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[New York, New York]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:30:00 -0800

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[Roundup: Media & Entertainment]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:45:00 -0800

• Super Bowl XLIV made history last night: It's now the most-watched TV program in U.S. history, having bypassed the finale of M*A*S*H in 1983. [THR]
• Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have filed suit against the Rupert Murdoch's News of the World for reporting the couple was separating. [Guardian]
• Talks between Fox and Conan O'Brien seem to be moving ahead. As for the Super Bowl ad featuring Letterman and Leno, Letterman was reportedly interested in having Conan appear as well, although it didn't pan out.
• Ellen DeGeneres makes her debut on American Idol tomorrow. Meanwhile, talks to have Howard Stern replace Simon Cowell next season are progressing.
• Mixed news for the magazine business: newsstand sales fell in the second half of 2009, although the situation was even worse a year ago. [NYT, AdAge]
• Sarah Palin won't have to fly to NYC to tape her appearances on Fox News: The network is building its new "contributor" a TV set in her living room. [NYT]
• After dominating the box office for seven weeks, Avatar was dethroned by Dear John this weekend, although it remained No. 1 internationally. [MTV]
• Ads for Snickers, Doritos, and Google were big winners with Super Bowl viewers this year. As for the Motorola spot starring Megan Fox, she may be the first person in history to have had a "thumb double." [Reuters, NYT, NYM]

André Leon Talley Is Ready For His Close-Up [Fashion]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:03:00 -0800

Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley makes his debut as a judge on America's Next Top Model when the new season begins on March 10. And although he says he'd never watched the reality TV competition before deciding to join his dear old friend, Tyra Banks on the show (he says his boss, Anna Wintour, has never seen the show either), it looks like he'll fit in just fine. In addition to a special outfit for each episode—"13 custom-made Chado Ralph Rucci cloaks, varying only in color or fabric"—he'll be unveiling his very own catchphrase, too: "dreckitude," a combination of his favorite word, "dreck," and "quackitude," a "term he'd heard Rachel Maddow use on her show. 'Dreckitude was whipped out when I thought the challenge was not met or if [the contestants] showed up in perhaps an outfit that I just couldn't wrap my mind around.'" [WWD]

At Least Oxygen Is Still Free (For Now, At Least) [Travel]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:41:00 -0800

American Airlines plans to start charging $8 for a pillow and blanket on all domestic flights and some international trips, beginning May 1. [AP]

Botox Numbs More Than the Face [Research Studies]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:29:00 -0800

Not only does Botox prevent people from expressing emotion, it may also prevent them from experiencing emotion, according to researchers, who say that when you're physically unable to frown or smile, you're less likely to feel happiness or sadness, too. And you thought the total lack of affect on the faces of certain celebrities was masking a really rich inner life. [Newsweek]

Even in Scandal, Paterson Disappoints [Rumors]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:26:00 -0800

Here we were expecting to hear a tawdry tale about coked-up key parties at the governor's mansion in Albany. But now word has it the much buzzed-about David Paterson scandal may not be quite as juicy as some have been suggesting, says Gabriel Sherman: "According to a source close to the Paterson camp who is familiar with the scope of the Times' reporting, the Times piece will be an in-depth profile of the governor focused on his personal character. There are likely to be new details about his marital infidelities, but the source added that it's not going to be the bombshell the blogs have predicted. "The piece is PG-13, not XXX.'" [NYM]

Greenwich Gets Back to 'Normal' [The Burbs]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:43:00 -0800

Now that the economy has rebounded—for people who make their living on Wall Street, at least!—and big bonuses have returned, how are residents of fancy schmancy Greenwich faring? Life is "slowly returning to normal," apparently. "The Greenwich version of normal, anyway," which means people are once again turning up to the local Ferrari dealership:

Caterers' cell phones are ringing again. Luxury car dealers are sending the Porsches out for test drives. An architect is booking multimillion-dollar jobs for his "masters of the universe" clients, titans of Wall Street who've made this leafy Connecticut suburb of New York one of the wealthiest towns in the country.

When the financial industry tumbled, Greenwich's fortunes fell with it. Now, as the federal bailout has helped lift investment banks to surprisingly robust profits, the news that major financial firms will dole out billions of dollars in salaries and bonuses this year came as welcome relief here, even though the rest of the country is still grappling with 10 percent unemployment.

Don't think that residents of the tony suburb haven't learned a thing or two from the events of the past year. They have. "Modesty is in, for the first time in a while," says one store owner, who explains that one of his clients recently forced his wife to accept a $90,000 Mercedes S550 sedan this year, instead of her customary Rolls-Royce. And just look at how some homeowners have been forced to scale back, according to the owner of a architecture firm:

In a sign of Greenwich's new restraint, one client chose to build his tennis court on level ground rather than recessing it, which saved about $75,000 in stones, drainage and other construction costs.

A non-recessed tennis court? It's almost too much to bear!

No one complains about bank bonuses in Greenwich, Conn. [McClatchy]

Spotted [Out & About]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:33:00 -0800

Rosario Dawson leaving the Bowery Hotel ... Keanu Reeves walking in SoHo ... Larry King picking up food on Madison Avenue ... Renee Zellweger arriving at JFK ... Eliza Dushku and Rick Fox walking in the East Village ... Madonna arriving at the Kabbalah Center in Midtown with her kids ... Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts in Soho pushing their kids in strollers ... Amanda Seyfried picking up coffee in the East Village ... Natalie Portman taking a break on the set of Black Swan ... Sarah Jessica Parker leaving her townhouse in the Village ... and an unrecognizable Kate Gosselin leaving the Ted Gibson Salon before heading to dinner at Butter.

Conan Looks for Payout on CPW; Madoff Buyer Revealed [Buyers & Sellers]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:47:00 -0800

• Conan O'Brien's tenure as Tonight Show host has ended, but it looks like he and wife Liza may be planning to stay in LA, since they're reportedly looking to unload their penthouse duplex at the Majestic on Central Park West. The 17th and 18th-floor spread, which features three terraces and Central Park Views, is being "quietly" shopped around for $35 million. [NYP]
• The buyer of Bernie and Ruth Madoff's penthouse has been revealed. It's Al Kahn, the CEO of 4Kids Entertainment and the man behind Pokemon and the Cabbage Patch Kids, who is said to be buying the place at at 133 East 64th Street for "just under" the asking price of $8.9 million. [NYP, previously]
• Jimmie Johnson has unloaded one apartment and picked up another. The Nascar driver has sold his 3,200-square-foot loft at 32 West 18th Street, which he put on the market last year, for $4 million. Meanwhile, he and his wife paid $8.33 million for a condo in the Superior Ink building on W. 12th St. [NYT]

• Financier Henry Silverman has paid $14 million for a 12,200-square-foot mansion in Sagaponack. The 2.38-acres comes with tennis court, pool and its own one-hole golf course. [Newsday]
• Brooklyn's most expensive condo has just been sold to the unidentified "founder of an investment management firm." The 9,486-square-foot apartment at the One Brooklyn Bridge Park building sold for $8.495 million. [NYT]
• Interior designer Juan Montoya and his partner, Urban Karlsson, have put their apartment at 211 Madison Avenue on the market. The one-bedroom condo, which was featured in Architectural Digest in 2004, is listed for $1.3 million. [NYT, PDE]
• It looks like Lily Pond Lane is getting yet another famous resident, now that Madonna is reportedly renting the six-bedroom manse known "Coxwould" for the summer. The massive estate was listed for $425,000 for the Memorial Day to Labor Day period. [NYM, NYP, Saunders]

The Paterson Waiting Game Continues [Scandal]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:57:00 -0800

So what's going on with Gov. David Paterson and those rumors last week that the Times has been working on a "bombshell" story that may (or may not!) involve allegations that Paterson is a fan of booze-filled swinging sessions? Over the weekend, reports suggested the Times story would drop today. That didn't happen.

But a Paterson aide did confirm that the Times is working on a story about the governor, although she also said Paterson was cooperating with the paper and it wouldn't contain anything too juicy. And yet the subject of resignation did reportedly come up in conversations Paterson had with key Democratic leaders over the weekend, and a "longtime Paterson friend" tells the Post that the governor appears "increasingly detached from reality" (although that's nothing necessarily new).

So who knows, really. But if things play out the way some are suggesting they will, you can expect to hear a lot about this guy by the end of the week.

NY Gov. Paterson meets privately with lawmakers over concerns about his future in office [AP]
'Paranoid' gov going ballistic [NYP]
Gov. David Paterson Spokeswoman Denies NYT Has a Resignation-Worthy Bombshell [Gawker]

Stars at the Super Bowl; JWoww's Expansion Plans [Gossip]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:13:00 -0800

• Lots of celebs turned out for the Super Bowl in Miami. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were there (and were spotted "kissing, hugging and laughing," so if you were worried that they'd broken up, you can rest easy). Also on hand was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher (who were chased by photographers), Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and John Travolta, who couldn't even be bothered to stay for the entire game. [DM, The Sun, Popeater]
• Is the cast of Jersey Shore getting a little overexposed? Just a little! MTV is now looking to clamp down on their efforts to "pimp themselves" at bars and colleges around the country and has informed them that they're each limited to two appearances a week and need permission from the network before accepting any gigs. [P6, NYDN]
• In other Jersey Shore news, Jenni "JWoww" Farley is planning to "enhance" her ginormous fake boobs "as soon as possible to be ready for the new season," you'll be pleased to hear. [P6]

• Further evidence that Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler are dating: He flew down to Mexico to celebrate Aniston's 41st birthday—along with Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Sheryl Crow—and Jen was seen "pranc[ing] around her waterfront villa in a two-piece." Make of that what you will. [People, Sun]
• Will Tiger Woods make his grand return to golf on March 22? That's what some "sources" are saying. [TMZ]
• Charlie Sheen is expected to be charged with a felony today for allegedly pulling a knife on his wife on Christmas Day. (He's expected to strike a plea bargain and avoid prison time.) Meanwhile, Sheen's car was driven/fell off a cliff in LA on Friday, although it wasn't Sheen's fault since his car had been stolen. "It was nice to have police come to my house and for once I didn't have to leave with them," said Sheen. [TMZ, People]
• Michael Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is supposedly set to be arraigned tomorrow and is expected to plead not guilty, although given this was all supposed to happen last week, you may not want to hold your breath. In related news, Murray visited Jackson's tomb last week to meditate, which is pretty sad/strange. [TMZ, TMZ]
• Beyoncé recently fell on stage during a concert in Brazil, but she transitioned her fall into an interesting crouching bounce move, so it was hard to tell whether she'd fallen at all. [DM]
• Break out a tissue: Heidi Montag says she's still "very fragile" and "not in a great place right now" after her gazillion plastic surgery procedures 11 weeks ago. [People]
• Is "Manhattan Madam" Kristin Davis going to run for Governor? GOP strategist Roger Stone says her candidacy is "not a hoax, a prank, or a publicity stunt," and Davis supposedly has a bunch of key supporters lined up, like 50 Cent and several of Davis' former clients. Of course, this is all being written about in the Daily News, which has been obsessed with everything Kirsten Davis-related for more than year now. [NYDN]
• Just in case it wasn't clear by now that Sarah Palin is the biggest hypocrite/fraud on the American political scene, here's further proof: She spoke at the Tea Party Convention over the weekend and mocked President Obama for his use of a teleprompter, even though she clearly had crib notes written on her hand. [HuffPo]
• Courtney Love isn't too impressed with Lady Gaga, in case her opinion matters to you: "I don't think her music is that compelling," Love said. [Us]
• A-Rod and Derek Jeter dined at the same restaurant in Miami the other night, but "there was literally no interaction between" the, which is either because they were seated across the room from each other and didn't know the other one was there; or because they hate each other. Take your pick. [NYDN]
• Levi Johnston's anti-climactic Playboy cover has been released. [People]
• A maid for Andres Santo Domingo and Lauren Santo Domingo says that their English bulldog took a chunk out of her thigh, and now she's suing them. The Santo Domingos say this all happened three years ago, wasn't a big deal, and the couple paid all the medical bills. [NYP]
• What's Chelsea Clinton going to wear for her wedding this summer? She hasn't decided yet. So sorry to disappoint you. [People]
• Remember Carrie Prejean? (Yeah, we've been trying to forget her too.) Anyway, she's engaged to football player Kyle Boller, in case you're wondering. [PopEater]
• Miley Cyrus has organized a celebrity online auction on Ebay, which is set to kick off today. And no, it's not celebrities themselves being auctioned off; it's just stuff that they've donated. [People]
• One of Keira Knightley's five stalkers was arrested outside a London theater where she was performing on Thursday night. He was charged with harassment. [NYDN]
• Private Practice actress Kate Walsh and her ex-husband, Alex Young, were only married for a little over a year, and now they're doing what any couple would do to divide up their assets. They're flipping a coin to decide who gets first pick. [E!]
• Andrew Shue—that guy who used to be on Melrose Place—married NBC anchor Amy Robach over the weekend. [NYDN]
• Jamie Lynn Spears is following in dysfunctional family tradition: She's ditched her baby daddy Casey Aldridge for a Louisiana businessman 10 years her senior. [People]
• Dancing With the Stars contestant and NFL commentator Warren Sapp was arrested over the weekend on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence against his girlfriend. [TMZ, Us]
• If you watched the Super Bowl and were too drunk/preoccupied to watch the commercials, here's what you missed. [NYT, AdAge]

Happy Birthday [One Year Older]

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:54:00 -0800

Former Nightline anchor Ted Koppel turns 70 today. John Grisham is turning 55. Mary Steenburgen is 57. Nick Nolte is turning 69. Vince Neil of Motley Crüe turns 49. Seth Green is 36. Mary McCormack, the star of In Plain Sight, is turning 41. Comedian Robert Klein is 68. Times Magazine editor Gerry Marzorati is 57. And recently-jailed actor Gary Coleman turns 42 today.

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Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:15:00 -0800

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[New York, New York]

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:01:00 -0800

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Harold Ford, Rock Star [Politicians]

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:54:00 -0800

Former congressman and possible Senate candidate Harold Ford is getting $20K a pop to give speeches around the country. Among the demands listed on his "tour rider": Limo drivers have to carry a sign that reads "H.F."; he needs an "alternate entrance & exit" at each venue; and you can't feed him shellfish. He's allergic (but will probably claim he's kosher when it comes time to lock in the Jewish vote.) [TSG]