The Liz Smith Column | 10/27/2009 5:00 am
Liz Smith: The Fresh Scent of Bon Jovi
Also from Our Gossip Girl: Uma Thurman cuts the line … Hulaween – the party of the season!

Jon Bon Jovi © Shutterstock
"Jon Bon Jovi smells delicious! So fresh!" That was pretty much the quote, last week when People magazine and Hornitos Tequila hosted a screening of Showtime’s documentary "Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful."
Jon does smell delicious and he looks delicious. This guy works on his body and takes care of his face. (Even when he is supposed to look gritty and not-so-hot in Phil Griffin’s film, he’s still a knockout.) I am a longtime fan.
But perhaps Jon’s fresh scent was more noticeable because the Hornitos folks were ladling out lethal tequila concoctions nonstop. At the screening theater, and later at the Tribeca party, the fumes were enough to trigger a contact high. One of the drinks was called a Hornutopia. It was pink and looked quite innocent. It was so not.
The celebs attending – Ric Ocasek, Paulina Porizkova, John McEnroe, Calvin Klein, Tovah Feldshuh, Rachael Ray, Kelly Bensimon, etc. – stayed sober. As did Showtime’s big guy, Matthew Blank. And the incredible, indefatigable Peggy Siegal. (Peggy doesn’t need booze, she is high on life.)
Still, I won’t vouch for many of the more or less just-plain-folks who were on hand for Jon and his boys. Food might have been served at some point, but I don’t think anybody much cared.
What of the film? Well, if you love Bon Jovi, or you are interested in what goes on behind the scenes of a grueling concert tour, this is pretty compelling, if not exactly a Madonna-style "Truth or Dare" exposé. Shot in obligatory black and white (so we know it’s serious), the cameras follow Jon, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres on the band’s most recent world tour. What emerges from the film is how very much in control Jon is of his product, the band that bears his name. He says at one point, "I am the CEO of a major corp. who has been running a brand for 25 years." (Twenty-five hugely successful years, despite a paucity of love and respect from critics.)
Even though irritations, exhaustion, emotional issues and power struggles popped up over the decades, Jon remains in control and his bandmates accept his iron will. As bandmate David Bryan explained, "It would be different if we hadn’t been a success. Then maybe we would have had to say, ‘What about our ideas?’ But we have been successful so it’s hard to fight Jon’s concept." All the guys have finally come into their own through creating artwork or music-making apart from the band. But when it’s time to be the enduring rock quartet, Bon Jovi, Jon knows best.
And, if you want nothing more than 90 minutes of looking at Jon Bon Jovi in tight pants, open shirts, no shirt – you’ll be more than content. Check your TV guide for scheduled showings of "When We Were Beautiful."
P.S. Bon Jovi just announced another world tour. I was hoping Jon would make some movies again. But he’d rather make another $100 million.
***
I have been hoarding the following little anecdote ever since the funeral of Dominick Dunne in St. Vincent Ferrer Church. It seemed too "cute" to repeat at the time.
The Church at Lex and 64th has only one public restroom so during the long service people were invariably in a long line to get in and use the unisex facilities.
Jon does smell delicious and he looks delicious. This guy works on his body and takes care of his face. (Even when he is supposed to look gritty and not-so-hot in Phil Griffin’s film, he’s still a knockout.) I am a longtime fan.
But perhaps Jon’s fresh scent was more noticeable because the Hornitos folks were ladling out lethal tequila concoctions nonstop. At the screening theater, and later at the Tribeca party, the fumes were enough to trigger a contact high. One of the drinks was called a Hornutopia. It was pink and looked quite innocent. It was so not.
The celebs attending – Ric Ocasek, Paulina Porizkova, John McEnroe, Calvin Klein, Tovah Feldshuh, Rachael Ray, Kelly Bensimon, etc. – stayed sober. As did Showtime’s big guy, Matthew Blank. And the incredible, indefatigable Peggy Siegal. (Peggy doesn’t need booze, she is high on life.)
Still, I won’t vouch for many of the more or less just-plain-folks who were on hand for Jon and his boys. Food might have been served at some point, but I don’t think anybody much cared.
What of the film? Well, if you love Bon Jovi, or you are interested in what goes on behind the scenes of a grueling concert tour, this is pretty compelling, if not exactly a Madonna-style "Truth or Dare" exposé. Shot in obligatory black and white (so we know it’s serious), the cameras follow Jon, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres on the band’s most recent world tour. What emerges from the film is how very much in control Jon is of his product, the band that bears his name. He says at one point, "I am the CEO of a major corp. who has been running a brand for 25 years." (Twenty-five hugely successful years, despite a paucity of love and respect from critics.)
Even though irritations, exhaustion, emotional issues and power struggles popped up over the decades, Jon remains in control and his bandmates accept his iron will. As bandmate David Bryan explained, "It would be different if we hadn’t been a success. Then maybe we would have had to say, ‘What about our ideas?’ But we have been successful so it’s hard to fight Jon’s concept." All the guys have finally come into their own through creating artwork or music-making apart from the band. But when it’s time to be the enduring rock quartet, Bon Jovi, Jon knows best.
And, if you want nothing more than 90 minutes of looking at Jon Bon Jovi in tight pants, open shirts, no shirt – you’ll be more than content. Check your TV guide for scheduled showings of "When We Were Beautiful."
P.S. Bon Jovi just announced another world tour. I was hoping Jon would make some movies again. But he’d rather make another $100 million.
***
I have been hoarding the following little anecdote ever since the funeral of Dominick Dunne in St. Vincent Ferrer Church. It seemed too "cute" to repeat at the time.
The Church at Lex and 64th has only one public restroom so during the long service people were invariably in a long line to get in and use the unisex facilities.
Read more about: Bette Midler, Calvin Klein, Celebrities, Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Bryan, Dominick Dunne, Entertainment, Hornitos Tequila, John McEnroe, Jon Bon Jovi, Judy Gold, Kelly Bensimon, Liz Smith, Matthew Blank, Michael Bloomberg, Michael Kors, News, Paulina Porizkova, Peggy Siegal, Phil Griffin, Rachael Ray, Ric Ocasek, Richie Sambora, Showtime, Tico Torres, Tovah Feldshuh, Uma Thurman, Whoopi Goldberg
























15 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
It’s always been my contention, Liz, that when we have more women architects, we will FINALLY have buildings with enough women’s rooms! I’ve crashed the men’s room more than once in my time, but not quite with Uma’s style, I’m afraid. More power to Uma, and here is a fervent wish for more stalls!
Have you ever noticed that when men invade the women’s room the police are called but when women invade a men’s room the men step aside. Who says chivalry is dead?
Hulaweeen is probably the real social event of the year in New York. Just as Diana was regarded as the people’s princess, Bette Midler is regarded as the people’s Brooke Astor.
Wild and wooly. Ha! You made me think of Mike Myers as Austin Powers <shuddering>. Jon is beautiful though.
So much sexier to make the best of what you’ve got - faux is so … desperate.