Paris Hilton talks, eyes release

With plenty of time on her hands in jail, Paris Hilton is doing interviews and reportedly plotting a big one upon her release next week. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Hilton expressed a profound sense of humility--or something. "I'm so much more grateful for everything that I have, even just to have a pillow at night or food," Hilton told the American Idol host.

"You know my gratitude has gone up so much, and I just realize that the media used me to make fun of and be mean about it. Frankly [I'm] sick of it, and I want to use my fame in a good way. I am behind glass, and I want to give my dad a big hug, and they won't even let me do that. That's how the rules are, you have to be behind glass. I'm not a criminal, I'm not dangerous, so it makes me feel like that. It's hard, but I'm stronger every day. I just can't wait to see my family and have a nice meal and be in my own bed and appreciate all the things I took for granted and never really thought much about."

Meanwhile, ABC News and NBC News have reportedly been vying for the first post-release interview with Hilton, with each denying reports that they have offered the Hilton family money for the right to the 26-year-old heiress' insights. NBC News rejected reports that it has offered as much as $1 million for a Hilton interview. Neither network has announced a Hilton interview.

Cobain lunchbox incites Internet buzz

In another installment of our ongoing coverage of the defiling of Kurt Cobain's corpse, the Internet has been abuzz this week over National Entertainment Collectables Association's line of Kurt Cobain lunchboxes. Cobain's image, which was recently used in a series of ads for Dr. Martens--though without his widow Courtney Love's permission--was licensed by Love in 2001 for the lunchboxes, as well as a key chain that doubles as a small liquor flask.

Cobain, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April 1994, topped the list of the top-earning dead celebrities in 2006, according to Forbes magazine. That was largely due to Love's sale of a 25 percent stake in Cobain's song catalog to New York-based publishing company Primary Wave for a reported $50 million.

"You will never see Kurt Cobain's music in a fast-food hamburger advertisement--that won't ever happen,'' Primary Wave CEO Lawrence Mestel said at the time. "We're looking at things that relate to cutting-edge technologies, products that are green and ecofriendly, products that Kurt would have liked to have his music represented by.''

Fergie inks Candie's ad deal

Big girls don't cry, but they do wear Candie's. That's the word from Black Eyed Peas' songbird Fergie, who has inked a deal to become the face of Candie's fall 2007 ad campaign, encompassing print, TV, and online. The junior Candie's brand, which is sold exclusively at Kohl's department stores, makes numerous appearances in the music video for "Big Girls Don't Cry," Fergie's latest single. The clothing line is also the exclusive fashion sponsor for Fergie's ongoing 20-city Verizon VIP tour. Each concert includes a live Candie's fashion show. Tickets to the tour are exclusive to Candie's and Verizon Wireless via giveaways and Kohl's in-stores.

Salt-N-Pepa reunite for reality show

One of hip-hop's pioneering groups is set to join VH1's intellectually stimulating lineup of reality shows. Salt-N-Pepa will be the focus of an upcoming VH1 series called The Salt-N-Pepa Show, joining the likes of Flavor of Love and I Love New York. The show will chronicle the efforts of Salt (Cheryl James) and Pepa (Sandra Denton) to reunite despite some glaring differences in their lifestyles, at least as portrayed by the show's producers.

In a release, VH1 said the show "will follow the ladies as they attempt to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality series. They soon discover, however, that achieving this is easier said than done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry about being unappreciated when they were together, and Pepa blames Salt for breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt has indeed found God and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband, while Pepa is still the party girl and up for anything."

Spinderella, the group's former DJ and now a radio personality in LA, is not believed to be involved in the project.

Spice Girls to announce reunion plans

Following weeks of giddy speculation by those who can't wait for a reunion of the '90s female pop version of the Village People, the Spice Girls have announced that they have set a date to make an announcement about their future plans. Wait, what? Yes, the management company of Scary Spice (Melanie Brown), Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham), Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm), and Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell) said today that it will announce the group's plans on June 28.

The Spice Girls formed in 1994, eventually splitting in 2001. Chisholm, who had opposed a reunion, recently told the BBC that she had changed her mind. "For the first time ever, there is some truth in the rumors. We've been discussing it, and it could possibly happen," the 33-year-old singer said. "I've always said, 'I don't want to do it, the past is the past. It was amazing, it was magical. We could never recreate it.' But this year people have been talking about it, and some of the girls have expressed an interest in doing it."

Expert places Spector near murder scene

Tiny, "mistlike" drops of blood on his white evening jacket place Phil Spector within three feet of the scene of the fatal shooting of an actress he is accused of murdering according to a prosecution witness who testified yesterday. According to CourtTV, Dr. Lynne Herold, the final witness in the prosecution's case, said the drops of blood on the sleeves and lapels of Spector's jacket indicate he was standing next to B-movie actress Lana Clarkson with both arms extended when the gun discharged in her mouth.

Clarkson died in a chair in Spector's foyer on Feb. 3, 2003, when a .38-caliber revolver went off in her mouth. Spector's attorneys have said she killed herself. The prosecution maintains Spector murdered her after she expressed a desire to leave his mansion. He faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted.