Hollywood Minute Thursday July 24^th

LA2DAY's Hollywood Minute highlights Tinsel Town's headlining news, celebrity birthdays and entertainment events.

Celebrity Birthdays

Barry Bonds 1964
Ruth Buzzi 1936
Lynda Carter 1951
Mick Fleetwood, Kadeem Hardison 1965
Robert Hays 1947
Anna Paquin 1982
Chris Sarandon 1942
Billy Taylor 1921 raise fury
Amelia Earhart, 1898

Hollywood News

Parent's Group Slams New Gossip Girl Ads

CW hit Gossip Girl is coming back for a second season and OMFG are their ads racey ! Parents television Council are furious about the new promo material and are calling them "every parents nightmare" and mindblowingly inappropriate."

PTC director of communications Melissa Henson tells the Associated Press, "I think it reeks of desperation, if they have to position themselves as so edgy and so controversial that they've been called out by us."

They're still angry about Gossip Girls use of "OMFG" from last season, which CW marketing boss Rick Haskins defends, saying it could stand for "Oh My Freaking Goodness."

The ads are surely causing a stir which is exactly what Marketing suites hope to get.

Hollywood Entertainment Events

English Laundry Designer Christopher Wicks conducts unique online Seminar

LOS ANGELES, CA July 23, 2008 - Christopher Wicks, owner and designer of popular UK-inspired fashion brand, English Laundry (http://www.englishlaundry.com/), will be conducting an online seminar about his brand on Friday, August 1^st at 1PM PST.

This innovative forum will allow fans of the brand to get up close and personal with the creative mind behind English Laundry. Wicks, who will be joining the forum via video conferencing, will be discussing the brand and answering questions regarding the history of English Laundry, as well as the future of his designs. Wicks will also be revealing some big news about a new line that he will be launching.

Fans of the brand can participate in this online forum by logging onto www.asktherebel.com. There will also be links to it at all of Wicks' other clothing brand websites, including http://www.englishlaundry.com/ and http://www.globalrebels.com/. Participants can join the conference via phone or online.

Wicks will be giving away 10 shirts to 10 lucky participants who ask questions before the event, via the website. He will also be giving out coupon codes during the conference that will allow fans the opportunity to get discounts on products on the English Laundry website.

5:00 p.m. - Film premiere; Touchstone picture SWING VOTE.
Celebrities expected: from the film, Kevin Costner, Paula
Patton, Madeline Carroll, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan
Lane, George Lopez, Mare Winningham, Lawrence O'Donnell,
ARianna Huffington, Mary Hart; plus guests Reese Witherspoon,
Quentin Tarantino, Dane Cook, Tim Allen, Cheech Marin, Alan
Thicke, Jimmy-Jean Louis and many others. 5:00 press arrivals;
6:00 celebrity arrivals; 7:00 screening begins. El Capitan
Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

6:00 p.m. - New York International Independent Film & Video
Festival presents a world premiere screening of SVETLANA ABOUT
SVETLANA, a ground breaking documentary about Joseph Stalin's
daughter. Celebrities expected: Paul Sorvino, Steven Seagal,
Cuba Gooding Jr., Natasha Alam, Inna Korobkina, Oleg Taktarov,
Edoardo Ballerini, Joe Campana and Anya Monzikova. 6:00
screening at Laemmle Sunset 5 Cinemas, 8000 Sunset Blvd. at
Crescent Heights, West Hollywood.

6:00 p.m. - Fendi Casa presents July's Designer of the Month,
Antoinette Galisky. Many celebrities expected. Sponsored by
Tesla Motors, Glass Garage Fine Art Gallery, Les Habitudes
Boutique, Sound Environment and Activate Water. Fendi Casa,
308 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood.

8:00 p.m. - Cirque opening; CIRQUE BERSERK in the premiere of
their original show, BENEATH, a new twist on the ageless story
of Orpheus, featuring fire stunts, aerial acrobatics,
contortionists, live vocals and an original score. Continues
through July 27. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 North
Spring Street, Los Angeles.

8:00 p.m. - Play opening; The Echo Theater Company presents
the west coast premiere of BODY POLITIC, written by Jessica
Goldberg, directed by Chris Fields, about a screenwriter trying
to gain entry into a closed Iraq War ward in a veterans'
hospital. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., Hollywood.