Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



(image via videodetective)

"Remember when the adorably mop-haired Charlie Bucket (see above) and his affably sour 'Grandpa Joe' (played, we cannot fail to note, by song and dance veteran Jack Albertson) gloriously broke out in the now-immortal song 'I've got a Golden Ticket' in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? That perfect, honey-hued cinematic moment is probably how many inaugural ticket holders presently feel on their way to watching history resolve itself. On January 20, 2009 the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, will be sworn in at an inaugural that is garnering tons of buzz in the blogosphere, the Oprah-verse and in world capitals far-and-wide." (AEARNESSBlog)

"Lunch with an old friend at Michael’s. When we arrived, there were more than a dozen photographers standing outside on the sidewalk, next to the restaurant’s windows, although organized in two separate banks, as if someone had told them the borderline .. The celebrity? Paul McCartney. And with the tall brunette with the long hair. Nancy Shevell. That was the consensus in the room. The new girlfriend .. They were with Barbara Walters who was looking very chic in her little black Chanel like suit with a diamond brooch on one shoulder. And John Eastman who is not a well known face or name to the photographers or the reporters or even the lunch crowd, but ... is the brains. Mr. Eastman is the brother of the late Linda McCartney and has for years had a business relationship with his famous brother-in-law. He is a lawyer and represents some very important names in the arts, such as the DeKoonig estate.. Sir Paul, as many already know, was on Ms. Walters’ 'The View,' a little earlier, and so I guess they came from the studio. The first table he was given was in the bay – a very favorable spot where all kinds of names have lunched including the Clintons and Sir Elton, Sir Mick, and just about everyone other Major Star who’s made a lunch date at Michael’s. Sir Paul didn’t like his table, however. Well, the photographers were leering in the window with their cameras looking for the Money shot of Macca (as he’s known in Britain) with his new luv, Nancy. So Michael McCarty and Steve Millington moved the party to the corner (also an 'important' table in this scheme of things)." (NYSocialDiary)

"(Michael's Table 2). John Sykes (who was overheard telling Paul McCartney that he had dinner with Clint Eastwood last night and was singing the praises of his latest film, Gran Torino. 'It's great,' enthused John!) and Frederic Fekkai ... (Table 7) Vogue's man about town Andre Leon Talley with Manolo Blahnik's George Malkemus. Andre told me he's off to Washington for the inauguration this weekend -- he's going with Diane von Furstenberg ('I'm sleeping on her Murphy bed') and is expecting a nonstop social whirl. 'The invitations are pouring in,' he says. Andre is packing his long underwear and white tie (just in case). As for any inside scoop on what the new First Lady might be wearing for the festivities, Andre claims to have no inside track .." (Lunch at Michael's/FishbowlNY)

"MICKEY Rourke is already reaping the benefits of his comeback. The star of 'The Wrestler' was at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood the other night with Sean Penn and his long-suffering wife, Robin Wright Penn, when, our witnesses said, Rourke was accosted by fame-craving Bai Ling. Rourke was only too happy to oblige the Chinese-born actress and the two 'made out and partied pretty hard.'" (PageSix)

"Kate Moss and Jamie Hince have finally decided what to do for her 35th birthday bash tomorrow — after arguing all week. The couple were split in their views on how they should mark Kate's milestone, but have now settled on a house party at her St John's Wood house ..Last year, Kate partied for more than 24 hours, although we can expect her to take it a little more easy this year. She's just completed a detox at a spa in Thailand .." (Thisislondon)

"I was having lunch with a senior Wall Street executive who has regular contact with Rubin. I, of course, do not, though I know him well and consider him a good man, though terribly misguided when it comes to economic policy-- (Robert) Rubin is a proponent of higher taxes and banking policy. Through his long career on Wall Street and in government, Rubin has been among the most vocal opponents of Glass-Steagall, which, if left in effect, would have prevented the creation of Citigroup and saved investors and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. (Glass-Steagall also would have prevented Bank of America’s shareholders from getting creamed following its proposed takeover of Merilll Lynch.) For more than 65 years, Glass-Steagall survived various attempts by Wall Street to convince Congress that it was nothing more than a 1929 Crash relic—that is until financier Sandy Weill tested its limits. In 1998, Weill merged his investment bank and insurance empire Travelers Group with the commercial banking powerhouse Citicorp. The deal created the largest financial services company in the world and was considered the future of Wall Street. The minute that Weill announced the deal, others sought to replicate his 'financial supermarket' model. The concept was simple—one-stop shopping, Wall Street-style. (Charlie Gasparino/TheDailyBeast)

"On Thursday, (former Cosby Show star Raven Simone) will be helping to boost some of her young fans' confidence when she hosts a hundred 11- and 12-year-old girls at a Dove-sponsored self-esteem workshop in Cape May, N.J. 'It's going to be so much fun,' the 23-year-old, who's been working on her fifth album, tells PEOPLE. 'We want to build their self-esteem and give them tools to face the world the next day without us there.' The singer-actress has experienced her share of criticism – especially from online 'haters' – for her body, which she's called 'thick and fabulous.'" (People)

"CASEY Johnson may have had the hell beaten out of her by her ex-girlfriend Courtenay Semel, but it won't stop them from going to Sundance together. As Page Six reported, Semel recently bested Johnson in a vicious catfight and then set her hair on fire, but a pal of the two said, 'Courtenay and Casey are still close and are heading up to Sundance for the weekend.'" (PageSix)

"THE SETTE Mezzo restaurant on Lexington Avenue between 70th and 71st is a favorite in that East Side neigh borhood. The food is great, the service is legend and everybody pays in cash unless they let you enter the charmed circle with a house account. Recently pasted up in the window (until somebody snatched it) was a check from one Bernard Madoff marked 'account closed. Returned not paid.' Mr. Madoff bounced his check to Sette Mezzo for $164.39 on Dec. 4. The waiters sniff, 'He never did order any expensive wine ..'" (LizSmith)