Chicago Heart

I saw on Roger Ebert's Twitter feed Maggie Daley recently passed away from breast cancer. I worked on a behind-the-scenes video for Dreaming Tree Films when I lived in Chicago on one of the schools involved in After School Matters. This is such a great program and contribution to the city, it really helps out talented kids that wouldn't have opportunities to think about extracurriculars like art, otherwise. I remember interviewing the kids involved, and my co-producer and I noticed some of them didn't have much, but with positive emotional support from their family, they were happy. And that's what matters anyway, right? A sentiment that speaks to the holiday season, but which Maggie Daley encompassed for the people of Chicago, not just her own family.

Image source

Creative Delays, IST

My impression is there are still a lot of Westerners when they think of India, they visualize cows in the streets, overpopulation, an absence of traffic lights. Those impressions are actually not too far off the mark, but what makes India unique is its breadth of creativity, enabled by the freedom to pour forth from its oceans of people. Except now, I seem to have spoken too soon. Tricky in a democratic society, to conclude it's possible to censor public dialogue about government officials, but not Bollywood stars. Meanwhile in China, artists like Ai Weiwei can't even Tweet without the government getting all 1984 about it.

Nevertheless, I am a total fan of the Wieden +Kennedy Dehli office blog page. They did the advertising campaign for IndiGo, the only airline in India I hear right now that isn't getting plagued with delays. And they've also put together this great resource for hip, trendy, and artistic things to do, see, shop for in India, The India Tube. There are some archaic elements about India that probably won't change anytime soon, this is all but certain. But it's always a nice idea to appreciate what I think is an Indian cultural mantra; stop watching the rain and wait for the sun to break through the clouds instead.

Post updated 12/06/11.

Photo from W + K Dehli

Hillary Humbled

Wow. So not even considering another presidential run, in any capacity, whatsoever. That leaves Republican Michele Bachmann to represent the ladies thus far? Ouch. The Hillary of times past seems to have disappeared: What's with the shoulder-length hair, bright toothy smile, and "Oh my goodness, no" look in her eye at the suggestion? And sense of camaraderie with that model-perfect Today newscaster? Ugh. Make me wistful for the ball-breaking hard-ass Hillary of yore.

Well, in other news, Bobby Jindal was re-elected governor of Louisiana. An underdog by default, he was the first Indian-American governor, elected in 2007. My bet there are a fair share of Republicans eyeballing Jindal with a greedy look in their eye for party considerations down the road. Probably a little more legit cause than Herman Cain and his abortion stance.

Think Different. Words of Wisdom by Steve Jobs (and ad agency Chiat Day).

Apple did a revolutionary commercial TV spot in 1984. 1984 was the year of George Orwell, Apple's ground-breaking Superbowl ad, and IQ84 is the title of Japanese author Haruki Murakami's latest book, the English translation over 900 pages. It was an inspiring year, marked by great works then and now.

Apple's headquarters held a tribute to Steve Jobs in Cupertino, CA, which you can watch on the company's website, here. During the tribute, Cook also quoted from Jobs (Steve Jobs, not the religious text--I will paraphrase the quote) simplicity can be harder to achieve than complexity. That's why the tagline "Think Different", the very definition of Apple as a brand, encapsulated both the company and what its achievements meant and would mean to the world, in such a perfect and I daresay American way. It's not just where we've been, but where we're going together that matters.

The company's successive CEO, Tim Cook, said the spot following that mind-blowing Superbowl ad was initially supposed to be narrated by Steve Jobs. But then Richard Dreyfusss did instead, to ensure the meaning of the ad stayed with the company, rather than glorify Jobs's role. I have to say, the Jobs version is way better, but the creative choice was probably apropos at the time. Text from the narrated spot enclosed below, as well as video:


Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. – "Think Different", narrated by Steve Jobs

Just Drive

Saw "Drive" in the theaters! Highly, highly, recommend. Especially if you live in L.A., namely downtown L.A. A lot of the film was shot 'round these here parts.

Track by Kavinsky with vocals by Lovefoxx of CSS posted here. You're welcome.

The film was actually based on a book by James Sallis. How about that jacket on the cover? Ridiculous.

Save Conan!

I blogged before about Team Coco!'s online site and how it was true to the Conan "brand". Not to mention, much more so than any other late-night host. Advertising Age recently posted a story on Conan pitching its reach online to advertisers. But dollars and sense-wise, the real deal is how the show does on TBS in the ratings war for TV viewership. According to the article:

Turner is making the case that Mr. O'Brien's combined online and TV audience reaches 20 million people between 18 and 49, and telling sponsors they recall ad messages a few percentage points better than is the norm for people who watch late-night talk shows. The average time spent viewing "Conan" content on his website, TeamCoco.com, has increased 30% since the show launched, and the average time spent per visitor on the site has increased 103%, according to Turner. On Facebook Mr. O'Brien has 1.7 million "friends," according to the network-more, as it turns out, than his average TV viewership in his first year on the air so far.

To attract the show's target demographic, Conan should probably just focus their media strategy online, rather than trying to win over a bigger TV audience. It seems like the dapper late-night host has a shot at staying on-air by better informing that strategy, rather than pitch to the obvious rote.

ConanOBrien Conan O'Brien

Just found out that @TeamCoco was also the name of the Chanel softball team.

52 minutes ago

Rep. Weiner Lives Up to the Name

Wedding photo published in an issue of Vogue in 2010.

Great profile on Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, published in Vogue 2007. Abedin is Senator Hilary Clinton's top aide in the State Dept. What a travesty. At least she didn't change her name. Weiner is probably headed for a key position behind the counter at Frostee right about now:

Hillary's Secret Weapon; Huma Abedin oversees every minute of Senator Clinton's day.

Byline: Rebecca Johnson
It's the morning after the second set of Democratic debates.

Huma Abedin has had three hours of sleep and four cups of coffee, but her black Prada suit is wrinkle-free, her skin is flawless, and her long, luxurious hair is blow-dried into the kind of bouncy waves you see mostly in shampoo commercials. Her mind, however, is on her boss. As Hillary Clinton basks in the adoration of 500 of New York's most powerful women, all of whom paid $250 a head for breakfast, Abedin watches proudly from the back of the room. "We're on such a high from last night," she says. "I was so nervous I got teary. It was like watching your kid go off to kindergarten, but I thought she did great."

Today, however, is a new day with a new set of problems waiting to be solved. At the moment, it's the generic ballroom in a Hilton hotel, which looks too much like, well, a generic ballroom in a Hilton hotel. Where are the Hillary banners? Or the floor with the campaign logo that looks so good in photographs?

"It's just," Huma explains, clicking away on one of the two BlackBerrys that constitute her traveling office, "you want everything to be perfect."

Actually, the banners could be anywhere. For the previous ten days, Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin, her traveling chief of staff, have been flying around the country nonstop. First Northern and Southern California, followed by Las Vegas, Iowa, then New Hampshire. Today in New York their itinerary is six pages long, with the day sliced into fifteen-minute increments. After the breakfast, there is a private meeting with a local New York politician, followed by a meeting with magazine editors, a photo shoot, an interview, then back to D.C. and yet another debate with rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards. It's a schedule no ordinary person could maintain. But, then, Hillary Clinton is no ordinary person. Neither is Huma.

"Both Hillary and Huma are extraordinary people who are also workaholics," says Oscar de la Renta, who has often hosted the two at his house in the Dominican Republic. "The E-mailing! It never stops. I tell Hillary, 'Just because you are working in the sun, that doesn't make it a vacation.' They are lucky to have found each other."

"I don't think you could say they are like mother and daughter. It's more like an older sister-younger sister relationship, but it's definitely familial," according to a longtime Hillary friend, actress Mary Steenburgen.

"I'm not sure Hillary could walk out the door without Huma," says Clinton adviser Mandy Grunwald. "She's a little like Radar on M*A*S*H. If the air-conditioning is too cold, Huma is there with the shawl. She's always thinking three steps ahead of Hillary."

Abedin is remarkably cheerful about holding shawls-"There's no detail too small for me," she says-but there's a lot more to her job than that. "Huma does make the trains run on time," says Bob Barnett, the Clintons' longtime personal lawyer, "and she does it well, which is important when you are as in demand as the senator is. But she also has an incredible ability to remember people and get things done. I'm always looking to her for her judgment and encyclopedic knowledge of what's been said, where, and by whom."

Among all of Abedin's qualities, however, the most important may be the most ineffable-she says "no" better than anyone. "A lot of people who are in jobs with major public figures tend to get sour and exclusive over time," says Barnett. "Huma is the opposite. She is always inclusive. She makes people feel good even when she's saying no." And there's a lot of no when your boss is one of the most famous women on the planet, running for president. "Campaigns are unwieldy, hard-to-control things. Decisions have to be made on the fly; you need somebody you can trust at that moment," explains Mike Feldman, a Huma friend and former traveling chief of staff for Al Gore during his presidential campaign. "The senator and Huma have a unique relationship. Watch them together, and there's this nonverbal communication between them. Sometimes it's as little as a glance, but the senator knows she can hand off a head of state, a senator, or an important donor to Huma and that the conversation is going to end well."

I once saw a movie that spoofed beauty pageants by having a contestant pack a suitcase as her talent. Watching Abedin fill her suitcase for that ten-day trip, I realized the movie had it wrong. Packing is a talent, one Abedin has clearly mastered. (Note to self-folding jacket on the horizontal makes much more sense.) "I've learned over the years how to do it; I don't even bother with what doesn't work anymore," she explains as we sit in the bedroom of her Washington, D.C., apartment, a sleek, loftlike space with a view of the Capitol in the background, a bright-green bedspread on the bed, and a bookcase filled mostly with political books, including a prized edition of Bill Clinton's My Life translated into Arabic.

Each outfit-a black-and-white checked suit, a white silk shirt, the black Prada suit-is mentally slated for a destination. "It's the only way to do it," she insists. Watching her pack also answers a mystery: Those bouncy waves of great-looking hair? Be prepared to carry around a professional hair dryer that weighs at least five pounds. Looking through Abedin's closet, you can see the progression from a young college graduate who wore Ann Taylor suits, thrilled to land a job as an intern in the White House, to, eleven years later, a Chanel-wearing, deeply confident 32-year-old woman whose BlackBerry contains some of the most famous names in America-she lets me look only if I agree not to say who. (I do manage to learn she has been close with actor John Cusack and Lance Armstrong.)

Truthfully, she was a little disappointed when she was assigned to the First Lady's office in 1996 instead of the press office, as she had requested. And not just because she comes from a family of Independents and Republicans. Didn't her new employers know about the plan she'd hatched at fifteen to become the next Christiane Amanpour? No matter. Once she actually met Hillary Clinton-on the infamous intern line, in Arkansas, after President Clinton's reelection-she was hooked. Then, as now, Abedin believed there was something irresistible about Hillary's presence. "I've seen it again and again," she says. "Once people see her and meet her, they change their minds." You can see why the First Lady wanted Abedin. Fluent in Arabic and a practicing Muslim born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to a Pakistani mother and an Indian father, Abedin moved with her family to Saudi Arabia when she was two years old. There, her father, an Islamic scholar, founded an institute devoted to fostering religious understanding between the East and West. Her mother, a sociology professor, helped create one of the first private women's colleges in the country. "I grew up in a very traditional family," she says, "but there was never anything I didn't think I could do."

Fashion is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of traditional Muslim values, but Abedin knows the truth is more complicated. "I remember going with my parents to weddings where the women would arrive covered in black veils, but underneath they'd be wearing the most exquisite brightly colored Dolce & Gabbana suits. They were like peacocks showing off their tails." The women in Abedin's family (she has two sisters and a brother) would order knockoffs based on the clothes found in the pages of Vogue. To this day, she keeps those back issues under her bed in her Washington apartment. Among Clinton's inner circle, Abedin has been referred to as "Hillary's secret weapon," but last March the New York Observer profiled her (without her cooperation) in an article titled "Hillary's Mystery Woman: Who Is Huma?" The takeaway message was that Huma is preternaturally calm under pressure and one fine hottie. "Hoh, my God," James Carville panted to the reporter, "have you seen Huma? She takes your breath away." Huma was taken aback. "I like to be well put together," she says, "but I was really, really surprised by the perception in the article. I don't think of myself that way at all." "I don't know,"

Philippe Reines, Senator Clinton's spokesperson, pipes up from the backseat of the Jeep Cherokee Huma has borrowed to get around D.C. for the day. "I would say the women in our office definitely watch what Huma wears." And sometimes the men, as well. "Remember that day you wore a belt around your shirt without loops?" Reines asks. "No," Abedin answers. "Oh, yeah. That day all the men took their belts off and wore them around their shirts, just to show how stupid it is to wear belts without loops." Just to show that she has a sense of humor, Abedin laughs.

Abedin claims to love politics, but after talking to her for a while, you begin to suspect otherwise. It's not the horse race or the ins and outs of policy that get her animated. What she really seems to like is the way that politicians are uniquely invested with the power to help individuals-as with, say, the woman whose legs were badly broken by a piece of plane fuselage on September 11. After reading about Deborah Mardenfeld's plight, Clinton and Abedin went to visit her several times in the hospital. The first time, Mardenfeld wasn't even conscious. The next time, she was awake and told her visitors that she was a big Meryl Streep fan. Clinton had a set of DVDs starring Streep sent to the hospital. Over the next few years, Huma kept in touch with Mardenfeld, helping her cut through red tape to get the right doctors and treatment. Two years ago, Mardenfeld was able to dance at her own wedding reception. Both Hillary and Huma attended. "To me, that's one of the blessings of this job," Huma said. "In some tiny, tiny way I am part of history, but I am also able to help people." "What Hillary and Huma share," says Steenburgen, "is an absolute lack of jadedness. In that job, it's easy to become numb because so much of what you hear is a complaint. But they have both managed to maintain a sense of outrage and sorrow. If anything, I think Hillary is feeling things more intensely than when she was younger. I don't know if it's a chicken-or-the-egg thing-Hillary affecting Huma or the other way around-but together they work." After hearing from so many people that Huma Abedin is the master of the velvet no, I finally got to experience it firsthand. Following Hillary's breakfast in the Hilton ballroom, her traveling press person introduced me to the senator so I could get a quote about her employee. Just as I was about to ask, Abedin swooped in. "No, no, no," she said, waving her hands. "She has to go." Clinton smiled and shrugged. "I go where I'm told," she said.