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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, March 7, 2010

Glover calls for Boss boycott at Oscars

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Danny Glover

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Stevie Wonder

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Actor and activist Danny Glover is calling on Academy Awards nominees and others in the film industry to not wear Hugo Boss suits at today's awards ceremony.

The "Lethal Weapon" star, in collaboration with the Workers United labor union, made the request in a letter on behalf of 375 Cleveland-area factory workers who'll lose their jobs if the German company closes the plant at the end of next month as planned.

The Feb. 26 letter asks Hollywood to "take a small stand for American workers." It asks Oscars attendees to wear on their lapels a pin reading, "Keep the Hugo Boss Plant Open."

'ALICE' PULLS IN $41M ON ITS FIRST DAY

Audiences are mad as hatters about Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," helping it earn a whopping $41 million in its first day.

After its big start Friday, the film could be on track for a $100 million weekend. Box-office tracker Holly wood.com says that would be a record for films opening in March.

The current best March debut is $70.9 million for "300" in 2007.

WONDER 'BREATHLESS' AFTER HONORS

It's taken nearly 30 years, but Stevie Wonder has finally received his medal for being named into France's prestigious National Order of Arts and Letters.

The Motown great was in the French capital to perform and be honored at France's biggest musical awards show yesterday.

Wonder said: "All this in one day, it's almost too much for me. I'm breathless."

In 1981, Wonder was named a "commander" in the order, its highest rank. Officials said yesterday that scheduling conflicts had delayed Wonder's formal decoration.

GRIFFIN SKEWERS PALIN IN ALASKA

Comedian Kathy Griffin has brought her "Life on the D-List" show to Sarah Palin's home state, skewering the former Alaska governor at a raucous show in Anchorage.

Griffin was escorted on stage on Friday by Playgirl model Levi Johnston, who fathered a child with Palin's oldest daughter and is involved in a child support battle with Bristol Palin.

Griffin said John McCain picked Palin to be his running mate on the Republican ticket after "talking to her for 10 minutes."

ALLEGED SLUR CHASES TENOR OUT OF N.Y.

Irish tenor Ronan Tynan says he's leaving New York for Boston because he hasn't been able to find work in the months since a woman accused him of making an anti-Semitic remark.

The New York Yankees dropped their long-standing tradition of having the 49-year-old singer perform "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch after the incident in October.

Tynan says his reference to "two Jewish ladies" in his apartment building was mistaken for a slur.

A Yankees spokeswoman says the team wishes him well.