In an interview with The Onion's A.V. Club this week, Maggie Gyllenhaal said she had refused the part of Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight because she had no interest in playing a woman "in peril."

The truth is, what I didn't want to be was just the sort of empty lady who gets thrown around by different guys and doesn't have anything to do but look scared. I just wanted her to be a real person.

It's understandable, then, that her male co-stars in the film have given quotes to the media about Gyllenhaal's steadfastness in not being a damsel in distress after she did eventually take on the role. Even when her character is being threatened by The Joker at knifepoint, Gyllenhaal does not flinch (something tells me the original Rachel, Kate Holmes, would have started to cry at this point.)

Gyllenhaal has a strong sense of the roles she wants to play, and her instincts haven't seemed to fail her yet. Even in her smallish role as Rachel, she is convincing (and stunning, of course) as a lawyer who knows Bruce Wayne's secret vigilante identity. Though the male stars of the film have been getting most of the attention, Gyllenhaal graces this month's cover of Marie Claire. In the story, her co-star Aaron Eckhart is quoted as having said, "Maggie's got a lot of sass. She has very strong opinions on acting and things outside moviemaking. She's not afraid to speak her mind."

While other networks continue to beat the corpse of the reality show genre into the ground, Fox has decided to forge ahead by reaching back to a format that was popular in the 1970s. Fox has ordered six episodes of a variety show starring the Osbourne family (dad Ozzy, mom Sharon, daughter Kelly, and son Jack.).

Casting a man known for his incoherent mumbling, sluggishness, and unbridled use of expletives to headline a show whose genre is known for squeaky clean campy entertainment and energetic banter may seem odd to some. How can a guy who mistakenly thought that a live bat was a plastic toy and accidentally bit of its head possibly carry the torch from the likes of Donny and Marie and The Carpenters?

But wait — I recall that a certain variety show featured an incoherent, insane and hirsute rocker and still ended up being wildly successful.

And who said that being articulate was a prerequisite for being cast in such a show?

Let us, for one moment, discuss Det. Grace Hanadarko's hair. It is wild and unruly, beautiful and brazen. In short, it's a metaphor for her life. I have never seen a major crimes detective with hair like Grace's in real life. I'm sure there are some out there, but as yet I have not had either the fortune or misfortune to run into them in my daily life. It is one of the many reasons Saving Grace continues to intrigue me and has me back for a second season.

The season's first two episodes are pack in so much capital-D drama you realize TNT wasn't kidding with its recent “We know drama” campaign. For those keeping score at home, the two hours of TV includes, in rough chronological order: a pedophile priest, a kidnapping, shooting, childhood sexual abuse, redemption, murder, the cycle of child abuse, suicide, the Oklahoma City Bombings, adultery, guilt, the inappropriate use of condiments, familial distrust, chickens, a lost dog and a very unlucky deer. In short, they are just like Grace: rich, complicated, meaty and messy.

Last season ended on a cliffhanger with Grace confronting the priest who sexually abused her as a child. As the season premiere begins, an off-duty Grace meets her best friend Rhetta at a cafe. But before they get to the topic of what happened Grace spots a guy across the street who look hinky and wouldn't you know it, her book-by-its-cover instincts were right on. He is indeed bad and carjacks a man in front of them.

Grace chases after him, guns blazing, and is soon joined in pursuit by backup as well as police dog. As the K-9 officer runs after the suspect, they both jump over an overpass. The leap kills the suspect and injures the dog. As Grace and the officers arrive, she runs straight for the dog as the others check on the man.

In our latest adventure in globe-trotting, Bridget and I make our mark on the gay Mecca, San Francisco.

The good people at the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau invited us to come play, and flew us out courtesy of Southwest Airlines. We hit the ground running, with an educational tour of the gayest part of the city, led by Cruisin' the Castro Tours owner Kathy Amendola. Learning is exhausting, so we stopped for a treat at Hot Cookie along the way.

After our tour, we checked into our super fabulous hotel, the Hotel Monaco (a Kimpton Hotel), a took an extended tour of their gorgeous lobby, and enjoyed some complimentary wine and cheese there later in the afternoon. For dinner, we entered the madcap world of Teatro ZinZanni, wolfing down a gourmet meal while watching contortionists bend and acrobats hurl themselves through the air. Bridget auditioned for them and is still waiting for a callback. Would someone please help her put her shoulder back in its socket?

We made the most of our time in San Francisco by trying to cram in as many activities as we could. We visited Alcatraz courtesy of Hornblower Cruises & Events (they released us on our own recognizance), savored The San Francisco Gourmet Chocolate Tour, dined at the wild and decadent Supperclub, and caught some great films at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. But the most exciting moment was when, after completing our training, our guided Segway Tour leader Amy Tripelle (of San Francisco and Sausalito Electric Tour Company) turned us loose on the streets of San Francisco. Bridget and I, naturally, turned our friendly little tour into a race to the death. Then, after all of that excitement, we headed over to Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa for a luxurious spa treatment.

Thanks to all the people who helped welcome us to San Francisco, especially the SFCVB, Southwest Airlines, and Kimpton Hotels. We can't wait to come back!

Stay tuned for our next adventure, an Olivia river cruise through France. Oh no! Lesbian overboard!

Have you heard? There is an L Word spin-off in the works, and a possible web series too! Of course you've heard: You're gay, aren't you? You like to watch girls kiss. Where else are you going to see that happen?

The forums and comments are abuzz with predictions about which character will headline the spin-off, and what stories (if any) the writers have left to explore. Below, we'll handicap each character's odds of making past season 6, and we'll throw in some charts to help it all make sense.

Character: Bette

Odds of spin-off: 250:1

Possible storylines: After she fails once more at monogamy, Bette moves to New York City, where she embraces her identity as a woman so hot audiences don't mind her perpetual cheater pants lifestyle. She buys an art gallery, marches around in power suits, bosses everyone around, and sleeps with whomever she wants, whenever she wants.

Character: Alice

Odds of spin-off: 10:1

Possible storylines: A 30 Rock/Studio 60 view inside Alice's job on The Look. If only The L Word spin-off could find a writer who enjoyed exploiting that whole story-within-a-story-within-a-story thing.

This week, Jennie McNulty takes a walk with champion surfer, Alisa Van Dissen. As they stroll along the coast at beautiful Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz, CA, they discuss Alisa's remarkable weight loss story, her recent success in the California AIDS ride and Alisa even tries to get Jennie up on a surfboard.

Also included is a clip from Jennie's show at the San Jose Pride Festival and some shots of Alisa catching a wave.

For more information on Dana Goldberg, visit www.danagoldberg.com.

Check out Jennie's website for funny outtakes from the episode ("The Extra Mile"), read our Q&A with Jennie, and look for new episodes of Jennie McNulty Presents: Walking Funny With... on Wednesdays.

Being the crazy Heroes fan that I am, I have to admit I was kind of excited curious when I heard “cheerleader” Hayden Panettiere had a new album in the works. It’s been a week since I heard the news, and since Hay-Pan went on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show to share some tracks and talk about her skills. I’m only posting on this now because it’s taken me all this time to absorb the songs I’ve heard and come to grips with the fact that the dolphin-saving surfer/actress’s foray into music is not that great. By “not that great,” I mean maybe she should leave the record-making to Paris and Lindsay.

A friend of mine said it reminded her of the “pop music they play in Hawaii, only worse.” Best Week Ever canned the video for “Wake Up Call,” where 18-year-old Hay-Pan sings lines like “You don’t by me drinks” and “I think I’m gonna have to cheat to keep your eyes on me.”

When readers of Maxim see next month's issue, they might be tricked into thinking the tacky men's magazine has made nice with Sarah Jessica Parker, the actress it infamously voted the World's Unsexiest Woman last year. Parker topped a list of so-called ugly women that included Amy Winehouse, Sandra Oh, Madonna and Britney Spears.

Maxim was roundly criticized for the list and the 43-year-old Sex And The City star was candid with the press about how much the dubious honor hurt her, telling one interviewer, the list was "brutal, in a way. It's so filled with rage and anger."

Next month, Maxim does a 180 on its earlier judgment, naming Parker its "Unexpected Crush," but insiders say the "honor" still contains an insult-laden joke.

Is this what the power of the press has been reduced to? Have we all reverted back to the 8th grade? Remember passing terribly catty notes about classmates we were jealous of or threatened by? Sometimes we made fun of them, sometimes, unfortunately, we picked on their physical attributes because it was, again, the 8th grade, what else did we have going on? It's not like we could be snarky about each other's jobs or spouses or whom we voted for.

It's not just mens' mags like Maxim. Famed film critic Rex Reed wrote a review of Sex And The City for the New York Observer in which he spent an entire paragraph crudely insulting Parker's appearance and specifically, the cute mole on her face. (Parker recently had the mole removed. Coincidence?).

Maybe you are into downloading music digitally, or perhaps, you're still rocking a discman with a handful of CDs. Of course, there are still plenty of people into vinyl, too; but whatever way you get your music, you still just have to have it. So when it comes to Tuesdays, they can be the best days of the week for music fans, especially when a long-awaited release comes out or you spy something new that looks interesting and it turns out to be even better than expected.

At any rate, AfterEllen.com readers are way into music, so we've started our weekly recommended guide to what's new and worth your time and $20.

Black Kids: Partie Traumatic (Red Ink)

Two ladies, two dudes, dance music. Dig it!

Patti Smith: Original Album Classics (Sony/BMG)

The legendary musician releases a box set with five entire albums from 1975-1988.

CSS: Donkey (Sub Pop)

The Brazilian electro-pop quintet's follow-up to their successful 2006 debut.

David Bowie: Live Santa Monica '72 (Virgin)

Regarded as the icon's best live show ever recorded, the album includes hits like "Changes" and "Life on Mars."

Janis Ian: Best of Janis Ian — The Autobiography Collection (Rude Girl/Cooking)

The first season may be over, but the reel of outtakes from B.J. Fletcher Private Eye should keep you laughing until season two.

The outtakes are introduced by the series' stars Lindy Zucker and Dana Puddicombe, who will also be at Big Mamas Boy in Toronto on August 24 for the season two fundraiser.

Watch previous episodes of B.J. Fletcher, go to bjfletcherprivateeye.com and myspace.com/bjfletcherprivateeye for more about the series. If you'd like to contribute to the making of season two, visit the merch site at www.zazzle.com/bjfletcherprivateeye.

If you're going to make a comic book film that will echo in the minds and hearts of moviegoers, you've got to have a villain that's as super as the hero. Heath Ledger will get an Oscar nomination for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight, and he should — not because of Ledger's untimely death, but because his portrayal of the clown prince of darkness is what nightmares are made of. It doesn't take terror to make a good villain, though; some of the best comic book bad guys have been more clever than they are evil. Thing is: most of them have been men. So, here's my casting advice for the next set of superhero movie villains. And by "villain" you know I mean "villainess."

Talia al Ghul, Aishwarya Rai

Liam Neeson played Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins. As imposing as his portrayal was, Neeson didn't really fit the build of the original comic book character. Aishwarya Rai, though? She would be the perfect actress to play al Ghul's daughter, Talia. In the comics, she is in constant turmoil between her devotion to her psychotic dad and and her moral compass, which seems to point in the same direction as Batman's. The actress who plays Talia as Ghul has to be, above all, a seductress. Here's a litmus test: Could Aishwarya Rai seduce you? Yeah, that's what I thought. Sign her up.

Catwoman, Selma Blair

I'm talking about something better than Michelle Pfeiffer's secretary-scorned Catwoman in Batman Returns. I'm talking about a villainess who won't play second-fiddle to Batman. I'm talking about a gorgeous feminist who has a social conscious, but just plain old like to rob things. Selma Blair would own that Catwoman. I've already developed the movie's tagline: Mrowr!

This week on Gay Girls Who Game, Tracy and Angela take a look at E3 2008 and give you the lowdown on all the happenings from the gaming expo. They breakdown the press conferences and announcements from the big three (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) and take a look at what's happening with some of the other publishers.

As always, there's viewer feedback, as well as their opinions on some hot upcoming games. For those who make it to the end, there's some fun filming bloopers, too.

Read more game reviews at lesbiangamers.com!

Something's not right in L.A.'s Priority Homicide division.

The writers on the fourth season of The Closer — TNT's hit drama series starring Kyra Sedgwick as a calm, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails professional Deputy Chief trying to command respect in a man's world while battling a fondness for sweets — have apparently decided that what cable's most-watched Emmy award-winning show really needs is More! Kyra! Naked!

Well, more Kyra in her underwear, anyway. And before some of you ask, no, this is not a good thing — not like this, anyway.

So far this season, Sedgwick's character Brenda Lee Johnson has been shown at length in her underwear or lingerie twice, once in each episode — double the number of times she has ever been shown undressed in the entire first three seasons — for reasons that appear to advance the plot not a whit. It's out of character, and it's jarring, like watching your co-worker suddenly strip down in front of you at the office. An attractive co-worker to be sure, but it still feels wrong.

This week on Girl Rock, Corday finds out how Nellie Bly got its name.

She also rides the big red bus (complete with stripper pole and keg) down Ocean Blvd. in the Long Beach Pride Parade.

Check back for a new episode in two weeks!

Saturday night the 24th annual TCA Awards were presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and I was lucky enough to find a seat in the back row (OK, that's probably because I spent too long trying to figure out what to order at the bar.) Guess who else was in attendance?

AfterEllen.com Hottie No. 1, Tina Fey.

Fey at the TCA Awards on July 19, 2008

Photo credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Knowing that AfterEllen.com readers would never forgive me if I didn't attempt to make contact with Ms. Fey somehow, I got there early and kept a lookout, foregoing many of the tempting hors d'oeuvres available (although I did quickly eat a bunch of dim sum) so that my mouth wouldn't be full if I had the chance to shout out "Tina! Over here!"

It seems that my Tina Fey Sensors were on High Alert, because while I was talking to my compatriot Michael Jensen, the editor of AfterElton.com, I spotted Tina out of the corner of my eye. I dropped the conversation in mid-sentence and zoomed over to her, rudely interrupting her conversation with whomever she was talking to and said, "Hi, I'm from AfterEllen! We'd love to talk with you sometime!"

I think Tina might have been a bit startled, but she did say "Thank you for all your support," and she shook my hand. Yes, folks, I shook the hand that wrote the script that brought Liz Lemon into life.