BEATRICE OUT Joining the list of ultra exclusive nightspots with big egos who get shut down, the Beatrice Inn, on West 12th Street, was shut down last night. The music stopped at 2am. The speculation about them not having a proper liquor license began at 2:01am. [DBTH]
When Lindsay Lohan starts downing shots of tequila with The Hills‘ Lauren Conrad, it’s hard to tell who’s social standing sank. [R&M]
Megacorp Unileaver is fighting back against claims that its ads for Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign were retouched, despite what professional photo retoucher Pascal Dangin told The New Yorker. They’re in full-court defense mode, which means, of course, they’re issuing a statement with their side of things. It reads in part: “There was an understanding between Dove and Ms Leibovitz that the photos would not be retouched - the only actions taken were the removal of dust from the film and minor color correction.” Not cellulite, freckles, fat rolls, hair stubble, vericose veins, or oily skin. CONTINUED »
So what if that ridiculous video of those guys effortlessly jumping into a pair of jeans was merely a viral ad concocted by an ad agency that’s been doing this time and time again? [Gawker] We’re in the middle of an era where even two-year-olds are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every day. Shouldn’t we at least enjoy the ones being shoved down our throats? The ad in question is one for Levi’s jeans, replicated from a Ray-Ban ad from last year. It’s racking up millions of views on YouTube and elsewhere. And you know what? God damn good for them! CONTINUED »
Want to know how MTV secures massive ad buys in this unfriendly recession-laden climate? We’ll give you a hint: CONTINUED »
Because he was clearly not invited to Jenna Bush’s wedding tomorrow in Texas, New York City refugee Fabian Basabe found himself in Los Angeles, at the nightspot Crown Room, being arrested for peeing in an alley behind the club. [P6] His attorney blames Basabe’s “bladder problem” and the fact that the “entry way [to the club] was very congested.” And not because he had drank too much before arriving and found trouble being let into the venue.
Might Good Morning America exec producer (and former Early Show producer) Tom Cibrowski – whose name we heard yesterday as one being floated around to take over The Early Show – not be as terrible a guy we said he was? One source told us Cibrowski, seen here with none other than Ben Sherwood, wasn’t having his contract renewed when it’s up this summer, because it might have something to do with his temper.
But someone has come to his defense! CONTINUED »
One thing we missed while cringing at Chris Matthews last night: fella has a new ‘do. [HP] Or at least a new hair color. This is interesting because it reminds us of somebody else at MSNBC. Somebody else who Chris Matthews is said not to get along with. CONTINUED »
If Lifetime is intent on gaying up its programming shelf, then Spike TV is going on a testosterone binge. They’re launching three unscripted pilots, plus signing deals with wrestling champ and former Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, who will host Caught in the Action, a hidden-camera show, while Cade Courtley, the actor and former Navy SEAL officer, gets behind “Surviving Terror.” [MP] Sound man enough to you? It sounds a little something else to us. CONTINUED »
BIG DAY! After a mere five year delay, R. Kelly will finally face charges today that he is a creepy older gentleman who likes to pee on little girls, video tape it, and then sell millions of records to adoring fans. [AP]
Chace Crawford, the heterosexual actor who plays a heterosexual heartthrob on teen sensation Gossip Girl, yet again, explains an ideal date: “The ideal, I think, when you’re starting out, is something low-key, like playing the [Nintendo] Wii, ordering in pizza and then grabbing a beer. … [But come time to step out, the actor says he’d take off] “to a concert in Central Park or an NBA basketball game, if she likes sports.” [People] If she likes sports! Oh that’s a good one.
Also: “Part of me being single is focusing on my work right now. I’ve been dating my gym bag for a while now.” Because it’s so easy to meet ladies in the locker room.
The Vanity Fair cover. The Entertainment Weekly cover. Can nothing save Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones from being universally panned? “I’m told by other AICN staff members (don’t know if he wants his name formally associated with this info) that other people have contacted him from the same screening & that their feedback has been “uniformly rough”. It’s safe to assume more reviews will arrive in the coming days.” [AICN] Just please don’t hate it as much as Sex and the City! CONTINUED »
The Walt Disney Co. has, after months of back and forth dealmaking, resigned ABC president Stephen McPherson’s contract for an “unspecified” number of years. [NYT] This is significant because McPherson has turned the network into America’s most favoriteist channel, where all the shows worth watching (Lost, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Dancing with the Stars, Grey’s Anatomy) are housed, bringing the channel’s ratings to the No. 2 spot, while a guy like Jeff Zucker keeps getting re-upped at NBC despite dragging the network from No. 1 to No. 4, and then to No. 3.
Is Chris Matthews, officially, a tool? Despite that back room reports we’ve issued, we have a general liking for the fellow. But seeing him on last night’s show try to battle Howard Wolfson on including Puerto Rico’s Democratic delegates in Hillary Clinton’s delegate count, when the Democratic party has chosen to give the island a say in choosing the party’s nominee, doesn’t just strike us as overzealous Obamamania, but illegitimate logic. And people like that shouldn’t have a platform.
(If you listen carefully, Matthews crosses over from counting PR’s votes toward the popular vote to PR’s primary delegate votes, which decide whether she’ll be the party’s nominee. Whether he can’t follow his own train of thought, or forgot the difference between the two, is for you to judge.)
[Video: The Page]
Nina Garcia has finally made her decision: She’s not sticking around Elle to be Joe Zee’s playtoy. She’s heading to Marie Claire, which, not so surprisingly, has stole the lucrative Project Runway magazine contract away from the Hachette title. [P6] She probably won’t even have a real office over there at Hearst; simply a place to stash her handbag while running to PR tapings.
It’s funny, because it’s true: “The New York Times ran the following headline and story on the front page of its print edition this morning:
MYNAMAR JUNTA ACCUSED OF DELAY IN STORM RELIEF
BANGKOK — As hungry, shivering survivors waited among the dead for help after a huge cyclone in Myanmar, aid agencies and diplomats said Wednesday that the delivery of relief supplies was being slowed by the reluctance of the country’s secretive military leaders to allow an influx of outsiders.
“Shockingly, a search of the Nexis-Lexis database reveals the following story ran in August 2005 in the Chicago Sun-Herald—virtually the same headline and lead, word for word, with only minor changes: CONTINUED »
In an effort to placate parents who watch Dateline: To Catch a Predator and privacy advocates whose No. 1 goal in life is to make the Internet safe for kids to upload photos of their puppies, Facebook is implementing new privacy safeguards for minors.
None of which can’t be completely fudged, of course. CONTINUED »
Every week, a bunch of “real” people say really stupid things on reality TV. These are their stories.
10. “This is a transvestite. I’m sorry. But you’re a beautiful tranny.” — Paulina Porizkova, America’s Next Top Model
It was a big week for Mariah Carey — she lost her single status and her No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. In her defense, there was really no competing with Madonna’s Hard Candy.
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Craig Ferguson, truly the most underrated talk show host on television, will release a book of memoirs in 2009 entitled American on Purpose. In it, Ferguson will recount his sundry jobs along the years, his voyage from Scotland musician to American host and his various battles with drug and alcohol addiction. It sounds too heartwarming for us, but good for him.
Editorial Director
