Rough Trade and Vanity Fair

February 27, 2007

There are many great things about Vanity Fair's Oscar Party, including the food, the (generous) lighting and the endless insane mix of people. Everyone makes their way into that event. It is the only place where the life that's been sucked out of everyone who watched the Oscars is restored by people-watching and In N' Out Burgers.

One fascinating aspect of going to hard-to-enter parties is finding the person (besides MYSELF) that leaves you wondering how the hell they got in. We met one such character who we nicknamed "rough trade."

With big teeth and bone structure most in the room had payed big bucks for, RT was as intriguing as the insane bun on top of Celine Dion's head. He worked in some aspect of the healthcare profession. Lives in West Hollywood. I think he said he doesn't have cable. He enjoyed the Oscars.

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Touched by The Hand of Oprah

February 26, 2007

How much did the Oscars suck last night? So much that the highlight was the dance troupe -- always a bad sign. So much that "The People's Choice Awards" was better than the show's best five minutes. I was talking to someone who won one at the Vanity Fair party. She said that it was the best show ever and I told her to re-watch and let us all know.

I am thinking that since it's a TV show they should have a TV producer to produce the damn thing and not a movie producer.

The suckage of the show had nothing to do with the fact that by the time it rolled around, I was over it anyway. I forced myself into a third wind, but the fun stuff happens in LA before the show begins and essentially by Sunday night, you're all, "Dame Helen, didn't you wear that last night? It's good to see the rash is clearing up."

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Pre-Oscar Drama, and Linda Evangelista

February 23, 2007

It was OscarMania (tm?) onboard my American Airlines flight to Los Angeles yesterday afternoon. In First, we had Regis and Joy, Natasha Richardson, Ellen Barkin, and Ted Danson. For anybody not in First, or those who didn't know who was onboard, a very ChitChatty Ponytailed Air Hostess with much "flair" (the TGIFridays kind) basically went seat-to-seat letting all passengers know who was onboard, with a verbal printout of everybody's most up-to-date IMDB profile -- including stuff in development, and what was going on up there.

But with Cindy Adams onboard, the ChitChatty lady was hardly necessary. I wanted to chat up Adams about her boat trip with Judge Judy, Barbara Walters, and Sue Simmons ... or about the alleged abuse and raw condition of Zsa Zsa and Leona Helmsley... but Cindy Adams in person scares the living shit out of me. She was sitting caddycorner to me and I was on gaurd for the entire flight. I even slept alertly. I feel like that lady could blow at any minute. I am certainly fascinated by her hair, though.

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Pre-Oscar Drama, and Linda Evangelista

February 23, 2007

It was OscarMania (tm?) onboard my American Airlines flight to Los Angeles yesterday afternoon. In First, we had Regis and Joy, Natasha Richardson, Ellen Barkin, and Ted Danson. For anybody not in First, or those who didn't know who was onboard, a very ChitChatty Ponytailed Air Hostess with much "flair" (the TGIFridays kind) basically went seat-to-seat letting all passengers know who was onboard, with a verbal printout of everybody's most up-to-date IMDB profile -- including stuff in development, and what was going on up there.

But with Cindy Adams onboard, the ChitChatty lady was hardly necessary. I wanted to chat up Adams about her boat trip with Judge Judy, Barbara Walters, and Sue Simmons ... or about the alleged abuse and raw condition of Zsa Zsa and Leona Helmsley... but Cindy Adams in person scares the living shit out of me. She was sitting caddycorner to me and I was on gaurd for the entire flight. I even slept alertly. I feel like that lady could blow at any minute. I am certainly fascinated by her hair, though.

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New Mexico Foot Fetish

February 22, 2007

Were you as pleased as I was that sweet Goil was our surprise guest filling in for Nina Garcia on last night's "Watch What Happens?" Is Goil always the go-to guy in the unlikely occurance that a Nina Garcia booking falls through? Perhaps so. With great ease, he joined Elle Decor Editrix Margaret Russell for your live emails and questions about last night's show, design, dating and life.

Goill brought a homemade sign that said he loved Jared the hot contractor who he apparently dissed in last week's episode. After looking at this pic of Jared I believe that I love him, too, and I don't blame Goil for wanting to bring Jared back to his good graces. Goil was very sensitive to any question that in any way inferred a dis or asked him to pick favorites. He is sweet that way.

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Tuesday Tidings

February 20, 2007

I love me a three-day weekend, and I am starting today sunburnt and rested and READY after several days of island-hopping and unplugging. Last night, I was happy to fly back into the arms of Diana Ross on Bravo and an "Amazing Race All-Stars" waiting in my DVR.

For a fan like me, the Diana Ross "Inside the Actors Studio" was a gift. She "went there" in discussing the minutiae of her career -- from the Brewster Projects to now. I, of course, might've liked her to go there even deeper but I will take what I can get of Ross whenever I can get it.

She sang a ton of songs and sounded fantastic -- man, was it fun being there for her soundcheck! The clips from her films and concerts are fantastic and much of her family was sitting in the front row. You really get a sense of the lady. Bravo is re-running this special two-hour IAS, so if you missed it you need to see it.

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Viewer Mail

February 06, 2007

I've been getting a lot of mail since we started our weekly online interactive chatshow "Watch What Happens".. I'm not only interested in everyone's opinions, I'm grateful that it is not possible to send anthrax via email!

RODRIGO from SAN FRANCISCO said:

"I really loathe how you manipulated this season, it was the worst display of "reality" TV. You seem very self satisfied but anyone with the least bit of IQ saw through it, I know you have to be a ratings-whore but you even sank below that level and that is truly pathetic, The only good news on this is karma always catches up with you. Cheers, Rodrigo"

RODRIGO, Sorry you weren't happy with this season of Top Chef. You are not alone. Why would we manipulate the show to piss our viewers off? If we were manipulating the show we would've kept the fan favorite IN, right?

CAL GIRL wrote:

You are insufferable to watch. painful to watch! In love with yourself! I can't stand you and no one else can! You mock people who call in and you're a moral relativist about what happened to Marcel on Bravo's watch! I hope he sues your a** off, you deserve it! Narcissitic empty-headed Generation whatever! If you're the future, we'd better give up. Yuck

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Everything But Football

February 05, 2007

What an insane NYC weekend. Saturday I braved blistering wind to catch the Robert Wilson video installation at Phillips on 15th street. The blowaway exhibit features the Brad Pitt-in-boxers-getting-rained on piece that Vanity Fair threw on its cover a couple months ago. Even without the Pitt-ness, the exhibit was mindblowing, and that's saying something! Check it out.

That night I saw "At Least It's Pink" - an incredibly filthy and amazing off Broadway one woman show starring Bridget Everett. It was co-written and directed by (and brains behind "Sex and the City") the genius Michael Patrick King. Everett sings about every last thing, like taking it up the bum (in a song called, I believe "Can Hole")...... There are gut-busting laughs, black humor fit especially for the jaded nasty citizens of the world, and an amazing shout out to Project Runway.

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The Awkward Little Moments

February 01, 2007

I can't think of a more awkward way to watch the Top Chef Season Finale than in a conference room with Marcel and Ilan and their respective dates. All. Together. Yikes.

They spent the show talking back at the screen and at each other. Marcel was pissed that Sam took credit for the bean dish to the judges, but was really happy with his final speech about food to the judges. I am sure it was incredibly awkward for both of them, which is all the more why I appreciated their spending finale night with the crew of Watch What Happens, where they took your emails, texts, and calls live. It was an insane show, which you can watch HERE.

Rosie O'Donnell is Marcel's new number one fan, she was carrying on about him on "The View" yesterday, so we naturally tried to get her to call into WWH. She did us one better by inviting Marcel onto "The View"! He'll be there this morning and I'm hoping she lays a big freebie on him, in addition to some Rosie love.

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