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&ARTS LIFE❚ ❚ ❚ PAGE A18 | THE GAZETTE | MONTREAL | SUNDAY, APRIL27,2008 | EDITORS:ARTS,MARKTREMBLAY ■ LIFE,MICHAELSHENKER | 5149872560 | arts&life@thegazette.canwest.com

INSIDETHEBOXBasemBoshrawelcomesCTV’s decision to streamABC’s biggest hits online. mmoonnttrreeaallggaazzeettttee..ccoomm//ttvv

INTHEGAME:FERRELL’S FUNNYORDIESETS ITSSIGHTSONGAMING KateMollesonon themany factors to considerwhenparking

your bike around the city.montrealgazette.com/cycling

A19 Movie listings A21 Best Bets A22 Doug Camilli A23 Puzzles

Party prelude: 00SOCIALGAL atyour secret soirée service, ele-gantly equipped with hi-tek hid-den cam (can’t tell you where it’sburied or I’ll have to kill you)and gaggle of glam gadgets(mace-laced Manolos and nu-clearNars lip stain), poised to ex-pose the sexiest scoop on thisyear’s James Bond-themed 15thannual Daffodil Ball. Masterful-ly chaired by a trio of titans –National Bank president/CEOLouis “Connery” Vachon (at-tending with Chantal Carrier),PricewaterhouseCoopers seniorpartner/CEO Chris “Craig”Clark (with wife Pam) and Pfiz-er Canada president/CEO Paul“Brosnan” Lévesque (withwife Lucie Jean) – the 2008 “Daf-fabond” was award-winning pro-ducer Alison Silcoff ’s best yet.Shallwe?

Dangerously cool decor: AgentStyle, a.k.a. internationally ac-claimed event decorator DickWalsh, outdid his visionary selfat Windsor Station. Among theunforgettables: ano-mortal-could-resist-her gold-dipped bare Bondgirl (inspired by Goldfinger, ofcourse), who coyly greeted guests(such as Fannie Charron-BissetandhubAndrew) fromarotatingcircular bed that was swathed inshimmering black satin; a visual-ly entrancing video montage ofall thingsBond (broadcastona40-foot screen), generously producedby new Montreal studio MomentFactory; an explosion of 30,000freshdaffodils that spread joyandbeauty from their every stylishsite; and a larger-than-life ode-2-Bond tableau in the dining roomthat incorporated such film iconsas an Aston Martin, helicopterand bevy of Bond babes garbedinJames’spreferred ladies’ attire:bikinis and furs (très Pussy Ga-lore).

SOCIAL NOTESJENNIFER CAMPBELL

In the creepy old days of theJoseph McCarthy era over half

a century back, the more para-noid of U.S. political leaderswould delight in alarming folksby telling them that there wereCommies hiding under bedseverywhere. Well, turns out theCommies might not have beenwasting their time under beds.Apart from the comfort factor, itseems some Communists pre-ferred the possibilities affordedto themby lyingon topof beds.

The German documentary DoCommunists Have Better Sex?–playing at the Cinéma du Parctomorrow through Thursday –seeks to solve one of the more

penetrating issues of the lastcentury. Director André Meiergets to the bottom of the ques-tion in this revealing and, yes,rather amusing doc by probingsexual mores of East and WestGermans between 1961 and 1989.The former date marks the erec-tion of the Berlin Wall while thelatter relates to its eradication.

Armchair sociologists willnote that the timeframe coversthe period when sexual libera-tion was all the rage in the wildWest, in North America as wellas much of Europe. So the as-sumption would likely be thatWest Germans, like many otherWesterners, would be leaping

from boudoir to boudoir, per-forming death-defying acrobat-ics in the spirit of free love.

Don’t assume.It is the contention of Meier’s

panel of pro sociologists, sexolo-gists and other learned ologiststhat, in fact, the East Germans,in spite of Big Brother’s politicalrepression, were gettin’ it onmore and were enjoying it morethan perhaps their more sexual-ly inhibited West German coun-tryfolk.

Why? Well, it seems that thewomen of the East were in factmore liberated than their coun-terparts in the West. Be it eco-nomics or politics, East German

women were thrust into thelabour force, even if they hadchildren. As a consequence, thepanel of experts deduces theyachieved equality with the menquicker. The women felt moreempowered and more indepen-dent and were thus more sexual-ly liberated than their sisters inWest Germany. While there mayhavebeenno “cult of orgasm”asthere was in the West, EastGerman women apparentlyeschewed much cheap shop-talkin favourof intimateaction.

The panel also concludes thatif not condoned, the East Ger-man powers-that-were didn’tcondemn pre-marital teen sex.

Furthermore, both divorces andabortions were far easier to ob-tain in the East than in the West.Aswerebirth-control pills.

Perhaps curiously, the expertssuggest West German womenwere more hung up from livingin a far more chauvinistic soci-ety.Womenwere expected to stayat home, churn out children andtend to the every need of theirmale mates. Or, as is snidely sug-gested: “In not over-sizzling thegoose.” While the latter remarkis meant to imply matters moreculinary, it would apply in thecanoodlingdepartmentaswell.

BILL BROWNSTEINon Commies in bed

“East German womenapparently eschewedmuch cheap shop-talk

in favour ofintimate action.”

What was the Commie hiding under the bed really waiting for?

Please see BROWNSTEIN, Page A19

Daffodils are foreverBOND-THEMED BALL RAISES RECORD-BREAKING $2,293,000 FOR CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY

PHOTOS: VVIINNCCEENNZZOO DD’’AALLTTOO THE GAZETTE

Clockwise from top: Bond-worthy model poses in a spectacular tableau wearing 007’s preferred ladies’ attire. Kilt-tastic Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire(Bond beautiful in Morales). Former ball chair and Garda president/CEO Stephan Crétier with actress wife Stephany Maillery (in Cavalli).

Please see SOCIAL NOTES, Page A20

L I F E ❚ ❚ ❚ THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2008A20

SOCIALNOTES

The fare-est mission: A spy’s gotta eat (even one who aspiresto Honey Ryder proportions), and the Fairmont Queen Eliza-beth’s team, led by executive chef AlainPignardunder the di-rection of Armando Arruda, would have done M’s privateBlades club proud. Standouts served on psychedelic hand-carved “008” ice-sculpture platters included delicate Abitibisturgeon caviar and blinis from Russia with love, followed byScottish smoked salmon, a manly beef Wellington, a flawlessselection of food- and mood-enhancing wines and spirits; anda crème brûlée trifle that 007 surely used to seduce VesperLynd in Casino Royale.

The living highlights: Bond is many things, but never boring.And so it comes as no surprise that the evening’s agendad’amusement (impeccably emceed by broadcast legend Den-nis Trudeau) was a source of never-ending intrigue. Frommedia personality/celeb DJGeneviève Borne, who delightedduring ’tails, to L.A.-based cabaret wonder Morganne, whowowed with a series of Bond titles during dinner, the beat wasON. And it had to be: The sizzling European band LesGoldsingers was also in the house (how apropos), as wasPaulChacraand 1945.

Bond-worthy bling for our eyes only: Adding to the palpableexcitement was a chance to win 11 exotic raffle packages, in-

cluding a jaunt to the St. Regis resort in Bora-Bo-ra (valued at $29,000, scooped up by NYC’s Betsyand John Rolls); serious swag (sterling silvermoney clips for the stylish gents courtesy ofBirks, and Chanel for the ladies, including sun-glasses for those at the top sponsor tables); and fi-nally, the pièce de résistance – a hi-flying Moon-raker auction, featuring a thrill-of-a-lifetime prizeno amount of money could buy: the opportunityto pilot the U.S. space shuttle simulator at NASA’sJohnson Space Centre, replete with private tourby Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. No won-der top bidders (who shed $20,000 for the privi-lege) couldn’t stop smiling: They’re moon-bound!

The “it” list exploded with signature James charisma andclout, as close to 700 of the country’s power brokers came to-gether to lend invaluable support to the Canadian Cancer Soci-ety (and strut seriously celluloid-worthy style). From the polit-ical arena, the Daff welcomed the well-heeled (and well-kilted!)likes of Justin Trudeau (whose attire paid homage to one-time Bond George Lazenby) and his stunning wife, eTalk DailyQuebec correspondentSophie Grégoire (Jinx-hot in lavenderMorales); plus Quebec ministers Monique Jérôme-Forget(with husband Claude Forget) and Julie Boulet (with MarcDupuis); federal minister of public works Michael M. Forti-er (who zestfully took to the dance floor with wife MichelleSetlakwe); U.S. ambassador to Canada David Wilkins;French ambassador to Canada Daniel Jouanneau (who,along with wife Odile, thoroughly enjoyed his first Daffodil);and the honourable Togo D. West Jr. (accompanied by wifeGail), a former U.S. associate deputy attorney general, secre-tary of the Army and secretary of veterans’ affairs.

Several stars from the entertainment glitterati supported thecause – namely actress Lucie Laurier with son TimothyWard-Laurier, and award-winning performerPatrice L’Ecuy-erwith wife Judith Arseneau (baber than Basinger in NeverSayNeverAgain).

For those missing the same-night return of Grey’s Anato-my, there were dazzling real-life doctors in the house, includ-ing McGill med dean Richard Levin (with wife Jane) andCTV health correspondent Marla Shapiro (who flew in fromT.O. and captivated in a bejewelled champagne Chanelsheath).

Finally, on the corporate beat, it seemed like every presi-dent/CEO this side of the Atlantic had come to Daffo-Bond!Topping the register: new Bombardier president/CEOPierreBeaudoin with beautiful wife Hélène Robitaille; SandraChartrand and husband, Couche-Tard president/CEOAlainBouchard; Interinvest president/CEO Hans Black withJanet (who, in tiered Escada, outglammed Paris Carver in To-morrow Never Dies); Omer DeSerres president Marc DeSer-res and wife Céline; Birks’s Niccolo Rossi Di Montelerawith wifeMariangela (muse-perfect in Chanel and a one-of-a-kind 50-carat Diamonds Are Forever cuff from the Birks Pres-tige Collection); Sanofi-aventis president/CEO Jérôme Sil-vestre and wife Dominique; power pair Joanne and Dou-glas Cohen; AbitibiBowater executive chair John Weaver,caught snuggling with dynamic wifeDeLores; Swiss Interna-tional Air Lines Canadian GM Olivier Schlegel andDanielle Gervais; Mr. Hollywood North Michel Trudel andwife Marie-France A. Trudel; master of all thingstravel/Daffodil committee treasure Andrew Grove; CGIpresident/CEO Michael Roach and wife Deborah; a pletho-ra of Bond-worthy power girls, including new MouvementDesjardins president/CEO Monique F. Leroux (with hus-band Marc), Hydro-Québec VP of corporate affairs Marie-José Nadeau (with Yves Séguin), Transcontinental vicechair Isabelle Marcoux (with Transcontinental CEOFrançois Olivier), Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montrealpresident/CEO Isabelle Hudon (with husband GillesCoulombe) and Chanel über-exec Anny Kazanjian (withhub Andy Habib); plus past ball chairs – Gardapresident/CEO Stephan Crétier (with actress wifeStephany Maillery) and Medisys’s president/CEO, physi-cian Sheldon Elman (with princess-pretty physician wifeMeryl).

Golden total: With guests comme ça, accoutrements ’n’ gad-getry to match and a sponsorship list boasting the likes of Al-coa, Bell, Capgemini, CGI, Ernst & Young, Garda, Hydro-Québec, IBM, McCall MacBain Foundation, National Bank,Pfizer, Power Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RBC,Sanofi-aventis and Torys, the $2,293,000 tally makes perfectsense. And FYI: It more than put a smile on the faces of proudattending Canadian Cancer Society officials – Quebec divisionpresident Louise Labrie and executive director SuzanneDubois. All proceeds enable the society to continue its man-date to eradicate cancer and enhance the quality of life of peo-ple living with it.

Mission accomplished: A spy-worthy treat and winning hock-ey team! What more could your loyal Jenn Bond ask for?

mtlsocialgal@yahoo.com

BOUQUETFROMDAFFODILBALL

JT BONDS WITH THE COMMITTEE Back row: Suzanne Brillant Fluehler (left), Alison Silcoff(in Eavis & Brown couture), Anny Kazanjian, Louise Courey Nadeau (in Cavalli), Justin Trudeau,Shirley Quantz, DeLores Weaver and Mariangela Rossi Di Montelera (in Chanel). On floor:Penny Pucci Echenberg (left), Nathalie Bissonnette (in Ema Savahl and Armani) and Diane Va-chon (in sari-style Badgley Mischka).

FRESH OFF THE COPTER National Bank president/CEO LouisVachon (left), PricewaterhouseCoopers senior partner/CEO ChrisClark and Pfizer Canada president/CEO Paul Lévesque.

OFFICIAL BLISS Minister of PublicWorks Michael M. Fortier lets loosewith wife Michelle Setlakwe.

THE EMCEE WHO LOVED USBeloved broadcast journalist DennisTrudeau and wife Suzanne Jobin kickup their heels.

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED Next-generation Daffodil supporters (a.k.a. 2008’s amazing vol-unteers) congregate at the cool plexi bar.

BOND JR. AND THE BEAUTIESActress Lucie Laurier (in daffodil Ma-landrino), son Timothy Ward-Laurier(in a Waxman’s tux) and lawyerMarie-Josée Vincelli (in Lapidus).

SHAKING UP CHANEL A Goldsinger band mem-ber serenades Chanel exec Anny Kazanjian and hubAndy Habib.

DR. WOW MEETS CHAIRMANNOW! Cancer survivor and CTVhealth correspondent Marla Shapiroworks the floor with edgy event co-chair Chris Clark.

MOTO-BARMoment Factory Studio’s MelissaWeigel, left, and me-dia darling/celebrity DJGeneviève Borne revved ’n’ rocked cocktails.

PHOTOS BY VVIINNCCEENNZZOO DD’’AALLTTOO THE GAZETTE

TABLE TALK Julie Turcotte (in Mis-soni) and Tania Dupont (in DenisGagnon) enjoy quality bonding.

CONTINUED FROM A18

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BELLES OFTHE BALLSeeourphotogallery formore scenesfromtheBond-themedDaffodil Ball.