WHAT A RUSH!
It was a big to do at Les Deux the other night as TV titan Mark Burnett celebrated the launch of his latest venture. The man with the Midas touch in television hopes to hit pay dirt in cyberspace teaming up with AOL for an on-line pop culture quiz called “Gold Rush.”
No doubt about it, “Rush” was a crush. Snaking through a sea of bodies, you’d think they were giving away the real thing. What party planners lacked in karats, they made up for with piles of caviar and bottles of bubbly. Servers sported gigantic gold chains, oversized medallions and other rapper-worthy wear. They made the rounds with everything from fois gras to fish and chips while mixologists were shaking things up with specialty drinks like “Gold Rush Blush.”
Les Deux’s J.T. Torregiani loved the vibe at his hip Hollywood hang, but lamented that bf and “Big Brother All-Stars” winner Mike “Boogie” Malin could not be there to join in the first-class festivities. “We’ll miss him,” Torregiani said. “But he’s on his way to New York to do the ‘Today’ show.”
Meantime, leggy lovelies in cat suits tempted revelers with trivia questions. The right answer could land you a gold dollar sign money clip, gold bangles, gold cigarette case, gold lighter; all eye-catching, but unfortunately-faux.
Parlor games were set up in almost every corner of the party palace. I took my chances with a pajama-clad chap named Chad, who coaxed me into a round of charades. After correctly identifying his movements as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” I picked up a gold bar containing a “Gold Rush” tee. Whoopee!
The stakes for the AOL “Gold Rush” game are considerably higher. Winners have the chance to pick up a cool million. The contest is hosted by Burnett’s longtime buddy Mark Steines, who knows a thing or two about pop culture. “Mark and I go way back,” Steines told Malibu Seen. “We thought this was a great way to reach a new audience.” The hosting duties should be less taxing than the demands of his daily TV gig. “It’s like the opposite of E.T.,” Steines explained. “I’m on this tiny screen, all compressed. I guess I don’t have to worry about how my hair looks.”
As red carpet regulars like Tori Spelling, Kristin Cavallari and Felicity Huffman slid past a sea of paparazzi, the party kicked into high gear. Half Hollywood, half high tech, the biggest buzz at this bash was about cutting-edge entertainment.
One thing is certain. Where Burnett leads, others are sure to follow. And his pop culture pal is happy to be the face of his futuristic foray. “I don’t know what it feels like to be downloaded,” said Steines, flashing his boyish grin. “But I’m kind of turned on by it.”