Beverly Hills...animal activists disrupt SNOW90210 Celebrations!

A horse-driven carriage carried delighted guests up-and-down tony Rodeo Drive as snowflakes cascaded down, the streets teamed with ecstatic throngs of the teaming masses out to window-shop for the upcoming festive holiday season, and retailers threw open their doors with the promise of champagne and snacks on the house in a bold-faced effort to rustle up pre-christmas sales.

The occasion?

Upscale Beverly Hills was tossing their version of a block party - SNOW90210 - which kicked off with a lot of chutzpah and celebrated fanfare.

From 6 to 9 p.m. last evening residents were invited to ring in the yuletide season in the tony environs of one of the most exclusive neighborhoods on the face of the globe.

And, they responded in droves!

"We wanted to create something truly magical and memorable for our customers, residents, and visitors alike," gushed Valentino's Kathy Goharai (co-chair of SNOW90210).

So, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, over fifty of the local business on Rodeo Drive and Brighton Way merrily offered up a few inviting treats and surprises that made for quite a festive evening!

At Bebe, models showed off the new Kardashian line and the Winter Collection, as well-heeled guests sipped on champagne (gratis) on the sidelines.

A Jazz Trio enlivened the night outside Brooks Brothers while Bell Carolers in Victorian Costumers entertained a scant few paces inside the front doors of the upscale haberdashery.

At Christian Dior a Disc Jockey spun platters to get shoppers in a yuletide shopping mood.

The Luxe Hotel offered longshot Gourmet Coffee and a hot chocolate bar at the Rodeo patio.

Meanwhile, at Max Mara, celebrity stylist - Annie Ladino - gave fashion tips to style-conscious guests who stopped in briefly to take a boo.

Not to be outdone, Tiffany offered up Hot Cider to their coiffed clientele, as they viewed the newest line of handbags from the Tiffany Leather Collection.

But, the night was not without controversy!

Mid-evening a band of angry protestors descended on Rodeo Drive denouncing a handful of retailers who were still inclined to sell products made of animal fur, in spite of the growing trend against the use of animal skins in the fashion industry.

Signs urged shoppers to "Make Compassion the Fashion" by refusing to purchase products made from real animal fur.

One pamphlet being handed out on the street was searing in its criticism.

"Over 40 million fur-bearing animals are brutally killed each year for their skins worldwide.  Foxes, rabbits, seals, minks, racoons, chinchillas, and other animals are skinned alive or are killed via trapping, gassing, neck breaking and anal or genital electrocution."

"Animals are intelligent, sentient beings, and like us, they have the capacity to feel and experience pain. There is no reason to contribute to the suffering and death of fur-bearing animals. Purchasing or wearing fur puts blood on your hands!"

The answer was simple, they lamented, in the final analysis:

Don't buy or wear fur!

The activists noted that consumers can help stop the torture by doing the following:

Boycott

Refuse to buy items containing fur or fur trim. Purchase faux fur and cruelty-free clothing instead.

Support

Endorse and/or demand local, state, and federal anti-trapping and anti-crueltly laws. Thank and support stores that don't sell fur.

Contact

Get in touch with designers, manufacturers, stores, catalogues, and fashion magazines. Ask them to stop production, selling and/or promoting fur.

Educate

Inform others on the horrors of the fur trade. Distribute literature or plan an anti-fur event.

Protest

Organize and attend a Fur-Free Friday protest.

Info:

http://www.furfreefriday.com/


The above information was provided by Last Chance For Animals activists at the celebration last night.
And, how was your evening?

http://www.thetattler.biz

Joan Rivers...in my face at Zimbio! Shucks, give the tropper a plug...

When Joan Rivers appears for an interview and issues a polite request to the hosts - like, what's off-limits on air, for starters - the comedy-circuit trooper means business, dudes!

Just ask those bozos in Sacramento last week who ignored her wishes and stepped over the line!

In the sleepy state Capitol to plug her latest foray into the unconventional realm of zany off-beat comedy in the reality-TV vein, Joan specifically pooh-poohed any notion that her lovely daughter Melissa would be mindless fodder on the airwaves as she ruefully played foil on the local broadcast.

Lights! Camera! Action!

Within seconds, the dim-witted hosts were plying her with a question about you-know-who.

A silly prank?

Not to Joan!

The funny-lady packed up her back of tricks, then walked!

Ouch!

In contrast, I have a fond memory of rubbing shoulders with Rivers.

Several years ago, a casting director hired me to play a bit part on a comedy special that Joan was producing for a cable network:

"A Salute to Heidi Abromowitz"

Yeah, I'm dating myself.

Die-hard fans of the witty legend will recall that in the heyday of her dizzying climb to the top of the topsy-turvy comedy ladder, Heidi was a character Joan often whimsically featured in her stints on stage and spiced up dialogue with on popular talk shows around the country.

In the spot I was hired to act in (which ended up being a few meager seconds on-camera) I was directed to don a Fireman's Uniform and straddle the hood of a spanking-new candy-apple-red Mercedes Benz as it cruised up the street in tony Beverly Hills.

Yup.

The wicked sight gag was a jab at the excesses of wealthy.

Now, Rivers is taking on the rich with a whole new perspective!

How do I know?

Each day as I log onto my blog, I come face-to-face with Joan's mug, at the celebrity website.

The long and short of it?

Her comedy entry (due to premiere this week on August 5th) is one of Zimbio's sponsors.

And, I confess, the eye-catching video clip promoting the show (firmly ensconced above my publicity still & resume) did the trick.

Within seconds, my curiousity was piqued - at which point - I was summarly dragged into Joan's hilarious (at times naughty) brand of humor.

It's easy to figure out in a heartbeat.

"How did you get rich" hinges on the iffy-premise that there are a posse of ultra-rich folks out there - self-made millionaires - with a tale to tell.

Where, Joan, where?

In response to that million-dollar question - Joan's production team heads out each episode impromptu - and sets their lofty sights on the spoils of self-made millionaires - with the hope that down-on-their-luck Americans (who don't have enough moolah to stuff their own tagless mattresses with) will confidently strike out on their own with their novel ideas and potential money-making inventions.

After all, aren't consumers just waiting with bated breath for a truckload of little gadgets to be turned out on E-Bay, with the ultimate aim of lightening the load a tad?

Just betcha, Joan never thought for a lucky-lotto minute that folks around the Nation were actually scarfing up big wins with $5 scratch-offs, hitting elusive jackpots in Vegas, or even inheriting oodles of cash out-of-the-blue from long-lost relatives in Kalamazoo.

"They made their fortunes by inventing Billy Bob Teeth and Butt Paste," she dead-pans to the camera with a straight face.

And, bottom line, she intends to dig deep for the answers, too.

"It's amazing content," quipped producer Mark Burnett (Survivor).

On Rodeo Drive, for instance, Joan spies someone getting out of a Ferrari to have lunch (and without any qualms) strides right up and asks the startled local point-blank how he got rich, according to the giggling reality-show mogul.

She'll knock on a door in an upscale enclave and beg the question:

"How did you get so fu**ing rich?"

Heh, by the way, doesn't Joan look dishy these days?

Has she uncovered the fountain of youth, happened upon a wonder potion, or was it just a bit of tension-specific stretching this way 'n that (yoga, 'ya know?) that blessed the timeless comedy Goddess with that almost-surreal outer-glow?

Inquiring minds want to know, Joan!

Break a pretty gam, eh?

Memorable schtick with the late great Johnny Carson

http://www.julianayrs.com

Beverly Hills...Nicole Richie lit the night! Fireworks & 3D glasses wowed Yuletide crowds! Tots snatched at snow flurries with delight!

With the flick of a switch, pretty Nicole Richie - gussied up in a royal blue cocktail dress and eye-catching sparkly necklace - lit up the exquisite baccarat crystal chandeliers on Rodeo Drive.

Seconds later, the UNICEF snowflake was instantly transformed into a beacon of light on the roof of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, as a dazzling pyrotechnic display streaked across an inky night sky and signaled to the rapt crowds packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the street that another festive Yuletide season was underway.

The event was the annual "Lighting the Night" ceremony sponsored by tony Beverly Hills.

A short time earlier, the shoppers were treated to the song stylings of Kreesha Turner - and a popular local band - The 88.

Fans of Lipstick Girls, Gossip & the Entourage may have heard strains of Kreesha's hits emanating from the backdrop of those popular shows - after all - they lend themselves well to the medium.

The music that accompanied the fireworks display - a sort-of strident techno pop sound - was right on the money, too. The dynamic futuristic sound added a touch of excitement and drama to the whole scenario.

But it was a pair of 3d glasses that volunteers handed out just before the light show, that caught the imagination of the revellers. The unique specs turned common lights in the night sky into sparkling snowflakes when you donned 'em and gazed skyward!

But, there was serious note or two in the proceedings, as well.

Sexy Joel Maddox noted that he recently travelled to the Central African Republic with UNICEF a couple of weeks ago, and he sadly reported that - at minimum - twenty-five thousand children die in that country daily from preventable causes like malaria, measles, or lack of clean water.

At one point, Kreesha urged shoppers to pick up their cells and text "hope" to make a contribution to the cause.

"A dollar or two goes a long way," she insisted.

A rep from UNICEF, on hand to take part in the lighting of the "snowflake", noted it will shine brightly throughout the holiday season.

It was designed by Ingo Maurer, is made up of 12,000 Baccarat crystals, and weighs more than 1,600 pounds.

"We like to think it is a beacon sending out light to the dark corners of the world."

By donating to UNICEF, people have the opportunity to "believe in zero", note the organizers.

That's zero children dying from preventable diseases.

After the main stage event, guests took a stroll up Rodeo 2, where a flurry of snowflakes drifted magically down from the heavens.

The delighted expressions on all the children's faces said it all.

The joy of the season was upon us!

Text HOPE to 864233 and donate to Unicef. Its $5!

Beverly Hills...Light the Night on tony Rodeo Drive! The 88 & Kreesha Turner on stage live. November 22nd.

In the mood for a little holiday spirit?

Then, head on over to Rodeo Drive on November 22nd & take in the annual City of Beverly Hills & UNICEF Holiday Lighting Ceremony.

Forget about flicking a switch in one fell swoop; after all, there's no festive spirit in that!

The City of Beverly plans to make a dazzling day and night of it.

Festivities get underway at 3:00 pm.

So, there's time to get your bearings, and window-shop a bit, before the kids check in with jolly old Santa and Mrs. Claus at 5:00 pm (Main Stage Event).

At 6:00 pm, exciting musical guests - The 88 and Kreesha Turner - are scheduled to perform live for the audience, too.

"The 88" is a local band which has captured the nation's attention with a sound that is part punk and a little funk with a touch of R & B riffs reminiscent of the British invasion bands.

Undoubtedly you've grooved to their beat on a handful of popular TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The OC, or How I Met Your Mother.

Gosh, singer-songwriter Kreesha Turner - also slated to treat the festive crowd with her unique blend of musical stylings in the pop/hip hop/jazz vein - is a fellow Canuck!

Nicole Richie, Joel Madden (the UNICEF Ambassador) and lead vocalist for Good Charlotte, will then saunter in and pull a magic lever that will suddenly illuminate the exquisite UNICEF crystal snowflake and all 20 one-of-a-kind glittering Baccarat chandeliers along Rodeo Drive.

Later, show-stopping spectacular fireworks atop the Beverly Wilshire hotel, will shoot festively into the midheavens in a myriad of crackling multi-colored lights.



A few musical favorites of the Yuletide season will kick off the season to a joyous start.

But, the party won't be ready to shut down, yet.

After the fireworks, there will be a dazzling party extravaganza, at ultra-chic 2 Rodeo Drive.

Along the cobblestone Via, you'll be able to snack on a host of delectable treats, catch a snowflake on the tip of your tongue, or plump yourself down on Santa's lap.

The UNICEF snowflake and Baccarat chandeliers will continue to sparkle through New Year’s Day.

Also, take note.

Shoppers will be treated to 2 hours of free parking at city garages along Rodeo, Beverly and Canon Drives (look for the Torquoise signs)

Info: Visitors Bureau 310.248.1015