IF THE REFERENCE FITS...

You must remember this, a dis is just a dis, and Mariah Carey may have gotten off a good one at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City on Jan. 17. In a speech honoring one of the acts inducted, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Carey said, "Unlike those who came after her, [Knight] was not about image or shock value." And who should step up to the podium a few minutes later to accept a Hall of Fame statue for the absent David Bowie but the Queen of Shock herself, Madonna. Why the apparent zinger? Well, in the January issue of Spin magazine, Madonna was quoted as saying that while she thinks Carey "is a very talented singer...we have to realize that the same country that acquitted O.J. is the same country...that buys Mariah Carey records. It's this homogeneity. But it's got nothing to do with art." Carey, not surprisingly, insists her speech was not a retaliation for the Material Girl's slur and adds that her remarks were not directed at anyone in particular. Carey does admit she read Madonna's comment in Spin, but claims she had "no reaction to it."...

By the way, Madonna and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Carlos Leon, a personal trainer, are very much on again. As to persistent press reports concerning a possible Madonna-Sean Penn reconciliation that began popping up after Penn hugged his ex at the VH1 Fashion Awards in December, forget about it. It's not happening....

Rob Reiner waxed philosophical about his movie An American President getting shut out at this year's Golden Globe Awards. "I'm l-for-16," he said, after his movie lost in each of its five nominated categories. Reiner recalled that two of his other movies, When Harry Met Sally...

and A Few Good Men, also received five Golden Globe nominations each and won none. In fact the only Globe that Reiner can take partial credit for was Kathy Bates's best actress award in 1991 for Misery, which he directed....

I'm told Carrie Fisher is just fine with the delay in getting the American version of the British comedy series Absolutely Fabulous, which Roseanne is producing, under way. Fisher is signed to costar, but with five screenplay assignments—three originals and two rewrites—a source close to Fisher tells me that she won't be upset if AbFab remains on the back burner....

Celebrated author James Michener, who turns 89 on Feb. 3, just sent Random House the final draft of his as-yet-untitled book of essays on America's problems. It's his 49th book....

The ice-blue BMW Z3 Roadster that Pierce Brosnan drove as James Bond in GoldenEye will be auctioned off Feb. 9 in San Antonio to benefit various local charities prior to the NBA's All-Star game two days later. The car won't just be sitting there. Subbing for Brosnan will be none other than Stevie Wonder, who will drive it onto the stage. Not to worry though. Wonder will have someone sitting next to him, coaching him as he drives. Says a Wonder representative: "Stevie has driven before—but never onstage."

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