Results tagged “beachblanketbabylon”

Val Diamond, the gorgeous "oak tree-like icon " behind Beach Blanket Babylon's big hat, will be leaving. Over there for more than 30 years, Diamond is best known for "channeling Ethel Merman to the delight of princes, queens and generations of tourists." Why she's leaving is unclear. Phil Bronstein reports:

The only locals we're following right now are on the fabulous "Project Runway," but after last week's episode, we're going to have to get rid of that 's' in "locals." Read on.

If you're a fan of "Project Runway" you probably know that season four premieres tonight on Bravo at 10 p.m. (And if you're not a fan, what is wrong with you!) We'd be watching not matter what, but we are doubly excited about this season because there are two--TWO!--designers from San Francisco competing this time around.

Number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 101.

strong>Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 76 people plus two dummies and one dog.

It's been a while since we had some good Gavin gossip and thankfully, we have some today. According to Matier & Ross, Gaviffer went out for a nice dinner at Panta Rei on Columbus and were all over each other. Lots of PDA, even. According to a couple of other diners, Gavin and Jennifer walked into restaurant arm-and-arm (note to SFist Rita: Gavin was apparently tie-less so we don't have to worry about what color tie he wore) and sat down side-by-side at the window. They then proceeded to make out, share pasta with each other and generally acted in the kind of behavior that would make one shout, "get a room."

Hey, did you know today is Mayor Gavin Christopher Newsom Day in Manila? And we're celebrating by running another installment of our column: Who's Attacking Newsom Now!

Remember how years ago, everyone was running around yelling "Free Tibet?" Well, Africa is the Tibet and has been for a while. There's Darfur and the rush of Hollywood celebrities stealing babies and whatever Bono is prattling about but there's also a need for help in the Congo. To help the Congo, local Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker Fran Zone (that's what the bio says) is having World of Good Holiday Auction. It's online and ends Thursday, November 30th.

Zoolander!"

Get out the Kibbles and Bits -- UK prime minister Tony Blair, widely derided as Bush's "poodle" for his unhesitating support of the questionable Iraq war, is making an unannounced visit to the Bay Area this weekend. It'll be the first ever visit by a sitting British prime minister to the state of California. (What, Maggie Thatcher never made it out here?)

Wow, Gavin Newsom must really like big hats. (Yes, commenter Matt, we know you like big hats too.) Leah Garchik reported in yesterday's The In Crowd that when CSI: Plumpjack made their triumphant reappearance in San Francisco, Gavin took actress/Scientology activist Sofia Milos out for an evening of fun in North Beach -- first, a performance of Beach Blanket Babylon and then an apres-show at the Tosca bar. Hm..... now who was the last local politico we heard about taking a controversial dark-haired television personality on a date to Beach Blanket Babylon and the Tosca? .....oh right! That would be Gavin Newsom! Dude, it is cold to take the new girlfriend to the exact same places you took the ex-wife. Don't those memories of getting your picture taken there with her by Harper's Bazaar there mean anything to you? This is totally like when Bill Clinton gave Monica Lewinsky the same book of poetry he gave Hillary.

The media orgasmatron following Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla through their edge-free trip to San Francisco peed itself the other night as the royals on-deck chortled their way through that old chestnut, Beach Blanket Babylon. "Prince is Charming!" "Prince of a Guy!" "This Prince doesn't go by an unpronounceable symbol!" (okay, we made that last one up.) A whole coterie of hangers-on attended the soiree, including Duke Gavin and the fallen Lady Kimberly of Guilfoyle, smiling and bobbing slightly as the royals passed, but not holding hands. Gavin -- you must start seeing other people. Other attendees included former Secretary of State George Shultz (in his role as the husband of Charlotte Maillard Shultz, the Chief of SF protocol), Kamala Harris, the owner of the Giants, Willie Brown, and Danielle Steel. Mrs. Shultz also apparently made a cameo in the show, flying on a wire and dressed as Wonder Woman. Ah, of course. Prince Charles didn't seem to get most of the jokes, but apparently chuckled at a bit involving men dressed as poodles. And what would a visit to SF be without a protest? Giving it that special SF flavor, Medea Benjamin and Code Pink marched outside the theater, in pink wigs and chanting, "UK out of Iraq." Maybe the Prince would have paid more attention if they'd dressed as poodles instead. Picture by Chris Stewart of the Chron. That hat is so rad.

SF Anglophiles, take those cozies off your pot of Lovejoy's tearoom blend -- Prince Charles and Princess Camilla (recently upgraded from "the Rottweiler" to the more august-sounding "Duchess of Cornwall") have announced the West Coast itinerary for their first joint official royal tour, of those rebellious American states. While in SF, Charles and Camilla are scheduled to: visit a farmers' market to learn about organic produce; give speeches about the environment; dine at the DeYoung with our own crown prince, the Viscount Gavin of Marina, and -- but of course! -- go see Beach Blanket Babylon. (We're sure their original first choice was the Buffy musical -- curse you, Fox!) This gives us a great idea -- hey Londonist! Any chance we could get some acerb commentary on the royals for us, in exchange for a post for you about your hereditary fox hunters trying to sneak into Trannyshack? Let us know!

Local theaters help out with hurricane relief.

Back to our usual format, guys. We're still working on a pie chart of the weeklies, though! Last week's this week, The Guardian. Yipes, a cover of people flipping you off! Hello, community standards and decency board? Angry letter from Markos of the Daily Kos. Public power's "close relative," community-choice aggregation. We have no idea what that sentence means. Follow up on Is Badlands Bad (now called And Castro For All). Paul Reidinger goes to Jack Falstaff. Cover article: blurbmania about the SF Int'l Film Fest movies. Mary Timony: she's not all about unicorns anymore! The SF Weekly! Dog Bites tries out for Beach Blanket Babylon again. Cover article: challenges facing the SF Conservatory of Music. This Tuesday, Trannyfest is throwing its annual faux king contest (drag queens dress up like drag kings -- genius!). Blurbmania about the SF Int'l Film Fest movies. Meredith Brody goes to Jack Falstaff. And Mary Timony: not all about unicorns anymore! The East Bay Express, the Metro, and -- hey, does anyone want to go to Jack Falstaff with us?

What pleasures does the Guardian hold? Well, we're not going to lie to you, it's kind of a snoozefest this week. An angry letter from Mabel Teng defending her record! Cover article: will stem-cell research allow us to make human clone robots? (answer: maybe; think about Prop 71). Annalee Newitz on Alexander Graham Bell, the sex columnist rants at some dude who thought she made some anti-gay comments. (And you thought the SFist staff took umbrage too easily!) In music, an article about the Pinoy punk scene. We admire Hooray for Anything's fortitude in keeping alert long enough to get through the articles and find the most pretentious quote of the week.