"I just got back from a charity gala—attending such events is part of being a Hollywood star, and as one of them, I'm certainly no exception."
This is a passage from Tom Cruise's autobiography published last year. It showcases one aspect of Hollywood and American high society—the participation in all kinds of "charity galas" is a mainstream discourse and lifestyle of the upper class.
In other words, charity is the true "elegance of the elite."
However, just like high society itself, this kind of "elite elegance" is also hierarchical.
In 2002, Halle Berry received her first-ever invitation to the Vanity Fair "Oscar Night" party. Excited, she brought her entourage along, only for them to be awkwardly stopped at the door.
"Oscar Night" is the hottest event in the City of Angels and a key social circle gathering every Hollywood star dreams of joining. But the "1+N" type of invitation is generally not allowed even for Halle Berry, who had just won the Best Actress Oscar.
However, if it were Duke, not only would "1+N" be no issue even if he wanted to bring dozens of attendants, the people from Vanity Fair would not stop him; they'd welcome him with open arms.
Every year's "Oscar Night" carries a charity theme.
Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief, Tina Brown, treats "charity" as a "decoration." Each year, she provides a few additional invitations—whoever wins the charity auction gets the chance to attend the party with the new Oscar-winning actors and actresses. They may even run into "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. or have dinner with director Quentin Tarantino…
Just like "Oscar Night," the charity galas Duke hosts at his estate also have entry thresholds. Those who can attend are all renowned figures within the circle.
For example, all four major directors Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Coppola were present.
Many of the guests didn't have particularly close ties to Duke, but they were more than happy to attend the event. First, a place packed with celebrities naturally attracts media attention. Second, no one can overlook Duke's influence in this circle.
"Most importantly, with Duke's status and position, any charity event he hosts is bound to be one of Hollywood's most elite gatherings."
Just back from Johannesburg, Sofia Coppola hurried over and said to a glamorously dressed Charlize Theron, "Being seen here will not only attract attention from over a hundred media outlets outside it's also a symbol of status and power."
"If it were before I starred in The Matrix,"
Charlize Theron glanced at the entrance of the banquet hall and said while looking at Duke and Scarlett welcoming guests, "I would've done anything to be part of this party."
The presence of so many celebrities, elites, and executives from major Hollywood companies made the banquet hall feel more like a networking arena. Hundreds of people moved about, exchanging greetings and business cards as they mingled.
It wasn't just Hollywood's upper crust many top media executives and even behind-the-scenes owners had walked into the hall. Building strong media relations is self-evidently crucial for actors.
Even with Charlize Theron's status as a top actress in Hollywood, she still went up to greet many people personally.
From the moment Scarlett Johansson left for Africa, Duke had instructed his butler Emma to start coordinating with relevant companies to plan this party. Judging solely by the level and number of guests, the party was undoubtedly a success.
By the time it approached 7 p.m., nearly 300 guests had already gathered in the banquet hall.
The charity event took the form of a formal dinner. Over fifty oak round tables were spread out across the spacious hall. Though no one would be indulging heavily in food or drink at such an occasion, all kinds of exquisite dishes and fine wines were served endlessly to every table.
"Godmother…"
Sitting beside Lady Leah, Scarlett spoke like a little girl who hadn't grown up. "You must support Duke and me in this foundation."
"You've both done a great job," Lady Leah nodded at her and Duke. "There are things that, once you've reached a certain height, you must do."
Every top tycoon in the world whether sincerely or just for appearances engages in charity to some extent.
Duke was well aware of this. Establishing a dedicated charity foundation would only benefit both him and Scarlett.
He had always known he wasn't a noble person; every step he took had ulterior motives. But in this world, how many other tycoons doing charity didn't have ulterior motives?
"Mom, why don't you stay in Los Angeles for Christmas this year?" Duke suggested.
Scarlett also looked hopefully at her godmother.
Leah thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll stay in Los Angeles. I'm getting a bit tired of all the heavy snow in New York over the years."
This was a charity fundraising event and also a reception gala for the children's foundation jointly established by Duke and Scarlett.
Among the attendees were also several senior officials from the UNHCR and UNICEF. Duke later went over to their table to exchange a few words. Though the United Nations is nothing in the face of the five rogue powers, its name and banner still serve as a very useful tool.
Even though the party had already morphed into a networking event, charity remained the theme.
As with all charity galas, the host of the party and co-founder of the newly established D&S Children's Foundation, Duke, was sure to give a speech.
"Now, please welcome Mr. Duke Rosenberg."
As the temporary host, Leonardo DiCaprio took the lead in applauding on the small stage at the front. Soon after, enthusiastic applause filled the banquet hall. Duke stood up, adjusted his black tuxedo, waved, and walked up to the small stage, standing in front of the upright microphone. He pulled out the speech drafted by Panny Kallis from his pocket.
As the applause gradually faded, Taylor Swift looked toward the front with eyes full of envy. When would she be like him become the center of attention in all of Hollywood?
"Sweetheart, once your album is released."
Seeing her daughter's expression, Mrs. Swift gently patted her hand, "Everything will be different."
If it weren't for her agent Nancy Josephson believing in her and being willing to help, how could she have gotten into such a venue?
Taylor Swift was well aware of this. "Mom, I will succeed. I definitely will."
It wouldn't be long before she had a great publicity opportunity she was going to sing the theme song for Duke's new movie!
"First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for attending this evening's gala…"
As the voice from the stage rang out, Taylor Swift temporarily put aside her thoughts, focusing all her attention on the front.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, thank you. Please, everyone take a seat, or Leonardo is going to start glaring again…"
After teasing Leonardo DiCaprio, who had walked off the stage, Duke turned to the main topic.
"Today we live in an era of highly developed media. The news can always bring us timely reports from around the world. Every time I see the unbelievable tragedies faced by mothers and children in developing countries on TV or in the newspapers, I often feel hopeless and powerless."
The banquet hall was silent, with only Duke's voice floating through the air.
"Now, when I see such stories again, I no longer feel so powerless because I know that the UNHCR, UNICEF, and other organizations, institutions, churches, and governments are all working hard to help them. But we still need to do more for the children in danger in developing countries. Some of them are merely struggling to stay alive."
"I often ask myself one question: What have you really done for this world? I believe my responsibility is to raise awareness in society about the needs of starving children. If I were an educator, economist, politician, theologian, or cultural expert, I might be able to understand the issues facing children around the world more deeply. Unfortunately, the cause of children still needs great support. Many children are facing malnutrition, disease, and the threat of death."
"I don't want to talk about exact numbers. Just look at those small faces and the transparent eyes of the sick, and you'll understand the circumstances they're living in."
At this point, Duke looked toward the table where his mother was seated. "I have here some photos and materials that Ms. Scarlett Johansson took during her field visit to Africa a few weeks ago…"
With perfect timing, Scarlett stood up, nodded slightly toward the front, and sat back down.
The background of the stage transitioned to barren African landscapes, displaying photo after photo of emaciated African children. Their large heads and bony, frail bodies formed a stark contrast, creating a shocking impact.
These were all real photos taken by the team that followed Scarlett. Duke turned around, looking at the pictures and said, "These are all signs of severe malnutrition. The primary cause of this illness is the lack of food and Vitamin A, which can damage the cornea and even cause partial or total blindness. A few weeks later, they might die."
He turned back around and continued, "In countries like Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Congo, and Ethiopia, there are millions of such cases every year. Today, in fact, millions of malnourished children are under threat of blindness."
Duke gestured to Scarlett Johansson, "Ms. Scarlett Johansson and I have jointly established the D&S Children's Foundation, not just to seek as much financial support from society as possible, but also to educate people in those areas with the most basic medical knowledge, to show them how to raise their children. Actually, it only takes 8 cents a year to keep a child from going blind. Eight cents the cost of just two Vitamin A capsules."
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