Auctioning off memories of Reeve

Christopher Reeve’s death has prompted mourning and sadness among his fans; on eBay, it’s sparked a bidding frenzy.

News of the actor’s death broke late Sunday night. On Monday at 9 a.m. ET, there were fewer than 250 Christopher Reeve-related items for sale on the popular on-line auction site; By 11 a.m., that number was 313 and by 5 p.m., it had reached nearly 500, doubling in just eight hours. As of 9 a.m. ET Tuesday, that number was approaching 800.

Some items for sale blatantly exploited Reeve’s death. An autograph by the late actor had an opening bid of $350: “This autograph which was already very rare to obtain because of what happened to Mr. Reeve in 1995 and now because of Mr. Reeve’s sad and sudden death makes it EXTREMELY RARE,” read the description. “RARE and IMPOSSIBLE TO EVER OBTAIN AGAIN!!!”

Not all dealers are taking advantage, however. “They’re fortune seekers jumping on a moment of tragedy,” Bob Shagrin of the Manhattan-based celebrity and pop culture memorabilia company Gotta Have It! told The Scoop. “I’m so mortified.  It’s the same thing that happened w 9/11. . . . When Marlon Brando died, we took everything related to him off our Web site and waited a suitable amount of time.”

The Cos’ cause

Bill Cosby says he’s “jealous” of Muslims. What’s more, the popular entertainer has expressed an interest in meeting controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, according to a report.

Cosby, who has sparked controversies in recent months with his comments about how some African-Americans should take more responsibility for their lives, recently told a crowd of more than 1,000 at the Newark Vocational High School  that he was “jealous” of the way that “Muslims are able to gain support and have strong influence on sectors of the community where the police and others can’t,” reported Final Call, the newspaper of the Nation of Islam.

Cosby reportedly went on to say, “I want my Christian family to hit the streets and duplicate what they’ve done.” Final Call also reports that in August, Cosby “expressed a desire to meet” with Minister Farrakhan.

A spokesman for Cosby said the report of his comments about Muslims “sounds right” and that he would check into the details of the story, but hadn’t called back by deadline.

Notes from all over

Will Richard Gere be used as a political puppet? The actor is embroiled in a controversy in Taiwan, where the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has asked him to be the guest of honor at the annual Golden Horse Movie Festival in December. “It is not proper,” the opposition has protested, according to World Entertainment News Network. “The government (could) use Gere to boost their profile in the campaigning as he has a lot of fans here.” Gere hasn’t said whether he’ll attend.  . . . Regis Philbin, when confronted with those rumors that he might not renew his contract, refused to deny them. The co-host of “Live with Regis and Kelly” holds the record as the human being with the most hours clocked on television.  . . . Is the liberal media boycotting the Osmonds? That’s the claim Merrill Osmond’s assistant sent to MSNBC.com. “Media refuses to air music video due to pro-Bush message,” according to an email from Tom Roach, who offers an interview with Merrill Osmond and explains: “The Music Video is very political and takes a couple of harmless (yet humorous) jabs at John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.   . . .The song was played at the RNC and the White House has requested copies of the music video.” Maybe the Osmonds should compare notes with the Dixie Chicks.

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

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