Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jun 19, 2018

Trendspotting:

Sorry BILLY IDOL. It's not a nice day for a "White Wedding" any more. While 80 percent of today's brides still go for conventional white or ivory dresses, The New York Postsays a whopping 20 percent of today's brides are daring to be different with colorful wedding gowns. Many brides are requesting wedding gowns in pale blues and metallic hues. Blush pink is also a popular alternative embraced by REESE WITHERSPOON at her 2011 wedding and JESSICA BIEL in her 2012 nuptials to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. There's been a "surge in gowns featuring a subtle wash of color like blush and champagne," according to David's Bridal. The colors tend help bestow "a romantic or vintage feel" for the brides. (Bartha)

What's the Buzz:

The latest masterpiece from avant-garde artist (and weirdo) CHRISTO has been finished --but you'll have to go to London to see it up close. Called "The London Mastaba," it's a huge, 65-foot tall sculpture made up of 75-hundred colorfully painted oil barrels anchored to the bottom of the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park. The whole thing weighs around 600 tons.
"Mastaba" is an Arabic word for "bench" and Christo says he and his late partner, JEAN-CLAUDE, had planned to build the trapezoidal towers in cities around the world. He says he still wants to build a 560-foot version of the Mastaba in the middle of the Abu Dhabi desert as well.
The London Mastaba will be on view until September 23rd.
FYI: See it in the NY Times HERE.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN worked on his night off from Broadway last night. He was part of the lineup for the re-opening of the Asbury Lanes bowling alley in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Variety says The Boss showed up and played nothing but old blues and early rock 'n' roll tunes like "Twist & Shout" backed up by the TANGIERS BLUES BAND. The event was a benefit for the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County. (Marino)

Anniversaries:

The Hula Hoop turns 60 years old today. This is the day its inventors sought a trademark for the hollow plastic circle that launched a dizzying pop-culture craze. RICHARD KNERR and ARTHUR "Spud" MELIN based their creation on a similar toy that Australian school children seemed to enjoy. The rest is history. Within a year, their Wham-O company had sold more than 100 million Hula Hoops ($1.98 each) --more than one hoop for every two Americans.
--84 years ago, the Federal Communications Commission was formed, by the Communications Act of 1934. Back then, the radio air waves really did belong to the public.