Looks <i> and </i> Brains

Just when you thought it was safe to give up those old, tired stereotypes, sexism rears its ugly head. One of the guests at the recent benefit premiere of “Another You” was Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist and director of the new Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Karlan was in the spotlight for a good part of the party, posing with the film’s star, Gene Wilder, and doing some interviews.

Karlan also happens to be quite attractive and was dressed in a glamorous white cocktail dress. Those qualities made it difficult for some at the party to believe that she was actually a doctor. Some mistook her for Wilder’s fiancee. After she made a brief speech to the crowd explaining the goals of the center, a couple was overheard saying, “She must be the manager of the program.”

“Mmm-hmm. She couldn’t be involved in the medical part.”

Junior Partners

On most invitations to benefits there’s a list of co-chairs or dinner chairs or honorary chairs or kitchen chairs. But Buzz did a double take when it came upon the list of co-chairs for the “Return to the Blue Lagoon” screening Tuesday for Para Los Ninos, a social service agency that helps families in the downtown area. Some of the last names were those of familiar celebs, but the first names didn’t ring a bell.

A call to Deborah McElwaine, founder and president of the Para Los Ninos Women’s Guild, revealed that benefit chairman Daniel McElwaine is her 5-year-old son; Ben and Emily Dreyfuss’ parents are actor Richard Dreyfuss and wife Jeramie; Isabel Roth is the daughter of producer Steve Roth and wife Linda; Alexander Rydell is the son of director Mark Rydell and wife Esther, and Casey Wasserman is Lynn Wasserman’s son and the grandson of Edie and Lew Wasserman (he’s chairman of MCA).

McElwaine reports that while these privileged progeny aren’t required to get on the phone and help sell tickets, some have been stuffing goodie bags for the party.