Madonna Makes Another 'Comeback'

By now you've likely heard that Madonna took the stage at Coachella over the weekend to tease her sequel to "Confessions on a Dancefloor," which she debuted in the desert some 20 years ago. That era helped put my blog on the map, after Queerty and Towleroad linked to my post noting her resemblance to one Valerie Cherish ... and would you believe Madge up and did it again? 

After her surprise performance with Sabrina Carpenter, the Queen of Pop was seen getting into the groove with her boyfriend, Akeem Morris, while watching Anyma’s main stage set -- but you'd be forgiven for thinking she'd popped by the Viper Room to see Juna Millken's band rock the night away circa 2005.

I can almost hear her "Room & Bored" costar shout out from the stage: "Madonna Ciccone, looking hot!"

UPDATE: How cute is this "A League of Their Own" reunion? 

Separated at Girth?

Today I happened to come across this photo of me taken more than three decades ago at Rehoboth Beach -- I'm the one on the right -- and it got me thinking: Maybe Rafael had a point.

Family Affair

I think I just figured out what became of Mrs. Beasley -- glad she finally grew her hair out!

Look for me on Threads, Instagram and now even Bluesky.

Oly Wood: Arthur Fils

 

I just started "Emily in Paris" after getting home from Roland Garros last month, so this Separated at Birth featuring Arthur Fils and Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) finally makes parfait sense! More of the sex bomb French Olympian BELOW.

Separated at Birth: Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frieda?

More Separated at Birth posts HERE.

Born to (Take the Money and) Run

See? Twitter's not all bad!!! Follow me HERE.

From HERE.

From HERE.

Separated at Birth: Terri Alden and Jerri Blank?

Damian and I recently (and sort of inadvertently) starting watching "Three's Company." There's no substitute for the Chrissy years, but we found that the Cindy era held up quite well. (Her klutz routine wasn't quite as one-note as I remembered and Jenilee Harrison's comic timing is quite impressive for a newcomer.) Last night, however, Priscilla Barnes showed up and we made a horrifying discovery that once you see it, it cannot be erased.

+

= Terri Blank

 I know the show is remembered as having recovered nicely with the addition of Barnes -- filling Suzanne Somers's shoes was not easy -- but I've never cared for the Terri Alden character. Janet was already a pill, so it never made sense to add another one in a nurse's uniform. Between Terri's "sexy" baby voice (I don't tolerate baby voices), that horrific going-away party for Cindy when Jack and Larry try to send Terri packing (has there ever been a darker sitcom scene?), and the fact that she was elbowing out a far more likable character, I never got what people saw in her. Will be curious to see if she wins me over the second time around. 

P.S. Does anyone know the dirt on the time Suzanne Somers replaced Priscilla Barnes? Early in production of "She's the Sheriff," a two-page ad was placed in the Jan. 5, 1987, issue of Broadcasting & Cable magazine listing the show under the working title "Suddenly Sheriff" with Priscilla Barnes as the star. Wikipedia says "it is not known exactly when the show's name and casting were finalized," but the after-the-fact irony certainly wasn't lost on me.

Celebrating 50 Years of Carol Burnett & Friends

It took us more than three months to get around to it, but boy am I glad I finally watched the highly rated "Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special." Not only did it kindly remind me that my childhood all but revolved around the show -- my friends and I used to re-enact the skits for my annual "Christmas at Harvey's" Christmas spectacular -- it tickled me to learn that I was in good company with Jane Lynch, Jim Carrey, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Harry Connick Jr. and others. ("The Family" sketches should not be underestimated for their searing portrayal of dysfunction families, with nuances that require multiple viewings to fully appreciate that often get missed in all of the more obvious yelling and name-calling .)

From his June 1973 Playgirl spread ...

The special also reminded me that Lyle Waggoner was partially to "blame" for my sexuality.

They showed this clip of Lyle undressed as Mark Spitz -- who should have had to turn over his medals after Waggoner's portrayal. 

Lyle and Vicki Lawrence

The only negative thing I have to say about the special was that it opened my eyes to something very disturbing about another sex symbol from my childhood: it would appear that Tom Selleck is now one piece of confetti away from being Rip Taylor. 

Next up for Carol? After her Amy Poehler-produced pilot, "Household Name," didn't get picked up, the comedy legend inked a 12-episode series order with Netflix for "A Little Help With Carol Burnett," an original unscripted comedy starring Burnett and a panel of straight-talking 4-8-year-olds as they demonstrate how different generations solve life’s biggest dilemmas. 

Separated at Birth: Danell Leyva and Damien Crosse

Or maybe I should say, "Separated at girth." What did I say about a future in porn?

Separated at Birth: Mare Winningham and Barbara Bel Geddes

Can't remember if I blogged about finally seeing "Vertigo" and having it be that rare exception to the hype rule of actually being better than I imagined. But with Hitchcock on my mind, a friend pointed out this -- the lovely Mare Winningham in "St. Elmo's Fire" and Barbara Bel Geddes in "Vertigo," which I might need to watch again to fully appreciate!

Separated at Birth: Cher and Aaron Hernandez

I believe. I don't think Ms. Bono's PACKAGE is as big as his, though. 

Nash Bridges

So cool that my pal from my Sears Congressional Internship days posted that he'd met Graham Nash -- or was Mrs. Partridge? Either way, it was a muscial icon.

Separated at Birth: Ann B. Davis and Tomas Berdych?

Kinda timely that I would see this rare photo of Tomas Berdych smiling and immediately think: Is that Ann B. Davis? The sullen Czech easily dismissed of John Isner to advance to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, which is what prompted the Alice in Hawaii moment.

I'm a Pepper, Too?

If you've read my new book then you know that people are CONSTANTLY telling me I remind them of someebody else -- Chapter 11: DEAD RINGERS SOCIETY -- but Dr. Frank Spinelli's latest doppleganger caught even me off-guard! 

Two Things: Bruce Jenner and Renee Richards

I'm not saying Bruce Jenner is transgender, but he was looking awfully Renee coming out of a clinic with a bandaged throat after undergoing surgery to decrease his Adam's Apple. Ms. Richards wrote in her memoir "Second Serve" that she nearly died on the operating table during the same procedure.

UPDATE: Boy Culture is convinced the former hunk decathlon is trans. Read HERE.

It wouldn't be the first time a hyper masculine heterosexual man was struggling with gender identity, but it would certainly be the most high-profile case.

Separated at Birth: Tig Notaro and John Davidson?

  He may be prettier, but she's waaaay more talented.

Separated at Birth?

From a reader in Gettysburg, PA: 

Louis Tomlinson of One Direction and my boyfriend -- then and now?

Of Interest: Mark McGrath and Calvin Klein

Maybe it's a little premature to call it separated at birth, but this is definitely on my watch list.

Separated at Birth: Kliff Kingsbury and Ryan Gosling?

This coach is no Craig T. Nelson

Yahoo Sports writes that first-year Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury's return to the school he quarterbacked at has drawn a bunch of attention since he replaced Tommy Tuberville in Lubbock, but a key question has remained ignored until now. Does Kingsbury look like actor Ryan Gosling?

I have some plays he can call

Shades of Ryan

My answer is yes -- and I'm even willing to overlook his spelling his first name wrong!

Separated at Birth?

Falcon porn star Ryan Rose (aka Pierce at Sean Cody) and Patrick Abner (aka Mrs. Thomas Roberts)