Betty White draws the line at nudity

(News Terupdate) - Important Mother's Day Reminder: Betty White will finally make her long-awaited "Saturday Night Live" debut this coming weekend, along with musical guest Jay-Z.

"Isn't that something?" White, speaking on Monday's Today show, said of the guest-star pairing, also predicting -- modestly -- that the rapper will be the one to help boost Saturday's ratings. "He's tremendous."

And while there will be singing, dancing and comedy come Saturday night, White has put her foot down: No nudity.

Well, "Very little nudity," she promised "Today's" Meredith Vieira. "Here and there" some nudity, she teased. "Mostly here."

"Golden Girls" favorite White, 88, landed the hosting gig after a fervent Facebook campaign by fans.

Pressed to explain her sudden career resurgence, a perplexed White answered, "I didn't know I'd ever been away ... It's phenomenal. And I love working."

As for her Oscar-winning costar in last year's summer comedy hit "The Proposal," Sandra Bullock, White gushed, "She is so wonderful, one of the most delightful human beings. I love her."

When asked about Bullock's personal turmoil of late, as well as the happy baby news, White responded: "I think her business is her business, and I try never to comment on it. All I can do is love her and wish her well."

Saturday's special Mother's Day episode of the NBC comedy show is also expected to reunite six former female SNL cast members, most of whom happen to be moms: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch. No word yet on whether they draw the line at nudity, too.

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Tests suggest setback for Bret Michaels

(News Terupdate) - Medical tests show Bret Michaels has suffered a setback in his recovery from a brain hemorrhage, according to a statement posted on his official website Tuesday.

Despite the development, "doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery," the statement said.

The rock singer and reality TV star suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized Friday.

"Doctors state Michaels is very lucky as his condition could have been fatal," it said.

"Test results indicate a setback in Bret Michaels' condition, a side effect from the brain hemorrhage called hyponatremia, a lack of sodium in the body which leads to seizures," said the statement posted by road manager Janna Elias.

Michaels "is responding well to tests and treatments," she said.

"Even though today was a minor setback Doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery and plan to release more specific information next Monday."

Michaels, 47, was the lead singer for the '80s glam-metal "hair band" Poison. He became a reality star on the VH1 show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels." He has also appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice."

His manager and publicist have been careful not to disclose the hospital or even the city where the singer is being treated. They cite security reasons for the secrecy.

Tuesday's statement offers the greatest detail so far about Michaels' condition and treatment.

"Michaels' medical workup demonstrated findings of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke that causes bleeding in the fluid-filled spaces around the base of the brain," the statement said. "It presents itself suddenly as the sound of a loud gunshot or thunderclap at the back of the head causing severe cranial pain and muscle spasms."

Michaels, who is in critical condition in an intensive care unit, has undergone a continuous series of tests "including angiograms, CT scans, MRIs and transcranial dopplers (TCDs)," the statement said. "With further testing and rehabilitation, they are hopeful that Bret will gradually improve as the blood surrounding the brain dissolves and is reabsorbed into his system, which can be a very painful recovery and take several weeks to months," it said.

The latest statement also addressed possible causes of Michaels' brain hemorrhage.

"Many people are speculating Michaels' head injury suffered from a prop striking the singer at the Tony awards last June is the cause," it said. "Additional studies are planned throughout the week to hopefully detect the exact cause of the rupture."

Michaels, who is a lifelong Type 1 diabetic, had an emergency appendectomy just 11 days before falling ill last week.

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Michaels' type of hemorrhage has wide range of outcomes

(News Terupdate) - The feeling of blood hitting the brain's sensitive covering can give a person the worst headache of his life, doctors say.

That's what happens in a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and that's what singer and reality star Bret Michaels, 47, might have felt before he was taken to the emergency room Thursday. A source close to the situation said Michael described it as "like [getting] hit in the head with a baseball bat over and over again," according to People magazine.

In a subarachnoid hemorrhage, an individual bleeds into the space between the brain and its transparent, web-like tissue covering. This is also the place where spinal fluid is located.

Doctors are still searching for the cause of Michaels' hemorrhage, his road manager posted on his website Monday.

"As of now, Bret remains in ICU under 24 hour surveillance," she wrote. "Further testing this week will help locate the source of the bleeding."

About 65,000 of these hemorrhages occur in the United States every year, said Dr. M. Sean Grady, chairman of neurosurgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Grady was not involved with treating Michaels.

Michaels' type of hemorrhage has a wide range of outcomes: Some patients die almost instantly, some will have difficulty speaking and other neurological dysfunction and some will walk away without long-term complications.

"Sometimes the patients will experience the onset of [the] absolute worst headache of their life, and can be wide awake and alert," said Dr. Daniel Barrow, chief of neurosurgery service at Emory University Hospital, who did not treat the singer. These are often called thunderclap headaches.

In about 10 to 15 percent of cases, the cause is never found. This scenario often has the most promising survival outcome, as these patients often make good recoveries and don't tend to have a recurrence, Barrow said.

The most common cause is physical injury, Barrow said. Car crashes can lead to a subarachnoid hemorrhage in young people, according to the National Institutes of Health. In the elderly, people who fall and hit their head may experience this kind of bleeding.

For spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhages, an aneurysm is the likely cause, experts say. An aneurysm is a bulging of a blood vessel in the brain. About half of patients with a ruptured aneurysm die from the burst itself, Grady said.

Patients with hemorrhages undergo a procedure called an angiogram, a test used to visualize blood vessels. Sometimes the initial angiogram does not pick up an aneurysm because when the bleeding stops, the clotting fills the aneurysm. That is one possibility for Michaels' case, Barrow said, but he could also fall into the category of unknown cause.

Blood thinners and blood disorders can cause this type of bleed, Barrow said, as can cocaine.

Michaels had undergone an emergency appendectomy on April 12, less than two weeks before suffering the hemorrhage Thursday. The events are likely unrelated, Grady and Barrow said.

The singer's type I diabetes also does not put him at any greater risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, Grady said.

The brain's covering is pain-sensitive, and blood coming into contact with it hurts, resulting in a severe headache, Barrow said.

Other symptoms may include sudden loss of consciousness or diminished consciousness, nausea and vomiting, seizure, stiff neck, vision problems and mood changes, according to the National Institutes of Health.

If there is one, it's important to identify the aneurysm and treat it because it will bleed again, Barrow said. One treatment is to surgically clip the aneurysm, excluding it from the normal circulation. An alternative is to put tiny coils of soft platinum metal in the aneurysm.

Someone in Michaels' position would most likely have his blood pressure and neurological function monitored carefully, Grady said. Doctors would watch the arterial blood flow into the brain to make sure the vessels are working as they should, he said.

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Source: Bret Michaels was in excruciating pain

(News Terupdate) - As Bret Michaels continues to be watched closely by his doctors, a source reveals the rocker's excruciating moments before he was taken to the emergency room.

According to the source, Michaels, 47, said the headache that prompted him to call for an ambulance felt "like [getting] hit in the head with a baseball bat over and over again."

Often referred to by doctors as a "thunderclap headache" because of the intensity and suddenness of the pain, such headaches are a tell-tale symptom of the kind of brain hemorrhage that Michaels suffered.

The source close to the situation adds, "Bret is still in ICU. He still has the headache and is heavily sedated."

A statement on his fan site noted that doctors are still searching for the source of the bleeding.

"In some patients, doctors never find the source," says Dr. Keith Siller of New York University's Comprehensive Stroke Care Center. The bleeding could be very small, or the rupture itself can "cure" the source of the problem, says Dr. Siller.

If no source of an aneurysm or an abnormal vein-artery connection known as an AVM is found, "you basically just wait for the symptoms to go away," says Dr. Siller. The patient typically remains under close observation, as Michaels is, so doctors can monitor for possible complications.

But if the patient is able to speak, "they're on the better end of things," says Dr. Siller, noting that physical therapy and speech therapy are often required to make a full recovery.

On TV's "Celebrity Apprentice," on which Michaels is a participant, Sunday night's episode carried a post-script.

Accompanying slow-motion footage of Bret carrying luggage across a tarmac, a voiceover said, "Everyone here at NBC wishes Bret Michaels a speedy recovery."

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Publicist: Bret Michaels still in critical condition

(News Terupdate) - Rock singer and reality TV personality Bret Michaels remained in critical condition Sunday in a hospital intensive care unit, his publicist said.

Michaels suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized Friday, spokeswoman Joann Mignano said at the time, confirming a People.com report.

"Everyone at Michaels Entertainment would like to thank all fans and friends for their continued thoughts and prayers through this difficult time," Mignano said in a statement Sunday. "At this point, Bret remains in ICU in critical condition. He is under 24-hour doctors' care and supervision.

"We are hopeful that further tests will locate the source of the bleeding, which still has not been located. As we all know, Bret is a fighter, and we are hopeful that once all is complete, the slurred speech, blurred vision and dizziness, etc., will be eliminated and all functions will return to normal."

More information will be provided as it becomes available, Mignano said. The location of Michaels' hospital was not disclosed.

Michaels, 47, was the lead singer for the '80s glam-metal "hair band" Poison.

He became a reality star by headlining the VH1 show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels." He has also appeared on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice."

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What's behind 'American Idol's' ratings slide?

(News Terupdate) - For years "American Idol" has been known to its competitors by a moniker meant to express its popularity and immense ratings: "The Death Star."

But this year the show is looking more vulnerable. In February, the Winter Olympics ended "Idol's" audience domination when two of its nights of competitive action edged out the talent competition -- the first time "Idol" had lost in six years.

Then, another competition took the title of most-watched show when "Dancing with the Stars" beat "Idol" in the quest for most viewers, not once, but twice in consecutive weeks.

So is "Idol," which has arguably been the most successful show on television in recent years, on the ropes?

"This is just not an exciting season," said Lyndsey Parker, managing editor of Yahoo Music, who blogs about "Idol" in her "Reality Rocks" column. "As with any show it comes down to casting, whether you are casting for [MTV's] 'The Real World' or 'American Idol.' If the people you are casting aren't that interesting, people aren't going to watch."

According to data from The Nielsen Company, last season's "Idol" performance night drew an average of 26.3 million viewers; results night had an average of 26.9 million viewers. Season-to-date data through April 18 shows 25.7 million viewers tuning in on Tuesday nights and 24.5 million viewers being drawn to the show on Wednesdays.

On April 20, "Idol's" ratings dipped below the 20 million viewers mark.

Bill Gorman of the website TV By The Numbers said that with combined ratings, "Idol" is down about 7 percent this season over last. But he hastens to add that overall many of the networks are down in the ratings, as invariably happens with shows like "Idol," now in its ninth season.

"Is 'American Idol' down? Yes, they are" he said. "Are they down more than the typical show? Absolutely not."

During a recent appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said that at this stage in the show "ratings traditionally take a little dip" before "heading back up" later in the season.

"It goes down, it goes up," said show judge Simon Cowell. "How many years have we been doing this? We're doing fine."

Yahoo's Parker said there are other indications that fans may not be thrilled by this season. Over at Yahoo, she said, searches are down for the search term "American Idol" 43 percent this season compared to last season.

Parker said she believes part of the fan malaise can be attributed to the "Adam Lambert effect," where last season's runner-up had fans tuning in whether they loved him or hated him.

But she said she also thinks shows like "Dancing with the Stars" have done a better job of getting people on that viewers want to watch and delivering those "water cooler moments" that get fans buzzing.

"On 'Dancing with the Stars' you had Kate Gosselin, whose name has been on a lot of people's lips, Pamela Anderson who has always had a crazy fan base, and Shannen Doherty," Parker said. "They have a cast that is full of lightning-rod people so of course people would much rather watch Pamela Anderson possibly pop out of her dress than another boring cover of 'A Little Less Conversation.'"

iReport: Share your question for 'Idol's' Tim Urban

Kirthana Ramisetti, the managing editor of polling site Predicto.com, says her site's audience is much less engaged with "American Idol" this season than in the past.

"Last year early in the season we asked who would be voted out of 'American Idol' and we received about 5,000 votes," Ramisetti said. "When we asked that same question the week 'Idol's' Top 12 began their performances we received less than 1,000 votes."

She said she believes that in addition to the perceived mediocrity of this season's "Idol" contestants, the show is also competing for the attention of a public that is being treated to tabloid stories like Sandra Bullock's and Tiger Woods' marital woes.

'The biggest news story coming out of 'Idol' is not the contestants or the judges, it's Ryan Seacrest being completely strange and outrageous while hosting the show," Ramisetti said. "I think that's a real problem for this show's health if their biggest stories coming out are not about the contestants that people are supposed to be interested in and wanting to vote for."

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Oprah Winfrey responds to 'so-called biography'

(News Terupdate) - Oprah Winfrey made her first public remarks about Kitty Kelly's controversial new book about her, deriding it as a "so-called biography."

Winfrey spoke Monday at The New York Women in Communications Matrix Awards, where she presented an award to pal Gayle King.

Winfrey skipped the red carpet but wasted no time when she took the stage bashing Kelly's book, which includes reports the daytime diva abused drugs and questions the extent of Winfrey's longtime claim of being sexually abused as a child.

Winfrey described King as a friend who "sometimes cares about my life more than I do," and told the audience last week "was a rough one" for King when a "so-called biography came out."

"Gayle got herself worked out with all my new daddies coming out," said Winfrey of Kelly's claims in the book that Vernon Winfrey is not her biological father.

While the audience responded with loud applause, Winfrey smiled and concluded, "This, too, shall pass."

Praising King before presenting her with her award, Winfrey thanked her longtime confidante for teaching her "what true love really is." Winfrey described King as "her best friend who always wants the best for me" adding, "She's never been jealous or envious of me a single moment of my life except when I was on stage singing with Tina Turner."

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