December 2007 Archives

...to meet right here next year. I'll keep on writing, and you keep on reading...

"No one ever told me when I was growing up that make-up and skirts were just for girls. If you're confident and you own it, [the other kids] are fine with it...I've always supported the lifestyle that I will do what I please and deal with it."
- Dominic Monaghan

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"I feel sorry for him. I think it’s really sad. What a tragic character. He’s tragic. People like Ted Haggart [sic] – that’s tragic. Or Mark Foley. These are living tragedies. They’re people who want to be part of a society that does not want them, and so they’re willing to be secretive about their sexuality and hide who they are, and really who they are is not bad, it’s not criminal at all. But it drives them to sort of criminalizing acts. It’s really sad."
- Margaret Cho on disgraced Senator Larry Craig.

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"...In all the years that I was on the show, I had a very strong gay following and I always cherished that, you know? That they didn't think that because of my faith that I was some sort of intolerant, condemning, self-righteous person. I never got that from them. I got a lot of criticism from the faith world, believe me, for the choices I made through the years. I think people are sometimes afraid of somebody who's different from themselves simply because they don't know it. I think anybody that can only stay in their own pew, people who think and act and believe every way exactly the same, I mean...you want to talk about living a boring life. So I've always sensed tremendous support from the gay community and I'm very, very grateful for it..."
- Kathie Lee Grifford about her gay fans from the "Regis" days...

"People from all walks of life are embracing Luke and Noah and want them to be happy. That is pretty awesome. Also, my personal belief is that the hugely positive reaction says a lot about what we stand for as a country. We need to accept each other and embrace differences of all kinds."
- actor Van Hansis (Luke) to fans supportive of the gay love story on "As the World Turns."

"Everyone's gotta have a voice, to be able to speak out. Left supresses right, right supresses left, and what's left and what's right? You know? It's America. You gotta be able to speak out. That's why people came here from all over the world: to have a fair shake. Not more than somebody else - the same."
- Cyndi Lauper

"It's difficult to stand up for gay people. When white people stand up for black people, it's perceived as doing something good. But when straight people stand up for gay people, they're perceived as gay.
- Out former NBA player John Amaechi

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"I have never felt compelled to share with you my bathroom habits or share with you my bedroom habits,' he says. 'Everyone has a right to privacy, so I have never felt—even though I am famous—that I had to share that with anybody."
- John Travolta, when asked about speculation surrounding his sexuality

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"Elisabeth [Hasselbeck] needs a lobotomy! How can she defend the Bush administration? Being pregnant doesn't [screw] with your head that much."
- Sharon Osbourne on "The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck

“I was raised by drag queens, practically … my mother died when I was four-years-old, so I was effectively raised by a bunch of different people. A lot of those people were friends of my sister, Kathleen, who had all these gay friends. She would baby-sit me everyday, and she would take me over to her friend’s houses with all kinds of things going on: tucking, and eyebrow drawing, waxing, all sorts of things. I was literally raised by gay men.”
- "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo

" Me, I don't want any children, I don't want responsibility. I am gay, I smoke weed and I do exactly what I want in my life because of my talent. I represent an ideal which others have had to let go and they blame me for that. Especially men."
-- George Michael

Before I even get started, let's just get it out of the way: this photo of David Beckham is not just the beefcake shot of the year, it might be the shot of the decade.
OK, let's proceed...

I was at a really swell dinner party the other night and as we were all having wine in the living room after a terrific meal, the subject got to my blog and the beefcake photos I sometimes like to run. Someone mentioned how cool it is that beautiful men are all over the pages of magazines and on the Internet nowadays - you don't have to have a subscription to International Male to get an eyeful. If you don't know what International Male is, I think I might hate you.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite shots of beautiful men in 2007 starting with Christopher Gorham (above) in a brief but very memorable fantasy scene from "Ugly Betty." And then there is the Silver Fox, Anderson Cooper of CNN. I just love that Anderson is showing off his guns more when he';s out in the field and even out and about like in this photo. Is there a sexier combination than a man with looks AND brains?

I just love Mario Lopez's credo: If you've got a great caboose, show it off on Halloween!

Some people say they are a bit tired of seeing photos of Matthew McConaughey running around without a shirt on. I am not one of those people.

This is Justin Chambers, host of "Human Weapon" on The History Channel. Whatta dreamboat.
At 30, Carlos Moya is one of the oldest players on the men's tennis tour. And yet he's playing some of his best matches in years and is still ranked in the top 20. He was once ranked number won in the world and won the French Open in 1998. If you ever go to the Pacific Life Open tournament just outside Palm Springs in March, you can usually see the Spanish hearthrob on the practice courts, shirtless. It's more fun than any match you will see there!

For the too-brief time they were on "Big Brother" this summer, Mike and Nick sure made the show more watchable! Where are they now I wonder?

Football's Brady Quinn is way too young for me...but I'm gonna drool all over him anyway!

Don't ya just love it when pro football's top quarterback embraces his beefcake status? Here is Tom Brady looking beautiful...But even Tom can't hold a candle to the sexiest athlete alive. Here are a few more poses from Mr. Beckham!

It's nice to see Cher and her daughter, Chastity Bono, out and about. We haven't seen or heard much from Cher since she wrapped up her farewell concert tour. Here's hoping the Vegas thing really does happen or that Cher makes another movie - even a small role - in something. As fior Chastity, I'm not sure what she's up to these days but I wish her health and happiness...

Actor-director Jason Gould!
The son of Barbra Streisand and Elliot Gould, stepson of James Brolin and stepbrother of Josh Brolin turned 41 years old on Saturday...

So far, the Greg's List postings on my favorite Movies, Television Shows and Events of 2007 have been limited to five. I found that to be impossible so I settled on more than a dozen!!! As I sifted through the months, I was reminded again of how fortunate I am to be able to talk to so many people whose work and abilities I appreciate and admire, who I am a big fan of, or who just make me laugh!
Here are the links to some of my favorite interviews of the past year...

Exclusive: An In-Depth look at being out in Hollywood...

Jodie Foster thanks "my beautiful Cydney" at women's power breakfast...

The Kathy Griffin Interview...

Sitting Down With John Amaechi

Face-to-Face with Anika Noni Rose...

The Tuc Watkins Interview...

My Chat With Joan Rivers and The Joan Rivers Interview: "Edie Falco can drop dead!"

Greg chats up the guys from "Nip/Tuck"

Face-to-Face with Andy Baldwin...

Catching Up With Cheryl Ladd...

The man behind "For the Bible Tells Me So"

Maksim Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing With the Stars" appreciates gay fans...

Marc Cherry and Shawn Pyfrom talk about Andrew Van de Kamp...

My chat with Eric Winter of "Brothers & Sisters"...

Chatting up Matthew Rhys at Outfest....

Eric Dane of "Grey's Anatomy" is nicknamed Dr. McSteamy on the show for a reason! The guy is hot! This is a shot from his recent Flaunt magazine shoot.
Enjoy!

The first time I ever watched Wimbledon was in 1980 - the year best known for the epic five-set duel between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe won by Borg - barely. But the day before that match, Evonne Goolagong beat Chris Evert for the women's title in straight sets and became one of the only players to win a grand slam tournament after giving birth.
While Chrissie spent years ranked number one in the world - finishing the year with the top ranking seven different times from the mid-70s through early 80s, Evonne never did become the top player - or so we thought.

The WTA tour announced this week that Evonne actually did reach number one for a two week period in 1976 but when some tournament records were transferred to a computer, all of Goolagong's points were not entered and she never received the top ranking. That was a stretch in which she was in the middle of winning six tournaments, including the Australian Open and the season-ending Virginia Slims Championship.
Goolagong had a gorgeous all-court game with one of the most beautiful backhands. She won seven grand slams including two Wimbledons, a French Open and four Australian Opens. She was a runner-up at the U.S. Open four straight years. But when she lost, you never got the feeling that she was gonna be in a bad mood for a week. She just seemed like such a happy person. And to win those big titles, she had to beat the likes of Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Margaret Court.The WTA has amended its records, making Goolagong the 16th No. 1 player since the introduction of tour computer rankings in 1975 and two weeks ago, the 56-year-old received a trophy from the WTA that is now displayed in her oceanside home.
"I'm very proud of the achievement," Goolagong told The Associated Press. "I was on a roll for that stretch in 1976. It was a great surprise to hear after all these years."
While 16 players have reached number one over the past 32 years, it's only in the past decade that the ranking has been held by so many different players. Prior to the Justin Henin/Amelie Mauresmo/Serena Williams/Maria Sharapova/Venus Williams/Lindsay Davenport/Kim Clisters/Jennifer Capriati/Martina Hingis era, it was next to impossible to break the stranglehold that legends Evert, Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles had on the ranking from 1975 to 1997.
That makes Goolagong's achievement - even 31 years late - even more impressive.

The coolest part of my job is getting to go to all kinds of events that I'd never otherwise be invited to like the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, the Golden Globes and on and on. It was not easy to narrow down my favorites but I gave it a shot. Here is a recap my top five favorite events of 2007. The selections are based soley on how good a time I had.

The Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon: One really cool thing about the Oscar nominees luncheon is that there is no pecking order when it comes to seating. Nominees are spread out throughout the Beverly Hilton Hotel ballroom which means there is no single table dedicated to "The Departed" or "Babel" etc.
So this is why I found myself sitting right NEXT to Jennifer Hudson at lunch. You know, "Can you pass the butter?" close.Then the table right next to us fills up and i realize I am sitting back-to-back with Leonardo DiCaprio...Even though I have covered the industry for going on eight years, I realize that this is a really singular experience for me and I try and take it all in. But I'm also hungry so I'm not so overcome with awe that I don't dig into an appetizer platter ...;

The 2007 GLAAD Awards: Neil Patrick Harris seemed very at ease as he did interviews on the red carpet. When he got to me he said: "It's enjoyable. This is my first GLAAD Awards and everybody's really nice and it's representing good positivity so I'm all for that."I asked him if being out publicly has changed his life much. "Oh, not at all. But I was never really skulking around so it's all kind of interesting." I met Matthew Rhys (Don't we look cute together? Take THAT Scotty!). When he started talking to me, I had to stop and laugh. I said, "I've never heard you talk with the accent! I've never heard your real voice." The Welsh actor, who does a superb American accent as Kevin, cracked up. Mathew walked the red carpet with co-stars Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig and the three of them were having a ball. That must be a fun set. Then a serious question for Mr. Rhys: who is a better kisser? Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) or Chad (Jason Lewis)?
"It's like choosing between a Porche and a Mercedes. But Jason Lewis has very soft lips."
Also gabbed with Loni Anderson about "So NoTORIous," Dave Annable and Jason Lewis about "Brothers & Sisters," Garry Marshall about "Beaches" Darryl Stephens and the cast of "Boy Culture" and John Amaechi and Dave Koz about being out and proud. To read all about my red carpet encounters on that night, click HERE.

The Advocate 40th Anniversary Party:I was invited to anniversary gala for The Advocate as a guest and wanted to enjoy the evening just meeting people and hanging out. But at the last minute, I stick my tape recorder in my pocket (just in case) and I dash out the door. When I got to the party at Republic near West Hollywood, I saw a red carpet and headed straight to it instead of the guest check-in table. I had stars to interview! Had not reserved a space on the red carpet but just crashed it. Just sorta got right in there and stuck my recorder in Nikki Blonsky's face! Got all kinds of great interviews that night including chats with TR Knight, Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. Click HERE for the full recap!

LA Gay & Lesbian Gala: Jenifer Lewis got three standing ovations, Lorri Jean inspired everyone, Alec Mapa had more costume changes than Diana Ross, Shirley MacLaine was in a playful mood, and Linda Ronstadt performed a lovely version of "Time After Time" with the Gay Men's Chorus without telling the audience how sick she was.It was the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Gala and Auction at the Century Plaza Hotel. It was my first time at this event. I've attended many center events over the years that night was the first time I really got it. I got how good this organization is, how important it is and how much it means to so many people. To read a more extended version from that evening, click HERE.

Outfest 2007: Why does the Los Angeles LBGT Film Festival mean so much to me? It is such a pleasure to be able to see people like me up there on the screen in so many different genres and in well-written, well-acted quality films of substance. I was sititng with a twentysomething friend at one of the screenings this summer who was feeling sort of over everything.
And I said to him: "You know why I'm not over everything? Because I remember what it was like to live in the closet, to not have many gay movies to see and many of those out there were about painful subjects like AIDS and living in the closet. There were so few stories with hope and that really shapes you when you're a teen and in your 20s. You wonder, "How can I ever have a happy life?"
But Outfest is about more than seeing terrifc movies (I took in about 30 this year between screenings and screeners) and meeting stars and directors and writers. It's about having fun with friends and making all kinds of new acquaintances. I've gotten so many nice e-mails in recent days from people saying: "What are we going to do now that Outfest is over?" Mainly, it's just the whole experience of being with thousands of people for nearly two weeks and having so many shared experiences - kind of like an alternative universe of gay people.

Every few months, I run edited versions of some of the emails I've received. I usually edit out last names. If you send me an email and don't want it published, be sure to indicate that!

READERS ON JODIE FOSTER COVERAGE

Greg,
I was just checking out CNN online and they had teaser link on their homepage which said something like...Jodie Foster acknowledges gay lover. It was a video, here is the link http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2007/12/13/intv.jodie.foster.king.cnn
but they didn't acknowledge you or credit you w/reporting it. Whats up w/that? I know you had already blogged about other blogs not giving you credit and that you didn't really care but I thought CNN, the most credible source for news or so they say, surely would mention you. Sadly, not the case. Anyway, keep up the good work man. Always enjoy your blog and I thought your interview w/PR Week was outstanding! Keep talking talking talking. All the best and have a great holiday!
- Mark
PS Did you read Kenneth in the 212 entry about his Dad? One of the most beautiful, heart breaking, and personal entries ever read on a blog. Thanks for turning me on to him too.

Greg writes: I DID read that entry by my friend Kenneth Walsh and was so deeply moved. I'm always happy to send folks over to his blog. Here is a link to Savage Love, his moving post about his relationship with his father.

Greg,

Your story about Jodie Foster's acknowledgment of her partner was great. You reported on what happened without "outing" her -- because they were her own words, and they were indeed newsworthy.

Most interesting is this: An AP story available via Google (linked below) doesn't mention her acknowledgment of her partner. But links are provided on the same Web page for "Related news" and "Full coverage" -- which contain stories carrying the news of her acknowledgment! So the huge mainstream news organization doesn't mention it, and it takes a Google News search of smaller blogs and media outlets to read about it. How typical. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYxu9ROqT-SPwNYpWqEByK94y13wD8TBEFA80
- Eric

Hey Greg-
Just read your item re: the Advocate’s coverage of Jodie Foster’s “coming out” – I have to tell you, it has been fascinating to watch all the media coverage emanating from your story. I’ve had several discussions about it with friends and actually think this would make for a great NLGJA forum. I suspect that she in no way intended to “come out” at the event and that she didn’t expect anybody to report on her public remarks thanking a woman who would be identified as her partner (even with the language she used). All too often, reporters play a supporting role in helping celebs stay in the closet, to the extent that they withhold relevant news and information about them. Thankfully, you did not!

What’s so interesting to watch is how the media, as they so often do, distort the story so much that many people believe Jodie came on stage somewhere and said “Hey, y’all I’m a dyke!” It’s just another example of the sorry state of journalism today. And, of course, I’m surprised and disappointed that The Advocate, along with so many other publications, would mis-report the story and fail to credit yo.

Jim

Hi Greg,

We covered your great Jodie piece last night and its currently running on both sites. My angle was that I wanted to ask our readers if they thought Jodie’s words “outed” her. I credited you throughout. Great job.
Jodie:
http://www.gay.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=6155&navpath=/channels/entertainment/
http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=6155&navpath=/entertainment/

-Jenny Stewart
Manager, Entertainment Programming
PlanetOut.com and Gay.com

PROUD OF TR KNIGHT
Greg,
Thank you for the coverage you've done on TR Knight since his coming out. I'm pleased he has chosen to bring due attention to worthy LGBT causes and he has not turned his back on his community. Most of all I'm a huge Grey's Anatomy fan and have loved his character since the beginning but the dignified and gracious way he came out, which contrasted with the ugliness of the incident, made me love him more. I wish the mainstream news media would report on him apart from the incident but I'm more than happy to check your blog daily.

Sincerely,
Gwen

Greg writes: I think T.R. is da bomb!

LIKES THE BLOGS' POSITIVE TONE
Greg,
I just wanted to send you a note on how enjoyable both “Out In Hollywood” and “Hollywood Joe” are. They are a lot of fun to read and this is the gossip I like, positive thoughts, interviews and responses. I know that we all get up on the bad side of the bed and there are a few of the celebrities that always seem to do that, whether it is their attitude or what comes out of their month and you even try to make them look good.

What is really interesting is that the celebrities actually like you and that gives you more complete information as they stop to spend time with you. That means a lot to us readers. Keep up the great job. I have delisted TMZ and Preze from my computer. You are the only one. I go to when I need a celebrity fix.

Thanks, Allen

Greg writes: Allen, you sure know how to make a guy feel appreciated. Thanks.

CHILDHOOD CRUSHES
Hi Greg,
OMG! I thought Kent McCord was only my first crush but as I can see he had an impact on many of us young guy guys growing up. He is such a hunk after all these years--All I can say is that you and I have great tastes. Also, I remember seeing Tom Jones in a speedo in my mom's Rona Barrett's Hollywood magazines and I knew then, at the age of 7, that I was attracted to boys. Keep up the great work on your site.
Joe

HE WANTS MORE RYAN BARRY

Greg,
Man, you can post ALL the pictures you want of Ryan Barry! He could be the hottest man on the freakin'
PLANET! You GO, Reichen! DAMN!

- Andrew

Greg writes: Your wish is my command!

Penn Badgley is already the best reason to watch "Gossip Girl" with his sweet and funny performance each week. But as we can see from this recent photo shoot (the smooch is from the OhLaLablog), he is pretty darn sexy too!

On Wednesday, I shared my top five television shows of 2007 and today, I'm doing movies. This is so fun! I feel like Ebert and Roeper. Does anyone else think Richard Roeper is cute? I have a bit of a crush. Anywho, I begin with my favorite movie of 2007: Waitress. I saw it at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs and after it was over, had a serious hankering for soime pie. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. If you haven't, go rent or buy the DVD immediately and prepare to hit the Marie Calenders or Bakers Square after that.

Keri Russell left "Felicity" behind for good in this movie about a pie-baking waitress stuck in a bad marriage. She deserves the award nominations she is getting and she is supported by a wonderful cast that includes Andy Griffith with whom she shares some beautiful scenes. Nathan Fillion (now of "Desperate Housewives") plays her doctor (and more), Cheryl Hines is terrific fun as a fellow waitress and most bittersweet is the performance of Adrienne Shelly who not only plays one of the leads, but also wrote and directed the indie film. Adrienne was murdered in NYC before the film was unveiled in Sundance. She leaves behind a beautiful film.

Eastern Promises: Saw this at the $3 Regency Theatre on Fairfax, a few blocks from home. What I remember the most was that after it was over, I didn't want to get up and leave right away. I wanted to spend more time with the characters played by Vitto Mortenson and Naomi Watts. Their performances were first-rate and I am relieved to see that Vitto got SAG and Golden Globe nods after he was criminally ignored for "A History of Violence."

Enchanted: What can I say? I was completely enchanted by this Disney flick. Saw about 20 minutes of it last summer on the Disney lot and could tell that it was something really special. And boy, it sure is. Let's face it, Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden are about the most handsome men in Hollywood and to have them in the same movie is a real treat. Susan Sarandon is always top-notch and is again here as the wicked stepmother. But this film belongs to Amy Adams who deserves an Oscar nomination but probably won't get one because comedies and musicals are almost always passed over. She was perfect as a fairy tale princess who finds herself out of her animated world and in the middle of a live-action Manhattan.

Hairspray: What a blast. A great, old-fashioned musical with terrifically talented people starting with that exciting new discovery, Nikki Blonsky. The scene with her singing on the garbage truck on her way to school is one of my favorites. Zac Efron is just too young and too cute for me to even think about but James Marsden is not! Both are in this movie. And how great was Michelle Pfeiffer as the hateful, racist stage mom? Queen Latifah shines again in this movie after getting an Oscar nod for "Chicago" and I would listen to her version "I Know Where I've Been" anytime - second only to Jenifer Lewis' live version of the song. Christopher Walken is a hoot in this film as the man married to John Travolta! Well, married to Travolta's female characters of Edna Turnblau. I'm surprised that Travolta got ridiculed by some people because I thought he was absolutely terrific and really pulled it off. Kudos to all!

And finally, For the Bible Tells Me So, a brilliant movie that I really think can change hearts and minds. It was screened at Outfest and is on the Oscar short list for best documentary. The film poses these questions: Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Filmmaker Daniel G. Karslake has created something so remarkable that I can see so many in the LGBT community sending a copy to their families. It will give parents who are not accepting of their children [and attribute it to religious beliefs] much to think about and it also educates us. This well-researched film examines what, if anything, the Bible actually says about homosexuality as we know it today.It also intelligently explores the way religious conservatives have systematically misled the public in regards to biblical references of homosexuality and how this campaign continues to stigmatize the gay community.

The heavy price of that is shown through the lives of five Christian families with a gay son or daughter who are profiled in the film. They include Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first-ever openly gay man to be elected a Bishop of the Episcopalian Church and the daughter of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt. Karslake wanted to profile her and Mary Cheney but said: "Believe it or not, I ran into a brick wall with the Cheneys."

...the fabulous Wilson Cruz! The actor who got his start as a teenager on "My So-Called Life" is now 34 years old and better than ever. Whether it's on stage ("Rent") or television ("Noah's Arc") or on the big screen ("Coffee Date" and the upcoming "He's Just Not That Into You"), Wilson is always first-rate and he's accomplished it all as an out gay man from the very beginning.

Happy birthday to a great guy!

Diana Ross really was the shining star of last night's Kennedy Center Honors telecast where she was radiant and livened up the stuffy box that also included President Bush who looked absolutely bored. He should've given his seat to one of Diana's kids since only one of them, daughter Chudney, was able to join her in the honoree box up above with her other four kids down in the front row by the stage.

In addition to the singers children including actress Tracey Ellis Ross ("Girlfriends") and actor Evan Ross, Smokey Robinson was on hand to pay tribute to his childhood friend. Smokey narrated a pretty good film of her life and career with plenty of footage from the Supremes days with the ladies described as "big as the Beatles but with a better wardrobe." The group had TWELVE number one hits. Amazing. Diana went on to have SIX number ones as a solo performer but remember, some of her best solo stuff like "I'm Coming Out," "Reach Out and Touch," "It's My Turn," "The Boss" and "Chain Reaction" never reached the top spot but are classics.

Singing some of the solo hits and those as part of the Supremes was a pretty heady line-up of Jordin Sparks ("Someday We'll Be Together"), Vanessa Williams ("Touch Me In the Morning"), Ciara ("I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down") and Yolanda Adams ("Reach Out and Touch"). All were solid with Williams faring best but it was all made so clear: there is only one Diana Ross. You wanted her to climb down from the box and start singing the songs herself!

Really, nobody does them better...

The current issue of GQ magazine not only features the handsome Josh Brolin on the cover, but inside there is a fashion spread featuring Out In Hollywood fave James Marsden. I've picked out my favorites and am posting the short story that goes along with the pics...

With bone structure like this, James Marsden is the kind of actor you expect to get the girl. But he doesn’t. Ever. As Cyclops in X-Men, he was overshadowed by Wolverine. In The Notebook, Rachel McAdams chose Ryan Gosling. In Superman Returns, he’s engaged to Lois Lane, and yet she still had a kid with Superman! But in this month’s 27 Dresses, Marsden plays opposite Knocked Up’s Katherine Heigl, and (spoiler alert) he finally comes out on top.

Marsden expects to remain the prettiest character actor in the room, despite getting the girl in Dresses. And that’s just fine by him. “I’ve been up-and-coming for fifteen years now,” he says. “And to tell you the truth, it’s the perfect place to be.” It certainly makes fatherhood easier (he’s married with two kids). “I can still walk into the grocery store and most people don’t even blink an eye. If I can manage to still be up-and-coming when I’m 80 years old, then I’ll know I’ve had the ultimate career.”

Hugh makes even a simple errand like running out to grab a coupla cups of coffee seem incredibly sexy. I'll have some cream and sugar with mine Mr. Jackman, thankyouverymuch...

I think this photo of David Beckham is beginning to rival the one of Daniel Craig emerging from the ocean in that skimpy swimsuit as the most posted picture on this site. Just any old excuse to post it again. This time, there's a pretty cool quote to gto along with it from Mr. Beckham himself who doesn't mind at all that the gays love him.

The 32-year-old soccer stud told BBC Radio 2's Lines of Enquiry: "I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon...Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time."

We like it too!

...is hitting the ball over the net, NOT singing Christmas carols! Some of the top tennis pros attempt to sing "Jingle Bells" in this video and the only ones to ace the song are Bob and Mike Bryan, the American duo who recently clinched the Davis Cup title for the U.S.

Enjoy!

Actress and author ("Fried Green Tomatoes") Fannie Flagg wrote a wonderful tribute to Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly that appears in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly. Brett and Charles did many things in their careers but their appearances on "Match Game" throughout the 70s were so delicious and it is how so many of us remember them best.

Here is Fannie's tribute to this hilarious pair who both died in 2007:

Besides being hilarious, Brett and Charles were two of the smartest people I have ever known. On "Match Game," they got such a big kick out of each other! They razzed one another and everybody else on the panel mercilessly, and they were particularly relentless on the people they really liked. It was never mean or hurtful, and they loved it when you razzed them back.

One of the happiest times in my life was in 1980 when I was doing "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" on Broadway, and Charles, Brett and I were staying at the Wyndham Hotel at the same time. Every day at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon they would come to my room for cocktails. Many is the time I would come home from after the show and they would still be sitting there having a good time. The only thing that changed was the position of Charles' toupee.

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I found this lengthy tribute to Miss Somers on YouTube. There's a scene from an old movie she was in that seems out of place but the rest of it is just great, including a late-in-life interview with the woman herself who was 83 when she died on Sept. 15.

Last year, I counted down to the new year with the Outie Awards with categories like Star of the Year etc. Instead of making it an annual thing, am gonna treat (or torture!) you with lists of my favorite things in 2007 (I feel like Oprah).

Today is television, the well-written shows that I loved in 2007, shows that were just a treat to sit down and watch. I may do reality shows on another day but want to make clear that scripted shows with actors and plot still beat out people singing or dancing or modeling or losing weight any day!

1. Ugly Betty: Still the best. Each episode is like a delicious morsel with such first-rate acting and writing and really, the best ensemble on TV. Somehow, most members of this huge cast manage to have nice scenes and moments. Betty (America Ferrera) remains the solid anchor and her and Henry (Christopher Gorham) are delicious together. Vanessa Williams is a hoot, pure gold. Michael Urie is not only a gay man this season but a gay man with a boyfriend! If the writers strike continues, we will have an abbreviated season for this and most of the rest of my faves. But so far, so great.

2. Desperate Housewives: The strike has really stuck a dagger in this show's best season since the first year. So many fabulous tweaks, storylines and moments. Best is, of course, the addition of Dana Delaney as a formidable new neighbor with a mysterious past. Delaney is so damned good. Marcia Cross as Bree seems to be rejuvenated as an actress after giving birth to twins because she has this added sparkle and is just perfect in every scene. Loved Polly Bergen as Lynette's (Felicity Huffman) mother and the addition of the gay couple played by Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm. This new blood made up for some of the more tired storylines and characters on the show. Gaby and Carlos? Who cares? Edie? They gotta give her something to do, something to be. Andrew Van de Kamp? Give the gay kid a storyline! Maybe some of this is to be addressed in the remaining episodes or perhaps next year when this strike is settled and what is left of network television tries to get its mojo back.

3. Brothers & Sisters: Of course I'm still into Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) and whatever is going on with his love life. I'm losing patience with Saul (Ron Rifkin) as he tries to deal with his sexuality in his 60s but am also aware that for men of that generation, this excrutiating journey is legitimate. I find Rob Lowe beautiful to look at and like his scenes with Calista Flockhart. But the best reasons, I think, to watch this show is for the performances of Rachel Griffiths, Patricia Wettig and especially Sally Field. Sally, who deservedly won an Emmy this fall for her portrayal of Nora Walker, is just a revelation week after week. In so many things she says and does, she reminds me of my own mom who also raised a big brood (six) and remains aggressively involved in their lives. I know that Sally was Norma Rae, Sybil, the mom in "Steel Magnolias" and on and on. But on this show. I think she is giving the performance of a lifetime.

4. Dexter: Thankfully, this drama was not impacted by the strike and got through its second season unabbreviated. What a season it was! I thought they would never top season one but they did and along the way, the main characters grew more interesting and complex. Michael C. Hall gives an Emmy worthy performance as the title character (the fact that he was not nominated for season one was a blow to Emmy's credibility) and does the impossible: he exceeds his excellent work as David on "Six Feet Under." He's so good that we root for his survival even though he is a serial killer. The supporting cast of Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King and a several-episodes-long guest stint from Keith Carradine made it all the better. Can not wait for season three.

5. Gossip Girl: What a wonderful guilty pleasure this show has turned out to be. It wasn't on my radar when it debuted but after I caught a repeat on a Sunday afternoon, I managed to get ahold of some preview DVDs of the first few episodes that I'd missed. It reminds me of the first few seasons of "The OC" with interesting and attractive kids but even better, interesting and attractive parents.

Upcoming lists:

Thursday: Movies
Friday: Events
Sunday: Interviews
Monday: People

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. I figured a hunky Santa could only add to the enjoyment.

I've been in The OC for a few days enjoying the family which included the traditional tamales, hot chocolate and Christmas carols last night and watching my nieces and nephews tear into some presents with reckless abandon. It's always hilarious and wonderful - those faces and smiles. Today is more presents, a turkey dinner coming up in a few minutes then tomorrow morning back to the gym!!!

Bye for now...

The OhLaLa blog posted this terrific photo collage and video of Luke and Noah trying to kiss time and time again on "As the World Turns." I hope the producers and the network sees this and realize just how they are undermining what has been a wonderful storyline with two such fine actors by not allowing them to behave as young lovers - male or female - behave.

Kenneth Walsh (aka Kennethinthe212) is one of my favorite bloggers because he's wicked funny and smart but also because we share a lot of the same favorite people from tennis players to singers etc. One of those people is the great Darlene Love who Kenny pays tribute to so beautifully on his site today. Here is a link.
And here is Darlene on Letterman last year - a holiday tradition interrupted this year by the writers strike:

...in "Battlestar Galactica 1980."

This show starred Kent along with Lorne Greene and Barry Van Dyke and it just went on sale on DVD this week! I'm not a real sci-fi dude but I'd watch Kent in anything. Why? Because he was my first crush. You can read all about him in an earlier post: Catching Up With a Childhood Crush

Wanted to share a few paragraphs from the well-written cover story on Lance Bass that is in the year-end issue of The Advocate:

...Just a few months after the desolution of 'N Sync, Bass met Reichen Lehmkuhl. Best known for winning the CBS reality show The Amazing Race, Lehmkuhl was working in real estate and was introduced to Bass when the entertainer was planning to sell his Los Angeles house. The two eventually started dating, and sightings of them together began to pop up on gossip blogs. This was a turning point for Bass, since Lehmkuhl is openly gay.

However, Bass admits that gays' treatment of Lehmkuhl made him wary of what his own reception might be like: "I saw that half the people hated Reichen's guts - they didn't just dislike him, they hated him - and the other half just loved him. I never could understand that."

Chace Crawford of "Gossip Girl" shows us that he is just as good at modeling as he is at acting. Well, he's probably even better at the modeling. My point is, and I'm not sure I have one, is that he's hot! hot! hot!