NEWS LIFE\Let's hear it for the Hot 100.

Byline: News Lite is compiled by Karen Duffy from Daily News staff and wire reports.

Deborah Felder's new book, "The 100 Most Influential Women of All Time" (Citadel Press; $24.95) names Eleanor Roosevelt No.1 and Lucille Ball No. 100.

The author says that this ranking, which pays homage to Roosevelt's humanitarian and political skills but ignores Ball's talent for singing, dancing and all-round heck-raising, is based on questionnaires sent to heads of women's studies departments at colleges around the country, and the author's own views (the controversial nature of which may, in turn, be based on a desire for publicity).

The top 10, in order: Roosevelt, Marie Curie, Margaret Sanger, Margaret Mead, Jane Addams, Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, the Virgin Mary.

Stepping from the spotlight

Entertainment Weekly says that a new crop of stars is relishing stepping out of the spotlight:

Garth Brooks turned down a Favorite Overall Artist Award at the American Music Awards, saying that his fellow nominees had done so much "for all of us in the music industry (that) I didn't feel I could accept the award."

Wesley Snipes refused to take credit for an appearance in "Waiting to Exhale," saying he didn't want to upstage the movie's female leads.

Sandra Bullock asked that Disney not campaign for an Oscar for her performance in "While You Were Sleeping," saying that the award is "supposed to be given when you have a large body of work."

Kevin Spacey said he didn't want to be billed for an appearance in "Seven," because his billing would have wrecked a surprise at the end of the film.

Stewart parody gets royal boot

Crown Publishers in New York has backed out of a deal with performance artist Karen Finley, who penned a parody of Martha Stewart's Living. The book mavens were apparently afraid of offending the Princess of Pate.

Crown, which publishes Stewart's homemaking advice books, paid Finley a $60,000 advance for a book titled "Living It Up," which pokes fun at the finicky finesse of such books. But when the 106-page book was finished, Crown refused to publish it.

While Stewart advises readers to celebrate Valentine's Day by whipping up a dinner of coq au champagne and chocolate souffle, Finley suggests readers call their ex-lovers and hang up when they answer.

"We have to be very careful in selecting what we publish," said Chip Gibson, Crown's new publisher.

Finley is calling Crown's last-minute cold feet undecorated censorship.

General prevails over cancer foe

Sure, he led the Allied troops to victory in the scorching desert of the Persian Gulf, but now Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf really has a victory to write home about.

According to medical signs, he has beaten prostate cancer.

The retired general received the Gilda Radner Courage Award over the weekend in Buffalo, N.Y., from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

The award - named for Radner, an original "Saturday Night Live" cast member who died of ovarian cancer in 1989 - recognizes a cancer patient whose courageous, public battle with the disease gives hope to fellow patients and focuses attention on the fight against cancer.

"If by openly discussing prostate cancer I can save one person's life, that is all the reward I need," Schwarzkopf said. He is chairman of the Florida Executive Advisory Council of the American Cancer Society.

'Seinfeld' won't wear out welcome

Next season could be "Seinfeld's" last. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

According to costar Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the show probably will not go beyond an eighth season, and that's all right by her.

"I think it would be good to leave before people think we will," she told TV Guide.

"That's cool. Because we came in unexpectedly, and I think we should leave unexpectedly," she said.

It's an on-again, off-again thing

Don't write off Superman and Lois Lane so fast, hints Mike Carlin, who edits the weekly Superman comic books for DC Comics.

Last week, word leaked out that the Valentine's Day issue of Action Comics would show Lois leaving behind her engagement ring. "You always have to hold out hope," Carlin says. "Remember, he died and came back. . . . This is just a natural course of events in real life. If you're a Superman you just have super versions of the same problems we all have."

Vive la France, Vive la Tina

She's not just Tina Turner any more. The singer is being made a Chevalier of Arts and Letters, France's highest arts honor.

"She's won a Grammy, but she's never had anything like this before, never anything as posh and prestigious," said her publicist, Bernard Doherty.

Turner, 56, had a recent hit in "Golden Eye," the theme song for the new James Bond film of the same name. Doherty said Turner has just finished a new album, "Wildest Dreams," which will be released on April Fool's Day.

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(1) On parade Susan Sarandon enjoys the spotlight at the Harvard Hasty Pudding event. Associated Press (2) no caption (Tina Turner shows off her new medal) (3) Sandra Bullock Is she sleeping?