June 2007 Archives

I had heard through the grapevine earlier this week that gays would be very happy with the new crop of houseguests on "Big Brother 8" which kicks off on CBS July 5. Today I found out how true that is. At least two of the male houseguests are gay: a first!They are 22-year-old Justin from Chicago who is a salesman and says "I'm pretty good at selling things, including myself, to complete strangers." Then there is 23-year-old Joe who looks to be very flamboyant and fun. I'm very intgrigued by
Then there is this 27-year-old cutie named Eric from New York. He's a talent management assistant and on his tape, talks about being sneaky and appearing like a really nice guy - so much so that people don't even see it coming when he stabs them in the back. He could be as straight as Wentworth Miller but he did set my gaydar off a bit...just a little. Then I looked up his profile and nothing really revealing if he is indeed on m,y team except that one of his hobbies is MUSICAL THEATER! I'm gonna keep my eye on that one... To see the full roster of houseguests, go to the CBS.com Big Brother site.

And finally, while this next houseguest, a former football player named Nick, isn't gay that we know of, he is certainly going to be some mega-eye candy for the gay guys and straight girls. And there should be plenty of shots of him working out in the gym since he will most certainly want to stay pumped up for viewers...And of you think Nick looks hunky with the short ON, check out some of these pics of him that I snagged off of GuyTV.com that you will find after the jump:

Dear readers...
It will be one year ago tomorrow that I nervously posted the first entry on Out In Hollywood and since then, this blog has threatened to take over my life! But I've loved it. All those years I spent as an intrepid, but closeted hard-news reporter, seem like a lifetime ago now. I would not go back for anything.
Who knew the time would be so ripe for a blog like this? If you look back 12 months, such celebrities as John Amaechi, Neil Patrick Harris, T.R. Knight, Lance Bass and David Hyde Pierce have come out, openly gay Rosie O'Donnell changed the face of daytime television during her stint on ABC's "The View," Ellen DeGeneres won another coupla Emmys and hosted the Oscars, Cynthia Nixon won the Tony Award, Melissa Eheridge won an Oscar, and "Brothers & Sisters" introduced us to Kevin, one of the most fully-developed gay characters in the history of network Television.
There was also the backlash against Isaiah Washington and Tim Hardaway for homophobic comments that fueled dialogue about slurs and attitudes. In addition, both gay marriage and Don't Ask, Don't Tell remained at the forefront of the political discourse.
I feel blessed to be at a news organization like the Los Angeles Daily News where my ideas and identity as an openly gay man are things that are encouraged and embraced. You will have to look long and hard for another mainstream newspaper that has a gay-themed blog done by one of their reporters. And in an entire year, I've never been asked to remove a post or to edit one of the more than 1,600 items that have appeared on the blog.
It was slow-going in the beginning. Day 1: 18 hits! Ugh. Day 2: 14 hits...(gulp) I was desperate for people to see the blog. I sent emails out to everyone I knew, took fliers to Outfest and passed them out, and bugged everyone in the office to read Out In Hollywood.
Two weeks in, the blog got more than 100 hits but the next day plummeted to 25. The most visits I got on a single day that first month was 130. But it climbed steadily after that. I remember last fall, the elation I felt at hitting 1,000 hits in a week. Now that weekly number hovers near 50,000 and it is very gratifying. The single-day record is 15,000-plus hits.
When I began this journey, I had never blogged before in my life! But 12 months later, it feels like it was something I was born to do. The creativity has been allowed to flow and my fingers fly across the keyboard with reckless abandon as they try to keep up with my thoughts.
I'll keep typing...so you keep reading!!!
- Greg

Related link: Out In Hollywood Anniversary: The People I've Met...

Hey, I don't envision myself ever wanting to go to a Tyrese Gibson concert in this or any other lifetime but I think I should have the option to go to one. But the actor/singer is banning all men from his current "Shirts Off" tour - even the straight ones! But apparently it's the gay ones that make him so uncomfortable - even though he is quite willing to display his chisled body for women and men alike on a regular basis.
Gibson, who I saw in "Transformers" last night, is getting the homophobic label from many quarters because of what reportedly went down at a concert not to long again. He threw his sweaty shirt into the crowd and was incensed that a man caught it...and kept it! Things escalated to a point where the poor guy with the sweaty shirt was escorted out by security. I hope he's using that shirt as a rag to wash his car now ore making some $$ off it on eBay.
Sounds like SOMEONE's got some issues...

Any photos of Andy Roddick seem to be very popular with readers...so here are a few more!



Tommy Haas in action...the German stud was again a winner...

Roger Federer won his 51st consecutive match on grass...and looked quite dapper in doing so...

Hunky Russian Marat Safin has beaten Federer on big occasions in the past...but Friday at Wimbledon was not one of them...

Also losing was fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez who was kind enough to give us a peak at his abs before leaving the tournament...

Lucy from the UK wrote a nice note of congratulations on Out In Hollywood's one-year anniversary and took the opportunity to make a few suggestions one of which is: more lesbian news and pics. She singled-out my not posting about Portia De Rossi inking a deal to appear on "Nip/Tuck" next season which, truth be told, I had planned to do yesterday but got distracted (honest!).
Lucy, I'll try harder and thanks for reading the blog every day!
As for Portia, I'd like to point out that while she is best known as Ellen DeGeneres' girlfriend these days, she has been a regular on both "Ally McBeal" and "Arrested Development" and was terrific in both shows. On "Nip/Tuck," Portia will be playing a manipulative lesbian mother, who wants her teenage daughter to get plastic surgery. Her appearance is in addition to the previously-announced return engagement by Rosie O'Donnell who made quite an impression as a trailer park woman who wins the lottery and wants the full plastic surgery treatment...and she ends up bedding Julian McMahon.
So not fair.
AfterEllen.com quotes an NBC Blogger with this description of Rosie's storyline: Here's the gossip on Rosie's role, according to an NBC blogger: "Rosie will come to Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy for a procedure where she will end up having to have her mouth sewn shut! She's forced to communicate with them through a dry erase board. She'll appear in episode four, which will begin filming in mid to late July. They want her back for more episodes after this but they have not been written yet and need to check Rosie's schedule."

Doing this blog has led to my meeting all kinds of terrific gay people in the public eye, and a lot of straight allies who do so much for the world. Here is a sampling of some of my more memorable encounters...

Got to interview Neil Patrick Harris at this year's GLAAD Awards but we actually met for the first time in fall 2006 at the DVD party for "9 to 5" also attended by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. I was so happy when he came out publicly not too long after that...And T.R. Knight was as nice as could be when we met at the GLAAD Awards (below). A year earlier, I had brushed off the chance to chat with him on the red carpet of the SAG Awards because I spotted Mark Valley coming my way. Tsk, Tsk...

For more pics of me with some of the peeps I've met while doing this blog, keep reading...

Remember Brad Rowe from "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" almost a decade ago? He came oh-so close to kissing Sean Hayes but left him, and us, frustrated. In "Shelter," the Jonah Markowitz film that is to be the dramatic centerpiece selection at next month's Outfest 2007, he seals the deal with co-star Trevor Knight. I saw a preview reel of Outfest selections this week and saw the liplocks with my very own bloodshot eyes.
"Shelter" I believe is the first gay surfing flick which is great because, duh, dudes in westsuits. Rowe plays Shaun to Knight's Zach. They begin hanging out as surf buddies and the electricity between them is undeniable and they become lovers.
Markowitz told us this week that audiences are ready for all kinds of genres of LGBT films rather than the usual coming out stories: "I think we can take it to a different level. Your whole identity isn't settled because you come out and accept that you're gay. I think that's a big change."
"Shelter" will screen at Outfest on Wednesday,July 18 at 8:30 p.m. and the Ford Ampitheater.

Kevin Sorbo is set to star in a spoof of the hunkfest that was "300" tentatively called "Hunting and Fishing." The one-time "Hercules" star tells the Celebrities column "This is incredibly gay this movie. It's a stretch for me."
Especially that kissing another guy part.
"The director said, 'Is this a dealbreaker?' I said, 'I could be. No tongue, or I'll kill the guy.'"
Gee Kevin, maybe the actor - whether gay or straight - will be able to contain himself and remain professional enough not to jam his tongue down your throat. Some advice: If you agree to take on a gay role, best not to use such gay panic words as "kill."
At this point, I have no interest in this flick. I prefer movies with actors who just do the kiss, make it believable and move on.

It's a busy time at the multiplex and I write about what I think will hit and miss in my Box Office Buzz column in today's Daily News. Saw "Transformers" last night and it's going to be a mega-hit even if it left me with a headache. But that big, loud action pic from Michael Bay doesn't open until Monday night. This weekend though, the top movie will be "Ratatouille" which is a terrific movie from Pixar and released by Disney. I love the ultimate moral of the story (about a rat who wants to be a chef in Paris) because it celebrates individuality and a need to be your authentic self even if it means that others do not understand.
The rat ain't gay (that I know of) but his desire to become a chef in the human world has his family and rat buddies thinking he's seriously bonkers.
I highly recommend it!

Isaiah Washington is still talking. Is there going to be ANYTHING left for him to tell Larry King next week? He talked to Newsweek's Allison Samuels in what the magazine's Web site labled an "exclusive." I guess it's exclusive if ya don't count the Houston Chronicle and Keith Boykin.
Anyway, I've selected some of the quotes from Samuels well-written story, to share with you on this fine Thursday afternoon:

Washington goes back to the on-set fight that started it all:"Patrick [Dempsey] and I had a philosophical disagreement that got out of hand and that I regret a great deal...I said a lot of negative things that were never reported, but there was one word that caught everyone’s attention, particularly someone who wasn’t even in the room with us. It was a fight between two men that shouldn’t have happened. But someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me. I see that now, but I didn’t then."
"I apologized and showed my remorse for what I said and for the pain I caused anyone...If a black man can’t get forgiveness in this country, when so many other people like Robert Downey Jr. and the governor of California get second and third chances … I think that says a lot about race and this country where we stand."
Washington added that "it didn’t help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn’t a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn’t speak like I’d just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime...I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that 'some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I’m a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn’t go around saying ‘Yessah, massa sir’ and ‘No sir, massa’ to everyone? It’s nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family.’’

"My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity. My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts."

To read the entire article, go to Newsweek.com.

AND JUST ONE MORE THING: it seemed a bit strange that openly gay PR giant HOWARD BRAGMAN agreed to take on ISAIAH WASHINGTON on as a client in the first place. But if Bragman, who also reps the repsected JOHN AMAECHI,wanted to help Washington rehab his tattered public image with PSAs and made amends to all the gays he offended with his use of the other F-word, the collaboration might make some sense. But as of Thursday atternoon, Bragman STILL reps Washington who has made outrageous comments in recent weeks about former co-star T.R. Knight....

FABULOUS FEDERER: The elegant Swiss won his 50th consecutive match on grass, a surface he has not lost on since 2002.

HOTTIE HAAS: Germany's Tommy Haas won his second round match. He's got the athletic game for Wimbledon's grass but has never done particularly well there. Maybe this year will be different and we'll see this gorgeous player in the later rounds where he belongs.

THOSE BICEPS, THAT SCOWL: It must be Rafael Nadal, the spicy Spaniard who won his second round match today.

HEARTBREAK HENMAN: Britain cutie Tim Henman, three times a semi-finalist at his country's home tournament, lost his second match, his glory days long behind him. But, he still has great hair.

FIERY LLEYTON: Aussie Lleyton Hewitt is making his presence felt. He's gunning for a second Wimbledon title. His hair alternates from short to long. I like when he grows it out.

One of the movies I'm really looking forward to seeing at Outfest 2007 is "Kiss the Bride" which was directed by C. Jay Cox who also directed "Latter Days," a movie which had such an enthusiastic reception that its screening at the Ford Ampitheater a few years back remains one of my all-time favorite Outfest memories. Earlier this week, I asked Cox about that night and about "Bride" when a select group of journalists were invited to meet him and other Outfest filmmakers on the Paramount Studios lot.
"I'll never forget that night either," he said of the "Latter Days" screening when a thunderous, several minutes long standing ovation greeted the cast.
But Cox, who penned "Sweet Home Alabama," is onto new things like "Bride" which follows the impending nuptials of Alex and Ryan, a seemingly happy heterosexual couple (played by Tori Spelling and James O'Sheah. But their arrival is disrupted by the arrival of Ryan's old high school friend Matt (Phillip Karner) with whom Ryan had a fling with when they were teens. Old feelings resurface, secrets are revealed and the movie goes on to explore the "complex social and sexual landscape of today's society," according to the press materials at least.
What makes the movie even more significant (besides the two hot male leads!) is that it is the first script to be produced out of the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. It's author is Sherman Oaks resident Ty Lieberman.
"This is a script that came through the lab two years ago and we were looking for a project to make as our first feature," Cox said. "We're really pleased to have the movie makie its world premiere at Outfest. "Without being overtly political, we talk about the state of gay marriage."
Other cast members include "Six Feet Under" alums Robert Foxworth and Joanna Cassidy, Oscar nominee Tess Harper, Steve Sandvoss who was one of the leads in "Latter Days" and Spelling's real-life hubby Dean McDermott.
The film screens on Monday, July 23 as part of the festivals's closing night gala.

This was a real treat. New Line Cinema's big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical "Hairspray" translates well into a feature film and made me all but forget the original 1988 film about star struck teens on a local Baltimore dance show that launched it all. This movie is full of energy, wonderful music and dancing and has a strong and clear message about diversity.
While I could not wait to see "Dreamgirls" last year, I was a bit more casual about "Hairspray" even though I had enjoyed the show when it was at the Pantages in LA a few years back. My pal Jim Key joined me for a screening last night at The ArcLight and a man and a woman approached us and asked if the seats next to me were available. It was Sam Harris, who played my favorite character of Perry Pearl on CBS' now-cancelled "The Class" which I still mourn. So Sam sits down next to me and without hesitation I start doing Perry Pearl lines. I say: "When life gives you lemons..." And in unison we say: "Make Chicken Picatta!" We dissolve in laughter. Jim looks confused as does Sam's friend, the actress Bridget Moynahan - pregnant and beautiful.
I told Sam how much I miss Perry and he said: 'I miss Perry too."

Anyway, back to the movie: I loved it from the first frame to the last. I want the soundtrack, I want to see it again, it's gonna make gobs of money at the box office.
I wasn't sure how the casting of John Travolta as Edna would work out but the man who made us swoon in the 70s musicals "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" can add a very different musical triumph to his resume. He is great fun in the role, totally gives himself over to it, and I gotta say, you kinda forget it's John Travolta after awhile. And how he dances so well in that fat suit, I'll never know. But he shines.

So does Michelle Pfeiffer as the racist, stage mother, station manager who is the real villian in the piece. My friend Jim didn't even realize it was Pfeiffer until the credits. She nails the role and does a great job as the evil one in this battle of good vs. evil.
And then there is Latifah who is a Queen. She should be a paret of all movie musicals in the near future as she follows up her Oscar-nominated performance in "Chicago" with a heckuva turn here.

We also loved the oh-so-handsome James Marsden who showed that he can sing and dance as well as be absolutely adorable. The younger crowd should also embrace this movie what with the castings of Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron, Britney Snow and Elijah Kelly. Look for some funny moments from Allison Janney as a Christian wacko mother of Amanda Bynes character.

But, let's face it, the film absolutely could not work if the role of the loveable, brave and spirited Tracy Turnblad isn't spot-on. In newcomer Nikki Blonsky, we have our Tracy. She is a wonder. She dances up a storm with utter self-belief and abandon and she doesn't see the world in black and white or fat and thin. She sees things in terms of right and wrong. Blacks should be able to dance on the show with whites, chubby girls should be able to win the Miss Hairspray contest if they deserve to. Her character works to shatter the social norms of the day and Blonsky makes you believe in her every step of the way.

Well, well, imagine my delight when I clicked over to the terrific AfterElton.com site this morning to see their lead story: Gay Movie Sex Scenes that Made History.Now most of them in the article, I'm seen and loved - including the photo at right of Daniel Day Lewis and another actor whose name I can't recall in "My Beautiful Launderette."
But one movie I had never heard of and now absolutely must see (I mean, look at the pictures!) is "Wet Hot American Summer. Set in 1981, the article states that "Summer" has become a cult favorite (sign me up for that cult!), especially among gay viewers for its unabashedly positive portrayal of a gay couple — sex and all. In fact, the gay couple is the only one in the film who even has a sex scene, and it's played more for heat than laughs.
The camp's hottest preppy (played by Alias' Bradley Cooper) is in love with another counselor (comedian Michael Ian Black), and they even get married, to the supposed dismay of the straight colleagues who — in true summer camp form — have been trying to get one of the men laid with a girl counselor all summer (the straight guys, far from horrified, actually buy the newlywed gay couple a chaise lounge for a wedding present)."
So sweet! How did I not ever see this movie? In addition to Cooper and Black, the cast also includes Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Molly Shannon ands Amy Poehler.
Check out the article, lots of video clips with it too!

"In Britain I think they find it easier to take it all in. Here in the US they say, ‘He’s black and English and a basketball player and clever and gay …’ It’s all a bit overwhelming. They can only deal with one thing at a time and that one thing now is the gay bit. It’s disappointing, because you spend all that time studying, researching, training, and after all that work I’m just that ‘big gay bloke’.”
- former NBA player John Amaechi on how his sexuality has trumped his other traits in the U.S.

"My stylist is gay and lives in L.A. and when he came to Miami, he went out. And I asked, ‘Your boyfriend doesn’t care?’ And he said, ‘We have an understanding if I’m out of the city.’ When I saw George Michael, he said the same thing…I’m going to have to have a talk with my girl!"
- Enrique Iglesias to July's Genre magazine

"Definitely not. No. I'm straight. I'll scream it out loud."
- "American Idol" runner-up Blake Lewis on speculation about his sexuality

“I hate to think we live in a time when you can get fired from your job because of what you say. [Isaiah Washington] didn’t punch anyone. I think we’ll think differently with hindsight.”
- Bruce Willis to Time magazine

Andy Roddick won hos second match at Wimbledon Tuesday...only five more wins to go and the title is his! He's diving for every shot and playing with a lot of heart. And, he looks gorgeous doing all of it...
GO ANDY!!!

Christian Bale has THE most handsome face in the history of movies. What's more, he's a wonderful actor and has been since making his debut as a kid in such films as "Empire of the Sun" and "Newsies" to the grown up movies I like him so much in including "American Psycho," "The Prestige" and "Batman Begins." I thought "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" was kind of a snooze but you do get to see quite a bit of his derriere! Even more in his favor: he played gay in the bizarre but intriguing "Velvet Goldmine." This week, Bale showed up at the premiere of his latest movie, "Rescue Dawn" which dares to go up against "Transformers" over the July 4 weekend.

My hero Billie Jean King is among the more than 65 leaders in the LGBT community who will be part of a national steering committee announced today called “LGBT Americans for Hillary.” The group, announced on the eve of the 38th anniversary of Stonewall, will work with the campaign on several areas including political outreach, communications, policy advice and counsel, and fundraising.
The campaign statement says Clinton would work with the community to make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal economic benefits and rights (so far, she backs civil unions); work to end discrimination in adoption laws; put an end to what she has called “the failed policy” of “don't ask, don't tell”; and sign into law expanded federal hate crimes legislation and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) if they were approved by Congress.
This is encouraging and a sign that Clinton leanred a lesson from last fall when she took way too long to admonish former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace for calling homosexuality immoral.
Keep reading to see the COMPLETE LIST...

And speaking of the BET Awards, there is much buzz today over the unbelievable duet of "And I'm Tellin' You, I'm Not Going" by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Tony winner Jennifer Holliday who originated the role of Effie on Broadway 25 years ago. Holliday had complained loudly that she felt snubbed by those involved in the making of the "Dreamgirls" movie ih which Hudson played Effie. But the two divas were aq dynamic duo and gave each other plenty of room to soar. Hudson introduced Holliday as "my Dreamgirl, a true Dreamgirl." I came away feeling that the performances were so different that each has carved out their own piece of history. We don't have to engage in a silly "who is better game." They are both...SENSATIONAL!
It was a great night for Hudson who also picked up awards for best movie actress and best newcomer.

I love the way Diana Ross' five children always show up for mom. I watched a Barbara Walters Mother's Day interview with them 3-4 years ago and the family bond seems quite genuine. So even if Diana doesn't sell as many records as she used to, she's still a great star and better still, she's a great mom.
Ross was honored for her stellar career of 45-plus years at last night's BET Awards...and she's still going strong! Here's my thought: It's time for the Grammys and the Kennedy Center Honors to start thinking long and hard about honoring this music legend with their lifetime achievement kudos.
She deserves that and more...

Would I have helped spread the word on this before David Hyde Pierce publicly acknowledged being gay? No. But he's now out and proud and I want to share that Pierce is helping start a campaign against Alzheimer's disease, which he saw two family members suffer from.
On this ABC's "This Week" Sunday morning, he said: "I think the hardest thing in both cases, with my grandfather and with my dad, were the moments when they understood what was happening to them. It's a disease that takes your brain apart, a piece at a time. And it doesn't stop till it kills you."
Pierce said the Alzheimer's Association's Champions campaign aims to recruit one American for every person with Alzheimer's. A Web site lets people sign up for events, make donations and buy T-shirts. More than 5 million people in the U.S. live with the disease, according to the association.
"All we have to do is find a way to slow it down," he said. "We're not trying to keep people from dying. We're trying to keep people from dying this way."
Good luck David!

I admit, I lifted that headline from Towleroad.com. It was so good, I could not improve upon it so didn't even try. Anywho, my postings this morning have been so political that I'm breaking the pattern with some lovely pictures of the oh-so-buff Mark Wahlberg going through airport security.

Got a note a little while again from Lorri Jean who wanted to share a little bit about meeting Presidential candidate John Edwards yesterday and giving him a tour of the Center including the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, pharmacy and 24-bed transitional living program for homeless youth.
She believes Edward's visit is the first time during the current presidential campaign that one of the viable candidates has visited a GLBT organization. "We talked about the Center’s programs, who we serve, our history and current health issues facing our community," Jean said. "At the end of the tour, I talked to Senator Edwards about the freedom to marry."

Jean told Edwards that the LA Center is not "a typical social services organization. It is true that most of the problems our clients face are exacerbated by poverty. In that regard, we experience every single day the two Americas that you talk about. That’s why so much of what you are saying on the campaign trail resonates so strongly with us. But there’s another factor that distinguishes us from typical social services agencies: most of the problems our clients face are problems caused by a homophobic society. A society that tells us from our youngest days—from the first moment we have any inkling of such things--that we are wrong, sick, bad…even evil, and that we deserve to be discriminated against.'

I think Ann Coulter is a souless shell of a human being. I'll just say that upfront. And clearly, even a gracious woman like Elizabeth Edwards cannot get through to her. But Mrs. Edwards, who I greatly admire, gave it a try by calling "Hardball With Chris Matthews" and asking Coulter to stop the personal attacks against her husband and her family and deal with the issues.
Mrs. Edwards said: "… In the South when someone does something that displeases us, we wanna ask them politely to stop doing it. Uh - I'd like to ask Ann Coulter -- if she wants to debate on issues, on positions -- we certainly disagree with nearly everything she said on your show today -- but uh it's quite another matter for these personal attacks that the things she has said over the years not just about John but about other candidates. It lowers our political dialogue precisely at the time that we need to raise it. So I want to use the opportunity … to ask her politely stop the personal attacks.
Ann Coulter: OK, so I made a joke -- let's see six months ago -- and as you point out they've been raising money off of it for six months since then.
Matthews: This is yesterday morning, what you said about him.
Coulter: I didn't say anything about him actually either time.
Edwards: Ann, you know that's not true. And once more its been going on for sometime.
Coulter: I don't mind you trying to raise money. I mean it's better this than giving $50,000 speeches to the poor.
Edwards: I'm asking you.
Coulter: Just to use my name on the Web pages…
Edwards: I'm asking you politely…
Coulter: ...but as for a debate with me, um yeah, sure. Yeah, we'll have a debate
Edwards: I'm asking you politely to stop personal attacks.
Coulter: How bout you stop raising money on the Web page then?

First it was the full-page ad in Variety trying to get the attention of Brad Pitt and George Clooney urging the superstars to save Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room by buying the landmark gay bar. The Save the Boom committee never heard from the hearthrobs but they got plenty of ink.
I like this newest idea of theirs: SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) has announced that it will sponsor a first ever open casting to find the 20 best looking men in Laguna Beach for its 2008 Calendar. The open casting will take place on lucky Saturday, July 7, 2007 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Boom Boom Room, 1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, according to Fred Karger, Founder of SAVE the BOOM!!!
“A panel of judges will be looking for the top 20 men, who will all have photo sessions with celebrity photographer Cristopher Lapp (http://www.cristopherlapp.com). The field will then be narrowed down to the final 12. The judges will then pick the top three who will win prize money. First Place finisher -- $500.00, Second Place -- $250.00 and Third Place -- $100.00.
Boom Boom Room bartenders Ryan and Tim (pictured above) sure look calendar ready to me and they are eligible to try out. “Everyone trying out must either live or work in Laguna Beach,” stated Karger. “We plan on selling the calendars around town and through a distributor. We will be presenting the good-looking men of Laguna Beach to the rest of country and the world.”

Marat Safin makes me swoon. He is such a tall drink of water. If he could just get his head together, he can beat anyone in the world.

Forner Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt may have slipped out of the top 10, but he's still a gritty fighter and a hottie. Reminds me of Heath Ledger a bit. They're both Aussies, after all.

Novak Djokovic is my favorite young player with a real chance to become a top champion. At 19, he can still do thge splits without incident.

Rafael Nadal won his first-round match and trying to match his 2006 march to the final. He looks so good in white.

Tim Henman is the sentimental favorite and Britian's best hope. His best years are behind him but he wants to go far in this tournament. He's a gentleman and a cutie and I wish him well.And finally, even though Carlos Moya (below) lost his first round match to Henman in a heartbreaker (13-11 in the fifth!), it just doesn't seem right not to include such a beautiful man in our little gallery here.

Jodie Foster was among the stars who showed up at a NYC gala Monday in support of The Trevor Project which is the only round-the-clock suicide prevention help line for gays and questioning youth. Foster made a donation honoring her late best friend Randy Stone, an Academy Award-winning producer who died unexpectedly last year. Stone was one of the founders of The Trevor Project.
"I feel so lucky to have had a best friend like Randy Stone, the funniest guy I've ever known," said Foster in a press statement. "He was talented, passionate, supportive, and as big as life. He brought all his beautiful energy to the Trevor Project, which has done such meaningful work on behalf of gay and questioning youths."
The nonprofit organization made a newly announced plan to raise $1 million in multiyear gifts for two new call centers which will both be called the Randy Stone Call Center. .
In addition to Foster, Nathan Lane, Carson Kressley and Tim Gunn lended their support. The project has already opened call centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If Elizabeth Edwards were running for president, I would absolutely vote for her. Even though she has never held elected political office, I would bet dollars to donuts (I've been wanting to use that for some time) she would be more competent than the current White House occupant.
So last night, Mrs. Edwards and her husband John paid a visit to Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" and the subject of Elizabeth's SF pride appearance over the weekend during which she diverted from her hubby’s civil union policy.
“I’m completely comfortable with gay marriage,” she said.
Responding to her comments, Mr. still-evolving said: "A lot of people I love and care about feel the same way Elizabeth does. I’m very strong about ending discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. But I’m not quite where Elizabeth is yet."
It's called being a big chicken!!!
I'm still looking for a candidate who will fully support LGBT civil rights and so far, he or she is not out there.

I'm just crazy about Brad Pitt these days. I think it's all those pics of him with his kids...just makes him even sexier. Snagged these pics off of JustJared.com of Brad filming another commercial in Prague, Czech Republic, for Japanese cell phone company Softbank, as directed by Wong Kar Wai (My Blueberry Nights). Bbillboards of Brad will be all over Japan soon enough with commercials hitting the tubes over there shortly thereafter. As for Americans, we'll have to catch it on YouTube.

Well, being controversial whether it be homophobic or driving drunk is certainly the ticket to get you the big seat on "Larry King Live." Paris Hilton, just a day out of jail, is to appear tomorrow night to talk about her supposed metamorphosis. That oughta take about five minutes.
And on July 2, Larry will welcome with open arms Isaiah Washington who has had some outrageous things to say about former costars TR Knight and Patrick Dempsey in recent days. (See earlier post) I gotta wonder what Washington is doing to his career in the name of attempting to clear his name or get his side of the story out. Besides his credibility issues, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Washington has been in preliminary discussions with NBC about a deal, although the talks have stalled, according to people familiar with the situation. It was not clear whether NBC was interested in bringing the outspoken actor onto an existing series or casting him in a new project.
The actor told Entertainment Weekly that he and his agent "are sorting through a ton of offers in both film and TV ... There is one network in particular that's very interested, but I don't want to say anything specific until it's a done deal," the magazine quoted him as saying.
Washington made news during the past week with a couple of charged interviews, including one suggesting that Knight should have been fired instead of him and accusing Knight of milking the homophobic remark incident to get more screen time and better pay.

This is absolutely shocking and unbelievably sad.
Anderson Jones, a freelance film critic who formerly reviewed for E! Online and made appearances on the "E! True Hollywood Story," died after suffering a heart attack at a promotional screening of A Mighty Heart at the Arclight on Thursday night, according to LAObserved.com.
I did not know Andy well, but I did know him. We met almost five years ago at a swank party at the home of Chris McGurk who was then the head of MGM. We gabbed for hours that night. This was when he was still at E! Since then, I'd seen him at all kinds of events both Hollywood-related (mostly media screenings) and National Association of Gay and Lesbian Journalists-related. The last time we hung out was at the opening night party for Outfest and he so kindly brought over drinks for everyone without anyone asking. That was a fun night and how I'll remember him.
Richard Horgan in an appreciation at FilmStew.com: "Always outspoken, proudly gay and often infuriating. One of the coolest, most fun, most entertaining, most outspoken, most outrageous reporters on the west coast junket circuit."