• by Kelly Samardak , August 25, 2008

An Evening Of Comfort with O Magazine, The Hearst Tower, New York
August 21, 2008

Professional women, straight-outta-college women, and a couple of guys dotted the audience at O The Oprah Magazine's "Evening of Comfort and Conversation" at the Hearst Tower in the Joseph Urban Theatre. What really grabbed me in the invitation was "... and chef Art Smith will be performing comfort food demonstrations of his favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Cocktails will follow."

At 6:54 p.m., the sun was setting warmly on the diamond-shaped glass clusters of the Hearst Tower. It's all monastery style on the bottom and glamour gals on the top. Through the swiveling doors I went, encountering a line of ladies in varying degrees of suits and summer professional dresses. What were they up to today? Working? If they were working, they're well-paid judging just from the bags and shoes (but what do I know? They could have gotten them from Bag, Borrow, or Steal)

I glided up the escalator with the rest of the polished and powdered Oprah empire fans, eventually sinking into the leather hug of my auditorium seat. My ears overflowed with the rumbling of the audience excited to see Thom Filicia. Pre-event music is a curious thing. Do composers pitch their pieces to event planners? Like, "This is a fabulous marriage of horns, jazz, and smooth beats. I call it 'after work good times minus Girls Gone Wild'." It felt very Oprah-y, so they were on target with brand symmetry.

At around 7:15, the music cut off, the lights dimmed, the Gucci heels stops scuffling, and Thom Filicia graced the stage in his skinny hip-snuggling jeans, a tiny whaled jacket, and... slippers. Once he called himself out for wearing slippers, I couldn't stop staring, and suddenly by the power of suggestion my own feet seemed to swell in my adorable Target heels ("They're very Betsy Johnson inspired!" a surprised-by-Target Nichelle Stephens proclaimed later), eking towards Thom's slippers.

After Thom's comfortable and comforting presentation of comfort, Jean Chatzky, financial expert and one-time $400/mo Brooklyn apartment renter (why was I the only one in the audience who honked with envy at such an incredible price?), hit the stage with her theories on finances and women. I usually scoff at womeny events and I've come to realize in my old age that I scoff because it's uncomfortable to admit that I resemble the blanket statements (shopping while intoxicated...). I had to laugh at myself as I raised my hand to every single one of the listed "excuses" for women not taking charge of their financial situation. Inspiring, but I still went home and watched my DVR'd "Meth Mountain" instead of researching a Roth IRA.

Who wouldn't we want comfort food after all that? Chef Art Smith demonstrated his famous mac 'n' cheese to some seated guests while the rest, with our wits about us, got in line for cocktails. Passed amongst the cocktails were little lobster sandwiches, some sort of bacon delight, and a server laden with tiny cups of the famous mac'n' cheese. I nearly suffocated from the deluge of women who descended upon the server like a pack of wolves, grappling for those cheesy bits. I managed to snap a shot of the gooey goodness before losing a limb.

Sara Crabbe, Manager, Public Relations, Hearst Magazines, made sure in a very real and low-pressure way that I had spoken to everyone I needed to afterward (as opposed to ordering me here and there, overenthusing, "You HAVE to get this person"). I don't want to name names, but someone is going to see Kids On The Block in Atlantic City (Sara Crabbe) and someone is jealous (me).

I also met up with Nichelle Stephens, Social Media Strategist and cupcake connoisseur. Coincidentally, a pal of hers is working with Jean Chatsky on her social media strategy (everyone needs one!). Sara Gray Miller, editor-in-chief of O at Home, was mingling in front of the bar with her Southeast Director of Sales, the Creative Director, and another colleague while Dan Fuchs, Associate Publisher of O at Home, kept an eye on the guests from the outskirts. I cannot forget the lovely Gilda Dormevil, braiding specialist, and her friend Lynne Frank, Lead Office Consultant American Express (but working for Newsweek). We all thought we knew each other from somewhere but we didn't.

Well, now we do.

Invite kelly@mediapost.com to your macaroni media shindig and get covered in Just An Online Minute!

Check out Thom Filicia's slippers in the online photos!

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