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Kelly, Kelly, Kelly
Did anyone really think Kelly Clarkson wouldn't win "American Idol"? Now that she's the latest reality TV insta-celebrity, she's going to be everywhere. On Sept. 11, Clarkson will sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial. Then she's off to Vegas, then on tour with her "Idol" costars. Before it's all over, Clarkson will be as sick of her single, "A Moment Like This," as the rest of us.
Hot Off the Press
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Who killed Tupac Shakur?" asked the Los Angeles Times last week in a front-page story that sparked a huge firestorm in the hip-hop community. The two-part article stems from a yearlong investigation by Pulitzer-winning journalist Chuck Philips into the unsolved murder of the West Coast rapper. Philips, whose extensive sources included police affidavits and interviews with unnamed gang members, places the late Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace, a rival East Coast rapper) in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996, the night Shakur was shot there. Philips reports that Wallace offered Compton, Calif.'s Southside Crips gang $1 million to take out Shakur. Six months later Wallace was murdered in another unsolved case. "Biggie is dead, so anything can be said about what he did or did not do," says Snoop, who knew both rappers. "I don't believe Biggie was behind Tupac's death, and nobody on the street does either. It was gang-related drama that goes down every day in the 'hood." Lil' Cease, a close friend of Wallace's, says, "I rolled with Biggie tight and he was no-where near Vegas, 'cause I would have been there, too. It's bulls--t and an insult to Biggie's memory." Lawyers for Wallace's estate say they're considering suing for "character assassinations." Philips defended his reporting to MTV.com: "I believe the story, everything I have written in there."
Donny Osmond
Starting Sept. 16, Donny Osmond will host "Pyramid," a revamped version of "The $10,000 Pyramid." On that same day "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Family Feud" also get new hosts. On such a watershed occasion, who better to comment than the Donster himself, who spoke with NEWSWEEK's Elise Christenson?
You watch game shows when you were a kid?
Yeah, I liked Gene Rayburn and "The Match Game." "To Tell the Truth"--Bob Barker. We used to play "Pyramid" on the road with the family.
Come on. They made you say that.
No! We'd be sitting in hotels, couldn't go out. Little did I know I'd end up hosting the show.
And what's it like being the host?
Distracting. I was taping one show, watching from the podium. They threw it back to me for a commercial, and I was so enthralled that it took a moment to remember I was hosting.
What's the deal with revamping these old shows?
It's a great idea. I mean, how many times can you reinvent the wheel? Why not use that same wheel and put a new hubcap on it? How's that for a metaphor?
Nice. If this falls through, give us a call. Say--don't I remember seeing you on "Fear Factor"?
Absolutely. I'm a very competitive person. Coolio, who beat me on "Fear Factor"--by pure default, I must add--was on "Pyramid," and he didn't even make it to the winning circle. It was sweet revenge.
Will Marie appear on the show?
Well, the invitation is out, but she hasn't responded. But I'm sure that she'll be on at some point. She'll probably try to take my job.
It sounds like a pretty sweet gig.
Yeah, two days a week. We shoot 12 shows in two days. We're actually doing a "Pyramid City" sweep, where we visit cities with the set in a semi. And my face is on the semi.
Do you worry about giving away answers?
I protect them like my life. When I was hired they told me if I tipped off a contestant in any way, I could be fined $10,000 and imprisoned. Surely they couldn't prosecute you.
Don't know. And don't call me Shirley.
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