Constant rotation: November 2009

1. Cry, Kelly Clarkson
2. To Be With You, Mr. Big
3. Lisztomania, Phoenix
4. Who Says, John Mayer
5. Wavin' Flag, K'Naan
6. Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z f/ Alicia Keys
7. Bad Romance, Lady Gaga
8. 1901, Phoenix
9. Happy, Leona Lewis
10. Whatever You Like, Anya Marina
11. All to Myself, Marianas Trench

Warning: don't dance to Lady Gaga while shaving, vice versa

I have a strange relationship with Lady Gaga.

I know at some point I will end up loving every single she puts out. But it usually takes me at least 10 listens to get there.

I think maybe it's because everyone loves her so much, I feel the need to resist. Also, while everyone else thinks the crazy shit she wears is so amazing, I just think it's fucked up. Leave Kermit alone!

Anyway, today at about noon, it happened. I was sitting on my couch, doing some work, living life. And Gaga's latest single Bad Romance came on my iPod.

I couldn't control myself. I had to get up. It was time to dance.

Let me tell you, arms were flailing, hips were twisting, booty was shaking. It was quite a sight!

Later, I got overexcited, dancing to Bad Romance while shaving, and took a chunk out of my cheek as a result.

I mean, it was no hanging-myself-at-the-VMAs or anything, but I guess we could think of it as my own form of bloody, Gaga-inspired performance art.

Right?

Look of the week: Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman looked gorge-ous at the New York premiere of Brothers Sunday eve in a ruffled Jason Wu mini-dress.

She contrasted her royal blue frock with a metallic yellow clutch by Christian Louboutin, added jewelery by Tiffany & Co, and threw on some Aldo shoes.

And that thick metallic belt of hers wraps up the look perfectly.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've been inspired to pop in my Garden State DVD all of a sudden . . .

Vanessa wants it that way. (I do too).

This is an oldie that I didn't get around to posting . . . until now. (Note most of my responses are merely "hahah"s. Vanessa really felt passionate about this subject).

via Gchat, July 29, 2009.

Vanessa: can you think of any songs that evoke the same kind of passion that the Backstreet Boys' I Want It That Way does?

Chris: I don't think there is anything.

Vanessa: what comes close?

Chris: ummmmmm . . . I'm Your Lady, Celine Dion

Vanessa: ooo true. What else?

Chris: lol, why do you ask?

Vanessa: running songs. Nothing makes me want to run and sing like I Want It That Way. Britney's Stronger does a nice job too.

Nothing tops I Want It That Way. I'm sorry. But nothing can. It's the perfect amount of passion combined with an excellent pace... and just enough build up at the end there, when Nick belts it out.

Chris: hahahahah

Vanessa: man, I sang so hard when we were driving home from NYC listening to that song. Such passion!

Chris: did I tell you we sang it on the way home from Montreal on bachelorette weekend?

Vanessa: hahaha no. I bet it was amazing! It hits all the melodic notes that make your heart want to jump up and run

Chris: hahahah

Vanessa: Another great thing about it is that no matter your vocal range, you can hit all the notes spot on. And just when you're at the end of a long run, right when you think you can't make it around the next bend, or up that hill, Nick belts it out... and his voice lifts you up, carries you to the next level, and you sprint it out!

Chris: hahahah

Vanessa: it's so true. If I ever run a marathon, I'm going to time it so that that song comes on at the very end, right before i die.

Neve Campbell on . . .

LIVING IN LONDON:
I lived in LA for 13 years, but it just didn’t suit me. I’m from Toronto and I’m really used to a city I can walk around in, I guess. After I saw Crash, I realized: it’s true. People only really meet in LA when they get out of their cars. It’s a very isolating city. I have to be a little careful in London with the attention of the paparazzi. But on the whole, people are very respectful.

SCREAM 4:
[W]e start shooting Scream 4 in mid-April. I’m so happy that those of us still “alive” from 1, 2 and 3 like David (Arquette) and Courteney (Cox) have already signed up to take part . . . I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, and a lot like going back to summer camp.

THE KEY TO PLAYING SIDNEY PRESCOTT:
Physically speaking, it’s all about working the bob! And the only way I can achieve that properly every day on set is through Tara Smith hair products. Seriously, if Tara didn’t cut and style my hair in an amazing girly way to re-create the Sidney look, I wouldn’t have a starting point [for the character]. I’m not kidding. Hers are the only products I can use without killing my hair and skin, as they are 100% organic and free of chemicals.

HER NEXT FILM:
Well, I’m always trying to find a great new scam to avoid the dark, damp British winters if I can! So, I’ve just signed up to do a movie in Sydney, Australia starting in December. . . It tells the story of a very brave female composer from the 40s.

Full interview at Black Book.

My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding has a really long title, and not much else going for it

I didn't even have to bug Howard Jamieson to review My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding for me. She just felt this passionate about it.

I recently took my mom to see My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding for her 50th birthday.

Before I went, David Mirvish assured me: "My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding is for every mother who has ever come out to her children as a lesbian... and a Jew. It is for every girlfriend who has met her future lesbian in-laws... at Hooters. And it's for everyone who's ever been in love."

Me and my mother were all of those things and so I thought it would be a winning night.

It followed the same route as the Drowsy Chaperone, from Fringe to Broadway courtesy of Mirvish. I loved the Drowsy Chaperone.

The posters frightened me with their mention of a "moving story," but I was eased by the "musical comedy" classification. I come from a line of people who prefer sarcasm and scathing put downs to love. The humour better be good.

Two minutes in, I realized I had made a terrible error in judgement, resulting in what will likely go down in family lore as the worst birthday gift my mom ever received.

Here's the plot of MMJLWW: "Isn't it so funny that my mom came out as a lesbian and I was so understanding about it and the fact that her lover was a wiccan woman and their friends had cats? Wasn't it hilarious how I accidentally thought Hooters was a restaurant based on owls and brought my mom there for dinner to meet my girlfriend and then got stuck in traffic? Isn't it also funny that she came out as Jewish before she got married? And can you believe that I went to a Jewish Lesbian Wiccan wedding?"

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you might enjoy this play. And I will only judge you a little.

But me, I laughed three times in 90 minutes.

When I was in school, a professor once told my class that any member of the great unwashed could write a negative review. So, in the spirit of fair play, here are three things I enjoyed about the experience.

1) The song - "A short history of Gay Marriage in Canada." Very informative and fun.
2) The wiccan robes worn by the priestess in the end scene. It was supposed to be serious but this was one of my laughs.
3) At one point, the play referenced its own cheesiness when the son character got on the plane to see his mom. Minutes before, we had been subjected to a very lengthy emotional song from the mom. The boy started to sing it, and then said "My plane ride was much shorter." Thank god.

To be fair to the cast, me and my ilk were the only people not enjoying the play. All the other theatregoers were having a riot.

I theorize that these people are either family members of the cast, nitrous oxide addicts or those who laugh really hard at Hallmark movies.

I wanted to like it. I really did. But it was too lovey-dovey when I wanted it to be clever.

(I suppose if you're telling the true story of your mother's coming out, there's not a lot of room for artistic license, especially if she is in the front row.)

Maybe it's my fault. I legitimately expected something they weren't offering, which was a clever, original and kooky evening, in the vein of the Don McKellar's Drowsy Chaperone.

The day after I saw the play, I looked for reviews, but could only find outdated reviews from the Fringe Festival this summer, where the play was declared it a rollicking success. I think it was probably a great find at the Fringe, but the extended version is not worth the price of $45 - $65 a ticket.

I pored over the internet, looking for some malcontent who shared my opinion. I finally found one on CBC, in the "comments" section.

"I saw this play and it is by far the cheesiest, annoying, and unoriginal thing I have seen in quite some time. And I see a lot of plays."

(I'll have to check with my mom and make sure that wasn't her.)

MuchMusic VJ Search down to four

I'm conflicted about whether to even keep blogging about MuchMusic's online VJ search that's been going on forever, as for the most part I forget that it's even happening.

Nonetheless, I guess the finalists have been cut down to four now. And I have some rather upsetting news to deliver as a result:

Jules McKools did not make this final round of competition.

All together now: Nooooooooooooooooooo!

Those left in the competition are Marlon Palmer, Laith Hakeem, Liz Trinnear, and Alli Walker.

This week they're being paired up to produce MuchNews segments that will air on MuchOnDemand on Friday.

They'll also (finally!) show us their on-air chops all next week on MOD.

Then, Liz Trinnear will be announced the winner on December 4.

More info here. Blahblahblah. I'm bored of this again.

Magazine cover of the week

Man. I always feel such shame when I find John Mayer hot. He's such a douche, right? And I don't like to have anything in common with Jennifer Aniston. Ever.

But damn if the first thing that came to my mind when I saw his Details magazine cover wasn't "Oh he looks hot!"

I've got a weak spot for sleeve tattoos. I can't help it.

At least Mayer seems to know he's annoying too.

"At the end of the day, all I owe the world in exchange for my dumb face being in their lives are 10 songs every couple years that are hopefully of greater magnitude than somebody’s press story about me," Mayer tells the mag. "You’ll walk away from the record liking me a hell of a lot more than you would walking away from an interview.”

Coincidentally, I've actually really been feeling Mayer's new single Who Says.

Shit, how long before I come out as a full-fledged, unabashed Mayer fan? Someone make me feel okay about all this.

Muppets cover Bohemian Rhapsody

Okay people. Updates will be sporadic over the next couple weeks as I'm forced to prioritize "real work" over my slimy, sass-filled take on pop culture.

Luckily, my attention span is short, and I'll need to refuel my mind with viral videos and lots of caffeine in order to make it through.

Today's break comes courtesy of the Muppets, who just released the above cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

Totally made my day! Hope it makes yours too!

Let's focus on what really sucked about Adam Lambert's AMAs performance

So everyone's shitting their pants over Adam Lambert's American Music Awards performance last night.

The American Idol runner-up shoved a guy's head in his crotch, and kissed another dude.

I don't know what the big deal is, that just sounds like Tuesday afternoon to me. (Uh, I wish).

You know you've gone too far though, when former Full House star Candace Cameron-Bure takes to Twitter to highlight your wrongdoings.

"Didn't watch the AMAs but just watched Adam's performance since it was so talked about. Aww, I'm so sad. Loved him on AI, but that was gross," the former DJ Tanner tweeted. "Wish people would showcase their talent in a self respecting & classy way. That performance was anything but."

Honestly. Let's get a grip, people.

The most offensive thing about Adam Lambert's AMAs performance was his voice. How did this guy even come close to winning American Idol?

Kelly Clarkson you are not, dear Adam.

Nico and Natalli join Janet at the American Music Awards

Did anyone watch the American Music Awards last night?

If you did, like me, you're probably regretting it.

Eagle-eyed audience members may have recognized a couple of Janet Jackson's backup dancers, though!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada season one winner Nico Archambault and runner up Natalli Reznik danced behind Ms. Jackson during a medley of past hits.

"It's such a great experience," Nico told CTV last week. "It's the best you can get. It's the top gig and it's so much fun."

"It's amazing. It's been really, really exciting," Natalli echoed.

Looks like on top of being great dancers, Nico and Natalli both attended the same class on how to create really generic, mundane sound bytes.

Well done on all counts!

Vanessa, on New Moon

Here's proof that if you bug your friends for guest blogs long enough, someone's bound to crack! Vanessa (of "horse ass braid" fame) saw the Twilight Saga: New Moon on Saturday night. And boy am I glad she did, so now I don't have to! Here's her take on whether it's worth seeing.

I didn’t quite understand the hype around the Twilight series until a couple of weeks ago when I saw the first film. Not having read the books or seen the movie until almost a year after its release, I’d missed an entire chapter defining today’s popular culture and the obsession with vampires. I also didn’t understand how the Pattinson-Stewart-Lautner trio were suddenly in my face everywhere I went. Regardless, I saw the first Twilight movie, and after setting myself up for disappointment, I walked away actually really liking it and anxious for the sequel’s release.

But New Moon, despite making me laugh out loud several times, was a bit of a disappointment.

After Edward (Pattinson) tells Bella (Stewart) he and his family have to leave their small town of Forks, Washington, Bella sinks into deep depression, distancing herself from her friends and family. She begins to grow close to Jacob (Lautner), until he finds out that – shock! – he’s actually a werewolf. Poor guy, I hate it when that happens. What’s even more, they’re fairly poorly animated werewolves. With all the technology we have today, surely they could have done a better job of making the werewolves look more realistic.

The Bella-Edward romance that dominated the first movie gets eclipsed (pun intended) by the new “friendship” between Bella and her suddenly ripped protégé Jacob, and despite his blindingly white teeth, affliction for shirts, and need to wear cut-off jeans, their chemistry doesn’t quite match up. The best scene of the entire movie involved Bella flying off a dirt bike, hitting her head on a rock, and Jacob resourcefully tearing his shirt off to wipe away the blood. The entire theatre laughed in unison – of course, just take your shirt off!

Besides a few book-ending scenes of Bella and Edward gazing into each other’s eyes, à la original Twilight, the movie was disappointingly void of actual contact between the two. We spend most of the movie watching Bella grow close to Jacob and then pull away, when really all the tweens (ok, myself included) want to see is Bella and Edward together.

When Edward is mistakenly informed that Bella has died, he decides to kill himself, for a world without her is not one in which he wishes to live. Romantic, yes, but without the heat of the two together, his intentions fall flat. Granted, it’s hard to top the piano or prom scenes from the first movie.

The film is still worth seeing even if it’s not as broodingly charged as the first. We get a deeper glimpse into vampire culture, making for some intriguing situations, and when Bella and Edward do grace the screen together, it is pretty hot. However, the movie doesn’t quite live up to expectations after the success of the first, and one can only hope the third will put the series back on course.

Lots of gratuitous shirtless scenes, though. Out of place, yes, but I’m not going to complain.

The Toxic Avenger: not completely harmful to one's health

"So would you have paid the full $40 for a ticket?" my friend Linda asked as we exited the Danforth Music Hall last Wednesday after watching the Dancap musical production of the Toxic Avenger.

Linda had scored us a pair of tickets for $4.50. The entertainment value we received was somewhere between that bargain basement price and full fare.

Based on the 1984 cult movie of the same name, the Toxic Avenger watches the nerdy Melvin Ferd the Third transform into a superhuman mutant after being dropped in a barrel of toxic waste by the corrupt mayor's cronies.

With nothing but good intentions, the Toxic Avenger lets his temper get the better of him, while attempting to discipline polluters of his city. More pressing, he wonders how far he can push a romance with Sarah, the blind librarian, who can't see his new deformities.

The Toxic Avenger works best when it's self-consciously winking at the audience. This isn't high art we're dealing with. It's a rock musical parody, most of the time.

The songs are catchy enough, and with a runtime of an hour and 45 minutes (sans intermission), the story moves briskly enough to ensure the audience doesn't look for too much (or any) logic.

With a cast of just five, the show really relies on some pretty stellar performances. Namely, Peter Deiwick -- the understudy! -- impresses as Melvin Ferd the Third/the Toxic Avenger. With a less commanding central figure, the show might get confused in the series of supporting caricatures around him.

That's not to say some of these caricatures weren't executed wonderfully. When Louise Petre is on stage as the Mayor and/or Melvin's Ma, it feels like there's some real acting going on.

Brittany Gray's portrayal of Sarah is fine, though she's not that great at playing blind. I know I said we shouldn't be looking for logic here, but I really was distracted by this.

Jamie McKnight and Daren A. Herbert round out the cast, doing at least quadruple duty as they switch off a whole slew of characters including hairdressers, Sarah's girlfriends, a police officer and a scientist.

While McKnight plays his characters oversimplified and goofy like he belongs on that ridiculous MuchMusic show Stars Gone Wild, Daren A. Herbert does more genuine (though appropriately campy!) acting.

The energy and commitment of its cast carries the Toxic Avenger through tonal inconsistencies, and a whole lot of "WTF?!" plot points. For an evening out, it's certainly not harmful to one's health.

Tickets to the Toxic Avenger are available through January 3, 2010. Click here for more info.

Monday deliciousness: People's sexiest man alive edition

People magazine named Johnny Depp this year's sexiest man alive, a title he claims for the second time in his career. And as I alluded to last week, I just don't get the appeal. Never have. He looks like a skeleton, right? Is that hot?

Thankfully, People didn't completely miss the mark, and features some super fine men on their pages that IMHO are more deserving of the "sexiest man" title. Let's break it down.

SEXY, EVEN WHEN HUNGOVER

BRADLEY COOPER


SEXY, WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES (BUT ESPECIALLY WITHOUT)

DAVID BECKHAM


THEY SING, THEY DANCE, THEY'RE SEXY!

GLEE's COREY MONTEITH, MATTHEW MORRISON, and MARK SALLING


GAY COWBOY COSTUME INCLUDED

JAKE GYLLENHAAL


I DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC, BUT I SURE DON'T MIND LOOKING AT YOU

JOHN LEGEND


I IMAGINE YOU SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING IN THE MIRROR THAN YOUR WIFE. KEEP THAT HOT BOD, AND I'LL ALLOW IT.

RYAN REYNOLDS

You're bound to like someone in that lot, right? Who's your fave?!

Happy Monday!

Tina Fey, on NBC

"NBC is sadly the fourth-place network; actually, we're in ninth place if you count the radio stations ahead of us right now. . . I really believe that if everyone in this room would watch NBC for one night then that would be a 40 percent [ratings] increase." -- Tina Fey, poking fun at her network at the Ad Council gala in New York last week.

Summer fun list #28: Steamwhistle Brewery Tour

It may be less than a month until the first day of winter, but that didn't stop me from crossing one more item off my summer fun list this weekend.

Motivated by some soon-to-be-expired coupons my dear roommate acquired, a group of us headed to the Steamwhistle Brewery for a quick tour and sample of the brew.

I knew before going that I'm not really a fan of Steamwhistle, but I never let a deal pass me by.

The tour itself was educational, not to mention short and sweet. I was mildly disappointed it only included one sample of beer, but was pretty pleased to receive a complementary bottle opener.

Probably the most thrilling discovery was the photobooth in the brewery's waiting area -- only $1 for four photos. You can't find a deal like that anywhere else! If you're not into beer, that alone is worth the trip down.

We finished the outing with some well-deserved street meat outside Union Station. All around one of the classiest Saturdays of life.

Look of the week: Gerard Butler

If it takes a real man to rock a kilt, I think it's time we agree that Gerard Butler is one helluva real man.

The actor walked the Law Abiding Citizen red carpet in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday looking damn fine in a traditional kilt.

More than that, he walked the red carpet with his mom.

A good-looking family man who knows his roots. I want to go to there.

[photos via Just Jared]

Hot mess of the week: Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester, you have gone too far.

The Gossip Girl star and aspiring singer performed a four-song set dressed like . . . uh, that! . . . at the opening of the American Eagle Times Square store on Tuesday.

I'm not sure if you're trying to dress coocoo like Gaga, but Leighton, let me just say I love you so much more when you're looking like a high society fashionista!

Here she looks like she's wearing a super cheap Halloween costume from Value Village, no?

And those bangs. Oh those bangs! They're pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen in life.

Oh Leighton Meester. You hot mess.

(Come back to me, stylish Meester!)

[photos via JustJared]

Shameless self promotion: nominate me!

So nominations for the Canadian Blog Awards have been open for oh, I don't know, maybe a month.

I failed to mention them before, because I was pretending I was above shameless self-promotion. And I mean, I blog for my love of the slimy and sass-filled. Not for awards, money, fame, a job, or anything else that society actually values.

But anyway, this morning, as I realized it was the last day to nominate for said awards, I realized I'm full of shit and would love all the honour and glory that goes along with being nominated for any type of award.

I mean, think how much easier it would be to get Whit Hertford-calibre interviews here if I could say my blog was nominated for an award?!

Point being: if you've ever laughed, rolled your eyes, or had any other emotional response to something you've read on this blog, please click here and vote outisthrough.com for Best Pop Culture Blog.

Thanks so much!

Jane Lynch on . . .

ON HER GLEE CHARACTER:
The first script I read I laughed out loud. And the first description of Sue Sylvester in the very first episode was "Sue Sylvester may or may not have posed for Penthouse, and is on horse estrogen." And I was like "I have to play this woman."


ON SUE'S APPEAL:
A fine line between deliciousness and heinousness is what makes Sue Sylvester work on television and I'm constantly trying to walk that line. You want to walk up to the line of being just awful then you want to have enough deliciosuness, something gleeful if you will, to keep you from not wanting ot kill her.


ON THE TV BITCH TOOLKIT:
When you get a well written zinger and you feel like you really landed it, there's nothing better than that. But if you can do with just a lift of an eyebrow . . . if you can master that, i think that's a very important skill for a TV bitch to have as well, is a great reaction shot.


WILL SUE SING?
Sue has not broken into song in Glee so far but the actress Jane Lynch is campaigningn strongly for it. I hope I get to sing, I hope Sue gets to sing. The song that is in Sue Sylvester's heart right now is I've Been to Paradise But I've Never Been to Maine.


For Jane Lynch's full video interview, click on over to Entertainment Weekly.

The Listener, Battle of the Blades renewed

It may have been cancelled by NBC in the middle of its first season, but the Listener will return to CTV with a second 13-episode season, Shaftesbury Films announced this week.

Season two of the show, which follows a telepathic paramedic, will air on CTV, Space and Fox International Channels on unspecified dates.

In less shocking news, CBC has announced its reality hit Battle of the Blades will return for a second season next fall.

The show brought in an estimated average of 1.479 million viewers per episodes, with CBC citing its "unique format" and "mass appeal" for attracting those all-too-essential advertisers.

Has anyone watched either of these shows? I watched the first episode of the Listener. Sadly, it was painful.

And the AWK-ward award of the week goes to . . .

. . . model/actress Sofia Vergara who made a rape joke during an appearance on the View yesterday.

If there's a time and place for any kind of joke . . . well, the View just isn't the place to make a rape joke.

Barbara moved things right along like a pro, but ch-check out Whoopi's immediate reaction.

Is it just me . . .

. . . or is Cat Deeley way, way, way, way, way, way hotter than her actor boyfriend Jack Huston?

The So You Think You Can Dance host and her beau walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of New Moon earlier this week.

I know Deeley's had a hectic schedule this fall, flying back and forth to host both the American and British versions of So You Think You Can Dance.

But can someone please remind her how beautiful she is, and that she needn't date someone resembling Johnny Depp and Justin Bobby's love child?!

(Yeah, I don't love Johnny Depp as much as People Magazine does. But more on that later).

Sighting!

Darran tells me Joshua Jackson has been on the University of British Columbia campus this week shooting an episode of Fringe.

The biggest revelation from watching Josh shoot outside his office the past couple days?

Apparently dude's a "heavy smoker."

Nasty habit. Maybe Joey should've picked Dawson after all.

SYTYCDance of the week

Alright, so I should probably just rename this feature to Jakob Karr dance of the week. Because I really don't see myself getting over him and his dancing skills anytime soon.

Last night he and partner Ashleigh Somethingerother performed an awesome Tabitha and Napoleon hip hop routine.

This one's right up there with the Bleeding Love routine from season three that I will never, ever get over.

It was honestly the first time I've gotten really excited about SYTYCD in a long while. So well done, everyone involved!

Oh, and Jakob . . . marry me? Please?!

[video via Tapeworthy]

Eddie Winslow works again!

Jaleel White must be awfully jealous.

His Family Matters costar Darius McCrary -- that's Eddie Winslow for TGIF fans -- has been cast on the Young and the Restless.

McCrary will play Malcolm Winters, a role previously played by Shemar Moore.

I'm pretty excited Eddie Winslow got a job. I always feel a little sad when I see Carl or Harriet Winslow reduced to a bit guest starring role on a random crappy sitcom.

In fact, there will be a Family reunion on the Y$R set, as Brighton McClure, who played Little Richie on Family Matters also stars on the soap.

Here's what Little Richie looks like now. Sadly, no more curly mullet.

Magazine cover of the week

Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes, Cyndi Lauper, Lt. Dan Choi, and Rob Marshall take the cover of Out Magazine's December issue, profiling the 100 most "outstanding and inspiring" GLBTQ men, women and allies of the year.

Also making this year's Out 100 are:

• TV actors Neil Patrick Harris, Scott Evans, Adamo Ruggiero, and Michael Urie
• filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar
• Chaz Bono
• That's Gay's Bryan Safi
• The Food Network's Cat Cora
• ANTM contestant Isis King Liz Brixius
• ANTM contestant turned MTV News Correspondent Kim Stolz
• Broadway actor (and Olsen twins' dad on the short-lived Two Of A Kind) Christopher Sieber

For the full list click on over here.

Meanwhile, on the cover of Allure . . .

. . . Kirsten Dunst isn't looking quite right, right?

I like the idea behind the fresh-faced, natural feel to the photo.

But having her hair all up in her face is kind of a silly way to sell magazines, and I'm always quite distracted by her mouth.

Maybe I'm just bitter and jealous that she got to spend some quality time with one Mr. Ryan Gosling, shooting their upcoming film All Good Things.

Thoughts?

Peak Season reaches new heights on MTV Canada

Looks like Whistler does it better.

Recently-released ratings data reveals the premiere of MTV Canada's original reality show Peak Season was the network's highest-rated series premiere of any program, American or Canadian.

Documenting the lives of a bunch of telegenic young adults, the show's one-hour premiere on October 19th brought in 122,000 sets of eyeballs, MTV Canada announced yesterday.

The show also ranks as the third most-watched show on mtv.ca, behind the Hills and the City.

With the show's success, could a second season be in the cards? Only time will tell, but if there's any alcohol left in Whistler, surely there's more drama to document!

WWIB: New Moon men edition

The Twilight Saga: New Moon stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner both kept it clean and simple in single-breasted suits and solid skinny ties at the movie's Hollywood premiere Monday night.

I know all the young kids are in love with Pattinson, but I have to say one more time that I just don't get it. Besides the fact that he always looks half asleep, that black Gucci suit he sported is ill-fitting and kind of wrinkled.

Lautner, meanwhile, knows how to wear a suit. His blue Calvin Klein duds fit to perfetion. And hey, he's got better posture too!

Team Lautner for the win!

While we're talking New Moon premiere . . .

How great does 90210's Jennie Garth look, walking the red carpet with her hot hubby/New Moon cast member Peter Facinelli?!

"I'm such a fan of the book and of the movie that I really can't picture anyone else playing Dr. Carlisle," Garth gushed about her husband earlier this week in anticipation of the premiere. "So I'm very happy to be there on his arm. It's not about me — I'll just be arm candy that night.

And boy did she succeed in that!

Love the dress, love the hair, don't love the fake tan, but I can overlook that.

Bob Saget rides again

The cast of Full House is having a great week!

A&E has just greenlit a seven-episode reality series from Bob Saget called Bob Saget's Strange Days.

The series will see big tall Bob travel across America and immerse himself in some of out of the ordinary subcultures, including survivalists, a biker gang, Amish teenagers and mail-order brides and their husbands.

I sure hope he's planning an episode where he spends time with a widower, his three daughters, brother-in-law, unfunny comedian friend, TV cohost/sister-in-law, twin nephews, dog and woodchuck puppet.

Now this is a bit much

I have no shame in stating I love me some Swiss Chalet Festive Special.

In fact, I called my cousin Jass over the weekend to let her know it's time we plan our traditional visit to the Swiss for some quarter chicken white, fries, stuffing and cranberries.

But I have to say I'm truly disgusted by their new TV ad this year. It's not only sickeningly sweet, but completely unfunny.

I'm so glad my dad is actually funny, so he doesn't have to resort to putting food on his face to make me laugh.

Barf.

While I'm complaining, can I request that they get the Toblerone back, instead of the Lindor chocolates?

Thanks!

Gossip Girl line of the week

"I don't converse with liars or Lewinsky's." -- Blair Waldorf

Also, some healthy criticism of the show, from my dear friend Vanessa:

I watched about two minutes of Gossip Girl, saw that they were putting on a play, and turned it off . . . For some reason they keep insisting on putting Serena’s hair in the horse’s ass ponytail every episode now. They did it this week and i’m pretty sure they did it last week too. Not as bad as at the Teen Choice Awards though… I think it was less slicked back. But still… c’man!

Stamos gets his star

Have Mercy!

Uncle Jesse Katsopolis, er, John Stamos received the 2,393rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today.

That's only five years after Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen received their star -- not bad, Johnny Boy! Maybe soon you too will have a successful line of straight-to-VHS movies!

Stamos is currently appearing in a revival of Bye Bye Birdie in New York, and his star is coincidentally located right next to Dick Van Dyke's, who originated the role he's playing.

I was going to make a joke about how appropriate it would've been for Stamos to sing some sort of Beach Boys song at the ceremony. But according to Candace Cameron's Twitter, he actually did!

Clearly he watched that episode of Full House where Joey taught us how to make people laugh with you not at you.

If only he had brought the mullet back too!

I have a story . . .

I haven't watched Saturday Night Live in quite some time, let alone laughed at it.

But something about Kristen Wiig's impression of Kathie Lee Gifford on Saturday's episode definitely made me LOL.

(It may have helped that some friends and I were just about to leave for the bar, and in a festive mood).

Even so, it should be known that we couldn't stop singing the fake Kathie Lee's song "I Have A Story" for the rest of the night.

This may have pissed off our cab driver on the way to the bar. But that's neither here nor there.

Watching the sketch back today, I'm not actually sure how funny it is. I don't even know if I should tell you to click this link and watch it.

I mean, I'm still laughing a bit, but I think I may be mostly laughing at how hilarious we were when singing it. Can anyone else who participated in the sing along confirm or deny whether we were funnier than the sketch?

So basically you just read all this to find out that I think me and my friends are pretty hilarious, and that this sketch from SNL may or may not be funny.

I apologize.

Monday deliciousness

Have you heard of Dave Salmoni?

I hadn't until recently, but I sure am glad I found him.

The 33-year-old from Sarnia, Ont. is an animal trainer and zoologist who has produced and hosted a number of shows for Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, including Rogue Nature, Predator vs. Prey, Into the Lion's Den, After the Attack, and Into the Pride.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, he's smokin' fine and not afraid to show it off. Dave took it off for People magazine last week, as pictured above.

Even hotter, back on Halloween Dave appeared on Tyra, and oiled up to don a skimpy Tarzan costume.

Mark today on your calendar -- it's probably the one and only time I'll actually recommend watching something off Tyra Banks' talk show. Check out the vid of Dave's appearance, below.

Happy Monday!

Toronto's Santa Claus Parade melts this curmudgeon's heart

So lately I've been feeling old. Whereas I used to get super excited at the first mention of Christmas approaching, this year the thought of the holiday just feels like work.

When did I become such a fucking curmudgeon?!

Lucky for me, Santa Claus rolled through the streets of Toronto yesterday during the 105th annual Santa Claus Parade, and managed to push me one step closer to accepting that Christmas spirit back into my life.

The event became a family affair, as my cousin Kelly joined me on Bloor St. to watch and provide commentary on the spectacle of floats and paraders ahead of us.

The parade certainly didn't disappoint, with old favourite floats rolling down the street: Mother Goose, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Mr. Potato Head.

There were also some pretty impressive new entries, including a float of the characters from Disney's upcoming animated feature the Princess and the Frog.

My fave float, meanwhile, involved a bunch of fashion-forward forest creatures, sponsored by Yorkdale Mall.

I caught myself more than once dancing to the marching bands' music, and reveling in the children's reactions to the parade.

And in fact, I may have excitedly squealed "He's almost here!" to my cousin, upon first glance of the big guy in red off in the distance.

So yeah, I'm almost ready to accept outrageous mall traffic, blinding Christmas lights and Celine Dion singing Christmas carols back into my life.

I suppose for a few brief moments, the Santa Claus Parade meted my cold, aged heart.

Flashpoint, Erin Karpluk, Leah Miller among Gemini winners

CTV's cop drama Flashpoint was the big winner at this weekend's Gemini Awards, taking home three trophies including one for best dramatic series.

In true Canadian fashion, the awards show honouring Canadian TV was broadcast on Global in the ratings graveyard that is Saturday night. Oh how we value our arts and culture!

Erin Karpluk picked up a trophy for her work on CBC's Being Erica. George Stromboulopoulous walked away with the coveted award for best host or interviewer in a general/human interest or talk program or series. (Honestly, could we make these titles a few words longer)?!

And I guess voters were really impressed with Leah Miller's ability to say things like "Wow, you're a really great dancer." The host of So You Think You Can Dance Canada picked up a trophy for best performance or host in a variety program or series.

Here's the full list of winners from Saturday night:

Best dramatic series
Flashpoint

Best comedy program or series
Rick Mercer Report

Best dramatic miniseries
Burn Up

Best reality program or series
Dragons’ Den

Best performance by an actor in a continuing lead dramatic role
Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a drama or miniseries
David Suchet, Diverted

Best performance by an actress in a continuing lead dramatic role
Erin Karpluk, Being Erica

Best performance by an actress in a lead role in a drama or miniseries
Christine Ghawi, Celine

Best ensemble performance in a comedy program or series
the cast of Three Chords from the Truth

Best host or interviewer in a general/human interest or talk program or series
George Stroumboulopoulos, The Hour With George Stroumboulopoulos

Best news anchor
Diana Swain, CBC News at Six

Best writing in a comedy or variety program or series
Adam Reid, Max Reid, “Billable Hours

Best direction in a dramatic series
Kelly Makin, Flashpoint

Best performance by an actor in a featured supporting role in a dramatic program or miniseries
Hugh Dillon, Of Murder and Memory

Best performance by an actress in a featured supporting role in a dramatic program or miniseries
Barbara Hershey, Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning

Best performance or host in a variety program or series
Leah Miller, So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Season 1

Donald Brittain award for best social/political documentary program
Tiger Spirit

Q&A: Whit Hertford on UCB, Glee, and about 501 other projects he's got going

When we left off the Whit Hertford story on Wednesday, the actor had just decided to move back to L.A. after spending some quality time honing his abilities at school in Salt Lake City.

How would Hollywood react to his return, you ask?

As we're about to find out, Mr. Hertford is paving a way for himself, and has found many a venue to exercise his acting and writing chops in the process.

---

Tell me about your work with improv group Upright Citizens Brigade.
Because I have the type of look that I have, even though I feel I can do a wide array of stuff and I’m a little bit more versatile than I think most would give me credit for, comedy was going to be my forte. So I had to really brush up on that and not assume I’m funny enough. I had to humble myself and get to work. And so I started enrolling in classes at UCB and things got really really good. I started doing a lot of improv with a bunch of different teams . . . and from then on it’s been kind of steadily a climb where I attribute a lot of my ability to be resilient and not let things get to me because I have that nice outlet to experiment and do weird things. And actually working with UCB got me to do a bunch of stuff on Conan here lately where I’ve been doing a bunch of guest spots in various sketches.


What else are you working on now?
I’m writing a bunch of other stuff. I wrote a cartoon pilot called Life After Myth, and it’s basically Curb Your Enthusiasm but with the Lochness Monster in the Larry David role.

I’m working on a web series calls R. Stiltskin, Attorney At Law. It’s a character I used to play at UCB, Rumpelstiltskin and he’s an attorney and it’s kind of like if Rumpelstiltskin was in the Bill Shatner role on Boston Legal.

I’m working on writing a one woman show for UCB. I play this character that’s like a demented Mary Lou Retton named Bobby Lynn Cooper and the title of the show is Lifetime Presents Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Pretty Okay All By Myself: The Bobby Lynn Cooper Story.

And then I'm working on a really dark dramatic play that I'm writing and would be in. A two-person play about Dracula's slave Renfield and his side of the iconic vampire story . . . More about the descent of a madman, Renfield, and the doctor that becomes the patient and vice versa type stuff.



How did your role on Glee come about?

[You have to push play for this one. The Ryan he refers to is show co-creator Ryan Murphy. The Cheyenne Jackson he refers to is the hot
Broadway actor Cheyenne Jackson].


Do you think we'll see Dakota Stanley return to Glee?
I don’t know so I’m trying to put out the good vibes . . . I mean, I have more ideas that I really want to show that Dakota’s kind of crippled emotionally inside. But they have so many flipping characters on that show. If I do come back it’s probably going to be for like three lines where I’m just yelling and irate because that’s what he does. I did pitch to Ian Brennan, I did say, "What if Dakota and Sue are an item?" Because Jane Lynch is like eight foot nine and to have us next to each other I think would just be the most amazing sight gag. And I mean we’re just so similar. I’m definitely the male equivalent of that role.


With all the different projects you have going, is there certain work you prioritize over other work, or enjoy doing more?
I kind of am one of those people that whatever I’m working on, whatever it is, it’s my favourite thing. I just focus on really anything. Shit man, I’ll do anything. Obviously I’ll whore myself out. There’s a lot of things I turn down though too. I definitely feel that even tho I’m starting from scratch I definitely don’t want to make too many missteps because it’s kind of a lucky break to do this let alone get a second stab at it.


Is there a certain role that you're most proud of?
My main hope is that thetre’s more casting directors who can kind of take a curve ball on the different types of people that they bring in for certain roles. It’s much better, even though I’m always flattered with [recognition from] Nightmare On Elme Street, and Full House and Jurassic Park, when I get recognized for Glee it just means so much more. Because I think Jurassic and Nightmare and Full House, to me I wasn’t really an actor, I was just a kid with a cool job. And I think when people give me praise or compliment me on that that they’re just complimenting me on being part of something they like. But with Glee, I dig Dakota Stanley and that’s a good feeling.


What's your favourite kind of chips?
I do eat tortilla chips and guacamole, I’m obsessed with guacamole, so I’d pick tortilla chips for my favourite. But if you were to ask me in the chips-cracker family, I like Baked Lays. Even though it’s a cracker, Chicken In A Biskit, and they used to have these bacon flavoured crackers. So I don’t know if that’s sacrilege, to blend the cracker in to the chip family.

---

Huuuge thanks once again to Whit Hertford for such a great interview.

Has anyone heard of Chicken In A Biskit before? Because I certainly haven't, and am quite intrigued right about now.

And if we're being honest, blending cracker into the chip family is pretty sacrilegious. I'll allow it just this once.

"To say I have live as a gay man because I had those desires, that's discrimination!"

So last night I caught up with Bryan Safi and had a big That's Gay marathon. Turns out I missed a whole bunch of installments!

My fave is his most recent, above, documenting all the great potential of conversion therapy.

It's great because it's funny even without Bryan's commentary.

One day maybe I'll be saved too! But, probably not, because I don't hate myself enough to live in denial.

Favourite line #1: "Oh yeah, I love muff. I love getting down on that . . . mound."

Favourite line #2: the look Bryan gives the camera at 1:51

Enjoy!

Sighting!

I totes walked by Wentworth Miller, outside the Starbucks at College and Yonge yesterday, at about 4:15 p.m.

At first I was confused, because Prison Break doesn't shoot in Toronto. Then I remembered Prison Break was cancelled last season.

A little investigating indicated Miller's in town shooting Resident Evil: Afterlife, along with Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter.

Anyway, I never quite understood the appeal of Mr. Miller, but in person, it's true, he's pretty damn hot.

Also, Jackie gave me a talking to last weekend for not reporting an Adamo Ruggiero sighting I had on like Monday the second.

The former Degrassi star was playing on his Blackberry at a window seat at Ginger in the Annex.

Jackie had a point, I think. If I start ignoring the Laurie Elliot-calibre sightings, I'm ignoring my roots, y'know?

Magazine cover of the week

So I have to hold off on fully crushing on Twilight's Taylor Lautner for another couple years. Y'know, it only feels right to wait till he's legal age.

But, I think I admire his new Men's Health cover, while keeping a healthy distance.

Taylor's trainer Jordan Yuam talks to the magazine and gives hope that one day I too could develop muscle!

"Less muscle you have the easier it is to gain muscle mass more quickly,” he says.

He then suggests physioball pikes, reverse crunches, physioball leg curls, hanging leg raises and prone cobras to start building that muscle.

If I knew what any of that meant, I'd feel a little more optimistic about getting in shape.

Okay, maybe I'll just leave it to Mr. Lautner.

Scrubs season nine sneak peak

Scrubs season nine is set to premiere with back-to-back episodes on December 1, and ABC has released our first look at the rejigged show.

Interestingly, rather than introducing us to the new med school students the show will follow, this sneak peak features old favourites Turk (Donald Faison) and J.D. (Zach Braff) getting their guy love on.

I'm still awfully skeptical about the show's potential. Just watching this clip I'm already missing Sacred Heart Hospital. But I'll give it a fair shot, I swwear!

Meanwhile, we do have promo photos of the new cast, from the top, left to right: Michael Mosley, Kerry Bische, and Dave Franco, who looks like an awesome combination of brother James and Kevin Zegers.