Remains of the Day (08/10)

Ellen DeGeneres accused of fat-shaming boy in the 1970s

Not-so-fun: What being in ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ audience is like

Who knew Alison Moyet's cousin was a porn star?

Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ hits top 5 on iTunes 39 years later, thanks to twins’ reaction video

It's one thing when frivolous things like election ballots gets delayed, but this is serious!

Remember: The election is 85 days away. For those not already registered, click HERE to find out the deadline where you live. Time is quickly running out.

On the Rag, Vol. 591

A weekly look at what's making news in the gay magazines:

DNA: Meet David Tag, the hunky star of British TV's "Hollyoaks"

Metro Weekly: Josh Thomas on autism, authenticity, and defining gay sex on television

Get Out!: Do gay people actually watch the Super Bowl?

Echo: The last thing Ellen DeGeneres did that I really liked was "Mr. Wrong"

QX: Euphoric house and hench hotties at Power House: Eden

Dallas Voice: Katie Sowers is the first women, first woman, first openly LGBT person to coach in the Super Bowl

Georgia Voice: Table talk with Stacey Abrams

Lavender: Life, love and chocolate 

Ambush: 2020 LGBT Mardi Gras Ball schedule

San Francisco  Bay Times: 49ers’ Katie Sowers makes Super Bowl history

Gloss: 2020 Oscar guide

Adelante: The most colorful Faber since Castell 

GCN: A look at the past, present and future of LGBTQ issues

Attitude: Aitor Segurola is the body at issue

Dancers Busola Peters (front) and Francisco Migliaccio, shot by Francisco Gomez de Villaboa

Ryan Beatty is hitting all the right notes now that he can sing about his sexuality.

'Sex Education' star Sami Outabali is helping to build the LGBTQ-inclusive society he's always dreamed of 

Remains of the Day (01/30)

Boy Culture: Chris Pratt gets his tits out for Michelob Ultra

Dlisted: Mark Salling from "Glee" has died from apparent suicide, weeks after pleading guilty in child-porn case

The Randy Report: Nicole Eggert on Scott Baio: He penetrated me with his finger when I was 14

Back2Stonewall: Gay conversion therapy drama wins grand jury prize at Sundance

Outsports: Mary Carillo explores Court’s legacy with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and her church

SkyNews: The other side of the Woody Allen story

9News: Lleyton Hewitt says Bernie Tomic may "never play for Australia again" following comments on reality show "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" 

Deep Dish: Battle of the Broadway stars: 2011-12 season, featuring a mustachioed Ricky Martin

OMG Blog: MTV's "Ex on a Beach" star James Moore bares all

JoeMyGod: Far-right troll Mike Cernovich bids $500,000 for Gawker

CNBC: Donald reportedly wants Sessions to prosecute Mueller

Towleroad: Is Devin Nunes a Russian agent?

The Daily News: Man accused of raping college student says she wasn't asleep, grilled on his calls to escorts before alleged attack

AmericaBlog: House GOP declares war on the FBI

NewNowNext: San Francisco's oldest gay bar closes after 108 years

New York Post: Wife allegedly posted sex ad for husband's mistress on Craigslist

PinkNews: Northern Ireland's DUP meet with marriage campaigners but will continue to block equality

The WoW Report: Macaulay Culkin talks "Party Monster," Donald's "Home Alone 2" cameo, drug use and more

Greg in Hollywood: Michelle Obama and Jennifer Aniston are among the guests on Ellen's 60th birthday show

The Washington Post: Hawaii's false missile alert sent by worker believing attack on U.S. was imminent

Tennis Life: Stanford moves to San Jose for 2018

The New Yorker: The agonizingly slow downfall of K.T. McFarland

Vox: There's a second Trump-Russia dossier (conservatives aren't going to like this)

The Gay Almanac: Gay couple whose marriage was recognized by Russia flee after receiving death threats

From @eldiablozoe: "Why do the humans never seem to understand what I’m saying?!? 🙄" #catsofinstagram

A post shared by Cats of Instagram (@cats_of_instagram) on Jan 28, 2018 at 12:29pm PST

Hot Cat of the Day: I love a chatty catty!

Ellen DeGeneres Tells It 'Straight'

This might be the most gratuitous clickbait I've seen in a long time -- although we know Ellen has been known to "date" hunky men!

Tennis Tuesday

I must say, Bradley Cooper showed incredibly form playing "Tossed in Space" with Ellen DeGeneres!

Of course ...

We know he's a big fan ...

and even plays with the pros! #MovesLikeJaeger

Ellen DeGeneres Came Out 20 Years Ago

That landmark Time magazine cover on which Ellen DeGeneres officially came out was 20 years ago today. Ellen's blazer, however, came out a good 10 years before.

Running on Empty

Yes, Internet. You've got her pegged. [Sigh.]

UPDATE: Ellen responds HERE.

Johnathon Schaech Confirms He Was Ellen DeGeneres' Beard

Mr. Wrong Sex

During a Reddit Ask Me Anything, hunky Johnathon Schaech confirmed what was completely obvious widely speculated back in the day -- he was Ellen DeGeneres' beard.

Schaech, 46, and the Emmy-winning daytime talk show host, 58, were photographed on several occasions together in the mid-'90s before DeGeneres officially came out in 1997, and later married Portia De Rossi in 2008.

"My manager asked me to accompany her to events. She was scared people would not watch the show, her sitcom Ellen, because she was gay. It was an honor," Schaech explained during his AMA. "I grew up with two gay aunts and a gay uncle. My aunt died of cancer. She was a proud woman and she didn’t get proper care because she didn’t want to be away from her partner. Hospitals didn’t allow partners the same rights as a spouse. When you have someone you love in your life that is gay or a lesbian it’s very clear that they deserve the same rights as anyone else. It's not about religion," he continued. "If you don’t love Ellen now — you don’t watch her show. She’s a great example for the human race."

Schaech, who was married to Christina Applegate from 2001-07 and drove me wild in "How to Make an American Quilt," and DeGeneres walked arm in arm posing for red carpet photos together at the 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Two years later, she came out in a historic Time cover story. That same year, her sitcom character, "Ellen Morgan," also came out.

"I was [supposed] to perform in her coming out episode but I ran the marathon and couldn't walk the next day, the network fired me cause they thought I was lame," Schaech added. "I was lame, DONT RUN A MARATHON when your [sic] given a great gift."

And you thought Ellen and Bill Pullman made an improbably couple in "Mr. Wrong"!

I always think it's funny when people don't believe this stuff goes on in Hollywood

If Madonna Calls

Not sure if this is old news, but I love it ...

"Before it was really official I was coming out, it was rumored ... I had never had so much media attention, it was really scary for me. Madonna called me out of the blue -- we had never met. She just called me saying, 'It's Madonna, and It just wanna say that I'm behind you,. I'm with you, I support you.'" -- Ellen DeGeneres 

Ellen and Caitlyn Get 'Nasty'

 I only wish this were true! But seeing as Caitlyn transitioned away all of her athletic abilities -- did you see her suck at roller skating, tug-o-war, tennis and every other thing she tried? -- my money's on Ellen.

Borderline Hilarious

  Didn't catch any of Madonna's residency at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"-- heard Madge called a walker a "Zimmer frame" (mwwaaaah!) and counted my blessings that I have a job -- but found this photo to be awfully adorable!

Ellen DeGeneres Is a 'Power' Top

OUT magazine's 8th Annual Power 50 was just released, and it's as arbitrary and capricious as ever:

Ellen DeGeneres, who was number 2 last year, returned to the top spot on the list. After her eponymous talk show shattered its own 10-year ratings record in March, DeGeneres went on to host the highest-rated Academy Awards telecast in a decade and almost shut down Twitter with her star-studded Oscar selfie. Other first-timers in the top 10 include football player Michael Sam and TV host Robin Roberts, who becomes the first woman of color in the top 10. Billionaire Jennifer Pritzker (No. 23), the granddaughter to the founder of the Hyatt hotel chain, becomes the first transgender woman to make the Power 50. Other notable Power 50 rookies include news anchor Don Lemon (No. 27), actress Ellen Page (No. 29), basketball player Brittney Griner (No. 31) People and Entertainment Weekly editorial director Jess Cagle (No. 33), and lawyer Roberta Kaplan (No. 47). 

Other noteworthy figures on this year’s Power 50 include: ·

Tim Cook (No. 2) — Last year Cook topped the list, and Cook remains the most powerful gay man in corporate America. His influence hasn’t’ faltered, but as he strategizes to keep the company on top in a fiercely competitive environment, he still hasn’t increased his public persona. 

Rachel Maddow (No. 3) – Maddow’s climb up the cable news food chain has been in overdrive, and now the reigning queen of MSNBC – The Rachel Maddow Show is the network’s most viewed – has been rising in the ratings with the all-important 25-40 demo. 

Glenn Greenwald (No. 5) – Greenwald immediately became a household name, and the bane of the U.S. government, for interviewing whistleblower Edward Snowden and reporting on Snowden’s leaks regarding the National Security Agency. 

Andy Cohen (No. 8) – In recent years, Cohen has become a bigger star than the housewives on his cable network, Bravo. After relinquishing his executive duties with the network to focus on his talk show, Watch What Happens Live, Bravo recently renewed the show for two more years through a multiyear deal with his production company, Most Talkative. 

Annise Parker (No. 21) — As the popular mayor of a major U.S. city, Parker continues to push for progressive politics in her second term. Parker also has big professional dreams: Rumor has it she plans to run for higher office in 2018. 

Frank Ocean (No. 42) – The singer/songwriter was named one of Time’s Most Influential People of the Year last year, but he’s since taken a step back from performing after a vocal cord injury. Luckily, his collaborations with Jay Z and Beyoncé have kept him firmly grounded in the musical landscape. 

See the complete list HERE.

Mr. Wrong

Had no idea they were remaking "Somersby."

Ellen Morgan Came Out 16 Years Ago Today

 Wow, Ellen Morgan came out of the closet 16 years ago tonight. While it was definitely a landmark moment in television history, I have to admit that I liked the show a lot better before she came clean. There was nothing more hilarious that the unbelievably awkward sight of Ellen DeGeneres with a man -- any man. Fortunately, we will always have the first few seasons of "Ellen" (and "These Friends of Mine") -- plus her feature film lead debut (the horribly underrated "Mr. Wrong"), where the (unintentional) device was never more on display! 

Zac Efron Discusses 'The Paperboy' With Ellen

 Fresh from a shopping spree at Jeans West, Zac Efron stopped by Ellen DeGeneres' talk show to discuss his role in "The Paperboy," a film that will undoubtedly spike sales of tighty whities not seen since Tom Hinthaus valted his pole above Times Square.

Ellen DeGeneres Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

 Happy to see how Ellen DeGeneres' career has turned out. Comedy Central re-ran one of her specials from 1992 -- two years before "These Friends of Mine" hit the airwaves -- and she really was hilarious. (And remember her on "Open House"?) I loved when her sitcom morphed into "Ellen" -- I actually liked when they had her dating men because she was so impossibly uncomfortable in the scenes that it only added to the hilarity, a la "Mr. Wrong"! -- and was saddened when it seemed her career was over. I don't watch her talk show -- I'm not a middle-aged woman -- but boy is she having the last laugh. Read about her Walk of Fame moment HERE.

Rosie and Ellen Chat (Pre-'Lebanese')

With the demise of Rosie O'Donnell's comeback show, it got me thinking about what has changed since her monster hit went off the air in 2002. While OWN's lack of visibility was unquestionably largely to blame, another thing is the rise of Ellen DeGeneres, whose show is quite similar to the whimsical tone that made "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" such a smash. I actually never watched Rosie back then -- the hour wasn't good for me and I'm not a Broadway fan and always liked the "standup" version of Rosie best, so it just wasn't a good match for me -- but I've always wondered if she and Ellen were friendly or not. (If the answer is old news to you, then please forgive me.) So when I found this clip of Rosie reflecting on the time Ellen was on her show, in the lead-up to Ellen's sitcom character (and ultimately herself) coming out, I was tickled to death. Watching two (technically) closeted Hollywood stars dance around the gay topic is certainly one for the ages, and if you're like me, one you need to see now.

 

Mr. Wrong

Although it bombed at the box office, I thought Ellen DeGeneres' big-screen debut, "Mr. Wrong," was the most hilarious movie ever. Some of it was intentional, but a huge portion of it -- right down to the name, which prompted my brother Terence at the time to say, "Yeah, wrong gender" -- was funny because the mere sight of Ellen as a heterosexual is so improbable, it's hysterical. (Ditto for her sitcom's early dating episodes.) 

Bill Pullman is sublime as her loser lover -- the scene with the LeBaron convertible still makes me cry -- and his mother and stalker ex (the wonderful Joan Cusack) are ridiculously funny. Clearly, this has been an ongoing source of amusement, as evidenced this prom date photo (that's date Richard Reynolds), circa 1976 in Atlanta, Texas.

Money Talk$?

 

Ellen DeGeneres taped a new PSA imploring California voters to vote no on Proposition 8 (the one that would dissolve her brand-new marriage to Portia de Rossi). But some think she needs to put her money where her mouth is. Read more HERE.

UPDATE: And we all know how that turned out.

Page 1 Consider (04/27)

Fishy Spice: Wait. Scary Spice is a lesbian? But I thought Eddie Murphy only had sex with tranny hookers. (Source)

Old Mike, New Christine: It's not every day that you read a column in the sports section and the guy who's been writing it for 20some years announces he's undergoing a sex change. But that's just what Mike Penner did this week. Unlike Steve Stanton, the former city manager in Largo, Florida, though, Mike's alter ego, Christine Daniels, is still gainfully employed. (LAT)

Actor Is Toast: I wonder if baked beans were involved when Hugh Grant was arrested with hooker Divine Brown, too. (AP)

Little by Little: New Hampshire lawmakers voted Thursday to authorize civil unions and sent the measure to Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week that he would sign it. It's a nice step in the right direction, although I was recently reading about the (was it) 1,000 things that marriage entitles you to that civil unions do not. Still separate. Still unequal, folks. (AP)

Students' Privacy: Kudos to the federal judge who on Thursday issued an order to lawyers battling to prevent a Gay-Straight Organization from forming at an Okeechobee, Florida, from questioning student witnesses about their sexuality. (Source)

Shifting Geres: I don't know if Richard Gere should be arrested for his public display of affection with Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty -- a major no-no in India. But based on the footage I've seen, Shetty might want to consider sexual assault charges against this maniac. (AP)

Mask: If Laura Dern wants to believe the reason she couldn't get a job for a year after after appearing on "Ellen" was because she played a lesbian then let her think that. I'm sure that's why Billy Bob Thornton ran off with Angelina Jolie without even notifying her too. (Source)