Dallas’ Corbin Corona Becomes the Latest in a Long Line of Clown Musicians

Dallas’ Corbin Corona Becomes the Latest in a Long Line of Clown Musicians

Dallas now has its own entry into the Rebecca Black/”It’s Thanksgiving” Wall of Honor. His name is Corbin Corona and, as you can tell by the headline, he’s a clown. Back in October he released his video “Oh My,” which (poorly) name-drops Al Biernat’s:

“I’m out here in the streets all day, lifestyle sh*t I’m talking Al Biernat’s”

Undaunted by the need for talent, Corona forged ahead, releasing a video for “SuperStar” in late December. This week it’s found its way to a variety of blogs, through a well-placed link on Reddit’s “Cringe” page. A YouTube comment sums up the video well: “great. now I have to know you exist.”

To save you all the time of watching the video, I look the liberty of live-blogging my first viewing of it:

:01- Corona rolls up to a house party, in a SmartCar, maybe? It’s 10 p.m., on a Friday. Bottles are popping off.

:04- A cross-eyed little person in a cowboy costume appears in the backseat. This video can now only go in two directions: Lynchian masterpiece, or fratastic bachanal of mildly offensive stereotypes. I’m hoping, for the sake of this piece, it’s the latter. (Mind you, this has all happened before the music video credits have disappeared from the screen.)

:07- The little person jumps out of the car, riding a plush horse. The “latter” option appears to be in full-force.

:08- Corona and a gal dressed up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland dance through the Dallas Arboretum’s Chihuly exhibit. Something so gangster has never been experienced before.

:30- Okay, he’s now in a room full of ballerinas, so the Lynchian masterpiece is back on the table. If one of these dancers turns into Man in the Planet, I’m going to stand and clap at my desk, then slam a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

1:00- A man in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hat makes his first appearance. He’s swinging around flaming metal balls. This is a fire marshal’s nightmare, especially with all the tulle from the ballerinas. Corona parties on, hazards be damned.

1:27- A small snake has appeared around Corona’s neck, though I had to pause the video to determine whether it was a snake or his hair. Upon further inspection, Superman is also dancing in the background at this particular moment. No word on whether he and the Ninja Turtles have former some sort of alliance. Also, this now appears to be a costume party, but Corona is underdressed unless he’s going as “man who becomes more and more repellant to women as the night progresses.”

2:07- Superman is wringing out his cape after being thrown into a pool. This is not typical Superman behavior. I expect someone will be punished for this misdeed later in the video.

2:20- We appear to be at the Chinese Lantern Festival, or Corona brought the lanterns to his party. Either way: dragons, lights, and Corona’s now in the pool.

2:24- The cowboy’s back! I forgot about him. I expected him to be a main character in this video, but he slipped away. I’m hoping the final scene of the video is Lil’ John Wayne just slaughtering everyone else at this party.

3:08- Old ladies in the mix! Corona is kissing them delicately on their hands, like a stately prince. I hope for their sake they aren’t Corona’s actual grandmothers, though I suspect they are.

The Greatest Generation has been disappointed yet again, in ways their younger selves couldn’t have possibly imagined.

“I’m a rapper, Memaw.”

“Cut your damn hair.”

3:35- The money’s run out, and our cast of characters has been set. Alice, Lil’ John Wayne, and Chihuly return, only to dance off into Corona’s neon-soaked sunset. I’m going to go bleach my eyeballs.

Oscars 2013 nominations: Academy favours flashy period pieces over …

Of the categories announced Thursday morning by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one of particular interest to me is the best costume design. The Oscar nominees in this category are Jacqueline Durran for Anna Karenina; Paco Delegado for Les Miserables; Joanna Johnston for Lincoln; Eiko Ishioka for Mirror Mirror; and Colleen Atwood for Snow White The Huntsman.

On Wednesday across the pond, the BAFTA nominations in that category were Jaqueline Durran for Anna Karenina; Beatrix Aruna Pasztor for Great Expectations; Paco Delegado for Les Miserables; Joanna Johnston for Lincoln; and Colleen Atwood for Snow White The Huntsman.

What do I think?

The lists are virtually identical, diverging on only one film. Both appreciated three-time Oscar winner (for Alice in Wonderland, Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago) Colleen Atwood’s haute couture take on Queen Ravenna in Snow White The Hunstman (who can forget that plumed cape? And that skeletal gown?). Jacqueline Durran, previously nominated for Pride Prejudice and Atonement, explained her inventive take on period with the ’50s couture meets 18th century Russian aristocracy in Anna Karenina (even if I think they had a little too much obvious help from Chanel bling).

For Mirror Mirror, a mainstream twist on Snow White starring Julia Roberts, Oscar-winning costumer Eiko Ishioka (for Dracula) receives a posthumous Oscar nomination. The acclaimed Japanese designer of The Cell and Immortals (and frequent Björk collaborator) died last January; Mirror Mirror was her final film.

There are new names to the nominee list, too. Frequent Spielberg collaborator Joanna Johnston (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Cast Away, Munich) gets her first nod, but of the nominees, Paco Delgado is the real underdog. That’s not because Les Mis isn’t a huge studio film, but because he is not a Hollywood regular — or even that well-known. Delgado’s attention to detail and the sheer scale of Les Mis, as detailed in our December interview, cast a long shadow over previous work that has been in niche and independent cinema, primarily in Spain — Biutiful, some Pedro Almodovar and a handful of excellent (but perhaps strange, to elderly voting members) surreal fantasia.

Absent from both lists: Sharen Davis for Django Unchained. And Mark Bridges’ work on two exceptional films: The Master, conjuring the post-War world with a contemporary flair, and the subtle nuances of a modern family on Silver Linings Playbook (the garbage bag over a grey sweatsuit was my pick for pop culture Halloween costume of the year). Given that Bridges has done remarkable work on many recent period and contemporary films — including There Will be Blood, Fur, The Fighter and Boogie Nights — but only received his first Oscar nomination (and win) for the elaborate black and white period piece The Artist last year after a major nomination campaign, I’m not surprised.

I am also disappointed that costumer Kasia Walicka Maimone’s indelible contribution to the mannered, alternate retro-universe of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom was not recognized by either of the member organizations. And what of Danny Glicker’s work in On the Road?

But as I’ve written about before — for example in Los Angeles last year when I interviewed a slew of costume designers on the issue — both lists reveal their mainstream membership’s penchant for singling out the obvious period pieces and costume dramas — the stovepipe hats, cravats and rustling skirts of Lincoln — rather than contemporary, less showy fare.

Here’s hoping the upcoming Costume Designers Guild of America nominations, tidily divided as they are by genre into three distinct categories, look beyond the usual suspects in recognizing the art of costume design.

‘Scary’ but memorable costume party at Republiq

By Matikas Santos
INQUIRER.net

The X-Men came to the Halloween party at Republiq Club armed and ready to party the night away with other creatures of the night. Photo by Jonathan de Belen.

MANILA, Philippines—Whether ghoul or goon, pirate or phantom, soldier or skeleton, or whatever else that can be found in nooks and crannies of the imagination; they all partied at the Republiq Club’s Halloween costume party last October 31.

Partygoers flocked to the club wearing their scariest to their naughtiest costumes to usher in the Halloween with music loud enough to keep the undead partying until the sun comes up.

The creativity of Filipinos were pushed to the limit as they dressed into their favorite movie, cartoon, or fictional characters. Imagine seeing Optimus Prime of the Transformers hanging out with Zombies. Or The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland “breaking it down” with The Joker of The Dark Knight.

Several people also came dressed together as their favorite group such as the X-Men, who arrived in style and were ready to party. Fire fighters were also present in the club, checking to see if roof was on fire.

DJ Marc Naval performed and brought the music for the various creatures of the night. DJ Mars Miranda also kept the party going until the first hours of November.

DJ Mars Miranda performed for partygoers at the Republiq Club Halloween Party last October 31. Photo by Jonathan de Belen.

Celebrities far and wide were also in the club wearing their best holloween costumes. Regine Tolentino, Tim Yap, Bianca Gonzalez, and Liz Uy, were among those seen partying the night away.

About a hundred people were still lined up outside of the Republiq Club and trying to get inside the already packed full club past midnight.

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A serious costume party in Cape Coral

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Sal Cossentino and his wife, Marie, wore T-shirts today emblazoned with photos of their parents.

“All four of them had different types of cancer,” said Cossentino, 53, of North Fort Myers, who walked in the Cape Coral Relay For Life at Mariner High School.

Cossentino’s shirt read “Forever Loved,” and paid tribute to his father, Frank, who died of colon cancer in 2005, along with his mother, Rose, who died in 2008 from carcinoma of the palate.

“It’s important to come out and support this because one day you might get that phone call,” Cossentino said.

About 45 teams participated in the 18-hour American Cancer Society event, raising nearly $90,000 by this afternoon. The group hopes to bring in $170,000 — $13,000 more than last year — before fundraising ends in August, event chairwoman Donna Germain said.

“Each relay has a different flavor … but the unifying factor is that we’re all working toward a common goal,” said ACS board member Sybil Edgar, a 17-year breast cancer survivor.

Participants shrug-ged off rain as they walked laps dressed in “Alice in Wonderland” costumes and “Toy Story” T-shirts during the Disney-themed event.

Mike Curley, 63, of south Fort Myers, carried a pink flamingo and said it felt good to support fellow survivors and caregivers after radiation and removal of his prostate four years ago.

Edgar recognized faces she’s seen since the first Cape relay helped raise $113,000 in 2002.

“I see people who are still fighting,” she said. “It’s like when you have a child and you watch them grow.”

A serious costume party in Cape Coral – The News

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Sal Cossentino and his wife, Marie, wore T-shirts today emblazoned with photos of their parents.

“All four of them had different types of cancer,” said Cossentino, 53, of North Fort Myers, who walked in the Cape Coral Relay For Life at Mariner High School.

Cossentino’s shirt read “Forever Loved,” and paid tribute to his father, Frank, who died of colon cancer in 2005, along with his mother, Rose, who died in 2008 from carcinoma of the palate.

“It’s important to come out and support this because one day you might get that phone call,” Cossentino said.

About 45 teams participated in the 18-hour American Cancer Society event, raising nearly $90,000 by this afternoon. The group hopes to bring in $170,000 — $13,000 more than last year — before fundraising ends in August, event chairwoman Donna Germain said.

“Each relay has a different flavor … but the unifying factor is that we’re all working toward a common goal,” said ACS board member Sybil Edgar, a 17-year breast cancer survivor.

Participants shrug-ged off rain as they walked laps dressed in “Alice in Wonderland” costumes and “Toy Story” T-shirts during the Disney-themed event.

Mike Curley, 63, of south Fort Myers, carried a pink flamingo and said it felt good to support fellow survivors and caregivers after radiation and removal of his prostate four years ago.

Edgar recognized faces she’s seen since the first Cape relay helped raise $113,000 in 2002.

“I see people who are still fighting,” she said. “It’s like when you have a child and you watch them grow.”

2012 at Disneyland Resort: Cars Land and Buena Vista Street Will Complete the …

Guests Will Enjoy ‘One More Disney Day,’ Mad T Party,New Magic at Disneyland Hotel and Seasonal Fun at Halloween and Holidays

(January 13, 2012) The year 2012 promises even more fun and adventure across the Disneyland Resort, with new experiences highlighted by the unveiling this summer of Cars Land, Carthay Circle Theatre and the Buena Vista Street entry into Disney California Adventure park. With these and other recent additions at both theme parks, guests of all ages will enjoy more magic than ever at Disneyland Resort, a premier, multi-day vacation destination in Southern California.

The summer debuts of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will mark the completion of the five-year expansion of Disney California Adventure. Additions to the park since 2007 have included the 4D fun of Toy Story Mania; the spectacular after-dark “World of Color” show; a classic dark ride, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure; Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Silly Symphony Swings, Goofy’s Sky School and two restaurants,Boardwalk Pizza Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill.

Mad T Party also opens this summer at Disney California Adventure, with nighttime, family fun inspired by the whimsical world of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Throughout 2012, Disney Parks is encouraging guests to “Let the Memories Begin.” A visit to Disneyland Resort could include a memory-making, 24-hour Leap Year adventure in Disneyland park, which will remain open “One More Disney Day“ from 6 a.m. Feb. 29 to 6 a.m. March 1* (entry valid with regular admission ticket). Guests may also choose to make memories with seasonal celebrations in the parks, a meal at the new Jolly Holiday Bakery Café on Main Street, U.S.A., or a stay in the newly renovatedDisneyland Hotel.

COMING TO DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE – HIT THE ROAD WITH MATER AND LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!:  Crowning the multi-year expansion project at Disney California Adventure will be the opening of Cars Land, inspired by the Disney•Pixar blockbuster “Cars .”

Cars Land features three immersive family attractions showcasing characters and settings from the movie, including one of the largest and most elaborate attractions ever created for a Disney park: Radiator Springs Racers, a twisting turning, high-speed adventure through Ornament Valley and the town of Radiator Springs. Other Cars Land attractions will includeLuigi’s Flying Tires (striking a chord with anyone who remembers the former Flying Saucers in Tomorrowland) and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, where guests ride baby tractors as they whip to the left and right in rhythm to the music. Guests in this land also will enjoy new, “Cars”-themed dining and shopping locations such as Flo’s V8 Café, Radiator Springs Curios,Sarge’s Surplus Hut and Ramone’s House of Body Art.

BUENA VISTA STREET WILL WELCOME GUESTS INTO DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: Guests will be welcomed through a new entry and onto Buena Vista Street when the expansion of Disney California Adventure is completed this summer. The transformation will immerse guests in the atmosphere Walt Disney experienced upon first arriving in Los Angeles in the 1920s. Buena Vista Street will feature Red Car Trolleys, inspired by the transportation system that once served Southern California, and the Carthay Circle Theatre, modeled after the site of the 1937 world premiere of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Carthay Circle Theatre will become home to a new lounge and an elegant restaurant, designed to be the premier dining location in Disney California Adventure.

INTO THE RABBIT HOLE AT MAD T PARTY: Beginning summer 2012, guests at Disney California Adventure may fall into the rabbit hole and land in the wild, whimsical world of Mad T Party. Inspired by the world of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” the all-new nighttime family celebration will feature a live band, unique entertainment, fun-filled games and plenty of dancing. Familiar faces from the story will be re-imagined in new ways to immerse guests in a captivating world that’s also filled with signature foods, beverages and merchandise offerings.

Additional Disneyland Resort Highlights for 2012:

“ONE MORE DISNEY DAY”: For the first time ever, both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World in Florida will stay open for 24 hours straight as part of a bi-coastal salute called “One More Disney Day.” From 6 a.m. February 29 to 6 a.m. March 1, local time, guests can make an extra day of Disney memories with a Leap Year marathon of Disney magic and fun.*  And for 60 days straight – from Jan. 1, 2012 to Feb. 29, 2012 – a daily winner will be chosen in the “Disney Parks One More Disney Day Sweepstakes” to receive a Disney Parks vacation.  One entrant each day will win a vacation for four to make memories at either Disneyland Resort in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.**

SPECIAL OFFERS: With so much to do at Disneyland Resort, guests will want to play multiple days and they can find special offers at www.disneyland.com/offers.  For example, as part of “One More Disney Day,” guests at Disneyland Resort get one more day and night of memory making, free when they buy a 3-night/3-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Co. room and ticket package at select Disneyland  Resort hotels. The package offer is good for arrivals most nights Feb. 26 – March 10, 2012 and must be booked by Jan. 31, 2012. *** Additional offers include special tickets for multiple-day visits and for Southern California residents.

ENJOY A ‘PRACTICALLY PERFECT’ BITE AT JOLLY HOLIDAY BAKERY CAFE:  Newly opened on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland, the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café offers a menu of sandwiches, salads, bakery items and espresso beverages. Inspired by the song, “Oh, it’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary…” from “Mary Poppins,” the café has delightful whimsical touches from the film throughout the building and outdoor seating area. Among the delicious new tastes at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café are an Angus roast beef salad, a Caprese sandwich and quiche that will come in a variety of flavors. Fresh bakery items include a Matterhorn macaroon, flourless chocolate cake, fruit tarts and Mickey-shaped desserts.

NEW MAGIC AT DISNEYLAND HOTEL:  The Disneyland Hotel celebrates the completion of a two-year renovation in January, 2012, with significant upgrades and enhancements that have earned it a AAA Four Diamond rating. Guests are enjoying new room décor with modern amenities, an expanded courtyard and three pools, including themed waterslides at the Monorail Pool, a tribute to the early years of Disneyland park. Nostalgic new additions includeTangaroa Terrace, a casual dining restaurant, and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, which takes its name from the familiar “head salesman” of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise. A magical Disney oasis, the Disneyland Hotel features 969 remodeled rooms, fine dining at Steakhouse 55, plus 120,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.

MAGICAL SHOPPING, DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT IN DOWNTOWN DISNEY:  The Downtown Disney District continues to be a popular destination for Disneyland Resort guests, offering a variety of music and outdoor entertainment throughout the year. This lively, colorful esplanade of innovative restaurants, shops and nightclubs is centrally located between the Disneyland Resort theme parks and hotels. Later this year, guests will enjoy even more space at a newly renovated La Brea Bakery Café. Also featured in the 300,000 square-foot District are more than 30 distinct venues including AMC_® Theatres, Catal Restaurant, ESPN_® Zone, House of Blues_®, Rainforest Café_®, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, and, of course,World of Disney.

FALL 2012 WILL BRING RETURNING DISNEYLAND RESORT HOLIDAY TRADITIONS:  Holidays are always a very special time at Disneyland Resort, and 2012 will be no exception. The Halloween season, beginning in September, will see spooky décor, Disney characters in Halloween costume, the separate-ticket “Mickey’s Halloween Party” and special Halloween attractions. The Christmas season begins in November with holiday fireworks, snow on Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, a giant Christmas tree and more.

###

*Select attractions, entertainment and services will be available for 24 hours. Subject  to capacity restrictions.  Valid theme park admission required.

** NO PURCHASE/ TEXT MESSAGE NECESSARY.  Void where prohibited.  Open only to persons who are, as of Entry, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 U.S., D.C. or Canada (excluding Quebec) and who are not Minors. Sweepstakes starts 12:01 AM (EST) on 1/1/12 and ends 11:59:59 PM (EST) on 2/29/12.  To enter, send on your cell phone the key word “DISNEYDAY” as an SMS text message to the SMS shortcode 347639 (Disney).  Msg. data rates may apply. Or to enter for free and for Official Rules, visit Disney.com/memoriessweeps.  If entering via SMS you will receive a confirmation text in response to your entry.

 LIMIT: ONE ENTRY ALLOWED PER PERSON/Cell/Address for each day.  Sponsor:  Disney Online 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521.

*** Number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited.  Room charge based on average per night rate of applicable room during stay.  Offer is valid for bookings from 1/1/12 through 1/31/12 for arrivals from 2/26/12 through 3/10/12.  One (1) consecutive night will be added to the hotel stay and one (1) day added to the tickets.  Offer applied once per package/reservation and excludes suites.  Disneyland® Resort multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use or 3/23/12, whichever occurs first, Walt Disney World® tickets are for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use.  Each day of use of a ticket constitutes one full day of use. Advanced reservations required.  No group rates or other discounts apply.  Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Check for packages of other lengths of stay.  Walt Disney Travel Company CST: 1022229-50.  ©Disney

– Posted January 16, 2012

In Depp doo-doo

Alice-in-Wonderland-gate continued brewing yesterday as the Obama administration was beset with questions over a report that officials kept secret a lavish, star-studded White House costume party hosted by Johnny Depp during the depths of the recession.

That pricey party (pictured) and revelations of nasty bickering over Michelle Obama, both of which are exposed in the new book “The Obamas,” forced administration officials to try to spin the furor as a tempest in a teapot.

“The Obamas,” by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, disclosed that during President Obama’s first Halloween party, in 2009, the White House’s State Dining Room had been transformed into a fairy-tale set designed by director Tim Burton in the style of his movie “Alice in Wonderland.”

Depp, decked out in his Mad Hatter costume from the film, welcomed the guests.

“White House officials were so nervous about how a splashy, Hollywood-esque party would look to jobless Americans . . . that the event was not discussed publicly and Burton’s and Depp’s contributions went unacknowledged,” the book says.

White House spokesman Jay Carney rhetorically asked, “If it was a secret, why did we invite the press in? Why was there a pool report? Why were there contemporaneous photographs?”

But when a White House reporter retorted that there “was no pool report . . . about Johnny Depp being there,” Carney backtracked.

“This wasn’t a publicity event for the outside. This was an event for military children and their families inside the White House, where the press came, photographs were taken,” Carney replied. “It was contemporaneously known who was there.

“There are outlets that have reported this as a ‘secret’ party, which is just silly. And it’s irresponsible reporting to suggest that, that you would have a pool report and the press at an event that’s secret, and have it attended by hundreds if not thousands of people.”

But just as Carney was forced to respond to the book, Obama’s former spokesman Robert Gibbs was compelled to address its claim that he told Kantor he no longer took presidential senior adviser Valerie Jarrett seriously after a blow-up between the two.

Gibbs had reportedly cursed at Jarrett and said “F–k her, too” — referring to Michelle Obama — after Jarrett claimed the first lady was unhappy about his handling of a report that she considered living in the White House to be “hell.”

“In any high-pressure work environment there are occasional arguments and disagreements and that is certainly true of the White House,” Gibbs said yesterday.

geoff.earle@nypost.com

O mad as a hatter over party poopers

MANCHESTER, NH — The White House’s secret and lavish “Alice in Wonderland” ball for Halloween 2009 was not a secret at all, the Obama administration insisted yesterday.

“This was an event for local schoolchildren from the Washington, DC, area and for hundreds of military families,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said of the costume party hosted by Johnny Depp dressed as the Mad Hatter.

“If we wanted this event to be a secret, we probably wouldn’t have invited the press corps to cover it, release photos of it to [the photo-sharing site] Flickr, or post a video from it on the White House Web site.”

“Even Johnny Depp’s fans knew about it and posted on their Web site.”

The invitation-only party, detailed in yesterday’s Post, was not announced in a White House press release and was not included in the pooled press report that night. A Depp fan site did report that he attended.

The bash was revealed in the upcoming book “The Obamas,” by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor.

Obama’s Secret Tea Party

The White House hosted a lavish Alice in Wonderland–themed Halloween costume ball in 2009, but kept the party hush-hush to avoid bad publicity during the recession, according to a new book by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor.

The Hollywood-style party was hosted by Johnny Depp, decorated by Tim Burton, and was attended by guests such as Chewbacca from the original Star Wars films, reports the New York Post. At a time when the economy was still in a recession and members of a certain other tea party were staging huge protests against Obama, the book asserts that the administration sought to keep the fancy shindig out of the press.

Book: White House Hosted ‘Wonderland’-Themed Extravagant Hollywood Halloween …

In October 2009, the national unemployment rate was 10 percent, a national health care plan was at the center of debate over the cost of entitlements in an indebted nation and bank bailouts had launched a brand new political movement called the Tea Party.

So when the White House decided to host an extravagant, Hollywood-created Halloween Party decorated by Tim Burton and featuring Johnny Depp in his Mad Hatter role from Burton’s acclaimed “Alice in Wonderland,” the event was deliberately held on the down-low.

In fact, author Jodi Kantor, in her new tell-all book, “The Obamas,” wrote the White House was more than just a little concerned about the way the costume party would affect the public’s perceptions.

“White House officials were so nervous about how a splashy, Hollywoodesque party would look to jobless Americans — or their representatives in Congress, who would soon vote on health care — that the event was not discussed publicly, and Burton and Depp’s contributions went unacknowledged.”

The event, so over the top that “Star Wars” creator George Lucas loaned out the original Chewbacca costume from the legendary film for an unknown participant to wear, was covered by a front event for the press in which the first couple handed out candy to trick or treaters. The president did not don a costume to that event, but first lady Michelle Obama wore a leopard-print sweater, cat ears and sparkly eye makeup.

Inside, at the invitation-only affair for children of military personnel and White House administrators, the State Dining Room served as Wonderland while Depp greeted guests from a table-top and Burton decorated the White House “in his signature creepy-comic style.” 

According to the book, fruit punch was served in blood vials and a magic show was held for the kids in the East Room.

The book, out Tuesday, was picked up by Fox News. While Kantor interviewed 30 administration aides for the read, she hasn’t interviewed the Obamas since 2009, and that, say aides, is problematic.

“The emotions, thoughts and private moments described in the book, though often seemingly ascribed to the president and first lady, reflect little more than the author’s own thoughts. These second-hand accounts are staples of every administration in modern political history and often exaggerated,” said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. 

But the author’s narrative is revealing. She details several glimpses of the first couple’s marriage, parenting and staffing issues, describing how Michelle Obama was conflicted about wanting to be part of the inner circle while also wanting to distance herself from the role of first lady.

According to the book, Michelle Obama also had an intense distrust of former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who has since become Chicago mayor. Emanuel and senior aide Valerie Jarrett also had some nasty spats after Emanuel tried to freeze her out because he saw her as a spy for the first lady.

“Michelle and Rahm Emanuel had almost no bond; their relationship was distant and awkward from the beginning,” Kantor wrote. 

The book portrays Mrs. Obama wanting to influence West Wing policymaking, but Democrats friendly to the White House noted to Fox News that Kantor appeared to say the opposite during an interview with Chicago magazine. 

In an interview last week, Kantor said the first lady struggled with Hillary Clinton’s legacy and never wanted to be seen as the kind of wife who was overly involved in the president’s duties, hence she grappled over whether to have an office in the West Wing. 

Asked is she is an adviser to the president, Kantor told the magazine, “In the most private, intimate sense, not in the sense of ‘I’m coming to your senior staff meeting.’”

On Sunday, Obama adviser David Axelrod, who is working on the president’s reelection from the campaign’s Chicago headquarters, said that the first lady is a sensational person and she will be on the election trail. 

Earlier, Axelrod said Michelle Obama does make a point “when she thinks things have been mishandled or when things are off the track … she’ll raise it, because she’s hugely invested in him.”

But White House aides did find themselves in the middle of the Obama marriage, Kantor wrote.

“The advisers could feel hopelessly caught between husband and wife. The Obama marriage was awkward for everyone: for the aides, for the president … and for the first lady.”

Related Video

Book Says Obamas Held Lavish ‘Alice’ Party During Recession

Johnny Depp among guests