Afternoon Meme: Alan Cummings Is Gutsy, Thom Bierdz Parses Words, plus "Glee" Prepares a Madonna Onslaught

The Smurfs just got gayer. While we knew Neil Patrick Harris was playing the main human, we now discover out actor Alan Cumming is going to voice Gutsy Smurf. Sorry, boss, you’re going to be giving a lot of attention to this movie. Jonathan Winters will be reprising his role as Papa Smurf.

I’m just as outraged as Joe.My.God is that at least two newspapers knew anti-gay California state senator Roy Ashburn was gay and decided it wasn’t news while the man was voting against gay rights. The Fourth Estate is crumbling into irrelevancy all around us.

It turns out male voices are much more difficult for computers to understand than female voices, which explains why I can never check the balance on my credit card with those voice recognition systems. It probably doesn’t help that men are much more likely to add “errr” and “uhmm” into sentences at random.

Out actor Thom Bierdz, who played the out Phillip Chancellor on the terribly handled storyline on The Young and the Restless last year, talks about the personal tragedies in his life, and his charity work to help others. He also has a really cagey quote about how Y&R treated him.

If you can’t be in front of the television for the Oscar Red Carpet, please turn in your Gay Card at the door. You can keep it if you have a smart phone with an unlimited data plan, because the AP will be livestreaming their Red Carpet coverage over a technology that allows you to watch on your phone. Or you can follow along with my snark as I tweet and Facebook the action.

Gareth Thomas spent the 2007 World Cup with attorneys, because media outlets kept threatening to out him, which would be a terrible way to live. He is also “leaving the union team Cardiff Blues to join the rugby league side the Crusaders” which I think means he’s switching (rugby) teams.

Following the bigger ratings (and bigger advertising rates) for the Golden Globes, which was live nationwide, The Emmys will be live coast-to-coast without tape delay August 29.

Remember the minor scandal from MTV editing out the homophobic slurs Ronnie of Jersey Shore hurled at a guy on the boardwalk before getting in a fight with him? The guy he came to blows with is suing MTV saying the manipulated footage misrepresentated the events.

The Bilerico Project is teaming up with PFLAG to help send people who are unemployed due to discrimination based on sexual orientation to Washington D.C. to lobby select senators. If that’s you, check and see if you live in a target state. If you’ve got some spare change, please donate to help cover the cost of the trip. ENDA is the legislation that will affect the greatest number of GLBT Americans.

According to boy culture, there will be a Glee: The Music - The Power of Madonna EP released for the upcoming special episode. Hopefully, unlike what Sue Sylvester says in the preview, the show won't cause Madonna to weep in her stately English manor. 

We need to break out the rainbow cupcake, because out comedian Matt Lucas is turning 36-years-old today, the same day that his first Hollywood blockbuster, Alice In Wonderland opens. If the column seems rushed, it might be because I have matinee tickets.

Oh - you brought your twin? I may need a bigger cupcake.

If you're wondering why I never have one of my oddly angled animal pictures featuring a cat, it's because I never find them. I suspect they just won't demean themselves by posing for the glamor shots.

He's a happy little mutt.

We have a couple of new shots of my Broadway crush, Nick Adams. First up, we have his picture from the NOH8 photoshoot courtesy the NOH8 Project.

Those arms.

Which is very different from the pictures of him in makeup for La Cage Aux Folles. This picture came from his Twitter, so I don't know who to credit.

Twitter says they get their high heels today.

Today's optical illusion is know as a "tessellation" for the way the shapes cover the entire surface. But this one moves.

OK, it moved for me. If it doesn't for you, try drinking heavily before looking.

This snow sculpture looks so much nicer than my mutant snowmen. Evidently it looked a little too nice, because this classical bust had the police knocking on the door because someone complained about the nudity of the snow woman. So they dressed it.

Won't someone think of the snow children?!?!

Today in advertising, it's less external advertising than it is internal - these were for the sales reps for Viagra to celebrate the little blue pill turning 11-years-old.

I can't decide if it's clever or profane.

Finally, here is the first frame from the geek comic HijiNKS ENSUE that takes a swipe at our parent company, LOGO. I should say that I love this web comic, they have one of the most unique gay characters anywhere, and keep him in an enviroment nobody else explores. Click here to see the rest of the comic today.

I'll say it - Buffy is just O.K.

Today, we have the preview of James Marsters' premiere as a crazy monotheist cult leader with a barbed wire fetish on Caprica. I always suspected Spike was kinky, and I was sure Captain John Hart was.

New York City is a strange place, especially when it comes to real estate. The city's skinniest apartment, 9-1/2' wide, is back on the market at $10,000/month. On the plus side, it's in the traditionally gay friendly West Village.

And this new preview for Legends of the Guardians just popped up. There appear to be owls, and lots of them. And Helen Mirren is a voice, as is True Blood hottie Ryan Kwanten. If I can't see them get naked, I'm not sure I can get excited about it.