January 19, 2010

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW

HAITI AND HOLLYWOOD

WYCLEF JEAN SAYS HE NEVER BENEFITED PERSONALLY FROM HIS CHARITY:

Yesterday, WYCLEF JEAN denied that he has EVER profited from his charity, the Yele Haiti Foundation. --During a press conference in New York, he said, quote, "Did we make mistakes? Yes. Did I ever use any of Yele's money for personal benefits? Absolutely not. --"Yele's books are open and transparent, and we have been given a clean bill of health by an external auditor every year since we started." --Meanwhile, CNN quotes tax experts who say it's routine for individuals to charge their own charities . . . as long as they're providing services to those charities in return. --On a more important note, Wyclef also used the press conference to call for the evacuation of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. --He said, quote, "I am asking the world to move two million people out of Port-au-Prince. If I ask them to leave they will leave. We need to keep Haiti alive." --He added, quote, "We went inside the belly of the beast. I was the one carrying the little girls to the morgue. In reality, my people are dying. I have to go back for relief. I do not cry for myself, I cry for them."

MORE CELEBRITIES AND HOW THEY'RE HELPING:

Here's today's rundown of what celebrities are doing to aid in the relief effort in Haiti . . .
--JOHN TRAVOLTA is actually going to fly a plane full of supplies and volunteers into the heart of the tragedy. He says, quote, "I have arranged for a plane to take down some volunteer ministers and some supplies and some medics. --"My church has also arranged for 80 medics and 33 volunteers to go down. I hope that inspires others as well. It's needed."
--USHER is urging young people, through his own charitable foundation, to donate at least $5 each. He says, quote, "If only 1% of the world's youth population raised $5 each, we could raise $150 million to support the United Nations relief efforts." (--You can donate at www.ushernewlook.org, or by texting CERF to 90999.)
--BETTE MIDLER is asking for donations at all her concerts. After her last show on January 31st in Las Vegas, she'll match whatever her fans have ponied up. So far, she's raised almost $39,000.

RUMOR-VILLE

Are NICK JONAS and SELENA GOMEZ back together??? Selena was seen getting off Nick's tour bus in Chicago on Sunday. (--And there's video. Check it out . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3YV4oDa6UI (--Selena was also reportedly at Nick's gig in Detroit on Saturday . . . where she was seen CRYING when he sang the song "Stay", which is supposedly about her.)


IS CHER SPENDING $145,000 ON HER FACE . . . JUST SO SHE LOOKS GOOD NEXT TO CHRISTINA AGUILERA???

CHER and CHRISTINA AGUILERA presented an award together at the "Golden Globes" on Sunday night . . . and Cher looked pretty good for a 63-year-old woman. Especially standing next to a 29-year-old chick. --That might have something to do with the $145,000 Cher has been spending on her face. --See, Cher and Christina are filming a movie together called "Burlesque". And the "National Enquirer" says she was intimidated by the idea of having to share screen time with somebody much younger and hotter. --So she's doing everything she can to keep herself looking young. --This includes weekly facials and LED therapy . . . which, quote, "uses light to treat dark pigmentation and improve the appearance of small blood vessels in the skin." --She's also having actual electrical current zapped into her face to tighten the skin . . . and shelling out cash to keep her makeup crew, her trainer and her yoga and Pilates instructors on the movie set 24-7. --The same goes for her spiritual adviser and her homoepathic guru, or whatever you call it. --The grand total for keeping all of this up over the 10-week movie shoot is $145,000 . . . and it's all coming out of Cher's pocket.


RANDOM "GOLDEN GLOBES" FALLOUT:

Actor ED LAUTER tried to drive home from a "Golden Globes" after-party, but security wouldn't let him because he was too drunk. And unfortunately for him, the paparazzi got the whole thing on film. (--Here it is . . .)

(--WARNING!!! A woman in this clip uses the word HARD-ON . . .)http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=b046c259-de33-4ed4-80f0-aaee8e87fb23

(--Lauter is a character actor who's been in so many movies and TV shows that, even though you recognize his face, you might not remember where you've seen him. Well, he was in BOTH version of "The Longest Yard" . . .) (--. . . and he played the Coach in "Not Another Teen Movie". Those are probably the roles he'd be best remember for these days.)


NOT-SO-NONSENSICAL NEWS: JEFF CONAWAY WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER FALLING DOWN SOME STAIRS:

JEFF CONAWAY . . . a.k.a. Kenickie in "Grease" and Bobby Wheeler on "Taxi" . . . took a serious fall at his Los Angeles home yesterday . . . and ended up in the hospital. --Jeff's girlfriend says he fell down a staircase and suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a fractured neck and a brain hemorrhage. There's no word on his condition. (--There's also no word whether drugs or alcohol were involved . . . but anyone who's seen the guy on "Celebrity Rehab" or "Celebrity Fit Club" knows that's a distinct possibility. We'll keep you updated.)


TIGER TALES

WILL TIGER WOODS RETURN TO GOLF IN THE SPRING???

The not-always-reliable RadarOnline.com says that TIGER WOODS will return to the PGA tour sometime this spring. --There's no word if he plans to be back in time for the Masters Tournament, which begins on April 5th. (--Obviously, we'll let you know if and when he makes an official announcement.)

Some website called MovieLine.com says that BRAD PITT and MATT DAMON are both doing voices for "Happy Feet 2". We'll let you know if we hear anything official. (--The original included voices by Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Brittany Murphy. Most, if not all, of them are expected to return. With the possible exception of Brittany, of course.) (--Too soon???)

LESS THAN MEET'S THE EYE

Director MICHAEL BAY is going to try something new for "Transformers 3": LESS ACTION AND MORE PLOT. (???) -He says, quote, "Although the number of robots increased significantly from the first film for the second . . . the third film, which will hit theaters in the summer of 2011, won't be as robot-heavy and there will be fewer explosions."


JAY LENO ADDRESSED NBC'S LATE-NIGHT MESS LAST NIGHT ON "THE JAY LENO SHOW":

JAY LENO made a lengthy statement about NBC's late-night mess on "The Jay Leno Show" last night . . . and not just in a series of one-liners. He actually kept it SERIOUS. --Jay said, quote, "Folks, I thought maybe I should address this . . . to give you my view on what has been going on here at NBC." --For starters, he bent over backwards to praise CONAN O'BRIEN, and asked people not to blame him for any of this chaos. --Then he went back to 2004, when NBC suits first came to him with their concerns about CONAN O'BRIEN leaving the network. That's the situation that ended with Jay agreeing to retire in 2009, so that the "Tonight Show" could go to Conan. --Jay revealed that at the time, NBC told him they didn't think he could remain #1 up through 2009, but when he did . . . NBC decided they wanted to keep him in some capacity. -He said that when they first pitched him the idea of doing a primetime show, he knew it wouldn't work . . . but they insisted that they'd done, quote, "focus groups" and that people would love him at 10:00 P.M. --He said they "guaranteed" him two years on the air, and didn't expect him to start catching on until this coming summer . . . when all the other stations weren't airing new episodes of their 10:00 P.M. shows. --But as we all know, the show didn't end up making it that long because of pressure from the NBC affiliates. --Jay said that NBC insisted on keeping him . . . again . . . and now pitched him the idea of doing a half-hour show at 11:30 P.M. and bumping Conan's "Tonight Show". --He said he asked NBC if they thought Conan would go for that, and they told him YES . . . so he agreed to it. --Then, when Conan rejected that proposal, Jay said NBC asked him if he'd take the "Tonight Show" back if Conan walked . . . and he said he told them that he would. --He added, quote, "That's pretty much where we are. It looks like we'll be back at 11:30 . . . I'm not sure. I don't know." --Jay finished by saying, quote, "Through all of this, Conan O'Brien has been a gentleman. He's a good guy. I have no animosity towards him. This is all business. Folks, if you don't get the ratings, they take you off the air. --"It didn't work. We might have an answer for you tomorrow. So, we'll see." (--And since this aired last night, he meant TODAY. Obviously.) (--You can watch the whole thing, here . . .) http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/video/clips/jays-pov/1194348/--Meanwhile, late last night, TMZ reported . . . for what seems like the 87th time . . . that so-called "sources" told them it's official: Conan IS losing the "Tonight Show". --Supposedly, NBC will pay him $32.5 million to leave . . . and Conan has agreed not to host another show until next September at the earliest. If you include all the severance pay to Conan's staff, NBC's payout is in the neighborhood of $40 million. --That payout only guarantees that he'll make at least that much over the length of his old "Tonight Show" contract, which is believed to run into 2013. Any money that Conan makes at his next job will be subtracted from the money that NBC owes him.

WILL CONAN O'BRIEN BE ABLE TO KEEP THE CHARACTERS HE DEVELOPED ON HIS NBC SHOWS???

(--As of late last night . . .) NBC has yet to officially announce their rumored settlement with CONAN O'BRIEN, which would allow him to leave the network. The word from NBC is expected any day now. --TMZ reports that the two sides have, quote, "reached an agreement in principle" . . . but they're still hammering out some small issues, such as: Who will retain the rights to Conan's "Late Night" and "The Tonight Show" characters??? --The characters . . . like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Pimpbot 5000, and the Masturbating Bear . . . are considered intellectual property, and since they were created, under contract, for his shows, they're legally owned by NBC. --But TMZ says that NBC would be willing to let him have the characters . . . as long as he signs off on that "non-disparagement clause" that prevents him from trashing the network after he leaves. --Later last night, TMZ changed their mind and said that it now appears that NBC will KEEP Conan's characters. We'll let you know how it all shakes out. (--I see a potential loophole here. If Conan agrees to this deal, would Triumph the Insult Comic Dog be able to roast NBC??? The dog is performed by comedian ROBERT SMIGEL. So technically, it's not Conan doing the trashing.)

10 CELEBRITIES WHO MIGHT BOYCOTT "THE TONIGHT SHOW" . . . IF JAY LENO RETAKES THE REINS:

The website Movieline.com has posted a list of 10 celebrities that COULD boycott "The Tonight Show" . . . assuming JAY LENO is indeed retaking the reins. --Basically, this is just a list of stars with strong ties to Conan, and there aren't any expressed sentiments from any of them that they'd boycott Leno. But considering the way NBC and Leno screwed Conan . . . anything is possible. --At least until they have something they need "The Tonight Show" to help promote.)--Here's the list . . . along with the reasons that they would boycott Leno.

#1.) PATTON OSWALT . . . "Oswalt made his distaste for Leno fairly official on a blistering takedown on Comedy Death-Ray Radio, where he likened the be-chinned one to Richard Nixon. Chances: 100%."

#2.) NORM MACDONALD . . . "A longtime 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' regular, who started on 'SNL' around the same time Conan started broadcasting from 30 Rock. On his final 'Late Night' appearance, he told some incredibly uncomfortable truths about Leno's decades of outfoxing the kings of late night."

#3.) WILL FERRELL . . . "Ferrell's ties to Conan go back as far as when the two worked at The Groundlings in the late '80s, where Lorne Michaels discovered O'Brien and hired him to write for 'SNL'. Ferrell was Conan's first 'Tonight Show' guest."

#4.) JIM GAFFIGAN . . . "A staunch Conan loyalist who used to appear alongside the host in 'Pale Force', an animated series in which they fought crime with their paleness. Gaffigan [has] tweeted: 'I'm on #teamconan.'"

#5.) AMY POEHLER . . . "Poehler used to play Stacey Richter . . . the fictional kid sister of co-host ANDY RICHTER . . . on 'Late Night'."

#6.) JACK WHITE . . . "THE WHITE STRIPES and Conan enjoy a close bond, dating back to when O'Brien met them in a Detroit bowling alley after shooting a remote segment with TED NUGENT in the late 1990s. --"They performed many times on the show, including a four-night residency in April 2003 . . . and a final broadcast performance of Conan's favorite tune, 'We're Going to Be Friends'."

#7.) PEARL JAM . . . "The rockers were Conan's first 'Tonight Show' musical act. Like Ticketmaster, NBC represents a greedy corporate force, and the band will be an unlikely guest on Leno's show." (--Well, that's a stretch.)

#8.) JON STEWART . . . "They may have had a staged feud over who gave Mike Huckabee's campaign a 'bump,' but you can be sure Stewart and Conan's brainy, East Coast-based allegiance will preclude any future appearances on Leno's couch."

#9.) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN . . . "Max Weinberg's other Boss would stand by his drummer." (--Max, of course, is the drummer for both Conan's house band . . . and Bruce's E STREET BAND.)

#10.) WILLIAM SHATNER . . . "The guy who forgot Captain Kirk's name on Conan's couch, and recently got ambushed by SARAH PALIN while reading excerpts from her biography on air, would almost certainly stick by his ginger man in the rift."

AEROSMITH IS LOOKING FOR A NEW SINGER, BUT JOE PERRY SAYS THEY AREN'T LOOKING FOR A STEVEN TYLER IMPERSONATOR:

AEROSMITH has been kicking around the idea of picking up a new lead singer for a while . . . and now guitarist JOE PERRY has elaborated on what they're looking for. --In an interview with Canada's "Globe and Mail" newspaper, Joe says, quote, "Right now, we're talking about getting another singer to fill in for STEVEN [TYLER]. --"I don't know what's going on with him, but as far as Aerosmith goes, we're going to find somebody to sing." --So would they consider turning to YouTube or MySpace to find an amateur sound-alike singer like JOURNEY and BOSTON did? Or are they looking to hire someone who's already made a name for himself??? --Joe says, quote, "I think it would make more sense, with a band like Aerosmith, to get somebody who the fans might recognize. There's no sense going out there and being an Aerosmith clone band. --"In order for both parties to get something out of this, to move things along musically, it's important to get somebody who's a legitimate headliner on their own." (--Steven Tyler entered a rehab facility a few days before Christmas. He was seeking help with pain management . . . a.k.a. addiction to prescription drugs. As far as we know, he's still in the program.)

NAZZY'S RANDOM STUFF

THE OWNER OF TACO BELL HAS DIED:

If you're a fan of fast food. I've got some sad news to report this morning: The founder of Taco Bell passed away on Sunday. His name was Glen Bell Jr. His cause of death hasn't been released yet. He was 86 years old. --And now for some FUN TACO BELL FACTS! --The first Taco Bell opened in Downey, California, on March 21st, 1962. Now, Taco Bell has more than 5,800 restaurants, and more than 143,000 employees.--Taco Bell's first international franchise opened in Guam in 1977. Now there are more than 278 Taco Bells in dozens of countries around the world. --Annually, Taco Bell brings in profits of more than $6.6 BILLION. --Taco Bell restaurants serve more than ONE BILLION burritos and more than TWO BILLION tacos every year.--In an average year, Taco Bell will go through 62 MILLION pounds of pinto beans, 106 MILLION pounds of cheese, and 3.8 BILLION tortillas. (!!!) --Taco Bell serves an average of 295 MILLION pounds of ground beef a year. And since the average beef steer yields about 570 pounds of usable meat, that's roughly 517,543 cows. --Every week, 36.8 MILLION people eat at Taco Bell. (Yahoo News / Associated Content)


A DEPARTMENT STORE IN LONDON IS OFFERING GIFT REGISTRIES FOR THE NEWLY DIVORCED:

As if it wasn't already easy enough, a department store in London called Debenhams has just made it a little simpler for couples to get divorced. They're offering a new service called the DIVORCE GIFT LIST. --Basically, the Divorce Gift List is like a wedding registry list . . . only in reverse. --What I mean is it allows newly divorced couples to register for linens, microwaves and other appliances, which friends and family members can buy to "congratulate" them on the dissolution of their marriage. --The logic is that after a divorce, one partner will be moving out and leaving all their household essentials behind. --And, presumably, they'll also be a little lighter in the wallet . . . what with all the alimony and child support payments . . . so they won't be able to afford to buy as much stuff for themselves. --According to a store spokesman, quote, "Divorcing can be an expensive time, and registering for a Divorce Gift List means that family and friends can help the newly separated begin their new life." (--Well, isn't that just great???) (Yahoo News)


NOW THERE'S SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAT HOT CHICKS ARE A TOTAL PAIN IN THE BUTT:

We all know someone who's dated a girl so smoking-hot, that everyone overlooked how mean she was. And now, a "groundbreaking" new study has found that the reason girls like that are so mean . . . is because they're so good-looking. (???) --Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley interviewed 156 women to gauge their temperament and how they handle conflict. --What they found is that when a woman THINKS she's good-looking:#1.) She's more likely to respond with anger than a woman who thinks she's less attractive. And . . .#2.) She has higher expectations of what she deserves. --In other words: The hotter the woman, the bigger the headache. And get this . . . --The study also found a similar link with MEN, but it had more to do with their physical strength than their looks. (BBC News)

NAZZY'S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) This Australian news report shows how a reporter helped rescue a baby girl in Haiti, who was trapped under rubble for three days . . . along with the bodies of her dead parents. (--Footage of the rescue starts at :57, and they pull the baby out at 2:42.)http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/17671038(Search Terms: "Mike Amor's amazing rescue" Haiti Australia video)

#2.) Here's a viral ad from Ray-Ban, where a guy gets glasses tattooed on his face. But it's all fake. (--See the finished product at 1:25.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH1tTlq5-Qk(Search Terms: guy glasses tattooed on his face YouTube)

SIX SURPRISING THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE A HEART ATTACK:

A heart attack can come at any time. To prove it, here's a list from Prevention.com of five surprising things that can trigger a heart attack. Some aren't all that surprising, but there are a few you probably wouldn't think of . . .

#1.) SITTING IN TRAFFIC. You're not physically exerting yourself, but your stress level is through the roof, which can raise your blood pressure and cause a heart attack.

#2.) WAKING UP. Harvard researchers say you're 40% more likely to have a heart attack in the morning than you are later in the day. It's because when you wake up, your body gets flooded with adrenaline and other hormones that raise your blood pressure. --And your blood is thicker because you're partially dehydrated. Hitting snooze a few times actually decreases your risk of having a heart attack because it forces your body to wake up slowly. And if you exercise before work, make sure you always warm up first.

#3.) MONDAYS. 20% more heart attacks occur on Mondays because people are stressed out and depressed about returning to work. To reduce your risk, go to bed earlier on Sunday night.

#4.) HAVING A FATTY, HIGH-CARB MEAL. Foods that are high in fat and high in carbs constrict your blood vessels and make your blood more prone to clot.

#5.) GOING TO THE BATHROOM. Straining increases the pressure in your chest and slows the return of blood to your heart. The best way to avoid keeling over on the toilet is to eat more fiber.

#6.) PUBLIC SPEAKING. Being nervous raises your blood pressure, your heart rate, and your adrenaline level. Most of us don't like doing it, which is why people with heart issues often take a beta-blocker before they step up to the podium.(Prevention.com)