The Late Show with David Craterman

I enjoy Dave.

Yesterday, after John McCain canceled his appearance at the last minute (he claimed he had to rush off to the airport so he could fly to Washington to "help" fix the economy), Dave was obviously a bit put off, but made light of the situation...at first.

Halfway through the show, Dave found out that John McCain had not, in fact, rushed off to the airport, but had actually rushed over to speak to Katie Couric instead (which was showing live as he was taping his show).

He was a little less "no big deal" after that discovery...



"Need a lift to the airport, Senator?"

Hilarious.

And speaking of hilarious, check out Wanda Sykes on Leno, talking about the "Bail Out" and Sarah Palin...



"It's welfare for the rich, that's all it is."

She is a very funny lady.

FYI: I am flying to Atlanta, GA tomorrow for a few days, then to Asheville, NC for a few more days, THEN to Ohio for a week (to visit the family), so I'll be doing my best to post in each place over the next two weeks (depending on my access to a high-speed Internet connection, which may not be available all the time).

I forget that not everyone is connected to the Interbots in the same way I am out here in LA.

I wonder if I can upload photos using two cans and some string?

Mental note: Pack two cans and some string.

He's not dead, Jim

As if it isn't difficult enough to be an older actor in Hollywood...

Abe Vigoda found out he was dead in 1982. He was doing a play in Calgary, Alberta, while a People magazine writer visited the "Barney Miller" wrap party in Los Angeles, California.

"The Godfather" was Abe Vigoda's first film -- and more than 35 years later, he's still around to enjoy it.

"Somehow it mentioned in the article that 'the late Abe Vigoda' was not [there]," Vigoda recalls.

The error was corrected, but the damage had been done. Vigoda's "Barney Miller" character -- the decrepit, downcast Det. Phil Fish -- didn't help the image. Never mind that the real Vigoda was a vigorous man just turning 60 at the time; the question of whether he's shuffled off this mortal coil has followed him around ever since. There's even a Web site devoted to his life-or-death status.

Talk about a bit of a career hurdle.

That's a big one!

Thankfully, Abe's still alive and, if you want to keep informed, you can visit this Web site daily to confirm that.

I love k.d. lang

Oh wait...it's Clay and he's gay. What do ya' say?

"Shocking"....not.

Regardless of his countless denials over the years, I still think it's great that he (and a few others in the smoke and mirrors world of celebrity) came out.

Not just so "we" have confirmation (that shouldn't matter), but so he can finally relax and enjoy his life to the fullest.

Maybe now he'll be able to live a happier life where he doesn't have to de-gay himself in fear at every turn. I do give him credit for choosing to be open and honest, especially considering the rabid fan-base of Claymates that are out there paying his bills. Hopefully, they'll be supportive and understanding.

However, it still doesn't make me like his music any better. Some things can't be changed by a magazine cover or a new baby.

I do hope that new daddy Ricky Martin gets People magazine...

I think he and Clay have so much more in common than Ricky's ready to admit.

TV in Hell

If there is a Hell, I'm certain that the Emmy Awards ceremony that aired on Sunday would be playing on a continuos loop on every television set in the flame-domain thoughout eternity.

It was painful to watch right from the beginning and, like a bad kidney stone, became more unbearable as the three hour "event" passed into the night.

The only thing missing was Rob Lowe singing with Snow White again.

From the clueless and punchline-awareness-free reality show co-hosts, the badly photoshopped set pieces, the awkward "sock-it-to-me"/"Laugh-In" segment (poor Alan Sues and Dana Delany's dignity), Jeremy Piven's blathering acceptance speech, Josh Grobin's lengthy TV theme song medly, to the mind-numbing finale that focused on the winner of best reality show host...the pungent horse-hockey was piling on quicker than you could shovel it out of your brain.



The only glimmers of light in the night were Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey/ "30 Rock" winning several times, and Jean Smart and Glenn Close nabbing much-deserved awards before, I hope, rushing out immediately to drink the rest of the night's throbbing viewing pain away.

I don't care how much money they need to spend or who they have to sexually gratify to do it, but please, oh PLEASE, drive that truckload of Emmy production cash up to Ellen's house (or Jon Stewart's) and beg one of them to host again next year.

If nothing else, you could probably get Kathy Griffin to do it for scale and a nice hotel room (at least then we'd know the banter would be, if nothing else, memorable).

If the Emmys cared at all about any of us, they would do it.

The hills were alive...

And everyone sang once more.

A friend invited me to the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night to attend the "Sound of Music Sing-Along" and, surprisingly, it was a lot of fun. As you can see from the image above, whenever a song began, people would take out their cell phones, hold them up over their heads (in lieu of lighters)and sing and sway from side to side until the song ended.

Hilarious.

There were people dressed up as various characters, which made for an interesting visual as everyone headed to the concession stands during intermission. Men in lederhosen mingling with an array of nuns while sipping beer and eating hotdogs was quite a sight to see.



Even the clergy got in on the fun.

If you enjoy the "Sound of Music" in any way, I highly recommend you make plans to pack up your habit and take your goat herd on over for the next one.

It may turn out to be one of your favorite things...

Allegedly

And you didn't hear it from me, BUT....

Since Anderson Cooper has never officially discussed whether he is a homosapien or not, the press will just continue to do what they do best, speculate. Mr. 360 never goes out of his way to deny it (the Jodie Foster mantra), so it's likely true and he just doesn't feel the need to burst out of the closet in a shower of glitter waving his well-manicured jazz hands.

Which, I think, is just fine.

Until that changes, we can just follow stories like this one from Gawker, which lists a few of his "rumored business associates" (just like Beverly Leslie and Benji)...

This summer the Coop apparently dated an assistant to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. This is funny because she is the beard for gay man Barry Diller. Anderson supposedly wanted this young gent to move in with him. It looked like true love, though some suspected that the kid was just using poor Coopy-Poopy for his vast riches.

They said "Coopy-Poopy".

Insert Beevis and Butthead laugh here.



Then, later in the day, Gawker followed up with this story on a possible ex of Mr. Coopy-Poopy being on the new "Real World: Brooklyn" this season...

Just read your article on the dolphin trainer said to be Anderson's ex boy toy and I wanted to confirm that it's true. I'm from Miami and was actually at the club Buck 15 when I met J.D. He drunkenly informed me who his boyfriend was and when I didn't believe him he showed me pictures from his camera phone with Anderson and some dolphins...this was around the beginning of June...just wanted to give you a head's up!

I hope it's all true and that Anderson is doing everything he can to be happy, whether it's with JD, JR or JLo. He should be able to splash and splatter all he wants in private, just like the rest of us.

I'm just happy that I got to write my new favorite term, "Coopy-Poopy", three times in one posting.

It's the little jewels like that, in life, that make all the difference....

Doubt

This new Meryl Streep film, "Doubt", looks really good. Can't wait to see it.

I do love me some Meryl Streepness.

Ross and Kathy

Two of my favorite people, Ross the Intern and Kathy Griffin, sat down for a three-part chat after Kathy won her second creative Emmy award last weekend.

No deity was told to suck it during her acceptance speech this year.

Mainly because she's presenting an award during the regular televised awards ceremony this Sunday and didn't want to take the chance that they'd cancel her appearance.

Smart D-list lady.

Tina Fey

The season opener for "SNL" this week was one of the best they've had in years! So, on-the-mark and hilarious!

I hope that Tina Fey is able to find time to stop by that show and play she-who-must-not-be-named a few more times.

Priceless.



As far as the "Flirge" reference, there are a variety of spellings and definitions for this term:

Flerg 1.) The state of a man's penis when it is not erect.
Flurge: A cross between flush and purge.

However, I have a feeling it is probably referring to the alleged lesbian relationship between Huma Abedin and Clinton meaning "First Lady Is Really Gay"...Flirg.

Regardless...Amy's reactions in this video (as Clinton) are a hoot!

Mr. and Mr. Sulu

First Ellen, and now...George Takei.

George Takei married his partner, Brad Altman over the weekend.

Among the 200 wedding guests were U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry, humanitarian Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton, the couple’s best man Walter Koenig, (Chekov, Star Trek), “best lady” Nichelle Nichols (Uhura, Star Trek), GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Media Damon Romine and fiancé Charles Robbins, Executive Director of The Trevor Project (left). The famous Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles performed at the reception.



With Uhura as your Best Lady...I'm sure that everyone's hailing frequencies were wide open (so to speak) during the event.

William Shatner wasn't able to attend.

I'm sure they'll be some Hell toupee in George's next book for that snub.

Makin' Whoopi

To be honest, it's usually a challenge for me to watch "The View". I love Whoopi and Joy, but when the whole gaggle of gals get into a heated conversation, the over-talking makes my brain hurt.

However, this clip of them with McCain today was moderated well and, when McCain starts discussing how he felt that Roe vs Wade was a very bad decision and how he'd like to see changes...things get interesting.

And by interesting, I mean Whoopi asking him whether she should be concerned about becoming a slave again.



At least Barbara offered to take good care of Whoopie and Sherri Shepard on the plantation should it be reinstated.

You can see the other two clips from the show here on JoeMyGod.

Seven years ago...

Time does march on...but some things you never forget.

In many ways, we're lucky that, although the United States has suffered through some pretty horrific events like the World Trade Center destruction, we don't have to witness them on a daily basis.

I often think about how awful it must be for people living in war-torn cities and countries who endure these kinds of atrocities on a regular basis. To know that there is no safe place or peace around you...no matter how far you walk, how fast you run or where you try to hide.

To live with that uncertainty during every waking second of your day must be overwhelming.

It's sad that war and violence continues to be a terrifying reality for many people on this planet.

I pray, one day, that it's not.

Until then...

I just remain thankful for each day and keep hope that the world can change.