Mariah Carey says ‘yes’ to product placement

Mariah Carey set records with her last album, “E=MC2”; it sold 463,000 its first week, the best in Carey’s career.

With her new album, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,” Carey is looking to make history again, but for different reasons. When it drops Sept. 15, Carey will become the first artist to bundle the CD with lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne and the Bahamas Board of Tourism. As if that’s not enough branding for one album, there’s this: the 34-page ad booklet is a co-production with Elle magazine.

The take-home lesson: Even with an artist who is a proven commercial success, you can't bet on album sales for income. If the experiment works well with Carey, her label Island Def Jam is considering doing the same with Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Kanye West and others.

What’s behind Jackson’s dermatologist’s custody quest?
Proving that there’s never a facet of the Michael Jackson story that is un-weird, Jackson’s dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein surfaced as a third party interested in custody of Jackson’s children Prince and Paris.

During court proceedings Aug. 2, Klein’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan (who was Kevin Federline’s attorney during his divorce from Britney Spears) said that his client had a “unique interests” in the custody of the kids, especially when it comes to issues of education and medical care.

A quick sidebar with Kaplan, the judge and attorneys for Katherine Jackson ensued, after which the judge ruled that Klein did not have legal standing with regards to the custody of the children. The details of what was said during the sidebar were never made public.

Video: Jackson doctor throws court for a loop If that put the issue to rest, it makes the fact that Kaplan and Klein spent the afternoon together in closed-door meetings somewhat confounding. What more is there to discuss? Klein was rumored to be the possible biological father to Prince and Paris, which is further fuel for speculation about Kaplan’s vague “unique interests” comment in court. Kaplan couldn’t specify what went on during the hearing or meeting with his client and declined all media requests. Stay tuned, though. All signs point to there being more to the story.

Botox prevents ‘Mad Men’ cameos
Now that “Men Men” is a legitimate hit, and a well-respected one at that, a number of celebrities are approaching creator Matt Weiner about having a cameo or recurring role on the show. So far, no luck for the would-be guest stars. There are a variety of reasons nothing has worked out, but the most intriguing one comes from a needle.

“You can’t have a face full of Botox and get on the show. Matt wants a look that’s representative of the era. People’s faces moved back then,” said a source close to the “Mad Men,” which is set in the early ‘60s. Other stumbling blocks: weight, surgeries and teeth. “Women weren’t super skinny, they didn’t have breast implants and veneers hadn’t been invented.

Fawcett’s best friend denies O’Neal affair
Farrah Fawcett’s best friend Alana Stewart is speaking out against claims she had an affair with Ryan O’Neal.

Slideshow: Celebrity Sightings To rewind: The rumor began when O’Neal’s estranged son Griffin told In Touch magazine that Stewart and O’Neal “were sharing a room together” and that Fawcett’s father walked in on them in a bedroom.

Stewart then reached out to Gossip Cop, calling the story a “lie” and adding, “It NEVER happened. Saying that is despicable.”

“It’s inconceivable anyone would say that,” said Stewart, referring to the allegations of her hooking up with Fawcett’s longtime love. “I would never do anything before, during or after Farrah’s death. I was a friend of Farrah’s for 30 years.”

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.