Pop Stars For $500, Alex: Who Is Lourdes’ Mother?
Forget the glorious history of Europe - religious struggles, the wars, great art, inspiring literature and Benny Hill. Students at the University of Amsterdam would rather study Madonna.
Yes, that Madonna. Some 50 students have signed up for a course called Madonna 101, which will examine the Material One’s lyrics, voice and films, her persona as a sex symbol, her religious beliefs and her media presence.
“As a media phenomenon, she’s really intriguing,” 28-year-old Monique Tolk, who’s doing her doctorate on the entertainer, told De Telegraaf newspaper.
Intriguing perhaps. But another student offered a better take on why the pop diva might be worth a term paper or two. “In her genre she’s good,” said Mario Licht, 25. “Most of all,” he added, “it’s something to dance to.”
Loose talk
Inside word on Marcia Clark’s forthcoming celebrity memoir (as reported by the New York Post): “They’re going to take a bath. They’ve already cut the run from 1 million books to half that, and I’d bet they’ll very quickly halve that, too.”
There’s been a holdup? Better call the Sharif
Omar Sharif turns 65 today.
He could use another hero…
Ike and Tina Turner seem to have passed off some of their mutual poison to their son, Ricky Turner, 41. Ricky, who has a history of convictions and is on parole for car theft, was arrested March 20 for allegedly using a stolen credit card to purchase orange juice and condoms from a drug store.
It’s called Walnut Magic and has an SPF rating of 100
Watch out making any wisecracks about George Hamilton’s tan. Ashley Hamilton doesn’t think it’s that big a deal. “His natural color is very dark,” Hamilton the younger said. “A lot of his tan is actually natural color.”
She got going, too, as fast as she could - out of town
Another of Ellen DeGeneres’ high-school peers, this one captain of the football team at the Atlanta, Texas, school that they attended, remembers her well. “I was very attracted to that blond hair and blue-eyed Louisiana accent,” says Ben Heath. “That kinda got me going.”
In other words: In comedy, we don’t have to be serious
Speaking of Ellen DeGeneres, ABC has turned down an ad for the sitcom “Ellen” by Olivia Cruise Lines. The network is troubled by the cruise line’s specialty: lesbian cruises. “That discussion about same-sex lifestyles is more appropriate in programming,” ABC declared. Ad producer Ted Kruckel termed the network’s reaction “a double standard.”
And how could that be anything but the straight poop?
Did director John Waters’ parents go to see their son’s most outrageous film, “Pink Flamingoes”? “We’re very proud of John, but we just don’t see any point in subjecting ourselves to that film,” said 73-year-old Patricia Waters.
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Dan Webster