Happy Friday all!
It’s Awards Season in Los Angeles, which means gifting suites! When I was a journalist in New York in the 90s (does that seem like pre-historic times?) I was invited to many a gifting suite. It was fun: champagne, free stuff, listen to the earnest PR people give you their spiel as you try to not look too greedy stuffing all the free stuff in your goodie bag.
This was that, except now when a celebrity arrives there is someone who walks around with them with a sign that says who they are. So imagine there’s a boldface name and then right behind them a person in a black suit holding a sign like a clapboard that blares STAR MCSTARRY BIGMOVIEORTVSHOW. Nowadays more often than not it’s someone you do not recognize either by name or face. So it’s helpful!
Life is a game and as far as afternoons go, gifting suites are a fun way to spend them. I bumped into “Eddie” from Daisy Jones and the Six and had to get a photo with the young man for my daughter. (Yes I’m olllld, I was a grownup in the 90s.)
My friend Norah Lawlor is the PR maven who put it together and it was fun to reconnect with a friend from the old days. Back then we navigated the ins and outs of this world - of fashion and lifestyle journalism, public relations, celebrities and products and had a lot of fun in it and always had a skeptical eye and a sense of humor. You can’t take it too seriously.
We always play - whatever happened to…? And we try to remember names of colleagues and frenemies of the old scene and gossip about where they are now. We always end with—well, we’re still here. Cheers! *clink*
That’s what it’s all about - loyalty, old friends, a laugh. Some free stuff as a bonus! Speaking off free, this is a free post but soon will only have paid ones for non-promotional writing.
Wishing you a fabulous MLK weekend!
XOXO
Mel