BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 3, 2001–American servicemen and women stationed overseas might be missing homefront pleasures like “Must-See TV” every week, but no matter, “Must-See TV” came to them instead via computer at a swanky USO luncheon held at Spago.
Some of the troops got a chance to converse one-on-one with the cast of the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me through a high-tech online hook-up provided by Logitech and SpotLife as part of “Operation Deliver America,” sponsored by Diet Coke with Lemon.
As about 200 guests sipped white wine and lemon-flavored soda, Spade and his co-stars Laura San Giacomo, George Segal, Wendie Malick and Enrico Colantoni delivered live and recorded greetings to members of the military who are away from home during the holidays.
“I’m going to send Osama a Just Shoot Me T-shirt with the crosshairs on it,” Just Shoot Me star David Spade told the servicepeople. “I was going to come myself in person, but the only flight I could find was on Southwest and there were, like, 45 stops.”
Plenty of other celebrities, including curvaceous Jaime Pressly, former Baywatch babe Nicole Eggert, Brad Pitt look-alike Brad Rowe, rapper Coolio (who’s helming his own USO benefit tour), Talk Soup‘s Aisha Tyler, X-Men‘s Tyler Mane and Honorary Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant descended upon Wolfgang Puck‘s famous restaurant to send their best wishes to the men and women who are currently waging America’s war on terrorism.
They also perused a collection of silent auction items, such as an Elvis Presley doll in G.I. fatigues, an autographed photo of the Friends cast, autographed leather pants from rocker Joan Jett, a gift certificate to Connie Stevens‘ Beverly Hills spa and a football signed by NFL great Terry Bradshaw.
Segal, who stepped onto the patio to enjoy a quick cigar, told me he and his cast mates had been on the set earlier and were looking forward to sending good wishes to the troops. “We wished them a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah and a Happy New Year,” said Segal, adding that he served in the military between the Korean and Vietnam wars.
While the guests noshed, the action heated up at the live auction when several stars found themselves vying for the same prized items. Aisha Tyler and Jaime Pressly clashed over a luxe trip to Bali, with Tyler emerging on top–complete with a little victory dance–with a $3,400 bid.
But that was just the warm-up for the dramatic battle of wills that closed out the auction: Colantoni and actress Karri Turner (JAG) staged an extended back-and-forth after two Vespa scooters painted in a lemony yellow (along with the Diet Coke with Lemon logo) were put on the blocks. Every time the auctioneer shouted “Going once…going twice–,” Colantoni would wave a little American flag and up the ante by another $500, and Turner merrily answered with her own counterbidding flag.
Both stars found themselves upstaged, however, when model/actress Shaune Bagwell–in the sexiest dress of the day, with sheer, transparent panels–chimed in and snared both scooters for $9,500.
“I should have signaled [Karri] and split the $10,000 [winning bid] with her,” Colantoni told me while waiting for Spade to quit flirting with Pressly and Eggert and drive him back to their Burbank soundstage. That way, he said, they’d each pay five grand, they’d each get a shiny new Vespa and everybody would go home happy.
Nevertheless, the actor–still clutching his tiny flag–was clearly tickled by the perfectly timed drama–or was it comedy?–he’d added to the day’s proceedings.
