DEFINITION OF "NOT A GOOD LOOK"

"go shortie, it's your bat mitzvah
we gonna party like it's your bat mitzvah"
(actual lyrics)

50 Cent, among other luminaries like Tom Petty, Ciara and Aerosmith (a bizarre ensemble if ever there weas one) got paid chingo bling the other week to perform at the bat mitzvah of Elizabeth Brooks. (And you though DJ Quik playing at Ari Gold's daughter's bat mitzvah was ill).

Why do we care? Apart from the fact that playing a bat mitzvah is not exactly the kind of image that G-Unit wants to cultivate (though, for $500,000, I'd sing "Kol Nidre" in Chinese if asked), Brooks' dad is David Brooks, aka richer-than-god defense contractor. And not just any defense contractor:

David H. Brooks, CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB Industries, earned $70 million in 2004, 13,349% more than his 2001 compensation of $525,000. Brooks also sold company stock worth about $186 million last year, spooking investors who drove DHB’s share price from more than $22 to as low as $6.50 [DHB was trading at $4.20 Wednesday]. In May 2005, the U.S. Marines recalled more than 5,000 DHB armored vests after questions were raised about their effectiveness. By that time, Brooks had pocketed over $250 million in war windfalls."

"Indeed, Iraq war veterans are not pleased. Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq war veteran and founder of Operation Truth (and my frequent radio partner), told me, “It is already disturbing that anyone can live the high-life as a result of the booming war business, but it is particularly disheartening to hear about someone having their own private Lollapalooza, in part from the sale of defective equipment that put our troops in harm’s way. America must take a long, hard look at the idea of profit on the battlefield."

And the best part? We all paid for this party (well, those of us who pay taxes).
(Thanks to K.E. for the link).

--O.W.