Now, Olympic huff and puff over that Ralph Lauren stuff. Patriotic red-white-and-blue taxpaying Yank. Born in America. Made it in America. American brand. Because his clothes are apple pie he again was dressing the team. This became a p.r. smack but, then, every face gets smacked periodically.
At a social event, Lauren explained: “We make things all over the world . . . wherever it’s most expedient.” Speaking Castilian Business, “expedient” translates to “reasonable”: Italian shoes, Pakistani jeans, Thai shirts, Japanese cars, Egyptian cotton, French fragrance, English tea, Indian embroidery, Brazil’s coffee, Mongolia’s wool, Saudi Arabia’s oil, drawers from El Salvador. From the Canary Islands, not much, but that’s how we live.
He also added: “I love the Olympics. Shame on the critics . . . in future the uniforms will all be made in America.”
HARVEY Weinstein: “You must see my new movie ‘The Intouchables.’ ” Then: “You know, Obama was a Paul Newman fan. At my fund-raiser, nobody knows he told Joanne Woodward: ‘ “Cool Hand Luke” makes the top 10 of my favorite films. And “The Hustler” is my favorite of all time. I idolized your husband.’ ” Not one to blow an opportunity Harvey then added: “You must see ‘The Intouchables.’ I’m really pushing that.” No kidding?
KYRA Sedgwick on “The Closer” closing: “Work is exciting and addictive. I’ll miss the adrenaline.”. . . Other than young studs, Jennifer Lopez loves dice. Plays craps . . . Mandy Patinkin dining at Asia in Stone Ridge, NY . . . B. Clinton at St. Regis King Cole bar . . . The Regis Philbins and Frank Giffords at Circo . . . Crossword-maker Merri Darby informs me naturalist Charles Darwin’s grampa was Josiah Wedgwood of China fame, See, don’t read this column you don’t know that.
EMMY nominee Julianne Moore for playing Sarah Palin in the HBO movie “Game Change” told the Hollywood Reporter: “Charisma is what it takes to get elected now. Look at Clinton and Obama. But we shouldn’t require our politicians to be movie stars, Then again we’re all influenced by charisma. Hard not to be. We all collectively fall for it.”
WHILE the elderly tussle over Social Security and health benefits, be it known seniority’s not for sissies: Once it was Rolling Stones, now kidney stones. Before it was “whatever,” today “depends.” In the last century, wanted was a good keg. This century wanted is a good EKG. Back then it was growing pot. These days what’s growing is potbellies.
Forget the BMW; hope for a BM.
MELISSA Leo’s “Francine” opens next month. Her title role, prison inmate in small-town USA who’s had small-time jobs, tries for some small foothold in life. She’s also in Denzel Washington’s “Flight.” We first spoke when nobody much knew her and before she became an Oscar nominee for her breakout “Frozen River” role.
Now she’s everywhere and says:
“I need to pay attention to myself. Time to relax, enjoy a massage. I want to spend good times with friends.”
NATALIE Portman, twixt honeymoon days — and nights — with Benjamin Millepied, has written a foreword to Mary Helen Bowers’ “Ballet Beautiful.” Saying it’ll “transform your body and gain the strength, grace and focus of a ballet dancer.”
Portman, working a year before “Black Swan,” writes: “My posture looked like I’d swallowed a broom . . . I had the same body since I’m 14. With Mary Helen, it’s completely transformed. I gained length, strength and tone. Arms and legs changed shape. In awe of dancers’ bodies — definition in their arms, strong legs and beautiful line extending from fingertips to toes . . . [plus her] healthy diet in conjunction with the exercises” achieved our fitness goals.
THE Creative Coalition is gearing for Charlotte, NC. Its Wed., Sept. 5, event will be the B-52s with more congressional co-hosts than will attend the whole Dem convention . . . Saturday in Pebble Beach, Jay Leno auctions his Fiat 500 for a military hospital charity. The estimate’s $35,000 . . . Christian Slater: “Underneath my pants, my butt looks like a dollop of mush.”
DA Tommaso, an Italian restaurant on Eighth Avenue in the Theater District, was asked to deliver an order to a nearby hotel room. The request was refused. Said the caller: “But I know you sent takeout to the hotel where Charlie Sheen was staying.” Answer: “You’re right. But that order was $400, not $40.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.