Three men are suing Universal Studios because of the mental anguish and embarrassment they… Three men are suing Universal Studios because of the mental anguish and embarrassment they have endured over characters based on them in the 1993 high school flick “Dazed and Confused,” about pot-smoking and beer-drinking slackers on the last day of school in 1976. The guys – Bobby Wooderson, Andy Slater and Richard “Pink” Floyd – were classmates of the movie’s director, Richard Linklater, in Huntsville, Texas. They claim the filmmaker never asked their permission before creating the three characters who share their surnames and even look like them. Filed in New Mexico, which has a longer statute of limitations than other states for claims of defamation, the suit alleges the three, all of whom still live in Huntsville, suffer “relentless harassment, embarrassment and ridicule.”

TACKY, MOI?

Has Star’s star fallen at ABC? In an informative report, the New York Post says the network has put the kibosh on Star Jones’ plugging companies and merchants that are supplying her Nov. 13 wedding on the informative daytime talk show “The View,” which Star cohosts with three other lovely ladies (four on those hallowed days Barbara Walters shows up). Star has reportedly made a deal with all the suppliers, from the dresses to the flowers to the hairdressing, to get their services for free, promising to give the companies free promotion on TV. The Post says ABC is worried all this might violate FCC rules. A “View” rep says, “We consider the wedding-related segments (that have already aired) … to be of legitimate interest to the viewer.” Meanwhile, Star tells the Post, “My wedding is my business – it’s not your business.” Lord knows we love Star – who could resist her charm, her humor, her joie de vivre – but honestly, this whole thing is just a tad bit tasteless, if not downright vulgar.

DOG REWARD

Matthew Perry and Richard Pryor have shown their doggie love by contributing to the reward money offered for information leading to the arrest of a perp who drowned a golden retriever on the Massachusetts coast. The dog was found Sept. 21 by a person walking on the beach in Nahant, Mass. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has set up the reward, said it had raised $12,000 so far.

ROWLING: MORE DEATH!

The rumors are true. J.K. Rowling said on her Web site, “Yes, sorry.” She was yessing a query about whether one of the characters in the next Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince” (due out next year), would die. But it won’t be Harry: Rowling assured fans he would make it to the seventh and final book in the series.

GRAMMER’S NEW GIG

There is life after “Frasier” for Kelsey Grammer, and it’s in Brooklyn. According to Variety, K.G. has teamed up with comic DJ Nash to develop a pilot for NBC called “My Other Life in Brooklyn,” based on Nash’s real-life job as a writer for Whoopi Goldberg’s moribund sitcom. Nash had much angst, many laughs, and presumably enormously entertaining conversations and observations commuting from New York, where “Whoopi” was shot, to his wife in Los Angeles. The pair are banking on the idea that Nash’s experience will make interesting sitcom material.

KELLEY GETS ALL LEGALESE

David E. Kelley, who has based many of his 100,000 successful TV shows in his hometown, Boston, happens to be married to the ever-lambent Michelle Pfeiffer, who happens to have the most glorious cheekbones in the world. And, in a story that is little more than free publicity for D.E.K.’s newest show, “Boston Legal” (which is, um, based in Boston and stars that never-aging ladykiller, James Spader), the Associated Press says we will probably never see M.P.’s radiance, or her cheekbones, on that, or any of Kelley’s 99,999 other shows. To protect their marriage, Kelley said, “we made one rule that we would try not to work together if possible.” This is a shame. We imagine there could be so much tension, electricity and frisson between Pfeiffer and Spader, it would set the show’s set ablaze.

PALTROW ON THE YOKO EFFECT

The same philosophy seems to rule in the household of the always radiant Gwyneth Paltrow and hubby Chris Martin. MSNBC.com’s “The Scoop” has scooped up some compelling quotes from the Scottish Daily Record, in which Paltrow says she will not do duets with C.M. or sing with his band, Coldplay, because she’s mindful of “the Yoko effect,” referring to artist Yoko Ono, whose relationship with John Lennon, some Beatles fans claim, caused that band to disband. Paltrow continues: “We have an understanding that our careers must be kept apart.” Having no relationships outside our continuing love affair with our job, we cannot comprehend what either couple means.

SOURCE AWARDS

Newcomer Kanye West and Atlanta-based rapper and producer Lil Jon cleaned up at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards Sunday in Miami, taking home three prizes each. West, who had seven nominations, won for breakthrough artist of the year, album of the year, and video of the year. Lil Jon was named producer of the year, and his collaborations with Usher and Youngbloodz won two more trophies. In the R’B categories, Usher was named male artist of the year and Alicia Keys won female artist of the year. The awards will be on Nov. 30 on BET.

(Wire services contributed to this column.)

(c) 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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