Paula blames Simon for her goofiness on ‘Idol’

Paula Abdul admits that she’s been acting weird lately. And she says it’s all Simon Cowell’s fault.

The “American Idol” judge has fans buzzing with what seems inappropriate behavior and peculiar expressions — but she’s blaming her caustic co-judge.

“He’s worse than ever,” Abdul told In Touch Weekly. “If they say, ‘Paula is going crazy,’ the reason is Simon is whispering things in my ear, like, ‘What’s the price of beans?’ Things that make no sense at all.”

In other crazy-making comments , Abdul claimed, “Simon gave me advice and said on ‘The X Factor’ he always refers to a fortune cookie and says the moth who finds the melon finds the cornflake always finds the melon and one of you didn’t pick the right fortune.”

Separately, Abdul is said to be upset with Cowell’s favorite contestant, Kellie Pickler for supposedly valuing his support more than hers.

“Paula is a little irked that Kellie is acting as if she doesn’t need her,” an ‘Idol’ insider told the mag. “Kellie has got Simon’s vote, so Paula feels Kellie is working Simon and not bothering with her.”

Frankly, my dear
George Clooney’s Academy Award acceptance speech got a bad review from Spike Lee.

In comments widely lauded by liberals, the “Good Night, and Good Luck” star spoke about Hollywood’s pioneering liberalism, and as evidence, cited the Oscar awarded to African-American actress Hattie McDaniel for her performance in “Gone With the Wind.”

“To use that as an example of how progressive Hollywood is is ridiculous,” Lee said while being interviewed on a BBC radio show. “Hattie McDaniel played Mammy in ‘Gone With the Wind.’ That film was basically saying that the wrong side won the Civil War and that black people should still be enslaved. C’mon! I like George a lot. I’m not hating on him. But I don’t think he really thought it out.”

Clooney’s spokesman told The Scoop that he had no comment.

Notes from all over
Kelly Osbourne got a new tattoo across her back that says “I love my mommy” in French. “It has nipple cream on it so it doesn’t get infected,” she told The Star.  . . .  Jodie Foster says her weakness is that she can’t play weak. “I’ve played different kinds of strong women,” Foster said while promoting “Inside Man.” “I’ve played morally bankrupt strong women, I’ve played good girls, I’ve played straight-laced straight arrows, I’ve played wild women. Yet they’re always strong. Sometimes I feel like that’s my Achilles heel as an actor. I don’t really know how to play weak characters. If I played a weak character, I don’t think you’d believe me.”  . . . Colin Farrell helped his “Ask the Dust” co-star Salma Hayek relax before a nude scene by dancing naked for her. “I finally came out of the dressing room, all covered up and Colin’s completely naked, jumping around in the sand doing ballet dances,” Hayek told the London Mirror. “I started laughing and it relaxed me.”

Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop Mondays through Thursdays on MSNBC.com