By Invitation Only

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   You are having a fancy dinner party at a specially reserved tres chic penthouse.   On the menu are caviar, coq au vin, wild rice, arugula, tomato, and guida cheese salad with hollandaise sauce, croissants, lobster bisque soup topped with radish garnish, and for dessert, dark chocolate truffles.   The drink of choice is French champagne.    The music of choice are Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and Diane Krall.    You,of course, want this event to be memorable.
   
   What people would you invite to the soiree of the year, if not the century?   Conversely, what people you definitely would not invite?    These peope include celebrities, other noted people, and noncelebrities.

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   1. 0

      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Mother Theresa, CS Lewis, Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, Whitney Houston, Rob Bell... and I'd mingle with them... however at my personal table would be Dave Barry, AJ Jacobs, and Jim Gaffigan... because even Mother Theresa would grow weary of my attempts at lame conversation... and I'd invite Jim Krasinski because... well... just because.

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   2. 61

      paradigmsearchposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Jim Ignatowski.

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      1. 0

         Motown2Chitownposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
         
         One of the most fantastic TV characters ever created.

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2. 62

   Hollie Thomasposted 10 years ago

   I'd invite Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandella, Emmeline Pankhurst, William Godwin, Mary Woolstencroft, Clement Atlee, Tony Benn, Caroline Lucas and Salma Yacoob. Celebrates do not interest me.
   
   I would not invite; George W Bush, Adolf Hitler, David Cameron or Margaret Thatcher.

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3. 62

   Hollie Thomasposted 10 years ago

   Loving the playlist. Frank Sinatra et.al

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4. 78

   WriteAngledposted 10 years ago

   I would not go. The music would make it impossible for me to keep my food down.

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   1. 62

      Hollie Thomasposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I would not eat the food. What about some Prokofiev and a few veggie dishes?

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      1. 89

         DzyMsLizzyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Agreed.  There's nothing on that menu I'd consider eating.  How about a vegetarian feast?  And yes, I can live with Prokofiev....  ;-)

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5. 68

   ienjoythisposted 10 years ago

   Mother Theresa, Henry David Thoreau, Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty White, Hillary Clinton, and Marlon Brando.
   
   I would not invite The Kardashians.

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6. 60

   TB Bullockposted 10 years ago

   I would invite Teddy Roosevelt, C.S. Lewis, Marilyn Monroe, John Locke, Sean Connery, Alexander the Great, Queen Elizabeth, Robert E.Lee, Friedrich Nietzche, Blind Willie Johnson, and Ernest Hemingway.
   
   I would have an armed guard posted at the door to keep Lil Wayne or any rapper off of my property. They would also be instructed to prevent any modern celebrity from entering the premises. Additionally, they would have orders to shoot any member of the cast of "Jersey Shore" on sight.
   
   Camouflage would not be allowed, and men wearing their girlfriend's jeans would have to change into respectable apparel before setting foot in the door.
   
   People of all views and opinions are welcome, but this is a black tie formal event, and there will will be no conduct unbecoming of a gentleman or lady at this dinner party.

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7. 80

   Mighty Momposted 10 years ago

   Gosh. I think I would go with a theme.
   Politicos and politically oriented celebrities that I like.
   Bill and Hill
   POTUS and FLOTUS
   The Bidens (I like Dr. Jill a lot)
   Caroline Kennedy
   Jon Stewart
   Stephen Colbert
   The entire staff of MSNBC. Not all that into Al Sharpton, but wouldn't want to be rude and exclude him
   My cousin Liz who worked on Tammy Duckworth's campaign
   My college friends
   James Spader (because I love him and he is the younger brother of a college friend!)
   
   I would also invite Tony Bennett and kd laing because they fit beautifully into the music scheme you've laid out!

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8. 96

   EsmeSanBonaposted 10 years ago

   The homeless--because they are the least likely to ever have such an experience.

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   1. 0

      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I like your answer best of all.

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      1. 96

         EsmeSanBonaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I wasn't trying to sound like a saint, it's just that this very question crossed my mind a couple of months ago and right in the middle of inviting the rich and famous, I thought, "You're meant to be such a social activist...but your entire list is filled with nothing but the elite.  Why is there not a single person on your list from the people you claim you care so much about?"  Pretty hypocritical, but then again, my own hypocrisy teaches me more about where I'm in need of life-examination than anything else I know.

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         1. 0

            Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            It was the first thought that crossed my mind, "the least of these" was what I wanted to put, but I was afraid I'd sound too church-y and the reference would be confusing.... I just liked that you found a way to phrase it simply.  I'm glad you brought that aspect into this thread.

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            1. 96

               EsmeSanBonaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               I just read a quote the other day that I cannot recall verbatim, but the paraphrase is something along the lines of "awkward shame does as much to prevent happiness as our vices."   That statement really resonates with me.

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   2. 60

      ReneeDC1979posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This should be selected as Best Answer

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      1. 96

         EsmeSanBonaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         It's only a decent answer because it was born of painfully seeing the disparity between my beliefs and actions--the worst ones of all because they were thoughts that came to me in private, it's what I was thinking when nobody was looking.  I want to be as candid about my private hypocrisy as I am my public comment.

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         1. 60

            lilmamakimposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            You are not a hypocrite! You simply started to think about answering the question as it was put. I did too for about 5 seconds, lol...then it hit me, daaammmnnn how boring would this party be??? We all sometimes daydream about something glamorous, doesnt mean we would actually want to live it for real. I say again, not a hypocrite. I would say you have integrity. Doing the right thing, even when no one was there to see you do it. Thats called class!

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   3. 60

      lilmamakimposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree with Beth! Best answer here. Better than even what I was going to say, which was "I wouldnt invite anyone, because I would never have that kind of a party. Im a very simple easygoing type of person, with no desire to hang out with someone just because they are famous, or rich. My idea of a fun get together is something simple, and relaxed. Like a barbeque, or just pizza, and family, and/or friends. And while I enjoy a wide range of music, the ones listed above, Im sorry, would put me to sleep.

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      1. 0

         Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Can I still have John Krasinski?

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9. 63

   Globetrekkermelposted 10 years ago

   If i decide to go, I will invite the homeless man in the street, the orphans at the orphanages, the drug addicts in the alley way and all the broken people in the world.It 's time to bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots.My conscience cannot accept that while some of us live the good life, a good percentage of the population are forgotten  and deprived. Why should some people have that privilege?

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10. 92

    habeeposted 10 years ago

    I wouldn't invite any politicians.
    
    I'd invite Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare, James Michener, Maya Angelou, Monet, Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, Pat Conroy, Charles Dickens, Tolkien, Steinbeck, Queen Elizabeth I, John Keats, and Flannery O'Connor. To keep everyone laughing, I'd include Eddie Murphy, Mitch Hedburg, George Carlin, and Kevin Spacey. Have you seen Spacey do impersonations?? He's great! I'd also invite Hugh Jackman and Colin Firth so I could look at them.

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    1. 80

       Mighty Momposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I would invite myself to your party just to look at Colin Firth!
       Of course, the rest of the list is awesome, too.
       Kevin Spacey imitations. Brilliant!

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11. 60

    ReneeDC1979posted 10 years ago

    I would have to find a new caterer, and then my invite list would be my family and close friends.

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12. 60

    ReneeDC1979posted 10 years ago

    Those uninvited I guess are non-family and non-friends.

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13. 61

    misstoughcookie97posted 10 years ago

    I would invite:
    Drew Brees
    Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonatha Knight, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre
    Alan Didak
    Damian Lewis
    Jennifer Lopez
    Tom Hardy
    Alex O'Loughlin
    Al Pacino
    Kevin Garnett
    Paul Pierce
    Rajon Rondo
    The rest of the cast of Band of Brothers and The Shield
    Theo Rossi
    Kim Coates
    Ryan Hurst
    Goran Visnjic
    Emma Stone
    Vanessa Marcil along with the rest of the GH cast
    
    I know a very long list. I know. Don't Judge!

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14. 80

    pstraubie48posted 10 years ago

    My list would include but would not be limited to:
    Denzel Washington
    Kathy Bates
    Tom Hanks
    Eddie Murphy
    Joel Osteen
    Reese Witherspoon
    Julia Roberts
    Cameron Diaz
    Michael J. Fox
    Michael Douglas
    Richard Gere
    Cuda Gooding Jr
    Whoopie Goldberg
    Morgan Freeman
    Liam Neeson
    Will Smith
    Andy Griffith
    Yanni
    and a bunch more but I think I have invited more than my share already

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15. 77

    Kangaroo_Jaseposted 10 years ago

    Invitations would go out to my closest family and friends.

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