wowOwow - The Women on the Web

12/09/2009 6:00 am

Culture

Liz Smith: All New York Is Betting on Jackie Leo's Lucky '7'

Also from Our Gossip Girl, Harry Benson's lucky 80 and 'Twilight' werewolf wants to get back to the human size.

"I’m not antisocial; I’m just not social," says Woody Allen.

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But New York is especially "social" these holiday days and nights where even in brisk windy weather people are filling the streets, walking, looking at the lights, carrying shopping bags and cramming into restaurants. I went to Le Cirque last Saturday night with my excellent friends Joan Ganz Cooney and Pete Peterson. We were having an early dinner but the place was already jammed when we arrived at seven o’clock and it continued to fill up with people milling around and begging for tables. Mario, the handsome maître d’, told me, "It has been like this for a month. We are SRO every night!"

This week I experienced a double whammy – a cocktail kickoff for Jackie Leo’s winning book about the lucky number seven, titled Seven: The Number for Happiness, Love and Success, by editor Jonathan Karp. Everybody who is anybody from the Hamptons to what’s left of the literary world turned out for Jackie at Michael’s watering spot. I even have a little article inside Jackie’s book about what seven means to me!



Glimpsed in the crowd, Ken and Binky Auletta, Louise Grunwald, Walter Anderson, Mitch Rosenthal, the Norman Pearlstines, the Mort Janklows, Hannah Pakula, Marilyn Hewitt, Pia Lindstrom, David and Sherrie Westin, Marie Brenner, Susan Mercandetti, Ernie Pomerantz, Mort Zuckerman and on and on into the night. (Author Leo, who made her mark putting magazines on top when there were still successful magazines, is now working with the new Pete Peterson philanthropic foundation. Philanthropy beats print these days!)

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I took off to walk east on 57th Street to the posh Opia restaurant where wOw’s favorite boyfriend – Harry Benson – was getting a surprise party for his 80th birthday. As his wife, Gigi, said, "In Harry’s case, 80 is the new 60!" (Gigi is wrong. In Harry’s case, 80 is the new 30!) Harry was totally surprised when 80 or 90 fools screamed "Surprise!" at his entering.

He was embraced by everyone from the famous Elaine Kaufman of Elaine’s celebrated saloon to Mario Buatta, the prince of chintz, and John Loring of Tiffany & Co. A lot of people from Texas were there so you know it was a good "party." (Mrs. Benson hails from that garden spot, Seguin, TX.)

Harry’s photos played on big screens during the party and so we were joined by the Reagans, Bill Clinton, the Queen of England, and big stars like that.

When I rose to toast Harry I said quite truthfully that I had been his "spiritual adviser" for years. This got a laugh but the canny, talented Scotsman and I go back a way. Every guest there received a massive fantastic copy of Harry Benson: Photographs. What a gift!

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It’s official – "Twilight’s" Taylor Lautner is the new "It" boy of the nanosecond. Last week’s Rolling Stone cover more or less made it official.


Rolling Stone

Taylor’s new fame rests a great deal on the amazing body he developed for the second "Twilight" movie, "New Moon." In the film, he’s bare chested as often as possible. Any reason whatsoever to get this kid’s shirt off has been employed. It’s one of the more giggle-inducing aspects of the movie.

However, young Mr. Lautner is not fond of the routines and regimens that gave him the muscle and heft required for his werewolf role. He’s already told his girlfriend, superstar singer Taylor Swift, not to get too attached to his current body. As soon as he finishes the next "Twilight" film, he says he is going back to working out like a normal person. Eating for one, instead of a six-pack. Also, he has an entire closet of favorite clothes that he wants to fit back into!

We are sure Miss Swift will still love a slightly deflated Mr. Lautner.