FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, August 31, 2006

MAY I BE BLUNT?: Panic! at the Disco winning Video of the Year honors at 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, while Gnarls Barkley and James Blunt are most-winning artists with two Moon Men apiece. Shakira and Red Hot Chili Peppers videos, which scored the most nominations, take home one technical award each.

CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE: Meanwhile, Kanye West predictably whining about the fact that his video for "Touch the Sky" wasn't nominated, even though "Gold Digger" earned three nominations. According to West, "Touch the Sky" was "one of the most memorable videos of the year." Maybe for him.

KUDOS: Mariah Carey winning six BMI awards, including Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year for "We Belong Together." Apparently, the "we" refers to Mariah and her awards, given that The Emancipation of Mimi has now racked up 25 industry honors, including three Grammys.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: Original Star Trek episodes getting digitally remastered in recognition of the sci-fi series' 40th anniversary. Dr. Spock is long overdue for a facelift in our opinion.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Jon Favreau and his wife, Joya Tillem, welcoming their third child, daughter Brighton Rose Favreau. So money, baby.

R-E-H-A-B: It's not so fun to stay at the treatment center, but original Village People cop Victor Willis will be doing just that, after entering a no contest plea to drug possession charges.

BOTTOMS UP: Dave Grohl planning to make on his offer to buy beers for two miners who listened to the Foo Fighters during their ordeal of being trapped underground for two weeks. Two weeks? He better buy them a keg.

SPELLING LEGACY: Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place finally coming to DVD in November, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience Tori Spelling's lengthy awkward stage and Heather Locklear's legendary power suits for themselves. CBS DVD even offering a bonus edition of the two shows bundled into a set dubbed The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful pack for the bargain price of $108.99. Holiday shoppers, take note.

PARTY FOUL: Muslim leaders trying to cancel a beach party planned in Tanzania Sept. 2 to honor the late Freddie Mercury, claiming the Zanzibar-born Queen frontman's gay lifestyle was a violation of Islam, and that anything linking him with Tanzania's Muslim population would be considered offensive. The party's organizers vowing that the show must go on in celebration of the singer's birthday.

BLOG WAR: Meanwhile, Queen guitarist Brian May taking issue with the number of MySpace users posing as him. "There are now three bogus MySpace blogs pretending to be written by me. I'm a peaceful person, but, frankly, I feel like going over there and applying a fist or two," May wrote on his official Website. Guess that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" bit doesn't fly with him.

BACK ON HIS FEET: Barry Manilow still in a wheelchair after his hip surgery but expected to be walking within a few days, his rep, Carol Marshall, said. "He's still on a high from winning an Emmy," Marshall told the AP. We're still in a state of disbelief.

GET REAL: VH1 continuing its practice of handing out reality shows like candy, awarding Andrew Dice Clay and Tom Sizemore their own (separate) series in which the fallen celebs try, on some level, to make amends with the public, Variety reports. Who's next, Natasha Lyonne?

EXITING THE BOARDROOM: Donald Trump firing his Apprentice sidekick Carolyn Kepcher, the New York Post reports, citing sources who said she let fame go to her head, hurting her business savvy. We're just wondering if she got the standard, "You're fired," or if Trump took it up a notch. In a statement, Trump said he "wishes Carolyn the best."

DRIVING OFF THE LOT: General Motors Corp. deciding to end its sponsorship of Survivor, but claiming the decision had nothing to do with the upcoming season, Race Wars, er, Cook Islands. Meanwhile, Survivor announcing that it has secured a new sponsor, but declining to name names.

REMEMBERED: Joseph Stefano, the screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and a creator of the TV series Outer Limits, died last week in California of undisclosed causes. He was 84.

MOURNED: Glenn Ford, the star of movies such as The Blackboard Jungle, Gilda and The Big Heat, found dead in his home Wednesday. He was 90.

CODA: Jumpin' Gene Simmons, who scored a hit with 1964's "Haunted House" and worked with Elvis Presley, died Tuesday after a long illness. He was 64. Stay calm, KISS fans--same name, different guy.

HOLLABACK HOME: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale reportedly purchasing a Hollywood Hills home that was once owned by Jennifer Lopez. From Jenny to Gwenny on the block.

SURF'S UP: Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake plunking down a reported $24 million for a beachfront home in Kailua, Hawaii, setting a new sales record for the area and making some lucky real estate broker very happy.