Hatcher’s dress leaves little to imagination

Who were those masked men?
Slipknot saved face at the 48th annual Grammy Awards — arriving Wednesday night in their trademark masks to accept the award for best metal performance.

“Thanks to our fans, that’s really what made us get here,” said bassist Paul Grey, wearing shorts, a tie over his T-shirt and a Hannibal Lecter-style mask.

“I hope people use this (music) in a positive way to educate people who are paying attention,” added his shirtless bandmate Sid Wilson, who spoke from beneath a fedora and from behind a frosted plastic mask

Although he was dressed in a bubble-gum pink jumpsuit and clown mask, Shawn “Clown” Crahan added a moment of solemnity to the affair when he choked up as he thanked his recently deceased father.

Crahan also explained to reporters Slipknot’s penchant for masks:

“This is our concept, our dream, our sacrifice, our religion,” he said.

Barack Obama, Grammy winner
You don’t necessarily have to be a musician to win music’s most coveted honor, as Wednesday night’s 48th annual Grammy Awards proved.

While the lion’s share of the 107 awards went to musicians and their producers and other musical technicians, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., claimed one in the best spoken word category for his readings from his autobiographical “Dreams From My Father.”

Director Martin Scorsese, perhaps the greatest filmmaker to never win an Academy Award, took home a Grammy for best long-form video for “No Direction Home,” his celebrated documentary on Bob Dylan.

In another “you don’t necessarily have to ... “ category, the Grammy for best Latin pop album was captured by Laura Pausini, an Italian.

Obama is not the first politician to win a Grammy.

President Clinton teamed with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and actress Sophia Loren to win one for best spoken-word album in 2003, then won another one last year for his reading of his autobiography “My Life.” Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also won for best spoken word in 1997 for “It Takes a Village.”

Running late
It was just another day at the office, followed by a night at the Grammys, for actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was teaming with the Black Eyed Peas to present the trophy for male R&B vocal.

The actress said she arrived on the green carpet straight from the set of her TV show “Ghost Whisperer,” leaving in such a hurry that she didn’t have time to remember the name of the designer dress she put on.

“I just left work,” a sheepish Hewitt said. “I know! I’m terrible.”

She wasn’t sure if she would be up for partying after the awards show, either.

“I might go to one of the parties, but I have to be at work at 5:30 in the morning,” she said.

“One day you retire, and you get a social life,” Hewitt added.

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