Suburbarazzi

Around the time Dateline NBC should have been firing the folks responsible for its “To Catch a Predator� segment (after a failed sting operation led a district attorney to shoot himself), the network was making a more Machiavellian move: dropping Phillips, the show’s co-anchor. The decision, last May, not to renew the Dobbs Ferry resident’s contract reportedly boiled down to cost-cutting. This after Phillips spent 15 years with the network, during which time he turned the newsmagazine into one of its prime-time staples. Talk about stone cold!

Prediction for 2008: Shortly after his June 2 departure from Dateline, Phillips told LoHud’s Suburbarazzi blog he would be taking time off, traveling, and “then taking on some independent projects.� One of those projects, we hope, will involve teaming up with fellow network refugee Ted Koppel over at the Discovery Channel—a better place for quality TV journalism these days, anyway.

(Stuart Ramson / AP Photo) 

Adapted from “People of the Year,� InTown Westchester, December 2007

So, aside from a 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter, V-8, with 6-speed automatic transmission and about a thousand tons of steel, what do you get standard with a Funkmaster Flex Ford (or FMF for short)? Try this on for size:

• 3dCarbon body kit with custom front/rear fascia and side skirts
• Two-tone Black and Colorado Red paint with Orange pinstriping
• Funkmaster Flex chrome badges on fenders
• Second-row captain’s chairs
• 20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels
• Black leather interior with contrasting Colorado red stitching
• Funkmaster Flex stitched logo headrests
• Unique floormats with FMF logo
• Limited-edition Funkmaster Flex numbered dash plaque
• SIRIUS® Satellite Radio
All these features, dreamed up by the the Dobbs Ferry DJ, can be yours for $40,910, including $900 for destination and delivery charges.

An impulsive, angry White Plains dentist who will shove people away from the vehicle with vicious authority? That costs extra.

(Seriously, check that video out. If anyone out there actually goes to this dentist, William Moody, please, please be careful!)

Between “Car Wars” and the “Funkmaster Flex Custom Car and Bike Show Tour” it’s easy to forget that the DJ still has a radio show on Hot 97. For years Flex had owned the night, from 7 p.m to midnight, but when DJ Clue moved onto 105.1, he lost the No. 1 slot. Since then a rivalry has been brewing between the two stations.

Given that Flex has an office in Dobbs Ferry, that made it easy for us to choose which spinner to side with. And now, according to The Daily News, we made the right choice. Flex is back on top, with 12.6 percent of the 18- to 34-year-old demo, compared with Clue’s 9.6 percent. Not quite as cool as a tricked out Ford Expedition, but pretty close.

Los Angeles County made a little slip-up when it canceled the Hip-Hop car show headlined by Dobbs Ferry-based DJ Funkmaster Flex. The rationale for shutting down the event, which was supposed to be held in August, was that the music was “offensive.” There was just one little problem. Two, actually. The First and Fourteenth Amendments.

The organizers of the event, Imagine Media Group LLC, have filed an $800,000 lawsuit on September 20 asserting that the county violated both Constitutional rights. According to this story on AllHipHop, “The company seeks compensatory damages for violation of civil rights, compensatory damages, exemplary and punitive damages and attorney’s fees.”

(photo: Ford Motor Company)

After the break, find out the answer to this week’s quiz question: Which local stand-up comedian received early show business advice from the late father of Tarrytown product and fellow stand-up Greg Fitzsimmons?

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If you want the formal account of yesterday’s Autism Speaks celebrity-laden tournament at Mamaroneck’s Winged Foot Golf Club, check out this story in today’s Journal News.

In it, you’ll find quotes by former NBC Chairman Bob Wright, who cofounded the charity; “Dateline NBC” co-anchor and Dobbs Ferry homeowner Stone Phillips; “Fox5 News at 10” meterorologist and New Rochelle resident Nick Gregory; National Football League Hall-of-Famer Harry Carson; fellow former New York Giant and one-time star of “The Bachelor” Jesse Palmer; and “Late Show with David Letterman” announcer Alan Kalter.

Now for some behind-the-scenes gossip that didn’t appear in print due to the constraints of space, time and relevance:

• Some of the other celebrities to appear at the event, in alphabetical order: actor Gregg Bello; CBS sportscaster Don Criqui; Kansas drummer Phil Ehart; CourtTV commentator Jack Ford; “Squawk Box” cohost Joe Kernen; actor Richard Kind; former NFL cornerback Jeremy Lincoln; “Today in New York” sports anchor Otis Livingston; music producer Brendan O’Brien; and musician Tyrone Vaughan, who is the nephew of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.

• Among those scheduled to appear at the event, but didn’t show, were season-five “American Idol� champ Taylor Hicks, “Today� show cohost Matt Lauer and comedian George Lopez.

• True to his persona on “The Bachelor,” Palmer charmed members of the public and media, enthusiastically posing for photos and answering questions.

• Carson said he was happy to help out the charity, despite repeatedly stating that his golf game “sucks.” Asked what his score was minutes after completing the 18-hole course, Carson said, “I have no idea.”

• Celebrity golf handicaps (or at least those they want us to believe): Kalter, 14; Palmer, 15; Lincoln, 16; Wright, 18; Gregory, 26.

Dobbs Ferry homeowner Stone Phillips was one of many celebrities to appear at today’s Winged Foot Golf Club outing in Mamaroneck to fundraise for the Autism Speaks charity.

Just before heading to the links, Phillips chatted exclusively with Suburbarazzi about the prospect of providing piano accompaniment for event no-show Taylor Hicks; the similarities between football and golf; and his plans after his employer opted not to renew his “Dateline NBC” contract, which expires at the end of the month.

Suburbarazzi: You played piano and serenaded Katie Couric on her “Today” show finale, and “American Idol” champ Taylor Hicks was expected to be here today, but didn’t show. Would you have accompanied him on a song had he shown up?

Stone Phillips: I would not. Because I wouldn’t have embarrassed him or me by trying to do that.

Suburbarazzi: You were the starting quarterback on Yale’s 1976 Ivy League Champion football team. Do any of those skills translate to anything on the golf course?

Stone Phillips: Yeah, I think some of them do. To me, it’s visualization. You have to visualize the point of junction between and the receiver and the ball you throw. And in golf it’s a lot of visualization, too. Other than that, I just try to have fun. I enjoy playing football and I enjoy playing golf.

Suburbarazzi: What are your plans, post-“Dateline�?

Stone Phillips: Nothing immediately. Nothing for a while. You know, I’m going to take some time off and do some traveling with my wife and take it from there. It’s gonna be a nice long period of rest and relaxation, and then taking on some independent projects.

In response to my weekly updates on fugitive rapper DMX, who still has two warrants out for his arrest, I got some angry comments on the blog.

• james wrote, “leave dmx alone all you self rightous hipocrets.”

• truebluechicago said, “He can stay at my place anytime for his house arrest, with his fine ass. Leave X alone and quit helping the cops do their job, you’re not getting paid for it.”

• Mpho exclaimed, “u want X arrested u dick head?? … GTFO”

• And Left told me to “stop snitching.”

Now, I’m not one to normally back down on those who mess with the criminal justice system (you’re not going to ever hear me defending Paris Hilton, ok). Still, in this instance I was starting to wonder if I’d made some breach of hip-hop etiquette.

That’s why I was heartened to read that none other than Funkmaster Flex, the legendary Hot 97 DJ (who has an office in Dobbs Ferry), has taken on the proponents of the rap business’s so-called “anti-snitching” movement. “Call me what you want,” he said on Monday, “I’m snitchin’.” He added he would give out police hotline numbers to anyone who wanted them.

Now, granted, he was talking mainly about the tragic murder of Dipset rapper, Stack Bundles, and the reluctance of people to speak out to authorities. But still. As far as I’m concerned, Flex’s endorsement of “snitching” is good enough for me.

The search for DMX continues!

“Funkmaster Flex Speaks On Snitching & 50 Cent” [HipHopDX]

Local NBC veterans Matt Lauer and Stone Phillips are expected join Season 5 “American Idol” champ Taylor Hicks and other celebs at Winged Foot Gold Club in Mamaroneck this Monday to fundraise for an autism charity at the ninth-annual Celebrity Golf Challenge.

Founded by former NBC CEO Bob Wright and his wife Susan, Autism Speaks sent invitations to the “Today” show co-host, who spent part of his childhood in Chappaqua, Ardsley and Hartsdale; the “Dateline” alumnus, who owns property in Dobbs Ferry; and the silver-haired “Idol,” who, um, will be in Westchester County possibly for the first time.

Among the other celebrities expected to attend are Gregg Bello, Joe Kernen, Jeremy Lincoln, Jack Ford and Don Criqui, according to the organization.

Many thanks to fellow Remote Access contributor Amy Vernon for the tip.

(Lauer photo by Mark Vergari/The Journal News; Phillips photo by Stuart Ramson/Associated Press; Hicks photo by Frank Micelotta/Fox)

Are you as excited as I am for season two of Flex’s reality TV series, “Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex,” debuting this Sunday, May 20, on ESPN2? No?

Well, what about actually winning an official Funkmaster Flex Edition Ford Explorer? How good is that?!

Let me explain: Besides the TV show, the hip-hop guru (who has an office in Dobbs Ferry) is also launching his own Flunkmaster Flex Custom Car and Bike Show Tour, with nine stops around the U.S. and Canada. At any one of those give sites, you may also get to meet stars like Nas, T.I., Jim Jones, Cam’ron, Fat Joe, Ghostface, T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Fabolous, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, and my personal favorite, Q-Tip.

Locally, the tour will make stops in both Edison, NJ (June 23), and Hartford, CT (July 21). And yes, there’s a contest to give away a free Explorer at one of the events. To enter, send an email to funkflex@sohh.com with the subject: “Funkmaster Flex Ticket Giveaway.â€? Make sure to indicate which show you want to go to and enter no less than 7 days before the event.

“Win Tickets To The Funkmaster Flex Car Show” [SOHH BLOG]

(photo: Ford Motor Company)

Forget Florida-Ohio State. (Trust me, Buckeye fans are trying.) The quest for the real national champion starts next Tuesday.

Da-NA-da-NA- na-NA-na-NA! Errrrr-RAAAAH! (That’s my pathetic phonetic attempt at the “American Idol” theme.)

Last season, Westchester had two residents among the top 24 finalists: Dobbs Ferry’s Becky O’Donohue and Mount Vernon’s Brenna Gethers. But it could be argued that they became more famous for what they did when they weren’t singing.