Supporting the state of shock
The U.S. State Department has come to the defense of none other than Borat Sagdiyev.
Borat, of course, is the fictional character created by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in his satirical film “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.”
But in a real-life twist, the State Department’s annual human rights report criticizes Kazakhstan for revoking the domain of Cohen’s satirical Web site as part of a government crackdown.
The State Department cited independent Web media reports that the government of the former Soviet state in central Asia monitored e-mail and Internet activity, blocked or slowed access to opposition Web sites and planted propaganda in Internet chat rooms.
Among other things, Borat asserted that Kazakhs are addicted to horse urine, enjoy shooting dogs, view incest as a respectable hobby and are fond of “running of the Jew” festivals.
Star resumes shooting
Star Jones Reynolds has landed her own daily talk show – and she won’t have to worry about Barbara Walters this time.
Court TV announced Wednesday it has hired Reynolds to host a new show this fall about criminal justice issues that intersect with the pop culture world.
Reynolds, a lawyer who began her TV career as a Court TV commentator in 1991, was an original co-host of ABC’s “The View” starting in 1997, but her contract wasn’t renewed for this season.
Grace note
Nancy Grace, the former prosecutor who host legal-issues shows on both Court TV and CNN Headline News, is taking on her first prime-time acting role.
Grace will offer faux legal commentary on a murder case during the season finale of NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” as will Star Jones Reynolds. Rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges will return to the show to play the accused.
No Rosie-colored glasses
Rosie O’Donnell, who replaced Reynolds on “The View,” says she began being treated for depression after the Columbine school shootings and hangs upside down for up to a half-hour a day to improve her mental state.
After the 1999 incident, she says in a “View” episode taped to air Friday, “I couldn’t stop crying. I stayed in my room. The lights were off. I couldn’t get out of bed and that’s when I started taking medication.”
O’Donnell also took up yoga and “inversion therapy,” which she demonstrates on the show.
Out of the woods?
Producer Timbaland, who’s crafted hits for the likes of Justin Timberlake, wants to help Britney Spears reclaim her career.
“I feel her pain, it really bothers me,” he tells Entertainment Weekly. “I just want to take her away, go overseas, and work (it) out.”
Timbaland says he has invited Timberlake, Spears’ ex-boyfriend, to be part of the plan.
The birthday bunch
Actress Lynn Redgrave is 64. Musician-actor Micky Dolenz (the Monkees) is 62. Actor Aidan Quinn is 48. Actress Camryn Mannheim (“The Practice”) is 46. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 31. Actor James Van Der Beek (“Dawson’s Creek”) is 30. Singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 28.