TVSquad

If you've been moaning over the lack of series centered on gay puppets, I have some good news for you.

Last November, I told you about a project from Jim Henson Studios called Tinsel Town (or Tinseltown, everyone seems to spell it differently). The series features two gay Muppets, a bull named Samson Knight and a pig named Bobby Vegan, who adopt a human child.

"Rogan Vs. Ant" sounds like a Japanese monster movie.

In this instance, though, I'm not talking about mutated monsters battling over Tokoyo, I'm talking about comedian Joe Rogan's recent accusation that comedian Ant, the openly gay judge on Last Comic Standing, steals jokes.

If that sounds familiar, it's because Rogan made the same accusations against Carlos Mencia not too long ago (and others have accused Mencia of stealing, as well).

I'm not going to comment on whether Rogan's allegations against either of these men are true, but I will say that no idea exists in a vacuum. If you're a comedian and you've come up with a funny joke or concept, it's likely someone else has thought of it, too. I'm not a comedian, but even I've had funny ideas that I later see pop up on The Onion, or Comedy Central, or any number of places. It's probably a comfortable delusion to think everything your brain concocts was pulled from some realm no one else's mind can touch, but that's just not how it works.

Rick and Steve are a gay couple, and they're animated. I don't mean they're lively, I mean they're the stars of a new animated series for Logo called Rick and Steve. The series, which begins July 10 at 10:00 p.m., features voice work by Alan Cumming, Margaret Cho, Wilson Cruz and Peter Paige. The music for the series is composed by the same folks who wrote the music for Avenue Q.

The characters in Rick and Steve resemble tiny posable toys, which makes the show look like something created for the Nick Jr. set. Of course, the themes are just a tad more adult than that, or so I gathered by watching the trailer.

Like Paul, I don't watch the Tonys, which isn't saying much because I don't watch the Oscars or the Emmys, either. The only award show I'll watch is the People's Choice Awards, and only because I didn't figure out until recently that the winners aren't all chosen by Nia Peeples. I just have a lot of respect for her opinion, I'm not sure why.

Anyway, Late Night with Conan O'Brien's resident insult dog puppet, Triumph, was as the Tony Awards (equipped with his Gaydar 4000), and as usual when Triumph crashes an event, the results are freaking hysterical. I want so badly to list all of my favorite lines from the bit, but since I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it, check out the video below.

The LBGT Web site AfterElton.com decided to delve a little deeper into a statement made by actor David Hyde Pierce in a recent AP interview about his return to Broadway in the musical Curtains.

The article mentions producer/writer Brian Hargrove (Wanda at Large, Titus) as Pierce's partner, but doesn't go into any detail beyond that. AfterElton decided to find out for sure (and they're a site about gay celebrities, so why wouldn't they?) and received confirmation, that yes, David Hyde Pierce is indeed a gay man.

The world responded: "He's gay? Huh. Are you going to finish that muffin?"

Recently, Paul mentioned that the ombudsman for children's television in Poland had come out against the Teletubbies, and Tinky Winky specifically, for promoting homosexuality.

To be fair, the comment about Teletubbies promoting homosexuality was brought up by journalists during a magazine interview, and ombudsman Ewa Sowinska replied by saying that, due to the "purse" carried by Tinky Winky, she would investigate these claims. I say "to be fair" not to defend Sowinska exactly, but just to point out that she was responding to claims made by others. Still, that doesn't quite explain how holding a "purse," or "money bag," or whatever the hell that thing is, equals being gay. I think someone needs to go back to Gay School and learn a lot more about that specific sexual orientation.

The conservative Polish government recently launched a probe to find out whether or not the children's show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual agenda. Much like the late Jerry Falwell, government appointee Ewa Sowinska is concerned that the show may have a negative effect on the children of Poland. Her concerns began when she "noticed (Tinky Winky) has a ladies purse, but (she) didn't realize he's a boy."

(S11E02) I think the basic idea behind this episode is summed up by the "straight" priest at Camp New Grace when he informs the "confused" residents of the camp that they are like paper clips, and that like paper clips, God wants them to be straight, nevermind the fact that they were created "not straight" to begin with. At the end of the episode, Butters also sums it up nicely when he says, "I wasn't confused until everyone started telling me I was."