Terrorists win if you don’t party, Martha says

San Francisco Chronicle

Martha Stewart has 600 staff members, and she hopes each and every one of them will have a merry Christmas, as long as she doesn’t have to do the dishes.

Instead of hosting one big company party, reports Women’s Wear Daily, Stewart has asked 65 staff members to open their homes for private parties for 10 colleagues each. "Since the objective of these dinners is to get to know people from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, guests will be chosen at random," she wrote in an e-mail to staff members.

Stewart said she would give each designated host $300 for expenses, but some workers, grumbling at being forced to be hospitable to strangers, apparently didn’t respond enthusiastically. "This is a very, very special year," said Stewart in a follow-up e-mail, "not just for MSO, but for every company and person affected by the events of Sept. 11. To me, the terrorists have certainly succeeded if so few of you participate in a company- wide effort to ‘get together.’ "

A spokesman for Stewart confirmed to WWD that the proposal had been made, but insisted the plan is "one of the things they are considering. No final decision has been made."