God bless women! Can I get an amen? While it may seem redundant to sing the praises of women on a site for gay/bi women, I say we can never lift our voices high enough when it comes to the truly inspirational women of this world. I’ve always looked to other women, real and fictional, as my role models. Whenever I’m feeling a little down, I use their wit and wisdom to lift me up. Whether on the big or small screen, something about the righteous (or riotous) indignation of a woman is just so satisfying. It practically sizzles.

So in honor of Scribegrrrl’s impending departure (sob, sniffle, bawl!), let’s burn bright with sisterfire today. The Linster and I have assembled some of the best speechifying by fabulous female characters to celebrate the fabulous female that is Scribe.

Bette Porter (The L Word): No additional explanation required.

Julia Sugarbaker (Designing Women): Sugarbaker sisterhood is powerful.

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): Are you ready to be strong? … continue reading

Ever wondered what people with really high IQs do in their spare time? Neither have I. Well, OK, I have wondered what some of them do. To the point of distraction, in fact.

But whether you wanted to know or not, Fancast reports that MENSA chairman Jim Werdell watches about 10 hours of television every day. (The average American watches four and a half hours.) And apparently, the combination of high IQ and television addiction makes Werdell qualified to list the 10 smartest TV shows of all time.

I won't argue with No. 1, simply because my daddy's favorite television show was M*A*S*H and he was smart. That's good enough for me.

I'll also concede that Frasier, All in the Family and West Wing deserve spots on the list. (Dang, how much do you miss C.J.?) … continue reading

Last year, globalgrrl called the perfection that is casting Zoë Saldana as Uhura in the new Star Trek movie.

This year, Saldana spoke with blackfilm.com about the role, as well as her indie film, Blackout, which is released on DVD today. I'd heard a little bit about that project, and the IMDb.com synopsis promises as much drama and tragedy as the day the lights went out in Brooklyn back in 2003: “It examines the nature of man to take advantage of his own fellow man outside of normal conditions, in times of weakness and vulnerability.” You can catch clips from the film here, but here's a taste.

I'm only a casual fan of the Star Trek beast, but I found it interesting to hear from Saldana about stepping into a role practically trademarked by another actor, and her career to come. … continue reading

Back in 2004, Barack Obama was engaged in a heated battle in Illinios for a seat in the U.S. Senate. His opponent? A Rebuplican named Jack Ryan. The outcome of that race will never be known. Why? Because a certain Borg popped up and forever altered the political landscape.

OK, I might be overstating her actual influence. Jeri Ryan hasn't joined the list of celebrities endorsing the various candidates, but she is a factor in the three-ring circus we call politics. See, Jack Ryan, Obama's senate opponent in 2004, is her ex-husband. The same ex-husband she claimed had taken her to Paris sex clubs and tried to persuade her to perform various sex acts while others watched. The allegations were part of divorce papers unsealed by court order during the course of that 2004 campaign. The sex scandal resulted in Ryan withdrawing from the race. Obama went on to win in a landslide over Ryan's replacement, Alan Keyes. … continue reading

On Mondays, I find it easier to look at pretty pictures than put together sentences. So here are some movie posters for your visual pleasure. (You could also call this a preview of 2008, which isn't looking great so far ...)

1. Hellboy II, starring Selma Blair:

I didn't see Hellboy, and even if I had, I probably wouldn't feel compelled to see the sequel. But Selma is mesmerizing in this poster. So I might reconsider. Her eyes, they follow me everywhere!

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (the poster was just released today): … continue reading

I know, everyone who writes about this will use that line, but now it's out of my system and I can focus on the news: Winona Ryder is the latest addition to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie.

Ryder will play Amanda Grayson, Spock's mother. Although Ryder would make a gorgeous Vulcan, her character is human — the one responsible for Spock's seldom-seen emotional side. Jane Wyatt had the role in the original series and in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. … continue reading

Has anyone ever told you that you look weird exotic?

Do you have any unique facial characteristics?

Are you willing to make sacrifices for the sake of art?

If so, and you live near Burbank, CA, this is your chance to explore strange new worlds — like the set of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie. Open casting call is this Saturday, November 10, 2:30–5 p.m., at 3108 Magnolia Blvd., across from Pinocchio's Restaurant. … continue reading

On Thursday of last week, when international space station commander Peggy Whitson welcomed space shuttle Discovery commander Pamela Melroy on board, the meeting marked the first time ever that two female commanders have hooked up (no, not like that) in space. That's a happy addition to the timeline of women's accomplishments in space.

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who still gets excited about nonfictional shuttle launches. It's amazing to me that the same culture that paid George Lucas to crank out his craptastic Star Wars prequels treats the space program like the nerd in high school who liked math and carried around Isaac Asimov novels. (You know, ignore it most of the time, but when it's having a bad day, tape a “kick me” sign to its back and watch it careen down the hall.)

But I get the fascination with space stories. I grew up with E.T. (which is 25 years old this year!), spent one summer in the '80s watching Space Camp until I wore out the tape, and yes, I, too, forked over the money for tickets to those Star Wars prequels, though that was mostly for Natalie Portman. And I do believe we should celebrate women in space-type entertainment, because they encourage us to dream of possibilities outside of our own experience. Here are a few of my favorites. … continue reading

If you’re ever at a Star Trek convention and things get a little boring, here are six words guaranteed to stir the pot. “Best Star Trek captain ever. Discuss.” Entire websites are devoted to the Kirk vs. Picard debate, and it’s not a subject that Trekkies take lightly. Here at AfterEllen.com, however, no discussion is necessary. The best Star Trek captain is obvious.

News of Star Trek XI, directed by J.J. Abrams, has fueled new debate, since the movie’s storyline is a prequel to the original series and requires casting younger versions of Kirk & crew. Our own globalgrrl had a Psychic Friends moment when she correctly put Zoë Saldana in the role of Uhura.

That got me thinking: If an AfterEllen.com woman can cast a part so perfectly, imagine the lineup if AfterEllen.com cast an entire Star Trek film. Especially if the film had an all-female cast. Now we’re talking. I can almost see the marquee. “AfterEllen.com presents: Star Trek L: Revenge of the Manatees.” … continue reading

Or is that after? However the time sequence works for prequels, Miss Cleo's got some sudden competition in the lesbian psychic department. Last month, Zoë Saldana was my first pick to play young Lieutenant Uhura in the upcoming Star Trek Jr., and now Variety reports that Saldana has actually signed on to the J.J. Abrams production in the very role originated by Nichelle Nichols. Cheers!

If only my predictions that young Uhura's "tomboy-ish" qualities are actually lesbian-ish would turn out to be as accurate — but I suppose Miss Cleo would say that there's a difference between foretelling and flat-out dreaming.

Fantasies of intergalactic gal pals aside, I'm excited about this news. Saldana is fun to watch; it was for her (okay, and a little for Bernie Mac) that I tolerated Ashton Kutcher in Guess Who. Here's hoping that the new Star Trek will be less, well, predictable. Between her part as a Trekkie in The Terminal and her role in James Cameron's upcoming genre film Avatar, Saldana should be prepared; TrekMovie.com already did a work-up of her in a Star Fleet uniform, and it looks like it'll work quite well. … continue reading

I like lists. I like to see what other folks call the most this or the best that. I'm often amused by the choices made when discussing the importance of why this or that didn't make the list. But the best part of reading all the lists that are swirling about in cyberspace is the chance to rip them to shreds later on.

Take this one, for example: "15 Taboo-breaking TV moments," brought to you by the folks over at EW.com. First off, I will be among those to readily admit I do not always have complete command of the English language and the grammatical rules included therein. (I'm certain our esteemed editor would be happy to share with you just how true that statement is.) [She does her thing, I tweak it and we all go home happy. — Ed.] However, I must insist that when you put together a list, your title should generally tell the reader what they — er, he or she — will be reading about.

In this case, "taboo-breaking" implies that the list includes television moments that were either controversial or the first of their kind — maybe both. One of the first openly gay characters on network television, for example.

In addition, "moments" implies something other than an entire series run. It implies individual events or episodes, at least in my world. Something like the first lesbian kiss on television, between L.A. Law lawyers C.J. Lamb and Abby Perkins. (I'm still irked that TV's first lesbian kiss didn't involve any actual lesbian characters.)

But neither Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas nor C.J. and Abby's smooch made the grade as far as EW.com was concerned. So the appearance of one of TV's first gay characters (regardless of how you feel about the stereotypical nature in which that character was portrayed) and the first televised kiss between two women are not taboo-breaking moments? So what does make the list? … continue reading

Until quite recently, I didn't give a toss about the upcoming J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek — not for any lack of geekiness, but because ever since Generations let me down, I've relied on my sister to stay remotely in the loop. Then along came a casting sheet, courtesy of Ain't It Cool News:

"[UHURA] 25ish -African American. Brilliant, beautiful, heroic and FUN!, Uhura is almost tom-boyish - as if she grew up in a houseful of brothers."

Brilliant, beautiful and "tom-boyish"? That certainly got my attention (and not just because of the bizarre punctuation and sentence structure). Sure, the call sounds a bit corny and oversimplified, and the first Lieutenant Uhura isn't much of a tomboy, but she is by far my favorite character in the original series. As the Sci Fi channel says, "She's the intergalactic switchboard operator we'd all like to be put through to."

Whoever plays the young Uhura has some big shoes to fill. Nichelle Nichols' groundbreaking role inspired legions of fans, from future NASA astronaut Mae Jemison (who grew up to be the first African-American woman in space) to Whoopi Goldberg (who grew up to host The View).

Uhura's part may have been small, but she was smart and gorgeous — and could kick serious, sexy ass when required. Watch her show parallel-universe Sulu who's in command: … continue reading

There's an interesting list over on DoubleVixen.com showcasing positive female TV characters. The list includes Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, George Lass from Dead Like Me, Zoe Washburne from Firefly and Rose Tyler from Dr. Who.

Looking at this compilation suggests several things. First, it suggests that the number of positive female characters on the telly is even lower than I thought. I know that the number of strong, intelligent women I see staring back at me from the TV screen is woefully inadequate. However, I didn't think it was so bad that we could only find five such examples, especially since three of them come from shows we can only see on DVD or in rerun land. Second, it suggests that Joss Whedon knows how to write wonderful women. Both Buffy and Firefly provided more than one example of a positive female character. Clearly this guy needs to write more TV shows. … continue reading

Today TV Guide has unveiled its Top 30 Cult Shows Ever in one of the barest, most minimal lists to be seen on the internet lately. There's just a list! No pictures, no clicking through to count down to No. 1, only a lone photo of Skeet Ulrich as Jake Green in the improbably renewed Jericho. Don't worry: I'm here to pretty up the list for you — and to make it more lesbolicious as well. Here are the dykey highlights from the list:

25. Firefly — Joss Whedon's short-lived TV series featured bisexual courtesan Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin) in addition to the awesome Gina Torres as the ass-kicking Zoe Washburne and Summer Glau as the mysterious and slightly spooky River Tam. … continue reading

Sometimes it's hard for me to explain exactly why I love something. For example, I can tell you that I like guitars and women who can sing, but that doesn't really explain why I love Heart. Or I can tell you that I like cheese and beans and guacamole, but that doesn't fully capture my love of Mexican food.

Other times, though, it's easy. I can tell you exactly why I love Star Trek: Voyager, and I can do it with one word: Janeway.

It just doesn't get better than Kate Mulgrew in uniform, running a tight ship, drinking coffee, chatting with Leonardo da Vinci on the holodeck or helping Seven of Nine (make that Annika) embrace her humanity. That last thing was especially fascinating, and has inspired reams of fan fic (I recommend G.L. Dartt's stories if you haven't read them).

But in a recent interview with the Trekdom bloggers, Star Trek: Voyager doctor Robert Picardo reveals that the Captain/Borg interactions weren't always so warm. Mulgrew wasn't very keen on Seven at first: … continue reading