Fan Fare

Have Gaddafi stars gone far enough?

Beyonce, Nelly Furtado and Mariah Carey have all tried to repair any damage that their links to the tainted regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi may have caused them.

On Monday, Furtado tweeted that she would give away the $1 million she earned for just 45 minutes performing before the clan in Italy in 2007. OK, it’s a start, but when, and to whom, and how will anyone know?

Then Beyonce issued a statement saying she had already donated her Gaddafi-stained fee to a Haiti charity. This is also problematic. Judging by comments which stories on this issue have prompted, some people want to know for sure that the money Beyonce so admirably gave to a good cause was the money she earned from the New Year’s Eve concert hosted by one of the Libyan leader’s sons. Otherwise, they argue, the singer is merely avoiding coughing up another million in addition to money she already decided to give.

And finally came Mariah Carey, who took to the web on Thursday with her own response. She, like Beyonce, has been embarrassed by her participation in Gaddafi-hosted New Year’s eve parties on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, a predicament her PR team described as “a slight pr problem”.

A statement on her website called Gaddafi a “vicious, crazy dictator”, but then went on to say that Carey’s involvement at the show was before Libya was in the news and the fact that it was now an issue was “sort of ridiculous”. Carey was described as “very philanthropic” and the statement went on to list her charitable ventures to date, including donating earnings from her song “Hero” to good causes. For good measure, Carey also said she would donate any proceeds from a new song called “Save the Day” “for human rights issues”.

Carey’s own statement read: “I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for. I feel horrible and embarrassed to have participated in this mess. Going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from. We need to be more aware and take more responsibility regardless of who books our shows. Ultimately we as artists are to be held accountable.”

Opinions on these various actions are mixed. Some readers praise the artists for facing up to the truth, and express some sympathy at the way world events have swung against them in recent weeks. Others don’t buy it. All three stars are accused of putting their paychecks before their principles, and some commentators doubt the sincerity of their response to the problem.

Joining (or leaving?) the ranks of singing divas on “American Idol”

There were just two certainties on “American Idol” after inspirational theme night with mentor Alicia Keys.

1) Singing anything by Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston is going to be a no-no when Randy Jackson is on the judging panel (and singing a song that both divas have already “made their own”  is just asking for trouble);

2) Crystal Bowersox must surely already be this year’s “Idol” winner;

Bowersox — dubbed Momma Sox by fans — abandoned her guitar to stand alone and sing a cappella for the first verse of “People Get Ready.”  And then she capped off a stellar vocal performance by breaking down in tears , uncharacteristically, on the final line.

Randy gave her a standing ovation, Simon said it was in a “different class,” and Crystal said she had got all emotional when she saw her father in the “Idol” audience in Los Angeles for the first time.

The “Idol” producers must be giving daily thanks that the young mom did not quit the show a few weeks ago when she was missing her family most.

But another early front-runner, Siobhan Magnus, should perhaps have known better than to have attempted the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston double “When You Believe” — even given her impressive range.

Feuding stars Eminem, Mariah Carey “Obsessed” with each other

If President Obama still has some Bud Light in the fridge after his “beer summit” Thursday to defuse racial tensions, he might want to mediate an even bigger crisis: The escalating feud between Mariah Carey and Eminem. 

Long after the stars may or may not have had a brief romantic entanglement, they have been sniping at each other in song. In the latest development, Eminem on Thursday released a new track “The Warning,” in which he goes into explicit — often embarrassing — details about their alleged fling in 2001. (Carey has said it never happened.) 

“Enough dirt on you to murder you,” Eminem says in one of the mildest lines on the song, which also targets her husband of 15 months, singer/rapper Nick Cannon. 

“Mariah, it ever occur to you that I still have pictures? However you prefer to do, and that goes for Nick too. Faggot, you think I’m scared of you?” 

After firing out various insults at the couple, Eminem threatens to release voicemails she left for him, and then a Carey soundalike is heard making romantic utterances. Eminem does at least hold out an olive branch of sorts at the end, offering to call a truce. 

His song was a direct response to Carey’s new single “Obsessed,” which comes from her forthcoming album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.” Carey’s song does not mention Eminem by name, but the object of the song is described as being “delusional” and “fired up with your Napoleon Complex.”  

“Why you so obsessed with me? Boy, I wanna know,” she sings. “Lyin’ that you’re sexin’ me when everybody knows it’s clear that you’re upset with me.”

Mariah Carey calls film work “exhausting, exhilarating”

She’s better known as a pop singer and her work in the movie “Glitter” didn’t earn her much respect as an actress, but her next film, “Precious,” will likely do a lot to change perceptions of Mariah Carey.

The pop diva appeared in front of reporters alongside her co-stars in the gritty, urban drama here at Cannes on Friday after a smashing debut at last January’s Sundance Film Festival. (Read about that here) In the film, she portrays a welfare case worker to a young, overweight teenager, Precious, whose life in the ghetto is hard.

To perform in the part, the glamorous Carey stripped down to her basic self and was required to wear no makeup except that which gave her dark circles under her eyes and made her look weary and worn. Yet Carey said it was among the best work she could have imagined.

“Doing it…was exhausting, exhilarating and it was just an honor,” Mariah told reporters at Cannes.

Her director, Lee Daniels, said she plays entirely against type, and watching her perform — along with those of another music star Lenny Kravitz, comedian Mo’Nique and newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe” — will be a unique experience for her fans. “Mariah has never played this type before,” said Daniels.

The movie came out of Sundance, at that time under a working title called “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”) with an award and Oscar buzz. (Read a review here). U.S. audiences can look for it on November 6, and international audiences will see it as it rolls out country by country.

Mariah Carey labelled un-green on Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day on Wednesday, environmental Web site GreenDaily.com has named singer Mariah Carey the “least green celebrity.” What did Carey do to deserve the dis? She was quoted as saying that she flies her personal trainer from St. Barts in the Caribbean to New York to keep her on a workout regimen.

The AOL-owned GreenDaily.com created the “least green” celebrity list in cooperation with social networking site Bebo.com, based on an online poll.

A spokeswoman for Carey was not available.

While Carey was voted least green by 35 percent of respondents, another 27 percent said actor John Travolta was Hollywood’s worst environmental offender for his use of private jets, which GreenDaily.com said are responsible for 800 tons of carbon emissions per year.

Who is Hollywood’s greenest celebrity? Thirty-six percent of the poll’s respondents said actor and longtime environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio. He topped the list, followed by U2 frontman Bono and actor Ed Begley Jr., the former “St. Elsewhere” star who has been known to sell his own green cleaning spray at the farmers market on weekends.

It’s a green world out there, at least on Earth Day. And with Web sites like GreenDaily.com trolling through Hollywood, woe to the stars who live it up and forget about their carbon footprint.

Stars auction iPods, playlists for hurricane charity

Curious about what your favorite singer listens to on their iPod?

Here comes a chance not only to find out, but to buy the personal playlist and the autographed iPod of 70 celebrities ranging from Madonna and Beyonce to Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears and fashion designer Marc Jacob.

Philanthropic Web site Tonic.com is auctioning off  between one and five of  the signed iPods every week from now until August and sending all the money directly to benefit Music Rising — an organization that replaces musical instruments that were lost or destroyed by Katrina and other hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region.

First up is Mariah Carey (clearly a big hip-hop fan), Gwen Stefani whose tastes range from Prince to Joni Mitchell, country star Faith Hill (who seems to have a fondness for someone called Tim McGraw?!) and Pete Wentz ( Mamma Mia! and the musical Wicked!??).

Stars align for Grammys, but clouds overshadow music biz

Music royalty will gather in Los Angeles on Sunday for the 51st annual Grammys but despite a dazzling star line-up, few big labels are throwing the glitzy after-parties of yesteryear given the recession and industry’s years-long malaise.

Some industry watchers even think the Grammys, which have seen viewership slide, need a facelift to revamp several award categories and change the show’s format to stay current with a generation of fans who have long bypassed mainstream music events.

“The Grammys are looking pretty long in the tooth when you consider the fragmentation of the music culture” said Robert Thompson, professor of culture at Syracuse University.

As usual, the broadcast will be performance-heavy, featuring best album nominees; best new artist nominees Adele and the Jonas Brothers; and veterans such as Paul McCartney and U2. The night’s top contenders are rapper Lil Wayne with eight nominations and British rock band Coldplay with seven.

The economic crisis is just the latest insult to the music business which has lost its groove and 33 percent in U.S. album sales since 2000 amid a faster-than-predicted shift to digital distribution. But despite all the gloom and doom, the beat goes on. “A lot of people have in the industry have been beaten up in the past few years although the art form is vibrant,” said Mike McGuire, analyst with Gartner.

“We have to find a solution to the economic woes, but this is still a celebration of the artistic product, whether people are buying it or not,” said entertainment attorney Jay Cooper.

 Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” is vying in the best album category against “In Rainbows” by fellow British rockers, Radiohead, which bypassed major labels to distribute the album on its own Web site at a price to be determined by consumers. It later released the album through a small label owned by rocker Dave Matthews.

“Idol’s” Mariah night: was it a burger bun or a luau?

It must have been conceived as some sort of cruel joke.

For seven seasons now, the judges of “American Idol” have repeatedly told contestants to steer clear of singing songs by Mariah Carey, ostensibly because the singing competition’s up-and-coming star wannabes could never hope to measure up to one of the great voices of pop music.

So, let’s just say it was a little strange to find Carey as the guest judge on Tuesday night’s show. Because you know what that means: the contestants were allowed to perform an old Mariah song, a new Mariah song, or any other Mariah song of their choosing.

As judge Simon Cowell predicted at the beginning of the show, the night indeed turned out to be lackluster one for the girls because of the unavoidable comparisons between them and the great Carey herself. That didn’t stop Cowell from delivering his usual barbs, however.

“It was a bit like ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun,” Cowell told Brooke White after her performance of “Hero.” “In other words the vital ingredient, the bit in the middle, was missing.”

Ouch.

The other girls — Syesha Mercado, Kristy Lee Cook, and Carly Smithson — emerged without being compared to fast food, but they didn’t get any overwhelming love from the judges.