Doing Tyra Twice in a Year?! (By guest blogger Josh Klipp)

If someone told me a year ago that I was going to be on the Tyra Banks Show not once but twice in 2007, I would've thought they were talking CRAZY!!

But...it happened!

Hey, I had alot of goals for myself in 2007.  And as an independent openly LGBT musician, shoot, I had (and have) my work cut out for me.  Let's be honest.  The world's becoming more open.  But it's NEVER been easy to make it as a musician.  Then you add that LGBT layer on, and everyone wants to pigeon hole you, classify you, or tell you to go play in the gay bar up the street.  (Which BTW, gay bars rock more anyway - so fuck 'em).

"Lipstick Jungle" VS. "Cashmere Mafia": CATFIGHT?

Remember when Tina Fey announced she was doing a comedy about the behind the scenes shenanigans of a "Saturday Night Live"-like show, and then Aaron Sorkin was doing a drama about the behind the scenes shenanigans of an "SNL"-like show, and so for many a week we had both a comedy and a drama about the behind the scenes shenanigans of an "SNL"-like show?

Remember that? Well, I hope back then you managed to differentiate "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", because that 'huh? They're different shows?' confusion is coming right back at ya.

John Krasinski from "The Office": the Everyman Star

Is it me, or has John Krasinski suddenly become a star? And I'm not just talking about playing Mandy Moore's boyfriend: the guy now shares top billing with the Clooney and Miss Zellweger (the latter of whom, by the way, looks like a midget next to him).

And if that's not proof enough, in New York you can't walk ten blocks without seeing the shaggy-haired actor. Between the gigantic Gap posters and AMC stand-ups for "Leatherheads", he's definitely no longer just That Guy from "The Office".

Blair's Two Dads on "Gossip Girl"

Hope you didn't miss the holiday episode of "Gossip Girl," because it was back to its funny "O.C."-ish self. Sure, not that much happened, but there was more than enough bitchiness and cute teen love and angst to go around.

The main intrigue was Blair's gay dad finally making an appearance -- bringing his European boyfriend Roman to New York (pictured: Roman on left, Dad on right). Of course Blair didn't take too kindly to sharing her dad over the holidays, so she did her best to drive a wedge between him and his boyfriend--bringing and old ex back, tripping the boyfriend while he was ice skating. You know, "Parent Trap" kind of stuff. But it was cute. And it ended with Blair's dad showing her pics of the new mansion in France complete with a room of Blair's own. Awww...

My lesbian Secret Santa

I need your help -- fast.

During the drawing for our office Secret Santa, I chose the one lesbian in our company, Karen. Here’s a secret – I’m not at all like the gay men we see on TV and in the movies.  Unlike them, I don't have very many lesbians in my real life. In fact, if I were to count the total number of gay women in my life, it would add up to one -- my lesbian Secret Santa, Karen.

All that said, I’m pretty fluent when it comes to gay women on television, so I’ve decided to give Karen a DVD.  I’ve short listed five DVD’s, and I’m hoping someone can post a comment telling me whether or not I’m on the right track – the party is Friday, so I have until Friday morning to get this.

Gay rock star meets gay icon!

  Thank God for YouTube.  Just posted are two adorable clips of Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears (who recently did a fascinating interview with Gay.com) interviewing his idol, the legendary Dolly Parton. Even cuter -- the interview takes place on a bed...

The clips are from an upcoming UK special, "When Jake Met Dolly," which is set to premiere December 26th on T4 (not that I have any idea what T4 is, but I'm assuming it's a British channel).

Sexy "Tudors" on DVD!

Showtime's wickedly sexy history of young King Henry the VIII is finally available on DVD, a royal treat for us cultured commoners who don't get premium cable but do appreciate medieval Eurohunks in shining armor or less. If you saw "The Tudors" when it first aired last spring, you'll still enjoy the option to pause on one of many skin-baring scenes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the ripped rockstar royal whose advisor tells him truly, "Majesty, no one has calves like yours."

Definitely worth reading: OUT talks to "Survivor" winner

Todd Herzog's life is already changing.  The openly gay "Survivor" winner just did an interview with OUT.com, where they asked him about his favorite Spice Girl, the best part of growing up a gay Mormon, and just how much of his scheming on-screen self is for real.  Read the interview here!

TV Last Night: 60 Minutes Show & Tell

I'm no political scientist or anthropologist (really!) so when I watch news coverage of gay issues, like last night's segment on "60 Minutes", I always watch it wondering, "how is this playing back home," assuming of course that "home" has bothered tuning in.

For the most part, I thought Lesley Stahl's report on self-outed Sgt. Darren Manzella was a great piece, pointing out what we all know to be the absurdity of the now 15-year old (!) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Manzella decided to come out after receiving anonymous e-mails suggesting he "turn down the flame."  Thinking he was already under investigation, he reported the e-mails to his superiors ... only to ultimately be told to "get back to work".

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Caught in Santa's Gay Headlights

Maybe it was the pomegranate martinis, but when some friends and I decided to watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" recently to shake off this case of the holiday blues everyone seems to have this year, I made a startling discovery: the North Pole of this beloved Christmas classic is a parellel universe where everyone is, in fact, gay.

Seriously. It's like Fire Island there. And while I've heard cases made for "Rudolph" actually being an allegory for coming-out, and therefore positing that Rudolph is the one who is gay (shiny nose, outcast, etc), I'm here to say that Rudolph is in fact straight (he does, after all, fall for Clarice) and it's everyone else who gay. He is the misfit because he's not gay. How progressive!