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April 18, 2000
Web posted at: 5:41 p.m. EST (2141 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

Today's buzz stories:

• MPAA, Showtime bickering over 'Dirty Pictures'
• Paul Allen grows up, forms rock band?
• Rosie wins Gracie, promotes Hillary
• Mystery Science Theater guys heading for new Web adventure

MPAA, Showtime bickering over 'Dirty Pictures'

James Woods stars in Showtime's upcoming film "Dirty Pictures"

"Dirty Pictures," Showtime's latest feature film, is too true to its name, the Motion Picture Association of America has decided. The board that oversees movie content has slapped the film with an NC-17 rating, meaning it could force the network to air the movie much later than its slated 9 p.m. slot on May 27.

The film is based on the experiences of Dennis Barrie, the director of Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center who was indicted in 1990 after exhibiting a series of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, an artist who built his career on controversial content. Mapplethorpe was renowned for works such as one that showed a man urinating into another's mouth, and another that featured the crouching, seminaked artist with a bullwhip dangling from a private area.

Those images, according to the network are duplicated in the movie -- once, during a trial scene; and again when the lead character, played by James Woods, shows them to his wife.

Showtime says it can edit some scenes and resubmit the film to the ratings board, or request a hearing with the association's appeals board.

Showtime president Jerry Offsay didn't sound like he was in the mood to go back into the editing booth.

"It's not our job to make people feel comfortable. It's our job to do what we think is right, and to protect freedom of expression," Offsay said. "The First Amendment is our lifeblood. It's our business."

Paul Allen grows up, forms rock band?

Paul Allen: Microsoft co-founder, e-commerce investor, rhythm guitarist

So what does an ultrasuccessful baby boomer do after creating a business empire? If he's Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, he does what many a midlifer wants to do: He forms a rock 'n' roll band.

Then he markets it.

It seems Allen, 47, and his buddies have a group called -- aptly -- Grown Men, and they've just released their first album. The self-titled debut began selling Friday on the Internet.

"It just started as a bunch of guys getting together to jam and took off from there," said Terry Davison, the group's lead singer. "Paul has a very nice little studio, we had enough material, so we decided, 'Let's make an album.'"

Allen, who mostly plays rhythm guitar, wrote music and lyrics for many of the tracks. Davison, Marc Willett, Mike Chadderton, Rick Boice and Eric Robison round out the band.

Where can you pick up a copy of "Grown Men"? Where else but at Mercata.com, a Seattle-area e-commerce company? Allen is a founding investor.

Rosie wins Gracie, promotes Hillary

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell was honored on Monday by American Women in Radio and Television for outstanding individual achievement for a talk-show host. First lady Hillary Clinton, one of O'Donnell's pals, was there to say nice things about the TV talker.

"Rosie continues to raise the bar for quality television," said Clinton, giving her the Gracie Allen Award, an honor named after the comic who shared the stage with her husband, George Burns. Clinton also said people were correct when they described O'Donnell as "the queen of nice."

"She's more than that -- she's the queen of our hearts," said Clinton, who recently moved to New York to run for the United States Senate.

O'Donnell also made nice. The first lady, she said, would serve "in the tradition of Robert Kennedy, who was not born here but served us well."

Mystery Science Theater guys heading for new Web adventure

Many of the creative minds from "Mystery Science Theater 3000" are working on something new -- this time, on the World Wide Web.

"MST3K" talents Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, Patrick Brantseg, Paul Chaplin and others have abandoned movies in favor of a humor-based site called TimmyBigHands.com. It debuts this month.

"Our goal is to do a throwback humor magazine," said Mike Nelson, former head writer and star of "MST3K." "There are tons of humor sites, but they're more joke-of-the-day-style things, current-events humor, or sites that comment on the Web itself. We looked around, and there aren't a lot of things like we're trying to do."

Like offering odd sums of cash. TimmyBigHands.com plans to give away $1.18 to 500 random visitors, who will then be eligible to win a grand prize of $12.

"MST3K" ended its run last year after 10 seasons. Debuting in November 1989 and airing on the Comedy Channel, the show became a cult favorite, spawning conventions, fan Web sites, a line of home videos and a feature film.