News

As cumbersome titles go, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is right up there with the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of The Whatevers of this world. Coming from Martin McDonagh–a London bred writer-director of Irish extraction–there are perhaps even notes of pretension in its derivative Americana. Of course, whoever said that books are not to be read by their covers should have perhaps said something about titles, too. Indeed, McDonagh’s latest work is simply exceptional; a film so rich with narrative fluidity, profane laughs, standout performances and complex character studies that its tremendous emotional hits–often arriving when you least expect them–might just leave you agog.

Just consider the moment when Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) and Sheriff Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) have their first real showdown, in a backroom of the local Ebbing police department. Mildred has been brought in by Willoughby on a misdemeanor but...

For a guy who wasn't big on passing ... Kobe Bryant delivered a Huge assist to a high school class in Indiana by bailing them out of their final history exam!! Here's the deal ... Ben Davis H.S. senior, William Pate, got his U.S. Govt. teacher to agree to cancel the final exam if he get could Kobe to publicly acknowledge him on Twitter.  Sounds impossible, right? Wrong.  Kobe saw Ben's online plea -- and Tweeted at him saying,...

Tony Award Honoree Ben Davis Violet, A Little Night Music, La Boheme, Lesli Margherita Matilda, Dames at Sea, Kendrick Jones Shuffle Along, The Scottsboro Boys amp Drama Desk Award-nominee Daniel Reichard Original Cast of Jersey Boys will join previously announced Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba Bullets Over Broadway, Curtains, Contact, multi-award winning Nightclub star Klea Blackhurst amp Steve 'The Whistler' Herbst at Town Hall's Broadway by the Year Series on Monday, March 27 at 8pm, 'The Broadway Musicals of the 1940s,' which will highlight the music of Rodgers amp Hammerstein, Kurt Weill amp Leonard Bernstein.

What Ben Davis thought would be just another pep rally ended in a surprise that brought the 16-year-old to tears. On Friday, Davis was wheeled out to the middle of Everett High School's basketball court and treated to an extraordinary promposal in front of his entire Lansing, Michigan, school. A video of the priceless moment has been viewed more than 3 million times on Facebook. "I met Ben Davis two years ago and ever since then we became really good friends," Vee Nguyen, the mastermind behind the promposal, wrote on Facebook. "He is such a sweet person with a kind heart...

What Ben Davis thought would be just another pep rally ended in a surprise that brought the 16-year-old to tears. On Friday, Davis was wheeled out to the middle of Everett High School's basketball court and treated to an extraordinary promposal in front of his entire Lansing, Michigan, school. A video of the priceless moment has been viewed more than 3 million times on Facebook. "I met Ben Davis two years ago and ever since then we became really good friends," Vee Nguyen, the mastermind behind the promposal, wrote on Facebook. "He is such a sweet person with a kind heart...

Rodgers amp Hammerstein's The Sound Of Music is one of the most oft-produced and popular musicals of all time and this week has welcomed both spectacular news and saddening news regarding the past, present and future of the beloved family-friendly musical. Iconic original leading man Theodore Bikel passed away at the age of 91 earlier this week, forever closing the book on the first man to ever sing 'Edelweiss', one of the score's most beloved gems, not to mention portray Captain Von Trapp in the original Broadway production. Yet, on the horizon looms a brand new national tour of the tuner set to star a brand new discovery named Kerstin Anderson in the role of Maria Von Trapp alongside a fresh-faced cast including Ben Davis, Ashley Brown, Merwin Foard, Dan Tracy and more, all under the direction of Jack O'Brien. Considering the legendary legacy of the beloved title, now is an...

Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returned to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate last summer. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman led the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This was the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sang the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.Check out highlights from the special event below...

Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.

Following the enormous success of the semi-staged performance of My Fair Lady at the Proms in 2012, John Wilson returns to perform Cole Porter's Tony Award-winning musical Kiss Me, Kate. Joining John Wilson and the John Wilson Orchestra, Broadway stalwarts Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck and West End star Louise Dearman lead the cast in an irreverent reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- a play within a play. This is the BBC Proms debut for all four performers as they sing the energetic score in its original 1948 arrangement.

Two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Alexander Gemignani, and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry star in Violet with Ben Davis, Annie Golden, Emerson Steele, Austin Lesch,Anastacia McCleskey, Charlie Pollock, Jacob Keith Watson, Rema Webb and Virginia Ann Woodruff. Violet officially opens on April 20, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway 227 West 42nd Street for a 20-week limited engagement.

Roundabout Theatre Company Todd Haimes, Artistic Director just announced the full cast of Violet. The musical will star two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster Violet, Colin Donnell Monty, Alexander Gemignani Father and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry Flick, and will feature Ben Davis Preacher, Annie Golden Hotel SingerOld Lady, Emerson Steele Young Violet and Austin Lesch, Anastasia McCleskey, Charlie Pollock, Jacob Keith Watson, Rema Webb and Virginia Ann Woodruff.

Selena Gomez doesn't need to twerk or be scandalous for her fans to love her. In a nod to her good girl image, the former Disney Channel star told fans at her sold-out show at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday to be true to themselves - just like she is. "Every day I get told I'm not sexy enough or I'm not cool enough or if I did this or if I did that, I would have people who love me," the 21-year-old singer said. "Look at this room! I don't have to do any of that to have love!

In a new interview, Selena admits what she thinks about her good-girl image — and Miley’s raunchy behavior! Is Selena’s insistence that she keeps it clean a major diss to Miley?

Selena Gomez, 21, reaffirmed her role as a pop star with good behavior in a new interview she gave on Oct. 15, revealing what she thinks about Miley Cyrus being naked on a wrecking ball! Read on for more juicy details.

Selena Gomez: Did She Diss Miley Cyrus In An Interview?

When Selena did a radio interview for The Ben Davis and Kelly K Show, she was asked if she had had any “rock star moments” where she and her friends got crazy in hotel rooms.

Selena calmly replied, “It’s hard to be a rockstar when you’re a pop artist. I can’t be like, super-hardcore and then think, ‘Ok, well I’m in a pink sparkly dress.

Here is last week’s caption pic winner. This week’s caption pic is at the bottom of the page.

Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is …

“… said I want to plow your field … (mumble, mumble) … took it damn literally … (mumble, mumble)”

Thanks to virgo108 for this week’s winning caption!

(source)

Weekend Birthdays! Scott Speedman (above) is 38, Babydaddy is 37, Gloria Estefan is 56, Debbie Gibson is 43, Julie Brown is 59, Cameron Diaz is 41, and Richard Gere is 64.

Ben Cohen and Joe McElderry are rumored to be among the next cast for Strictly Come Dancing.

A&E has canceled The Glades after four seasons.

This morning on the local news, there was a story of an unidentified man who was killed in a car accident in a nearby town. He’s now been identified, and I was stunned when I learned who it was. Rest In Peace.

Why Aren’t Jennifer Hudson...

The Muny is currently presenting the fourth show of its fantastic 95th Season, South Pacific, directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. South Pacific is sponsored by Emerson. Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Ensign Nellie Forbush, with Ben Davis co-starring as Emile de Becque. Joining them will be Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, Josh Young as Lt. Joseph Cable, Sumie Maeda as Liat, Tally Sessions as Luther Billis, James Anthony as Capt. George Brackett, Michael James Reed as Cdr. William Harbison, Caitlin Chau as Ngana, andSpencer Jones as Jerome. Broadway brings you photos from the opening night festivities below...

The Muny is currently presenting the fourth show of its fantastic 95th Season, South Pacific, directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. South Pacific is sponsored by Emerson. Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Ensign Nellie Forbush, with Ben Davis co-starring as Emile de Becque. Joining them will be Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, Josh Young as Lt. Joseph Cable, Sumie Maeda as Liat, Tally Sessions as Luther Billis, James Anthony as Capt. George Brackett, Michael James Reed as Cdr. William Harbison, Caitlin Chau as Ngana, andSpencer Jones as Jerome. Below, meet the show's leads- Kelly and Davis...

The Muny is currently presenting the fourth show of its fantastic 95th Season, South Pacific, directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. South Pacific is sponsored by Emerson. Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Ensign Nellie Forbush, with Ben Davis co-starring as Emile de Becque. Joining them will be Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, Josh Young as Lt. Joseph Cable, Sumie Maeda as Liat, Tally Sessions as Luther Billis, James Anthony as Capt. George Brackett, Michael James Reed as Cdr. William Harbison, Caitlin Chau as Ngana, and Spencer Jones as Jerome. BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the cast in action below...

Can former Saturday Night Live cast member and recent Tea Party, anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-Obama nutjob Victoria Jackson make a comeback in Hollywood? She's certainly going to try. Kelly Leonard, vice president of Second City comedy thinks she can. “Talent wins out. If she has talent, Hollywood will let you do anything.”

Oz the Great and Powerful ended up doing better at the box office than estimated, pulling in $80.4 million, making it the biggest opening since The Hobbit in December.

What happens when the internet gets a photo of Joseph Gordon-Levitt working out? Hilarity, that's what!

Princess Lilian of Sweden has passed away at the age of 97. Originally a commoner, Princess Lilian was secretly wed to Prince Bertil for 30 years before the marriage became public so as not to threaten the line of succession.

Cats have no respect for personal property.

With Justin Timberlake pulling double duty as both host and musical guest,...

Marriage equality has come to Maine, with the first couples being able to tie the knot on the spot as the state has no waiting period. Congratulations!

As most of us wait for Congress to avert the fiscal cliff they created that will raise most of our taxes $2,000/year, President Obama has signed an executive order giving a 0.5% raise to most federal workers, including Congress, who will see about $900 extra in their pockets next year.

I've never been much of a gym person until the past year, and now I'm an addict. But I've never experienced the gym in January when everyone tries out a resolution to get fit and things get crowded, and if this article is to believed, funny.

Fox News finds the media's support of marriage equality to be among the 10 Most Embarrassing Examples of Media Coverage in 2012. "Newsies looked like an aging cast of “Glee,” with...

In its ongoing efforts to combat bullying, the hit Broadway musical Wicked will host a special event tonight, October 11, featuring two leaders in the worldwide campaign to bring an end to bullying Ben Cohen, MBE, founder of The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, and Dan Savage, co-founder of The It Gets Better Project. Mr. Cohen and Mr. Savage will be joined by members of the Wicked company for a post-performance talk-back to discuss what can be done to help stop the prevalence of bullying.

It's finally obvious why Rupert Everett made those horrible comments about gay parents – he has a new book to sell. Still, in some ways I empathize with some of the reasons he's putting forth on kids and marriage. "For me, being gay was about wanting to do the opposite of the straight world, so I think that's where my problems in this particular area come from. For me, personally, the last thing I would like in the entire world would be to go through cocktailing my sperm with my boyfriend and finding some grim couple in Ohio who are gluten-free and who you pay $75,000 to have your baby. To me it feels absolutely hideous. But that's me, just me. I'm not having a go at gay couples who do. I think if Elton and David want to have babies, that's wonderful. I think we should all do what we want.

I'm told that today's Days of Our Lives is infinitely livebloggable, so snicks will be with you for all the snark you can handle about WilSon.

Adam Lambert is all class with just a little bit of sass when asked about Paris Hilton's comments about gays. “I’m not touching that one. She’s not worth it.”

Sir Patrick Stewart says that he will indeed be returning as Professor X in the future. "I think there is every possibility. Halle Berry! Famke Janssen! Rebecca Stamos! Anna Paquin! Yes, I'll be reprising..."

The AP has noticed the astonishing lack of gay people in ads about marriage equality in states with ballot issues. Matt McTighe, campaign manager of Mainers United for Marriage says "I'm a gay man, and the general rule of thumb for me is that an ad that meets my emotional needs is not necessarily the thing that's going...

Here is last week's caption pic winner. This week's caption pic is at the bottom of the page.

Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...

"I am always prepared if a cute guy wants to give me his number."

Thanks to chronomaxx for this week's winning caption!

Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Ben Cohen (above) is 34, Andrew Lincoln is 39, Tommy Lee Jones is 66, Tom Hardy is 35, Dave Annable is 33, Jennifer Tilly is 54, Richard Marx is 49, Molly Shannon is 48, and Amy Winehouse would have been 29. Jesse L. Martin is joining the cast of Smash, as a theater company artistic director who may become involved with Debra Messing's character. In ratings news, Glee's move to Thursday was down 13% from last season’s opener, but was up 14% from last season's finale. Plus it...

When talking about the new split perspective season of Glee, co-creator Ian Brennan says something that I'm sure will rile our fans up. "Rachel, like it or not, is really the core of the show. She's sort of like the ultimate underdog and it felt weird to pull her out of that. She's part of this continuous story. ... You want to actually see, 'What does that mean once you leave that womb?' Rachel goes from being a big fish in a small pond to a very small fish in the biggest pond ever." Only because you insist on shoving her down our throats.

I wouldn't normally comment on a script order, but the CW has ordered Copeland Prep, about a prestigious private school so competitive that it literally turns students into monsters. What's so odd about it is the names creating it: Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage from Gossip Girl are EPs,...

In its ongoing efforts to combat bullying, the hit Broadway musical Wicked will host a special event on Thursday, October 11, featuring two leaders in the worldwide campaign to bring an end to bullying Ben Cohen, MBE, founder of The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, and Dan Savage, co-founder of The It Gets Better Project. Mr. Cohen and Mr. Savage will be joined by members of the Wicked company for a post-performance talk-back to discuss what can be done to help stop the prevalence of bullying.

Vulture made a visit to the set of the New Girl, which had Schmidt (Max Greenfield) walking into the living room, penis cast removed, and tossing the empty cast down on the table to the horror of his roommates. These are scenes I could watch, but I can't watch it with Zooey Deschanel. They also mention that there will be a Magic Schmidt scene.

Marvel has had to delay the release of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One -- Avengers Assembled Collection" due to a copyright claim. The DVD box set was due to ship in a replica of Nick Fury's briefcase, but the manufacturer of the case in the movie, Rimowa GmbH, filed a copyright suit saying that Disney didn't have the rights to replicate their product.

NBC broke even on the Olympics for the first time in years, thanks to high ratings and online advertising, which is good news,...

In sad news, Neil Armstrong passed away at the age of 82. The first man to set foot on the moon, Armstrong was more than just an American hero, he was a global pioneer who helped a generation dream of things bigger than themselves.

In one of the more touching stories I've read lately, longtime comic book writer Karl Kesel is selling his extensive collection of rare comic books collected over a lifetime. Why? To help pay the medical and adoption bills for his new son, who was born addicted to heroin. But it's all for the best cause, children.

Among the amenities that Republicans can expect in Tampa Bay is free admission to a bathhouse, a HomoCon party held in a fetish club, and a Paul Ryan-double go-go boy.

Speaking of surprises, the Republicans blinked and moved Ann Romney's speech to Tuesday night so the networks would televise it.

Did you miss me? Probably not, since Louis and snicks kept you company. I spent the last week riding roller coasters, walking gardens, caves, blowing my diet, and hiking waterfalls, and feel much less homicidal than normal. On to the news!

It turns out that the Defense of Marriage Act isn't just bad for the gays, it would also keep Jeannie from marrying Master, and Superman from marrying Lois Lane.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt says that he's too good of a friend with Zooey Deschanel to ever consider dating her, but he does offer up tips about what he looks for in a partner. Are you listening, Morgan? “Making checklists of things you’re looking for in a person is the numero uno thing you can do to guarantee you’ll be alone forever. You just have to pay attention, keep your eyes open, listen to people and be present. I guess...

I want to apologize for abandoning you on Friday, but the computer upgrade at the day job went horribly wrong. Evidently I can install a half dozen clients and a new server flawlessly, but plugging in the printer that we didn't replace was one step too far and kept me up all night. On to the news!

Quincy Jones is set to write the score to the star-studded Lee Daniels' film The Butler. Is there an A-list name in Hollywood not associated with this film?

Las Vegas is set to get an 80,000 square foot gay nightclub complex called Krave Massive, built in an abandoned multiplex. I'll be honest, I've never been to Las Vegas, and I don't really have any desire to go – I find casinos to be depressing places. Can anyone explain the attraction?

Ryan Murphy says that there will be no ghosts in the new season of American Horror Story.

As first reported exclusively by BroadwayWorld, Anastasia - A New Musical is being brought to the stage in a 29-hour reading, which entered rehearsals last week, based on the hit 1997 animated motion picture from Fox Animation Studios. The musical, which is in its early stages of development, will feature the five songs from the film along with fifteen new songs written for the stage. Joining the creative team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty will be bookwriter Terrence McNally and music director Ben Cohn. Joining the previously announced cast is Kelli Barrett in the title role of Anya Anastasia. Patrick Page once again dons the role of the villain, Vladimir. Angela Lansbury will reprise her role from the film as the Empress Maria, and Aaron Tveit will play Dimitri.

I don't have a link, but Chris Colfer tweeted that Land of Stories will debut at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Congratulations, Chris!

Just when I thought it was such wonderful news that three of the hospitals treating patients from the Aurora shootings were planning on wiping out or severely reducing the medical bills for the victims, a wet blanket decides to politicize it in a negative way.

I've been largely ignoring (at great effort), the drama around Katherine Jackson and her grandchildren. But she's back at home, and upset she lost guardianship of her grandchildren after vanishing for a week without telling them she was leaving.

Viacom, our parent company, has joined with other major businesses in signing an amicus brief in Gill vs. Office of Personnel Management (the case to overturn Doma).

Mike Huckabee invited Nom's Brian Brown on his radio program to talk about Chick-fil-a,...

The full Frank Ocean interview with The Guardian is out, and it's worth a read. Several passages really stuck with me, but I really liked this one about why he put the liner notes out like he did. "It was important for me to know that when I go out on the road and I do these things, that I'm looking at people who are applauding because of an appreciation for me. I don't have many secrets, so if you know that, and you're still applauding … it may be some sort of sick validation but it was important to me. When I heard people talking about certain, you know, 'pronouns' in the writing of the record, I just wanted to – like I said on the post – offer some clarity; clarify, before the fire got too wild and the conversation became too unfocused and murky." Words of wisdom more than a few celebrities could learn from.

Bryan Fuller was a little coy at Comic-Con on the subject, but it sure sounds like he's trying to get Pushing Daisies to Broadway, with the original cast. Who would stand in line for days to get tickets?

I'll be the first to admit that 50 Cent has said some anti-gay things that really ticked me off. But as for his opinion on Frank Ocean? “Obama is for same-sex marriage. If the president is saying that, then who am I to go the other way? Anyone that has an issue with Frank Ocean is an idiot.”

My buddy Brett Berk has compiled a list of the Five Best and Five Worst Batmobiles, and I have to admit I've never seen some of these cars, especially the older ones. Where did they hide the weaponry in the convertibles?

I've kind of avoided talking about Usher's stepson Kile Glover, who was seriously injured in a boating accident.

For those of you keeping track of the celebrity Teabaggers, you can now add Kevin Sorbo to the list. At least we still have Xena.

The situation with same-sex couples and the civil partnerships registry in Ecuador is more complicated than many people have thought. Now a court has ruled in favor of a lesbian couple seeking to have their relationship registered so they can name their adopted daughter as both of their child. Like I said, it's complicated, but Andres at Blabbeando does a nice breakdown.

In an unexpected move, Texas Governor Rick Perry is applauding 650 Aggies that came together to shield a soldier's funeral from a protest by the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church.

The casting for Finnick Odair in Catching Fire is moving along, but sadly it no longer contains the possibility of Trevor Donovan in the role. He definitely had the abs for it.

Google is launching a new global,...

Frank Ocean, of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, came out and said that his first love was a man, in a moving post to his Tumblr. Global Grind is saying that he's come out as bisexual. Rumors started spreading after a radio station noticed lyrics in his debut solo album used male pronouns, and Ocean verified it in a post of the CD liner, which is where he intended to come out. Adding a young, emerging hip-hop star to the constellation of out celebrities is a great thing, and we salute his bravery.

Cern is confirming they have a 4.9 sigma result of a new particle being discovered that strongly resembles the elusive Higgs boson, which would complete the standard model in physics. It may take the better part of the year before they're willing to confirm it is the actual Higgs boson.

The New York Times has an interesting take...

Having already booked Kristen Chenoweth for a recurring role on The Good Wife next year, the show has now added Nathan Lane in an unspecified recurring role as well.

The "missing" episode of Happy Endings, with Max playing the Walter Matthau character in a Bad News Bears themed episode will see the light of day at Outfest in Los Angeles. No word on when those of us elsewhere in the world will get to see it.

In sad news, Nora Ephron has passed away at the age of 71. It wasn't until later in adulthood I connected Ephron to some of the most iconic films of my youth, but the world is a poorer place with her no longer in it.

Buzzfeed had a list of famous people who have done amazing things in real life, and one of those is Sir Ian McKellen, who in 1988 was asked by Michael Howard,...

What is myocardial infarction? Alex Trebek has been hospitalized after suffering a minor heart attack, but it doing well, and will be ready to start taping the 29th season of Jeopardy! next month.

The Republican Party has decided that the Air Force is hostile to religion after they removed the line “if you attend chapel regularly, both officers and Airmen are likely to follow this example. If you are morally lax in your personal life, a general moral indifference within the command can be expected” from their Squadron Officer Training school manual. Having been in the Air Force, they're anything but hostile to religion. I recall in basic training the choice to either go to church on Sunday morning or stay and clean the barracks. Even I went. They confuse not pressuring people to have a religion with being hostile to religion.

The soundtrack listing of the London Olympic opening ceremony has been leaked,...

Kellan Lutz is headed to Family Guy, where he's set to play Meg's latest crush as a high school football jock. But Kellan's interest lies with another member of the Griffin family, and it's not one of the women.

Brave is set to win the box office this weekend, surprising no one. It will be Pixar's 13 consecutive number one opening, raking in $65 million, easily beating Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter which will open in third with $20 million, behind Madagascar 3.

The case that led to the Chief of the Boat on the U.S.S. Florida, a nuclear submarine, being removed from duty involved the gay hazing of a sailor. Once the sailor related to his mates that he had been held at knife point in Diego Garcia and nearly raped, they hazed him with gay slurs and the nickname "Brokeback." The Chief of the Boat is responsible for maintaining discipline...

In a completely terrifying development, Alan Ball says that Rick Santorum inspired this season of True Blood, because more frightening than any monster is the concept of a theocracy, which is basically the idea behind the Authority. Although on second thought, the idea that he inspired True Blood may be more terrifying to Santorum.

While it appears that the saner party prevailed in the Greek elections, the Nazis there celebrated by shouting "Another punch for the lesbian!"

Madagascar 3 earned more money in its second weekend than openers Rock of Ages and That's My Boy combined.

Last week, Shonda Rhimes criticized Bunheads for the lack of diversity in the sprawling cast. Now creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has responded, but she may be punching out of her weight class. "Look, I’m not going to get into a pissing match with Shonda Rhimes because she has 15,000 shows on the air, and she...

First up, snicks will be liveblogging Days of Our Lives today, so plan your lunch break at work accordingly.

Filming for Once Upon a Time means that Josh Dallas won't be able to reprise his role as Fandral in Thor 2. It's unknown if the original Fandral, Zachary Levi, will take over. Levi was originally cast but had to drop out after Chuck got a final season.

Pardon me for thinking karma about his views "against gay sin" might have played a role in Manny Pacquiao's defeat this weekend, ending his seven year winning streak in the boxing ring after scorecards added up 115-113 in favor of his opponent.

You may have seen a video making the rounds of a Shell kickoff for their new drilling rig. At the ceremony, a replica rig begins to uncontrollably shoot soda all over the room. It was actually a Greenpeace stunt done largely as a flashmob.

Here is last week's caption pic winner. This week's caption pic is at the bottom of the page.

Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...

"There's no croixing in baseball."

Thanks to Kim Vicious for this week's winning caption!

Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Adamo Ruggiero (above) is 26, Natalie Portman is 31, Julianna Marguiles is 46, Sonia Braga is 62, Michael J. Fox is 51, Bonnie Tyler is 61, and Johnny Depp is 49. What are your Johnny faves? Here are mine: 5. A Nightmare On Elm Street, 4. Private Resort (so much ass), 3. Cry Baby, 2. Edward Scissorhands, 1. Ed Wood. Frank Langella Was a Happy Slut.25 Lgbt Films Perfect For Celebrating Pride.Male flesh feast Strike Back will return for its new season on Cinemax on August 17th, with a preview after this Sunday's True BloodCBS Files Restraining Order Against...

Teen Wolf won the lottery for film credits in California, and will be moving production from Georgia. I'm not sure I can see them creating the same creepy forest scenes in SoCal. Maybe they'll shoot up north. I don't actually remember MTV renewing them for next season already, so this is good news.

On Thursday, Maggie Gallagher will be debating Wayne University associate professor John Corvino at the Institute for American Values at 6Pm. They'll be webcasting the event, and it should be a good one.

I'd normally ignore a discussion of a radio program by a 14-year-old, but Caiden Cowger is from my home state of West Virginia, and he's got some pretty messed up ideas about gay rights. He says that President Obama is turning kids gay. “You know what? I knew these kids — some of them I was friends with, they were not, homosexuals. They just decided,...

A lot of celebrities had words to say about the passing of Donna Summer, but leave it to Sir Elton John to squeeze in a dig at (presumably) Madonna in his. "I'm so sad. This woman was the queen of disco and so much more. Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace, especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted. She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly."

It's common wisdom that Gene Roddenberry pushed to have actors of color like Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek to create his perfect future world, but was it actually NBC recruiting people of color like Nichols and George Takei to help launch their switch to color television?...

Birthday shoutouts go to Derek Hough (above), who is 27, Jordan Knight is 42, Thom Filicia is 43, Tabatha Coffey is 43, and Enya is 51. USA has decided not to go forward with that long-in-the-making untitled sitcom with Nathan Lane.Below you can see the trailer for Malibu Country, with Reba McEntire as ... "Reba," with assistance from Sara Rue, Jai Rodriguez, and the incomparable Lily Tomlin. It looks fun, but I kept expecting to see Steve Howie pop up.

Being Gay in the World of Mad, Mad Men: What It Was Really Like. No, President Obama Is Not 'The First Gay President' Below you can see a news report about the the UK launch of the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. Ben's on my Hot 100 list, how about you?

Speaking of, today is The International Day Against Homophobia.Celeb tribute tweets to Donna Summer.Deadline has the complete fall primetime broadcast guide. Lots of interesting notes,...

Oliver Stone was so impressed with Trevor Donovan's audition for Savages that while he didn't cast him in the role he went out for, he wrote a new character that wasn't in the book just so Donovan could be in the movie.

In what could be a fun fight for the right wing, small government Tea Partiers are at odds with religious broadcasters. The Tea Party wants to remove the "must carry" rule that allows many of the religious broadcasters to be included in cable.

Activists are pressing the U.S. Navy to name a ship after Harvey Milk. Milk served in the Navy and received an honorable discharge at the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade). Can you imagine the outrage if this happens? I can't imagine the sailors coming into port in San Diego from the boat. They already skipped arm in arm to the gay bars back when Don't Ask,...

Birthday shoutouts go to the recently-out Sean Maher (above), who is 37, the faboo Ellen Barkin is 58, Selena would have been 41, and Dusty Springfield would have been 73. What are your favorite Selena or Dusty songs? Here are my three fave Dusty songs. 3. "Son Of A Preacher Man," 2. "What Have I Done To Deserve This," and the gorgeous 1. "Windmills Of Your Mind."In ratings news, some Celine-less unnecessary mini-series helped drag Gcb to a series low.Speaking of, "Titanic Anniversary: Ship's Gay Passengers Revealed In New Research."Cyndi Lauper will reprise her role as psychic Avalon Harmonia on an upcoming episode of Bones. I need to go watch Vibes for the hundredth time.Tom Hardy talks about playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and if the ugly mask he wears is a liability. “I think he worried it would be something I might not consider because wearing a mask might damage my career or something.

As The Advocate turns 45 years old, they've put up a hall of fame, from Pat Rocco to Dustin Lance Black and everyone in between. It's a great, brief gay history lesson.

A new way to maim myself – a self balancing unicycle. But it would be great to pick up boys. I know I hit on the cute guy at Bridge Day two years ago on the unicycle with the puppy.

Speaker Boehner has appointed National Organization for Marriage founder and author of the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration Robert George to the Religious Freedom Commission, making him a government employee for the next two years.

Cutie (and equality advocate) Josh Hutcherson has been named Breakthrough Performer of the Year by CinemaCon. That's a bit of an understatement after The Hunger Games.

As disgusted as I am by the unsealed Nom memos that showed how they cynically manipulated entire populations of minorities as they opposed equality,...

Sports stars will be challenged to tackle stand-up comedy in new BBC show Stand Up for Sport Relief. Claudia Winkleman will host the charity show, which will feature British sports stars performing at top comedy venues to help raise money for Sport Relief. Ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, World Cup rugby star Ben Cohen and sports broadcaster Gabby Logan will all be taking part in the show. Other sports stars participating will be revealed in the coming weeks. Comics Patrick Kielty, Jason Manford, Andi Osho, Chris Ramsey and Daniel Sloss will mentor the sports stars ahead of their big night at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, which will air on BBC Three in the build up (more)...

Colin Farrell dropped in on a Dublin hospital on Christmas Day and delivered presents to over 100 children. No press were alerted and even Colin's representative wasn't notified it was happening. It only came to light after parents tweeted pictures.

The North Carolina Psychological Association has come out with a multipage letter opposing  the state's proposed constitutional amendment against gay marriage, refuting all the standard arguments used in campaigns of this type.

The New Yorker has a rave article out about great television (strangely it counts Parenthood as the best), but then in the same breath it can barely contain the love for web series and local favorite Husbands the Series.

If you hadn't heard, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry failed to qualify for the primary ballot in Virginia because they didn't present 10,000 signatures. Newt's campaign has come out and claimed the disaster is like December 1941 (Pearl Harbor). John Aravois explains...

Happy Birthday to Ryan Kwanten (above), who turns 35, Ed Harris is 61, and Jon Stewart is 49. In shocking news, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will not seek reelection after thirty years in office, but he "plans to write and stay involved in public policy decisions." I don't remember a time without Barney. Below you can see him explain his decision.

In sad news, legendary master of glorious wretched excess Ken Russell has died at the age of 84. His films were visually spectacular if not always entirely coherent, but that was a good thing. Among his classics, he gave us the iconic nude wrestling scene in Women In Love, the trippy Altered States, that musical about the deaf, dumb, and blind kid, and the indescribable The Lair Of The White Worm, featuring Amanda Donohoe in one of my favorite performances of the 80's. Rip.

Michael Urie on life after Ugly Betty. The Five...