"Rick Rubin is considered the most successful producer in the music business - but that's what worries staffers at Columbia Records, where Rubin was given power equal to the label's chairman in May ..Rubin has never been an executive. 'How is he going to have time to do the business [side] when he's in the studio?' one source asks. 'That can take months' .. It doesn't help that Rubin, who was raised here but has a 1923 estate in L.A. and a home in Malibu, won't come to New York. Indeed, when we called Columbia, no one was able to say what Rubin's exact title is." (RushMolloy)
"As my colleague Mike Allen points out, Newsweek has a detailed article about Barack Obama and race today, one in which Obama makes a pre-emptive strike against the notion that simply electing him president will solve America's race problems.It may just be coincidence, but Obama is headed to Birmingham -- a key site in civil rights history -- for his Alabama state kick-off tonight, with no less than Charles Barkley as his special guest." (politico)
Emmy Dish: "'I saw in the Envelope forums some people questioning how 'Friday Night Lights' went over' at the Emmy panels, notes Judge #1. 'It was fine. Very predictable, but def. not bad. I don't think it will be enough to make it into the top 5.'...'Two and a Half Men' once again seems to be . . . the show that impresses the most. I am told that it occupied the number 1 or 2 spot on almost every single ballot my friend could lay eyes on. Others to mention that made the top of lists are 'Entourage' and 'Betty.' My friend really loved 'Extras,' ranking it very high on the list. The bottom 3 spots were given to 'Office,' 'Earl' and 'Scrubs.' She says that those three shows in addition to 'Desperate Housewives' dominated the bottoms of ballots.'" (Goldderby via Popwatch)
"The White House no more expected Domenici to jump overboard than it did Lugar. The shock of Lugar's speech was the reason Hadley quickly scheduled sessions with senior Republican senators such as Lugar and Chuck Hagel, the top two GOP members on the Foreign Relations Committee, and John Warner, former chairman of the Armed Services Committee. 'The president has sent me up here on a scouting mission,' Hadley said to begin the meetings.Always deferential, Hadley took copious notes. But he did more than listen. Based on what Hadley said, one senator concluded that "they just do not recognize the depth of the difficulty they are in." (Novak)
But What About Tina Brown's Talk launch? "In Rome ... the temperatures were running at a nice Mediterranean mid-60 (F) but the place was sizzling because Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti staged a weekend of parties that the rich, the chic and the shameless of this world will never forget. 'Unbelievable,' sang the choir of VIPs, celebrities, socialites, royalty, European aristocracy and even Mick Jagger. One friend said 'I’ve seen fantastic parties in the world– the Forbes Party in Tangier, the Blenheim Ball, Prince Albert II’s coronation, Marie Chantal’s wedding to Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, the Safra Ball in the South of France, Lynn Wyatt’s annual birthday parties at her villa in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, but nothing beats the two day celebration of Valentino’s 45th anniversary this past weekend.'" (NewYorkSocialDiary)
"In the Grill on the lot of NBC Universal studios here, Ben Silverman has arrived for lunch; and for the moment, almost all activity ceases. As often happens in Hollywood after the coronation of a new prince, attention must be paid. At almost every booth, Mr. Silverman, the new co-chairman of NBC’s entertainment operations, is stopped by well-wishers and supplicants. Several get back a reply of 'Hi, sweetheart.' This reception is not unusual for Mr. Silverman, who has become, in less than a decade, one of the premier networkers in a town where the quantity and quality of relationships often define success." (NYTimes)
"Could 2008 be the year that Americans put an end to an unbroken 218-year streak of electing white male presidents? Large majorities report a willingness to vote for either a woman or an African-American candidate for the office, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll. But those numbers drop significantly when respondents are asked whether the country is ready to accept a black or a woman in the White House." (Newsweek)
"Friday's exhibition opening at the Meier-designed Ara Pacis Museum followed by a dinner at the Temple of Venus, then Saturday's presentation of Valentino's couture collection and a black-tie ball on the grounds of the Villa Borghese. So, plenty of opportunities for Val's gals to work their way through a wardrobe of his outfits. His tribe included an empress (Farah Diba Pahlavi of Iran), a clutch of princesses (Firyal of Jordan, Caroline of Hanover, Marie-Chantal of Greece, Rosario of Bulgaria), show-biz royalty (Joan Collins, Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman) and a small army of Italian aristocrats and American socialites.'Nothing looks old,' a bedazzled Elizabeth Saltzman Walker declared, speaking for everyone at the Ara Pacis." (Style)
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