Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Reducing the recent wave of violence in South Africa to a simple instance of xenophobia fails to get at the heart of the problem. Oftentimes the portrayal of the South African narrative in the West ignores the phenomenal achievement of a peaceful transition from totalitarian regime to democracy at the fin de siècle, and instead goes in for one rife with AIDS and violence. That template of the typical African basket case is well-worn but wide of the mark. And the recent violence between immigrant workers from around the continent hoping to make a better life for themselves and their economic competitors the native South Africans unfortunately plays into that narrative." (Ron Mwangaguhunga/Kenneth Cole's AWEARNESS Blog)



"Meet Caroline Waxler: Managing Editor of Mainstreet.com and the niece of legendary comedian and great lady, Joan Rivers. Caroline was lucky enough to be flown to L.A. to play Celebrity Family Feud alongside Aunt Joan, first-cousin Melissa Rivers, and a slew of other famous folks and their relatives. What follows is a first-person account of Caroline’s day at the Family Feud set, replete with appearances by Ice-T, Coco, Raven Simon, Larry the Cable Guy, Mo’Nique and Wayne Newton, among others. And before you ask: Yes, there are pictures. And they are incredible." (BWE)

"While Jane Friedman was preparing to rock the publishing (and media) world with news of her sudden (possibly forced) departure. The rest of us, or at least a lot, were celebrating the release of the New Yorker's Summer Fiction Issue (featuring Annie Proulx's 'Tits-up In a Ditch') at the Housing Works Bookstore, where some enterprising soul has stocked the displays with books written by New Yorker writers. Not surprisingly the place was packed to capacity with New Yorkers and publishing types alike, including a late arriving Salman Rushdie, Malcolm Gladwell, Simon Rich, Marisa Silver, Lizzie Widdicombe, Daniel Radosh and Dan Halpern." (Glynnis/FishbowlNY)

"For any of you out there who still don’t 'get' Kathy Griffin, we now present you with a single clip that will effectively prompt a lifelong love affair with the red-headed, fast-talking, Scientology-bashing spark plug of an entertainer that she is. On the Today Show this morning, giggly Al Roker had the pleasure of speaking with Kathy about her upcoming hosting job of Bravo’s inaugural A-List Awards and not-so-innocently asked her if there was really anything she wouldn’t do on camera, considering her reputation as a truthiness-telling comedienne who never holds back. What followed was a delicious and epic moment in television history, during which Roker was given a lap dance ..." (Defamer)



(image via tvland)

"Charo is the fabulous camp explosion who left the most sequins and feathers on the deck of The Love Boat, but she's actually a fine flamenco guitarist and chantoozie who I suspect can speak proper English behind closed doors. And she's headed to the gayest town outside of Hell's Kitchen—San Francisco, where she'll perform The Return of Charo and Her Las Vegas Show at the Herbst Theatre on June 29 and will be a Celebrity Grand Marshall at the gay pride parade on the very same bugle-bead-encrusted day." (Musto)



"Judging by the number of shiny black SUVs and Town Cars patiently idling outside the Stephan Weiss Studio Wednesday night, one wouldn't have imagined that virtually all the Type-A success stories gathered at the launch party for Kathy Freston's new book were urgent to achieve Quantum Wellness. But yet, bold-facers like husband Tom Freston, Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller, Anna and Graydon Carter and Russell Simmons and Porschla Coleman came by to warmly greet the best-selling author. 'Attraction is better that promotion,' Freston theorized after greeting her publisher Harvey Weinstein, with wife Georgina Chapman in tow. 'It's not my style to beat the drums and pronounce that my way is better. But if such influential and talented people in their own fields want to pick up my books and take something that I say seriously, that's really wonderful and humbling.'" (Fashionweekdaily)

"(Table) 1. Les Moonves, Bruce Wasserstein and a mystery man ... (Table) 5. Barry Diller and Rob Weisenthal .. (Table) 10. Phoebe Eaton whose piece in this week's New York on the 'The YouTube Divorcee' is a must read... 11. Natasha Richardson looking drop dead gorgeous all in ivory and sporting a curled bob with supper club chanteuse Marti Stevens." (Noah/Lunch at Michaels)

Corsair Classic

A Little Of The Old In And Out



(image via coxandforkum)

In: Russian Oligarchs. Unfortunately, those Nietzchean oligarchs are dug in at the trenches of outer Europe and are not going anywhere. Britain, in particular, is feeling the hot, Borscht-infused breath of the Russian Bear. Amoral pop-stars, too, are becoming, on their own steam, the bitches of the corrupt Russian oligarchy. Thanks to the Bushies' diplomatic blunders, Russia presently veers Westward but with hostile intent. Drunk with oil fuck-you monies, the thumoeideutic basketcases are making their presence felt throughout Europe. Next stop: the global Art market. From Bloomberg's Muse:

"Four auction houses in London are preparing for what they expect to be the highest-grossing week of Russian art sales in history, as dealers such as Anatol Bekkerman say there is room for prices to rise further.

"Collectors may buy as much as 107 million pounds ($209 million) of art in sales starting June 9. The Russian economy has grown every year since 1999, driven by the export of natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and metals. Wealthy Russians are eager to purchase works of their country's heritage.

"'Next week's auctions will see strong results for top lots,' said Bekkerman, owner of New York-based ABA Gallery. 'There's a perception that Russian art is too high priced, but keep an eye on Goncharova, Larionov, Yakovlev, and Aivazovsky.'"

Out: The Hillary Veepstakes. The junior Senator from New York is presently engaged in "The Veepee Dance" with a singularly punkrock-ish intensity. But it will all probably come to naught as already some of her most ardent backers -- Governor Ed Rendell, for instance-- are gently unfastening her political leverage.

He Who Must Not Be Named



(image via nytimes)

It is too painful to talk about. This news is late, yes. We are still processing. The impulse to denial is quite strong on this. He was such an influence on our childhood. He made it copacetic for us to read the now forgotten W. Somerset Maugham's novels. But things that are not cool have been attributed to this guy. And try as we might, it is too painful to mention his name. He knows what he did.

Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Much like at her wedding to Alfredo Gilardini, Lulu de Kwiatkowski received several toasts Wednesday night when she debuted her new monograph, Lulu, at Oscar de la Renta's Melrose Place store ... Hosted by Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love and Miles Redd, creative director for Oscar de la Renta Home, the intimate affair--de Kwiatkowski's last after a party tonight at the Chateau Marmont until her twins are born this August--drew the likes of Jamie Tisch, Crystal Lourd, Gwen McCaw, Tessa Benson, Brigitte Romanek, Liseanne Frankfurt and Emily Deschanel for cocktails in the upstairs home department before sitting for supper, spread across one long center table lined with white peonies." (Fashionweekdaily)

"In an e-mail, Ms. Perton pointed out that the July-August issue, which includes a Pamela Anderson cover and a new typeface, includes 'exciting new advertisers' like Skyy Vodka and VH1. But there’s also a two-page ad taken by Fabucci.com (hey what now?), a Southern California women’s swimwear company. Along with the redesign, there are other signs that Radar hasn’t given up quite yet. Ana Marie Cox, who gave up her staffing position at Time and went on contract there in April, has joined the roster of contributing editors. 'I’ll be doing a regular Radar-ish take on Washington,' she told Off the Record. 'Believe it or not, I’m just happy to have a place that’s as good as Radar for the kind of writing I want to do. I’ve never been good at judging a publication’s longevity.'" (Observer)



"Interior designers Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper hosted Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic’s East End benefit, Everything that is Beautiful, at their Woodhouse Park estate in East Hampton and raised $410,000 to help support PPHP medical services, education and advocacy programs on the East End. The benefit which honored the organization’s 75 years of keeping the community healthy and informed, featured both a live and silent auction of art, jewels, and design inspired by nature .. Guests including Beth Ostrosky, Nicole Miller .. Savanna Hoge." (NYSocialDiary)

"Pop starlet du jour Katy Perry (of 'I Kissed a Girl' fame) is slated to appear on the Jun. 12 episode CBS soap The Young and the Restless. According to a press release, 'Katy plays herself at a photo shoot, where she poses as the cover girl for the second issue of Restless Style magazine. She appears opposite Nicholas and Phyllis Newman (Joshua Morrow and Michelle Stafford), along with Jack and Sharon Abbott (Peter Bergman and Sharon Case). Looks like she is following in the footsteps of a certain Casey Spooner (of Fischerspooner) who also made a cameo on the soap." (Papermag)

"'Look at that! Kate (Hudson) brought all the paparazzi with her!' remarked a bewildered Stella McCartney, observing the photographers gathered outside the gate of the Jefferson Market Garden ... As the garden's staffers warned guests to keep off the central oval lawn, Hudson (who was clad in the same black jacquard Stella McCartney spring blazer as the designer) was joined by Jeff Koons, Danny Seo, Steven Klein, Ingrid Sischy and Neiman Marcus' Karen Katz, all of whom marveled at the unique showing .." (Fashionweekdaily)

Clooney Source: Sarah Said Too Much About Their Relationship



(image via shinystayletv)

George Clooney's moral seriousness on subjects as far-flung as the Darfurian genocide and the present state of journalism goes without saying. But George can sometimes be a dick to the ladies. Take, for example, his most recent high profile break-up. While we have yet to hear anything substantially fluffy from his affable ex, Sarah Larson, George -- or, rather, his unnamed surrogates -- have certainly been chatting up the media ("George is happy to be single again. He had started to feel tied down and wanted some space," said a source).

A bit of advice: Let her move on in her own way, Clooney, after all you were vaguely responsible for her spending a spell on crutches, no? Does it really ultimately hurt The Clooney Franchise (tm) in the grand scheme of things that she shares some details of what is, in essence, her own personal life? She was, after all, one-half of that relationship. From E!Online:

"Super-private George Clooney reportedly dumped Sarah Larson because she did what any woman dating Clooney would do: kiss and tell.

"A source close to Clooney tells E! News the actor broke things off with model-waitress Larson last month because he worried she was exploiting her arm candy status to advance her career.

"'George is very protective of his private life,' says the source. 'He started feeling like she had spoken too much about the relationship. She wanted the fame.'"

That's kind of lame, Clooney. Using the muscle of an inside source of an Oscar-winning Hollywood star against a recently-jilted model that lives in Vegas is, as the French say, beaucoup. Might want to rein in those chatty surrogates a bit.

A Little Of The Old In And Out



(image via afp via business24-7)

In: Senator Barack Obama. The Senator from Illinois' historic victory last night is one of those well-earned events that our grandkids will be asking about. "Where were you, Gramps, when Obama finally clinched the nomination?" From ABCNews:

"Obama claimed the Democratic nomination in the same St. Paul arena in which Sen. John McCain will accept the Republican nomination in early September.

"'Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States,' Obama told his cheering supporters."

(image via darkscenario)

Out: "Art." We just got blasted on the Gawker message boards for commenting, negatively, on transgressive art. It was bound to happen one of these days considering the anarchic, anonymous friskiness that regularly goes on in that arena. But we're game! The subject was the controversy-seeking "artists" who made an exhibit on the assassinations of Senators Clinton and Obama that was apparently shut down by the secret service in NYC this morning. A commenter named "Flossy" attacked us for posting: "There is no such thing as Art anymore, only 'transgressive' assholes -- read: diamond-encrusted skull .. piss Christ, dung Mary Magdalene -- who perform low-grade piece of ass stunts in order to gain publicity. Picasso is spinning in his grave (at fractured angles)."

"Flossy's" response was: "There is no such thing as an educated art critic anymore, just internet commenters who post knee-jerk, conservative reactions to art* they don't care to understand.

"I'm not talking about this assassination b.s. I mean, people who dismiss Damien Hirst, Andres Serrano (Piss Christ) and especially Chris Ofili (elephant dung Virgin Mary) out of hand, without any informed criticism to back it up. Some of those people are seriously talented, regardless of whether or not their work scandalizes the philistines. Do yourself a favor and look them up."

To which we replied: "I am not a conservative and no one who knows me would ever accuse me of being such. Now who is being 'knee jerk,' hmm? I didn't dismiss Damien Hirst entirely, incidentally, only that diamond encrusted skull which went for $100 million to a Russian oligarch, an 'educated art critic,' to be sure. I'm not quite sure this would be the forum to get into whether or not he brought off the whole materialism/existentiality thing with the diamonds and the Death, but it reeked of "art stunt" to me. Nor did I dismiss Andres Serrano as out of hand altogether, just "Piss Christ," for the same reasons. Ditto with the rest."

It will probably go on here.



In: Sarah Jessica Parker. Although the current media winds are prevailing against child stars, Michael Musto, ever the genius contrarian, brings up SJP. Mrs. Parker -- no stranger to the gay white way -- is one of the few exceptions to the general rule that child stars will either porn "stars" or wind up on-the-pipe. From Musto:

"Unlike most child stars, Sarah Jessica Parker hasn't grown up to be a crack addict, serial killer, or reality show star. In fact, she's done quite splendidly while keeping her wit and professionalism about her and not even driving drunk or without the proper accessories. And a new memoir, Put on a Happy Face by Broadway songwriter Charles Strouse, reminds us of just how effortlessly she started out in the biz, with no failure to launch whatsoever.

"Well, maybe just a little. When Sarah Jessica was nine and appearing in an off-Broadway revue of Strouse's songs, he desperately wanted her to go into his wildly successful family musical Annie, but everyone else involved in that show said no way! They were certain the future superstar was 'too sad looking' and 'too dark' to score in that project. (Real visionaries, huh?)

(image via themoviereport)

Out: Dario Argento's "Mother of Tears". God how we loved "Suspiria," probably the most visually arresting horror movie ever. When first we saw that film we could not go to sleep that night for fear of demonic disembodies eyes (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

But the folks at Indiewire -- who we trust on these things -- have convinced us not to go see his latest, "Mother of Tears":

"Take away Argento's undeniable craft, and what would you really be left with?

"The answer is 'Mother of Tears,' the official third part of the 'Three Mothers Trilogy,' that, while continuing the saga set forth by 'Suspiria' and 'Inferno' over thirty years ago, contains little of those films' visual ingenuity, and a surplus of their unchecked sadism. Having the dubious distinction of being at once sickening and utterly ineffectual, 'Mother of Tears' seems destined for a short burst of horror geek enthusiasm, soon to be tempered by the reality of its filmmaker's sad decline."

Jimmy Carter: Clinton As Running Mate Would Be "The Worst Mistake"



Now comes an extraordinarily sensitive political moment. Inter-camp negotiations between the Clinton and Obama campaigns will soon be under way in which the two robust competitors for the highest office in the land will be forced into tight quarters by circumstances to make nice and unify for the good of the party (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). There will be forced smiles and stiff handshakes and in the end Hillary will get on board -- finally -- with the Obama campaign in the general election. But in what role?

Does Senator Hillary Clinton want to be the Vice President? Does the first woman to ever win a Presidential primary want a role in the naming of Obama's running mate? Does she want the Senate Majority Leader position? Does she want some campaign debt forgiveness? A Supreme Court position (which is, granted: unlikely, but possible)? Does she want her political allies in key cabinet positions? Does the Junior Senator from New York want a major role in health care legislation in an Obama administration?

Clearly, Senator Clinton has earned some leverage. Senator Clinton finished strong, winning South Dakota even as her campaign evaporated. There are legions of enraged older white women -- and, to be sure, Latina women -- who say, at least right now, that they would not vote for Obama if Hillary was not on the ticket. That is profoundly disturbing news considering that in 2004, 55 percent of white women voted for Bush over Senator Kerry arguably providing him with the margin of victory.

Former President Jimmy Carter is not a fan of that idea. From The Guardian:

"Barack Obama should not pick Hillary Clinton as his vice-presidential nominee, former president Jimmy Carter has told The Guardian.

"'I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made,' said Carter. 'That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates.'

"Carter, who formally endorsed the Illinois senator last night, cited opinion polls showing 50% of US voters with a negative view of Clinton.

In terms that might discomfort the Obama camp, he said: 'If you take that 50% who just don't want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don't think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he's got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds.'"

Carter, we cannot fail to note, is somewhat politically radioactive with the pro-Israel crowd. And while Carter's advice, as a former President with daily national security briefings, is valuable, it is not readily apparent that he has much influence within the Democratic party establishment anymore.

Further, Senator Clinton's "He's one of us" endorsement of Senator Obama in front of the tribal AIPAC today -- an organization which was suspicious because it has no history with the Illinois Senator -- was a benign political gesture.

The Case Of The Doyenne With The Purloined Fortune



When vast fortunes meet senectitude oftentimes a predator moves in to take advantage. Take, for example, the sad case of Brooke Astor. All the classic elements are involved: a doyenne, a fortune and a scoundrel. What made that case all the more tragic is that the predatory beast was Astor's own son. Our favorite social chronicler David Patrick Columbia once again tempts us with an interesting tidbit about the goings on among the socialite set on Manhattan's UES. From NYSocialDiary:

"There is a story going around these days, very sotto voce but so sensational that many are wondering how long before the lid blows off.

"... It directly involves some very prominent New York names, a very rich and now very elderly; woman who has lived the last fifteen years of her life almost as a recluse in her palatial Upper East Side apartment and her house out on the East End. A great friend of hers, or rather, someone she thought was a great friend of hers, someone she trusted above and beyond her own children, someone she trusted her very large fortune with, ripped her off.

"Ripped her off is the polite way of putting it, although the transfers or 'investments' appeared to be quite legitimate in that there were business deals, maybe not the kind you’d associate with a nonagenarian, but nevertheless, etc.

"And now, they say, it is Gee-Oh-Enn-Ee. All Gone ...

"... Some say there will be jail terms before it is over and a raft of names, associations with the friend; well-known, bigtime, social, celebrated, some implicated, most not, everyone looking for the guilt."

The full post here.

Corsair Classic

Media-Whore D'Oevres



(image via didactique)

"Old friends and longtime aides are wringing their hands over Bill Clinton’s post–White House escapades, from the dubious (and secretive) business associations to the media blowups that have bruised his wife’s campaign, to the private-jetting around with a skirt-chasing, scandal-tinged posse ... But among the not-so-small cadre of Clinton friends and former aides, concern about the company the boss keeps is persistent, palpable, and pained. No former president of the United States has ever traveled with such a fast crowd, and most 61-year-old American men of Clinton’s generation don’t, either. 'I just think those guys are radioactive,' one former aide to Clinton who is still in occasional affectionate touch with him told me recently, referring to (Ron) Burkle and (to a lesser extent) Bing. 'I stay far away from them' ... Yet another long-serving Clinton aide said simply, 'If you figure it out, would you let me know?'" (Vanity Fair)

"'The responses from the former president and his camp are very saddening in their own ways,' said Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, in an e-mail to Off the Record. 'Characteristic, but nevertheless shocking.' In all this, Mr. Carter comes off as somewhat more successful at overcoming the Clintons’ slings and arrows than some of his Condé Nast brethren. Ben Smith of Politico reported in September 2007 that the Clintons exerted pressure on GQ to kill a piece on Hillary Clinton. The piece, by Joshua Green, did not appear; but Mr. Clinton did appear on the cover of GQ’s December issue, over the headline 'Bill Clinton Leads Our Men of the Year.' What’s more, the Clinton camp’s e-mail about Mr. Purdum’s piece doesn’t actually dispute any of Mr. Purdum’s facts." (Observer)

"Cristina Greeven Cuomo's ponytail was still damp when she arrived at Saks Fifth Avenue in Southampton on Saturday for a girl's shopping party toasting both her new role as editor of Hamptons magazine and the venerable retailer's 80 years in the tony beachfront community ... Clad in a Thread Social outfit accessorized with a vintage linen Fernanda Niven clutch, Cuomo nevertheless found herself throwing on an Armani Collezioni jacket--tags still attached--to ward off the a/c chill as she mingled with friends including Michelle Smith, Somers Farkas and Alison Brod." (Fashionweekdaily)

"It was supposed to give Princess Beatrice a taste of the real world. But it seems the 19-year-old’s work placement stint as a personal shopper in Selfridges has seen mollycoddled even more than her pampered customers. The student, who is fifth in line to the throne, has been shielded and supervised by Selfridges staff and her own security - working a risible three hours a day... The source added: ‘She tended to work just three hours a day, although she worked hard and could be seen rushing around the shop floor looking for items for customers. ‘Everyone knows that working in a popular store like Selfridges could have made Beatrice a target, which is why she had a personal bodyguard with her at all times.’" (Thisislondon)

Is Eva Longoria Pregnant?



(image via nydailynews)

Granted, this is not one of the more important geopolitical questions facing this imperial republic today, but we still wonder, guiltily: Is Eva Longoria preggie? We ask this, shamefacedly, because Mrs. Parker showed up at the Monday night's CFDA Awards sporting a festive little bump. It suggested that Eva might be "rated PG."

In the past she has, rightly, denied pregnancy rumors, instead citing "home cooking," but this from Papermag makes us wonder:

"Tony Parker is pointing to her [Eva Longoria Parker’s] belly, I bet she's going to have his baby."

"You are so right. I rest my case look at this photo -- there's a baby bump!"

??

Zimbabwe Suspends CARE



Add to the sheer Felliniesque surreality of "President" Robert Mugabe attending a food conference, his idiot regime has just suspended CARE. Won't someone please oust this historical abnormality? From the NYTimes:

"The Zimbabwean government has suspended all the humanitarian work of CARE, one of the largest nonprofit groups working in the country, because of allegations that it sided with the political opposition party in the current election season.

"CARE provides assistance to 500,000 of Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable people, including orphans, the sick and the elderly. This month, it would have fed more than 110,000 people in schools, orphanages, old age homes and through other programs."

Why Jim Webb Would Be A Fantastic Vice President



Get ready for an accelerated Veepstakes process on the Dem side. The longer the Veepstakes lasts, the more pressure Obama will face to pick Senator Hillary Clinton as his running mate. And although we admire the junior Senator from New York's spirited campaign, we cannot easily forgive the pandering to the racist vote in West Virginia and Kentucky, or the gheto-ization of Obama's South Carolina victory by former President Clinton. Anything for a victory, right Clintons?

The pendulum swings. Aside from being a white southerner with military experience, Senator Jim Webb -- our veppstakes choice, thank you -- helps Senator Obama with the Scots-Irish vote that eluded him in Massachusetts despite the help of Ted Kennedy.

Also, assuming that Mitt Romney is Senator McCain's pick -- and we think he will be -- Webb would decimate the former Governor. From our favorite Dickensuian villain, Robert Novack:

"Political donors report that Sen. John McCain is complaining that he is under pressure from President Bush and his former political adviser Karl Rove to select former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as his vice presidential running mate.

"Since losing to McCain in the Republican primaries, Romney has become a strong supporter and helper of the presumptive nominee. During their contest, McCain indicated his dislike for Romney.

"Many economic conservatives view Romney as the best bet for a unified GOP ticket. Social conservatives are less enthusiastic about him, and many evangelicals still oppose Romney because of his Mormon religion."

Could you imagine a Jacksonian Democrat with military service and a choleric personality up against a stuffed-shirt like Romney? It would be a blowout.

Will Hillary Win South Dakota?

The historic Presidential contest of Senator Hillary Clinton may end tonight with a strong and surprising finish in South Dakota. The closeness of the race -- too close to call -- might fall into the Clinton camp. That would give Hillary a mighty close, and a solid argument that she deserves to be the running mate.

We are solidly in the camp of Jim Webb as Veep. Still, Hillary's strong showing in Puerto Rico among Latinos and a possible win in South Dakota would be problematic for a Webb veepstakes win. From Politico:

"The state’s demographics – white, older and working class – would seem to favor Clinton. But Obama won endorsements from top Democratic leaders, including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Sen. Tim Johnson, and hired their key organizers who know the state well.

"Given a choice between Montana and South Dakota, Clinton advisers say they like their chances better in the latter, where at least one member of the Clinton family has campaigned every day for the last several days. Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told donors recently that the race in both states were tight, but “we’re looking a little better in South Dakota.”

"Obama aides agree: South Dakota is a tougher fight for the Illinois senator. But he is nonetheless looking for one win, if not two, after several overwhelming primary election defeats in recent months."

Things to look for: How the Native-American demographic votes, the returns from Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County and overall turnout.

Obama Rides The Superdelegate Wave



(image via bewilderingstories)

Politico's Mike Allen is calling the steady stream of superdelegates veering towards Obama a "tsunami." In the past few hours one Florida super and two Michigan supers -- a total of 1 1/2 superdelegate votes after Sunday's rules committee ruling -- have gone Obama. From CQPolitics:

"The first superdelegate endorsements of the day for Barack Obama are coming in, in what could be the start of a wave over the next couple of days.

"The biggest name of the day so far is House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, who officially threw his support to Obama in a statement shortly after 8 this morning. ('Officially' because he's been dropping pro-Obama hints for quite some time.)

"But other, non-congressional superdelegates are trickling in too, including Michigan superdelegate Joyce Lalonde and Missouri state Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, both announced this morning.

"The next thing to watch for is the possible endorsements of at least some of the 16 uncommitted Senate superdelegates and the 51 House superdelegates after the polls close tonight in Montana and South Dakota."

Are Drugs Having The Best Week Ever?



For some reason this week Drugs -- never far from the minds of twentysomethings -- are having something of a cultural resurgence. First there was the MTV Movie Awards pot-kerfuffle (Pfffffffffft!), then Tatum O'Neal's coke and crack bust.

Senator Obama, who has like many people who came of age in the 1970s some experience with recreational drugs, may or may not legalize non-addictive and non-crimeogenic -- read: marijuana -- drugs. But we would counsel him politically to NEVER mention that before achieving office. It is one of those political third rails.

We cannot fail to note, though, that it seems logical that Obama, who may be the first non-Boomer President and doesn't have the intellectual baggage of the 1960s culture wars, may pursue some form of drug legalization as President. And that wouldn't be a bad thing.

What's Eating John McLaughlin?



(image via mrc)

Off and on for 20 years -- off while attending college -- we have watched "The McLaughlin Group" with an almost unholy joy. Geeky, yes, but we cannot deny the sublime pleasure of watching Pat Buchanan's Archie Bunkerish nativism ossify, over the years, right before our eyes into a fully-fledged case of inoperable xenophobia. Priceless.

And what of the fundamentally boring Fred "beetle" Barnes? Bloodless, to be sure, but entertaining in his colorless and entirely predictable defense of free market capitalism. Mort we won't mention because he was a living, breathing punching-bag on whom McLaughlin took out his political aggressions with rhetorical right-crosses and ideological hay makers. And of the wonderful Eleanor Clift, who is now just one of the guys, screaming, "waitaminnut, waitaminnute, let me finish!" just before McLaughlin gallantly breaks in and gives her precious seconds to finish her point.

And then there is Mort Zuckerman, a newbie, a billionaire who is not averse to spilling inside information from his contacts in the Israeli Knesset. And the bloviating Tony Blankley, now thankfully gone, who never seemed to be able to play nice with Eleanor.

But we are most impressed with Monica Crowley, also a newbie, who is clearly a cross between right-of-center foreign-policy intellectualism and eye-candy to McLaughlin. Crowley stood up to McLaughlin's irrationalism last week, calling him on his absurd claim that "white men are the most discriminated against .." foolishness.

But this is not the only odd McLaughlin claim that has come through in the past few weeks. Increasingly The McLaughlin Group is veering into deeply anti-Obama rhetoric. McLaughlin, a former Jesuit priest and Nixon speechwriter, is obviously going to pull the lever for McCain. That's his right as an American. But on the show McLaughlin has always worn the cloak of impartiality. And he wore it well. Even during the Clinton '92 Presidential race -- which The Corsair remembers clearly -- McLaughlin tried to remain fair, picking topics that equally praised and attacked the rising governor's popularity. No one who watched the program doubted that McLaughlin was a Bush '41 man, but he never tipped his hat remotely as far to the Right as he has been doing, of late, in the case of Senator Obama.

McLaughlin has done everything in his power to paint Obama in an unflattering light. His heavy-handed brushstrokes insinuating naivete and unpatriotic behavior come right out of the McCain camp and are quite rancid. As someone who has watched the McLaughlin Group with the unabashed joy that only a political geek can experience over 20 years, it is with sadness that we relate that the host may be going over the deep end with the sexist comments and the virulent anti-Obama rhetoric, which even surpasses Pat Buchanan's.

It may, sadly, be time to stop watching The Group.

Are Pics of Brangelina's Twins Worth $15 Million?



There is an intensely over-heated quality of life in an Empire, perhaps because of the fundamentally intemperate nature of an imperium. National insecurities feuled by our imperial overreach leads to a dream-like quality of everyday life. One such incidence of surrealism in This Bush Imperium is the fuckwittage that is the magazine bidding war -- now up to $15 million -- for pictures of the unborn Brangelina twins still ensconced, comfortably, in the glorious womb of Ms. Jolie. Economically, to be sure, it makes perfect sense: pics like that pay for themselves in newsstand sales and free publicity; but morally -- morally -- it is pretty fucking dubious, no? Come on, in your heart you know it is. From Thisisshowbiz:

"They not even born, but a glimpse of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins is already worth $15 million - and counting.

A bidding war has broken out in the US between People magazine and OK! for the first exclusive pictures of the couple's babies, according to reports."

$15 million and counting ...

Corsair Classic

A Little of the Old In And Out



(image via popculturedish)



(image via bostonherald)

In: Bo Diddley. Bo Diddley was one of the greatest influences of the Blues and, thus, Rock and Roll. There have been many cool recollections, but this one from Popculturedish is our favorite, "On Dec. 30th, rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley turned 79. Along with his glasses and rectangular-shaped guitar, one of his trademarks is the 'Bo Diddley beat'; a rhythm that dates back to West Africa and later evolved into the Black music tradition known as 'hambone.' Although Bo wasn't the first to use the rhythm on record .. he did modernize and popularize it.

"Even if you don't know who Bo Diddley is, I am willing to bet your last dollar that you have heard the 'Bo Diddley beat' at some point in time. Because there are thousands of tunes that have used the 'Bo Diddley beat' over the years .." Among the mentioned are: U2's "Desire" and "I Want Candy." And Diddley was a true eccentric in a world increasingly verring towards the commonplace and boring. He, a true American original, will be missed. More here.



Punch him, George. (image via portfolio)

Out: Jeff Robinov. Now is not a good time to be on the bad side of the ladies. Senator Hillary Clinton's historic first presidential campaign for a woman is winding down. Feelings are raw about that. Sex and the City, also, ruled the box office with muscular profits. Leave it up to Robinov to drop a little something-something sexist into the awkward conversational vaccum. From Nikki Finke's DeadlineHollywoodDaily:

"I'm told Warner Bros execs including movie boss and charter member of the he-man women-haters club Jeff Robinov (who keeps maintaining he was just joking when he said he didn't want to make any more motion pictures with women as the leads) recently screened The Women and didn't like it. 'It's not Sex In The City. It's just not that kind of movie,' a studio insider insisted to me. Yeah, who indeed wants a low-budget $18 million chick flick written, directed and produced by one of the biz's greatest women's comedy writers of seminal Murphy Brown fame..."

Punk ass.



In: Julianne Moore. Moore, an indie queen who occasionally does Hollywood fare, has a face that only gets more bautiful the older she gets. And she carries her rabid fan base over into the indie film world despite minimal promotion. From Indiewire, "Specialty film vet Julianne Moore delivered an impressive $22,311 in weekend earnings for her latest independent release, 'Savage Grace,' director Tom Kalin's sexy period drama for IFC Films."





Out: Scott McClellan. Rough night for Scotty Mac. He took a beating from both Bill O'Reilly ("lOoFah!") and Jon Stewart. And then Stephen Colbert, who didn't even interview him, piled on Scotty Mac as well. Rhetorical manslaughter, clearly.

Is David Geffen Done With The Film Business?



(image via vanityfair)

David Geffen, who famously anticipated the Obama rout of the Clintons (with a little help from the michievous MoDowd), is not a happy camper. Mud-wrestling with Sumner Redstone -- eww- can do that to a man. Break his spirits. Fuck with his headspace. In his new blog today Peter Bart asks: What will happen to DreamWorks? An article last month in the Los Angeles Times provides some backstory:

"DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen has been on his yacht in Tahiti since late March, but even from that distant tropical isle, his intentions have been made loud and clear -- DreamWorks' top creative team is planning to leave the Paramount lot, a departure spurred by an endless loop of animosity between Geffen and Viacom chief Sumner Redstone and Paramount chief Brad Grey. According to an existing series of contractual outs, Geffen can announce his departure in August, creating an opening for co-founder Steven Spielberg to depart in October, triggering a key-man clause allowing DreamWorks chief executive Stacey Snider to leave as well.

"Geffen isn't talking to the press. But he made his feelings clear last December in an interview with Vanity Fair. 'These people are a nightmare,' he said of the Paramount top brass, adding, 'I chose to sell this company to Paramount. It turned out to be a poor choice.' DreamWorks loyalists say that Geffen is at work on a whopper, not just out of loyalty to Spielberg but because the new deal will be his last in show business. He's been telling friends that he's through with the movie business. With all the money in the world, he wants to pursue other interests. It is likely that Snider, an indefatigable, highly regarded executive who has become a Spielberg confidant, will become a DreamWorks partner in the new arrangement."

Sumner, of course, a veteran of the Punic Wars (Averted Gaze) is something of a connoiseur of blood feuds.

Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Want to see Paris Hilton's MySpace profile? How about Lindsay Lohan's? Don't worry about those pesky privacy settings. Thanks to 'data portability,' a faddish technology movement that the Valley has been buzzing about for months, you can see any profile you want on MySpace." (Valleywag)



"Fashion has a fresh, albeit familiar, new 'It' girl. According to sources, Julie Macklowe, the portfolio manager for Sigma Capital Management and wife of William Macklowe (president of the New York real estate conglomerate Macklowe Properties), has been anointed to 'It' girl status in Vogue's July issue. She joins past title holders Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Michelle Obama and Marion Cotillard." (Fashionweekdaily)



"You know when you're hanging out with Alan Alda and a bunch of physicists at Columbia University on a Saturday night, something weird is going on. Lucky for us, it was the good kind of weird ... On Saturday night, as the inaugural whiz-fest made a surprisingly theatrical pit-stop at Columbia’s Miller Theatre, Alan Alda (of M*A*S*H lore) revisited his portrayal of legendary physicist Richard Feynman in the Nobel Prize-winning play QED ... Following the reading, Alda was joined onstage by a panel of physicists, including Vera Rubin, who is credited with the discovery of dark matter—a thing that not only apparently exists, but drew considerable interest from the audience during the Q&A session." (Minonline)

"'I've moved from JV to Varsity,' Michael Bastian quipped Sunday night. The designer, nominated along with Tom Ford and Thom Browne for Menswear Designer of the Year, was on hand for the pre-Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards gala dinner at the private club Norwood, where he was in a relaxed and jovial mood ... While CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg and Anne McNally held court in the first room, Linda Fargo, Patrik Ervell, Gilles Mendel, Mary Alice Stephenson... and Monique Lhuillier, who asked Cynthia Rowley how her recent Elle Décor shoot of her home went, roamed about the townhouse." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Chances are, very few New Yorkers will ever step inside the gorgeous townhouse-slash-private-club Norwood. Or sip a cocktail with a designer the caliber of Dries Van Noten. Probably not too many will wait patiently for Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon to finish her sherbet before asking her to pose for pictures… and I’m sure no one could possibly get a bigger kick out of discussing the difficulty of texting with my crazy long natural fingernails with the beautiful and lovely heiress of the Swarovski dynasty, Nadia Swarovski. If I sound excited, it’s probably because Ashley Olsen, my favorite TV star other than Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, was there and in the best mood EVER!" (Papermag)

"...Also up at the Natural History Museum in the LeFrak Theater, Norah Jones, Seamus Blake and Ravi Coltrane performed At 2008 Band Together Benefit for the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS). The evening celebrated CUCS' accomplishments and generate funding for its housing and service programs assisting more than 17,000 of NYC's homeless, disabled and low income households." (NYSocialdiary)

"A friend of mine who knows everything about movies swears Penelope Cruz will win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Two years ago, he predicted around this very time that Jennifer Hudson would nab the exact same trophy for Dreamgirls. She did. Case closed." (Musto)



"Brevity, they say, is the soul of wit. And last night's faster, shorter, funnier CFDA Awards, clocking in at a mere hour and a half, proved the point .. For the above, thank acerbic emcee Fran Lebowitz—if Jon Stewart isn't available for next year's Oscars, they'll know who to call—and a witty, glammed-up roster of presenters that included Kim Cattrall, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Simon Doonan (though the latter's joke about André Leon Talley's 'borrowed turban,' delivered during an introduction of the International Award for Dries Van Noten, didn't immediately seem to amuse the Vogue editor). A more surefire line belonged to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who, in accepting his Board of Directors Tribute, deadpanned, 'My skinny jeans are at the cleaners and my gladiator sandals are being resoled.'" (Style)

"Despite the threat of severe thunderstorms, things were beachy keen Saturday night at Elie Tahari's East Hampton shop. The designer, along with his wife, Rory, hosted a cocktail party to celebrate their summer collection collaboration with Kenny Scharf ... Scharf's 24-year old daughter, Zena, joined him for the trip out east, mingling over cocktails and canapés--including hors d'oeuvres designed to mimic Scharf's iconic donut series--with Robbie Myers, Cristina Cuomo, Caroline Hirsch, Fern Mallis, Lucy Sykes and Euan Rellie and Samantha Perelman, who's graduating from Spence this week and going to her parents' alma mater, University of Pennsylvania, in the fall." (Fashionweekdaily)

Could Bob Barr Put Georgia In Play?



Could the state of Georgia be in play in 2008? Georgia is volatile. In 2004, President Bush carried Georgia in the general election with 58.0% of the vote (or, 1,914,256 votes) over Senator Kerry's 41.4% of the vote (or, 1,366,155 votes). No surprises as Georgia is a pretty solid red state. More interestingly, Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik garnered 0.6% of the general election vote in Georgia, or 18,387 votes).

Add to the intrigue the fact that in the Georgia primary Obama beat Senator Clinton 66.4% (or, 704,247 votes) to 31.1% (or, 330,026 votes). Combining Senator Clinton's totals with Obama's almost totals those of George Bush's numbers in the general election in 2004. Almost. And adding the totals of John Edwards, Joe Biden and Bill Richardson -- all of whom support Obama -- the numbers get even closer, within a hair's breadth of Bush's total. From Newsweek:

"Last week, InsiderAdvantage unveiled a Peach State survey that--presuming Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee, and Barr as the Libertarian choice—showed John McCain at 45, Obama at 35 and Barr, who's been a known quantity in George for two decades, at a whopping eight percent of the vote. That might be enough to swing Georgia in Obama's direction. When Reform Party candidate Ross Perot won nearly 14 percent of Georgia's vote in 1992, Bill Clinton took the state, and even though Perot dropped to six percent four years later, it was still enough to keep Clinton within 1.2 percent of Republican rival Bob Dole. Of course, Clinton was a son of the South. But Obama has an advantage that his predecessor didn't--unprecedented excitement among African-American voters. In Georgia's Feb. 5 primary, black turnout rose to 536,000 from 289,000 in 2004. What's more, the Obama campaign already has eight full-time staffers in Atlanta targeting the state's 400,000 unregistered African-Americans--and they plan to keep the pressure on."

And there are some sexy statewide races in the state in November bound to energize the electorate. The outcome of the Presidential contest may depend on, 1) How many votes, if any, former Congressman Barr siphons from the McCain campaign and, 2) How many of the Georgia's 400,000 unregistered African-Americans sign up to vote.

Dear Lindsay: Thanks For Wearing Panties



Lindsay Lohan appears to have listened to our heartfelt appeal to wear undergarments. And it paid off! When an unforseen act of god -- a gust of wind -- ungird her much-discussed loins, she had protection. From Thisislondon:

"MTV went ahead with its annual star-studded movie awards at the Universal Studios lot on Sunday, hours after a spectacular blaze destroyed chunks of Hollywood history nearby.

"Lindsay Lohan led the Young Hollywood charge on the red carpet, only to collect the unofficial award for most embarrassing wardrobe malfunction after being caught off guard by a gust of wind."

It could, of course, have been worse.

Mixed Martial Arts Buoys CBS



We have always been of the opinion that the ultra-masculinization of the United States over concerns of national security after September 11th combined with the unchallenged philosophy of democratic capitalism would mean, in the fullness of time, that blood sports would become as much a fixture on the pop cultural landscape as, say, porn. Every global empire needs it's sanguinary gladiators, no? From Variety:

"Mixed-martial arts has helped CBS bring some young viewers to broadcast television on a sleepy Saturday night.

"The increasingly popular sport made its network debut Saturday night with the first of four planned 'Elite XC Saturday Night Fights.' Ratings for the live event from Newark, N.J., grew with each half-hour and peaked in the hour following primetime, with CBS the demo leader from 9 to 11 p.m.

"According to preliminary Nielsen estimates that will be finalized Tuesday, CBS led the two-hour block from 9 to 11 p.m. in adults 18-49 (1.9 rating/6 share) -- a 36% improvement over what the network averaged with its crime programming on the night during the recently concluded 2007-08 season."

Prince William To Fight Pirates



In some swashbuckling new Corsair news: Britain's Prince William will be fighting Pirates. Be afraid, be very afraid fellow Corsairs, wanderers of the seven seas. From Newsoftheworld:

"PRINCE William is joining a Pirates of the Caribbean style Navy squad this summer—to bust major DRUG-SMUGGLING gangs, we can reveal.

"Sub-Lieutenant Windsor, 25, will spend five gruelling weeks on HMS Iron Duke, patrolling the dangerous seas between Jamaica and Colombia.

"Armed with a GUN he will board and search smugglers' ships in a bid to stop tonnes of deadly narcotics being exported to Britain."

Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Susan and Donald Rappaport invited a group of fellow cave dweller pals last Wednesday for a supper party they called a 'celebration of the season' and was it ever that ... Wednesday night the main topic was Scott McClellan’s book on his years as White House press secretary. Even though its incendiary contents had been in the news cycle for a full day, the cocktail hour the reactions were still in the realm of astonishment, and that was for the tough to astonish. They were less astonished by chatter going around town of the possibility of Defense Secretary Robert Gates keeping his same job in a hypothetical Obama Administration. The lack of dismay is probably because Gates is liked on both sides of the aisle." (WashingtonSocialDiary)



Princess Fergie and "The Cav" (image via fashionweekdaily)

"Muppet Of The Week goes to Roberto Cavalli. The Italian designer launched his exclusive wine range at a swanky do at London's Automat restaurant... only to run out of the new wine! With guests including Sophie Ellis Bextor and Fergie, we're told: 'Only 90 bottles of plonk were provided and they ran out quickly. So they had to dish out cheap house wine - it was hilarious!'" (DailyMirror)

"Last night, the magazine's editor Jim Nelson hosted a cocktail party at Ago in honor of the 2008 CFDA menswear nominees--Michael Bastian, Thom Browne, Tom Ford, Patrik Ervell, Tim Hamilton and Scott Sternberg -- and rarely have so many delightful, intelligent and handsome men been so ubiquitous. New York's finest -- Yigal Azrouel, Adam Lippes, Jeff Halmos, Sam Shipley, Jason Wu, Thakoon Panichgul, David Lauren, John Bartlett, Patrick Robinson, Jeremy Kost, John Varvatos --crammed into Robert De Niro's new restaurant to toast their compatriots." (Fashionweekdaily)



"'When these girls walk into a party, people notice,' said wild-haired necktie designer Alexander Olch of the 20 fashion-forward females honored at men.style.com's packed Wednesday-night bash. Olch should know, having been part of the ten-man panel that was enlisted to perform the arduous task (worse than doing your taxes, right?) of crafting the site's second annual list, officially titled 'Women of Fashion: 20 Who Make the World More Glamorous.' Other panelists enjoying the breezy night air—and the bottomless flutes of Veuve Clicquot—at the city's latest rooftop hot spot, Salon de Ning, included designers Rogan Gregory and Rag & Bone duo Marcus Wainwright and David Neville." (Style)

"Quite how to do justice to the strange phenomenon that is Viktor & Rolf is a problem that has teased fashion editors for years. Me, anyway. They are fashion's odd men out, a Dutch pair who dress like twins, speak in a serious monotone, always in agreement, never interrupting one another. It's an effect that, like Gilbert & George, makes them deliberately and disconcertingly hard to tell apart, as well as near-impossible to fathom." (Telegraph)

"I was so stunned by the news that Clay Aiken is set to be a daddy that I spit out my Ambien cocktail and forgot to even comment about it. But now that I've had some time to pick myself off the floor and regroup on the subject, I must say this development makes perfect sense. After all, gay men are having babies all the time! .. I wish Clay the best in his newest intergenerational endeavor. And I hope he and his older lady friend slash producer are as happy as Randy Travis and his!" (Musto)

Prospect Park Bob Dylan Tickets On Sale!

From The Observer:

"Brooklyn Vegan reports that at 10 a.m. today, presale tickets go onsale for for an Aug. 12 Bob Dylan concert at the Prospect Park bandshell in Park Slope.

Only problem is you'll need one of those pesky pre-sale passwords to buy them, and even the all-knowing Brooklyn Vegan isn't sure what the password is, though he suggests trying "modern.'"

Update: From BrooklynVegan, the password is "Tilden"