Hollywood Buzz

John Lennon versus Jesus — John Lennon once boasted his British band was more popular than Jesus. Well, apparently that 1966 comment is now understood by Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which called it the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success.

The newspaper and Vatican Radio last week noted the 40th anniversary of the Beatles’ eponymous “White Album.” The paper said the album demonstrated the creativity of the Beatles, compared to today’s “standardized, stereotypical” songs.

MTV Awards goes to Africa — Two Nigerian singers won top awards Saturday as MTV held its first-ever music award program for Africa. D’banj won the artist of the year award and Naeto C was named best new African act at the ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Winners were selected by fans sending text messages. MTV hopes the awards offer more exposure to Africa’s vibrant music scene.

Weekend box office hits — Drawing from its huge fan base of teenage girls, Catherine Hardwicke’s vampire romance “Twilight” topped the box office at $70.5 million in sales, making its opening the biggest ever for a female director.

Also on top were: “Quantum of Solace,” “Bolt,” “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” and “Role Models.”