Shepard Fairey, no stranger to freedom of speech issues after battling the Associated Press for years over the iconic Obama “Hope” photo, was among the VIPs at Monday night’s ACLU Bill of Rights Dinner.
Somewhat more unusual -- seeing the artist and deejay in a suit.
William H. Macy presented a "Bill of Rights" award to Open Road Films CEO Tom Ortenberg (left), as Olivia Wilde was also among honorees at the Beverly Wilshire.
Meanwhile across town, production executive and producer Lisa Higgins celebrated the launch of her new executive production services company with an intimate gathering at Hyde.
In a bit of fluke timing, at the same time that "Fear Factor" was racking up strong ratings in its return to NBC, the former Endemol, RDF, and Wexler Video executive called out the many current and former “Fear Factor” colleagues who were in the room.
The overhwhelmingly lucky man of the night was “Fear Factor” executive producer Matt Kunitz, who was not watching the live broadcast, but instead was winning one of the hotly contested raffle gifts.
Non-winners at the soiree came from across the reality spectrum: Brad Bishop (Relativity Real), Linda Giambrone (Reveille) and Cara Goldberg (Bunim/Murray, “Project Runway”).
[Disclaimer: The writer of this article previously worked with Higgins and Kunitz on Endemol productions.]
A few nights earlier, Sean Penn toasted perennial winners, the Medavoy family -- Mike, Irena, and Nick -- at the biennial UNICEF ball.
In addition to Hollywood royalty like Penn, Quincy Jones and Dennis Quaid, actual royalty in the form of Queen Noor of Jordan were on hand to celebrate those who supported the group’s focus on children worldwide.
Lionel Richie provided the live soundtrack for a night that scooped up $1.3 million for the cause.
At right, Brooklyn Decker and Rose McGowan at the UNICEF ball.
As the first posters begin to appear for next year’s Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Uma Thurman film “Playing the Field,” Thurman was in New York.
The outing wasn’t as serious as the photo (left) would portray. Uma and Julianne Moore were likely just trying to prevent toppling the crystal tower at Waterford’s "Live a Crystal Life" party to celebrate new Interiors Collection last week.
