It's a shame that Hollywood is so terrified of Kathy Griffin. Because if they really want to revive the Oscars, they really need to book this self-proclaimed "biggest bitch of them all" to host.

I went into my viewing of the first ever A-List Awards on Bravo with more than a little trepidation (and more than two fingers of Ketel One in my iced tea). The pre-show red carpet was a bit of a mess, with an assortment of reality show regulars and the odd, terrified A-Lister mulling a twenty-foot red carpet and doing their darnedest to avoid the advances of correspondent Billy Eichner (a new name for me), who made Isaac Mizrahi's booby-grabbing red-carpet demeanor look downright Victorian by comparison.

But thankfully the actual show - while by no means any classier - was a well-produced, irreverent, and uniformly entertaining show that puts pretty much all the other, more "legit" awards shows to shame. Remember how fun the MTV Video Awards used to be, back in, like, 1991, when you worried if Axl Rose might swan-dive off the stage and crush several Bangles? Well, that's what the feeling was here.

Aside from the audience, which was packed with every sort of personality you could imagine ranging from Padma to Lauren Hutton to that fat guy in the Tron costume (I kid you not), the show itself was a riot. First there was Griffin's masterful turn as ringleader. From her opening cabaret number (with out songwriter Marc Shaiman on piano), she was "on" for all ninety minutes. Check out the bawdy number below...

But that was just the beginning.

We may be in the middle of a writer's strike, but the awards season must go on! This morning the Writers Guild of America announced the nominees for outstanding achievement in television, radio, news, and promotional writing during this past year. The awards ceremony, the WGA's 60th, will be held February 8th. The event will not be televised. After all, what network would want to give the striking writers a platform to argue their case?

The nominees list has a few surprises First, in the Best Dramatic Series category, Showtime's Dexter scored a nod as did AMC's Mad Men - two of my favorite shows so I'm thrilled. Brothers & Sisters alas did not.

Under the Best Comedy Series category three of my faves, Entourage, The Office, and 30 Rock, all scored nods, but Ugly Betty did not and in my opinion was robbed.

Under the Best New Series category, The Sarah Silverman Show, which features gay couple Brian and Steve, scored a nod, as did Pushing Daisies. Nominees The Wire, The Starter Wife, and Damages also featured recurring gay characters.

And in the Best Daytime Serial category we thankfully have As the World Turns to root for.

The complete list of WGA nominees appears after the break...

Out actor Bryan Batt talked with financial site QueerCents recently. The Mad Men star discussed his hit AMC series, his career and his partner in the interview. Here's a few tidbits.

On charting a career as a gay actor:

I’ve never tried nor cared to “sell” my sexuality, to me it is such a non-issue. “What you do” with your life rather than “who you do” is far more meaningful to me. Being gay is as genetically predisposed as having brown eyes and being six feet tall. I am a six foot tall brown eyed ACTOR who happens to be gay.

On the odd jobs he's had to take while establishing himself as an actor:

I did have an embarrassingly humiliating job. Although it paid well and I could arrange my hours around auditioning, I was a “fragrance model” at Bloomingdales in the late eighties and sprayed people with cologne. It was horrific because the perfume vendors were so pushy and aggressive - they wanted us to force ourselves on the unsuspecting shopper, which is not my style. Later on, I taught aerobics. Mary Tyler Moore was in my second class … that lady can really do her sit-ups.

On the making a living in the arts:

The arts are the only businesses where although you may have the best training, incredible talent, and great ambition, you may not work or make good money. A friend of mine was in Les Miserables years ago playing one of the leads, and he earned the same amount he had waiting tables. It’s a tough and unfair business. That’s why I love it when I hear actors making insane amounts of money.

• Republican San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders reverses his stance on gay marriage after considering his gay daughter and staff members: "In the end, I could not look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships -- their very lives -- were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife Rana." Related: I just reversed my stance on not crying at work.
• AMC has reportedly renewed its big-gamble original drama Mad Men, which has a gay man amidst its Vitalised cast.
• Further boosting its diversity and gay-friendliness, Ugly Betty has added "America's Gaysian Sweetheart," Alec Mapa, to its cast in a recurring role.
• If you've ever wondered what a Japanese gay variety television show would look like, head on over here to watch a clip from Onee-mans, an apparently very popular program. Bravo, get on this!!
• For you Dante's Cove devotees: the next season will debut Friday, October 19th, with new castmembers Reichen Lehmkuhl, Jenny Shimizu, and Jensen Atwood.
  

Watching last night's "gay" episode of Mad Men reminded me of nothing so much as the infamous "Some men like oysters, some men like snails" dialogue from Spartacus that wound up on the cutting room floor (and was only recently restored). There may be 2000 years time between Spartcus' Rome and 1960's Manhattan, but not much changed in how gay men talked about the issue of sex when they weren't able to speak freely.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt), the advertising agency's art director, has so far been a suave, confident player, but most gay viewers probably weren't too shocked when last night's ep made it clear he is in fact gay. He is the art director after all.

Her interest in Salvatore is so palpable she might as well have peed on his leg to mark him. Next she fakes a phone call for him so she can invite him to join everyone at the local watering hole to celebrate an account.

Naturally, she butters him up.

Lois: Everybody's talking about the meeting. Miss Olson said your artwork was spectacular.

Salvatore: They are, are they?

Salvatore's no dummy. He knows what's going on and plays along by agreeing to come for drinks.

• AMC's hit show Mad Men threw themselves a wrap-party to celebrate their first season. Out actor Bryan Batt (he plays Salvatore) is lookin' fine!
• As the World Turns spoilery news: here's a video preview (RealPlayer req'd) of what looks to come next in the Noah/Luke/Maddie triangle. (t/y Liz!!)
  
• Out author Neil Plakcy has a sequel out to his first gay mystery set in Hawaii. Mahu Surfer continues the story of murder-solving Kimo who knows how to hag ten. FYI, "mahu" is a pejorative term for homosexual. Aloha!
• Grey's Anatomy spoilery news (a lot of that going around lately, eh?): George (T.R. Knight) may not be canoodling with Izzy any more this season, but he may find himself working closely with another one of the show's ladies.
• For you Bones fans: the upcoming season will have a gay-player in one of the early episodes (spoilery, natch).
• Luke MacFarlane (Brothers & Sisters) and Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) recently went for a stroll.
  

Live with Regis and Kelly (Syndicated) Check local listings
Nikki Blonsky shows up to discuss Hairspray.

Who Wants to Be a Superhero? (Sci-Fi) 9:00 PM EDT
I was surprised at how charmed I was by this silly, campy reality series, which was like a highly staged version of Fear Factor that never took itself seriously. (Was I the only one hoping that Pirate Master would bring a similarly silly and staged take on Survivor?) This season's cast includes a gay superhero, Parthenon, who can be a pretty fun guy to chat with as well as a supervillain the cast will be fighting all season.

Mad Men (AMC) 10:00 PM EDT
I have to admit I'm was bit underwhelmed by this period set drama, which mostly seemed to be about how the good ole days weren't so good. Still, I'm coming back to get to know these characters a little better and I am interested in learning more about Salvatore, who pings the gaydar like a sledgehammer.

Shameless (Sundance Channel) 11:00 PM EDT
Tonight's episode is the first season finale. It doesn't sound like Ian has a prominent role, but I've been so enchanted by this quirky drama I'm excited to see a little wrapup.

Welcome to the Parker (Bravo) 11:00 PM EDT
Bravo's latest docu-soap takes a peek at a five star, Palm Springs botique resort. The premiere episode includes a ping pong tournament and a visit from an international food critic. After the break, check out a clip of the series:

Due to my travel schedule as well as a laptop clearly possessed by some sort of demonic spirit, it took us a little longer than expected to get up a new TWO GAY GUYS vlog post. But we're back at last and coming to you live from Palm Springs, CA where it's 105 frickin' degrees. Honestly, why does anyone live here? I don't care how nice it is in January!

But I digress. This is one of our "Passing Judgment" segments and this time out we discuss the AMC channel's new show Mad Men, the second season of IFC's The Business, and two new books — Seventy Times Seven and The Saints of Augustine. So sit back, relax and enjoy!