Pelican: "Please kill me."

America’s Gulf Coast, ravaged first by Hurricane Katrina and then the horrific BP oil spill, was subject to another catastrophe this weekend: Jay Leno telling jokes.

More than 1,000 people watched Leno perform Saturday night at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi to raise money for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Tickets were $40 to $150.

At the end of the show, Leno presented an oversized check for $90,336 to foundation president Rich Westfall. Leno chipped in some of his own money, topping off the evening’s fundraising total at about $100,000. [NPR]

Okay, okay: that was nice of him. I also heard that Leno promised the crowd he planned to punish BP by not filling up at their gas stations unless he was in one of his twenty most fuel-efficient cars. And then he burned down an orphanage. Still a rumor at this point, though.

It is now open season on stereotypes of chunky housewives, as Oprah’s show today was filmed on a set made entirely of chocolate.

Chocolate seats, chocolate tables, a chocolate chess set, a chocolate grandfather clock, chocolate wall coverings, chocolate flowers in a chocolate vase … on and on. The set, created by Larry Abel, even includes a chocolate fireplace. (Warning: Do not light a real fire in there.)

Part promotion, part wow factor, the set was created with nearly 7,000 Godiva chocolate bars and 2,400 Godiva truffles. There’s a chandelier made from 1,500 pieces of chocolate. [The Oprah Blog]

I’m going to guess that Oprah bypassed the opportunity to have a guest, and instead just read “Cathy” comics all hour. Reached for comment, the studio audience said, “NOM NOM NOM.”

“Glee” is about to debut in Japan, and here’s the first promo for the show, which has been renamed “Gree.” Show so funny! Gonna be numbah one! Don’t you aglee?

[via Seacrest]

Hey everybody, Lisa Kudrow has a new project in the works! From Variety:

Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky are developing a laffer [or sitcom, as it's called on Earth -Ed.] for Showtime revolving around the memoir by thesp-writer Craig Chester. Don Roos is on board to direct should the project be picked up to pilot.

Chester’s 2003 memoir “Why the Long Face?: The Adventures of a Truly Independent Actor” tells the story of his childhood as the gay son in a family of born-again Christian parents and his experiences as a thesp [actor] in the indie film world.

The show is tentatively titled “Rapture,” but let’s focus on what matters here: Lisa Kudrow got involved in a project based on “Why the Long Face?” Lisa Kudrow. Why the long face? Lisa Kudrow. Why the long face?

Come on, who’s got my back here? Anyone? Whatever, I don’t need you.