In the circles Harvey and Bob Weinstein move in, cozying up to Wal-Mart is not a great way to make friends. Members of the New York liberal media establishment were in a tizzy yesterday after hearing that the producing pair will throw a gala in honor of the retail giant's CEO, H. Lee Scott, Jr., and his "commitment to environmental sustainability." The Eagles have been hired to play at the party, with a list of cohosts including Revlon chairman Ron Perelman, TV host Charlie Rose, real estate mogul Steve Rattner, and Time Warner exec Bob Pittman. Why go to such trouble for a figure the Weinsteins' Democratic pals—including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Michael Moore—love to slap around?
"Someone wants their movies displayed on the top shelf," cracks one entertainment-industry source. "Wal-Mart can single-handedly make or break your DVD sales."