Penn Badgley at the HTC Serves Up NYC Launch event in NYC

HTC – the cellphone makers perpetually attempting to compete against the Apple genius of IPhones – scheduled a culinary fete at the Highline Stages in NYC a few nights ago touted to be a “product launch event.”  The guest lists screamed A-LIST with the likes of Charlize Theron, Leighton Meester, Hugh Dancy and rising star Elizabeth Olsen along with Gossip Girl hottie Penn Badgley and lesser red carpet staples Rashida Jones and Charlotte Ronson.  Certainly a not to miss venue – on paper.

The talent arrival commenced with the lesser known Olsen sister clad in a creme colored mumu.  Girl stepped onto the entrance way and promptly picked up stride and sprinted off the carpet leaving a press line wondering what was going on…?  ’Perhaps she had to pee,’ offered one pap.  ‘She’ll be back’ quipped another.

No she wouldn’t be!

This very same action repeated with the arrival of Hugh Dancy who, hands in his pockets and head bowed down, made like he had just shoplifted one of the new phones being launched and was attempting an inconspicuous get-a-way cept for he was just entering.

And the crowd, noticing a theme, Booooed!

This did not go over well with the event organizer who raced over and proceeded to drop a total of three F-bombs on the photog line.

“Don’t you fucking booo my guest,” she yelled out.  Two more followed but you get the general tone of what they were like…

NICE.

The PR then made a huge effort to “Serve Up” the chefs participating in the theme along with D-list types like Max Winkler, Jodie & Danielle Snyder, Cary Levine and Paul Iacono.  If you are asking yourselves ‘who?’ we share in your sentiment.

Cameras down, a slew of them did.

The evening climaxed with the arrival and photo-ops of Penn Badgley, Rashida Jones, Charlotte Ronson and Book of Mormons TONY winner Nikki M. James.  Hot Chocolate Mathew Thomas was a personal favorite for us.  Brother was ripe!

And then came word that Ms. Meester would be delayed an “maybe an hour,” and Theron was a “we don’t know.”

Well, need we point out that a few packed up and vacated promptly.

Final word on Theron and Meester is that they arrived few minutes shy of the witching hour and breezed through the entrance forcing the die-hard crew to machine gun they shortened step-and-repeat.

Event worth the time invested?  Not in a hells chance less you were working all access.  We do hear the likes of Jonah Hill and Jeffrey Wright also making an improptu appearance at the posh set-up.

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