Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Friday night was the first night of runway shows. They were scheduled to begin at 7 but everyone knew they wouldn't because fashion shows almost always start late and Jamaica would be no exception. But things got a little surreal when at 9 they were still building the runway. Many of the front row people got high off of the cement glue the workers used to put down the white boards." (Papermag)



"The Hillary I encounter a few minutes after Obama leaves the building is somber, prideful, dark-humored, aggrieved, confused—and still high on the notion that she is leading an army, Napoleon in a navy pantsuit and gumball-size fake pearls. She is keenly aware of the weird dynamics in play as she contemplates her endgame: Albeit temporarily, the loser has more power than the winner. She, not Obama, is in a position to bring the party together or rip the thing to shreds. She, not he, has the capacity to orchestrate a merger of their warring factions of supporters. 'The real lesson of the campaign is that neither my base nor his base alone is sufficient for a general election,' she tells me. 'That’s important to stress, because now we need to look to November and how we put together a winning majority. We’ve gotta get this coalition to work together, because clearly the Republicans have been more successful at picking off the people who voted for me, and that’s exactly who they’re going after again.'" (NyMag)

"On socialite bloggers, fashionista philanthropists and and life in the Big Media City. Sunday’s New York Times ran a profile on the front page of their Style Section called 'When Old Money Marries New Media.' This was a social/media piece about Melissa Morris, the young wife of a scion of Old New York (read Old Money) Chappy Morris and her web log 'Melissacmorris.com' in which she records her daily happenings. According to the reporter, Lauren Lipton, Mrs. Morris’ blog is getting more and more popular with a certain female mindset. Ms. Lipton told me this when she interviewed me for the piece. However, the real interest in Melissa Morris is NOT so much her blog but how did a girl come out of nowhere and catch one of the best catches of them all where everyone else (who tried) failed; where others had given up even before trying convinced marriage was a lost cause." (NYSocialDiary)



"As expected, people started lining up early for the free Vampire Weekend show in Central Park on Saturday afternoon (June 14, 2008). As also expected, there was rain. Neither of those factors scared a significant amount of people away though. Vampire Weekend played to an extremely enthusiastic and packed house. Born Ruffians opened the 4 pm show. Then it rained. Then came Kid Sister. Vampire Weekend was last. Andrew W.K. hyped up the crowd between acts and later joined Vampire Weekend on stage on some songs including a cover of Tom Petty's 'Don't Come Around Here No More'." (BrooklynVegan)

"Olsen Twins are spotted backstage at Cat Power’s Saturday (Bonaroo) show .. Worthwhile Chris Rock zinger during his hour-long stand-up performance: 'Flavor Flav must be killed in order for black people to be truly free.'" (BlackBookmag)

"Toward nightfall, Khrenov’s temperature had risen. The thermometer was warm, alive—the column of mercury climbed high on the little red ladder. For a long time he muttered unintelligibly, kept biting his lips and gently shaking his head. Then he fell asleep. Natasha undressed by a candle’s wan flame, and saw her reflection in the murky glass of the window—her pale, thin neck, the dark braid that had fallen across her clavicle. She stood like that, in motionless languor, and suddenly it seemed to her that the room, together with the couch, the table littered with cigarette stubs, the bed on which, with open mouth, a sharp-nosed, sweaty old man slept restlessly—all this started to move, and was now floating, like the deck of a ship, into the black night. She sighed, ran a hand across her warm bare shoulder, and, transported partly by dizziness, lowered herself onto the couch. Then, with a vague smile, she began rolling down and pulling off her old, oft-mended stockings. Once again the room started floating, and she felt as if someone were blowing hot air onto the back of her head. She opened her eyes wide—dark, elongated eyes, whose whites had a bluish sheen. An autumn fly began to circle the candle and, like a buzzing black pea, collided with the wall." (Vladimir Nabokov/The New Yorker)



"There are three kinds of power in the art world. One comes from money, another from fame. Then there is the power of art itself to provoke emotion. All three were on jubilant display last Monday and Tuesday in Athens, as Greek construction tycoon Dakis Joannou introduced one hundred or so select artists, dealers, curators, and fellow art patrons to the latest incarnation of the Joannou Collection and the christening of 'Guilty,' a thirty-five-meter-long yacht with a razzle-dazzle finish by Jeff Koons .. As a Joannou guest, I was taken to the Semiranis, a candy-colored, acid dream of a hotel (one of several that the collector owns in Athens), and shown to a bungalow by the pool .. Whenever you put a group of art-world personages together for a few days in each other’s exclusive company, it’s going to start feeling like a Shriner’s convention at some point—or maybe summer camp. The hair comes down, and everyone gets a new best friend. (At one point, even archrivals Larry Gagosian and Deitch buddied up. 'He thinks it would be a good idea for me to open a gallery in Rome,' Deitch said.)" (Artforum)

"No umbrellas were needed Saturday night when Gucci and Elle creative director Joe Zee hosted an extraordinary summer soiree and private dinner honoring Rihanna and the fall Hysteria bag collection. The venue: Jason Pomeranc's newly-opened rooftop bar and lounge, ABH, located at the Thompson Beverly Hills hotel .. While stars and starlets like Becki Newton, Minka Kelly, Radha Mitchell, Gabriel Macht, Camilla Belle, Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Malin Ackerman and Dania Ramirez crowded onto the terrace to sip cocktails, lounge in the cabanas and take in the expansive views of the city, many attendees eagerly awaited the stylish songbird's arrival .. After dinner, partygoers carried on well into the night, with an after-party that brought in some familiar Hollywood faces including Nicky Hilton, Jessica Paster, Phillip Bloch, Ken Paves, Tracee Ellis Ross, CaCee Cobb, Donald Faison and Dean and Davis Factor." (Fashionweekdaily)