Side show

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 23, 2001

ONE MAN'S ART IS ANOTHER MAN'S RUBBISH: Damien Hirst, master of the modern British art scene, may fetch huge bids and draw international crowds, but in the eyes of one gallery worker, his art belongs in the bin.

And that's exactly where cleaner Emmanuel Asare tossed an exhibit that Hirst created at a launch party for a recent show of his work.

The pile of empty beer bottles, dirty ashtrays, coffee cups and wrappers left over from the party at the trendy Eyesto'rm Gallery in west London had been arranged by Hirst into an impromptu installation. But when Asare arrived at the gallery the morning after, he dumped the whole lot in the garbage.

Alarmed gallery employees hastily retrieved the items from the rubbish bags and used photographs to recreate the exhibit.

But the 35-year-old Turner Prize-winning artist was quoted as saying the misunderstanding over his work was "fantastic, very funny."

THIS MONTH'S SEXIEST MAN LIST: E! Entertainment Television kicked off its Rank series with a sexiest man list. George Clooney, as he has done for several years with these lists, bested 25 others. (He nosed out Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro and Lenny Kravitz.)

More interesting were the side picks: Robert Downey Jr. as Sexiest Bad Boy; Richard Gere as Sexiest Man Over 50; Heath Ledger as Sexiest Import; Benjamin Bratt as Best Dressed; Brad Pitt for Best Body; and Bruce Willis as the Bald and the Beautiful.

VOGUING: There will be lots of posing and gawking tonight when VH1 shows the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.

Actually, it was taped last week, so Sideshow can let some of the gossip out of the bag. There are your usual sightings of Mark Wahlberg, Destiny's Child, Gwyneth Paltrow and Tommy Hilfiger.

Then there's Deborah "Don't Call Me Debbie" Gibson playing paparazzi on the red carpet and getting in a shot with the Goo Goo Doll's Johnny Rzeznik, along with ubermodel Stephanie Seymour being cornered in the bathroom by a drunk fan asking for dating advice.

SECURITY-FRIENDLY SUPPORT: A Japanese firm is launching a metal-free bra in response to tighter airport security procedures worldwide following last month's attacks on the United States.

Triumph International (Japan) Ltd. said it decided to develop the bra because the tiny metallic fasteners on more usual brassieres had been triggering alarms on airport security detectors.

Some 500 of what are being called the Frequent Flyers' Bras are to go on sale online in December. The bra, available in white, orange and blue (apparently Gator fans are the target demographic), will be sold as a set with matching panties for 3,800 yen or $31.40.

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