AP - Sarah Palin's new memoir provides heart-wrenching anguish about her teen daughter's pregnancy playing out before a national audience. But the 413-page tome doesn't contain a single reference to the father of her granddaughter, soon-to-be Playgirl model Levi Johnston.
 The Money Times | 'Wipeout' reality contestant dies Los Angeles Times Funeral services for a recent newlywed and former USC graduate student were held Wednesday in Westwood after the 33-year-old man died after competing as a contestant on ABC's reality show "Wipeout." Tom Sparks appears to have died ... Death of 'Wipeout' contestant under investigation `Wipeout' TV show player with rare condition dies Tom Sparks: Wipeout Contestant Dies |
 New York Times | Wes Anderson, crazy like a fox Los Angeles Times The exacting director got exactly what he wanted in 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' despite running the sometimes frustrated London crew by e-mail from Paris. By Chris Lee Reporting from London - A self-described "total novice" in stop-motion animation, ... Uneven 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is pretty fantastic, anyway 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox': Where the wild things star Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson's Return to Form |
AP - A German man was charged Thursday with trying to extort $100,000 from former supermodel Cindy Crawford and her entrepreneur husband Rande Gerber over a photo of their daughter bound to a chair and gagged, authorities said.
High Anxiety: Jeffrey Tambor has signed on to star alongside David Tennant in NBC's pilot for Rex Is Not Your Lawyer. Rex, played by Tennant, is a Chicago lawyer who suffers panic attacks and decides to teach his clients to represent themselves. Tambor will play Rex's psychiatrist, who also happens to suffer from an anxiety disorder and date Rex's mom. There is, however, a problem with their relationship. No touching! [THR]
Angels in the Pilot: ABC is close to ordering a pilot for a modern version of Charlie's Angels. The new series would be written and produced by John Friedman, who recently brought the Terminator to the small screen with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Variety says Drew Barrymore is involved but doesn't mention if she will star. Clearly, she'd make an amazing Bosley. [Variety]
The King: Ben Kingsley and his wife Daniela Lavender have signed on to star in the Indian epic Taj. Based on a true story, the film chronicles the relationship between 17th century Indian emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Kandahari Begum. British novelist and playwright David Ashton has written the script. This is finally Kingsley's chance to test that formula he concocted in 1982: One Kingsley + one Indian legend = Oscar. [Variety]
The Green Screen: National Treasure director John Turteltaub will direct an as-yet-untitled film about the founding of environmental organization Greenpeace. Set in the late seventies and early eighties, the story will follow the group's founding members Bob Hunter and Rex Weyler, as they disrupt nuclear bomb tests and crash whaling ships. The producers are still looking for a writer and Aaron Sorkin has been approached. He'll probably let them know if he's interested via Facebook. [Variety]
Space Invaders: Outer Space Astronauts, a new half-hour comedy series, will debut on Syfy on Dec. 8. The show is about eight soldiers who travel the galaxy seeking adventure and knowledge. Russell Barrett, Scott Puckett and David O. Russell are producing the show, which will use live-action, 2D and 3D animation in an attempt to appeal to the male demographic that enjoys both science fiction and cartoons (that would be the whole male demographic). [THR]
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Filed Under: aaron sorkin, ben kingsley, charlie's angels, daniela lavender, david ashton, david o. russell, david tennant, drew barrymore, greenpeace, jeffrey tambor, john turtletaub, kandahari begum, movies, national treasure, outer space astronauts, rex is not your lawyer, russell barrett, scott puckett, shah jahan, syfy, taj, taj mahal, tv
Reuters - Brought back from the brink of financial ruin by a philanthropist's $30 million gift, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles celebrates its turnaround this weekend with the most ambitious exhibition of its own iconic collection.
White House Counsel Gregory Craig, who once lawyered for clients like Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton (during the impeachment), John Hinckley, Jr., Kofi Annan, and Elian Gonzalez's dad, will step down Friday. The most high-profile figure to leave the Obama White House so far, Craig's departure will end what the Washington Post calls "an embattled tenure in which he struggled to lead the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility." We'll always remember him for that hair. [Washington Post]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: coiffure, barack obama, gregory craig, guantanamo bay, white house counsel
A couple months ago the plot for Rambo V was revealed: a bizarre genetically-engineered creature escapes from a military installation and Rambo and a group of other strong men are hired to hunt it down. The internet did not approve. Now Sylvester Stallone, who does nothing if not listen to the internet, has changed the film's plot. No longer will it be based on the novel Hunter by James Byron Huggins, Stallone wrote in an email to fansite StalloneZone (yes, that is a real place). Instead, "RAMBO himself will be heading over the border to a violent city where many young women have vanished. There will be blood." Presumably, there will be no milkshakes. [Cinemablend]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: stallone zone, hunter, james byron huggins, movies, rambo v, sylvester stallone
Who needs Decepticons, CGI or motion-capture when you've got slamming doors, billowing sheets and a hand-held camera?
Paranormal Activity has passed the $100 million mark at the U.S....
While everyone talks about Playgirl and Levi Johnston's wiener, there are big things going down at Playboy HQ, as two different buyers close in on the nudie mag and its properties. Iconix Brand Group and a group led by Jim Griffiths, Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s former entertainment president, are both in talks to purchase the company for around $300 million and take it private.
Whether Playboy Enterprises is ever actually sold will ultimately be the decision of Hugh Hefner, who holds 70 percent of its stock. Getting Hef to relinquish control of the company he founded 56 years ago may prove a difficult task. Unless those attempting to buy it are 23-year-old blondes with huge hooters. We understand he has a weakness.
Two potential buyers closing in on Playboy [Company Town/LA Times]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: ink-stained wretches, hugh hefner, iconix brand group, jim griffiths, media, playboy
If all goes as planned, Roland Emmerich's disaster-epic 2012 will blow up, burn down and all together wreck the box office this weekend. Early projections have the movie making $55 million domestically and another $90 million internationally this weekend. It's already brought in $7.2 million from people in Belgium, France, Poland and Thailand who were eager to take in some global annihilation. Globally, 2012 will be on about 16,500 screens in 105 countries, proving that the one thing everyone on earth can agree on is the awesomeness of its destruction.
Movie projector: '2012' will be big domestically, huge worldwide [Company Town/LA Times]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: blowing shit up, 2012, movies, roland emmerich
Should we now call him the award-winning Levi Johnston?
The Alaskan teen formerly known as Sarah Palin's future son-in-law was in New York City last night to pick up porn website...
Federal agents have begun the process of seizing a Fifth Avenue skyscraper and a Queens mosque from a Muslim nonprofit secretly run by the Iranian government. The Alavi Foundation owns 60 percent of the Piaget building at 650 Fifth Avenue, which was valued at $650 million in 2007. According to a Manhattan US Attorney, the foundation has been secretly controlled by a series of Iranian ambassadors to the U.N. for the past 20 years. The Imam Ali Mosque in Woodside, Queens, is the Feds's other area target. They're also going after properties in California, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. [NYDN]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: feds, iran, piaget building, politics
Universal Pictures reached a settlement with the Alaska Press Club today over a bunch of fake newspaper stories it created as viral marketing for The Fourth Kind. The Milla Jovovich-starring horror flick, which uses a bunch of "found" footage, claims to be "based on actual case studies." Of course, that's just marketing. It's actually based on a script! But that didn't stop Universal from putting together fake news articles describing the events the film is supposedly based on. The studio made its mistake when it used the names of real-live newspapers like the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Nome Nugget on those fake stories. Now it owes $20,000 to the Alaska Press Club and another $2,500 to a scholarship fund. And for the first time in years, journalism wins!
The Fourth Kind Pays Up [CHUD]
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Filed Under: bizarre marketing campaigns, alaska, the fourth kind, universal pictures
Democrat Bill Owens has been the Representative for New York's 23rd Congressional district for seven days now, but his election still isn't official. According to The Post-Standard, recanvassing has narrowed Owens's lead over Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman to 3,026 votes, not the 5,336 votes Hoffman thought he was down when he conceded the election last Tuesday. The new, smaller margin means the election will be decided by absentee ballots, 10,200 of which were sent out. Hoffman's chances of overcoming the deficit are remote, but not so remote that the new tally hasn't made his campaign think twice about its actions last week.
"I don’t know if we would have conceded on election night," Rob Ryan, Hoffman’s campaign spokesman, told the paper. "I’m someone who doesn’t like to look back. But would we have taken longer to make a decision on election night? Probably, if we knew it was only 3,000 votes making the difference."
At the time of Owens's swearing-in on Friday, he led the vote tally and the election wasn't contested, so everything was perfectly legal. But what happens if Hoffman somehow manages to make up those 3,000 votes? Simple. "Owens will have to be removed," says John Conklin, communications director for the state Board of Elections.
Recanvassing shows NY-23 race tightens even as Rep. Bill Owens is sworn into House seat [The Post-Standard]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: election 2009, bill owens, campaigns, doug hoffman, elections, ny-23, politics
 Daily Mail | Warhols Help Sotheby's Top $134 Million in Sales New York Times It was the sale of the season. When a seminal Warhol — one of the artist's first silk-screen paintings — came on the block at Sotheby's auction of contemporary art on Wednesday night, the auctioneer, Tobias Meyer, opened bidding at $6 ... The Art Market Shows Signs of Life Warhol silkscreen soars above $43 million at Sotheby's Pop goes the recession in art world |
Erin Lucas didn't return to The City for a second season, sadly. But just because she isn't playing Whitney Port's best bud on MTV on Tuesday nights doesn't mean she's been sitting around twiddling her thumbs. Louis Vuitton debuted its new ready-to-wear boutique and 2010 cruise collection at Saks Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, an event that turned the store's third floor into a lush indoor garden. It was amid the flora and fauna that party correspondent Douglas Marshall caught up with the TV starlet to chat about what she's up to now, what she's got coming up, and her former castmates from The City.
Q: I was just talking to a friend of yours and she said that you're appearing in a new short film. Is that correct?
A: Yes. It's called Bonnie and Bonnie and it will be viewable on Stylecaster.com. The premiere is tonight.
Q: And you are nervous about it?
A: I am! I haven't seen it yet.
Q: And you play a lesbian?!
A: Yes! A lesbian bank robber. Hence the name. It's a take on Bonnie and Clyde.
Q: So what was it like to play a lesbian?
A: Exciting!
Q: I understand you're involved in a spicy scene, too.
A: Yes, that's true. [Lucas shares a moment of passion with Israeli model Adi Neumann.] A little whiskey was required beforehand to loosen up a bit.
Q: Are you a method actress? Did you have to live as your character off-screen for a little while to nail the role?
A: Ha! No, no. It's a silent film. It was just a really fun day for me. I got to dress up in really pretty clothes and hang out with really fun people.
Q: I heard somewhere that you are working on a new reality show about being the daughter of a rock star. [Lucas, née Erin Williams, is the daughter of Cliff Williams of AC/DC.]
A: Nope, that's not true. You're the second person to ask me that, actually. But, no, I'm not doing another reality show.
Q: Is there a show to be made in the future about being a rock star's daughter?
A: I changed my last name for a reason. That's my personal life and I want to keep that personal. But I'm working on several exciting new projects. Unfortunately, I can't talk about them just yet.
Q: Are you a full-fledged New Yorker now?
A: You tell me. I don't know. I've been here seven years. Does that make me a New Yorker?
Q: Didn't Carrie on Sex and the City once say you have to live in New York for 10 years before you were a real New Yorker?
A: Well, I guess I'm almost there!
Q: Did you vote in the city elections last week?
A: I'm still registered in Florida. I'm a bad girl, clearly.
Q: So I have to ask. Have you been watching The City since you left the show?
A: I've seen it a couple of times, but I've been traveling so much that I haven't had a chance to watch much TV.
Q: Are you still friends with any of the cast members?
A: Yes! Sammy [Samantha Swetra] is still one of my best friends. I don't talk to Whitney that much these days. But no harm, no fowl. It's not really a big deal.
Cindy Crawford's the only one who takes photos for money in this bunch.
The supermodel and husband Rande Gerber were targeted by a would-be extortionist who had in his possession a...
The two state workers who smoked weed, sold cocaine and watched DVDs in a "man cave" beneath the State Capitol have pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding the government. Gary Pivode and Louis Marciano racked up $28,400 in overtime over the past five years while hanging in their dude den and now they'll have to pay for it. Pivode will serve a year in jail while Marciano gets off with five years probation. Neither will be allowed to work for the state government again, which isn't really a punishment at all. [City Room/NYT]
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Filed Under: oh albany!, albany, crime, drugs, man cave, politics
Continuing its trend of picking old-school rock legends to play the Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL has tapped The Who to perform some sort of greatest hits medley in the middle of Super Bowl XLIV. It's almost enough to make you think twice about switching over to the Puppy Bowl. Almost! [Sports Illustrated]
Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond
Filed Under: sports that use balls, music, super bowl, the who, tv
Review in a Hurry: Beyond ridiculous and overstuffed with dizzying computer effects, director Roland Emmerich's 2012 is a disaster pic that pulls no destructive punches. But at more than 2.5...
Why can't Michael Lohan or Jon Gosselin shut up? Is it a disease?
—Lova, via the Answer B!tch inbox
I wish it were, just so I could claim credit for the discovery and...
Each and every Sunday, you hear the likes of world-famous number comparer Paul Dergarabedian cooing about the latest weekend grosses of films churned out by Hollywood. And when a movie like The Dark Knight rakes in $155.4 million over the course of three days, well, the echo chamber rings with the brazen sounds of self-congratulatory backpatting for months and months on end. However, we have yet to see many major mainstream outlets bending over backwards to label the executives at Activision as marketing genuises after the news came out today that their latest release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, hauled in $310 million (!) in the US and UK on Tuesday (!!). Nearly five million people shelled out $60 a piece for the game on its first day of release, setting a new record for entertainment product. Let this be a warning to the constantly crowning James Cameron: Your self-bestowed title as "King of the World" is officially in jeopardy.
Activision says "Call of Duty" sets launch record [Reuters]
Read more posts by Mark Graham
Filed Under: blockbusters, call of duty: modern warfare 2, video games
Oprah Winfrey is no Katie Couric. Which, for Sarah Palin, has got to be a blessing.
The former vice presidential candidate has completed her much-hyped interview with the openly...
Are you still boldly resisting the Dirty Projectors bandwagon, even in the face of New York’s front-page endorsement and a general avalanche of critical acclaim? You are now, we’re afraid, officially powerless to do so — even Solange likes them! Beyoncé’s kid sister has flipped the DP’s “Stillness Is the Move” over a “Bumpy’s Lament” sample (it’ll be quite familiar once you hear it) and the result is pretty freakin’ cool: The new smooth-soul backdrop is a seamless fit, and Solange effortlessly manages to go diva-to-diva with Amber Coffman’s scale-busting original take, even adding a bit of weirdo vocal tics for good measure. The hidden benefit: the long-shot possibility that Solange will convince her brother-in-law to swap the Alphaville samples in favor of some “Useful Chamber” for Blueprint 4.
Listen to Solange's cover of "Stilness Is the Move" at Pitchfork
Read more posts by Amos Barshad
Filed Under: right-click, solange, stillness is the move, the dirty projectors
French lawmakers are mulling passing laws to regulate Photoshopping. One reason for the proposed legislation is to try to combat eating disorders in young women. Cindy Crawford has other ideas for people who want to see change:
We as the consumers, we as the women, have the power. If you don't like something, don't buy it. Don't buy the magazine if you don't like what it says. If you don't like the image a brand is putting out, don't buy it. What I really don't agree with is people who complain about it but still support it. You're giving your power away. If people don't want skinny models, stop buying the magazine with the skinny model, and believe me those magazines will change fast. It's business.
However, if a chick wants to read a lady mag — the fun, vacuous, boring-yet-compelling-in-a-bad-way kind — it's hard to find something that isn't full of skinny models from the editorials to the advertisements.
Crawford continues:
I don't know that much about eating disorders, but I'm certainly not one of the people they've blamed, because I'm not super-skinny. I think people want to find something to blame. An eating disorder is way more than a girl looking at a magazine and seeing a picture of a skinny model. Maybe that's one tiny piece of the puzzle, but I think it's a lot more about self-esteem and self-love and control, so it's too simplistic to just blame it on models who are skinny.
But doesn't it matter that what's perceived as beautiful — what's idolized — is a super-skinny figure?
Question time: Cindy Crawford [Guardian UK]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: body issues, cindy crawford, models
The results are in and we've selected a victor. Congratulations are due to Nymag.com commenter Rastrodog who won the Pictures Reframed contest (a prize package that includes two tickets to this Friday's performance, plus dinner for two at Luce and the collector's-edition art book) for naming his favorite-ever artistic collaboration:
My pick — Salvador Dali and Alfred Hitchcock's dream sequence from Spellbound. Dali's vision didn't include the usual swirling whirlpool that clues the viewer that we're in a dream sequence. Instead, he employed great special props like a giant scissor and miniature pianos suspended from the ceiling.
Thanks to all who entered!
Read more posts by Lauren Salazar
Filed Under: announcements, contests
This comes just two days after Twilight’s Christian Serratos also posed nude for PETA (and at least had the common decency to show her butt) in the Nickelodeon GUTS mock Twilight forest (of vampires):
While I personally happen to agree with PETA’s message that naked people are better than skinning animals, I have to ask the overlooked common sense question here: Are fans of the NFL and Twilight really your prime fur-wearing demographics?
We’re talking primarily men aged 16-50 and females under the age of 30, neither of whom usually have the desire / financial means to purchase and wear authentic animal fur. Not to overgeneralize, but the only people in the country who still wear fur look like this person or literally are this person:
Maybe there’s like, ONE or TWO exceptions, but for the most part, that’s the demographic you should be going after, PETA. Though I’m not really sure exactly how to reach them — maybe try to get this dude to strip down? You’re welcome, animals.
Britons are the ugliest people in the world, at least according to the stupid dating website BeautifulPeople.com. (Not that we necessarily disagree, of course.) [Reuters, Telegraph]
Prosecutors, who have filed thirteen charges of premeditated murder, are seeking the death penalty for Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the shooter behind last week's massacre at Fort Hood, in Texas. The decision to try the case in a military court indicates that investigators believe Hasan acted alone — not with the aid of other conspirators or terrorist groups. It also means that the case is likely set for years of legal battles — in the past 25 years, fifteen members of the military have received death sentences, and so far none have been killed. The last soldier to be put to death was hanged in 1961. If he is convicted, President Obama will have to sign off on his death order.
Military to Seek Death Penalty in Fort Hood Shooting [WSJ]
Read more posts by Chris Rovzar
Filed Under: fort hood, barack obama, courts, military, nidal malik hasan, shootings, terrorism
In the thirties and again in the early eighties, the city government took photographs of 700,000 buildings around the city as part as a jobs program for and to make property assessments for tax purposes. Times photographer Fred R. Conrad returned to twelve of the sites to see how they had changed over the years, including 316 East 59th Street, above, which is now a chiropractor's office but in the thirties was the home of Gnome Bakers. As you can see, the owners back in the day "redesigned the façade to look like a place where the legendary little men might be baking unusual breads and rolls that the bakery sold." (Thank God: For a second we thought they baked gnomes.) At one point — the Times tells us, although we can't see it in the picture — "a giant bearded gnome, munching a piece of bread, rested against the chimney." Sigh. They just don't make giant gnomes the way they used to.
Evolution, as Traced by the Lens [NYT]
Tax Photographs [NYC.gov]
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: neighborhood news, gnomes, GNOMES!!!!!
Jay Leno makes another dream come true! Last week, for the first time ever, ratings for CBS's Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson topped those for NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in the adult demo. [Live Feed/HR]
Read more posts by Lane Brown
Filed Under: talkshowpocalypse, cbs, craig ferguson, jimmy fallon, nbc, tv
Carrie Underwood wore sequin booty shorts and a long vest-coat for her performance at the Country Music Awards last night in Nashville, Tennessee. It's not pantsless, but it's close.
Do you like her leggy look?
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: look of the day, carrie underwood, country music awards
The other morning we wondered aloud why all morning shows have incessant animal feature segments. This clip from this morning's Early Show on CBS gives us our answer. [FishbowlNY/Mediabistro]
Read more posts by Chris Rovzar
Filed Under: animanhattan, animals, beavers, cbs news, early show, why they hate us
Manhattan's very first Costco opened its doors this morning. Located on 116th Street off the FDR—and encompassing 105,000-square-feet—it's a slice of the suburbs in the middle of the city. Oh, and the bargains to be had: three pounds of almonds for $9.69; a five-liter jug of olive oil for $19.99; 40-pound bags of dog food for $23.39! Although when you factor in the cost of renting a storage unit—you won't be able to keep all that crap in your tiny Manhattan apartment, will you?—you can continue to buy your groceries at your local deli for twice the price and you'll still come out even in the end. [NYP]
Last week, Taylor Jacobson left Rachel Zoe Inc., reportedly because she was fired. But she's handling the breakup very well by looking forward ... rather than back at all those good times they had that tend to make a girl nostalgic. When asked if she'd ever consider designing her own line of clothing or accessories, she replied, "At this point I’m entertaining all ideas. I am walking into this new chapter with an open mind." [FabSugar]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: free birds, rachel zoe, taylor jacobson
Prabal Gurung was the breakout star of the spring 2010 shows. Picked as one of our Ones to Watch, we, along with every other editor in the city, flocked to his spring presentation. He's since dressed scores of celebs, from Demi Moore to Leighton Meester, and Oprah wears a red Prabal gown on the December cover of O, The Oprah Magazine. If that's not making it, what is? On top of all that, Prabal (sounds like trouble with a "P") is simply adorable. Here are five reasons why we can't get enough of him.
1. He's a young designer making grown-up clothes.
2. He's succeeding in this economy, something we all love to see.
3. His chic, timeless clothes won't go out of fashion.
4. His presentation almost caused a stampede with editors.
5. He embodies the new wave of American designers: young, cool, and with a perfect eye for cut and tailoring.
Black-and-ivory striped silk duchess asymmetric draped dress, $2,700; red faille striped silk duchess one-shoulder dress with bow detail, $2,750; both available at Bloomingdale's, 1000 Third Ave., at 59th St. 212-705-2000. Black-and-ivory silk faille and organza dress with hand-embroidered ostrich feathers, $4,800. Available upon request, sales@prabalgurung.com. For the spring collection (not yet in stores), check out Prabal's presentation.
Read more posts by Amina Akhtar and Doria Santlofer
Filed Under: we love,
In this Sunday's Times Magazine cover story, Lynn Hirschberg profiles self-aware media genius Megan Fox, famed Transformer actress and former frequent sayer of bloggable things. We say former since, in the piece, Hirschberg is disappointed to find Fox — famed bikini-wearing Hitler-comparer — now quiet, aloof, and seemingly sick of the persona she's constructed ("I am on display for men to pay to look at me. And that bothers me. I don't want to live that character"). As such, the piece is an interesting, revealing read, but one without the outrageous pull quotes typical of most other Fox interviews. Just how dull is she now? After the jump, the completely innocuous joke she refused to do on her recent SNL appearance.
What's to account for the new boring Megan Fox? It seems at least part of it can be blamed on her still stinging over the dis letter posted to Michael Bay's official website by "anonymous crew members" (who were probably Michael Bay). From the piece:
“I got myself in this whole mess,” [Fox] told me. “But it doesn’t matter. I know that the things they said about me in the crew letter were not true, but Bay is not happy with some of the things I’ve said about him. I was waiting for someone to defend me, to say, ‘That’s not accurate,’ but nobody did. I think it’s because I’m a girl. They left me out there to be bludgeoned to death.”
Fox was apparently so upset that, on the October 14 episode of Saturday Night Live she hosted, she refused to make light of the situation with what might've been the first funny joke of the show's current season. In a New York hotel during her SNL rehearsal week, Fox tells Hirschberg:
"There's one specific pitch that we can't do," Fox said. "They wanted me to do a Q. and A. with the audience for the opening monologue. And Hitler is in the audience. Hitler stands up and says, "Why did you compare me to Michael Bay?" ” Fox laughed. "Which is funny, but we can't do that."
Too bad! We hope Michael Bay is pleased with himself. And we hope that the Times' Megan Fox slideshow racks up enough page views to have made all of this worth poor Hirschberg's trouble.
The Self-Manufacture of Megan Fox [NYTM]
Read more posts by Lane Brown
Filed Under: megan fox, new york times, saturday night live
 Daily Mail | Mike Tyson: I Was Defending My Wife and Child People Magazine A publicist for Mike Tyson says the former boxing champ was merely defending his wife and 10-month-old child after an altercation with an overaggressive photographer at LAX on Wednesday. "Mike acted in self-defense as a father protecting his ... Tyson could face jail time for LAX dustup Photog: There was 'blood everywhere' after Tyson punched me Mike Tyson Arrested At LAX After Scuffle With Paparazzo |
We are getting very excited about Sarah Palin's upcoming Oprah appearance because it involves three things we love: Sarah Palin, Oprah, and watching Intel Dan put his fist through his cubicle wall. Fishbowl DC just alerted us to an enticing teaser, in which the queen of talk gets the former Alaska governor to open up about her disastrous interview with Katie Couric:
Oprah: Do you think that was a seminal defining moment for you, that interview?
Palin: I did not. And neither did the campaign. In fact, that is why Segment 2 and 3 and 4 and maybe 5 were scheduled. The campaign said, right on. Good. You're showing your independence. This is what America needs to see and it was a good interview. And of course I'm thinking, if you thought that was a good interview, I don't know what a bad interview is because I knew it was a bad interview.
Oh, Sarah. Don't be too hard on yourself. Those McCain people wanted you to fail.
Oprah Releases Palin Interview Clips [Fishbowl DC/Mediabistro]
Read more posts by Chris Rovzar
Filed Under: america's sweetheart, going rogue, oprah, sarah palin
Have you noticed that more and more social scenesters, models, and offspring of the rich and famous have morphed into DJs? It's a trend, as W points out:
DJing—and the visibility that goes with it—has replaced handbag designing as the go-to profession for It girls and boys. The flock of hobbyist DJs for hire includes A-list models Jessica Stam and Agyness Deyn, actor Leo Fitzpatrick, artist Nate Lowman and rock-royalty spawn Alexandra Richards. They work fashion shows and store openings and have residencies, or regular gigs, at nightclubs—often based on the fact that a promotable name brings press and the right crowd to a venue.
Real DJs aren't too happy about any of this, not surprisingly. It doesn't help that these amateurs are making serious money, too. Richards (above), the 23-year-old daughter of Keith, is now charging $10,000 a gig, believe it or not, compared to a non-famous DJ who might only get a few hundred bucks for his or her services.
The downside? In many cases it doesn't last. Sure, hiring Jesus Luz to spin at your next event might make sense now, since there's a decent chance Madonna will show up, too. But as soon as Madonna moves on to the next pretty young thing, Luz may be spinning in exchange for a couple of drink tickets. Just ask Samantha Ronson. She was asking for more $25,000 when she was dating Lindsay Lohan, but has been forced to cut her rates by half since the two split up.
Invasion of the Dilettante DJs [W]
This is a Recap of Top Chef Season 6, Episode 11, “Seriously This Vegas Is Really Gettin’ Vegas!” originally airing November 12, 2009. If you read on, it will spoil that Kevin was not eliminated this week.
– Bryan, what the hell are you doing making an episode-opening phone call? Don’t you know that’s reserved for sucky chefs who know they’re about to be eliminated so they try to guilt their way into staying an extra week by promising to hit a culinary home run for their terminally-ill mother who is also an orphaned child?
– For this week’s Quickfire, Padma and guest judge Nigella Lawson attempt to cover up their steamy one-night stand by pretending that a “Breakfast In Bed” room service challenge was their plan the whole time. Contestants are challenged to cook a $14 bowl of Corn Flakes and put a dome over it.
– Michael yells “BLEEP! BLEEP!” within the first one second of the Quickfire, before he could have possibly done anything / seen anything / processed information and reacted to it in the form of swearing. This was by far the BLEEPest episode of the season.
– When Kevin walked into the bedroom, I joked “So for my breakfast, I made a roast leg of lamb…” and he immediately made my joke a non-joke by revealing his “hearty” steak and eggs, mentioning that they like their breakfasts “hearty” down in the heartland while listening to Heart.
– Eli wins the Quickfire with a delicious-sounding Reuben Benedict, and earns a crucial advantage for the Elimination Challenge: Continuing to not be Robin.
– For the Elimination Challenge, contestants are each given a Vegas casino to explore, select a detail about, and strain really hard to come up with a tenuous connection between that detail and the dish they wanted to cook anyway.
– In a perfect world, the scene where Bryan got inspired by the Mandalay Bay aquarium would’ve immediately cut to him in the kitchen with a frying pan just cooking the whole shark he had just been looking at.
– Really Makes Me Want To Go To Vegas Moment Of The Night: Jen sitting in the Excalibur “Knights” show by herself amidst three empty rows. Her feigned excitement was just the awkward gravy on top of the other awkward gravy.
After the jump, the shocking Elimination Challenge results, and the (second) best quote of the entire Top Chef season:
– Bravo cut the entire Whole Foods shopping scene. It really threw me off not getting to see Eli beeline right for some random food, then Michael patronizingly say “Eli went right for this food, and I was like, good luck with that,” then someone asking to see the scallops and going “yes, I’ll take them.”
– The show played a really funny “Viva Las Vegas” royalty-free sound-alike right as the contestants arrived at the convention space. I’m betting it was a Pump Audio song called, like, “Hooray Nevada!” (Any video editors in the crowd tonight?)
– Gimmie one sec to hit Control-V, aaaaand… Michael, Bryan, and Kevin are this week’s Top Three.
– At Judge’s Table, Michael Voltaggio delivers the quote of the night and second-greatest quote of the season:
“I figured, chicken wings, New York, firefighters – probably something they like to eat.”
Not quite as amazing as Preeti’s “The day I first realized I definitely wanted to be a chef, for me, was 9/11.”, but right up there. My roommate and I rewound it three times.
– Not only does Michael dish out the quote of the night, he frickin’ WINS after his ridiculous explanation. Tom and Nigella agree that his dish is probably something those firefighters like to eat.
– For his deconstructed chicken wing (if you love deconstructing things so much, why don’t you MARRY someone and deconstruct her am I right??), Michael wins “2 Days and 3 Nights” at Terlato Family Vineyards. I guess he’s not allowed to show up during the daytime on that first day — he has to arrive, sleep there, then begin Day 1 the next morning.
– The Bottom Three was even more shocking: Robin, Jen, Eli
– Toby Young, to Jen: “I’m afraid your dish was more Spamalot than Camelot.” Meaning, it was a 2005 musical that won a bunch of Tonys, not a 1960 musical that won a bunch of Tonys. Also, the meat was too tough, making it more like spam than a castle, on opposite day.
– Tom: “Unfortunately, Eli, your dish WAS a circus.” Eli’s thought bubble: “Then…don’t I win?”
– Again, not difficult, but I think we all predicted the Robin elimination the second she started walking around her casino, yammering about being inspired by that sculpture and using the words “art” and “gelatin.” She nailed three of Top Chef’s biggest “obviously going to be eliminated” cliches:
1) “I have no idea how to do this, but I’m gonna try it!”
2) “Hey judges, here’s this thing I was gonna make but messed it up so it’s not on the dish remember that!!!”
3) Being Bad
– A tiny sliver of my brain briefly entertained the thought of a possible Jen elimination just to shake things up on Bravo’s end and add some controversy to these pointless weeks leading up to the Brothers & Kevin finale, but if Robin had made it through to next week, no one would’ve watched next week’s episode, it would’ve just been too obvious. This episode was inevitable from about the .0001 second mark on.
Power Rankings, brought to you by “We’re not going to the M Resort for this Quickfire but we have to mention it by name every week”:
1) Kevin
2) Michael V – The “Next week on Top Chef” clip of him ripping on Kevin’s food yet again is really setting him up to be humbled in the finale. [INPUT: Trigger Humility Program v3.1 - CONGRATULATIONS HUMAN PEER. YOU ARE RIGHTFULLY VICTORIOUS. PLEASE ACCEPT MY HUMAN HAND SHAKE]
3) Bryan – He’s not even trying to hide his robo-ness anymore either.
Next To Go: Eli, Jen
Episode Thoughts? Favorite/least favorite parts? Predictions for the two weeks leading up to the Finals? Will Eli go first then Jen, or the other way around??? SO EXCITING!!!! Vent away in the comments.
MAKEUP
• LeAnn Rimes wore a dramatic, smoky black-eye look to the Country Music Awards last night. Taylor Momsen's raccoon eyes are catching on! [Girls in the Beauty Department/Glamour]
• Victoria Beckham: “There are so many young girls wearing too much makeup, too much hairspray — I find that very dated.” [StyleWatch/People]
• Ivanka Trump's makeup artist, Alexa Rodulfo, launched her own line of fragrant candles last night, and mentioned that she's interested in launching a makeup line in the future. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
FRAGRANCE
• The Annie Oakley fragrance company launched a new collection named Journeys, which includes three products for horses — lavender muzzle oil rub, ranch and stall spray, and pure essential oil — to keep them calm using aromas. [Now Smell This]
• Fragrance companies are turning to solid fragrance rings and portable perfumes as a strategy to boost sales. [WWD]
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: beauty marks, beauty
Follow all of FoxNews.com's coverage of the CMAs' red carpet fashion
Another possible sign that New York's real estate market is on the rebound: Mega-broker Sharon Baum, who told the Times earlier this year that she was giving up the hunter green Rolls-Royce she used to ferry clients around town because it made her "deeply uncomfortable" amid the downturn, is reversing course. The Corcoran agent—and one-time girlfriend of Mike Bloomberg!—tells the Observer she's using the Rolls once again, although she did decide to get rid of her Vespa recently, for what's it worth. [NYO]
The Daily News reports André Leon Talley will replace Miss J on the judging panel for America's Next Top Model. This seems like the last thing Vogue would have him do, but then again he judged Miss Universe, so who knows. A more likely rumor is that Kimora Lee Simmons will also judge the next season, filling the seat that has been filled this season by a rotating pool of judges, including Chanel Iman and Kim Kardashian. According to sources, this is Tyra's way of showing the world she's an understanding, easygoing person. Tyra's previous judges — Janice Dickinson and Paulina Porizkova — have accused her of being difficult to work with.
"Tyra is obsessed with people's perception of her and was not happy when Porizkova and Dickinson said they didn't get along," says a network source, adding that Tyra's uncomfortable interview with "Nightline's" Cynthia McFadden (who questioned her in September about rumored catfights) only fueled Tyra's rage.
Tyra supposedly hired Kimora, with whom she has been rumored to feud, to prove she's not a catfighter. But this all sounds off. We all know and love Tyra. She's not obsessed with "people's perception of her." It's much less complicated: She's just obsessed with herself. She probably just wants Kimora on so she can have a sidekick that can act as her lesser counterpoint. With Kimora around, she can revisit topics like how she used to teach her to dance when they modeled together because Kimora had no rhythm.
'Top Model' to get major makeover with Kimora Lee Simmons as new judge [NYDN]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: tyra mail, americas next top model, andre leon talley, kimora lee simmons, miss j, models, tyra banks
Because the recession has decimated male-dominated industries like construction and finance, women who had enjoyed Betty Draperish lifestyles are now going back to work, and leaving their husbands at home to take care of the children and household duties. How are the kids taking it?
According to today's Journal, there are a lot of benefits to having dad play mom. Like junk food!
In the Grenz household in Sacramento, Calif., it is Mr. Grenz who has taken on more of the household duties while also trying to rebuild his business. Their new arrangement has resulted in home-cooked dinners being replaced by frozen pizzas and other quick meals such as burritos and quesadillas the kids can make themselves.
Yay! But according to today's Times, it can also be pretty dark.
Paul Bachmuth’s 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, began pulling out strands of her hair over the summer. His older child, Hannah, 12, has become noticeably angrier, more prone to throwing tantrums. Initially, Mr. Bachmuth, 45, did not think his children were terribly affected when he lost his job nearly a year ago. But now he cannot ignore the mounting evidence.
“I’m starting to think it’s all my fault,” Mr. Bachmuth said.
Grim. But as history has taught us — and by history, we mean the 1983 classic Mr. Mom starring Michael Keaton and Teri Garr, which came out during the last recession — these ups and downs and assorted high jinks and kooky misunderstandings are just what happens when a Man Does Women's Work. Eventually, things will right themselves, and dad will seize important jobs like playing Batman and hosting the Oscars while mom fades away playing bit parts on Law & Order.
In Downturn's Wake, Women Hold Half of U.S. Jobs [WSJ]
Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life [NYT]
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: the greatest depression, business, michael keaton, teri garr
An emotional Brooke Hundley breaks her silence in an interview with Good Morning America
Newcomer Kelly Moreira got her big break in an unconventional way: MySpace. After submitting her MySpace profile for the 2009 Elite Model Look France, she went on to become a finalist in the competition. She may not have won, but they signed her anyway. And a mere two weeks later, she was walking the spring Lanvin show like a pro. Confirmations from Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent, and Dries van Noten followed. And just like that, Kelly became the runway toast of Paris Fashion Week. Hopefully, editors and casting directors took note of her catwalk turn, and her editorial debut will be equally grand.
Model Profile: Kelly Moreira
Check out our ever-growing Model Manual for modeling's finest.
Read more posts by James Lim
Filed Under: model tracker, kelly moreira, models
Bad news (but could be worse): The bank looked a little foolish this morning when it was revealed that it had failed to pay the vet bills for four kittens born on the construction site of its new downtown headquarters even though it promised it would do so this summer. What was clearly a no-win situation has since been contained: The bank now says it's coughed up the cash and has resolved the issue. "They are now the luckiest kittens in Manhattan," says a Goldman rep.
Bad news (but only if you work at Goldman): Goldman announced today that it's canceling its holiday party! That sort of sucks, huh? Fortunately, Goldman employees will have plenty of other things to do over the holidays. Like count their money. Or go on shopping sprees with their big bonuses. So they'll be just fine even if the company won't cover an evening in a hotel ballroom sipping on champagne and eating filet mignon.
Good news (but could be better): The Times managed to get its hands on the tax filings for Goldman Sachs Foundation today. (We reported on the previous year's charitable donations a couple of weeks ago, as you may recall.) According to the filing (which "is as thick as a phone book"), the firm has set aside another $200 million to give away to charity and the foundation now has a total of $404 million in assets. Unfortunately, it isn't giving much of it away. (It doled out $12 million in 2007 and another $22 million in 2008.) And it's still a drop in the bucket compared to what the bank will be paying out in bonuses: "[T]he money allotted for its foundation is dwarfed by the sums that will be doled out to its bankers. In the first nine months of this year, the firm set aside about $17 billion for bonuses and other compensation."
So it would seem Goldman could be doing a bit better when it comes to philanthropy. But you can't really argue with the decisions made by someone guided by the voice of God, can you?
First off, I really hope the cab driver in this video is OK. It’s bad enough he got beat up on Halloween, but to make matters worse it was done by two guys dressed as the Super Mario Brothers. Hey you Staten Island punks who did this: In this country, you do NOT besmirch the good name of Mario Mario and Luigi Mario:
I hope when these guys do get caught and are sentenced to jail, the judge plays this:
The studio has agreed to pay $20,000 to the Alaska Press Club after using fake news archives to promote the movie "The Fourth Kind."
The stars are everywhere. Lucky for you, so are we.
Jump Footwear signed Black Eyed Peas member Taboo to design a limited-edition pair of sneakers for the label. The $298 shoes come in four high-top models, featuring combinations of red, gold, black, and white with scattered zippers slapped on them. Taboo gets royalty money from the sales of the kicks, which launch officially tonight at Saks Fifth Avenue and Jump's Soho boutique. And a representative tells us that next season they'll hit Bloomingdale's and more upscale retailers. Because when you hear the booty-dropping sounds of "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas, you think luxury, right? We knew it. [WWD]
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: collaboration station, black eyed peas, footwear, sneakerheads, sneakers, taboo
AP - Musical video games are already family-friendly. There's no violence, and their developers have already weeded out most of the sex and drugs in rock 'n roll. And just about anyone can pick up a fake guitar, microphone or a pair or drumsticks and figure out what to do with it.
After filing for bankruptcy and shuttering about a year ago, Bill Blass is finally readying for a comeback that will hopefully beat the one Christina Aguilera attempted. Peacock Holdings bought the label for $10 million in late December of last year. Now the rumor is that Jeffrey Monteiro will be appointed head designer of the women's collection. Monteiro moved to New York from Australia to design for Mayle. He later was design director at Derek Lam, and launched his own collection in the fall. Peacock says they'll reveal a new designer in a few weeks. Maybe we'll see them on the runway soon. [WWD]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: blass watch, bill blass, designers, jeffrey monteiro, peacock holdings
Iman crossing the street in SoHo ... Meg Ryan leaving Pastis after having lunch ... Jeremy Sisto pushing his daughter in a stroller in the West Village ... Sienna Miller getting in an SUV in Midtown ... Naomi Watts walking downtown with her son and her dog ... Katie Holmes shooting scenes for The Romantics in Southold, Long Island ... Levi Johnston walking around in a hoddie and holding a Men's Warehouse shopping bag ... Katharine McPhee checking in for a flight at LaGuardia ... Shakira leaving MTV studios in Times Square ... and Ashley Tisdale going to dinner at Ollie's on West 42nd Street.
New York City is welcoming a new fast food place, “Fresh-N-Fast,” an aspiring burger chain that has absolutely nothing to do with West Coast favorite In-N-Out Burger:
“In terms of the quality and consistency of the product, I would compare us to an In-N-Out,” [Owner Heath] Wolfson says. “We hope to have the same type of following.”
Oh, so it’s a deliberate ripoff of In-N Out Burger. But couldn’t they have at least picked a name that less obviously ripped off “In-N-Out”?
Some suggestions:
Come-N-Go Burger
Enter-N-Leave Burger
Inbox-N-Outbox Burger
Rip-N-Off Burger
Out-N-Before-That-In Burger
In-AN-Out Burger
McDowell’s
Other suggestions? Throw ‘em in the comments.
(via Dlisted)
A day after Gov. Paterson announced that New York would introduce new license plates—and charge every motorist $25 for the privilege of switching over to the "Empire Gold" plates—and he's already backing away from the plan. Following a storm of protest, Paterson now says he's prepared to abandon the fee. As long as someone can figure out how to make up for the $129 million gap in the state's budget. The governor says he doesn't know how to do it. Do you? Call 518-474-8390 and ask for Dave. [NYP]
Women have been calling Alexander McQueen's offices in hopes of purchasing their own pair of Alien shoes from the spring 2010 collection. The calls started the day after the show, with some looking "to buy them as art pieces," according to a spokeswoman for the label. And the others, who want to wear them, are unsatisfied having their ankles in one piece? The process of making the shoes is protected by copyright. It doesn't sound like the label is really toying with the idea of releasing them for the (very wealthy) masses, but McQueen is considering auctioning them off for charity. We don't know about you, but if we had them, we'd use them as weapons.
Women are actually trying to BUY these shoes [Grazia UK]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: dreams come shoe, alexander mcqueen, designers, shoes, spring 2010
I came across this intriguing display at a Best Buy yesterday:
Coincidental “Ratings Explanation” placement? Or is Walt Disney Treasures: Zoro 2nd Season full of hardcore f***ing?
It’s gotta be the second thing.
One of the videos below is the trailer for MTV’s new show, “Jersey Shore.” The other is part of an ongoing sketch series from 2008 about Jersey shore douchebags trying to get laid. See if you can tell which one is which!
You’d think the Youtube titles and the MTV logo on the first one would make them easy to tell apart, but not really:
Video 1:
Video 2:
Our spies tell us that Lindsay was quick to order some champagne recently, but had little interest in paying the bill
Larry King’s interview with former Miss California Carrie Prejean took a weird but hilarious turn last night when Larry asks why she settled a recent lawsuit and Prejean deems the question “inappropriate,” eventually removing her mic and leaving the set while a baffled King gets more and more passive aggressive.
The second half of this video is a glorious train wreck. It’s like an Andy Kaufman bit that both people are in on, only not:
I think we all know what the dude from the Inappropriate Reaction Channel would have to say about this:
AP - "The Museum of Innocence" (Knopf, 544 pages, $26.95), by Orhan Pamuk: Kemal, the lovelorn protagonist of Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk's new novel, is a sort of Gatsby on the Bosphorus. He is uppercrust, cringe-inducing and, of course, harbors an obsession with a woman he can never really have.
AP - "Angel Time" (Alfred A. Knopf, 288 pages, $25.95), by Anne Rice: A hardened 28-year-old hit man is given a second chance at life when an angel asks him to use his wits, cunning and courage to help answer people's prayers, instead of cutting them short.
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