Funny, foul-mouthed friend
Comedian Lisa Lampanelli has lots of gay fans, but that doesn’t mean she avoided lampooning us in her recent shows at local venues. At Melbourne’s King Center for the Performing Arts she picked out several gay couples in the audience for special attention, and pointed out the strange connection between gays and Scientology: “It turns you gay. That’s what happened to Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley and John Travolta.” She also made fun—jealous?—of our lack of sexual boundaries, including a hilarious tutorial on fisting. But in the end—pun intended—she made her allegiance clear. “I’m gonna tell you something… if you don’t like the gays, then you can’t be my friend,” Lampanelli said. “Just fucking unfriend me, right now.” Thanks, Lisa.
Reynolds redux?
There was some drama in downtown Orlando leading up to the mid-terms. Workers for Greg Reynolds, the openly gay Republican candidate for State House District 36, noticed that his campaign signs were being vandalized, as were those of fellow Republican Daniel Webster. Vigilante politicos staked out Colonial Drive and caught a man on a bike with knife at 3 a.m. just days before the election. They called police, who caught and arrested Douglas Coleman several blocks away. A passionate partisan, Coleman reportedly has ties to MoveOn.org. Reynolds lost in a heavily Democratic district, but he wasn’t discouraged. “I am still in the fight,” he said. “Over the next few months, I will determine how to best serve Central Florida in 2011.”
Same-sex Dancing?
What’s the most popular show in the Orlando television market? According to Nielsen Ratings, the hands-down winner is Dancing With The Stars. And to make sure viewership stays in the stratosphere, ABC could take a tip from the international version—by introducing a same-sex couple! Last week, Israeli sportscaster Gili Shem Tov teamed with professional dancer Dorit Milman to perform the cha-cha. Shem-Tov, who is a lesbian, said it “felt natural” to dance with a woman. The couple will reportedly take turns leading throughout the remainder of the 12-couple competition. According to PopEater.com, after Kate Gosselin and Bristol Palin the American version well-understands how casting controversy boosts ratings. Two men would likely be too controversial. The name that comes up most often is Ellen Degeneres’ mate, the gorgeous Portia de Rossi
