Morning Briefing:
Paris hearts Paris?: The Paris Hilton-Paris Latsis nuptials are again in uncertain territory after this weekend. Paris (er, the Hilton one) spent a few days down in Miami with the rest of America's celebrity world for the MTV Video Music Awards, accompanied by the producer of her upcoming album, Lil' Kim's ex-boyfriend Scott Storch. The two were seen holding hands and showed up at the awards show to walk the red carpet together. Either through intentional or genetically unavoidable vagueness, she shrugged off questions about whether or not she is actually getting married with: "I don't know. I'm just having fun!" Hilton's pseudo-spokesperson Rob Zimmerman tried to spin the weekend another way. "Paris is very happy and in love with Paris, and the wedding is still on," he said. "Warner Brothers flew Paris and Scott down for the VMAs to bring some attention to the album. They're just friends." (Page Six)
Driving while Al: Rev. Al Sharpton was in a big hurry to get back to New York after visiting Cindy Sheehan, but there's some disagreement over just how big a hurry, exactly. The car carrying Sharpton was pulled over south of Dallas after what police are calling a nine-mile, 110-mph interstate chase. Police charged the driver, Jarrett B. Maupin, with evading arrest with a vehicle and reckless driving. "That nine-mile chase is news to me," Sharpton said. "All I know is that the police pulled us over because they wanted to talk to the driver about speeding." After police impounded the car, according to the AP, the Reverend turned on the charm and stuck out his thumb: "Sharpton caught a lift from a passing driver and made his scheduled flight to New York." (AP)
A world less shrill: Here's a brief excerpt of Ann Coulter's syndicated column from Aug. 10: "(T)he savages have declared war, and it's far preferable to fight them in the streets of Baghdad than in the streets of New York -- where the residents would immediately surrender." Such choice words, and many others like them, have led the Arizona Daily Star to drop Coulter's column for good this week. Star editor and publisher David Stoeffler spelled out his reasons for dropping Coulter like this: "Many readers find her shrill, bombastic, and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives." (Editor & Publisher, Arizona Daily Star)
Also:
In other media-pariah firing news, Court TV won't be renewing Jacko trial reporter/talking head Diane Dimond's contract, and she stopped working at the channel as of last Friday. Dimond, who made a name for herself with a vehemently pro-prosecution, anti-Jackson stance during her coverage of the abuse trial, is busy putting the finishing touches on a book about the experience called "Be Careful Who You Love." ... The guy -- a 48-year-old homeless man, as it turns out -- who was caught after breaking into Jennifer Aniston's house in Malibu last week has officially been charged with burglary and petty theft. David Hesterbey pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday, but Aniston has already taken out a temporary restraining order against him. ... Gwyneth Paltrow, also formerly involved with Brad Pitt, isn't shy about giving the now-divorced couple some bits of belated advice about how to handle a high-profile marriage. "It would have been a lot easier on Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston now if they had not talked to the press about each other and everything to begin with," Paltrow says. As for her marriage to Coldplay singer Chris Martin, "If we decide to continue being together or not, it's our business." ... One of the four known pairs of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in the "Wizard of Oz" were stolen from a museum in the actress's hometown of Grand Rapids, Minn., over the weekend. They were on loan from Los Angeles, and police have no leads. ... The "Big Brother" phenomenon began in the Netherlands, and now producers of the show there are taking things to the next level: The new season, which begins on Sunday, will at some point broadcast a live birth. Dutch authorities are investigating whether the plan is legal -- the Netherlands apparently has very strict laws about children appearing on TV -- and the country's Christian Democratic party has blasted the idea. Director Paul Roemer's defense is very American sounding, though: "I am doing something that will bring about emotions and which is innocent and can do no harm. I think it will also be good TV."
Money Quotes:
Singer Charlotte Church talking about her taste in modern music: "I can't stand Bob Dylan. He sounds like a freak. And that Chris Martin isn't any good either -- he can't do any vibrato, which colors a voice, so he just sounds conversational. Look, I don't mind Coldplay, and I know that style of singing is very modern. But it's a bit wimpy and as soon as one person's done it, they're all fuckin' at it. They're trying to sound like Jeff Buckley, but his voice is outstanding and nobody can be compared to that feller." (The Guardian)
White Stripes frontman Jack White on why he and band member/ex-wife Meg White pretended for so long they were just brother and sister: "When you see a band that is two pieces, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, you think, 'Oh, I see.' ... When they're brother and sister, you go, 'Oh, that's interesting.' You care more about the music, not the relationship -- whether they're trying to save their relationship by being in a band." (Rolling Stone)
Turn On:
P.O.V. presents a documentary about several generations of a Jewish family in "Hiding and Seeking: Faith and Tolerance After the Holocaust" (PBS, check local listings). Also, it's a new episode of "Stella" (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m. EDT).
-- Scott Lamb
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