CHARLES PHOENIX IN PERSON TONIGHT!
My adorable and brilliant friend Charles Phoenix is presenting one of his educational and really fun shows on mid-century Americana on YouTube tonight and you should NOT miss it!
RITA MORENO APPROVES OF SPIELBERG’S REMAKE OF WEST SIDE STORY
Speaking of long careers, let’s not overlook Rita Moreno, 89, who won an Oscar for her 1961 performance as Anita in West Side Story (of course she went on to win an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony too, for various projects.) A documentary of Rita’s life showed at Sundance this year and it includes a sordid but juicy story about her affair with Marlon Brando. In the 90’s, we used to run into Rita every time a cool shop on Sunset Strip had a sale on Martin Margiela clothing – luckily we weren’t the same size. A special role was written for her in Steven Spielberg’s new version of West Side Story, and surprisingly, she loves the new version. We cannot imagine remaking a perfect movie (for better or worse, the film inspired us to have a lifelong obsession with Hispanic men.)
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
K-POP BAND SEVENTEEN: DRESSED LIKE HIP BUSINESSMEN
Hard times for K-pop boy band Seventeen. They hoped to make a splash on their first trip to the USA, but the pandemic barred them from live performances. Luckily they landed a spot on The Kelly Clarkson Show to show their talent. Ironically the band has only 13 members- they are divided into three “units”: the hip hop unit, the vocal unit, and the performance unit. They are said to be more involved in the actual songwriting and choreography than other boy bands – most are in their early 20’s. Thom Browne decked them out expensively for the Clarkson show – some of the clothes look a little too serious for this group, but they are cute…
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
GAVIN ROSSDALE HAS A NEW DOG IN HIS LIFE
Women come and go, but Gavin Rossdale, 55, never lets go of the dogs he loves. Ever since he was a young popstar, Rossdale has had at least one dog that he took everywhere. In fact, there are more paparazzi photos of Gavin kissing dogs than kissing women! He’s had some free time between girlfriends, so Gavin acquired a pandemic puppy named Daisy (on leash) – she looks like a toy poodle. Gavin’s senior dog Chewy is following behind as they walk to the park – he’s so well behaved he doesn’t need a leash. Women interested in dating the Bush singer must love dogs too…
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
LADY GAGA IS GAGA OVER HARVARD GRAD
Looks like Lady Gaga has landed herself a live one this time around. She’s had a lot of boyfriends, but this one has credentials. Michael Polansky was wooing Gaga under the radar with his mask on, for months before anyone figured out who he is. He is quite different from past boyfriends – Michael has no connection to show business. He graduated from Harvard (!) in 2006, where he studied math and computer programming. He’s established himself as a philanthropist and board member for a number of charities. He may not be quite as handsome as Gaga’s ex Taylor Kinney, but he’s a man of substance. Gaga has described him as “the love of my life” and she takes him everywhere – including the Inauguration.
Photo: Instagram
ARE WE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS ABOUT CHRIS MARTIN AND DAKOTA JOHNSON?
Real estate can be deceiving in more ways than one. Recent headlines about Chris Martin, 43, and Dakota Johnson, 31, buying a Malibu house together are jumping the gun. It seems Chris and Dakota, who have been dating for three years, just moved into a posh Malibu home that was recently sold for 12.5 million. The house looks delightful – it’s 5338 sq ft and a short walk to the beach and shops. Observers are ASSUMING that Chris and Dakota bought it together in preparation for marriage. No one has seen any purchase documentation. Chris could have bought the house for himself (he has two kids with his ex, Gwyneth Paltrow) OR the unidentified buyer could have leased it to Chris. But everyone wants to see them engaged. Dakota already has her own mid-century modern house in LA that she loves, and it’s not for sale. Whatever is happening, they are a cute couple, engaged or not. Above, Chris and Dakota were in Aspen with his daughter Apple, who looks a lot like her mom…
Top Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
Bottom Photo: Realtor.com
DAVID BOWIE MONOPOLY FOR VALENTINES DAY?
Valentines Day approaches, and if you have a significant other, it’s nice to present him or her with a significant token of your appreciation. Anyone who’s a David Bowie fan is likely to fall in love with this not-so-usual gift. It’s a David Bowie Monopoly game and the winner will become a music superstar. Instead of real estate like Boardwalk, this game features Bowie albums that a player can buy. After securing albums, players can buy stages and stadiums that other players can “rent” when they roll into town.The movable tokens are items from Bowie history, like a lightening bolt or space helmet. Familiar situations like Free Parking and Go To Jail are included in this game, now selling for from $60 to $80. Keep in mind, someday this game might become a highly collectible item and appear on a future Antiques Roadshow …
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Liev Schreiber is in Venice, Italy, relaxing between scenes of his currently filming movie “Across the River and into the Trees.” It’s another melancholy all-male oriented script based on an Ernest Hemingway book of the same name. It takes place after WWII – Liev Schreiber plays a 50 year old heroic American Colonel with a terminal illness, who reminisces about his traumatic war experiences back in the locations in Italy where he fought. To his astonishment, he falls in love with a MUCH younger woman (surprise, surprise!) he meets there and spends the end of his life with her. It may be sentimental, but it sure sounds DEPRESSING, and we won’t be getting in line to see it. The WRONG part of the above photo is Liev’s very trendy beard which you would NEVER see on the face of a uniformed American Colonel in those days…
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
YOU CAN BET YOUR LIFE JAY LENO IS COMING BACK
Driving around town in his immaculate vintage cars is just not enough for Jay Leno. He’s a little bored. Yes, he has his car series Jay Leno’s Garage, but it’s just not enough. He left The Tonight Show in 2014 and misses telling jokes on TV. SOMEBODY came up with the idea of Jay hosting a revival of Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life – a 50’s quiz show – and this could be the answer. Just like Groucho, the main part of the show will be Jay joking around while interviewing the assorted contestants. Jay loves to talk to regular people and draw humor out of them. (His man-in-the-street interviews were always fun.) Contestants appear in female and female pairs and answer questions to win money. Watch for it next fall.
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
PARIS FASHION WEEK: MORE SKIRTS FOR MEN
It’s men’s Fashion Week in Paris again and we wonder how the usually extravagant shows are being put together, considering the fact that last time we heard, Paris was in lockdown with a curfew. But the show must go on, and at first glance we thought this was a female model – but it’s not. Lots of skirts for men on the runways this year. Many are described as “cargo skirts” to up the masculinity factor. This outfit is by Reese Cooper could go either way and it works with sneakers. Most of his clothes have that distinctive little clip on the chest- but what could it be used for?
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA