What are the absolute musts to become Paris Hilton's new best friend? According to Herself, said person must be "someone who I can trust, who is honest, who I can tell anything to, who is not going to call the newspapers if something goes on. I've had girls who want to use me for bad reasons, to walk around with me and be photographed and get famous. It's disappointing."

The constantly photographed one takes that disappointment and uses the energy to fuel her Sept. 30-premiering MTV show, "Paris Hilton's My New BFF."

She also says "New BFF" hews closer to the real Paris than her "The Simple Life" ever did. Still, she points out, "It is a TV show. Everyone plays it up for the camera a little bit. 'The Simple Life' was more about playing the airhead. This is more about friendship, about being girls and having fun." There are a couple of gay guys in the mix of 16 contestants, who share quarters and Paris-style challenges. Private jets, clubs, limos and Las Vegas are involved.

"After doing 'The Simple Life' for five seasons, I got approached by so many networks and producers to do shows," she says. But nothing really resonated until she met with her "My New BFF" producers and "started talking about ideas, and I liked this. I thought it was fun."

Later, "We did the cold casting process, and we had over 300,000 applicants to look through. I watched 1,000 people. That took a long time. From there we took 18 for the show. Some impressed me, some didn't," she says.

MEANWHILE: Paris says she is impressed with Adria Petty's "Paris, Not France" documentary — the premiere of which she attended last week at the Toronto Film Festival

"It got a great response in the theater. People were laughing in the right parts. People came up to me afterward and said they saw a different side of me than they'd ever seen before."

The film, greeted by reviews ranging from good to hateful, shows the heiress in her real real life — at marketing meetings and such, talking unguardedly while driving, admitting she always keeps her cell phone to her ear so people won't bother her.

She says, "I was nervous because it was something shot three years ago, and there were personal things in there. I'm actually happy I went through with it."

THE McLOVE THING: "Superbad" breakout star Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who was hilariously referred to as McLovin' in the hit movie, says he can't seem to escape the nickname in real life. However, the adorably goofy actor tells us he has no intention of living up to the name's intended meaning. "I've been getting it everywhere I go,' so it's kind of like a second name to me. It's kind of weird, though, when I go home and my parents call me McLovin," he quips. When asked if becoming a movie star has helped him live up to the McLovin' reputation, he admits, "I'm not one to kiss and tell, and I'm not one to use my stardom to hook up with ladies. I'm a good guy inside. I don't want to just hook up with a girl every night. I want to date a girl." Aww.

As for life after "Superbad," things don't seem to be slowing down for McLovin', sorry, Christopher, anytime soon. "I've got a movie with Michael [Cera] coming out called 'Year One,'" he says of working once again with his "Superbad" co-star. "I've got one with Paul Rudd coming out Nov. 7 called 'Role Models,' so that's another one of Judd Apatow's regular collaborators."

IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC: Grammy winner John Legend has become a big star in his own right after collaborating with the likes of Kanye West, Fergie, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, but he tells us he believes one of his biggest achievements has come in working with an up-and-coming British singer. "My favorite new artist this year is Estelle," says Legend, who does have reason to toot her horn since she is signed to his new label HomeSchool Records. "Her song 'American Boy' is hot. I helped write that song, though, so I'm biased," he adds with a laugh.

Lupe Fiasco has had a big year with his album "The Cool" and its hit song "Superstar," and the singer/rapper, who is currently on Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour, tells us he's been getting used to spending more time in the City of Angels. "I've from Chicago, but I like Los Angeles. It's hot, though," he adds. "The best thing about it is In-n-Out burgers." When not touring, Lupe says he's spending time on his new label 1st and 15th Entertainment through Atlantic Records. "I've got my CEO hat on for the fall. I have a roster of musicians. We're working on Sarah Green's album right now."

With reports by Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.