Cat

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.

I hate it when peeps try to negate their soap past. Dork, daytime is a part of "television"! My favorite soap score of all time comes from -- surprise, surprise -- Y&R and they used it fairly regularly in the 80s and 90s. It starts below almost immediately in the "Brad in the Cage" SL. It literally makes the hair on my arm stand on end. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cir04Xmong&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cir04Xmong&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=7cir04Xmong&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Florence + the Machine - You've Got the Love <object width="560" height="340"><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="560" height="340"></embed></object> Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire <object width="425" height="344"><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="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I know, I wish I could find Friday's episode and upload it here. IA Maxwell Caulfield, bless him and his little toupee, was bad. But maybe that's the point. Mark has never been comfortable in his own skin, he has played a role all his life. The Wyldes may not have a long-term future, I'm sure Natasha will be caught or something. However, this is an enjoyable soapy story arc and I will enjoy it. Emmerdale does great when it has these "lords of the manor" swanning around the village with their money and secrets.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjwDlbcvwhI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjwDlbcvwhI&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=SjwDlbcvwhI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFBYs2dEve4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFBYs2dEve4&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=rFBYs2dEve4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw90YDhqDcs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw90YDhqDcs&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=rw90YDhqDcs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMs-jZuI5Tc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMs-jZuI5Tc&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=MMs-jZuI5Tc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKubuhDZ8Bc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKubuhDZ8Bc&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=lKubuhDZ8Bc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_aIbutkKs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_aIbutkKs&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=Rx_aIbutkKs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Damn! Natasha doesn't mess around! Don't be getting on her nerves or she'll blow a hole through your skull! Having said that, those Wednesday, Thursday, Friday episodes were the business and Amanda Donohoe rocked them all. Especially when she confronted her whiney children. The actress who played Maisie was also very good but this is Natasha's show. Faye, Ryan and the others just pale in comparision to her intensity. This is going to be like Columbo -- not whodunnit but how are they going to get away with it? If I had been her, I would have dropped the rifle by Mark's body and tried to make it look like suicide. But I guess everything happened in the moment and she wasn't thinking straight. Something tells me that Faye will be a major thorn in her side. Awww, Katie's so sweet to Ryan. I assume she doesn't realize he had the hots for his half-sister.

I love this show. I love the mix of rich and poor, veterans and transplants. There seem to be a lot of good stories on the boil right now. Cain/Charity/Debbie and the rivalry with Carl King (and the fact that he's now Chastity's main squeeze). Ashley the vicar and his crazy ex Sally who has torn his marriage apart without he even realizing it. The Wyldes (all hail the soapiest of soap family names!) and Mark reigniting his affair with Faye just when Faye's son Ryan starts to fall for Maisie. Aaron the butchest bully making a pass at Adam. It's a mix of soapyness and some deft work on the characters. For example, Cain and Charity could easily be pantomime but the actors ground their characters, thanks in part to their love for their daughter Debbie. Meanwhile, I hated/was uninterested in Maisie up until last week. Sure, starting an affair with your best friend's man (who is also your half-brother, not that you know it yet) isn't exactly the surest move to win the audience around. But the writing and performance hinted at layers to Maisie the past few episodes that I did not know she had. Some of the broad "comedy" elements can be heavy-handed -- there are no brilliant Maggie Jones in this cast, more's the pity -- but at least the writers seem to know at the moment what is driving their show.

Episode 14 February, 1986 -- Jack and Stacy's Rehearsal Dinner (parts 1-6). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_6TRwbSqKM Ava attempts to disrupt Stacy's big day after Gwyneth gets in her face. Maybe I'm in the minority here -- but this is some good soap!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2755471/Maggie-Jones-dies-aged-75.html Maggie Jones dies aged 75 By CARA LEE Published: Today CORRIE star Maggie Jones passed away this morning, aged 75. The much-loved actress, who played Weatherfield's battleaxe Blanche Hunt, died at the Salford Royal Hospital after battling a long illness. She was forced to pull out of filming on the soap in October after being rushed to hospital for major surgery and remained there since. She had been making a slow recovery but her condition deteriorated early this morning and she passed away in her sleep. Today her colleague William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, payed tribute to her. 'Greatly missed' He said: "Maggie was a big part of the Barlow family and a brilliant actress. "She was a tower of strength, physically frail but mentally strong as an ox and sharp as someone half her age. "She had an amazing dry wit and was as funny if not funnier than Blanche. We were great cross word partners, we sat through Tracy's trial scenes doing the cross word together. "I don't think Maggie ever realised how much she was loved not only by everyone on the show but by the millions of Blanche fans out there. She will be greatly missed." Corrie's Executive Producer Kieran Roberts added: "Maggie was a much-loved colleague and a wonderful actress who turned Blanche into a true Coronation Street icon. "She will be hugely missed by Coronation Street's many millions of viewers and by everyone who works on Coronation Street. Our thoughts and prayers go to Maggie's sister Joan at this very sad time." Maggie won several comedy awards for playing feisty Blanche - who is loved for her sharp tongue and tell-it-like-it-is manner. She first appeared in the ITV1 soap in 1974 and became a regular cast member in 1999. The character is famed for her put-downs, especially to her daughter Deirdre and son-in-law Ken. In one classic 'Blanchism', she said: "Good looks are a curse, Deirdre. You and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky."

I hope Maggie Jones is recuperating well and getting the treatment she needs. Blanche is worth her weight in gold on this show. Her snark represents the viewers' voice! I need to rant about the Connors. On paper, I am sure they were meant to be an up-and-coming, partly recurring Irish family that the audience would love. Oh, those Connors! So tight-knit and loyal and fiercely proud! Stop me if you've heard this tune before. Well, what this viewer is getting is a whole big dose of smug and judgmental, served with a side helping of hypocritical. Maybe it is because I have warmed (if that's the right word) to the character of Tony. The actor is acting his little heart out, and seeing his scenes with Roy at the weekend (though a sightly contrived plot device) made me realize how much I am enjoying watching him. What will he do next? By contrast, I cannot stand Michelle. Maybe it's because I suspect the actress, Kym Marsh, to be a raging bitch behind-the-scenes. Maybe it's because her tatoos are always on display and they are distracting. Maybe it's because she is always passing judgment on somebody. Maybe it's because everybody talks about what a great person Michelle is, and I have yet to see that greatness. It ain't just Michelle, though. Liam was meant to be this hot leading man but he came across as a two-timing jerk (not helped by a talentless actor who thought he was Olivier). So all this grieving for "our Liam" feels alien to me. Now. Their lovely parents. Thank God they aren't series regulars! Big Daddy Connor is a walking Oirish stereotype who looks like he is about to break into "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" after a couple of drinks. Mama Connor may look like a loveable, cuddly matriarch but the instant anybody does anything she doesn't like, the inner bitch is released. I can see why she'd be concerned about Maria moving on so quickly after Liam's death, but it comes across as bullying, like she wants Maria dressed in black and geneflecting in front of a shrine to Liam for the rest of her life. Everytime the Connors urge Maria to visit them in Ireland, it doesn't come across as a loving invitation but as hectoring, like they want Maria and the baby under their complete control. All this to say that I can see where the Tony SL is going. I'm sure there will be a mega-reveal one of these days, and Tony will have to pay for his crimes. I, for one, am dreading the Connors' reaction of smug "Told you so"-ism, invective and self-pity. [/rant]

My fave Vogue, too! You think Carine is badly dressed? Yeah, I guess she does wear her Stylist label like a badge and wants to appear very experimental (note Patricia Field who dressed Sex & the City looks like a bag lady). However rough she looks, though, I don't mind giving her a free pass because her publication is so fun to read. Now Kate Moss... there's an overhyped "fashion muse."

This is Hardcore - Pulp

Agreed -- if they rushed this towards "Romance" it would ruin the story. For now, I find the friendship that has developed between them much more powerful and, in a way, intimate. I would rather they maintained that for a while because underpinning all this is, as you say, Maria's loneliness and Tony's guilt. Plus... Carla's likely to come back soon. And she is Tony's achilles heel.