‘Anger Management’ is No. 1 film

“Anger Management” bullied its way to the No. 1 spot with a whopping $44.5 million box office in its debut weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson comedy grossed more than the rest of the top 12 combined. Last weekend’s No. 1, “Phone Booth,” fell to second place with $7.5 million.

Box office totals:

1. Anger Management, $44.5 million.

2. Phone Booth, $7.5 million.

3. What a Girl Wants, $6.7 million.

4. Bringing Down the House, $4.6 million.

5. A Man Apart, $4.5 million.

6. Head of State, $4 million.

7. House of 1,000 Corpses, $3.4 million.

8. Chicago, $3.3 million.

9. The Core, $3.2 million.

10. Basic, $2.2 million.

Safety concerns won’t stop 50 Cent concert at university

Jane Howington, city manager of Oxford, Ohio, asked Miami University to cancel rapper 50 Cent’s April 23 concert because of public-safety concerns, but the school says the show will go on.

The concert is sold out, and tickets only could be obtained with Miami University student identification, university spokeswoman Holly Wissing said Friday.

“We’re not expecting any problems,” she said.

50 Cent’s platinum-selling debut, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” is filled with dark, sometimes humorous rhymes about gangster life. He grew up in New York where he hustled crack, has been shot nine times and is involved in a rivalry with Ja Rule and the Murder Inc. record label.

Hootie & The Blowfish donate to South Carolina learning center

Rock group Hootie & the Blowfish have donated $66,000 to a Charleston, S.C., program that provides adults with computer skills, draws parents into schools and helps children read.

Two band members, Mark Bryan and Dean Felber, joined state Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum to announce the gift Thursday.

“We hope our donation sends a message out there so more people get behind this,” Bryan said.

Designer’s fans seek show secrets

Charlotte, N.C. — Hundreds who flocked to see “Trading Spaces” interior designer Vern Yip seemed more interested in trading secrets than hearing design tips.

Yip is one of six designers on the Learning Channel’s hit show in which two neighbors revamp a room in each other’s house with expert help. During appearances Saturday at the Southern Ideal Home Show, Yip fed fans’ curiosity.

“Why’s (show host) Paige Davis so crabby?” he was asked.

His answer: “You think she’s crabby? Paige is exceptional and she is very, very sweet and kind off-camera.”

He also fielded questions about what happened to Alex McLeod, a former host who left the show and later hosted Joe Millionaire. “It just didn’t work out at the end of season one,” Kip said. “She was heading into Joe Millionaire territory and we just weren’t going in that direction.”