People: Jun. 18, 2007

THE SCORE

GOOGLE NEWS HITS + GOOGLE BLOG HITS = THE SCORE

1 In a hoax that fooled even the editors at TIME, the Netherlands’ controversial Big Donor Show, in which three ill patients were supposed to compete to receive a kidney, turned out to be a publicity stunt to raise awareness about organ donation. Some patients waiting for transplants appreciated the idea, like one woman, who told the AP, “I thought it was brilliant, really.” SCORE: 1,082

2 Reports that Jennifer Aniston will pen a tell-all book about ex Brad Pitt and his paramour Angelina Jolie were denied by Aniston’s publicist, only to be replaced with more riveting news: the former Friend is the newest spokeswoman for Smartwater. “Need to hydrate that bank account!” quips celeb watcher PEREZ HILTON. SCORE: 588

3 David Hyde Pierce, best known for playing snooty Niles Crane on Frasier, has come out, via his publicist. Laments Manhattan blog GAWKER: “It’s hard to believe that the man who played one of sitcomdom’s most effete heterosexuals may, in fact, dig dudes.” SCORE: 318

4 Conservative blog the Illinois Review says Shrek the Third advances Hollywood’s transgender agenda by featuring manly ugly stepsister Doris, voiced by Larry King. Blog DEFAMER mockingly applauds the Illinois Review for its efforts to stop a campaign that could persuade Shrek-watching children to “wear gender-inappropriate clothing to school, ‘just like the funny man-lady in the Shrek movie did!'” SCORE: 43

5 MTV took a risk by airing its celeb-drenched Movie Awards live. For example, the network couldn’t have predicted the antics of Best Villain–winner Jack Nicholson. Hollywood watcher LAIST, which live-blogged the event, reported Nicholson’s first words upon receiving his golden popcorn: “I don’t give a f___!” SCORE: 36

TIMELINE

Nancy Drew hits the silver screen on June 15 with a movie-star murder mystery to solve. It’s the latest chapter in the kid-detective genre:

ORIGINAL KID SLEUTHS The crime-solving chronicles of Frank and Joe Hardy, boy heroes in the Hardy Boys book series, were launched in 1927. Nancy Drew, who always found a mystery to unravel, also made an early literary debut with her series in 1930.

THE RETRO AGE The ’60s and ’70s saw a rising popularity for young gumshoes. Book series like Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown were roaring successes. Characters from the TV show Scooby-Doo have remained a staple of the American cartoon diet.

WHIZ KIDS EVER SINCE Adolescent heroes continue to spy, detect and decipher with methods both expected (a basic set of binoculars in the ’96 movie Harriet the Spy) and unearthly (an invisible ghost that manipulates text in the ’90s TV series Ghostwriter).