Rocco DiSpirito: Pretty in Pink?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT I suppose hot pink chair covers have a cult following (or a would-be "niche market" for the corporate types) some where, but when I saw the chair which chef Rocco DiSpirito had designed for charitable auction by Miniwax to celebrate that firm's 100th anniversary with a benefit to Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club of New York City, I thought that perhaps he had left the kitchen for kitsch. I mean, really! Is Rocco coming apart at the seams? While I love Miniwax itself and am all for the home improvement it has empowered over the last century, the concept of "Chairs for Charity" is pretty corny in and of itself. Add to this mix some of the reputed "fifteen prominent designers & personalities" and what have you got? A recipe for -- junk food? A number of other celebrities added their two cents' worth: Norm Abram, Bromley/Caldari Architects, Mario Buatta, Oscar de la Renta, Jamie Drake, Boomer Esiason, Billy Joel & Kate Lee, Norma Kamali, The New York Yankees, Katherine Stephens, and Michael Strahan. (I guess the message behind this list is that Mini Wax appeals to everyone -- or, "It takes all kinds"?) Thus, I'm not crazy about the chair designed by Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor: being a hero during 9/11 does not qualify one to design a chair. Still, compared to Rocco, the mayor demonstrated admirable restraint and taste by adding a New York skyline to the back of a conservative chair that avoided either 9/11 scenes or nostalgic views including the twin towers of the World Trade Center. J-Lo (that's Jennifer Lopez for ye olde folke) "inspired" another symphony in pink, but her chair is positively austere compared to Rocco's. Even Regis Philbin , that king of the morning kitsch fix, seemed to have remained reasonably within his own glitzy domain compared to the stray that Rocco has thrown in. Unlike other children, who should be "seen but not heard," I think Rocco really needs to focus on Radio for a while on his show on New York's WOR 710 AM, where he can be heard but not seen. (Discerning readers want to know: what is the deal is the dog "Teesha" pictured with Rocco? Part of the furniture? Please leave comments.) Previous articles: Rocco DiSpirito: Ridiculed in the Rainbow Room More Reality TV Chefs (or Less)? Video Killed the Radio Star: Can Radio Resurrect Rocco DiSpirito? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Iron Chef: America vs. USA Claude Troisgros: Riding de Rocco DiSpirito Star Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone? Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant