Editor's note: Beginning this week, Michael Jensen will be taking over as the official Best. Gay. Week. Ever. scribe.

Friday, July 8, 2005

TV ROUNDUP
Six Feet Under (HBO) On last Monday night’s episode, David and Keith’s plans to become parents via a surrogate unraveled, but they decided to foster a young boy named Anthony, as well as his younger brother. Anthony is played by C.J. Sanders, whom viewers might remember as the young Ray Charles in last year’s Ray. With any luck, Anthony won't turn out to have a violent temper, a sexual addiction, a brain tumor, a...

The final episode of Queer as Folk will air August 7th followed by a special QAF: Saying Goodbye. Yeah, yeah, go already. How will I ever fill that hole in my life? And proving that zombies aren’t the only thing that rise from the dead, Logo has picked up the rights to air ABC’s It’s All Relative. In case you’ve already forgotten—and who hasn’t?—this was the wacky sitcom about a young engaged couple whose families don’t get along because his are blue collar and hers are gay. Clearly, Logo wants to be right out there on the cutting edge.

This week Alan Cumming made his debut as the host of The Sundance Channel’s Midnight Snacks. Hmmm, playing kids' villains must not be scratching his creative itch quite the same way Cabaret did.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE STRAIGHT PEOPLE
Wednesday night’s episode of FX’s new reality series, Thirty Days, put a straight man in a gay man's house for thirty days. Morgan Spurlock, the man who brought us the Oscar-nominated Supersize Me, created this new series and is one of the few straight guys I trust to make reality television involving gay men. Yes, he's that cool. Plus, he’s so darn cute I want to take him home to mom.

And Laura Linney, perfection personified, hosts an upcoming episode of In The Life that focuses on queer images in television. On an entirely unrelated note, Tom Cruise will appear somewhere ranting about the evils of psychiatry.

AND SOME OF OUR LEAST FAVORITE
CBS will soon be filming a mini-series based on the life of Pope John Paul II. Oh, joy. Ian Holm has been cast as the older John Paul. Rumor has RuPaul playing the younger version. No word on who will play the hordes of young boys whose abuse that cuddly, kindly, soon to be sainted John Paul ordered covered up. Perhaps the Vienna Boys' Choir is free. Then there is that homophobia and sexism thing...

YOU CAN RELAX NOW. THE WAR IS OVER
No, not the Iraq War—the war of words between Elton John and George Michael. For those of you who might have forgotten—I certainly had—John and George got into a catfight last year over somebody saying something mean about somebody else. You remember high school, right? Well, this week they decided to kiss and make-up (there goes my appetite) over dinner at George’s London house. The world will rest easier tonight now that peace reigns among England’s queens.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Writer, activist, liver transplant recipient, and my favorite cranky old man, Larry Kramer, turned seventy this week. “My doctor tells me that you are only as old as your liver,” Mr. Kramer said in a recent interview. “I’m really 48.”

Given it was the Fourth of July, Larry could not help but set off some fireworks of his own by having recently published his latest lambasting of gay men and their irresponsible sexual behavior, The Tragedy of Today’s Gays, based on a speech he gave in New York last year. QueerDay has the whole speech available online Enlighten yourself and read it.

Good on ya, Larry!

GET BETTER SOON
Today Show fashion guru, Steven Cojocaru, was hospitalized this week after his kidney transplant failed. I’m sure Steven looks fabulous in his hospital gown, but I hope he’s back home soon.

STRAIGHT MEN PRETENDING TO BE GAY—HOW HILARIOUS IS THAT?
Oscar winning screenplay writer, Alexander Payne (Sideways) was signed to pen I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. This Tootsie-like comedy will tell the tale of two Philadelphia firemen who pretend to be a gay couple in order to get health insurance. Yeah, of all the potential stories about gay marriage, this is the one begging to be told. Since director David Dobkin also brought us Shanghai Knights and the upcoming straight boy fantasy, Wedding Crashers, I’m just full to the brim with confidence that I’ll love this pic.

Too bad for Alexander and David that Paul Hogan, he of Crocodile Dundee fame, already beat them to the punch on such a clever plot. Just out on DVD is Strange Bedfellows, the story of two straight Aussies pretending to be gay in order to get a tax break. That’s certainly why I want to get married. Hey, I have an idea! How about a movie pertaining to gay marriage where the men are actually gay? Talk about thinking outside the box.

Oh, and Val Kilmer plays a gay detective in Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, which was recently shown at Cannes. No, not a straight man pretending to be a gay detective in order to get employee benefits or a date with some cute chick—he's really just a gay man. How novel.

AND SPEAKING OF NOVELS
Bart Yates has just published the follow up to his terrific debut, Leave Myself Behind. The new book is called The Brothers Bishop. Even better, Bart is a real gay man writing a real gay book. What a concept. Visit Bart at his webpage.

Now I'll shut up so you can have the BEST. GAY. WEEK. EVER.

That's it for this week! Check back next Friday for a new installment of Best. Gay. Week. Ever.