I'm still on a high from Monday's Oscar luncheon so everything else seems to pale in comparison. But I did have a really nice time at another luncheon this afternoon in the very same location: the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, site of the 44th Annual Publicists Guild Awards. I didn't bring a camera and can't find any pics online yet so these images will have to do for now :) Sorry!
When I walked into the lobby, the first celebrity I saw was Victoria Princxipal who, trust me, is stunning. She had on a knee-length black dress and black boots and was the most beautiful woman in the room. I later said hello to her and she lit up when I told her that her line of beauty products really does work...she is proof!
Jimmy Kimmel was a RIOT as the emcee, acting as though he really didn't want to be there ("I'm not getting sh*t for this!"), nor did anyone else. He said one absent winner "killed himself rather than be here..I wish I was kidding." In discussing the role of a Hollywood publicist, Kimmel said: "Some celebrities are better than others. Some open schools in Africa, others open their legs for photographers when arriving at the Roosevelt Hotel." Then he mentions Isaiah Washington who he said "got checked into GayAA and now it's like [uttering gay slur at co-star T.R. Knight] never happened."
The studios traditionally invite various journalists to the event as their guest and this year, my invitation came from Sony Pictures Entertainment which was being honored for its insanely phenomenal year at the box office in 2006 with 14 number one movies and worldwide grosses of $3.3 billion. I sat with the studio's publicity team along with a reporter from USA Today at a table that was right next to that of honoree Bob Barker, two tables away from award presenter George Lucas, and very near where Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was sitting. It's been an excellent week for me as far as lunches go.
Other stars at this lunch who acted as presenters included a VERY curly-haird Will Ferrell whose hair is as big as the wig Jan Brady wore in "the Brady Bunch Movie." But he was friggen hilarious as he presented the showman of the year award to Sony studio heads Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal.
Ferrell took the stage pretending to be in awe of the ocassion: "Oh my God! I'm so nervous! Growing up as a young man in Orange County, every year around this time my family, my family would drive up and try and get into the Publicists Guild Awards...to actually be here right now, I hope I don't throw up!"

The lunch really was a lot of fun. Everyone was so funny. Bob Barker got a lifetime achievement award at the top of the show because he had to hurry and get to CBS studios to tape his 6,550th episode of "The Price is Right." He bounded to the stage (yes, this 83-year-old BOUNDED) after a hilarious clip reel that showcased all the crazy contenstants on ths show over the years (Barker: "Can you understand why I drink at night?") and the clips also featured the hilarious scene of him kicking the crap out of Adam Sandler on a golf course in "Happy Gilmore." Said Barker: "That picture actually did quite well at the box office. They were going to make a sequel, 'Happy Gilmore 2,' but Adam's doctor said he couldn't take another beating like that from me."
And then there was Sarah Silverman who is a scream. That girl is a hoot! She told us that as a last-minute replacement to present, she'd have to improvise. She started off by thanking "Jimmy Kimmel for last night...and Bob Barker too."
She was presenting the coveted Les Mason Award which goes to a publicist judged best by their peers. She called it the Les "big balls" Mason award. "I think that's a compliment,' Silverman said. "I'm a ball man." She then announced the name the winner, Alan Neirob, as Alan "big balls" Neirob, who when he took the stagfe described the job of a publicist this way: "When it doesn't work, we get shit on. When it does well, they (executives) did a helluva job!"
Victoria Principal sat next to Neirob at the lunch. She was his first client...and remains so to this day.