Buzz Briefs: Sandra Bernhard, Salma Hayek

Comedian Sandra Bernhard Punished For Palin Comments

Comedian Sandra Bernhard says the decision by a Boston women's shelter to cut her act from its annual benefit was based on a misleading account of what she said about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Bernhard said Palin would be "gang-raped by my big black brothers" during a diatribe in her one-woman show in Washington last month in which she also criticized Palin for opposing abortion rights.

Bernhard made the remarks before Palin visited New York to campaign.

Bernhard says the comment was part of a larger piece from her show about "women, racism, freedom and the extreme views of Governor Sarah Palin" and that her words were taken out of context.

Salma Hayek: On A Mission To Fight Tetanus In Moms, Babies

Hollywood mom Salma Hayek is lending her star power to a UNICEF campaign to eradicate tetanus in mothers and babies around the world within four years.

Hayek, a paid spokeswoman for Pampers' tetanus vaccine program, recounted her experiences during a recent trip to the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where she met with tetanus victims.

"One of the things that was very moving about the trip was to see 15-year-old girls, really young, taking responsibility for their lives and their children before they're born by saying 'I am going to be healthy, I am going to take this vaccination,"' she told journalists at the United Nations on Thursday.

"I had no idea how much this was going to really personally move me," added the 42-year-old star of films including "Desperado" and "Frida."

The Pampers-UNICEF partnership has already provided over 50 million vaccines to mothers and babies in developing countries, where tetanus kills up to 140,000 infants and 30,000 women each year, according to the U.N. agency.

Pampers, owned by Procter & Gamble Co., said it would give UNICEF the money for one tetanus vaccine for every pack of specially marked diapers it sells before the end of the year. It expects that to produce 70 million more vaccinations.

Hayek's daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault was born in September 2007.

Dolly Parton Adds Smokies Ambassador To Resumé

Entertainer Dolly Parton, who often refers to her Smoky Mountains upbringing, will serve as the ambassador for the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There will be events throughout 2009 celebrating Congress' approval to form the park on June 15, 1934.

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said in a release Thursday that Parton emerged as the obvious choice for the ambassador selection.

Parton, who grew up in the foothills of the Smokies in Sevier County, Tenn., said she's always been an advocate for the park, but she is honored to become "official."

Parton will lend her endorsement through media announcements and publications and has written an album titled "Sha-Kon-O-Hey" - the phonetic spelling of the Cherokee words for "Land of Blue Smoke."

Colbert Weaves A White House Web With Spider-Man

Stephen Colbert is hoping to swing into the White House - alongside Spider-Man.

The host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" appears with the web-slinger in an issue of Marvel Comics' "The Amazing Spider-Man," out on Oct. 15.

As a joke, Colbert had tried but failed to get on both the Democratic and Republican presidential primary ballots in his home state of South Carolina. The consolation prize is a fictional appearance as a major candidate on a make-believe ticket in Spider-Man's world.

Oct. 1, 2008

Country Singer Mindy McCready Turns Herself In

Country singer Mindy McCready has turned herself in to start serving a 60-day sentence for violating probation on a drug charge.

McCready cut a deal with prosecutors in Williamson County, Tenn.

She was charged with violating probation after being accused of faking her community service records.

McCready has said she's "working very hard to put all this" behind her so she can get back to her career.

Caroline Kennedy, Sarah Jessica Parker Shopping For A Cause

Caroline Kennedy and Sarah Jessica Parker want you to shop until you drop - and feel good about doing it.

The pair kicked off New York City's fifth annual "Shop for Public Schools" promotion on Wednesday.

For the next week, more than 200 retail locations across the city will donate part of their proceeds to public school libraries.

The actress calls it "a great opportunity for all New Yorkers to get involved."

Kennedy, who is vice-chair of The Fund for Public Schools, says the money will help children "learn to love reading, improve their research skills and pursue their dreams." Specifically, it will help pay for books, technology and other resources in schools that need it the most.

N.Y. Judge "Aufs" Project Runway Suit

A New York judge has bid "auf Wiedersehen" to fashion industry veterans who claimed Heidi Klum and others ripped off their idea for television's "Project Runway."

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska has agreed to toss out the lawsuit, which claimed the reality series was based on an idea submitted by a fashion designer and a fashion merchandiser.

Preska said in a written opinion that it was clear the show was developed independently of the two women who challenged its originality.

In a deposition, Klum said the show resulted from several brainstorming sessions by its creators. She said she had never heard of the plaintiffs' idea for the show.

Klum is known for telling contestants who don't make the cut, "You're aufed!" - short for the German farewell.