NY Mag recently obtained some production notes from Brüno, which for once are actually interesting (production notes are usually just a collection of the cast and crew’s embarrassing, sycophantic praise for each other, like a daisy chain in print form).  You can check them all out over there (and some are spoilery), but this is undisputed highlight:

According to whoever wrote the production notes, it was “stunningly easy” to get both Paula Abdul and LaToya Jackson to use Mexican gardeners (who were really actors) as chairs, despite Abdul’s claims to the contrary. “Both were very game,” allegedly.

Of course they were.  I try to avoid American Idol as much as humanly possible, but every time I hear Paula Abdul talk she sounds like Kirk Douglas on a whippet binge, which is generally a good indication that a person’s taking a stiff cocktail of reality-avoidance pills (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  Bottom line, if you can’t feel your face, you’re probably not going to feel a Mexican’s shame.  Poor guy. Sources say he was so embarrassed that he told Abdul, “Ju can seet right here long as ju want, chica,” while pointing at his crotch and making kissing sounds.  True story.

You can now add Paula Abdul to the list of people Sacha Baron Cohen tricked into giving interviews for the Brüno movie, right behind Ron Paul and Ben Affleck (or in front of them if the list is alphabetical).

A source tells us Sacha Baron Cohen, playing a wildly gay Austrian TV reporter in “Bruno,” conducted a wacky interview with the “American Idol” judge. “Paula was totally fooled. She bought into his character and to this day isn’t aware she was fooled,” the insider said. [NYPost]

Wow, you mean he talked a drug-addled narcissist into doing an interview, and she didn’t even know he was making fun of her?  Amazing.  I mean, If you can fool Paula Abdul you can fool anyone.  She’s got a mind like two sea lions playing volleyball.