Kenneth Moreno, cop accused of raping East Village woman, told her they used a condom: recordings

Kenneth Moreno leaves court as two NYPD cops attend Manhattan Supreme Court for a trial on charges of raping a drunk Manhattan woman.

A cop accused of raping a drunk East Village woman later told her that he used a condom that night, according to a secretly taped conversation played in court Monday.

"Did you use a condom?" the woman demanded as she confronted Police Officer Kenneth Moreno outside the precinct where he worked 10 days after the incident.

"Yes I did," Moreno replied -- after repeatedly denying any sexual contact with the woman, who he had helped into her apartment because she was intoxicated.

The woman, 29, wore a wire provided by the Manhattan district attorney's office when she approached Moreno in 2008.

The tape, played at a pre-trial hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court Monday, is expected to take center stage when the woman takes the witness stand at the trial -- expected to open next week.

Moreno, 43, and his partner, Franklin Mata, 27, are charged with rape, burglary and official misconduct in connection with the December 2008 incident.

The two cops met the woman -- who remembers almost nothing about what happened that night -- when they responded to a 911 call from a cab driver who feared his passenger was too drunk to get inside her E. 13th St. building safely.

They returned to the apartment two more times that night.

Mata facilitated but did not participate in the attack, prosecutors charge.

"I just want to know, do I need to be worried about STDs?" the woman asked Moreno as she tried to get a confession out of him on tape.

"No ma'am," Moreno responded.

"I woke up to you guys taking advantage of me," she said.

"No ma'am, nobody took advantage of you," he said. "Ma'am, you want me to admit something that didn't happen?"

About halfway through the confrontation outside the East Village precinct, Moreno twice said he used a condom.

His lawyer argued that he only made the admission when the woman threatened to go into the E. 5th St. precinct and accuse him of rape.

"On tape, you just hear him give in," Moreno's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, said outside court.

On tape, Moreno asks the woman, "Do you remember anything we spoke about?"

"I just remember you getting me a drink of water and I don't remember anything else," she answers.

But then she says: "I woke up to you having sex with me."

"Ma'am no," Moreno responds.

"I was just trying sincerely to help you that day," Moreno insisted. "Anything else you remember happened, it wasn't done intentionally, I should have called an ambulance for you. I apologize for everything."

Billy Crystal Returns to the Oscars Stage

Eight-time Oscar host Billy Crystal returned to his most famous stage to a rousing standing ovation. Crystal, who hasn't hosted the show since 2004, came to introduce a segment featuring Bob Hope hosting the first televised Oscars.

"So where was I," Crystal joked when hitting the stage. "Some things never change. The producers have asked me to tell you we are running a little long, so here are the nominees for Best Picture."
"The first televised Oscars was in 1953. I was five years old so for those of you who stink in math I'm 47. The host that year was Bob Hope. He hosted it 18 times, I hosted it eight and I was popped after two. Bob was the Oscars. He was funny, he was classy and he was what I think the Oscar host must be: a sexy movie star."
"I never worked with Bob Hope, I never met him but one night we had a great moment together here on the stage of the Academy Awards," Crystal remembered. "Bob was sitting [there] and it made me a little jittery that he was in the audience. So I thought of a good, strong joke and I found myself looking at Bob Hope's face. And the camera was on him and he laughed and applauded and I introduced him and he blew me a kiss and gave me an affectionate little wave and it meant the world to me," Crystal remembered. "And when the camera went away, he flipped me off. So I guess you could say we worked together."

Facebook friends take on new meaning as hookers are said to be flocking to social networking site

After studying the habits of 290 sex workers, Sudhir Venkatesh found that 83% rely on Facebook to lure johns.

It's a friend request with benefits - but it isn't for free.

New York hookers are flocking to Facebook to advertise their services, a Columbia University sociologist says.

After studying the habits of 290 sex workers, Sudhir Venkatesh found that 83% rely on Facebook to lure johns.

"I estimate that by the end of 2011, Facebook will be the leading online recruitment space," Venkatesh wrote in the February issue of Wired magazine.

Even a quick search of the uber-popular social networking site reveals a trove of sex-charged profiles.

"I'm a full Gfe [girlfriend experience] provider," wrote "Molly Ravish" on her page, which features a picture of a young blond woman in lingerie.

"For a list of my services go to [my website]."

Ravish's personal Web page offers titillating photos and a detailed description of her services: $200 for an hour of passion, including "deep french kissing" and oral sex - and $150 for 30 minutes.

"Succulent, sweet, and dripping with charm, I beleive [sic] you will find me to be seductive, sensuous, and enticing," her website says.

Among Ravish's favorite quotations listed on Facebook are several sexually suggestive phrases.

"Remember my name ... you'll be screaming it later," reads one.

Other pages owned by local sex workers are less risque - but just as easy to find.

On her profile, "Beva Langoria" listed her employer as "independent escort" and provided an in-depth physical description.

"Hispanic, caramel soft skin, no tattoos or piercings, long dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, height 5'3", 125-pound, beautiful smile," reads the note on her page.

For those who are interested, Langoria included her educational background (Fordham University class of 2011) and her religious views (open).

Venkatesh says Facebook offers prostitutes a bevy of perks.

The site allows hookers to "control their image, set their prices, and sidestep some of the pimps, madams, and other intermediaries who once took a share of the revenue."

In 2008, Facebook accounted for 25% of the regular clients served by the women Venkatesh followed.

Top NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the findings aren't too surprising. "Everybody is using the Internet," he said.

Still, not all sex workers are using Facebook - at least not yet.

A 32-year-old escort told the Daily News she would never advertise her services on Mark Zuckerberg's site.

"It's a place for teenagers to socialize, to play games, to meet friends - not a place for some dumb ass to find a piece of ass," declared the escort, who asked to remain anonymous.

Facebook is not the only site grappling with the prostitute problem. Even after shutting down its "Adult Services" section last September, craigslist is rife with ads from women offering sex for cash.

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said the site comes down hard on anyone who uses it for illegal ends.

Photo from Molly Ravish's website.

Abs-olutely hot! Stomachs of the stars

In a town built on ego as much as it is box office, it's no surprise celebs have the time - and money - to get buff beyond belief. What's even less surprising is that these camera-loving stars manage to find the time in their busy schedules to show off all their hard work. 

Leave it to Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel to have a ridiculously toned midsection. But she's got nothing on ... 

That's the worst! 'Sex and the City 2' wins big at the Razzies for worst performance in a movie

The gals came back - and maybe wished they hadn't. Sarah Jessica Parker and gang won Razzies for worst performance in a movie Saturday night.

And the award for the worst performance in a movie in 2010 goes to...Sarah Jessica Parker and her pals in "Sex and the City 2."

The fashionable ladies who once set New York ablaze were hit with Razzies Saturday night by the anti-Academy - The Golden Raspberry Foundation - for "Worst Actress" in a movie during the year.

The foundation annually recognizes ignominy on the silver screen the night before the Oscars.

Meanwhile, director M. Night Shyamalan's clunker "The Last Airbender" was pilloried with "Worst Picture," "Worst Director" and "Worst eye-gouging misuse of 3-D" awards.

Ashton Kutcher won the Razzie for "Worst Actor" for his role in the movies "Killers" and "Valentine's Day," while Jessica Alba was crowned "Worst Supporting Actress" for a variety of terrible performances in 2010.

Someone Needs to Save Charlie Sheen's Kids

Pop-Ed: As Charlie Sheen continues to dive headfirst off of the deep end and his estranged wife Brooke Mueller stands party to it, the natural question is, why haven't Charlie and Brooke's children nearly two year old twins Bob and Max been put in the care of a competent adult.

Last February, the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services opened an investigation of Sheen's family at the urging of their Colorado counterpart following Sheen's Christmas day attack on Mueller with a knife.

But we haven't heard a peep from them since.

When PopEater placed a call to DCFS we were told they cannot disclose whether anyone's case is ongoing, whether they're famous or not, but they did tell us they respond to calls alleging abuse of a child.

Asked whether they will launch an investigation if the father is a known drug abuser who wants prostitutes to babysit his kids and the mother has moved back into his home and is jetting off to the Bahamas with the father and a gaggle of porn stars, DCFS replied that they typically launch investigations only if a call reporting direct abuse of children is made to their hotline.
Sheen has other minor children Sam and Lola, who are safely with their mother Denise Richards, who is doing all she can to shield them from their father's absurd breakdown.

But what of Charlie and Brooke's kids? Mueller is hardly the poster woman for stability. She recently checked out of her second rehab facility and is reportedly being treated at home by sober coaches, much as Sheen has alleged he is doing.

If DCFS doesn't have an investigation of this family in process, can someone please call their hotline and ask for one? These people should not be raising toddlers.

Watching celebrities self destruct is our modern day version of watching lions devour Christians in the Roman Coliseum. It's entertainment. But when there are children involved, it becomes tragic and someone has to intervene.

Did 'Transformers 3' Actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley get Engaged to Jason Statham?

It looks like Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are taking their relationship to the next level.
Whiteley was seen out and about in Beverly Hills on Wednesday and according toRadarOnline.com, the Victoria's Secret Modelseemed to be hiding something as she kept her left hand concealed under the sleeve of her long cream colored sweater.

And when Whiteley did reveal her hand later on, there was a gold band on her ring finger, signifying that she could be engaged to Statham, her boyfriend of nearly a year.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Whiteley, 23, met Statham, 37, in April last year, at the Coachella music festival. The two of them hit it off well and Whiteley even moved into Statham's Los Angeles home a few months later.

Radar is also reporting that the couple were seen recently house hunting in the Bel Air.
Statham is best known for his action roles in movies like 'The Transporter' series and more recently 'The Mechanic'. And it looks like Whiteley has caught the action bug too, she will soon be seen in the latest installment of the Transformer series, 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.'

It was a role in the first two Transformer movies that made Megan Fox a household name and it could do the same for Whiteley.

Kelly Osbourne Looks Stunning in Madonna's Material Girl Fashion Ad

Rosie O'Donnell has just split from her girlfriend of over a year, Tracy Kachtick-Anders, but the former TV queen has another relationship problem to deal with, and it involves her powerful new boss, Oprah Winfrey.

"Oprah and Rosie have not been seeing eye to eye on the tone of Rosie's new show" on OWN, an insider with knowledge of the situation tells me. "Oprah sees it as a friendly daytime talk show where viewers get to spend an hour with the old Rosie they used to love. Rosie, on the other hand, thinks the show should be more political and a place where she can express her liberal views."
Oprah confirmed that she gave Rosie a warning before moving ahead with the new show, telling her she "better behave" on OWN. Oprah even visited Rosie at her home.

Her account: "Rosie said, 'I know you're here to assess how crazy I am.' I said, 'Basically, yes. I'm doing a crazy check.'"

The check, however, doesn't appear to have been thorough enough, with Rosie already annoying Oprah by resisting her pick for executive producer.

"The two are disagreeing over staff," my source tells me. "Oprah wants Rosie to use an executive producer that she knows and trusts while Rosie insists she be able to pick her own, fearing whoever Oprah picks will be a spy. It's a bad way to start off, considering they haven't even taped a single show yet."

Something that might never happen if Rosie doesn't learn the lesson soon: Oprah is the boss!

Report: Dianna Agron in Hiding to Escape from 'Loose Cannon' Ex Alex Pettyfer

'Glee' star Dianna Agron is reportedly in hiding from her ex-boyfriend Alex Pettyfer.

UsMagazine.com is quoting a source who is saying that ever since Agron split from Pettyfer two weeks ago, she has been "staying at a hotel under an alias."

And the reason for the secrecy is that since the split, Pettyfer has become "a psycho loose cannon."

An eyewitness is quoted saying that last week Pettyfer got into a heated argument with actor Sebastian Stan at a night club. Pettyfer went on to accuse Stan of allegedly hooking up with Agron.

A friend of the actress claims that "Dianna is terrified of [Alex]." The friend also said that Pettyfer has "absolutely lost it" and even threatened Agron over the phone.

Pettyfer's rep is saying that the actor made no threats.

It was revealed yesterday that it was a racy photo shoot that caused Pettyfer and Agron's breakup. Last year, Pettyfer stepped into a whole new world for a daring photo shoot with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields, but during the shoot, the 'I Am Number Four' actor got a little too close for comfort with models Lydia Hearst and Leven Rambin.

Apparently, even though the two weren't dating at the time, Agron was more than a little upset by the racy photos.

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Neither Side Budging in Wisconsin Union Fight

MADISON, Wis. -- No resolution appeared imminent Monday to the stalemate over union rights in Wisconsin, leaving Senate Republicans resigned to forge ahead with less-controversial business such as tax breaks for dairy farmers and commending the Green Bay Packers on winning the Super Bowl.

As the standoff entered its second week, none of the major players offered any signs of backing down in a high-stakes game of political chicken that has riveted the nation and led to ongoing public protests that drew a high of 68,000 people on Saturday. Thousands more braved cold winds and temperatures in the 20s to march again on Monday, waving signs that said "Stop the attack on Wisconsin families" and "solidarity."

The 14 Senate Democrats who skipped town Thursday to indefinitely delay a vote on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's bill stripping most collective bargaining rights from nearly all public employees remained missing in action for a fifth day.
Walker refused to back down and again called on the Democrats to return and vote on the bill

"For those 14 Senate Democrats, you've had your time," he said. "It's time for them to come back and participate in democracy."

The Democrats have been far from in hiding. They've done numerous television interviews and two of them even participated, via telephone from an undisclosed location, in a brief meeting to schedule the Senate's session on Tuesday.

"You have shut down the people's government, and that is not acceptable," Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said to them during the meeting.

Both the Senate and Assembly planned to be in session on Tuesday to take up the bill, but at least one of the missing Democrats needed to show up for a vote to be taken in the Senate. Assembly Democrats planned to offer dozens of amendments that could push a vote into Wednesday or later.

Although Tuesday's list of items, including the resolution honoring the Packers, is largely bipartisan, Fitzgerald hinted that he might try to push some more controversial ones later, even if the Democrats aren't back. Among the possibilities is a vote on the question of whether voters should be required to show identification at the polls.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said Democrats were waiting for Walker to compromise.

"It's right in front of the governor," Miller said. "He just needs to pick it up and allow us to move on. ... This is a no-brainer."

Under one deal, the unions said they would accept paying more for benefits as Walker wants but still retain their collective bargaining rights. Another compromise offered by Republican Sen. Dale Schultz would remove collective bargaining rights just for two years.

Walker has repeatedly rejected both offers, saying local governments and school districts can't be hamstrung by the often lengthy collective bargaining process and need to have more flexibility to deal with up to $1 billion in cuts he will propose in his budget next week and into the future.

As he spoke under heavy guard at a late afternoon news conference inside his conference room, thousands of protesters could be heard through the doors blowing whistles, banging on drums and chanting "Scott Walker has got to go!"

"This guy is power drunk and we're here to sober him up," said Bert Zipperer, 54, a counselor at a Madison middle school who was among the protesters. "He wants to do it unilaterally without any compromise. He wants to be a national conservative hero and he thinks he can get away with this."

The emergency plan Walker wants the Legislature to pass would address this year's $137 million shortfall and start dealing with the $3.6 billion hole expected by mid-2013. The benefits concessions would amount to $30 million this year, but the largest savings Walker proposed comes from refinancing debt to save $165 million.

That portion must be done by Friday for bonds to be refinanced in time to realize the savings by June 30, the end of this fiscal year.

Walker said not passing the bill by Friday would make even deeper cuts necessary and possibly result in laying off 1,500 workers over the next four months.

Thousands of those affected and their supporters marched on the Capitol for a seventh straight day. Hundreds of them have been sleeping in the rotunda every night and several districts have had to close after so many teachers called in sick. The Madison School District was closed Wednesday through Monday but was expected to reopen Tuesday.

Districts in central Wisconsin were also closed Monday, but that was because of 10 to 12 inches of snow. Milwaukee schools were shut down for a pre-scheduled midsemester break. Those closures, on top of Monday being a previously scheduled furlough day for state workers, resulted in another large crowd Monday but an official estimate was not yet released.

At noon, guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine took to a stage on the Capitol steps to fire up the crowd. He said he flew in from California to lend his voice to the protest.

"The future of workers' rights will be decided in Madison, Wisconsin," he said. "You're making history here."
He joked that he could hardly play the guitar because his fingers were numb. He sang a song with the refrain, "For the union men and women standing up and standing strong!" Each time he repeated that lyric, the crowd roared.

Walker's plan would allow unions representing most public employees to negotiate only for wage increases, not benefits or working conditions. Any wage increase above the Consumer Price Index would have to be approved in a referendum. Unions would face a vote of membership every year to stay formed, and workers could opt out of paying dues.

The plan would also require many public employees to cut their take home pay by about 8 percent by contributing more of their salaries toward their health insurance and retirement benefits, concessions the unions have said they're willing to accept.

But Walker and Republicans are showing no willingness to budge while the Senate Democrats say they are prepared to stay away for weeks if that's what it will take.

Amanda Seyfried and Ryan Phillippe Have Split

Amanda Seyfried and Ryan Phillippe have called it quits on their three month romance.

UsMagazine.com is reporting that an insider revealed, "They are not dating anymore. And it's not a big deal for either of them."

Another insider was quoted saying, "At one point, there was a chance it would develop into something more serious, but it never did."

Rumors of the pair splitting up started when Phillippe was seen trying to hit on singer Rihanna, at a pre-Grammy party on Saturday Feb. 11.
BET quoted a source who said "He [Phillippe] said something to the effect of, 'What are you doing tonight?"

Rihanna's response: "Sleep."

The source also added, "She was trying to be polite, but she was genuinely not interested. When a couple of friends came up to join the conversation, he just walked away."

Seyfried was quick to defend her boyfriend and said the story was false, telling X17 Online yesterday, "And that Rihanna story is not true. That is so f*****g not true! "

But it looks like the couple may have pulled the plug on the relationship shortly after that.

Seyfried was rumored to have started quietly dating Phillippe since being introduced by friends at Kate Hudson's Halloween party last fall.

Only last month, Phillippe stopped by the LA set of Seyfried's latest film, 'Now,' for a visit with the actress and the two were seen grabbing some food on set before going for a walk together.

Lady Gaga wears 'latex condom inspired outfit' on 'Good Morning America' to promote 'safe sex'

Lady Gaga's fashion choices often come without explanations, but the pop star offered a partly-bizarre, partly-innovative reason for her latest wacky outfit on "Good Morning America" Thursday.

Dressed in a nude-colored latex ensemble, Gaga revealed that "today was a latex condom inspired outfit because we had to talk about safe sex."

The outfit related directly to the singer's work as a spokesperson for MAC's Viva Glam campaign, which advocates for HIV/AIDS prevention.

During her interview, Gaga said she thinks her "little monsters" are supportive of her efforts.

"I know my fans very well and they think it's cool to be aware about sex, aware about the world and aware about things like HIV and AIDS and protecting themselves," she explained.

Hawaiian Legislature Approves Same-Sex Civil Unions

HONOLULU - The Hawaii Legislature approved a bill on Wednesday allowing civil unions for same-sex couples, sending the measure to the governor, who has said he will sign it into law.

Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie's office said he intends to sign the bill within 10 days, and civil unions would begin Jan. 1, 2012.

"I have always believed that civil unions respect our diversity, protect people's privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha," Abercrombie said in a statement released minutes after Wednesday's vote. "For me, this bill represents equal rights for all the people of Hawai'i."

The Senate's 18-5 vote came after years of thousands-strong rallies, election battles and passionate public testimony on an issue that has divided the Rainbow State for nearly two decades.

The measure grants gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits the state provides to married couples.

Hawaii would become the seventh state to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.

Five states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage.

The anxiously awaited civil unions vote came immediately after the Senate confirmed the state's first openly gay Supreme Court justice, Sabrina McKenna.

Gay rights advocates praised the vote as a victory for equal rights in a state known for its diversity and tolerance.

Opponents of the measure, many of them Christians, said civil unions erode the concept of the traditional family and could lead to same-sex marriage.

The Hawaii Legislature also passed a similar civil unions bill last year, but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican. She was term-limited from running for election again in November.
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Abercrombie said Wednesday that the Legislature's approval marked an end to an "emotional process" for the state, which has been a battleground in the gay rights movement since a 1993 state Supreme Court decision that nearly legalized gay marriage.

The ruling would have made Hawaii the first state to allow same-sex couples to wed, but it didn't take effect while voters were given a chance to decide.

They responded five years later by overwhelmingly passing the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment, approved by 69 percent of voters who gave the Legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples.

The amendment resulted in a law banning gay marriage in Hawaii but left the door open for civil unions.

Since then, 29 other states also have enacted defense of marriage amendments.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011: Irina Shayk becomes latest hit for storied magazine issue

 

Sports Illustrated

Irina Shayk is the latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model.

WALTER IOOSS JR.

Brooklyn Decker graced the cover of the 2010 SI swimsuit issue. CLICK TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S SWIMSUIT BEAUTIES!Irina Shayk, the newest Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl, is a coal miner's daughter.

And she's the biggest - and hand's down the prettiest - thing to come out of podunk Russian town called Yemanzhelinsk.

Now she's a New Yorker whose exercise routine includes regular jogs up and down the West Side Highway. But the green-eyed goddess hasn't forgotten where she's come from.

 "I'm from a working class background and lost my father at an early age due to complications in the coal mines," Shayk told the Miami Herald last July. "My mother and all of my family have always had to work hard for everything we've gotten in our lives."

Humble roots are someting Shayk shares with her boyfriend Cristiano Ronaldo, currently the highest-paid soccer player in the world. Heis the son of Portuguese gardener.

Born Irina Shaykhlislamova 25-years-ago, she has been touted as the first Russian to grace the cover of the annual swimsuit edition.

Shayk, however, is only half-Russian and credits her unusually sultry looks to her father.

"My father was dark skinned, because he was Tatar," she said in an interview. "Sometimes Tatars can look Brazilian."

Shayk was 14 when her father died and her mother worked two jobs to support the future supermodel and her sister.

It was on a train trip to Moscow in 2004 that Shayk was "discovered."

The 5 foot 10 inch tall brunette quickly rocketed to the top ranks of international supermodels, appearing on the cover of foreign issues of Elle, GQ and Vanity Fair, among other titles.

Shayk was exposed to a huge American audience last May after rapper Kanye West tapped her for the video of his single "Power."

Word that Shayk was succeeding Brooklyn Decker on the cover of SI leaked out Monday afternoon when the sports blog Deadspin.com got an early glimpse of the cover.

But that didn't completely kill the excitement for Shayk, who broke into tears when it was announced on the David Letterman show.

Decker, who is married to tennis ace Andy Roddick, tweeted her congratulations early Tuesday morning.

"Congratulations to the brand new cover girls for #SISWIM 2011!" Decker wrote. "IRINA!! Enjoy the ride girl!!"

As if that isn't reason enough to hate her, Shayk told People.com that she doesn't diet to maintain her stunning 34-23-35 figure.

"I love to eat everything," she says. "I think I love food too much to not eat."

Justin Bieber Flies Low at the Grammys

A picture of Justin Bieber on the red carpet at the Grammys seems to show the teen star with his fly down. The world is just hearing about it now because everyone was still busy trying to find out who Best New Artist winner Esperanza Spalding is.

As the AP so politely pointed out, Justin Bieber wore a dazzling white D&G suit to Sunday night's Grammy Awards, a fitting get-up that was "undone" by the young star's apparently unzipped zipper. "There was no reveal. His trousers covered all," AP tell us before building an entire article around the premise of "those moments that sets parents thinking: Why is my kid still skipping through life on another planet? When's he going to land back on Earth?"

We realize Justin Bieber is a superstar, but it takes a megastar to have a scientific article written entirely about you forgetting to zip up your fly. Besides, we're still skeptical of its legitimacy. For a young man marekting-savvy enough to end every Grammy interview saying "Swag," we think he did it on purpose. Who will be laughing when we're all buying open-fly Bieber jeans next Christmas?

Fellow Artists: Lady Gaga Out-Bjork'd Bjork With 'Creepy' Egg Gimmick

Lady Gaga sure knows how to make an entrance, but after arriving at the Grammys last night encased in a giant egg atop a cross and carried by four half-naked guys, there are signs the stunt may have backfired on her. My spies backstage tell me Gaga was one of the official punchlines of the evening.

"This was more ridiculous than Bjork's swan dress she wore at the Oscars," an insider tells me. "When the news started to spread backstage that Gaga was arriving in a egg, everyone burst out laughing and not in a good way."

It all started when Gaga's stylist, Nicola Formichetti, explained on Twitter that her client was "in incubation." Things got really creepy when she arrived at the event via a truck, and her "nurse" told red-carpet maestro Ryan Seacrest that Gaga was in a "creative embryonic stage and won't be born until her performance this evening."

All this, of course, was spoken to millions of viewers without an ounce of irony or sense of humor.

"She made a total ass of herself," a fellow artist tells me, matter-of-factly. "She's coming across as a bit desperate. This is the sort of stunt you expect from Snooki, not a Grammy-winning artist."

Another insider at the show complained to me that she's become a "fame monster" more focused on "gimmicks and stunts" than her amazing voice and talent.

I can't help but agree. Tough love time: Gaga, you seem happy to borrow from Madonna's hits; maybe you should also start copying her common sense.

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber Try to Avoid Romance Rumors at Grammys

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have been the topic of romance rumors for months, but anyone hoping they would arrive at the Grammys as a couple were disappointed as each walked the red carpet solo.

In fact, Gomez walked the red carpet in a champagne gown well before Bieber strolled down in a white tuxedo. Similarly, Gomez was present at the premiere of Bieber's 'Never Say Never' documentary, but again without the movie's star. While they were caught embracing and possibly kissing back in January, this could be a sign the two are trying to minimize the rumors, which Gomez called "annoying."

During her arrival, she was asked if it was annoying to be linked to her friend romantically.

"Yeah, of course," Gomez answered. "But it comes with the job. I love him, though. Very much." Get More From AOL Music.

Pepsi's New 'Skinny Can' Opens Big, Fat Brouhaha

Just in time for this month's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week comes a pouring-out of offense taken at Diet Pepsi's launch of a "skinny" can. "Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today's stylish looks," PepsiCo chirped about the can's launch.

The collective outrage at the soda slinger's worship of waifdom echoed from a nation plagued by body-image issues. "Pepsi should be ashamed for declaring that skinny is to be celebrated," Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, said in a press release.

The can hits shelves in March, and was being trumpeted at New York's Fall 2011 Fashion Week, which began Thursday. In an ironic follow-up, National Eating Disorders Week runs Feb. 20 through Feb. 26.

Pepsi might pay closer attention to its ad copy on many levels. The cola company touted its "infamous" (sic) campaigns that have celebrated women and fashion in the past. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pepsi's big fat faux pas in the minds of many emerged less than a week after another widespread PR disaster, Groupon poking fun at Tibet's fight for freedom in a Super Bowl ad.

A Pepsi spokeswoman explained that the can was launched in association with Fashion Week because they are giving people "the skinny," or "inside scoop," on events that occur during the fashion fest. "[It's] the inside source as it relates to style and design," she said. "Skinny," she adds, is more about the style of the can, than any "other implications."

The new skinny can is a svelte 6 inches tall without heels. Yet it will still weigh in at 12 ounces like its more-zaftig predecessor (which will still be available, the company assures). The Pepsi spokeswoman said a four-pack of the new cans will cost $1.99 -- roughly the same cost to buy four of the regular cans depending where you shop. Not that it's any consolation to organizations such as NEDA. Grefe reminded the soft-drink giant that women of all body types should be confident in their individuality and beauty.

"PepsiCo's comments are both thoughtless and irresponsible," she said. "Their shameful misdirection is further exemplified by tying the launch of this offensive marketing campaign to Fashion Week, where women's body types are atypical at best ... and unhealthy as to be fatal at worst."

Branding wonks have praised the sleek design while cringing at the old "thin is in" message.

Pepsi Skinny has the potential to tick off a substantial demographic. Nearly 6% of American women will develop either anorexia, bulimia or a binge-eating disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And that's not including those who know the suffererers and the generally outraged now taking umbrage in the blogosphere.

"Same old story -- aspirational, looks-oriented advertising with a thin layer of faux-empowerment on top," wrote Slate. "If you're confident on the inside, you'll be skinny on the outside, or something. Huh?"

All we can say is that if PepsiCo is thinking of a new skinny bag for its Fritos corn chips to celebrate "slim and attractive," it might want to go back to the drawing board.

This story was updated at 5:40 pm. on February 11, 2011 to include the pricing information on the new cans and the fact that they are 12 ounces, as well as comment from Pepsi's spokeswoman.

James McAvoy Enjoyed Getting the 'S**t Kicked Out' of Him by Angelina Jolie

James McAvoy is a jack of all trades. He has wooed Keira Knightley ('Atonement') and Anne Hathaway ('Being Jane'), and had the stuffing knocked out of him by the most badass starlet of them all, Angelina Jolie, in 'Wanted.' He'll soon come to Robin Wright's defense in Robert Redford's historical drama 'The Conspirator,' and is hard at work filming the hotly anticipated 'X-Men: First Class,' in which he plays a young Professor Charles Xavier, opposite Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones and Nicholas Hoult.

The Scottish actor, who has a seriously adorable accent, is also voicing the titular garden gnome in Disney's 'Gnomeo & Juliet.' The 31-year-old actor talked to PopEater about whether he wears a kilt in the proper Scottish style (that's commando), the "slightly naughty, kinky-looking" garden gnomes he grew up with and why "if you're going to have the s**t kicked out of you by someone, it might as well be Angelina Jolie."

When you first heard 'Gnomeo & Juliet' was based on 'Romeo and Juliet,' did you think that the gnomes would kill themselves at the end?

Yeah, kind of. I thought, "But it's a tragedy," so how can you make it not a tragedy? Although Tybalt does die, which is kind of really harsh. I know he comes back at the end, so he can get super-glued back together, but for all intents and purposes at the beginning of the film he dies. I was very shocked. In a kid's film one of the characters dies!

Did you grow up with garden gnomes?

I did actually. I think we had three in our garden. We had one little frog, and we had two others that were slightly naughty, kinky-looking gnomes.

What do you mean? Did they have their trousers down?

One of them did have his trousers down.

Was he showing any naughty bits?

No, just his bum and the other one looked very abashed.

Did you notice your character has rather thick eyebrows?

I didn't notice that. I hope it doesn't take away from the performance.

You're the father of a baby boy. It must be exciting to think he will be able to hear your voice in a Disney cartoon movie.

Yeah, it's pretty cool. I think that's one of the things, in general, actors like to do. Something to show their family and their kids. I think it's a big attraction for a lot of people to do these films. You want to tell stories that people appreciate, and if you can capture children, there's something fantastic about that.

Pentagon Reports Billions of Dollars in Contractor Fraud

The Pentagon paid hundreds of billions of dollars to defense contractors engaged in criminal or civil fraud -- in some cases paying the companies after they were convicted, according to a new Defense Department report.

At least 91 contractors holding contracts worth $270 billion were the subjects of civil fraud judgments -- and in some cases criminal fraud convictions as well, many of which resulted in fines, suspensions or debarments. Even so, Defense Department contracting officers still assigned $4.9 billion worth of work with these companies after the fraud was uncovered, the report said.

The contractors identified in the report include such blue-chip entities as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Pratt & Whitney, IBM and even the Yale medical school.

The Pentagon said its own sloppy bookkeeping, missing records and inadequate training of acquisition officials were to blame for the mess. The Pentagon also acknowledged that the data in the report, which covers only 2007 through 2009, are probably incomplete because the Defense Department cannot accurately track individual contractors or how much is actually spent. And the report only tracks those fraud cases of over $1 million.
At least $682 million was paid in error to 30 companies that had been convicted of criminal fraud, according to the report, including $29.6 million to Herley Industries, an electronics manufacturer, and $66 million to AEY Inc., a military surplus and sporting goods firm.

The number of fraudulent contractors identified in the report is relatively small -- some 120 companies out of the 235,000 contractors that work for the Defense Department. But the dollar amounts are significant, a continuing drain on taxpayers and on the military's combat readiness.

Military contracting fraud, which first plagued Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War, has long bedeviled the American armed forces. Defense Secretary RobertGates is only the latest of a long succession of defense chiefs to try to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in the Pentagon's giant acquisition bureaucracy.

Under the pressure of two hot wars and a defense budget that has mushroomed to its current $700 billion size, the Pentagon has set up a Procurement Fraud Working Group. But in the six years the task force has been at work, fraud seems to have expanded even as the Pentagon's ability to detect it has increased.

With the data in the new report, the Pentagon acknowledged, came "recognition that additional guidance and training . . . is needed'' for its contracting officers.

The report was released by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had demanded a Pentagon accounting of fraud. "The sad truth is that virtually all of the major defense contractors in this country for years have been engaged in systemic fraudulent behavior, while receiving hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money," he said in a statement.

"It is clear that DOD's current approach is not working and we need far more vigorous enforcement to protect taxpayers from massive fraud," Sanders said.

Report: Heidi Montag Wants to Join 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

Just when you thought reality TV was safe again, one-half of Speidi is back in action plotting out a plan for primetime domination.

According to RadarOnline.com, 24-year-old Heidi Montag is actively pursuing joining the cast of 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.' Yikes, I wonder how the plastic surgery addict would mesh with Camille, Lisa and Kyle?

Sources claim the blonde bombshell and her husband Spencer Pratt (of course) met with 'Real Housewives' execs on Tuesday. "We would move to Beverly Hills in a heartbeat," Spencer told Radar. "We would be psyched if this happened for us."
Heidi was reportedly offered a spot to compete on 'Dancing with the Stars' but had to turn down the offer due to a contractual agreement she signed when working on 'The Hills.' She was "devastated," although her tumultuous marriage to Spencer has kept her occupied and in the spotlight.

Report: Heidi Montag Wants to Join 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

Just when you thought reality TV was safe again, one-half of Speidi is back in action plotting out a plan for prime-time domination.

According to RadarOnline.com, 24-year-old Heidi Montag is actively pursuing joining the cast of 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.' Yikes, I wonder how the plastic surgery addict would mesh with Camille, Lisa and Kyle?

Sources claim the blond bombshell and her husband Spencer Pratt met with 'Real Housewives' execs on Tuesday. "We would move to Beverly Hills in a heartbeat," Spencer told Radar. "We would be psyched if this happened for us."

Heidi was reportedly offered a spot to compete on 'Dancing with the Stars' but had to turn down the offer due to a contractual agreement she signed when working on 'The Hills.' She was "devastated," although her tumultuous marriage to Spencer has kept her occupied and in the spotlight.

Joan Rivers Reams Christina Aguilera Over Star-Mangled Banner

EXCLUSIVE: Christina Aguilera has pipes of steel, but her memory failed her on Super Bowl Sunday when she flubbed the ramparts out of the Star-Spangled Banner. With great gaffes come great amounts of criticism, and although the singer has tried to explain herself ("I lost my place"), she couldn't escape the wrath of Joan Rivers.

"How stupid can you get?" Joan asked when I talked to her on Monday. "Christina must have been thinking about food, that's why she forgot the words."

Before the big game, Christina belted out "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last reaming" instead of "O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming." It was the second time she sang the "What so proudly" line, but before she used the word "gleaming" instead of "reaming."
The 'Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?' star continued using Christina's oft-fluctuating weight to rough up Christina, and offered a line she thought she could have used, "O say can you see ... french fries." Joan snarked that there was an upside to Christina's fluctuating weight. "She's gotten so big," -- here's where you say how big is she? -- "She looks like she could eat Lady Gaga. Great way to get rid of competition."

After 'The Star-Spangled Banner' wrapped, Aguilera headed backstage where a source told me that the singer was "devastated" by her mistake.

Aguilera addressed her performance in a statement to the press. "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

Joan made her own appearance during the Super Bowl as well. She's the new Go Daddy girl and starred in their big ad this year. Jillian Michaels and Danica Patrick spend the :30 ad introducing their newest model, but you don't catch a glimse of her face until the last second.

"They were looking for someone stupid to be their new spokesperson," she tells me. "I'm now Joan.co. It couldn't be any easier."

She added, "Those 2 Go Daddy girls are haters. Jillian kept looking at my body, and I said, 'Oh please, Jillian.'"

Though she's joked on Twitter that it was actually her 77-year-old body in the ad, the buxom figure reportedly belongs to model Tabitha Taylor, who starred in a popular Go Daddy ad for the 2009 Super Bowl.

How Do N.C. Republicans View Democrats' 2012 Charlotte Convention?

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- It was no surprise that elected officials here would write a letter of welcome to the Democratic National Committee while anticipating the millions of dollars expected to follow the delegates, media and assorted visitors when the party's 2012 convention comes to town.

We "extend our greetings and heartfelt thanks" to the committee, said the letter from the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, read loud and clear at last week's meeting. It went on to extol the "Southern traditions and hospitality" of Charlotte's "vibrant, diverse community."

But while the message was routine, the messenger -- none other than GOP Commissioner Bill James – was a surprise. James is known for expressing far more critical sentiments about Charlotte's diversity, most recently in December when he disapproved of a letter that commission chair, Democrat Jennifer Roberts, wanted to send to Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina thanking him for backing repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Other commissioners questioned whether a letter should be sent on behalf of the entire board. However, James went further labeling homosexuals "sexual predators" and vowing he could no longer support the Republican Burr.

Considering their recent tussle, there was more than a little political gamesmanship in Roberts' suggestion that James read the lovely letter to the DNC. And James got his own digs in, saying in asides, "who wrote this?" and "as long as it didn't cost any money."

Approval laced with skepticism also seems to be the pattern as state Republicans react to the Democrats' big news.

The effort to bring the convention to Charlotte enlisted the backing of some prominent GOP names, including former Mayor Richard Vinroot of Charlotte and former Gov. James Martin. During the convention competition, they wrote in an opinion piece in the Charlotte Observer: "We are proud Republicans. But we are also proud advocates of Charlotte and North Carolina, and believe that bringing the 2012 Democratic National Convention to Charlotte represents an unprecedented economic development opportunity for our city, our region and our state. Some issues are partisan. This one is not."

For them, it was all about business, but neither man is running for office. While the Democrats' pick of Charlotte signals the party intends to run competitively in the South, state Republicans are showing they relish the fight.

Last week, North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes – who lost his U.S. House seat to Blue Dog Democrat Larry Kissell in 2008 -- said: "We look forward to Charlotte being in the spotlight in 2012, but North Carolinians will not be fooled again by empty promises of 'Hope' and 'Change.'" His statement went on to say: "We welcome the Democrats to Charlotte, but they must answer for their misguided policies that have led to more debt, more spending and more government."

Republican Pat McCrory, who after a popular 14-year run as Charlotte mayor was narrowly defeated in his 2008 gubernatorial contest, wondered if city and state taxpayers are going to be hit with any of the costs associated with putting on a convention.

McCrory, remember, was particularly stung that in 2008 he ran behind his opponent Bev Perdue in his own Charlotte-Mecklenburg. (The night before the 2008 election, candidate Obama made a last stop at an emotional rally at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, "the campus I supported," McCrory ruefully told me as he prepared to leave the mayor's office.) He will probably seek a rematch against an opponent who, along with her party's top-of-the-ticket national leader, now may be more vulnerable.

The issue of financing – how the money is raised and who pays for what – is one that will be closely watched, particularly after the Democrats announced that, what they have dubbed the "People's Convention," will be paid for without donations from corporations or political action committees.

Andy Dulin, one of just three Republicans on the 11-member Charlotte City Council, told me on Friday, "From the day we made the short list, I thought 'This is a business deal.'" Would he have liked to have had the Republicans coming? "Sure." But he said that the Republicans on the council are able to see the benefits and get past the partisanship.

"I'll be happy to see them come – and go – safely," he said of the Democrats. Dulin said that despite their political disagreements, he is friendly with Mayor Anthony Foxx, a prime driver in the effort to bring the Democrats to Charlotte and someone whose state and national profile will only grow.

Dulin had several initial concerns, including community safety and the use of city tax dollars. But he said he was satisfied that all the contracts are between the DNC and the host committee, which will be raising money in the private sector, and that the city won't be "on the hook."

Another of Dulin's worries, one he said has been allayed, is that increased union participation in the convention would take jobs from the local labor force since North Carolina is a right-to-work state and has the lowest-in-the-country percentage of worker union participation.

The issue, however, is one that lingers between the Democratic Party and one of its most loyal constituencies.

Unions are one of the Democrats' most loyal constituencies and while the largest ones in the state supported the Charlotte pick, other state and national union leaders believed the choice signaled a weakening in the party's pro-union stand.

Mayor Foxx has said the host committee will reach out to unions, but on this point, Democratic headaches will likely come not from Republican foes but Democratic friends.