Morning Meme: Chaz Bono Pops the Question, Chord Overstreet Strips Down, and Jennifer Saunders Comes To America

Welcome back, folks! Did you miss us? Even a little? Things get quiet over the holidays, but we've still got things to share. But first, I was hoping as we shift gears into Christmas we might revive the forum topic where members share their Christmas trees. My first tree in the new house is up, though I prefer my outdoor decorations to my indoor ones this year.

I hate to admit that my beloved Muppets were beaten by a sparkly vampire, but Breaking Dawn raked in another $62 million, while my felt friends delivered a solid $42 million. Happy Feet 2 took third, with Arthur Christmas falling into fourth with $17 million and Hugo scraping together $15 million.

Remember that sad little ginger seal that was rejected by its colony a couple of months back? Well, karma isn't always a beyotch, because she's now the star of her Russian zoo.

Is anyone besides me surprised that Sarah Michelle Gellar is a Republican? Seriously Buffy?

Prince William was the helicopter copilot for a rescue of sailors at sea after their boat was broken up by a rogue wave. With the media coverage of the Prince's role in the copilot's seat, I wonder how the actual pilot feels?

Chaz Bono proposes to his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Elia on Being Chaz on OWN. It was all very Sleepless in Seattle.

From Ulysses we get a tip about how J. Edgar Hoover outed the godfather of writer Dudley Clendinen.  Overall, it makes Hoover sound like a nasty piece of work.

This may be blurring the lines between bromance and romance.

I get up for work before dawn most days. But I positively sleep in compared to a lot of unsung heroes that many of us depend on to make the world go 'round.

It's well established that I hate trashy reality television in general, and really wish it would go away completely. But I draw the line way before breaking a bar stool over the head of The A List: Dallas' Levi Crocker. Have we really become so uncivilized?

New York's Archbishop Dolan says he was deceived by political allies into thinking that marriage equality wouldn't come anywhere near being passed, and so is dedicating resources to fight equality everywhere, just in case.

Chord Overstreet just can't keep his shirt on. Not that I'm complaining.

Rapper T.I., a convicted felon, thinks that Tracy Morgan's gay jokes are hilarious, and that gays are un-American for objecting to hate speech. "While T.I. makes clear that he supports anyone’s sexual preference, he then connects, in his opinion, a current oversensitivity among gay people with a consequential and ironic offense of the First Amendment. “They’re like,‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down.’ ... That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.’" Again, read the First Amendment.

I tend to agree that this is the most annoying part of the promos for Smash.

I'm not entirely certain how I feel about Ben Whishaw being cast as Q in the new Skyfall. Certainly better about it than when John Cleese did it, but I think I prefer an older Q.

Via Jane Espenson comes a list of non-errors in grammar.

British Columbia's Supreme Court has found the country's polygamy laws to be valid, throwing a monkey wrench into the old slippery slope argument about gay marriage.

This does make it easier for gay kids to come out, however.

Mickey Rourke has been in training for the last six months with a gay rugby club in Los Angeles to prepare to play Gareth Thomas in a biography.