scribegrrrl's blog

So, as I mentioned in the L Word recap this week, today is my last day as an AfterEllen.com staffer. (I just have a new job; there's no big drama here.) I'll miss this place! To commemorate the day (yes, I'm commemorating myself — so?), here are some goodbye scenes and songs that say farewell better than I ever could.

The Way We Were, final scene

It's the laughter we'll remember. And the greatness of Barbra.

Casablanca, "We'll always have Paris"

We'll always have AfterEllen.com. Somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it.

The Carol Burnett Show, "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together"

Wow, there are a lot of movies I haven't heard of. And at least a few I'm really looking forward to. It's time for another poster-and-trailer extravaganza!

First, the Baby Mama poster hasn't really been released yet, but I came across this snapshot of the actual paper object. Cute. Is it April 25 yet?

Next, Smart People, featuring the smart and adorable person named Ellen Page (yeah, and Sarah Jessica Parker, too, but I find her less smart and less adorable, and occasionally less human).

This film debuts April 11. Here's the trailer:

Have you been watching In Treatment? HBO's half-hour drama, which captures both the inner and outer lives of a therapist (Gabriel Byrne) and his patients, doesn't have a huge audience. That's probably because some viewers think five nights a week is way too much of a time commitment, and probably also because some people just don't like therapy — or maybe they get enough of it in real life, which is certainly understandable.

But I'm completely addicted to In Treatment and will be sad to see it end this week. Here's a look back at the first season, including the lessons I've learned from each patient's sessions. (Each night, the show focuses on a different patient.)

[Warning: Slight spoilers]

Monday: Laura

As the linster noted back when the series first started, Laura (Melissa George, aka Lauren on Alias) is Jenny Schecter–esque and hard to like. (And she resembles Jenny in appearance as well as behavior — actually, I think Melissa George looks like a cross between Jenny and our own illustrious Sarah Warn. Here's another pic that shows the resemblance more clearly.)

Anyway, Laura is (or thinks she is) in love with Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne), and he's very fond of her, too. But she seems to be less and less attracted to him, the more he returns her affections. I hope he comes to his senses and realizes she's not half the woman his wife is.

Take-home therapy: Selfish, oversexed women are to be avoided.

Tuesday: Alex

Blair Underwood has been terrific on the show. His character, a Navy fighter pilot, struggles with questions of duty and morality, as well as with notions of "manhood" and his own not-quite-straight sexuality. It's difficult to take your eyes off Alex when he's on the couch, and his story line took a shocking, completely unexpected turn last week.

Take-home therapy: Be yourself at all costs.

Wednesday: Sophie

Even if you have no interest in the rest of In Treatment, do yourself the favor of watching a few of Sophie's episodes. I don't know where Mia Wasikowska has been hiding, but she is divinely, overwhelmingly gifted. I know everyone's been comparing Ellen Page to Jodie Foster, so I think I'll compare Mia Wasikowska to Meryl Streep. Yes, she's that good.

As you've probably heard, last night the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunited at the Paley Center in Hollywood. Here are some links to coverage of the event. (Unforunately, Alyson Hannigan and Eliza Dushku did not attend, but Amber Benson, Charisma Carpenter, Joss Whedon, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, Marti Noxon and Sarah Michelle Gellar did.)

I've included excerpts, but be sure to click the links for more!

1. Coverage on Whedonesque:

The first question of the Q&A (of course) is: Would Joss and cast ever consider making a new Buffy movie? Joss casually replies, "Oh, I don't know," before turning to Sarah and asking, "Well, you wanna?" Sarah just smiles and says, "Eh, sure. Why the hell not." Half the crowd faints. The other half suffers a severe heart attack.

Asked about a Buffy Musical on Broadway, Joss didn't rule it out. Asked if they would participate, most of the panel indicated that they would. Sarah was not among them. She was more like, "No way," but laughingly.

2. TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello:

Greenwalt revealed that shortly after word leaked that Willow was going to be coming out of the closet, he got a call from an unnamed WB exec who said, "Is [Joss] really going to do this gay thing?" Whedon threatened to quit when the network asked him to leave Willow and Tara's first kiss on the cutting-room floor. "It's the one time I pulled that out," he said. "And they were like, 'No, it's OK. Leave it in.'"

3. Watch With Kristin (E! Online):

Sarah didn't know until someone told her tonight that Buffy's hooking up with a girl in the comic. Joss, on Buffy's temporary change of team: "They have a lot of time on their hands...What? None of you went to college?"

I just came across this hilarious parody of the Juno trailer on FunnyOrDie.com. It stars J.K. Simmons, who played the dad in Juno. I can't really do it justice ... just watch.

Happy Purim!

We recently told you about Ellen DeGeneres' schooling of Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern on her show. But that wasn't the half of it. Ellen's guests that day included Wanda Sykes and Danny Noriega (American Idol), so it felt like the gayest show ever. (No, Wanda is not necessarily gay. Or at least not out. No comment.)

Anyway, here's a clip of Wanda on that episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She talks about everything from Sally Kern to Obama vs. Hillary to how you know you're getting old:

And if that's not enough to make your day, here's a snippet of one of Wanda's stand-up acts (thanks for the tip, Beth!) — the audio is out of sync, but it's still funny:

Need something to help you pass the time today or usher in the weekend? Look no further: Hulu.com is here.

The new video site from NBC Universal and News Corp was officially launched last week, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you're missing something marvelous. The TV shows — which are very high quality and mostly full episodes — are from NBC, FOX, and the various affiliated cable networks like Bravo, FX, Sci Fi, Sundance and Oxygen. And the site offers movies, too (yes, full movies). And all of this for free (with occasional commercials). On demand.

Do I sound amazed? I kind of am. Here are some of the things I've been salivating over so far. (One caveat: Hulu.com is only available to U.S. users. Openhulu.com, after it has been updated, will provide access to users outside the U.S.)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Hulu has only Seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy right now, but what a great excuse to revisit the whole series from the beginning.

30 Rock

I can never decide who I love more: Tina Fey or Liz Lemon. Luckily, we don't have to choose.

Picket Fences

I loved this show when it first aired in the late '90s. Hulu has Season 1, including "Sugar & Spice," the episode in which Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs) kisses her friend Lisa (Alexondra Lee). I remember it well!

It doesn't always go well when actors decide to sing or singers decide to act — well, the latter is often just fine, but the former can be disastrous. (I've mentioned my Lisa Whelchel album before ... it's seriously awful!) But in the cases of Scarlett Johansson and Zooey Deschanel, the swapping of scripts for songs might turn out to be just fine.

Oops, I guess I've made it look like they're singing duets or something. No; these are separate albums. Too bad — they could have called their first release ScarZo Sings!

Deschanel's first collaboration with indie fave M. Ward, under the name She & Him, was released this week. Zooey has a musical past — she plays the banjo — and the reviews are mostly positive so far. Says BlogCritics.org, "I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Deschanel sounds as cute as she looks."

Zooey wrote nine of the songs on the album. You can stream all of Volume One from the Merge Records site. My favorite so far is "Sweet Darlin'."

Lately I've been thinking about lover Cindi on The L Word. Well, not Cindi herself, but the "lover" thing. It's hilarious every time Dawn Denbo says it, mostly because the word lover has gone out of favor. It used to be a common term in the gay community — or anywhere, really. Especially in the '70s.

But now lover has the connotation of "f--- buddy," while partner or girlfriend is generally the preferred term for the people you want to keep around for more than just sex. Or at least that's how it seems to me.

So what makes a partner, and what makes a lover? Armed with my trusty (and dusty) DVD collection, I have conducted a sort of survey. I don't suppose it's educational in any way, but it was fun.

1. Cay and Vivian (Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver), Desert Hearts

I just had to begin with a tricky one, didn't I? Cay and Vivian definitely start out as lovers, but if Vivian had stayed, they might have become partners. Still, when I think of them, I don't think of fun times or tender touches or home improvement. I think of steamy sex and mind-bogglingly deep kisses.

Verdict: Lovers (they have to remind themselves to stop long enough to get some food!)

2. Claude and Lucy (Alison Folland and Leisha Hailey), All Over Me

These two are so cute, I don't care what you call them. But when they walk along with their ice cream and Leisha grins like that, it seems like a love that's built to last.

Verdict: Partners (in a happily ever after sense)

3. Corky and Violet (Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly), Bound

Hmm. These two are carnal and star-crossed, but they also seem destined to be together. And the sizzle is accompanied by a sense that they're on the same wavelength — they have a meeting of bodies and minds. I think I have my first tie.

Verdict: Partner-lovers (lesbian bed death will never strike!)

4. Agnes and Elin (Rebecka Liljeberg and Alexandra Dahlström), Show Me Love / F---ing Amal

Are you looking forward to the return of Battlestar Galactica? If so, you might want to set your DVR for The Late Show With David Letterman tonight. Ten BSG stars will read the Top Ten list. Yes, that includes Katee Sackhoff, Mary McDonnell, Grace Park, Tricia Helfer and Lucy Lawless.

And if that's not enough to tide you over, there are BSG articles everywhere this week:

1. The Los Angeles Times previews the season in an article called "Battlestar Galactica gears up for a fight to the finish." It includes this choice quote:

"I think there will be closure for Starbuck," Sackhoff said. "But I can't see her happy, in love and with babies. She's the happiest when she's alone, feeling pain and stress. She's tremendously flawed, but out of everyone she's the most human."

2. The Chicago Tribune blog The Watcher has a season preview too, and notes that Joss Whedon wanted to direct a BSG episode but is too busy with Welcome to the Dollhouse. Bummer.

Last night during Dancing With the Stars, the new trailer for Mamma Mia! premiered. The teaser trailer was pretty good, but the full-length one? My dancing shoes are already on!

The stage musical is ridiculous, but also ridiculously enjoyable, and it looks like the movie will fit that same groove. As if the ABBA soundtrack (22 songs!) weren't enough — and, really, what's better than ABBA? — we get Meryl Streep doing pratfalls in her overalls. That alone is worth the ticket price.

Meryl seems to be having a great time in general, what with all the dancing and drinking and screwball comedy. I can never decide which I like better: dramatic Meryl or comedic Meryl. Mamma Mia! might just give us both. She's funny, she's moving, she's handy around the house!

And I had forgotten that Christine Baranski is in Mamma Mia! She plays one of Meryl's BFFs.

It's St. Patrick's Day! I'm never quite sure what to make of this particular holiday, since it immediately brings to mind losers wearing green hats and guzzling green beer — or worse, parades that won't let the gays in. But in an attempt to accentuate the positive, here are seven (that's lucky!) delightful Irish people and things:

1. Carly Smithson

I'm still not entirely sure she can live up to all the hype, but American Idol contestant Smithson was great last week. I hope she'll continue to rock out, though I really don't think the Ann Wilson comparisons are right. There can be only one Ann Wilson. But kudos to Smithson for bringing Heart to the masses.

2. Roisin Connor (Siobhan McCarthy)

If you stopped watching Bad Girls after Helen and Nikki left the show, tune back in to see Roisin and Cassie, another star-crossed couple. Sometimes they wear very nice soooots.

3. Emma Donoghue

Doesn't it suck when things that seem so, so great end up going so, so horribly wrong? No, I'm not talking about Eliot Spitzer, though that certainly is disheartening. I'm talking about The Return of Jezebel James, the new series from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. It stars Parker Posey, Lauren Ambrose and Dianne Weist. The premiere is tonight at 8/7c on Fox.

But that litany of great names might add up to nothing. The reviews and promo clips are not pretty. Says the L.A. Times,

The problem is that from these folks you expect a fascinating female lead, but you get instead every uptight, cellphone-clenching, relationship-avoiding, food-issue-riven working woman you've ever seen (and never met).

Uh-oh. Plus, there's a laugh track, which ... why? The Boston Globe notes that the show's stars deserve better:

With her soft deadpan and her renegade vibe, [Ambrose] doesn't belong within a mile of a laugh track. ... Posey, so adept at being both ironic and sympathetic, is no better off in this unfunny mire.

Sigh. Still, I'll probably tune in, and maybe it will be better than it sounds. Or at least better than reading one more headline about Spitzer.

On Saturday, Lifetime offers the return of Alyssa Milano, in Wisegal. She plays a young widow who ascends to power in the mob. I dunno, Lifetime, that's not a very impressive title — why not something like Mother, May I Sleep With the Mob Now That My Husband Is Neither My Stepson nor My Lover?

Milano also produced the film. The Lifetime website has a gallery called "Alyssa Milano: Through the Years" to keep you entertained until Wisegal debuts. It includes this cute photo:

I'm not ready to commit to an entire movie for the weekend, so I thought I'd check out some trailers instead.

First, the new Speed Racer trailer surfaced this week. If Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon weren't enough reason to see this one, this trailer has convinced me that it's worth the ticket price. Moviefone.com desribes it as "Andy Warhol meets the Jetsons." Nice!

(Watch it in hi-def here.)

Next, I hadn't even heard of Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Liu Ye.

The film tells the story of a Chinese science student who can't quite cope with the pressures of American academia.

A few weeks ago, we reported that Marlee Matlin will be on the new season of Dancing With the Stars.

It seemed strange to me at first — not because she's deaf, but because she just doesn't seem like the reality TV type, whatever that is — but this video makes me think she'll be pretty adorable on the show.

"I must have been drunk that morning." Heh.

If only she could keep Nancy O'Dell (or another woman with a grabbable booty) as her dance partner! But her partner on the show will be Fabian Sanchez, aka the 2006 U.S. Mambo Champion. He's not half as lovely as Jennifer Beals, which I suppose goes without saying. Here's another clip of Fabian and Marlee, this time on Entertainment Tonight.

I just took a look at the current issue of TV Guide (yes, the actual paper version; it's awesome) and felt like I was reading a bunch of AfterEllen.com headlines in the listings for tonight. Lovely ladies everywhere!

First, don't forget: Top Chef starts tonight (Bravo, 10/9c), with three — count 'em, THREE — lesbian contestants. Read Dara Nai's interview with those three here, and read blog posts about Padma Lakshmi here. And check back next week for Dorothy Snarker's recap!

Before that, tonight's episode of America's Next Top Model (The CW, 8/7c) features former winner Jaslene and a visit to the meat-packing district. Check out TV Guide's interview with Paulina Porizkova here.

On Law & Order (NBC, 10/9c), Lara Flynn Boyle guest stars as a reporter who gets entangled in a murder investigation. She'll always be Donna from Twin Peaks to me.

Two AfterEllen.com faves are on the talk shows tonight: Charlize Theron is on Letterman, and Sheryl Crow sings from Detours on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Finally, it may not be obviously lesbianish, but I'm expecting occasionally great things from Lewis Black's Root of All Evil (Comedy Central, 10:30/9:30c). Black and various guest comedians will compare "things from life," asking which is more evil — e.g., . Kim Jong Il or Tila Tequila? Yes, that's one of the examples Black gives. And one of his examples of not-at-all-evil is Mary-Louise Parker. For a show that's essentially 30 minutes of ranting, that sounds pretty promising.

I've had a crush on Clea DuVall since ... well, at least since But I'm a Cheerleader. It feels like it's been going on a lot longer than that, probably because it was one of those crush-at-first-sight things. There's something so very dashing about her.

But it's not just her looks; I also think she's a very good actress. She was unforgettable on Buffy. She was irresistible in But I'm a Cheerleader.

She stole my heart in Sleeping Beauties, and then made it ache in Girl, Interrupted.

She was haunting in Carnivàle and in the 2004 TV version of Helter Skelter. In everything from The Faculty to Identity to 21 Grams, she has a presence that is somehow both steady and unsettling.

It's been all over the news, and Ellen DeGeneres herself has called attention to it: Last month, Lawrence King, 15, was shot at school in Oxnard, CA. He was later declared brain-dead. The classmate who shot him faces a first-degree murder charge and a hate crime charge, based on Lawrence's sexual orientation and gender expression.

"He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails — the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

Various memorials for Lawrence King are being held in March and April. And Logo (AfterEllen.com's parent company) has created a PSA in his honor.

Portia de Rossi, Janet Jackson, T.R. Knight and others remind us that "none of us is safe until all of us are safe."

For more information and to remember Lawrence, visit the GLSEN site or logononline.com.

As Sarah noted in Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. today, NewNowNext blogger John Polly recently interviewed the Sex and the City cast. For Cynthia Nixon's comments, see BLWE — here are some other highlights.

NNN: Any thoughts about Cashmere Mafia or Lipstick Jungle?
Kim Cattrall: I haven’t seen them. I’m very flattered because they sound shockingly like a show that was near and dear to my heart. [Laughs.] But it’s not like somebody in the middle of nowhere came up with them. Darren Star put this whole fantasy together, and so did Candace Bushnell — from the inception — so I have no opinion about them going off and trying to tell more stories about women.

NNN: What about the clothes?
Kristin Davis: Did the shoes hurt? Oh, we got used to that. But in the middle of the night, it was as if we’d be thinking, “This is how we earn our check — wearing these shoes.”

NNN: On lesbian costumer Patricia Field:
Kim Cattrall: You go into Pat’s playroom — as I call it — and it stinks like cigarettes, and there’s pizza, take-out food, stuff everywhere. And she’s got a little bit of everything in there. She has designer stuff and, like, a rag-picker's assortment of jewelry from the ’30s and ’40s. It’s so much fun, because you really feel like it’s dress-up time.

Patricia Field

Sarah Jessica Parker: Really, this idea that I’m some kind of fashion icon is, in large part, due to Pat. She’s a remarkable person. And don’t be fooled by the red hair; she’s no Hostess Twinkie. She’s a really smart woman.

I like Six Feet Under. I like Canada. So if you tell me that something is "the Canadian version of Six Feet Under," I'm likely to tune in. And that's how some critics have described Terminal City, which has its U.S. debut on the Sundance Channel tonight.

The series stars Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal) and Maria del Mar as husband and wife Ari and Katie. When Katie gets cancer, she and her family end up in a reality show set in a hospital. Apparently that spells medical drama, parodying of reality shows and good old relationship drama.

Terminal City's directing team includes Lynne Stopkewich, whose movie Kissed is disturbing and unforgettable. (It's about necrophilia, which is probably enough said.) Stopkewich has also directed a few episodes of The L Word. She has an eye for spooky, indelible images, and these Terminal City stills seem to reflect that.

And there are two other female directors on the team, Kari Skogland (Chicks With Sticks) and Rachel Talalay (The Wind in the Willows). Along with Bellows and del Mar, the cast includes Kate Boland (Jumper) and Jane McLean (Shoot 'Em Up).

Here are the opening credits — very Six Feet Under, indeed:

So last night was '80s night on American Idol, and I got to hear some of my favorite songs. (What's wrong with Simon — how can he not recognize the awesomeness of "I Drove All Night"?! And I do mean the Cyndi Lauper version, of course.)

I think Amanda Overmyer totally redeemed herself, after a very weak performance last week.

It helped that she sang one of my favorite songs ever, Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You." Here it is:

I love myself for loving the way Amanda's so unimpressed by the whole Idol experience!

And Ramiele Malubay did a great job with a song I thought I never needed to hear again, Phil Collins' "Against All Odds."

You know how sometimes you come across something online and it seems like it was written just for you? I mean, to the point that it's almost scary?

EW.com has looked into my soul with a new feature called "Female Singer-Songwriters: The New Wave." (The print version is called "EW's Latest Aural Fixations," which is a way better title.) It highlights nine new artists, from Ingrid Michaelson to Yael Naim to Kate Walsh — and Missy Higgins, too. Sounds like a list of AfterEllen.com faves, doesn't it?

Missy Higgins

The feature includes links to the artists' MySpace pages, as well as brief bios and helpful artistic comparisons (e.g., you'll like Marié Digby if you like Vanessa Carlton). But there are no videos included, so allow me to provide a sampling!

I think I'm still in writers' strike mode, because I am inordinately excited every time I hear about a new episode or a new show. Tonight brings the premiere of New Amsterdam, a Fox sci-fi/crime drama about an immortal cop. The cop is played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, about whom I have no opinion. Alexie Gilmore and Zuleikha Robinson co-star. They're hot.

Since the unsung Life is not likely to return, I have to get my cop fix somewhere, so I might give New Amsterdam a try.

Meanwhile, Christina Ricci and Dee Dee Myers stop by The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. The former will discuss the widely panned Penelope, while the latter will promote her book Why Women Should Rule the World. Perfect for a big presidential Tuesday!

OK, I'll admit it: I gave up on The Sarah Connor Chronicles after the third episode. For me, Lena Headey's hotness just couldn't make up for the convoluted story lines and John's terrible acting. But I know I'm in the minority, and plenty of people love the show.

Tonight's two-hour season finale has a very tantalizing description: "Sarah enters into a business deal with a mysterious partner." If only Piper Perabo were playing the partner.

Meanwhile, if real-life showdowns are more your style, there's another finale tonight: the women's college basketball Big East regular-season title game. UConn takes on Rutgers at 7/6c on ESPN2.

And there's one more face-off tonight — probably the most dramatic one. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give female bonding a new meaning in Notes on a Scandal at midnight/11c on HBO2. The film polarized lesbian audiences (at least here on AfterEllen.com — see my take and Malinda's for examples), but no matter how you feel about it, you'll probably be fascinated.

So, did you see Ellen Page on Saturday Night Live?

More important, did you see her in that last skit? Page played a young woman named Marty whose life was forever changed by a Melissa Etheridge concert. Here it is:

Yes, you heard that right: She did say, "Why does everything have to have a frickin' label? Why can't I just hug a woman with my legs in friendship?" Ha ha!

Around the interweb, the sketch is being seen as a response to all the gay rumors about Page. But whether or not it was really about Ellen herself, it was refreshing to see such a positive gay-themed skit on SNL. Its ultimate message seemed to be, "It's OK to be gay."