People talk 2/28/03

Pamela Anderson unveils PETA poster

VIENNA, Austria -- Pamela Anderson unveiled a new poster for the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals during a visit to Vienna.

The PETA poster shows the actress clad in a bikini made of three lettuce leaves. It reads: "Turn over a new leaf: Try vegetarian."

Anderson was accompanied by Dan Mathews of the Norfolk, Va.-based organization and her fiance, rock-rapper Kid Rock.

She was in Vienna Thursday to attend the Opera Ball, the city's high society event of the year.

"Dan and I go everywhere together ... because I know he'll make a difference," the 35-year-old former "Baywatch" star said.

"A lot of people who wear fur are just not knowledgeable into all the pain and suffering that goes into making fur coats," she told reporters.

Anderson said she hoped the visit would help her share her love of Europe with Kid Rock.

"He never wants to leave America. And I love Europe so much and I want him to see it through my eyes," she said. "I love the architecture. I love all the buildings."

'Amercian Idol' fans to select favorite poster

LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" fans can vote for their favorite poster for the upcoming movie "From Justin to Kelly," which features the Fox talent-show winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini.

The film, scheduled for release in theaters April 25, is a scripted romance set during a spring break beach party. It will include several songs performed by its stars.

Insult-snapping talent judge Simon Cowell does not appear in the movie, according to 20th Century Fox.

Those interested in the poster contest can log onto the Web site www.fromjustintokelly.com and choose from three designs featuring the pair in a variety of colorful outfits and clingy poses.

The fan-favorite poster will be announced Tuesday.

"American Idol" relies on three judges and viewer voting to whittle down its pool of contestants to the finalist who gets a record deal.

The formula proved to be smash hit for Fox last year, when Clarkson was chosen the first "idol."

British pop singer debates anti-war song

LONDON -- British pop singer George Michael, who has spoken out against a possible war on Iraq, has criticized plans by Lee Ryan of British boy band Blue to gather pop stars to record a protest song.

Ryan said last week he hoped to approach stars such as Justin Timberlake, Pink and Kylie Minogue for a song in the spirit of Band Aid, the 1984 record to aid Ethiopian famine relief.

But Michael, 39, said the prospective participants were too young and politically naive to carry it off.

"I'm begging, I'm hoping that there will not be a Band Aid 2 because the reality is that very, very few people in the industry now, that you're hearing on the radio, make their money from their own hearts and minds," said Michael, who performed on Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

"They make their money from singing the words of others, and so therefore the weight of something called Band Aid 2 would be incredibly slight," he told the British Broadcasting Corp.'s "Hardtalk" program in comments broadcast Wednesday.

Ryan said he'd written a song titled, "Stand up as People," with the chorus: "When are we gonna stand up as people-Realize that as people we're all equal-We don't want no world war sequel-For the love of God think of the people."

He said proceeds from the single would go to charities that help children affected by war.

-- From wire reports