Morning Meme: Thomas Jane Backpedals, Rachel Maddow Loves a Debate, and Pat Robertson Is a Victim of "Saturday Night Live"

Thanks for the break guys – it's almost like you don't need me at all. But you're stuck with me.

Just as news breaks that Hung was canceled, Thomas Jane makes the news again, "correcting" his months-old quote about sandwiches that everyone took to mean he'd turned a few gay tricks for cash in his youth. "In the interviews that I did, I never said I was a prostitute. I was talking about my [early] time in Hollywood: I said that I’d had a sexually adventurous time and I was trying to relate that to how I play a prostitute on TV." Maybe next time don't imply something obvious and end the quote with "Know what I mean?" because obviously no one does. I feel used and dirty, like he managed the press to cover his bigoted prior remarks. I'll never watch anything he does again.

Lars Von Trier isn't know for subtlety. When booking Stellan Skarsgard for The Nymphomaniac, he called and said "Stellan, I just want to book you for next summer, so don’t take anything else. I’m going to make a porno film and I want you to play the male lead. But you will not get to f*ck in the film. But you will show your dick at the end, and it will be very floppy." Skarsgard's response? " Okay Lars, I will be there, if that’s what you’re doing."

Pixar's Brave is going to have to defend its name in court, because the Atlanta Braves (which only hold the mark on "Braves" not "Brave") think that a red-haired Scottish heroine could cause confusion with a bunch of male baseball players.

A federal appeals court has ruled that psychology student Jennifer Keeton could be expelled for refusing to take a diversity course that would have taught her that gay people are people too.

Mark Cuban is certain that the NBA will have an out player in 3-5 years, and that thanks to groundwork laid over recent years, while it may be a media sensation, if will be a non-issue to players. Cuban loves a media sensation, so I can see him paying top dollar to have a skilled out player on the Mavericks.

Hot on the news that the NTSB wants to ban cell phone use by drivers nationwide, even with hands free, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety comes out with a new study that says banning cell phones while driving has no effect on accidents.

Everybody say Awwww!

Congratulations to Zach Wahls, whose impassioned testimony on behalf of his moms in Iowa earned him the #1 position in YouTube'sTop Political Videos this year, beating out the entire Republican clown car.

David Archuleta tearfully announced that he will be stepping away from music for two years to go fulfill a full-time Mormon mission.

The Big Bang Theory had the most product placement of a scripted program on television, with American Idol having the most placement overall. Modern Family with their non-placement-placement didn't even make the list.

Christian groups are trying to boycott Tesco for the holiday over a comment an executive left on his personal Flickr account vowing "I’m…campaigning against evil Christians (that’s not all Christians, just bad ones) who think that gay people should not lead happy lives and get married to their same-sex partners.” And you know what? Good for them. They're wrong, but they have that right, just like I can protest Lowes by not shopping there, and other companies when their executives say things I don't agree with off company time. That said, my British readers could buy an extra pie at Tesco this holiday season, just on principle.

Congress has an approval rating of 11%, bringing their 2011 average to 17%, a record low since records were kept. I don't know what people could be upset about, they have actually passed many bills that became laws.

Man Eats Cocaine From Brother's Butt, Dies.

The Advocate has calculated 2011's Most Googled Gays (sounds dirty!). Zachary Quinto made the list at #20, Logo's own RuPaul was #18, and you'll have to go look to see who was #1.

Chuck Norris penned a piece for the American Family Association about gay rights that should make anyone vomit. I always knew he was a right-wing asshat, but this is a whole new level.

In Vanity Fair's Top 5 Cars of 2011, there's one model I can actually afford, which is a good feeling. Stick Shift also sent me an awesome digital Christmas card.

I'm sorry, I do enjoy many of James Franco's antics, but I don't think he can pull off playing Hugh Hefner.

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos have no interest in doing an It Gets Better video, which is fine, because who wants to emotionally blackmail someone into it. The fact that they responded shows they are aware of the program, and made a conscious decision that they don't care. I can live with that. And I can keep giving them bad press at every opportunity.