Watch and discuss: Simon Rex and Lance Bass in "Rex"

How did you first hear about Simon Rex? Did you know about him as an MTV host or did you first hear about him when his "adult movie" past was discovered?

He's revisiting that first moment of notoriety with Rex, a comedy pilot that sees his adult video as a publicity stunt to make him famous, the work of a "controversy consultant" who helps engineer tabloid scandals.

With his career sluggish once more, Simon returns to his controversy consultant, Jeffrey. The plan to get his career back on track leads to Simon to have dinner with Lance Bass and clumsily trying to hit on him, saying "I just became gay yesterday."

You can find instructions on how to watch the pilot online by visiting the Rex Facebook page (warning the video contains plenty of NSFW language). Read further to discuss the pilot including my thoughts.

Overall, I have a weakness for sitcoms where celebrities play semi-fictionalized versions of themselves and I particularly like Rex's core premise which sets up our current celebrity-obsessed culture as the victims of an extended Punk'd. At first glance, at least, this comes a lot closer to what Dirt tried to accomplish.

The date between Lance and Simon manages to capture the right tone for me, creating some cringe comedy that's more about making idiots out of Simon and Jeffrey than a sense of homophobia.

I get the feeling Lance is meant to be the special guest star of the week, since the pilot ends with Simon and his people planning further publicity stunts. My feelings about Rex as a series (if ti were to get picked up) would depend on whether or not the show tossed aside the idea of Simon as a fauxmosexual outed by the paparazzi.

After all, the gossip sites and celebrity mags rarely forget a scandal when they can combine it all as a big celebrity meltdown.

Meanwhile, gay-fave Jaime Pressly manages to steal every scene she's in (the way she usually does) as Jeffrey's girlfriend. Paris Hilton isn't much of an actress, but she can be funny if given a script that's written for the monotone, emotionally-distant delivery she's bound to give and Rex manages to make her funny.

What do you think? Jeffrey says some incredibly offensive things during Simon's date with Lance, does it manage to be funny, saying more about Jeffrey than Rex? Does the joke of Lance coming out as a fauxmosexual work for you?