September 2008 Archives

Broadway's Nick Adams is gonna be a big star. He not only looks good, but he has the talent to back up those killer biceps and that dazzling smile. Here is a video of him performing at an after-party during the summer

With the onslaught of pro-Prop 8 commercials on the air right now, those who believe in equal rights for gay people need to pull out all the stops against the ballot measure. Celebrity endorsements (and their money) can't hurt. Singer Pete Wentz, accoridng to TMZ.com, showed up at a No on Prop 8 fundraiser at Gallery 1988 in Hollywood on Sunday as did "Scrubs" star Sarah Chalke and members of Linkin Park.

I was overdosed on Clay Aiken last week so held onto this item for a few days. It's from The Advocate and is a chat with gay contestant Charlie Herschel (the one having the bromance with Marcus) wo told the magazine that he was an online confidante of Clay's before the singer finally came out last month.

Here are some excerpts:

You're friends with someone who knows a bit about what it's like to be in the spotlight of the gay community: Clay Aiken.
Well, he's not a close friend of mine. We've only hung out, like, twice. I fell out of touch with him for a little while, but there was a point when I was in law school that I was on IM almost every day, so we used to IM almost every day. But we haven't spoken since I got back from Africa, so he doesn't even know I was on Survivor. But there was a point, up through when I left for Survivor, where we were in pretty close contact.

Were you surprised to find out that he'd come out?
I was pretty surprised that he came out, just because he seemed pretty adamant about being private about that sort of stuff with the public. He's open with his family and friends and everything though.

The People cover suggests he finally decided to come out because he didn't want to raise a kid to think it was OK to lie about who you are. Why do you think he finally decided to come out?
I really have no idea. I imagine it's really hard to harbor such a deep secret that people continue to probe you on in every interview that you give. If you're a public figure like that, it must be really difficult. At a certain point, coming out is a little bit easier for your life, and I think we all make that move at different points, and at a certain point he weighed those options, and I'm sure it was better for him.

Now that you're back in New York, do you plan on reaching out to him?
Definitely. I came back from Africa and I hadn't read the news for two months, and he was all over the news because of the baby. So I didn't want to be one of those people who, now that he's all of a sudden back in the spotlight, would reach out and say, "Hey, what's going on?" When he was here doing Spamalot the first time, his corporate apartment was right near my office, so I'm sure he'll be nearby if he wants to hang out -- I definitely would be open to that.

I may love posting beefcake photos (although some have complained about a lack of them lately) but I'm really past the point of buying a beefacake calendar. At least I think I am. David Beckham has a new calendar out and, well, I think he's just so great to look at - even with all the tatoos.

I love the cover of the new "Details" with Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, What I really love is that thjey talk about all the gay rumors and stuff. Towleroad.com excerpts lots of it, I'll give ya nibble here:

Says Chace of the "indictments" against him: "Model turned actor, dime a dozen, eye candy, doesn't know what he's doing ... and Perez Hilton says I have 'gayface.' So on top of everything else, I have to overcome gayface."

Poor Chace.

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer did a nice Rumba last night on "Dancing With the Stars" and had a nice kiss at the end after which Lance applied some slapstick. I love their non-traditional style even if the grumpy judge, Len Goodman, has been scoring them low on each dance. I know I sound like some teenage girk NSync fan here, but, Lance looked so CUTE with his hair that way.

I'm gonna go on Amazon.com and order this today cuz I cannot wait for Christmas!

Sony BMG Masterworks ryoday eleases "Stephen Sondheim: The Story So Far," a comprehensive four CDtgreatest Broadway composer-lyricist of his generation. He wrote the lyrics for "West Side Story," "Gypsy" and both music and lyrics for "Company," "Follies," "A Little Night Music," "Sweeney Todd," "Sunday in the Park With George," "Into the Woods" and "Passion."
The box set features 81 tracks over four CDs with songs sung by the likes of Elaine Stritch ("Ladies Who Lunch" and 'Broadway Baby"), Ethel Merman ("Everything's Coming Up Roses"), Carol Burnett ("I'm Still Here"), "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Len Cariou, Company), Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou ("A Little Priest"), Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris ("The Worst Pies in London") Hermione Gingold ("Liaisons" ) and Glynis Johns ("Send in the Clowns").

For more information on Stephen Sondheim: The Story So Far, visit: www.masterworksbroadway.com/sondheim.

A Sunday New York Times article about LGBT actors and characters didn't have any new information that I could see but it did include an interview with Chad Allen. I was more intrigued by the headline. Something about it just seemed so familiar!

Better late than never. Had some drama with my photo card and feared these photos would be lost forever. But, here they are!

The Sept. 21 Emmy Awards were great fun - at least the red carpet was! I know the show itself was lacking but it's nothing a good host can't fix. Just pick a comedian, puleeze! Anyway, I had free reign on the red carpet so I was able to get all kinds of exclusive photos. Well, they look a lot like the ones you see in all the magazines but just know that I took them all with Out In Hollywood readers in mind (that probably explains why there are so many pics of Mario Lopez!)

Speaking of Mario Lopez, he really suits his new role as anchor of "Extra" so well. Every big star on the red carpet made sure to stop by Mario's booth includiing "How i Met Mother" nominee Neil Patrick Harris who, in ,my opinion, was robbed of his first Emmy win by Jeremy Piven who took home his third in a row. Gimme a break. Enough!

As Neil Patrick Harris did interviews, I hung out with his adorable boyfriend David Burtka for awhile. They seem very supportive of each other and made a very handsome couple on Emmy day.

Lee Pace, nominated for "Pushing Daisies," gave me a sorta smile after he got interviewed by Joey Fatone and Lisa Rinna for TV Guide Channel. Lee is an absolute dreamboat don't you think?

Speaking of dreamboats, David Boreanaz was one of the most dapper dudes on the red carpet. I managed to snap a photo of him. The rest of the time, I was just sorta staring at him.

I snapped a photo of Kathie Lee Gifford waving to me but am sharing this one with you instead because it's got Kathy Griffin in it!
Kathie Lee and her "Today Show" co-host Hoda Kotb chatted up all the big stars but didn't get any special digs.

They had to stand out there in the hot sun behind a velvet rope just like most of the rest of the media while "Access Hollywood," "Entertainment Tonight," "The Insider," "Extra," "TV Guide Channel" and "E!" had fancy booths with staircaises etc.

It was one of those elaborate booths that caused the most horrifying moment on the red carpet. The legendary Mary Tyler Moore (seen here leaving the 'Access Hollywood' booth with Cloris Leachman) later slipped on the top step of the "Insider' booth and fell down hard. I was about 15 feet away, saw it happen, and felt awful until near the end of the show when I saw Mary walk out on the stage, smiling, and paying tribute to her friend Betty White.

The star of the classic sitcoms "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," is a seven-time Emmy winner and is doing a series of guest spots on NBC's "Lipstick Jungle" as Brooke Shields' mother.

And speaking of Brooke Shields (don't ya just love my silly segues?), here she is with Mario Lopez (Him? Again?). I have noticed this the three times I've seen Brooke Shields in person: she is even more beautiful in person than on television. And she carries herself with such class and grace. I'm a big fan.

Here is the glorious Mary-Louise Parker, the Emmy nominated star of "Weeds" who probably deserved the Emmy more than Tina Fey. The night before, I iinterviewed Mary-Louise at a pre-Emmy party and she had on dramatic make-up and a super lowcut dress. She changed her look dramatically for the actual ceremony. I thought she looked senesational both times!

AFTER THE JUMP: Teri Hatcher, Jeff Probst,Mariska Hargitay, Steve Carell,Daniel Dae KimJohn Krazincki and probably more Mario Lopez! Keep reading...

Thanks to the readers who alerted me to a second scene that gay Wisteria Lane couple Bob and Lee appeared in that I neglected to include in my previous post. They were out on their porch when Gale Harold's character snuck out of Susan's house naked. Thankfully, OhlalaMag has pics!

In the coverage of Paul Newman's death, it is clear that this was an extraordinary man who lived such a rich life. So much more than an actor, he was someone who lived his passions and gave back to society in many ways.

What I had not been at all aware of was his stance on gay rights. Here is what he once said: "I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant."

CNN's Anderson Cooper, or "The Silver Fox" as I call him, did a piece on Katie Couric's much-lampooned interview with GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The look on his face after he views the piece is priceless.

I have to admit, this is a lot less fun when you consider what dire shape our country is in economically:

(AP) WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives on Monday defeated a $700 billion emergency rescue package, ignoring urgent pleas from President George W. Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders to quickly bail out the staggering U.S. financial industry.

Stocks plummeted on Wall Street even before the 228-205 vote to reject the bill was announced on the House floor.

When the critical vote was tallied, too few members of the House were willing to support the unpopular measure with elections just five weeks away. Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle.

The new editor of its sister publication, The Advocate, has stated that he doesn't want to put straight actors playing gay roles on the cover of that magazine. But Out Magazine clearly isn't following suit with James Franco on its new cover.

Good thing too. Here is one of the quotes about the filming of "Milk" with Sean Penn:

"At one point during rehearsals, the idea was thrown out that Sean and I would go to the apartment that we eventually shot in and spend a night or two there just to, like -- I don't know what -- feel comfortable with each other? That idea was kind of thrown out but ended up not happening because of scheduling. I approached the relationship part as I would approach any relationship. When I'm working with another actor or actress that I'm supposed to have a relationship with, I'll look for things in the person I like. My other hero on the film was Sean, so it wasn't too hard to look up to him -- or whatever that is....Basically, I've been in love with him since even before Fast Times."

OMG I'm exhausted.

Sunday night's season premiere of "Brothers & Sisters" had more Walker family drama than usual with just too much packed into one episode, too much to process. I'm guessing it's because last season was cut short and storylines had to be moved forward but the only characters that had any really sweet and thoughtful scenes (except for one shared by Justin and Rebecca at the end) were our gay newlyweds Kevin and Scotty whose getaway weekend in Laguna ended up being overrun by Walkers.

The scenes I did enjoy were between Sally Field and Patricia Wettig which were very Krystal and Alexis from "Dynasty" and it was cool, and very out of character, the way Sally's Nora dropped the bit of info to Patricia's Holly that late family patriarch William Walker had another child with another woman.

Holly: "I don't believe you.'

Nora (smiling smugly): "Yes you do."

Okay, I'm still hooked. But slow it down! Sheesh.

I wonder if Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm got paid as extras for their work as a gay couple on the season premiere of "Desperate Housewives." Their only scene was a party for Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) and they had no lines. But since they were sitting next to each other, we can assume their characters of Bob and Lee are still together five years later (the show has jumped ahead in time).

The show's other gay character, Andrew Van de Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom), at least had some lines. I think they consisted of "Did you get that?" and "Yes."

Dreadful. Let's hope they get storylnes in future episodes. Heck, let's hope they get LINES!

Ellen DeGeneres says marriage to Portia de Rossi changed her life for the better.

"My heart just feels a little bit different, softer and somehow more in love," she told the Associated Press in an interview for anti-cancer messages she recently recorded. "I don't know how. But it just feels really romantic and lovely. I just feel really blessed." .

Ellen admitted that she has had to make one or two adjustments: "I keep saying 'my girlfriend,' but I have to go to 'wife,'"

Ellen has recorded a collection of phone messages doubling as health wake-up calls for women. The messages are part of October's national breast cancer awareness drive.

"I went into a studio and recorded a million different (versions): 'Hi, this is Ellen DeGeneres and your sister told me to remind you that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month,'" she said. " 'Your teacher told me to call you,' 'Your neighbor told me to call you,' 'Your cousin,' 'Your mother.'"

Spent Sunday afternoon at the West Hollywood Book Festival meeting some authors and buying their books. I look forward to reading all of them and I hope I get to them sometime soon! One of them I'm half-finished with: "Robert Wagner: Pieces of My Heart." The handsome star was at the festival and participated in a one-hour Q&A before signing books - including mine. We chatted a bit about Elizabeth Taylor and I mentioned Holland Taylor who told me she wants his "Two and a Half Men" character to be brought back from the dead. "Ah, Holland Taylor," he said. "Now there's a woman."

I left the festival and headed over to Java Detour (next door to The Abbey) and ended up reading about half of the book! It was very candid and he pulled no punches. He decided he didn't want to work with his "Hart to Hart" co-star Stefanie Powers anymore after she bailed on continuing their wildly successful "Hart" TV movies after the series ended; he bluntly shares that he did not believe Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright were a love match and that she was not caring enough to him in his later years; and the ghastly behavior of Natalie's sister, Lana Wood, after her sister's death. Also, there were the ugly money battles with producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.

He goes into detail about his life with Natalie Wood and their two marriages then her tragic death. There had been much speculation over what really happened the night of her drowning death off Catalina and R.J. gives his account here for the first time. He stayed in bed for eight days after her funeral and shares in detail the pain of her losing her.

The book details his many close friendships with the likes of David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Fred Astaire, Bette Davis Elizabeth Taylor, and many, many more.

I can't wait to read the rest!

Karen Ocamb, one of the best reporter on LGBT issues around, has shared some touching memories of Paul Newman who died Friday at 83. Here are some excerpts from "Paul Newman Taught Me How To Clean Fish"

It's strange how someone's death can trigger the oddest of memories. When I heard that Paul Newman died - I suddenly flashed to the moment he walked into the house where I was babysitting and said, "Come on, kid - let's clean these fish."

Thank you, Paul Newman. Rest in Peace

The "I'd like to use my lifeline" line was inspired. Tina Fey and "Saturday Night Live" continue to mine comic gold out of Gov. Sarah Palin and her television interviews. Next week's show comes after Thursday night's vice presidential debates. Fasten your seat belts!

Also funny was the skit spoofing Friday night's presidential debates. I just don't know how writers and the actors get all of this together so quickly. Amazing...

Tops on my list is Newman as Brick in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," the film which earned him his first of eight Academy Award nominations. He finally won, on the sixth nod, for "Color of Money," a year after receiving an honorary Oscar for his body of work. He also received the Academy's humanitarian Oscar.

The great "I can't swim!" scene in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

The "No man can eat 50 eggs" scene from "Cool Hand Luke."

The trailer for "Nobody's Fool," one of Newman's later movies and one that earned him his seventh Oscar nomination (the eighth came later for "Road to Perdition."

Speaking of Oscars, the final clip is from the 1992 Academy Awards when Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, made a dramatic entrance - 34 years after "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - to present the best picture award. Both still looked sensational...

Let's face it, Elizabeth Taylor's speech at the Macys Passport event Thursday night was pretty much a disaster since the legend could not really see the teleprompter without her glasses. Perhaps Dame Elizabeth should have done as her close friend Kathy Ireland did: memorize the entire thing!

How do I know Miss Ireland memorized her lengthy remarks? Because when I talked to her on the red carpet, she paid tribute to her friend very eloquently. Then inside the event, she took the stage to introduce Dame Elizabeth and said the same thing - verbatim! It is an awfully nice tribute and here's what she said about Elizabeth the great:

"It is an honor to be close friends with such a brilliant humanitarian. I have so much respect for this woman. She is a hero, an iconic artist, designer, entrepreneur. She's so genuine. She's an amazing mom and that;s evidenced in her four children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. And she is a mother bear for everyone who has been impacted by HIV-AIDS and that's everyone who is here tonight. She fights ferociously and at a time when AIDS was spoken of in ulgy ways, when an event like this would be inconceivable. But not to her. Dame Elizabeth was absolutely by the lack of compassion. She said and continues to say, 'We must fight the disease and love the people that have it.' She was angry that so little was being done, 'Why isn't anybody doing anything?' She looked in the mirror, she said, 'Wait a minute. I'm somebody and I will do something.' Finally, she had a use for that heavy mantle of fame that she had borne since childhood. ... It cost her something very precious - her privacy - and now, she had a use for it. She used that enormous fame to save lives."

Heartthrob Andy Roddick held off a fierce challenge from Israeli underdog Dudi Sela to win the China Open final Sunday, his third ATP title of the year. Big-serving Roddick, the second seed at the 524,000-dollar Beijing tournament, overcame 92-ranked Sela, playing in his first ATP final, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3.

From "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Sweet Bird of Youth," and "Cool Hand Luke," to "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting" to "The Verdict," "The Color of Money" and "Absence of Malice," to "Road to Perdition," "Empire Falls" and "Cars," Paul Newman had a career that spanned more than 50 years. He died yesterday at the age of 83 and it is truly a loss of one of the greats.

Here is some of the reaction coming in today:

Elizabeth Taylor: "I loved that man with all my heart. He was goodness and kindness and pure integrity. I know he loved his family, his wife, the world and mankind. He was purity of heart. Working with him was such a joy. Knowing him, being his friend, was as golden as the sunset and a privilege I'll never forget. I thank God and feel so honored for that privilege. May he be in God's embrace forever."

Robert Redford: "There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life - and this country - is better for his being in it."

Paul Newman's daughter, Melissa decribed as an "awesome" dad and grandfather and told "Entertainment Tonight" he was "really a gentleman to the end. We've had an amazing experience with him."

"He was really all about philanthropy, and people caring, and people voting, and that's really who he was. ... I think the most important thing is for people to remember his legacy, and his legacy is philanthropy. And that's really what mattered to him most. Hopefully that lives on forever and ever and ever."

Sally Field: "I was blessed to have known him," she said in a statement. "The world is better because of him. Sometimes God makes perfect people and Paul Newman was one of them."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Paul Newman was the ultimate cool guy, who men wanted to be like and women adored," he said. "He was an American icon, a brilliant actor, a Renaissance man and a generous but modest philanthropist...He entertained millions in some of Hollywood's most memorable roles ever, and he brightened the lives of many more, especially seriously ill children, through his charitable works. Paul was one of a kind. The beloved film star will be missed by a world of fans and admirers. Maria and I send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Joanne Woodward, his entire family and his many friends."

Sen. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton: "Paul was an American icon, philanthropist and champion for children. We will miss our dear friend, whose continued support always meant the world to us. Our prayers and thoughts are with Joanne and the Newman family and the many people who Paul impacted through his endless kindness and generosity."

After the jump is the detailed obituary sent to me today by his spokesman Jeff Sanderson:

I think this is the final Clay Aiken-related item of the week! I watched part 2 of his interview with Diane Sawyer on GMA this morning and how nice to see him looking so happy and unguarded. It's what I wish for everyone.

Anyway, Clay is getting tons of exposure from the GMA interview and the People magazine cover story. "Entertainment Tonight" did a excerpt and teased it with this commercial: "Clay Aiken, the gay dad!"

Oh, brother.

In People, Clay talks about a health scare son Parker had when the baby was just a month old and had to undergo emergency surgery for an intestinal condition that complicates digestion.

"He had been gassy for weeks and then he started throwing up," Clay said. "Jaymes [Foster, the baby's mother] and I were trying to be calm, rational parents, so we didn't call the doctors too much, but it just got to a point where he was vomiting everything. He was starting to get dehydrated."

Parker was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, a condition that prompted doctors to decide he needed surgery the following day.

Clay had a series of questions for the doctors. "I don't like to nag people, but I asked every question I could think of, and I thought of some more and called them back. I wanted to know everything," he says. "I was like, wait a second, this is my responsibility, I need to take care of this child, and he can't ask questions for himself. It was a reality check, like this is the real deal."

How is Parker doing now?

"He's fine, healthy and doing well!"

Phylicia Rashad did not win the Emmy last Sunday (she was robbed!) for her wonderful performance in the television movie "A Raisin in the Sun." But she can be consoled by the fact that she did win the Tony Award for the stage version of "Raisin" and got to work with co-stars Sean Combs, Audra MacDonald and Sanaa Lathan again.

"We had such a good time," she said when we chatted at a pre-Emmy party last week.. "It was a lovefest. It was the absolute best. When you're making these films for television, you don't really have a lot of time to make them. But because we had performed together - the four main characters - on Broadway, we knew the story very well , we knew who we were and we knew each other. So it just deepened the entire experience."

The actress further left her television persona of Claire Huxtable of "The Cosby Show" behind with "Raisin" then a lead role in the Broadway production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

"I'm really enjoying this time, I must say," she said. "And before 'Cat on a Hit Tin Roof' I had my first professional Shakespeare at Lincoln Center and that was wonderful."

Well, this is really special relationship developing between "Survivor" contestants Charlie (he's gay) and Marcus (he's srtraight). Both are delicious eye candy! If you watch this video of last night's season premiere, at around the 7:10 mark you will see these two intereacting. Charlie is clearly smitten - and who can blame him? - and Marcus seems comfortable with the bromance saying, "He's attracted to me but I'll be honest, I don't see any romance between Charlie and I. I can see that he's handsome and those things, I really can appreciate that about him." Then he adds: "I'm straight. We're in Eden, but there's no two Adams here."

Not yet!

But seriously, it's refreshing to see a straight guy talking so honestly and matter-of-factly about a -gay-straight friendship. They can work but you have to be really honest with each other.

Yeah, Elizabeth Taylor and Sharon Stone headlined last night's Macys Passport Gala to raise money for HIV/AIDS but since they didn't do interviews, I was most excited about meeting Nick Adams, the Broadway actor who just finished a year of co-starring in "A Chorus Line" - part of which time featured Mario Lopez as the lead.

"It was the year of my life but my body needed a break from it I guess," Nick said. "I miss the show though, I miss the people. It was an incredible year and I miss hanging out with Mario Lopez too."

The very muscular Nick gained a degree of fame last spring when the also muscular Mario joined the cast. Nick, who played his assistant, was put in a sweatshirt after the TV star's arrival. But the New York-based actor said there never were any hard feelings despite reports of a rivalry.

"I spoke to him last week and we're going to try and get together while I'm out here (in Los Angeles) this week," he said. "We used to work out three times a week together. The press said we were emenies. They did make some modifications to the show when he joined "A Chorus Line." It did change for me but he never gave me any negative energy and we became fast friends. He's an incredible guy, very easy to work with."
Perhaps because of the hoopla surrounding "bicepgate," Nick landed a high-profile 2xist underwear modeling gig that was said to have originally been meant for Mario. Nick walked the runway in it at the Macys event revealing for all his well-sculpted body.

"I try to work out every day for about two hours," he said. "Variety is what I think yields the best results so I try to mix it up and try to watch my diet - high protein, low carbs."

Nick has a role in the upcoming film "An Englishman in New York" with John Hurt, Cynthia Nixon and Swoosie Kurtz, among others. It is set for a December release.

"I play a slightly dim, attractive young man at a rooftop party and IU get left alone with John Hurt. I sort of insult him and embarrass myself at the same time and sort of lets me know that the reality of a gay man in New York City is a little bit different now than it was when he was young."

I wondered how Nick is handling all the attention that's come his way this year. He's got more than 2,000 Facebook friends now - of which I am one!

"This year has been an interesting year for me, raised my profile a little bit and it's exciting because I've been exposed to a lot of people who might not have necessarily known who I was before. It's nice to feel a lot of support. It's been great. I haven't let it go to my head or anything. I'm still the same Nick from a small town."

Just by chance, I watched the DVD of the comedy "Surviving Sarah Marshall" last weekend, unaware that I would be talking to one of the film's stars, Kristen Bell, a few days later.

"In preparation for this interview? Wow!" she joked. "We were forced to be in Hawaii for three months filming that. It was miserable (laughs)."

Kristen gained a hugely loyal following during the years that she starred on "Veronica Mars," a show in which she played a teenaged detective.

The disappointment fans felt when "Mars" was cancelled was somewhat mitigated when the actress landed the role of Elie Bishop on NBC's "Heroes" last season.

"It's so much fun," she said of her current gig. "We're This season has been a lot different from last season. They really upped the ante this year and the whole villain concept, they really kind of blew it out of the park. I've been really excited to read each script that's come in."

Kristen, who is also the narrator of the CW's "Gossip Girl," is pleased that the mysterious and powerful Elie is becoming a deeper character this season.

"When I came onto the scene last year, it was very out of the gates with a lot of attitude," she said. "They had told me her previous backstory but I didn't really get a chance to show any of that on camera. Clearly, hurt people hurt people and she was very damaged and we are doing a lot of flashbacks now that will air that really give you a lot of insight into the character and allow me to show the interactions I had with the heroes in previous years."

Kristen, who is 28, has two movies in the can set for release next year: the comedy "Serious Moonlight" with Meg Ryan and the Disney movie "When in Rome."

But she doesn't plan of giving up her day job.

"I like being on TV," she said. "I'm not one of those people who separates film and TV in my head. I like them both."111

Glad to see that
San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co. has pledged $25,000 to Equality for All, the coalition leading the campaign to defeat Prop. 8

The company also will co-chair with Pacific Gas & Electric a group designed to encourage opposition to California's gay marriage ban within the business community.

Levi Strauss is the first Fortune 500 company to ever offer health benefits to the domestic partners of gay employees.

I'm gonna go out and buy another pair of jeans!

Elizabeth Taylor was having trouble reading her speech at the Macy's Passport 2008 Gala last night. The audience was completely silent as people began to wonder what could be wrong with the legendary actress and AIDS activist.

Finally, she paused and said: "I'm sorry, I don't have my glasses....whoopie!"

There was huge applause - applause of relief!

Dame Elizabeth looked regal in a wheelchair on the stage inside the Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. Despite her trouble reading, she soldiered on and got her message across.

"We don't have a cure, we must do more," she said. "We must remember to fight prejudice, to fight it back, to fight AIDS back!"

Kathy Ireland, a close friend and business partner of Miss Taylor said: "Elizabeth is a hero -- she is an iconic artist, designer. She is a mentor, and she is loved by not only me, but people all over the world."

There were many stars at the event that raised $27 million for HIV and AIDS research and Dame Elizabeth, as always, shined brightest. But Sharon Stone was a close second. She had been in the news this week because of a custody battle with ex-husband Phil Bronstein but did not appear worse for the wear as she charmingly hosted a live auction.

"I do understand we are experiencing the worst economic crisis since the depression," she said before adding: "Take out that American Express Card and live it up a little! You know I'm gonna do what I always do. I'm gonna take your cash. You know me, I'm bad. That's what they say and it's true."

The auction was followed by a pretty spectacular fashion show which included designs by Christian Audigier and Tommy Hilfiger who I chatted with before the event started.

"Elizabeth Taylor, I respect her tireless efforts in the fight against AIDS and her tremendous celebrity has brought a lot of awareness to to it," he said. "I think she's gone way beyond the call of duty."

The oh-so handsome Nick Lachey co-hosted "Live with Regis and Kelly" this morning, subbing for Regis Philbin. The topic of man crushes came up and Nick had a confession to make. He has a man crush on David Beckham!

"This is a big moment for me. just like Clay Aiken," Nick told Kelly Ripa. "This took a lot of courage. up until this point, it's been a long-distance bromance."

David's wife, Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) was one of the show's guest. She didn't scratch Nick's eyes out or anything, she must be used to the entire world having a crush on her husband. But Nick, looking dapper in a suit, did ask Posh: "Am I his type?"

Victoria replied: "Well, he does love a man in a suit."

Later she said: "I tell him, looks will fade. And then Nick can have him!"

Season three of "Brothers & Sisters" begins Sunday night. Between that and last night's return of "Lipstick Jungle," I just don't know how much more happy and complete my life could be. Here is a scene featuring Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane). We've missed you guys!

The Outfest Legacy Awards was a relaxed, fun and moving event last night with a lot of stars on hand including Ewan McGregor, Molly Shannon, Kristen Bell, Mary McCormack, Wilson Cruz and the evening's host Bruce Vilanch.

McGregor presented an award to honoree Bruce Cohen, producer of such films as "American Beauty," "Milk," and TV's "Pushing Daisies." Cohen is a dedicated LGBT activist and a longtime Outfest supporter.

"I always knew there'd be a night when I'd want to give (a kiss) to a boy I love and tonight is that night," Ewan said. "To know Bruce is to adore him."

Cohen received a standing ovation as he took the stage and got his award: "I kissed Ewan McGregor on the lips!" he said. "That's what this whole thing was about. Ewan is truly a gorgeous human being inside and out."

The newlywed also gave a call to action to defeat Proposition 8: "This is our history folks, happening right here in our state, in our lives, in the next 41 days. It's our history to make or break."

NBC co-president Ben Silverman was there to represent honoree NBC-Universal for its distinctive history on innovative LGBT promgramming including "Will & Grace," just about everything on the Bravo network, the feature films "Brokeback Mountain," "Far from Heaven" and the upcoming "Milk." NBC also aired such breakthrough TV movies as "That Certain Summer" and "An Early Frost."

"My mom is gay and I wish she could be here today," Silverman revealed to the audience. "I know we all have personal stories here...this is sharing and being human."

The reactions keep pouring in.

I was standing next to a People.com reporter last night at the Outfest Legacy Awards and he asked some of the celebs what they thought about Clay Aiken finally coming out of the closet:

Kristen Bell: "I give him a lot props. It's a hard thing to say out loud sometimes. And espite how many people might have thought it, he has the right to do whatever he wants to do so I'm proud I guess."

Candys Cane: "It's about time Mary (laughs). Not a big surprise. I live in life and a lot of my friends are gay and lesbian. I know the signs when I see them. I think it's everybody's personal choice as to when they want to - especially someone in the media to have that thrust upon them. If he wanted to wait until now, I applaud him for that because he got a lot more flack for waiting than he could have ever have had by just telling about himself from the beginning. More and more, it's getting to a point where it doesn't really matter and the more people don't react."

Other reactions:
Lance Bass: I'm happy for him. It's good to see someone actually being true to who they are. I think it's something that's nice to share with the world, because it really does relieve a lot of pressure off of you." Lance said he believes Aiken will "live his life the way he wants to live it and that's the best advice I can give him." He also jokingly added: "Coming out on the cover of PEOPLE magazine? I mean, c'mon. Can't he be just a little bit more original?"

The Trevor Project, the suicide-prevention hotline for gay youth: "Many of the young people who call the Trevor Helpline report feelings of isolation due to lack of a support system or local resources. When a highly visible person comes out, it may help youth struggling with issues surrounding sexual orientation and/or gender identity to understand that they are not alone."

Simon Cowell: "Wow. That's a shock. It's like being told Santa Claus isn't real," he told "Extra." "Unbelievable...Good for him. If he said it, it's the right thing for him. Good for him. I don't think anyone cares. Let's face it: It's 2008. You know. Who cares?"

Rosie O'Donnell: "I love Clay. He is a beautiful man in every way."

It's clear Sarah Palin is in over her head as the vice presidential nominee. She was interviewed by Katie Couric on the "CBS Evening News" last night and did not impress.

And it gets worse in part 2 airing tonight. Here is a partial transcript:
COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land- boundary that we have with- Canada. It- it's funny that a comment like that was- kind of made to- cari- I don't know, you know? Reporters-

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia-

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We- we do- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to- to our state.

Gee, I haven't posted a photo of my tennis crush Andy Roddick in just days. I like this one because we get some nice leg action. Andy is in Beijing for the China Open and he reached the quarterfinals today. He should have been there last month to compete for an Olympic medal but thought skipping the event would improve his chances of winning the US Open again. It did not.

Remember several years back when Clay Aiken told Diane Sawyer that he found questions about his sexuality to be kind of rude? Well Clay has a new attitude as you can see from this interview which aired today on "Good Morning America."

I'm heading to Santa Monica this evening to attend the annual Passports AIDS gala at Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. I don't know if I'll get a chance to chat with Elizabeth Taylor but if I do, I will be completely thrilled.

Coliumnist Liz Smith spoke to Elizabeth about the event for her syndicated column today. She writes:

ELIZABETH TAYLOR always reminds people that just because the current drug regimens seem to be working, that doesn't mean the AIDS crisis is over. Not here, and certainly not in Africa and Asia. I think this continued involvement in AIDS work is a big part of what keeps Elizabeth alive. She always says, "I thought my continuing fame was ridiculous -- why did people stay interested?! And then when AIDS happened, and I saw that being 'Elizabeth Taylor' was a help, I appreciated every scandalous headline, every invasion of privacy, every foolish action or excess on my part that kept the press hounding me. Fame, which was for so long a mystery and a joke, became a good thing, 40 years after I achieved it."

He's just as dashing as you'd think he'd be.

Ewan McGregor was at the Outfest Legacy Awards last night to honor his close friend, producer Bruce Cohen and I got to talk to him very briefly before things got started.

So what brought him out to the event to honor Bruce?

"We worked together on a film called "Down With Love" and then again on a film called "Big Fish" and we;ve become really good friends since then. He's an amazing guy and he works very hard for all different causes."

Since Cohen and Gabriel Catone were married in June (by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa), I wanted to get Ewan's thoughts on Proposition 8 which seeks to undo that marriage and all other same-sex unions: "That's ridiculous. He's very happily married."

And then he was off!

I attended last night's Outfest Legacy Awards at the Directors Guild of Amerca Theatre which was hosted by the smart and funny Bruce Vilanch. Before the show began, I asked Bruce for his thoughts on a few topics, staring with Proposition 8:

"It's an idiotic proposition because the Supreme Court has grantred people the right to marry whom they love and it;'s a fundamental right. I don't think anybody in California ever envisioned taking away a right by popular mandate. I think it's kind of crazy at this point to take away a right that everybody should have just because you don't like me or because I don't read the bible you read. I think that's fundamentally wrong and I think reasonable people will see it that way..."

"...I think the right wing lost the culture war when they lost the Iraq war and they don't have a whole lot of traction right now and this is kind of a last ditch effot by a bunch of people who don't have nothing better to do..."

"...This is a civil rights issue and the world doesn't change. There's gay marriage all over the world and it hasn't affected straight marriage one iota. I mean, it didn't take gay marriage to get John McCain out of the house from wife number one so gay marriage isn't going to force him to take a walk on Cindy. That's nolt how it works and I think it's ridiculous that the right wing thinks they can paint it that way."
I had to get Bruce's take on Sarah Palin. Here it is:

"She's just amazing. She has all of the depth of the woman from the 1-800-DENTIST commercials which is where I think they found her - 1-800-RUNNINGMATE. She scares me because she's never been out of Alaska. Even a walrus has done that."

Since Bruce is usually one of the comedy writers for the Academy Awards each year, I wondered what he thought of Sunday's widely-panned Emmy Awards: "I thought you shouldn't really try to make Heidi Klum funny. I don't think Seal ever asked her to be funny."

What I love most about talking to Diane Keaton is her absolute inability to give a cookie-cutter answer.

We had a chat earlier this week about her new movie, "Smother," which opened today. Since her most recent film, "Mad Money" was widely panned by critics, I wondered if she is still bothered by bad reviews after more than 35 years in movies.

"Of course. Everybody is. You can't not," she said. "I don't understand the stamina of how people like Hillary Clinton. Who could take that life day after day on the road being judged, hanging in, looking forward, being on a plane every five minutes. It's impossible to comprehend for a person like me. I would be crushed. You really have to just carry on. These politicians, I admire their stamina."

You just gotta roll with her and keep up!

Miss Keaton, who won an Oscar for "Annie Hall" and starred on such films as "Reds," "Something's Gotta Give," "First Wives Club," and all three "Godfather" movies, has been making mostly comedies in recent years.

In "Smother" she plays the overbearing mother of a 29-year-old man who arrives at her sons house with her five dogs in need of a place to stay.

Miss Keaton describes her this way: "She's almost a freak. She's borderline. She's on the edge of insantity. She needs heavy doses of medication."

Here is the trailer just to give you and idea:

The best part was filming "Smother" in Los Angeles so the actress was still able to take her daughter, Dexter, and son, Duke, to school each morning.

"It's not good to be away," she said. "It's not really a healthy situation. The nice thing about these movies is they are brief. 'Smother' we shot here and for no money. You can make movies and try things out. and experiment with acting and working with new and interesting people."

Parenthood has changed everything for this single mom who famously had romances with Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino.

"It's the miracle of my life of course," she said. "Being a parent is the most extraordinary journey you are ever going to go on."

At 62, she added to her roles of mother and movie star by being a model for Loreal Cosmetics.

"It's a lifelong dream that came at a time in my life when it could have never been expected. And yet, when I was a teenager, I'd leaf through pages of Bazaar and Vogue with awe and I was a fan of people like Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy. I was obsessed with fashion. So it's so bizarre that I've lived my life and this would happen that I'd be a spokesperson for Loreal. We want women of my generation to feel great about being a woman."

Rep. Barney Frank, the man who is leading congressional Democrats in negotiating the bailout deal with the administration, isn't impressed with Sen. John McCain's announcement that he is temporaily suspending his campaign to focus on the country's financial crisis. His decision comes at a time when he is dropping dramatically in the polls.

Frank, one of two openly gay members of congress, told a group of reporters outside the House chamber: "It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys."

Rep. Barney Frank's reaction to John McCain's campaign suspension: "It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys."

Groups are releasiing statements about Clay Aiken coming out. It's really interesting to watch and compare with reaction to the coming out a few years back of T.R. Knight, Neil Patrick Harris and Lance Bass.

Clay is a top-selling recording artist and concert draw with a bigger fan base than the other guys (at least at the time that they came out - all three have gained in popularity since then) so maybe that's why it's getting so much attention.

I never liked writing about Clay on my blog before yesterday because I was irritated by the way he had been handling it prior with the "none of the business" replies etc. when it was clear that he is a gay man. But since I think everyone - especially gay people - need to respect a person's coming out process, I tried to just ignore Clay as much as I could. I wasn't a fan of his before and I don't know if I will be now, but I am glad that someone in the public eye with as many fans as he has, decided to go on the record about who he is. I hope he will continue to grow and have more pride in being gay. I think he will.

OK, enough about what I think. Here is a statement from Jennifer Chrisler, executive director fo the Family Equality Council: ""Much like Rosie O'Donnell, the announcement that Clay Aiken is gay reinforces a simple reality: the American public can no longer say it does not know a gay or lesbian parent. Clay Aiken's desire to raise a child in an open and honest manner will make his life, and his son's, all them better. We hope he and his son find all the happiness they deserve, and the Family Equality Council will work toward the day that Clay and Parker Foster Aiken can enjoy the same rights as other American families."

And here is a statement from The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President Neil G. Giuliano: "We congratulate Clay for making this decision and for setting an example for others and his family. As we're seeing, more and more gay people, including celebrities, are living openly and honestly, and this has tremendous impact in terms of creating awareness, understanding and acceptance."

And finally, Judge David Young - the openly gay TV judge - also weighed in: "It takes courage to come out and admit that a person is gay, and it's even harder when you are in the public eye. By being honest with himself Clay will be even a better father, positive public figure and role model for those who face similar struggles. I wish he and his family well!"

Above is a Madonna video and below is Bette Midler's reesponse to it...enjoy!

It's not uinreasonable at all for us to want our country's leaders to support gay marriage and to abolish 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and DOMA. But it could be worse as we see in this clip of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who told Larry King last night that in his country, "...We have actually a law regarding it and the law is enforced. It is a law that was passed. It was legislated. And it is an act that is against human principles. A lot of things can happen. It can cause psychological problems, social problems that affect the whole society. Remember that God rules are to improve human life. In our religion, this act is forbidden and the Parliament has legislated about it. "

Michelle Obama wrote a letter for The Advocate that we can all appreciate (I'd appreciate it more if her husband were to support same-sex marriage. Maybe after election day, he will?). Here are some excerpts:

...Our country's journey toward equality is not finished. It's been five years since Lawrence v. Texas. It's been 39 years since Stonewall. And we still have more work to do before we achieve equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

Election Day offers an opportunity to take another crucial step toward equality. Millions have joined this movement for change. People are hoping again -- believing again -- that we can come together to create a stronger, fairer nation. And on November 4 we'll have a chance to put that hope into action.

...Barack is running for president--because he believes that if we work together, we can build the world as it should be.

It's a world where the federal government protects us all against hate crimes and we recognize that equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights isn't an abstract principle but goes directly to whether all Americans can lead lives of dignity and freedom.

Here is a LINK to the entire letter...

Matthew Mitcham certainly makes an eye-catching cover boy on the new issue of Austrlia's DNA magazine.

The magazine notes that Matthew brought home gold and became not just a sporting champion but an important gay role-model, too.

Here's an excerpt:
Matthew Mitcham has made both Australia and the international gay community extremely proud with his history-making, record-smashing, gold-medal-winning performance in the 10-metre platform diving finals at the Beijing Olympics, becoming Australia's first openly gay gold-medallist.

After an average start, Matthew climbed to the top of the leaders' board with a series of brilliantly executed dives. After his main threat, China's Zhou Luxin, performed his last (and worst) dive and scored a low 74.80, the door opened for Mitcham to steal the gold, effectively halting China's clean-sweep. Mitcham needed 107.30 - an incredibly high score - for his last dive to take home gold. The pressure was on. He performed his signature dive - an incredibly complex back two-and-a-half somersault, two-and-a-half twists pike - flawlessly, receiving a score of 112.10, the highest score ever to be awarded to a dive in Olympic history.

People Magazine has released some excerpts from its cover story on Clay Aiken.

He says he expects the news may overwhelm some of his fans. "Whether it be having a child out of wedlock, or whether it be simply being a homosexual, it's going to be a lot,"
He hopes his fans "know that I've never intended to lie to anybody at all. ... But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."

The born-again Christian singer also reveals how he told his mother Faye he's gay four years ago. After dropping off his younger brother Brett, who was being deployed to Iraq, at Camp Lejeune, "I started crying in the car," Aiken remembers. "It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out."

So what was his mom's reaction? "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting." Even now, Aiken admits, "She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way."

As for his own child, Aiken tells PEOPLE that Parker - who was conceived via in vitro fertilization with his best friend, music producer Jaymes Foster - will be raised in an environment that is "accepting and allowing him to be happy."

Says Clay: "I have no idea if he'll be gay or straight. It's not something I'll have anything to do with, or that he'll have anything to do with. It's already probably up inside the code there ... No matter what the situation you're in, if you're raised in a loving environment, that's the most important thing."

It's been clear for some time now that Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are a couple but they've never really said anything about it publicly. They finally did so this week in a real casual way.

Here is an account of how it happened, according to AfterEllen.com,

After months of refusing to comment on the public speculation about their relationship, actress Lindsay Lohan and DJ Samantha Ronson finally publicly confirmed their relationship in a L.A. radio call-in show last night, in a short, casual exchange confirming that they've been together "a very long time."

Lohan and Ronson called into the radio show Loveline last night to chat with DJ Ted Stryker about DJ AM's recent survival of a plane crash that killed four other passengers.

In wrapping up the conversation, Stryker casually asked Lindsay on air, "Now, you guys, you and Samantha have been going out for how long now? Like two years? One year? Five months? Two months?" Lohan responded, "A long...a very long time."

"I hope you guys stay together, you're a very lovely looking couple," Stryker added, to which Lindsay replied, "Thank you very much."

Newlywed Ellen DeGeneres, who married Portia de Rossi last month, has posted this message on her show's website:

My Political Point... And I Do Have One
You know how usually I talk about cell phones or kitty cats or cheese pizza... well, this is sorta like that... without the cell phones, the cats, or the pizza.

There's a California Proposition on the ballot that's a little confusing. It's Proposition 8. It's called, "The California Marriage Protection Act" -- but don't let the name fool you. It's not protecting anyone's marriage. Not yours. Not mine.

The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It's like if someone asked you, "You don't want dessert, right?" But you do want dessert so you say, "Yes," which really means you don't want dessert. And if you say, "No," which means you do want dessert -- it sounds like you don't. Either way, you don't get what you want. See -- confusing. Just like Prop. 8.

So, in case I haven't made myself clear, I'm FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right -- please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you're informed, spread the word. I'm begging you. I can't return the wedding gifts -- I love my new toaster

Get ready for more of "The Lair."

Here! TV has just announced a third season of the series which is written and directed by Fred Olen Ray. The third season of The Lair will consist of 13 half-hour episodes and begin production in November with an expected air date of spring, 2009.

Among those reprising their roles on the sexy vampire series will be gay icon Colton Ford, David Moretti, Peter Stickles, Dylan Vox, Brian Nolan and Frankie Valenti (aka Johnny Hazzard).

Season two of The Lair debuted on September 5th and will be premiering new episodes through December. This season, things in this small town take a big turn when warring vampire factions fight to seize control of the coven. We are introduced to Dr. Jake Waldman (newcomer Matthew King), a botanist with a mysterious plant that seems to have a mind of its own and Ian (Matty Ferraro), a wandering lost soul with a dark secret and a beast that lurks within: a werewolf! Meanwhile, Thom (Moretti) has found himself waist-deep in a centuries-old romantic entanglement with Damian (Stickles) and Colin (Vox) has succeeded in his plan to take control of The Lair.

Of course no one is surprised by this but I always feel so happy when a public figure comes out of the closet.

Clay Aiken announces that he is gay on the cover of the next People Magazine. He had previously been very prickly when the topic of his sexuality was raised saying it was no one's business.

He seemed destined to become his generation's Barry Manilow.

But becoming a father last month has changed Clay's perspective.

"I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things," he's quoted as saying on the cover.

Clay recently reprised his role as Sir Robin in Broadway's "Spamalot" and will remain in the production until Jan. 4.

I much prefer Andy Roddick sweaty and lifting up his shirt to wipe his brow but he's also cute as can be dressed in traditional Chinese costume. He attended the official reception of the 2008 China Open at Shangri-La Hotel.

LGBT characters may have had no representation at this week's Emmy Awards but that doesn't mean television isn't making some encouraging progress toward being more inclusive. The most shining example is Kevin and Scotty (above) on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" which is, I think, the best portrayal of a gay couple ever on broadcast television.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).released its annual report today on LGBT representations on the broadcast networks and found that it will more than double this year after a three-year slump, according to an analysis of the 2008-2009 television season.

GLAAD's 13th annual "Where We Are On TV" report shows that LGBT representations will account for 2.6 percent of all scripted series regular characters, up from 1.4 percent in 2005, 1.3 percent in 2006, and 1.1 percent in 2007. In contrast, the number of LGBT series regular characters found on scripted programming on mainstream cable networks has decreased since last year's analysis, from 40 to 32.

The findings were based on information provided by the five broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW. GLAAD examined 88 scripted comedies and dramas announced to air this upcoming season, and counted a total of 616 characters, 16 of which are LGBT - more than twice the number of characters, seven, announced at the launch of the 2007-2008 season.

"This dramatic increase shows how far many networks have come in developing complex, multi-layered lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters," says GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "Our analysis also shows where there's still work to be done. This past year, we've seen some real progress from Fox towards making their scripted programming more inclusive, which is something we're hoping to see from other networks like CBS."

MOST IMPROVED: Fox, which featured zero series regular LGBT characters at the launch of last season, has announced five LGBT characters out of 97 total series regular characters for 2008-2009

THE CHAMP: ABC now has the highest percentage of LGBT characters on any network with seven LGBT characters out of 166 total series regular characters (4 percent), the highest number of LGBT characters of any network.

THE WORST: CBS has the most disappointing showing, with not a single LGBT series regular character out of 126, and only one recurring character in the entire series lineup. Additionally, The CW's lack of scripted representation is now merely a close second to CBS, as the network has only one scripted series regular LGBT character and that is Marco on the new show "Privileged."
"Gossip Girl" teen Eric Van Der Wootson (Connor Paolo) is considered a recurring character not a series regular.

For a complete list of LGBT characters on broadcast television, visit www.glaad.org/eye/ontv/2008/broadcast.php.

OTHER FINDINGS: he number of non-contract recurring LGBT characters has also risen - from 13 last season to 19 this year.

"The growing number of recurring characters is another example of the networks' progress towards being more inclusive," says Giuliano. "As the networks gradually add characters from all backgrounds and walks of life to primetime programming, more and more Americans are seeing their LGBT friends and neighbors reflected on the small screen."

CABLE: n the mainstream cable networks, the number of announced LGBT series regular characters dropped to 32 from last year's high of 40. The presence of LGBT-focused cable networks here! and Logo, which program specifically for LGBT viewers, add an additional 39 series regular LGBT characters. For a complete analysis of LGBT characters on cable, visit www.glaad.org/eye/ontv/2008/cable.php.

Complete results of GLAAD's "Where We Are On TV" report can be viewed or downloaded at www.glaad.org/eye/ontv.

My pal Ted Johnson reports in Variety that Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California.

Now I feel bad that I didn't like the last "Raiders" movie!

Ted writes: Their donation is the latest high-profile contribution to the campaign, as gay marriage advocates seek to narrow a gap in fund-raising. Brad Pitt donated $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign last week, in what was seen as a wakeup call to entertainment industry figures to pony up more money for the fight.

Spielberg and Capshaw said in a statement, "By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California's constitution, or any other."

I have such a crush on Lance Bass. So now I'm gonna have to watch "Dancing With the Stars" all season because I think he is gonna go really far. Here is a video of his first dance...

I watched former President Bill Clinton's lengthy appearance on "The View" yesterday. His charisma, intelligence and grasp of issues reminded me of why this man was elected twice. Why George Bush was elected twice? This I will never understand.

I am posting all three parts of his appearance. Part one s above with two and three below.

I hope Rosie O'Donnell returns to television with a regular gig sometime soon but until then, it's nice to see her doing things like Sunday's appearance on HSN selling a DVD of first-season highlights of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

There's a terrific on-set interview with Chad Allen about his stint on "General Hospital: Night Shift" by AfterElton.com editor Michael Jensen.

My favorite quote is when Chad explains that he liked the role of Eric because he's "...a mature gay guy. Not someone struggling with his sexuality. Or with parents who don't like him. What I essentially heard was a guy like me, who has good healthy dose of acceptance. Who had a real life and I really liked that idea. I was excited about the idea we could bring a relationship like that to the soap audience who hasn't had a lot of that."

Check out the entire interview at AfterElton.com

BONUS: Here is another recent interview Chad did with TheSmokingCocktail.com:

It was so crazy yesterday and is again today (we have just moved offices at The Daily News" and I got lost trying to find the new location). So I have neglected to write a post about the oh-so-talented Jean Smart and to express how damned happy I was that she won a well-deserved Emmy for "Samantha Who" last night. Jean has been a favorite of mine since the very first episode of "Designing Women" on which she played sweet Charlene for five seasons. She has had a dazzling career post-"Designing" with two Emmy wins for "Frasier" and two nominations or "24."

Congratulations to Jean and here are a few links to previous interviews I have done with her:

-- My Interview Witrh Jean Smart

-- A chat w/Jean Smart...

-- Catching up with Jean Smart at ABC press tour...

Cutie pie Lance Bass makes his debut on "Dancing With the Stars" tonight! I'm most excited to see him, my longtime crush Ted McGinley, the amazing Cloris Leachman and the lovely Susan Lucci.

Joey Fatone, who I spent some time watching in the TV Guide booth on the Emmy red carpet yesterday, shared his advice to his former N Sync bandmate Lance.

"Don't suck, don't embarrass me, I told him," Joey told PEOPLE at Sunday's annual TV Guide Emmy party in Hollywood. "If he embarrasses me, I'll kick his a-."

"We'll see [how he does], I know he's very nervous about it," added Joey, who was runner up a few seasons back. "He really wants to make sure he leaves a good impression and does really well. It's all riding on his shoulders in that sense. We'll see what happens."

This was kinda silly and did not give Josh Grobin a chance to show off his amazing vocal range. But the medley worked for me because of all the wonderful clips from all those classic shows ending with "The Carol Burnett Show" and Josh doing a little ear tug at the end.

While Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka were the most high-profile male couple, Cynthia Nixon and her partner Christine Marinoni (above) took that title in the female department. Cynthia came to the ceremony already a winner for guest actress in a drama series and was there to present. Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan and girlfriend Samantha Ronson were at the TV Guide after-party

The more a face is put on this issue, the better. Here is one from some supporting parents...

I hate to judge, but when is George Michael gonna grow up?

This 45-year-old man was arrested near Hampstead Heath for drug possession over the weekend - the drug was thought to be crack. And he was arrested in a public restroom!An attendant telephoned the police after becoming concerned at the singer's behavior.

George issued a statement to his fans: ""I want to apologise to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out. And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them."

He pleaded guilty last year to being unfit to drive after being found slumped at the wheel of his car with pot and liquid Ecstasy in his body. It was 10 years ago that he was arrested in a Beverly Hills public restroom for lewd behaviour.

RED CARPET: THE GUYS: I hope to have a photo gallery for you later today of my few hours wandering around the red carpet, rubbing elbows with folks. The women obviously dominate the scene with their fashions while all the guys look similar with the black and white tux look. Except for Alan Cumming who wore some checkered jacket with mustard-colored pants look.

You can't tell in the photos but his head is shaved in the back. I hate to be unkind, but he looked even worse than he did at the Democratic National Convention last month. But if he's happy, I guess that's what matters!

I think the best looking nominated man was "Pushing Daisies" star Lee Pace who is such a tall and handsome drink of water. Also, those cool cats Jon Hamm and John Slattery from "Made Men" are just effortlessly glamorous.

And then there is David Boreanaz, the star of "Bones," who was dashing. He's such a handsome guy who is a TV good luck charm from "Buffy" to "Angel" and now "Bones."

In the youth category, John Krazinski of "The Office" is a real dish and I think is on his way to becoming an even bigger star than he is right now.

THE BETTER HALF: At one point, I stood near a giant Emmy statue to take in the scene and started chatting up a guy standing next to me. I found out that it was Marcia Cross' husband, Tom Mahoney. As his wife was being interviewed by various outlets, we talked about their twins who Tom said he can't wait to see when he gets home from work each day.
Lucky guy...

Gabbed at length with David Burtka, the partner of nominee Neil Patrick Harris. I jokingly asked him, "Who are you rooting for?"

"Piven!" David joked.

Unfortunately, Jeremy Piven did win - for the third consecutive year - and the very-deserving NPH did not.

David and I had a really good conversation but since it wasn't an interview, I'm just going to keep it private. But I will say that I really liked him and he is really proud of Neil!

I gotta say first of all, the food for the press is delish this year. I'm told it';s from Wolfgang Puck, Salmon, roast beef, salads, assorted breads. We're in a huge tent on top of a parking structure. I'm gonna keep adding to this as the evening goes on.

Before she was asked about her own Emmy win best supporting actress in a comedy winner Jean Smart talked about her "Samantha Who?" Christina Applegate who battled breast cancer this summer.
"The star of any show sort of sets the tone and I've never seen an actor so beloved by cast and crew as Christina and that was before she hit some hard times. I love her and I get to play mommy to her.... She's a very spiritual person, she's very strong and she's 100 percent."

As she was speaking backstage, one of Jean's diamond earrings fell off. She paused and bent down to pick it up and said: "That's a lot of money that just fell on the floor."
It was Smart's third Emmy win. Her first two were for guest appearances on "Frasier" and she was twice-nominated for "24."

"I know how lucky I am, I know how fotunate I am," she said. "I've never been pigeonholed, I've never been typecast and for that I'll be forever grateful.".

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Jeremy Piven of "Entourage" said backstage of his third consecutive win in the best supporting actor in a comedy category: "This third one was more shocking than the first two. I do believe the show is getting better. ...This show has begun to find its voice in the fifth season, I really believe that."

If Piven wins twice more, he will tie Don Knotts for the most supporting actor in a comedy wins. He joked that surpassing Knotts has become an obsession and that before he goes to bed each night, he wonders "When am I gonna take Don Knotts down?"

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Glenn Close has been nominated five times for an Academy Award and never won. But she won her second Emmy Award on Sunday night (out of 11 nominations). Some reporter opened up the backstage questions by asking Glenn to compare winning and Oscar to winning an Emmy.

"I've never won an Oscar," Glenn said to her.

Glenn, who has won three Tony Awards, won for outstanding actress in a drama series for "Damages" and called working on the FX series "the ride of my career... It means a lot for me to win because I think it represents my entire show."

Close said Brits Helen Mirren and Judi Dench are her heroes because they have always juggled film roles with TV and theater work. "They really have been my inspiration. I think the most important thing is to go to where the material is,"

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Laura Linney won her third Emmy Sunday night, this time for her role in "John Adams." She said playing Abigail Adams was "very difficult and very challenging but that's what good work should be. We all knew it could either be very, very good or could be really silly."
Of John and Abigail Adams she said: "They were remarkable people but they're people and they had conflicts and weaknesses and strengths."

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Kirk Ellis, winning writer of the "John Adams" miniseries, fumed backstage because he was cutoff mid-speech. He pointed out that the telecast devoted extended time to reality programming and a prolonged presentation of the first Emmy for outstanding reality show host.
"I'm not anybody important, apparently," he said, "I'm just a writer."

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Best comedy actor winner Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock") was asked backstage about his personal life including his bitter custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger. Alec declined to go into it at the Emmys: "I don't want to sully this. I'm here today to say I am so proud to be on this show with these people."
Baldwin was predicted as the winner by many pundits but he wasn't buying any of it: "I've done this enough. Emmy, Tony, Oscar to know that when you go, you never think you're going to win. I totally thought (Steve) Carell was gonna win."

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Jon Hamm, backstage with the cast of "Mad Men" talked about how his life has changed:.
"You tend to get your phone calls returned a lot quicker after someting ljike this happens., It's a career changing role. You dream about getting to play something this layered.....It's been an amazing experience. It's mind blowing that this has all happened and I'm happy to be along for the ride."

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Bryan Cranston, a surprise winner for outstanding actor in a drama series for AMC's "Breaking Bad," admitted backstage that he wanted to win but did not expect to.

"I thought I was the dark horse, I really did. We shou;d have been in the back of the pack. I'm shocked and wonderfully surprised."

*******************************************************
Stephen Colbert was asked backstage if he felt awkward competing against Jon Stewart. He joked that "I've been gunning for him for years. Even when I worked for him I did not wish him well."

He then added, more seriously: "We're thrilled for the daily show. we think of the hour as a single block."

When he was asked who he would cast to play John McCain on a comedy show, Colbert said: "(Don) Rickles would be good for McCain and maybe me for Sarah Palin because I also have absolutely no business being vice president."

*******************************************************

Speaking of Rickles, he was the only winner to sit down once he got backstage. He tipped his hat to the younger comics and reflected on the tough road he and his colleagues must travel.

"The new people who are coming up are very inventive ... it's very, very tough. When I look back, if i had to do it over again I would...But it's tough to get this far, it really is."
He talked about the person he got the best career advice from: "Frank Sinatra who said, 'Stop singing!'"

Although Rickles admires Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher,he said "I come from the old school. I don't do anything political."

Thankfully, my Daily News colleague Sandra Barrera does all the fashion reporting at these award shows because if I had to ask people about what they are wearing, I'd wanna slit my wrists! But this year, I had a red carpet pass that allowed me to wander around at will and I got really good looks at the stars. I'm gonna share with you who really caught my eye. We'll start with my best dressed winnerBrooke Shields. The dazzling Broome is even more beautiful in person than on television, if that is possible. What a stunner.

It seems that, according to Sandra, yellow is the color this year. The woman who I thought wore it best was nominee and past winner Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." You could not take your eyes off of her. A was standing nearby when Mariska greeted Cynthia Nixon who won last weekend for outstanding guest actress in a drama for playing a woman pretending to have multiple personalities on "SVU."
I've had a bit of a Mary-Louise Parker weekend. After I interviewed her at last night's Los Angeles Confidential Magazine pre-Emmy party then went home and started watching season three of "Weeds" which has been sitting there on my DVD shelf for God knows how long. I have three more episodes left after watching into the wee hours and then again this morning before leaving to the Emmys.

Anyway, Mary Louise was a vision last night but when I saw her in the red carpet today, she looked even more amazing.

I roamed the red carpet for a few hours, not doing interviews, just watching and snapping pictures. Here is some of what happened...
SCARIEST MOMENT: TV legend Mary Tyler Moore was walking up the steps to the stage of "The Insider" to do an interview with host Lara Spencer when she appeared to trip on a step and fell hard to the ground. The seven-time Emmy winner, who was to present with Betty White was helped up, fixed her hair and left the booth on the arm of her husband Dr. Robert Levine. Mary didn't do anymore interviews but she smiled and waved to photographers as she made her way into the Nokia Theater. What a pro,

MOONLIGHTING: Speaking of Cloris Leachman, the 82-year-old and Mary Tyler Moore had earlier done such a long interview with Nancy O'dell on "Access Hollywood" that her co-anchor Billy Bush quipped: "This is like a half hour special" The crowd chanted "Cloris! Cloris!" as she walked down the red carpet. Instead of just waving, the octegenarian shook her hips and did a little boogie. (She makes her debut this week on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." )Later, Cloris had a microphone in her hand and was standing behind the rrop line doing interviews for "The Insider."

WAIT YOUR TURN: Normal folks have to wait in line for the bathroom at things like concerts and baseball games. What do stars have to wait for? Theor turn to be interviewed by the big four: "Entertainment Tonight," "Extra," "Access Hollywood" and "The Insider." Kevin Spacey may have two Oscars but he was forced to cool his heels for several minutes as Jane Krakowski then Ed McMahon were interviewed by Lara Spencer. Ditto "Bones" star David Boreanaz who waited a good 10 minutes to talk to "Access Hollywood."

,

It's fun to give this a try each year then see how I fare. Just did the main categories.

Comedy Series
If we went by what makes me laugh out loud the most often, I'd pick "Two and a Half Men" hands down. The writing is brilliant and the actors just nail it week after week. But "30 Rock" is the critics darling. I've tried to get into it and can't. Ditto "The Office."
WINNER: 30 Rock

Actress in a comedy series
Christina Applegate is going to win and deserves to win. She's amazing in "Samantha Who?" and should prevail in a very competitive category that also includes last year's winner America Ferrera of "Ugly Betty," the terrific Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "New Adventures of the Old Christine," Tina Fey of "30 Rock" and Mary Louise Parker of "Weeds,"
WINNER: Applegate

Actor in a comedy series
It seems that everyting points toward Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" but I don't watch the show so I'm going by the pundits on this one. But if that fabulous Lee Pace were to win for "Pushing Daisies," I'd be thrilled. And, I'll admit it, I love "Two and a Half Men" and love Charlie Sheen in it.
WINNER: Baldwin
Supporting actor in a comedy series
I am rooting like heck for Neil Patrick Harris to win his first Emmy for "How I Met Your Mother" which is well deserved. Also deserving is Jon Cryer who is completely brilliant in "Two and a Half Men." I don't watch "Entourage" so can't really judge Jeremy Piven (the reigning champ) and Kevin Dillon.
WINNER: Harris

Supporting actress in a comedy series
This is a tough one. All the nominees are completely deserving. My favorite is Jean Smart in "Samantha Who?" She's terrific in the part of Christina Applegate's mom - just a riot. Holland Taylor is perfection in "Two and a Half Men" and Kristin Chenoweth so good in "Pushing Daisies." But no one would be surprised if Amy Poehler beats them all for her memorable season on "Saturday Night Live," especially as Hillary Clinton or Vanessa Williams who is a real hoot as Wilhelmina Slater on "Ugly Betty." Love them all!
WINNER: Poehler

Drama series:
Six nominees here. "Boston Legal" and "Dexter" can pretty much forget it and probably "Lost" too. It's between "Mad Men," "Damages" and "House."
WINNER: Mad Men

Actress in a drama series
Since Sally Field won last year for "Brothers & Sisters," I would love to see my favorite Kyra Sedgwick win for her stellar work year after year on TNT's "The Closer." But Glenn Close appears to be a shoo-in for "Damages."
WINNER: Close

Actor in a drama series
If James Spader wins AGAIN, I'll be so ticked. There is so much great work in this category and I am so over him and "Boston Legal." Jon Hamm is the it guy and so good in "Mad Men." I think he'll win but Hugh Laurie is probably the most deserving for "House," Bryan Cranston is first-rate in "Breaking Bad," and I don't think anyone else could pull off the work that Michael C. Hall does each week on "Dexter." Hall is my favorite but it seems the victory for him is being nominated after being criminally overlooked last year.
WINNER: Hamm

Supporting actor in a drama
Ted Danson, a two-time winner for "Cheers," is the front-runner for his work on "Damages" and should beat out co-star Zeljko Ivanek. Michael Emerson of "Lost" has an outside shot at winning.
WINNER: Danson
Supporting actress in a drama
Chandra Wilson hands down for "Grey's Anatomy." Her Dr. Bailey is a complex character who we learn more about each year and Wilson balances that tough exterior with small glimpses of the woman's vulnerability. I love Candice Bergen in anything but I don't think she'll win and Rachel Griffiths in just great as Sarah on "Brothers & Sisters."
WINNER: Wilson

Miniseries
It seems that "John Adams" is the favorite. I really loved "Cranford" though.
WINNER: John Adams

TV Movie
I think "A Raisin in the Sun" was some superb television but have not yet seen "Recount" or "Bernand and Doris." I'm guess on this one.
WINNER: Recount

Actress in a television movie or miniseries
Phylicia Rashad was beyond amazing in "A Raisin in the Sun" and deserves to win an Emmy to go along with her Tony Award for the same role. I loved Judi Dench in "Cranford" but she doesn't touch Rashad. Haven't seen "John Adams" but Laura Linney is said to be outstanding in it, as usual. Susan Sarandon and Catherine Keener are also in the category.
WINNER: Rashad

Actor in a television movie or miniseries
The smart money is on Paul Giamatti for "John Adams." But Kevin Spacey and Tom Wilkinson are tough competition for "Recount" and Ralph Fiennes for "Bernard and Doris."
WINNER: Giamatti
Supporting actress in a movie or miniseries
I am rooting for Eileen Atkins for "Cranford." She is one of England's most renowned stage actresses and was superb as Judi Dench's sister. She has tough competition that includes Audra MacDonald for "Raisin in the Sun," Laura Dern for "Recount" and Alfre Woodard for 'Pictures of Hollis Woods."
WINNER: Atkins

Supporting actor in a movie or miniseries
Denis Leary deserves an Emmy for "Rescue Me" at some point but he's nominated for "Recount." But you gotta go with Tom Wilkinson for "John Adams" in this category.
WINNER: Wilikinson

I leave for LA Confidential Magazine's pre-Emmy party in a little while but wanted to write about last night's party for Emmy acting nominees at the Pacific Design Center. Tomorrow, it's the Emmys! Red carpet, backstage interviews with the winners then the Governors Ball.

I'll be blogging a lot tomorrow so check in lots!

Anyway, the highlight of last night was chatting up Jon Hamm, the remarkably handsome star of "Mad Men." And I was thrilled to interview Phylicia Rashad for the first time. Also there was Kevin Spacey who was among the last to arrive and Sarah Silverman who posed for photogs then declined interviews: "I don't feel like talkin. Sorry." I respected that a lot more than Sandra Oh who did photos then walked by us smiling and waving and never breaking stride. In contrast, her "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Chandra Wilson talked to everyone as did Holland Taylor and Michael Emerson.
Here are some comments from the stars about being nominated:

Phylicia Rashad (best actress in a TV movie nominee for "A Raisin in the Sun"): "It is such an honor that the work that I'm privledged to do would be recognized in this way. I'm really enjoying this time I must say. It's a wonderful time in artistic experience, growth and expression. It's a wonderful time."

Chandra Wilson (best supporting actress nominee for "Grey's Anatomy"): "Because we are such a large cast, I always think of all of us as the support of the other so it's kind of hard to do the indivudual (awards) without the group. It's the group (awards) that I always look forward to. But what I do appreciate about the nomination is people appreciating Dr. Bailey because I enjoy playing her so much."

Holland Taylor (best supporting actress nominee for "Two and a Half Men"): "I would be astonished if I were to win but it really is true that this isn't a competition where you're running a mile or jumping jumps. It's great if you are cited amongst the others, you get to carry a flag for your show for that relay."
It also must help that Holland already has an Emmy at home. She won for best supporting actress for "The Practice."

Michael Emerson (best supporting actor nominee for "Lost"): "I'm not losing a lot of sleep over it to tell you the truth. I know it sounds hokey but to be on the short list, to be a nominee, I'm here talking to you, I'm getting the attention, they took my picture. All of that. It suggests the the industry is looking at me and somebody thinks I'm doing a decent job."
Jon Hamm (best actor nominee for "Mad Men"): "It's not important to win. It really isn't. You stack five actors up on five shows and it's impossible to say, 'You're better than him. It's an exercise in futility."
"The show) did get a lot of nominations and that feels good, that to me suggests that our show is resonating with the community at large and people want to recognize it. It feels nice. But winning is completely secondary."

Zeljko Ivanek (supporting actor nominee for "Damages"): "So far, I'm managing not to be a total blithering idiot although it's like borderline most of the time, the mouth is moving faster than the brain so it's a little tricky trying to keep up."
"Damages" shoots in New York City but has been in Los Angeles shooting an episode of "House" and been able to enjoy the perks of being an Emmy nominee for the first time.
"It does still feel like I'm sneaking in the back of the castle a little bit. I got a nice little fancy car for a couple of weeks and nice invitations. But it still feels like someone else lives this life most of the time and I'm just kind of visiting. But it's nice to visit. I don't mind."

Probably the most relaxed nominees Friday night were Glynn Turman and Kathryn Joosten who won their Emmys last weekend for their guest turns on "In Treatment" and "Desperate Housewives," respectively.

"I'm still floatin baby, I haven't touched the ground," Glynn said. "It was the most surreal thing I have ever been a part of - ever. To receive this at this stage of my career is really the icing on the cake."

Said Kathryn: "I don't have to worry about anything, I've got mine. I'm gonna go for number three next year."

I ask you, is Chace Crawford capable of taking a bad picture? The photogenic actor was snapped filming scenes for "Gossip Girl" on the streets of NYC...

I still want Rosie to do a multi-disc set of her talk show's six seasons like Oprah did a few years back of her show. But until then, there's this 90-minute DVD that looks back at the highlights of the first season of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

Rosie will be appearing on the Home Shopping Network at 12PM, 6PM and 11PM to promote the newly released DVD set.

I loved that show because Rosie had on all the people who I loved and asked them the questions I wanted to have answered. This was not "The View" and there was none of that Elisabeth Hasselbeck spewing her nonsense. This was pure entertainment.

Rosie's Premiere on HSN

I have never seen FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" but it certainly seems worth a look after watching this promo video. It features one of the better gay kisses you will see. Watch for it!

My heart goes out to Andy Roddick who gave his absolute all during a semifinal Davis Cup match against David Ferrer of Spain at the Plaza de Toros Las Ventas on Friday in Madrid. Roddick lost his match against Ferrer in five sets 7-6, 2-6, 1-6, 6-4 and 8-6, giving Spain a 2-0 lead over the United States. Considering clay is Andy's worst surface and Ferrer's best, that is quite an effort by Andy.

Chad Allen's stint on the SOAPNet show begins on Tuesday and AfterElton.com has a buncha photos of his scenes with on-screen romantic interest Dr. Kyle Julian (Adam Grimes)..

CBS had a party for its comedies last night and Emmy nominee Neil Patrick Harris of "How I Met Your Mother" was among them. Wouldn't it be great if Neil were to win for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy. We'll see him on the telecast eighter way since he is presenting with Kristin Chenoweth.

PS: Neli is guesting on Ellen DeGeneres' show today!!

The Philadelphia Gay News asked both presidential candidates to participate in interviews on LGBT issues. The McCain camp never responded. Obama did the interview. Here's an excerpt:

PGN: You are the most LGBT-friendly candidate running for president in history. Are you concerned that John McCain and the Republicans might use this as a divisive issue as they did in 2004?
BARACK OBAMA: No. I think they can try but I don't think it will work for a couple of reasons. Number one, I think that the American people's attitudes with respect to LGBT issues are continuing to evolve. I think people are becoming more and more aware of the need to treat all people equally regardless of sexual orientation. There are some people who disagree with that, but frankly those folks -- many of them -- probably have already made their minds up about this election earlier.

PGN: You've talked about your many gay friends. Would you and Michelle be comfortable attending their commitment ceremony?
BO: We would. But I'll be honest with you that, these days, I can't go anywhere.

PGN: The current President Bush has used signing orders to change military rules and regulations. If White House counsel advised you that you could end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by attaching a signing order to a military appropriations bill, would you?
BO: I would not do it that way. The reason is because I want to make sure that when we reverse "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," it's gone through a process and we've built a consensus or at least a clarity of that, of what my expectations are, so that it works. My first obligation as the president is to make sure that I keep the American people safe and that our military is functioning effectively. Although I have consistently said I would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," I believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our priorities are going to be. That's how we were able to integrate the armed services to get women more actively involved in the armed services. At some point, you've got to make a decision that that's the right thing to do, but you always want to make sure that you are doing it in a way that maintains our core mission in our military.

Here is a LINK to the entire piece which also adresses DOMA and hate crime legislation.

Three of the four "Sex and the City" girls were in NYC this week for the DVD launch of their smash feature film. (Kristin Davis is in LA and missed the event). The DVD is out on Tuesday and I gotta say, the two-disc version sounds like the must-have. Two-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets have an extended cut of the movie, plus deleted scenes, a segment on the film's fashion sense and chats with Sarah Jessica Parker and writer-director Michael Patrick King.

The theatrical version of the movie is available in a single-disc DVD but no bells and whistles.

In the history of television, there are few actresses who have enjoyed the level of success and longevity as Sharon Gless.

This year, she was nominated for her ninth Emmy Award (she's won twice) for her recent guest turn on FX's "Nip/Tuck" and she is a regular on the hit USA series "Burn Notice, currently in its second season.

But that's just lately. We know her best from the six glorious years she starred on the landmark CBS show "Cagney and Lacey" with Tyne Daly (as well as several later TV movies), then there was her terrific show "The Trials of Rosie O'Neil" which only lasted two years but deserved to be on longer. But better remembered are the five seasons on Showtime's "Queer as Folk" as the larger-than-life Debbie, a no-nonsense working mom with a heart of gold and a wild red wig that allowed her to stand out in any crowd.

"I promise you I come from gratitude every single day because they still let me do it," Sharon said when we chatted at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys. "I'm sure as you know most of my peers are not working anymore. So I'm very blessed. I've been given good material that seems to land and I get to b e a part of it."

Sharon where she said was surprised by her nomination this year for "Nip/Tuck:"

"There was a lot of fuss about the part and not because of me. Ryan Murphy wrote the sickest, most twisted thing he's ever written which is tough to say about 'Nip/Tuck." And here we are."
Of course I wanted to talk to Sharon about "Queer as Folk."

"You know, I've been on many series. This is my 10th. And you always swear you'll never part, you'll all be friends and you'll stay together forever and you never do - except for Tyne Daly and myself. The boys and I have stayed close, close, close friends all these years. We never parted. We all lived in another country (the series was shot in Canada) and the work they had to do was very intimate stuff so we supported each other."
It should come as now surprise that Sharon is staunchly against California's Proposition 8 which seeks to ban marriage between same-sex couples.

"I'm gonna fight it. I'm there, I'm absolutely there. The gay community has been absolutely wonderful to me, they've kept me going all my career."

This is encouraging.

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in California, is trailing by a 17-point margin.

According to a Field Poll, 55 percent of likely voters say they will vote against Proposition 8, while 38 percent support the ballot measure. The latest figures indicate an increase in opposition for the ban since July, when the measure trailed by nine points.

The Bee reports that one reason for the falling support of the measure was thought to be the change in wording on ballot summary heading, which once read "Limit on Marriage" and now says "Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry." Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown switched the language after the state supreme court overturned a ban on gay marriages in California in May. In the new poll, half the respondents were read the original summary and the other half heard the new wording. The level of support for Proposition 8, however, did not alter. With either wording, only 38% of participants said they would vote yes. The new version did result in slightly higher opposition.

Who knew that being James Lipton could be so much fun?

The creator and host of Bravo's "Inside the Actors Studio" is now just about as famous as most of the household names he has interviewed over the last 14 years and he's loving every minute of it.

"Amazing, amazing, amazing," he said during our red carpet chat at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys. "Hell, I came from another red carpet this morning at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I'm in 'Igor.' In November, I'll be on the red carpet for 'Bolt" where I'm appearing. It's an amazing time."

What makes this 82-year-old former acting school dean's quiet intensity and obsequious interviewing style have made him ripe for parody on such shows as "Chappelle's Show," "Mystery Science Theater 3000," "The Howard Stern Show" and "The Simpsons." Most famous is Will Farrell's exaggerated impersonation of Lipton in sketches on "Saturday Night Live."

Does he get the joke?

"Well, of course. Of course," he said. "I love it."

And being so obsequious means that few people say no to appearing on the program. It's not like they are sitting across from the ladies on "The View."

"I've had over 200 guests and not one complaint," Lipton said. "I've never double-crossed anybody, I've never trapped anybody, no gotchas."

His favorite guest? "How would you distinguish among them? Spielberg. Scorsese. Streisand. Robin Williams. Where do you begin and where do you end? The list goes on and on and on."

And who would his dream guest be?

"The night that one of my graduated students has achieved so much that he or she comes out and sits down in that chair next to me, it'll be the best show I ever had."
I love Lipton's very long answer, filled with facts, when I ask him if the longevity of the show has come as a surprise to him.

"If you had put a gun to my head in 1994 and said, 'I will pull the trigger unless you predict that within three years this will be the largest graduate school in America, that the time will come when you'll be in 89 million homes on the Bravo network in America, in 125 countries and you'll have 14 consecutive Emmy nominations. Predict it or die.' I would have said, 'Pull the trigger.'"

There's more Noah's Arc-related news today.

Darryl Stephens, who plays the title role, is on the cover of the new issue of Instinct Magazine and talks about how loyal fans of the Logo series were deeply upset when the show was canceled after just two seasons.

"Oh, people were furious when they found out the show was canceled. People who liked the show show were so touched by it," Stephens says. "They were so moved and responded with such raw emotion. It made me realize we really were doing something right, and it showed me that the show was bigger than me. Bigger than me as a gay man. Bigger than me as a black man."

Luckily, this October 24 sees the theatrical release of "Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom." Darryl is more confident and seasoned than ever: "I'm still private about my personal life, but my being gay certainly does not have to be any big mystery or secret. Maybe in the
next few roles I get I'll learn how to settle into myself. I think that's kind of what I'm doing as a person: looking to settle into myself and be comfortable with who I am."

Ellen DeGeneres is so many things Emmy winning talk show host, American Express spokeswoman, wife to Portia de Rossi. Now Ellen is going where no 50-year-old lesbian has ever gone before: she is the newest face for CoverGirl cosmetics, it was announced this week.

How great is THAT?

Ellen talked about her new glamorous gig on her talk show Wednesday: "They're putting some lip liner on me--man they love lip liner. Man, they love lip liner. [The makeup artist] was just there for lip liner. I am very, very excited about it. It's a very cool thing, I'm honored, and the photo shoot was 'Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, CoverGirl.'"

Ellen's campaign is scheduled to debut in magazines and on television by January 2009.

NOTE: The photo is from an unrelated shoot some time ago. I just thought it was kinda cool.

America's top tennis player Andy Roddick may only be 26, but there's a lot of wear and tear on that body of his. Look at those ice packs on his knees! But Andy, pictured at right with Spain's David Ferrer in a cute picture (look the thumbs) will have to shrug it off for the start of today's Davis Cup matches in Madrid.

I'm obviously rooting for the Americans but isn't the Spanish team (below) just absolutely yummy. They are led by world number one Rafael Nadal and second to the left, there is hottie Feliciano Lopez who could have a career in modeling once his tennis career is over.

The matches begin today with singles, Saturday is a doubles match then Sunday is two more singles matches if needed. A team needs to win three of the matches to advance to the finals of the Davis Cup.

Sarah Palin was called the worst thing to happen to America since 9/11 by Margaret Cho and a bad Disney movie by Matt Damon. Now TV's Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, according to Philadelphia Magazine, has joined the fray and given her thoughts on the GOP's VP candidate being compared to Wonder Woman:

Says Carter: Don't get me started. She's the anti-Wonder Woman. She's judgmental and dictatorial, telling people how they've got to live their lives. And a superior religious self-righteousness ... that's just not what Wonder Woman is about... Doesn't mean that I'm godless. Doesn't mean that I am a murderer. What I hate is this demonization of everybody but one position. You're un-American because you're against the war. It's such bull****. Fear. It's really such a finite way of thinking about God to think that your measley little mind can know the mind of God. It's a very little God that way. I think that God's bigger. I don't presume to know his mind. Or her mind.

You gotta figure fans of the "Noah's Arc" TV series were gonna love the long-awaited feature film almost no matter what it was about. The great news is this: the movie is terrific and worth the wait. I walked out of last night's screening at Raleigh Studios with a smile because I liked it so much, liked spending time with Noah, Wade, Alex, Ricky and Chance again.

Only a cast already this comfortable with their characters and with each other could come up with that kind of chemistry and those kinds of performances in the movie that was shot in just 15 days.

I gotta start out by giving a rave to Rodney Chester (Alex) who is just a comic delight throughout the movie and gives his character the kind of larger-than-life personality that translates well onto the big screen. He has such great energy and timing but also dials it down just right in his two more dramatic scenes. Rodney has great material as his character takes it upon himself to become the wedding planner from hell for Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade's (Jensen Atwood) wedding at Martha's Vinyard. (The series is set in LA, but at the time the movie was shot, marriage was not yet legal in California - it is legal is Mass.).

At the end of the second season, the couple had split up and then Wade was in a bad car accident. We learn that Noah nursed him back to health and they got back together, Stephens and Atwood are sweet together, as always. Now, their characters are getting married and the core group of friends have traveled across the country to attend.

The movie covers the days leading up to the wedding where there are all kinds of revelations that take place amongst the group. I won't spill all the details but just know that every character has some major drama and relationship trouble including Chance (Doug Spearman) and Eddie (Jonathan Julian), and the slutty Ricky (Christian Vincent). I like that we peel the onion on Ricky some and learn why he is the tramp that he is.

There are some familiar faces and some new ones too. including Brandon (Gary Leroi Gray) who kind of has the Meg Tilly role if this were "The Big Chill." He's the outsider invited by one of the insiders, in this case Ricky who didn't want to be at a wedding alone for the weekend even though he isn't that into Brandon who is 19 and just coming out.

The character is in one of the movie's best-written scenes. It's at Wade's bachelor party and the kid is asking about gay relationships and male and female roles. Atwood is so good in this scene - the best he;s ever been - as he talks about Noah's feminine attributes and what he goes through inside each time he introduces his love to someone new. What do they think? What does it say about him? Wade has had some drinks and is being dead honest and it feels that way.

I love that scene.

Jason Steed's character of Baby Gat, who was after Noah in the series, is back at it in the movie and I guess is supposed to be comic relief. I found him completely annoying in almost every scene. The only good thing his character did was bring Noah's boss, Brandy (Jennia Fredrique) to the wedding and her scenes with Rodney Chester are high points.

And finally, two very talented ladies grace the movie briefly, but wonderfully. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins plays Wade's mother and in her few scenes, brings all she can to the role of a mother trying to understand. Then there is a cameo from the Pheobe Snow, the great singer who we haven't seen enough of in a few decades. She looks and sounds great and makes the soundtrack to this film (if there is one yet) a must have.

The movie was co-written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and hits theaters on October 24. Go to the movie's website NoahsArcMovie.com for more information.

Here is a promo video:

Usually, the production notes you are handed before a movie screening are pretty useless except for helping you to get the spellings of names correct etc. But the material for "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" is so filled with good tidbits that I will probably have an item from it just about every day until the movie comes out in Oct. 24.

What really caught my eye was a section detailing the involvement of legendary singer Phoebe Snow in the project. If you haven't heard of her, go to her website PhoebeSnow.com and find out. She's best known for the song "Poetry Man" but is so much more than that classic song including the beautiful "Something Real" which she sings in the movie.

Director and co-writer Patrik-Ian Polk says in the notes that when he was writing the movie, he knew he wanted to have a wedding singer in the movie's final scene and the first person he thought of was Phoebe Snow.

At around the same time, Miss Snow discovered the "Noah's Arc" TV series on Logo as she was grieving over the most devastating of losses: the death of a child.

She says: "My daughter passed away in 2007. She was the love of my life. Without her, I was worried about my own survival. For some reason, watching 'Noah's Arc' drew me back into the material world. I decided I had to find the guy who created it. He saved my life. I wanted to thank him and I went on a mission to find him."

Not too long after, Phoebe found herself invited to Polk's birthday party and they later bonded over lunch. She was just returning to performing and agreed to appear in the movie.

Said Polk: "It was kind of surreal and strange. I mean, she's the legendary Phoebe Snow - I have her music on my iPod!... She wrote us a great song and performed one of her signature songs as well. We couldn't have asked for more."

Here is a video of Phoebe singing her classic, "Poetry Man"

As if we didn't love him enough already.

Brad Pitt announced Wednesday that he's donating $100,000 to fight California's Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He said in a statement: "Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8."

Bravo Brad!

My friend Karen Ocamb notes in the new issue of IN Los Angeles Magazine that while the high-profile gay marriages Ellen DeGeneres (and of George TakeiI might add) have meant visibility, many other famous gay celebs don't appear to be putting their money where their mouth is. As a result, the fight against Proposition 8 has raised $11 million while those against gay marriage have raised $16 million.

Karen writes:
While their visibility as openly LGBT celebrities and entertainment power players is important, their financial absence from the specific fight to save the fundament right of same-sex couples to marry is hurting.

Also missing (as of Sept. 10) from the rolls were: Rosie ODonnell, whose Feb. 27, 2004, marriage to Kelli Carpenter was nullified; Sir Elton John, who tied the civil partnership knot with partner David Furnish in England; rock star Melissa Etheridge, whose domestic partnership/wedding to actress Tammy Lynn Michaels Sept. 22, 2003, was celebrated in In Style magazine.

Other producers and directors not on the list include Paul Colichman (here!TV) Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters), Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives), Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), Joel Schumacher (Batman & Robin), and Gus Van Sant, though Bruce Cohen, who produced Milk, directed by Van Sant, was recently married and did contribute. Max Muchnick (Will & Grace) also contributed, as did David Geffen, partner in DreamWorks, who gave $50,000, and Bryan Lourd, managing partner of Creative Artists Agency who contributed $5,000.

Top individual donors are philanthropist David Bohnett ($600,000), David Maltz, of Cleveland ($500,000), James Hormel ($150,000) and Gene La Pietra ($100,000).

Among companies and foundations that contributed monetarily and in-kind, Equality California is the largest contributor at $4 million (EQCAs annual budget is $1.5 million). The Human Rights Campaign has contributed $2 million (with a budget of $40 million); the ACLU, $1.5 million; National Center for Lesbian Rights, more than $500,000; the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, $250,000; Gill Action Fund, $350,000. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has contributed $257,000 (with a budget of $9 million), but has 90 percent of its field staff working in Southern California for the fight. (Full disclosure: IN magazine contributed $20,000.)

Left the newsroom a little early to catch a 4:40 p.m. showing of "The Women." I loved the original movie but knew going in (I read the reviews) that this redo was not gonna be a classic.

I didn't hate it, didn't love it. Was kinda right down the middle.

Things I liked:
Annette Benning. Any movie with her is worth watching because she is one of our best actresses. She is terrific as Meg Ryan's magazine editor best friend and looks great in the designer clothes. The main quibble I have is no fault of Annette's. The script has her and Meg as best friends since college and Annette is clearly older by, it looks like, about 10 years. She is a very attractive non-Botoxed woman, but she's not in her early 40s anymore and can't pull it off without better lighting.

Meg Ryan. I thought I didn't like her anymore because of that trout mouth thing but I'm over it. She had to have those awful curls in the first half of the flick then does a makeover and looks terrific (and far younger than Benning. Sorry).She makes the most of the part but is limited by the script. Still, she's as watchable as she ever was and it's good to see her front-and-center again.

Supporting Actresses: Oh man, it is a glorious thing. The great Cloris Leachman is Meg's housekeeper and has some of the best laughs in the movie. Cloris is never bad, is always good but when she gets a terrific movie part like this or the one in "Spanglish," she nails the hell out of it. Then there is Candice Bergen as Meg's mom. Remember, they played mother and daughter in 1981's "Rich and Famous," Meg's first movie! Candice is perfect, perfect, perfect in a part that is perfect for her. And finally, there is Bette Midler who has about five minutes of screen time and is an absolute hoot! Watch for the scene where she pretends to be helping get a canoe into the lake. Also strong is Debi Mazar as the manicurist with a big mouth.

Things I did not like:
Debra Messing. An awful role and an awful performance. Beyond annoying and not at all believable. Belonged in a sitcom.

Jada Pinkett Smith. Love Jada but the role is crap! She's a lesbian so that's cool and I like when she is openly lusting after the hot girls (including Eva Mendes as the woman sleeping with Meg's hubby). But Jada is absolutely given nothing to do and in the climactic scene where Debra is giving birth to yet another baby, it shows that comedy is not Pinkett's forte.

Here's is the trailer:

I love new challenges and don't mind change as long as it's positive and exciting.

The LA Daily News, where I have worked for seven years now, had a bit of a revamp this week which resulted in my celebrity column being moved from Page 2 of the front section to Page 2 of the features section. Not a huge deal to me as long as my readers know where to find me!

The really exciting part of all this is the launch of a my new weekly entertainment industry column which is more issue-oriented and allows me to do more reporting.

I kicked it off today (in my old Page 2 space where it will appear each Wednesday) with a look at celebrities like Matt Damon and Oprah Winfrey being outspoken during this presidential election. Barack Obama supporter Oprah has suffered backlash but the jury is still out on Matt who blasted Sarah Palin last week.

Here is a LINK to GREG's NEW COLUMN!

The defending champion US team has its work cut out for it this weekend as it battles Spain and Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Davis Cup competition. Spain is a heavy favorite since the matches are being played on slow red clay - not the US team's strong point.

While I expect the Americans to lose (but hope they win!), it's still fun to see them. Mardy Fish, (above) having the best year of his career, looks like he's about to plant a big wet one on his double's partner Mike Bryan. Mardy was a last-minute replacement for Mike's twin brother, Bob Bryan, who is suffering from a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, the team's leader and best player, Andy Roddick, will play singles against Nadal. Andy can beat Rafa but not on red clay - no way. But maybe he'll have something to prove after his tough US Open loss and the terrible year he's had since getting injured in April.

Here is the ridiculously handsome John Barrowman in London on Sunday. He was the host of a concert in honor of Andrew Lloyd Webber's birthday. I want John Barrowman to host MY next birthday party!

There's some swear words so turn the volume down if you're at work!

Grant Show isn't sporting a mustache right now but he'd grow it back if it means he gets to resume Tom Decker on CBS' "Swingtown."

"It comes back quick," he said of the facial hair. "But I've shaved it for now. It's out there, it's somewhere in the Santa Monica Bay.

"Swingtown" wrapped up its first season on Sept. 5 and its future is still very much up in the air.

"There's absolutely hope for it," Grant said when we spoke a few days ago. "It's touch and go but they haven't let me go on to other projects yet."

There are aggressive efforts to find the show a home on another network, most likely on cable. It's set in 1976 and follows the lives of three couples living on the same street in a neighborhood in suburban Chicago.

Grant's airline pilot character and his wife, Trina (Lana Parrilla), have an open marriage. The arrangement means lots of wild pool parties and some moral quandries for their intrigued, but more conversative neighbors.

"He's a really good guy who also has no restrictions," Grant said of his current TV alter-ego. "His whole thrust is he wants everyrone to be included, wants everyone to know they are invited to the party. Society didn't throw boundaries up that he listened to."

As he waits to learn of the show's fate, 46-year-old Grant is keeping with other short-term projects including an upcoming episode of ABC's "Private Practice."

"I play a doctor and I come in and have some fun," he said. "He's a cad. It's fun to play. The first two-thirds of my career I played the brooding guy with a good heart. They are so boring!"
But it is playing just such a good guy that made Grant a star. The year was 1992 and the show was "Melrose Place." Grant played the hunky Jake Hansen who was involved with a series of the series' female characters including those played by Heather Locklear, Daphne Zuniga and Courtney Thorne-Smith.

"I had no idea that 16 years later we'd still be talking about it," he said of the show. "I'm very lucky to have been involved in it."

Grant points out that both "Melrose" and "Swingtown" can now be watched online on the new site Fancast.com along with hundreds of other TV shows new and old.

"You have more people getting into the game now because there's nothing stopping anyone from creating something," he said. "You don't have to go through the normal channels anymore."

Here's a recent TV interview with Grant:

Bravo to AfterElton.com for single-handedly bringing to light NBC's absolute failure to acknowledge and report on the fact that the only openly gay man at the Olympic Games - Matthew Mitcham -had won the gold medal in a diving event.

Bob Costas, the prime-time host of the Olympics and one of the most respected sports broadcasters on television talked about it with the site. Here is a nibble:

AfterElton.com: Since Matthew Mitcham was the only out gay male athlete at the games, and it was historic for an openly gay athlete to win such a high profile Olympic event, do you think it would have made a good story or been worth mentioning that fact?
Bob Costas: Yes, I do. I was not focused on it. It wasn't like I was sitting there thinking, "Gee, I have a chance to get this in." It was just something that wasn't on my radar screen to be perfectly honest. But had it been, I would have thought it was a worthwhile thing to mention.

Why it wasn't mentioned by the people covering the event, that's up to them to answer. There's lots of different dynamics, in all these things. So I'm not being critical of them for not mentioning it. But I think - generally speaking - especially if the guy is out...

AE: He had done a big interview a few months before the Olympics. It was clear he was out.
BC: Yeah. Sure. I think it's a story.

AE: Did you know that he was out, or that he had come out recently, or that he was an openly gay athlete?
BC: I guess I did, in looking over the profiles of many Olympic athletes in the high-profile sports. But it just wasn't something that I was focusing on while hosting. Because a lot of times what the host does is he'll comment on the last thing seen before it comes back to the studio. Kind of capture the whole overview. The case is that more often than not, you're not commenting on every specific individual athlete or medal winner. That's more done at the venue than by the host. So it just wasn't something that was in the front of my mind.

Had it been and had the circumstance arisen so it would have played in a way that made sense, and it wouldn't have been going around six corners to get to it - I would have done it.

Go to AfterElton.com to read the interview in its entirety.

Good grief, Sarah Palin may be exciting to some Republican voters, but she seems like the anti-Christ to folks on the other side of the political aisle. The very funny Margaret Cho was dead serious in a new interview with Washington Blade when she talked about the Republican vice presidential candidate:

"I think [Palin] is the worst thing to happen to America since 9-11. Someone who has no thoughts about women's rights and who wants to send women back to the Stone Age? You might as well not let women vote. I came out of the Democratic convention feeling so proud and excited, but now I fear that our country is so backwards in so many ways and the ignorance that exists is greater than we can even imagine."

She also sees Palin as anti-gay:

"The reach of homophobia and hatred is so wide, it's disturbing how deep it is. Now with Sarah Palin, who is so anti-gay and advocated camps for them to go to be brainwashed, she is a real sign of something very wrong with this country, a real problem. We are battling homophobia on so many fronts."

I just love this arrangement of photos on the A Socialite's Life site where there are many more photos of "Ugly Betty" cast members posted and a write-up of last night's kick-off party in NYC.

Lindsay Lohan was once ignored by this blog but hey, she's apparently a lesbian now so she gets some mentions these days. Then there are the divine Vanessa Williams, the adorable Mark Indelicante, and the heart and soul of the show, America Ferrera.

But best of all, and most delish, is the blue-eyed Eric Mabius who is one of my major prime-time crushes. (It seems I have crush categories: newsman crushes, tennis player crushes etc)

The great star turns 84 today!

Lauren Bacall has been a true original from the days when she burst onto the scene as Humphrey Bogart's leading lady in 1944's "To Have and Have Not" then soonafter, became his wife.

After she ahd Bogie made four memorable movies together ("The Big Sleep," "Key Largo" and "Dark Passage" and were about to start filming a fifth, he died of lung cancer and left her a widow at 32. They had been married just 13 years and had two children together. It was a premature end of one of the greatest love stories Hollywood had ever known.

Despite her triumphs on her own in such films as "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Designing Woman," "Written in the Wind" and "Youing Man With a Horn," Hollywood did not offer her many movies after Bogart's death. She moved to New York, married Jason Robards Jr. and had a son, the actor Sam Robards.

Then Bacall became the toast of Broadway spending years at a time in such hits as "Cactus Flower." "Applause" and "Woman of the Year" and won two Tonys along the way. She also won the National Book Award for her acclaimed memoir "By Myself" and got busy with movies again appearing in "Murder on the Orient Express," "The Shootist" (John Wayne's final movie) and earning an Oscar nomination for 1996's "The Mirror Has To Faces."
Miss Bacall continues to work in film with recent roles in "The Walker" with Woody Harrelson (pictured, right) "Birth" and "Dogville" with Nicole Kidman as well as "Manderlay" and "These Foolish Things," among others.

At 84, she is still healthy, still glamorous, still going strong....

Here is the famous scene from "To Have and Have Not" when she teaches Bogart to whistle. Hard to believe she was only 19!

Barbra Streisand, who will perform a $2,500 a ticket concert for Barack Obama in Beverly Hills tonight, is speaking her mind about John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick.

Under the headline "McCain Doesn't Get It: Women are not that stupid," Streisand writes on her Website: "I believe John McCain chose Gov. Palin because he truly believes that women who supported Hillary [Clinton] -- an experienced, brilliant, life-long public servant--would vote for him because his Vice President has two x chromosomes. McCain's selection of Governor Palin is a transparent and irresponsible decision all in the name of trying to win this election."

This woman does speak - and sing - her truth.

It's a damned special day when you get to chat with a bonafide Broadway legend like Elaine Stritch.

Knock me over with a feather.

She was in town for the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday where she was trying to win the outstanding guest actress in a comedy series award for the second year running for her role as Alec Baldwin's mother on NBC's "30 Rock."

Kathryn Joosten won for "Desperate Housewives" so Miss Stritch would have to be content with her current tally of three Emmy wins - for now anyway.

She told me before the ceremony that she is having a heck of a time working with Baldwin.

"I love him, I just love him," she said in her brassy, rough voice. "I don't think I'd do it if it weren't for Alec. I just love him. First of all, he's a giant actor. He really can act. He knows his way around the acting profession - bigtime. So I love that. I get a chance to play comedy with him because he's so good at that. It just makes you want to do a dramatic part with him because he's so good at that. He's really my kind of performer."

Her long career in films, television and especially on the New York and London stage was recalled - warts and all - in her Tony Award winning one-woman show "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" which ran on Broadway and was made into an HBO documentary that won several Emmys.

She reprised the show ealier this year.

"We've just toured, we just got back from London where they asked us to do that show that you liked so much," she said. "Then we went to Austin, Texas, have you been there? It's very culturally hip."

And so is she.

"The thing I feel so good about is I get a lot of young people who come to see my show on tour and in London. People who I call youngsters that are between 20 and 35. I think that's a great compliment to me. I love kids, I love playing to young audiences - and old, my God! Any audience will do for me."

Online extras:
Stritch on parody of her on Logo's "The Big Gay Sketch Show"
"She's good, isn't she? And they're nice people. They really are nice folks on that. I don't care about stuff like that, that's great. Imitation is truly the greatest form of flattery."

Stritch on Sarah Palin:
"I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley I'll tell you that. She scares me to death."

Videos:
This is stunning. It's Elaine Stritch trying to record the classi "Ladies Who Lunch" during an all-night session for the soundtrack of "Company." She struggles mightily to get it right and can't. Watch the whole thing and see what happens:

And this clip is an absolute hoot! Elaine won her second Emmy Award for the HBO Special "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" in 2004 (she won her third Emmy last year) and her speech that year is an all-time Emmy classic:

It's Robert Buckley and Robert Buckley! These promo shots for the upcoming second season of NBC's "Lipstick Jungle" do not show off the actor's best assets but no doubt that shirt will come off in his scenes with co-star Kim Raver.

The movie will not hit theaters until December but expectations are high...

Is Meryl Streep's 15th Oscar nomination on the horizon? Judging from these scenes, I think so and for God's sake, I hope she wins.

If anyone should have three Academy Awards, it's Meryl Streep. She has one for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Sophie's Choice" but her last win was 25 years ago. I think she deserved to win for "One True Thing" and "Adaptation" for sure and maybe "Bridges of Madison County."

She's due...

Kathryn Joosten is not only a terrific actress, she's also a highly-entertaining interview. You know her best as cranky neighbor Mrs. McKlusky on "Desperate Housewives" and on commercials that include the often-played yogurt commercial where she can't find the fiber in any of the many samples she has eaten in the supermarket and the one for V8 where he bops a guy on the head in the fast food drive-thru.

"With the V8 one, they couldn't get the other ladies (who were auditioning) to hit him on the head. I've got sons."

She loves the work.

"I went five years without a commercial so finally, finally it's happening," she said. "I was at that point where i was kinda well known and kinda not and then they weren't sure and so they'd hedge their bet and get someone else."

But commercials aren't her main gig. It is "Desperate Housewives" that has really put her on the map. I wondered if, since it is five years later on Wisteria Lane, if maybe they have found a new love interest for her.

"Nol," she said. "I got Lily Tomlin out of it. I held out, I said, 'C'mon give me a love interest! Give me a love interest! And they gave me a sister."

Of Tomlin joining the show: "Yes, isn't that wild. We had a ball. She'll show up as my sister but it won't be every week."

Since Kathryn is not in every single episode of "Housewives," she is still considered to be a guest star and this enables her to compete in the guest actress category. At Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys, she won for the second time after taking home her first Emmy in 2005.

"Who thought an old lady like me could win this twice!" she joked backstage.

Say it ain't so!

Mario Lopez, as well known for his buff body as for his acting and hosting skills, tells People.com: "My shirtless photo-shoot days are behind me...My TV projects are my main priority. And no, you will never see me host Extra without a shirt."

But Mario is returning to FX's "Nip/Tuck" as Dr. Mike Hamoui. You remember, he's the guy who Christian (Julian McMahon) was eyeing in the shower in season four.

Says Mario: "Dr. Mike might not be taking anymore showers at the gym with Christian, but he will lose his shirt."

*******************************************

Meanwhile, Nick Adams just posted pictures (below) of he and Mario on his Facebook page. They starred together on Broadway this summer in "A Chorus Line" and there was some controversy early on because Mario reportedly didn't want his buffness overshadowed by Nicks.

And finally, here's a video of a shirtless Mario taking a run around town...

Remember the days when Lindsay Lohan was crashing cars and checking into rehab? Well, I'm glad to see that she is giving thought to a broad range of things including the presidential election. On hewr MySpace page, the "Mean Girls" star had some strong words for Sarah Palin:

"I really cannot bite my tongue anymore when it comes to Sarah Palin. I couldn't be more supportive of a woman in office, but let's face it, it comes down to the person, and their beliefs, male or female. Is it a sin to be gay? Should it be a sin to be straight? Or to use birth control? Or to have sex before marriage? Or even to have a child out of wedlock? I find it quite interesting that a woman who now is running to be second in command of the United States, only 4 years ago had aspirations to be a television anchor. Which is probably all she is qualified to be... Also interesting that she got her passport in 2006.. And that she is not fond of environmental protection considering she's FOR drilling for oil in some of our protected land.... Well hey, if she wants to drill for oil, she should DO IT IN HER OWN backyard. This really shows me her complete lack of real preparation to become the second most powerful person in this country. Hmmmm-All of this gets me going-Fear, Anxiety, Concern, Disappointment, and Stress come into play... Is our country so divided that the Republicans best hope is a narrow minded, media obsessed homophobe? I know that the most important thing about this election is that people need to exercise their right to vote, regardless of their choice... I would have liked to have remained impartial, however I am afraid that the 'lipstick on a pig' comments will overshadow the issues and the fact that I believe Barack Obama is the best choice, in this election, for president...Palin's Desire to 'save and convert the gays'-really??..."

Adds her girlfriend Samantha Ronson: "I love this country- however i wasn't born here and don't have the right to vote- so i beg of you all to really do your research and be educated when you cast your vote this coming november.... and if you're in doubt- vote for obama! Mainly because if she gets elected my green card probably won't get renewed!!!"

here!TV continues to premiere fresh movies and TV shows with "Holding Trevor": being their latest announced movie. It premieres on Friday, Oct. 3.

Here's the plot synopsis: Trevor Holden (Brent Gorski), has just witnessed his boyfriend Darrell (Christopher Wyllie) overdose on heroin--again. As his closest friend, Trevor feels a responsibility to help Darrell in his latest attempt at sobriety, much to the dismay of his own best friends Jake (Jay Brannon, Shortbus) and Andie (Melissa Searing).

When Darrell starts using again Trevor is finally ready to call it quits and soon after meets the ever-so-charming Ephram. Trevor is smitten by Ephram, mostly because he is the antithesis of what Darrell was as a boyfriend. As the relationship between Trevor and Ephram quickly progresses, his friendships with Jake and Andy begin to wane. Jake, the self-proclaimed sex-addict, is starting to worry a little bit about his past catching up with him, namely in the form of HIV, and Andie, who drunkenly ends her sexual dry spell with a one-night stand, realizes that Jake might have less to worry about than she does. Meanwhile, Ephram accepts a job thousands of miles away in New York City and asks Trevor to join him. Now, what had started out as Trevor's own personal existential journey turns into a path that will lead everyone to what is most important: themselves.

Brent Gorski not only stars in Holding Trevor, but is also the writer and executive producer. Rosser Goodman directs.

Here is the trailer:

George Takei best known as Sulu on "Star Trek," married his longtime partner Brad Altman on Sunday before 200 guests in a ceremony in the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

George and Brad - together 21 years already - were the first couple to receive a marriage license in the City of West Hollywood when California began issuing them to gay couples on June 17 but they took some time to plan their ceremony. Among the guests were best man Walter Koenig, (who played the role of Chekov on Star Trek), and "best lady" Nichelle Nichols (who played Uhura on Star Trek).

According to GLAADblog: Officiated by a Buddhist priest, the ceremony featured koto music and the san-san-kudo sake ritual. Takei, 71, and Altman, 54, exchanged matching turquoise wedding bands designed by Navajo silversmith Clyde Woody. The couple wrote their own vows. "I vow to care for you as you've cared for me ... and to love you as my husband and the only man in my life," Takei said as he held Altman's hands. The priest then pronounced them "spouses for life." A bagpiper led the newlyweds to their reception as family and friends greeted the couple with streamers and confetti.

Kathy Griffin was the woman of the hour at the weekend's Creative Arts Emmys as she won for the second year in a row for her "My Life on the D-List" show in the outstanding reality show category.

Before the awards, I asked Kathy about gay marriage in California and the fight by backers of Proposition 8 to stop it. Here's what she said: "The gays should have all the same rights as everybody else, it's ridiculous. That it's even a question in this day and age is ridiculous and arcane and it's a shame. That's why I'm saying, it might be fun to think of vice president (Sarah) Palin, but then when you really, really think about it, not so fun. No so fun for the gays, not so good for the women."

You pretty much gotta feel sorry for most of the other women on a red carpet when Jennifer Beals is among them. She was easily the most gorgeous woman at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday even though she seemed to be suffering from a cold.

She stopped for a quick gab with me on her way in to the Nokia Theater. Jennifer said she is currently filming episodes for the final season of her hugely successful Showtime series "The L Word" and I wondered how she felt about that chapter in her life coming to a close.

"I'm excited and feel really proud of what we've accomplished and I think everybody is ready for a new adventure and I think we're ready for different stories to be told."

Jennifer burst onto the scene 25 years ago in "Flashdance" while a college student at Yale. She's never stopped working in films but had only done one TV series before "The L Word" and that was "2000 Malibu Road" which also starred Drew Barrymore and Lisa Hartman.

Would she do another series?

"I'd love to do another series if it was something that was exciting. I'd like to mix it up as much as I could."

Jennifer started coughing so I let her go but not before asking her if she liked coming to these kinds of events and doing the red carpet thing: "It's a day at the office. I like talking to you!"

But what about getting all dressed up and looking like Cinderella?

"Well, that's fun," she said. (laughs) "The whole transformation that goes on is really quite extraordinary. Those people deserve awards too."

Matthew McConaughey completed the the annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon to raise money for charity over ther weekend and looked pretty danged awesome doing it. He wasn't the onlt celeb on hand - just the only one I really care about. I like this photo so much that I almost forgive Matthew for the dreadful "Fool's Gold" that I watched on DVD last month with my parents. My mom fell asleep, I turned on my laptop and my dad suffered through the end after investing so much time in it. It was bad. Bad. Bad.

This was a riot! Tina Fey was perfection and Amy Poeler as Hillary Clinton was a scream. We know that Palin herself did see it, according to ABC News. Here's an entry from the network's political blog:

ABC News' David Wright and Alyssa Litoff Report: As comedienne Tina Fey debuted her impression of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, the governor and her staff were watching from 30,000 feet.

Palin was on board her campaign jet flying from Reno to Denver as 11:30 PM Eastern rolled around. But the show was available on the Jetblue charter's satellite TV system.

Standing alongside SNL cast member Amy Poehler who was impersonating Hillary Clinton, Fey's Palin extolled her foreign policy expertise in a flat midwestern accent: "I can see Russia from my house!"

There were howls of laughter from the sizeable press corps covering Palin's first foray on the campaign trail without her running man as a chaperone.

But, from the front of the plane, silence. The flight attendants assured us Palin and her entourage were watching. What she thought, though, is anybody's guess.

Palin has yet to say so much as hello to the press corps.

The campaign is doing its best to keep Palin well away from inquisitive reporters, going so far as to book the press corps into a separate hotel from the candidate.

Well, there's no stopping her now (as if there ever was). Kathy Griffin is now a two-time Emmy winner. Our favorite redhead took home the Outstanding Reality Show trophy at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys - a repeat of last year's victory.

Here's part of her speech, which was toned down from last year when she famously said: "Suck it Jesus, this award is my God now!"

"Well, well, well! Here we go again, f--ers. Here we go again!" Kathy then acknowledged some of the bigger celebs in the audience: "Hanks, Gandolfini -- what the f--! I'm not going to tell anyone to suck it. I would make love to this thing if I could."

Awesome!!!

Anyone who saw this episode knows it had Emmy written all over it. Out actress Cynthia Nixon played a woman with multiple personalities on an episode of "Law & Order: SVU" last fall and was just stunning as she segued from one persona to another. Not many actresses could have pulled it off but Cynthia did and at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys, she won for outstanding guest actress in a drama.

It;s the second Emmy for Cynthia who won her first trophy in 2004 for playing Miranda on "Sex and the City." She also won a Tony Award a few years back for the Broadway play "Rabbit Hole."

Congratulations to Cynthia!

I spent the afternoon covering the red carpet at the Ceative Arts Emmys and it was well-worth my time since I snagged some great interviews that I'll be sharing with you throughout the coming days. I was most excited to talk to Elaine Stritch, Sharon Gless and, as always, Kathy Griffin.

Here is the column I wrote for tomorrow's paper which I share with you now:

So what if she calls them "The Schemmys." It's Kathy Griffin who really put the Creative Arts Emmys on the map with her wild acceptance speech antics last year.

On Saturday afternoon, I chatted with Kathy as she made her way into the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles for this year's show and wondered if she felt maybe a tad remorseful for giving the event what is now a pretty famous nickname.

Not a chance.

"Shmemmys is an endearment that I say with complete love because of the fact that it starts at 2:30 (p.m.) is not something a real award show would ever do," Kathy said. "I got up for hair and make-up around 4 (a.m.), it was still dark out. But there's also a lot of big stars here so I'm really excited. I'm also excited to see who's too famous to walk the red carpet. I, of course, am not."

Plenty of stars - both nominees and presenters - did show up including James Gandolfini, Lee Pace, Jennifer Beals, Valerie Bertinelli, James Pickens, Joe Mantegna, Chloe Sevegny, Bryan Cranston, Masi Oka, Seth Green, and Sarah Chalke, who co-hosted the evening with Neil Patrick Harris.

These are the Emmys given the week before the televised prime-time
Emmy telecast to animated programs, reality shows, guest spots on comedy and dramatic series and in technical categories including make-up and editing.

Highlights from the show will air on E! on September 20.

I wondered how Miss Griffin felt about returning as the reigning reality
show queen after her win last year for "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

"It's a little bit of a middle finger up at high school, it's not
even against Hollywood," she said. "It's more against the cheerleaders who tortured me in high school. I actually wish they were all here right now - every pom pom girl and cheerleader. Then I would finally have my moment."

Sharon Gless has two Emmys at home for "Cagney and Lacey" but was excited to be nominated in the guest actress category for an episode she did of FX's "Nip/Tuck."

"This my ninth nomination but I've never been nominated in this category and I've never been to the Creative Arts (Emmys)," said Sharon, who added that she was surprised to get the nomination but gave credit to series creator Ryan Murphy who she said had "written the sickest most twisted thing he's ever written" for her to play.

Also nominated was Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, already a
two-time Emmy winner going into Saturday's ceremony. We had a good laugh when Elaine, nominated again as guest actress for her role as Alec Baldwin's mother on NBC's "30 Rock," talked about a letter she got from a man at the Television Academy "telling me how to behave."

"The part I really loved about it was when he said, 'And don't pay any attention to those people who hug you on your way up (to the stage) because they just want to get their faces on camera,'" she said, laughing. "Are you kidding? He told me how to do it! It's the funniest thing. He tells you how to behave emotionally, physically. I thought, 'This is Stella Adler's class!' And then he said, 'And please do this in 33 seconds."

It was also great to see Marissa Jaret Winokur, the Tony winner
("Hairpsray") who made it to the semifinals of "Dancing With the Stars" last season. She and her Emmy nominated husband Judah Miller ("King of the Hill") said the event was essentially their first date since the arrival of their son, Zev Isaac Miller, seven weeks ago.

"My husband had to get nominated for an Emmy for us to go out,"
Marissa said. "I put our son in a little onesie today with a little tuxedo and bow tie. I got him dressed up to take pictures with us so it was very exciting. It's a big day."

...All except for Elisabeth Hasselbeck, of course. But Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and especially Whoopi Goldberg gave Republican presidential candidate John McCain a real workover this morning and it was quite interesting to watch.

I gotta say, McCain did not come across as well as these three ladies did - these three smart, experienced and well-informed women did what any authentic human being wants to do: ask him tough questions and demand answers.

This appearance was no light-hearted affair even if it did take place on a comfy sofa. It comes the day after Sarah Palin's interview with ABC's Charles Gibson - an interview that I found to be so disconcerting. It is clear to anyone who is being honest with themselves, that the governor of Alaska is - at this time - not ready to be vice president of the United States and it is insulting to us that McCain chose her. I'm not even talking about her socially conservative views, I'm just talking about her not being near ready to be president should something happen to the 72-year-old senator at the top of the ticket.

Here is a longer clip:

Here's a clip of her environmental views...

Senator Dianne Feinstein has released a statement against Propositon 8, the November ballot initiative which seeks to take back the right for same-sex couples to get married in California.

Here's what she says:

"Proposition 8 would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. I oppose it as a matter of equality and fairness.

The right to marry is fundamental. It provides social stability, economic equality, and the ability to make decisions for a spouse in a time of crisis.

If Proposition 8 were to pass, not only would it eliminate the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples, but it would also create a complicated legal quagmire for those who have exercised this right under the California Constitution, as adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the State.

The views of Californians on this issue have changed over time, and as a State, I believe we should uphold the ability of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers who are gay and lesbian to enter into the contract of marriage.

I urge Californians to oppose Proposition 8."

Bravo!

Lori Loughlin is one of the stars of the new "90210" that premiered to huge ratings last week. We just finished chatting about the show and her career for my newspaper column tomorrow but I wanted to quickly share with you her thoughts on the film "Doing Time on Maple Drive" which she considers, and rightfully so, to be some of her best work.

She played the college sweetheart and fiancee of a handsome closeted gay man (Billy McNamara) who is trying to live up to his family's expectations and trying to be perfect. A pre-movie stardom Jim Carrey played McNamara's alcoholic older broither.

"It's very high on my list of favorite projects that I've ever worked on and it's work that I'm immensely proud of. That whole piece was so moving, very powerful. At the time, the other networks would not touch it but FOX embraced it."

The film, directed by Ken Olin, gave Lori and Billy one of the most outstanding scenes in either of their careers. Her character finds a love letter from Billy's ex-boyfriend and in the early morning hours, goes to his bedroom and confronts him. He is panicked, begging her not to tell anyone and she is hut, but also remarkably compassionate and strong. She loves him, won't tell anyone, but can't marry him. She then departs before anyone else wakes up leaving him to spin things however he wants.

"What I really loved about doing that scene was for me to say those words, 'You need to be who you are.' Being able to say those words.. The reaction that i got from the gay community was so warm. I meet fans who say, 'You really touched my live.' I'll always be so fond of it."

He tries to kill himself after his bachelor party by driving his car into a tree and at that point, the painful truth begins to force its way out.

"It was so subtle, but so good,." Lori said. "Peeling the layers off of an onion, you just got in there and everything came tumbling down."

Clips were hard ot come by but thereis this one I found on YouTube that is to music by Depeche Mode.

Who needs Maria Sharapova when you've got Wimbledon champion Venus Williams and US Open champion Serena Williams on the toiwn. The sensational sisters got decked out for yesterday's Zac Posen Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent, Bryant Park on September 11, 2008 in New York City.

They are hot! Serena seems especially happy because this is her first week back as the number one player in the world after a five year hiatus from the top spot.

Move over Anderson Cooper. Sorry Terry Moran. Too bad Chris Cuomo.

Greg has a new news crush and his name is Jeff Glor of CBS News.

I was watching Jeff - who I had never heard of before - fill in for Katie Couric on the evening news Monday and was smitten by his good looks and manner. He's what they call a natural.

Over dinner with my friend Ted the other day, I was trying to remember his name. "Jeff...somebody." "Jeff Lord?" ""Jeff Lore?" Ted, being the excellent reporter that he is, got to the bottom of it and discovered that the name is JEFF GLOR.

And now he's my crush. Here's some video of a story Jeff did during the Olympics:

The Oscar winning star of "Dreamgirls" turns 27 today. So far, she's batting 1000 with the movie career with "Sex and the City" also a big hit. Her performance was panned by lotsa folks but I thought she was fine.

So let's let Jennifer sing for us on her birthday. Here is a clip of her singing "And I'm Telling You" at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party - from last year I think!

We saw Lance Bass in the audience most weeks when his pal and former NSync bandmates Joey Fatone competed to a runner up finish on "Dancing With the Stars" a few seasons back.

Now it's Lance's turn to show us his moves.

"Seeing (Joey) go through it was just amazing and I saw how much fun he had and it didn't scare me anymore after seeing him do it," Lance says in a new interview with The Advocate.

Lance may be an openly gay man but he will be paired with a woman for the competition and not a man as was rumored: "That was just a rumor, for sure. I don't think anyone dealing with the show ... I don't even think that came across their minds. This competition is for a male and female partner -- that's the way the judges judge. I don't think it would be an even playing field if we were to do it."

Q. You've been out a little more than two years now. What has changed most in your life since you came out publicly?
Bass: Basically my whole life has changed, for the better. It's just amazing to be the person who you really are and getting to live a proud life, not hiding anything. You become a completely different person when you're trying to hide something that major in your life. So now I'm not lying to people, and I feel like my friendships have definitely gotten stronger -- I'm closer to my family. Overall, it's been an amazing experience.

Here is a LINK to the entire interview...

This is so sweet, so wonderful.

George Takei will marry longtime partner Brad Altman, 54, in a ceremony to be held Sunday at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

The ceremony will take place in front of 200 close friends and family members. The couple has been together for 21 years and were the first to receive a marriage license in the City of West Hollywood when California began granting licenses to gay couples on June 17.

Among the guests: Walter Koenig, (Chekov, Star Trek) who is the best man, Nichelle Nichols (Uhura, Star Trek) is "best lady", U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, and the Honorable LA Councilwoman Jan Perry..

The couple will honeymoon in Argentina and Peru.

George, now 71, is most famous for his role as "Sulu" on the original "Star Trek" TV show and series of feature films. He is now has a recurring role on NBC's "Heroes" and is a regular on radio's "The Howard Stern Show."

Let's be serious. I wouldn't wear eyeliner unless it was Halloween. But I must say, former "Big Brother 9" contestant Stuart Pilkington looks pretty damned good wearing it(and little else). In this photo, he is showing off the YSL Touche Eclat for Men guyliner at some event recently.

I wanted to give this event a shout out and will do so periodically in the weeks leading up to it. Sounds like a fun time and I am planning to be there!

Here are the details from ValleyPride.org:

Join us on the backlot of CBS Studio Center in Studio City for this year's Los Angeles / Valley Pride GLBT Awareness Festival, where the entertainment venues and festival exhibitors are situated in between the backlot sound stages and outdoor sets.

Start your day at Gilligan's Island Road for a mosey along Gunsmoke Avenue to browse the nearly one hundred community groups and commercial exhibitors. Then throw your beret in the air at the corner of Mary Tyler Moore Avenue and Newhart Street to see performances on the Main Stage. Dancing at the PrideRadioLA.com Dance tent on My Three Sons Street will get your toes tapping, or enjoy Country Western on St. Elsewhere Street.

Marriage Fair Comes to LAVP!!! Celebrate California's landmark marriage decision, with dozens of special exhibitors to provide you with everything you need to plan your perfect wedding.

Admission: $10 -- Senior/Disabled/Teen: $7 -- 12 and Under: Free

Parking: Free

The plot: Eric (Tom Cavanagh) lives for all things hockey. Now in his thirties, he's managed to turn his stint as an ex-professional hockey player with the Toronto Maple Leaf into a full-time gig as commentator for sports TV. He's living the dream! But when Eric's boyfriend, Sam (Ben Shenkman), announces they're to become temporary guardians of a young boy, Scot (Noah Bernett). Eric's comfortable world shatters. Freaked out by Scot's 'joie de vivre,' Eric and Sam gently nudge Scot away from scented hand cream and all things pink, towards a more 'acceptable' pastime - hockey. But after Scot's disastrous first hockey game, Eric begins to rethink the compromises he's made in his own life in order to be 'accepted.'

Brody Jenner is no stranger to fame.

His father is Olympic Gold Medalist turned TV personality Bruce Jenner and his mom is Linda Thompson, the former "Hee Haw" regular who is an Emmy winning songwriter and had a longtime romance with Elvis Presley. And his stepsisters are the girls on the reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardaishans."

When Brody and I spoke Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards, I wondered what holidays with that cast of characters must be like.

"We don't have Thanksgiving and stuff," he said. "Kim and them are my step-sisters, they live in a different house. Growing up, we saw each other but more in a formal setting."

Still, with those kinds of family connections, it was a natural that heartthrob Brody, who turned 25 last month, would end up on television himself. He and brother Brandon Jenner starred with mom Linda and former stepfather David Foster in FOX's short-lived "Princes of Malibu, " has appeared on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," and was on MTV's "The Hills" - first when he was dating Lauren Conrad then later as Spencer Pratt's best friend.

Now it's time for Brody to have the spotlight all to himself on "Bromance," an upcoming MTV series that has him auditioning a buncha guys to fill a "bro" vacancy in his entourage after he had a well-publicized falling out with former BFF Pratt.

Brody got a lot of attention this week during one of the stunts for the show which included a mock cardboard cut-out of him wearing a pair of very low-riding jeans (see photo below).

"It's fun," he said. "I'm just going with the flow. As long as every year I progress in whatever I decide to do, that's what I think is important. You never know about the future but right now, I'm really enjoying being in front of the camera and behind it as well. I'm executive producing "Bromance" right riow for MTV, we have another show in talks with me not even being on camera but behind the scenes. I'm really enjoying that."

So how does a young guy like him stay grounded when so much of your life and the life of those around you ends up on television?

"I just remain myself. In every situation, I always stay humble," Brody said. "I know true friendship and family is what matters. I don't ever let it get to my head. At the end of the day, as long as it doesn't change you as a person, that's what matters. I'm just gonna live day by day and see where it takes me."

Sometimes it;s just fun to post a shirtless picture of Neil Patrick Harris because he is so darned cute. He's hosting the Creative Arts Emmys this weekend so I hope to have a moment or two with him on the red carpet.

But Michael Jensen, editor of AfterElton.com, had a lot more than that with NHP recently and posted a terrific, wide-ranging interview today. I'm excerpting a line of questioning that stemmed from Neil's comment in his recent OUT Magazine cover story that one of his role models as far as being comfortable with his sexuality was Danny Roberts from the New Orleans season of "The Real World."

He talks with Michael about what he thinks is the difference between Danny Roberts and someone like Anderson Cooper who does not discuss his private life:

NPH: "...The difference between those two to me is that Danny Roberts was on a reality show, so I was watching him exist in his world and so that was what was empowering was to see him interacting socially and admiring the way he behaved in any given situation. With someone who's sole job it is to relay information, I think the more you know about them, the more things can get muddled when you're trying to pay attention to a story.
AE: I agree with you up until the point where if that person, whether it be Anderson Cooper or anybody else, if they draw a clear line and say this is what I talk about and this is what I don't, then that's completely fine. But if you do things such as write an autobiography and do talk about other personal stuff, don't you sort of open the door to those types of questions?

NPH: I don't think so. I think writing a biography is subjective and you write about what you find important in your own life at that time. I think it's separate from inviting Barbara Walters into your bedroom. They're different situations. I find the community very interesting in who it opts to criticize. Because I think the people that take the most heat often don't deserve it.

So I think those two examples are actually kind of radically different. I'm a big fan of respecting someone's skill set. Of course, if anyone wants to stand tall, I think they would be impressing upon lots of people to stand tall as well, but I don't think that one is required for the other. I mean with Danny Roberts, he was inviting cameras into his actual life to film him. And when you're dealing with Anderson Cooper, who is really recounting the news stories, he's doing quite the opposite.

Interesting discussion and there is tons more at AfterElton.com.

Gotta wrap my head around of this one!

Today's issue of Variety reports that director Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic," "Erin Brokovich") is in the early stages of developing a film about Liberace and has drafted his "Traffic" star Michael Douglas to play the flamboyant pianist.

If he pulls this off, get ready to give this guy his second acting Oscar!

Soderbergh is also in discussions with Matt Damon to play Scott Thorson, the man who sued Liberace in 1982 for $113 million in palimony, claiming he was the entertainer's companion for five years. Liberace always denied that he was gay, He died in 1987 of complications from AIDS at age 67.

This sensational and oh so sexy crooner turns 41 today.

He's just got a way about him don't ya think?

The video below is of Harry singing "For Once In My Life"

Sigh...

Matt Damon let off some steam in this AP video during which he said this about Sarah Palin's VP nomination: "It's like a really bad Disney movie. The hockey mom...from Alaska and she's the president and it's like she's facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink and it's absurd."

Referring to her support of creationism, he said, "I want to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. I want to know that. I really do. Because she's going to have the nuclear codes."

I'm really glad they've done this story. We've all been so busy basking in the glow of the Ellen DeGeneres-Portia de Rossi wedding that we haven't really paused to realize that it was treated much like any other celebrity nuptials. Here is an excerpt from The Advocate's new cover piece by Michele Kort

It was an archetypal People celebrity wedding featuring two of the beautiful people, one in pants and the other in a gown, and a dreamy setting with flowers, champagne, candlelight, the whole romantic nine yards. No expense spared, no fabulous purveyor left unmentioned. (Mark's Garden! Zac Posen! Neil Lane!) The only thing missing: a groom.

And that's what was most amazing about the August 16 marriage of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi: People and other mainstream celebrity news sources didn't treat the event much differently than they would, say, the arrival of Brangelina's next children. CNN.com did headline the word "marry" in scare quotes, but the blogosphere outcry forced the site to make a quick edit. Other than that there seemed to be no backlash from the mainstream media or public.

Here is a LINK to the story...

Puleeze.

After making an absolute spectacle of herself in court and in the media, Dina Matos now says that for the good of her six-year-old daughter, she has decided to drop fraud claims against Jim McGreevey who she said duped her into marrying him to further his political career.

We all know McGreevey, he's the former New Jersey governor who resigned from office and announced, smiling wife by his side, that he was "a gay American." Now why a gay American could not continue to serve as governor, I do not know. Apparently he had loads of other problems that might have driven him from office. He acknowledged an affair with a male staffer; the staffer denied the affair and said the governor sexually harassed him. We all know that if not for this staffer, McGreevey would never had come out and they would still be in what appeared to be a sham marriage.

Their divorce was disgustingly dirty with all sorts of hideous allegations. She claimed to have been cludeless that he was gay, he says she knew all along and even participated in threesomes with him and another dude.

Neither seemed to be very concerned aboiut the effect on their daughter Jacqueline then or when they were publishing books about each other and going on Oprah.

I. Can't. Wait.

I've already gone on record that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond - ever! And, it goes without saying, the sexiest. How many times did I post the picture of him emerging from the ocean from "Casino Royal"? I lost count after the first few dozen times.

The new Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace," will be releaed on Nov. 14. I'm more excited about it than Christmas!

John Barrowman, the openly gay star of "Torchwood" and many major stage musicals, has written the essay "What I Know About Men" for the UK's The Ovserver newspaper. I just love it. I want every repressed person in this world to read this and see what it is like when someone just speaks their truth and is so comfortable in their own skin. It's really something to stive for.

I was especially touched by this section about growing up gay. So many of us can relate:

When I was growing up, homosexuality was like a curse. This was midwest America in the Eighties, so I couldn't exactly make it a known thing. But I never doubted my sexuality. Even as a child, I knew I was different. I would look at a dirty magazine and I would feel drawn to the guy rather than the girl. His bits were more interesting than hers. It would make me feel warm and tingly. After gym class, I'd secretly peek at the other boys in the shower when I knew that I shouldn't. I was nine or 10 and I didn't know what being gay meant.

Later, I made sure I was good at sports and I worked out so they couldn't call me a wimp. I had to copy the others to fit in and avoid being bullied; I'd date girls, dance with them, go for dinner but I used to panic when I was on her doorstop and I'd have to kiss her and feel her up.

This part was interesting. It's something every person who favors "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" should read:

I get loads of letters from soldiers in Iraq. Mostly they say thanks for making their sexuality acceptable but a lot tell me when they come home they are going to come out. I'm proud to represent my community and help these guys if I can.

And finally, John writes about being famous and being gay:

Some celebrities do cash in on being gay. I have and I haven't. Part of my success is down to my honesty in that department but I also like cars, mechanical things, and sports. I exist on that end of the gay community. Gay men aren't all the same. I can be camp but that's just me acting.

The biggest homophobes in Hollywood are the gay guys themselves. I reckon loads of Hollywood actors are gay, we don't know which ones. I guess the industry should be easier for gay men to succeed in, but I honestly don't know. When a straight gay man plays a gay man they get an Oscar. I just play me. If I am looked upon as a role model for young, gay men and women then so be it. I will never be negative about my sexuality.

I can't think of a better thing to use in the fight against Proposition 8. Love is a beautiful thing...The top video is all wedding while the bottom video is Ellen on her show yesterday introducing it and reflecting on the momentous day in her life.

I haven't been checking in on Rosie O'Donnell's blog for awhile because she had announced she was gonna take some time away from it. Well, her hiatus ended and as I was reading a lengthy post from a few days ago, I noticed a dig at her former "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck who appeared at the the Republican National Convention and thinks Sarah Palin can walk on water.

Here's what Rosie wrote in her semi-poetic way:

so thrilled the conventions r done
more addicting than survivor
almost real reality

enough

sarah p - elisabeth h
identical cousins
women who hunt in high heels
gives one pause

I want to give a shout out to the group art show DOLLYPOP, a celebration of all things Dolly Parton. Opening Friday, the exhibition features over 40 artists' imagery of the larger-than-life country legend as you've never seen her before.

The show at World of Wonder Storefront Gallery (6650 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood), includes a portrait of Dolly made entirely of chewed bubblegum, an original Dolly gouache by famed New Yorker illustrator Robert de Michiell, and a Dolly painting by Bubbles The Artist (aka famed songwriter and Friends theme-tune scribe Allee Willis). The opening reception will also feature Dolly-inspired performances, and the occasional live chicken.

Co-curated by E! Online columnist Marc Malkin and Steven Corfe, DOLLYPOP celebrates Dolly Parton and the debut of the years-in-the-making Broadway musical adaptation of 9 to 5, which has its world premiere on Sept. 3 at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre.

Marc, who I just saw Sunday working the VMAs, said in a statement: "Dolly Parton is a true genius. She is an American poet who, no surprise has had a career that has spanned decades. We all have our own image of Dolly and this show collects all those images, thoughts and inspirations into one big and well-deserved tribute to the goddess who we call Dolly Parton."

The opening night reception is Friday, Sept. 12 from 8pm to 12am. The party includes art unveilings, performance pieces and an open champagne / vodka bar. The show closes Wednesday October 8. The artworks are available for purchase Tuesday through Saturday, from 9am - 6pm.

You couldn't help but notice Grammy winner Fatman Scoop on the red carpet of MTV's Video Music Awards over the weekend. He showed up wearing boxer shorts with little red hearts, a white tank top and Adidas soccer sandals with knee-high black socks.
"This is how I dress on my show so I said to myself 'Why not just wear the same thing?'"

Fatman explained. "Sure, I look horrible," he said. "But I'm with a beautiful woman."
The beautiful woman was his wife, Shanda, co-host of their new MTV show "Man and Wife" which debuts Sept. 29. It will air at 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Fatman (born Isaac Freeman III) and Shanda spend much of each show in bed (that explains the outfit!) doling out advice on sex and relationships
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"Man & Wife" may be new to television, but it already has a an audience of millions on the Internet where it originated as the videoblog manandwife.tv.

"It took off from there," he said of the podcast. "You gotta create your own opportunities."
While Fatman is a fun, larger-than-life personality, Shanda does have some bonafide credentials for the gig.

"I did HIV/AIDS case management, outreach, counseling for seven years. So talking about sex and sexual histories is normal for me and giving good advice," she said. "At the end of the day, you want to give advice to people that's going to enable them to protect themselves and make better choices."
"We have fun with the show but there's a responsibility with it and that's where I come in."