GLAAD Media Awards: Show highlights (updated)
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SHORTEST SPEECH: Janet Jackson was clearly moved and emotional by the reception she got from the crowd at the Kodak Theatre Saturday night but she wasn't rendered speechless - just speech-lite.
"Thank you so much ... I love you too," she said at the beginning of her brief remarks. "I am really humbled that GLAAD would honor me in such a way tonight. I hope I can always walk worthy of this award that I hold in my hand and in my heart."
Then, she was finished! That was it!
Some folks grumbled but most agreed that they enjoyed Janet's brevity to the longer speech given last year by Jennifer Aniston - a choice that still had people scratching their heads a year later.

BIGGEST LAUGH: Kathy Griffin brought her 87-year-old mother - who most in the audience know from her appearances on "My Life on the D-List" - onto the stage for a cute little mother-daughter Q&A. Kathy joked that her mother says: "Why can't you be clean like Ellen (DeGeneres)? Ellen doesn't have to swear. Ellen's nice."
Then the fun began with Kathy asking her mother a series of questions. No matter what her mother said, it was funny because of the way she would say it. The final question was this: "Who's the gayest person in the room tonight?" Mrs. Griffin scanned the room and answered: "Ryan Seacrest?"
Brought. The. House. Down.
BEST LINE IN AN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: "Ugly Betty" creator Silvio Horta, whose show won Outstanding Comedy Series: "I wanted to make a show with Latino characters, African Americans and gay characters. Those pesky network execs had me add some straight white people too."

SWEETEST LINE BY A PRESENTER: Billy Baldwin walked out with his gorgeous "Dirty Sexy Money" love interest, transgender actress Candis Cayne and said: "So, whaddaya think? Do I know how to pick a love interest or what?" Billy then went on to point out that Candis is the first transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on network television. Added Candis: "I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world."
MOST SHAMELESS PLEA FOR WORK: Actor Leslie Jordan, who just wrapped filming on Logo's "Sordid Lives" series, walked out to present with Garry Marshall and said: "I've been through 12 miles of bad road. My HBO series has been kicked to the curb and I'm not working." He then suggested himself for Julie Andrews royal role in the "Princess Diaries" movies if a third one is ever made: "We could change the character to an evil little queen." (NOTE: HBO paid for production of the Linda Bloodworth-Thomason series "12 Miles of Bad Road" then inexplicably decided not to air it. I have the episodes and plan to watch them and post a review)
COOLEST TRIBUTE: Presenter Sharon Stone said of honoree Rufus Wainwright: "Rufus is actually so out that he's never even seen the inside of a closet!"
MY FAVORITE LINE: Rufus Wainwright in his acceptance speech: "An artist's decision to live an authentic life should go hand-in-hand with success."
Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily
News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession
with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen
at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never
seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.
Comments
Last night I was in a screening of the pilot of 12 Miles of Bad Road at the USC Cinema Arts school. Our class (over a 100 of us) LOVED the show - what the hell is wrong with HBO these days?
Red
Posted by: SRT | April 29, 2008 8:49 AM