Obama, McCain and LiLo

Things you might need to know for this weekend's backyard BBQs:

A whopping 38.4 million people watched Barack Obama's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention, a better turnout than for the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and way more than tuned in for the Academy Awards last February. Maybe it was because he skipped the flying musicians and the droning montages.

Salacious, thy name is MTV. The network, fresh off its non-Britney deal, wants to find A Girl for Katy Perry to Kiss. Top choice: newly gayed-up LiLo. No word if it'll really happen.

Rod Lurie to John McCain: You owe me some money! The film and TV writer, decorated for his work on "The Contender," which earned Oscar nominations for Joan Allen and Jeff Bridges, said the scenario of an aging Republican presidential candidate who picks a younger, more inexperienced woman as a running mate was his idea. And he liked it better when it was fiction.