Well kids, I’ve made my peace with the finale of America’s Next Top Model. Believe me, if I’d written this recap as the credits were rolling, it most likely would have consisted of “Are you kidding me? What? No, no, no, no, no!” over and over and over. Now that I’ve had time to think about it, though, the inevitable win of Whitney seems for the best.

That’s right — good ol’ Plussie has won the almighty Cover Girl contract. It’s Whitney’s face you’ll be seeing in Wal-Marts everywhere, and during the next cycle of ANTM, we’ll learn all about her life as a Cover Girl (which, I hope, will be a hell of a lot more exciting than Tootie’s after her Cycle 9 win — not that wearing hair nets and visiting makeup factories isn’t exciting). All snark aside, congrats to Whitney for being the first plus size — excuse me — full-figured model to win on the show.

Photo credit: Jim DeYonker/The CW

Still, Anya was robbed. Robbed I say! I knew this going in, as some overenthusiastic East Coast friends spoiled the results for me. Had I been completely in the dark, however, the ridiculously slanted editing of this episode would have telegraphed the ending to me in 10-foot neon glittery letters that lasered directly into my brain.

The three remaining amigos — rather, the two remaining amigos and Fatima — immediately embarked on the most important mission yet: they’ve got to rescue the President! Wait, sorry: they’ve got to shoot commercials and print ads for Cover Girl. But the pressure is still high, and it’s so high, in fact, that Anya cries out of nervousness. It’s kind of like watching a rainbow fall down and squish a puppy.

Photo credit: Pottle Productions Inc./The CW

The last Cover Girl commercial the girls shot was The Italian Nightmare (“Brasilia!”), so they’re all a bit nervous; fortunately, the script is in English and there’s no movement required. They’ve all just got to stand there and talk about how awesome their mascara is, or something. The script may have been in English, but it was such a friggin’ tongue twister and they all had so much trouble with it that I couldn’t make out much more than “New lash blast last fast Cover Girl blast if a wood chuck could chuck wood.” … continue reading

Actress Cathy DeBuono and guest Jill Bennett respond to letters and chat with a group of AE readers from Europe.

As Jill references in the vlog, we've had a small but growing number of folks join the site in the last several months who don't seem to know the difference between criticizing the content of vlogs, articles, or comments (which is fine), and making personal attacks (which is not fine). We've had a fairly hands-off approach to this in the past, but we're going to be less tolerant of personal attacks on vloggers, writers, or AfterEllen.com members moving forward.

This isn't a widespread problem — most of you understand the difference just fine — and it's certainly not unique to AfterEllen.com. Most sites go through these kinds of growing pains as they get bigger, we just want to nip it in the bud. Thanks to all of you for being supportive of the site, and helping us figure this out together.

If you have questions/issues you want Cathy to address, you can leave it in the comments, or private message Cathy (just make sure to let her know in the message whether she can mention your username on air or not).

“Sing, sing a song / sing out loud, sing out stroooong.” You are, aren’t you? Singing, that is. You can’t help it – some songs require that you sing along, no matter how shy or tone-deaf you are. I defy you not to sing this: “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” The Carpenters were masters of the sing-along song.

Sometimes you don’t know the whole song, but a catchy hook or chorus makes you stop whatever you’re doing to sing it. Some tunes have the power to transform even a noisy group of lesbians into choral fools. I’ve been at parties where music is playing in the background that no one seems to notice, then suddenly the whole room bursts into “The closer I am to fi-i-i-ine / the closer I am to fine.”

This thought train started chugging when I read an EW.com article about Bryan Adams, whose “Summer of ’69,” has one of those choruses the crowd has to sing: “Those were the best days of my life.” Adams, btw, is not only making beautiful music on his acoustic tour, but has proven himself a damn fine photographer with a recent picture of Hillary Clinton. (To download a very hi-res version, go here.) He’s offered to do a portrait of Barack Obama, too, so no endorsement is implied – at least not by Adams.

Thinking of “Summer of ’69” led me to the Beach Boys’ “Round, round get around, I get around / yeah, get around, round, round, I get around / I get around.” And another BB chorus that our California LGBT family sang until they made it so: “We could get married, and then we’d be happy / oh wouldn’t it be nice?”

That leads, of course, to “Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married,” which has turned more than one group of wedding guests into a chapel of love choir. The same guests who, later at the reception, joined in on, “We are family / I got all my sisters with me / we are family / get up everybody and sing.” … continue reading

If thousands of years from now our civilization becomes eradicated, much like that of the ancient Egyptians, archaeologists will sift through rock and debris and find artifacts that lead them to the logical conclusion that America had a queen and her name was Oprah. The talk show icon’s legacy will now live on forever thanks in part to sculptor Daniel Edwards, who has recently unveiled his newest piece: “Memories of Sophie and Gracie: A Puppies’ Memorial.”

Edwards created this monument in memory of Oprah’s Cocker Spaniel, Sophie, and Golden Labrador, Gracie, who both passed away this year. Why are the dogs sitting atop her golden head, you ask? Well, Edwards decided to take the road much less traveled in art and place them there for their literal significance: they are always on Oprah’s mind. His message received, I would say. Although Sophie died of natural causes, Oprah’s Labrador died from choking on a ball that she found somewhere within the vastness of the Winfrey estate; Edwards is hoping that his tribute to them will “serve as a reminder to all pet lovers to thoroughly ‘puppy-proof’ their pet’s habitat”. (A public service announcement might have been another helpful way to go about sending this message, but I won’t judge.)

This is not the first time Edwards sculpted a celebrity, or even Oprah for that matter. Back in January, he created a full body bronze sarcophagus of the TV host completely naked (and rather endowed, I might add). Edwards said he created this because he wanted to pay tribute to the closest thing we have in America to a “living deity.” I have always said that a pair of large breasts is a definite sign of godliness. … continue reading

I wince a little whenever I see the Tony Awards tagline, “There’s a little bit of Broadway in everyone,” but I can live with the discomfort because it is my favorite awards show. I always watch the Academy Awards, I often watch the Emmys, and I’ll never forget when Christine Lahti was in the bathroom when she won the Golden Globe for Chicago Hope in 1998; but the Tony Awards feature big song and dance numbers. They’re the gayest awards show out there, with all the men (and the occasional woman) thanking their same-sex partners, and the acting awards winners give good speeches because they’re comfortable in front of a live audience. So really, they’re just great.

Speaking of great, there are a couple of really great things about this year’s nominations, which were announced earlier this week. Most importantly, The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein did not get nominated for Best Musical or for Best Book of a Musical. In fact, the show only got a couple of reasonably well-deserved acting nominations and a scenic design nod. Now, I might have picked Megan Mullally over Andrea Martin for Best Featured Actress, but I take no issue with the strength of the performances.

The issue I take is with the never-ending comments about how well-endowed the monster is. (You may have guessed that I did not love Young Frankenstein and that I am so over Mel Brooks.)

The other really great thing is that two of the four Best Director of a Play nominees are women — that’s a full one-half, people! (At the Academy Awards, it’s still fairly rare to get one female nominee, and I’m still stewing that Kasi Lemmons didn’t get nominated last year for Talk to Me.) … continue reading

If you haven't experienced the magic that is Flight of the Conchords, I suggest you utilize a search engine pronto. This New Zealand-based duo (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) are hilarious and catchy with their comedy/music styling, which has garnered them their own television series on HBO as well as two albums on Sub Pop Records.

While their self-titled show is about them trying to become famous, in reality they are finally becoming a hit in the States. They recently released a video for their '70s-inspired single, "Ladies of the World," which is a song dedicated to every single one of us out there, whether we are "ugly, skanky or small."

I like their advocation of soldiers putting down their weapons and instead picking up a woman, and "brunettes not fighter jets." While you probably won't want to take them up on their offer of making love to you ("it's the least we can do"), you'll appreciate that some dudes want to "show you some gratitude." … continue reading

This week is a recap of the Queen's Daughters Concert with special guest Kim Knox, who talks about the strange men she encounters.

More info at www.iLoveUPeople.com.

I like superhero movies. I really do. They’re fun and fast and the costumes are faaaa-bulous. Straight men in stretchy fabric and capes – this is better than figure skating! This summer’s heroic roster includes Iron Man, Batman and The Incredible Hulk. And as great as those crime fighters are, they’re also a reminder that when it comes to superhero movies, no women need apply – this is man country.

New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis recently opined on the lack of women heroes and women— period — in today’s big budget blockbusters. Could this be the realization of Warner Brothers exec Jeff Robinov’s decree that the studio would not make any more movies with female leads? Dargis thinks so:

“Nobody likes to admit the worst, even when it’s right up there on the screen, particularly women in the industry who clutch at every pitiful short straw, insisting that there are, for instance, more female executives in Hollywood than ever before. As if it’s done the rest of us any good. All you have to do is look at the movies themselves — at the decorative blondes and brunettes smiling and simpering at the edge of the frame — to see just how irrelevant we have become.”

Ouch, but true. … continue reading

There’s a lot of voting going on around here these days — and I’m not even talking about the presidential primaries. From the Hot 100to the NewNowNext Awards, to the Best. Lesbian. Vlog. Ever., and the Best Character on TV Tourney that Malinda opened our eyes to, I am spending even more time clicking on random websites than I do watching TV (and that’s more telling about my social life these days than I care to admit.) So, who needs another random and unnecessary list/award/tournament/poll to vote for? Apparently I do.

If you’re like me, the head over to EW.com where they are currently accepting nominations for TV’s Best Chemistry. The relationship between Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan (played by David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, respectively) on Bones seems to be the catalyst for the contest, but I think we can all agree on the fact that some lesbionic relationships are much needed additions to the competition.

Seriously, how awesome would it be if enough of us went over to their site and flooded the comments with Sapphic suggestions? To get you started, here are a few of my picks:

Bette and Tina (The L Word)

I’m sure some of you will cry foul for using TiBette as my L Word couple rather than Alice and Dana, but the heat these two emitted during season 5 cannot go unnoticed. Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman continually deliver some of the most believable sex scenes in the whole show. Their chemistry is what brought the show to life in its inaugural season and has played a vital role in the success of the show as a whole. These two are the glue that keeps the show together. … continue reading

This week’s episode of Gossip Girl, "Woman on the Verge," had me on the verge, as well – on the verge of slapping Dan upside his head and kicking Georgina’s behind all the way back to the gates of Hell from which she apparently escaped.

Serena’s "I killed someone" revelation last week left us eagerly awaiting the who, the why, the how, and surprisingly, it was all answered. Not surprisingly it was a tad anticlimactic. Isn’t that the case sometimes in life—the anticipation is more fun than the reality?

The episode starts the day after Serena tells Blair her secret and Serena is nowhere to be found. Georgina calls her a trillion times (getting angrier with each new voice mail), Dan calls her (sounding more desperate with each new attempt), and Serena’s mother (Lily) is annoyed because she’s waiting for Serena to get home and be helpful as it’s the day of her wedding rehearsal dinner. (Recap: she’s marrying Bart Bass, Chuck’s father, even though she still has feelings for Dan’s father Rufus. It’s all so complicated.)

Blair asks her two exes, Chuck and Nate, (who now hate each other) to meet at her place and she arrives home with a horribly hung-over Serena. Blair’s housekeeper secretly calls Serena’s mother to tell her that Serena seems to have fallen off the Good Girl wagon and has been run over by it.

Dan arrives at Blair’s and, when confronted for the umpteenth time about why she’s being weird, Serena tells Dan that she slept with some guy the night before because lying about that is better than telling the truth about being a murderer. (She has a point.)

Heartbroken Dan announces that he’s "done" and walks away from Serena as their friends look on. I mourned the loss of their relationship for 4.3 seconds and then wondered when Serena would begin mulling over Blair’s "I love you," from the night before. Fine, Serena had other things on her mind but she’ll get around to mulling, I just know it!

Dan, feeling all rejected, agrees to meet "Sara" (AKA Georgina’s alter-ego) for some quality crying on the shoulder time. Poor Dan is getting played like a nickel slot machine at a Vegas mini-mart. An all day sucker, that Dan.

All photos by Patrick Harbron/The CW

After Dan leaves, Serena finally opens up about the details of the secret. We have been lead to believe that Serena left town because she couldn’t deal with the guilt of having slept with her BFF’s boyfriend, but we learn that the night drunken Serena had sex with Nate , she met up with Georgina afterward to get even drunker and more drugged out of guilt. … continue reading

Julie and Kate McKinnon talk to Club Skirts founder Mariah Hanson about Dinah Shore, same-sex marriage, and tiger tamers.

Check back next week for another Celesbian Interview, and watch previous episodes here.

Last week we wrote about children’s books that feature a two-mommy family. While these books are great, they are few and far between — as are all gay-friendly books for that matter. One of the most recent LGBT-themed kids’ titles is a lovely picture book called And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Based on a true story, it’s about two male penguins that want to raise a family so badly that they start caring for an egg-shaped rock. The zookeeper is so moved by this that she gives them a real egg to nurse. The book features cute penguins, characters that overcome the odds, and a wonderful message about the importance of family. So, what’s not to love?

Apparently, a lot — And Tango Makes Three is the most “challenged” book in schools and libraries for a second straight year, according to the American Library Association. What’s the public’s beef with a sweet kids’ book? You can probably guess, but here’s the explanation Judith Krug of the ALA gave the Associated Press: “The complaints are that young children will believe that homosexuality is a lifestyle that is acceptable. The people complaining, of course, don't agree with that." Well, we can’t have that, now can we? Let’s not upset the breeders with a book that teaches kids about antiquated things like compassion, acceptance, and understanding. … continue reading

This year's annual list of the world's most influential people, as compiled by Time magazine, doesn't make the female gender look very good. There are only 25 women on the list — or 24, if you count Angelina Jolie and Suzanne Wright as halves, since they are featured as couples alongside their husbands.

The list started in 1999, when Time named the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Surprised by its success, the magazine decided to make the list annual. Unfortunately, both in 1999 and 2004, the number of women were also disappointing: 17 and 22, respectively. At this rate, we'll have an equal number of men and women on the list somewhere around 2019 (if we're lucky.)

I must confess I liked the women in last year's list better. OK, so I only say that because the first person to appear on the list is Tina Fey, but what can I say, I love me some Tina! (Actually, she writes about Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live's creator) in this year's list and it's pretty funny stuff, as usual). This year's list has the obvious (Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey), the surprising (Miley Cyrus), and our very own team member Suze Orman. … continue reading

Dana and Helen of Mombian.com bring you the first signs of what could be growing ultra-right opposition to Uncle Bobby's Wedding, a new children's book featuring gay guinea pigs. They then give you a parent's-eye view of one of their favorite stores, IKEA. It's not just good for parents in search of cheap furniture, they argue, but can be a whole day's worth of activities for children as well.

They also offer some suggestions to new parents looking for baby gear and anyone whose home hosts both small children and large pieces of furniture. They then recommend some additional tools to improve your furniture-assembling prowess and ensure that your bookshelves are straight, even if  you aren't.

Hey you guyyyyyyys! The Electric Company is turning on the power again. That’s right, the classic '70s children’s program is back with a new series set to premiere in January. PBS producers have said that the new The Electric Company will be a literacy show for the 21st century. (Aww, does that mean they are going to get rid of the groovy logo?)

The original series ran from 1971 to 1977 (with repeats playing until 1985) and taught reading through a series of skits, cartoons and songs. It also helped introduce the world to Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Irene Cara.

Electric version 2.0 will be more plot and character-driven than the original. Linda Simensky, senior director of programming for PBS Kids, described the show this way: “It’s the old one mixed with High School Musical and a Dr Pepper commercial.” … continue reading