Media-Whore d'Oeuvres



(image via swiftysny)

". Saturday at Swifty’s ... at a table of five by the front door, Obama’s name came into the discussion just as a customer was leaving. 'Did I hear someone say Obama?' the lady asked me (who was sitting closest to the door). 'Yes,' I answered. 'Is someone voting for Obama?' she asked with a touch of reproach in her voice. 'Yes,' I replied, 'everyone at the table.' I don’t know that that was true but I couldn’t resist, just to see her reaction -- since I don’t believe it’s her or anyone else’s business who anyone is voting for. She glared and then walked out the door. Well, well, well." (NYSocialDiary)

"Still writing about celebrity crimes for Vanity Fair. Still dining with the famous. And still a sharp observer of stars and pretenders such as Paris Hilton. Ill health has not dimmed the enthusiasm of the eminent American writer Dominick Dunne. The chronicler of famous trials - with Claus von Bulow, O. J. Simpson and Phil Spector among those in the dock - has had a hectic few weeks. He covered Simpson's latest trial in Las Vegas, went to a glamorous ball in London in the middle of the global financial crisis and was feted at the American premiere of an intimate new documentary on his life, Celebrity: Dominick Dunne, at the Hamptons International Film Festival. And then there was lunch with Naomi Watts last week. 'She's a real young star,' he says chirpily on the phone from New York. 'She's wonderful looking and very, very pregnant.'" (SMH.com.au)

"On the night of Nov. 4, either Barack Obama or John McCain will be celebrating his election as president. It may be a short party. Whoever wins will come under intense, immediate pressure -- unmatched since Franklin D. Roosevelt's election in 1932 -- to begin participating in policy making over which he'll have no formal control for 2 1/2 months. Within days, the winner's economic advisers may be heading to the U.S. Treasury to help tackle the nation's worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. 'The situation is so serious that he has to be involved,' says James Thurber, director of the center for congressional and presidential studies at American University in Washington. 'But he has to be very careful because he's not the president and won't be the president until he's sworn in.'" (Bloomberg)

"As of last week, David Geffen’s phone line at DreamWorks SKG headquarters here was still live. But some people were already struggling to accept that he would no longer be part of the movie company he had helped build. No, Mr. Spielberg said, he really did not know why Mr. Geffen was parting ways with DreamWorks after 14 years." (NYTimes)

"Leonardo DiCaprio lounging by the bar with a some hot blondes at The Mondrian hotel, in Los Angeles.." (3AMGirls)

"Despite the fact that (Paris Hilton has) been pictured posing and pouting outside almost every fashionable club in London, we can reveal that she's only managed to rack up around ($39,000) — which is close to ($79,000) less than her last visit. A source close to the 27-year-old socialite said: 'Paris demanded ($79,000) from Paper nightclub. They were prepared to pay — but on the condition that she turn up twice, not go anywhere else before or after that evening, and stay for a minimum of two hours. But she didn't want to adhere to all the conditions so the club cancelled her appearance.' Our spy added: 'Whisky Mist also refused to pay.' But she went there anyway because there was a chance that she would bump into royalty — and she did in the end." (Thisislondon)

"The global financial storm rolled across the Persian Gulf on Sunday, as Kuwait's central bank guaranteed bank deposits and cobbled together a hasty bailout for one of the country's largest banks. The Kuwait intervention is the first bank rescue in the oil-rich Gulf, which until now had seemed relatively immune to the current crisis. It came as local markets across the region continued their steep selloffs. With oil prices down more than 50% from their July highs, the explosive, petroleum-fueled growth of the Gulf now looks suddenly vulnerable at the same time as international and local investors are pulling back sharply. Saudi Arabia, in an apparent bid to ease the fallout of the global credit crisis on its citizens, said it would funnel some $2.3 billion in loans to low-income borrowers." (WSJ)

"For PAPER's Fourth Annual Nightlife Awards, we're asking you, dear readers, to vote for Best Club, Best Bar/Lounge, Best Party, Best DJ, Best Nightlife Blog and America’s Best Party. So check out the videos of the nominees, cast your votes, and head to PAPERMAG.com on November 17th to see the winners! Voting ends November 14th, 6 p.m. EST." (Papermag)

"Industry observers say the recent cluster of low-rated shows granted full-season orders might have something to do with network executives watching the plunging Dow rather than their shows' falling Nielsens. No execs would talk on the record, but the economic crisis, combined with the cost of marketing a new series, the lack of new programming inventory because of the WGA strike and the anticipated difficulty of locking down new advertiser commitments, has networks inclined to play it safe. 'Most years there would be more cancellations then there have been to date,' said John Rash, senior vp/director of media negotiations at Campbell Mithun. 'But the dual dynamics of schedule stability keeping ad dollars in place is combining with delayed programming development from last season's writers strike.'" (TheHollywoodReporter)

"With the Hamptons International Film Festival in full swing we headed over to the Filmmakers + Financiers party at East Hampton Studios in Wainscott. Hosted by Michael Wudyka and Mitchell Kriegman from East Hampton Studios and Robert Florio of Hamptons.com the night started late and guests partied until dawn." (Hamptons)