Back to Home > Saturday, Mar 17, 2007 Posted on Sat, Mar. 17, 2007 email this print this reprint ... Carol Burnett not tickled

Burnett is suing the show and 20th Century Fox for $2 million, claiming the cleaning woman character she made famous was portrayed -- in a somewhat unfavorable light -- on the animated series last year without her permission. The episode in question aired in April 2006. In it, a character remarks that a porn shop has to be clean because "Carol Burnett works part-time as a janitor" there. The scene then shifts to show a woman dressed like Burnett's Charwoman character with a mop and pail, according to the lawsuit. The scene was accompanied by an "altered version" of the theme music to her old TV series. The episode also referred to the ear tug Burnett always did at the end of her show. A character says that Burnett tugged her ear because "she was really saying goodnight to her mom." Another character gives a response that the lawsuit described as "vulgar."

Fox officials have responded that the "Family Guy" gleefully, and lawfully, runs roughshod over celebrities and pop culture icons all the time, and that Burnett is overreacting to what amounted to an 18-second ribbing.

"We are surprised that Ms. Burnett, who has made a career of spoofing others on television, would go so far as to sue 'Family Guy' for a simple bit of comedy," said 20th Century Fox Television spokesman Chris Alexander.

The Weinstein Company plans to release the film April 6. There was no word this week on whether the studio was pressuring Tarantino to make cuts, although an NC-17 rating would no doubt hurt the film's box office potential. Tarantino has not commented on the film's possible rating.

WE'RE ALREADY OFFENDED: Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton will counsel overweight campers on the fifth season of "The Simple Life," Us Weekly magazine reports.

This would be the same Nicole Richie who denied for months that she had an eating disorder while she shrank to the size of a sewing needle, then entered rehab for a nutritional "problem"; and the same Paris Hilton who made out with a hose while shilling burgers for Carl's Jr.

"They are going to be camp counselors at one camp in the Southern California Mountains," said the spokesperson. "The camp has five different themes. Each week will be a different theme. And yes, one week is a weight loss/fitness camp. It's not a fat camp." Just so you know.

King, 73, was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where doctors performed carotid endarterectomy surgery, which removes plaque from the carotid artery and can restore blood flow.

King underwent successful quintuple bypass heart surgery in 1987. He recently started a foundation that will cover the cost of cardiac care for about 300 uninsured patients at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Today's People Column was compiled by Randy McMullen from staff and news service reports. Comments? Write to us c/o the Times, P.O. Box 8099, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-8099. Or call 925-943-8262, fax 925-943-8265, or e-mail spin@cctimes.com .

Birthdays: The former national chairwoman of the NAACP, Myrlie Evers-Williams (74), rock musician Paul Kantner (66), singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly (64), singer-songwriter John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful (63), rock musician Harold Brown of War (61), actor Patrick Duffy (58), actor Kurt Russell (56), country singer Susie Allanson (55), actress Lesley-Anne Down (53), country singer Paul Overstreet (52), actor Gary Sinise (52), actress Vicki Lewis (47), actor Casey Siemaszko (46), writer-director Rob Sitch (45), actor Rob Lowe (43), rock singer Billy Corgan (40), rock musician Van Conner of Screaming Trees (40), actor Mathew St. Patrick (39), actor Yanic Truesdale (38), rock musician Melissa Auf der Maur (35), rock musician Caroline Corr of the Corrs (34), actress Marisa Coughlan (33), rapper Swifty of D12 (32), singer Stephen Gately (31).

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