Bar Buzz

The State of the Holiday Party

Anonymous, Ford Models
"Last year, my friend arrived with the intent to simply cause trouble [at Ford's party at Hiro]. He grabbed my straight, svelte 22-year-old assistant and started making out with him in front of everyone, including Ford's CEO & President. Then after my assistant managed to free himself from his tongue, my friend found his way to the VIP section of the party and stole a bottle of Cristal from a table...He then proceeded to pour champagne over his head and then, as he danced to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,' he sprayed the remaining contents onto the guests."

Anonymous, Debevoise & Plimpton, LLC
"The parties at my law firm are somewhat staid, uneventful departmental cocktail gatherings. I think the decadence and drunken embarrassments, if there ever were any, have been purged from the law firm scene. It's probably the most image- and reputation-conscious scene out there now."

Aimee Bianca, Publicist at YC Media
"The worst was one Norton had at the Empire State Building a few years back because I basically got molested by a man wearing a gorilla suit...YC’s holiday celebration this year is going to be cool...starting with massages at the CowShed spa at Soho House, then rooftop drinks, then caviar, frites and champagne at Pravda, and ending the evening somewhere singing karaoke."

Anonymous, Associated Press
"Last year's Christmas party rocked. I mean they really let the dogs out. We had just moved to our new digs on 33rd Street...The AP got these heated tents and had the party on the roof...Inside there was a whole room just for desserts: cakes and cookies and petit fours. Coffee and tea, too, in case you had a little too much of Johnnie Walker. This was definitely a far cry from years past when things were a little slimmer in the holiday cheer department. I think everyone was shocked by the spread. After all, you can't spell cheap without AP."

Peter Malachi, Public Relations for She Uemura
"We’re owned by L’Oreal, so we also get to go to the corporate party at the Waldorf. It’s not really a party, more of a year-end presentation...It’s more of a wedding environment. Dinner is more of a buffet for 7,000 people...and there are town cars lined up outside, like a military operation."

Anonymous, former publicist for Miramax
"I'm told last year's Miramax party was apparently the most awkward corporate party you could ever have. They had it after Black Friday to improve morale, but everyone left after an hour. The one I went to at LQ in 2003 was kickass--It revolved around the karaoke competition...The prizes were really outdated and gross: Third place was a Sony Walkman. Harvey stepped out of the dark shadows to pick the winner (an assitant in finance singing 'Living on a Prayer') but it was a very arbitrary decision. He always came to put in an appearance and left early."

Anonymous, Merrill Lynch
“Last year’s party was in a clubhouse on the Jersey side of the Hudson, where people in starched shirts ate starched salmon, which they served themselves from steel plated serving dishes with a pair of tongs, high-school awards banquet style. Needless to say the champagne was cheap and my time there was short.”