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Vote for worst-dressed here

     Style commentator Mary Alice Stephenson lamented that so many celebrities and designers at the Oscars played it safe. "I had expected people to take more chances. I saw the incredible gowns that were available. I was pretty shocked that a lot more of them weren't utilized," she said.

    Miley Cyrus, for example, looked pretty in her cap-sleeve Valentino, Stephenson said, but it was "a bit boring."

    W's Treena  Lombardo didn't have kind words for another young star, Saoirse Ronan. She thought the green chiffon gown by Alberta Ferretti looked like it was made from living room curtains.

Morning Links: Hep-A crashes Aston Kutcher party

Western New Yorkers can feel a bit more in style, now that we've found out that a ton of A-listers who attended Ashton Kucher's birthday party have been exposed to hepatitis-A. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and of course Demi's ex, Bruce Willis, as well as, one assumes, Demi herself, are all being urged to get the shots we lined up for two weekends ago!

Britney's one-time Svengali and possible drug-provider, Osama "Sam" Lutfi, has finally been served with the restraining order to stay away from Brit. But since he ducked being served until the required time period had actually expired, there's a question about whether they may have to try to do it again with new papers!

Meanwhile, Lynne Spears and mama-to-be Jamie Lynn Spears, age 16, were spotted house-hunting around the Spears hometown in Louisiana. Rumors continue to swirl that she and dad-to-be Casey Aldridge plan to marry, either before or after the baby arrives. But is she buying a house for him first?

Brad and Angelina have officially adopted little Pax, and the whole family took off on a ski vacation to celebrate.

Nicole Kidman's got a big old trout pout to go with her frozen expression and her shiny botoxed forehead. Oh! and her baby bump, too.

-- Anne Neville

Red carpet memories

When it comes to Oscar night, it's all about fashion. Well, maybe it's not ALL about fashion, but this is the night when many people have their eyes glued to the red carpet to see who is wearing what … and from whom.

To bide our time leading up to the Academy Awards show at 8 p.m. Sunday, we took a look back at some of the memorable fashions from years past … both remarkable and, well, ridiculous.

While we focused on women and only chose 10 (talk about tough!), we know we just brushed the surface.

What is your most memorable fashion from the Academy Awards … good or bad? We would love to hear from you.

-- Susan Martin

Photos: Bjork, Halle Berry and Diane Keaton.

Tonight's four 'American Idol' cuts

Bye, Amy Davis! Both Dave and I predicted your cut. But the second one -- JoAnne Borgella -- surprised us. The producers considerately dressed her in the most unflattering outfit ever for her final TV appearance. That leaves, in our opinion, Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy as boot-bait, with Alaine Whitaker also deserving.

On the guys side, certainly Ellen DeGeneres -- I mean Colton Berry -- and Leif Garrett Haley deserved their ousters. But not as much as Luke Menard and Jason Yeager. Danny Noriega, as bad as he is, may draw the same cheering section that kept Sanjaya on our screens for far too long last season!

-- Anne Neville

Morning Links: The Britney Spears circus resumes

Britney Spears' attorney Jon Eardley attempted Wednesday to convince a federal court to hear her case, in an attempt to end the conservatorship that her father Jamie controls over her estate. Spears father is fighting the move. The Federal judge issued a tentative ruling that he wasn't convinced that federal court has jurisdiction, and has set a Leap Year Feb. 29 deadline for Eardley to make a convincing argument as to why it should be moved to Federal court.

Meanwhile, TMZ says that LAPD sources confirm that the investigation into whether Britney Spears' friend/hanger-on Sam Lutfi was drugging her during her spiraling downturn.

Elsewhere, the judge handling Brit's driving-without-a-license case has postponed the hearing until March after her lawyer argued that she may incapable of fully understanding or entering into a settlement in the misdemeanor case.

TMZ also says that she's back to touring the town "commando."

And finally... The LAPD is cracking down on the paparazzi who have swarmed and hounded Brit since her split from Kevin Federline and the subsequent chaos of her life. TMZ says that 6 photographers were arrested last night in the first crackdown since pols last week argued that paparazzi are putting stars and public lives at risk.

The biggest feud in Hollywood continues... Pauly Shore and horror director Wes Craven -- who are neighbors in the Hollywood Hills -- renewed their feud this week after Shore filed a lawsuit against Craven for not taking care of his property. Shore and Craven have sued and counter sued about conditions of their respective properties.

Buffalo born actor Jesse Martin is leaving "Law & Order" after nine years of playing Det. Green. He will be replaced by actor Anthony Anderson, who has previously appeared on sister-series "Law & Order: SVU."

Speaking of "Law & Order" ... Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays Det. Goren on "L&O:CI" welcomed a son to the world with wife Carin, on Valentine's Day.

Former Idol runner-up Clay Aiken, who is currently on Broadway as Sir Robin in "Spamalot," says he is putting the finishing touches on his 4th studio album, and expects it to be released in May.

Also on the American Idol front, Paula Abdul's music video for "Dance Like No Tomorrow" which features fellow Idol judge Randy Jackson, is out. People.com has it here.

-- Dave Valenzuela

American Idol: Live blogging on top 12 women!

10:00 p.m.: Who should go home? Amy Davis should be sent back 60 years so she can find out Where the Boys Are, and Kristy Lee Cook should go home and get a part-time job so she can sing "Rescue Me" to her horse. Alaina Whitaker was also bad!

9:45 p.m.: At last, we see Carly Hennessy Smithson, who talks about being signed to a record label at 15, and her record came out when she was 17. She sure has the pipes on a sultry "The Shadow of Your Smile," but is it lively enough for this group of judges who want fun? As she sings, I realize she looks like Crystal Gayle. See how the mind wanders? "The best vocal of the top 24!" Randy says while Carly coughs wetly into her hand. Ryan is steering clear of her! "I didn't get it!" Simon gripes. "The song was way too old-fashioned for you, even your mic technique was very cabaret!"

9:39 p.m.: Ayesha sings "Tobacco Road," and it's nice -- on key, powerful but controlled. Big finish! "Couple little pitchy things in there for me," says Randy. "Consistent! Joyful! Fun! Big!" says Paula Sunshine. "You are probably one of the most talented girls in this competition," says Simon -- and why shouldn't she be? This is her second TV singing competition -- the short-lived "The One" was the first.

9:37 p.m.: Ayesha Mercado crouched on the couch next to Ryan -- odd! and tall! Her inspiring story is how she lost her voice and couldn't talk in Hollywood. Gimmick.

9:27 p.m.: Remiele Malubay does a smoldering "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and unleashes some big sound at the end. "Very classy," Randy says. Paula calls her "a force to be reckoned with." Simon admits he didn't like her when he first saw her, but tonight "you outsung every single person." His new favorite of the night! Her favorite at Idol: "hair and makeup," and "these shoes are awesome." She's cute!

9:24 p.m.: Interesting -- the two most controversial of the pros, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado ("the girl in the Ford commercial"), will sing last.

9:19 p.m.: Asia'h Epperson's dad died right before her audition. How many more times will that be mentioned, I wonder cynically. She sings Joplin, but not Joplin-y. Which is to say a pale, thin imitation, off-key sometimes. And those earrings are HUGE. Randy's impressed, Paula says she "had fun up there." And! It was Simon's favorite of the night!!! They liked her for being bubbly. Oh-KAY! I, for one, will not be downloading this via iTunes.

9:12 p.m.: Kady Malloy also released a self-titled album a few years ago, produced by the guy who produced Mandy Moore. She slows down "A Groovy Kind of Love" then turns it into a big hit-a-lot-of-notes (but still s-l-o-w) thing that reminds me of Jordin Sparks. Has anyone heard from her lately? Randy says yuk, Paula says she is pretty (kiss of death) and Simon says, "That was like Night of the Living Dead!" and adds, "How old are you, 18? You came across as 80 in that!" She says it was a serious song, so she slowed it down and sang it seriously ... she really thought it was a serious song?

9:06 p.m.: Simon says he has heard only one outstanding vocal tonight. Ryan blames him for "putting these people through." Wait! Why all this squabbling? I though this was the most talented etc.!

9:01 p.m.: Alexandrea Lushington perfomed on "Showtime at the Apollo" as an Apollo Kid when she was -- ready? -- age 7. Is she too breathy on "Spinning Wheel"? Suspenders are coming back, along with those high-waisted pants she's wearing. She's 16 too and Randy says another young one "blew the doors off." Paula compliments her "dope outfit." Simon sits back and says, "I didn't get it. It reminded me of some terrible '60s musical."

8:51 p.m.: Brooke White is a nanny, and that's how she's being presented, not as a woman who has an album out. She looks like she's wearing sweats. She sings "Happy Together" and indeed looks very happy. Randy hated the begining but says she "slayed" the back half. Paula praises her originality. It seemed pretty generic to me. Simon says he feels like he's "in some commercial for washing-up-liquid in the 1960s." But he thinks she sang quite well, and hopes she won't continue to be "nice" throughout the competition.

8:46 p.m.: Amy Davis is a "facial model"? Is that what she said? Isn't "Where the Boys Are" from the 1940s? I wonder if Simon has ever heard this song? I predict he'll say: "Very old-fashioned!" Randy says "It wasn't great for me," and the crowd boos. Paula is reduced to praising her beauty in that semi-creepy way she has. "A little lackluster," says Paula. "Very boring song," says Simon, "incredibly cabaret." Wow -- was she that much worse than Kristy Lee?

8:42 p.m.: At least nobody appears to be wearing a red-orange suit tonight.

8:38 p.m.: Amanda is 23? She looks maybe 40. Muddy Waters! This chick could sing Elvis, too! Paula says she's the real deal, and Randy compliments her "trousers." Even Simon thinks she was authentic, but he accuses her of forgetting the words when she was scat-singing. He's never heard "Baby Please Don't Go" before?? Tha hell?

8:32 p.m.: Next up, Amanda Overmyer. I wonder if they took the staples out of her head yet. If you're thinking I'm just making a "Bride of Frankenstein" joke -- you know, staples in the head, bolts int he neck -- no! She was in a car accident and had staples in her head! Didn't disturb her 'do, but she insisted they were there.

8:27 p.m.: Alaina moans the opening of "More Today Than Yesterday" then picks up the pace, but gets a bit screechy, no? Randy says she had it going on after the beginning. Paula compares her to Diana Ross? Simon is enchanted by her 16-year-old blondness, although he "hated the song" because it was corny.

8:25 p.m.: Alaina Whitaker "is the captain of my prom squad at my school so I love to dance," she says in her profile. She's 16, and David Archulta, who I think is 17 now, has 12 more years of experience than she does. She teases Seacrest with her shoes inthe red room, which is tastefully equipped with a table that has a Ford wheel in the center. Niiiice!

8:15 p.m.: JoAnne Borgella used to have the A in her name capitalized, but now I'm not so sure. She won the TV show Mo'Nique's Fat Chance, so I should know. Rough start to "Say a Little Prayer" -- it seemed to be muffled somehow. Perfect song for her, I thought -- and the ending was nice. Simon "didn't like it a-tall." "Very average, cabaret version of a cabaret song," he says, "Very very substandard." She makes excuses too, in her case for being nervous. Bronchitis not available?

8:09 p.m.: Kristy Lee Cook, known as Kristy Lee, was once signed to Arista Nashville. She had to sell her horse to come here and sing "Rescue Me" for us. She widens her eyes and wrinkles her nose like she's been doing this for decades -- not a compliment. The singing -- meh. One of the less-talented Davids is seen sulking in the background as she sings. They cut her some slack because she's sick. Is she? She says she has bronchitis. Simon calls her robotic. Hope that horse likes his new home.

8:02 p.m.: Some of the most talented competitors ever have the flu? And they are coughing? I thought the flu was more body aches and fever. But what do I know? All 24 are there, though. Any advice for the girls, Paula? I knew her answer before she did:"Bring it." Classic, concise, almost always makes sense no matter how impaired you are, right?

8:00:01: "The level of talent is higher," he says.

7:59 p.m.: Waiting to see how long it takes Seacrest to mention "most talented ever."

-- Anne Neville

Previewing the Top 12 Idol women

Hey, I didn't notice it, but the conspiracy theorists are abuzz this morning about this screen cap from the beginning of the show.

Somebody is conspicuously absent... Can you tell?

I'll give you a second...

Carly Smithson.

(Thanks to Reality TV Magazine for the screen capture and for bringing it up, because I didn't notice.)

With all of the controversy about her past finally busting out from the darkest corners of the Web and into mainstream media coverage, it left people speculating as to where Carly was when Ryan Seacrest introduced the Top 12 female contestants.

And in other conspiracy theory news... VoteForTheWorst has the Ford Motors commercial featuring Syesha Mercado, that Anne mentioned last night during live blogging. The VFTW crew tosses out the theory that major sponsor Ford Motors flexed their will and "strongly suggested" *wink* * wink* to American Idol that they ought to take a close look at Syesha.

But back to tonight...

The gals will be singing the 60's tonight, like the guys did Tuesday. (Anyone want to bet that Amanda Overmyer the motorcycle nurse sings Janis Joplin? Even odds?)

OK, to pick up where Anne left off with the guys... Some look-alikes...

Brooke White and Daryl Hannah during her Splash days

Carly Smithson and Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher

Amanda Overmyer and Elvira ... I think Leather Tuscadero

Kady Malloy, Alaina Whitaker and Kristy Lee Cook could all be separated at birth if they all had straight hair

Syesha Mercado looks just the girl  in the Ford commercial (Ok, too easy. :) )

Don't forget to join Anne Neville tonight between 8 and 10 PM for live blogging as the Top 12 women perform!

Will Carly Smithson be there?!

-- Dave Valenzuela

Morning Links:Britney Spears back in court, same results

Britney Spears has a new divorce attorney representing her in her divorce proceedings with Kevin Federline. Spears has hired Stacy D. Phillips -- her fourth attorney since divorce proceedings began -- who has previously represented Bobby Brown and Tori Spelling's ex,Charlie Shahnaian.

But even with the new lawyer, Spears was unable to convince the judge handling her case to change his opinion regarding custody.

Another Spears lawyer Anne Kiley was busy requesting a gag order in the case, arguing that the media coverage is "emotionally and physically" dangerous to Spears. The commissioner ruled that the public has a right to know, and that public safety and court house issues are "a law enforcement issue."

American Idol castoff Josiah Leming appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, and explained why he tried out for the show. With a mother battling terminal cancer who is also a big fan of Idol, he wanted to prove to her that even though he dropped out of high school, he could still make something of his life. He sang his original song "To Run" and Ellen gave him $8,000 in home studio recording equipment, from keyboard to guitar to laptop to sound mixing boards.

Josiah fans should also check out his interview with MTV.com. A nice read.

Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina said that the nude photos that Lindsay posed for in the spring fashion edition of New York magazine were "very tastefully done." Dina Lohan tells People that "I respect the photographer as an artist, so I look at them artistically. For him to call Lindsay 46 years later and to say can you recreate these photos is an honor."

Owen Wilson is headed back to work, for the first time since his hospitalization last August, which many speculated to be a suicide attempt. Wilson will be filming an adaptation of the best-selling book "Marley & Me."

Bad guys beware! The Dog is back. TMZ is reporting that the A&E show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" is going back into production. Houses and cars have been rented in Hawaii, and crew members are being hired and sent to the site of production.

Kirstie Alley is ending her 3-year relationship with Jenny Craig, and will embark on launching her own weight-loss brand. With the addition of Queen Latifah and Valerie Bertinelli as spokespeople for Jenny Craig, Alley has been less visible in ads. Alley hopes to launch her brand some time in 2009. Perhaps there is a weight-loss program based on Scientology teachings she follows that can be adapted and sold.

-- Dave Valenzuela

Blogging on the 'American Idol' top 12 men!

9:55 p.m.: My picks to go home are Jason Yeager ("Moon River") and Danny Noriega ("Jailhouse Rock") though I wish they could send Colton Berry ("Suspicious Minds") and Leif Garrett Haley ("Breaking Up")  home too. The only ones I really liked were David Archulta and Jason Castro. LOTS of room for cuts here.

9:52 p.m.: The judges are now saying the night was great -- what? Were we, as they say, listening to the same thing? Three-quarters of these guys stunk up the stage!

9:50 p.m.: Doors! Kind of lounge-singery, though. I liked the ending, but the beginning and middle, not so much.

9:45 p.m.: Michael Johns is last. That's got to be tough.

9:41 p.m.: Jason Castro sings "Daydream," and the guitar playing is basic, but the singing is fine. This hippie classic fits his whole countercultural vibe. "It was a'ight," Randy says. Simon says it was "within the top 2 performances of the night." By the way, Jason Castro, unlike some of these other RINGERS, has seldom even sung in public.

9:36 p.m.: Jason-With-Dreadlocks is going to play the guitar while he sings. It HAS to be better than this cavalcade of karaoke. Doesn't it? I am NOT going to be downloading any of this mess on iTunes.

9:29 p.m.: Leif Garrett Haley sings "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" in a very sing-songy, soft, romantic way. He's no Karen Carpenter, although it seems he might be shooting for that. Some girls scream when he finishes -- happy it's over, maybe? "You look verging on haunted," Simon complains. "You need some fresh air, you need to make yourself young..." He's 17!

9:26 p.m.: I'm idly wondering if the Ford ad that features Ayesha will be shown during tomorrow night's show, when the girls sing. She doesn't sing int he ad, just drives some Ford around. Makes you wonder, though ...

9:21 p.m.: Simon says it "wasn't quite as bad as the other Elvis song," then says, "What did I get from that performance? Nothing!" The truth -- it was awful squared. "If people spent more time worrying about their voices rather than their hair..." Simon says, "and Ryan takes a swipe at Simon's "box cut," which is looking rather more boxy than usual tonight.

9:19 p.m.: Elvis rises from the dead and goes looking to unleash some of his lethal karate moves on the person who gave these knuckleheads permission to use his tunes.

9:17 p.m.: His name is Colton BERRY, not Colton BARRY, but to Seacrest, it makes no diff. Oh no -- this guy is murdering Elvis too. This is the most unsmoldering version of this song I have ever heard. Colton is a snuffer, not a smolderer.

9:13 p.m. Luke Menard is a carpet-cleaner? Heh heh. He sings "Everybody's Talking," which is a song I happen to love, and his vocal stylings are high and weakish. Randy says he's pitchy, which -- yes! he was! Simon calls it forgettable, but I think it was memorable because it was so not-good.

9:07 p.m.: Ellen DeGeneres makes idiot face when camera pans to her and Hugh Jackman. I mean Colton Berry makes idiot face when the camera pans to him and Luke Menard.

8:57 p.m.: Danny Noriega is going to sing Elvis. Fasten your seatbelts! He brings a lot of energy to "Jailhouse Rock" but mostly in his dancing rather than his singing. Is that his mother? She looks like a drag queen. Simon says, "I thought the performance was verging on grotesque!" and says if somebody tuned in for the first time to hear little Danny "destroying an Elvis Presley song," they wouldn't think this was the most talented group EVER. Simon is worried about the show's credibility. "Some people weren't LIKING IT!" Danny snaps, then pouts adorably.

8:53 p.m.: David Archuleta has turned 17. He's pretty good on "Shop Around." He has some stage presence -- but he also has, what, 9 years of experience? "That was by a comfortable mile, the best performance of the night so far," says Simon, and he's right.

8:48 p.m.: Robbie Carrico goes a little psychedelic with "One is the Loneliest Number," and it's very karaoke-ish. Is he wearing mailman pants? The judges like him too! Simon: "The only performance we've seen tonight which has any semblance of making sense." Wait! You mean these are NOT the very best singers ever?

8:45 p.m.: Next up, Robbie Carrico and "little David Archuleta," who are, respectively, Britney's ex-boyfriend and a former boy-band singer, and a 16-year-old with a previously paralysed vocal cord who won Star Search before the paralysis. These are two of the "pros" who are getting so much heat.

8:36 p.m.: Jason Yeager's "Moon River" is making Chikezie sound like Springsteen. However, Randy is "really impressed with all the boys I've seen so far," although Jason went off-pitch. Paula is happily in nostalgia-land -- she had this tune in her first ballet recital, or something -- until Jason dedicates it to his grandmother! Take that, Paula!

8:30 p.m.: Jason Yeager up next. His favorite quote, I learn on the AI site, is "Jeremiah 29:11." It says, "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." He has a cute son.

8:26 p.m. David Cook looks like his hairline is receding dramatically behind those bangs. He sings a moody-then-bouncy "Happy Together." with a skeleton key on a thong as a bracelet. Trend alert! Is that a bandanna hanging out of his back pocket? And the singing -- shouty and not so good. The judges like him, but I am thinking this is NOT the most talented group ever!

8:21 p.m.: They are giving us the Davids early. David Cook is up next. I think he has the different colored hair, although who knows what he'll look like tonight? Colton sits cross-legged on the couch next to Ryan like a little elf and confesses that he looks like Ellen DeGeneres "from certain angles' -- "left, right and front." He has a theater background -- REALLY?

8:16 p.m.: Chikezie Eze (Love that name!) in a kind of reddish suit, seems to hit some strange flattish notes in "More Today Than Yesterday." Paula mentions that he's "lost a lot of weight," as if that somehow matters. Simon "absolutely hated the whole performance" and calls him on the suit, and Chikezie fires back at monochromatic Simon.

8:12 p.m.: David Hernandez sings "Midnight Hour" with a gospel start. "Fell a little apart at the end," Randy says. "It actualy was better than I thought it was going to be," Simon says, urging him to "loosen up a little bit." Isn't David very generic-looking? That's not good for him.

8:09 p.m. iTunes connection announced.

8:04 p.m.: Paula's drunk. Or maybe just going with her usual random brain-thought-words-flapping-hands connection.

8:02 p.m.: Chikezie, like Mandisa and Fantasia, has dropped down to just one name.

8:00 p.m. "People are saying that this year's talent is the best yet," Seacrest says. First words out of his mouth. You know who's saying, it, Cresty? YOU ARE.

7:59 p.m.: Are we ready? Remember, two get cut after America votes tonight!

-- Anne Nevill

'American Idol' top 12 men

Tonight, in a two-hour extravaganza, "American Idol" introduces its Top 12 men. We have three Davids (Archuleta, Cook and Hernandez) two Jasons (Castro, who has dreadlocks, and Yeager, who has a Blake-Lewis style stand-up 'do) one Chikezie, one ex-Britney boyfriend (Robbie Carrico) and a bunch of guys I can remember only by figuring out who they look like. So here goes:

Colton Berry looks like Ellen DeGeneres.

Danny Noriega looks like Pat Benetar.

Garrett Haley looks like Leif Garrett in the '70s.

Some say Luke Menard looks like Orlando Bloom; I say Hugh Jackman.

Michael Johns looks like celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.

Is it scary that two of the look-alikes look like women?

Meet me and your fellow fast-fingered posters back here from 8 to 10 p.m. tonight to discuss these and other pressing "Idol" issues!

-- Anne Neville