“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

As we wind down from a financially awkward year and look back at “What the F#@k Was That?!?”, let’s take a moment to consider what things we would like to see go away in 2010. Today’s article in Women’s Wear Daily on Novelty Fading for Pop-Up Shops suggests that they are losing steam, but retail events will be more necessary than ever, think Fashion’s Night Out. Pop-Up shops are not going anywhere since there are so many great reasons for them to continue thriving, considering all the empty retail spaces, not to mention the built-in marketing opportunities for the participating… Read More »

Sure, the lackluster economy does not top the list. Nor does the endless coverage of Tiger Woods and his barrage of hookery-tramps. Today it is all about taking a deep breath and thinking back to what you have to be grateful for. Though this year was turbulent, your job is to identify where there was joy. Gratitude lists are very personal, and since I feel so close to many of you (except those kooks who were obsessed with Lindsay Lohan), herewith is my list. I urge you to make your own, because as the year comes to an end, it… Read More »

Halloween is fun, if you are a glutton for punishment. Dressing up like some schnook, or a scary person, or a sexy beast, or a president, ex-president, or Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson. I get it. Boozed up, wired up, dressed up and most times no where to go. Fierce, you make your entrance as a great party or two. Then you try hailing yet another cab, your big hair gets crunched, make up needs major retouching. It goes on for hours. And as the evening progresses, you get drunker, and less put together, till you look like a wreck.… Read More »

“Celebrity is obscurity waiting to happen,” says Carrie Fisher in her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, now on Broadway. And truer words have ne’er been spoken. She should know. When Andy Warhol said, “In the future everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes,” he was the Nostradamus of his day. Last Five Minutes Of Fame is a new weekly column for I MEAN..WHAT?!? that will highlight the plethora of people that fall into this category. Either their celebrity is waning, has waned, should wane, will wane or something therein. Surely this column will be celebrity publicists’ worst nightmare…but hey…no one tells… Read More »

No, I have not yet seen The September Issue yet…film or magazine. I’m going to do the ritual this weekend, see the movie then flip through Vogue. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, I think Anna Wintour is fierce. Anyone from Lauren Wiesberger to Maureen Dowd can say what they want about Anna, but they are simply riding her Oscar de la Renta coattails. Having worked for years in Hollywood, inside the inner sanctum of celebrity, you learn really quickly that “those” people are not what they seem. When I moved to Los Angeles, my goal was to… Read More »

There’s nothing better than starting the day with a fresh pot of coffee, my 24-inch MAC (daddy) and all the news of the world. By the end of the first cup, I have read through the top stories of The New York Times, Huffington Post, and the New York Post (loves me my Page Six). Then I segue with my second cup through the Daily Beast, The Guardian, Style.com and a slew of blogs to get me ready for cup three, ’cause by then I have determined what item(s) annoyed me most and then start writing. Today, like every other… Read More »

Well, I thought this would as good a time as any to let y’all get to know a bit about my likes and dislikes. Since clearly, you are fully aware of the latter, today I am going to share some of my favorite things. Today’s category are favorite men and women, dead and alive. It’s a collection of collagenous people, each that have impacted me in a most memorable way. If any of these are on your short list, let me know. Before I give you my short list, I must start by giving props to my sisters Vivian and… Read More »

What fun. Marianne Faithfull is in New York City for a couple of weeks and its been a flurry of meals followed by long meaningful chats overlooking the Hudson River from The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. Pinch me. We met in 2000 when she was staying at Carrie Fisher’s house, where I used to be under employ. There was a party that evening, then again there was a party every evening in “the good ol’ days”, and I noticed Marianne sitting alone in a room filed with people. I couldn’t resist going over to her and introducing myself.… Read More »

So, let me get this straight. Jason Wu, designer of the moment, yes the one that made Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown, which I thought made her look pregnant from both sides, actually had Ashley Dupre sit front row at his fashion show on Friday. I mean…whaaaaaaat?!? According to the NY Post, “While everyone was waiting with bated breath to see if First Lady Michelle Obama might show up at Jason Wu’s show, instead it was kicked off by lady of the evening Ashley Dupre.” To quote my friend Carrie Fisher here, “These are the options?” Are you trying to tell me that when… Read More »

Today, I will finally know the way to San Jose. Yes, I am actually going to San Jose today…soon…like in fifteen minutes. But not to really learn the way to S.J., but to go see Carrie Fisher’s hilarious, one-woman show Wishful Drinking. Oh and also, launch the new Wishful Drinking T-shirt collection. Check this out! Wanna buy one? Let me know. Peace and prosperity to all… ABE… Read More »