AP - Police concerns that media-hungry terrorists would attack Michael Jackson's trial as a "soft target" led to a request for federal help, according to FBI files kept on the late pop star. The documents also show that the FBI helped facilitate interviews in the Philippines by California authorities investigating Jackson over allegations that he had sexually abused boys.
AP - Police concerns that media-hungry terrorists would attack Michael Jackson's trial as a "soft target" led to a request for federal help, according to FBI files kept on the late pop star. The documents also show that the FBI helped facilitate interviews in the Philippines by California authorities investigating Jackson over allegations that he had sexually abused boys.
(Reuters) Reuters - To outsiders, the DVD business appears to be in the toilet -- so why are home-entertainment honchos smiling? Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Dec 2009 | 11:32 pm
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper Kid Cudi was held at gunpoint by police in Los Angeles Tuesday, in a case of mistaken identity during a search for suspected robbers. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Dec 2009 | 11:31 pm
Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler says he has entered a rehab clinic to treat an addiction to pain killers he has taken to cope with 10 years of performance injuries. Tyler says in a... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Dec 2009 | 11:26 pm
Funny People:Sarah Silverman and Demetri Martin are both returning to Comedy Central in February. The Sarah Silverman Program has been renewed for a third season and Important Things With Demetri Martin has been given a second season. Even if these two comics aren't for you, we should all thank Comedy Central for showing some love to comics who don't stick their arm up a doll's butt. [TV Week]
USA! USA!:Patton Oswalt and Megan Mullally will star in the Broadway revival of Lips Together, Teeth Apart. Directed by Joe Mantello, the Terrence McNally play is about two couples who spend Fourth of July weekend on Fire Island and find out that even with all the revelers around them, they couldn't feel more alone. Unlike our family's Fourth celebrations though, this doesn't devolve people shooting bottle rockets into their brother's face. [NYT]
Copper Vision: A new reality show with the working title POV-PD will follow police officers as they chase down criminals, all done with a camera strapped to their head. The show is produced by Base Productions, the people behind such shows as Human Wrecking Balls and Fight Science. Now you'll be able to see shirtless Floridians just like the fuzz see them. [THR]
Old Woman Rivers: After four years away from E!, Joan Rivers will return to the network next year to make fun of people for clothes their stylists picked out. She'll host all of E!'s Fashion Police specials tied to major award ceremonies next year. Her first show will be on January 18, where she'll make jokes about her fake Golden Globes. [THR]
Actress Connie Hines, who played Wilbur's wife on the popular 1960s television show "Mister Ed" has died. She was 78. Her "Mister Ed" co-star Alan Young told the Los Angeles Times that... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Dec 2009 | 10:56 pm
AP - Actress Connie Hines, who played Wilbur's wife on the popular 1960s television show "Mister Ed" has died. She was 78. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Dec 2009 | 10:56 pm
Earlier this year, after Andrew Cuomo threatened to make public the names of AIG executives receiving bonuses, those executives agreed to give the money back by the end of the year. Well, the end of the year is almost here and that money hasn't been given back. Of the $45 million that the execs pledged to return, only $19 million has been given back. Some of those who were set to return money left AIG and took the cash with them. And those who are still with the company have decided to hang on to the money until they find out what Kenneth Feinberg decides should be done about future bonuses. Clearly, somebody needs to call the Bonus Buster.
So, now that Rudy Giuliani has decided not to run for the Senate next year how are things looking for Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senator he would have been challenging? Both good and bad!
The Times thinks Rudy's refusal is a win for Gillibrand, who won't have to face a proven, popular figure, unless George Pataki decides to come out of retirement. Instead, she'll likely go up against a completely anonymous Republican. Bloomberg News thinks it's good too, since "Giuliani was likely Gillibrand’s strongest challenger." But Talking Points Memo chimes in with an interesting perspective: maybe losing Rudy was the worst thing that could have happened to Gillibrand. With his baggage and a proven ability to bungle big elections, Rudy might have been the exact opponent Gillibrand wanted. Now that Republicans don't seem to be a threat to the first-term Senator maybe she should look at her own party. The door may have just opened for Bill Thompson.
Reuters - Estelle Parsons questioned her sanity after landing the role of the ruthless matriarch of a crumbling Oklahoma family in the Tony Award winning play "August: Osage County". Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Dec 2009 | 10:14 pm
Well, judging by the first trailer for next year's Sex and the City 2, it doesn't look as if Sarah Jessica Parker & Co. have done anything to muck up the resolutions arrived at in the...
This month, with the announcement that The Wall Street Journal would be expanding the scope of its coverage out of New York, Rupert Murdoch opens his most direct assault yet against his longstanding foe, the New York Times. But the Times launched a preemptive strike when its media critic, David Carr, casted aspersions on the Journal’s journalistic integrity a year into its ownership by Murdoch’s News Corporation. Carr reported how its news pages have been tilted rightwards, much as one might expect from the owner of Fox News and the New York Post. In return, Journal editor Robert Thompson deemed the piece an "attack," lashing out at Times editor Bill Keller and declaring that "principle is but a bystander" at the Gray Lady. (As of last week, the flame war was still being fanned.)
Meanwhile, Murdoch is fighting with an even bigger, non-ideological enemy, Google, over unpaid distribution of News Corp.’s news content. But if nothing else, Murdoch loves a good fight. Lives for it, really — it might even help keep him alive, at 78. Few people have sustained wars as long, or as consistently, as Murdoch, who from the age of 22 has thrived on publicly sticking it to his enemies. And very few have ever managed to get one over the mogul. Herewith, a history of wars waged and battles won (and his one big loss).
Foe: The Herald and Weekly Times When: 1953–1987 What happened: Nicknamed the “boy publisher, ” Murdoch was 22 years old when he inherited a tiny Australian tabloid called the Adelaide News after his father died. Driven by a belief that the trustees of the Herald and Weekly Times — the company his dad, Sir Keith Murdoch, had built into the country’s largest media outlet — had robbed him of his rightful inheritance, Murdoch used the Adelaide News to go to war with his old man’s former employer. By 1955, HWT was forced to merge its much bigger Adelaide Advertiser with Murdoch's News. But it wasn’t the end of Murdoch’s attacks on HWT. Finally, in 1987, Murdoch bought the Herald and Weekly Times for $1.5 billion after a tense takeover battle, dubbing the victory the most sentimental of his life. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Robert Maxwell When: 1968–1991 What happened: Newly arrived in London, Murdoch snatched the News of the World from the hands of the “Bouncing Czech” Robert Maxwell in 1969. As 1968 drew to a close, Maxwell thought he had convinced a major shareholder to sell to him — but out of nowhere, Murdoch made the most of his mother’s friendship with News of the World chairman Sir William Carr in order to convince Carr to sell a 40 percent stake to him. The rivalry between Maxwell and Murdoch became notorious over the next two decades, as they clashed over newspapers (The Sun), magazines, and book publishers (Harper Collins), all the while building rival empires. Murdoch never lost a fight right up until the moment Maxwell fell overboard his sailing boat in 1991. Following the Czech’s death, it was the Murdoch press that dug up most of the dirt on his financial swindles. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Clay Felker When: 1976–1977 What happened: First a pal of Murdoch’s, the founder of New York quickly became the enemy when Murdoch set his eyes on the magazine in 1976. In terms of dollars, the deal may have been small, but New York’s writers and journalists, egged on by Felker, put up one hell of a fight to save the magazine from the man viewed as the greatest vulgarian of his time. Murdoch won, owning the magazine until 1991. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Fleet Street’s print unions When: 1986–1987 What happened: Britain’s newspaper unions had every reason to believe they had the upper hand on January 24, 1986, when their 6,000-strong membership went on strike (as England’s unions were prone to do in the eighties). But in the dead of the night, London’s “Dirty Digger” — as Murdoch would be dubbed by Private Eye — bypassed the strike by moving the entire operations of The Times, the News of the World, and The Sun away from Fleet Street to a brand-new printing plant in Wapping, on the outskirts of London. The strike would last another year, but after a loyal band of Murdoch journalists continued to get the newspapers on the stands, the picket lines eventually thinned out. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Ted Kennedy When: 1988–1993 What happened: The “Fat Boy,” as he was dubbed by Murdoch's Boston Herald, almost had the mogul on the ropes in 1988 when, during the Christmas sitting of Congress, he pushed through legislation that would greatly affect Murdoch: The mogul would no longer be exempt from FCC rules banning him from owning a television station and a newspaper in the same city. Murdoch was said to be heartbroken when he was forced to give up his beloved New York Post in order to keep hold of Fox. But five years later, in order to save the Post from almost certain bankruptcy, Kennedy had to create a waiver to the very rider he’d sponsored, just so the mogul could buy back the newspaper back. Some say Murdoch got his final revenge when The Wall Street Journal inserted a derogatory quote from Rush Limbaugh — declaring Kennedy a politician who "uses the government to take money from people who work and gives it to people who don't work" — into Kennedy’s front-page obituary. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Ted Turner When: 1996 What happened: The bitter rivalry between Turner and Murdoch had its origins not in a media deal, but the prestigious Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race. In 1983, a Murdoch-sponsored yacht crashed into Turner’s, causing the CNN mogul’s boat to sink six miles from the finish line. Back at the boathouse, a drunken Turner challenged Murdoch to a fistfight he wanted televised from Las Vegas. Thirteen years later, when Murdoch launched Fox News to compete against CNN, Turner declared he was “looking forward to squishing Rupert like a bug.” When Murdoch, with the help of Mayor Rudy Guiliani, tried to force CNN’s parent company, Time Warner, to carry Fox News on their cable system, Turner likened him to Hitler. Murdoch responded with an editorial in the New York Post that questioned Turner’s sanity. For most of the nineties, Turner kept Murdoch in check through CNN outdoing Fox in the ratings, but by 2009, CNN finished in third place in annual prime-time ratings behind No. 1 Fox News and MSNBC in second place. Winner: Murdoch
Foe: Anna Torv Murdoch When: 1999 What happened: He may have walked out on her shortly after meeting the much younger Wendi Deng, but ex-wife Anna Torv Murdoch may be the first person to best Murdoch in a deal. Under the settlement of her divorce, she agreed to walk away with just $1.7 billion (experts thought she could have taken half the company), but only if the children from his first two marriages — Prudence, Lachlan, Elisabeth, and James — could exercise voting rights at News Corp., thus cutting out his two daughters with Deng, Grace and Chloe. Despite their father’s wish that all his children would be treated equally, a 2006 amendment to the Murdoch family trust, tensely negotiated between the elder children, gives Murdoch and Deng’s Grace and Chloe only a monetary stake in News Corp. As per Anna’s wishes, the children of Wendi Deng do not have voting control of the world’s largest media company. Winner: Anna
Foe: John Malone When: 1994 (ongoing) What happened: No other media foe has earned the respect of Murdoch quite like the enigmatic John Malone. As head of cable company TCI from 1973 to 1996, Malone earned Murdoch’s admiration — along with the nickname Darth Vader — as he amassed one of the world's largest cable operations and then sold it off for a fortune to AT&T. Now, through Liberty Media, Malone owns stakes in most major media companies around the world. Murdoch has never described him as anything but a friend, but their actions sometimes make them the very definition of “frenemies.” In 1996, Murdoch went behind the cable baron's back and helped lobby the FCC to award a valuable satellite license to a rival of Malone's, leaving the cable baron holding $100 million worth of satellites and no license with which to operate them. In 2004, while Murdoch was too busy watching George W. Bush win the election, Malone got his own revenge when he managed to grab a 19 percent stake in News Corp. Malone and Murdoch eventually reached a deal: Malone would get control of News Corp.'s DirecTV in exchange for giving up his 19 percent overall stake. The next move for both media moguls is anybody’s guess. Winner: Undecided.
New York is always on the cutting edge. Everyone knows that. So it should come as no surprise that the first confirmed case of canine swine flu has come from this neck of the woods. A 13-year-old mixed breed from Westchester, who we'll call Weezy, caught H1N1 from his owner. We're assuming this guy is one of those people who lets his dog lick him on the mouth, which always struck us as super weird. [NYDN]
As a part of Apple's effort to make sure it provides all the media you consume, the company is planning to unveil a new program next year that will offer TV subscriptions through iTunes. CBS and Disney are among the companies considering providing content to Apple's new venture, while News Corp., Viacom and Time Warner are reluctant to sign on. But no Viacom means no Jersey Shore, which means no way. [WSJ]
AP - A would-be rapper was convicted Tuesday of harassing Ashanti's mother with a flurry of dirty photos and lewd text messages about the Grammy Award-winning R&B star.
There are two Jersey Shore related videos on the Internet today that you need to watch. The first, available here, posits a simple but jarring question. What if Jersey Shore is fake? What if The Situation, Pauly D and our beloved Shnickers Snooki are actors playing a role to get smiles out of a weary populous? After watching you'll realize that there's no way this theory is valid, because these kids can't act.
The second video, embedded below, is a demonstration of what the infamous Shnickers Snooki punching incident would look like if it happened in Street Fighter 2 rather than on the Shore. Teaser: it would have looked much more awesome.
A couple weeks ago Precious cleaned up at the African-American Film Critics Association awards. It took home the prize for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay. But Gabourey Sidibe, who was nominated for best actress, did not win. And that's the cause of controversy.
Apparently Sidibe should have won based on the ballots, but AAFCA co-counder Gil Robertson IV didn't care about the ballots. Instead he gave the award to American Violet star Nicole Beharie in an attempt to please the film's producers. At least that's what his critics are saying. Robertson denies any wrongdoing and Sidibe was too busy working on her Oscar acceptance speech to comment.
Richard and Mayumi Heene, the fame-hungry Colorado couple who tricked the world into believing their son Falcon was floating through the sky in a homemade balloon, were handed a bill for their ruse today. According to the Heene's lawyers, they owe local, state and federal agencies $42,000. But in predictable Balloon family style, they're not yet willing to pay.
"Let's see the bills," lawyer David Lane said. "They're not paying anything until they see some receipts." And even then they're probably not paying anything since the Heenes don't deal in unsophisticated humanoid currency.
Steven Tyler has entered rehab to manage an addiction to prescription pain killers. His doctor says the addiction stems from years of treating orthopedic injuries to his knees and feet. Fear not, this minor setback will not result in the 61-year-old leaving the band. He'll resume "writing, recording and performing with Aerosmith as soon as things are handled,” he said in a statement.
Steven Tyler needs more than time to get healthy.
The Aerosmith frontman has checked into rehab for the second time in as many years, again to address chronic pain he suffers from all...
Remember that pheasant hunting trip that Chuck Schumer took with Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson? Well, it turns out one afternoon of bird killing was an essential part of getting the right-leaning Democrat to support health care reform. The money didn't hurt either. [Politico]
Front Page: Cablers to air daylong telecasts of favorite pics -- What started out as a scheduling lark -- Turner's 24-hour "A Christmas Story" marathon -- has now spread across the cable yuletide landscape.
Should we count Christina Aguilera among those rushing to get their holiday shopping done?
The singer's Range Rover was involved in a minor fender bender tonight in West...
So, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation wasn't catching Osama Bin Laden, it was piling up the paperwork on Michael Jackson.
The FBI today released seven files it compiled on...
So You Think You Can Dance season six turned out to have a few more rough edges than perhaps the producers and dancers would have liked.
Several members of the top 20 were so seriously...
Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola wants you to know that just because she's on Jersey Shore does not mean she's a girl without a brain.
"People watching the show...
Reese Witherspoon isn't letting her Thanksgiving breakup from Jake Gyllenhaal spoil the holidays.
A source tells us the Oscar winner plans to spend time skiing out...
Front Page: Companies consider Web subscription content -- Disney and CBS remain mostly mum on reports that they're talking to Apple about participating in a new TV subscription service over the Internet.
Don't know if you've heard, but vampires are all the rage these days.
With the success of Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, bloodsuckers have taken over popular...
Clearly the authorities who let us live with Bernie Madoff for the past decade-plus can't all of a sudden have gotten their stuff together, and yet it feels like they're unveiling a new financial fraud every day. What's tipping them off? Looking back at a few of the big fish they've reeled in this year, we can't help but notice a common thread.
Are the authorities targeting the ludicrously tacky?
Think about it: Robert Allen Stanford had a golden eagle emblazoned on the toilet of his private jet. Raj Rajaratnam had his own rap. And now Indianapolis businessman Timothy Durham, who once appeared in a special called Untold Wealth: The Rise of the Super Rich, is being investigated for a Ponzi scheme. Durham, like the others, is insisting he is innocent. He has said he was shocked when the FBI raided his offices and feels "emphatically" that the allegations against him aren't true. But who are you going to believe? The FBI, or the guy who posed in front of a ridiculous Peter Max portrait he commissioned for himself? We suspect the government is banking on the former. Hide your Bedazzler, Steven Schwarzman, or they'll come for you next.
If you've been looking at the photos of Rachel Uchitel in the tabloids and wondering how you, too, can achieve such "luscious hair and long locks," you'll be thrilled to hear that a website has finally assembled the ultimate primer on Uchitel's tresses in a piece entitled "Hair Envy: Rachel Uchitel's Hair Secrets Revealed!" You're very welcome. [FameSpy]
Front Page: Burke, who'll oversee NBC Universal, sets 5-year deal -- Comcast has struck a five-year employment pact with Stephen Burke, the No. 2 exec at Comcast, who will oversee NBC Universal once the cabler's transaction with General Electric is completed.
Perhaps emboldened by his Golden Globe–nominated performance as the hairy-armed and foulmouthed Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise has made the (possibly unfortunate) decision to try and be funny for an entire movie. His first post-Valkyrie project is Knight & Day (formerly known as Wichita), another in a long line of projects that try to straddle the great divide between action movies and relationship-driven comedies. Past attempts, like Get Smart and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, haven't soared creatively, largely because these genres are two great tastes that, unlike peanut butter and chocolate, rarely taste great together. In this film, Cruise looks to be playing a goofier version of Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible series, only instead of wooing the likes of Thandie Newton or Emmanuelle Béart with his dashing sleuthiness, he tries to win over Cameron Diaz with his toothy grin and a series of one-liners. You know, now that we think of it, there's only one director who's ever been able to successfully combine these disparate elements into an awesome film: James Cameron, take a bow!
As France weighs passing a law requiring retouched photos to be labeled as such, the Brits are mulling new regulations of their own. The U.K.'s Committee of Advertising Practice, which is responsible for the country's code of advertising, just received a report authored by more than 40 academics recommending a ban on Photoshopped ads targeted at girls younger than 16. Experts say they've found a correlation between unhealthy behavior in youngsters exposed to digitally perfected models. WWD reports:
“The weight of the evidence … shows that thin, ‘perfected’ media images have a detrimental effect on how girls and women think and feel about their own bodies,” said Dr. Helga Dittmar of the University of Sussex, one of the authors of the report.
Oh, how shocking! Who would have guessed? Though it's probably not just the Photoshopping that leads to unhealthy behavior, but the models themselves, who look skinny and perfect enough to make girls feel unattractive without retouching. A CAP spokeswoman said, "If a specific digitally altered advert creates a misleading or harmful impression, we can take action. However, we are bound by European law, and it would be very difficult to change the law as it stands."
Momentum seems to be gathering in this country, too, for action against retouching. Over the weekend, protesters gathered outside the Ralph Lauren store to demonstrate against the use of unrealistically Photoshopped images of women in advertising. The National Organization for Women's New York chapter organized the protest and said they could envision a legislative solution. NOW's Sonia Ossorio spoke to Jezebel:
"We'd like retailers to realize that their customer base is women," Ossorio told me. "It's like, who do they think they are? Making women feel less sexy and less beautiful than we are. Why do they think they have the right to do that? And it's so unfortunate. Look at how it impacts the entire world, and how we feel about ourselves."
Regulations on Photoshop would hardly solve the problems with the fashion industry's representation of women. Though it's a start, a woman with hips that measure 41 inches is still considered "plus-size" and has to pose next to a size-zero chick to prove she looks good in designers clothes as well.
AP - Hollywood is crossing a new milestone as domestic revenues top $10 billion for the first time. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Dec 2009 | 3:57 pm
New York fashion director Harriet Mays Powell stopped by Ruffian's studio for a chat with co-founders and boyfriends Brian Wolk and Claude Morais. The label is small, but expanding with lines for large retailers like Macy's and Anthropologie. In the video, the boys discuss their spring collection and Claude shows off his suspenders, which are made from chains. "I always do a striptease, you know," he jokes.
Front Page: 'Survivor' finale, fresh scripted episodes rule -- CBS dominated primetime's ratings race last week thanks to originals and "Survivor" finale.
For the past three years, Animal Fair magazine has held an annual Christmas Toy Drive for Homeless Animals. Because homeless animals need toys, obviously. For this year's event at Vintage Irving, a number of dogs showed up dressed in especially humiliating outfits. Here are some pictures. Feel free to laugh, because they're dogs and they won't ever know, and because at least they're not homeless.
Band-Aid heir, filmmaker, and Vanity Fair contributor Jamie Johnson has some pretty eccentric family members. (Perhaps you've heard of Casey Johnson, Jamie's first cousin, who's been in the news recently? That's her on the far right, with her "fiancée" Tila Tequila.) Well, it seems Jamie's friends are pretty strange, too.
A good friend of mine, who hosts me from time to time on my travels, lives with one extravagance in particular that never fails to make an impression on me. Upon returning home from each car trip, he drives as close as he possibly can to the front door of his mansion and parks with the nose of the car facing the house. Then, after he has walked inside, a staff member discreetly darts out from a concealed service building and re-parks the automobile by turning it around, which conveniently prevents the owner from ever having to reverse awkwardly from his own driveway.
Jamie goes on to explain that, sadly, his good friend is the exception, and that it's extremely difficult to find household help willing "accommodate such idiosyncratic preferences," whereas hotel employees will do just about anything if you ask (and you slip them enough cash, presumably!)
If your staff of butlers and maids have been letting you down recently, and you're thinking life would be so much easier if you simply moved into a suite at the Four Seasons, you have Jamie's approval, rest assured.
The King of the South is headed home.
Hip-hop superstar T.I. was released from a federal prison in Arkansas this morning, after serving seven months of his one-year sentence...
Christina Aguilera was snapped walking around outside in L.A. last night wearing a relatively normal outfit for a diva (do we still call her that if the biggest thing she seems to have going on right now is that DirecTV commercial?) who isn't trying to top Lady Gaga.
Her statement scarf almost makes it look like she's not wearing a top. What do you think of her casual look?
You have no idea how hard it was not to write "Ricky Gervais Gets Animated" as the headline. Either way, your 2010 Golden Globes host will be translating his popular podcast into cartoon form for a show that's set to debut on HBO on February 19, 2010. He'll be voicing the show, but we fully expect him to delegate the animation responsibilities to someone else. [AP]
Computer hackers can be so cruel. Not only did a "Russian cyber gang" decide to mount an attack on one of America's banks, they picked the nation's most feeble financial institution, too. According to the Journal, hackers likely used a $40 software program to gain access to Citibank accounts and make off with "tens of millions of dollars," although in typical Citi fashion, for now the bank is pretending the computer attack never happened. [WSJ]
This holiday shopping season isn't expected to be much better than last year's, which was the worst in decades. Retailers have done almost everything they can to get customers to buy things, from putting things on sale to offering hot breakfast on Black Friday to shoving half-naked women in holiday windows. But now they're working on something they've neglected for ages and are notoriously bad at: customer service. The Retail Service Quality Index that came out December 1 revealed that luxury retailers like Saks offered no better customer service than Lowe's, the home-improvement chain. Consultant Rick Miller worked on this index:
“Retailers are very good at the sales transaction,” Mr. Miller said, “but they are not very good at building sales relationships. If I am not going to get service that is any different walking into Wal-Mart as walking into Nordstrom, why would I go to Nordstrom?”
Oh, we don't know, it's more pleasant to shop for shoes for your 2-year-old niece without feeling the chill of the raw-hamburger cold case behind you?
According to the Times, no store, even on Madison Avenue, is too good for your business this Chrismukkah. Salespeople will pounce on anyone, rubbing all up on them with free Champagne, compliments, and shopping solutions.
Take Hermès, scion of waiting lists, where salespeople are actually calling other stores to try to find bags for people instead of writing their name down on a list that's probably just for show anyway. One New York shopper had a bag called in from California, and when she didn't like it, the salesperson called in an entirely different bag from an entirely different store, which she wound up buying.
David Yurman is handing out Champagne to lollygagging college students. Bergdorf Goodman even hired a new security staff after discovering the old guards weren't friendly enough. They're also sending thank-you notes to customers who only bought one $18 nail polish (but $18 for a tiny bottle of liquid deserves recognition, if you ask us). Lord & Taylor is even giving people compliments:
Lord & Taylor has been coaching sales people to be less intimidating. When approaching a customer, they are not to ask, “May I help you?” Instead, they might remark on what the customer is looking at, saying something like: “That’s a great sweater. By the way, we have it in three additional colors.”
Dennis Basso is greeting shoppers in his store personally. Seeing the way the finest of this city's bridge-playing set flock to him after fashion shows to fish for their bi-annual dose of compliments, this is probably highly effective, too.
Animal Fair magazine hosted its annual "Toys for Dogs" holiday party last night, an event that featured a bunch of poor canines dressed up in embarrassing Christmas costumes. Today health officials in Westchester announced they've confirmed the first case of a dog catching swine flu from his human owner. Coincidence? [Jezebel, NYDN]
As if inviting the "Real Housewives of NYC" cameras into her home wasn't revealing enough, Kelly Bensimon will be exposing herself to the world in next month's issue of Playboy, in photos shot by her ex-husband, mega-famous photographer Gilles Bensimon. But as Kelly's former personal assistant, I already feel like I've seen it all. After a year as her right hand, left hand and sometime-surrogate mother ("Kelly, that's not a dress it's a shirt"), very little can surprise me.
When we first saw the Wall Street Journal headline "With Scant Jobs, Grads Make Their Own," we assumed it meant that college grads today were doing what we did when we graduated from college into, um, a different recession, which was smoke pot and watch Lifetime movies like it was our job. But no:
For his part, Mr. Levine built upon a business plan for a niche social-networking company he had created for an entrepreneurship class the prior year. He showed the plan to the father of a college friend who was an angel investor and got $40,000 in seed money in exchange for an equity stake in the business.
"The day you brought Stanley Tucci to the set of our film, I hated you for doing that. I thought, what a rude thing of you to do. I was soooo hurt that you did that, because you and he had such chemistry. You were lovely together. It was like bringing your ex-husband to the set. ... I was your man in this movie, and you brought Stanley there? My penis telescoped up into my body. You know what? I’m going to do one of those movies like 300, where I’m all muscled up, and I’ve got my boobs all oiled and everything." —Alec Baldwin was emasculated by Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci [Times UK]
"I think he’s so brave and smart." —Mia Wasikowska says what every girl thinks is too cheesy to admit about Johnny Depp [Hero Complex/LAT]
"I've found that doing interviews for films doesn't end up answering any questions about the films, and it doesn't really help the films. Usually I end up answering some dumbass question from some dumbass from the Netherlands. I don't mind the stories in gossip magazines, but I worry when they bleed into legitimate interviews, and that's been happening a lot recently." —George Clooney [Empire via Female First]
"I went immediately and looked up Francois online and I said, Clint [Eastwood], this guy is huge. We've never met but I'm 5'10". I told him on the phone and he started laughing and he said, Oh hell, don't worry about that. I said, Alright. He said, You go worry about everything else ... So, I kind of made my little checklist of things I had to do and just planned it out and then I got to South Africa. The very first day, Francois invited me over to his house for a gourmet dinner that he was cooking. He invited me to meet his wife and two boys. Morgan and I went. I just remember I rang the doorbell and he opened the door and I looked up at him, and the first thing I ever said to Francois Pienaar in my life was, I look much bigger on film." —Matt Damon on being a shorty pants [Suicide Girls]
"I would just grab my daughter and hold her, and I would start crying. She'd be like, 'Daddy, what's wrong?' She just wanted to play. I would try to talk to her about taking care of herself and not talking to strangers. She was three at the time. But, thankfully, I had another movie to go to that helped me get out of that." —Mark Wahlberg was a wreck while shooting The Lovely Bones [Female First]
Maryam Nassir Zadeh's Norfolk Street store feels more like an airy installation space than your average crammed Lower East Side boutique. Metal rolling racks showcase unique pieces of clothing and well-placed accessory displays highlight the shop's impressive jewelry collection. The owners, Maryam and partner Uday Kak, hail from Iran and India, respectively, and their eclectic tastes are nicely represented in the variety of designers they carry. In addition to industry favorites such as Vena Cava and Isabel Marant, the store sells plenty of newcomers like All for the Mountain and Electric Feathers. We sat down with Maryam in her year-old space to discuss the importance of lipstick, her store's bohemian vibe, and a few items on her holiday wish list.
What is the concept behind your store?
The concept behind the store is lifestyle. It's a mixture of all elements: fashion, art, interiors, ideas, music, and events. We wanted to develop a space that was not only fashion, but also everything that surrounds a person. I've been designing clothing and textiles since 2001 and Uday has a background in art direction and graphic design. We wanted to share our aesthetic and inspire people, and bring together a community of artists and designers.
How do you decide what to stock?
We know what we're interested in and attracted to, and we research labels. We follow our instinct.
What is the aesthetic you're striving for?
Our look is natural, modern, relaxed, and experimental.
Describe your favorite piece in stock right now.
A woodblock printed dress by Pelican Ave.
Who are your style icons?
Jane Birkin, Isabella Rossellini, Camille Bidault Waddington, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Do certain designers capture your personal style?
My style is "classic artistic." I wear vintage, Isabel Marant, Electric Feathers, and Rachel Comey. Uday's style is "disheveled preppy." He wears Acne, Costume National, and Dieppa Restrepo.
Which other stores do you frequent?
Assembly New York, No. 6, and Narnia.
What's on your holiday wish list?
A cashmere charcoal-grey scarf by Faliero Sarti and all of Time Bandit's
most recent jewelry collection.
What's something every woman should have in her closet?
Vintage.
Finish this sentence: I never leave the house without ...
My makeup pouch. I love wearing lipstick and I would feel naked all day without it.
Maryam Nassir Zadeh, 123 Norfolk St., nr. Rivington St.; 212-673-6405.
If you believe what you read in the gossip pages, real-life couple Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Jerry Ferrara have called it quits. An anonymous friend of Sigler's spilled the beans, pointing to the fact that she has shown up without Turtle on her arm at a few movie premieres of late. Additionally, she was also seen partying with Lance Bass over the weekend, who is exactly who we'd go to during a time of need. [Gatecrasher/NYDN]
Name: Sandra Bernhard Age: 54 Neighborhood: Chelsea Occupation: Actress, Comedian, Author, Provocateur. Her comedy and rock show (with her band the Rebellious Jezebels) runs from December 26–31 at Joe’s Pub.
Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Robin Byrd (because she’s all of the above).
What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
You can never go wrong at Cookshop.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Get my nails done, meet friends for lunch, and wait for the phone to ring.
Would you live here on a $35,000 salary?
Yes, if I was married to Ronald Perelman.
What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
The original production of Hair.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
No, but I borrow from them.
What's your drink?
A Manhattan, of course.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Once a week when the cook has the night off.
What's your favorite medication?
Bach’s Rescue Remedy.
What's hanging above your sofa?
A shrunken head and a dream catcher.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
$35.
When's bedtime?
Several times throughout the night.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
I prefer the old Times Square, when the Native Americans lived there.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
Ours is a complicated relationship.
What do you hate most about living in New York?
Answering questions about New York.
Who is your mortal enemy?
I don’t have one.
When's the last time you drove a car?
Last week in Hong Kong.
How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
Everything is liquid.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
I still read the Flint Journal.
Where do you go to be alone?
Los Angeles.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
An irrepressible spirit.
Who, pray tell, was the genius who decided it would be a good idea to have characters from Star Wars make an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange this morning? "This is pretty much the perfect metaphor for 2009: Darth Vader ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange surrounded by a goon squad of Storm Troopers." [Business Insider]
The first decade of the new Millennium (or “The Naughts,” as they never became known) was, by all accounts, a depressing one. As part of that trend, Hollywood and the world lost some of their most familiar, iconic, and recognizable faces from all walks of the entertainment life.
Some deaths were shocking, some were perhaps less so… but if there is one thing that almost all of these deceased people had in common, it’s that they were, by all accounts, way, way more attractive than your average human being. Which is why we thought we’d celebrate their lives for the same reason that, in many cases, brought them their fame to begin with. So please, join BWE.tv in remembering our beloved celebrity brethren by perusing the following gallery…
The 50 Hottest Dead People of The Decade. Click on the first pic, scroll through, then tell us your favorites, who you’ll miss the most, and who we left out. Because the decade may have been full of tragedy… but on the bright side, these people were hot. Let us remember them that way.
FRAGRANCE
• Eva Longoria Parker will join the ranks of celebrities with their own scents when she launches Eva by Eva Longoria in April. Parker is allergic to most perfumes, but hey, if she can sell a 1.7-ounce bottle of something for $45, and a 3.4-ounce bottle for $58, why not? [WWD]
MAKEUP
• A British woman's eyes were glued shut after she got her eyelashes tinted. Despite going through the procedure regularly, she suffered an allergic reaction so severe that her whole face swelled up, causing blurred vision over a week later. The salon apologized and gave her a refund. [Daily Mail UK]
• StyleList has a slideshow of celebrities sans-makeup, including Lady Gaga. [StyleList]
• Alyssa Milano got a Jersey Shore–inspired makeover for Funny or Die. Obviously, this involved copious amounts of some sort of bronzer paint. [Vulture]
SKIN
• New studies show that too many antioxidants may not be a good thing. Scientists found that taking antioxidant supplements (keep in mind, many are pumped into skin-care and anti-aging products) can prevent the body from creating its own during physical exercise. So ... a good excuse to skip the gym once in a while? [Independent UK via Style]
• Lilo's little sister, Ali Lohan, turns 16 today, but the Post thinks she looks 60. [NYP]
• Superhot showers are terrible for skin, but applying lotion within three minutes of ending your shower will help lock in any moisture you didn't steam out. [Girls in the Beauty Department/Glamour]
"The band hit the road in this decade as the best E Street Band
that's been out there"
Look back at the decade in our new issue, on stands now: the 100 Best Albums and Songs, Top 10 Movies and much more.
The Rolling Stone editors picked eight stars — from Bruce and Beyoncé to Radiohead and U2 — who not only made the best music but also led the way as Artists of the Decade in our
We've been dreading the arrival of The Karate Kid movie ever since the project was first announced last year. It's not that we're wholesale opposed to remakes, but in the case of the 1984 John Avildsen film, it's near impossible to find any ways that one could improve the story. However, not much gets in the way of Hollywood studios looking to make a buck, especially when they can earn the loyalty of the biggest box-office star in the world by casting his son in the lead. Anyway, this trailer confirms some of our darkest fears of the reboot: There's some crappy CGI thrown into the mix, classism has been replaced by racism, and, well, we can't avoid the stench of nepotism emanating from Jaden Smith's pores. Plus, there's the whole matter of Jackie Chan telling little Jaden to "Jacket off." Honestly, folks, the last thing we need in the multiplexes next year is a pervy martial-arts instructor with a creeper 'stache using leftover Blink-182 masturbation puns to teach our nation's youth self-defense.
Remember how great it was when Joan Rivers interviewed celebrities on red carpets and then skewered their outfits in a separately taped fashion review special? And they got all upset about it, which was just so silly because, well, who cares and red-carpet outfits are generally kind of dull anyway? Well, E! is returning Joan to her former glory! Mostly! She'll host Fashion Police specials, beginning with the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. This is stupendous because not only is she the younger older sister you always wish you had, but whoever is hosting the Fashion Police specials now are about as annoyingexciting as a Miley Cyrus music video. Joan's daughter Melissa is producing the show. It doesn't sound like they'll interview celebs on the red carpet anymore, but awkward Ryan Seacrest screws up enough for that part of awards season to be sufficiently entertaining.
Yesterday, Phi announced it would shutter owing to the economic climate. Funded by computer magnate Michael Dell's wife, Susan Dell, the label was praised by critics and adored by socialites like Vanessa Traina and Dree Hemingway. However, Lauren Sherman on the Fashion Beat reminds us that good press and exposure don't always translate into sales. We often popped into the Phi boutique on Greene Street, but 90 percent of the time we were, awkwardly, the only ones in the store, reluctantly refusing the complimentary Champagne while tucking painfully high price tags back into perfectly spaced garments.
Phi's CEO, Julia Hansen, said the decision to close Phi was based on "the overarching economic climate and the downward pressure on luxury goods over the next 12 to 24 months."
“It’s just very difficult to look forward with confidence against the opportunity in that market,” she said. “The realization is that for a smaller brand, it’s going to be a very challenging time even beyond 2010.”
She added that Dell, who wasn't involved in Phi's day-to-day operations, agreed it was time to close the label. Sherman reports:
As a source familiar with the situation told me this morning, “It was just too niche. Great design, very hip and cool. But it appealed to a very limited audience.”
The source went on to say that Susan Dell was still pouring quite a bit of money into the company; she didn’t want to fund it any more.
How much could it be for a Dell, right? The Dells pour lots of money into charitable causes and things to benefit their community in Austin, Texas, where Amy Odell's from (great work on the JCC, guys!). Maybe funding a bondage-y, New York–cool label is one of those flashy things rich people don't feel comfortable doing anymore — like throwing parties, buying money clips at Tiffany's, or owning a yacht that changes color in the sun like Roberto Cavalli's.
Expect to find items on sale in the Phi store through January and a big warehouse sale at the end of next month.
Billy Mays may be gone, but his bearded spirit can take solace in the fact that the art form that is the modern-day television infomercial has simply never been stronger. Let’s take a look back through the informative year that informed us informatively with this list of the 13 Most Stupidly Convincing Infomercials of 2009. Get your credit cards ready, cause here come the blue screens…
13. Jump Snap
It’s a jump rope without the rope! But also not nothing!
12. Bottle Top
I can save thirty cents worth of generic cola, logo-blocked beer, or ‘energy drink’? Gimmie five more examples of things that are in cans and I’m sold.
11. Big Top Cupcake
Why waste time on all those little cupcakes? Just bake one it’s called a f***ing cake BIG cupcake!
10. Foot Brush
Let’s shoot “Haven’t you ever heard of the foot brush?” dude from the Citizen Kane ‘through the floor’ angle…
Moss on her 7-year-old daughter, Lila Grace: “She has a mirrored Fendi bag and she’ll say things like: ‘I’m not going to wear that any more.’ She has really good style as well. She knows what she likes and I can’t force her to wear anything she doesn’t, which is annoying sometimes. But now I rarely go shopping without her. She tells me what she doesn’t like or she’ll say: ‘Mummy, you look nice’ or ‘that dress is amazing!’ She’s got it.” [Daily Express UK]
SALES ENDING TOMORROW
• Shop discounts of up to 80 percent off on fur vests, scarves, jackets, hats, throws, and pillows at the Adrienne Landau holiday blowout sale. Through 12/23. 519 Eighth Ave., nr. 36th St., twenty-first fl.; M–W (10–6).
• Find final markdowns on cocktail dresses and gowns from Donald Deal, Pamella Roland, Melinda Eng, and more. Through 12/23. 519 Eighth Ave., nr. 36th St., twenty-first fl.; M–W (10–6).
• Victor Hugo's exotic-skin handbags are up to 80 percent off. Through 12/23. 519 Eighth Ave., nr. 36th St., twenty-first fl.; M–W (10–6).
• Shop the recently extended Rebecca & Drew sample sale, featuring skirts, shirts, and dresses all under $100 (originally $150–$800). Through 12/23. 344 W. 13th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; M–W (10–6).
• Shop discounts on fall 2009 Kooba handbags and Tocca apparel. The Natasha suede shoulder tote with contrast piping is $320 (originally $645), the classic floral-print silk dress is $85 (originally $286), and the Courtney leather clutch with a side bow is $120 (originally $245). Through 12/23. 261 W 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., second fl.; M (11–7), T (11–6), W (11–5).
ONGOING
• Donate a used coat to Barbour's coat drive and receive 25 percent off a new Barbour jacket. Donated coats will go to local residents in need. Through 12/26. 1047 Madison Ave., at 80th St. (212-570-2600); M–S (10–6), Su (noon–5).
• Select items from the Built by Wendy fall collection are 30 percent off. The glitter madras plaid V-neck blouse is $109 (originally $156), the silk floral scoop-neck minidress is $168 (originally $240), the Marine wool leggings are $102 (originally $146), and the wool-hooded car coat with brown-leather trim is $220 (originally $315). Through 12/30. 46 N. 6th St., nr. Kent St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-2882) and 7 Centre Market Pl., nr. Broome St. (212-925-6538); M–S (noon–7), Su (noon–6).
• Merchandise from Henrik Vibscov, C.Neeon, Rodebjer, and more is 50 to 60 percent off at Eva. The Henrik Vibscov leather dress is $325 (originally $795),the TV hooded sweater is $195 (originally $408), and the TV crochet corset is $125 (originally $288). Through 12/31. 355 Bowery, nr. 4th St. (212-925-3890); daily (noon–8).
• Select men's and women's clothing is 30 percent off at Rogan, including outerwear. The women's silk dress is $209 (originally $296), the women's bomber jacket is $319 (originally $456), and the men's peacoat is $409 (originally $595). Through 12/31. 330 Bowery St., at Bond St. (646-827-7567); M–S (noon–8), Su (noon–7).
• Select merchandise is 50 percent off at First Among Equals during the holiday sale. Through 12/31. 177 Orchard St., Stanton St. (212-253-2202); M–F (1–9), S–Su (noon–8).
• Select fall 2009 womenswear, menswear, jewelry, shoes, and accessories are 25 to 40 percent off at Bird. The Alexander Wang viscose Goddess dress is $379 (originally $625), the Thakoon floral twist-front dress is $499 (originally $845), and the Zero + Maria Cornejo Marla dress is $359 (originally $598). Through 12/31. Various hours and locations.
• Womenswear and shoes are 25 to 40 percent off at Project No. 8. The Margiela gray Replica heels are $573 (originally $765), the Stephan Schneider purple-and-black knit cardigan is $198 (originally $284), and the yellow VPL dress is $327 (originally $545). Through 12/31. 138 Division St., nr. Orchard St. (212-925-5599). T–Su (1–8).
• Menswear and shoes are 25 to 40 percent off at No. 8b. The Margiela Flocked sneakers are $386 (originally $515), the Stephan Schneider gray cardigan is $161 (originally $269), and the Aspesi jacket is $201 (originally $268). Through 12/31. 38 Orchard St., at Hester St. (212-925-5599); Tu–Su (noon–7).
• Eyewear by Dior, Gucci, Tom Ford, Lafont, and more starts at $50 at James Leonard Opticians. Through 12/31. 1010 Second Ave., nr. 53rd St. (212-753-7733); 209 Smith St., nr. President St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn(718-222-8300); M, W, F (10–7), T, Th (10–8), S (10–6).
• Get 20 percent off everything on Digby & Iona's website, including the new fall collection, by entering "holiday" in the promo section at checkout. Through 12/31. digbyandiona.com.
• Balenciaga is offering 40 percent off select merchandise. Short-sleeve silk cowl-back dresses are $469 (originally $795), gray cloque jackets are $1,189 (originally $1,995), and the black leather woven platform booties are $679 (originally $1,145). Through 1/1. 542 W. 22nd St., nr. Tenth Ave. (212-206-0872); daily (11–7).
• Pre-fall and fall/winter 2009 merchandise is up to 50 percent off at Zero + Maria Cornejo. The Alana wool Funnel coat is $667 (originally $1,111), the leather Duo jacket in crackled leather is $995 (originally $1,990), and the silk charmeuse Nella dress is $199 (originally $499). Through 1/5. 33 Bleecker St., nr. Lafayette St. (212-925-3849) and 807 Greenwich St., at Jane St. (212-620-0460); M–S (12–7), Su (12–6).
Last night, I did something fairly out of character: My television tuned into NBC between the hours of 10 and 11, when The Jay Leno Show happens to air. My reasoning was simple: Adam Lambert fans were tweeting me in droves, telling me to tune in and catch his performance. Considering I was watching The Nutcracker on PBS (Sidenote: It’s terrifying?), this decision came easily.
Lambert was his typical charming self, and seemed to have even the unlikeliest of faces — that being the giant one of Leno’s — under his spell.
But the REAL story on last night’s Leno was his interview via satellite with actor Jeff Bridges. It’s the kind of celebrity interview you so rarely see: Where the madcappyness remains intact for all the world to marvel at. He also brought to the table the sense of humor of a stoned 7th grader, which is secretly the most sophisticated kind.
Just how stoned? Take a listen to his favorite joke, for example, which is now ours as well:
Or his phobia, which involves both citrus fruits and human excrement:
He even threw in a VH1 reference as his guilty pleasure!
And really, who doesn’t enjoy watching Gary Busey? So, we would like to (gulp) thank Jay Leno for bringing these fascinating Jeff Bridges facts out into the open.
Comedian Joe Mande (who is on Twitter!) has discovered a show that is sure to be on every Top 10 list for the Year 2010. It’s Animal Planet’s Pit Boss. Never heard of it? Neither had we… until the following 15 seconds of video footage came into our lives and changed them forever as we know it:
It’s like they’ve taken our 8 favorite things (small models, dogs, jail, mugshots, tiny fedoras, cigars, Italian stereotypes, little Asians) and put it into one show! In other words: SOLD.
Did you think that Hot Topic was going to make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed Snuggies? Because Hot Topic just made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed Snuggies. There’s a picture of three emo-teens, the apparent target market for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed Snuggies, wearing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed Snuggies. Humankind is at an end.
Whoops, did I type that last sentence? I meant to make it all caps and add three F-words.
AP - Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is more than a peculiar coda for Heath Ledger. It's not just a trivia answer — though that may well be its fate.
Well, judging by the first trailer for next year's Sex and the City 2, it doesn't look as if Sarah Jessica Parker & Co. have done anything to muck up the resolutions arrived at in the...
Steven Tyler needs more than time to get healthy.
The Aerosmith frontman has checked into rehab for the second time in as many years, again to address chronic pain he suffers from all...
Should we count Christina Aguilera among those rushing to get their holiday shopping done?
The singer's Range Rover was involved in a minor fender bender tonight in West...
So, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation wasn't catching Osama Bin Laden, it was piling up the paperwork on Michael Jackson.
The FBI today released seven files it compiled on...
So You Think You Can Dance season six turned out to have a few more rough edges than perhaps the producers and dancers would have liked.
Several members of the top 20 were so seriously...
Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola wants you to know that just because she's on Jersey Shore does not mean she's a girl without a brain.
"People watching the show...
Reese Witherspoon isn't letting her Thanksgiving breakup from Jake Gyllenhaal spoil the holidays.
A source tells us the Oscar winner plans to spend time skiing out...
Don't know if you've heard, but vampires are all the rage these days.
With the success of Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, bloodsuckers have taken over popular...
The King of the South is headed home.
Hip-hop superstar T.I. was released from a federal prison in Arkansas this morning, after serving seven months of his one-year sentence...
