Baby Mama

The many faces of Amy Poehler made Emmy history Thursday. The "Saturday Night Live" cast member became the first performer in that show's 33-year history to score a nomination in an acting category. Poehler is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series. "There are other people on the show who should have been nominated before now," she said. "I am very excited." A change in Emmy rules opened up the acting category for the first time to members of the sketch comedy show.

WHeN Paul Brownfield opens "The Gal Pal Gamble" [April 20] with " . . . Women weaken legs . . . which is why it seems unusual -- if not illegal -- for two females, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, to have the leads in a buddy comedy . . . ," he has opened with a left hook and I felt the punch. I have enjoyed Brownfield's insights, but I am sad his writing took a low road on what is traditionally not an easy path for women working in comedy. Making a feature-length movie seems like a natural progression for a successful comedy career; it is a shame more women and minority comedians don't get the chance to try, and that their attempts are seen as anomalies rather than moves to advance a career.

Allison Williams, one-quarter of the coming-of-age female confederation in HBO's "Girls," finds herself at the center of a heated discussion, at least among the show's modest but fervent audience: Is Marnie a bad friend? Or is Hannah a bad friend? The culturally polarizing comedy spent much of its debut season redefining sexual parameters and narcissism for the millennial generation. But friendships are at the core of the Lena Dunham-created series, and they're experiencing growing pains.

Bill and Giuliana Rancic, whose struggles with fertility have been well documented on their reality show, "Giuliana & Bill," had some good news to share Monday: They're expecting a baby. "It's incredible," Giuliana said on the "Today" show. "We've been trying for so long, we've been through so much, and, especially we just had such a hard year last year with the breast cancer and everything and to finally get that call from the doctor of, you're pregnant -- or, you're having a baby!

"Sex and the City" knocked "Indiana Jones" out of first place, pacing a strong weekend for moviegoing. Sales in the U.S. and Canada, May 30-June 1: Industry totals -- -- -- Movie 3-day gross Total Venues Average/ Weeks -- (studio) (mill.) (mill.) -- venue -- 1 Sex and the City (Warner $56.8 $56.8 3,285 $17,305 1 Bros.) 2 Indiana Jones $44.8 $215.6 4,264 10,496 2 -- and the Kingdom -- -- -- -- -- -- of the -- -- -- -- -- -- Crystal Skull -- -- -- -- -- -- (Paramount) -- -- -- -- -- 3 The Strangers $21.0 $21.0 2,466 8,515 1 -- (Universal)

** Eazy-E "Str8 Off Tha Streetz of . . . Compton," Relativity. This posthumous album represents everything Eazy-E (who died of AIDS last March) was known for: reckless violence, irresponsible sex, gleeful misogyny and, raunchy, off-kilter humor. After a series of tracks that feature the N.W.A. co-founder at the top of his skill level, the album starts a quick descent into the nasty and the ironic. There's the misogyny so happily played out in the Naughty by Nature-penned "Hit the Hooker."

Johnny Cash fans will find several surprises in a new retrospective CD showcasing original versions of songs the country music star made famous -- and one flat-out shocker. Despite occasional suggestions in Cash articles in recent years that one of his signature songs, "Folsom Prison Blues," was influenced by an obscure tune called "Crescent City Blues," most fans probably assumed the connection was minor -- nothing more than the "borrowing" that goes on regularly in pop music.

OutKast is arguably the best rap group of all time, but it has never won a Grammy--a situation that may change because it has been nominated not only for best rap album, but also album of the year. Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" and Ludacris' "Back for the First Time" are worthy rivals in the rap competition, but OutKast's "Stankonia" contains doses of daring musicianship, political commentary and a creativity that's unmatched by other albums in the category.