Singer urges kids to talk with parents about colons

Singer urges kids to talkwith parents about colons
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson understands that talking about colons can be an unpleasant subject.
"But if it can save someone's life, it's worth it," said Richardson, who appears in a series of public service announcements that urge children to discuss colon, or colorectal, cancer and its treatment with their parents.
Richardson, who grew up in Lexington, said he feels a responsibility to educate others about the disease that ended the life of his father in 1991. Richardson thinks if children talk to their parents about colon cancer, it will encourage parents to seek information about the disease before it's too late.
Richardson, 32, said he will undergo a colon cancer screening soon, as will one of his two brothers. The other brother recently underwent a screening in which a polyp was detected. That polyp was removed, "and everything is fine," Richardson said.
Richardson said The Backstreet Boys are almost finished with a new album, which will be their first with completely new material in about four years.
Method Man complainshis sitcom isn't ghetto
LOS ANGELES -- Method Man says he's unhappy with Fox for squeezing the "ghetto" out of his new sitcom.
"This is frustrating for me, and it's not turning out for me as expected," said the rapper-actor, who is co-star and executive producer of the network's comedy series "Method & amp; Red."
"I'm trying to keep this show ghetto, and there's a way for it to be both ghetto and intelligent," he said. "But it's not going that way."
In the show, Method Man and fellow rapper Redman play two hugely successful hip-hop stars who move into an affluent, predominantly white, gated community in the suburbs.
The comedy drew more than 8 million viewers in its debut Wednesday, but that didn't minimize Method Man's dissatisfaction. He told the Los Angeles Times the series has veered from his original vision because some executives or writers tried too hard to appeal to "middle America" with "lame jokes."
"I know what I wanted this show to be, but there's been too much compromise on our side and not enough on their side," he said. He didn't know the series would have a laugh track, he said, adding, "This show doesn't need it."
Fox executives declined comment to the Times.
Moore says his film givesvoice to Bush opponents
FLINT, Michigan -- Michael Moore's new movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" has raised temperatures in Republican circles -- and that's intentional.
"I would like to see Mr. Bush removed from the White House," the filmmaker told the host of ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."
"It's an op-ed piece. It's my opinion about the last four years of the Bush administration," Moore said Sunday. "I'm not trying to pretend that this is some sort of, you know, fair and balanced work of journalism."
Moore's film charges that the Bush administration acted ineptly before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then played on the public's fear to gain support for the war against Iraq. The Bush administration denies the allegations.
The film opens nationwide Friday.
Today's birthdays
Actress Jane Russell is 83. Actress Maureen Stapleton is 79. Actress Meredith Baxter is 57. Actor Michael Gross is 57. Rock musician Joey Kramer (Aerosmith) is 54. Rock musician Nils Lofgren is 53. Country singer Kathy Mattea is 45. Actor Marc Copage is 42. Actress Sammi Davis-Voss is 40. Actor Doug Savant is 40. Country musician Porter Howell is 40. Actor Michael Dolan is 39. Country singer Allison Moorer is 32.Actress Juliette Lewis is 31. Musician Justin Cary is 29. Rock musician Mike Einziger (Incubus) is 28. Britain's Prince William of Wales is 22.