This weekend is the annual White House Correspondents dinner in Washington, or as it is affectionately known among those scribes in the biz: the nerd prom. Not going to deny the accuracy of that statement. Lotsa mother of the bride dresses masquerading as formal wear at this event – Ann Taylor must be SO busy - which allows Washington press to pretend it is cool with exquisite proximity to their gorgeous celebrity guests. Our favorite memory? One newsie cornering actress Shannen Doherty in the loo, actually IN THE STALL, and Shannen ANSWERING that sure, she’d be game for a photo, right after she was finished. Maybe she was mean during the 90210 days, but she sure was sweet and funny then – adorbs. The dog from the Oscar-winning best picture, The Artist, will be a guest this year of the Washington Times, while Rand Paul will reportedly be a seatmate with newly coronated gal-power icon Sandra Fluke of Georgetown and birth control fame. (Would anyone dare to put Fox News-brand condoms on their table? Now that’s a party favor.) Speaking of Fox, uberhost Greta Van Susteren has scored Lindsay Lohan and her lawyer, no less - petite Greta always gets the BEST guests - while PEOPLE magazine will host the sartorial goddesss Diane Keaton as well as the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Katherine. Late night comic Jimmy Kimmel will helm this very tough room - we’re hoping for savagery, actually. So much to make fun of on this and nearly every political year. And even though the president is supposedly the biggest guest, more folks will be craning their necks to see what first lady Michelle will be wearing. Let’s face it: like her or not, girl gives good ballgown. Will publicity succubus Kim Kardashian make an appearance on this year’s Washington Hilton red carpet? Um, duh. Like white on rice with her uber-mamma in tow. (What, no Kanye?) If you don’t have a ticket, the air and backside-kissing debauchery is all going down on C-Span at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
The John Edwards campaign finance trial in North Carolina is getting less ink than we expected, but wowza, there’s a novel there - one about greed, ego, betrayal and power. It’s like a good wreck - you can’t turn away. If you like politics and soap opera, read the stories, with some particularly good ones coming from reporter Anne Blythe from the Charlotte Observer. The details in trial testimony are far better than anything in Andrew Young’s book. Whatever the former senator and presidential hopeful thought of himself was OTC - arrogance deluxe. And Young spent Bunny money on his own house? Guess he felt entitled after all his former mentor put him through with the traveling mistress brigade, but still. You built a million-dollar house with someone else’s funds? DUDE! Power makes people insane. Will Young EVER work again? Chapel Hill is a small, small town. Edwards should pen a mea culpa book if he avoids prison time - to explain himself and apologize to rehabilitate his image and move on. Given the charges and the testimony thus far, it would seem he would prevail. Certainly he’s already paid a huge price for his transgressions. And yes, we’re still disgusted.
Going to guess that this country music pairing will make them the summer tour of the year - not that either of these kids need the cash. Kicking off June 2 in Tampa and coming to a stadium near you. “Do you smoke, do you drink, do you yell out Hank?” These “rock star” lyrics make us smile. And hey, Tim McGraw looks to be in the best shape of his life - hotness.
Fave lingo from Tosh.0 - “thesbos” - meaning dumb young girls who are wannabe actresses.
Colleges and universities nationwide are set to graduate the kids in the weeks ahead. Barring the coconuts student loan debates, we present this month’s very spot-on moment in punk-rock parenting, a sage call to personal responsibility, from your host, Henry Rollins. “Just because you come from nothing, you must not let that hold you back… There is no better time than now to have a moral and civic true North,” says tattoo boy. Copy that. Check it - no, seriously. It’s fabulousness, literary even, and needs to be read at every college commencement in the nation.
What has Madame Carla Bruni done to her face? Quelle horreur! The tres gorgeous and fashion-forward French first lady - at least for now - seems to have had some odd facial work in newly released pictures, including what appears to be a heavy-handed brow lift – higher than Montmartre - that she seems far too young to undertake. Le sigh.
He’s taking his parents to Burning Man - and all y’all ought to help him. #worthycauses
There should be a compilation video available for all of Stephen Colbert’s rock interviews, including last night’s priceless sit-down with rocker Jack White. Might we suggest a warmer hair color or a trip to the spray tan machine for the odd genius that is Jack. All hail the Colbert “bump” - and check out some stories curated here.
Is there a better cooking explainer alive than the quirky and endearing Alton Brown of Food Network fame? He’s a great foodie teacher. We can’t stop watching when he’s in the TV kitchen. Speaking of the FN: this dude frightens us. He’s the Nosferatu of pastry, the Dr. Evil of desserts.
A new star on the ridiculously rotating Reality TV circuit: menswear designer John Varvatos, who holds his own aside Jessica Simpson and Nicole Ritchie on the very fun “Fashion Star.” Love him. More interesting really than the designers.
Reports - cast Tweets, actually - from the Glee set indicate La Lohan, now a redhead, remains in full diva mode. And you know, as much as this is no surprise, it only adds to her mystique. She’ll be back, amigos. She will. Bet she hits a home run playing Liz Taylor in an upcoming Lifetime flick about Taylor’s romance with Richard Burton. Stay tuned. America loves a comeback. We do.
