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.

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.

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?"

(S02E03) So far this season Moral Orel has delved a little deeper into the lives of the other characters, and it's nice to see Orel's tiny universe expanding to include everyone else.

This episode examines the enigmatic, mostly homosexual and definitely polyamorous Coach Stopframe, who jumps between loyalty to God or Satan as frequently as he gains and loses interest in both men and women. He definitely has a thing for Orel's father, but it's still somewhat vague what their history is exactly, or what it is Clay wants from the relationship. I can't decide whether Clay is in denial about his homosexual tendencies, or if he just likes being lavished with the kind of attention Coach Stopframe gives to him. People don't always reveal themselves with absolute clarity, and Moral Orel seems to understand this, peeling back a little more about each person with every episode.

Muppet News Flash, my preferred source for the latest Muppet news, reports that the Jim Henson company is shopping around a new series to various networks called Tinseltown. The series will focus on a gay couple (a pig named Bobby and a bull named Samson) who live together and adopt a twelve year old human child. Despite a premise that some might considered a bit too controversial for a Muppet series, it's good to keep in mind that the Muppets have never been above a bit of ribald humor. Also, according to Brian Henson the series is simply a chance for the puppeteers to do something they find funny, and those who have seen the five-minute presentation tape agree the series is actually very tasteful. Well, I hope it isn't too tasteful, it wouldn't be a Henson project without some of that trademark zaniness. There's no way to know at this point if the show will ever see the light of day, but I must say the description alone has piqued my interest.

(S01E02) I'm a homosexual and I'd love a sandwich. - Kevin Beekin

This episode took several hilarious satirical jabs at misconceptions about gay people, the most revealing (and uncomfortable) scene being where they interview an actual gay person and keep telling him to end his sentences with "girlfriend" so he'll appear more gay than he seems. If you miss the guerrilla improv of Upright Citizens Brigade, Dog Bites Man is probably your kind of show. This episode begins with the KHBX News team taking part in a racial sensitivity seminar where they talk about their experiences working with people of different races and backgrounds, including Tilly's dream about a black man which she wasn't sure was racist or not because while he was well-endowed, he was also president of Harvard Law School. They also mention a gay man in a wheelchair who used to work for them and who insisted everyone call him "Rolaids." Alan, the director, misses the point of the seminar entirely and brings an electric razor with him, thinking it's actually about "facial" sensitivity.

As I mentioned previously, playwright Jeff Whitty took offense to what he considered Jay Leno's less-than-enlightening attitude towards gays and gay culture, and penned a letter to the late night comedian to let his feelings be known. Apparently Whitty wasn't quite expecting the response his letter would stir up. Some people agreed with his assessments, while others, like gay comedian Jim David (who you should check out if you've never seen him before, because he's hilariously dead pan in his mockery of everyone) feel Whitty needs to just lighten the heck up. Probably the coolest thing to come out of this is that Leno actually contacted Whitty by phone, which, according to Whitty, didn't necessarily solve any issues, but was a nice gesture, regardless.

[via Pop Candy]

Jeff Whitty, a gay playwright whose show Avenue Q is currently on Broadway, has some issues with the way Jay Leno depicts gays on his program, and how he uses gay stereotypes on his show. He penned an open letter to the late night comedian, which you can read here. Now, I don't watch Leno much anymore, but if he does rely on gay stereotypes on his show I would opine that is has more to do with lazy comedy writing than any kind of malicious intent. Of course, one could argue that the means don't justify the end, and Whitty clearly feels that way, pointing out in his letter that gays aren't all Richard Simmons types who dress in leather, and many of them still face prejudice. So what do you guys think? Is Leno a closet homophobe or just some guy who tells crappy, easy jokes?

Thanks to zack, who mentioned the letter here.