People

FLATTERY DOESN'T ALWAYS WIN THE PRIZE

When People magazine anointed actor Ben Affleck with the title "Sexiest Man Alive," the publication might have had a hidden agenda. But if it did have an ulterior reason for dispensing the kudos, the effort was likely for naught. The New York Post notes that People had wanted very much to be the exclusive media outlet to cover the upcoming nuptials between Affleck and Jennifer Lopez -- some time next year. But the publication says that Us Weekly has the project "locked in." No chance that People, no matter how much it may have honored Affleck, will get its photographers into the inner circle at the marriage and surrounding ceremonies. It would appear that there is some kind of relationship between the couple and Us Weekly. There is also speculation that some payment might have been involved for access to the wedding, which should be quite a media event.

MESSINA READY TO KICK OFF TOUR

Busy county star Jo Dee Messina has take time out from her busy schedule of charity work and personal appearances to put the finishing touches on a cross-holiday tour. She kicks it all off this weekend in the Boston suburb of Lowell, Mass., with dates extending up to just a few days before Christmas. CMT is reporting that she will be using a three-dimensional "living set" as the backdrop for the current tour. She helped design it. It's a multi-media affair, combining still photos and video snippets. A tree on stage was flocked with ornaments that Messina designed and helped make, along with a group of Nashville sixth-grade students. Additionally, her holiday album, "A Joyful Noise," has just hit record shelves. Messina is asking those attending her concerts to bring an unwrapped toy for later distribution by U.S. Marines as part of their Toys for Tots program.

SNIFFER MACHINE EMBARRASSES NYC LAWYER

When New York City lawyer Raoul Felder and his daughter traveled through the Fort Lauderdale International Airport this week, they got more than they bargained for. Felder, best known for handling the divorce for former Big Apple mayor Rudy Giuliani, was stopped when traces of an explosive agent were found on his laptop computer ... at least, that's what the machinery indicated. Nearly every laptop going through security is "sniffed" for dangerous residue. Usually a small cloth is used to wipe the outside of the computer, then this cloth is inserted into a "sniffing" machine. In the case of Felder and his daughter, even though neither was a terrorist, the machine registered what can only be called a "false positive." Reporter Richard Johnson says that in addition to the scrutiny and subsequent delays, when asked from what gate he was leaving, Felder's answer raised even more eyebrows. "C-4," he replied. Unfortunately "C-4" is also the name of an explosive for which the screeners look.

TOP NAMES TO GET LIFETIME HONORS

The folks at the Recording Academy of America (the Grammy people) have just come out with the list of artists who will be honored next year with lifetime achievement awards. And, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the list is eclectic, indeed. Among those who will be given the special award are the late bandleader Glenn Miller, jazz great Etta James, singer Johnny Mathis, hot jazz bandleader Tito Puente and the classic duo of Simon and Garfunkel. The awards will be handed out in late February in Manhattan in conjunction with the 45th annual Grammy Awards. Nominations for those awards will be made in early January. For more check out grammy.com on the Internet.

CLARK HELPING SPECIAL OLYMPICS

The latest national entertainer to help the Special Olympics is Terri Clark. She's been named the official spokesperson for the upcoming Canadian Special Olympic winter games. Those contests are set for Alberta in early February. The statuesque, black-haired Clark is a native of Quebec, though she now lives in Nashville. Described by many of her friends as being a non-pretentious "what you see is what you get" kind of person, Clark with her strong persona and gut-wrenching singing has made quite a mark since entering the world of country music. By the way, according to her Web site, terri-clark.com, her favorite childhood memory is of being sung to by her guitar-playing mother.

ZSA ZSA PROGNOSIS STILL NOT CLEAR

It was touch-and-go for a while, as doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center worked to patch up actress-personality Zsa Zsa Gabor in the wake of an auto accident on busy Sunset Boulevard. A car in which the 85-year-old actress was riding struck a light pole. She suffered numerous broken bones, cuts and bruises. Gabor has been moving in and out of consciousness since the accident. The auto was driven by her hairdresser. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Gabor was an international phenomenon in back in the 1950s and '60s and had the persona more of a playgirl, fancy dresser and party giver than of an actress. She did make several movie appearances, mostly in "B" pictures, most notably in "Touch of Evil."

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 470

Yesterday, in announcing the death of multi-talented actor Parley Baer, we mentioned that for years he had been on a list of 10 important personalities who were the "final remnants" of the Golden Age of Entertainment. Several have wondered who is left on the list. Well, here are our final six: Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Donald O'Connor, Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Edwards and Gregory Peck. So, in light of that, today's question: "Who are the two still-alive stars whom you will most mourn when they go?" Put STARS in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 465 (JFK)

Last week, on the 39th anniversary of the death of the late President John Kennedy, we asked your memories of 11/22/63. From a random sampling of the inbox, here are some thoughts: One of the most poignant came from Lili in Chicago. Because she is only 25 she said she asked her mother about that day in 1963. "Every time I bring up the subject," Lili reports, "mom starts crying and can't express herself. I never knew the day had such an impact on so many people." MGD says that he can remember what he was wearing that day and, like myself, was sitting in a high school classroom when he heard the news. ConnieBrew says she was in the military, serving as a nurse in England. "You can't believe the wave of grief that swept over Europe when the news was broadcast," she says. Finally, I remember the comments of a grandmother in Texas (who died recently) who was featured in this column earlier this year. She worked at the Texas School Book Depository building and heard the shots fired. "I turned to friends and joked that someone had shot the president. Then I found out it was true. I regretted that remark the rest of my life." NEXT: Your favorite country stars. GBA