Sightings — Plus, What Is Woman-Hating Changing You Into?
Her voice: O’Day’s performance in her new singing role at “Peep Show” is what I would call “whatever.” Her voice is whatever you’d expect of a former Danity Kane singer. It’s not awesome. It’s not bad. There are thousands of better singers in America, which I can say is also true of pretty much every single person you listen to on the radio and online.
Her body: When you see O’Day scantily clad, you immediately understand why perfect people like Perez Hilton are criticizing her body. It’s a normal woman’s bod. It’s curvy. In the culture of celebrity journalism, which hates women (“don’t be too fat!”; “don’t be too thin!”), that’s called “fat.” Yet, she is neither fat nor thin. If she were your girlfriend, you’d say she’s “hot” and you wouldn’t be wrong.
But even women in the crowd were surprised by O’Day’s physique. After the show, I was standing by four in-shape women smoking by the exit, and one of them told friends, “I feel a lot better about my body image” after seeing O’Day. You know why? Probably partly because that woman is used to seeing skinny little waifs with double-D’s on TV and in movies and in ads, but I'd argue it's mostly because she's been indoctrinated to take part in the way pop culture critics demonize women who aren't as thin and iconic as those thin double-Ds, which makes her feel guilty for eating a piece of bread. Today — I am sick of that stupid system. Tomorrow I might not be. But today I am.
Here’s the truth: Celebrities like O'Day live in a cruel world of their own making. They profit from their own heavens and hells of scrutiny. If O’Day is going to take a well-paid marquee part in a topless Vegas revue, she either knew what she was getting herself into, or she should have known.
But that does not excuse the ass-hattery going on around her in the entertainment media. You could wish that celebrity bloggers and magazines would stop bashing every famous woman who does not fit into a very narrow and fantasy-based window of weight and visual appeal (“too fat! too skinny! disproportionate! no makeup! why is she wearing that?! fugly!”).
But that’s not gonna happen. There’s fun to be had in famous cynicism. I’ve been part of it myself and will be again. Just this week, I had fun writing about Zowie Bowie’s female costar’s gigantic breasts on display. I didn’t mean it to be mean but were my intentions clear? The orbs were put in front of our faces on purpose, so they seemed like fair, fun game. Did I go over the top? I hope not, but if I did, it’ll haunt me and I’ll regret it. I'm not perfect, either, by a mile. (By the way, I'm not sticking up for O'Day for any personal reason. In fact, she canceled an interview with me this week, which screwed up my schedule. I'm sticking up for her because of the reasons stated here, in case you're wondering.)
I will say I don’t think I’ve ever stooped close to what I saw several years ago in the Star or one of those mags: a photo of Demi Moore’s knees accompanied by derogatory copy about how her body was going to hell. Her knees were so saggy, the photo had to be blown way up so you could see a millimeter of sag. Smoking hot, hot, hot Demi Moore. A millimeter of knee sag. This is what we’re consuming on a daily basis in America.
So I have decided. And I ask you to consider. Take a little break from all the full-time, nasty anger-at-women. Especially if you’re a woman. Look, I’ve loved those “Stars without makeup” spreads. I like PerezHilton on occasion, especially when he picks on the asshats of the world, but not when Perez, who himself points out his own imperfections, comes across as picking on women because they’re not replicas of perfection. You are what you eat. If you’re eating up general anger at women, it’s changing you. What is it changing you into?
Holly Madison and her unlikely charm and her gravity defying nakedness are still the stars of her glorified burlesque, along with several of the better dancers, plus the dude who does aerial rope tricks.
She continues to get raves as someone to hang around.
After Thursday’s “Peep Show,” Holly went backstage, ran her hands through her hair (no assistants), then slapped the butts of dancers on her way out, and woo-hoo’d her way to a red carpet, where for more than an hour, she happily signed every autograph and posed for every photo with every fan that appealed for her time.
Her talents are limited to her own personal strengths. But she’s trying. And she’s still doing everything in her power to be a grateful power point for her show and Las Vegas in a recession. I reiterate what I’ve said before: Stars across the Strip should be so conscientious and generous.
vegas star sightings
Beth Stern (the real Mrs. Howard Stern) drank wine at Lavo with Carson Kressley of the defunct “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” They were palling around all night. I held the door for Stern and Kressley (both laughing and posing for pictures for their friends) on their way to the red carpet for the media party for chef Emeril Lagasse’s Stadium restaurant at Palazzo. In Stern-like fashion, Beth didn’t stop for interviews. She posed and split. Boooo. Oh, I had questions.
... Macy Gray took her kids to dinner at Lavo at the Palazzo Friday night, sat on the terrace and watched the pirate show across the street at Mirage. She apparently told Tao people she had just eaten the “best meatball on Earth.” Also on the terrace was LA Clipper Craig Smith. He ate margherita pizza, filet and salad. Chazz Palminteri ate there with friends and drank wine.
… Upstairs at club Lavo, Derek Fisher hung out with his wife and friends, while nearby were MTV Sports’ Dan Cortez, Warren Sapp and MMA fighter Urijah Faber.
… At Tao’s Asian Bistro on Thursday, Vanessa Minnillo and Warren Sapp went through flights of sake with Tao partner Jason Strauss. They dined on fine kobe ribeye, satay bass and sashimi, then went dancing up at club Tao, where Chazz Palminteri was eating vegetable dumplings and drinking wine with a friend. Palminteri then went to club Lavo for Grey Goose and 7-Up.
… Tony Bennet sang a few songs at Thursday’s VegasTennis.com’s Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation at club Tao, while prepping a world tour. Also there: 1996 Miss USA Ali Landry; her husband the award-winning film director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde (who was one year into wearing braces for two years); and a pleasant Rita Rudner.
… Elisabeth Rohm (assistant D.A. Serena on “Law & Order”) ate Saturday brunch at Hash House a Go Go (they munched hash, granola waffle, sundried tomato basil and goat cheese hash, fried chicken and eggs). Rohm was everywhere, at Friday’s opening of chef Emeril Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo, at Andre Agassi’s “Grand Slam for Children,” and that’s just where I was and she was at the same time.
… At Emeril’s opening, “Entourage” costar Kevin Dillon excitedly started trying to convince Emeril to do a cameo on the HBO show. Emeril paid well attention. Also at Stadium: Bruce Jenner; Danica Patrick asking Emeril for cooking lessons; Warren Sapp screaming “Lloyd!” at Rex Lee of “Entourage”; Jeremy Piven eating with Dara Torres at Lavo at the Palazzo, after telling Greg Maddux he was sorry for wearing a Mets shirt to Emeril’s party; Melissa Rycroft with fiancé Tye Strickland.
And a late one: Eddie Murphy drank Pepsi and danced with a date, who went with champagne, at Luxor club LAX on Wednesday.
OVERHEARD
“As you can see, I'm not Ari Gold. People are like, ‘Why are you so calm? Bring Ari out.’ Sean Penn told me once that I should play a character that's tired. It's OK to be tired.” — Jeremy Piven, acting reserved, at the opening of chef Emeril Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo.
PHOTOS Courtesy of: Top photo of Aubrey O'Day by Denise Truscello/Wire Image. Next photo down of Holly and Aubrey by Tom Donoghue. Photo of Tony Bennett by Erik Kabik/RETNA. "Entourage" stars at Stadium by ISPhotography- imagesofvegas.com.
