Sideshow: 'Django' action figures are a no-go

The Weinstein Co. has put the kibosh on a line of Django Unchained action figures after protests from civil rights leaders that toys based on the violent, Jamie Foxx-starring, Quentin Tarantino-directed film trivialize the horrors of slavery. On Friday, the studio said it stopped release of the dolls despite its tradition of making dolls, meant for adults, to commemorate Tarantino pics, including Inglourious Basterds. A few lucky collectors stand to make a bundle: TMZ says 1,000 dolls were released before the plug was pulled.

The awesome 14-time Grammy-winning warbler Alicia Keys, 31, will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl XLVII pregame Feb. 3 in New Orleans, which will be televised live on CBS.

Jennifer Aniston, who reportedly makes $16 mil a film, doesn't give away her face and bod to just anyone. So we can only imagine just how awed, dazzled, and grateful the suits at Aveeno® are right now: Jen tells People mag she has signed to peddle product for the skin-care manufacturer. "I'm very particular about what I put on my face and body, and have been using Aveeno for years," says Jen, sounding like a walking, talking, living ad. "So this partnership is a natural fit for me."

Oprah's stunning two-part Lance Armstrong interview - stunning, that is, for how heavily it was hyped - may yet save OWN, the talk-show queen's TV network, which has had disappointing ratings all year. About 3.2 million viewers watched the 90-minute first part at 9 p.m. Thursday, according to Nielsen estimates. An additional 1.1 mil watched a 10:30 p.m. rerun.

The TV mogul understood how much was on the line. "She knew what an important interview it was for her," O's BFF, Gayle King, tells the New York Daily News. "When people talk about this interview," she added, "they're going to say, 'Wow, Oprah really knocked it out of the park.' "

Hipster TV star Betty White got such a present for her 91st birthday: a snake! Lifeline Program, a company she reps, adopted a red-tailed boa from the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in her name, People says. . . . Jennifer Hudson will join Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, and the cast of Glee on the roster of entertainers who'll serenade dignitaries at two inaugural events. . . . "Why would they say that?" Zero Dark Thirty actor Jessica Chastain says of a report she's dating The Avengers' Tom Hiddleston. "It's not true at all," she tells USA Today. She also denies a report she's making time with Edgar Ramirez.