HILFIGER SPIKED BY SPIKE LEE




by RICHARD JOHNSON

with Paula Froelich and Chris Wilson

from PageSix.com




SPIKE Lee doles out disses to designer Tommy Hilfiger and acclaimed actor
Ving Rhames in his controversial new flick "Bamboozled."




In one skewering scene, a buffoonish character named Timmy Hilnigger is
shown rapping woodenly to black youth, urging them to spend all their money
on his pricey designer duds and to stay poor "in the ghetto."




Timmy Hilnigger's clothes are a running gag throughout the flick,
symbolizing star Savion Glover selling out and becoming obsessed with the
trappings of fame.




Hilfiger's rep, Ruth Pachman, perhaps reluctant to offend Lee or alienate
his fans, offered a diplomatic response to Lee's dig at her boss:




"We realize Spike Lee is an excellent filmmaker whose films push the
envelope of irony and comedy and raise many sensitive racial and cultural
issues," she said. "Until we see the film we just can't comment on it."




The audience at the "Bamboozled" premiere at the Ziegfeld on Monday howled
at the Hilfiger-bashing scene, and later tittered with recognition during a
scene that spoofed Rhames for tearfully giving his Golden Globe to Jack
Lemmon in 1998.




In "Bamboozled," which opens on Friday, Damon Wayan's character accepts an
award for creating an offensive minstrel-show sitcom, then shoves it at
presenter Matthew Modine, blubbering that a "white guy" deserved it more
than him.




Attendees at the packed premiere included Jennifer Lopez, who was surrounded
by burly bodyguards but sans Sean "Puffy" Combs, Stevie Wonder, Prince,
Lenny Kravitz (who came separately from his latest 18 year-old galpal, Devon
Aoki), Johnny Cochran, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy Davidson, Michael
Rappaport, Al Sharpton, Al Roker, Kylie Bax, and rappers Snoop Dogg, Mos
Def, MC Serch, Chuck D.




Many of the celebs skipped the packed post-premiere bash at Exit, but Ice-T,
in town for his recurring role on "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,"
told us he was glad he came.




"I'm just here for the girls," he declared. "I live up the street and I came
in after I saw all the broads outside. I skipped the movie, though. I don't
go to the prom, only the after-party."