Merv’s Dilemma
Fred Hayman went out with a full house last week, with some 500 of his customers and friends turning out to salute the legendary Rodeo Drive boutique owner who recently closed his shop after more than 30 years.
“I am a total Fred Hayman creation,” said Merv Griffin, emcee for the evening soiree. “Even his tailor is leaving, and he said to me, ‘Mr. Griffin we can’t let your pants out anymore.’ ”
Windows of Apathy
That giant sucking sound heard in Los Angeles computer stores the last couple weeks was actually the much-ballyhooed debut of Windows 98. Consumer apathy has been overwhelming.
To kick off the new Windows release, CompUSA held a “midnight-madness” sale. The chain’s Woodland Hills store prepared by stocking up on products and offering promotional gimmicks like a $98 computer and 98-cent computer accessories.
“We sold maybe 10 copies (of Windows 98) total that night,” a CompUSA manager said. “When we did this for Windows 95, we sold 1,600 copies in the first day and people were mobbed outside the store before we opened our doors at midnight.”
One employee at an independent computer store in Glendale put some of the blame on Southern California’s notorious blas & #233; attitude.
“Maybe Windows 98 is selling better up in Northern California, where people care more about those things,” she said. “It’s sitting like a dog down here.”
Crying Game
Flowing spirits turned to flowing tears at Ye Old King’s Head pub in Santa Monica last week when the English World Cup soccer team lost to Argentina.
The tavern had been jammed for weeks with British fans heartily rooting on their home team, and quaffing down huge quantities of Guinness stout.
“We were robbed,” said bartender Steve Wheelband, prompting one to wonder if “we” meant British fans or the pub’s tip-dependent employees.
Rubbing It In
Another example of Rupert Murdoch’s in-your-face approach to business is prominently on display in Hollywood.
A billboard on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, directly across from KTLA-TV Channel 5’s studio, proclaims that Murdoch-owned KTTV-TV Channel 11’s 10 p.m. newscast is “No. 1.”
The station’s prime competitor in that time slot? KTLA, naturally.
The billboard is positioned so that every time a KTLA staffer or executive drives down Sunset Boulevard, he comes face to face with the taunting sign.
Tasty Skies
United Airlines Inc., determined to make airplane food taste better than, well, airplane food, last week began cooking up gourmet recipes from a couple of L.A. celeb-chefs.
United’s dishes concocted by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, owners of Santa Monica’s Border Grill and hosts of the Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” program, include banana pancakes with coconut syrup, citrus-marinated breast of chicken on baby greens with an orange-cilantro salsa, and raisin bread pudding with vanilla sauce.
They join other United Airlines gourmet meals designed by such celebrity chefs as Sam Choy and Martin Yan. “Airline food is changing,” said United spokeswoman Kristina Price. “There are many things you can do with airline food. It doesn’t have to be rubber chicken.”
