The National Pork Producers Council would really appreciate it if you stopped calling it "swine flu." Some people could hear the name and get confused and think they can get sick from eating pork. And that's "a real headache for the pork industry," as you might imagine. So what would they like us to call it instead? "H1N1 virus." Catchy, no? [AdAge]
If you had any doubt that style, and indeed gayness, is genetic, listen to Michael Kors: His first commission was designing his mom Joan's wedding dress for her second marriage when, as he reveals in an interview, he was five years old. It was definitely in the blood: Even though the "Swedish Lutherian" side of his family "couldn't have given a fig about fashion," the Jewish side "loooved it. My grandfather's idea of a really great afternoon out was being fitted for a suit."
Greed is good... again! 20th Century Fox has confirmed that it will be resuscitating the 1987 classic, Wall Street. Oliver Stone, who is probably still licking the wounds from his recent string of embarrassing films (Alexander, World Trade Center, W.) has signed on to direct, and Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of soulless fat cat Gordon Gekko, will also be returning. Shia LaBeouf is in talks to join the cast, too, which would make him the only person under 60 involved in the project.
If you're wondering how it is a strip club managed to get Samantha Ronson, Pamela Anderson and Shannen Doherty to turn up for its opening night party on Monday, well, there's a good reason for that. All three now say they were "tricked" into making an appearance at the debut of Sapphire East and had only signed on because they thought Sapphire "was a restaurant or club," and "without realizing there would be topless dancers and bodypainted performers" on the scene. Not that Sam appears too distressed by the sight of a woman in stripper heels doing her thang, of course. [Us]
Did you recently lose your job at an investment bank or hedge fund? Help is on the way! A group of City Council members and community activists are now lobbying to increase the number of street vending permits the city hands out each year. They say adjusting the cap on the number of permits in circulation will reduce the city's growing unemployment rate. And they've got historical precedent to point to, too, such as World War I and the Great Depression.
People talk a lot these days about how rare it is to find proper, hard-hitting journalism and how everything you read in newspapers has been muddied by biases and agendas. Thank God, then, for work like Spencer Morgan's in-depth interview with "the beautiful people's walker" Derek Blasberg, which in inimitable Observer fashion leaves no stone unturned to reveal the man behind the rumors and misconceptions.
Bank of America's annual shareholders' meeting kicked off this morning in Charlotte and plenty of angry people turned up for the occasion, not surprisingly. With the bank's CEO, Ken Lewis, hanging on to his job by a thread, he did his best to try and justify Bank of America's numerous missteps in recent months. But he appeared to get a little testy, too. When one person asked him why BofA didn't disclose the extent of Merrill Lynch's problems when it acquired the bank, he refused to answer the question. "I can't because of litigation. You're probably one of them... So if you'd like to hear more, withdraw your lawsuit." Alas, no word yet on whether attendees were further outraged for having been denied free coffee. [Dealbook]
Adrien Brody talking on his cell phone in the East Village ... Mark Ronson having lunch at Da Silvano with his sister Samantha and Q-Tip ... Ashlee Simpson carrying son Bronx outside their hotel in Midtown ... Kate Hudson getting out of a taxi on Mercer Street ... Brad Pitt leaving the Standard Hotel ... Chace Crawford and 50 Cent hanging out on the set of Twelve ... Michelle Williams and Spike Jonze playing with Matilda in Brooklyn ... Ryan Gosling getting out of a cab ... America Ferrera shooting scenes for Ugly Betty ... Kim Kardashian going into Butter ... and Madonna leaving dinner at Nobu 57.
The myriad horrors that keep young, beautiful socialites awake at night? Chief among them may be that Evite just isn't exclusive enough. Thankfully, and just in time for the utter collapse of the American economic system, two gorgeous children of privilege have gifted the world with Paperless Post, a new web-based service which offers a chic alternative to the vulgar, populist electronic invitations already available online. Even better? It's members only, in order that it "grow organically through people who actually know each other." Chic, and sustainable!
• Marisa Noel Brown, the daughter of disgraced Fairfield Greenwich Group founder Walter Noel, and her husband Matt, are officially putting their townhouse at 12 East 78th Street on the market. The Indiana limestone–faced manse, which the couple bought for $13.5 million in 2008 and then spent millions renovating, will be listed with Stribling's Patricia Farman-Farmaian for a mere $11.5 million. Quick cash buyers, please. [NYO]
• Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have reportedly paid "around $7 million" for a 11,750-square-foot mansion in Bel Air, Calif. [Real Estalker]
Uma Thurman is turning 39 today. Jerry Seinfeld is turning 55. Michelle Pfeiffer is 51. Daniel Day-Lewis is 52. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer turns 49 today. Defense attorney Bruce Cutler turns 61. Fox5 anchor Rosanna Scotto is 51. Provocateur Lucianne Goldberg is turning 74. ABT artistic director Kevin McKenzie is 55. Conductor Zubin Mehta is 73. Carnie Wilson is turning 41. Mets sportscaster Gary Cohen is 51. NFL quarterback Jay Cutler turns 26. Tennis great Andre Agassi is 39. And the rapper Master P turns 42 today.
• At least six of the 19 largest U.S. banks will require additional capital, according to the results of the stress tests conducted by regulators. [BN]
• The U.S. economy took a tumble in the first quarter, with gross domestic product dropping at a 6.1 percent annual rate. [BN, WSJ]
• Citigroup has asked the Treasury department for permission to pay bonuses to a number of key employees. No word on how much or to whom. [WSJ]
• Meanwhile, Citi is looking to raise additional capital now that the bank came up short on its recent stress test. [DB]
• Daniel Bouton, the chairman of Societe General, is stepping down. [WSJ]
• Lazard posted a first quarter loss, and says it plans to cut jobs. [Reuters]
• Neel Kashkari's last day at work is Friday. Don't forget to send a gift! [DB]
• Swine flu fashion has arrived! Just as you totally expected it would. [Pipeline, NYM]
• David Beckham is designing a line of men's clothes. Why? Because he can, that's why. [WWD]
• Kim Kardashian is taking a stand on the importance of honest photography in supermarket tabloid journalism. It's about time, too. [Jezebel]
• A peek inside the closets of Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, and Karen Elson. [Vogue]
• Yesterday's Post piece on restaurants charging for things like water and bread and butter provoked a wee bit of controversy. Frank Bruni thinks more restaurants should be charging for bread. And Bobo's Carlos Suarez would like you to know the water fee goes to charity, so simmer down. [NYT, GS]
• Sasha Petraske's Dutch Kills may open as soon as this Friday. [UD]
• The Beatrice Inn (which is still closed, FYI) has been vandalized. [Eater]
• The latest secret bar you'll hear a lot about, but will probably never visit in person: Bohemian, which requires a swipe key to get in, and is "tucked into the back of a building that used to belong to Andy Warhol," if that's any help. [GS]
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are expecting twins in a few weeks. The couple released a statement today indicating they plan to have the kids thanks to the "generous help of a surrogate," and EW reports the couple had been "trying for years to add to their family," but had been unsuccessful. Leave it to Star, though, to come up with a much darker take on the happy news: The tabloid says the couple paid a 26-year-old divorcee "tens of thousands of dollars" to carry the kids, and the couple only decided to take the surrogate route after it was revealed that "Matthew had been cheating with a 21-years-younger redheaded youth counselor." Feel free to take your pick. [EW, Star]
