Study Finds More Gay Characters On TV
The number of gay and bisexual characters on prime-time network TV is up slightly this season to 18 out of a total of 600 roles, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD).
The increase over 2008 fell well short of the more than twofold percentage jump in the '08 season compared to 2007, according to the group.
And on mainstream cable channels the number of such characters continued to drop, slipping from a total of 32 in 2008 to 25 this year. The 2007 tally was 40.
Two channels that program for gay viewers, here! and Logo, add 27 gay characters to the cable total, GLAAD said.
The 14th annual "Where We Are on TV" report released Wednesday found that 3 percent of actors appearing regularly on network drama and comedy series in the 2009-10 season will portray gay, lesbian or bisexual characters.
That's up from 2.6 percent in the 2008-09 season. In 2007-08, it was 1.1 percent.
Only four of the 18 characters this season are nonwhite, GLAAD found, and there is only one lesbian, on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."
Using information provided by ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CW, the group reviewed 79 scripted series announced to air this season.
Kurt Hummel, 'Glee' (FOX) Portrayed by: Chris Colfer. Kurt is a member of the Glee club and was previously bullied by the football team until he joined briefly and helped them win a game with his kicking ability.
The steady increase in gay characters is promising, as are story lines that are becoming "more reflective of current issues affecting our lives," GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement.
Marc St. James, 'Ugly Betty' (ABC) Portrayed by: Michael Urie. As Wilhelmina's ( Vanessa Williams) scheming assistant and Amanda's (Becki Newton) gay BFF, Marc has been one of the most consistently funny characters on "Ugly Betty" throughout its four seasons.
Fair, accurate images of gay couples marrying, raising families and contributing to their communities help fellow Americans "come to accept and better understand" their gay family members and neighbors, he said.
Examples cited by GLAAD include a gay couple marrying on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" and a gay police officer on NBC's "Southland" — a rare character for a crime drama.
Kevin Walker, 'Brothers & Sisters' (ABC) Portrayed by: Matthew Rhys - Kevin is one of five grown children in the Walker clan. A former corporate lawyer, he is now the communications director for Senator McCallister and is married to Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane).
ABC led the networks in gay representation, with 5 percent or eight characters out of 160, followed by Fox with four out of 104 (4 percent).
Patty Bouvier, 'The Simpsons' (FOX) Portrayed by: Julie Kavner. Marge's sister came out in a 2005 episode in which the city of Springfield legalized same-sex marriage in an effort to boost tourism. She did not, however, get married, as Marge discovered her partner, a pro golfer, was a man masquerading as a woman to play on the golf tour.
CBS lacked a single gay or bisexual part, the report said. The network, which has gay cast members on its reality series and daytime shows, declined comment.
Speaking to TV critics this summer, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said the network has a commitment to diversity, including gay representation, and intended to improve.
Check Out The LA Times For A Complete Photo Gallery of Gay Characters on Network TV: 2009-10
http://www.glaad.org
The Okefenokee Swamp at Stephen C. Foster State Park in southern Georgia, is the site of the latest reported alligator feeding frenzy. Approximately 300 alligators cooperatively hunted in a narrow canal while boaters looked on. Is it an odd occurrence, or a normal phenomenon?
CNN reports that a boater at Stephen C. Foster State Park shot some astounding video footage of an apparent alligator feeding frenzy at Okefenokee Swamp. Roughly 300 alligators cooperated to catch a large population of mudfish. In spite of the huge number of feeding alligators, the boaters nevertheless went onto the water. Wildlife officials at the state park state that "the waters are safe for boaters."
Odd Occurrence at Stephen C. Foster State Park?
It is worthwhile to remember that the 402,000 acres of Stephen C. Foster State Park are home to about 12,000 alligators. Park officials warn that pets are forbidden to ride in boats, and children should stay away from the water's edge to avoid alligator attacks. Where this many alligators live, it should not be surprising to see some of them. Are 300 at one time in the same vicinity, therefore, unusual?
The chain's demise is now nearly certain, but one film lover explains why that isn't all good news. It's too soon to call it an end of an era, but Blockbuster Video's troubles make it tempting. Between the company's presence on a Wall St. 24/7 List of "10 Brands That May Disappear in 2011" and the company's bizarre de-listing from the New York Stock Exchange this week (based on internal shenanigans that shareholders are trying to get to the bottom of), the company has what one might call a Wall Street image problem. And that's on top of the other, more general, more daunting problem it's been coping with for about five years now, which we've written about before and will call, for lack of a nicer phrase, The Stench of Death. As in:
429 isn't a belated "time to light up a joint" call - it comes from the use of a phone’s keypad to spell out the word ‘gay’.
You can read it as: 4-2-9 spells G-A-Y, now text that to your "st8" friends and see the response. (Editor's Note: GorgeousBoys is not liable for you getting a blackeye and or blocked)
Earlier this summer, The CW announced that on the new season of 90210 it would be revealed that one of its three leading men would be gay: The three in question are Liam (Matt Lanter), Navid (Michael Steger) and Teddy (Trevor Donovan). Now Entertainment Tonight talks to two of the guys to get their take.
"It is going to happen," Trevor tells ET, at the same time denying that he knows which of the hotties it is going to be. "I would be flattered if [it was me]. What a great chance to use your acting chops a little bit to dive into a different kind of character. That is why we do this."
Michael adds, "They are approaching it with respect. I know Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) had an experimentation phase last year, but this year they are going to go the full arc and take it seriously. Not that they weren't last year, but it is going to be a shock."
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Howard Bragman, the veteran Hollywood publicist and founder of agency Fifteen minutes, had sold a one-time reality TV special to A&E, he confirmed to 
Bragman, who has helped a number of clients "come out" including Chaz Bono and Meredith Baxter, will focus the show on just that. Naturally, the title of the show as of press time is Coming Out, and will feature well known figures coming out of the closet. 
When it comes to counterfeit smuggling rings, the images that come to mind are generally knock-off handbags or ''Rolox'' watches sold on street corners. It might be time to conjure up a new image, one that has less to do with fashion houses and more to do with sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
In general, men who have sex with men don't have the highest risk of contracting Hepatitis C; but, according to health researchers, getting HCV is "all about sharing."
Panorama
For 20 days reporter Carmelo Abbate followed a “gay tour guide” around Rome in search of misbehaving priests. With a hidden camera he caught a French priest wearing his collar and no pants at a party with male escorts. The same priest was then caught entwined with Abbate’s gay guide. Several other priests were also filmed kissing the guide. Abbate then witnessed the same pants-less priest give mass in the morning before taking the male escorts to the airport.
A British court has blocked an attempt by former Culture Club singer Boy George to appear on a reality television show.
Anderson Cooper will host CNN's live coverage of the New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). For "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin," which will air in HD, CNN anchors and correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world.
Leading up to "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin" will be "All the Best, All the Worst of 2009", an Anderson Cooper 360° special which will air at 10pm ET. The special will count down to the new year by reviewing the old one with humor, insight, and fun. CNN correspondent Tom Foreman will shine a spotlight on the highlights and lowlights of the past twelve months in politics, pop culture, the economy, entertainment, and much more. Joining Foreman will be a lineup including: host of "The Joy Behar Show" on HLN and co-host of ABC's The View" Joy Behar; economist and actor, Ben Stein; MTV’s Sway Calloway; AC360's own Jack Gray; Time Magazine and LA Times columnist, Joel Stein; comedian and actress, Margaret Cho; the Daily Beast's Tina Brown; and conservative author and strategist, Leslie Sanchez. CNN International will simulcast.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. tipped its hat to a roster of both commercial and specialty pics Tuesday morning when it announced its nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globes.
CBS is canceling the soap opera As the World Turns after more than a half-century on the air. CBS says the final episode will air next September, in its 54th year. Daytime dramas have been in a long-term ratings decline, and CBS ended the daytime soap Guiding Light earlier this year.
The Newlywed Show is a game show that tested couples on how well they know each other. The home of the television show, the 
