Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



(Cindy Adams with Hillary Clinton, and Vernon Jordan via NYSD)

"There were a thousand parties in Washington during the four-day celebration of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Each had its reason, its draw, its crowd, its list of the known and unknown. Here is the list of individuals invited to the supper party held Inauguration Eve at the Fairfax Hotel. The hosts were long-time Washington hostess Buffy Cafritz and her husband, Bill; former Kentucky First Lady and Miss America, Phyllis George, California oil billionaire Robert Day and his wife, Kelly; and a Washington couple connected like few others, Ann and Vernon Jordan. It serves as a snapshot of the Washington A-list at the dawn of the Obama Administration." (NYSocialDiary)

".. the singer Wyclef Jean, wore a handsome pale green vest and a black skull cap. Mr. Jean runs a charity, the Yéle Haiti Foundation, which tries to raise the self-esteem of children in Haiti, where Mr. Jean lived until the age of 9. He was saying something about deforestation when Anthony Shriver, Maria’s brother and the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, walked in and caught his eye. 'What’s up, baby!' said Mr. Jean. 'You, baby!' said Mr. Shriver, who was wearing a leather jacket. 'Lemme just say what’s up to my man,' Mr. Jean said, by way of excusing himself. 'He’s one of the Kennedys, you know?'" (Observer)

"Pop star Janet Jackson swept into town last night - and headed straight for royal haunt Mahiki in Mayfair. The singer is in town to support her older sister La Toya, who's in the Celebrity Big Brother house, and she is also expected at the premiere of Thriller Live - the new West End musical based on the music of her brother Michael. But, in keeping with the slightly odd nature of the family, Janet, 42, sat in the club until 2am without touching a drop of alcohol. An onlooker said: 'Janet was in really high spirits. She was sitting on a table downstairs in the VIP area of the club with Prince Azim and a number of his friends.'" (Thisislondon)



"As I leave the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah today, I can't help but reminisce about a week of unexpected events and encounters. My journey began at 6 a.m. when I boarded the plane with my colleague Cena Jackson, actor/ director Robert DeNiro and the poster boy of indie filmmaking, Spike Lee, who came to screen Passing Strange, the highly-anticipated Broadway adaptation that examines cultural stereotypes and expectations ..Where there is film, there is fashion! Brands such as Authier skiwear, Lia Sophia and Magaschoni cashmere all made Utah debuts, as did personalities like Dani Stahl, Jennifer Raines, and Anna Wintour. The latter arrived in that signature, elegant style with her daughter, Bee Schaffer to attend the screening of The September Issue, the Vogue documentary that explores the relationship between business and editorial integrity while addressing how major decisions are made at the magazine .. Perhaps the most unexpected encounter was Woody Harrelson at the Tao Lounge (but some stories are better left untold...) and a chance spotting of--wait, Ian Ziering?" (Annelise Peterson/Fashionweekdaily)

"We jumped in a van in the morning and watched Obama’s inaugural address from the lobby at Andrews. The group of 100 or so watching, of which 100 percent were George Bush supporters, all offered their enthusiastic applause for the new commander in chief. Not to say there weren’t some critical reviews of the speech, complaints about taking unnecessary shots, and grousing about borrowed ideas, but there was an absence of malice one normally sees among the constituencies of the vanquished. And then we all boarded the plane. Among the passengers, longtime Bush family, friends, and staffers included the former president’s mother and father and daughters Jenna and Barbara, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes .." (TheDailyBeast)

"WHICH married morning-show producer rumored to be having an affair with a married on-air colleague was 'fidgeting incessantly' during inauguration weekend parties with her recently ringless ring finger?" (PageSix)

"I'm told there were some firings at Fox Home Entertainment. My studio sources confirm that Steve Feldstein, Dorrit Ragosine and Chris Reichert were all dismissed. There are lots of rumors as to the reason why, some very juicy, but all I can squeeze out of insiders is that there were hush-hush 'policy issues.' Others describe the execs as very competent and express shock that the trio lost their jobs." (DeadlineHollywoodDaily)

"CIA ground teams operating on the vaguely determined Afghan-Pakistan frontier are well aware of the presidential executive order banning assassinations, says a recent returnee from the region's fighting. The problem is that al Qaeda suspects and their Taliban supporters don't wear what's normally considered a uniform, which puts American hit teams in potential legal jeopardy for violating Executive Order 12333, which bans the CIA from carrying out assassinations. The order was signed by President Reagan in 1981 following congressional investigations into alleged CIA assassination plots targeting foreign leaders. So the teams in Afghanistan have a simple rule of thumb: If the target 'looks military,' i.e., carrying a weapon or walking in the company of other armed men, he's a legitimate target. If there's an absence of same, the target is considered a civilian, and the decision gets bucked up the chain of command for further deliberation." (CQPolitics/Spytalk)

"As we face a new year and a clean slate, how do we rank the types of gays that make up the rainbow palette in our wondrous nation? Your choices are as follows .." (Musto)

"Christian audiences want, first, to be wanted. 'Fireproof' has succeeded because it is an on-screen equivalent of an altar call. 'It is authentic because it is coming from the community; it's not just geared to the community,' said Robert Rubin, executive vice president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which plans to release 'Fireproof' on DVD late this month. Sherwood Baptist Church pastors Stephen and Alex Kendrick tested and verified their homemade business model with 'Facing the Giants,' a high-school football drama that brought in $10 million in 2006 after an outlay of just $100,000. For 'Fireproof,' the brothers hired actor Kirk Cameron, a Christian celebrity, but only after grilling him about his moral integrity. 'If you're cheating on your wife or have a problem with drugs or alcohol, they would rather not have you out there on 'The Today Show' promoting the movie,' explained the former sitcom star." (WSJ)

"Today's inauguration of President Barack Obama was undoubtedly a historical and monumental event. That doesn't mean, though, we weren't paying attention to all the pretty outfits! Here are some fashion highlights... Michelle Obama wore a dazzling, 'lemongrass' - colored number by long-time PAPER friend Isabel Toledo, officially giving Jackie O. a run for her money as best dressed First Lady. It was tasteful, glamorous and celebratory -- all at once! PAPERMAG's Carol Lee particularly enjoyed her olive green gloves. Another real highlight was Aretha Franklin's big-bowed chapeau. The Queen of Soul understands special occasion dressing. Laura Bush's understated grey dress and coat look oozed expensive glamour, but it was her dark lipstick and well applied mascara that really tied the look together and made us forget for one second that her husband is a hideous d-bag." (Mr. Mickey/Papermag)