Tuesday, October 7

Jerry Stiller’s son, Ben Stiller, the whiz responsible for Tropic Thunder—which reminded us that every 10 years or so, a movie really is worth $10.75—hosts Project A.L.S.’s star-studded gala at the Waldorf Astoria. “I will be hosting the event which I have done with varying degrees of success over the years,” Mr. Stiller told us. “We always want to keep it light, because the disease is so devastating that we don’t want to pound people over the head with it.…All of it originates from the spirit of my good friend, Jenifer Estess, who started Project A.L.S. when she was diagnosed in 1997. She had an incredible sense of humor and her spirit is what the night is all about. Chris Rock is going to drop by, and hopefully a few other friends. It is at the Waldorf, so there won’t be any bad language or questionable behavior.” More doing of good gets done in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as Lacoste and Vogue launch a pink croc at a fete hosted by socialites Marisa Noel Brown, Aerin Lauder-Zinterhofer and Gigi Mortimer, not to mention actress Rose Byrne, all of whom know to pair their photo ops with charitable gestures these days! Speaking of gestures, achingly hip artist and Marc Jacobs sidekick Elizabeth Peyton gets some corporate lovin’ at the New Museum, which debuts a Banana Republic-sponsored exhibition of her work, “Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton.” Yep, in trying times, at least we have pencil skirts. 

[Project A.L.S. Gala, Waldorf Astoria, www.projectals.org; Lacoste & Vogue benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Lacoste Boutique, 608 Fifth Avenue, 6 p.m., 888-571-4778; Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton, New Museum, 235 Bowery, 6 p.m.]

mbryan@observer.com