Los Angeles, March 29, 2008 – Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards turned 21 in 2008, but the slimefest is still strictly kid stuff.  No surprise that  award winners Miley Cyrus and her touring partners the Jonas Brothers received the loudest cheers during the generally high-decibel event at UCLA’s Pauley Pavillion.

Reporting from the orange carpet for Access Hollywood, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano was constantly interrupted by other journalists telling him he’s fierce and asking to pose for photos with him.

“Wannabe” award winner Cameron Diaz was very late arriving, and practically ran down the orange carpet to make it inside in time for the show.  Jack Black, Orlando Bloom and Harrison Ford slipped in through the side of the venue, bypassing the throngs of screaming ‘tweens crowding outside.  However, they did not escape the green slime!

Rumors were flying that Britney Spears would attend the KCA, but she was nowhere to be found at the event on Saturday.

New York, March 30, 2008 – Sunday was the big press day for Martin Scorcese’s Rolling Stones concert documentary Shine a Light.  An afternoon press conference at a Midtown Manhattan hotel was followed by the evening’s glitzy red carpet premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre.  The rock n’ roll bad boys turned up on time for the premiere, and the exuberant Mick Jagger had his current girlfriend L’Wren Scott on his arm. 

After we arrived at the premiere, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony would be attending; it seemed doubtful as the evening wore on, but finally about 30 minutes after the screening was scheduled to begin, a silver Maybach pulled up, and Marc Anthony emerged, went around to the other side and opened the car door for his wife.   J. Lo looked great, and surprisingly svelte only five weeks after giving birth to twins. 

Other surprise attendees were Michelle Yeoh, Val Kilmer and filmmaker Albert Maysles, who with his late brother David made the legendary documentary Gimme Shelter about the Stones’ deadly 1969 concert at Altamont, CA. 

Shine a Light opens in theaters on April 4, 2008.

New York, March 27, 2008 – After speaking about the sagging economy and being dissed by New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Barack Obama’s spirits lifted outside the Cooper Union on Thursday, where he spotted a contest offering a $3,000 prize for whoever comes up with the new name for a kosher restaurant.  If Obama gets his entry on the ballot in time for the Pennsylvania primary in April, that $3,000 is totally his.

New York, March 26, 2008 – Jim Sturgess, the adorable Brit who recently starred in the Beatles themed musical Across the Universe got the cast of his newest gambling flick, 21, to rock on the set.  “Jacob Pitts, who plays Fisher, and I had guitars, and we would kind of howl down the corridors of Boston University where we were shooting, and kind of piss everybody off”, Sturgess told us at the Cinema Society screening on Wednesday.  Co-star Kate Bosworth sometimes joined in, and so we wondered if, you know, she likes singing, like so many young Hollywood stars do.  And while Kate says working in the film didn’t turn her into a card shark, she is smart enough to read our mind.  “I do like singing.  I will not be coming out with a CD, if that is your next question, but I do enjoy it”, said the actress, looking very chic in Calvin Klein.

The evening really heated up later at the Mercer Kitchen after party, where Mary-Kate Olsen camped out all evening at corner table, Clive Owen popped in late and Elle MacPherson, Maggie Rizer and Jamie Burke partied and tried to count cards at blackjack tables stationed around the room. 

Photos: Joy E. Scheller