Christian Louboutin Makes Shoes for Showgirls
Who gets inspiration from sea anemones and showgirls? Christian Louboutin, of course. The French designer shares some of his new shoes (and handbags!) with New York’s fashion director, Harriet Mays Powell. The video’s got sexy boots and a sassy designer. Watch to see which is naughtier.
Fashion Studio: Christian Louboutin [Video]
intel
Walking the iPhone Line
The iPhone! This afternoon! Yay. New York contributor Tim Murphy stopped by the Fifth Avenue Apple Store yesterday to check in with the crazies lined up on the sidewalk. What drives them to wait on line for this piece of technology? “It’s all about picking up girls, man,” one dude tells Tim. “You just pull that thing out, and that’s what it’s about.” Ain’t that always the way?
Street Level: iPhone Debut [NYM]
the best part
The Weirdest User Comment on the New Will Ferrell Viral VideoLast night, FunnyOrDie.com launched the sequel to its viral video hit “The Landlord.” The new video, again starring Will Ferrell and 2-year-old Pearl McKay (daughter of director Adam McKay), is called “Good Cop, Baby Cop” and pits unrepentant triple murderer Ferrell against “loose cannon” interrogator Pearl.
live from new york
Video: Superchunk Live at McCarren PoolYesterday we showed you the scene at this weekend’s McCarren Pool show in Williamsburg, at which Chapel Hellions Superchunk rocked, Brooklyn tots Slip-’n-Slid, and music fans baked under the sun. Today we’ve got full-song video of two performances from the show. Above, check out Superchunk playing their opener, “Driveway to Driveway”; below the jump, catch the band playing the always-great-live “Animated Airplanes Over Germany.”
tube junkie
Kanye West’s New Video One-Upped in Advance by YouTube HandsKanye West may have hired profligate music-video legend Hype Williams to direct and the stunning R&B singer Cassie to co-star in the megabudget, special-effects-laden, three-months-in-the-making video for his next single, “Stronger.” But he’s already been shown up by a no-budget YouTube sensation.
cultural capital
‘Manny’ Video Picks Up Where M.C. Rove Left Off
The absolute highlight of last night’s book party for Holly Peterson’s The Manny was the presentation of a, um, “viral” promo clip for the book, conceived (and perhaps bankrolled?) by the socialite auteur. “My publishers would like you to know they had nothing to do with this,” said Peterson, and we understand them completely. Still, the video just got posted on Daily Reel with a fawning write-up (“as creative as it gets”). We invite you to click through, provided you’re in the mood for UES types “rapping” about their Jamaican chauffeurs and Asian maids to a mangled Hall & Oates hook in the most horrifying display of minstrelsy this side of M.C. Rove. “We were just trying to be funny,” says director Michael Jaffe. Indeed! They even got a dwarf in there, and dwarves are comic gold — doubly so when they play babies! Triply so if it’s gay babies! Disclaimer: Daily Intel is not responsible if watching the clip (after the jump) results in spontaneous class war.
early and often
Mama Always Said She’d Be the Chosen One
“The best campaign spot we’ve seen this season!”
—Kate Phillips, the New York Times
“An uproarious Web spoof!”
—Ian Bishop, New York Post
“Finally, Hil reveals fun side!”
—Michael McAuliff and Helen Kennedy, Daily News
Oh, just watch the damned thing yourselves.
What Do You Tip a Rich Waiter?
Actors and otherwise-famous people returned to their humble roots on Monday by waiting tables at Sapa for the annual Project A.L.S. Celebrity Charity Dinner. Ted Allen recalled his fond days as a fry cook at Ponderosa. Rachel Dratch said she got her training at an ice-cream store with Amy Poehler. But few could match Bryant Gumbel’s hustle. The sportscaster sold five bottles of Dom Pèrignon, an event record. Watch the video to see Julianna Margulies, Rob Riggle, and others try to outsell him.
Party Lines: Project A.L.S. Dinner [Video]
On the Hunt for J-Vanka at the Whitney Party: Success!The world still wonders: Are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump dating? And so New York’s Party Lines team remains on the case, tracking J-Vanka through high-profile parties, looking for signs. At last night’s Whitney Art Party in Tribeca, our reporter picked up the scent. What did he find? The short version: They were talking and standing near each other; they left together and were last seen hopping into a chauffeured car and speeding off. The long version, full of detective work, time stamps, evasions, and rediscoveries: It’s after the jump (and sort of pruriently delicious).
Another Buyer Interested in Dow JonesMEDIA
• Brian Tierney, the ad executive who bought the Philadelphia Inquirer, is interested in bidding on Dow Jones. [DealBook/NYT]
• Women’s Wear Daily is the latest paper to sell ads on its front page; the crass commercialism doesn’t seem to bother anyone these days. [NYT]
• The Newspaper Guild of New York (representing Time, Fortune, Fortune Small Business, Money, People, and Sports Illustrated) accuses Time Inc. of bargaining in bad faith. [Romenesko]
A Norma Desmond Is Still a Star
Species: The Norma Desmond
Etymology: Norma Desmonds are aging performers whose time and has come and gone. They’re still big; it’s the nightlife scene that got small!
Distinguishing characteristics: Normas are often surrounded by a crowd of older cougars — the comparison makes them look younger — and Viagra’d men who hang on their every word. They know how to play it up and show off their best assets — usually their legs, in a too-short dress. The hair is an unnatural hue that recalls Carrot Top. The first thing a Norma Desmond will tell you is that she’s in an upcoming film with a major star. IMDb will disagree.
Known locales: The Pen-Top bar at the Peninsula; the Stone Rose, mingling with other ladies past their prime.
Diet: Normas keep it old-school: Valium and Benzedrine.
How to approach: “Are you in movies?” is the best way. Normas love to be recognized; their lives depend on it. Without some attention, they wilt. But once you get them talking about themselves, they won’t stop. Run. Fast.
Endangerment status: Slim. You might end up face-down in the pool, but she’ll always be ready for her close-up. —Amina Akhtar
Gramercy Keeps Its Third Star; Randall Lane Trips But Likes Insieme AnywayFrank Bruni joins Adam Platt in giving Gramercy Tavern three stars, validating the efforts of new chef Michael Anthony and the usual Danny Meyer service level. [NYT]
Related: Gramercy Rehab [NYM]
Time Out’s Randall Lane likes Insieme a lot, to the tune of four (out of six) stars. Though he praises the food as most reviewers have, he also agrees with them that although it was beautifully executed, it didn’t make him swoon. Also, he tripped on the step coming in. [TONY]
The Sun’s Paul Adams comes down on Landmarc, “less a dining destination and more a hearty refueling station for ravenous shoppers and tourists.” But it’s affordable and competent, and what else do you want in a mall restaurant? [NYS]
Related: Will Landmarc’s Downtown Cool Play Alongside Its Ritzy New Neighbors? [Grub Street]
in other news
‘Times,’ Bloomberg Decree JFK Terror Plot Barely Fit to PrintIt’s good to see some old-fashioned New York spirit seep back into our dealings with the evil, evil evildoers. Yesterday, we happily listened to Mayor Bloomberg channel (for once!) an authentic fuggeddaboudit ‘tude: “You can’t sit there and worry about everything. Get a life. You have a much greater danger of being hit by lightning than being struck by a terrorist.” Flippancy is the new vigilance! Today, the Times gets in on the act the way only the Times can — haughtily yet self-consciously. National editor Suzanne Daley, fielding readers’ questions, explained why the paper defiantly stuck the JFK pipeline plot into the Metro section: “Not all plots are the same,” she wrote. “The plotters had yet to lay out plans. They had no financing. Nor did they have any explosives.” Hear that, aspiring terrorists? No above-the-fold action unless you’re sitting on an A-bomb. Daley continued: “Some [editors] argued [the story] should have been fronted, regardless of the lameness of the plot, simply because it was what everyone was talking about.”
It’s nice to know the days when John Ashcroft would hiss something about “chatter” and we’d all dash for duct tape are gone with, well, John Ashcroft. It’s equally nice that a story’s popularity apparently doesn’t even figure into the logic of the Times’ front-page meetings.
Talk to the Newsroom: National Editor Suzanne Daley [NYT]
Earlier: Bloomberg On JFK Plot: ‘Stop Worrying, Get a Life’ [WCBS]
You Can Find Brooklyn’s Toxic Sludge
A little freaked out about the 10 million gallons of toxic sludge lurking under Brooklyn and seeping toward the surface? Afraid it might be oozing toward you? You’ll be thankful, then, for the efforts of Michael Heimbinder, a Fort Greene resident and member of the Newtown Creek Alliance. He’s created an interactive map of Greenpoint, the most affected neighborhood, on which you can learn all about the occasionally escaping sewage and pinpoint known polluted spots. “I wanted to take the opportunity that the Internet offers to create the connection between what’s happening in the city — air pollution, water pollution — and what’s happening in New Yorkers’ apartments,” Heimbinder explained. Now you can know all too well. —Rebecca Ruiz
Explore Newtown Creek [HabitatMap.org]
The Ooze [NYM]
gossipmonger
Barron Hilton Was Not MuggedSecurity guards from Stereo thwarted a mugging of Paris Hilton’s brother, Barron Hilton. (And Barbara Walters will get Paris’s first post-prison interview.) Biographies of Dina Lohan state that she was a Rockette and Broadway actress, but she is neither. Porn star Savanna Samson backs Giuliani for president. Anna Quindlen is auctioning off naming rights to a character in her upcoming novel. Former Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad often does not show up to parties she’s expected at. Bruce Willis was angry that Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were dating until Will Smith gave him a talking-to. Bebe Neuwirth went to a chiropractor.
Lonelygirl15 Comes to Town, Wins Award, Meets Ninja
Prefer your awards galas a bit dorkier and more virtual than the glossy CFDA awards? You’re in luck: Last night was also the first-annual Webby Film and Video Awards, held at New World Stages. The big winners were apparently the Ninja from Ask a Ninja, who won Best Actor, and Jessica Lee Rose, a.k.a. Lonelygirl15, who won Best Actress. Virginia Heffernan is no doubt kvelling.
11th Annual Webby Awards Nominees and Winners [WebbyAwards.com]
Related: Hey There, Lonelygirl [NYM]
Isaac Mizrahi’s Not a Middle Man
A few years ago, Isaac Mizrahi’s Target collection became a “paradigm-shifting event,” the designer told New York’s fashion director Harriet Mays Powell. But between couture and clothes that retail for less than $30, what happened to the middle? “When you get old, you figure out you’d better do your own thing or you’re going to be miserable,” Mizrahi says. “That’s just a matter of being honest.” To preview some new looks and to find out how Mizrahi lives his high-low aesthetic at home, watch the video.
Fashion Studio: Isaac Mizrahi [Video]
Nutritious, Delicious Couture
What could be better than fashion and food? Yesterday we rushed to Vanderbilt Hall to catch Tim Gunn hosting the Wish-Bone Salad Show. Designers Richie Rich and Traver Rain compared the experience to summer camp, and the models looked bewildered. “There’s some lettuce going on there. Or maybe some other vegetables,” the Asian Salad said vaguely. Backstage, one model sported onion shorts while another counted the string beans on her dress. Gunn said he preferred to accessorize with food, but our favorite model embraced the whole aesthetic: “I am the carpaccio salad.”
Wish-Bone Salad Fashion Show by Heatherette [NYM]
When Hairstyles Are a Joke
The Video Look Book went to Union Square this week and found AV librarian Aliisa Lahti sporting a brand-new T-shirt. Her haircut “kind of just happened,” Lahti says, and then she started to grow the rat tail as a joke. “Lots of times people assume that I’m a lesbian or that I’m some crazy punk kid,” she says. “Neither of those things are true.”
Aliisa Lahti [Video Look Book]
cultural capital
Too Bad ‘Star Search’ Got Canceled
From the nymag.com video team, a double bill for the ages. Both feature hungry showbiz strivers ready to duke it out for a shot at the big time but in only one are the contenders clutching dressed-up dolls. That’s right: Up at Harlem’s Hip Hop Culture Center, a hundred M.C.’s took turns at the mike for 24 hours straight in the first-ever “rapathon” while a gaggle of mostly blonde preteen divas laid siege to the American Girl Place for a film audition. The former is decidedly PG (“No curses, no n-word, no b-word”); the latter, which features a girl saying “I don’t want to sound conceited, but people tell me I’m talented,” somewhat obscene.
American Girls Audition [NYM]
24-Hour Rapathon [NYM]
Breaches of Etiquette
• In another proof that post-9/11 airport security is a lot like pre-9/11 airport security, except with more badges, a passenger van was discovered driving on a JFK runway. The guards apparently simply waved it past the gates. [WNBC]
• We’ve gone a full three weeks without being properly outraged by something someone said on the radio. How about a homeless man goaded by “Opie and Anthony” into saying he’d like to rape Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush, and Queen Elizabeth? Will that do? [NYDN]
• The Times serves up another “something cool’s about to happen to NYC transit, unless it won’t” item. The tortured peg: Tomorrow, parts of a giant drill will arrive in Newark, which, once assembled, will be used (next year) to dig a tunnel that will connect LIRR to Grand Central. Yay drill! [NYT]
• Finally, an animal-torture scandal with Anna Wintour at the center! Apparently, the live peacocks used as decorations at the Met’s Costume Institute gala were “fearing for their lives.” As were half the guests. [NYP]
• And, since the very idea of protest is hilarious, hope you enjoyed not one but two “Free Paris Hilton” rallies in Manhattan yesterday. There were eight actual mock-picketers, but “the media turnout was out of control” and “the online support has been tremendous.” We’re sure. [amNY]
show and talk
Video: ‘Poiret: King of Fashion’ at the Met
A special exhibit of clothing by self-crowned “King of Fashion” Paul Poiret just opened at the Met, and our cameras took a tour. In the early twentieth-century, the Frenchman liberated women from the corset, introduced a vivid color palette, and was the first designer to socialize with his clients. His “naïve and spontaneous” approach continues today through designers like Proenza Schouler, says Andrew Bolton, associate curator of the Costume Institute. “Poiret believed that women should dress in the way that suited them most, not just following trends.”
Poiret: King of Fashion Video [NYM]
party lines
Undercover Socialite: Fabiola Beracasa at the American Patrons of Tate Gala
After her detailed correspondence from Fashion Week, socialite and CIRCA creative director Fabiola Beracasa picked up New York’s mantle again and led us into the depths of last night’s American Patrons of Tate gala. This rare video footage brings you inside a cocktail hour at a society fund-raiser. See Valentino Garavani squirm as he is forced to choose between the Tate and the MoMA! Find Jeff Koons’s lost voice! Feel Chuck Close’s excitement when he talks about London! Catch a kiss from Fab herself!
Video: American Patrons of Tate Dinner [NYM]
Fashion Video Archive [NYM]
video look book
Sandy Krasnow’s Beautiful Life
Artist Sandy Krasnow tells the Video Look Book that she has given up buying new clothes and now shops exclusively from her closet. “I have a beautiful collection of clothes,” she says, showing off her “safe-keepers” vest made of fabrics collected from all over the world. When she’s not shopping, Krasnow works hard at manipulating her own environment: “To me, there is no more beautiful work than creating a beautiful life for myself.”
Sandy Krasnow [Video Look Book]
show and talk
Video Report: Mingling With Celebs at the Costume Institute Red Carpet
If you didn’t make it to the red carpet for last night’s Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, boy, do we have some good news for you. New York’s intrepid party reporter Jada Yuan was there, and we’ve got her on video admiring the outfits, chatting with celebs, and learning that Harry Connick Jr. knows little about fashion and Christina Ricci knows even less about her date. Watch Jada’s report; it’s almost like being there — but with no need to get dressed up.
Video From the Costume Institute Gala [NYM]
What to Pack for Your Spiritual Journey
Noho Star server and visual artist Richard Bruke just returned from a trip to Thailand, and that’s where he got his shirt and his little bag. The trip was a “spiritual journey, hanging out with Buddhist monks and stuff,” Bruke says, undertaken for “inspiration and to see a bunch of things.” An upstate native whose sentences resolve up, Bruke works in watercolor and photography. Find out what the smell of flowers reminds him of by watching this week’s Video Look Book.
Richard Bruke [Video Look Book]
Sing Along With Of Montreal
Actor and comedian Michael Showalter hosted the inaugural New York by New York event, Indie Rock Karaoke, Saturday night at Studio B. A sold-out crowd turned out to see Of Montreal, who played an original set before turning the mikes over to the amateurs. Surprise guests Paul Rudd and David Wain turned out a lively performance of Boston’s “More Than a Feeling,” and Showalter tried his hand at the brutally repetitive INXS hit “Need You Tonight.” Selections from the crowd included Cheap Trick’s “Surrender,” the Guns N’ Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Between numbers, Showalter’s Alan Shemper character emceed and told Soterios Johnson jokes. And everyone in attendance got a subscription to the magazine. More New York by New York events are coming. Until then, watch the video.
Karaoke With Of Montreal [NYM]
Events [New York by New York]
intel
Kicking Cop, Caught on Video, Was Always Known to Play Rough
The city’s Law Department yesterday agreed to pay $150,000 to an activist who was kneed in the head by a senior police officer, assistant chief Bruce Smolka, during an antiwar rally in 2003. One reason for the eager settlement appears to be the video of the beating, available on the IWitness site; the victim planned to introduce it as evidence. As it happens, Smolka was also the subject of a 2004 profile by New York’s own Janelle Nanos, then an NYU j-school student.