People in the News for February 26, 1998

Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998 | 9:12 a.m.

Video killed by the radio star! They practically grew up together, Madonna and MTV; they're like sisters. So, when Madonna asked the network to snip footage of her daughter from an upcoming "documentary," well, what are a few journalistic standards among sorta-sisters? Snip! Out went 53 seconds of little Lourdes. Madonna, on a "spur of the moment" decision, had allowed MTV cameras into the studio as she recorded her upcoming "Ray of Light" album. But that was before Madonna-approved pix of her and the baby appeared in Vanity Fair; the resulting hoo-ha convinced her that Lourdes should move in mysterious, completely unpublicized ways. MTV News defended the cuts, saying it never had any journalist credibility anyw ... (sorry, our typing fingers have a mind of their own). MTV News defended the cuts, saying the child was never the focus of the show (although the network had publicized the baby video considerably). "It's a human situation," says MTV News talking head Kurt Loder. "It's someone's baby. And it's not that important to the show." So, what are we missing? Images of Lourdes dancing to "The Macarena," says a Madonna rep, describing it as "a sweet scene, goofy, Madonna with a look of enchantment on her face that nobody gets to see." At least not if MTV wants to continue being Madonna TV. Clout like that is not a toy, Ms. Ciccione; let's hope you only use your powers for good.

Briefing

The words Is this any way to run a jail? still ringing in his ears, Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block says he'll allow no more escorted excursions for celebrity inmate Robert Downey Jr. Not even a guarantee of adult behavior can spring him a day pass now. You'll recall that Downey went briefly from inmate to outmate as deputies chaperoned him to a Feb. 17 recording session, the second time he'd been escorted out during his six-month term for drug violations. Block took a firm never-again stance: "It's too disruptive and not the way to operate a jail for the convenience of any inmate," he said Wednesday, as if the idea that detainees shouldn't be making the rules had just occurred to him. There's undoubtedly more to the story, but Madonna has asked us to trim it out.

Compiled by Scott Dickensheets