Manhattan's beleaguered fashion flacks are more on edge than usual this Oscar season, and it's not just because of the usual last minute shenanigans that go on in the race to dress the short list of A-listers at Sunday's event. The ubiquitous television spots — everything from what tooth whitening process the stars are using to be camera-ready at the Kodak Theatre to the tried and true "shopping for a dress" segment with a nominee — have been strangely absent from virtually all of the celebrity-focused news shows that have been breathlessly covering all things Oscar for years. The concurrent freak shows surrounding "Bald Britney" and Anna Nicole Smith's death and subsequent legal wrangling have commandeered virtually all the air time that would ordinarily be devoted to those puffy Oscar "style" pieces that fashionistas spend all year angling to get.

Says one designer rep of an ill-fate television placement: "I can't believe I had an Oscar segment killed because they decided to run something on the judge at the Anna Nicole trial instead. I heard he was trying to get into the Vanity Fair party. This is the worst Oscar season ever for fashion." Says another publicist whose agency has seen virtually all of their pre-Oscar placements pre-empted by segments on the late Trim Spa spokesperson: "No one can believe that Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood have all but eliminated their pre Oscar coverage to report non stop on Anna Nicole Smith. This is horrible. It's the Oscars for God's sake!" But things could be worse notes the pessimistic fashionista: "I'm praying Britney stays alive at least until Monday."

— Diane Clehane

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