People

By Michele Orecklin

OVITZ FUMBLES

What is the sound of one agent's influence waning? In Los Angeles it sounds like a bad week for MIKE OVITZ. The onetime superagent, who co-founded Creative Artists Agency, suffered a setback last week when the NFL rejected his proposal to bring a professional-football expansion team to L.A. Ovitz had spent years on the project and secured the cooperation of stars such as Tom Cruise to spearhead the gridiron campaign, only to be outbid by organizers in Houston. This came amid reports that Ovitz, now a manager at his new firm, Artists Management Group, was having trouble interesting Hollywood studios in the rights to the latest manuscript by Michael Crichton. Ovitz recently lured the Jurassic Park author, whose previous novels were turned into big-budget films, to A.M.G. away from C.A.A. The visually oriented town is struggling to ascertain the correct spelling of schadenfreude.

AND ALL WE HAVE IS A LOUSY FLAG

Since 1792 France has used the image of a woman, dubbed Marianne, to represent the republic on town halls, stamps and currency. After deciding Marianne's look needed updating for the millennium, the country's mayors voted to determine which living woman she should resemble. Since 95% of France's mayors are men, the honor fell to model and actress LAETITIA CASTA. The mayors had sought a woman embodying "solidarity, openness and tolerance," traits Casta clearly exhibits in her work for Victoria's Secret. Some decried the selection process for its reliance primarily on physical beauty (other contestants included a game-show hostess and a singer). Upon learning of her anointing, Casta enthused, "Chouette, quoi [like, neat]."

WHEN FAMOUS PEOPLE BREAK UP

WHO: Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe

WHEN: Last week, after three years of marriage and two kids

WHY THIS IS SHOCKING: Given that they met at his plastic surgeon's office, they seemed so compatible

WHY THIS ISN'T SHOCKING: He already has a failed marriage (to Lisa Marie Presley); they haven't been spotted together in three years; he's Michael Jackson

THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL: Besides the kids, talk-show hosts are bereft. M.J.'s spokesman asked the public not to "speculate upon the reasons for their decision"

FEUD OF THE WEEK

NAME: 'N Sync AVERAGE AGE: 22 OCCUPATION: Filling the void left by New Kids on the Block BEST PUNCH: After quarreling with its record label over money, announced intention to relocate to Jive Records, current home of Backstreet Boys

NAME: Backstreet Boys AVERAGE AGE: 23 OCCUPATION: Filling the void left by New Kids on the Block BEST PUNCH: Already considering 'N Sync imitators, threatened to leave Jive if rivals arrive, alleging the label won't be able to give both bands adequate attention

WINNER: It's a draw--they'll both be forgotten in six months