The popster for "Chandni Chowk to China"

Indian artist has brush with his fakes: report

(AP)

What You Didn’t See On-Camera at the HBO Concert

Not even the bizarre choice of celebrity speakers at yesterday’s Inaugural Opening Ceremony (Jack Black and Steve Carell? Really?) can mar what will go down as the most orgiastic mainstream concert bill we will see in our lifetimes: U2, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige. Vulture has the play-by-play of what you missed on the HBO broadcast. But our intrepid reporter, Jada Yuan, had a clean view of the stage and the First Family–elect in their bulletproof glass cage. Here’s what the cameras missed.

• Secret Service snipers pacing the roof of the Lincoln Memorial, clad entirely in black and carrying binoculars and really big machine guns.

• The seven or so planes that flew directly over the Memorial during the concert, low enough and loud enough to make us panic every time with unpleasant memories.

• The gasps in the crowd when the announcer said Denzel Washington’s name. Said one man near us, “Damn, ALL the famous black people are here.”

• Denzel Washington ending the event’s first celebrity speech with a huge happy wave to Malia and Sasha. He also did a little dance and raised the roof for Mary J. Blige’s rendition of “Lean On Me.”

• Barack Obama hesitating, then laughingly standing up when Jamie Foxx insisted that “Chi-Town stand up!”

• Joe Biden sprinting to the stage like a linebacker to give his speech. When he was done, the entire press pit started joking how they’d never heard him talk that short. “You could see it was killing him. He had to tear himself away!” said one reporter.

• Sasha squirming and then having a chat with Michelle before they both disappeared for the duration of John Mellencamp’s “Ain’t That America.” We’re guessing potty break.

• Barack Obama giving Mellencamp an “Oh, man, you killed it!” finger point at the end of his song.

• Queen Latifah peering out from the wings to take a good look at the first family before her speech. Denzel let her take his place leaning against the wall during Tiger Woods’s speech — the one and only time he moved from that spot.

• Malia taking Kal Penn’s photo. Later, she took a picture of Jill Biden dancing to Stevie Wonder’s "Higher Ground."

• Michelle and Barack Obama singing along to Garth Brooks’s “American Pie” — Michelle tried unsuccessfully to get Malia and Sasha to sing along, too. Think it’s a little before their time?

• Will.I.Am breaking out a video camera and taping the crowd.

• Half the press pit literally shaking as they take notes, since it’s so cold. Still, everyone sings along to “This Land Is Your Land.”

• As the stage empties after the final sing-along to “America the Beautiful,” Stevie Wonder standing by himself, playing harmonica to no one. God bless.

Read more posts by Jada Yuan

Filed Under: barack obama, early and awesome, inaugur-nation!, obama inauguration, politics

Stars join Obama at concert

Gays Look Forward, Try Not to Dwell on Rick Warren

Gays were furious when Barack Obama chose pastor Rick Warren to deliver the Inauguration Day invocation — this is a man, after all, who equates gay marriage with incest and bestiality, bars gays from becoming members of his Saddleback Church, and lobbied for Proposition 8. Longtime activist Hilary Rosen said on CNN that the announcement "felt like we were kicked in the stomach," and popular blog Queerty called the choice "indefensible."

But outrage slowly turned to watchful, if sometimes grudging, acceptance. Some recognized the "shrewd politics" of the choice, as Andrew Sullivan put it in his Atlantic blog; others simply didn't understand the fuss ("It's a two-minute prayer!" a former campaign staffer commented to us). And then there were those who believed it was a genuine act of inclusiveness, in keeping with the post-swearing-in benediction by the Reverend Joseph Lowery, who supports gay rights (but not marriage), and the Reverend Sharon Watkins's leading of the national prayer service Wednesday morning, the first woman to do so.

"Unless we believe it's pure political bull, Obama's been talking the whole time about bringing people together across the ideological spectrum," says gay-media veteran Chris Crain, adding: "Why is it a bad thing that someone who's anti-gay wants to support the most pro-gay president we've had?" But Crain is an outlier; for the most part, the rancor is unabated: "The Warren choice was universally disappointing," says Harry Knox, director of the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith program. "But both grayheads like me and young people are wise enough to see that we can't expect perfection from our leaders. We have to be vigilant about getting the work done that it will take to get this legislation passed."

He's referring to major policy items, like "don't ask, don't tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act, both of which Obama says he wants to repeal. And certainly people are encouraged by the gays he's appointed to high-level administration posts, like John Berry as head of the Office of Personnel Management. Though some, like 21-year-old Paul Sousa (founder of the new grassroots group Equal Rep), are steamed that the Cabinet remains resolutely un-gay — Sousa is lobbying for a secretary of LGBT Affairs — if the president-elect makes good on his promises and does something that "actually has repercussions on people's lives," as Sousa puts it, Warren will be an afterthought.

"On my site there's two groups of people: those who are still justifiably very angry and others who [say] let it be water under the bridge and see what actions Obama's going to take once he becomes president," says Andy Towle of Towleroad (the DailyKos of the gay set). Since the Warren brouhaha erupted, "the Obama team has worked harder to bring out their true self, which I believe is inherently good and supportive and engaged in making the lives of gay people in this country better," Rosen says. "I really do believe that."

Read more posts by Sean Kennedy

Filed Under: barack obama, early and awesome, gays, inaugur-nation!, obama inauguration, politics, rick warren

Christopher Hitchens Blames Torture on Common Americans, Demands ‘Tongue’ From Andrew Sullivan

A gaggle of prominent scribes including Tina Brown, Harold Evans, and Politico's Mike Allen got a scare Saturday night when they found themselves briefly trapped in an elevator struggling to climb seven floors to Slate's star-studded party at the D.C. apartment of Christopher Hitchens. (“The big politician from Memphis got in,” Evans later explained, referring to Representative Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat. “And that was too much.”) Allen, talking to us and later writing in his daily Playbook, credited Evans and Michael Tomasky with prying open the doors “through sheer brawn.” But that night it was Hitchens himself, naturally, who got the most worked up.

Inside, Hitchens opined on whether the Obama administration should answers calls from the left to prosecute Bush administration officials for illegal interrogation of prisoners: “As long as it's agreed that these steps were taken in response to public demand,” he began, only to be interrupted by Andrew Sullivan, who greeted him with a hug and a kiss. “I want tongue. Give me tongue,” Hitchens implored, to no avail. “No, I'm not giving you tongue,” Sullivan replied, feigning astonishment. “Let the record show: Sullivan wouldn't give tongue,” Hitchens replied. (“He's gayer than I am!” Sullivan later told us.)

Continuing his discourse on torture policy, Hitchens then claimed that the Bush administration's commitment to harsh interrogation techniques, which he considers torture, derived from a desire among Americans for a more “ruthless” government. “It has to be admitted by every American that in the majority after the 9/11 Commission, people wanted an administration that was much more ruthless than the one they'd had on September the 10th,” he said.

“I know something for a sure thing,” Hitchens continued. “The demand for torture and other methods I would describe as illegal, the demand to go outside the Geneva conventions — all this came from below. What everyone wants to say is this came from a small clique around the vice-president. It's not educational. It doesn't enlighten anyone to behave as if that were true. This is our society wanting and demanding harsh measures.” Therefore, he went on, the demand for prosecution or other measures against Bush administration officials would likewise have to come from below, via the grassroots. “Otherwise it's just vengeful, I suppose, and partisan.”

Read more posts by Russell Berman

Filed Under: andrew sullivan, christopher hitchens, harold evans, inaugur-nation!, inauguration, media, mike allen, tina brown, torture

Crowd Control: Movers and Shakers Have Hard Time Moving, Shaking

You know how sometimes you’re in a big hurry and you get to your subway only to discover that your journey to Union Square requires, like, four transfers? Now take that logistical nightmare, multiply it by ten, and add being lost 90 percent of the time — then you'll have some idea of what it’s like to maneuver around Washington, D.C., right now.

The troubles started early Saturday, when pretty much every train that day got stuck behind the inaugural Whistle Stop Train Tour going from Philadelphia to the capital. Our delay was three hours; by the time Politico.com’s Ben Smith got his train that afternoon, he said, “Penn Station looked like a refugee camp.”

In D.C. proper, Army Humvees block most of the streets downtown, causing huge traffic jams of confused drivers. Driving a block might take fifteen minutes. The Metro is overflowing, and cabs, when you can find them, get you only within a ten-block radius of your destination. (At a brunch hosted by the Daily Beast and Morning Joe on Sunday, Mika Brzezinski joked, “Even David Axelrod — David Axelrod! — had to walk two long blocks to get here.”)

Richard Holbrooke brushed off the delays. “This is so special,” he said. “There’s a different energy here. We came down on the Acela yesterday, got caught behind the president-elect’s train, so we were two hours late. The point is, nobody complained. They felt like, ‘Well, we’re caught behind the president-elect’s train! We’re part of history!’ There were people along the tracks waving, people in our car were waving back. It was fantastic.” And Gayle King had perspective: “I know security is really tight, but you can’t even complain about it,” she said at brunch on Sunday morning. “What’s so great is that all the guys, the men and women working the security detail, I think almost anticipate that you’ll be a little cranky, so they are exceptionally nice. It’s like they took a happy pill or something.”

Read more posts by Jada Yuan

Filed Under: barack obama, early and awesome, inaugur-nation!, obama inauguration, politics

Cop thriller is not director's "Finest" (Reuters)

"Bloody Valentine" a 3D treat for horror fans (Reuters)

Oz claymation film more admirable than enjoyable (Reuters)

Alex Trebek getting political for Canada TV show (Reuters)

Reuters - "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek will moonlight on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. as host of the reality competition series "Canada's Next Prime Minister."

Immigrant saga "Amreeka" a heartfelt triumph (Reuters)

Reuters - Cherien Dabis' "Amreeka" lives up to its positive pre-Sundance buzz. The film is terrific, especially because American immigrant stories like "Amreeka" have played in Park City for years.

"Lodger" a nonsensical horror (Reuters)

Mendes, Chekhov prove an especially dynamic duo (Reuters)

Cuaron scores with Mexican soccer tale (Reuters)

D.C. Prostitutes and Coke Dealers on Business Spiking for the Inauguration

A brief phone survey yesterday of D.C.-area hookers found on Craigslist revealed that Barack Obama's inauguration is inspiring great hopes — for their business. A pair who work together expect 30 clients before Wednesday, all paying $200 a pop. Meeka, 21, a “sexy southern belle, new to town,” has come into the city specially for the festivities. “I'm busy over the weekend,” she told us. “I could make time for you, though.” Karina, 26, traveled five hours to get here, and was already “pretty booked up.”

All of the women, who charge between $100 and $300 per hour, voted for Obama. Charlie, who implores clients to “come start my engine, bad boy,” said she would even provide her services to Barack Obama, despite potential costs to his nascent presidency. Lei, a male prostitute, spoke to us at his plush apartment in an upscale neighborhood. “I actually just finished with a client who was from out of town, the South, I think,” the youthful-looking 38-year-old — who is from an Islamic country, and was in an arranged marriage for eight years before coming out of the closet — told us. “I hope the inauguration will bring more business. If it's guys here by themselves on business, then it will.”

Obama's inauguration might also make history for D.C. cocaine dealers — although there is no basis to the rumor that some are dyeing their product black. Over five days, one 29-year-old expects to earn cash in the high five figures from out-of-towners, not least because bars are open until 5 a.m. and there are a few hundred parties. The dealer, who grew up moshing to D.C. punk, laid out $3,000 to stock up because he plans on moving “serious weight.” On Saturday, lounging in the back room of the Rock N Roll Hotel nightclub, he slipped a bag of coke into the hands of a venerable fortysomething European reporter. “I’ve had people calling me about this for weeks,” the dealer says, as the reporter hands him $60. “I just sold out. I gotta re-up.”

Read more posts by Ray LeMoine and Ravi Somaiya

Filed Under: barack obama, inaugur-nation!, inauguration

Barack Obama's Really Big Show

Sasha and Malia: America’s Adorable New Statler and Waldorf

Do you remember Bush's second inauguration concert in 2005? Probably not, since its headlining performers were Hilary Duff, Ryan Cabrera, and 3 Doors Down (Kid Rock was denied a place on the bill following an outcry from pro-family groups). So who could possibly be blamed for being a little excited for this afternoon's HBO-presented, Obama-welcoming "We Are One" concert featuring U2, Beyoncé, and Bruce Springsteen? Surely, by default, it would have to be the greatest, least lame president-elect-sanctioned musical event in history, right? It actually sort of was!

Most of the performances were decent enough: U2 played "Pride" and "City of Blinding Lights" without major incident; Springsteen generously opted to sing "The Rising" instead of something from his cheesy new album; Usher and Shakira failed to desecrate Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," mostly; and Mary J. Blige's version of "Lean on Me" was sort of awesome, even more so because her coat was the exact same color as the backdrop, which made it look like her singing head was creepily floating over the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Hilariously, pulled-from-retirement Garth Brooks seemed to have the most success with the freezing audience, which quite reasonably decided that dancing to his "American Pie" and "Shout" was probably more fun than standing still and dying from hypothermia (we enjoyed both songs, really).

This being a presidential inauguration concert, though, there were, of course, lame stretches. John Mellencamp did the song from the Chevy commercial that no one likes "Pink Houses"; James Taylor unconvincingly attempted to mime the guitar part on a snoozy version of "Shower the People" but gave up halfway through and just clapped along; and not even Herbie Hancock could rescue Sheryl Crow and Will.I.Am's cover of "One Love" from being predictably atrocious. (Also: Given the tireless work that Jay-Z and Diddy did for the Obama campaign, why the heck was Will.I.Am the only rapper invited to perform today?)

But while our president-elect, seated stage right, showed steely resolve by nodding and singing along through even the most terrible performances, heroes Sasha and Malia Obama bravely broadcast their non-enjoyment by looking completely bored (Malia) or falling asleep on their mom's lap (Sasha). When they liked something, though, Malia showed it by excitedly snapping pictures with her camera (neither First Daughter liked Mellencamp, Will.I.Am, or Crow, but both are apparently big fans of Beyoncé, Usher, and Kal Penn). They are our new national conscience. Can somebody get them onstage seats at the Grammys?

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: inaugur-nation!, malia, obama, sasha

(AP)

AP - Under the gaze of Abraham Lincoln's statue, Bruce Springsteen and a red-robed gospel choir kicked off a spirited preinaugural concert Sunday before tens of thousands on the National Mall.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 19 Jan 2009 | 2:41 am

"The Greatest" a deeply moving family tragedy (Reuters)

Reuters - "The Greatest" is aptly named. The vigorously wrought film about a family's grief will move audiences on the specialty circuit.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 19 Jan 2009 | 2:37 am

Reviled attorney gets his day in court, on screen

The Bring It On beauty just...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2009 | 1:44 am

Obama Gets His Confidence, Eloquence From His Father's Tribe

On Tuesday, somewhere out in that massive crowd, there will be Luos.

It’s a great time to be a Luo. Barack Obama’s father was a member of the African tribe, and as far as most Luos are concerned, the 44th president of the United States is not a Hawaiian, Kansan, or Chicagoan — he's totally tribal. “The way he talks with intensity and then pulls back, keeps quiet and withdraws, it’s a very Luo trait,” said Mirriam Auma Omala-Oweke, a Luo who works for the African Union mission to the U.N. “That’s the way my father talks.”

It's estimated that a few thousand of the president-elect's fellow Luos live in or around New York, and more than a hundred of them will be traveling en masse to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. Obama is, after all, one of their own. His self-confidence is a Luo thing: "They always call Luos braggarts," says Joab Okello, a Luo who is an administrative judge for the state of New York who works in downtown Brooklyn. "The other tribes say we always show off." And his eloquence? That's also all tribal. “Luos pride themselves on the ability to articulate an idea,” said Samwel Oyugi, a medical doctor who is helping to organize the inaugural celebration. “If a Luo is sitting down for a drink, he will rebuke the person he is talking to, saying, ‘show me your education, show me your papers.’”

If you’re worried that Obama might find himself trapped in a military quagmire, don’t: Luos are peacemakers. “If we were living in Greece, we would be the Athenians,” said Okello. “The other tribes would be the Spartans. We value reasoning and talking things out. Talking is a big deal to Luos.” But Dr. Oyugi also gave reason for concern regarding the new president's ability to handle the economy: “Luos are not good businessmen, for the most part,” he said.

Read more posts by Peter Duffy

Filed Under: barack obama, inaugur-nation!, luos, obama inauguration, politics

Source: Daily Intel | 19 Jan 2009 | 1:30 am

'Lost in Space' actor Bob May dies at 69 in Calif. (AP)

AP - Bob May, who donned The Robot's suit in the hit 1960s television show "Lost in Space," has died. He was 69.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 19 Jan 2009 | 1:26 am

Design Hunting: Louise Bourgeois Jewelry, a Bellini Canvas, and the Da Vinci of Wedding Cakes

We've been asking New York's design editor, Wendy, to document her scouting expeditions and share with us her eclectic finds. This week, her finds include a special show of artists' jewelry, seeing an Obama inauguration-party cake getting made, a designer's shiny eBay secret, and a little slice of Paris on Tenth Avenue. Click to see what's catching Wendy's eye.

Read more posts by Wendy Goodman

Filed Under: design, design hunting, slideshow, what we're seeing

(Reuters)

Reuters - Designers at Milan's menswear fashion week said the global financial crisis remained firmly on their minds as they sought to woo credit-crunched buyers with their designs.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 18 Jan 2009 | 8:35 pm

Paul Blart, Superstar

Kevin James can open a movie. The late Notorious B.I.G. can pack theaters. 3D movies can sell (expensive) tickets. And, kids, Clint Eastwood can kick your butt. Still. Those were the...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 18 Jan 2009 | 8:03 pm

Italian designers go from riches to rags (AP)

AP - In these shaky economic times, Italian designers have chosen rags over riches for their fall-winter 2009-2010 menswear collections, currently previewing on the Milan runway.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 18 Jan 2009 | 8:02 pm

Gisele comes home to strut Sao Paulo Fashion Week (AFP)

AFP - Local girl gone global supermodel Gisele Bundchen helped kick off Sao Paulo Fashion Week Sunday and was set to strut the catwalk for Brazilian line Colcci.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 18 Jan 2009 | 7:15 pm

Kevin James is top "Cop" with box office hit (Reuters)

Reuters - Kevin James, the star of the sitcom "The King of Queens," is now the king of the North American box office, thanks to a surprisingly strong No. 1 opening for his feature headlining debut.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 18 Jan 2009 | 6:46 pm

Joaquin Phoenix Becomes Rapper Joke P

You know how they always say, "Don't quit your day job..."? Well, actor Joaquin Phoenix wasn't listening. Because, as you probably know, the former actor already announced he was...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 18 Jan 2009 | 5:49 pm

Ferre: An Avant Garde Eighties Debut (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - It was back to the future at maison Ferre, where new creative team of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi, made the week's most eagerly awaited debut at the venerable Italian house Sunday in Milan.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 18 Jan 2009 | 4:21 pm

'Big Love' Plot Draws on FLDS Raid

HBO's hit series based much of its story lines on the Texas raid in 2008.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 18 Jan 2009 | 2:13 pm

Is Winning Project Runway Even a Good Thing?

Given that being onTop Model won't make you one, is there any point in going on shows like Project Runway? Do any of these folks make a better showing in the fashion...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 18 Jan 2009 | 2:02 pm

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