April 2007 Archives

It's David Boreanaz who seems to go from one hit show to another: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to the spinoff "Angel" to his current show "Bones." I like him, mostly because I never read about him in the tabloids...

I was going to ignore this because I hate to shine a spotlight on losers! But everyone is buzzing about Boy George's latest arrest. When is he going to GROW UP? He behaves like some kind of out-of-control crazy person. Earlier this year, George who had to pick up garbage in New York City as punishment for calling the cops high on cocaine.
Good grief.
So George was arrested and charged with kidnapping of a hustler that he met on Gaydar.com. Auden Carlsen, 28, showed up at Boy’s apartment for $750 only to allegedly get chained to the wall for a photo shoot. Boy apparently brought out the sex toys and Carlsen freaked, pulled the hooks out of the wall and ran from the scene.
Boy was arrested, and released on bail. Scotland Yard is investigating.

This is terrific news.
Jensen Atwood, best known for playing the hunky Wade on Logo's "Noah's Arc," has a new gig which should make his fans happy: he has joined the cast of here! TV's sexy sudser "Dante's Cove." I think he's very talented and handsome but best of all, he's a very nice man. Jensen sent me a note a few months ago just to say hi and it's always great to see him at various events. My friend Michael and I ended up chatting with Jensen and his "Noah's" co-star Darryl Stephens at the premiere of "Wedding Wars."
I'll never forget our first meeting a few years earlier: I was at an after-party during Outfest and a handsome guy working the valet approached me to take my ticket. I said: "You look just like that guy from 'Noah's Arc." He laughed and said, "That IS me!" He was still takling odd jobs to make ends meet at that point.
Being my nosy self, I asked if he was gay. He said he is not. Then I wondered if he minded the kissing scenes on the show. He indicated that it was part of the job. Since there is even MORE kissing and far more skin on "Dante's" than on "Noah," looks like he's ready for anything!
By the way, Jensen is also a musician who has a new single ("Get At Me") and I hope it's a big hit for him!
Congratulations Jensen!

Ellen DeGeneres has a bad back so she's going to be conducting interviews for her daytime talker this week (guests to include Lyndsay Lohan and Ryan Seacrest) while in bed! I just hope she doesn't get too cozy during commercials and doze off!
Get well soon Ellen!

Much has been written about the character of Zach on "Heroes" who, according to show execs, was supposed to be gay until actor Thomas Dekker - or his management - balked. We've never heard from Dekker on the matter and AfterElton.com, which broke the story last fall, has posted what the young actor has posted on his MYSPACE page:

"I am truly sorry for what transpired on the series and who it has effected. I have been shown a lot of, to be blunt, hate mail directed at me and my manager for the way the character of Zach played out. I would like it to be known by everyone, that I have played a gay character three times before in my career, one when I was twelve (which is on youtube), one when I was fifteen, and another when I was seventeen. I, nor my management have ever had any kind of problem with creating a gay character. To me acting is about being prepared to play all kinds of roles and it is an honor and a challenge to portray ANYTHING that comes my way. What transpired on heroes is something far more complicated than anyone being "afraid" to make Zach homosexual. The character that I created in the beginning of the show, a process I take very seriously, was based on Zach being an outcast who had a burning love for Claire, a crush that drew him to her and effected every ounce of his self esteem around her. I created the character that way because it was WRITTEN IN THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT that he was in love with Claire."

To read the entire AfterElton.com item CLICK HERE.

Working from home can have its distractions. They are painting some of the buildings here in Park LaBrea and as I type this, there is a painter standing on my patio singing songs in Spanish! It's really annoying but he sounds so happy I don't have the heart to open my back door and yell out: "Shut up Sanjaya!"

Anywho, I watched "The View" hot topics this morning and the big news is that Elisabeth Hasselbeck is pregnant with a little Republican! The other ladies said they suspected as much since Elisabeth's boobs were getting so large (but so are Jessica Simpson's and she's not pregnant!). Congratulations all around then the conversation turns to how Tyra Banks felt up Rosie's boobs on a show last week. "It didn't stop!" said Elisabeth.
Rosie, laughing, admitted: "It was kind of enjoyable!" Well, good for Rosie! Getting felt up by a supermodel as she winds down her times on "The View."
So speaking of Rosie's departure, Barbara was really irritated because she turned on FOX News for a few minutes the other night and saw two women who she dioes not know saying "This is what Barbara is feeling" and "This is who is going to replace Rosie."
Walters states that she and Rosie have been friends for years and wonders why people have to make up stories (like Rosie wanting her ousted) instead of just accepting "the truth is the truth."
Joy chimes in: "Donald Trump is going to have to argue with himself from now on!"
Rosie added that she thinks it's "unbelievably egocentric" for Trump and "a lot of white guys taking credit for my leaving" to think they had anything to do with her decision.
By the way, Rosie has never been more relaxed or fun on the job as she is right now - it's like a tremendous burden has been lifted from her shoulders.Looks like she made the right decision for herself...

Let's be honest: I don't give a rat's a** about football. But I had mild interest in the NFL draft because of this Brady Quinn kid from Notre Dame who is just so good looking (even though he needs a haircut!). He was widely presumed to be a top three pick but...horrors! He was the 22nd pick instead and had to endure all of this on live TV. So he gets picked by Cleveland and will probably earn $10-15 million less than he would have as a top three pick (this is what I have read...I don't know jack about this).
So here's why Brady gets the last laugh: he is going to be Mr. Commerical Endorsements. I'd buy anything from this kid: toothpaste, soda pop, sportwear, whatever. He'll make more millions off of that than he will off his contract - especially if he plays as well as he has in college.
And yes, i really don't care about any of this but it seemed like a really good excuse to post a few more pics of Brady!

It's nice that no one was eliminated from "American Idol" last week even though it was quite cruel the way they tortured the finalists - especially Jordin Sparks and Chris Richardson. But Chris seems to worse for wear. He was spotted on Friday entering the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. And if you look real closely at one of the pictures, you'll see another "Idol" finalist who is just as cute (and more talented than Chris). First one to spot the other finalist gets lifetime free access to Out In Hollywood!

Last night was the first of four consecutive weeks of original episodes of "Brothers & Sisters" and what I was most excited about was the previews for next week's episode. Patricia Wettig had hinted to me at the GLAAD Awards a few weeks back that her character, Holly, would be having some kind of showdown with Sally Field's Nora. I asked if it would be like an Alexis and Krystal fight on "Dynasty" and she just laughed. It seems that the fight gets physical and that things are thrown! Since Nora has allowed Holly's daughter Rebecca to stay in the Walker house for a few days, I'm sure this will being out all of Holly's maternal fury. I. Can't. Wait.
So why am I writing about an episode I haven't seen yet? Well, let's just say that last night's show was not my favorite of the season. Kevin (Matthew Rhys) wasn't in it very much but Sarah and Joe were and all I have to say to the writers is: Split them up already! They are torturing each other AND the viewers! So Joe kissed his Sarah's half-sister Rebecca. She made the move, yes, but he met her halfway. She's running around like a victim but now we know it's an act so we will have to see what else this gurl has up her sleave. The hussy!
Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and her boyfriend/boss the senator (Rob Lowe) had all kinds of drama with a speechwriter getting killed (and he was hot!) and Kitty proposing! I gotta say, it was one of Flockhart's best scenes so far and Lowe's reactions were priceless. They are so GOOD together.
And now Kevin. He was playing uncle and took care of the kids while Sarah and Joe had a weekend campout to try and reconnect (this is before Holly tells Sarah that her hubby kissed Rebecca!) and he had some sweet scenes with his niece who wanted to know why he wasn't married.
Kevin: "Because gay people can't get married."
Niece: "Is that why you don't have a boyfriend?"
Kevin: "some people aren't relationship types like George Clooney...and me..and George Clooney..."
When Justin comes over later to help out, he puts the kids to bed then lays claim on being the better uncle. Kevin points out that he is the one who watched "Wiggles" with them. He also had his face painted.
They have GOT to give Kevin more to do next week!

These pictures of actor Chris Evans in the current issue of Interview Magazine seem to confirm that this "Fantastic Four" star is heading his manager's advice to keep his clothes on during photo shoots. Evans had said the manager warned him that he would become "pigieonholed as beefcake" if he kept posing shirtless and showing off those washboard abs and bulging biceps.
I want that manager fired! Ha! But even with clothes, Chris is still great to look at and he's a good looking young star who can actually ACT.

Maybe I still feel guilty for dissing him on this blog while he was on "Big Brother all Stars" last summer or maybe it's because he's been so gracious since confronting me about it, but I'm happy to give a shout out to Marcellas Reynolds who makes his first appearance on "The Trya Banks Show" on Monday (April 30) at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. (PST) With shorts season on the horizon, Tyra spends the hour showing her audience how to get and flaunt their hot legs no matter their shape or length. Legalicious “Dancing with the Stars” favorite, Stacy Keibler, reveals how she keeps her gorgeous gams in top shape and Marcellas, a celebrity stylist, gives tips for finding the best pair of shorts to flatter your shape.
That reminds me, I gotta step-up my leg workout!!!

Anyone who reads this blog even semi-regularly has gotta know that I am nuts about the movie "Dreamgirls" which comes out on DVD on Tuesday. Get it! And make sure it's the 2-disc Showstopper Edition because aside from the movie (it's so fun to jump right to "And I'm Tellin' You I'm Not Going," "I Am Changing" and "Listen") there is a feature-length documentary called "Building the Dream" which is first-rate. You get to almost be like a fly on the wall as they made this movie. You see how they shot it out of sequence, how they recorded the score and learned all the dance movies well before shooting, how brilliant director Bill Condon was in executing all of it, how determined and focused Beyonce Knowles was throughout and the journey of Jennifer Hudson from novice to full-fledged star by the time she shoots "And I'm Telling You" almost on the last day of the two-month-plus shoot.

If you pick up the newest issue of the Los Angeles-based Tu Cuidad magazine, you'll see a rather hot picture of Mario Lopez wearing a red silk shirt and black slacks making a dance move next to the headline "You Gotta Move!"
The interview inside with Lopez is about as fluffy as can be - just really empty calories. But one of the more interesting quotes is when Mario is asked what career decisions helped him to shed his image as A.C. Slater who he played on "Saved By the Bell" for six years or so - from junior high through college.
"It's very difficult to make the transition from being a child actor to an adult and be taken seriously. I feel blessed in a sense that I've been able to keep myself busy, whether it's hosting or doing different kinds of acting. I think doing stuff like "Nip/Tuck" or playing Greg Louganis ("Breaking the Surface: the Greg Louganis Story") helps people see you in a different light."
I'll say! In the Louganis bio-pic, he's wearing noting but a speedo most of the time and on "Nip/Tuck," his most memorable scene was when he was stark naked in the shower with Julian McMahon!
The interview spends way too much time on "Dancing With the Stars" rehash (yawn) which I know it had to since this is the magazine's dance issue. The good part about that is the pictorial of Lopez in different dancing outfits. We like when he's wearing next to nothing but the truth is, the man wears clothes quite well.
When Lopez was asked something the most people don't know about him, (no, he didn't say that he was in love with "Saved By the Bell" co-star Mark-Paul Gosselar!), Mario said: "I'd love to be the first Latino make Oprah."
Interestingly, the Lopez article was written by Daniel J. Vargas, the same guy who profiles Mario Lavandeira (Perez Hilton) in the issue. This profile is much more substantial and worthwhile and while Lavandeira says some of the same things verbatim that he has said in previous interviews (including one with me for The Advocate), what I found so interesting was when he talked about the dark time in his life less than three years ago when he was so far away from the gossip terror Perez persona he has since adopted.
He had filed for bankruptcy and was miserable working for Star Magazine where he says he "felt like a stalker."
"I wanted to kill myself. I hated my life. I hated myself. I'd think, 'Today, I'm going to slit my wrists. Today I'm going to shoot myself or take pills. Today I'm going to jump off a building.' All I could see is dark."
But as the article states, from the crash and burn ashes of Mario Lavandeira rose his evil twin Perez.
"Perez made my life better. Perez brought me opportunities. Perez got me out of depression. Perez made me happy."
I'll bet there a lot of celebs who wish he has just taken some Prozac!

Sanjaya Malakar has been on this non-stop media blitz since being kicked off "American Idol" last week, appearing on everything from Leno to Letterman and even attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. But I think there is one place he wishes he had not dropped in on: Jimmy Kimmel's ABC late-night show. AfterEl.ton.com has published the following exchange for those of us who missed it. I'm cringing!

Jimmy Kimmel: You did an interview with People Magazine and you almost went out of your way to tell them you’re not gay. Why did you do that?
Sanjaya Malakar: I didn’t go out of my way to do that.
K: You didn’t? Because it seemed like you specifically…I told them a similar thing but they didn’t believe me. Do you feel like you had to say that?
SM: (shakes head)
JK: No, you didn’t? It was just something you threw out there?
SM: Yeah.
JK: Okay, because it a little bit odd to throw out there like you feel you have to clear the air. And, of course, as you hear, not that there is anything wrong with that if that was your thing. And you’re a kid. You don’t even know what you are. At this point in your life. I was humping furniture at this point when I was your age.

Viewers of "Brothers & Sisters" have noticed that Kevin Walker (played so wonderfully by Matthew Rhys) has been getting a little more toned as the season goes on. We can thank actor Jason Lews, who played Kevin's lover for seven episodes, for the change!
"Oh my God. The first time Jason took his top off, I ran to the gym," Rhys says in the new issue of Instinct magazine. "You can bring in your washing and do it on his abdominals. But I come from a British sensibility, where we actually like to make the audience feel better about themselves, so we don't work out very much (laughs)."
But it's not Jason incredible abs gay fans want to talk about most, Rhys says.
"...When gay fans approach me, after they tell me how much they love Kevin, the next question inevitably is about Sally Field and what it's like to work with her and how much they adore her work from 'Steel Magnolias' and 'Soapdish' so I realize the magnitude of Sally's standing as a gay icon."

The L.A. Times followed up Mike Penner's column about being transgendered with this article by James Rainy which ran in Friday's paper. I wanted to share it with you...

The security guard in the lobby of the Los Angeles Times couldn't help but ask the question. When he looked at the computer in front of him earlier this week, he saw the picture of a strapping blond man. The screen identified the employee: "Michael Penner, Editorial."
But the person flashing the ID was a tall woman, with long, strawberry blond hair. "Ma'am, whose card are you using?" the guard asked. The subject moved closer to answer quietly: "I'm Mike Penner and I'm a transitioning transsexual."
With that, security waved Penner into the newspaper where he has worked for 23 years, one of many hurdles the veteran sportswriter will be crossing in the coming weeks as he transforms into Christine Daniels.
Penner, 49, shocked many readers, fellow journalists and sports fans with a column in Thursday morning's Times Sports section that told the world of his decision to switch genders.
The revelation drew an enormous response — with the highly personal 823-word essay becoming, by mid-evening, one of the most heavily viewed stories on latimes.com in the last year, with about half a million page views.
Although some readers criticized Penner's decision and the way the newspaper announced it, the vast majority of those e-mailing and phoning The Times on Thursday said they supported the writer and the paper for letting him tell his story.
"Writing that piece, which I didn't initially want to write, ended up becoming one of the best things I have ever done," Daniels said in an interview Thursday. "And a day I dreaded all my life has ended up being one of the best days I've ever had."

The problem about working from home for me is that sometimes I end up doing stuff like checking to see who's on "Oprah." I turn the TV on and see this man who is absolutely beautiful and completely charming. I find out his name os Steve Santagati and he has written some book for women about how men tick. He was on "Oprah" to tell the audience of single women how they can find their dream man. The thing is, I think every woman in the audience - and this gay man watching from home - think Santagati is our dream man!

With all the goings-on at "The View" involving Rosie, Star and The Donald, it's easy to forget these days that Barbara Walters remains a first-rate journalist. At the age of 76, this television legend - the first woman to co-anchor The Today Show and a network evening newscast - is still doing relevant and important work. Tonight on ABC's "20/20," Walters intimately explores the lives of three incredible families and their transgender children. All three have children who have been diagnosed by medical professionals as transgendered, and all are under continuous observation by professional family therapists and medical support staff. We see how these three families are coping as they demonstrate the true meaning of unconditional love for their child.
Barbara talked about the special and about the kids this morning on "The View" and it was very clear that this is a subject that she has come to deeply understand and, I think, will play a role in helping the rest of us to understand what transgendered people face. Honestly, it makes being gay and coming to terms with that, seem easy which it really is not.
I had not thought much about the issues transgendered people face until The Advocate assigned me a piece last year about voilence against transgendered people and how it is mishandled by the justice system in almost all cases. But, you move on to the next story.
Now, with LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner going public this week about being transgendered and this Barbara Walters show, I'm thinking more about it and I think we can all learn a lot and maybe begin to not shun people and judge them so harshly.
The "20/20" show airs tonight on ABC at 10 p.m.

She wisely is not commenting on Rosie O'Donnell's announcement that she would not be returning to "The View" next season, but Star Jones Reynolds had a few things to say to about the show she spent nine years co-hosting before beng fired last spring.
In an interview the day before O'Donnell's announcement, Star told AP Radio she hadn't watched "The View" since leaving the show.
"I haven't seen the show. Not once," she says. "It's a different part of my life and a different chapter. That's not the show that I did. The show that I was a participant on was a very different show."
Star will return to television when she hosts her own daily talk show on Court TV later this year. It's a return to her roots for Reynolds, a lawyer who began her TV career as a legal commentator on Court TV in 1991. She said being fired from "The View" made her focus "on the things that were important."
"I said, `Step back Star. Re-evaluate yourself. Re-evaluate your career. What do you really want to be your legacy and your contribution,'" she said. "I had to put it in perspective. And I just joined other Americans who have had a humbling firing experience," she said. "So you pick yourself up and you move on."
Yup. And you stop acting like a diva and a bridezilla so viewers don't get turned off and stop watching the show! I like Star well enough as a TV personality but she did get out of hand. And you gotta figure she might secretly delight in Rosie leaving the show right? She's only human!

So what do you think of David Beckham's new hair?
I hear it's dyed for some kind of a promotion or commercial or something but I'm not exactly confident of that after he got all those tattoos on his arm recently. I'm sorry, but when you are that beautiful of a man, why cover your arms with ink?
Call me old-fashioned or unhip or whatever, but I prefer the photo above where the new blonde hair and the tattoos are covered up but those great legs are not!

Roger Federer may be on something of slump (he's lost THREE matches this year) but he is still the world's top tennis player having won the last three grand slam tournaments. He's also handsome and articulate which is apparent in the new issue of Men's Vogue. To read excerpts from the magazine profile, about Andre Agassi's charitable activities and about Rafael Nadal's clay-court winning streak reaching 70 matches on Friday, check out my tennis blog:DEUCE!

Saw "Spider-Man 3" at an early screening in Westwood last night and had a blast! Invited my pal Evan, who went to the "Spider-Man 2" premiere with me three years ago. We managed to seat ourselves in the middle of an assortment of odd people. One guy kept handing his business card out and introducing himself to people like some kind of used car salesman; nearby, two twin brothers were speaking a strange language to each other that I think they made up, and as is usually the case for me in a non-stadium theater, the dude sitting in the seat in front of me had a head the size of Jupiter! OK, I'm exaggerating a bit: let's make it Montana. As if that wasn't wacko enough, Evan gets goofy and starts tossing popcorn at me whenever he says something he thinks is funny. I do what any mature man who was raised right would do: I start tossing popcorn back!
We dissolve in laughter.
Then the movie starts. I position myself in such a way where Montana-head does not block much of my view and from the start, we are in for one helluva time with Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) facing off against Sandman and Venom plus his old friend Harry all while trying to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and deal with this suit turning black when a strange black substance attaches itself to it...

I'll be making another appearance on "The Shane Foxman Show" tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. where I will be sharing with Shane my thoughts about "Spider-Man 3" which I will be seeing in a few hours! It's nuts, I get like a 12 year old boy about Spidey and the "Harry Potter" movies...love em!

So if you're awake, you can listen to the broadcast live by going to www.cfun.com tomorrow at 8 a.m. and clicking on the Listen Live section. I think you need Windows Media Player to hear it. Shane and his producer Libbey often tease me about being Mr. Hollywood so it was kinda funny this morning when they called and I was driving on Melrose on my way to Jamba Juice.
Just played right into that stereotype.

Longtime LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner, after more than four decades living as a man, is going to become a woman. He write a column about it in today's sports section of The Times and I wanted to share it with you and also say to Mike: "Bravo!"
When you think of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, it seems that the transgender part is the hardest for people to understand. I don't think it can be underestimated what a big deal it is for someone like Penner to go public with his plans. I hope we all learn something from his experience and I wish him well.

Here is a link to the piece Old Mike, New Christine. I also did a cut-and-paste for Out In Hollywood readers so here it is:

FIRST PERSON
Old Mike, new Christine
By Mike Penner, Times Staff Writer
April 26, 2007

During my 23 years with The Times' sports department, I have held a wide variety of roles and titles. Tennis writer. Angels beat reporter. Olympics writer. Essayist. Sports media critic. NFL columnist. Recent keeper of the Morning Briefing flame.
Today I leave for a few weeks' vacation, and when I return, I will come back in yet another incarnation.
As Christine.

Sheesh! The list is coming out in dribs and drbas so I don't have the full 100 most beautiful people list yet. But a press release emailed to me from People magazine also mentions sufer Laird Hamilton who most certainly is a good choice. I love surfers...Kelly Slater? HOT! Not sure if he's on the darn list tho.
Of course, Matthew McConaughey made it for the fourth time (only the fourth?) and I would have staged a protest had they not included the getting-more-handsome every year Leonardo DiCaprio, also on the list for the fourth time. Jennifer Aniston may have lost Brad Pitt to Angelina Jolie, but she at least can boast to making the list for the sixth time while Jolie has now made it five times!

I'm gonna need a scorecard today. OK, Sanjaya is straight but actress Michelle Rodriguez is not! As far as I know, TR, Neil and Lance are still gay, Clay Aikin still ain't saying, and Anne Heche is still straight again last I heard.
OK, back to Michelle. She is on the cover of the new issue of the lesbian magazine, Curve, and officially confirms the news that surfaced last year when her relationship with actress Kristanna Loken was in the news. It's great to have Michelle talking about it herself, great to have another public person coming out - voluntarily!

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but "American Idol" fluke Sanjaya Malakar tells the new issue of People magazine why people assume that he is gay (and no, it's not the clip where he was seen hula dancing):

"I've always gotten along with girls better because I was raised by women. I got teased in school because people figured I must be gay because I understand women. I think that's why guys didn't like me – because I got along with girls so well. When I went up to girls they would give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek like I was their gay friend. But I was the straight guy that understood them...I had a girlfriend but she became clingy, and I didn't want to get into a really serious relationship because I was 16. I just wanted to date and have fun."

The kid is 17. I'm not gonna try real hard not to make any snarky comments!

The magazine expanded its list from 50 to 100 last year for some reason as Julia Roberts and Halle Berry make the cut for the 11th time (yawn), George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt appear for the eighth time (gee, what an easy job! Just pick the same peeps every year unless they somehow got un-beautiful over the previous 12 months.) But I cannot quibble with Patrick Dempsey making the list for the third time in a row...I mean, c'mon! He really is McDreamy!
Drew Barrymore is on the cover which, I think, makes her THE most beautiful but I'm not sure. It's a terrific choice though. Ever since she appeared at the 2006 Golden Globe Awards in that dumpy green dress without a bra and with a few extra pounds on her, Drew has transformed herself back into a swan. She really does look better now than she ever has.
"It's a great time for Drew Barrymore," People magazine Assistant Managing Editor Jess Cagle tells CBS' Early Show. "It seemed to be her year. With each passing year, she is — I wrote it down — 32 years old now. She seems to get — she gets more beautiful every year. She's happy. She's in a great place. And she has a very deep connection with audiences because they've grown up with her."
Jess, who is an out man, says of Dempsey: "He seems to get sexier every year, you know. In his 40s now. And he — when you're named McDreamy, you pretty much have to be on the world's most beautiful list. He told us he's getting some gray hairs now. But they're coming in a little slower than they used to … but one of the great heads of hair of all time. That's another reason he's always on the list."

Some of the other names are pretty predictable: Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera, Oprah Winfrey (she usually makes it on her thin years) and Tyra Banks (who, ironically, is not having a thin year). But two names I'm really excited to see on the list: Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, 61, who is the oldest person in the issue and really is sexier than almost anyone else in it; and my "Dancing With the Stars" gal Laila Ali who is simply hot! hot! hot!

Finally got a chance to watch a video of Rosie's announcement on "The View" yesterday morning and have some observations. Didn't she look awfully happy and relieved? It's clear that she didn't want to do the job anymore! If she did, her reps and ABC would have made it happen. So it was kinda ringing false the way she and Barbara Walters went on about negotiations going awry etc. Of course Walters would want to distance herself from Rosie's decision after coming off as a bit of a dragon lady last summer when Star Jones was dropped from the show. But I would expect total candor on Rosie's part. Something along the lines of: "I've decided that one year is enough! I'm movin' on!"
Rosie added about 500,000 more viewers to the show's audience and whether they stick around after she leaves will depend on who replaces Rosie, I think. So who? They have never replaced Star Jones by the way so there are two seats open. I'd like to see a broadcast pro along the lines of Meredith Viera as the moderator - someone like Gayle King maybe or what about Jane Pauley? Actually, i could see Connie Chung in the moderator role. She's got strong news credentials but also can be goofy and fun as demonstrated on her Letterman guest spots and, most imfamously, the way she signed off from her short-lived MSNBC show last year by singing from atop a piano. I thought it was a scream.
Someone is going to have to break the news to Donald Trump that even if he wears a wig, he is not officially a woman and is not eligible to be a host. Besides, as "The Apprentice" proved this season, Trump is the ratings kiss of death.

Well, how about a look at Andy Baldwin, star of ABC's "The Bachelor" for a change of pace?

Poor Heather Mills. First she breaks up with Paul McCartney then she gets voted off "Dancing With the Stars" after dancing, with an artificial leg, far better in more ambitious routines than some of the other remaining contestants.
The vote can't be about dancing when Cliff from "Cheers" gets more votes for barely moving during his routines and Billy Ray Cyrus who, while awfully cute, can't dance to save his life!
I gotta say, I LOVE this stage of both "Dancing" and "American Idol" because for the most part, the cream has risen to the top. And the men on "Dancing" are so damned sexy!

Joey Fatone, with all that charisma and those sexy moves, is basically my dream man. Ian Zeiring is a stud with a killer smile, and Apolo Ono is awesome! I think Ono will wiin but if not him, it might be Laila Ali who is a sensation week ater week. I love her moves, her personality, and her hunky dance partner!

Different show, different network, different outcome.
On ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," Jonathan LaPaglia was cast as out attorney Kevin but the actor was skittish about gay love scenes. He was replaced after the pilot by Matthew Rhys who has won raves for his portrayal of Kevin and made legions of gay fans happy with his lip locks with cutie-pie Luke MacFarlane and sexy Jason Lewis.
But on NBC's "Heroes," the character of Zach is actually "de-gayed" because actor Thomas Dekker’s manager "didn't want him playing a gay character because it might affect Fox's interest in hiring him" to star in his own series, executive producer Bryan Fuller said recently. The manager threatened to pull Dekker from the series. So the network balked rather than immediately replace the actor who is no longer on the show anyway.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation spoke exclusively with executive producer Dennis Hammer who said: "Heroes promises to continue to be diverse, and if a character yet to be seen happens to be gay – just like in life – so be it. We're not afraid of having a gay character on the show, and the network and studio have never discouraged it."
On Wednesday, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Damon Romine released this statement to Out In Hollywood:
“While many actors welcome the opportunity to play multi-dimensional characters, it’s extremely disappointing that the backward thinking of an actor’s representative could yield such influence on NBC and the direction of a hit television show. GLAAD hopes that the producers of "Heroes" are sincere in their promise to be inclusive and bring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender representation to the series in the near future.”
We'll be watching...

Here's what Rosie O'Donnell said this morning on The View as reported by AfterEllen.com:
"It's Wednesday, April 25th, and you know what that means? It's the day after Barbra Streisand's birthday. [giggles and murmurs; Barbara Walters puts her head in her hands] And there's also breaking news. I've decided ... we couldn't come to terms, so I've decided I'm not coming back next season, but I will co-host [etc. etc.] and don't be sad because I'll still be here, just not every day."
Rosie explained that she wanted a one-year deal, while ABC wanted three years. She insisted that she wasn't fired by ABC or Barbara Walters -- "They're not kicking me out!" she said. She added that she'll be on the show frequently next season as a guest-host after she makes her exit in June, and will participate in special episodes as well.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Once a week?
Rosie: Maybe.
Barbara Walters: You told us to be upbeat, but I'm not, I'm sad.
Barbara makes it clear that she had nothing to do with the negotiations and that they haven't thought about a replacement because they thought Rosie was coming back.
Rosie: Will you miss me, Joy?
Joy Behar: I'll tell you who's really sad. Donald Trump. He's on a ledge right now.
Rosie asks Elisabeth how she's feeling about the news.
Elisabeth: I think I'm in denial.
To her credit, Elisabeth says that Rosie has been a great catalyst and has really sparked conversation.
After the break, Elisabeth accidentally says she thinks Cheney would be a good candidate for 2008 (she meant to say McCain) and Rosie dramatically falls off her chair. And that, Rosie, is why we'll miss you.
Joy: He's coming live. He was gonna do a phoner, but we said no.

TMZ.com has the video. Click HERE to see it.

Also, here is a statement from GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano on Rosie's departure: "From her first day on The View, Rosie put lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues front and center in America's living rooms. "By telling stories about her own family, her wife and children, she brought unprecedented visibility to our lives and significant cultural change during a time when we are fighting every day in this country for equality. While always opinionated and sometimes controversial, Rosie used her national platform to tell our stories, and for that, gay people and our straight allies will always be grateful."

And finally, HERE is a clip of Joy Behar bagging on the moron that is Donald Trump. The combover king is gloating, of course, and on Wednesday said: "Rosie's a loser and she continues to be a loser. ABC fired her and I'm proud to say that I probably had a part in it."