Apparently working for US Weekely. I knew he was struggling, but dayumn. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/entertainment/4847631.html Celebrity minors, major partyers Paparazzi put Lohan, others caught drinking in spotlight By DAVID PIERSON and AND ANDREW BLANKSTEIN Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — Authorities are trying to crack down on one of the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood: underage starlets partying hard at trendy clubs on the Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard. Doormen at Hollywood hotspots have been lifting the velvet rope for teen stars for years. Two decades ago, Drew Barrymore became tabloid fodder after being spotted drinking at Hollywood clubs when she was 13 and 14. These days, there's no hiding the illicit behavior — thanks to the aggressive tactics of Hollywood's ever-expanding paparazzi corps, who now document celebrities through every step of their nightclub-hopping. Lohan on the loose That's what happened over the weekend to actress Lindsay Lohan. The 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of DUI after crashing her Mercedes convertible in Beverly Hills early Saturday, culminating a night of partying on the Sunset Strip. A wave of publicity about underage stars drinking has prompted the California Alcohol Beverage Control board to step up undercover activities at several top nightspots. The board has gone to court seeking a 15-day closure order against Mood, a trendy Hollywood Boulevard club that was the subject of an investigation. Smile, you're on ... Paparazzi photos have shown Lohan, Mary-Kate Olsen and Frankie Muñiz, as well as singer Jesse McCartney, partying there (Lohan did not go to Mood on the night of her accident). One photo posted on various celebrity Web sites showed 18-year-old McCartney drinking a bottle of beer at Mood. But ABC officials said it would take more than a copy of US Weekly to prove wrongdoing. "We can't prove what's in the glass or where they were," said David Carr, a spokesman for the agency. "We need a witness on the ground." The enforcement action against Mood is considered an important test case. Some clubs seem willing to risk getting caught serving underage stars if it will bring A-list talent — and A-list publicity — to their establishments, said Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti, whose district includes Hollywood Boulevard and who asked state officials for heightened patrols. "To make a club profitable, they have to be celebrity-driven," Garcetti said. "People are willing to bend over backward to please celebrities. But you can't bend so backward that you break the law." Even some paparazzi wonder why authorities aren't doing more. "I'm not being sanctimonious here, but the crazy thing about what's happening now is nobody is stopping them," said Gary Morton, CEO of Splash News. He says his photographers have been chronicling underage drinking for years. "The clubs love the attention, but if this was any other underage kid, the police would have swooped in on the club." The celebrity Web site TMZ.com last year posted photos of McCartney and other underage stars at Mood, and managing editor Harvey Levin said he wondered why authorities weren't more closely monitoring what goes on at such nightspots. "There's no way they didn't know what was going on at those clubs," he said. "Everybody saw it; it was all over TV." Pop singer Jo Jo found that out the hard way last fall. Jo Jo, then 15, was photographed at Hyde, an exclusive 21-and-over club off the Sunset Strip frequented by celebrities. She later told People magazine that she didn't know about the age restriction: "I had milk and cookies! I wasn't drinking alcohol." (A spokeswoman for the restaurant said the rules allow them to serve food to minors). Understaffed Carr said state officials were aware of the images of baby-faced celebrities carousing. But he defended the agency's efforts, explaining that they have four agents to monitor 2,870 liquor licenses in the Los Angeles area. "We read the same headlines, and it concerns us," Carr said. "But we can't be in those places every night." Over the last year, ABC conducted 10 undercover operations itself. Mood was the only bar cited for serving drinks to minors. The club's owner, David Judaken, did not immediately return calls. But Elizabeth Peterson, a friend of Judaken and the owner of several trendy bars, said Mood was being unfairly targeted. "It's totally not his fault," Peterson said, noting that many underage people have convincing fake IDs. "It was judiciously checked." In full view However, Peterson, who runs bars downtown, said other operators should learn from Mood's experience. "Fifteen days' closure can close you (forever). People think these places are incredible cash cows, but not the first year," she said. "Allowing underage people in is just not worth it." Garcetti agreed that it can be difficult for bar owners to weed out all underage drinkers. But he was quick to point out that in the case of paparazzi-attracting celebrities, it shouldn't be hard. Especially when the evidence is in full view. "Obviously, there are times the paparazzi has gone too far," he said. "But they're also showing the truth about conditions in our nightlife."
