Archive

Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (July 11, 2008)

IF WE’RE STILL SINGLE WHEN WE’RE 35, LET’S MARRY EACH OTHER TV news and gossip column Ask Ausiello reports that the Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) will have a gay wedding sometime in the near future. Just who will be donning complementary wedding outfits? A “mole” on the show reports that Christine herself will be marrying her friend Barb, played by the deadpan, acerbic and totally right-on Wanda Sykes. The column says that show producers are “taking advantage of California’s new gay marriage law.” By “taking advantage,” do they mean giving Julia Louis-Dreyfus an opportunity to dance at her big, fat, lesbian wedding? Because I’m all for that. No other plot information was given, but anyone who’s ever watched a network sitcom can guess that the lesbian nuptials will have something to do with a hare-brained scheme to scam some health insurance, ditch an annoying suitor, or fool a landlord. Hilarious!

Meanwhile, Wanda Sykes is pro-gay marriage and happily mocks the knuckleheads who feel threatened by same-sex weddings. According to Sykes, “The biggest threat to marriage is divorce.” NO PLAYMATE FOR TUCK ON GREY’S ANATOMY Meanwhile, Ausiello also reports that the Grey’s Anatomy rumor of Callie being pregnant with an Egg McSteamy next season is “not true.” I guess Dr. Bailey’s son, Tuck, won’t have anyone to keep him company at day care. Good. I’m against anything that might distract from the what-happens-next of Callie and Erica’s lip lock from last season. Besides, I’ve never been a fan of infants and offspring on shows that take place in decidedly adult environments. Teen starship officer, Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: Next Generation? Oh, honey. No. Starfleet officers should not have pimple cream in their footlockers. Sharon and Helo’s hybrid spawn, Hera, on Battlestar Galactica? Her constant Amber Alerts are fracking tedious. And then there’s Dawn Summers on You-Know-Who the You-Know-What. She’s the “key” that opens the ranty part of my brain.

But don’t get me wrong – I love kids in real life. It’s fun to teach them how to light matches and throw rocks, and they rarely complain when you ask them to fetch you a beer.

by Dara Nai

EVERYONE SPEAKS THE UNVIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF SMOOCH You know when Gloria Estefan sang “the rhythm is gonna get you”? Well, it certainly got to Brazilian singers Daniela Mercury and Alinne Rosa, since the pair shared a kiss after singing together onstage last week.

The kiss came during a DVD taping for Rosa’s band Cheiro de Amor (Smell of Love). Mercury, who is one of Brazil’s leading female singers, sang guest vocals with Rosa on “Uma Noite e Meia” (“One and a Half Nights”). The account of the smooch on the Brazilian gossip site Ego called it a “breathtaking kiss.” Apparently Mercury was overcome with emotion at the end of the number and kissed Rosa, and Rosa kissed her back. (Hat tip to Carol for the Portuguese translation!) Paging Madonna and Britney, Madonna and Britney!

The kiss had other Material Girl/Pop Princess overtones thanks to Mercury’s status as a Brazilian icon and Rosa’s as a rising star. Last fall, the Brazilian paper Extra published a report that Mercury was dating a female architect from New York. Last month in a TV interview (warning: it’s in Portuguese) she apparently confirmed the relationship, though she denied the woman was an architect and said she is now dating an Italian businessman.

For more photos of Rosa and Mercury go to the gallery on Ego. If Madge is any indication, we should definitely keep an eye on those two. Who knows, unsuspecting backup dancers could be next.

I CAN THINK OF A GOOD PLACE FOR ABC TO STICK THEIR TROPHY STORY Hey gays and lesbians, it’s ABC News here. We’ve been searching for new angles on this whole “gay marriage” thingie this week, and we think we’ve come up with the perfect way to show people across America what it’s really all about. Are you ready? Get set. Here it goes: gay trophy spouses! I know, I know. We’ve really outdone ourselves this time. Look, it’s even made you smile, but don’t smile so big – you’re gnashing your teeth. How terrific is that graphic we ran with the story? You see what we’ve done there? We’ve shrunk Portia de Rossi down to look like a little trophy that Ellen DeGeneres has just won. God, we’re good. The best part is that it’s not offensive at all. Nope, not even one teensy, tiny bit.

I mean, why would anyone get upset over our insinuation that many of the highest-profile gay relationships are based solely on greed and vanity. Like, say, Melissa and Tammy Etheridge or Elton John and David Furnish. Sure, most of the folks we quoted in the article, including Logo.com’s own John Polly, ended up refuting the idea of trophy spousedom in these gay relationships. But, come on, we already made the graphic. Your face has gone all red, so you must be about to pass out with gratitude. No, no, please don’t thank us. We’re just doing our jobs reporting the really important news to the world. Our best reward is your enlightenment. Here’s a little teaser for or next gay marriage story: “Who leads? The bride-bride, groom-groom first dance dilemma.” It’s a hard-hitting investigative piece sure to garner us many, many awards. I bet you can’t hardly wait.

by Dorothy Snarker

TRUCKS: NOT REALLY THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE REJECTION An AfterEllen.com reader tipped us off to a new music video from 27-year-old Israeli pop singer Shiri Maimon that has been making waves in Israel lately. Titled “Veratziti Shetedee” (“And I Wanted You to Know”), the song is about some tortured emotions that don’t translate well from Hebrew into English. Here’s a sample (kindly translated by said AE reader):

The moonlight is blinding How did you leave me here alone And the quiet that you chose for both of us You were the first to go insane

“It’s so fun,” she said. “Hollywood is such a queer place, and it always has been.” But they do not shy away from asking the hard hitting questions: “Why did you cheat on Jenny with Billy? Didn’t you love Jenny anymore?” they ask. Those went unanswered, as did “Who is a real bitch to work with?” (Just in case you’ve forgotten, Daniela plays Max on The L Word.)

by Trish Bendix

SHE KISSED A GIRL – AGAIN – AND SHE LIKED IT The latest season of Spain’s Los Hombres de Paco, a TV dramedy about a demoted police commissioner and his squad, ended this week on a very good note for lesbian/bi characters Silvia and Pepa, played by Marian Aguilera and Laura Sanchez, respectively,

Here’s a cute photo of the actresses: The back story is long and convoluted, but the short version is this: when they were little girls, Pepa and Silvia shared a kiss. Pepa grew up to be a lesbian police officer, Silvia grew up to be a straight forensics expert. At least, until recent events – namely, getting it on with Pepa – made Silvia question the straight part.

These screencaps from the the season finale pretty much tell the story… Unfortunately, the scene ended when Silvia’s dad walked in on the two women. Creepy much?

On the other hand, at least no one got hit by a truck!

Read more about the show in our forum, and keep your fingers crossed that both characters are still alive, and still gay, when the series returns later this year.

by Sarah Warn

ROLLIN’ DOWN THE RIVER Lori and I just got back from shooting an upcoming episode of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere! on an Olivia cruise through Southern France with Karman Kregloe and Bridget McManus. When we weren’t wine-tasting, sight-seeing, and doing lots and lots of walking, we were hiding from stalker swans, eating too much chocolate, and finding creative ways to get off the boat when it got stuck in a lock.

We did occasionally clean up for a nice dinner, though. We also made some great new friends on the cruise, including money manager Cassandra Toroian, who is the Chief Investment Officer of Bell Rock Capital, an occasional commentator on CNBC’s After The Bell (watch some clips here), and a mean dancer.

Cassandra foolishly graciously agreed to be a guest on this Sunday’s Brunch With Bridget, where she talks about how to protect yourself financially from ex-girlfriends, the beauty of 401ks, and how you can save money by leveraging the amenities offered by hotels while traveling (i.e. by stealing the soap). Here’s a screencap from the episode, which will be posted this Sunday (Bridget is wearing a uniform she borrowed from one of the ship’s crew – you really can’t take her anywhere!). Ellen’s mom Betty DeGegeneres was also on the cruise, and we had dinner with her, her sister Helen, and friend Marsha: Look for our interview with Betty in a new episode of She Made Me Watch This! on Monday.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to meet AfterEllen.com readers in Paris – where we played a lesbian trivia game with chocolate croissants – and in Lyon, where there was an impromptu ukulele version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.”

But more about that – and lots more photos – in a blog post next week; here’s a group photo from each event: Watch out, Usher, we’re taking over the world!

BECAUSE VISIBILITY MATTERS EVERYWHERE Good news for fans of lesbians on television: I’ve created an interactive Google Map of TV shows currently airing around the world that feature prominent lesbian/bi characters. So now when you get depressed about the lack of lesbians on TV in your country, you can console yourself with the knowledge that at least there are lesbians on TV somewhere else.

To play around with the map – and to find the errors I’m sure I made, since I had to hunt for info in languages I don’t speak – go to afterellen.com/maps/TV.

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Holly Marie Combs, Brooke Burns and Rochelle Aytes have been cast in Lifetime’s remake of the British series Mistresses, which featured a lesbian story line. It is not clear whether the lesbian/bisexual characters are still in the picture, since the fourth main character has not yet been cast. We’ll update you with more information when it becomes available.

Openly gay political commentator Rachel Maddow is now the official guest host on Countdown with Keith Obermann, which airs weeknights on on MSNBC.

L.A.’s gay and lesbian film festival Outfest kicks off this weekend, with a screening of 3Way and Laughing Matters…Next Gen on Saturday, followed by a party with the cast afterwards. Buy tickets here.

The cute Japanese film Love My Life, based on a manga about a college student and her girlfriend, comes out on DVD on Tuesday, July 15.

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.

We didn’t know how hard it is to live with fear When we wanted to learn We wanted to do it together We also gave up on happy endings

It’s not sounding good so far, is it? Well, let me take you through the video itself.

Oh, look! Two cute girls snuggling while driving together. How sweet! (Shiri Maimon is on the left; her brunette companion is played by Israeli actress Noa Paran.)

Yes, the “scorned lesbian turns psychotic and murders totally heterosexual best friend (and commits suicide)” stereotype is alive and well, folks. Watch it for yourself: Hey, at least this time the two chicks are totally hot. That’s progress, right?

– by Malinda Lo

ANOTHER CASTING CALL FOR A HOT GIRL WHO DOESN’T MIND KISSING ANOTHER WOMAN Bisexual Australian MTV VJ Ruby Rose has been cast in the new film Suite for Fleur. The film’s director, Ron Brown, told the press that she was hired “because of her looks and her brave stance on her sexuality.” (I’m sure he meant to say “talent” or at least “ability to memorize lines” somewhere in there as well.)

Ruby plays a woman who attempts to seduce a straight couple at a bar, which leads me to believe that she most likely was hired because she’s a hot gay lady. Earlier this year, Ruby stirred up some heat in the Australian gossip rags for sharing a kiss with the Veronicas’ Jess Origliasso, who showed up to a show in San Diego last weekend wearing a shirt printed with two woman signs holding hands. The Veronicas’ song “Take Me on the Floor” features the lyric “I want to kiss a girl, I want to kiss a boy,” but Jess has said the song is “open for interpretation.” This means she could maybe have wanted to kiss a girl at some point, even though she reportedly has. Better than Katy Perry could do! THAT’S MY IDEA OF A THEME PARTY

If you are cast on the show Big Brother, you must quickly realize there’s not much to do when you’re trapped in a secluded house with a handful of strangers you may or may not like. (In fact, they’re trying to win money by kicking you out of the house, so you probably don’t like any of them at all.) What else is there to do to pass the time but throw a goth-themed party and make out with your roommate?

On Big Brother 9 U.K. this week, that’s exactly what happened: Contestants Sara Folino and Kathreya Kasisopa shared a snog in the pool. Of course it wasn’t as romantic as a goth pool party kiss would likely seem – other roommates were there to “encourage” them along. Though both Sara and Kathreya have yet to speak about their sexuality on the show, Kathreya ended their pool party by saying: “I kiss you tomorrow. Same time. In the pool.” I wonder what the next theme party will be – Mardi Gras? (Sara is Australian, and you know how gay their Mardi Gras is.)

DANIELA SEA DOESN’T BITCH AND TELL In a new interview with The Daily Freak Show, Daniela Sea talks about her love of feminism and being out in Hollywood.

“It’s so fun,” she said. “Hollywood is such a queer place, and it always has been.” But they do not shy away from asking the hard hitting questions: “Why did you cheat on Jenny with Billy? Didn’t you love Jenny anymore?” they ask. Those went unanswered, as did “Who is a real bitch to work with?” (Just in case you’ve forgotten, Daniela plays Max on The L Word.)

by Trish Bendix

SHE KISSED A GIRL – AGAIN – AND SHE LIKED IT The latest season of Spain’s Los Hombres de Paco, a TV dramedy about a demoted police commissioner and his squad, ended this week on a very good note for lesbian/bi characters Silvia and Pepa, played by Marian Aguilera and Laura Sanchez, respectively,

Here’s a cute photo of the actresses: The back story is long and convoluted, but the short version is this: when they were little girls, Pepa and Silvia shared a kiss. Pepa grew up to be a lesbian police officer, Silvia grew up to be a straight forensics expert. At least, until recent events – namely, getting it on with Pepa – made Silvia question the straight part.

These screencaps from the the season finale pretty much tell the story… Unfortunately, the scene ended when Silvia’s dad walked in on the two women. Creepy much?

On the other hand, at least no one got hit by a truck!

Read more about the show in our forum, and keep your fingers crossed that both characters are still alive, and still gay, when the series returns later this year.

by Sarah Warn

ROLLIN’ DOWN THE RIVER Lori and I just got back from shooting an upcoming episode of You Can’t Take Them Anywhere! on an Olivia cruise through Southern France with Karman Kregloe and Bridget McManus. When we weren’t wine-tasting, sight-seeing, and doing lots and lots of walking, we were hiding from stalker swans, eating too much chocolate, and finding creative ways to get off the boat when it got stuck in a lock.

We did occasionally clean up for a nice dinner, though. We also made some great new friends on the cruise, including money manager Cassandra Toroian, who is the Chief Investment Officer of Bell Rock Capital, an occasional commentator on CNBC’s After The Bell (watch some clips here), and a mean dancer.

Cassandra foolishly graciously agreed to be a guest on this Sunday’s Brunch With Bridget, where she talks about how to protect yourself financially from ex-girlfriends, the beauty of 401ks, and how you can save money by leveraging the amenities offered by hotels while traveling (i.e. by stealing the soap). Here’s a screencap from the episode, which will be posted this Sunday (Bridget is wearing a uniform she borrowed from one of the ship’s crew – you really can’t take her anywhere!). Ellen’s mom Betty DeGegeneres was also on the cruise, and we had dinner with her, her sister Helen, and friend Marsha: Look for our interview with Betty in a new episode of She Made Me Watch This! on Monday.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to meet AfterEllen.com readers in Paris – where we played a lesbian trivia game with chocolate croissants – and in Lyon, where there was an impromptu ukulele version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.”

But more about that – and lots more photos – in a blog post next week; here’s a group photo from each event: Watch out, Usher, we’re taking over the world!

BECAUSE VISIBILITY MATTERS EVERYWHERE Good news for fans of lesbians on television: I’ve created an interactive Google Map of TV shows currently airing around the world that feature prominent lesbian/bi characters. So now when you get depressed about the lack of lesbians on TV in your country, you can console yourself with the knowledge that at least there are lesbians on TV somewhere else.

To play around with the map – and to find the errors I’m sure I made, since I had to hunt for info in languages I don’t speak – go to afterellen.com/maps/TV.

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Holly Marie Combs, Brooke Burns and Rochelle Aytes have been cast in Lifetime’s remake of the British series Mistresses, which featured a lesbian story line. It is not clear whether the lesbian/bisexual characters are still in the picture, since the fourth main character has not yet been cast. We’ll update you with more information when it becomes available.

Openly gay political commentator Rachel Maddow is now the official guest host on Countdown with Keith Obermann, which airs weeknights on on MSNBC.

L.A.’s gay and lesbian film festival Outfest kicks off this weekend, with a screening of 3Way and Laughing Matters…Next Gen on Saturday, followed by a party with the cast afterwards. Buy tickets here.

The cute Japanese film Love My Life, based on a manga about a college student and her girlfriend, comes out on DVD on Tuesday, July 15.

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.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button