txradioguy
01-09-2012, 05:46 AM
The White House is pushing back against claims from a new tell-all book that staff kept an extravagant, Hollywood-created Halloween Party under wraps due to fear it would create imaging problems.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Sunday the event, which was decorated by Tim Burton and featured Johnny Depp in his Mad Hatter role from Burton's acclaimed "Alice in Wonderland," was held for local children from the Washington D.C.-area and for hundreds of military families.
"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 Flickr, or post a video from it on the White House website," Schultz says. "Just goes to show you can't believe everything you read in books these days."
In her new book, "The Obamas," author Jodi Kantor wrote that 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.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/08/book-white-house-hosted-hollywood-halloween-bash-before-burton-film-release/?test=latestnews
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Sunday the event, which was decorated by Tim Burton and featured Johnny Depp in his Mad Hatter role from Burton's acclaimed "Alice in Wonderland," was held for local children from the Washington D.C.-area and for hundreds of military families.
"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 Flickr, or post a video from it on the White House website," Schultz says. "Just goes to show you can't believe everything you read in books these days."
In her new book, "The Obamas," author Jodi Kantor wrote that 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.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/08/book-white-house-hosted-hollywood-halloween-bash-before-burton-film-release/?test=latestnews