Cat

I think Paul Michael Valley made a conscious decision to leave the soap biz. He went into teaching acting, I believe, and theatre acting and directing were prob always his first loves. Also, his hairline receded and he prob didn't want to bother with painful hair plugs so the "soap hunk" parts prob dried up. Somebody once said he played Reva's cancer doctor during the last year of GL? Anyhoo... Question: Stephen Schetzer -- insanely good or theatrical as hell?

jp, they didn't just pay her travel expenses, they literally hired a helicopter to ESCORT her door-to-door from her home in Westchester somewhere to the AW studio. And back again. And only on certain days, because Jensen liked four-day weekends or some such nonsense. Don't we all. I cannot wait to read your interview with Sandra Ferguson. That should be an amazing read. I cannot believe AW caved into so many of their stars demands. I guess they were really desperate to keep ratings in the final decade of the show. CarlD, SJB did get some bum SLs but she also got to pick and choose her co-stars once fans began responding to her character -- hence heavy rotation with Steve Burton and Maurice Benard. Plus they also threw some scenery-chewing Emmy-reel SLs her way -- post-partum depression, losing a baby, etc. I think the nearest Tamara got to Emmy reel-worthy material was when she thought Michael was dead and she broke down at the PCPD. But she wasn't even nominated that year. Everything else? Panic Room? Sonny's "Love" Bullet in the Brain? Palling around with Courtney? Eh. Charles Pratt really was a rotten co-HW. P.S.: I love that story of Anna Stuart giving Heche a vibrator! On one hand it is TMI but on the other... she was just trying to help Heche out so she wouldn't have issues with sex. And what a testament to Heche's acting, because she and Paul Michael Valley radiated white-hot heat together. Case in point: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Rl3ggEtNc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Rl3ggEtNc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Rl3ggEtNc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Jensen Buchanan... I just... can't. I cannot believe the story that JFP spent $$$$ just to helicopter her ass to and from the studio at a time of her choosing. So much wasted on somebody wrongly considered to be AW's sole asset. Plus Anne Heche cast such a long shadow. People talk about Sarah Brown's Carly making a mark, but Heche's Vicky was both a precursor AND broke the mold. She was incandescent. Her talent jumped off the screen. Her life story sounds beyond tragic. Kudos to her for living her life, turning her back on her past and carving out happiness for herself.

When Aaron opened his eyes halfway through the gassing, it was like 6 months of story just passed right through his eyes. Then he just closed them again. Chas bugged me until I saw her running to Aaron like her life depended on it. When she gulped "Oh my God" open seeing Aaron, she sounded like a true mother in distress. The episode was really well constructed, especially the way people passed the shed without noticing anything was wrong. Like when Aaron's friend was walking up to it, but then got called away. It really rammed the message home about people being wrapped in their own pain and others not picking up on it. Nikhil seems to work well with an older woman, it seems. I always thought he had chemistry with Faith, Charity and Natasha. Speaking of Natasha, Amanda Donohoe is another actor who, like Danny Miller, produces the most multi-faceted performances in the most mundane and dialogue-light scenes.

TOTAL WORD. I personally find EE and Coronation Street snoozeworthy but even with a "light" Emmerdale episode, I always find something to keep me watching. IMO, Emmerdale is the best soap airing right now. Even compared with my US regulars! There was so much "right" about yesterday's episode. I, too, was upset to hear that Aaron would be beating Paddy up. I thought the violence would be unneccessary, that it would be painting all young people struggling with their sexuality as somehow criminally psychopathic. It did not come across that way at all. Aaron beating up Paddy WAS shocking for all the reasons it was meant to be -- because it was an awful act of violence. But Aaron's contrition afterwards was equally powerful, and Paddy's forgiveness of the boy who is, for all intents and purpose, his son, was the most moving part of the whole episode. Paddy understands Aaron. He understands that he is a boy whose first instinct is to lash out in anger. He also understands that this violence is not the sum total of who Aaron is, and that once he can accept himself, the anger will become a thing of the past. Because Aaron hates himself so much, and feels like such an outsider and a freak. I also thought that the actor who plays Paddy hit all the beats -- some of which were not even in the dialogue. Paddy has always been that chubby guy he gets beaten up on. He's always been an underdog. This was his worst nightmare -- somebody he cares about beating him up like back in the schoolyard or when he went up against Carl. Paddy overcoming all that baggage in order to empathize with and support Aaron was a HUGE step for this character. It was actually a perfect soap moment, IMO. And this is why Emmerdale is so strong! It showcases Paddy in both comic and serious story arcs and, in doing so, presents a multi-dimensional character. What can I say about the actor who played Aaron? Honestly (and I know I'll get booed for this, but it is JMO) he puts the Nuke and Kish stories to shame. This guy is so talented and Aaron feels so real because he is both completely unsympathetic and totally heart-breaking. His face when he looked in the mirror and told Paddy about how he used to beat up on a kid at school because he was gay... and later listening to Paddy talk to him from behind the door. I haven't "felt" so emotional when watching a soap in a long time. This story is not going to be some banner-waving, trendy SL. This is going to be about Aaron learning to accept himself for the first time ever. And I'm psyched to watch!

Um, WOW. Paddy just figured out that Aaron is gay. The scenes between them are really good, and quite shocking because Aaron just pummelled on Paddy. This coming-out SL feels quite organic because this seeems to be as much about Aaron despising himself as his realisation that he might be gay.

Oh, God, Eurovision. Is it that time of year already? I can't get into it anymore because the songs are no longer so-bad-they're-good, they are just forgettably bad. And the voting is so political that no good song ever really wins -- Cyprus gives Greece douze points and vice versa, all the Scandinavian countries vote for each other. As a Kylie fan, EricMontreal, you may already know this but the UK entry (which managed to scrape nul points the last few years) is being penned by Pete Waterman of Stock, Aitken & Waterman fame -- the guys who produced Kylie's early hits like I Should Be So Lucky and Especially for You and, my personal fave I Still Love You (Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi). <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Little Boots! I'm not a mega fan but that "New in Town" song was the song of last summer for me. That and this trashtastic summer gem ("I Know You Want Me - Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro") by a one-hit-wonders Pitbull: <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (2010 Version) <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

I still listen to it from time to time while running. It just makes you want to move. It's not quite fair to compare him to Gaga, because he's a DJ and she writes her own stuff. But it's hilarious that the people interviewing her are, like, "OMGZ! What is this strange music? It's revolutionary!!" Have these journalists listened to anything other than John Mayer? If so, poor them! I feel the need to e-mail them links to Kylie's songs of the past decade. I do like Gaga's fabulosity, though. We all need glitter and drama in our lives.

Well... more like getting into my early 20s. I was an innocent college grad, and then somebody brought me to a club. "You Don't Really Know Me" (followed by "Professional Widow") was playing on the sound system. And out of nowhere I found my rhythm. LOL.

Gaga... I have a hard time completely warming to her. While I admire her sartorial choices, sometimes I wish she'd stop acting like she's this walking art installation. It's dance music, girl, not a political manifesto. Also, I grew up on dance maestros like Armand Van Helden, so it's hard for me to embrace the Gaga stuff as this brave new world of music. Has she never heard of Swedish dance pop? Maybe I just don't get her. Sigh. That makes me feel old. I don't want to stereotype but practically every gay man I know thinks she is the bee's knees. I pretty much trust their judgment on all things fab and poppy, so what am I missing here? Why can't I shake this "Emperor's New Clothes" feeling -- like in a few years time, most everybody who loved Lady G will be hiding their head in shame? I want to be a lover, not a hater! That said, this is her most accessible video to date because she actually looks like she's letting the audience in on the joke. Beyoncé sounds better here than on a few of her recent albums (I mean, on "Irreplaceable, she is singing off-key, right?). And she LOOKS amazing. That whole video is funtastic.

Team Brenda Walsh! LOL, actually, I love Buzz Aldrin, too, so I hope he goes far. alphanguy, love the vid. And the gasps of wonderment at the way the triple axel was performed.

Well -- I have no idea if this is true so feel free to correct me, people. The gossip is that Hamilton is Church of Christ which in of itself may not be a big deal. Except that SH is apparently evangelical about not "tainting" the sport of figure-skating with Teh Gay. For sure he always seemed dismissive of Weir's skating and his supposed campness on NBC commentary duties. The irony is that Johnny Weir's skating is not "camp" in the sense of being over-the-top or ridiculous. I actually find it very classical, very Russian, very balletic and beautiful to watch, frankly. His long-program at the Olympics was entitled "Fallen Angel" about Lucifer's fall from heaven, and that is as classic a ballet subject as, say, "The Swan" (another skating program he did at the 2006 Olympics) or "Romeo and Juliet." To me, campy is some twit in a checked shirt and chaps doing a hoe-down on ice. In trying to be all masculine and manly, it ends up looking like a Village People routine. Or when NBC are all "Evan Lysacek is so athletic oh and he's totally straight too, look he's dating Nastia Liukin!" It just makes me think that the lady doth protest too much. Anyhoo, back to Scott H. He runs the Smuckers Stars on Ice tour and he seems to only want to include skaters who fit a certain profile. SOI is losing a ton of money and advertisers must be asking themselves "who are the skaters who would bring in ticket sales?" Nu-Ya Kim is one. Evan Lusacek and Virtue & Moir are undoubtedly others. But you can't ignore Weir and his *huge* fanbase, either. I would have thought that Weir's inclusion would be a no-brainer. I would actually love male pairs skating, if only to see Weir and Stéphane Lambiel recreate what they did when messing around in practice: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Thanks, alphanguy! I love it, too, and couldn't bear to not have a JW avatar at the moment. However, I hate to say it, but I think "gay russian pimp" might be exactly the look Weir is going for. Furs, diamonds, bling. Well, it could be worse -- "gay Italian pimp" comes to mind (think Versace circa the early 90s). I only hope he does get a masters at FIT because otherwise he'll be tagged as being a glorified skating costume designer. Would love to see him tour in a professional capacity, but Scott Hamilton won't let him join Skaters on Ice along with the other skaters. Apparently, there's some selective gay bias going on.

However, not entirely surprised. Weir has been spending the whole week doing a media tour. It would be hard to come up with routines for Worlds in two weeks. Honestly, I think Johnny Weir is transitioning out of comeptitive figure skating. He's been doing this sport for well over a decade. He may not have medalled in Vancouver but the mega-attention and support he got far outstripped all that. He is looking to get into FIT in NY and use his high profile in a different venue. Fashion, maybe TV presenting. He already fronts his own docu-show. It's the end of an era in men's figure skating. Stéphane Lambiel announced his retirement from the sport yesterday (and on an OT note, I always sort of wished that sexy Lambiel and Weir had a romance going!). Evan Lysacek is unlikely to return to the hard slog of figure skating after DWTS. Plushenko might not retire just yet but God knows he should (although having seen him dance on the ice to "Sex Bomb," I hope he doesn't give up gala performances because they are hilarious and cheesetastic). These guys have dominated for 5 years and a younger generation is rising through the ranks now. I just hope Weir keeps a steady head on his shoulders and doesn't get too blinded by all the insta-fame and attention.

Both the actor who plays Aaron and the target of his crush (name escapes me for a moment) are really impressing me. If/when these two do get it on, I have the feeling it could be smouldering. Nathan going pervy-psycho last week -- and then Natasha standing up to his blackmail and kicking him out -- was just awesome. Amanda Donohoe is amazing.

OMG, I would *pay* to hear him say that! And don't sell yourself or your (our!) generation short. Keep fighting the good fight! It's important that some of the young 'uns know about Stonewall, struggle and sacrifice, you know? Especially as the media seems to have become increasingly regressive and reactionary over the past decade.

Alphanguy, I wanted to apologize for part of my previous post which I just re-read. It must sound somewhat condescending -- I don't know how it would feel to "come out" to friends, family or the general public. So I can't make value judgments on behalf of kids who are gay and how they might feel that it's all "no big deal." I'm just going by some of the kids I know IRL and their general attitude to such things.

Alphanguy, I agree. I t is as plain as the nose on his face and why not just admit it and be done with it? There might be some kids out there struggling with their sexuality, who look up to him and would be inspired by his taking a stance. Having said that, most teenagers do not consider sexuality an issue. Like, it's just a part of the mainstream, a part of their lives and that is that. Maybe Johnny Weir has this attitude of a younger generation? Not defending him but at a press conference, the US media kept bringing it up and he just rolled his eyes. I took the to mean 1. are you blind?! 2. WTF is with the media's obsession with being gay? 3. Why don't you judge me on my skating and not on my sexuality? I also noticed something else this Winter Olympics -- NBC and Olympics skating federations were obsessed with trying to take the sequins out of the sport. They kept yapping about Evan Lysacek and his "masculine" brand of figure-skating, how you need to be a "real athlete" to stay in shape for the sport, etc. I thought the athletism of the sport was already a given! It just seemed to me that they were anxious to re-brand the sport as being "acceptable" to hetero audiences. Which just shows how behind-the-curve they are: figure-skating has been pulling in mega-ratings for decades. This prob says it better than I could: <object width="400" height="300" id="ce_92224102"><param name="movie" value="http://current.com/e/92224102/en_GB"></param><param'>http://current.com/e/92224102/en_GB"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://current.com/e/92224102/en_GB" width="400" height="300" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" ></embed></object> Then again, you know I'm biased because I'm a fan of JW. And having watched some of his Sundance Channel show, it's not the fur and "flamboyant" posturing that I find compelling -- it's his work ethic, his intelligence, his relationship with Galina, his Russian coach, his endearingly gawky grin. It's that show which convinced me that he's not hiding in a closet, he's just doing exactly what he wants and doesn't care what people think.

Awwwwwww, Johnny! I'm such a fan of that little whippersnapper! This gives me the sads because I love his skating but I can understand why. He's getting to that age when men stop skating. He is also not super-supported by his skating federation and there is also a lot of other politics at play. He improved by leaps and bounds this year, though, and I hope that (and the fact that he was US nationals champion three years in a row) will give him enormous satisfaction. In the meantime, I will look forward to watching him skate at Worlds.

World Figure Skating Championships start on March 22 in Turin, Italy. I hope they are televised.

I know there is zero chance of this happening but I hope glitter bunny Johnny Weir pulls something out of the bag that puts him in medal contention.

I really like Diane. She is a tentpole character and played by a really good actress. I love that she can have scenes with so many different people in different SLs and it feels utterly natural. Like just before Mark was killed, Maisie was having a meltdown at the boor and Diane took her into her apartment. She called Natasha over and both characters had a cool scene as she explained what had happened. Her scenes when Andy Sugden was having his breakdown were also good. Val on the other hand is a cartoon. I can just about tolerate her in small doses. More than I can Viv and her godawful mullet-hair.

Pity sparkly Johnny Weir won't be around.

The guy who plays Ryan is a bit bland as a character but, like Carl said, that mouth. Damn. Emmerdale does have a couple of hotties. Coronation Street looks somewhat impoverished in comparison.