As we take a look back at the last year . . . historic events impacted our lives and changed paths for many. Remember Cheryl Mills? President Clinton’s very articulate and attractive 34-year-old lawyer made a name and launched a career for herself in front of the cameras during the impeachment trial when she helped save the Clinton presidency. Now, she’s put politics behind her, and is working for Oxygen Media, the new women’s cable network funded by Oprah and scheduled to debut in February. Don’t be surprised to see Mills back in front of the camera in the new millennium.
And our other impeachment star, Monica Lewinsky, is scheduled to do her first LIVE TV interview, January 3, with Larry King. No decision yet as to whether she’ll take phone calls from viewers. Looks like Monica wants to market her name — and her tote bags — into 2000.
Other phenomena that shaped ’99 and will likely impact 2000: the end of baby boomer icons — from JFK Jr’s tragic death to the closing curtain on the Peanuts comic strip; dot.com fever and e-everything from “You’ve Got Mail” to the high tech stock boom that has created a new breed of paper millionaires with the hot anagram of the millennium — IPO; and if “your final answer” is correct, Regis Philbin will give you a million dollars from his hit TV show that saved ABC from the ratings cellar and spurned copycats on FOX, CBS and NBC; and the emergence of American women in sports with the success of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and Wimbledon and U.S. Open Champs Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams. And of course, the First Lady vacating her much-coveted White House and role to feather her nest in New York and launch her U.S. Senate campaign. Forget the Y2K bug . . . everybody wants the Y2K buzz!
The politically correct Y2K jargon to describe the millennium celebration in the Nations’ Capital, where the monuments are being converted to one large stage, is “pyrotechnic waterfalls” or more simply, “special effects,” but definitely not, “fireworks.” Now you’re in the know.
Millions will witness Washington DC’s once-in-a-lifetime New Year’s Eve show on TV. Some of the stars that will help ring in the festivities are Luther Vandross, Bono, Usher and Tom Jones.
And 2000 good wishes from Capital Connections to you! Check this column next week to read about the buzz from the White House celebration — fashion, celebs, politicos, and those VIP New Year and New Millennium resolutions!