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Philadelphia Daily News Tattle columnFeb 13, 2013 (Philadelphia Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Great White Way is still white. Although minimally less white. The Asian American Performers Action Coalition this week released its second annual look at ethnic representation on New York stages. The study found that minority actors overall saw a 2 percent increase from the previous season and now stand at 23 percent. The report found that African-American actors were cast in 16 percent of all roles, Hispanics in 3 percent and Asian-Americans in 3 percent. Caucasians filled 77 percent of all roles, far outweighing their respective population size in the metro and tristate areas. Except Broadway isn't meant to represent New York's ethnic population, its meant to get tourists to plunk down $200 to see "The Lion King." Nasty, nasty, nasty You have to have thick skin (or at least calloused fingers) to be a writer. The Sunday Times of London gave out the Hatchet Job of the Year Award yesterday, for the year's meanest book review, and the winner was Camilla Long, for her take on Rachel Cusk's divorce memoir, Aftermath: On Marriage and Separation. Long described Cusk as a "peerless narcissist" and her memoir as "acres of poetic whimsy and vague literary blah, a needy, neurotic mandolin solo of reflections on child sacrifice and asides about drains." The Daily Telegraph, on the other hand, found the book "full of beauty" and The Independent praised the author's "honesty, courage, and the ability to depict her experiences in exquisitely crafted language." Long's prize consists of a golden hatchet and a year's supply of potted shrimp from the award's sponsor, a fishmonger. The Hatchet Job award was established by literary website The Omnivore to honor "the angriest, funniest, most trenchant" review published in a newspaper or magazine. While the award's creators have received some flak for rewarding mean-spiritedness, organizer Fleur Macdonald said the prize was intended "to encourage fearless and honest reviewing." And organizers insist they only pick on established writers strong enough to take it. Macdonald should read the comments our former colleague Dan Gross got if he wants to see "fearless and honest." Grammys gatecrasher Vitalii Sediuk, the Ukrainian "journalist" who was arrested after attempting to upstage Adele at Sunday's Grammy Awards has a new message for the singer: "help me." Sediuk says his appearance onstage was a spontaneous event and that he is only now realizing that it might have legal consequences for him. Also spontaneous His appearance inside the auditorium. Sediuk did not have a press credential nor a ticket to the show, and snuck in behind Katy Perry after doing a few interviews on the red carpet. For those of you who recall Katy's peek-a-boob dress at the Grammys, one can see how security missed him. Sediuk said he realizes now that he may be banned from covering award shows, which would be problematic for a reporter who's already got a reputation for awkward celebrity encounters. Last year, Will Smith slapped Sediuk, 24, after he tried to kiss him on a red carpet, and he drew Madonna's ire a year earlier by presenting her a bouquet of hydrangeas. Madonna loathes hydrangeas. How do you loathe hydrangeas He said he hopes that Adele will help him out of his latest mess. "Oh Adele. Help me not to go to jail," Sediuk said. TATTBITS -- Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are expecting their second child. The 38-year-old Cruz and 43-year-old Bardem had their first child, a boy called Leo, in January 2011. The couple became a couple after appearing together in Woody Allen's 2008 film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and later married. -- Jack White and EDM artist Dillon Francis are the lead nominees for this year's mtvU Woodie Awards, with two apiece. The awards, recognizing artists infiltrating the music landscape (whatever that means), will return to the South By Southwest Music Festival on March 14. A special will air on MTV and mtvU on March 17. Nominees for top honor Woodie of the year are fun., Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Grimes, MGK and Walk the Moon. Fans can vote for winners in several categories at the Woodies website through 4 p.m. on March 14. Other nominees include Frank Ocean, The Lumineers, Avicii, Fiona Apple, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd. -- Kabletown rules! Comcast says it's buying General Electric's 49 percent stake in the NBCUniversal joint venture for $16.7 billion. It comes several years early, as Comcast takes advantage of low borrowing costs, what chief executive Brian Roberts called a "very attractive price" and significant extra cash flow from Tattle's recent upgrade to the complete digital triple play package. G.E. can now go back to its primary business -- lending money -- building dishwashers, microwaves and faulty Japanese nuclear power plants . . . and bringing good things to life. - Daily News wire services contributed to this report. Email: [email protected] Phone: 215-854-5678 On Twitter: @DNTattle ___ (c)2013 Philadelphia Daily News Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at www.philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |