Here's the magazine's statement: "After much consideration, and in support of the writers and everyone else affected by this strike, we have decided that this is not the appropriate year to hold our annual Oscar party. We want to congratulate all of this year’s nominees and we look forward to hosting our 15th Oscar party next year." This year's fete was supposed to be held at Craft. The mag made the move before the invitations went out. 
VF spokesperson Beth Kseniak just told me: "Graydon talked to a lot of people and held meetings with staff people. He decided that even if the writers strike were to end, it doesn't mean life is going back to normal immediately. There's been a lot of people affected by the strike, and we just thought it wasn't an appropriate time to throw a big party." VF's Hollywood issue out hits newsstands tomorrow.
UPDATE: I've just learned that "Oscars at Dani's" is cancelled as well. This afternoon, Dani Janssen sent out an email to her regulars announcing she wouldn't hold her famously private Oscar night bash filled with celebs this year -- but signed off "See you next year" because she intends to hold it next awards season. In past years Dani's guests have included guests like Jack Nicholson and Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg and Reese Witherspoon and Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn and Harrison Ford and Al Pacino and Owen Wilson and Mariah Carey and Bruce Springsteen and Oprah and Clint.
Earlier in the awards season, Ed Limato canceled his annual Friday-before-Oscars party, too.
Everybody should cancel their parties until EVERY member of the WGA votes on this contract
Comment by Makes sense... — February 5, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Whoa.
That’s a major Oscar Party. The tabloids give it almost as much press as the Oscars themselves.
This can seen as a vote of non-confidence in the AMPTP’s ability to hammer out a deal in time for the show.
Comment by Furious D — February 5, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Wouldn’t having the party support some of the very people the strike is affecting - the caterers, florists, etc.
Comment by Makes more sense — February 5, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Awww, no one is going to get to see the crappy food and service that Craft (AKA: CAA Kitchen) has become so famous for in such a short time. Too bad. Exposure like the VF party could close it faster. Now they just delay the inevitable. Lunch at Madeo’s anyone?
Comment by reelbusy — February 5, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
You guys are getting played left and right. Vanity Fair saves hundreds of thousands of dollars by not throwing a party that I’m certain they were more than to happy to cancel. And you gave them the perfect opportunity to do it in order to show there undying support for tv and film writers.
The same way the tv actors all passionately support their writer friends as they all go off to do movies during the strike.
Comment by :) — February 5, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
Perhaps Vanity Fair is merely using the strike as an excuse to save some money in a bad economy. I suspect a day when the Dow tanked 370 points had more to due with VF thinking “it wasn’t an appropriate time to throw a big party” than the strike. After all, wouldn’t a party be an ideal way to celebrate a settlement if one occurs?
Comment by Sarcastic Skeptic — February 5, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
I see a few complementary motivations. One, Vanity Fair sides with the good guys, showing support for the writers. Two, they grab some good publicity for themselves by publicly siding with the good guys. Three, they save a ton of money.
The rest of this message is about the Oscars in general, rather than the party. Apologies for running off topic:
The networks (and AMPAS) are stupid to even consider running the Oscars before the strike is settled. If they had any brains at all, they’d declare the scheduled date tentative, and subject to change if the strike isn’t settled. The ratings depend on celebrities showing up, to some extent on having some scripted comedy scattered through the show, and to have time to advertise the show. To get top ratings, the show needs time: for celebrities time to book their travel, for writers write the scripted material, and for the network to advertise it.
If I were in charge of the show, I’d look up who has the Kodak Theater booked for every second Sunday until a month after the SAG contract expires (since the networks will definitely settle soon after the SAG strikes, if they don’t deal sooner than that), starting with the currently-scheduled date. I’d buy options on every one of those dates, so I can pre-empt their show at a predictable price. Then I’d wait and see what happens with the strike.
If the producers of the show don’t have something like that in the works, covertly at least, they’re idiots. Tons of money delayed a few weeks or months beats the heck out of tons of money lost entirely.
Comment by Steve S — February 5, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Entertainment Weekly’s annual pre-oscar party is cancelled.
Comment by chrissypoo — February 5, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
It really is amazing how many times I have seen “there” used instead of “their” in the comments written. It’s a good clue as to who is a writer and who is not!
Comment by CM — February 5, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
I suspect the real reason these things are canceled is it’s approaching the date that the party contractors, caterers, restaurants, etc. will make the bookings non-refundable. I do agree that this is 100% economics. If the strike is over we should all be partying right?
Comment by Suspicious — February 5, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
CM,
YOU SAID:
It really is amazing how many times I have seen “there” used instead of “their” in the comments written. It’s a good clue as to who is a writer and who is not!
Actually, it’s a clue to who is a writer and who is a comedy writer. I’ve been their, I know.
Comment by MR — February 5, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
Is Oscar night drinks at Nikki’s then?
Comment by Brady Westwater — February 5, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
So once again, the casualties of the strike continue! The people who need the work the most! The caterers and the wait staffs and the valets, etc…It just goes to show that Hollywood is never out to help the little guy unless it helps him/her first. You are all so bloody liberal in this town and when it comes time to help the little guy, you could care less. This is what a strike like this does. Next time the Hollywood elite wants to cast stones at the Republican Party and George Bush for not doing enough to help the “Average middle class worker” (which I disagree with..Republicans, “teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life” Democrats, “Give a man a fish and he eats for today” and I don’t consider Arnold or George as a true Republican…now Reagan, that’s a man’s man!)….anyway look in the mirror and remember how many “Average Middle Class” Americans you have shit on during this strike and by canceling these parties you do it again.
rHob
Comment by Rob Wlliams — February 5, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
Bad move, Dani.
By sitting out this year, she’s allowing someone else to come in, make in-roads, and take over her throne.
By next year, nobody will even know who Dani is. All they’ll remember is how much fun they had at the new place and want to go back there.
Comment by Maxine — February 6, 2008 @ 7:47 am
Money that would have been spent for the parties should go into a fund to help writers get back on their (got it right, whew!) feet.
So, there.
Comment by Erin — February 6, 2008 @ 8:51 am
No one will convince me Conde Nast didn’t pull the plug on this bash…Vanity Fair took a HUGE hit with their Africa issue last summer. It cost many, many millions to produce and sold about 2 copies on the newsstands. They will be trying to recoup these losses for years.
Comment by Cynical Cindy — February 6, 2008 @ 11:50 am
I am not a fan of striking it is always the little guy who gets hurt. I’m sure none of the writers were hurting for money. Take all the other people this has effected to make minimum wage or even $15.00 hour that is not enough to live on. I’ve never forgiven the Baseball players for going on strike years ago, they make so much more than that guy selling peanuts or the people clean the stadium but boy they think they need more bucks in their pockets. For once I wish people would think of what their actions are going to cause down the road. I know people who went out of business due to this strike that rely on the entertainment business for their income, who is going to help them now.
Comment by pameladville — February 13, 2008 @ 5:28 am