Emmys: Kathy Griffin grills Ryan Seacrest over Julianne Hough

Kathy Griffin is historically unapologetic in her skewering of E! red carpet host and radio personality Ryan Seacrest — be it jokes about his height, his sexuality or his bags of money, sparks always fly when the pair collide. Sunday's Emmy red carpet was no exception.

"When I make fun of you or debase you, it helps my ticket sales," Griffin told Seacrest. It took only moments for Griffin to cut through the traditional carpet banter and ask, "Are you still bangin’ the dancer?"

Griffin was, of course, referring to Seacrest's main squeeze, Julianne Hough, the former "Dancing With the Stars" pro turned country singer whom Seacrest has been courting for nearly a year.

"How did you get her? ... What kind of smoke-and-mirrors game are you playing?" Griffin joked. "Do  you stand on your money and say, 'Here I come?' "

Academy of Country Music Awards: Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift bring red carpet glam

This post has been corrected. Please see the note below for details.

Country music crooners and honorees hit the red carpet for the 46th Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday. Among the guests at the ACMAs: Miranda Lambert, who was nominated for seven awards, including song and album of the year.

Nominees Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood   got all dolled up for the show, rocking Elie Saab and Jean Fares gowns, respectively.

Surfer Bethany Hamilton, the subject of the new film "Soul Surfer," arrived to present an award at the show. Underwood, who appears in the film, performed with "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler, whom she smooched onstage.

The show, which took place at Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand simultaneously, was hosted by actress-singer Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, who is engaged to Lambert. Click the pics to see who else got fancy on the red carpet.

Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman hit the red carpet, as did "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" actress Marg Helgenberger, "Gossip Girl's" Chace Crawford and former "Dancing With the Stars" dancer and country singer Julianne Hough.

Martina McBride, three-time winner in the academy's top female vocalist category, arrived in a Pamella Roland gown.

Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott, the members of Lady Antebellum, snagged several awards over the course of the evening. Sugarland members Kristian Bush and singer Jennifer Nettles, nominated for vocal duo of the year, performed during the ceremony.

For the record, 1:10 p.m. April 11: A previous version of this post misspelled Reba McEntire's last name as McIntyre.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com / NardineSaad

Top photos: Miranda Lambert, left, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift arrive at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday. Credits: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press, left and center; Jason Merritt / Getty Images, right.

Right photo:  Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at the ACMAs. Credit: Sam Morris / Reuters

Julianne Hough not 'banned' by CMT for racy video, still isn't engaged

Julianne Hough, the "Is That So Wrong" video star, technically isn't banned from CMT, though you won't find her video there. She's still not engaged to Ryan Seacrest either.

OK, where's the fun in that?

"We world premiered the video back in July," a CMT representative told OnTheRedCarpet.com. "We took it down shortly thereafter due to ongoing contract negotiations with Julianne's label, Universal Music Group." So, no ban, but also no video.

Hough told an East Coast concert crowd on Friday night that the video had been "kinda banned" by Country Music Television. So, kinda, yeah. Kinda no, too.

And despite a National Enquirer article alleging Seacrest and Hough got engaged during a Paris vacation in November, "Dancing With the Stars" trophy winner Derek Hough, sister of Julianne, shot that down almost immediately early in December.

The not-yet-a-bride-to-be, 22, had dismissed the engagement idea at least once before, telling "Access Hollywood" in October, "Well, that's news to me, and I think it's news to him." Sometimes dinner with the parents is just dinner with the parents, yes?

The singer did indeed bring Seacrest, 36, as her date to the "Burlesque" premiere, and is in fact pretty sexy in the official video for "Is That So Wrong." Make your own fun from there?

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Julianne Hough at the 2010 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 21 Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images

Julianne Hough 'Is That So Wrong' official video 'kinda banned' by CMT [poll]

Julianne Hough told a concert crowd Friday in Maryland that her "Is That So Wrong" official video had been "kinda banned" by CMT, the Washington Post reports.

"Apparently I was taking off too many clothes as I was dancing across my bedroom," the "Burlesque" actress said, pausing. "But I don't know — I kind of liked it."

Of course we had to look, and fortunately the video falls well within the Ministry's never-super-high standards, so you can check it out too, above. But, for example:

Nobody gets beaten, and nothing gets burned down.

The official video in no way features Miley Cyrus grinding, smoking or dancing like a loon.

It's not shot in a women's prison, with performers in scanty underthings — and there's no mass murder.

So — are you scandalized by a beautiful woman dancing in short shorts and a bra that covers up just about everything? Even if she is Ryan Seacrest's 22-year-old girlfriend?

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— Christie D'Zurilla