Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Nearly twenty years ago, President George W.H. Bush and his Secretary of State James Baker made it clear that they were not going to pursue the pro-Israeli policies of the Reagan administration and were expressing strong criticism of the 'Greater Israel' policies of the Likud government in Jerusalem as they attempted to revive the Middle East peace process. Today, another American president and Secretary of State are using a misstep by an Israeli government led by another Likud Prime Minister to pressure Israel to put a freeze the settlements in what Washington and the entire international community regard as occupied territories (including East Jerusalem). Once again, U.S. officials explain that the American failure to bring about a change in Israeli policy is damaging American credibility in the Arab world and making it more difficult to revive the peace process. It seems the writers of the script for the 2010 production are thinking about making a re-make of the 1991 movie. In that case, they should consider that in that plot, the White House occupant refused to back down from a confrontation with the tough, nationalist leader in Jerusalem. He decided to take the diplomatic fight into the open, confident that the American public would support him. And he won. But history does not repeat itself. The political context at home and abroad are dramatically different today, and the Obama administration needs to learn the right lessons from Bush and Baker's experience if it hopes to prevail." (Leon Hadar /ForeignPolicy)



"US president Barack Obama kept on turning the screw on Israeli minister Binyamin Netanyahu Wednesday, March 24, after their harsh conversation in the White House Tuesday: Netanyahu was told bluntly to issue a White House-dictated public pledge before leaving Washington for home to eschew further construction in East Jerusalem, or else face a US presidential notice condemning Israel and holding its government responsible for the failure to restart indirect Israel-Palestinian talks. Reporting this, debkafile's Washington sources add that Netanyahu's public renunciation of Jerusalem construction was required to include also the large Jewish suburbs of the city and remain in force for the duration of negotiations. He must also pledge further concessions to the Palestinians." (DEBKAfile)



"Following the snub on Vanity Fair's recent Young Hollywood cover, 'Precious' star Gabourey Sidibe is getting another fashionable cold shoulder. The Oscar award nominee is said to have zero chance of ever appearing on a future cover of Vogue magazine due to her size, PopEater.com reports. 'She's a joke in the fashion community,' a fashion industry insider scoffed. 'What she wore on the red carpet at the Academy Awards wasn't a dress, it was a tent.' Sidibe, 26, is no stranger to being criticized for her weight. Not only was she noticeably absent from the star-studded Vanity Fair cover that included many of her svelte industry peers, she has also been the butt of shock jock Howard Stern's many vulgar insults regarding her appearance. A second fashion source went on to explain that Vogue is an exclusive forum used by designers to debut the best pieces in their new collection. 'All are of which are one of a kind and sample size,' the insider added. 'It would be impossible to get a regular-sized girl in those clothes, let alone Gabby.' Following the exclusion from Vanity Fair, Sidibe carried on an optimistic attitude that she said has only helped her prosper in an industry that focuses on aesthetics." (NYDailyNews)



"To become a literary star, having talent helps, but so does carving out a place in the tangled, incestuous web of the publishing world. Our interactive field guide illustrates how 10 young authors with potential best-sellers coming out this spring and summer fit into the firmament." (VanityFair)



"While you were sleeping, more women were claiming they’ve slept with Sandra Bullock’s (hopefully soon-to-be ex) husband Jesse James, and although his mistress count hasn’t reached a Tiger-level of absurdity, things don’t look good for the 'Vanilla Gorilla.' First, the overly tattooed Michelle 'Bombshell' McGee spoke about their 11-month affair and the world saw her dressed in full-on Nazi regalia, then blond stripper Melissa Smith told Star magazine typically classy Jesse contacted her via MySpace to kick off their two-year affair. Now photographer Brigitte Daguerre claims she also had sex with Jesse four times and saved all 195 of his texts as proof. Rumors have surfaced that Sandra was interviewing divorce lawyers, but how many women will it take for her to dump the bad boy for good? Because Playgirl knows Jesse won’t be getting any money from his Oscar-winning wife, they’ve offered him half a million dollars to pose nude in a 'circus-themed freak show' setting. In other affair news, a source told Us Weekly that isn’t wasn’t all strippers and waitresses for Tiger Woods—the golfer dated a teenaged LeAnn Rimes before she met (and later cheated on) husband Dean Sheremet." (Takimag)



"Anderson Cooper goes for an unprotected dive with 'The Sharkman' Mike Rutzen this Sunday on '60 Minutes.' Rutzen risks his life to prove that great whites are misunderstood and Cooper goes along for the dive. Just before he went in, the CNN anchor and CBS contributor told his cameraman, 'Just remember, if I get eaten just keep rolling, because the only thing more stupid than being eaten, would be being eaten and not have the videotape.'" (TVNewser)



"Contrary to popular opinion, cable network TLC thinks audiences can learn something from Sarah Palin, and the company is willing to pay her roughly $250,000 per episode, or $2 million in total, to educate them. That’s the ballpark amount the woman formerly known as the governor of Alaska will pocket from the sale of an eight-episode documentary series to the Discovery-owned network, sources familiar with the project told The Daily Beast. Produced in conjunction with reality-TV show kingpin Mark Burnett, Sarah Palin’s Alaska will reveal the 49th state’s 'powerful beauty as it has never been filmed, as told by one of the state’s proudest daughters,' according to a press release announcing the deal. Or, as a rival network head who saw a trailer for the show described it, 'It’s basically a travelogue with Palin and a few cameras running around Alaska in a helicopter.'" (TheDailyBeast)



"Palm Beach won't have Lord Conrad Black to kick around when the Canadian press lord gets out of jail on Oct. 13, 2013, at the earliest. Black's doing 6½ years for fraud and obstruction of justice. But his oceanfront mansion has already been transferred to the Connecticut-based company that held an $11.6 million mortgage and it's already for sale, the Globe & Mail reports. Though the list ing has no price, the property is worth less today than the $37 million Black was asking for it in 2005." (PageSix)



"Most of the 37 governors elected this November will have power over new congressional district boundaries, which will be crafted in state capitals after the census results are released this December. Needless to say, the party that controls the line-drawing process can try to gerrymander its district map at will — raising the stakes for the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and Democratic Governors Association (DGA) as they decide how to target campaign cash in the winnable races. 'The RGA invests in states where we can make a game-changing impact,' said Mike Schrimpf, communications director for the GOP governors’ group. 'And there’s no doubt that many states shaping up to have competitive races this year will undergo redistricting.' 'Redistricting increases the urgency,' said Nathan Daschle, the DGA’s executive director. 'Strategically, it doesn’t change a whole lot,' though 'We talk about it a lot with donors,' he said." (CQPolitics)



"The Washington Post, among others, is reporting rather matter-of-factly that conservative commentator David Frum (who, as a Bush speechwriter, coined “axis of evil”) has been fired by the American Enterprise Institute for criticizing the Republican approach to the health care fight. Neither the think tank nor Frum is saying much, but they did part ways conspicuously close to the publication of this post on Frum’s site. Frum, who has been pitching moderation in the GOP since his book 'Comeback' hit the shelves, wrote that the passage of health care reform is the Republicans’ 'most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.' As Frum sees it, the GOP is letting the Rush Limbaughs of the world lead it around by the trunk, and the result is a Democratic victory that will be with us for years to come." (TruthDig)



"Shanghai ... The Hurun Report that publishes the 'China Rich' list of tycoons—the local version of the Forbes 100 — invited me to a reception honoring the Shanghai hotels that offer the best 'Presidential Suites.' The event coincided with the Asia Luxury Travel Market trade show that caters to China’s emerging wealthy class. It’s expected that 100 million citizens of the People’s Republic will be traveling abroad by the end of the decade." (NYSocialDiary)



"Europe is haunted again by a German question. Somewhere along the way the old neurosis has been up-ended. The issue that so long vexed Europeans has returned in another guise. Berlin’s neighbours used to worry about an over-mighty, expansionist state straddling the heart of the continent. Now they must grapple with an indifferent, introverted Germany. Angela Merkel’s hostility to a eurozone rescue package for Greece slots into a bigger picture. Whether it is economics or foreign affairs, the German chancellor speaks for a nation that has turned inwards – one that has reassessed, and downsized, its obligations to Europe. The crisis in the eurozone has crystallised things. Greek profligacy has metamorphosed into a serious threat to European economic integration. On Wednesday, José Manuel Barroso was moved to voice confidence that Ms Merkel would eventually back a bail-out. After all, the president of the Brussels Commission observed poignantly, she was a 'committed European.'" (FT)



"Witnesses say hundreds of poor Somali families are being forcibly evicted from their homes near the airport. Asha Madey said Friday that she spent the night in the open with her seven children after their two-room house was destroyed by security personnel with bulldozers. Police spokesman Abdulahi Hassan Barise says the plan will continue until threats to Mogadishu's main airport are eliminated. The targeted area was a former air force base and is about 100 yards (meters) from the airport's fence. Human rights groups say the families - who squatted the idle land - have no place to go." (WashPo)

Corsair Classic

The Electric Company - Easy Reader | |

Morgan Freeman is and always will be "Easy Reader"

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Blake said of Milton that the author of Paradise Lost 'was a true poet, and of the Devil’s party without knowing it.' While in those precincts of the American Right where the wild id roams free, Barack Obama increasingly is viewed as the devil incarnate. But even in the calmer regions of American conservatism, a view of the president startlingly analogous to Blake’s of Milton holds sway. 'We do not question the sincerity of his, or their [e.g. American liberals] desire to better the lot of his countrymen,' write the National Review’s editor-in-chief, Richard Lowry, and the conservative columnist and anti-abortion activist, Ramesh Ponnuru. 'But modern liberal intellectuals have a notoriously difficult time coming up with a decent account of patriotism even when they have felt it. From Richard Rorty to Todd Gitlin, they have proclaimed their allegiance to a hypothetical, pure country that is coming into being rather than to the one they inhabit.' In 1964, a man called John A. Stormer published None Dare Call It Treason. It was immensely influential with the harder line sections of the American Right. 'Is there,' Stormer asked rhetorically, 'a conspiratorial plan to destroy the United States into which foreign aid, planned inflation, distortion of treaty-making powers and disarmament all fit in?' For a time, that kind of thinking seemed to have faded along with groups like The John Birch Society. But today, the Birchers are one of the sponsors of last week’s CPAC meeting, which among other things, was attended—without any public demurral over the Birchers’ presence—by all the major likely Republican contenders for 2012 (with the exception of Sarah Palin), not to mention Beck, Limbaugh, Cheney, etc., whether in person or via satellite. Lest there was any doubt that cooler heads (let alone—I might as well say it—reason) might prevail, Lowry and Ponnuru’s broadside confirms that in the year of the tea parties, the American Right returns to what is, historically, its default position—that the only serious and, above all, coherent patriotism is its own. On this account, liberals, whether they know it or not (there’s that ‘Devil’s party’ again), cannot espouse a love of their country that is faithful to the core traditions of the United States." (David Reiff/ World Affairs Journal)



"Supermodel Naomi Campbell will celebrate her 40th birthday in style -- with a lavish party on the French Riviera thrown by her billionaire Russian boyfriend, Vladimir Doronin. He's planning 'the party of the year' for the fiery beauty, who recently said she thought she'd be dead by 40, to coincide with the Cannes Film Festival in May. Sources say Doronin will spend millions to mark the milestone with Campbell's glamorous fashion friends, as well as Hollywood stars in town for the festival. 'Naomi's birthday is going to be as lavish as other recent big celebrity 40th birthdays, such as Sean Combs, Jay-Z and Simon Cowell. Invites are already being sent out and people are expected to jet in from New York, London and Moscow,' said our source. 'Vladimir is planning and paying for the whole event, which is slated for May 22 in or near Cannes. There will be a series of events for Naomi leading up to the big party at a secret location, which is believed to be on a super-yacht.' The party will also be poignant because Doronin -- who is sometimes called 'The Donald Trump of Moscow' -- and Campbell met at the 2008 Cannes fest at a party held on a yacht moored off St. Tropez." (PageSix)



"A couple of months ago, reps from the swanky St. Regis Hotel on Fifth Avenue asked for my favorite restaurants and neighborhoods for some promotion they were doing, promising a free, ritzy weekend there as a reward. I was sure this was one of those large-scale scams, like when I almost went to Liberia to close a multi-million dollar financial transaction that would set me up for life. But I dutifully answered the questions just in case. And the result was that my movie club just had our regular session in a gorgeous suite at the St. Reeg! It was gilded and lovely and the TV was much bigger than in my house--and it worked--and the chairs were plush and there were two bathrooms, so there was none of the usual cueing up outside the bowl. And speaking of bowls, the hotel left me a wondrous batch of fruit! And a bottle of Alain Ducasse's best champers! It was all so magical it pained me to go back to my luxury co-op the next day!" (Musto)



"Hold the phone, Martha. Congressional Republicans may give Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and President Barack Obama a big present with a beautiful bow wrapped around it. Apparently unaware that Americans who strongly oppose the Democratic health care overhaul are already poised to vote Republican in November, many GOP officeholders and candidates have decided to focus their energy on repealing the recently enacted law. Even before the Democratic bill passed the House, some Republican campaigns unleashed a blizzard of e-mails promising to repeal the measure. Within 24 hours of the bill’s passage I had received 'repeal' e-mails from New York congressional hopeful Chris Cox, Missouri congressional candidate Bill Stouffer, Kansas congressional candidate Wink Hartman, Louisiana Sen. David Vitter , Arizona congressional hopeful Jim Ward, Connecticut Senate candidate Rob Simmons, Texas congressional candidate Quico Canseco, Wisconsin Senate hopeful Terrence Wall, Arizona congressional candidate Jesse Kelly, Arkansas Senate wannabe Gilbert Baker and New Hampshire Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte. No, that’s not the whole list. But you get the gist." (Stuart Rothenberg/CQPolitics)



(image via JH/NYSD)

"The Sun came out yesterday in New York, but the air was that very early Spring chill. At six-thirty I went down Dr. Bill Haseltine’s skyline aerie across from the UN to a book reading he was hosting for Norris Mailer and her newly published memoir A Ticket to the Circus. I got there just as Norris had begun her reading. Norris is, as you probably know, the widow of Norman Mailer, his fifth or sixth and definitely last wife of almost 30 years. She was much younger than he, and when you look at the pictures in the book you see what Norman no doubt saw also: a very beautiful young woman with the face of a real angel ... Last night Norris read a piece of a chapter about that first meeting. There were fifty or sixty people standing around Norris in Bill Haseltine’s dining room (with the tables and chairs removed), listening to her read. Norris has been battling cancer for the past nine years, I should add, and while it has taken its toll of her time, it has not hindered her progress or productivity as a writer and artist. Her friends are all well aware of this, and are listening to, and hearing the words of, a plucky woman. The reward is, as it was last night listening to her FRANKLY describe her first meeting of Norman Mailer – he the star, she the kid from Arkansas. She’s so frank in putting it out there that the most intimate details brought roars of laughter from the crowd ..Norris had written two autobiographical novels. Ebershoff suggested she write a memoir. Norris took his suggestion. After he read the first thirty pages about her growing up, he knew he had a good book. After reading her pages about Bill Clinton, he knew he had a hit on his hands." (NYSocialDiary)



"The 'fin de saison' feeling is like the end of term in boarding school. Bittersweet. At school one was cocooned from the big bad outside world, here in Gstaad, far from the crowds and bustle, one has time to ponder the melting snows and dream about one’s youth. Closing day at the Eagle club was fun. At the Taki Cup presentation—the overall winner and new record holder was John Taki, in 36 minutes—I reminded the members that the Taki Cup has lasted longer than both world wars combined, which means it is a far more important historical event. Some Belgian people agreed." (Takimag)



"Here’s what we can reveal about The Las Vegas Courtesan: She is about to turn 29, but looks a few years younger. She is almost five-foot-nine, and her shoulder-length blond hair frames an unlined, oval face. She wears little makeup, her eyebrows are groomed, and her bust has not been cosmetically enhanced. Above all, she does not stand out—a strategic decision when much of Vegas would like to figure out who you are. As the anonymous author of The Las Vegas Courtesan, 'Cali,' as she’s told me I can call her, has chronicled the sex-for-cash scene in America’s prostitution capital since November 2006. For years, she blogged to a core audience of cult followers. But recently, her profile has been elevated by an active Twitter account, and requests from producers from brand-name media outlets are beginning to show up in her inbox ... It’s a particularly touchy subject these days, when many of the city’s hookers are willing to do more for less. 'You have to negotiate more,' Cali says. She also says that since the recession began she’s seeing more clients in their twenties—guys who came to Vegas and want a sure thing, not a girl in a nightclub who’s going to refuse to put out after he buys her fifty dollars worth of drinks. 'I prefer the older clients,' she laments. 'Young guys say stupid things like, 'I should get a discount because I’m good looking.' She says this is precisely why she writes her blog—as a tip sheet for people who want to hire an escort, and as a guide for people curious about the industry." (TheDailyBeast)



"WHAT: Book release Skulls and Shit. WHERE: Billy Mark's West. WHEN: Tuesday, March 23. WHO: Authors Donald Baechler and Wes Lang and guests Eric Goode, Justin Theroux, Heidi Bivens, Glenn O'Brien and Gina Nanni." (Papermag)



"China committed today for the first time to engage in substantive talks on a U.S.-backed initiative to sanction Iran for defying U.N. demands to halt its enrichment of uranium, according to Britain's U.N. ambassador. But diplomats here predicted at least several weeks of further talks before the council will adopt sanctions on Iran. Liu Zhenmin, China's newly appointed negotiator on the Iranian nuclear crisis (shown at right), participated in a conference call on Iran's nuclear program Wednesday morning with the political directors from the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and Germany. Liu pledged Beijing is prepared to begin discussions on elements of a U.S. text outlining a set of proposed sanctions against Iran. 'My understanding is that they have agreed to engage substantively,' said Britain's U.N. ambassador Mark Lyall Grant. The key U.N. powers are pursuing a dual-track policy with Iran, offering incentives to Tehran for allowing greater outside scrutiny of its nuclear program while threatening economic sanctions if it fails to halt its enrichment activities. The U.N. Security Council has already imposed sanctions on Iran three times, but Iran has refused to comply with the council's demands." (ForeignPolicy)



"Sarah Silverman will not be walking down the aisle anytime soon. 'I'm not against marriage, but it's just not for me,' the comic tells Playboy. 'I'm a vegetarian, but I don't have a problem if you want a hamburger. Marriage to me is like eating meat. I think it's gross and [bleep]ing crazy.' Because gays and lesbians can't get married in most states, Silverman said, 'If you're getting married today, it's the equivalent of joining a country club that doesn't allow blacks or Jews.'" (PageSix)

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"A high-profile U.S.-Israel meeting has again been overshadowed by new Israeli construction plans. Just minutes before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama in Washington last night, the municipality of Jerusalem announced the approval of a plan to construct 20 new appartments for Jews in an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The U.S. government had demanded that the project be suspended when it was initially approved last July. The latest announcement is reminiscent of Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel earlier this month, during which Israel announced the construction of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. Jerusalem officials say that yesterdays's approval was just a procedural measure for a plan that has been in place for months and that opponents are blowing it out of proportion to create trouble during Netanyahu's visit. But opposition lawmakers see a deliberate provocation: 'Is this another unfortunate mistake? Is this another misunderstanding?' said Labor MK Eitan Cabel. 'Netanyahu decided to spit into Obama's eye, this time from up close. He and his pyromaniac ministers insist on setting the Middle East ablaze.'" (ForeignPolicy)



"In the 2002 documentary Comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, mused to fellow comic Colin Quinn, 'I have no idea what the curve is, of when it’s gonna… feel like it used to feel.' Coming off Seinfeld, one of the biggest shows in television history, Seinfeld was returning to his standup comedy roots, and finding the adjustment both humbling and painful. In response to Seinfeld, Quinn said: 'When you’re killing, and you’re up there killing, and you’re miserable. That’s how you’ll know.' With his new show, The Marriage Ref, one hopes that Seinfeld is at least happy, because he is not killing. The show—which had a strong, post-Olympics start in the ratings, but has since settled into middling numbers—has been eviscerated by critics. In The Newark Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall described the show as 'celebrities being smug, mocking ordinary couples with arguments so obviously ridiculous and one-sided that they would seem justified picking on the wrong side, and cackling at each other’s lame punch lines as if they were all attending the Friar’s Club Roast... Painful, pointless, obnoxious…' Time’s James Poniewozik wrote that Marriage Ref 'proved that, if you are Jerry Seinfeld, NBC will put any program you want on the air, and will give you no network notes. For the sake of my fond memories of the sitcom Seinfeld, I am going to make myself believe that Seinfeld knew this, and was deliberately punking the network.'" (Nicole LaPorte/TheDailyBeast)



"Last night at the Pierre, CASA (the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) held its 18th annual Awards Dinner. The theme of the evening was 'A Celebrating of American Leadership in Combating Substance Abuse.'
CASA was founded by Joseph Califano, a former Johnson and Carter Administration aide and advisor and lawyer. His interest in addiction and substance abuse grew out of his experience as Secretary of HEW under Jimmy Carter. The people of the United States, he told us last night, make up 5% of the world’s population and consume two thirds of the world’s illegal drugs and abuse substances. An amazing statistic, which as commentary gives one pause for thought: who are we? Joe Califano is looking to rescue the family in American life. He doesn’t say it like that but that is where he’s looking to right things ... Last night at the Pierre (black tie), they honored Rep. Patrick Kennedy and the Honorable Jim Ramstad, former Congressman from Minnesota with the CASA Inspiration Award ... was seated at one end of a long center table. On my right was former Florida governor Jeb Bush and on my left was Kathryn Ramstad, wife of the awardee and Patrick Kennedy. Mr. Bush and Mr. Kennedy talked to each other like old friends although I can’t be sure they know each other very well." (NYSocialDiary)



"Why did I write Loving Mailer (Phoenix Books, April 6)? I wanted to offer my understanding of Norman Mailer. We had an affair for nine years--longer than five of his marriages. In 1983, Norman and I met on a date I had with his friend, Buzz Farber, who took me to Elaine's Restaurant in NYC. My first impression of Norman was that he was a sweet, funny man, not at all the wife stabbing tyrant that he was reputed to be. The next day I read in the Times that Norman would be speaking about his films at the Thalia Theater on the upper West Side. That snowy night I trudged to the Thalia and got the last available seat. After Norman spoke, he signed autographs. Because I wanted his opinion of a 500 paged manuscript I had written, I invited him for a cheeseburger the next day at a coffee shop. To my surprise he accepted my invitation and read part of my manuscript as we ate. After lunch, outside in broad daylight, he kissed me on my lips and I fell in love. That evening I flew back to my home in Hollywood. A few months later Norman came to L.A. We met at the Bel Air Hotel where he read more of my manuscript and then we made love. Our affair continued for nine years during which he gave me writing lessons each time we met. We would make love and then go to lunch or dinner. If he had been drinking, I would not allow him to make love to me." (Carol Mallory/HuffPo)



"With mutton-chop sideburns, a gone-fishing hat and a Ratatouille-style accent, Thierry Guetta is a character that documentary filmmakers pray for: gregarious, oddball, dogged and hungry for fame. In April, a documentary about Mr. Guetta—who’s either an overnight art-world sensation, or wholesale bogus creation—opens in New York, directed by British art-star Banksy. But fans of Mr. Guetta, whose nom de graffiti signature, or tag, is Mr. Brainwash, can see his work now at a pop-up gallery in Manhattan’s meatpacking district. Banksy’s film, Exit through the Gift Shop (the title is a swipe at aggressive museum merchandising), has made Mr. Guetta something of an ersatz star. It races through the world of street graffiti as Banksy helps Mr. Guetta, an ardent fan, become an overnight sensation selling artwork he doesn’t even make himself." (Observer)

What Was Jesse James Thinking?



This post is for my old friend Lara Beth (cheers, darling), who loves this ingot of pop-gossip almost as much as I do. It actually boggles the imagination, really. Just what was Jesse James thinking? He had a "Golden Ticket," and he traded it in, cheaply, for an 11-month fling with a reptilian Nazi tattoo model. She of the dead eyes and vitamin-deprived pallor compared to the healthy, hard-working Sandra Bullock. Was it worth what was lost in the process? Clearly James is a case of "the macho tragic." He never quite seemed at home in the role of loyal, supportive husband -- something about the eyes and the tentative bearing -- in the same way that Samuel L. Jackson was never quite believable in the role of Jedi, though, we cannot fail to note, he would have been a magnificent Sith).

But that's neither here nor there. The Macho Tragic is, as I've defined it on this blog, "the insecure testosterone-fuelled bad behavior that oftentimes takes place after the home team loses (or even if they win) ... You can hear this type coming a mile away, from the vestigial tail, the sulfurous smell and the cloven hooves a clacking. The compact body, legs underneath, akimbo. Budweiser hoisted against The Gods. Some like to call this type 'maverick,' others 'the Hell Raiser,' or 'the rebel,' a few 'the tough guy.' I call it asshole." James is a distanty relative of the famed "Outlaw" Jesse James, and that heritage -- destiny? -- clearly weighed on his ultimate fate; hence: the tragedy.

There is, invariably, something deeply self-destructive about "the macho tragic." His self-sabotage has the aroma of Doom. Did he subconsciously not believe that he was worthy to marry Sandra Bullock? Was he not sexually fulfilled (and if he wasn't, why marry?)?

It's all so damn messy, Jesse James' private life (the Naziism, the face-tat, the custody battle ickiness). This makes it even more benevolent for Sandy Bullock -- long regarded in Hollywood as the squeaky-clean to Doris Day's "girl next door" crown -- to take James in in the first place. She gave homes and an entree into Hollywood A-List society for Jesse and his kid. How could he possibly turn his back on that? How could he possibly spit in Sandra Bullock's face -- which is what he in essence did -- risking her media reputation if this got out (And of course it was going to get out; a Nazi-tattoo model wouldn't ride this one out?)

Sandra Bullock:Michelle "Bombshell" McGee :: An Hyperion: Satyr.

Rock on, Jesse James, douchebag.

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Today, time is running out for any viable two-state solution. This realization is deeply troubling to the majority of Israelis who fear that the right-wing settlers' movement is hijacking the peace process. Israel’s liberals desperately need a game-changer. As the Israeli-American historian Bernard Avishai recently wrote, 'there is a culture war in Israel now, and the only way the liberal side of it can mount an offensive is if America keeps the heat on.' In dealing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Obama administration should emulate the strength and stubbornness of Ike in confronting Ben-Gurion. It would take one phone call for Obama to tell Netanyahu that the building of new settlements anywhere in the Occupied Territories, including East Jerusalem, has to stop. Period. And if not, then Netanyahu needs to know there will be severe trade and financial sanctions. This would be Obama’s gift of tough love for the Israelis. Yes, I know this scenario is unlikely, even naïve. It almost certainly won’t happen. This is 2010, not 1956. But trust me, if it doesn’t happen, things will only get worse." (Kai Bird/TheDailyBeast)



"Euan Rellie celebrated turning 42 by throwing a dinner party for 40 pals with his wife Lucy Sykes Rellie at Macao Trading Company in TriBeCa. The crowd ran the social gamut from bankers to badly behaved models to boozed-up mommies. Tim Schifter, Sara Ruffin Costello, Olivia Chantecaille, Joey Jalleo, Boykin Curry, Ann Caruso, Mary Harris, Kristian Laliberte, Amanda Ross, Kelly Bensimon and Alan Rish were all there, but Rie Rasmussen supplied the drama. Rie recently told Page Six that Terry Richardson tricks young girls into getting naked for his camera, and later had a run-in with the designer at Paris Fashion Week. 'I confronted Terry at Montana in Paris last week,' Rie told me. 'He was such a coward. He ran away from me and out the front door of the club.' Rellie, in his signature Thom Browne suit, said that his wife calls him a 'social snowball.' 'The only rule is to invite lots of pretty girls,' he advised with a wink. 'Everyone likes to go to a party with pretty girls. Even pretty girls.'" (Papermag)



"Still in the midst of a diplomatic fracas with Israel, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also found herself in a mini-crisis with Russia during last week's Moscow trip. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly snubbed Clinton during a meeting Friday, hectoring her in front of reporters after announcing Thursday that Russia would bring the nuclear reactor it is constructing in Iran online later this year. This comes just as Washington is hoping to tighten the screws on Tehran over its illicit nuclear program. Putin's treatment of Clinton raises doubts about the Barack Obama administration's strategy toward Russia, which has focused on building up the supposedly moderate President Dmitri Medvedev, reportedly one of the few foreign leaders Obama has bonded with, as a counterweight to Putin. Obama's focus on a personal relationship with a Russian leader is nothing new; in fact it's drearily consistent with how past U.S. presidents have handled their relations with Russia." (ForeignPolicy)



"It is Asia Week in New York. Last night the Asia Society hosted A Celebration of Asia Week: AllThingsArtASIA beginning with a cocktail reception for several hundred at the Society and Museum on Park Avenue and 70th Street .. This event is also the Asia Society’a major annual spring fundraiser. Mira Nair, Vivienne Tam and BD Wong were honorary chairs. The reception at the Asia Society museum featured Asian fashion designers and artisans as well as music and 'culinary delights' created by guest chef Michael Bao Huynh. It was crowded when I arrived at 7:30 an hour an a half it started. I saw Richard Meier across the room, and Inger Elliott and Dinda Elliott, George Wayne, Lucia Hwong Gordon, model Irina Panteva, Fern Mallis, John Liu, Eiko Assael and Sandra Ripert." (NYSocialDiary)



"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Washington this week amid unaccustomed tension between the two allies — a strain that is now playing out in House and Senate races across the 2010 election landscape. The White House-Israel feud over settlement building in East Jerusalem has Republicans racing to attack the White House as squishy and disloyal to Israel, weak-kneed on foreign policy and even soft on Iran. Democrats, meanwhile, are dealing with sensitive intraparty conflicts between those who want to reiterate America’s strong support for Israel and a more dovish wing that insists a tougher approach to Israel is the best way to push the peace process forward. 'I think candidates are just hiding under their desks because no one wants to get into this,' said Steve Rabinowitz, a longtime Democratic strategist and Clinton administration official who has advised Jewish groups. 'This week, the answer is to just not dance.'" (Politico)



"Howard (Stern) said that Barack Obama is the winner of the decade with this whole health care thing. Howard said that there are people who make as much as $60-70,000 a year and they can't afford health care and it's been a blight on the country. Howard said he heard that this Tea Party was out spitting on a congressman and calling him the N-word. Howard said most of these Tea Party people are going to be thrilled when they can get health care in 5 years. Howard said he didn't have health insurance when he started out as a DJ. He said he wasn't a bum either. He said he was trying to build a career and he couldn't afford it. Howard said that Richard Nixon was going to pass a national health care thing before Watergate broke. He said that he was going to get it passed until that happened. Howard said that Bill Clinton wanted to get it passed too but that didn't' work out. Howard said Obama said he was going to give us change and this is change. Howard said the negativity is the health insurance industry complaining about it. Robin said they want to pass a sugar tax on soft drinks and there are regular people saying this is just another way to get money from them but that's the soft drink companies telling them what to say. Howard said this is a pretty amazing accomplishment. He said it's historic and that's what they're saying in the news. Robin said that they're just trying to get everyone covered with health care and there's a whole revolution against it." (Marksfriggin)

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"On a spring day in 2007, David Zaslav walked into an intimate, living-room-style conference room on the second floor of Harpo Studios in Chicago and sat down next to Oprah Winfrey. The 47-year-old television executive hadn’t met Oprah before, and although he’d spent his share of time in the presence of celebrities, he was struck by how life-size she seemed. As anyone who watches her show knows, Oprah’s great gift is the way she can be at once a star and Everywoman. She contains multitudes: There is empathetic Oprah (commiserating with abuse survivors, the parents of autistic children, or the entire nation of South Africa), indignant Oprah (seething at James Frey over fabricating his memoir), fun-loving Oprah (road-tripping across America with best friend Gayle King), news-making Oprah (Tom Cruise), tabloid Oprah (her weight is up, it’s down), mystical Oprah (The Secret and its Law of Attraction, suggesting you can get whatever you want if you just want it enough), and altruistic Oprah ('Everybody gets a car!'). That day, Zaslav was talking with Oprah the businesswoman. She sat quietly, with her glasses perched at the end of her nose; she was in tire-kicking mode." (NYMag)



"Nancy Pelosi showed Sunday why she is one of the most powerful Speakers in history. In shepherding one of the most controversial bills through the House, Pelosi achieved what some thought what was impossible after Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts two months ago. Pelosi's political stock took major hits at various points in the 111th Congress. Last year, she attracted widespread criticism for her seemingly contradictory statements on what she knew about U.S. interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists. Her handling of the Eric Massa scandal earlier this month was mocked by Republicans and her replacing of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) as Ways and Means chairman was anything but smooth. Headlines on those issues had some whispering that Pelosi did not have the pull with her caucus that she used to. Some Democrats in the nation's capital privately predicted Pelosi couldn't pull off this close vote, especially with more than 30 House Democrats facing tougher reelection races than when the House cleared its healthcare bill last November. Down at least two dozen votes earlier this month, Pelosi worked many members one-on-one." (TheHill)



"More people, more places in little ole Manhattan. The nights have been as beautiful as the days; and people were out on the town. Last Thursday night at Bergdorf’s Akris designer Albert Kriemler hosted an evening of cocktails to celebrate the opening of an exhibition featuring works from the designer’s 15-year collaboration with photographer Steven Klein, including campaign images from 30 seasons. There is the first campaign with Stella Tennant to campaigns with Trish Goff, Aurelie, Bridget Hall, Anouck Lepere, Maria Clara, Michele Alves, Lisa Cant, Bruna Tenerio, and Alana Zimmer, to the current campaign with the Infinite 'It' Girl, Daphne Guinness." (JH/NYSocialDiary)



"Maybe newspapers really are dying, as some media analysts have been predicting for decades, but apparently that does not apply to newspaper wars. A doozy is shaping up at the moment between The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. John Seeley, the editor of The Journal's forthcoming New York section. In an attempt to eat into The Times’s mass-market audience and lure away some of its luxury advertisers, The Journal has already edged away from its traditional role as a national business paper, adding a daily sports page and a bimonthly magazine, strengthening foreign and Washington coverage and shifting the mix of articles on its front page. Now The Journal, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, is making its biggest and most audacious move yet away from its roots, starting up a local news section for New York to compete directly with The Times for affluent, general interest metropolitan readers and the high-end advertisers who covet them." (RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA/NYTimes)



"I covered part of the premiere episode of Breaking Bad in my preview post Friday, but I'll say it again: having started its run setting a frantic pace and constantly upping the stakes, Breaking Bad has learned the dramatic power of setting up a menacing situation and letting it play out slowly. It was appropriate, then, that it should begin—and what a visually stunning opening this way—with two scary men crawling. And then, having set up the premise of two quiet, terrifying as hell Mexican assassins on the trail of 'Heisenberg,' the rest of the top-shelf premiere, 'No Mas,' did what they do: moved toward its target, steadily, deliberately and with killer confidence. It's redundant at this point to say how good Bryan Cranston is in his role, but I continue to be awed at how he can show us the gears whirring in Walter White's mind, as—even while he demonstrates that he has turned into a deathly competent criminal—he works to convince himself that he is still a good man and a good father. In that opening scene, in which Walt starts burning his drug money and the dumps it into the pool to extinguish it, it's as if he's drowning the part of himself that's repentant for what he's done." (James Poniewozik/(Time)



"I began writing 'The Big Picture' in 1998. At that point, there were no DVDs, the video market was still king and Blockbuster was a major part of Viacom. By the time I finished the book, the business had changed. Historically, Hollywood has changed from a business that derived its money from box office to a business that manufactures intellectual properties. Studios earn 20 percent of their revenues from theatrical distribution and the remaining 80 percent comes across other platforms. In 2005 , around when the book went to print, studios looked at DVD sales and they extrapolated about future revenue and made decisions based on those extrapolations. Well it fell apart, the independent movie business collapsed, broadband expanded, creating new ways of delivering movies. Studios have cut back on production and development. They've entered the second phase of this digital revolution, which is nowhere near over." (Edward Jay Epstein/TheWrap)



"On Friday, The New Museum teamed up with Powershovel and Tokion Magazine and the creators of the Digital Harinezumi camera to project some never before seen footage and home movies of some head honcho videographers, (like Bruce LaBruce, Jonas Mekas, Miranda July and Charlotte Gainsbourg) on and around the museum's lobby. Since the event was tremendously well attended (so much in fact, that probably by everyone in the city who possesses a pricey camera was there), the never before seen footage was hard to…see. Cameras were everywhere, as were their owners, like Karen O, Lady Fag, Cristina Guadalupe, Kim Gordon, and Enroll Morris. So despite attending with the intention of feasting their eyes on some previously private reels, they were more concerned by staying out of each other's way and had their eyes out in front of them, instead of on the ceiling and on the surrounding walls." (Guestofaguest)



"As you know, Frasier star Kelsey Grammer is headed back to Broadway, playing Georges in the latest revival of the yay-gay musical La Cage aux Folles. But as my media peer Andy Humm (from Gay USA) just pointed out to me, this is an odd bit of casting since in reality, Kelsey is a Republican, was a celebrity guest at Dubya's inauguration, and endorsed the likes of Giuliani and McCain. Why is he doing a play that seems so antithetical to his political bent? Did he need a job that badly? Or is he just refreshingly expanding his palette? Should we give him the hook or the ovation?" (Musto)

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"There are two major criticisms of President Obama's foreign policy that, I believe, are beginning to resonate. The first, argued forcefully by Bob Kagan, is of his harsh or negligent treatment of allies, in contrast to his rather more gentle treatment of dictators and adversaries. The second is that he cares not a wit about foreign policy, especially if it gets in the way of his domestic agenda. Let me focus on the second. In the case of Asia policy, his preoccupation with his domestic agenda is deleterious in two ways. First, despite all the snarky bragging by Obama officials about how 'America is back' (see recent posts by Dan Twining and Walter Lohman), he cancelled a trip to Asia for the second time to deal with a crisis of his own making: health care. I believe this is unprecedented." (ForeignPolicy)



"NECKS craned for a glimpse of Patti Smith as she settled at her customary corner table at Da Silvano in Greenwich Village, a favorite afternoon haunt, earlier this month. The wonder was that the patrons, silver haired and sleekly buffed, could pick her out at all. Ms. Smith was understated, even self-effacing in her mannish jacket, boater shirt and beat-up jeans. Watching her sip hot water and lemon, you could easily have mistaken her for one of any number of androgynous downtown hipsters adopting skinny jeans and boyfriend coats as a low-key urban armor. Was she trying to merge with the scenery? Ms. Smith shrugged, noncommittal. 'My style says Look at me, don’t look at me,’ she said, a hint of testiness ruffling her easy composure. 'It’s, I don’t care what you think. So it was surprising to learn that her roomy gray jacket, with cuffs that unfasten at the wrist, was designed by Ann Demeulemeester, a high priestess of Parisian vanguard chic. Her jeans were Ralph Lauren, prized by Ms. Smith for their racy lines. Her boots, a gift from Johnny Depp, who wore them as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, were the perfect fit, Ms. Smith exulted, 'like when the magic cobbler made your shoes.' She has a rarefied feel for that kind of evocative detail — no stray seam escaping her scrutiny. That might stun her fans, who think of Ms. Smith as a gnarly rocker, thrashing and howling soulfully on stage." (NYTimes)



"Growing up is hard to do—particularly for Noah Baumbach’s raft of characters. From the aimless postgrads of his 1995 debut Kicking and Screaming to the excruciatingly immature parents in The Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding to one thrill-seeking vulpes in his script for Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox, the Brooklyn-reared Baumbach has always shown a knack for capturing the regressive, self-absorbed, juvenile side of the adult human condition. 'I’m always interested in how people, myself included, have ideas of themselves, of how they thought they would be, or of how they want to be seen,' explained Baumbach, on the phone from Los Angeles, where he now splits his time with his wife and collaborator, actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. 'And the older you get, the world keeps telling you different things about yourself. And how people either adjust to those things and let go of adolescent notions. Or they dig in deeper.' 'And Greenberg,' added Baumbach, referring to the central figure in his latest film, 'has obviously dug in deeper.'" (IndieWIRE)



"All over the United States, anxious high-school students and college graduates ready for another round of education are scouring the mail for big envelopes. As the acceptance letters come pouring in, these prospective students have some important matters to consider. The first question they should ask is: 'Does the school have an extant endowment?' But the second should be: 'What are my chances of meeting a dashing royal during orientation?' We at Royal Watch have noticed that quite a few of the world’s princes, princesses, and other nobles alight to the U.S. for their undergraduate and graduate studies. We’ve compiled a short list of the American universities with high rates of royal enrollment." (VF)

"Not much ever really comes of commissions, really. The last one that really came up with something truly concrete was the Warren Commission, and for all its good work, most Americans persist in believing that Oswald was working in tandem with the CIA, FBI, Lyndon Johnson, and the John Birch Society. The last big commission was the Iraq Study Group. It was chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, the wisest of the wise men. Its Republican members included Sandra Day O’Connor, Ed Meese, and—what do you know?—Alan Simpson. Simpson seems to have become a first-responder wise man. For the Democrats, there were Leon Panetta, now head of the CIA, Vernon Jordan, and Chuck Robb. It doesn’t get more establishmentarian than that. What did they recommend? Essentially: that we get the f--- outta there. What happened? The surge. And so it goes with blue ribbon commissions. Thank you. You have done a great service to the country. Don’t forget to turn out the lights on your way out. I don’t mean to be flip, really. But if you live in Washington and see these commissions come and go, it’s hard to avoid becoming a little skeptical." (Chris Buckley/TheDailyBeast)



"Seeing Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning dolled up in their Young Hollywood best before the screening of Floria Sigismondi's The Runaways last night made it tough to think that they could accurately portray two queens of early L.A. punk. But we're happy to report that their heavily styled red-carpet looks were deceiving. On screen, in Joan Jett's black mullet and Cherie Currie's feathered blowout, respectively, Stewart and Fanning convincingly snorted drugs in airplane bathrooms, made out together, and danced around in leather trousers and bikini bottoms. The two still-teenage stars holed up on an outdoor patio at the Tommy Hilfiger-sponsored Bowery Hotel after-party behind a pair of security guards. Of her turn as a gritty, bi-curious rocker, all we could get out of Fanning was that she had fun playing the part. Chloë Sevigny was much more chatty, talking hair with Currie herself, who's now a chainsaw artist working in the San Fernando Valley." (Style)

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"American elite opinion has been, for the most part, dead wrong about China. The People's Republic is not liberalizing and it is not aligning itself with the West to resolve the world's most pressing problems. Its military build-up is destabilizing and, in many cases, it is not playing by the rules of international trade." (ForeignPolicy)



"Israel’s diplomatic war with the United States will likely end the same way its real war ended last year in Gaza: ambiguously. There will be no white flags or mission accomplished signs, just a slight tilt in the balance of power, a modest moving of the trench lines. Those lines aren’t fully demarcated yet, but in important ways the outcome is already clear: Barack Obama has won. He’s won because he’s hurt Benjamin Netanyahu more than Netanyahu has hurt him. For decades, the relationship between an American president and an Israeli prime minister has resembled two guys with revolvers pointed at each other’s heads. For an Israeli prime minister, alienating your biggest patron is an excellent way to lose power—as Yitzhak Shamir learned after his showdown with George H.W. Bush and James Baker in the early 1990s. But for an American president, fighting with Israel almost always guarantees a fight with Congress, which tolerates little criticism of the Jewish state." (TheDailyBeast)



"Sean Combs is not the classiest celebrity ambassador Ciroc vodka could ever have. But he gets an A for effort. At Greenhouse Tuesday night, the hip-hop mogul got on the microphone to introduce rap artist Travis Porter. According to a spy, Combs, who's taken to calling himself 'Ciroc Obama,' urged everyone to buy his favorite brand, and then said: 'If you're not drinking Ciroc vodka, then you're drinking pee pee.' Combs has a multiyear strategic partnership worth up to $100 million with Ciroc and receives a 50 percent share of profits." (PageSix)



"Grand Street, which was completely closed down last night from 6 to 8, bared more resemblance to an outdoor rock concert than an art opening. 'I've never seen anything like this before' I kept hearing over and over again. The occasion? The opening of photographer Ryan McGinley's new show, 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,' at Team Gallery. When I finally got a moment with the man of the hour, I asked him if there's an image he's always still searching for that's still out there, to which he responded, 'I have always had an endless fascination with nudity! Always!'" (Papermag)



"Another wildly beautiful early Spring day, yesterday in New York. Sunny, in the mid-60s. The vibe is fresh. The mood is up. Stuff. At the New York City Police Foundation gala on Monday night. I was sitting next to Somers Farkas when Andrea Catsimatides and Chris Cox came by to say hello to her. Mr. Cox is the son of Tricia Nixon, and grandson of Patricia and Richard Nixon. He is planning on following in his grandfather’s footsteps, and is running for Congress from the Suffolk County district that includes Southampton. Ms. Catsimatides is his constant companion and supporter. I’ve met Mr. Cox a couple of times. He’s a kid to these eyes and looks to be in his late 20s, early 30s. He’s bright-eyed, friendly and polite, and all of it clearly comes naturally to him. He has that New York kid natural forthrightness (compared to those of us who grew up in small towns) and yet none of the smug smoothness that people associate with a certain type of New Yorker, namely the privileged. You can’t not like him. It will be interesting to watch his progress. As improbable as youth looks for national politics, his grandfather was only 34 when he went to Congress in 1947." (NYSocialDiary)