Oh Say Can You See That The Singer Is Mouthing It

At various athletic contests around the country, the fun of hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung comes from listening to some spirited singer try, with varying results, to belt out that difficult anthem.

But the Super Bowl producers aren’t interested in spirit so much as pure results. That’s why, singer Vanessa Williams says, she’ll mouth the words to a recorded version of her own voice on Sunday.

“Apparently, that’s what works,” Williams told TV Guide. “It’s what Whitney Houston and Kathie Lee (Gifford) did. I guess the officials want to make sure there aren’t any faux pas.”

And don’t expect any Jose Feliciano- nor Aretha Franklin-type stylizations. “The Super Bowl is a big deal,” Williams said, “so I’ll sing a very traditional anthem.”

Loose talk

Tori Spelling on the dating life (in Vanity Fair magazine): “I never get asked out, and my roommate, who’s gorgeous, never does either. That’s why I work so hard. I want to be taken seriously, sure, but I also don’t want to feel lonely. This way I’m usually too busy to notice if I am or not.”

Have the servants blow out those candles

Princess Caroline of Monaco turns 39 today.

Show canceled after a roll of the Diceman

You may have heard that “Bless This House,” the CBS sitcom starring Cathy Moriarty and Andrew Clay, has been canceled. But you may not know why. Clay, apparently, has returned to his raunchy comic roots. At a recent comedy club appearance, he made jokes about having sex with obese women, Barbra Streisand, Catholic school girls and O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark. The network wasn’t amused.

And she likes herself, she really, really likes herself

“I am finally coming to grips with the idea that I don’t like giving up my space,” Sally Field told People magazine. “There’s something unnatural about sleeping in the same bed, dressing in the same closet, sharing everything… I don’t need somebody with me to make me whole. I am totally complete.”

But is she willing to make Clint’s day?

Dina Ruiz, an anchorwoman for KSBW-TV news in Salinas, Calif., told The Herald of Monterey that she was willing to “reluctantly confirm” reports that she and actor Clint Eastwood have a license to marry. “But there is no wedding date,” she said.

Maybe she could make a video with, say, O.J.

Reports are that Sarah Ferguson, aka the Duchess of York, is in hock for $4.5 million. She, however, says the figures are “exaggerated” and “inaccurate.” “I am concerned that perhaps I have enemies within the palace who may be behind the stories which have appeared,” the duchess told the London Daily Mirror.

Quentin and Mira sittin’ in a tree…

Here’s an interesting report from the Knight-Ridder wire: Quentin Tarantino apparently is spending time with Gold Globe Best Actress winner Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”).

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photos

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Dan Webster