Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Goldman Sachs chairman Lloyd Blankfein – a regular attendee (at the World Economic Forum at Davos)– decided some time ago not to head to the Swiss alps, for what the Telegraph understands to be business reasons. In his place will be Goldman co-president Gary Cohn, attending at Mr Blankfein’s request. Morgan Stanley’s John Mack, who attended the WEF for the first time in 2008, will also not be in attendance, a spokesman confirmed. Nor is recently departed Merrill Lynch chairman John Thain – a keen WEF attendee ever since his days running the New York Stock Exchange - following his recent bust-up with Bank of America chairman Ken Lewis, who is also not down to attend. Davos regular Dick Fuld, until September the chairman of Lehman Brothers, will also not be showing his face, given the bank’s demise." (Telegraph)

"There remain all kinds of theories over how Ms. Kennedy lost out on what to many looked to be a sure thing. The most sensational rumor now given publicly as one of the 'reasons' why she was passed up by the governor, was an alleged relationship with Times publisher and scion Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. who is often referred to in the press as 'Pinch' (Sulzberger Sr.’s nickname is 'Punch'). Mr. Sulzberger recently left his wife and marriage also. This rumor is not new. It’s been a topic of discussion for many months now. There have been two blind items about it for the discerning reader in the NYSD. True or false, Ms. Kennedy and her husband Mr. Schlossberg have still been seen out socially at dinner parties and a deux or with family at local restaurants very often, looking quite copasetic, as they say." (NYSocialDiary)

"MADONNA has resumed her 'affair of the heart' with Alex Rodriguez. Madge spent last weekend with the Yankee slugger - and Joe Torre target - at the East Hampton home of Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, sources said. But the downtime did little to calm the recently divorced pop star's nerves. She's fuming over unflattering photos from her album cover shoot that were leaked online. A snitch said, 'Madonna called up the label screaming when the photos got out.'" (PageSix)



"'This is smaller than last year,' lamented one attendee at Dior's Haute Couture Spring 2009 show. Another guest was more disappointed because of the absence of the French president Nicolas Sarkozy's flame: 'We don't get Carla Bruni, we get Bernadette Chirac,' she sighed, referring to the ex-president of France's wife in her front-row perch ..It certainly didn't disappoint front-row attendees, including Dita Von Teese, Kanye West, Mischa Barton (who ran in late), and Michelle Yeoh." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Headlines may have touted an increased number of politicians attending—reflecting the macro shift from markets to government in the global economic system—but businesses are footing the bill, so there will be plenty of corporate honchos around. Wall Street titans attending (Davos) include Jamie Dimon, boss of JPMorgan, one of the few financial winners(relatively speaking)in the crisis; Steve Schwarzman, boss of Blackstone, a private-equity giant; and even some hedge-fundies, such as Dan Loeb of Third Point .. Equally exaggerated is the extent to which, as various newspapers have reported, celebrities have been banned because of their lack of seriousness. Certainly, Bono won’t attend, but that is because U2, his band, are releasing its first new album in ages. As for Angelina Jolie, she hasn’t been invited for several years, not due to any frivolity on her part, but because all the drooling chief executives (and journalists) following her around proved too disruptive." (Economist)

"The president's top aide, Rahm Emanuel, has invited a group of moderate Republicans to a private White House meeting Tuesday amid a Democratic push to add bipartisan flavor to an $825 billion economic stimulus package making its way through Congress. The smaller confab is scheduled to take place after Obama and Emanuel meet separately with large caucuses of congressional Republicans and congressional Democrats on Tuesday. It appears to be something of a continuation of the bipartisan dinners Emanuel held with Republicans during his three-term stint as a Democratic House member from Chicago, and it is not clear whether the stimulus will be the focus of the meeting, one of many subjects or simply the $825 billion gorilla in the room." (CQPolitics)



"ABC is flashing the 'V' sign. The network has given a pilot order to a new take on NBC's 1980s miniseries about an alien invasion. Meanwhile, NBC's comedy pilot 'Lost in the '80s,' originally picked up as director-contingent, has firmed up its order with the hire of 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' helmer P.J. Hogan. Written on spec by Scott Peters, the new 'V' will center on a female Homeland Security agent. Peters is exec producing with HDFilms principal Jason Hall. Two ABC pilots picked up so far this pilot season -- "V" and 'The Witches of Eastwick' -- are reimaginings of 1980s titles. Both are produced by Warner Bros. TV. 'Lost in the '80s,' from Sony TV and Tantamount, is considered an '80s version of 'The Wonder Years' and described as 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' meets 'The Ice Storm.'" (TheHollywoodReporter)

"IF YOU watched the Golden Globes, you saw Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange giggling and having a ball together. That's because these worthy talents are so happy at having their 'Grey Gardens' movie finished amid rumors that it will change Drew's career and make her - not just a Hollywood business success as she has been in the past - but a r-e-a-l-l-y big acting star again. And the formidable Oscar winner Lange is right on the 'comeback' success road with Drew! Last week, Lee Radziwill was offered a private screening of the film about her eccentric East Hampton cousins, the women who lived in cat-ridden squalor among the rich of eastern Long Island. (This story has been told by a documentary, in a recent Broadway musical and is now a feature movie.) .. Lee went to the screening with her friend Billy Norwich of Vogue, and they say the magazine will be covering the film 'Grey Gardens' in its April issue." (LizSmith)