Did anyone watch?
Betty White solidified her status as TV’s golden girl of the moment by drawing big ratings for her Mother’s Day hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. [The episode] averaged an 8.8 household rating/21 share in the metered markets. That is SNL’s highest rating in 18 months
(via Deadline)
Last week when the reports surfaced of actress Nicolette Sheridan filing a lawsuit against Marc Cherry (creator of the show) and ABC because of treatment she received on the set of Desperate Housewives, I shrugged. It seemed like a bitter axed actress who wanted to get back at her former employer for terminating her from one of the biggest gigs in television. Though when I read that part of her lawsuit pertained to reportedly being slapped by Cherry it raised my eyebrow.
I remember hearing rumors a year or so ago about there being a big blow up on set resulting in him slapping her in the face, but it seemed so ridiculous no one believed it. Of course now it seems there may be some truth to it all this time later. Not only has Nicollette cited it in her lawsuit, but former cast-mate Eva Longoria has confirmed that the incident did in fact happen, though according to her not necessarily maliciously.
The new season of HBO’s mega-hit True Blood isn’t too far away and gay creator Alan Ball is throwing us a bone (no pun intended) on a new character named Alcide who, in true True Blood is shirtless quite often, and even has a nude scene. ‘Cause you know, it’s HBO.
“There is definitely some [sexual] energy between the two of them. It’s not like either one of them is looking for romance, but they’re thrown into several intense situations [and] it’s hard not to bond on a deeper level.
The first shirtless scene [Joe] had I was like, ‘Who has those abs?’ He’s in crazy peak physical condition. He’s eating nothing but pure protein. And of course, this being True Blood, he’s already shot his first naked scene. Hello, werewolves when they shift — no clothes!”
The third season premiere airs June 12th. Set your tivos!
P.S. Anna Paquin recently revealed in a PSA that she is bisexual.
Desperate Housewives‘ writer/producer Alexandra Cunningham just inked a seven figure deal with NBC to develop new original programming.
Newly discovered letters have revealed the man who inspired the film The English Patient was gay in real life, and in fact in love with a Nazi.
Feministing asks ‘Can we stop pretending beautiful women aren’t beautiful’?, in reference to the trend in television where beautiful actresses play “ugly” characters.
Apparently D.C. has an all male production of Grease currently running, production courtesy of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D.C.
Shana Feste, writer and director of new Susan Sarandon/Pierce Brosnan film The Greatest talks about the challenges of getting a film made as a female director.
Matt Dillon says in Italian Vanity Fair that he’d love to play gay, stating that there’s already too many limits on him, he doesn’t put any on himself.
The New York Times has an interesting map that shows the best places in Manhattan to catch a cab. It varies depending on time of day.
Donna Langley, actresses Courteney Cox and Zoe Saldana and director of photography Cynthia Pusheck to be honored at Women in Film awards.
A look back at several prime-time moments from American network television over the past 25 years reflecting changes in portrayal of gay male characters in prime-time soaps.
It would be interesting to look at which has portrayed the lgbt community better–primetime soaps or daytime soaps. If Young and the Restless is any indication, I’m going with the former.
Anyone watch the Amazing Race? I’ve been following it this season mainly ’cause of the gay brothers Sam & Dan, and I was soooo glad when Lance and Keri left last week. I also kind of have a crush on Miss USA Erica’s husband Brian, but that’s another story.
But I could not BELIEVE that Mika threw away $1 milion because the bitch did not want to go down a simple water slide WITH FLOATIES!!! If I were her husband I would’ve been crying in frustration.
Some of you may remember Jack Mackenroth as a former contestant on Bravo’s Project Runway (now on Lifetime).
He ended up having to leave the competition early because of a staph infection but he’s still kept a relatively high profile compared to other past contestants.
Now he’s upset with Oprah because of a show she recently did on HIV. He’s written an open letter to her, blasting the show for it’s irresponsible take on the virus.
His first grievance was with the fact that some of the HIV positive women who appeared on the program chose to wear disguises.
I understand that there is a huge stigma about being HIV positive but if they wanted to remain anonymous then they should not have gone on national television! By appearing in disguise they only reaffirmed the idea that being honest and open about having HIV is NOT OK. That was a huge disservice to the HIV community. By not being open and honest they sent the message that people with HIV should hide and keep it a secret, which only adds to the stigma of living with the disease. Would someone with cancer wear a disguise? If we are taught that HIV is shameful then how can we expect people to willingly go get tested?
He also took issue with HIV positive individuals being referred to as a “loaded gun”.
Chocolate hottie Mehcad Brooks whom you may recognize from HBO’s True Blood or from season two of Desperate Housewives reveals in an interview with Honey Magazine that he refuses to get married until gay people have the same right.
Do you consider yourself the marrying kind? Do you want that?
I haven’t even gotten that far. But yeah, I want a wife, I want kids. The whole thing. But I’m also not even concerned with marrying somebody until it’s legal for everybody to get married. And what I mean by that is the whole Prop 8 thing.Why is that cause so important to you?
I find it really offensive. I just find it really problematic when you start throwing people’s rights away. Until we get our gay brothers and sisters back into a realm of consciousness that everyone else is in, it’s just not right. A woman who’s getting married — it’s probably going to be a gay man who made her dress, and a gay man who’s doing her hair and makeup, but he can’t get married. How messed up is that?
His next project is a film by X-Files creator Chris Carter called Fencewalkers, which for whatever reason still has no plot description listed.
Now I’m off to finally watch the True Blood finale!
69 year old Kathryn Joosten of Desperate Housewives has been diagnosed with lung cancer. You’ll know her as Mrs. McCluskey, or as Mrs. Landingham from The West Wing. This is a recurrence of cancer she battled back in 2001.
She tells EW:
“I’ve got a little hang up here,” she said of the battle she faces. “But we’re going to handle it and move forward. I’m doing great.” The 69-year-old, who also played Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing, says her treatment may disrupt shooting on the ABC series.
And People:
The actress broke the news to her Housewives producers Monday morning as she expects her shooting schedule could be interrupted for treatment. “They’re totally supportive,” she says. “I said, ‘If you want to put it in the story line, do it! Tell anybody you want, because the public’s going to know.’ “
Joosten has won two Primetime Emmy awards for her work on Desperate Housewives and is beloved by the devoted fans of the program as the pesky, outspoken but lovable neighbor who feuded with Lynette back in season one. I know the statistics for lung cancer aren’t very good, but I hope she can pull through. 
Here’s one of my favorite scenes with Lynette and Mrs. McCluskey.
A male reporter embarrassed himself and George Clooney at the Venice Film Festival when he removed his shirt and proclaimed he wanted George to “take him now”.
Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh talk more about “The Informant”, the film where Damon had to gain 30 lbs to play a man who blows the whistle on his company’s price-fixing scheme.
A gay man in Thunder Bay, Canada was brutally beaten by six to eight men with bricks, and will now require reconstructive surgery to deal with the damage done to his face.
Openly gay Representative Barney Frank is eyeing a position in the Obama cabinet. I doubt it will happen, but if it did he’d be the first gay person ever in the Presidential cabinet.
Ntozake Shange was slated to write and direct the film adaptation of her play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, but now Tyler Perry has stolen the entire film from her.
Female UK prison officer wins case against correctional facility she claims treated her unfairly for being young, female, and pretty.
More tour dates have been canceled for homophobic Jamaican singer Buju Banton. One of his most popular songs talks about shooting gays and burning their bodies.
Proud, admitted homophobe Tim Hardaway is now working hard to save gay lives. He says “we don’t have to accept the act, but we have to accept them as people.” How generous of you.
