Kid-friendly kudos
Associated Press
The green slime oozed and children screamed in delight at Saturday’s 17th annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, who won the hearts of youngsters everywhere as the voices of the love-struck ogre and princess in the animated film “Shrek,” hosted the show at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.
Hip-hop group OutKast won the best band prize as well as the best song award for “Hey Ya!”
The awards presentation, in which youngsters vote for their favorite actors, musicians and sports heroes, has become one of Hollywood’s most star-studded events.
Celebrities who made appearances on the show included Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire, stars of the “Spider-Man” movie franchise; Jennifer Love Hewitt; Lindsay Lohan; Jennifer Garner; George Lopez; Jennifer Lopez; twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen; and skating legend Tony Hawk.
Hung over?
New York Post
William Hung, the engineering student who won some fans with his awful but endearing version of “She Bangs” on “American Idol,” has not endeared himself to the producers of the hit show.
The New York Post reports that Mr. Hung, who is coming out with an album of his covers of Ricky Martin songs, was threatened with a lawsuit when he tried to title the CD “Real Idol.”
“The ’American Idol’ people were up in arms,” an unnamed source told the newspaper. “It was funny at first, but now they just want William to go away. They feel he is making a mockery of the show.”
Mr. Hung’s album is now called “American Inspiration.”
Clash of the titans
Internet Movie Database
Troubled superstar Michael Jackson has been dealt a snub by famed music producer Quincy Jones — who has turned down Jacko’s offer to star in the “We Are The Future” musical extravaganza, the Internet Movie Database reports.
Stars including Jay-Z, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Sting and Herbie Hancock are all on the bill for the gig, which will take place in Rome May 16. But on Mr. Jones’ insistence, Mr. Jackson will not be joining them. “Michael Jackson desperately wants to be a part of this concert, he has contacted Quincy, but Quincy turned him down,” the IMDB says an unnamed source told the New York Post’s Page Six.
“Michael wants to do the concert because it would help his image right now, but because of the molestation charges, Quincy isn’t interested,” the unnamed source continued.
Mr. Jackson was particularly aggrieved that Mr. Jones — who helped him jump-start his solo career — turned him down as Mr. Jones was the one who got him involved in the event 10 years ago. Mr. Jones is currently in talks with several TV networks to broadcast the project, which will feature 2,000 children between the ages of 5 and 8, and will be seen all over the world.
The snub comes just weeks after reports of trouble between Mr. Jones and the King of Pop surfaced in the new book “Howling at the Moon: The Odyssey of a Monstrous Music Mogul in an Age of Success,” a memoir by former CBS Records chief Walter Yetnikoff and celebrity biographer David Ritz. Mr. Yetnikoff says Mr. Jackson demanded that Mr. Jones’ name be withdrawn from consideration for the 1984 Grammy Awards — although the two had teamed on 1983’s groundbreaking “Thriller.”
“…Everyone is saying Quincy is going to win some (Grammys), too. And I don’t want him to,” Mr. Yetnikoff quotes Mr. Jackson as saying. “Quincy didn’t really produce the record, I did. Quincy has enough Grammys. He doesn’t need anymore.”
“Michael, I was in the studio myself. I saw Quincy producing,” Mr. Yetnikoff replied. Said Mr. Jackson: “All he did was help out.”
In the end, Mr. Yetnikoff writes, “between Michael and Quincy, ’Thriller’ won a dozen Grammys. [And] Michael acted like he loved Quincy more than life itself.”
Who’s your daddy?
E! Online
Jon Stewart is gonna be a daddy.
The 41-year-old funnyman and his missus, Tracey, are expecting their first child. No further details are available.
Actress Jennifer Beals (of Showtime’s “The L Word”) let the baby news out of the bag when she congratulated Mr. Stewart on the air.
Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.