they're upset, because we are too. But now, caught in the crossfire, for some crazy reason, is the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: "It's high time Sundance found a better state to party in than the seat of the Mormon Church," writes America Blog's John Aravosis. "Sundance is THE gathering of liberal Hollywood. The last place it should be is in Utah. Robert Redford, are you out there?"
Problem is, since next year's fest opens on January 15, it's way too late for a change of venue. And, as Dave Poland points out, it's not totally clear that any of Sundance's participating hotels or businesses actually donated to the Prop 8 campaign. Plus, it's not like Park City (where Sundance is based) is as conservative as its surrounding areas, and we can't really see much point in punishing the city just because it happens to be located in Utah. Poland urges Aravosis to draft a list of boycottable Park City business that did give money to Prop 8, and that seems like a reasonable solution here, since any protest that threatens the actual film festival would be sort of idiotic. Like a spokesman for the fest said yesterday, "Sundance Institute was founded on the idea of championing diversity and freedom of expression. It would be a grave disappointment to us if our Festival were to be singled out for a boycott, especially as we celebrate 25 years of showcasing independent voices."
Michelle Obama wore a simple red Mario Pinto sheath dress to greet the Bushes at the White House yesterday. After the controversial Narciso Rodriguez dress she wore on Election Night, The Wall Street Journal has dubbed yesterday's safe choice a "palate cleanser." Pinto said Obama bought the dress, which retails for $750, over the summer. Pinto had hoped Obama would wear the dress on Election Night, but the First Lady–elect still has one Pinto creation she's yet to wear — a "black cashmere number with 'cascade effect' in back." [WSJ, WWD]
Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes speaks during a interview with AFP in Mexico City, on November 6, 2008. "We want to be writers but they turn us into prophets," said Fuentes, one of the Spanish-speaking world's... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 11 Nov 2008 | 5:17 pm
Ted Turner appeared Tuesday on CNN, the network he founded, to talk about last week's election results, his business ventures, and his relationship with ex-wife Jane Fonda.
Front Page: CBS comedies win Monday night -- Politics and pigskin played a key role in determining the primetime ratings race last week, with ABC, CBS and NBC all having reason to cheer.
Front Page: Comics pay tribute to pioneering social satirist -- The Kennedy Center's posthumous presentation of the Mark Twain Prize to George Carlin had the feel of an Irish wake as a who's who of top comics paid irreverent tribute to the pioneering social satirist on Monday night.
She may be known for her perfect figure, but according to Us Weekly magazine, singer Fergie isnt worried about gaining a little weight gain. Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Nov 2008 | 3:35 pm
AP - In November 2006, Sony and Microsoft went head-to-head with violent war games that, at the time, defined their respective consoles. Sony's PlayStation 3 got "Resistance: Fall of Man," easily the strongest of the launch titles for the brand-new system. Microsoft's Xbox 360 got "Gears of War," which quickly became the year-old machine's best-selling title.
Election officials have solved the Tim Robbins voting mystery -- he couldn't vote because he went to the wrong location. Source: FOXNews.com | 11 Nov 2008 | 1:26 pm
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