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Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (May 2, 2008)

WISHIN’ AND HOPIN’ THAT THEY’LL KEEP THE BISEXUALITY IN THE MOVIE Nicole Kidman has teamed up with The Hours author Michael Cunningham to produce and star in a new movie about the life of openly lesbian/bisexual singer Dusty Springfield, who died of breast cancer in 1999 after years of struggling with alcoholism and mental illness. Springfield, who openly acknowledged having relationships with both men and women, rose to fame in the ’60s for hit songs such as “Son of Preacher Man” and “I Only Want To Be With You.” Universal announced plans a few years ago to make a Springfield biopic starring Kristin Chenoweth, and according to Variety, it’s still in development.

No word yet on whether Cunningham’s script will address Springfield’s bisexuality, but at least we know from The Hours that both he and Kidman are willing to go there. And while we’re having an Hours reunion, can we get Allison Janney to play Dusty’s girlfriend, just because?

IF SHE WAS OUR GIRLFRIEND, THE THINGS SHE’D DO FOR US … Eonline.com talked to recent GLAAD honoree Janet Jackson about her plans to launch a world tour in September. Along the way, they also talked about that time when Ellen DeGeneres (who presented Jackson with the GLAAD Vanguard award) came out, what makes a good Janet Jackson drag queen, and her anti-hate crime PSA. Yeah, the interview was kinda gay. In fact, here are some of the gayest moments:

EO: I actually think Ellen may have a little crush on you. You two had a great rapport when you were on her show. JJ: I absolutely adore here. She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s fun to be around. I really enjoy her. She’s very talented.

EO: You’ve said it doesn’t bother you if someone says you’re gay or bisexual. So if you were, who would be your top three girl crushes? JJ: I don’t know if I have three. I think I would pick Alicia Keys, for sure. I think she’s wonderful.

EO: Why does it seem that strong women like yourself, Oprah and Alicia always get the lesbian rumors? JJ: Maybe because it’s just that we’re strong women. I don’t know. Maybe they want to put something else behind it because of the strength. Like, you can’t be a woman and be strong, and there has to be something else to it.

Janet also piped up with her opinion about gay marriage before the reporter could even fully finish formulating the question. She said: “I think it should be legalized. I think it’s about finding your soul mate. It’s finding that person you connect with. But most people don’t get it right. Look at me! The thing is, I don’t know if I ever will or won’t get married again. I’m very happy where I am. I just think I jinx marriages, but that’s not going to stop me from loving.”

Nicely done, Miss Jackson. I am officially happy with this year’s straight recipient of GLAAD’s highest honor (past recipients have included actors Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston and Sharon Stone). But I can’t help but hope that maybe next year they will select an honoree for whom “girl crushes” aren’t hypothetical.

IS THIS A STRATEGY FOR TOPPING THE HOT 100 AGAIN? Last year’s No. 1 hottie, Leisha Hailey, has been keeping herself mighty busy these days, even though filming on the next season of The L Word doesn’t begin till later this summer. This week Olivia announced that Leisha will be their new spokesperson, which means she’ll be featured in their advertising as well as on some of their vacation packages, where she’ll also perform as a musician with with her band, Uh Huh Her. Olivia General Manager Lisa Henderson stated in a press release: “Leisha is deservedly the out ‘it girl’ today and appeals to a broad spectrum of women, especially those in the lesbian community. It was important to us to work with an individual who reinforces Olivia’s entertainment value as well as being hip, fun and approachable.”

“I am excited to be part of the Olivia family,” Hailey stated in the press release, “and to have the opportunity to introduce Olivia to women who may not be familiar with the entertainment or travel aspect of Olivia.”

Although Uh Huh Her’s debut CD, Common Reaction, won’t be released until Aug. 19, 2008 (the CD has been delayed by a few months), you can still listen to some new tracks on their MySpace and official site.

The show is hosted by Michael “MC Serch” Berrin and Yo Yo, and, according to the press release, will:

go where no man has gone before … to find hip hop’s next great female rapper… this 8-episode reality talent show is set in the glitzy shine of sunny Los Angeles, California where 10 contestants hailing from all over America will have to find a way to make it through challenges that will test their sex appeal, stage presence and, of course, their mental toughness and creativity. Along the way, female hip-hop icons will be brought in to critique our eager rappin’ competitors. The winner receives $100,000 and a whole nation of devoted fans of all genders.

The show premiered on April 14, and to date Lady Twist is still in the running. Episode 2 showed the cast stopping by a lesbian bar (gasp!) to perform, and Episode 3 featured a challenge that was a tribute to “male swagger.” The contestants were randomly assigned famous rappers whose swagger and style they had to emulate with a measly budget of $100 each. The still photos of the resulting fashion show are fabulous.

I haven’t seen an actual episode yet, but I highly recommend reading photo-filled blogs devoted to each episode. Here’s an excerpt:

Anyway, she does this bit where she plays dominatrix and spanks him and tells him to clean the house and makes him do a traditional African dance (or his approximation of it) and stuff. This sets off more homoeroticism. But then again: of course it does. Merely blinking can set off the homoeroticism of this house.

Stay tuned for the next episode (airing this Monday, May 5), when guest director John Singleton (Higher Learning, Boyz n the Hood) drops by to give the contestants “acting pointers.” Will they randomly draw the names of famous thespians whose acting swagger they must jack? One can only hope. It could be fun to watch Kate Hepburn throw down a rhyme.

Tune in to Ego Trip’s Miss Rap Supreme Mondays at 10 p.m. on VH1, and look for an AfterEllen.com interview with Lady Twist very soon.

ARE THEY LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER? Beginning next week, Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon are back with more Celesbian Interviews, and they recorded this hilarious preview video at Dinah just for AfterEllen.com readers: I hope they did didn’t do shots during the interviews!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It was a brave thing for her to do. She has a son and was in a conservative part of the country. But she stood up and said: ‘This is who I am.'” – Seattle Storm co-owner Anne Levinson to The Seattle PI, commending star WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes for publicly coming out in 2005

COMING SOON TO NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO AND FRANCE … More details on the New York City AfterEllen.com meet-up on May 18: Come With Me if You Want to Live vloggers Jenn and Dee will be joining me, Bridget, Jill, Dara, Sarah and Lori, and the 3Way cast and creators at the event, and we now have a time and location: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Cowgirl‘s Bar K in Manhattan. All ages welcome. GO HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS.

In June, Bridget and I will be in San Francisco filming an episode of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere!, and we’re joining up with Malinda Lo and Sarah Pecora to have a San Francisco AfterEllen.com Meet-Up while we’re in town. Stay tuned for more details on the date and location.

Finally, in July, Bridget and I are traveling with Sarah and Lori on an Olivia river cruise through France to film more episodes of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere! Which means an AfterEllen.com meet-up in Paris on Sunday, June 29, and in Lyon on Friday, July 4.

Here’s the AfterEllen.com meet-up schedule at a glance:

New York: May 18 San Francisco: mid-June Paris: June 29 Lyon: July 4
For those who are wondering: No, we’re not snubbing other parts of the U.S. or the world, we just go wherever the tourism boards will pay for us!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! In case you missed it, there was a major development in the potential lesbian relationship on Grey’s Anatomy last night! Read all about it in this article.

Quick, grab your BeDazzler! Rosie O’Donnell will be on The Rachael Ray Show today doing arts and crafts.

Japanese lesbian love story Love My Life, starring supermodel Asami Imajuku, will be released on DVD on July 8.

We’re launching a new monthly video show next week called Girl Rock, hosted by out musician Jennifer Corday and showcasing a monthly Battle of the Bands contest, including performance footage and behind-the-scenes interviews with up-and-coming girl bands.

AfterEllen.com now has a Twitter account, so you can get alerts about lesbian TV shows, breaking lesbian entertainment news, and other AfterEllen.com news sent as text messages to your phone. (Twitter is a free and popular service that allows individuals or organizations to send short messages to anyone who signs up to “follow” them.) We won’t be twittering every day, just when there’s something noteworthy we think you might want to know about right away. Go to twitter.com/afterellen to follow us.

The 2008 AfterEllen.com Hot 100 is now open for voting (with a cool graphic this year, designed by Kayla Jones). This means you can publicly declare your desire for 10 beautiful woman and not even get in trouble with your girlfriend! Vote now or forever hold your peace.

Next weekend, Sarah will be moderating a panel on internet and mobile video at Q-Me Con, a queer media conference in Manhattan “featuring engaging seminars and networking events with the intention to empower queer women seeking to network and educate themselves in how to get their authentic, diverse voices and images out into the massive media-sphere.” The extensive list of panelists also includes Olive Demetrius and Hanifah Walidah, Chagmion Antoine, Andrea Meyerson, Katherine Linton, Heather Matarazzo, Sarah Schulman and Rose Troche. Tickets are $45 and available online or at the door.

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

And if you’re a big UHH fan, have we got some great news for you! Leisha and bandmate Camila Grey are currently on tour in the U.S. and Canada, and AfterEllen.com is bringing you an opportunity to catch a show and meet the girls. Yes, you read that correctly: This is your chance to meet Leisha and Camila! Here are the rules:

1. Check out their complete list of shows on their official website. 2. Choose any show from May 7—31. (No other tour dates are eligible.) 3. Send your name, email address, phone number and the show you wish to attend to [email protected] by Tuesday, May 6. 4. One lucky contestant will be randomly selected on May 7 and awarded two tickets and a private pre-show meet-and-greet session with the ladies.

We’ll announce the winner on AfterEllen.com next week. We only ask that you give us a post-show update that we can share here on AfterEllen.com. Good luck!

THIS AWARDS SHOW IS MY GUILTY PLEASURE This week, Logo (our parent company) announced a new annual awards show called the NewNowNext Awards, which honors established and up-and-coming LGBT and LGBT-friendly actors, musicians, websites, films and TV shows. Here’s the official description:

Unlike other awards shows, the NewNowNext Awards will not look at the year past, but will instead focus on what is up-and-coming in popular culture in 2008 and beyond. The two-hour telecast will feature musical performances by The Cliks, Lady Gaga and Dangerous Muse and presenters will include filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell (Short Bus), actress Heather Matarazzo (Exes & Ohs) and designer Christian Siriano (Project Runway).

… An academy of voters made up editors from gay weeklies and newspapers from across the country, artistic directors of gay film festivals, musicians and bloggers will vote on the winners for many of the categories, with online users determining winners of others.

The show will be broadcast on Logo and AfterEllen.com on June 7.

Lesbian nominees we care about? Dorothy Snarker‘s blog Dorothy Surrenders is nominated for “Most Raddest Sickest Blog Ever”; Jackie Warner for “Most Addictive Reality Star”; The Clicks, Missy Higgins, Jamie Babbit for the “Brink of Fame: Filmmaker” category; and God-des and She for the “Brink of Fame: Music” category; and Sia for the “Kylie Award: Next International Crossover.”

3Way and Dante’s Cove are nominated in the “Most Guiltiest Pleasure” category, setting up a smack-down between Jill Bennett and herself. My money’s on Jill.

Also nominated in this category? The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, Xanadu (the musical) and A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila. Wait, forget about a Jill-Jill smack-down – let’s have Jill take down Tila Tequila instead!

In the “Brink of Fame: Comic” category, we have Julie Goldman and Bridget McManus. Can we just say “Yes, please!” to both?

Michelle Paradise is nominated in the “Brink of Fame: Actress” category, along with Ellen Page. They’re also both nominated in the Brainiest Women We Love category in my head.

Finally, in the “‘Cause You’re Hot” category – yes, that’s the official category name – we have Jill Bennett and Tina Fey. I think Jill herself will be voting for Tina Fey in this category.

We’ve also partnered with Logo to create our very own AfterEllen.com NewNowNext Award. We’ll announce the category and the nominees next week, but just in case you’re wondering, it’s not “The Best Lesbian on Broadcast TV.” Because there would be no nominees.

Go on over to logoonline.com to vote for the nominees now.

I HOPE SHE BRINGS HER OWN TOTE BAG, BECAUSE THOSE THINGS LOOK HEAVY Nominations for the 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were released this week, with the winners to be announced on June 20 in Los Angeles and aired live on ABC. Once again, Ellen DeGeneres leads in the category of Lesbian Whose Mantle Is Most Likely to Collapse Beneath the Weight of Actual Comedy Gold. Not really. But the show itself has been nominated for eight Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Talk Show Host for DeGeneres herself. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment and Outstanding Special Class Writing.

This is particularly exciting for us here at AfterEllen.com because if the show wins in those categories, our own Liz Feldman, the writer/comic formerly of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, will be taking home two Emmys of her own!

This also means that she’ll need to reinforce her own mantle, as she’s already won four Daytime Emmy Awards for her previous work on the show. Did you notice that proprietary language I just used, calling Liz Feldman “our own”? That’s not just me being weird or clinging to the fact that she recently appeared on Brunch With Bridget or was part of the AfterEllen.com AfterNoon of stand-up at The Dinah. No, I’ve already let go of all that.

The fact is, this Monday we’ll be launching her new online show, This Just Out With Liz Feldman, in which she promises to bring us “the latest and greatest and nearest and queerest.” I suspect that this will also involve the implementation of both blazers and brain parts, but we’ll have to wait and see.

SAME SEX, NEW MOVIE Yesterday Oprah Winfrey invited the cast of award-winning HBO series Sex and the City to appear on her talk show to plug the new movie version of their hit television program. I stayed home and watched Oprah just so I could tell you all about it.

The stars – Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parkerreturned in all their girlie glory, giggling about how much they’d missed one another (despite nasty Page Six rumors to the contrary) and how excited they were about the film’s upcoming premiere on May 30.

The audience sipped cosmopolitans (at least that’s what they looked like from my side of the screen) as Oprah showed clips of the special screening of the film she had hosted the night before. That night, the same studio audience had been invited to watch a sneak preview of the film, but not before star Sarah Jessica Parker made a quick appearance and made them all hold up their right hands and swear not to discuss it with their friends before it opened. (Her exact words were, “You can brag, but you can’t blog.”)

Oprah took care to give the cast equal time to discuss what they’d been up to since the show ended in 2004, though some of them had more interesting news to report than others. She asked Davis about what it was like to turn 40 (it “grounded” her), and asked Cattrall what it’s like to date a man 23 years her junior (newsflash: Cattrall likes it).

But she saved her big questions for Nixon. She inquired about Nixon’s battle with breast cancer, asking her if she had heard of Betty Rollin‘s cancer memoir, First, You Cry, and then, weirdly, asking if Nixon had indeed cried when she was first diagnosed. (Nixon said she had not.) After a brief discussion of Nixon’s lumpectomy and her resulting good health, Oprah quickly topic-hopped over to Nixon’s lesbian relationship with Christine Marinoni.

Oprah then asked Nixon another awkward question: “And then you fell in love with a woman. Were you as shocked as we were?”

To my delight, one of Nixon’s cast mates snappily joked, “Did you cry?” before Nixon briefly waxed poetic about her Marinoni. (Throughout the interview, they also displayed some nice pictures of Nixon and Marinoni, who are rumored to be getting married sometime soon, according to a source “close to the National Enquirer“).

In fact, her cast mates were quick to rally around Nixon with effusive “love is love” and “we just want her to be happy” comments before Oprah could lay another egg. Oprah then told Nixon she’d heard that she met Marinoni, fell in love with her, and didn’t care if she was a man or a woman, ending with a puzzled, “So how does that work?” Nixon flashed a knowing smile and said, “You haven’t met my girlfriend.”

Well-played, Ms. Nixon. That zinger would have made Miranda proud.

BEST (LESBIANS) IN SHOW This weekend, the annual L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Women’s Night event will honor a handful of women who have made a difference in the local LGBT community. Out actor and Center board member Jane Lynch (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Best in Show) will host the event, with entertainment featuring comedian Tig Notaro (whom you may remember from The Sarah Silverman Program‘s infamous lesbian episode). As you can see, some of the AE vloggers will also be in attendance as guests of the generous Ms. Lynch. I’ll be there with Bridget, Jill and Cathy, but I didn’t submit a headshot (because I don’t have one), so my face isn’t on the flyer. Maybe I should have submitted my mugshot …

In any case, you can still purchase tickets at www.womensnight.com. Do come, we’d love to see you!

SEEMS LIKE (GAY) OLD TIMES Speaking of Bridget McManus, this week on Brunch With Bridget, Bridget has not one but two girls in her bed. The lovely and talented Eden Riegel (Bianca) and Elizabeth Hendrickson (Maggie) of All My Children fame stopped by Bridget’s place to talk about their latest project, Imaginary Bitches, and to reminisce about the good old days when they played girlfriends on AMC. Remember the good old days? We wish they had looked a little more like this: Tune in this Sunday and watch as Eden and Liz play with sock monkeys, answer the questions you submitted to them, and do an extended re-enactment of their famous kiss under Bridget’s questionable direction. You won’t be disappointed.

IF ONLY MY FAMILY DYSFUNCTION HAD ITS OWN SOUNDTRACK Logo has launched a partnership with Audible.com to stream the first chapter of LGBT books before they’re available to the public. This month’s featured book is Augusten Burroughs’ new memoir, A Wolf at the Table, which includes exclusive new songs from Tegan and Sara (who are big fans of Burroughs). Also highlighted this month in Audible’s Logo boutique is the 2003 novel Dirty Girls Social Club, which includes a Latina lesbian; you can read our review and download it from Audible. (Stay tuned for the release of the sequel to Dirty Girls Social Club next month.)

LIKE LADY MARMALADE, BUT WITH A TWIST? Who says there are no lesbians on television? Um, I guess we do, all the time. Nonetheless, there is an out lesbian among the ranks on the new VH1 show Ego Trip’s Miss Rap Supreme, and her name is Lady Twist. VH1’s official website says of Lady Twist: “Love it or shove it, Lady Twist, has a story to tell. The 22-year-old Chicago college student may crack jokes at every turn, but she’s as serious about her lyrics and lightning-speed flow as she is about her journalism career.”

The show is hosted by Michael “MC Serch” Berrin and Yo Yo, and, according to the press release, will:

go where no man has gone before … to find hip hop’s next great female rapper… this 8-episode reality talent show is set in the glitzy shine of sunny Los Angeles, California where 10 contestants hailing from all over America will have to find a way to make it through challenges that will test their sex appeal, stage presence and, of course, their mental toughness and creativity. Along the way, female hip-hop icons will be brought in to critique our eager rappin’ competitors. The winner receives $100,000 and a whole nation of devoted fans of all genders.

The show premiered on April 14, and to date Lady Twist is still in the running. Episode 2 showed the cast stopping by a lesbian bar (gasp!) to perform, and Episode 3 featured a challenge that was a tribute to “male swagger.” The contestants were randomly assigned famous rappers whose swagger and style they had to emulate with a measly budget of $100 each. The still photos of the resulting fashion show are fabulous.

I haven’t seen an actual episode yet, but I highly recommend reading photo-filled blogs devoted to each episode. Here’s an excerpt:

Anyway, she does this bit where she plays dominatrix and spanks him and tells him to clean the house and makes him do a traditional African dance (or his approximation of it) and stuff. This sets off more homoeroticism. But then again: of course it does. Merely blinking can set off the homoeroticism of this house.

Stay tuned for the next episode (airing this Monday, May 5), when guest director John Singleton (Higher Learning, Boyz n the Hood) drops by to give the contestants “acting pointers.” Will they randomly draw the names of famous thespians whose acting swagger they must jack? One can only hope. It could be fun to watch Kate Hepburn throw down a rhyme.

Tune in to Ego Trip’s Miss Rap Supreme Mondays at 10 p.m. on VH1, and look for an AfterEllen.com interview with Lady Twist very soon.

ARE THEY LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER? Beginning next week, Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon are back with more Celesbian Interviews, and they recorded this hilarious preview video at Dinah just for AfterEllen.com readers: I hope they did didn’t do shots during the interviews!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It was a brave thing for her to do. She has a son and was in a conservative part of the country. But she stood up and said: ‘This is who I am.'” – Seattle Storm co-owner Anne Levinson to The Seattle PI, commending star WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes for publicly coming out in 2005

COMING SOON TO NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO AND FRANCE … More details on the New York City AfterEllen.com meet-up on May 18: Come With Me if You Want to Live vloggers Jenn and Dee will be joining me, Bridget, Jill, Dara, Sarah and Lori, and the 3Way cast and creators at the event, and we now have a time and location: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Cowgirl‘s Bar K in Manhattan. All ages welcome. GO HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS.

In June, Bridget and I will be in San Francisco filming an episode of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere!, and we’re joining up with Malinda Lo and Sarah Pecora to have a San Francisco AfterEllen.com Meet-Up while we’re in town. Stay tuned for more details on the date and location.

Finally, in July, Bridget and I are traveling with Sarah and Lori on an Olivia river cruise through France to film more episodes of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere! Which means an AfterEllen.com meet-up in Paris on Sunday, June 29, and in Lyon on Friday, July 4.

Here’s the AfterEllen.com meet-up schedule at a glance:

New York: May 18 San Francisco: mid-June Paris: June 29 Lyon: July 4
For those who are wondering: No, we’re not snubbing other parts of the U.S. or the world, we just go wherever the tourism boards will pay for us!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! In case you missed it, there was a major development in the potential lesbian relationship on Grey’s Anatomy last night! Read all about it in this article.

Quick, grab your BeDazzler! Rosie O’Donnell will be on The Rachael Ray Show today doing arts and crafts.

Japanese lesbian love story Love My Life, starring supermodel Asami Imajuku, will be released on DVD on July 8.

We’re launching a new monthly video show next week called Girl Rock, hosted by out musician Jennifer Corday and showcasing a monthly Battle of the Bands contest, including performance footage and behind-the-scenes interviews with up-and-coming girl bands.

AfterEllen.com now has a Twitter account, so you can get alerts about lesbian TV shows, breaking lesbian entertainment news, and other AfterEllen.com news sent as text messages to your phone. (Twitter is a free and popular service that allows individuals or organizations to send short messages to anyone who signs up to “follow” them.) We won’t be twittering every day, just when there’s something noteworthy we think you might want to know about right away. Go to twitter.com/afterellen to follow us.

The 2008 AfterEllen.com Hot 100 is now open for voting (with a cool graphic this year, designed by Kayla Jones). This means you can publicly declare your desire for 10 beautiful woman and not even get in trouble with your girlfriend! Vote now or forever hold your peace.

Next weekend, Sarah will be moderating a panel on internet and mobile video at Q-Me Con, a queer media conference in Manhattan “featuring engaging seminars and networking events with the intention to empower queer women seeking to network and educate themselves in how to get their authentic, diverse voices and images out into the massive media-sphere.” The extensive list of panelists also includes Olive Demetrius and Hanifah Walidah, Chagmion Antoine, Andrea Meyerson, Katherine Linton, Heather Matarazzo, Sarah Schulman and Rose Troche. Tickets are $45 and available online or at the door.

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

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