Lifestyle Features Wednesday, January 29, 2020
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Established 1961 21 Lifestyle Features Wednesday, January 29, 2020 In this file photo taken on February 27, 1989 French Cabaret artist In this file photo taken on June 7, 2016 French cabaret director and French cabaret director Michel Georges Alfred Catty, also Michel Georges Alfred Catty, also known as Michou, poses with known as Michou performs at the ‘Paradis Latin’ during a TV stuffed animals in his house in Paris. Waiters of Michou Cabaret serve clients in Paris. — AFP photos show for the centenary of the Parisian cabaret in Paris. ichou, a legend of the Paris night famous women for after-dinner entertain- Mscene who helped inspire the comedy ment in his simple bar in the city’s northern classic “La Cage aux Folles”, died Montmartre district. “I imitated Brigitte Sunday at the age of 88. A trailblazer who Bardot, finishing my number almost naked... established drag cabaret in France, Michou for the time, it was very cheeky,” he says on died in a Paris hospital, Francois Deblaye, a his club’s website. spokesman for his Chez Michou theatre, told AFP. Michou, whose real name was Michel ‘Michettes’ Catty, was a fixture of Paris nightlife for more He and his friends repeated the perform- than 60 years, unmistakable in his top-to-toe ance and soon the barmen and waiters were all-blue outfits and chunky dark glasses. swapping aprons after their shifts for outra- geous gowns, wigs and false eyelashes. Michou and his camped-up “Michettes” became icons of Paris’s saucy nightlife, alongside the larger, more conventional cabarets of the Moulin Rouge, Lido and Crazy Horse. His entertainment was about mimicking-not mocking-the stars of the day, Michou insisted. “There is a lot of respect in our caricatures. We adore our victims and they know it,” he told AFP in 2011. “We do not ape them. There is never any vulgarity.” Egyptian-born diva Dalida, France’s blonde pop queen of the 1970s and 1980s, “loved to come and see herself more In this file photo taken on June 13, 2016 French crazy than ever,” he said. Such was his fame Cabaret artist and transvestite cabaret owner that he and his club inspired a hit 1978 In this file photo taken on April 5, 1986 (Top left to right) French actor Jean-Claude Brialy, US actress and singer Liza Minnelli, French singer Charles Aznavour, pose Michou, whose real name is Michel Georges Alfred French comedy film, “La Cage aux Folles”- with (Front Row from left to right) tranvestite impersonator Silvestre, French cabaret director Michel Georges Alfred Catty, also known as Michou (center), and Catty, poses in Paris. later remade in Hollywood as “The French artistic director Georges Garaventz pose during a dinner in a restaurant, in Paris. Birdcage”, starring Robin Williams. the 1980s, also recording several songs. singing legend Nana Mouskouri. me. That may seem pretentious but the His tiny Cabaret Michou launched drag Blue Prince Always proudly and flamboyantly gay, even It was fueled by lots of champagne, his cabaret will not survive after me,” he said in entertainment in the mid-1950s when it put In 1948, Michou arrived in the City of when homosexuality was illegal, Michou was preferred “fountain of youth”. Michou made a recent interview. — AFP on shows featuring men caricaturing women Light from the small northern city of Amiens, awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the clear in his 2017 memoires “Blue Prince of personalities of the time. Michou would aged 17. As his reputation grew through his Legion d’honneur, in 2005. Montmartre” that he wants to be buried in a recount over the years how one Mardi Gras niche cabaret, he had a film cameo in 1973 His 80th birthday party was a megabash blue coffin, also saying his cabaret should die he dared some male friends to dress up as and was a frequent feature on television in of stars, from fashion’s Jean-Paul Gaultier to when he does. “I want this to disappear with nown for its celebrity scandals to hear of the loss via media. Breaks the website. “TMZ effectively-when it Kand salacious gossip, website my heart.” comes to entertainment news that is TMZ has carved out another TMZ did not respond to AFP’s headline-breaking, like the Kobe sto- niche for itself-breaking the news of request for comment on its reporting ry-they run this town,” said Hollywood olice, firefighters, news chan- into a hillside near Los Angeles. fog to lift,” said Lesourd. According famous deaths first, at any cost. TMZ or protocols on the story. But the entertainment journalist and producer Pnels and tourists: helicopters Eight others were killed, including to Lesourd, the likeliest explanation was first to report the helicopter crash website, founded in 2005, has a track Simon Thompson. “They have people are a constant buzz in the Los his 13-year-old daughter, whom is that the pilot suffered “spatial dis- that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant record of being quickest to grisly everywhere.” Angeles skies, but only a few wealthy Kobe was accompanying to a bas- orientation” after losing sight of the and eight others near Los Angeles on celebrity deaths. It broke details of people like Kobe Bryant could afford ketball game she was due to play in. ground upon entering the clouds. “A Sunday. Law enforcement officials Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston ‘Merciless approach’ to use them on a daily basis. The helicopter is unstable-not like a car have lashed out at the website for and Prince passing before mainstream The outlet is also known for paying expensive, rapid option is restricted ‘Unstable’ or a plane. You constantly have to publishing details of the loss of life outlets. Other famous scoops included tipsters, often generous fees reaching to a handful of businessmen and The causes of the disaster have actively control its altitude,” he said. before victims’ next of kin could be Mel Gibson’s drunk-driving arrest and thousands of dollars, in what a New celebrities-including the late basket- not yet been determined, but the city “When you’re in the clouds, your notified. anti-Semitic tirade, and Chris Brown’s Yorker profile called a “merciless ball legend-seeking to avoid the was shrouded in a dense fog. “He brain doesn’t know which way is up Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex physical assault on then-girlfriend approach to celebrity news.” Founder Californian city’s notoriously clogged should have said to himself ‘Let’s and which is down, like when you’re Villanueva called the practice Rihanna. Harvey Levin-a lawyer by training, roads. take the car,’ or stopped somewhere scuba diving.” Bryant’s pilot would “extremely disrespectful” and “wholly Experts say this stems from its and former reporter-told Fox News in “Renting a machine like (Bryant’s and waited a couple of hours for the have been highly experienced, inappropriate.” His deputy Tim extensive network of news gatherers 2014 there was “nothing wrong” with Sikorsky S-76) is about $4,000 an because helicopters which transport Murakami tweeted that he was “sad- and sources, particularly in Los paying sources for surveillance cam- hour, the pilot is earning at least individual passengers “on demand” dened that I was gathering facts as a Angeles. Unconfirmed reports claim era footage or photos. “The video is $100,000 a year,” Philippe Lesourd, require strict, airline-style permits to media outlet reported ... Kobe had these include airport officials, limo still the video. So who cares whether a helicopter pilot and instructor who operate. passed. “I understand getting the drivers and court officials. Los you pay money for it?” has been flying in the state for 29 Such “air taxi” pilots-a minority scoop but please allow us time to Angeles police and justice officials Levin did not respond to a request years, told AFP. “It’s not within any- of those flying helicopters-have to make personal notifications to their have lost their jobs after allegedly for comment by AFP. While main- one’s reach.” undergo regular training and drug loved ones,” he wrote. “It’s very cold providing confidential information to stream journalism typically frowns on Beside Bryant, other celebrities testing checks, added Lesourd. some of these practices, TMZ is not who regularly use helicopters California is the US state with the unique in doing so, and has also drawn include the Kardashian family, said highest number of helicopter acci- reluctant praise for its work on impor- Lesourd, as well as businessmen who dents, with 177 recorded between tant stories. It broke allegations of prefer an option “about five or six 2007-2016, according to official sta- racism against ex-Los Angeles times faster than the road with traf- tistics. Helicopters were on average Clippers owner Donald Sterling, and fic.” Bryant started using private safer than airplanes in the US, with a “Seinfeld” star Michael Richards. choppers around 2006. After drop- fatality rate of 0.82 per 100,000 fly- Owned by WarnerMedia, TMZ’s name ping his daughters at school by car ing hours, including 55 deaths in 24 comes from an old industry term, in the morning, he would fly 40 miles accidents last year. But according to “Thirty Mile Zone,” designating the north to the Lakers stadium in down- figures from a US helicopter safety limits of Hollywood’s entertainment town LA for basketball training, and group, private flights have the worst district. The brand now operates tele- return to Newport Beach in time to performance of any sector. Over the vision shows and Los Angeles celebri- collect them. past decade, they accounted for only ty-themed bus tours.