Friday, March 24, 2000                                               Edition:  #1771

BS OSCARS THEY SHOULD HAND OUT:
• ‘Most Flagrant Lingering Shot of a Brand-Name Product’ (Winner – USA Today)
• ‘Most Arbitrary Snit by a Supporting Actress’ (Winner – Sharon Stone, again.)
• ‘Best Straight Costume Designer’ (No winner, again.)
• ‘Best Hair on Back’ (‘Robin Williams Award’)
• ‘Film Most Likely To Be Rejected — Even By Airlines’ (Pick any Adam Sandler film.)

72ND ACADEMY AWARDS NOTES:
• Billy Crystal hosts his 7th awards Sunday on ABC/CTV. He’ll no doubt have reams of material about the 4,200 ballots and the 55 statues that went missing, and the “Wall Street Journal” attempt to scoop the winners by polling voters.
• “American Beauty” leads nominations with 8, followed by “The Cider House Rules” and “The Insider” with 7 each. MGM Grand’s Sportsbook gives “American Beauty” or “The Cider House Rules” 9-5 odds of winning the ‘Best Picture’. A nationwide ABC News poll finds ‘no opinion’ is the top choice for ‘Best Picture’.
• Robin Williams’ performance of risque ‘Best Song’ nominee “Blame Canada” from “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut” will be a highlight — the Academy is worried it will be offensive to a family audience. Sara McLachlan will perform ‘Best Song’ nominee “When She Loved Me” from “Toy Story 2″.
• All dance routines have been zapped in an effort to get the show down to 2 hours.
• 79-year-old Richard Farnsworth of “The Straight Story” is the oldest nominated actor in Oscar history. On the other end of the scale, 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment is nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for “The Sixth Sense”.
• Meryl Streep has tied Katharine Hepburn for most acting nominations with her 12th, for “Music of the Heart”.
• The show will be watched online by millions, with more than 30 Websites concentrating on the ceremony and related events.

THE AWARDS ‘WINNERS’ DON’T WANT:
Tomorrow the annual “Golden Raspberry Awards” salute the WORST of Hollywood in a traditional ceremony on the eve of the Oscars. “Stars Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace” tops this year’s list of nominees with 9, followed closely by”Wild Wild West” with 8. For its 20th anniversary, the “Razzies” will also salute the worst of the decade and the century. Nominees for ‘Worst Actor of the Century’ are Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Costner, Prince, William Shatner and Pauly Shore. ‘Worst Actress of the Century’ nominees – Elizabeth Berkley, Bo Derek, Madonna, Brooke Shields and Pia Zadora.

OTHER SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Today Whoopi Goldberg is launching her official Website (last time I went to a site called  Whoopi.com it was an entirely different thing) . . . . Here’s new technology that will change future concerts — Sunday in London a classical concert will be available on CD within 20 minutes after the show ends — the first-ever ‘Instant CD’ . . . In an MTV interview last night, Jennifer Lopez says she wants some peace and quiet (try wearing clothes, baby!) . . . Here’s “Millennium” law enforcement — University of Toronto campus police used Backstreet Boys tunes to ‘torture’ students into ending a sit-in at the president’s office.

THE BULL SHEET 03.24.00

TODAY’S CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS . . .
1936     [64] Dr David Suzuki, TV host/journalist/scientist (CBC-The Nature of Things)
1951    [49] Tommy Hilfinger, Elmira NY, fashion designer (Tommy Girl)
1970    [30] Lara Flynn Boyle, Davenport IA, TV actress (DA Helen Gamble-The Practice)
1974    [26] Alyson Hanningan, Washington DC, TV actress (Willow Rosenberg-Buffy the Vampire Slayer)/movie actress (American Pie)
1976    [24] Peyton Manning, New Orleans LA, NFL QB (Indianapolis Colts)

SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAYS . . .
1942     [58] Aretha Franklin, Memphis TN, ‘Queen of Soul’ with 15 Grammys (Respect)
1947     [53] Elton John (Sir Reginald Dwight), Pinner ENG, pop/rock singer (Candle in the Wind)
1965     [35] Sarah Jessica Parker, Nelsonville OH, TV actress (Carrie Bradshaw-Sex and the City)/film     actress (Dudley Do-Right, First Wives Club)

SUNDAY’S BIRTHDAYS . . .
1948     [52] Steve Tyler (Tallarico), Boston MA, rock singer (Aerosmith-I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing)    /Liv Tyler’s pop
1950     [50] Martin Short, Hamilton ON, film actor (Jungle 2 Jungle, Father Of The Bride II)/comedian     (Ed Grimley-SNL)/soon-to-be-ex-talk show host (Martin Short Show)

BS REASONS TO PARTY  . . .
Today is “St Gabriel’s Day”, the patron saint of RADIO, postal and telephone workers.

The “World Figure Skating Championships” begin Sunday in Nice, France.
NET: http://www.nice2000.org/

Sunday is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day”, a day that you can supposedly name whatever you wish! Ask listeners for suggestions.

ON THIS DAY IN THE ’90S . . .
1990     Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” hits #1 on pop charts
1994     Elvis Stojko wins World Figure Skating Championship (Ciba JAP)
1997    “The English Patient” wins 9 Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1971    [29] 1st ‘pine tree air freshener’ is introduced (Uncle Bill still has it on his rearview mirror)
1975     [25] ‘Beaver’ 1st becomes official Canadian symbol

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] National Joe Day (everyone who hates their name is called Joe)
[Tues] Something on a Stick Day
[Wed] ML Baseball Opening Day (Cubs vs Mets in Tokyo)
National Spring Fever Week
Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month

BULL’S BITS . . .
• What was the only X-rated movie to win a ‘Best Picture’ Oscar? (1969’s “Midnight Cowboy”)
• Which weighs more, an Oscar or a pack of Oscar Meyer wieners? (Wieners, 1 lb. Oscar, 7 lbs.)

THE LAST WORD: If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.