Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Barack Obama has an opportunity to establish a new relationship with Russia that will make the world a safer place. With ties between the two countries being the most strained they've been in decades, the U.S. president seems to recognize there must be changes in his country's approach to Russia. The Russians themselves seem uncertain about the direction of U.S. policy. Since Obama was elected, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to place missiles on the border of the European Union in response to any United States missile defense radar in Poland and Czechoslovakia, then decided to pull them back. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has blamed the United States for the global financial crisis and also expressed optimism about the new U.S. president. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov welcomed a conciliatory foreign policy speech from Vice President Joe Biden at the same time that his country, by pressuring Kyrgyzstan to kick out a U.S. military base, made it clear that Moscow wants to be included in any dialogue about Central Asia. The current tension between the United States and Russia is not necessary, nor was it inevitable." (ForeignPolicy)



"Michael Jackson visited a medical centre in Los Angeles yesterday, and we would have loved to hear the answer after his doctor asked: 'What seems to be the problem?'"



"This week, (Senator Chris) Dodd was in a .. mess. He became the first senior Democrat to point fingers at the Obama administration with two apparently contradictory interviews on CNN. The dispute centered on who was to blame for language in the sprawling stimulus legislation that protects existing bonuses. Dodd initially said he had no idea who had changed the language; the next day, he admitted that he had changed the law, but only under pressure from Obama officials. Such tough spots may be all too familiar to Dodd himself. Four decades ago, his father Thomas Dodd — who was also the Democratic senator for Connecticut—was censured for diverting campaign cash to his personal use. He delivered a tear-filled apology on the Senate floor, lost the support of his party and ran -- Joe Lieberman style -- as an independent. He lost his seat in 1970 and died the following year." (TheDailyBeast)

"WHICH hip-hop fashion team is taking more credit than it deserves? While most designers acknowledge their assistants do much of the work, this up-and-coming pair accept kudos but never mention the staff in the back who actually make it happen." (PageSix)

"Yesterday was a rainy day in New York. Last night I was invited by Shirley Lord Rosenthal to the opening night of the revival of 'West Side Story' at the Palace Theatre. Big list of big producers to get this classic back on the boards: Kevin McCollum, James Nederlander, Jefffrey Seller, Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman/Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company, Broadway Across America. As you can see, it takes an army to get a massive musical onto the stage today." (NYSocialDiary)

"Univision and Telemundo have had a lock on the Spanish-language television market for decades, with few serious competitors to challenge them for either viewers or a piece of what's become a $4 billion ad market. But the two networks are about to face their most serious threat in years. On July 1, Estrella TV will launch in about 70 percent of Hispanic homes in most of the 20 largest Hispanic markets. And it's launching in time to participate in this summer’s $1.6 billion Spanish-language upfront ad market. Estrella TV isn’t just another upstart. The network is being launched by Liberman Broadcasting in Los Angeles, an established player in Spanish-language radio since the 1970s and television since the 1980s. It's already a formidable TV competitor to Univision and Telemundo stations in five markets, including L.A., San Diego, Houston and Dallas. Estrella TV will broadcast programs geared to all Hispanics." (Medialifemagazine)

"Bankers aren't the most popular people at the moment, so a big cheer to Kate Moss who is going to give one City boy a smack... make that a smacker. The 35-year-old supermodel auctioned off a kiss for charity, raising (USD $7,200) from one lucky banker. But she told her rocker boyfriend Jamie Hince not to worry, there'll be 'no tongues' or tonsil tennis." (3AMGirls)


"Three down, one to go - by that I mean BrooklynVegan parties at SXSW this year. The pictures above come from yesterday's epic day party at Radio Room. Today, Friday March 20th, stop by Habana Calle for a six-hour, free taste of Norway and Sweden, and/or consider checking out the Dickies Battle of the Bands that Black Bubblegum is judging. If a Battle of the Bands is not your thing I understand, but now consider that they've announced that GZA, in addition to co-judging, will be also performing at the show WITH the Black Lips." (BrooklynVegan)



"A few weeks ago, we posted 'Black Hearted Love,' with its slinky, powerful PJ vocals and roaring guitar work by John Parish. It's reminiscent of Sonic Youth ... and the '90s in general. The song's dark vibe inspired Ms. Harvey's wardrobe (black gown, black nail polish) in a new clip that finds her alone in the woods bouncing in one of those inflatable moonwalks for children. In the rain. In super slow motion. 'When you call out my name in rapture/ I volunteer my soul for murder.' Also no shoes on the moonwalk, kids. Watch it here." (Stereogum)

"The 3D movie trend is about to go into hyper-mode -- and the price for the family moviegoing 3D experience is also reaching stratospheric levels. Let’s take the recent Jonas Brothers in-your-face extravaganza. In our neck of the woods, it cost a family of four a whopping $60 to sit in a comfy chair, wearing the innocuous plastic glasses we seemed to pay for thrice (and which ended up in the trash soon after the movie was over) to watch the boys cavort -- no popcorn or drinks, dinner afterwards, or gas included. Sure, concert movies are the next best thing to being there -- front row and center -- if you can’t muster the energy and expense it takes to purchase a ticket for the real thing. But for families cash-strapped by the recession, watching a 3D concert movie will have them double-dipping in their wallets to afford these high tech flicks.At $15 a pop, you could just as well purchase an amphitheater lawn ticket for around $20 and see the live performance of your kids’ favorite singers instead. According to Variety, comparing the opening box-office take between the 'Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience' film and 'Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour' was tough. The Jonases opened to a paltry $12.7 million, compared to Miley with $31.1 million a year ago. Of course, the economic climate was very different a couple of years ago -- home foreclosures and job-loss reports were not front page news, and overall disposable income was readily available. 'Some are speculating that parents may not have wanted to shell out the extra money for a 3D ticket, which can cost $3-$4 more on average' noted the Variety article." (TheWrap)

"More than 300 TVNewsers packed Time Warner Center's 10th floor event space last night for the 14th annual NLGJA Headlines and Headliners benefit and silent auction. CNN's Soledad O'Brien emceed the event which raised more than $130,000 for NLGJA's annual programs and scholarships. In attendance: Geraldo Rivera, Juliet Huddy, Mike Jerrick, Natalie Morales, Meredith Vieira and her former 'The View' co-host Joy Behar; Jeanne Moos, Jane Velez Mitchell, Jenna Wolf, and Alison Stewart; NBC News president Steve Capus, FNC VP John Moody and many more .." (TVNewser)



"Last night Byrdie Bell and Brian Atwood hosted an event at OpenHouse Gallery honoring Role Play Rene, a book featuring three magnificent works of art: the photography of Tony Duran, the Spring ‘09 footwear line of Brian Atwood, and the body of Rene Russo. While neither Tony or Rene could make the party, NYC socials like Lauren Santo Domingo, Genevieve Jones, Olivia Palermo and designers Erin Fetherston and Elise Overland, amongst others, came to view the blown up versions of the book’s pages." (Guestofaguest)