On Monday night, Toronto’s Evergreen Brickworks was transformed into the ultimate girls night out for the 7th Annual Smut Soiree, presented by young professional favourite culture club The Society Global and our go-to source for celebrity dirt, Laineygossip.com. This year’s turnout was huge, with over 800 very colourfully dressed-to-impress females (and the odd token male) filling the space to indulge in a good old-fashioned gossip session from the gossip queen herself, Elaine “Lainey” Lui, along with Dan Levy.
“The fascination with celebrities will never fade, it would just be nice to see more of the substantial causes and celebrity charities play an even bigger role than today,” said Ashleigh Dempster, Co-Founder of The Society. Amanda Blakely, who also co-founded the private members club, added: “Hearing about what celebrities are eating, charities they support, where they are going and what they shop for also gives most people insight on new experiences to try themselves.”
Ashleigh and Amanda know how to throw a memorable party, and the Smut Soiree was no exception. The crowd got to experience full-star treatment, with perks like makeup applications by Stila, hair touch-ups by John Frieda stylists, imPRESS press-on manicures compliments of Broadway Nails, Ardell Lashes eyelash applications and eyebrow waxing and threading by Waxon Waxbar. Of course, there was no shortage of food or drink, including expertly crafted Bacardi mojitos, Kronenbourg Blanc beer and Jacob’s Creek moscato.
A snowball stand offered sweet treats in flavours like lemonade, strawberry and ginger mojito. Red Bull and Glaceau Vitamin water ensured guests remained both energized and well hydrated and were served with straws to guarantee that lipstick remained right where it should. Other highlights included an H&M photo booth, a sneak peek of Puma’s Fall/Winter 2012 Black Label Footwear Collection and a pop-up gallery from YellowKorner, set to launch in Canada later this summer. To capture the experience, guests were given a disposable camera courtesy of Puma.
While guests mingled pre-session, we had a chance to catch up with Lainey and Dan on everything from society’s obsession with gossip to career advice. Lainey tells us that gossip is immortal, universal and timeless, with favoured targets once kings and queens, then politicians, and now celebrities. In terms of celebrities, she says that “they need us to care about them” and refers to celebrity an “ecosystem” of fans, haters and media alike, in which one part can’t be removed or it won’t survive.
When asked what lessons, if any, we could learn from our friends in Hollywood, Lainey quickly replied, “don’t take your success for granted or develop and attitude of entitlement,” citing the famous example of Lindsay Lohan, who went from on top of the world to now doing TV movies. On the other end of the spectrum, she credits Emma Stone as an example of someone who has handled her fame with grace and “gets it.”
Dan Levy, who headed to New York City the next day to resume shooting his upcoming movie with Tina Fey, had similar thoughts. “Anyone who has stumbled is not taken seriously because they are not taking what they are doing seriously and have made fame and partying a priority over his or her work,” he tells us. “To win over the respect of the public, they have to know that you care about the work.”
In terms of advice for YPs wishing to follow similar career paths, Lainey, who started her own now hugely successful blog in 2005, said to blog for no other reason than because you love it and to initially expect to do it for nothing but passion. She cautioned that the expectations of bloggers can often distort their voice and talent. Dan advised to have a backup plan no matter what your career and build a breadth of knowledge in things seemingly unrelated to your profession to give your work more depth. For example, as a writer, don’t think your gift of the art of writing is enough to ensure success; become an expert in things like politics, travel or music.
At 8:30, the duo hit the stage to bring us the Hollywood lowdown.
Here is some of the dirt:
– A recently separated Johnny Depp may have had and a fling with Amber Heard (and her girlfriend) recently in Colorado.
– “Kanye West’s girlfriend” (Lainey refuses validate her existence by calling her by name) negotiates prices at department stores.
– Beyonce did, in fact, very much give birth.
– The Olympic Village is apparently a really freaky place, a revelation to which Dan replied, “How does one get into the Olympic Village?”
– Julia Roberts is known by journalists to often be in one of her “moods.”
– John Travolta is gay. Accept it.
– Halle Berry gives her publicist baseball code signals during interviews when faced with certain questions and is 100 per cent natural.
– Their third child “re-cemented” Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardiner’s relationship.
– Paul Rudd is rather “disappointing” in person.
– Stacy Kiebler and George Clooney are solid; she is “not stupid enough to push him quite yet.”
– Brad Pitt used the code name “Goldilocks” Ritz Carleton while in town for TIFF. You’re welcome.