Alanis Morissette poked fun at America's censorship rules while hosting last night's (04APR04) JUNO AWARDS in Edmonton, Canada, by stripping off to reveal a skin-coloured body suit with lifelike nipples and pubic hair.

The IRONIC singer initially shocked TV viewers and audience members with her stunt, but when it was apparent she wasn't actually revealing anything, the crowd burst into fits of laughter.

When Morissette was told she couldn't show nipples or pubic hair on national TV by the telecast's assistant director, she ripped off the fake body parts.

She later explained her act was targeted at Americans who have over-reacted to cultural, free expression, in the wake of Janet Jackson's SUPER BOWL shocker, in which she exposed a breast.

Morissette said, "As you may or may not be aware, recently in the United States, I ran into a little problem with regards to a lyric in one my songs, which includes the lyric, 'I can be an a**hole of the grandest kind.'

"It was requested that I change a word in the first verse. Well, I am overjoyed to be back in my homeland, the true North - strong and censor-free." In truth, Morissette agreed to make the change, replacing the offensive word with "nightmare".

05/04/2004 20:58