The combination of Salma Hayek's accent and ancestry left her open to a zinger older than Joan Rivers' first nose. While appearing on a British talk show last week to promote a UNICEF- and Pampers-backed campaign to wipe out tetanus in developing countries, the actress was asked about her last name, which the interviewer noted "doesn't sound very Mexican," according to the London Daily Mail. When Hayek explained she was half-Lebanese on her father's side, the host dusted off an oldie but not-so-goodie by asking, "You're a lesbian?" Mercifully, he refrained from adding, "I'll be here all week, folks. Try the veal!" Salma handled the awkward setup with aplomb, leaning in and jokingly enunciating "Lebanese" for the boneheaded host, who explained, "Oh sorry, I thought you were half-lesbian. Forgive me." The stunning and savvy star further proved what a good sport she is with an appearance over the weekend on the popular German TV show "Wetten Dass ...?" After losing a bet, she ended up in a traditional Bavarian dirndl that valiantly tried but failed to contain her ample wiener schnitzels, much to the delight of, well, everyone. When not dealing with talk show high jinks and spending quality time with Francois-Henri Pinault, her former fiancé and the father of her 1-year-old daughter Valentina, Hayek turned up at the United Nations in Geneva to talk about witnessing first-hand the impact the tetanus initiative has had in Sierra Leone. "One of the things that was very moving about the trip was to see 15-year-old girls, really young, taking responsibility for their lives and their children before they're born by saying 'I am going to be healthy, I am going to take this vaccination,'" she told reporters (via The Associated Press). "I had no idea how much this was going to really personally move me."

Brit burns some rubber at a go-kart track in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 5. (©X17Online.com)

The business of being Britney Spears is back in full swing. Sure, the popster still can't make any decisions without the approval of her dad, but in between taking a PR-generating trip to New York, prepping for the December release of her "Circus" album and planning a possible tour, she may be looking to help you drop a few extra pounds through the firming power of dance. The Chicago Sun-Times says the newly hard-bodied, mood-stabilized Brit has gotten it into her head to release a series of groove thing-shaking workout videos. Word is, she somehow stumbled across a few of Jane Fonda's classic burn-feeling videos -- and a VCR to play them on -- and was tickled by the leotard- and legwarmer-laden goodness. While the project is apparently still in the idea phase, a rep tells the paper that it "makes perfect sense, given Britney is a singer who uses dance so much in her act." As for the release of "Circus" on Dec. 2., her 27th birthday, Spears wants the album to be her biggest gift ever. "Britney is telling everyone she doesn't just want to debut at No. 1," asserts a snitch, "but break all kinds of records for a new release." To that end, she's apparently hoping to boost sales with a behind-the-scenes DVD, some footage for which was reportedly shot this weekend as she put on a helmet and zoomed around a go-kart track in Anaheim, Calif. For once, Brit's unsafe-at-any-speed driving skills paid off: She left with a trophy in hand.

Posh guides sons Romeo and Brooklyn through a Los Angeles mall on Oct. 4. (©X17Online.com)

In these dark, uncertain times, it's comforting to know there's at least one thing we can depend on, and that thing is Victoria Beckham in a ridiculously and fabulously over-the-top getup. Over the weekend, she hit a Los Angeles mall with sons Brooklyn, 9, Romeo, 6, and Cruz, 3, and in typical Posh fashion, she turned that Cinnabon-scented, hot-dog-on-a-stick-littered retail Mecca into her own personal catwalk. Mrs. Beckham slipped on a bright red mod minidress (a perfect accompaniment to her pixie cut), grabbed a carry on-sized purse and strapped on 6-inch platform stilettos to accompany her trio of boys to a Build-a-Bear Workshop outpost. "She looked like she was balancing on two ballpoint pens," an eyewitness tells the London Sun, seemingly referring to her perilous shoes and not her twiggy gams. And suddenly, all seems right with the world.

Now that she's legally old enough to drink, Hilary Duff isn't wasting her pristine liver on just any alcoholic beverage. According to People, the starlet enjoyed a birthday celebration (she hit the milestone on Sept. 28) at a New York eatery with NHL beau Mike Comrie and some pals that included two bottles of Lokoya wine. Price per bottle: $400-plus. No word on who picked up the tab for the meal, which reportedly came to more than -- oy -- $2,500.

Next: Jolie's New Twin Tats, Tot Plans and Bath Time With Pitt