1. Grammy-winning songstress Kelly Clarkson, for saying what we were all thinking. After Madonna’s opening performance at the Grammy Awards Wednesday night, Clarkson greeted the pop icon backstage with: “You were amazing… I wish I had your thighs.”
2. Oscar nominee Heath Ledger, for having a purportedly good excuse. Ledger, who placed his hand on his hip and giggled while introducing a segment from the gay cowboy film Brokeback Mountain with co-star co-star Jake Gyllenhaal at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last month, blames stage fright for the campy behavior. “I’ve stood like that (with my hands on my hip) since I was a kid,” Ledger explains. “You can ask my mum.”
3. Pop star Jennifer Lopez, for cleaning up well. Jenny from the Block was paid $2 million for one day’s work filming a Lux body soap ad campaign, which will only be seen in Asia.
4. Vanity Fair magazine, for trumping itself. Forget last VF’s controversial Lindsay Lohan issue. In an upcoming Vanity Fair photo spread, Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley get naked with designer Tom Ford.
5. Outspoken filmmaker Spike Lee, for forthrightness. During a speech at University of Mississippi’s Black History Month celebration, Lee, denounced the state’s flag, which has the Confederate battle flag in its corner. “You’ve gotta do something about that flag,” Lee, said. “I know people say its representative of history. Well, so’s the swastika.”
6. British funnyman Ricky Gervais, for prolificacy. The Office star, co-writer Stephen Merchant and producer Karl Pilkington write, produce and star in the 30-minute comedy podcast, which has been downloaded from the Internet a record 2.9 million times.
7. Actor Morgan Freeman, for making movie history. Freeman, is creating and starring in the feature film 10 Items or Less, which will be released in theaters the same day it’s available for Internet downloading.
8. The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno, for being the new sheriff in town. Ferrigno will be sworn in as a Los Angeles reserve deputy sheriff on February 13. The former world champion bodybuilder received extensive training in firearms, first aid and high-speed defensive driving techniques last September.
9. xXx: State of the Union star Samuel L. Jackson, for loyalty. Jackson has publicly supported director Lee Tamahori, who was arrested for posing as a drag prostitute in Los Angeles last month. “Nobody got hurt and that’s the important thing,” Jackson said. “Guys are guys and people are people.”
10. Supermodel Heidi Klum, for the straight skinny on modeling. Klum, who has been accused of promoting eating disorders with Germany’s Next Top Model, argues the show gives a realistic representation of the fashion industry: “In this job, models tend to be thinner than the normal people from the street… Who makes the rules? I don’t. The fashion world does. You always say, the ideal measurements are 90-60-90 (34-26-34).”
