Weekend Meme: Sir Ian Is a Patron Saint, Craigery Morgan Goes Primetime, and Cyndi Lauper Helps a Gay Teen Get "Made"

While it was only this week we were writing about how much of the Internet missed the point of the gay Doritos commercials thanks to shoddy shoddy journalism, it seems to be a problem that’s spreading (and yes, I know nobody is perfect, certainly not me). But seriously, NPR? The radio network reported on the lawsuit filed over the beef content of Taco Bell’s beef, and seem to be reaching with thier reporting. Many, many months ago, we brought you word of Taco Bell’s highly stylized Super Delicious Ingredient Force cartoons because Fantastic Rice was a bit flaming. Now NPR is claiming that the cartoon sequences are being used to defend the company’s reputation in regards to the beef controversy. How do they back that claim up? By posting a video that Taco Bell put online … November 10, 2010. They defended themselves before they were accused?

From the mildly NSFW files, WOW has a college wrestling video up that’s so close to a fetish adult film, the difference may be immaterial. Especially if you watch all the way to the end.

In some good news out of South Africa, Sir Ian McKellen has accepted the role of patron of the Isango Ensemble. In other news, we wish the best for Nelson Mandela’s health.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson reflects on the job that earned him his SAG card. And while he thought being a ginger was actually helpful, it turns out he just had mad skills.

If Barbra Streisand birthed Seth Rogen, I think my opinion of her is forever changed.

Britney’s new album is going to drop March 15^th. Which means I’m going to have to sign off all my social network accounts so I don’t have to smack people for gushing about how it changed their lives. It’s not that I don’t like Britney, but it’s pop fluff, people. Don’t make me block you.

Focus Features has shelled out for Pariah, which Rod 2.0 calls a “black lesbian drama” set in a middle class family with two parents who are present for their daughters.

The legally-wed husband of Marine aviator John Fliszar had no trouble getting the U.S. Naval Academy to inter his husband’s ashes once he showed them his legal marriage certificate from Iowa. And all this was before the legislative repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Ian Benardo, the American Idol reject who has sued the show unsuccessfully twice claiming they told him to “gay it up” has filed a third lawsuit. Good luck with that.

Comcast has officially acquired a controlling interest in NBCUniversal.

Jonathan Knight took to the NKOTB paywalled blog to say that Tiffany didn’t “out” him, that he’s never been in. He just never felt the need to appear on a magazine cover with “I’m gay” overlaid. Or talk about a partner when his bandmates gushed about their wives and kids. Or walk a red carpet with anyone.  But he was never in. Whatever. In that case, I can’t say “Welcome to the gayborhood” like I normally would, since evidently he’s been there all along, in an underground bunker. Maybe I can invite him over for appletinis now?

EW noted the trend of gay teens on television last week. Our own Brent Hartinger wants the world to know YA literature, including his own Geography Club, were on to that trend back in 2003.

Is the new Republican majority attempting to redefine the legal definition of rape in an effort to trim money that can be used to pay for abortions in the case of rape?

If you wanted yet another reason to love Lucy Lawless, she can draw the line between the hedonism on Spartacus, which has a point, and Jersey Shore, which she says “is repugnant to me.”

Out singer Will Young says he’d love to be a dad someday, and that “I think I'd go down the natural conception route with penetrative sex.” Will, maybe you don’t understand how that works...

Thomas Dekker opens Kaboom! naked, and has no issues with sex and nudity onscreen. Until I’ve made a closer examination of his body of work, I’m going to provisionally support this career path.

Charlie Sheen has entered rehab. I wish him the best, but don’t anticipate it.

Brothers & Sisters has a death in the family. Sadly, that’s not really good news. Or bad news. In fact, with this character, it’s barely news at all.

Read this.