Socialgay and soon-to-be reality show victim Kristian Laliberte isn't too worried about the financial crisis, even though he works in PR. He told the Observer that the parties might be a little less lavish, but will basically be fine. (Isn't that what clueless Parisian socialites were saying on the eve of the German invasion?)

“I think that people are being more conservative… There’s a dichotomy: On one side, people are skimping on certain things and then, on the other side, you see these fabulous clubs again. There are extremes on both sides. From being in the PR industry, maybe deciding not to serve hors d’oeuvres. Or, instead of a big name DJ, let’s get an unknown. Instead of paying an appearance fee for an actor, maybe go with a socialite.”

We might direct him to the film Bon Voyage, set in France in 1940. As the NYT said, it "juggles myriad characters in various states of panicked self-absorption at a turning point in history." [Photo: Nikola Tamindzic for Home of the Vain]