To bolster his point that worries about cheats are realistic, he cited an unusual source: "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," an Adam Sandler movie about two firemen in Brooklyn who pretend they are gay so they can get domestic partner benefits. "The subject was . . . insurance fraud," Weizmann said. "This is not farfetched."

That really upset proponents of the bill, who said they were astounded by Weizmann's comment. "It is an insult to suggest there is any added likelihood of fraud from LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] employees," Leonard Hirsch, Federal GLOBE president, said in a telephone interview. "Currently, the proposed legislation mandates a higher level of certification for LGBT benefit enrollment than for heterosexual employees."

It certainly is an insult to suggest that anyone could draw inspiration from Chuck & Larry. Have we seen an uptick in caricatured Asian priests since the film's release, for example? Do more attorneys now strip down to their lingerie and plead with their handsy clients to "feel these"? If people truly are copycatting Chuck & Larry, prefer they could draw their inspiration from the best part of the film and end themselves after 115 excruciating minutes.

• Benefits for Same-Sex Partners Focus of Senate Hearing [Washington Post via Videogum]

Adam Sandler says he would like to work alongside gay-rights groups after starring in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

Sandler, who was in Mexico with co-star Kevin James to promote the film's opening in theaters here, told a news conference: "If I can help anybody in any way, I certainly would."

But the 41-year-old actor-comedian stopped short of calling himself a potential gay icon.

"I don't think that's gonna happen, dude, certainly not," Sandler said. "If I was a gay man, I wouldn't want me to represent" the gay community.

With Sandler's solidarity with the Gay movement now on record, it won't be long before he's contacted by a PSA-hungry GLAAD looking to collect on his press conference pledge, demanding he start by taping a 30-second spot on the importance of using sensitive language when addressing the growing number of Gay Robots in American schools and workplaces.

• Sandler Hopes to Help Gay-Rights Groups [AP]

· Tie the knot? Stupid, offensive 'Chuck and Larry' is more like a noose [sltrib.com]
· I Now Pronounce You Not at All Funny [thestranger.com]
· Stereotypical and stupid, as usual [freep.com]
· I now pronounce this movie full of wasted potential [theglobeandmail.com]
· But who will get to ride on top of the fire truck? [SF Chronicle]
· 'Chuck and Larry' rates a gong, not wedding bells [timesunion.com]
· In lameness and in health [newsobserver.com]
· Comedy needs a quickie divorce [denverpost.com]
· 'Chuck and Larry' suffers from ludicrous plot, loathsome stereotypes [KCChronicle.com]
· 'Chuck and Larry' can't wed hilarity, meaning [gazette.com]
· Tolerance, homophobia make unhappy couple [star-telegram.com]

And, finally, a rave!:

· 1 of most anti-Christian films of the year [worldnetdaily.com]

"I want to do everything," she confessed. "I always want to try something completely different from what I just did. I would definitely love to take on something that is physically totally different from what I look like and what I'm used to doing, do something like a 'Monster.'"

"It's a dream," she continued. "I have to push myself and try something I've never tried before, put myself out there, be vulnerable and really take a huge risk."

Biel's addition of the indefinite article to the title of the critically acclaimed Charlize Theron film suggests Monster has transcended mere biopicdom, to become something much larger: a symbol of the kinds of premium, lesbian-serial-killer roles that win pretty ladies the highest accolades Hollywood has to offer. Should Biel be lucky enough to score a Monster of her own, hopefully she'll be savvier than to follow it up with "an Æon Flux,"* the de facto term for having squandered one's newly won artistic capital on an ill-chosen post-Oscar career move.

*Sometimes also referred to as "a Catwoman."

• Jessica Biel Says She'd Turn Into An Ugly 'Monster' For Riskier Roles [MTV.com]

Oka was less thrilled with the stereotypical Japanese character comedian Rob Schneider plays in the new Adam Sandler comedy feature, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, opening Friday.

"I didn't agree with that," said Oka. "It was very funny, but it wasn't smart funny. I don't understand why an Asian guy couldn't have played it. You didn't need to have the (slant) eyes and the buck tooth trying to be a 'yellow face,' as we call it."

Despite Oka's best diplomatic efforts to buffer his pointed accusations of racism by inaccurately describing the performance in question as "very funny," we doubt that will be nearly enough to discourage the legendarily hot-headed comedian from firing off another of his infamous open letters, in which he'll remind the Heroes star—as he did the NY Times after they published an editorial condemning his "leering Hawaiian" character in 50 First Dates—that being 50% Filipino gives the actor free reign to make his comic creations as bucktoothed and slanty-eyed as he wants them to be.

• The peacock parades its stars at NBC bash [USA Today]

While the press waits to screen "Chuck & Larry," [GLAAD entertainment media director Damon] Romine has seen the film twice with sample audiences.

"Through this disarming type of comedy, there is this use of stereotypes and slurs, and it holds the mirror up for people to ask, 'Where does this come from?' " Romine said.

"At the end of the day, this is a comedy that actually stresses the importance of family and treating others with dignity and respect. The film actually does send a very strong message.

It's nice to think that once the convulsive laughter has died down, audiences will instantly start to question just what it was they found so hilarious about seeing their hero punch The King of Queens in the face at the altar—inspiring, ultimately, a whole generation of impressionable, Little Nicky-quoting Sandler fanatics to be far more tolerant of straights who pretend to be gay in order to cash in on the attractive array of domestic partnership benefits not yet available to the heterosexual community.

• Gay advocacy groups pronounce Sandler's 'Chuck and Larry' A-OK [bostonherald.com via Towleroad]

So the question is, Did Universal know about a potential rainbow-colored calendar collision when the premiere date was set? A Universal spokesperson had this response: "The fact that our film premieres during Outfest is merely a coincidence. The date of the premiere is predicated solely on when the film's talent is available during their very busy schedules promoting the film in the two weeks before its release.

We consider I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry a mainstream comedy whose message is inclusive and positive, and we hope that the film appeals to a broad variety of moviegoers."

We think what may initially come off as an attempt at manufacturing controversy is actually the cunning handiwork of a gay mastermind, who—as Isaiah Washington revealed recently—had already manipulated The Advocate once before into putting him on their cover for his own, career-advancing purposes. An anonymous phone call asking a few strategic questions was all that was needed to set the wheels in motion, eventually throwing Universal executives into a tizzy over whether or not their chosen premiere date could somehow be interpreted as a homophobic gesture—a potential public relations disaster that would easily be fixed by a couple days of reshoots to incorporate a cameo from authentic Gay of the People, T.R. Knight.

• Chuck and Larry go up against gay Hollywood [Advocate.com]