Turn On:
Clicker alert for the politics-minded: On Monday night, at 6:30 p.m. ET, the Sundance Channel brings you "National Anthem: Inside the Vote for Change Concert Tour," including performances by Bruce Springsteen, the Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M. and others.
Morning Briefing:
Sean Penn (who plays a prominent, uh, role in Trey Parker and Matt Stone's puppet-performed "Team America") wrote a letter that received a lot of play over the weekend, ripping into Trey Parker and Matt Stone over Stone's recent comment that there's "no shame in not voting ... if you don't know what you're talking about." "It's all well to joke about me or whomever you choose," Penn writes. "Not so well, to encourage irresponsibility that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment, mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people throughout the world. The vote matters to them. No one's ignorance, including a couple of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse. All best, and a sincere fuck you, Sean Penn." (Drudge)
On Sunday, Parker and Stone responded during an interview with Salon's Heather Havrilesky. According to Stone, "when you read it, the letter comes from such a high place of arrogance, you know, [deep, serious voice] 'You guys are young guys! If you don't have children, you can't say anything about anything!' And the whole voting thing. All we ever said was that we thought that uninformed people should not vote -- on either side of the political spectrum. It doesn't matter who you're gonna vote for. If you really don't know who you're gonna vote for, or are uninformed, or haven't really thought about it? Just stay home. Don't let people fucking shame you into going to the polls."
Added Parker: "If you have absolutely no idea, fuck it."
"If you really don't know or you're just going to vote for George Bush because he's already in office, or you're gonna vote for John Kerry because he's on the cover of Rolling Stone, don't do that," Stone said. "That's lame. Just stay home. That's all we ever said."
The entire interview with Parker and Stone -- about Penn, "Team America," Michael Moore and more -- will appear soon on Salon.
The news from prison camp: Martha Stewart is reportedly settling into her home for the next five months, the minimum security prison in Alderson, W.Va., and making friends with her fellow inmates and the family members who visited them over the weekend. "She waved to me and I waved back," one little boy who'd just visited his mother inside said of Stewart. "She patted me on the shoulder and [my sister] was like, 'Martha Stewart touched you!'" Martha spent Saturday playing Scrabble, strolling the grounds of the prison and snacking on items from the vending machine with her daughter, Alexis, who visited her for five hours. "They seemed happy. They were having a real good time," said another visitor. (N.Y. Daily News)
Loose, but not cheap: Fired "Apprentice" "loose cannon" Stacie J. is interested in proving just how loose she is by posing for Playboy. "I'm considering it. They haven't offered me a dollar amount yet, that I'm aware of," she says. "But I can tell you that $100,000 isn't going to be enough." (Steppin' Out magazine via Lloyd Grove's Lowdown)
"View"-er discretion advised: ABC has put the kibosh on Star Jones' plans to give free publicity to companies donating goods and services -- invitations, flowers, dresses, makeup, hairdressing, goodie bag items -- to her wedding by featuring them on "The View." But Jones has sent a note to her vendors asking them "not to worry." "My public relations firm (PMK) and I have agreed to do several segments with one of the major syndicated evening entertainment programs," she writes. "Further, [we] are in the process of deciding which print ... outlet that we will give the photo of the goodie bag and its contents to." Questioned about the ethics of trading on her celebrity and access in exchange for freebie nuptials, Jones said, "I can assure you I have done nothing illegal, immoral or unethical and more importantly, nothing ABC has not agreed to and signed off on! I can assure you I never personally promised a segment on 'The View.' " (Page Six)
Also: Christopher Buckley and his wife of 20 years, Lucy, who'd tried to patch things up after the disclosure that he'd fathered an out-of-wedlock child, are splitting up (Rush and Molloy) ... Lindsay Lohan's tabloid-headline-generating father wants to generate his own reality TV show (Rush and Molloy) ... Britney Spears is under fire from animal-rights activists for wearing fur on the cover of her upcoming greatest hits album, though her rep insists it's faux (Page Six)
Money Quotes:
Angelina Jolie's full-page ad in Variety celebrating ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: "Billy, I love your brilliant mind. ... Congratulations! With love and respect always, Angie." Thornton's response: "You know, it's funny. ... I've only met Angie Dickinson once." (AP via Melbourne Herald Sun)
-- Amy Reiter
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