AP - Oprah Winfrey is on board to host the annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute next spring, supporting an exhibit that focuses on the style of American women.
AP - Oprah Winfrey is on board to host the annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute next spring, supporting an exhibit that focuses on the style of American women.
AP - Oprah Winfrey is on board to host the annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute next spring, supporting an exhibit that focuses on the style of American women.
AP - The cinema smorgasbord of the Toronto International Film Festival has something for all tastes, a place where zombies, demons and vampires share screen time with art films, Hollywood awards contenders and studio crowd-pleasers. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 9 Sep 2009 | 4:34 am
AP - The cinema smorgasbord of the Toronto International Film Festival has something for all tastes, a place where zombies, demons and vampires share screen time with art films, Hollywood awards contenders and studio crowd-pleasers. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 9 Sep 2009 | 4:34 am
AP - Hip-hop songstress Speech Debelle won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize on Tuesday for her album "Speech Therapy," a work inspired by a period the young rapper spent homeless.
AP - Singers Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack will reveal the finalists for the County Music Association awards. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 9 Sep 2009 | 4:17 am
(Reuters) Reuters - New York's Fashion Week kicks off on Thursday with a very simple message for style-conscious consumers -- spend, spend, spend. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 8 Sep 2009 | 11:37 pm
Reuters - Glancing backward at the 1998 film "Happiness," his postmodern look at a dysfunctional family, Todd Solondz liberally updates the characters and their stories in "Life During Wartime," a heady mix of deadpan humor that boldly uses such topics as pedophilia, race and terrorism to plead the need for forgiveness at a personal and national level. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 8 Sep 2009 | 11:30 pm
Maksim Chmerkovskiy doesn't seem to like it rough.
"It's a little rough right now," the Dancing With the Stars pro acknowledged this afternoon when E! News caught up with...
Front Page: Actress in advanced talks to star in action-thriller -- Halle Berry is in advanced talks to star in action-thriller "Dark Tide" for helmer Clark Johnson ("S.W.A.T.").
Some people are all like, "Hey, Fashion Police! Ease up on starlets who can't dress themselves!" And we say, "Listen up, we do good things for Hollywood, and society, and the...
Who doesn't love Glee star Jane Lynch? Maybe the person who will have to get the fishy smell out of the Chelsea Lately set.
Meanwhile, watch as Chelsea Handler winds...
It's not every day I get to talk to Tom DeLay about his waistline.
But I did just that when the former Republican Congressman called me from Sugar Land, Texas, where he and Cheryl...
Review in a Hurry: In the tradition of old-school fairy tales, 9 is grim! Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly do some tip-top voice work in an impressive and gothic Tim Burton collaboration about...
Reuters - The final numbers are in for Lil Wayne's 2008-2009 North American touring, and it appears the rapper will have the highest grossing hip-hop outing of the year -- and the most lucrative rap jaunt that Billboard has ever tracked. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Sep 2009 | 6:47 pm
Front Page: Columnist chronicled Hollywood's elite for over half a century -- Showbiz has lost one of its defining voices, one who honed his craft in the bygone era of close-knit Hollywood and evolved through the many iterations of the industry.
Staff members of a game store take their turn at playing on the stage at the launch of the video game, The Beatles Rockband at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. The game, which will be available at 09.09 on... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 5:57 pm
Remember a year ago when EMI broke years of hilarious record-industry tradition and put an actual smart guy in a power position, instead of just somefamousbungling artist with limited business or technical experience? Us neither! EMI today announced the comical hire of responsible rap star Snoop Dogg as the creative chairman of its Priority Records division, a job in which Mr. Dogg will be held accountable for "the legacy of Priority and ... efforts to maximize untapped digital and branding opportunities." We wish EMI and Snoop the very best of luck with this obviously foolproof plan.
First, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer graduated from doing the no pants dance in front of the cameras on True Blood to getting engaged in real life. Now, it seems like love has struck two more members of Alan Ball's soapy vampire drama. Evan Rachel Wood, a.k.a. the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, and the Scandinavian hunk Alexander Skarsgard were photographed together in Shreveport, Louisiana this weekend, where Skarsgard is currently filming a movie. Who's next, Eggs and Maryann? [Lainey Gossip]
Reuters - The emotional traumas of young Israeli soldiers drafted into the war with Lebanon in the 1980s are recounted through the eyes of a tank crew in this wrenching concentration of raw emotion directed by Samuel Maoz. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 8 Sep 2009 | 5:20 pm
Sex and the City star Kristin Davis was supposed to show her official spring line of the Kristin Davis Collection on Sunday, September 13. But a representative tells us that the actress canceled the show late last week, owing to the mutual decision she made with Belk department stores to discontinue her line. The actress created the line of apparel, accessories, and shoes specifically with Belk in 2008, and it was the only retailer to carry the items. The fall 2009 collection will be the last available in stores. "We both understand that the challenges of the economic and retail environment have led to even more close evaluations and adjustments in order to meet our changing customer needs and shopping patterns," wrote Kathryn Bufano, Belk's president of merchandise and marketing, in a statement. However, Davis has hopes to continue her line, just not with Belk: "I’m looking forward to taking my brand in a new direction and I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead."
Bernie Madoff did a terrible thing with his Ponzi scheme. But at least he had fun. He had his boats and his watches and his hideous beach house, and he was living life. Not so much Brooklyn's Philip Barry, whose $40 million Ponzi scheme barely kept him afloat. According to the SEC complaint filed against him, Barry spent a portion of his investors' money on crappy real-estate purchases that he hoped would appreciate. They did not.
Per the Journal:
Prosecutors have identified about 60 properties held by Mr. Barry or one of his companies.
The government has obtained title searches or recent appraisals for 20 of the properties. Those 20 properties are valued at about $9 million, prosecutors said. However, they are worth less because Mr. Barry doesn't hold clear title to any of those 20 properties and 19 of the 20 properties are in foreclosure, the government said.
The remaining 40 properties have a combined estimated market value of slightly more than $1 million, prosecutors said.
He used the rest to pay his investors their monthly returns. And although the complaint says he "used investor funds to ... support his lifestyle," there were no fancy offices or penthouse apartments for him. According to the Daily Newslast month, Barry worked out of a "shabby storefront filled with shag carpeting, tattered metal office furniture and a tiny black-and-white TV," and "still lives in the $700-a-month walk-up apartment on Fourth Ave. where he grew up."
Despite him clearly being the world's worst Ponzi-schemer, the geniuses at the SEC still didn't uncover his scheme on their own. Apparently, Barry turned himself in to prosecutors last month.
Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill calls himself and his bandmates (three-quarters of whom were sired by the same Pentecostal minister) “sinners” in this very magazine’s current issue, which is just one reason to take special note of a new acoustic cover of KoL’s “Use Somebody” by Paramore, the band that is of course led by Hayley Williams, whose Christian leanings have stoked the interest of Internet users surprised that some of this nation’s many people of faith might actually find themselves making popular rock music. Our fellow Paramore fans over at Idolator think Williams’s voice makes the cover, but love her as we do, we actually hear a little more soul in Followill’s croon. In any case, Hayley might be advised to avoid visiting with the Kings on their tour bus, should the opportunity present itself.
AP - Beyond its generic, forgettable title, "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" feels like some throwaway 1980s TV movie, with its implausible premise, dizzying twists, cheesy montages and melodramatic score.
Here are a few of the reasons why it's sad we think this video of Al Franken at a Minnesota fair drawing a map of the United States, relatively to scale, from memory, is so cool:
1. We can't even write words on a poster without running out of space, let alone draw pictures with lots of lines.
2. If we were to try to do this, we would definitely forget how the Great Lakes work. (To be fair, we're from New England, and his version of Maine looks like a Yip Yip from Sesame Street.)
3. Probably the second reaction we had watching this was: "Hey, he was writing sideways and his Sharpie didn't even dry out!"
4. The first was, "We wouldn't have guessed there was a U.S. senator out there who could actually do this."
Tyra Banks is launching an online magazine called Tyra: Beauty Inside & Out to coincide with tomorrow's premiere of the thirteenth season of America's Next Top Model. The magazine includes an audio "manifesto" that tells readers to "dream big, ignore the haters, celebrate uniqueness, and seek the beauty in everything." Another key message of the publication: Celebrate Tyra. "It's not just a magazine ... it talks back to you," Tyra said on the Today show this morning. "This is going to allow for a community of women. It's real and it's raw and it's going to allow for a connection to me like you've never had before." Banks sought to bring her followers, fans, and worshipers further into her world by revealing her real hair on today's talk show, which aired at 4 p.m. EST. Tomorrow, she "spends the entire hour having a no-holds-barred discussion on periods!"
Another media channel. That's exactly what Tyra needs.
HarperCollins and the heirs of J.R.R. Tolkien announced today the out-of-court resolution to their dispute with New Line Cinema over the profits from the Lord of the Rings movies (HarperCollins and the Tolkein Trust had previously alleged they were owed $150 million from the film's grosses). Terms of the settlement haven't been disclosed, but Christopher Tolkien's statement hints pretty strongly at what happened: "The Trustees regret that legal action was necessary, but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms that will allow the Tolkien Trust properly to pursue its charitable objectives. The Trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed films of The Hobbit." Also to proceed: Christopher Tolkien's proposal to buy himself a tricked-out Ferrari. [DHD]
George Clooney came prepared to the Venice Film Festival.
Buzzworthy new flick. Check. Hot Italian girlfriend. Check. Crazy gay fanatic. Check and double check.
Clooney was...
London-based rapper Speech Debelle arrives at the Grosvenor House hotel in central London forthe Mercury Prize awards. Debelle went on to win the coveted award, proving the bookies wrong who suggested... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 4:22 pm
Wow! ArtsBeat reports today that best-selling mystery author James Patterson has signed a hilarious seventeen-book deal with Hachette Book Group to cover his output through 2012 (if you're bad at math, this means he has a lot of really fast writing to do). The agreement includes plans for novels starring Patterson's detective characters Alex Cross (twice portrayed in film by Morgan Freeman) and Michael Bennett, as well as new entries in his young-adult series, Maximum Ride and Daniel X. It's not yet clear whether any of these books have been started or if Patterson even has concrete ideas for them, so you probably shouldn't be too surprised if the seventeenth one involves Detective Cross's investigation into a misplaced set of car keys.
Melrose Place (CW)
Premiere: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9-10 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Big Brother, NCIS: Los Angeles, Dancing With the Stars, The Biggest Loser
Cast: Katie...
Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz could lose the right to her entire portfolio of world-famous photographs if she doesn't meet a Tuesday deadline to pay back a $24 million loan she is alleged to owe.
Actors Shantel VanSanten (L) and Robert Buckley pose at the premiere of New Line's "The Final Destination" at the Mann Village Theater on August 27, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Hollywood toasted a... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 4:03 pm
Hugh Grant showed up at Southampton's Keszler Gallery to support his father, James Grant's, watercolor exhibit. Ex–Formula One champ Eddie Irvine missed his drive in the Ferrari Hamptons Rally because he stayed out partying too late the night before. Bethenny Frankel flitted about Bridgehampton in her Skinny Girl–branded Mini Cooper. Rachel Zoe tweeted that she was at the Palm in East Hampton, though it's unclear whether she ate anything. Jerry Della Famina warns against foie gras. Ed Burns ate at Bostwick's in East Hampton with his wife, Christy Turlington, as Avril Lavigne dined nearby. Guild Hall hosted Alec Baldwin and Danny Glover. Baldwin emceed the International Film Festival's final summer documentary and Glover performed Emmett, Down in my Heart with Kathleen Chalfant. And when the phone rang at Almond, Joy Behar answered it and said, "Almond, Joy speaking."
Bernie Madoff's Montauk home went on the market for $8.75 million, and Corcoran is donating their commission on the property to the Ponzi-schemer's victims. Stephen Schwarzman put his East Hampton home up for sale for $7.2 million. Southampton town supervisor Linda A. Kabot was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Westhampton and is fighting the charge. A 26-year-old man was murdered in Speonk. The 63rd Annual Shinnecock Indian Nation's Pow Wow convened with a four-day-long arts, crafts, and tribal-dance fest. Sharon Stone will be honored for "Outstanding Achievement" at the Hamptons Film Festival next month, presumably for her topless cover of Paris Match at age 50.
Jeffrey and Zach Chodorow's burger won over judges at the Hamptons "burger bloodbath," beating out the meaty concoctions of competitors Josh Eden (of Shorty's), Cobi Levy (the Charles), and Pete Daversa (Hill Country), and last year's reigning champs, Mo Koyfman and Jeff "Mr. Peanut" Schwartz. Judge Katie Lee Joel was "looking for juicy, good bun, tasty toppings." We assume she was referring to the burgers. Couples paid $2,500 to hear Mandy Patinkin perform at the Hampton Synagogue. Dick Cavett, Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn, and Joel Schumacher raved about Mo'Nique's performance in Precious, screened in East Hampton over the weekend.
MAKEUP
• Rachel McAdams painted her lips in bright shades of pink and red for two red-carpet appearances over the weekend. Perhaps bold is the way to go this month. [Girls in the Beauty Department/Glamour]
HAIR
• After dyeing her locks blonde over the winter, model Daul Kim recently chopped her hair to a pixie cut and returned to a darker hue. [Modelinia]
• Pittsburgh Steelers football player Troy Polamalu is the new face for Head & Shoulders. [StyleWatch/People]
• Aubrey O'Day says she dyes her dog's hair because her dog likes to have different looks. She also uses foils on the pooch for highlights. [NYDN]
NAILS
• Chanel's Jade nail-color collection, which includes mint green (Jade) and pastel pink (Jade Rose), officially goes on sale Thursday at the Chanel boutique during Fashion's Night Out. It will be sold online the following day. [Spoiled Pretty]
PLASTIC SURGERY
• A British woman allegedly blackmailed her doctor after she performed a sex act on him while he was injecting her face with Botox. [BBC News]
In today's Times, Oliver Stone confirms that James Brolin will play a hedge-fund-managing villain in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (which starts shooting in New York today), and tells us that Charlie Sheen's Bud Fox character will make a small cameo. But don't get too excited — in a spoiler-y review of Allan Loeb's screenplay today, the Playlist's Andrew Hart reveals that Sheen's role will be really, really minor. Also, he gives away most of the movie, so click at your own risk. [NYT, Playlist]
Lady Gaga is already slated to appear at Marc Jacobs's Fashion Week after-party. Today WWD reports that a "well-placed source" says she will perform at the Box the following night during the launch party for Givenchy's new men's fragrance Play, which is fronted by Justin Timberlake. Lady Gaga comes aboard the shindig courtesy of Out magazine, which is hosting the party and published what is possibly the greatest Gaga editorial to date in this month's issue. Lady Gaga. The Box. Out. Fashion Week. At least if we make it there and die — or, in a perfect world, if Gaga adopts us and gives us the $30k-a-year salaried position of "Lady Gaga's Best Friend" after she sees us in tears on the front row — we'll only miss two days of Fashion Week.
Update:Out editor Aaron Hicklin tells us as of now no celebrity guests are confirmed for the party. But partying with the Out crew with a side of raunchy burlesque still sounds like a pretty good time.
We at Daily Intel are not naïve. We understand that sometimes people in relationships fall in love with other people, and that they sometimes want to marry those people, which necessitates ending their current relationship. The heart wants what the heart wants, and all of that. We get it. We've even applauded it, bizarrely. But what we do not understand, what we cannot abide, is when said people, in the throes of connubial bliss, lobby to have themselves included in the New York Times "Vows" column, and then proceed to tell the reporter about how they cheated on their previous partner like it is a part of their own personal love story. Like Sarah Joy Kabanuck and David Miller, two opera singers who were married this weekend. When they met, starring opposite one another, Sarah was married. “I was so drawn to him immediately and tried to talk myself out of it,” she tells the Times. But of course, she could not. Eventually, she flew to Paris to be with him.
Holed up in a hotel in the Latin Quarter for two weeks, they reveled in their own vie bohème. Only in this version, the two lovers began planning his next career move, an audition for the pop-opera quartet, Il Divo, then being put together by Simon Cowell. She scraped together the last of her money to buy him an MP3 player so he could rehearse.
Ms. Kabanuck, when she returned from Paris, moved out of the home in New Jersey that she shared with her husband and found an apartment in Manhattan.
Awesome. We bet the former Mrs. Sarah Heerema's husband is just reveling in the fact that millions of strangers now know that his wife was enjoying a vie bohème behind his back or even worse that he allowed her to, that she used their legally common property to support her lover's career, and that she left him because she wanted to feel like a "teenager in love." But at least he's not the only one to have his face rubbed in his former spouse's cuckoldry via "Vows."
In fact, "Vows" columns such as this are not uncommon. We find they always use the same kind of language. The couple "faced many obstacles to happy romance," they'll say. Their relationship was "complicated." Their "road to love was bumpy." Except one of those bumps was, oops, a fucking person. A person they have not only run over, but are now dragging down their personal road of happiness for miles, laughing all as they bump along like some kind of tin can attached to their bumper with streamers, until in the end they fall off and are left on the side of the goddamn highway, all bloody and broken and gasping for air.
Jason Fuleihan's ex-girlfriend was the victim of a drive-by "Vows" last April, when Jason and his betrothed, Cindy Chan, revealed to the world how they spent months pining for one another, all the while continuing to date their exes and sleep with them and otherwise act normal, probably. Here is a sample:
One night after too many drinks, they kissed.
“The day afterward I thought that Jason would tell me that he would break up with his girlfriend,” she said. “Instead, he told me he decided to stay with her. I was heartbroken.”
They stopped speaking to each other for several months and, Mr. Fuleihan said, “It was like having a dark cloud.” But the cloud began to lift when they were assigned to a team to work together in four classes, and they started speaking again.
Then one night Ms. Chan got into an argument with someone in a taxi and wound up walking the rest of the way home in high heels on an icy sidewalk at 4 a.m. Upset and crying, when she finally got home she phoned Mr. Fuleihan, who remembers, “I knew at that moment I wanted to be able to take care of her for the rest of our lives. The next day I broke up with my girlfriend.”
Ha, yay! We bet Jason's ex-girlfriend remembers that day a little less happily. But at least she got off better than the ex of Ted Skala, who had been dating Ted for three years before he reunited with his high-school sweetheart, Erika Fredell. The bond between Ted and Erika was so vivid, Ted recalled to the Times (and by extension everyone he has ever known including mutual friends of exes and her parents and all of her ex-boyfriends and co-workers who would glance at her pityingly for months), that everything else paled in comparison. Especially Ted's feelings for her.
“I never loved anybody the way I loved Erika,” he said.
There was no kissing. Barely any touching. But they connected in a way they hadn’t since they were teenagers, and Mr. Skala confessed how deeply he realized he cared for her. “You completely have my heart,” he said to her. “You have all of me.”
Though they waited a month before seeing each other again, during which Mr. Skala broke up with his then girlfriend, at Christmas he and Ms. Fredell became engaged.
The horror. Anyway. You might think that our outrage at this particular behavior means that it's happened to us, but actually, that's not the case. We actually just find it kind of distracting as a reader of Vows, because it raises all kinds of questions, such as: Do these people realize this stuff is going to end up in the Times, actually? And that it's going to ruin their wedding announcement by making them sound awful? And what do the exes think? What's their version of events? Frankly, we think they should be called for comment. It's not really fair. Why shouldn't the reporting in "Vows" be as rigorous as it is elsewhere in the paper? So, yeah. Get on that, Clark Hoyt.
Last night, ex–Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel started tweeting about Rachel Zoe and her Bravo show. First she calls the program "self-important nonsense." And then: "if I stick on a lampshade with a moo moo and a pair of bananas hoop earrings rz may just D I E.” Rather than mock her for misspelling muumuu, which Frankel would have a pretty hard time passing off as a clever pun, Zoe fired back with, "wow talk abt no class bn friends 4yrs." She then called her "inappropriate and clearly desperate for some attention." And then, somewhere in the deep, dark Twitter universe, a pot tweeted and called a kettle black. [Jezebel]
Sadly, the solidarity that the Jackson family displayed in the wake of Michael Jackson's untimely death earlier this summer seems to be showing signs of fraying. News broke today of not one but two separate Michael Jackson tributes being planned. The first, and presumably the most exciting, will come during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, when Janet Jackson will reportedly take the stage with twenty backup dancers moonwalking behind her. TMZ is reporting that rehearsals for this performance, details of which are still top secret, have been lasting upwards of fifteen hours per day, so we're expecting to see something other than just an elaborate re-creation of the "Scream" video. Meanwhile, Michael's older brother Jermaine is planning a global tribute concert that, for some odd reason, will be held in Vienna on September 26. Unfortunately for Jermaine, though, other members of the Jackson clan don't seem to be too psyched for this show.
Although Jermaine has done a decent job lining up talent for his show — Mary J Blige, Akon, and Chris Brown (really?) are among the fifteen or so artists who are allegedly going to be on the lineup — unnamed members of the Jackson clan have gone straight to TMZ honcho Harvey Levin to voice their disapproval of the event they're labeling as "the Jermaine Jackson Show." They claim their mom, Katherine, was "badgered" into voicing her support for the show and that none of the rest of the family will be in attendance that day. They also make the (admittedly very good) point that there is no particular reason to hold a concert of this magnitude in Austria, a country that didn't hold any particular resonance for either Michael or his fans. Jermaine refutes this, saying that the location was chosen because Michael (and we quote) "loved castles."
• Tyra Banks is launching a web-based magazine. Tyra: Beauty Inside & Out will feature an "audio 'manifesto' that asks readers to dream big, ignore the haters, celebrate uniqueness and seek the beauty in everything." [WWD] • James Patterson has signed a 17-book deal with his publisher, Hachette. And all 17 of them will arrive in bookstores before the end of 2012. [AP] • All the competition online appears to be taking a toll on the Zagat guide series. Sales are down and the company has been laying off staff. [NYP] • It was a mixed bag for Hollywood studios hoping for a big summer box office. Revenue was up 2 percent, but attendance fell 2 percent, too. [NYT] • The Final Destination and Inglourious Bastards came in at No. 1 and 2 at the box office this weekend, beating out a handful of newcomers. [LAT] • Following in the footsteps of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, USA Today is the latest newspaper to launch an online "wine club." [E&P]
• Andy Cohen's talk show on Bravo has proved surprisingly popular, which is why the network is now extending it until the end of the year. [NYT] • The New York Observer's latest spin-off, a glossy aimed at parents called Observer Playground, debuts next week. [WWD] • Have you seen former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich on TV yet? You probably will. He's busy promoting his new memoir this week. [NYT] • New Line Cinema has settled a lawsuit with the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien over profits to the Lord of the Rings franchise. [THR] • Jay Leno's show debuts next week. And just in time, too. Says Leno, "Maybe it's just me, but 10 o'clock feels like the new 11:30." [USAT]
God bless M.A.C. for inviting Gareth Pugh to get in on the action at the downtown Fashion Week at Milk Studios this season, for he has accepted and will screen his latest film, directed by Ruth Hogbenat, at Milk on September 13. "It will hopefully set the mood for my catwalk show, which will take place as usual in Paris," Pugh says. "It will represent the essence of what the show this season is about, although it couldn't be further from a trailer, it's more of an abstract insight." From 8 to 10 p.m., the movie will be screened for Fashion Week guests, but from 10 p.m. to midnight, non-industry folk can go to Milk and watch the movie. So this is shaping up to be a very democratic Fashion Week. Fashion's Night Out offers freebies, fabulousness, and celebrities in the flesh for the general public this Thursday. And then everyone can go see Gareth's film on Sunday. This Fashion Week is so inclusive it's frightening. What has become of this industry? Has the economic downturn chipped away at its diamond crust of elitism? How will we all feel important?!
Front Page: Bungie founder Seropian tapped VP of creative -- Disney Interactive Studios has acquired Wideload Games, which adds one of the videogame industry's top stars to the Mouse House's videogame division.
New justice Sonia Sotomayor with Chief Justice John Roberts.
Sonia Sotomayor was officially seated as a Supreme Court justice today, in a ceremony attended by President Obama and Vice-President Biden. She was administered the judicial oath by Chief Justice John Roberts (pictured here with Sotomayor in front of the courthouse), and duly took her seat at the far right of the bench. The seating is ordered by seniority, and since Sotomayor's predecessor, David Souter, left this summer, four justices moved up a notch. This is probably a mixed blessing for Clarence Thomas, who is now sitting one spot closer to the center of the dais — where it's easier to see whether he's paying attention.
A few weeks ago, Ruth Madoff received a property tax rebate from Palm Beach County for $13,821.74. The problem: The check was made out to both Ruth and Bernie, and since cashing it would have required her to deposit it into their joint account—which is frozen—Ruth wrote a letter to the agency asking that it be reissued in her name only. Was this just one more attempt to avoid turning over the cash to the authorities? That's what some people are suggesting! [NYDN, Palm Beach Post]
Despite her comeback performance on Good Morning America last week being less than warmly received (to put it mildly), it seems that there are a great number of people out there who still consider themselves to be die-hard Whitney Houston fans. Although final sales numbers for her latest LP, I Look To You, won't be out until Wednesday, early reports suggest she'll debut at No. 1 on the charts with projected sales of over 300,000 copies. [Showbiz 411]
Karl Lagerfeld shot a special cover of his man candy Baptiste Giabiconi for the October issue of Wallpaper. Pick up the magazine and you'll see Baptiste wearing a Dior Homme suit on the cover. Peel back the top layer of paper and see Baptiste wearing nothing. The animated image the Wallpaper people kindly sent us illustrates the effect nicely.
In today's New Yorker, Trent Reznor complains to Sasha Frere-Jones about consumers' appalling tolerance for low-quality audio: "Walk into a Best Buy and everyone’s obsessed with the highest possible resolution for their TVs ... yet everyone still walks around with those terrible quality white iPod earbuds." Funny enough, just last week Jones heard the opposite argument from Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood: "We had a few complaints that the MP3s of our last record wasn’t encoded at a high enough rate. Some even suggested we should have used FLACs, but if you even know what one of those is, and have strong opinions on them, you’re already lost to the world of high fidelity and have probably spent far too much money on your speaker-stands." And if Trent hears what Jonny said about signal purity and oxygen-free cables, he is going to explode. [NYer, NYer]
Once a week, Daily Intel peeks behind doors left slightly ajar. This week, the Personal Assistant With a Sugar Daddy, in Love With a Military Man in a Relationship: 28, female, Brooklyn, straight.
DAY ONE 9:55 a.m.: The ringing phone wakes me up. It's my Benefactor. We met at a bar when I was 21 — he's seventeen years my senior. He unexpectedly gave me $100 for lending an ear to his problems. We've stayed in touch, and he's always come through — deposit to my first place, birthday gifts, advice — without me having to ask. We do lunch, dinner, and anything else to avoid doing each other. He was the cat and I was the mouse, always dangling in front of him but always slipping out of his reach, only because he let me.
12:25 p.m.: I can't help but think of the Benefactor and how we never have actually been intimate. I mean, isn't that what's kept it so tempting and beneficial, on and off for the past six years? What if we actually did let this evolve into a physical relationship? No, there are way too many bad outcomes to this scenario: actual sexual chemistry might fizzle; and I would no longer be getting support from a friend, but money from a sugar daddy. 6 p.m.: I would like to meet a man to share my life with that will make me laugh and my toes curl. Sigh. For the past three years, I've had a non-relationship with an American soldier because we have never been in the same place at the same time. Last year, in an effort to move on, I became engaged to a diplomat while living abroad, but ended it. Now, both the soldier and I live in New York but I am single and he is not. 11 p.m.: Reviewing Gilles's goodies in the Sex and the City movie. The way sexy Dante reminded Samantha of how she used to be and what she couldn't have — seeing the soldier always reminds of the hot sex we used to have AND the happily-ever-after that I want. 12:58 a.m.: IFC channel is playing Body of Evidence. Hot sex on top of a car in a dark parking lot is now definitely on my list. I want sex; I want passion, and make-you-blush escapades with someone special. For now, though, Body of Evidence is as close to passion as I'm getting.
DAY TWO 10:58 a.m.: Couldn't help but give myself a quickie. Sometimes I crave human contact, sweet nothings in my ear, and the climax that comes with it. But since I am determined to avoid flings and haven't met anyone special, my two hands and the bullet are the only ones that will be giving me a climax for the time being. 1:35 p.m.: There is graffiti of a hanging penis next to two hairy breasts staring at me from the wall on the subway platform. Why would someone take their time to draw that on a wall? Whoever did so must the lamest person. 2:15 p.m.: Got to the job interview late. He hires me. I'm getting that creepy vibe that I usually get when I can feel an old man (as in my parents' friends) checking me out. Plus, he's Googled me.
DAY THREE 3:13 p.m.: Four different guys try to talk to me in the street on my way to the city. Unfortunately one of them isn't a tall, sexy chocolate soldier. It s ridiculous how much I miss someone that it turns out I might not even really know. He's only ever revealed the minimum required to keep me hooked while I let him read me like an open book. 6:42 p.m.: Great dinner at Chef Wu with the Benefactor. He wishes me well on my job search, and mentions he could never spend a whole day working with me when he is always viewing my naked body in his head. It is true that he's seen me partially naked, but we both showed major restraint to end that moment. Still, it does give me a small thrill to know that the image of my body, even in his head, still has such an effect on him. 7:53 p.m.: Listening to "Touch My Body," and like everything these days, it makes me think of the tall, dark, and irritating guy that I'm still not over. 1:26 a.m.: When a man old enough to be your father tells you he just wants to devour you, that is not a red-hot compliment, but just eww. They should not let men over a certain age in nightclubs. It s just creepy!
DAY FOUR 1:50 p.m.: My ex-fiancé felt the need to tell me he still loves me. What am I supposed to do with that?! Why do men feel that they reserve the right to pop in and out of my life whenever they feel like it, even after their stupidity caused the demise of whatever relationship I had with them? My ex-fiancé does it and so does the soldier. 5:44 p.m.: Cute guy on train with gray eyes and a little scruff exits the train, turns to me as he is standing on the platform, and slowly smiles as the doors close. It was actually kind of hot. 11:30 p.m.: I'm at the club and doing my best to mingle. A woman is eyeing me. She asks me to dance as her husband watches. So I oblige and let him enjoy seeing his wife dance with a hot girl. Then they leave, probably etching me into their fantasies. That was actually kind of fun. Sexy and a definite confidence-booster.
DAY FIVE 11:10 a.m.: Boys must have some nasty programmed in their DNA from birth. My adorable 2-year-old cousin insists on playing with his wee-wee the moment the pull-ups come off. He comes giggling into the living room, wee-wee in hand. We laugh at how innocent it is, but I hope that he doesn't grow up to let his wee-wee rule him like so many men do. 6:15 p.m.: I get a call from the soldier and play the indifferent card, but only because I care too much. I'm pretty sure he sees right through it. I have to face the fact that he will probably never be willing to be in a real relationship with me. I'm like his joker card that only matters when he needs a fill-in. 8 p.m.: There's no bigger turn-off than an unkempt, clingy, loudmouth, ignorant drunk. A longtime neighbor who fits that description is in front of my family's building and insists on hitting on me to the point where everyone is uncomfortable. On the other hand, certain men make family life look so tempting, like my cousin's husband. Even their squabbles are cute, and when my cousin calls him a jerk, what it really sounds like she is saying is, "I love you."
DAY SIX 12:30 p.m.: Walking hurriedly with my earphones on, but this guy refuses to get a clue and keeps following me and yapping along. Note to all guys: If we have earphones on, most likely it's because we don't want to be bothered. 3:40 p.m.: Ran into an acquaintance. I thought meeting him at my cousin's wedding where he was the date of a family friend made him off-limits, but apparently he doesn't think so. 4:12 p.m.: I'm thinking about that guy from the wedding and whether I should consider getting back into the dating game. Wonder what it's like to make out with someone who has braces. I truly don't think I could ever enjoy or be attracted to that, no matter how much I care for the person. 11:53 p.m.: A call from the soldier gets me back to where I started: wanting him but knowing he'll probably end up disappointing me yet again. Still, I say yes to meeting him this week, knowing that he probably will never call to confirm. It's happened so many times before. Yet I still say yes. What is wrong with me?
DAY SEVEN 10:01 a.m.: Got to the boss's place on time. I start preparing myself to unleash the bitch in case he gets any ideas. He says that he thinks it would be a "French benefit" if we would develop a relationship while working together. Stupid guy doesn't even know that it's fringe benefit. So I unleash the prepared bitchiness with steely calm. 11:09 a.m.: I am leaving after collecting an hour's pay and quitting after he makes it clear he'd like me to work on him as well as with him. I honestly don't think he was peeing in the bathroom judging by all the grunts. Some men just disgust me. Nothing about his disgusting self would be a benefit of any kind to me. I almost threw up in my mouth. 3:40 p.m.: Spent the afternoon walking with the magic bullet in my purse, but could not find compatible batteries anywhere I went. I'm going to have to upgrade to a toy with accessible energy. 6 p.m. I love the fact that I can share the details of my pervert ex-boss with my girlfriends and cousins, but I wish I had a man to kiss it all away and make having batteries unnecessary.
TOTALS: Two acts of masturbation; one failed search for vibrator batteries; one act of job-quitting owing to sexually inappropriate boss; zero acts of intercourse; countless thoughts of one soldier.
How much would you expect to pay for the Full House complete series box set? $35? Nothing? Definitely nothing?
Not anymore — now all 192 episodes (Ed Note: Holy sh*t) can be yours for the high, high price of $78.99, marked down from an ungodly $169.98 (seriously):
On one hand, $78.99 seems like a lot to pay for anything, even if it is a solid 74 hours of wholesome lesson-teaching and babies saying darned things, but on the other hand…
EVENTS
• Whole Foods previews a new limited-edition tee designed by Miguel Adrover. Sample local foods, as well as drinks by the Tippling Brothers. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Hessnatur Scholarship Program in Bangladesh. RSVP at hessnatur@bullfrogandbaum.com. 270 Greenwich St., nr. Murray St. (212-349-6555); 6–7.
SALES STARTING TOMORROW
• Browse well-preserved fall merchandise from Gucci, Theory, Prada, DVF, and more at the Housing Works preview sales. Highlights include a Gucci monogram tote for $150, a Derek Lam tiered red dress for $250, and a Kate Spade red leather handbag for $60. Through 9/24. Various dates and locations.
• Hair-removal salon Shobha is offering two-for-one bikini-waxing treatments for all who come with a friend. Pairs must check out together to receive the discount. Through 9/15. Various hours and locations.
This past weekend, Clare Baldwin, a journalist from San Francisco, had a unique experience. While staking out Richard Fuld at his home in Ketchem, Idaho, the 26-year-old Reuters reporter was hugged by the former Lehman Brothers CEO — twice. "The hug was warm," Baldwin wrote in her report, adding that it was
far from what you might expect from a banker nicknamed "gorilla" for his combative and intimidating behavior. It was accompanied by a departing "goodbye, sweetie."
Fascinating. Still, for us this raised further questions. What were the circumstances of the hugs? More important, what does the man who has been called Wall Street Public Enemy No. 1 feel like and smell like? Because we're never afraid to ask the important questions, we called Baldwin and demanded further details. She gave them.
Okay, re-create the hugs for me. I want to feel like I am there.
There were two of them. The first one happened on Friday afternoon. We had been talking for about ten minutes. He had been kind of leaning against my car. He reached out to shake my hand, then he just kind of leaned in and gave me a hug.
Like was it a one-armed deal, or a full embrace?
Both arms. It was like a hug.
Was it a pervy hug? Did he press up against you in a gross way at all?
No, no. Not at all. There was no weird dynamic to it at all. I'd been asking him stuff that was personal. It felt natural, though I wasn't expecting it, certainly.
Did he feel soft, or was he more wiry and muscular?
He's very fit, and he has a very angular face, you know. But he was wearing soft clothes. A black fleece vest over a long-sleeved underwear top, shorts, and sandals.
Was he wearing socks with the sandals?
No, but he had a sock tan.
Was he scratchy or hairy-feeling at all?
He had a really short haircut, but he wasn't hairy.
Did he have a scent at all?
Not that I can recall.
Really? Nothing? I suppose you were so shocked you forgot to bury your face in his collarbone and inhale deeply.
Sorry.
That's fine, I mean, it's a hole in your reporting that your editors may not be happy with, but you know. Any other observations?
He's not particularly tall. He certainly has a presence but he's not very tall.
Okay, let's move on to the second hug. You figured out he was flying back to New York on a 7 a.m. flight, and booked yourself a ticket on the same plane, which had a layover in Salt Lake City. [Ed: We're paraphrasing to speed things along.]
He didn't really want to talk on the plane, but he said he'd talk when we got to Salt Lake City. When we landed, I talked to him a bit more. We parted ways, then I found him again at the gate. I said, "You know, I gotta try this one more time. I don't understand why you're not talking anyway. There's going to be a lot of press around the 15th. Are you scared, what's going on?" He said he didn't want to be defensive. Then he was called to board. He just kind of threw his arm around me, and said something like, "I have daughters your age — what are we going to do with you, Clare?" That was like a side hug.
Like an arm around, more than a hug. Anyway, okay. You have the Gorilla's arm around you, for the second time. The initial shock is over. What do you remember?
Hmm. Not much, really. He was dressed very casually again. He was wearing jeans.
Like Barack Obama mom jeans or fashionable jeans like Ryan Seacrest buys for Larry King?
Not really fashionable, but not that bad. Light-blue loose-fitting jeans. And a white T-shirt. With a pocket.
So his bare arm touched you this time? Was it hairy?
Well, no, because he had a shirt over the T-shirt. A red-and-white collared shirt, which was open.
Oh. Did you pick up any scent at all? Any recognizable male grooming products?
Nothing distinguishable. He didn't really smell like anything.
Maybe if I sent over some sample-size versions of Mennen Speed Stick and Old Spice, it would jog your sense memory. I'll get on that. In the meantime, anything else?
He had a little North Face backpack.
Can you feel the excitement in the air? You've seen the weird promos, you've checked out the star-studdedopening-night guest list, and now, the only thing standing between you and the debut of The Jay Leno Show are five measly nights of repeats* on NBC. And considering that the network's late-night programs have been in a ratings free fall ever since Conan O'Brien took over hosting duties of the Tonight Show from the Chin back in June, Leno finds himself in a position where, if his new show turns out to be a ratings hit, he'll endear himself to both network suits and local NBC affiliates. So how come so many people are rooting for him to fail?
Surprisingly, we're not just talking about people who view his brand of comedy to be, well, anything but comedic. Leno's move into prime time has drawn the ire of many members of Hollywood's creative community, mainly because they feel that NBC's decision to wipe out five nights' worth of original dramatic programming in the 10 p.m. hour has caused an untold number of writers and actors to lose their jobs. According to an article by Brian Lowry that appeared in Variety, members of the Writers Guild are still "harboring a bitter aftertaste" about some of the actions that Leno took during the 2007-2008 writers' strike that crippled Hollywood. Namely, that he weakened the guild's efforts by writing his own Tonight Show material during the strike; there have also been allegations that he employed scab writers to help pen his monologue jokes during this tumultuous time.
However, as Nikki Finke reported over the weekend, Leno has been "unanimously cleared" by the WGA of any wrongdoing in these matters, but this doesn't mean that a significant number of people aren't still actively (if not necessarily publicly) rooting for both him and his show to fail. As for our feelings, well, the thing that upsets us the most about the whole situation is that we won't be able to pin the blame (or credit the success!) to Ben Silverman anymore.
What say you, VultureWatchers? Will you watch The Jay Leno Show next week, if only out of morbid curiosity? Are you boycotting? Will you start watching David Caruso take off his sunglasses just to spite Jay and NBC? You know where to leave your thoughts!
Emma Watson may have wanted to just blend in when she started her freshman year recently at Brown University, but it seems not everyone has the same idea.
Over the weekend, as America took in one last gasp of summer, possible Truther and Communist sympathizer Van Jones, President Obama's green-jobs point man, resigned. It was a victory for the conservatives, particularly Glenn Beck, who had been railing against the man's skeleton-speckled history. But instead of basking in their triumph, some on the right can't help but dwell on how the entire sordid scandal could have gone even better. Like, say, if the media had turned it into the same kind of firestorm that surrounded Reverend Wright. On Fox News yesterday, Brett Baier chronicled the mainstream media's relative silence on the issue last week, and the Washington Examiner's Byron York pointed to a similar lapse in coverage today.
"There was no mention of Jones by CBS, NBC, ABC, The Washington Post or The New York Times on Wednesday — the night Jones first issued an apology for past statements," Baier noted last night. But Jones's apology on Wednesday was for referring to Republicans as "assholes" in a speech from February, a video of which recently surfaced. A low-level administration official engaging in partisan name-calling at a lecture months and months ago hardly seems that newsworthy.
The most damaging revelation about Jones, the one that made his continued presence in the administration politically untenable — his signature on a 9/11 Truther petition — wasn't discovered until Thursday. By Friday, CBS, CNN, and the Daily News were covering the story, and by Saturday, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times online had written it up. On Sunday, of course, the news of Jones's resignation was everywhere. Could the Times and network TV have covered it sooner, and more thoroughly? Of course. Perhaps their agenda really was to protect Obama, as York claims, or maybe they just have different standards of what merits attention. Who knows. But ultimately, what conservatives are left quibbling with is, at worst, a day or two-day delay (depending on the outlet) of the reporting of this story. It's hard to blame them, though. We'd be cranky, too, if a rare, clear-cut victory over the Obama administration just happened to fall on Labor Day weekend, when Americans' news awareness was close to nil.
It's been nearly a year since Lehman Brothers went bust, making it the perfect occasion to send a reporter to hunt down Lehman's former CEO, Dick Fuld. A Reuters correspondent managed to find him last Friday, looking tan and dressed in and well-rested at his "country house in a bucolic setting beside a river and amid tree-covered slopes in Ketchum, Idaho." So how's he doing?
Not so bad, especially since the mysterious person standing in his driveway isn't there to kill him. "You don't have a gun; that's good," he says to the reporter.
As for the anniversary that is looming, Fuld says he's fully prepared for whatever comes his way:
You know what? The anniversary's coming up. I've been pummeled, I've been dumped on, and it's all going to happen again. I can handle it. You know what, let them line up.
If Fuld seems a little embattled, he has good reason. Since Lehman went bankrupt, he's lost $1 billion in net worth, he and his wife have been forced to sell their Park Avenue apartment and pieces from their art collection, he's been pushed off the boards of several non-profits, and he now has to fly coach. But he's still keeping a positive attitude.
I'm not a defeatist... I do believe at the end of the day that the good guys do win. I do believe that.
There was a time when singer-actress LeAnn Rimes was considered as clean cut as they come. After selling millions of records, Rimes was often held up as an example of a child star who managed to avoid the pitfalls of fame. Then rumors surfaced that she was allegedly having an affair with actor Eddie Cibrian.
Name: Christine Ebersole Occupation: Tony-winning singer-actress, whose new nightclub act, “Good Friends” with Michael Feinstein, runs at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency from September 8 to 12. Neighborhood: Maplewood, New Jersey
Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional? Luke Rudkowski.
What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
Dinner at La Masseria on 48th Street.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
I stay in my pajamas until I have to leave for work.
What's the last thing you saw on Broadway? 9 to 5.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
Yes.
What's your drink?
Club soda with pineapple juice and lime.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
As often as I can.
What's your favorite medication?
A good cat.
What's hanging above your sofa?
I don't have a sofa at the moment. I gave it to the Fortune Society.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
What I spend.
When's bedtime?
Hopefully before the sun comes up.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
The old Times Square.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
I think he is very tall.
Who is your mortal enemy?
The illusion of other.
How has the economic downturn affected your life?
I'm lousy at growing my own food.
Last week, Annie Leibovitzscored a small victory when a judge granted the financially troubled photographer an extra month to come up with the $24 million she owes creditors, or face the loss of her real estate holdings and photography collection. Whatever momentary relief that ruling provided her is probably gone now: An Italian photographer is now suing her for $300,000 for allegedly using his photos of Venice and Rome without his permission as part of a calendar for Lavazza coffee. [BBC, previously]
The video game "The Beatles: Rock Band" is set to be released by Harmonix on Wednesday. Modeled on the already popular "Rock Band" game, and closely supervised by The Beatles and their estates, the game lets players sing and strum along to a huge list of Beatles classics over scenes ranging from Liverpool's Cavern Club to their final performance on a London rooftop.
Remastered versions of the Beatles catalogue will be released on Wednesday, giving listeners what the remaining members of "The Fab Four" say is the closest reproduction ever of how their music sounded in the studio.
In a sound-bite sure to be re-watched in years to come by the eight kids Jon and Kate Gosselin have brought into the world, Jon Gosselin told Good Morning America, "I despise her."
The Daily News reports that many couples will wed tomorrow because the date, 9/9/09, is considered lucky — especially in Chinese culture, since "the Mandarin word for 'nine' sounds like the word for 'long-lasting.' " We suspect many of the grooms are more psyched about having an anniversary that's really easy to remember. [NYDN]
South African author JM Coetzee, seen here in 2003, is in the running for an unprecedented third Booker Prize, after he was named on this year's shortlist on Tuesday. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 11:26 am
Chris Brown has finally landed his first public gig since his February domestic abuse incident: he’ll be headlining the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna alongside Mary J. Blige and Akon. Guess he’s gotta start small and work his way back up…
The first group of performers also includes boy band US 5, protégés of imprisoned boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman, and actress Angela Bassett, who portrayed family matriarch Katherine Jackson in the TV-movie “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” According to organizers, Bassett will “impersonate one part of Michael Jackson’s life.” A total of 20-25 acts are expected to take part in the concert, which will be televised around the globe.
Chris Brown and one of Lou Pearlman’s groups?? This is supposed to be a tribute concert to Michael Jackson, not some giant international controversy! Michael Jackson and controversy have no business being in the same sentence. If you look up “controversy” in the dictionary, “Michael Jackson” is listed as one of the antonyms (it’s a really informal dictionary).
Oh wait no it is like that previous paragraph was the opposite of the truth my bad!
First, a quick heads up: One of our favorite blogs on the internet, Urlesque, will be spending all day tomorrow, September 9, 2009, as “A Day Without Cats on the Internet”, giving our feline friends a long needed break from giving us, the needy reading public, a minimum of 3 LOLz per day. To respect their wishes, Bestweekever.tv will be participating in this solemn and, in some ways, celebratory day. That’s right: All day tomorrow, 9/9/09, we will not — we repeat, NOT – talk about cats, in any way, shape, or form.
Luckily, today is only the 8th, meaning we can talk about cats as much as we damn please. And what better way to prep for this no doubt painful task at hand than to discuss the recent episode of A&E’s Hoarders, featuring Shirley. “Who is Shirley?” you ask? Oh. I’m glad you did.
Shirley, ladies and gentleman, is a garbage hoarder who happens to have about 40 live cats living amongst the boxes and boxes of sh*t and filth and scratched furniture in her New Mexico home. Now, if you’ve ever seen A&E’s Hoarders, you know that the show is no fun task. In fact, week in and week out, I constantly question why, exactly, I watch this Hoarders. Unlike Intervention, which addresses the mental and emotional issues plaguing the person with the addiction, Hoarders just attempts to clean up that person’s home, when clearly there is more of a mental issue at play than just simple disorganization. It’s safe to say when a person doesn’t throw away pet fur because he thinks it’s going to kill his dog, cleanliness is not the main issue.
Still, much like it’s equally annoying reality show brother Obsessed, I still manage to tune in week after week despite its unpleasantness. But this latest episode of Hoarders hit new lows. As Animal Control scoured the home for live cats to capture and take away, they also come across this other thing… known as “dead cats.” Tons and tons of dead cats. Dead cats in every shape and size! Tiny ones, big ol’ adult ones, full cat skeletons, little kitty skulls, mummified whole ones, and parts of dead cats that you can’t even figure out. I watched this episode last night before bed time. Here is an animated rendition of me at 4 AM, Pee Wee Herman style:
So, to gear up for tomorrow’s Day Without Cats, why don’t you not give yourself nightmares tonight and watch this tale of a home stripped of all of its cat friends, living or dead. Click the image below for Part I, orclick here.
Ed Norton and girlfriend Shauna Robertson leaving L'Orange Bleue in SoHo ... Jude Law arriving at JFK ... Shia LaBeouf walking in SoHo ... Whitney Port walking to Think Coffee ... Josh Hartnett and model Sophia Lie shopping at Thompson Chemists in SoHo ... Sarah Jessica Parkershooting scenes for Sex and the City in the Village ... Blake Lively and Penn Badgley hailing a cab after lunch at Cafeteria in Chelsea ... Mischa Barton walking to a photo shoot in SoHo ... Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnilloeating dinner at McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon on Second Avenue ... Kirsten Dunst walking by herself ... Jeremy Sisto carrying his baby in the Village ... and Drew Barrymore going to dinner with Justin Long on East Sixth Street ... and Nicole Kidman sitting with husband Keith Urban at the US Open.
A vendor pushes his cart past a cinema in Jakarta. Indonesia's parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial film law that requires more than half of movies shown in cinemas to be locally-produced and imposes... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:11 am
Taiwan's residents watch a television broadcast showing Chinese leader Hu Jintao in 2006. Taiwan said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Chinese actors and directors making television dramas on the island,... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:11 am
Front Page: Agreement reached with New Line, HarperCollins -- Removing a roadblock from production of "The Hobbit" films, New Line has settled with the Tolkien Trust and HarperCollins in a suit over profit participation by Tolkien's heirs in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
US actor George Clooney (R) and British actor Ewan McGregor pose during the photocall of "The men who stare at goats" at the Venice film festival. "As funny as it is, some of the dumbest parts of the film... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:07 am
Actress Reymonde Amsallem (L) and director Samuel Maoz pose during the photocall of "Lebanon" at the Venice film festival. Claustrophobics were warned off a real war movie, "Lebanon," by Maoz, shot entirely... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:07 am
President of World Uighur Congress, Rebiya Kadeer, waves to journalists upon her arrival at Tokyo airport on July 2009. A message, posted on a blog run by one of the organisers of the Kaohsiung Film Festival,... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:06 am
Chinese demonstrators stand outside the premiere of a film about the life of exiled Uighur leader Rabiya Kadeer at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 2009. Anonymous hackers have attacked... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Sep 2009 | 10:06 am
His hand still bandaged from a motoring accident last month, George Clooney was spotted arriving in Venice Monday sporting something that's all the rage in Italian trends -- TV presenter Elisabetta Canalis.
I can find everything I want in Google.co.ck! The search results are long and satisfying on Google.co.ck. And if you’re feeling lucky, Google.co.ck is the way to go. So, tell your friends: Google.co.ck! It’s real, and it’s spectacular.
Here is Ewan McGregor debuting his new “look” at the Men Who Stare At Goats photocall at the Palazzo del Casino during the 66th Venice Film Festival. Do we smell a sexy Conan O’Brien biopic in the near future?
Or is that Ewan’s hand we’re smelling…
Either way, mmm.
Speaking of hands, what the aitch happened to George Clooney?
Someone check on the painting of him in the attic, because we’re pretty sure it has been destroyed in a devastating fire.
Finally, a photo of George and his long time friend, Tilda Swinton:
• Jennifer Esposito is looking to sell in the Village. The actress has put her one-bedroom apartment at 23 East 10th Street on the market, along with the one-bedroom co-op she owns upstairs. The two apartments, which Esposito once planned to combine into a duplex, are currently listed for a combined $1.435 million. [NYM, MDNY] • Peter Buffett, the son of Warren Buffett, and his wife Jennifer have closed on the purchase of a condo at One Madison Park. The couple paid $3.5 million for the three-bedroom pad. [Cityfile, previously]
• Danielle Staub of the Real Housewives of New Jersey has put her 10,500-square-foot home in Wayne, NJ, on the market. The seven-bedroom, Tudor-style home is listed for $1.495 million. [Real Estalker, Luxist, CB] • Grammy-winning record producer Russ Titelman has unloaded his three-bedroom co-op at 160 Riverside Drive sold for $3.020 million. [Cityfile] • Just a week after it hit the market for $8.75 million, at least two parties have supposedly made offers on Bernie Madoff's Montauk home. It's unclear, though, if either offer was considered acceptable. [Newsday]
Good news for the eight kids of Jon Gosselin and his estranged wife, Kate the stars of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" have made some progress in their divorce negotiations Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Sep 2009 | 9:27 am
We were wondering what happened to this ol’ sonuvabitch newscaster when we hadn’t seen him on BBC News for almost 20 years. Turns out he’s been living quite the life! And still managed to keep that svelte figure, no less… At least he’s got a good attitude about it.
AP - "Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story" (Viking, 282 pages, $25.95), by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor: A daughter graduates from college and plunges into depression as she searches for her true calling. A mother struggles to accept her own mortality, and wonders how to help her daughter with problems that she can no longer kiss and make better.
Posting a Zach Galifianakis video and pointing out that it’s funny is as pointless as linking an Onion News Network vid or a Daily Show clip, but regardless, here’s the latest episode of “Between Two Ferns” in which Galifianakis sits down with Charlize Theron, co-star of The Road and more famously Monsters Inc.
Celebrities take note — if you really want to parody yourself, this doesn’t cut it anymore, you have to act frickin’ crazy, Extras style:
Editor Bonnie Fuller turns 53 today. David Carr of the New York Times is turning 53, too. Real estate mogul Howard Lorber is 61. Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Bobby Kennedy and ex-wife of Andrew Cuomo, is 50. Pink turns 30. David Arquette is turning 38. Singer Aimee Mann is 49. Swimsuit model and former E! host Brooke Burke is 38. Ex-NBA star Latrell Sprewell turns 39. Food writer Amanda Hesser is 38. Former Congressman Mark Foley turns 55. And '90s teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas turns 28 today.
Tila Tequila made a citizen’s arrest this weekend after she claims her boyfriend, football player Shawne Merriman, tried to strangle her. Merriman contends he was preventing an intoxicated Tequila from getting behind the wheel. Everyone can agree, however, that they’re not quite sure why they should care about either party.
Michael Jackson’s signature studded glove was sold at auction for over $48,000 this weekend.The owner plans on installing a driver’s seat and engine, and chauffeuring that little bastard all around town.
Well, Bob Balaban confirms what we’ve long suspected: That Mo’Nique will almost surely walk away with an Academy Award next year for her performance in Precious. All that hard work on The Parkers finally paid off.
• Any interest in being buried near Michael Jackson? Hurry up: Prices for plots in the mausoleum have been going up since Jackson arrived there. [TMZ] • In other Jackson news, Randy Jackson says the funeral for his brother was "severely disrupted" last week because a helicopter flew overhead. [NYDN] • NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested over the weekend for allegedly choking and assaulting girlfriend Tila Tequila. [NYDN] • Charges against a security guard accused of shoving Stephanie Seymour as part of her contentious divorce from Peter Brant have been dropped. [AP] • Megan Fox says she has "bouts of mild schizophrenia" from time to time, whatever that means. [Us] • It's not just the government providing bailouts. The rapper Ludacris says he's given away 20 cars to "people in need." [NYDN] • Jennifer Aniston is supposedly sad because filming has wrapped on The Bounty and she'll no longer get to spend her days with Gerard Butler. [P6] • What's going on with Jon and Kate Gosselin? We can't bring ourselves to keep up with the latest, but you're more than welcome to. [P6]
At this time last year, Rose McGowan told us how excited she was to be kicking butt under the direction of fiancé Robert Rodriguez in the she-devil Red Sonja, but it turns out a serious injury has brought the production to a standstill Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Sep 2009 | 7:45 am
AP - "The Beatles: Rock Band" has produced more buzz than any video game since the last "Grand Theft Auto." When Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr took the stage at Microsoft's Xbox press conference at E3 this summer, they were greeted with a standing ovation.
AP - "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History" (Center Street, 473 pages, $26.99), by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter: When Hitler invaded Poland and started World War II, special units went along to seize works of art, says author Robert M. Edsel.
AP - "Barely Bewitched" (Berkley, 312 pages, $14) by Kimberly Frost: Tammy Jo Trask comes from a long line of witches who have drawn power from the earth. Their abilities appear at 17, but late bloomer Tammy Jo, 23, is only now realizing hers. Most of the time, her spells do more harm than good.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy doesn't seem to like it rough.
"It's a little rough right now," the Dancing With the Stars pro acknowledged this afternoon when E! News caught up with...
Some people are all like, "Hey, Fashion Police! Ease up on starlets who can't dress themselves!" And we say, "Listen up, we do good things for Hollywood, and society, and the...
Who doesn't love Glee star Jane Lynch? Maybe the person who will have to get the fishy smell out of the Chelsea Lately set.
Meanwhile, watch as Chelsea Handler winds...
It's not every day I get to talk to Tom DeLay about his waistline.
But I did just that when the former Republican Congressman called me from Sugar Land, Texas, where he and Cheryl...
Review in a Hurry: In the tradition of old-school fairy tales, 9 is grim! Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly do some tip-top voice work in an impressive and gothic Tim Burton collaboration about...
George Clooney came prepared to the Venice Film Festival.
Buzzworthy new flick. Check. Hot Italian girlfriend. Check. Crazy gay fanatic. Check and double check.
Clooney was...
Melrose Place (CW)
Premiere: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9-10 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Big Brother, NCIS: Los Angeles, Dancing With the Stars, The Biggest Loser
Cast: Katie...
It's been nearly a year since Lehman Brothers went bust, making it the perfect occasion to send a reporter to hunt down Lehman's former CEO, 
Chris Brown has finally landed his first public gig since his February domestic abuse incident: he’ll be 
Luckily, today is only the 8th, meaning we can talk about cats as much as we damn please. And what better way to prep for this no doubt painful task at hand than to discuss the recent episode of A&E’s Hoarders, featuring Shirley. “Who is Shirley?” you ask? Oh. I’m glad you did.
• Jennifer Esposito is looking to sell in the Village. The actress has put her one-bedroom apartment at 23 East 10th Street on the market, along with the one-bedroom co-op she owns upstairs. The two apartments, which Esposito once planned to combine into a duplex, are currently listed for a combined $1.435 million. [
• Relationships: Sean Penn 
