AP - Billie Dawn is the quintessential not-so-dumb blonde, an ex-chorus cutie who through hard work and a good heart upends the bad guys and helps uphold the honor of honest government.
Reuters - European publishers see no signs of depressed advertising markets improving, they said on Thursday, contrasting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch's comments on Wednesday that the worst might be over. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 6 Aug 2009 | 4:31 am
Reuters - European publishers see no signs of depressed advertising markets improving, they said on Thursday, contrasting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch's comments on Wednesday that the worst might be over. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 6 Aug 2009 | 4:31 am
AP - More than 40 years after his tragic, violent death, Sam Cooke is still known as the legendary soul and gospel singer who penned "A Change is Gonna Come," which found a new audience with the election of America's first black president. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 6 Aug 2009 | 4:19 am
AP - More than 40 years after his tragic, violent death, Sam Cooke is still known as the legendary soul and gospel singer who penned "A Change is Gonna Come," which found a new audience with the election of America's first black president. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 6 Aug 2009 | 4:19 am
AP - A judge has delayed sentencing R&B singer Chris Brown on an assault charge to seek more input from Virginia authorities about whether Brown could do community labor in that state.
AP - A judge has delayed sentencing R&B singer Chris Brown on an assault charge to seek more input from Virginia authorities about whether Brown could do community labor in that state.
Jay Leno says comedy will rule on his new daily prime-time series and he'll put stars in cars instead on a couch. Leno, looking relaxed and trim _ the result of running four miles a day, Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 9:56 pm
Didn't Vanessa Hudgens learn her lesson about taking naked photos of herself with a camera phone?
With another batch of racy pics of the 20-year-old High School Musical star hitting...
• The September issue of Harper's Bazaar features Susan Boyle in her first-ever fashion shoot. More importantly, Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, who appears on the cover of the issue, shoots down the recent rumors that she took part in a sex tape. [Harper's Bazaar, Us] • Rodarte's Laura and Kate Mulleavy will be designing a line for Target as part of its Go International series. Sweet. [WWD] • Roberto Cavalli appears to have changed his mind for about the 20th time and decided against selling a stake in his company. [Reuters]
• Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume company has filed suit against a wholesaler that was allegedly selling unauthorized bottles of her fragrances. [NYP] • Simon Doonan rises to the defense of Christian Audigier/Ed Hardy: "Criticizing Ed Hardy for being cheesy is like saying that Elvis was 'flashy' or that Liberace was 'tacky.' ... That's the whole point, you doo-doo heads." [NYO] • Does seeing a celebrity in an ad make you want to run out and buy the product? The public says it doesn't, but that's probably not the case. [Adweek] • Elle's Joe Zee unveiled a hot new look yesterday. [FWD]
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - While her fans might be upset, advertisers don't expect Paula Abdul's exit as an "American Idol" judge to have any significant impact on ad sales or... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 9:10 pm
The top four dancers on So You Think You Can Dance hit the stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood for part one of the season-five finale.
The final four, Brandon, Evan, Jeanine and...
Who says a Brave New World has to be all bad? In fact, it sounds like the dystopian future just got hunkier.
Leonardo DiCaprio is teaming up with director Ridley Scott to produce and...
Saving us the trouble, Kate Major had already asked herself what she was thinking when she hooked up with Jon Gosselin.
"It's been a complete whirlwind, these past two weeks...
—Jojo, Pierre, S.D.
By now we...
Nobody. The host of E!'s Chelsea Lately gives careful consideration to King's interview...
At least Paula Abdul is still someone's idea of a dream judge.
Less than 24 hours after turning the page on her American Idol career, the former Fox star was on her way to Peachtree...
If you've ever repeated Marlon Brando's "I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum…" speech, you have Budd Schulberg to thank.
The...
• Sam Sifton, the Times' new restaurant critic, answers a couple of questions about his new gig over on Diner's Journal. Meanwhile, Grub Street and The Feedbag sound off on how food criticism has changed over the past few years. • The 24 stars that Frank Bruni reclaimed during his five-year tenure. [Eater] • Douglas Rodriguez has parted ways with Nuela, which opens this fall. [NYT] • Gabriel Stulman's new spot, Joseph Leonard, opens this eve. [Eater] • The critics: In his third-to-last review, Frank Bruni downgrades Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe from three stars to two; the Daily News' Danyelle Freeman is more impressed with the drinks at Hotel Griffou than she is with the food; TONY's Jay Cheshes gives SHO Shaun Hergatt three out of five stars; the Post's Steve Cuozzo tears Harbour apart; and Bloomberg's Ryan Sutton heads out to Nick & Toni's and decides the best thing about it "is the parking lot."
• "Has the food-truck backlash officially begun?" It sure looks that way. [GS] • A Q&A with Michael Psilakis, who has a cookbook coming out soon. [Zagat] • Getting a liquor license is a huge pain, in case you weren't aware. [NYT] • Landmark status for Nathan's in Coney Island? It could happen! [NYDN]
You know what we think about Maxwell. We know what you think about Maxwell. So, ladies, fetch your spare undies, and men, prepare to feel jealous and yet strangely aroused, because Mr. Welly-well has got a new video (for "Bad Habits"), and this time around he's done a bad thing: cheated on his woman. One minute he is bathed in the beatific light streaming through the windows of a his-and-hers loft; the next, he has descended into a red-lit basement apartment no doubt redolent of sensual rubbing oils. It's a little obvious. And the twist ending won't stand alongside Orphan's. But tell us — does it make anyone else think of Bad Lieutenant?
While we'll have to wait a few seasons to find out whether Vampire Bill will still love Sookie Stackhouse when she's old and wrinkly, True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are ready to commit to each other for the rest of their time on this mortal coil (or at least until a hefty fiscal prenup clause is about to kick in). Yes, that's right, the two fang-banging lovebirds have just gotten engaged to be married! No further information is available at this time, but we just hope they don't decide to get married at the Light of Day Institute. [People]
Roberto Cavalli, the greatest tease of the financial press ever in history, has decided not to sell a stake in his company to Italian private-equity firm Clessidra SGR SpA. Clessidra was in talks to buy a 30 percent stake in the company, but pulled out over the weekend. As of June it sounded like things were getting pretty hot and heavy between the two. But if we had stopped to think about this story between then and now, we might have realized something was awry. Cavalli suggested back then that a deal might be reached in just a month's time, even though he would allow Clessidra until September 30 to come to terms with the gigantic sum of money he expected them to pay. WWD reports:
“Relations have cooled,” a person familiar with the situation said. It was not clear if they have done so permanently.
Apparently Cavalli was a stickler in the negotiations. He wouldn't accept less money or offer a larger stake for the same price. It's unknown how much Clessidra was offering. But in June, Cavalli insisted his house was worth at least $426.4 million. Maybe Clessidra can put all those millions they're not investing in leopard-printed clothes toward this fabulous yacht that somewhat resembles a killer whale. Office holiday parties would never be the same.
Hitfix's Drew McWeeny had the pleasure of spending an hour with Terry Gilliam at Comic-Con recently and managed to get him to share some honest career advice for his friend Johnny Depp: "He'd better start making some good films ... I'm not a great fan of Public Enemies, because I think [Michael Mann's] a fucking extraordinary filmmaker, but personally I didn't think Johnny had enough room to act ... He's making so much money. There was a piece in the Huffington Post today [Presumably he means this one]. It's a letter saying 'All right, come on, we all love you, but stop.' ... It's like, 'Come on. You've got the power to make some really good films happen. Why are you doing this shit?'" We guess he means instead of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote? [Hitfix]
Tonight is the debut of Joan Rivers's new mini-series, How'd You Get So Rich? on TV Land Prime, in which our favorite proponent of plastic surgery asks that very question of self-made millionaires. Because all the millionaires had let her film in their homes, Rivers chose to host the party in her own fabulous gilded penthouse, which, although the party was confined to just two rooms, was everything one could hope for and more. A hired musician in a tux with tails played at her grand piano, which was topped with framed photographs of Joan with a bunch of old famous people we really wish we could have recognized. A door hidden in a gilded wall revealed the bathroom and a powder room lined with mirrors. (There was even a figurine of an emaciated black person by the sink holding a basket on his back filled with candy hearts. Oh, Joan!) Above us, a giant wooden hound watched over a library alcove. And at the center of the room, beneath an enormous chandelier, stood an actual money tree, dripping with crystals on wire and $100 bills with Rivers's face on them.
Rich people present included Jonathan Tisch, Donny Deutsch, and the show's interviewees, among them Slanket inventor Gary Clegg and Jonah White, creator of Billy Bob Teeth, who is worth $50 million and showed up wearing no shirt, overalls, and a set of his fake redneck teeth. Given that we can watch Rivers's show to see how those people got rich (and Deutsch would tell a rock if it asked), we wisely used our time at Chez Joan to survey the rest of the guests with that very obnoxious question, among others. Below, the results:
ROSANNA SCOTTO
How'd you get so rich?
Blood, sweat, and tears. I've been working at Fox 5 for over twenty-something years. I just think it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and big balls. What is rich by New York standards?
I think a few million dollars a year. I think you need to have a house in the Hamptons, a house on Fifth Avenue, a house in Colorado, and of course summers in the south of France. What do you want to steal from this apartment?
I want the money tree. Because money never grows on trees in my house. So I'd like a tree that does grow money. Also, the chandelier is quite lovely. Could you live here?
It's a little fancy for my family. My son likes to skateboard.
HODA KOTB
How'd you get so rich?
I'm not rich. Have you seen my bank account? Please. Kathy Lee, she's rich. What is rich in New York?
I guess you have to make over a million bucks. Maybe have a house and another house. I don't! I rent. I still rent an apartment. That's how I roll. When did you know you made it?
I thought I made it when I made 60 grand in New Orleans. I was like, "I can't believe this is me!" I mean, I was making $17,000 my first job, and then I got up to 23, and I was like, "Oh my God!" And I thought, "Well, I'll never make over 50. Nobody makes over 50." And then I went from 45, which was like "Ya-Ya," to 60 — it was like the Second Coming. I was done. Game over, I won. Could you live here?
It's too big for me. It's beautiful, but I don't think so.
JOAN RIVERS
How'd you get so rich?
Hard work and QVC. God bless QVC! My jewelry line for twenty years has become the biggest jewelry line on television. What defines rich in New York?
Rich in New York means you can buy a table for the opera, you can buy a table for the ballet, you can contribute to the Metropolitan. Rich in New York is all about charity. And you must own an apartment in New York. And you must have a house to go to on the weekends. If you don't, you just hide in your apartment. You're selling this apartment, right?
Yes. I'm looking for a rich Russian who will say "Da!" Only two people have seen it. I won't let anyone in who can't afford it. We're very, very careful. Any buyers among the guests tonight?
No, no. These are Americans. Americans bargain. Self-made people bargain.
KATIE COURIC
How'd you get so rich?
Working hard and not giving up. When did you know you'd made it?
I think when I became the deputy Pentagon correspondent. Tim Russert called me when I was in local news and asked me to come down to his office. That was a really big step for me. What defines rich in New York?
That's a really hard question. It's funny, I was always taught that you really don't discuss money, so I don't really know an answer to that question. Because people in general don't discuss money, or YOU don't discuss money?
I prefer not to discuss it. My parents always taught me it was kind of tacky to discuss money. I don't know, were other people raised that way? Clearly not at this party. Would you live here?
It's a little ornate for me. I'm pretty Plain Jane.
It was super-sketchy Hollywood producer Steve Bing who provided the jet that Bill Clinton used so he could go on his rescue mission to North Korea. If only Bing's Boeing could talk. Not only has the plane reportedly served as the setting for various escapades over the years involving lots of babes and other nefarious creatures like Ron Burkle, it may have also been the mode of transportation for a "secret research trip" to Cuba last week, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Sadly, the paper couldn't pin down Bing's involvement in the voyage to a second rogue nation in less than two weeks: "A receptionist at his Shangri-La Entertainment production company Wednesday denied ever hearing of Bing." Well played, young lady, well played. [THR, ABC News]
The City is filming at Elle's offices as we type. In fact, creative director Joe Zee even posted a photo of the cameramen on Twitter. "I'm filming and there are 3 cameras pointed right now at this computer screen as I write this. Busted! Again!" he tweets. Whereas the cast of Gossip Girl prances about outside like they own this town, The City ironically is always inside hiding from its own shadow. But three cameras for one desk? That's pretty intense. At least we have something to tide us over until season two starts. But if we could have some pictures of Olivia looking flustered and screwing up at office meetings, that would be really fantastic. [mrjoezee/Twitter]
Andrés Piedrahita, the flamboyant former marketer for Madoff feeder fund Fairfield Greenwich and son-in-law of the firm's founder, Walter Noel, has scrapped plans to sail along the Dalmatian Coast in his yacht, Oxygen, after reports that he was "vacationing blatantly" in the wake of the firm's Bernie Madoff debacle. "Vicky Ward has made my presence on the boat too embarrassing," Piedrahita told sources, according to Vanity Fair and Huffington Post contributor Vicky Ward, who wrote about the story originally. "My lawyers are livid with me ... my relatives are livid with me. So instead why don't you join me on my farm in Palma?" [HuffPo]
In a move that will surely cause cinéastes everywhere to chortle with disdainful glee, Disney has announced that its current At the Movies hosts, Ben Lyons* and Ben Mankiewicz, will not be returning to the long-running franchise when the show's new season begins, on September 5. As you'll recall, ever since the two were tapped to replace Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper last summer, a vicious hate storm equivalent to a Category 5 tropical disaster swept across all reaches of the Internet. The movement was perhaps best embodied by the website StopBenLyons.com, which the proprietor launched because he felt that America's Most Hated Film Critic™, Ben Lyons, "crystallizes everything that's wrong with American pop culture right now." Replacing the much derided duo will be the New York Times' own A.O. "Tony" Scott and the Chicago Tribune's Michael Philips, both of whom are not only well respected in film-geek circles, but who also served previous tours of duty on the program as guest hosts during the Roeper era. Looks like we'll soon have a great reason to reinstitute our long-deleted season pass for the show once Labor Day weekend rolls around!
*It's been a particularly rough year for the Lyons clan; Ben's father, Jeffrey, was relieved of his duties as host of the nationally syndicated Reel Talk back in May.
Leslie Crocker Snyder, Cyrus Vance Jr., Richard Aborn.
In races where no voter seems to know any of the candidates, and what the candidates stand for all sounds the same, the endorsement of the New York Times can be seen as a tipping point, and the candidate who may well need the Times endorsement the most this primary season is the person who wants to succeed Bob Morgenthau.
Manhattan D.A. is a hugely powerful office, and with the exception of the New York Daily News, no media outlet has put a reporter on the race full-time, leaving most coverage at drips and drabs on the blogs and candidate leaflets. Last week, all of the candidates met with the Times editorial board, and now their aides are waiting for the final verdict. The endorsement could come as early as tomorrow. Or next week. Or the week after that. Times endorsements are famously unpredictable — in terms of timing and results.
To wit: a quick handicapper's guide.
Leslie Crocker Snyder
The endorsement is Snyder's to lose — and there's good reason to believe she's already blown it. When Snyder was running against Morgenthau in 2005, the Times grudgingly endorsed her, writing that certain parts of Snyder's résumé "give us pause," and they held their noses over her "worrisome fondness for publicity." How will the board rationalize Snyder's about-face on an issue as controversial as the death penalty? (She was for, now against.) But what might bug the Times even more is Snyder's use of that 2005 endorsement's glowing language in her recent campaign literature. All candidates prune, but Snyder’s selectivity before this year’s endorsement could be perceived by the board as cute. Too cute.
Cyrus Vance Jr.
Vance has a connection to the Times that has yet to become an issue: For many years, his father, Cyrus Vance Sr. (Jimmy Carter's secretary of State), was on the newspaper's board of directors, along with a host of other influential people. Naturally, some aides to Vance's competitors worry that Vance's family ties to the Gray Lady give him the edge. Or do they? By picking Vance, who (fair or not) owes his modicum of celebrity and name recognition to his father, the Times could be seen (fairly or not) as endorsing the old-boys thing.
Richard Aborn
So far, Aborn has racked up more endorsements from elected officials than the others in the race, and he's done so with the least amount of name recognition and a late start to fund-raising. He even secured the endorsement of a wrongfully convicted man that Leslie Crocker Snyder helped between her campaigns.
Aborn's problem is his inconsistent courtroom presence — over the years he's strayed somewhat from work as a trial lawyer and gravitated toward the roles of a gun-control advocate and consultant to police departments. And then there are his overall chances of winning — in recent polls, nobody seems to know who he is. (Then again, the same polls also show that nobody really knows who any of the candidates are.) Finally, Aborn isn't a traditional Times man. His alma mater (the University of Dubuque — it's somewhere in Iowa) ain't exactly Harvard or Yale.
Yet that's also what the Times might like about him. He represents that work-hard-and-anything-can-happen attitude New Yorkers call on to reinvent themselves. But most of all, Aborn gives the Times something else to vote for: namely, a way out of having to decide between the other two.
Update: This just in! In a statement, Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty says, "We don't comment on what endorsements we may or may not plan to make." So is the newspaper thinking about punting on the D.A.'s race? The befuddlement continues ...
Rush Limbaugh can't seem to bring himself to leave New York City, as he's promised on several occasions over the past year. But he is disappearing ever so slowly. The right-wing demagogue has lost 80 pounds over the past few months thanks to some sort of diet called "Quick Weight Loss," bringing him down from 300 pounds to a svelte 210. At that rate, you can look forward to him vanishing entirely sometime before the end of 2009. [Page2Live, previously]
Front Page: 'Prototype,' 'Hero,' 'Duty' show signs of resilience -- With a significant downturn in overall sales for the first half of the year, the recession appears to be one very formidable opponent for the videogame biz. Yet the industry's biggest players are showing signs of resilience despite a cutback in consumer spending.
Front Page: Joel Silver to produce Dark Castle thriller -- Liam Neeson is negotiating to star in "Unknown White Male," the Dark Castle thriller that will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Susan Boyle didn't land the cover of Harper's Bazaar's September issue (that honor went to Leighton Meester), but she has a spread inside. It's the perfect morning-show segment to fall somewhere between stories like "Woman Finds 12-Foot Crocodile on Her Doorstep" and "Hidden Calories: Salads With Fried Pecan Encrusted Chicken, Cheese, and Mayonnaise Make You Fat." You know, news you can use. And so editor Laura Brown went on the Today show this morning for the big reveal of the spread. She says they cut Boyle's hair a little, curled it, and put natural makeup on her. They also styled her in "classic" pieces instead of crazy couture looks. "This was her first magazine photo shoot, so you can’t do too much too soon," she explained. "She was so comfortable, she actually did a bit of moonwalking in her Giuseppe Zanotti heels." Boyle's favorite outfit was a purple Michael Kors dress paired with a J.Crew necklace — very MObama of her. "I think Boyle’s greatest beauty strength is the twinkle in her eye," Brown adds. What does that mean?
We were skeptical about the authenticity of the Leighton Meester sex tape, even after images from said tape came to light. Without inspecting it from all angles in the Gossip Girl Situation Room, comparing the various shots to the various lingerie scenes from the show and the like, we could not verify its authenticity, and were we going to pony up the $29.99 or whatever to watch it? Hell no! We got babies to feed! Well, not really, but we do have a Dan Amira, and anyway, watching girl porn (especially in the office) is not something either Intel Chris or Jessica is inclined to do. Anyway, we felt vindicated in our decision today, when Leighton Meester denied to Bazaar that she was in the sex tape. Actually, she didn't just deny being in the sex tape. She denied the tape's entire existence. "[The tape] is not real," she said.
And went on:
"I definitely understand the nature of people better now and that the mere allegation of something like that could be headline news," she went on. "People think it's real because somebody says it is."
Wait, sorry, no: This isn't like elves or God — things that people tell you exist and you believe in even though you never actually see them. People think there is a Leighton Meester sex tape because there is an actual physical tape with a girl who looks exactly like Leighton Meester on it committing acts of a sexual nature!
Now we're suspicious. She should have just gone with: "Wasn't me."
If you recently lost your art or design-related job, the folks at Time Out New York has some extremely useful advice to share with you about transitioning to a new field. Instead of doing something that actually involves a small measure of creativity on your part, how about becoming a "corporate presentation specialist" and taking a job with a bank, so you can spend your days designing PowerPoint presentations for ungrateful investment bankers? Sounds like fun, doesn't it? (And pay no mind to the fact that many banks now outsource this task to people in India who make $2 an hour.)
If, for some strange reason, that isn't up your alley, rest assured that you do have a few other options. How about becoming a "real-estate stager," a job that involves making fancy apartments look pretty for the flood of buyers currently hunting for high-end homes? In case you haven't heard, the real estate market is booming. Better get in quick!
If all else fails—and you happen to be the kind of person who is "good with your hands, not just a computer"—you could think about becoming a carpenter. You can advertise on Craigslist and sit back as the offers stream in. Plus it's really retro, which will earn you tons of hipster cred. You didn't get that working for a multi-national fashion conglomerate or a Chelsea gallery that caters to hedge funders, did you?
And to think that you were concerned that your options were limited!
Susan Boyle looks great in her new Harper’s Bazaar photospread, which is confusing — I thought the whole Britain’s Got Talent marketing strategy behind her was “See? Not all unattractive virgins are completely worthless!” (the exact same marketing strategy they used behind Paul Potts, who prrrrrooobably wouldn’t have sold as many records if he was some normal-looking opera dude).
You’re blowing their cover, Harper’s! We don’t need to see more not-ugly people succeeding and wearing glamorous dresses — better throw some dirt on her face, quick.
More pics of Susan Boyle shattering the illusion in Harper’s, after the jump:
FRAGRANCE
• The new ad for Vintage by Kate Moss is out. The fragrance, her fourth for women, hits stores next month. [Now Smell This]
• Want to play perfumer? Now you can, virtually. A new video game, Passport to Perfume, allows players to pretend to be Sophia, a perfumer from the forties who creates fragrances, picks packaging, and manages a boutique. [Allure/Daily Beauty Reporter]
MAKEUP
• Japanese designer Tsumori Chisato created a collection of cosmetics for Shu Uemura, which includes fake eyelashes with crystal studs for $72. The products will be available in September. [WWD]
NAILS
• CND is revamping its nail-polish line by launching 50 colors and 15 effect hues (like pearls and shimmers) that can be layered to make 800 different shades. [All Lacquered Up]
Probably not! But since none of Thomas Pynchon's other books have ever been turned into movies and because his new one, Inherent Vice, a 368-page detective novel, is the first of his whose plot could conceivably be condensed into a two-hour narrative, Penguin Press is excited by the prospect, reports the Wall Street Journal. CAA is handling Vice's film rights, which strongly implies that at least one person thinks somebody might buy them. We haven't read the book yet, but we would be excited to see some lucky actor get to play Leonard Loosemeat. [WSJ via Playlist]
Cityfile has partnered with Dr. Helen Fisher to bring you the latest insight into love and romantic attraction. A renowned biological anthropologist, Dr. Fisher has conducted extensive research in the fields of human sexuality, love and marriage. She serves as Chief Scientific Advisor for the internet dating site Chemistry.com.
Question: What's the allure of bad boys, bad girls, and bad relationships?
Answer: The thrill. Novelty, excitement, unpredictability: thrills and anticipation juice the dopamine circuits in the brain and you feel good.
Very good.
Dopamine is the chemical that soars when you take cocaine, anticipate winning money, or reach for a chocolate bar—and bad boys and bad girls can give you the dopamine "rush" of your dreams. Then they disappoint you and these reward circuits crank into overtime as you focus harder on your goal. And when you do win, you only want more. Given the opportunity, laboratory rats will push a lever hundreds of times to get a tiny amount of cocaine. Eventually many drop dead of emaciation and exhaustion. Instead, eventually most humans walk, never forgetting the one that got away.
The good news is that even bad boys and bad girls will eventually have the tables turned on them. Someone will come along who knocks their reward system into overdrive; they'll fall madly in love, and they, too, will be ignored or dumped and feel the same despair of frustration and abandonment. If you play the game at all, at some point Lady Love takes her toll.
Visit Chemistry.com today to complete your free personality test and get your first chemistry inspired matches FREE!
Because we are loving parents. And because he might run for president someday, and we want some collateral. Click image to enlarge. [KenyanBirthCertificateGenerator]
Menswear line Company of We is about to explode. Sure, people always say that. But this brand is selling like hotcakes with very little press, no huge presentation, and they just launched in June of this year. Helmed by Jayzel Samonte (a writer) and Christopher Crawford (of Christopher Deane and Sophia Eugene), the line's ultimate goal is to offer well-crafted clothes to guys who "aren't about to drop $700 for a pair of shorts," as Crawford puts it. And the prices are more than reasonable for the structured blazers, soft knits, and graphic tees, with most clocking in under $100 (blazers being the most expensive at the $200 to $300 mark). The duo forged their alliance despite Samonte's qualms about working with clothes. "I’ve always been secretly consumed by fashion but I have this crazy, mysterious fear of loose buttons. They just really gross me out for some reason — don’t ask me why." Thankfully, his phobia was overcome and the two melded aesthetics: Crawford's more ornate sense with Samonte's modern palette. And in the resulting months since the first collection went online, they've sold out of 85 percent of their stock, count Jane's Addiction and Adrien Brody as fans, and are featured designers on FadMashion.com. For those of you who must try on before buying, bricks-and-mortar stores are coming, though the boys won't jinx it by saying who just yet. And though we're sad there isn't going to be a fashion show next month to look forward to, we're crossing our fingers that come fall 2010 they'll be presenting, and not just for menswear.
The good news? The Mets beat the Cardinals 9–0 this afternoon to earn a split of their two-game series at Citi Field. The bad news? Pitcher Jon Niese left the game in the second inning after he strained his right hamstring covering first base, then attempted to keep pitching and collapsed on the mound. Later, Gary Sheffield, who’s been off the disabled list for all of four days, left the game in the sixth with tightness in his right hamstring. Luis Castillo, meanwhile, was out of the lineup, a day after slipping in the dugout and spraining his ankle. [ESPN]
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR MONITORS! You are not seeing double! You see, Russian Prime Minister and literal Hunk of a Man Vladimir Putin went on one of his notorious hunting jaunts, and decided to wow photogs with his incredible swimming skillz. Check out this comparison of Putin’s Butterfly vs. Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps… you can literally not tell the difference between the two:
OK, to be fair, he looks like an old woman who just stepped on a jellyfish. But we bet that had this photo been animated, we would all be like “Whoa.” Seriously, look at this man on this Cher-lookalike horse and tell me what Barack’s got on him?
Ahead, more pics of Vladdy on Vacay, including a pensive tree shot, and him holding his rod.
• NBC is pulling out all the stops to promote Jay Leno's new show. Don't believe it? Try this out for size: "In early September, NBC will even adopt a portion of Interstate 10 in California to reiterate Mr. Leno's time slot." [NYT] • Notwithstanding the Leno blitz, NBC is still looking to cut its budget. [NYT] • No one cares about CNBC these days, in case you haven't noticed. [Slate] • More on troubles at Condé Nast (revenues may fall by as much as $350 million this year), and the recent round of receptionist-purging. [NYP, NYO] • The lobbyist scandal goes on. A couple of days after it was revealed that MSNBC's Richard Wolffe is now working for a lobbying firm comes the news that CNN's Bill Schneider has signed up with a D.C. think tank. [HuffPo] • Related: Wolffe has another Obama-related book in the works. [TNR] • Experts say the prognosis for BusinessWeek is not good. [DailyFinance] • As you might expect, the mood has been very upbeat at CurrentTV today now that Laura Ling and Euna Lee have returned from North Korea. [NYT]
• BlackBook's editor-in-chief has stepped down. [WWD] • Book publishers are canceling some of the pricey contracts they negotiated back when the going was good. Take note, lazy authors. [NYO] • Why does Alessandra Stanley still have a job? Good question! [NYT] • The hosts of At the Movies, Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz, have been dropped in favor of film critics A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips. [ABC News] • Discovery posted huge profits for the second quarter. [NYP] • Sony plans to compete with Amazon by launching two new e-readers. [WSJ] • The job outlook for journalism school grads is bleak. Duh. [E&P]
Yesterday there were auditions for nonspeaking roles in the upcoming Sex and the City film. Naturally, we sent Tim Murphy along to check it out. He is, after all, the only man on our team who can ask "Are you a model, celebrity type, upscale socialite, urban clubgoer, gay or lesbian, international type or professional soccer player?" and not get the crap kicked out of him. You saw their faces yesterday, now listen to them speak.
Camera in hand, we followed Julia Roberts around the East Village yesterday as she shot scenes for Eat, Pray, Love, in which she plays a divorcée seeking meaning in … the edible, the spiritual, and the amorous. Roberts filmed scenes in the vegan joint Caravan of Dreams, then headed to Tompkins Square Park in the late afternoon to shoot with James Franco, her on-screen love interest, whom we also captured.
Hadley Nagel, a recent Nightingale-Bamford graduate, is very accomplished. At 18 years old, she has founded an organization, "Americans for Madison," to lobby the government to erect a monument of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and launched a travel website, playintraffic.com, for teenagers. Last spring she interned at an advertising agency, and she'll be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall. But there is one thing she will never do: go to Brooklyn, she told the Observer. "I haven’t run out of things yet to do in Manhattan.” [NYO]
Yesterday at the Sex and the City casting, our Video Look Book cameras descended on Hiroko Tanaka, an actress. You can guess what tops the list of influences on her personal style. “Sex and the City, definitely. That’s probably, like, the biggest influence that has impacted my fashion,” she told us. "I would classify my look probably between lower class and middle class — definitely not upper class." Her outfit yesterday was a mix of finds from thrift stores, street vendors, and chain stores. Watch the Video Look Book to find out where she bought the giant bright-red flower on her head.
The gentlemen of Radiohead today surprised the Internet with the release of a brand-new charity single, announced without warning on the band's blog. "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" is a tribute to Patch, one of the last surviving veterans of World War I before he died last weekend, at the age of 111. Thom Yorke says he was inspired to write the string-heavy track by an emotional 2005 BBC interview in which Patch described the horrors of war. Apparently, it was recorded, by chance, "a few weeks before his death," which means Radiohead is in the studioactually getting some work done in the studio and might (we hope) soon surprise us by releasing a song with some guitars. You can buy the song at Radiohead's website (proceeds to go the British Legion) and listen below.
Prominent "anime" directors as Hayao Miyazaki, seen here in 2008, Isao Takahata and Ichiro Itano were expected to attend the Manga Impact section of the Locarno International film festival. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 2:37 pm
Quick, when someone mentions the phrase "caddish British lout," who is the first person you think of? Besides Jude Law, that is. If you're anything like your friendly Vulture editors, the names Russell Brand and Jarvis Cocker immediately spring to mind. Which is why we're so excited to learn that Cocker is penning some tunes for Brand to sing in the latter's upcoming film, Get Him to the Greek. Now THAT is hard-core. [L Magazine via Spout]
How many members of the Ronson clan are now in the business of selling sneakers? If you guessed more than one, congrats—you win. Gucci has tapped Mark Ronson to design a line of kicks called "Gucci Ronsons," which will debut when a bunch of "sneakers-only pop-up shops" open up this fall.
Not to be outdone, Samantha Ronson has her own sneakers line to promote these days. Apparently, they're made of "distressed suede," which may mark the first time her name has appeared alongside the word "distressed" without being closely followed by "Lindsay Lohan."
The only member left out of the footwear party? That would be Charlotte Ronson, who also happens to be the only member of the family that is a designer per se. Let's hope that gets corrected soon enough!
Clockwise from left: Strapless Floral Dress, Assorted Ties, Jacaranda Leather Clutch, Leather Motorcycle Jacket, and French Cotton Work Shirt.
As stores slowly begin to roll out fall items, we’re beginning to long for cool and crisp days when we can pull on the boots and throw on the layers without overheating. Unfortunately it’s almost 90 degrees out, so we’re holding ourselves over by reviewing some of our favorite trends from the fall runways. Designers were looking to the past, with an emphasis on eighties silhouettes like leggings, disco-inspired minidresses, and boyfriend blazers. If you’re looking to incorporate some of these looks, why not go vintage? We hunted down 130 of the best finds in our latest Shop-A-Matic, from sexy, body-conscious dresses and statement jewelry for the ladies to sleek button-downs and blazers for the men. Plus, 59 items are under $100. Wear these looks now and watch how they work for fall. Click ahead for our favorites.
Leather Motorcycle Jacket Price: $45 Why We Like It: Leather jackets were all over fall runways. Pair this cropped motorcycle style with lightweight dresses to extend your summer wardrobe.
French Cotton Work Shirt Price: $94 Why We Like It: Relaxed but still refined, this supersoft cotton striped shirt feels like a pajama top but is pulled-together enough to be worn during cooler evenings.
Jacaranda Leather Clutch Price: $62 Why We Like It: Large enough to fit all of your essentials without being overwhelming, this sleek clutch is a nice alternative to jumbo bags.
Strapless Floral Dress Price: $135 Why We Like It: It's short and flirty with a bold floral print in muted hues; wear this dress with bare legs now and throw on tights when there’s a chill in the air.
Assorted Ties Price: $65 each Why We Like It: Kept in immaculate condition from the thirties, these cotton knit skinny striped ties add a touch of preppy polish to any button-down shirt.
Cash-crunched media snakepit Condé Nast may be getting rid of receptionists and making editors pay for their own newspaper and mag subscriptions, but a certain subset within 4 Times Square's Tower of Power is going strong: the A-gays! Recently, we learned that there's a secret gay social club within Condé that goes out for regular drinks, dishes on the rest of the company, and calls itself — and this is the best part — the Majority! That's so cryptic yet chic and mid-century-modern sounding, right? So we got one of the founders of the Majority on the line, who told us all about the sniffy clique's criteria and customs, as long as we promised to say only that he's 31 and has been "on the business side" of one of Condé's "prestige titles" for the past two-plus years. (Guesses, anyone?) Click through to hear every lifestyle detail about the top gays who terrorize the gay (and straight) plebes inside the media spire ... and can you believe that they won't let non-Condé gays into the group even when their jobs may be in jeopardy and they may need those networking contacts!? They won't even let Anna in. Now that's A-list!
Okay, self-described A-gay, tell us all about the Majority.
A-GAY: It's still kind of an informal group that I started with a few other Condé gays a couple of months ago. It's not affiliated with Condé. We get together and drink and gossip about what's going on with the company. Our first time was at Japonais on 18th Street and our last was during Gay Pride Week at g. We're getting together again in September.
Does the Majority have a preferred drink, like the Majoritini?
A-GAY: No, but we should probably come up with one.
Why are you called the Majority?
A-GAY: Originally we called it Gays and Lesbians of Condé — or GLACK! — but that was quickly changed based on the joke of, Who isn't gay at Condé? We're not really the minority, we're the majority! It's elusive — there's a little mystery to it.
So you're about 20, 25 strong right now. How many women?
A-GAY: There's a little lesbian representation, two or three. At some point we may open it up to straight allies. A couple of people have brought non-Condé gays and we promptly blacklist those Condé employees. I think for the next one, the first two hours will be exclusively Condé.
So what's the criteria to be asked into the Majority?
A-GAY: Me and a couple of others created a list of people that we know personally. People that are social. And it doesn't hurt to be good-looking. But we wouldn't necessarily not welcome unattractive gays.
The group isn't meant to screen the A-gays from the dumpy gays?
A-GAY: Not necessarily; it's more connected to friends and if they like another gay person. But it screens in a pretty well-dressed, attractive type. Though everyone at Condé is pretty well pulled-together.
What is the overall Majority look?
A-GAY: Professional, preppy. There's a lot of gingham, loafers, sometimes a pocket square here and there, and a lot of madras ties. Everything from rag & bone to Gucci, Prada ...
What are you wearing today?
A-GAY: I'm wearing a khaki suit I had custom-made in Asia with a white shirt. It's a Prada cut.
Not a super-shortie Thom Browne cut?
A-GAY: That's not a look for me.
Is most of the Majority on the business side or the editorial side?
A-GAY: Most are on the business side, sales and marketing, but it's not excluding the editorial side.
Are you worried that Condé gays who aren't invited in will be hurt and damaged?
A-GAY: If someone asked to come, we would probably allow them to. Again, we'd only exclude someone if they came to an event and brought a non-Condé gay.
But maybe it would be good right now for you guys to network with outside gays, given the shakiness at Condé ...
A-GAY: [Laughs incredulously] Why, in case we lose our jobs? There still have to be some things that are private. It's still Condé Nast!
Do you experience bitterness and jealousy from non-Condé gays, or the public in general?
A-GAY: Not bitterness, but certainly a kind of ... curiosity about ... people wonder how it is to work at Condé.
Is it that fabulous?
A-GAY: I couldn't speak to that specifically. I've never worked at Vogue. But it's very intense; everyone's really smart and works really hard. It's probably not for everyone.
Does everyone in the Majority have a share in the Pines [on Fire Island]?
A-GAY: Many of us do. I have my own place there, a half-share. Some of us are Hamptons people.
Do Graydon and Anna know about you guys?
A-GAY: Oh, no!
Would Anna come to one of your things?
A-GAY: No, she wouldn't be invited! Maybe after those first two hours, as a straight ally, but it's really limited to those who are actually homosexual.
Who are the top five Condé gays? André Leon Talley and who else?
A-GAY: I'm not going to point anyone out.
Are the Majority gays tops or bottoms?
A-GAY: Do you really think I'm going to comment on that? I have no idea.
Maybe mostly bottoms because they're so in control and stressed out all day, then later they just want to lie back and let someone else do the work?
A-GAY: [Pause] I don't think you could make that correlation.
Where do you see the Majority going?
A-GAY: We've actually talked about doing a little community service.
Like bringing last season's gingham to the Housing Works stores?
A-GAY: That might be something we'd do. We've talked about coming together to form a team for the AIDS Walk.
Have you asked Chip Kidd to design your logo?
A-GAY: [Sniffs] We have graphic designers in the Majority, so we'd probably rely on our own talent group. It would be formatted after some kind of coat of arms. I'm not in that committee per se, so ...
Who's bitchier at Condé, the gays or the girls?
A-GAY: That's a good question. It'd be a toss-up.
It’s been too damn long since we compiled a random, nerdy Simpsons list here on BWE, but we figured this slow-ass pop culture August was as good a time as any, so here goes.
During a recent conversation with my Simpsons nerd friends (aka, my friends), we raised the topic of Homer’s odd obsession over the years with random, inanimate objects, one of the more subtle but consistent running themes throughout the entire run of the show (or at least the good years, before we stopped couting). Without further Apu (he’s been zinged and he loves it), please enjoy this eclectic, if non-topical, gallery of Homer Simpson’s 25 Favorite Inanimate Objects (float over pics for additional quotes):
Jennifer Aniston, seen here in February 2009, will go behind bars for a film based on the true story of a country band made up of female prison inmates, Daily Variety reported Wednesday. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 1:43 pm
Seoul is working on painting thousands of parking spaces pink to accommodate women who choose to wear high heels. The spots will be like handicap spaces, the idea being women won't have to walk as far to the mall or work or job interviews. So far 4,929 public and private spaces have been designated for a new pink finish, and thousands more are slated to turn pink next year. It sounds like a nice idea, but it hardly improves the sense of gender equality in South Korea. Women are perfectly capable of walking to their job interviews in heels without the government saving them an extra twenty yards. Assuming they're not wearing these. [Time via Jezebel]
US singer Madonna performs during her "Sticky & Sweet Tour" concert at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid in July 2009. A stop on Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour in Poland has angered a small... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 1:31 pm
Today at NBC's executive panel at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, NBCU prime-time entertainment prez Angela Bromstead told the crowd that Ben Silverman's departure to found his new "broad-based, 360-degree, multi-creative company" was a long-planned move and not a hastily thrown-together exit strategy: "I think that this has always been Ben's plan, to transition back to his entrepreneurial roots." Then, after the room busted up as though she'd said something hilarious, she clarified, "I didn't mean to elicit laughter." [Movieline]
Front Page: Murdoch calls last year 'most difficult' in recent memory -- News Corp. chairman-CEO Rupert Murdoch said that his company plans, perhaps by as early as next summer, to charge for all of its news websites and stop the hemorrhaging of revenue that's been draining publishers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Claim that a "halo of stars" around Barack Obama's head "deifies" the president even after the artist of the portrait, the famed Shepard Fairey, tells you that it's just the presidential seal. [NYDN]
• Attend the fourth-annual Hamptons Trunk Show for the UJA-Federation of New York, featuring designer showcases from Carlos Falchi, Elie Tahari, Felix Rey, and more. Twenty percent of proceeds will be donated to the UJA-Federation. Bridgehampton Historical Society, 2368 Montauk Highway, nr. Corwith Ave., Bridgehampton (212-584-3305); 10—5.
• Check out a live show by Jessie James at the Lower East Side Steven by Steve Madden store and meet Madden himself. D.J. Lilypad will spin before the performance. 100 Rivington St., at Ludlow St. (212-387-7924); 7—9.
• Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Jennie Garth will make an appearance at T.J. Maxx to help gather back-to-school basics for charitable organization Save the Children. For each reusable, 99-cent shopping bag purchased, T.J. Maxx will donate one item, including T-shirts, jeans, backpacks, and more. 620 Sixth Ave., nr. 18th St. (212-229-0875); noon—2.
SALES STARTING TOMORROW
• Take 30 to 75 percent off men’s and women’s apparel from designers like Isabel Marant, Acne, Steven Alan, Vena Cava, and more at the Stuart & Wright sample sale. Through 8/9. 85 Lafayette Ave., nr. S. Elliott Pl. (718-797-0011); Th—S (10—8), Su (noon—6).
• Spring ready-to-wear and swimwear are up to 80 percent off at the Mara Hoffman sample sale. Bikinis are $30 (originally $170) and silk dresses are $60 (originally $385). Prices start at $15. Through 8/8. 120 W. 28th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; Th—F (10—7), S (11—6).
• Shop a selection of Gucci shoes, handbags, and belts for 60 percent off at the Union Square DSW. While supplies last. 40 E. 14th St., nr. University Pl., third fl. (212-674-2146); M—Th (8—10), F—S (8—11), Su (9—9).
"It was very much so, though I think she originally conceived it for Woody Allen. I guess she figured she wouldn't get him, but I'm available and I'll do anything, so I was glad to do it." —Paul Giamatti on his Cold Souls character [AV Club]
"As a heterosexual couple that at moments could seem gay, they play it off very well. These guys are sort of in love with each other. It's real mate-ship. It's trying to keep that balance. You have to endear yourself to them, and at times you skate on thin ice because it's such a relationship about two men. I've been accused of this underlying theme in my films on more than one occasion." —Guy Ritchie on his Sherlock and Watson in Sherlock Holmes [MTV]
"In my audition I was terrible. I was stuttering and I was covering my face with my script. And they gave me so many chances to improvise, and everything that would come out of my mouth was not funny until, like, the end, when I said one thing. And I was really sure that I did not get the job. And then when I did get the job, I said my lines very stiffly, like, 'Hi. I am Jodi. I heard you are pregnant.' That was the line! [Judd Apatow] actually came out rubbing his forehead, going like, 'Hmmmmmm.' He was like, 'Can you just do what you did in the audition?' I was like, 'I don't remember.' He was like, 'You know what? Let's just roll for ten minutes. Have fun, forget about the script. Let's just say stupid shit.' I'm like, 'Ooooo-kay, I don't know if you're going to like this.' " —Charlyne Yi on her role in Knocked Up [MovieFone]
"My whole life is about my art. To reject me as an artist is to completely reject me." —Quentin Tarantino [Elle]
"I think if you can put a camera in anyone's life and document it daily for six years from the age of 21 to 27, there are going to be things that aren't always pretty." —Sienna Miller on the perils of twentysomething fame [GQ via Access Interviews]
"In the music business in the seventies, girls were beautiful. You were a performer or you could be a girlfriend or groupie, but you still had to look good. I didn't have the face or the body that opens doors. I didn't have any talent, either, and I left school with barely a single qualification. If I'd been pretty, my life would probably have been very different. Not being beautiful was an education." —Sharon Osbourne [Female First]
"Probably learn to speak French. Or I might spend three weeks straight with no sleep, learning the piano. You'd get really good at stuff because you would have time to do everything." —Robert Pattinson on what he'd do if he was immortal, like Edward Cullen [Ok! via MTV]
Ever hear of the Nicholas Roerich Museum? It's located on the Upper West Side. A tourist attraction it is not: The museum says it gets just 25 visitors a day. And yet "brazen art thieves" have hit the museum in two separate heists in recent weeks. Call us misguided, but "brazen" is storming into the Met with a dozen machine gun-toting friends and pulling a bunch of Van Goghs from the walls. This just suggests that New York City's art thieves have gotten lazy. Or maybe they've been busy transitioning to the booming business of bank robberies? [NYP]
Yesterday, Paula Abdul announced via a no-doubt sob-induced epic 5 tweets thatshe will not be returning as a judge for the next season of American Idol. Seriously, Paula hasn’t been this upset since divorcing Emilio Estevez. Fans of the show are undoubtedly crushed, and some are even threatening to boycott an Idol without Paula. While the legendary singer/dancer has certainly received her fair share of mockery for the insane antics she brought to the Idol stage, it is without a doubt that the show will suffer without her presence.
Here are 10 Reasons American Idol Will Suck Without Paula:
10. American Idol Will be a Show Full of Joylessness.Fact: Paula Abdul is the only American Idol judge who actually enjoys listening to people sing. Randy is there because it’s either AI or touring the country promoting lap bands; Kara is just happy to get her bikini-clad ass on people’s TVs; and Simon has trouble seeing any of the contestants due to all the money signs blocking his vision.
9. Sexual Tension with Simon Now Left Solely to Ryan Seacrest. Who is gonna fake make out with Simon for laughs now? The answer to that rhymes with Flyin’ Kneebreast. Can you ever imagine that uptight B Kara agreeing to this kind of stunt?
8. Contestants Might Actually Have to Have Talent to Get To Hollywood. Paula was the permanent greenlight to Hollywood. Without her substitute teacher like leniency in the audition room, how the HELL are aspiring strippers supposed to get a free trip to Hollywood? Slut Dreams = Crushed.
7. No More Tears to Cry. Here’s a bit of irony for you: While Paula Abdul was easily the most cyborg-like of all of the AI judges, she also was the only one who knew how to shed a tear or two (thousand). How is the viewing audience at large going to remember how to feel without Paula’s waterworks cues? Check out this compilation of Paula’s ~raw~ emotion and imagine a season with only Randy’s Cur-ettes syndrome and Kara’s thin-lipped enthusiasm to sit through, and you will no doubt yourselves cry:
6. Alcoholism Will Go Way Down. A Google search of “Paula Abdul Drinking Game” nets 32,900 results. ANd without Paula? That’s 32,900 less shots America will take as a whole. 32,900 less high fives; 32,900 less stomachs pumped; 32,900 less good times had by America. Do you really want to be responsible for such a steep drop in “fun times” Fox? We don’t think so.
The Top 5 Reasons Ahead.
5. Empty Air Will No Longer Be Filled with Genius, Drug-Induced Rambling. This is 1:21 minutes of beauty. Which you can say goodbye too without Paula,
4. Say Goodbye to Cleavage. Without Paula, whose cleavage will American Idol’s 4 straight guys marvel at? Randy’s? No thank you.
3. One Less Gay Icon to Indicate Which Contestants Are G. Paula Abdul was the go-to indicator to try and figure out which American Idol contestant was being shoved back into the closet by Fox brass. Remember back to when Adam Lambert was on the show last season. Even though Lambert kinda flamed out every now and again and again and again while performing, it wasn’t until we saw the Paula love in his eyes and his magnetic smile that we knew his love for the ladies was strictly gaysexual. Without Paula, we will as a nation will be solely left with our gaydars and nothing else to determine our reproductive Idol futures.
2. She’s the Only Person Who Ever Let On That American Idol Is, In Fact, Entirely Scripted. Only Paula Abdul could get away with revealing just exactly how scripted the show is. Like when she revealed that her performance comments were actually written (likely by producers) during rehearsals. Sham-wow:
1. The End of the Amazing Morning Show Interview. Oh Paula. Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula Paula. We will miss you, darling.
Leave your favorite Paula memories in the comments.
AP - "A Perfect Getaway" is essentially one big red herring, flopping around on an idyllic Hawaiian beach, desperately trying to call attention to itself.
Get ready to Control-V some of those apologetic press releases from 2007, Disney, because nude photos of High School Musical’sVanessa Hudgens have leaked to the internet again:
The pics themselves are pretty uneventful — her boobs haven’t changed much since 2007, but they are more naked pictures of a celebrity, so expect all variations of “Vanessa” “Hudgens” and “Naked” to dominate Google search terms for the next 18 months or so.
Since he opened his first restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills in the early eighties, Wolfgang Puck has gone on to become a household name in the U.S.
Reuters - Italian fashion house Gianfranco Ferre's young label will dress the Rome-based S.S. Lazio soccer team for official off-field events during the 2009/2010 season, the designer said in a statement. The formal GF Ferre outfit will be made up of a midnight blue suit in light wool, with matching tie, white cotton satin shirt and a single-breasted coat. The emblem is a GF Ferre logo jacket pin. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 5 Aug 2009 | 11:02 am
After weeks of speculation surrounding Paula Abdul's fate as a judge of "American Idol", it has now been made official - the former pop princess will not be returning to the hit FOX reality series. Source: FOXNews.com | 5 Aug 2009 | 10:46 am
As though the tragedies of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett’s deaths were not sad enough, now we learn that Vanity Fair scrapped a Mad Men cover story, replete with photoshoots by genius photog Annie Liebowitz, opting instead for an MJ and Farrah tribute issue. But thanks to the good people over at Oh No They Didn’t, we now can imagine what could have been… The Ultimate Don and Betty Draper Cover:
OK, OK, sure, this cover is plenty sexy. But you know what is sexier?
The slight possibility of seeing Jon Hamm’s A-Crack…..
Or his front crack.
Too bad there isn’t some sort of plastic surgery available to become an überwasp… just three stitches to the a-hole is all it would take to look this amazing:
The rest of the photos are ahead, along with some commentary. Fans of the show/Madness/Men/Mad Men/Beautiful Dresses should click for more.
The very essence of Vanity Fair, no? Isn’t it funny to think that only a couple of years ago, Jon Hamm was an out of work actor? (Jan Jones is pretty young, so her non-existence is still kind of plausible.) It either proves that destiny is real or that Hollywood is an effed up backwards rere circus:
Film festival director Richard Moore (L), film director Jeff Daniels (C) and exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer (R) share a laugh after a press conference ahead of the premiere of the film about her life... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 5 Aug 2009 | 10:01 am
Simon Cowell and the other judges on 'American Idol' will not have Paula Abdul to kick around anymore. Abdul announced on her official Twitter page that she will not be returning to the highly popular show.
Bravo’s slew of “Rich People Meets Basic Cable” reality shows are anything but real. It’s like taking reality, pumping it full of anti-aging chemicals, flocking it in hot pink velvet, inducing it with years of worthlessness, putting it in a BMW, and pushing it out on its maiden voyage on its way to Judgmenttown. Which is why the following animated renderings of some of your favorite shows, put together by a genius known only by his Youtube name of KCSCougar, are so perfect. Sure, they may look like a poor man’s Dr. Katz Professional Therapist. But somehow, squiggly lines and all, they manage to capture a reality that Andy Cohen could only dream of.
Take this parody of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, for example. Be warned, the language and imagery is NSFW 2 Tha Max, but it manages to sum of the entire series in a mere few minutes. Marble dildos, botox shots and all.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Ahead, check out his NSFW-language parodies ofThe Millionaire Matchmaker, The Real Housewives of New York, and his scathing but hyperaccurate portrayal of the cast of NYC Prep, which is not insanely unlike our flow chart from a few weeks back.
The Obama “Joker” Posters were designed to attack Obama, but they ended up just looking kinda awesome. On the other hand, this Madame Tussauds “Obama Birthday Party,” designed to celebrate Obama with random paper party hats placed onto existing statues of politicians, is actually a little on the “relive that haunting childhood birthday memory” depressing side (thanks to Balloon-Bush):
After the jump, some more presidential pics to help you relive that mentally blocked-out 8th birthday:
And one statue who does, in fact, know how to party:
Tiger Woods Fart-Gate Continues. Should’ve just let it go, pal. Oh wait – he did!!! LOL! Whoa cool, this bullet point just got turned into a Larry The Cable Guy movie.
I haven’t really stayed in the giant watergun loop, but I’m definitely gettin’ me one of these Super Soaker Waterboards.
Front Page: Judge delivers lengthy sentences to producers -- Former Broadway producer and Livent CEO Garth Drabinsky was sentenced to a surprisingly severe seven years in prison Wednesday by Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto, while his partner, Myron Gottlieb, received a sentence of six years.
Im not going to ignore the pink elephant in the living room, she tells Elle magazine in the September issue. Its fine. I can take it If Im the emblem for this what it looks like to be the lonely girl getting on with her life, so be it. Source: FOXNews.com | 5 Aug 2009 | 7:19 am
Holly Williams is one of the only artists in country music male or female who doesn't have a stylist. But then again, she might be the only entertainer in Nashville who owns a clothing boutique.
A judge has delayed sentencing Chris Brown on an assault charge to seek more input from Virginia authorities about whether Brown could do community labor in that state. Source: FOXNews.com | 5 Aug 2009 | 5:51 am
Didn't Vanessa Hudgens learn her lesson about taking naked photos of herself with a camera phone?
With another batch of racy pics of the 20-year-old High School Musical star hitting...
• The September issue of Harper's Bazaar features Susan Boyle in her first-ever fashion shoot. More importantly, Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, who appears on the cover of the issue, shoots down the recent rumors that she took part in a sex tape. [
The top four dancers on So You Think You Can Dance hit the stage at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood for part one of the season-five finale.
The final four, Brandon, Evan, Jeanine and...
Who says a Brave New World has to be all bad? In fact, it sounds like the dystopian future just got hunkier.
Leonardo DiCaprio is teaming up with director Ridley Scott to produce and...
Saving us the trouble, Kate Major had already asked herself what she was thinking when she hooked up with Jon Gosselin.
"It's been a complete whirlwind, these past two weeks...
At least Paula Abdul is still someone's idea of a dream judge.
Less than 24 hours after turning the page on her American Idol career, the former Fox star was on her way to Peachtree...
If you've ever repeated Marlon Brando's "I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum…" speech, you have Budd Schulberg to thank.
The...
If you recently lost your art or design-related job, the folks at Time Out New York has some extremely useful advice to share with you about transitioning to a new field. Instead of doing something that actually involves a small measure of creativity on your part, how about becoming a "corporate presentation specialist" and taking a job with a bank, so you can spend your days designing PowerPoint presentations for ungrateful investment bankers? Sounds like fun, doesn't it? (And pay no mind to the fact that many banks now outsource this task to people in India who make $2 an hour.) 
How many members of the Ronson clan are now in the business of selling sneakers? If you guessed more than one, congrats—you win. Gucci has tapped 
Yesterday, Paula Abdul announced via a no-doubt sob-induced epic 5 tweets that
8. Contestants Might Actually Have to Have Talent to Get To Hollywood. Paula was the permanent greenlight to Hollywood. Without her substitute teacher like leniency in the audition room, how the HELL are aspiring strippers supposed to get a free trip to Hollywood? Slut Dreams = Crushed.
