pyongyang à la mode

"Ping Pong Diplomacy" was on the mind’s of members of the NY Philharmonic in Pyongyang, North Korea last week. I watched the historical concert in a rebroadcast on PBS. A grand gesture between the US and a totalitarian regime. An optimistic initiative, indirectly asking their citizens to open their minds toward western culture and democracy. I listened and observed. Amused by the dichotomy between the orchestra’s animated performance of Gershwin’s “An American In Paris” and the expressionless faces in the audience. I wondered, did they get the picture? Like the Hollywood versions from back in the golden age of MGM. An old-fashioned stroll through “gay Paree.” Marion Cotillard came to mind and her portrayal of Édith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose.” In Los Angeles, her Oscar acceptance speech was magnifique. Endearing as she awkwardly shook, thanking life and love and the angels of LA in broken English.
Following the Times’ coverage of Paris fashion week, I was attracted to John Galliano’s new fall collection for Christian Dior. Fashion authority Cathy Horyn called the collection “safe, respectable and ladylike, seemingly culled from the early 1960s pages of Paris Vogue...” They say Galliano’s genius is his ability to take the past and make it modern. I was curious if Lorin Maazel was capable of the same, conducting Gershwin in Pyongyang. I factored in North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. It gave an edge to “An American In Paris.”

so long ya bozos!

Long before Jackass The Movies, there was Late Night With David Letterman's Calvert DeForest, aka Larry 'Bud' Melman. The actor who passed away Monday at the age of 86, lent himself to cockamamie antics functioning as Letterman's walk in guinea pig. A cult hit in the 80's, some of DeForest's memorable performances include when he approached commuters at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and, while welcoming them to New York in his naturally thick Long Island accent, offered them a hot towel. And the episode where Dave dressed him in a bear costume and set him off to roam around the NBC studios looking for someone who would make change for a ten dollar bill.
On last Tuesday's Late Show, Adam Sandler filled in for a sick Letterman and brought his droopy-faced bulldog 'Matza' along as his co-host. While interviewing Don Cheadle, Sandler repeatedly apologized for not being a good interviewer, saying, "I suck at this.., and, ".. I've never interviewed anyone.." Together the two joked about their new found friendship that came from working together on the new film Reign Over Me,' (in theaters now about a man who lost everything in 9/11). After a clip of the movie, the two actors sang as a duet, "My Endless Love," while peering into each others eyes. A light and charmingly crafted comedic moment that seemed amateur like karaoke, or Larry 'Bud' Melman, but smarter.

spring in

Spring is the south wind in,
mingling with the north one.
Leaving flowering youth,
bloom, growth
and longer afternoons.

a sikh look

Controversy in California schools has called for Oxford University Press to recall printing of a 7th grade text book and remove from it, a portrait. "An Age of Voyages: 1350-1600," depicts a wrong likeness of the Sikh prophet, Guru Nanak Dev, (1469-1538), a man revered by Punjabi Hindus and Sahadjhari Sindhis. The book portrays the guru wearing a crown with a beard trimmed in the style of a Muslim or Hindu and not a Sikh.
At the downtown eatery Punjabi Grocery Deli in the East Village, (1st St./Ave. A), a poster of the Guru Nanak is taped to the wall by the register, with the caption "God Is One." The snack shop offers traditional northern Indian Cuisine (all vegetarian), displayed in numbered trays, of which you point at, pick and order. Taxi drivers and savvy diners on a budget make up the clientele. For $2.50., you can get a tasty curry infused bowl of spinach and lentils over rice. And to drink, an authentic Chai tea for $1.. Punjabi is open 24 hours and does not sell alcohol or cigarettes.

out with the old, in with the silver surfer

Marvel Comics released the death of Captain America yesterday, in the comic book's most recent issue, #25. Debuting in March 1941, the character was created as an adversary to Adolf Hitler. A super soldier in his day, America's old-fashioned patriotism seems unfit in the country's current state of war at hand. Instead, Marvel is making way for, 'The Rise of the Silver Surfer,' implementing one of their more complex and abstract super heroes, whose immeasurable powers are conflicted by the inability of understanding the differences between good and evil. Fantastick Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer, is due to land in theaters on June 15.

it's a man's man's man's world

In a classic white 'smoking' and in an electrifying tribute to the late great James Brown at the 2007 Grammy Awards, Christina Aguilera sang, "This is a man's man's world, but It wouldn't be nothing without a woman or a girl."

since carnaval

Just over a week ago, Brazilians were celebrating, 'Carnaval,' a national week-long celebration held 40 days before Easter marking the start of Lent.
Today, well into Lent, practicing Roman Catholics, which constitutes the majority in Brazil, are abstaining from bodily pleasures, until April 8th at which time they will celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

six degrees of tilda

An outwardly interested guy had approached me in the locker room one recent evening at the gym. I had noticed him on previous occasions checking me out. In an Italian accent he asked me what kind of athlete I was and went on to elaborate on how he admired my muscle tone. I smiled and thanked him for the compliment as I continued dressing. After a lot of small talk, I understand Giacomo is some kind of celebrity massage therapist. He mentions that he had the pleasure of befriending the actress Tilda Swinton some nights ago. When he found out I was a fan, he took pleasure in describing how even more beautiful she is in person. How he massaged her and how hard her inner muscles were, (because she rock climbs). He went on about the fairness of her skin and radiant complexion. The bigness of her glowing green eyes. With his hands gesturing in front of his forehead, he showed how tall she was and illustrated her thinness with his pinky in an upward vertical position.
I had been reminded of her arresting beauty when seeing "Sleepwalkers," the late video work by the artist Doug Aitken installed in the courtyard at the MoMA some weeks ago.
Giacomo wrote down his email and info on a piece of paper and told me to contact him the next time I go to Italy. He conveniently added that Tilda will be visiting him this summer in Tuscany while working on a film in Liguria, and that I should come too.
The next day when I got to the gym, I was handed an envelope left for me at the front desk. In it were two photos of Giacomo with Tilda cheek to cheek.
In case you missed it, "Sleepwalkers" played on a concept of six degrees of separation. Projected on four separate walls, it portrayed the lives of five individual New Yorkers in isolated daily routines, sharing the same city and time of day but never crossing paths. Witnessed through a lens of slick superficiality, "Sleepwalkers" utilized celebrity beauty and architecture to depict simple serendipitous moments. Also appearing in the work was the Brazilian singer/songwriter Seu Jorge, Donald Sutherland, Cat Powers and Ryan Donowho.