The jury in the Brooke Astor case has been deliberating for nearly three weeks now—and the trial itself went on for 19 weeks—but it's looking increasingly likely that the trial will end without a resolution. Jurors sent two notes to the judge today indicating they've been struggling to come up with a verdict, although the judge instructed them to "hang in there a bit longer" and go back to deliberating. [NYT]
Over the weekend, the New York Times thoroughly dissected the three wedding registries set up by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who plan to tie the knot at the end of the month at the Trump golf course in Bedminster, NJ. The attention sure seems to have paid off: All the unsold items at Crate & Barrel and Tiffany mentioned in the article have since been spoken for. But it also looks like the couple wasn't especially thrilled to have their drinking glass and serving spoon preferences revealed to all. You'll need to obtain a password from Jared or Ivanka to view their Williams-Sonoma registry from now on. [NYT, previously]
Seinfeld was a revolutionary sitcom, so its reunion had to be equally brilliant. As witnessed on Curb Your Enthusiasm, the non-reunion reunion about the making of a reunion on a different show will make blood pour out of your ears.
Remember those reports last week that Marc Jacobs had decided to appear on a gay version of Real Housewives on Logo called Kept? The rumor got off the ground, it seems, when the Daily News noticed an item about the show on Gawker alongside a photo of Jacobs and boyfriend Lorenzo Martone. Despite the fact the piece didn't actually suggest Jacobs was involved in the show in any way, the mere presence of a photo of Jacobs on the same page as a story about a gay reality TV show led the Daily News to publish an item a couple of days later that the designer had "reportedly signed on to participate." Naturally, the story was soon picked up by dozens of gossip outlets as if it were a done deal. Too bad the News didn't bother to call anyone to check (or even reread the story on Gawker). Much to the dismay of many—gay and straight alike—we can confirm that Marc will not be on the show.
Hearing that Gourmet Magazine has died is like learning about the end of Webster's Dictionary, the Washington Monument or Growing Pains re-runs; one less venerable pillar of civilization—even one ignored for years—leaves our world a little less solid.
Our favorite retro drama may not have made it to the Summer of Love yet, but it's preparing with the Summer of First Base in this veritable snogapalooza. Pucker up, because August has everyone randy in 1963.
Charming ad in today's NYT: a 100 year-old Times front page, with a Corn Flakes ad at the bottom. 'Statue of Purity For Times Square,' says one typically laughable old-timey headline. How unlikely!
Don't feel badly for your friend who's been out of work for months. Or the one who got laid off recently. Clearly, they're no match for this investment banker who's taking home a $1 million bonus this year, but has realized he'll have absolutely nothing left after accounting for his mortgage, Hamptons rental, private school tuition, ballet and fencing lessons for the kids, housekeeper, babysitters, gym memberships, and three psychotherapists (one for him, one for his wife, and a couples therapist). "Where am I going to move? Brooklyn?" God forbid! [HuffPo]
The last few days haven't been easy ones for David Letterman, naturally. Ironically, though, the scandal may end up benefiting Letterman's right-hand man, Paul Shaffer. The Late Show's longtime band leader's new memoir, We'll Be Here For the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-biz Saga, officially goes on sale tomorrow. And while the "candid" book that takes readers "behind-the-scenes" doesn't contain any revealing info about Letterman—or address any of his dalliances with junior staffers—the book is selling briskly and has secured the No. 1 spot in Amazon's TV category. [Amazon]
