TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Elizabeth Snead and Joel Stratte-McClure

'DEEP' THOUGHTS: Just as ``Deep Throat'' sparked controversy in the '70s, ``Inside Deep Throat'' is drawing battle lines in the ongoing culture war over censorship and First Amendment rights.

The documentary detailing the film's legal, moral and cultural turmoil got major buzz after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month.

And after a special Hollywood screening Thursday night at the ArcLight Cinema, Mimi Rogers, Sharon Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, Brett Ratner, Michele Lee, Brad Rowe and Bryce Dallas Howard (whose father, Ron Howard, is an uncredited co-producer on the film) stayed in their seats. Everyone, including producer Brian Grazer and his wife, Gigi Levangie Grazer, wanted to hear Variety honcho Peter Bart's lively seminar with political pundit/author Arianna Huffington, ``The West Wing'' producer/writer Lawrence O'Donnell, conservative talk-show host Dennis Prager and Time film critic Richard Schickel.

O'Donnell insisted the war on porn is already over. ``The pornographers won by moving from film to videotape to DVD and now to the Internet, where there is no government control. In my hotel rooms, the Bible is free - and I have to pay for the porn in every hotel in America. That's a win.''

IN THE RED ZONE: Top comediennes - Kathy Griffin, Joely Fisher, Reba McEntire, Fran Drescher, Nora Ephron and ``Less Than Perfect's'' Sara Rue - picked up bright red heart-shaped awards Wednesday at the Ladies Home Journal bash at Pearl in West Hollywood.

Ironically, some of the gals (and many of the other Funny Ladies in the LHJ March issue) have something in common: bright blazing red hair.

So why are redheads so darn funny? ``We've been teased so much about our red hair that we get a sense of humor about it and everything else in life,'' said McEntire, citing famous redheads like Lucille Ball, Shirley MacLaine and Carol Burnett.

``Red isn't my natural color, but I definitely feel funnier with it,'' confessed Fisher.

``The dye seeps in and has a funny affect on their brains,'' concluded the really red Rue.

Red may also make women more competitive.

``I'm easily the funniest natural redhead in the country,'' bragged Griffin, contending she should have been the LHJ cover girl. ``But don't make me prove it in front of everyone.''

What will be the hot criteria for next year's Funny Ladies We Love?

``Cellulite is sexy, and tummy bulge is desirable,'' said Griffin, who maintains her controversial remark about Dakota Fanning at the Golden Globes is the ``funniest joke told by a redhead on a red carpet this year. You've got to be an idiot not to find that funny,'' Griffin said, admitting she was mildly upset that E! apologized and made a $10,000 contribution to tsunami relief on behalf of the 10-year-old.

``Not funny would have been if I'd said Lindsay Lohan was in rehab.'' Hey, Lindsay, where should she mail the check?

We Saw U

Soap star/boutique owner Lisa Rinna and Courtney Love sweating buckets in spin classes at Body and Soul Workout on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Rinna is in fine form. Love is reportedly trying to lose some of her newly gained rehab pounds.

Lenny Kravitz shopping for rock 'n' roll duds at trendy Max Fields on Melrose in West Hollywood. Let us know if you need to try on another size.

A baseball-capped Leo DiCaprio having soup at the cafe inside Bristol Farms on Doheny in West Hollywood.

Michael York at the L.A. Opera for the opening night performance of ``Romeo et Juliette,'' starring Mexican heartthrob tenor Rolando Villazon.

Eugene Levy, talking with three men about ``The Man'' over dinner at the Newsroom Cafe on Robertson Boulevard. The film is being released by New Line Cinema, and its offices are next door to the cafe. In the comedy, Levy plays a clueless traveling salesman who gets caught in an ATF sting operation headed by Samuel L. Jackson.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) HOWARD and GRAZER: Who doesn't enjoy a thoughtful porn documentary?

Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images

(2) McENTIRE, GRIFFIN and DRESCHER: Three times the funny.

Amanda Edwards/Getty Images