BBC Lens Captures
Her Royal Coldness
When the celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz suggested that Queen Elizabeth II, right, take off her crown, the queen didn’t exactly respond, “Off with her head,” but she was definitely far from amused, Agence France-Presse reported. The royal wrath was incurred in March, according to a forthcoming BBC documentary, when the queen sat for four portraits by Ms. Leibovitz in advance of a visit to the United States. Ms. Leibovitz, whose works include a naked, very pregnant Demi Moore and a nude John Lennon hugging a clothed Yoko Ono, suggested that the queen, who was wearing ceremonial robes, remove her crown. “I think it will look better without the crown because the garter robe is so ...” Ms. Leibovitz said. The queen interrupted her. “Less dressy?” she asked. “What do you think this is?” she asked, pointing at what she was wearing and giving the photographer an icy stare. The queen then stalked off, trailed by an official bearing the train of her blue velvet cape, while she told another servant: “I’m not changing anything. I’ve had enough dressing like this, thank you very much.” The BBC documentary, “A Year With the Queen,” a behind-the-scenes look at royal life, was filmed over the last year and will be broadcast in September or October. The BBC1 controller, Peter Fincham, described the scene with Ms. Leibovitz as “a very memorable little sequence.”
Advertisers Drop
New BET Series
The provocative new BET series “Hot Ghetto Mess” has been confronted by online campaigns to halt it, but Reginald Hudlin, the president for entertainment of BET Networks, said yesterday that BET is “still making the tone and intent of the show clear.” At least one advertiser, State Farm Insurance Companies, has confirmed that it will not advertise on the show, which will have its premiere on July 25. With the comedian Charlie Murphy as its host, “Hot Ghetto Mess,” inspired by the controversial Web site of the same name, uses commentary, video clips and man-on-the street interviews to examine black communities and other neighborhoods. “It’s straightforward in its condemnation of bad behavior,” Mr. Hudlin said of the series, a mix of comedy and social commentary. But critics at the sites WhatAboutOurDaughters.org and at PetitionOnLine.com contend that the show perpetuates black stereotypes by focusing on negative behavior and appearances. “You beam it overseas to people not familiar with images of African-Americans,” Gina McCauley, a lawyer in Austin, Tex., who created the What About Our Daughters blog, said yesterday. A statement issued by BET, a division of Viacom, did not specify which companies no longer advertise on the show or give the names of other advertisers. FELICIA R. LEE
On the Dockets
Evel Knievel, above left, and Kanye West, above right, are seeking peace. Mr. Knievel, 68, the motorcycle daredevil, and Mr. West, 29, the rapper, have notified a federal judge in Tampa, Fla., that they are turning to a mediator to try to settle a lawsuit Mr. Knievel filed over the use of his trademarked image in a popular video by Mr. West, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Knievel, who lives in Clearwater, Fla., sued in December, complaining about a 2006 video for the song “Touch the Sky,” in which the rapper takes on the persona of “Evel Kanyevel” and tries to jump a rocket-powered motorcycle over a canyon. ... The Nicole Richie driving-under-the-influence trial in Los Angeles was delayed yesterday until Aug. 16 so a defense expert can challenge evidence in the case, The Associated Press reported.
T. I. Versus Hannah
The new T. I. album, “T. I. vs. T.I.P.” (Atlantic), reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart in its first week of release, selling 468,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That is one of the best first-week showings this year, though less than the 522,000 copies chalked up last year by T. I.’s “King” in its first week. Velvet Revolver, with former members of Guns N’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots, opened at No. 5 this week with its second album, “Libertad” (RCA), selling 92,000 copies. Kelly Rowland, formerly of Destiny’s Child, reached No. 6 with 82,000 sales of her second solo disc, “Ms. Kelly” (Columbia). Last week’s top three sellers each fell one spot: Miley Cyrus’s “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus” (Disney) to No. 2, Kelly Clarkson’s “My December” (RCA) to No. 3 and Bon Jovi’s “Lost Highway” (Island) to No. 4. BEN SISARIO
Borders Responds
To Charge of Racism
The Borders bookstore chain in Britain moved copies of “Tintin in the Congo,” a 1930-31 Tintin story, from its children’s section to its adult shelves after the Commission for Racial Equality, a watchdog organization, complained that it “beggared belief” that the store continues to sell the book, Agence France-Presse reported. “This book contains imagery and words of hideous racial prejudice, where the ‘savage natives’ look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles,” a spokeswoman said. In response, a spokesman for the store said: “Naturally, some of the thousands of books and music selections we carry could be considered controversial or objectionable depending on individual political views, tastes and interests. However, Borders stands by its commitment to let customers make the choice. After consideration of this title, we have instructed all stores to move it to the adult graphic-novels section.”
Pogues Guitarist Stricken
The guitarist Philip Chevron of the Irish band the Pogues has been given a diagnosis of throat cancer and will miss the group’s North American tour, beginning on Oct. 17 in Seattle and ending on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas. An announcement on the Pogues’ Web site (pogues.com) said: “At the beginning of June, Philip was unexpectedly diagnosed with a strand of ‘locally advanced’ throat cancer which requires immediate medical attention. This decision to suspend his live work has the complete support of the other Pogues, who wish him a good and complete recovery. Though it is not yet known when Chevron will return to live work, it is hoped that he will again be available towards the end of this year.” Mr. Chevron, 50, wrote the band’s hit “Thousands Are Sailing.”
‘Singing Bee’ Lifts NBC
The debut of NBC’s “Singing Bee” scored in the ratings Tuesday, even as Fox’s coverage of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game put the network just ahead of NBC for first place for the night over all. NBC led during the early part of the evening with “America’s Got Talent,” which averaged 11.2 million viewers from 8 to 9:30 p.m., Nielsen estimated. Following it, the premiere of NBC’s “Singing Bee,” a game show not to be confused with Fox’s “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!,” fared well, attracting 13.1 million viewers at 9:30. “Singing Bee” also earned the night’s highest ratings among adults 18 to 49, delivering the best numbers in that demographic for any summer-series premiere on any network in almost five years. Meanwhile, Fox achieved its most-watched night of this summer with coverage of the All-Star Game. Nielsen’s time-zone-adjusted estimates show that the game drew an average of 11.9 million viewers during prime time, and 12.5 million over its duration from 8:48 to midnight. BENJAMIN TOFF
Gifts to Seattle Opera
The Seattle Opera announced yesterday that it had been given $21.5 million, the most generous gifts in its history. Speight Jenkins, the general director of the company, said the three donations would help to secure its financial and artistic future. They came from Gerard L. Hanauer; John and Laurel Nesholm and the Nesholm Family Foundation; and Susanne F. Hubbach, all longtime supporters of the Seattle Opera.
