TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Jenny Peters

HAIL THE HERO: It was a funny, often slightly raunchy, emotional and star-studded party on Tuesday night at the Beverly Hills Hotel, as Geena Davis received the annual USA Today Hollywood Hero Award for her work with See Jane, the program she founded that works to improve gender portrayal in children's media.

Plenty of Geena's pals (both male and female) turned up to shout her praises, not only as an Academy Award-winning actress, but also as MENSA member, archer, linguist, loving wife, activist and the mother of three small kids.

"I don't know how she does it all, I can barely shower and get the cover off my kid's Lunchables," Kathy Najimy joked. Natasha Henstridge, Mimi Rogers, Adam Arkin, Helen Slater and Peter Coyote all waxed poetic on her accomplishments, especially in setting a standard for playing powerful women and helping change the vision of women shown in the media.

"She's chosen to play scientists, presidents, gun-toting lunatics -- all the roles men usually keep for themselves," Arkin said, and Slater concurred, "She is a role model for young people."

Kevin Nealon's raunchy roast took down the house, then Davis reminded the rest of the famous faces (including Polly Bergen, Ernie Hudson, Ed Begley Jr. and Lee Meriwether) that she's got plenty of time on her hands these days to work for See Jane to encourage balance in film and television of "active and complex male and female characters."

"It's too late to help my career," the 51-year-old joshed.

"Plus, I can't ever work again since, once you've been president, what can you be, a waitress or something?"

So real-life activist will just have to do.

PARENTING 101: Who reads books in L.A.? Tons of well-known people, it seems, if the book party is held at Spago and the authors are three influential women in the television business.

Comedy writer Michele Gendelman ("Facts of Life," "Newhart"), actress-singer Ilene Graff ("Mr. Belvedere") and casting director Donna Rosenstein ("The Ghost Whisperer") launched their parenting advice tome, "What the Other Mothers Know," on Tuesday night with a bash that drew a crush of Hollywood mothers, fathers and single types, too.

From famous fathers like Ed Begley Jr. and Monty Hall, who told us that his famous daughter, actress Joanna Gleason, insisted vehemently on "no nepotism" when she got her first big roles on television years ago, to well-known moms like Dee Wallace (who played the ultimate mom in "E.T."), Joely Fisher, Brenda Strong, Natasha Henstridge and Debi Mazar, the crowd packed Puck's party room at Spago, munching on gourmet pizza and trying not to gawk at the woman breast-feeding her baby in the corner.

She may need the advice in the book, including the "best tip" author Rosenstein shared.

"Buy leather upholstery for your car," she said, grinning. "A lot of fluid is going to come out of that baby, and you don't want to have cloth seats!"

Others looking for parenting tips (or perhaps jobs in Rosenstein's next project?) at the bash were Laura Prepon, Peri Gilpin, Marilu Henner, Nancy McKeon, Catherine Hicks, Melinda Clarke, Rachel Hunter, Roselyn Sanchez and Gail O'Grady. Not all have kids yet, but maybe they'll play a parent soon on TV?

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) NEALON and DAVIS: A toast to the newest Hollywood Hero

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

(2) GENDELMAN, ROSENSTEIN and GRAFF: Three moms in the know.

Photo by Bill Dow