Is there such a thing as entertainment gaydar? Recently I came across an old friend on Facebook, whom I hadn’t seen in over a decade. Over the years, I’d wondered if perhaps she was gay — and once she had added me as a friend, I'll admit that I clicked over to her profile, curious to see if there would be anything about her sexual orientation there. While there wasn’t anything explicitly stated, I did see with interest that she listed The L Word as one of her favorite shows, and Brokeback Mountain and Chasing Amy as two of her favorite movies.

Now, entertainment gaydar, like any other gaydar, is based on stereotypes — and thus is bound to be somewhat unreliable. After all, there are plenty of straight people who like both The L Word and Brokeback Mountain. (And, actually, I think disliking Chasing Amy is probably a clearer sign of being a lesbian than liking it.) Nevertheless, this whole episode got me thinking about what a person’s tastes in entertainment may or may not say about her sexual orientation. And, using the popular AfterEllen.com forum thread "I’m so gay/I’m so not gay" as an inspiration, I decided to see how my tastes would stack up in the “stereotypically lesbianish” department.

To start off with the “I’m so not gay” category (hey, I may as well get the bit that will make me unpopular out of the way first):

1. I'll admit it — I don’t totally get the Tina Fey thing.

The fact that scribegrrrl, Dorothy Snarker, and Sarah Warn are all fans is enough to convince me that I must be missing something here — and who knows, maybe one day I will see the light. But I’ve seen 30 Rock, and the thing that amused me most about it was Alec Baldwin. (Who, whatever else he may or may not be, is definitively not lesbianish.)

2. I don’t watch The L Word.

The women on The L Word may be gay, but I’ve discovered that that, in and of itself, isn’t enough to make me identify with or deeply care about them. A little good writing goes an awfully long way.

3. I think Desert Hearts is a snooze-fest. … continue reading

From quite a young age (thanks mostly to the influence of my older sister), I had a lot of posters on my bedroom walls. There were a few boys, mostly pretty ones like Scott Baio, Leif Garrett and Shaun Cassidy. Oh, the feathered hair. But there were more girls, of course. I'm pretty sure the first girl on my wall was Kristy McNichol, starting with her days on Family. Wasn't she a cute kid?

And talk about awesome feathered hair: … continue reading

I really like my Entertainment Weekly subscription. It was a total suckered-in kind of thing. I got the “free trial” that I was going to cancel before the not-free period began. Right. But I enjoy the magazine, and I particularly appreciate the subscription when I learn of fun things — such as the Entertainment Weeky/TV Land special The 50 Greatest TV Icons, scheduled to air this Friday night.

I'll be out of town on Friday night, but my DVR is already set. I love me some TV and I want to know who is crowned the Greatest TV Icon of all time. I know who I'd pick: Kermit the Frog.

Unfortunately, I suspect that Kermit will not be number one because he's pictured in the listing in the magazine. Where would the suspense be then?

But let's watch a video of TV icon Kermit singing his iconic song, “The Rainbow Connection,” with punk icon Debbie Harry — just because it's fun. … continue reading

If you remember Members Only jackets, big hair and the musical stylings of the Cars, A Flock of Seagulls, and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, you'll appreciate this. Drew Barrymore threw friend and production partner Nancy Juvonen an '80s-themed birthday party at her house last week.

Sounds like it was more fun than a can of Diet Coke and a mouthful of Pop Rocks.

Guests were treated to prom-style photos upon their arrival. Here, Courtney Love shows off her prom finery, complete with the most important accessory: a date in a powder-blue tux and white bucks. … continue reading