People

By Michele Orecklin

A TALE OF TWO TYSONS

Totem International, a company that sells "gay" dolls, recently debuted Tyson, an African-American muscleman with a shaved head. So, was the inspiration boxer Mike Tyson and/or male supermodel Tyson Beckford? Totem denies the doll is based on a living person, but toy Tyson does have similarities to the other two.

TYSON DOLL TYSON BECKFORD MIKE TYSON

"fun-loving, gregarious, outgoing kind of guy" yes no has tattoos yes yes "gets into all sorts of mischief" no yes has a following among gay men yes no "breathtakingly gorgeous" yes no often wears little more than underwear yes yes doesn't talk no if only

TOY SCOUTS

Boy Scouts are taught to be prepared, but last week in London six of them were caught with their pants down. The lapse is easily explained, considering the six were not scouts at all but rather adult strippers bedecked as scouts for an act staged by Sir Elton John. Performing at a benefit for the gay-rights group Stonewall before an audience that included the wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, John sang as the dancers stripped to their skivvies. The crowd seemed entertained, but the head of Britain's Scouting organization was not amused. In a letter to the show's organizers, he labeled the performance "deplorable" and demanded an apology. We hope Sir Elton won't need help crossing the street when he reaches old age.

FEUD OF THE WEEK

NAME: Al ("the Roke") Roker OCCUPATION: Serving weather with a smile BEST PUNCH: On the Today show, Roker named theme restaurants as the worst fad of the '90s, saying, "They were basically a reason to foist really bad food and cheap merchandise on Americans and tourists"

NAME: Planet ("Chapter 11") Hollywood OCCUPATION: Serving burgers with high prices BEST PUNCH: Representatives from the restaurant appeared at the show's outdoor set the following day and shamed Roker into an on-air apology by bringing crateloads of toys for the show to donate to needy children

WINNER Roker. He expresses his first controversial opinion on air and scores gifts

ROCKY ROAD

Though the century has witnessed impressive gains in workers' rights, it now seems the 1900s will end on a sour labor note. Last week five former employees filed a $1.5 million suit against SYLVESTER STALLONE and his wife JENNIFER FLAVIN, saying working for the couple was a "nightmare." The five claim that during their brief employ in the actor's mansion in 1995, they were required to follow a list of rules (dubbed "the Emperor's 10 Commandments"), including instructions to refrain from looking Stallone in the eye, to vanish immediately when he entered a room and never to speak to his mother. They say their failure to adhere to these rules caused their termination. Stallone's lawyer called the suit "purely fictional," and the couple has filed a countersuit for slander against two of the staff members.