Jewel Bares Herself!

For almost a decade pundits have wondered how long it would be before the gorgeous Jewel used her sexuality in a video to promote a song.

My friends, that day has arrived!

In her video for the song "Intuition" she can be seen in a bikini top, dancing, and moving like an exotic dancer to "show her goods" to the camera. Or as it is described on her website, "See what all the controversy is about as Jewel struts through one commercial scenario after another in this parody of sex-driven advertising and music videos. This is Jewel like you've never seen her before."

Whatever the reason for this video finally being made, Jewel is one of this planet's most beautiful women and if she is comfortable objectifying herself just to sell CD's, so am I.

Thank you Jewel!

See the results for yourself! Jewel's new video, "Intuition," is available here for your viewing pleasure. Just click on "Multimedia."

2004 Golden Globes to air Jan. 25

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Golden Globe Awards, often considered a crystal ball for the Oscars, will air a week later than usual next year.

The 61st annual awards will be presented Jan. 25, the last weekend of the month, rather than on the traditional third weekend, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Tuesday.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Dagmar Dunlevy said neither the change in date for the Oscars -- which moved up from March to late February -- nor televised conference championship games to determine who plays in the Super Bowl was a consideration.

The awards usually wind up being held around Jan. 21 anyway, she said.

"Nothing's really changed," she said. "The philosophy was: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it."'

The new date comes just two days before Oscar nominations are announced Jan. 27. The Academy Awards show is set for Feb. 29.

A move had been expected because the date to return Oscar nomination ballots was changed to Jan. 17. If the Golden Globes had kept its traditional schedule, the awards would have been handed out Jan. 18, a day after the Oscar ballot deadline.

Organizations that have adjusted their 2004 dates for awards shows to early February include the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild of America and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

The Golden Globes are selected by the nearly 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who have a record of choosing Oscar winners. But their awards have received increasing attention mainly because of timing and television.

The live broadcast traditionally has exposed winners to a national audience before the Oscar balloting deadline. That has led to a view that the Golden Globes were at least the harbingers of the Oscar, if not directly influencing academy voters.

"I always think it's very flattering to say that we have any influence on an awards show," Dunlevy said.

Bad Start for THE HULK

Studio executives are reportedly not too happy with Ang Lee's upcoming THE HULK.

E! Online's Anderson Jones had the word:

He's Mean, Green...and Slow? I hear execs at Universal are turning green this week after a not so incredible screening of Hulk. The studio's top brass was practically speechless. Apparently, director Ang Lee has turned in a melodramatic take on the comic book with an emphasison drama--as in, really long and boring. Uh-oh. The suits concerns are way beyond the fanboy fears that the CGI big guy will look cheesy.

Still, isn't this what Lee promised from the get-go? He has always said Hulk would be an examination of our repressed selves and the release of unchecked rage--an emotion Bruce Banner expresses by turning into a 15-foot mighty green giant. I always expected the story to be a psychological journey--it's about the Hulk inside all of us. Still, one exec says, "It's like he combined The Ice Storm with Shrek."

JERRY SAYS 'FRIENDS' IS 'SEINFELD' RIP-OFF

Five years after his own legendary sitcom had its historic finale on NBC, Jerry Seinfeld is still competitive when it comes to today's hit sitcoms.

In separate TV interviews this week, he expressed amazement about Ray Romano's new contract and implied that the creators of "Friends" stole their concept of a group of friends in New York City from his old show.

He raised the subject of Romano's new deal during a chat with Jay Leno Wednesday night on "The Tonight Show."

The "Everybody Loves Raymond" star just reupped with CBS for $1.8 million per episode. Seinfeld earned $1 million an episode in his sitcom's final season (although he's earned tens of millions since then from the sale of "Seinfeld" reruns).

"I heard in your monologue - it was very interesting - you were talking about Ray Romano setting a world record, the highest-paid actor . . ." Seinfeld said to Leno. "I thought that was very interesting, very interesting, very, very interesting," Seinfeld said wonderingly.

He takes a shot at "Friends" on tonight's edition of HBO's "On the Record with Bob Costas."

In a rare and illuminating interview airing at 11:30 p.m., Costas asks Seinfeld if he thinks his show would have been given time to succeed if it was to premiere today instead of in 1990.

"Has 'Friends' been on too?" Seinfeld asks.

"Yeah, 'Friends' has been on," Costas replies.

"Really," answers Seinfeld, "so they managed to steal it without seeing it!"

On HBO, Seinfeld, 49, told Costas he has no plans to return to TV. He said he's enjoying his new life as husband, father and, occasionally, standup comedian.

HITTING BACK

Mariah Carey telling the New York Daily News she can't believe Eminem would go public with voicemail messages the singer left him while the two briefly dated. "I don't know what the hell he's doing. It's a little excessive. Doesn't it seem a little bit girly? Like we're in a catfight."

...The Matrix Reloaded racked up $9.3 million in its first day of release on Thursday, the largest preview gross in box-office history.

Rock, Older Buyers Rule in Depressed Music Market

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock and roll never dies, but it's getting older.

According to a survey by the Recording Industry Associationof America, rock held steady as the most popular genre in 2002 while those over age 45 emerged as the steadiest music buyers in a depressed market.

The survey, released on Thursday, also found that 2002 was the first year that more CDs were sold at discount department stores and consumer electronics outlets than specialty record stores.

Earlier this year, the RIAA reported that year-end shipments of CDs, DVDs and tapes totaled $12.6 billion in 2002, down 8 percent from $13.7 billion in 2001.

The embattled record industry blames that drop in large part on unauthorized online file-sharing services, which allow fans to copy and swap music for free.

Experts also cite the economy, competition from video games and a decline in runaway hits as factors behind the slump.

The RIAA survey found that consumers aged 10 to 14 years old represented 8.9 percent of the market, compared with 8.5 percent in 2001.

Purchases by fans 45 and up rose to 25.5 percent from 23.7 percent a year earlier, the survey said.

Rock reigned as the music purchased most, representing 24.7 percent of the market, the survey said, followed by rap or hip-hop and urban/R&B recordings.

Purchases at outlets other than specialty music stores grew from 42.4 percent in 2001 to 50.7 percent in 2002, the survey said.

The RIAA represents the world's major record labels, including AOL Time Warner, EMI Group Plc, Bertelsmann AG, Vivendi Universal Universal Music and Sony Corp.

Peter D. Hart Research Associates conducted the survey of more than 3,000 music consumers in the United States.

SNAKES AND RATS

CBS announcing an all-star edition of Survivor for its eighth installment. Castaways expected to compete for a $2 million jackpot include Jerri Manthey, Richard Hatch, Susan Hawk, Tina Wesson, Ethan Zohn and Rudy Bosch.

...Joey Chooses Pacey in 'Dawson' Finale

NEW YORK - After six seasons, Joey finally ends up with... Pacey. And Jen is the one who dies. The series finale of "Dawson's Creek" took the characters five years into the future.

Jack's a teacher, Jen's a single mom, Pacey's a restaurant owner, Joey's an editor in New York and Dawson's in Hollywood working on a show he created called "The Creek." They came back to Capeside for Dawson's mom's wedding, where Jen collapses and everyone finds out she has a heart abnormality. That's what ends up killing her.

Joey finally chooses between Pacey and Dawson, saying she's known all along. Even though she and Dawson tell each other, "You and me always," in the final scene she's watching "The Creek" with Pacey and he gets the kiss. And it turns out Pacey's been right all these years — his brother Dougie IS gay.

The series finale aired on the WB on Wednesday night.

'Matrix' Star Reeves Says He's No Indy Jones

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Maybe it's the dark glasses. Keanu Reeves, who plays the superpowered character Neo hiding behind his cool black shades and long trench coat in "The Matrix Reloaded," said he is certain he can avoid being typecast in similar superhero roles in the future.

"I don't think, as an actor, that is going to be a concern, in terms of being pigeonholed. 'Well, just go be that Neo guy,"' he quipped, mimicking the voice of a casting director.

The "Matrix" movies have created a cult-like following with their story about humans -- Neo among them -- battling machines that enslaved them in a computer-simulated world.

"The Matrix" in 1999 raked in $456 million worldwide, and by Thursday "Reloaded" was being shown on over 8500 movie screens, or roughly one-quarter of those in the U.S.

As Neo, Reeves risks a fate suffered by many actors in widely hyped, plum roles: repeat the part and become not an actor of many faces, but an actor of only one.

Harrison Ford is still seen by many fans as Indiana Jones of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" series.

"Harrison Ford is that character. He's such a central figure in that piece. Neo is much more a part of a whole," Reeves told Reuters, alluding to the film's ensemble cast.

That's somewhat true. His team's Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity are cool and sexy killing machines.

"Matrix Reloaded" picks up where "Matrix" ended. The machines are hellbent on human genocide and Neo, or "The One," must stop them. The story was dreamed up by writer/director brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski.

IDEAS, AND FUN TOO

A sci-fi fan, Reeves likes the humans' determination against adversity and their sense of right and wrong. But best of all, he said, the "Matrix" movies are just plain fun.

"It has ideas you can take with you, but it is a film you can also be entertained by," he said.

Neo, of course, flies. He sees speeding bullets in slow motion. He walks on air, flips, twirls, then punches his rivals with deadly force, although Agent Smith just won't die.

With his slick black hair and chiseled jaw, Neo looks nothing like the tousled and slightly rumpled Reeves.

Reeves, 38, has faced this typecasting issue before.

His role as stoner Ted, in 1989's "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," left Hollywood thinking he could only play a dim-witted dude. After 1991's "Point Break" he was dubbed a pretty boy, and 1994's "Speed" made him an action hero.

Each time, Reeves broke the stereotypes by taking diverse parts -- a street hustler in "My Own Private Idaho," or Don John in Kenneth Branagh's version of "Much Ado About Nothing."

He said he tries not to think about nearing 40, and what that means in terms of his career and new roles.

"I don't think I can be a virgin in high school again," he joked.

He has one more shot at Neo, in "The Matrix Revolutions" which hits movie screens in November and is the final chapter in the trilogy of films.

Reeves said he doesn't know whether there will be other "Matrix" movies, and he did not say if he would return as Neo.

"If there is, it might be an incarnation that is something else. The story they (the Wachowskis) wanted to tell, is told."

'Untouchables' Actor Robert Stack Dies

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Robert Stack, who battled TV gangsters as the famed crime-fighter Eliot Ness in "The Untouchables" and helped bring real-life fugitives to justice as host of "Unsolved Mysteries," has died at age 84, his agent said on Thursday.

The actor, who had recently completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer, was found dead of a heart attack in the living room of his Bel Air home by his wife, Rosemarie, when she returned on Wednesday from a charity show rehearsal, agent Merritt Blake told Reuters.

Blake said Stack had been given a "clean bill of health" in recent weeks, though doctors were aware that he had an artery blockage that had gone untreated during his bout with cancer.

Although ill, Stack had continued to work recently, and his distinct, deep voice will soon be heard as the narrator of the upcoming Broadway revival of "Little Shop of Horrors," which he recorded for the show two or three weeks ago, said Blake, his agent for the past 25 years. Those recordings were the last work Stack did before his death.

Stack's last public appearance was on Saturday, when he stood up to acknowledge applause from a crowd attending a birthday tribute to Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant.

But Stack had friends in higher places than that, including former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, who issued a statement saying they counted Stack and his wife "among our dearest friends in Los Angeles."

CONSUMMATE CRIME-FIGHTER

In a career spanning seven decades, Stack earned a 1956 Academy Award nomination for his supporting role as the playboy son of an oil tycoon in "Written in the Wind" and won renewed popularity with his comic turn in the 1980 movie satire "Airplane!"

However, Stack is perhaps best remembered for his signature role as Eliot Ness, the famed G-Man who battled Prohibition-era mobsters, in the TV series "The Untouchables," which ran from 1959 to 1963. The role earned him an Emmy in 1960.

He also starred as a crime-fighter in two shorter-lived cop shows -- "Most Wanted" and "Strike Force."

He was better-known to a younger generation of viewers as host of the popular docudrama series "Unsolved Mysteries," which combined interviews with dramatic reenactments to explore baffling crimes and all manner of unexplained phenomena ranging from persistent legends to UFO sightings.

Viewers were urged to call a special hotline with clues, and by the end of the eighth season, the show claimed credit for the capture of 140 fugitives.

The series debuted in the late 1980s and ran for about a decade on NBC before CBS picked up the show for two short runs in 1998 and 1999. Reruns, along with some new episodes and updates, have since run on the Lifetime cable network.

Stack made his big-screen debut in 1939 as the leading man opposite Deanna Durbin in "First Love" and was paired with her again two years later in "Nice Girl?"

Interrupting his acting career to serve as an aerial gunner instructor during World War II, he returned to Hollywood to appear in more than 18 films through the 1950s, starting with "A Date with Judy" opposite Elizabeth Taylor in 1948.

Other notable film credits included "The High and the Mighty" with John Wayne, the first commercial 3-D feature "Bwana Devil" and the title role in 1959's "John Paul Jones."

Nashville Matriarch June Carter Cash Dead at 73

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country music singer-songwriter June Carter Cash, the wife of Johnny Cash, died in Nashville on Thursday after complications from heart surgery, a spokeswoman said. She was 73.

"She passed away this evening at 5:04 p.m. Central Time," said Jennifer Jackson, director of public relations at Baptist Hospital, where Cash had undergone heart surgery on May 7.

Her family, including her husband, was at her side, Jackson told Reuters. The funeral will be private, she said later, adding that no additional details would be released.

Cash, the daughter of country music pioneer Maybelle Carter, mother of Carlene Carter and stepmother of Rosanne Cash, also country singers, co-wrote "Ring of Fire," a No. 1 country hit for Johnny Cash in 1963. They were married five years later, and their union was one of the strongest in the entertainment business.

"She's a soft, fluffy Mama Bear," Johnny Cash, 71, wrote in the liner notes of his newest album, "The Man Comes Around." He has suffered from poor health in recent years including diabetes, glaucoma, asthma and pneumonia.

The couple toured and recorded together for more than 40 years. They shared two Grammys in the 1960s for their renditions of "Jackson" and "If I Were A Carpenter." She won a trophy in her own right in 2000 for her acclaimed solo album "Press On."

A witty raconteur, June Carter Cash dabbled in acting, notably playing Robert Duvall's mother in the 1997 film "The Apostle." She would wryly note that in real life, she was only 18 months Duvall's senior. She also appeared a few times in "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," a TV series starring family friend Jane Seymour.

Cash's mother, Maybelle Carter, formed one-third of the Carter Family, one of country music's first superstar acts. As a young girl, she toured America with her mother and sisters, Helen and Anita.

In addition to her husband and Carlene Carter, she is survived by another daughter, Rosie, as well as her sole child with Cash, John Carter Cash.