The Hollywood Exclusive - Column by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

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The Hollywood Exclusive: Foxworthy Wants His '5th Graders' To Avoid Messed-Up Kids' Path/Paris Bennett: Baby Won't Change Life

Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith

Jeff Foxworthy might be a hoot as he leads contestants through questions on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" -- but he's deadly seriously when he talks about the problems that could await the youngsters who comprise the panel of junior grade experts on the show.

"I tell the kids and their parents that it's important for the youngsters to lead normal lives. There's always one or two who have grandiose dreams of being television stars, but I encourage them to remain kids while they can. Let's face it, it's not normal being on television, and youngsters don't need the stress of going to auditions and having people following them around with cameras. We all know there's been a long history of kids in Hollywood who have ended up messed up."

Because of a tight schedule, some children used in the first season of "5th Grader" were professional actors, recruited from talent agencies. This season the panel was selected during a nationwide search.

"We were looking for above-average students with nice personalities, who would just be themselves and respectful of the contestants."

He relates that last season "one of the kids told a contestant, 'I can't believe you don't know that.' I stopped the cameras and said, 'We're not going to do that on this show, not going to be disrespectful.'"

A full season of "5th Grader" is shot in L.A. in about three weeks, during the summer when the junior-aged panel is on break from school.

Next year, Foxworthy will be doing double duty, when a syndicated, daytime version of the gameshow debuts. An entire season of the latter is scheduled to be done in Los Angeles in just 10 weeks, giving the comedian plenty of time to do the thing he loves most: being with his wife and their two teenage daughters at their Atlanta home.

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FOR LAUGHS: Winner of "Last Comic Standing 3" Alonzo Bodden tells us the show has opened up a lot of doors for him, but some of the show's comics aren't faring so well. "I'd say me, Kathleen Madigan, John Heffron, Ralphie May, Corey Holcomb -- a lot of us, we were ready, and we needed the break. Some comics I think it may have happened too soon. They were new in the business. They had a few minutes that were funny, they got on the show, but then when they had to go on the road and produce after the show, they just weren't ready," claims Bodden, who had done comedy for 10 years before landing the gig. "You want to be ready because there's nothing worse than disappointing fans. People remember the negative."

Luckily for Bodden, the show has brought nothing but opportunities his way. "It's the difference between working at the Chuckle Hut in Iowa and headlining the Improv in Vegas -- that's the biggest thing it's done for me." He certainly seems to have his plate full. He'll be in New York Oct. 8-10 as part of the Headblade Comedy Tour, which is performing in the New York Underground Comedy Festival. He's also hosting the Fox Reality Channel Really Awards, airing Oct. 11, which recognizes the best and worst of reality TV over the last year. "The great thing about this show is we never know what we're going to get from these reality stars who are there. I saw last year's show, which got kind of crazy with Danny Bonaduce and Johnny Fairplay. We just hope it doesn't get violent this time, but I'm heavily insured." And who knows? This could be the start of a new hosting career. "With what they did with the Emmys, I may be taking that over. I couldn't do worse. Well, I could do as bad, but for a lot less money."

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OH, BABY: Paris Bennett, who rose to fame on "American Idol," doesn't intend for motherhood to slow her down. "The baby is only added into my schedule," she says. Wow. "I definitely will be the best mother I can be and continue with my career -- with the help of my mom and so many supporters in my family. We're a very close family, and everyone helps each other, and that's allowing me to be in my career as well as to be a mommy when I'm off stage."

The 20-year-old songstress is due to give birth to her baby daughter … well, possibly by the time you read this. Bennett tells us last week was her first performing break in her pregnancy. "I haven't been sick, and even being with child, expecting, I still have done shows day to day. I have the energy to go through the labor process and be a mom," says Paris, who's been putting headphones on her stomach, and finds her daughter "moves a lot when music is on. I'm sure she'll be the fifth generation in our family to be involved in music."

Meanwhile, Bennett has a Christmas album coming out next week, and her next studio album coming out in January. The latter moves her out of the pop/rock sound of her "Princess P" album and into "jazz, which has always been a first love of mine. I wanted to redo some of the classics, and also to take the chance to fulfill my dream to become a jazz writer like Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Nat King Cole and other favorites of mine."

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With reports by Emily Feimster. To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate Inc.

This news arrived on: 10/06/2008

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