Media-Whore D'Oevres



(image via JT/NYSocialDiary)

"It’s interesting how movie people comport themselves when they come to Washington. Some put on glasses, as if to telegraph their owlish, educated side. Others wear serious clothing, most likely to be taken seriously but possibly also to show respect for the purpose of their visit, whether it’s a Congressional hearing or an appearance for a good cause ..There was a little bit of that going on at the Italian Embassy late last week, when Matt Dillon, Mia Farrow and Sam Waterston contributed some of their considerable wattage to the 29th Anniversary Dinner of Refugees International .. Of course, the sea of guests parted when Sen. Ted Kennedy arrived and made a beeline for a photo op with the Farrows, Dillon, and Waterston. He could not stay for dinner, even though he was one of two senators to be honored with RI’s 'Congressional Leadership Award.' The other was Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon, who attended with his wife, Sharon. Shortly after Teddy’s arrival, Ethel Kennedy appeared, sporting a glittering 'Obama 2008' pin on her left shoulder. She was happy to pose for a picture showing it off." (WashingtonSocialDiary)

"While tequila shots never surfaced, the margaritas were flowing at Los Dados Tuesday night, where Kim Vernon and Diego Garcia hosted a dinner for their friends following a sponsorship-free screening of Bella, the Alejandro Monteverde-directed romantic drama about how simple actions can alter the lives of people forever ... Alexei Lubomirski, just back from Miami and sporting a healthy tan, joined Santiago Gonzalez, Roberto Faraone Mennella and Amedeo Scognamiglio, Tito Pedrini, and Nina Garcia for the tearjerker, before they were joined by a second wave of guests in the Meatpacking District for several rounds of Mexican food." (Fashionweekdaily)

"On May 3, 1973, when murder and robbery rates were significantly higher than they are now, then-Governor Rockefeller signed the bill containing some of the harshest drug laws in the nation. Rockefeller, a moderate Republican, was, at the time, mulling a White House run and wanted to toughen up his country club image among the party's red-meat base. The Rockefeller drug laws have largely remained, despite protests from so many disparate organizations and individuals, because of law-and-order electoral realities at the local level." (Ron Mwangaguhunga/Kenneth Cole AWEARNESS Blog)

"The news of John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama was reported as Hillary Clinton addressed her top donors in her Washington, D.C., home today. 'It actually broke during the meeting, and I was passing my BlackBerry around when NBC confirmed it,' said one donor in the room. The reaction of the fund-raisers in the room was mixed, according to the bundler. Some people said, 'Shit, now we have to deal with this?'" (Observer)

"As it is the Latin American tradition, El Museo Gala’s fifteenth birthday will be celebrated in the style of a quinceañero; this is a coming-of-age party for a daughter turning fifteen. For this gala, guests are invited to wear white or black (with long gloves and tiaras optional) ... El Museo’s Gala (Thursday, May 22, 2008 at Cipriani 42nd Street) is New York’s most prestigious evening of philanthropy for the Latin community. Guests expected include Carolina Herrera, Francisco Costa, Christian Cota, Angel Sanchez, Donatella Versace, Michael Vollbracht, Diane von Furstenberg, Clarissa Bronfman, Agnes Gund, and Susan Gutfreund. " (Ticket Info/mbregman@elmuseo.org)

"Last night Charlotte Ronson and Chrissie Miller hosted an easy, effortlessly cool, sidewalk-stylin, gimmie-some-sugah party starring the Lower East Side. The shindig, sponsored by Svedka, took place at Bowery boutique Blue & Cream. I was pretty proud of myself, as Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss gave me permission to photograph her eating in public!" (Pics at Papermag)

"The Obama campaign seized on a section of President Bush’s remarks to members of the Knesset in Israel this morning, interpreting the president’s choice of words as a slap at the Democratic candidate on foreign soil. Senator Barack Obama himself issued a statement, calling it 'a false political attack' and an 'extraordinary politicization of foreign policy' ...In a telephone interview on CNN just a few minutes ago, Robert Gibbs, the communications director for Senator Barack Obama, called Mr. Bush’s remarks 'astonishing' and an 'unprecendented political attack on foreign soil.' He called it 'cowboy diplomacy.'" (NYTimes)

"New York City's Bowery Hotel was the place to be last night, especially for TV stars who needed a break after a rigorous few days spent promoting their new and renewed series at their respective networks' upfront presentations. And who better to host a TV soirée than Entertainment Weekly?" (EW)

"Daria 'Dasha' Zhukova, the impossibly glamorous girlfriend of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, having launched her fashion label, Kova & T, now wants to take the art world by storm. The 26-year-old former model is opening a gallery cum arts centre in the heart of Moscow. She has already secured the premises as well as some big hitters to help her with the venture: Molly Dent-Brocklehurst, formerly of the Gagosian Gallery in London, will become international director and Sir Nicholas Serota, director of Tate in London, will form part of an advisory council. Speaking to the Art Newspaper, Ms Zhukova revealed that the Centre for Contemporary Culture Moscow (CCC Moscow) will open in September with a retrospective devoted to Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, the artists' first in their native city.(It is rumoured that Amy Winehouse is being paid £1m to perform at the opening.)" (TheFirstPost)

"KCRW is launching a guest DJ series today with 10-minute sets programmed by Conan O'Brien, John Cusack, Garth Jennings and Jason Reitman." (WCRW via Papermag)

"What happens to the art market when other financial markets are suffering a grim credit crunch and liquidity crisis? It experiences an unexpectedly high volume of rich and varied gossip. Whisper campaigns about who is guaranteeing what for more than the high estimate, apprehensive speculation about foreigners’ taste in art, and fractious squabbles about the quality of competing 'masterworks' by the same artist punctuated the days leading up to Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on Tuesday night. Against this background, the Christie’s team was methodically peddling forty-three paintings, eight sculptures, two works on paper, an installation by Mike Kelley, and a house designed by cult modernist architect Richard Neutra. They called it 'a smarter, tighter, sober sale, which accurately reads the market' .. Next up was Andy Warhol’s black and beige Double Marlon, 1966. Peter Simon, the British-based owner of fashion retailer Monsoon, was selling, and David Martinez, the Mexican megacollector, was said to have guaranteed. The auction house had thrown an over-the-top party meant to 'bring the cultural history of the painting to life' at the Soho Grand Hotel. Evidently, the marketing hoo-haw paid off. After a ping-pong of telephone bids taken by Christie’s Brett Gorvy and Ken Yeh, the work sold for $32.5 million." (ArtForum)