Out & About
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
The party started with a caveat. “This is not Boston. So if you don’t have a good time, or you get bored, it’s your fault,” said the chief executive of Time Warner, Richard Parsons.
Having a good time didn’t seem to be a problem for the thousands of reporters and producers gathered Saturday night at their official welcome to the Republican National Convention at the Time Warner Center.
Let it be noted, however, that Mr. Parsons himself is setting a temperate example. “I’m going to one or two [parties], not too many. We don’t want to appear partisan.”
Celebrating partisanship is exactly the point of this week for plenty of folks. At the Congress of Racial Equality party last night at the Museum of the City of New York, Don King wore several Bush campaign buttons on his gray suit lapels. Sisters Sarah, Emily, and Elizabeth Cochran declared their love for the president on T-shirts designed by Elizabeth. A former chairman of the Illinois Republican party, Gary MacDougal, wore an elephant-emblazoned tie – not something he usually feels comfortable doing in New York. “I’m an oppressed and endangered minority in my neighborhood” (the Upper West Side), he said. Mr. MacDougal thanked the national chairman of the congress, Roy Innis, for his “courage to step out and announce you believe the Republicans have the right answers.”
For those who prefer sports and music to politics, the weekend served up two big events. Children tested their tennis skills at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day Saturday, where 13-year-old singer JoJo performed. Adults on the court included top-ranked Roger Federer and Justine Henin-Hardenne, French Open doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, and Steffi Graf.
Down in Miami, guests arrived to the MTV Video Music Awards by yacht, including chart-toppers Beyonce (dressed in a pantsuit designed by her mom, Tina Knowles), Hilary Duff (in shorts), and Jessica Simpson (in a silver gown).Two winners: No Doubt’s “It’s My Life” for best pop video (accepted by retro-stunning Gwen Stefani) and Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” for best rap video.
