It's hard for me not to get excited when Salma Hayek's name gets connected to a project. The reasons are too numerous to count, but like many AfterEllen.com readers, I can resist neither her business savvy (lately earning Ugly Betty a new batch of nominations) nor her stunning presence (lately earning us photos like the one below).

For these reasons, I'm trying to imagine how this casting news will turn out to be good casting news: Hayek is set to play a bearded lady alongside vampire John C. Reilly in Cirque du Freak, a movie adaptation of the children's book series by Darren Shan. Paul Weitz will direct, which indicates it could go in the direction of American Pie (yikes!) or About a Boy (cheers!). That said, I don't know how Cirque's plot — centered on a battle between bloodsuckers and their rivals, the "Vampanese" — will fit the model of understated humor set by the latter Weitz picture. … continue reading

The folks at Entertainment Weekly like their lists. And their latest list is a big one; so big that it warrants the cover of the print version. Declaring that “It's not about power anymore,” EW has presented us with “The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.” And guess what? Men are a lot smarter than women. Or, at least, there are a lot more smart men than women in Hollywood. Now, I'm not confident that I counted correctly because, you know, math is hard, but here are the numbers: There's exactly one woman (10 percent) in the top 10, two (8 percent) in the top 25 and 13 (26 percent) in the entire 50.

Meryl Streep, at No. 6, is the smartest woman in Hollywood — because she's managed to have a vibrant career after age 50.

The other 12 women are: 15. Amy Pascal, 26. Stacey Snider, 30. Jodie Foster, 31. Kathleen Kennedy, 32. Thelma Schoonmaker, 33. Angelina Jolie, 38. Diablo Cody, 39. Mary Zophres, 43. Beth Swofford, 45. Cate Blanchett, 47. Amy Powell and 49. Sarah Polley. (You can find the full list with explanations beginning here.) … continue reading

One of the things I enjoy most about the AfterEllen.com blog is that, while it may have the occasional variation on a hot 100 theme, the entries tend to focus on more than just pretty faces (or pretty arms, abs, instances of that other "a" word ... you get the point). Writers call out crap when they see it, lists are more fun than prurient, and the blog overall covers less Lindsay, more Lena and Leisha.

However, it's likely safe to say that few of us read absolutely, strictly for "the articles." The pictures are quite a nice bonus, and sometimes they're quite nice period, like these recent shots of indie darling Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Nice doesn't begin to cover it (or her — see the uncropped photos here). But is it really as simple as a sexy smile and some snark?

Of course not, most of us would say, as does Kira Cochrane of The Guardian. It must be body image week for me, because I can't resist posting about her interesting take on the oft-tread, never-resolved topic of sex and sales.

Cochrane starts by examining Nicole Kidman's recent Vanity Fair series ("passionless and perfunctory") alongside the Agent Provocateur Gyllenhaal campaign ("awkward and unhappy"), and then explains that she finds these pics particularly depressing because they involve not just "any" women as sex objects, but "talented" women as sex objects. Apparently it's all right — or at least not surprising — for sentence-winning Paris Hilton, but different for Oscar-winning Kidman. … continue reading

Every wonder what your favorite star would look like as a work of art? Or a Japanese animation? Or a baby? Or an apeman? (Well, hopefully you haven’t wondered too much about the latter, ’cause that’s just weird and makes me think I shouldn’t sit next to you on the subway.) As for the rest, wonder no more. The Face Transformer is here to help you slack off at work find the answers. Answers to questions like, “What would Salma Hayek look as painted by Alfons Mucha?

Much like the insanely addictive MorphThing.com, The Face Transformer lets you manipulate famous faces. You can choose from more than a dozen options, ranging from different ages to races to painting styles and, yes, ape features. I stayed away from the racial and simian choices in favor of art and age. The results were alternately fun, freaky and down-right frightening.

Lucy Lawless by Amedeo Modigliani: Fierce, I’d hang that on my wall.

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When I saw Hairspray last month, I was treated to the trailer for Across the Universe, Julie Taymor's new project. Taymor is best known for the Broadway smash The Lion King and for the movies Frida and Titus.

The press release describes Across the Universe as a "stunning love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n' roll." It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess as star-crossed lovers Lucy and Jude. And Wood looks much more like herself in this one (not that she could look less like herself than she did in that Marilyn Manson video).

The film flies from Liverpool to Greenwich Village to Detroit to Vietnam, following Lucy and Jude as they explore all the nooks and crannies of the counterculture. Their guides along the way are played by Bono and Eddie Izzard. (Sounds like a surefire way to get lost.) Throw in a soundtrack composed entirely of Beatles songs, plus Taymor's trademark flights of fancy — manifested in "a combination of live action and painted and three-dimensional animation" — and it promises to be trippy indeed. … continue reading

It's not likely that Fox's Network Responsibility Index will get any better with the arrival of Josh Berman's new pilot, Drop Dead Diva. Granted, the show hasn't even been cast yet, much less put on film. But the bare-bones descriptions I've been able to find don't exactly have me twittering in anticipation. Instead, they have me dreading the show's arrival. The plot revolves around a model whose soul comes back after her untimely death to inhabit the body of an unattractive female attorney. The show, as described by Berman himself, seeks to "deconstruct the beauty myth."

I can understand the desire to jump on the Ugly Betty bandwagon. After all, Salma Hayek's show is a hit and has made America Ferrera a bona fide star. Plus, Hollywood is nothing if not a land of copycats. So the description of Berman's new show is likely meant to draw comparisons to Ugly Betty, at least in some small way. But here's the kicker: Ferrera's character is "ugly" because the makeup artists and costume designers work hard to make a very attractive actress look nothing like herself.

So exactly what myth is Berman seeking to deconstruct that has me so riled? Wait for it. Wait for it. Guess what makes this unattractive attorney so unattractive? C'mon, guess. According to the press releases, she's fat. Yup, that's it. Berman isn't deconstructing anything. He's perpetuating the myth that women larger than a size 4 are only capable of inner beauty. His poor dead model's soul has to inhabit the body of an overweight attorney. Heaven forbid. The sky must be falling. Whatever will the self-respecting model do?

Right now, many of you may be asking yourselves why this upsets me so. To be honest, the reasons are too numerous to count. However, because I've already started this rant, I'll throw a couple of them at you. First, why does the word model automatically mean thin? There are many, many beautiful plus-size models. Take these ladies, for example: … continue reading

Salma Hayek is sort of amazing. Not amazing as in the most talented actress in the business, and not amazing solely for her looks — though just two days ago she won a Hottest Celebrity in the World e-poll.

No, she’s amazing because the woman knows how to get things done, and that’s not easy, especially for a woman. A 5'2", 40-year-old Mexican woman? In the entertainment industry? Industry implies money, big money, and she’s a player. ¡Excelente! … continue reading

This week, Halle Berry topped In Touch Weekly's list of women who make 40 fabulous. A fabulous decision indeed:

It's not just her skills or her strut that landed her in the top slot: In Touch credits her win to her personal evolution "into this woman that feels very confident in who she is." Sexy, self-confident, and evolved? Excellent reasoning. And definitely traits these forty-somethings share.

What's even more fabulous about the list than lady number one is its diversity. Scoring slot number two is Cuban-born beauty Daisy Fuentes: … continue reading

NBC has picked up the rights to the Colombian telenovela Sin tetas no hay paraiso (Without Breasts There Is No Paradise). OK, ok. Hold on, hold on. Don’t get too excited. While the show’s title speaks a universal truth (can I get a witness!), it’s not necessarily what you think (girls in bikinis … jumping rope … in slow motion?).

Instead, the series followed a young (presumably flat-chested) woman who dreams of getting breast implants as a way to escape poverty. But instead of finding her ticket out, she starts working as a prostitute and gets involved with a drug dealer. Wow, that’s like a twisted Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret from the hood. Talk about your not-so fun bags. Ahem. … continue reading

Get your Chihuahua jokes ready, because AfterEllen.com Hottie No. 42, Drew Barrymore, has been cast as voice of Chloe, a Beverly Hills Chihuahua, in Disney's upcoming live-action animal feature South of the Border. The film is directed by Raja Gosnell, who has previous experience with Drew and dogs (Never Been Kissed, Scooby Doo).

In South of the Border, Chloe, who is used to being carted around in a purse, gets lost on her family's Mexican vacation. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she then "must rely on her friends to help her get back home."

Those friends include Salma Hayek (Hottie No. 9), who plays Chloe's spiritual guide and helps her "find her true heritage." … continue reading

They say everyone has a twin. Maybe every time you're out at a particular bar or restaurant, someone mistakes you for some other girl? I used to go to a club and every now and then, random women would come up to me and say, "Hi, Kim!" Who the hell was Kim? I never did find out.

My current twin doesn't so much look like me as think like me. Exactly like me. You know who you are. When you and your twin are both famous, we end up with this: a list of celebrities who were separated at birth.

Evangeline Lilly and Jessica Biel
They can star in a new series called Lost in 7th Heaven

Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz
Am I the only one who was confused which one was which all the way through Bandidas? … continue reading

With only two episodes left of Ugly Betty this season, news about the finale and new season is coming in fast and more furious than one of Wilhelmina's withering put downs. Guest stars for the finale include Kristin Chenoweth, Gina Gershon and Mexico's own Ugly Betty, Angélica Vale (star of the telenovela "La Fea Más Bella"). I say, double your Bettys, double your fun.

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Last night's episode saw all the Mode secretaries, I mean, administrative professionals, head to a restaurant called the Middle Ages to joust, drink grog and ride the mechanical steed. As much as I love hearing Betty scream, "These are thighs of steel!" (seriously, put that on a loop and I'll be happy for days), the show has lost a little steam in the second half of the season.

Last week, Salma Hayek partnered with MGM to form Ventanazul, a production company that aims to make "movies that have Latino themes but appeal to mass audiences." If anyone can do that, Salma can. The woman has a vision, and it's been a beautiful sight to behold thus far.

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The write-up in the New York Times was interesting for a couple of reasons: First, it appeared in the Business section, under the heading "Latina Ambassador to Hollywood."

Yesterday, it was announced that Rita Moreno and Rebecca Gayheart have signed on to guest star in upcoming Ugly Betty episodes in May.

Their sweeps-month appearances add to the hit ABC comedy’s ever-growing number of familiar faces popping up in Betty’s beautiful world. These include Gina Gershon, Lucy Liu, Katharine McPhee, Debi Mazar, Patti LuPone, Kathy Griffin, Jerry O’Connell and Tim Gunn. Plus that’s not even counting the mother of all not-so-ugly guest stars, Salma Hayek herself. … continue reading