DID OPRAH CREATE A MONSTER?
We weren’t sorry to learn that blowhard Dr Phil’s talk show is as good as cancelled. Our inside souce swears that unless a miracle happens, the show is history. We remember when Oprah introduced Dr Phil with great fanfare and she made him a star. Oprah’s Harpo production company produced Phil’s show and it was immediately successful. As time went on and Phil’s ego inflated, it was apparent he was not the sensitive and compassionate man he appears to be on TV. In fact, according to coworkers, he was a big HAM with brusque manners. As time passed, Phil resented the fact that Oprah controlled his show – HE wanted to own it. Oprah became disillusioned with Phil and did NOT attend his son’s wedding. Without Oprah’s support, Dr Phil’s ratings have slipped. It’s just a matter of time before Oprah waves bye bye.
Rosie O’Donnell is talking to Jenny Craig. She’s been carefully considering her career moves after her successful departure from The View, and realizes she has a reputation for being confrontational. She wants to maintain her popularity and soften her image a bit, and Jenny Craig could help. Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli have benefited from Jenny Craig deals, and it seems there’s nothing the public likes better than to watch a celebrity battle with her weight. For career reasons, Rosie would like to be less controversial and more likeable, and working with Jenny could be the solution. PLUS, she’d get rid of some unwanted pounds.
Lately we’ve been seeing a LOT of photos of Madonna wearing Ed Hardy t shirts. A coincidence? We think not. We couldn’t figure out WHY she would be flaunting this label. Girls of Lourdes‘s age are more likely to be found lusting after Ed Hardy items than their mothers. Well, we were shopping (and digging for gossip) on Robertson today and just happened to find out the answer. A shop owner confided that it’s rumored that the Kabbalah organization is a big investor in the Ed Hardy company. Therefore, Madonna is involved also. That explains it all. Everything happens for a reason.
Another surprise visitor at the LA Modernism opening night gala was Jennifer Aniston. Her exhusband Brad Pitt used to bring her to this show to shop and apparently some of his design appreciation rubbed off on her. Now she shops with her decorater and two very subtle bodyguards who could be mistaken for friends. Jennifer was very casual in jeans and a black puff sleeve blouse. She selected some 1940’s pieces, some Hollywood regency décor and some totally eclectic stuff. Among her purchases: matching Italian brass shelving units for $18,000, a pair of large Mediterranean metal lamps for $1400, and an Italian sculpture of an ostrich that included a real ostrich egg for $1500. Our favorite was a delicate French standing ashtray trimmed with Hermes leather for $2500. Looks like she hasn’t quit smoking yet.
Isaiah Washington caused quite a buzz at the LA Modernism show gala Friday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Mainly because of the incident on Grey’s Anatomy when he was perceived as being ” insensitive” to gay people by using the f—-t word. At the time he apologized and supposedly received some sort of counseling (word rehab?) but it was a surprise to find him at a primarily gay event. The place was loaded with gay decorators and gay antique dealers and gay shoppers who can afford and appreciate exquisite vintage furniture and art objects. The LAST person they expected to see browsing was Isaiah. He arrived early, stayed to the end and schmoozed all night. He looked at everything and chatted amiably with everyone. He’s really mending fences.
Readers hungry for a unique visual experience still have time to see Jacques Tati’s 1967 masterpiece Playtime at the Aero theater in Santa Monica Sunday night presented by the American Cinematheque. It’s the epitome of French comedy- with architectural overtones, yet. Picture an “everyman” type fellow overwhelmed and puzzled by the modern world, sleek office buildings, and whimsical gadgets. It’s a view of modernism in the mid-century when people thought the world was going in a whole new direction. Dialogue is minimal compared to sound effects. The photo above shows a modern apartment building where passersby can see right in the windows. Anyone who loved Jacques Tati’s other hit Mon Oncle from 1958, will adore this movie. See it once and you’ll never forget it.