Pop culture Archives

New York, January 5-7, 2010 – While seemingly all of Hollywood fled to ski slopes or beaches during the holidays, a few red carpets unfurled in the first days of January as stars trickled back to work.  New York was the site of three movie premieres, a good number for one week at any time of year.  On Tuesday, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis and Fred Willard debuted their Youth in Revolt. The next day Amy Adams and Matthew Goode rolled out their romantic comedy Leap Year, and then Willem Dafoe and Ethan Hawke jumped on the vampire bandwagon with their neck-biter Daybreakers. 

TLC had “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger on hand at the screening of Brace for Impact, a documentary about how the hero safely landed US Air flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a flock of geese knocked out the plane’s engines. 

Tween girls had their knickers in knots when Nick Jonas, the youngest Jonas brother, turned up at David Letterman’s studio for his solo appearance with his new, sibling-free band, The Administration. 

And hunky Brits Hugh Dancy and Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) introduced themselves to the press during rehearsals for the off-Broadway play The Pride, opening January 27 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre downtown. 

New York, December 11, 2009 – This year’s Z100 Jingle Ball was star-studded, as usual, with performances from acts like Taylor Swift, John Mayer, The Fray, Boys Like Girls and pint-sized sensation Justin Beiber, who clomped around with one foot in a cast.  American Idol was well represented with Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Jordin Sparks and Alison Ireheta all in the house. 

Just as impressive were the celebrity guests who roamed backstage at Madison Square Garden and grazed for goodies in the gift lounge.  Twilight’s Peter Facinelli popped in (New Moon is raking in money - does he really need free stuff?)  Facinelli said if he were to find a golden ticket in the Wonka candies, he’d go to Mars.  “And I’d be the first, no one’s been there yet.” 

Adam Lambert grabbed Wonka Nerds, but confessed, “I’m on such a diet.”  He worked some of it off pedaling the Duracell Power Rover which will help power Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2010.  And Lambert already uses Moroccanoil hair products on his famous mane - “I have it in my bag,” he said. 

Judah Friedlander grabbed a New York Health & Racket Club membership, and said he’s going to lose weight this year - if he “gets his ass in there.” 

Tween heartthrob Justin Beiber shook the hands of all of the LIV Fashion dolls and said “so nice to meet all of you…my sister’s gonna flip when she sees you,” which was kind of weird, actually. 

H&M’s recession-friendly merchandise was a big hit, and LeSportsac handily provided bags for the celebrities to pack all their swag.

New York, December 8, 2009 – The music industry made a move to consolidate eyes online with the launch of VEVO, a Web site designed to view high quality music videos.  With Sony Music, Universal Music and EMI Music behind it, marketable stars like Bono, Mary J. Blige, Ricky Martin and Sheryl Crow gathered at downtown Manhattan’s Skylight Studio for the launch.  And the stream of superstars didn’t seem to end: Shania Twain, Rihanna, John Mayer, Pete Wentz and John Legend were all in the house.  A laughing Mariah Carey waltzed in hand-in-hand with husband Nick Cannon. 

A crop of this year’s younger top-selling artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and baby faced Justin Beiber attended, rounded up by recording industry heavyweights like Clive Davis. 

Reviews of the VEVO site were mixed, with glitches and spotty performance, but obviously, the ailing music industry is looking to compete with YouTube and Hulu, and most likely trying to figure out how to profit from putting their content online. 

New York, November 19, 2009 – We laughed when the Cinema Society requested that everyone keep their screening of Twilight: New Moon a secret.  But miraculously, there was no crowd of screaming tweens when we arrived at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and only a few waited forlornly in the rain when the movie was over. 

Robert Pattison, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner turned up unmolested, along with cast-mates Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser and Nikki Reed.  

And who came for a preview of the about-to-be-released record breaking blockbuster?  Howard Stern, Emma Roberts, Fergie, Natalie Portman, Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr, Ivanka Trump, Taylor Momsen, Joan Jett and Abigail Breslin, to name a few.   

Afterward, everyone headed over to The Box for a loud, crowded party, and as it got later and later, we realized that Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner never did turn up for the post-screening bash. 

New York, November 17, 2009 – The Museum of Modern Art’s tribute to filmmaker Tim Burton was an amazing event, with the director and his lady Helena Bonham Carter, his longtime collaborator Johnny Depp and other stars in attendance for dinner and a presentation recognizing Burton’s acclaimed directorial work.  The evening was also a revelation, a preview of a major exhibition of Tim Burton’s work, opening November 22 at MoMA. 

The exhibit traces Burton’s visual imagination, from his earliest childhood drawings through his mature work in film.  Included are 700 examples of rarely seen drawings, paintings, storyboards, moving-image works, puppets, maquettes, costumes and cinematic ephemera, not to mention an extensive film series spanning Burton’s 27-year career. 

Rock goddess Patti Smith was Johnny Depp's date, and they joined a really diverse group including Danny DeVito, Brooke Shields, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, David and Julia Koch and Zac Posen in singing Burton’s praises and cooing over his creativity. 

New York, November 16, 2009 – Elton John made a rare visit to New York for the eighth annual An Enduring Vision gala benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation.  The notoriously temperamental superstar was in a good mood, joking with reporters and chatting with guests.  Sharon Stone brought movie star glamour to the gala, wearing a top hat and trench coat which she opened to reveal a lingerie-inspired couture dress.  But Courtney Love out-diva’d Sharon by arriving more than an hour late to the benefit, and entertaining everyone with her rock star antics.  CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he of the sparkling blue eyes, once again emceed the evening and guests included Tony Bennett, Gina Gershon, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Daniel Craig and Kenneth Cole. 

Photos: Joy E. Scheller

New York, November 9, 2009 – Glamour magazine’s 2009 Women of the Year Awards were as thrilling as ever, honoring distinguished women like Maya Angelou, Amy Poehler, Stella McCartney, Rihanna, Maria Shriver and Michelle Obama.  Presenters included Bill Clinton, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  Each speech was more moving than the last, and comic Amy Poehler had everyone laughing, but Tyra Banks took the cake when she introduced tennis great Serena Williams with the following anecdote:

“A couple of days ago I went to the Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum here in New York City.  So I’m walking around, checking everything out and this one figure caught my eye; and I know the real person and have even broken bread with her before, but I never really felt comfortable enough to, like, really just, like, stare at her and, like, admire her strong biceps.  And, like, I wanted to grab her biceps when I was at dinner with her, and I wanted to just kind of like pull her dress up and really, you know, get a close up of those amazingly taut legs and…the booty.  You know, I wanted to…really, like, damn, mine are nowhere near that toned!  And of course I wasn’t going to touch her at dinner, but here I am at the Wax Museum.  So my dream came true: I started to squeeze the biceps and squeeze the legs and squeeze the booty, and I was, like, oh my god, I was in heaven!  And then these little girls actually came up to me, and they were like, ‘Tyra, what are you doing?’  They were like, you’re so not cool, you’re not supposed to be touching the exhibit.  And I was, like, you guys, I can’t help it.  This woman is so amazing, and she’s so powerful, I cannot help myself.”  

New York, October 30, 2009 – “I think tonight is about all the greenery that Bette brings to the city, and then of course the cherry on the cake is Crosby, Stills and Nash, so it’s a Woodstock kind of night,” Michael Kors, costumed in full hippie regalia, told us at Bette Midler’s Hulaween Ball. 

Whoopi Goldberg kicked things off.  “You know, I have cats, so I don’t need to f--k with trees.  But I know people love to see them,” Whoopi told the dinner crowd.  Bette, whose costume was a “show ghoul”, said she was shocked that so many people showed up for the benefit.  “Because when I made my calls, so many people told me to go f--k myself,” she said before launching into her trademark foul-mouthed fundraising schtick, laced with songs and stand-up comedy. Midler made her way among the tables, embarrassing people into buying trees for the project.  Katie Couric, wearing a Kate Gosselin wig, pledged some money, but demanded in return that Midler sing a lullaby for her “eight children.”  Bette promptly launched into “If I Were a Rich Man.” 

CSN took the stage, and Graham Nash said, “I bought a $2,500 tree. Of course, the only plant David [Crosby] ever bought was some weed.”  The crowd sang along to Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, and by the time they did Teach Your Children – dedicated to Bette’s daughter, Sophie – everyone was dancing in the aisles.