Gawker: defamer, gay marriage

Did California Pageant Officials Buy Carrie Prejean New Breasts?

Anna N. — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Blogger Perez Hilton is alleging, in typically classy fashion, that the Miss California pageant paid for Carrie Prejean to get breast implants between the Miss California and Miss USA competitions. But is it true?

Perez says Miss California judges Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler told Access Hollywood about this little silicone gift — but his post links to the Access Hollywood main page, not to a specific story. In facd, we can't find any mention of Carrie Prejean on the (admittedly, badly-designed, difficult-to-navigate) site.

As for the pageant itself, the Miss California pageant has a noble quest to find "outgoing, intelligent, confident, attractive young women excited to represent the beauty of California." And what is the beauty of California exactly? The website has a helpful definition: "The Beauty of California embodies the unique landscape, distinct business, progressive ideas, and the beautiful spirit of the people of California." Progressive ideas like "opposite marriage," presumably?

Of Carrie herself, the website tells us that in addition to her appearances as "Super Taste" centerfold in "Blisss" [sic] Magazine" and shill for "Naughty Monkey" shoes, she's also "an advocate for encouraging healthy lifestyles for young women. Carrie wants people to remember her as being compassionate and real."

If it turns out that Miss California organizers bought her new breasts, they should be called on the carpet; and Prejean may need to rethink that last statement.

Jesus Loves Fake Titties! [Perez Hilton]
Miss California Emerges As 'Opposite Marriage' Spokeswoman [Politico]
Carrie Prejean Bio and Gallery [Miss California Pageant Official Site]

Newly Betrothed 'Will & Grace' Creator A Little Too Attached To His Characters' Names

Seth — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:05:57 EST

A hearty mazel tov goes out to Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick and new husband Erik Hyman, who married in a traditional Jewish ceremony over the weekend that also incorporated the naming of their month-old baby daughters. While every step of the weekend was carefully planned, no one could have foreseen the soul of Sean Hayes enveloping both bridegrooms during the simchat bat ritual, leading to a last-minute decision to ditch the settled-upon Rose and Evan in favor of two more residuals-friendly monikers that scored higher in key demos. View the slideshow here.

Erik Hyman and Max Mutchnick [NY Times]

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Joins the 'No On Prop 8' Cause, Courtesy of Ellen (and Wanda Sykes)

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:30:31 EDT

We're not sure whether Julia Louis-Dreyfus is angling for a "guest actress on a talk show" Emmy that doesn't exist, but she's certainly put in game performances over the past week, whether she's enlisting in the Letterman/McCain War or stealing from Tina Fey on the advice of a mischievous Conan O'Brien. Louis-Dreyfus's latest target was The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she smoothly changed promotional gears to talk about the newest storyline on her sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which finds her character entering into a gay marriage with Wanda Sykes to help the latter stay in the country (even though immigration is a federal issue that California's same-sex marriage laws can't circumvent). Naturally, Ellen had a few Prop 8-related words to say on the subject — though, Ellen? Money talks, too. [The Ellen DeGeneres Show]

Happy Gay Marriage Day, Everyone! (Try Not To Act Too Fruity.)

Seth — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EDT

If you found yourself skipping over to the fridge for a glass of O.J. feeling refreshingly sanguine this morning, we think we may know the reason why: Today marks the first day since the historic overturning of the gay marriage ban that same-sex couples could show up to any county clerks' office in the state to apply for a marriage license and, in most cases, tie the paisley knot. LAist has photos of the couple who started it all by challenging the ruling, and, fittingly, were first to benefit at a traditional Jewish ceremony held yesterday beneath an all-orientation-welcoming chupah. A reader sent in the above photo of George Takei and his—OMGay! Husband!—Brad Altman, who showed up bright and early to West Hollywood City Hall to collect their marriage license. Takei told reporters, "Today we are all here to give flesh and blood reality to that ruling. We are going to make history. Congratulations to all of us and may equality live long and prosper." Still, gay leaders are cautioning their people to buffer their enthusiasm, the LAT reports:

Images from gay weddings, said Lorri L. Jean, chief executive of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, could be used by opponents in a campaign designed to persuade California voters that gays and lesbians should not have the right to marry. Those getting married, she cautioned, should never lose sight of what they might be supplying to the other side.

Sitting close to his husband-to-be in the audience, hairstylist Kendall Hamilton nodded and said he knew just what she meant. No "guys showing up in gowns," he said.

While we can perhaps understand where they are coming from—the moment photos of Craig and Dirk's S&M-Themed Weddingstravangaza, replete with a black-leather-rose bouquet and cockring- and lube-filled gift bags, hit the interwebs, the bad guys will have all the ammunition they need—we hardly think this is the time to piss all over the gay wedding parade. Now, come on: Grab a handful of basmati and get into the same-sex spousal spirit! We're here! We're queer! We're married! We're getting used to it!

Gay couples are emphasizing low-key weddings [LAT]

Obama And The Gay Wedding Industry Owe TV A Gift Basket

DroppedCall — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:35:00 EDT

When Bertolt Brecht said, "Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it," well, he was just being an egomaniacal auteur. But it's quite possible that he was right — if you're willing to classify network television as art, that is. Consider the case of two recent seemingly unthinkable societal shifts — Barack Obama's presidential nomination and the recent decision to legalize gay marriage in California starting today. Both were the plots of popular television shows before they actually happened. Could the paranoid social conservatives be right? Does what people see on TV actually change their opinions? Do Kiefer Sutherland's powers of persuasion extend beyond Defamer? Consider the evidence after the jump.

In 2001, 24 debuted. Its premiere episode was nearly pulled because it featured a plane getting shot out of the sky in a scenario eerily similar to the events of September 11th. But viewers who found the terrorists-are-out-to-get-us premise all too believable could relax because Jack Bauer was assigned to protect an African-American presidential candidate. There was no way that was realistic; there weren't even any Black senators. But a funny thing happened. Palmer won the election. We've spent the past six years watching an African-American president. We've seen him handle one ridiculous crisis after another — and he seemed to be doing a better job than the president we actually had. Palmer even had some of Obama's annoying qualities. He always wanted to take the high road, even when the situation merited a Jack Bauer style ass-kicking. He was too trusting of his unscrupulous associates.

The Obama/Palmer connection has been observed throughout the blogosphere and by the actor who played Palmer himself, Dennis Haysbert. Who knows. Maybe Hilary's real problem was that TV's female president is relegated to basic cable on Battlestar Galactica.

The gay marriage-television link is equally strong. While gay weddings were occasional plot points dating back to the Seinfeld episode where Elaine attends a gay wedding, this past season they were parts of the season finales of two of ABC's hits. Moreover, they were presented as ordinary events, no different than heterosexual marriage ceremonies. Brothers and Sisters ended with Kevin and Scotty's wedding, which was attended by a Republican senator.

On Desperate Housewives, conservative, gun toting Republican Bree, who once abandoned her gay son, catered the wedding of Wisteria Lane gays, Bob and Lee. None of the heterosexuals on the block raised an eye brow.

Mere weeks later, the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. Coincidence? Probably. But the muted opposition outside of Kern County could be because people are already used to seeing gay weddings on TV.

ABC News Investigative Series, 'Ewww: Icky, Icky Celebrity Gays,' Dares To Ask The Tough Gay-Panic Questions

Seth — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

ABCNews.com has noticed that practitioners of Hollywood's dirty little secret—same-sex love—have become increasingly emboldened in recent months, perhaps spurred on by Supreme Court rulings and increasingly desperate shock-starlets hoping to nudge up their per-staged-paparazzi-op asking prices. Their investigative team have therefore taken it upon themselves to blow the lid wide open on the distressing, "gay celebrities leading their lives openly and happily" trend currently plaguing the industry.

Following on the heels of their game-changing field report, "Stars' Gay Marriage Possible Career Suicide," the electronic news outlet now goes even deeper undercover to unmask "H'wood's Bisexual Double Standard: Hot for Girls, Gross for Guys"—a blistering, for-your-Pulitzer-consideration exposé that should ultimately allay your darkest, A Shot At Love with Andy Dick-greenlighting fears.

Bisexual in Hollywood: Hot for Girls, Gross For Guys [ABC News]

A Beaming George Takei Spotted Lingering Over July Issue Of 'Brides' Magazine

Seth — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:29:49 EDT

We hardly think it would be an overstatement to suggest that California is currently gripped with a severe case of Gay Marriage Fever, a rare condition whose only cure is bearing witness to thousands of fabulously over-the-top, same-sex nuptials. On the heels of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi's joyful announcement that they'd finally make official their loving halfway home to hundreds of our city's homeless mongrels, comes this AP report via ABCNews.com—the same news outlet who sensitively proclaimed, "Stars' Gay Marriage Possible Career Suicide" shortly following the ruling—detailing the whirlwind romance of newly engaged Hikaru "George Takei" Sulu and his totally hunkycakes fiancé, Brad Altman:

They were working out in a running club and he couldn't take his eyes off Altman, who had a "lean, tightly muscled" body, the 71-year-old actor told AP Radio in an interview.

Takei said he asked Altman to help him train for a marathon, they fell in love, and now they've been living together for 21 years.

Altman said he proposed by getting down on one knee in their kitchen while Takei was eating a sandwich after seeing on TV that the California Supreme Court had legalized same-sex marriage. It surprised Takei, who thought he would be the one who popped the question.

They bought each other turquoise and silver wedding rings.

Takei and Altman plan to marry Sept. 14 in the Democracy Forum at the Japanese National Museum in Los Angeles.

Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in "Star Trek," will be the best man and Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, will be the matron of honor. Castmate Leonard Nimoy will be among the 200 guests, but probably not William Shatner. Takei has said Shatner didn't treat him and most of the cast very well.

As happy as this news is, it saddens us that Shatner can't drum up for his co-star's wedding the same kinds of enthusiasm he musters for his heterosexual pursuits, and boldly join Takei on his journey to where no man-loving-man (who doesn't hail from Massachusetts and certain Benolux countries) has gone before.

George Takei and Partner Plan to Wed in September [ABCNews.com/AP]