“There’s somebody else who, who actually defended me that I’d like to mention: Bill O’Reilly from Fox News,” DeGeneres said. “I already sent you out a tweet to thank you.” She played a clip from Monday’sThe O’Reilly Factor before thanking him again, then adding:

“And you didn’t really make it clear if you were going to shop at JCPenney or not, but if you do, you can use my employee discount any time you want. That’s for you Bill. Thank you so much.”

Later in the show, guest Julie Bowen, star of Modern Family, said she had some plans beyond just thanking O’Reilly. “I never thought that I would want to make out with Bill O’Reilly,” Bowen said. “It turns out today is the day.”

Watch a clip of Ellen’s thank you below, followed by Bowen’s desire to make out with the Fox News host:

And Bowen’s proclamation:

RELATED: Bill O’Reilly Compares ‘Witch Hunt’ To Fire Ellen Degeneres From JC Penney Ads To McCarthyism

Goldberg agreed with the parallels O’Reilly drew between the JC Penney situation and the Planned Parenthood one: “the intolerance is on the left about the abortion situation, they don’t respect people who are pro-life.” But he took a detour to comment about the former, and gave a spirited defense of LGBT rights. There is a strain of bigotry running through conservative America,” he began, “and it goes against gay people, for instance.” He continued to argue that Degeneres “did nothing wrong, she is gay… to call on somebody’s dismissal, to be fired, because she’s gay is bigotry,” and that this was not the first time conservatives had a problem with bigotry. “In the middle of the last century,” he argued, “there was another strain of bigotry on the right, and it was against black people. That has to leave the conservative movement.”

O’Reilly countered that he believed the problem was that Degeneres “flaunts” her sexuality, to which Goldberg replied “I flaunt my heterosexuality!” to laughs from O’Reilly, but Goldberg persisted that LGBT folk were “a minority that, in many parts of the world, is under attack” and “she has every right to make it a cause. There’s no agenda, she’s just gay.”

They then got to the topic du jour, the way the media treated the disagreement between Planned Parenthood and the Komen Foundation. “Andrea Mitchell and a lot of mainstream reporters don’t know these pro-life people,” Goldberg argued, “They have to understand that people who live between Manhattan and Malibu are Americans, too; they have values, too.”

The segment via Fox News below:

RELATED: Ellen DeGeneres Fires Back At One Million Moms, Mocks Them For Only Having 40,000 Fans On Their Facebook Page

“Is it right for any organization to call for a company to fire a spokesperson that has not done anything wrong?” O’Reilly first asked, wondering what was wrong with DeGeneres making a living. “Just because something is legal doesn’t mean its moral,” Rios replied, though that didn’t seem to be a strong enough reason for O’Reilly, who noted that JC Penney was a private corporation that could hire whoever it wanted. “I don’t think that’s the spirit of America,” he replied. She continued that “it isn’t about Ellen DeGeneres, but it is about mainstreaming something that is not acceptable to Christian people all over the country.” O’Reilly wasn’t buying it.

“What is the difference between a McCarthy-era blacklist and Million Moms” not wanting DeGeneres employed, O’Reilly asked. He added that he understood the objection, but didn’t see why the group didn’t just call for a boycott, instead of demanding certain executive decisions from the company. “You’re dodging the essential question… a conservative group in this country is asking an American citizen based upon her lifestyle, and I don’t think that’s correct.” Rios continued to argue that the problem wasn’t DeGeneres, but that “we are seeing homosexuality so embedded in our culture in alarming ways.”

“It’s a witch hunt and it shouldn’t happen,” O’Reilly concluded.

The segment via Fox News below:

Push ups like they do in Communist Russia!

Clearly this Ellen DeGeneres character is just some kind of propaganda minister. She’s been trying to distract us with her goofy dances, laid back demeanor, and horribly adorable sloths. Now she’s trying to put a smiley, day-time talk show face on Michelle Obama’s insidious plan!

I don’t know if I have long, here. Obviously, once the Gestapo read this post, they will send thugs to drag me away and force me to eat brocoli. But you stay strong, brothers and sisters. And by “stay strong,” I of course mean the opposite. Get fat. Get fatter and fatter and fatter and fatter until you die.

For America!

Watch the clip below:

(h/t The Daily What)

It’s amazing.

Seriously, I don’t want to spoil anymore. Just suffice it to say that the prank Ellen DeGeneres pulls at the end proves why she’s one of the best talk show hosts around.

Watch the clip below:

(h/t HuffPost TV)

…Which all seems very sweet and romantic (Or, you know, kind of terrible and embarrassing. Boo, don’t ever do this, ok?) until she tearfully repeats “I can’t, I can’t breathe” and “I’m sorry.”

RELATED: Prepare For The ‘Outrage’: Archie Comics To Feature A Gay Wedding

There is an awkward pause while the man repeats “Jodie, Jodie” and then… a chime? And applause? And Ellen laughing?

What just happened? Did this guy get rejected on national television, or is this some sort of joke?

Check it out and let us know what you think:

h/t Business Insider

In the clip below, Paris, donning a fedora strikingly similar to the sort her father used to wear, revealed that she thought Jackson’s decision to make his children wear masks was “stupid.”

RELATED: Conrad Murray Trial: Will Michael Jackson’s Children Be Called To Testify?

The 13-year-old budding actress then explained that “I kind of realized, the older I got… like, he’d only try to protect us.”

Have a look at a preview from their interview, which airs in full on Thursday:

Add to that rarefied category this video from today’s Ellen. On the show, Degeneres was joined by a couple of little British girls who had become a viral sensation after filming themselves performing singer Nicki Minaj’s song “Super Bass.” After letting them perform it live, the host surprised the girls with a special guest; Minaj herself.

Daytime talk show 101? Sure. But that doesn’t make it any less adorable. And we just don’t get to post enough adorable around here.

Watch the clip below:

(h/t Dorsey Shaw)

Meredith Vieira may be anxious to sleep in and relax when she leaves NBC’s TODAY later this year, but she didn’t get any peace in a visit with Ellen Degeneres on Ellen Monday. Degeneres aired hidden camera video of Vieira’s arrival at the studio for the interview–including the comic hiding in a dressing room and lunging at the unsuspecting morning show host. “I love scaring people,” said Degeneres, who joked about Vieira’s reaction to the prank–which had to be bleeped out. “You have a filthy mouth.”

Vieira has said she will leave TODAY to spend more time with her family and away from the often grueling schedule required in the intensely competitive world of network morning shows, telling Ellen, “I’m very much a night person,” who goes to bed between 10 and 11 at night only to wake up for TODAY at 2:30 a.m. “That’s why this schedule has never been a perfect fit for me.”

Watch the interview–and the prank–here, from Ellen:

Fast forward to today, when it was announced that Anne Hathaway will be co-hosting this year’s Academy Awards, with James Franco. Part of the story has been that Hathaway is only the third woman to do so since 1986 (the other two being Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen DeGeneres). Looking back at the history of Oscar, there have been a few female co-hosts dotting the timeline but only two solo hosts (Whoopi and Ellen, again, in case you were confused and thinking Uma and Oprah).

The LA Times’ Envelope blog crunched the numbers back in 2007, prior to DeGeneres’ hosting turn:

Sure, females have served as occasional co-hosts: Beginning in the mid-1950s, women occasionally emceed in years when multiple hosts were used. Rosalind Russell was one of five in 1958, Carol Burnett one of four in 1973, Jane Fonda one of four in 1977 and Goldie Hawn one of three in 1986….

Still, if you take Goldberg’s four shows and add in all the fractions from other female hosts (one-fifth of a show from Russell, one-fourth from Burnett, etc.), you end up with a paltry six and three-quarters Oscar shows, out of 78, that have been hosted by women.

(The list: Russell, Helen Hayes, Burnett, Diana Ross, Shirley MacLaine, Goldie Hawn, Ellen Burstyn, Fonda, Liza Minnelli.)

Add to that Ellen DeGeneres’ turn, plus one more for Jon Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, for 7 3/4 Oscar shows out of 82.

The ratio doesn’t occur in a vaccuum. In 1975, Shirley MacLaine noted dryly from the stage: “An interesting thing happened in films last year — not many of us women were in any.” In 1999, Whoopi Goldberg made a joke about Elia Kazan’s honorary Oscar, saying: “I thought the blacklist was me and Hattie McDaniel” — the only two African-American women to have won Oscars (in 2002, Halle Berry joined their ranks). As for hosts: Chris Rock in 2005 was the only African-American in the role to join Goldberg since Richard Pryor was 1/4 of the hosting team in 1983 (and before that, Diana Ross in 1974 and Sammy Davis Jr. in 1972). And of course we’re talking about actors and hosts here — the director category only got cracked last year with Kathryn Bigelow, and has yet to go to an African-American.

So — it helps to have visual embodiments of diversity out front. Like NPR’s Linda Holmes wrote: “The line of tuxes really does need to be interrupted now and then, and she seems like just the lovely and talented goofball to do it.”

Which brings us back to that ratio, and that vaccum. Despite last week’s panel being sponsored by Love & Other Drugs, we didn’t spend much time talking about films. It was more of a general discussion of norms and stereotypes — but recognizing and acknowledging them reveal just how broadly they permeate society. (Related: The Bechdel Test, for movies – and for media.) Is this post a thorough discussion of the topic? Not by a long shot. Did we even come close to scratching the surface in our 45-minute discussion? Ha, not even close. But, these are good conversations to have and go a long way down the road of one day, hopefully, not having to have them at all.

>>>NEXT PAGE: VIDEO CLIPS FROM THE “SEX, LOVE & THE DOUBLE STANDARD” PANEL

Columnist Dan Savage launched the official “It Gets Better Project” last month along with his husband Terry following the suicide of Billy Lucas, a Greensburg, Ind., high school student. But the rash of similar incidents in recent weeks, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi and the Bronx 10 attacks, have propelled the problem of teen gay bullying and suicide into the mainstream media headlines and introduced a level of urgency to these videos and statements. Ellen Degeneres was so upset by what happened to Clementi she made her own emotional plea against childhood bullying on her show last week that has also gone viral online. Sometimes you just have to be extra grateful for the Internet and keep your fingers crossed the kids who need it are watching and listening.

Watch Burns’ speech below, and below that Dan Savage and his husband’s first vid for the ‘It Gets Better Project.’

Perez told Ellen:

Over the last week and a half two weeks I’ve been doing everything I can to bring awareness to the issue of teen suicides and gay bullying. And in doing so, a lot of people have called me a hypocrite, and a bully myself and a big one. And that’s not how I want to be perceived and that’s not what I want to put out there to the world. And it was a big wake up call that so many people saw me that way.

So from now on I really want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem and I want to be the change that I want to see in others, so I’m going to do things differently on my website, than I have in the past. I’m not going to call people nasty nicknames, I’m not going to go the mean route. I’m going to force myself to be funnier or smarter or just do things differently. Not doodle inappropriate things and not out people.

For her part, Ellen appeared to accept Perez’s pledge unconditionally, but not without browbeating him a bit, which you can watch in the following segment.

Or, in juicy Hollywood terms, the electorate is Brad Pitt, the GOP is Angelina Jolie, and the Democratic Party is Jennifer Aniston. But not even Jennifer Aniston:

So what can a party whose idea of star power is Al Franken and a Hollywood fundraiser hosted by Laurie David do to match a party whose ruthless insight is “control the cheerleader, control the world”?

Junod offers the Democrats his own advice, telling no-drama Obama to make Hillary Clinton his 2012 running mate and “have a wall-banging affair with her.”

Ridiculous scandal aside, what point is Junod really trying to make here? Is “a party led by a man who clearly thinks too much before he speaks” doomed to lose to “a party led by a semi-sexy woman who will say anything”? Perhaps, but less so when you consider that the actual leaders of the GOP — RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader John Boehner — are either too goofy, too geriatric, or too neon to qualify as traditionally sexy. Meanwhile, his two primary examples, O’Donnell and Palin, aren’t currently elected officials, a fact that will likely remain true on November 3rd. To fairly qualify them as “entertainment,” as Junod does, would be to compare them to Rachel Maddow, Oprah Winfrey (who campaigned for Obama), Ellen DeGeneres, and Arianna Huffington, all of whom can claim their own brands of attraction.

Besides, Tea Party fervor began independently of O’Donnell and won’t disappear if she loses in November, especially if Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (both of whom are more influential than O’Donnell) continue to keep conservatives…hot, so to speak.

The movie is about a man discovering that his best friend’s wife is having an affair. Its trailer opens with Vaughn explaining to a room of business executives that “electric cars are gay.” He quickly points out that he doesn’t mean “homosexual gay,” which, in theory, is supposed to totally mitigate any offense. However, some viewers have been put off by the random gay joke in a trailer for a movie that has nothing to do with gay themes. Some, like Cooper, are even connecting it to the recent rash of teen suicides. Appearing on Ellen, Cooper used the trailer as an example of a culture that is all too permissive of anti-gay bullying and insults.

Deadline Hollywood’s Nikki Finke got a quote from a Universal insider who told her they planned on altering the trailer but were surprised by the backlash since they “showed the trailer to gay groups like GLAAD and gay executives here and gays in our marketing department and no one was offended and everyone had a positive response.”

In my personal opinion, the joke is a fairly off-putting way to open the trailer of a typical comedy. Still, what do I know? The audience I saw Social Network with seemed to get a big kick out of it. However, the jokes about painful urination that close out the preview got a less positive response.

UPDATE: GLAAD has contacted us to inform that the quote Finke received from the insider was inaccurate and that they had, in fact, asked the studio to remove the line when they were shown the trailer a month ago. They have now released this press release:

“October 08, 2010, Los Angeles, CA – Last month Universal sent GLAAD a link to the trailer for the film ‘The Dilemma.’ GLAAD called on Universal to remove the scene where the word ‘gay’ was used as a pejorative from the trailer. Today, after Anderson Cooper also spoke out against the scene, Universal confirmed to GLAAD that the offensive joke will be removed from promotional campaigns from this point forward, including in the trailer currently playing in movie theatres.

‘The use of the word ‘gay’ in this trailer as a slur is unnecessary and does nothing more than send a message of intolerance about our community to viewers,’ said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios.”

In an update on her site, Finke remarked about the inaccuracy saying, “In Hollywood, so the saying goes, you can know that someone is lying because their lips are moving.” Meanwhile, Universal will apparently premiere a new trailer some time later today.

Watch the trailer below as well as the Anderson Cooper clip from Ellen. His comments on the trailer begin at the 5:45 mark.

(h/t Drudge and HuffPo)

“One life lost in this senseless way is tragic. Four lives lost is a crisis. And these are just the stories we hear about. How many other teens have we lost? How many others are suffering in silence? Being a teenager and figuring out who you are is hard enough without someone attacking you.

My heart is breaking for their families, their friends and for a society that continues to let this happen. These kids needed us. We have an obligation to change this. There are messages everywhere that validate this kind of bullying and taunting and we have to make it stop. We can’t let intolerance and ignorance take another kid’s life.

I want anyone out there who feels different and alone to know that I know how you feel. There is help out there.”

In addition, on DeGeneres’ website, she listed a number of programs and organizations out to help the victims of bullying. You can read them here.

(h/t Huffington Post)

Readers familiar with Mediaite’s internationally recognized coverage of American Idol may recall that we back in July we published our online sister Gossip Cop’s exclusive report that J Lo and Steven Tyler would join the famed competitive reality show as judges. In today’s announcement, host Ryan Seacrest made Gossip Cop look really smart by confirming what they seemed to know before anyone else.

Nice work Gossip Cop!

Gossip Cop reports:

Ellen DeGeneres is officially out of “American Idol,” because she “hated being critical,” says a source familiar with negotiations.

In fact, Gossip Cop hears she asked to be released from her contract the day last season ended, but was told there was no chance unless they found another panel.

Which brings us to today’s HUGE news.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Gossip Cop hears from a reliable source that offers have been made to Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

A lot can happen between tonight and the announcement next week, but as of now we’re told the two have been tapped to be the new “American Idol” judges.

More on this story as it develops.

Oprah WinfreyForbes rank: #1

PG rank: #1 among TV anchors/hosts, #3 among media moguls

Ms. Winfrey might be leaving her talk show after 25 years – no more Oprah’s Favorite Things?! – but that didn’t stop her from snatching the top spot on the Forbes list from last year’s most powerful celeb Angelina Jolie, now #18. She’s adding frequent Oprah guest Nate Berkus to her star-making Harpo production company soon, and following that up with the launch of her very own network. In summary, Oprah owns you, and the Forbes list.

Rush LimbaughForbes rank: #19

PG rank: #2 among radio hosts

Limbaugh, Forbes‘ highest-ranked radio personality, is second only to Glenn Beck in the Power Grid. His $58.5 million income over the course of the past year, paired with amped-up media coverage surrounding his health and recent wedding, thrust him to the front of the rankings.

Dr. Phil McGrawForbes rank: #21

PG rank: #8 among TV anchors/hosts

Nate Berkus should probably keep his eye on the career of Dr. Phil, Oprah’s original spin-off guinea pig. He raked in $80 million last year from his show and side projects, making him the most successful person (besides the Queen herself) to profit from that cash-colored Oprah mojo.

Ellen DegeneresForbes rank: #23

PG rank: #9 among TV anchors/hosts

Ellen is still lagging behind a good portion of her peers in the Power Grid ranking of TV hosts, but as the face of CoverGirl, American Express, Vitamin Water, American Idol, AND her own record label, the funny lady is dancing her way all the way to the bank.

David LettermanForbes rank: #24

PG rank: #10 among TV anchors/hosts

Media attention surrounding a scandal (read: an exposed affair and a related extortion case) bumped Letterman to such a prominent position on the Forbes list this year. But things seem to be smoothing out for the late night host, and he has his $45 million revenue from the past year to comfort him.

Jay LenoForbes rank: #34

PG rank: #3 among TV anchors/hosts

Letterman’s longtime rival saw his fair share of scandal last year too, putting Conan O’brien out of a job after he failed to garner ratings for his new show. Back in his old time slot, Leno regained his viewership, and his pockets are plenty full to make him one of the more powerful celebrities out there.

Howard SternForbes rank: #39

PG rank: #12 among radio hosts

The shock jock isn’t the highest ranked radio host in the Power Grid (not even beating out Dr. Laura), but his deal with Sirius Radio is still feeding his bank account to the tune of $100 million annually. With his contract running out at the end of this year, only time will tell where he’ll place in 2011.

Glenn BeckForbes rank: #43

PG rank: #1 among radio hosts, #6 among TV anchors/hosts

Like Oprah and Ellen, Beck has his eyes on an empire: his radio and Fox News shows, books, magazine, and subscription-based website are just the beginning. Everyone is wondering who will be the next Oprah – is it Glenn Beck?

Ryan SeacrestForbes rank: #44

PG rank: #2 among TV anchors/hosts

Seacrest has his fingers in a lot of pies, but there’s only one thing you need to know to explain why he is such a powerful man: he produces Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Thank you, Ryan.

Conan O’brienForbes rank: #51

PG rank: #4 among TV anchors/hosts

Conan was ousted from prime late night real estate, but that didn’t stop him from making the Forbes list. He just barely misses the halfway mark, but not to worry – he’s still ranked fourth in the Power Grid thanks to recent media coverage (all press is good press, right?) and his fan-favorite Twitter. With a new show scheduled to premiere this fall on TBS, that fiery pompadour will be standing tall again in no time

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/which-media-personalities-made-the-forbes-100-most-powerful-celebrities-list/feed/ 2 http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-greatest-magazine-covers-celebrating-gay-pride/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-greatest-magazine-covers-celebrating-gay-pride/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:34:57 +0000 Dale Yarger Linda Rubes and Robert Newman http://www.mediaite.com/?p=140985 Robert Newman arranged a series of magazine covers - each "featuring an artist, personality, historical event, or publication of significance in gay history" - and released one per day throughout the month of June on his Newmanology facebook page. Here are some of the highlights from the collection:]]> Gay Pride Month culminates this weekend with Pride Weekend festivities around the country. Here in New York, the annual Pride Parade will march through lower Manhattan on Sunday, and this is a big one – Monday marks the 40th anniversary of the very first Gay Pride March in the city, which took place exactly one year after the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village.

In celebration of Gay Pride Month and in honor of this important anniversary, Mediaite contributor Robert Newman arranged a series of magazine covers – each “featuring an artist, personality, historical event, or publication of significance in gay history” – and released one per day throughout the month of June on his Newmanology facebook page. Here are some of the highlights from the collection:

The Furies, August 1972. “Lesbian/Feminist Monthly”

This cover from The Furies is today’s entry into the gallery. It only had nine issues, but the magazine was an important part of the lesbian feminist population growing in the early 1970s. In the first issue, the authors wrote that “lesbianism is not a matter of sexual preference, but rather one of political choice which every woman must make if she is to become woman-identified and thereby end male supremacy.”

Time, April 14, 1997. Ellen DeGeneres says, “Yep, I’m Gay.”

Probably the most widely recognized of all the self-outing magazine covers, Ellen‘s appearance on the cover of Time to announce she’s gay opened the door for numerous celebrities to follow in her footsteps. Newmanology put together a side gallery specifically dedicated to the “Yep, I’m Gay”-style cover, featuring celebrities from Lance Bass to Albus Dumbledore.

Interview, December 1972. Andy Warhol and model Naomi Simms.

Andy Warhol, one of the first openly gay American artists, started Interview in 1969, and the entertainment magazine has continued from its inception to feature gay and lesbian-themed content.

After Dark, February 1977. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

After Dark was not designated as a gay publication, but according to Newmanology, this 70s-era entertainment magazine “covered stories of interest to the gay community, carried ads for gay movies, bathhouses, clubs, books, etc., and had a liberal amount of beefcake and male nudity.” Behind this cover, muscleman-turned-actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was featured in a 22-page photo spread, complete with frontal nudity.

Blueboy, June 1977. “The National Magazine About Men.”

Speaking of beefcake, this cover of Blueboy shows how softcore pornographic magazines for gay men developed a mainstream following in the 70s, much like straight counterpart Playboy. And, like Playboy, the magazine included content other than just nudie pics, like essays and interviews. As evidenced by her song “She Bop,” Cyndi Lauper was a devoted fan.

The Advocate, March 5, 1996. Barbara Jordan.

Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman from the South to join Congress who was known for her passionate speeches, never came out publicly. It was only after her death in 1996 that her lesbianism and companionship with another woman, with whom she shared a home, was revealed in this issue of The Advocate.

Christopher Street, January 1978. “Interview with Gore Vidal.”

Newmanology writes that Christopher Street, which ran from 1976 until 1995, “was one the most important national gay publications in its early days, filled with discussions of issues of importance to the gay community, as well as fiction, essays, reviews, and art and photography.” It was also the first gay publication with high-level graphics and design.

One, August 1953. “Homosexual Marriage?”

Remembering the time before the 1969 Stonewall Riots (when gay and lesbian publications were hidden, low-budget journals) Newmanology also has a gallery of magazine covers dating back to the 1950s. Publications like One were the victims of harsh censorship, and their editors and contributors were forced to adopt pen names to avoid being harassed or slapped with criminal charges. This issue of One, which included an article on gay marriage, was seized by the Los Angeles post office for three weeks.

Stories about gay rights might be popping up all over the media these days, but Newmanology’s tribute to Gay Pride Month is a welcome reminder that gays and lesbians have maintained their presence in the media for decades, often forging new journalistic paths in the face of adversity. And that’s something to be proud of.

This is just but a brief sampling – there are many more on the original collection, which you can check out here: Newmanology on Facebook

It’s not entirely clear why DeGeneres appeared on site in the first place, especially to the broadcasters, who seemed shocked and starstruck and happy to get a break from the news. She was in town, however, for a show she was headlining called “Ellen’s Somewhat Special Special,” a comedy show taped at the Chicago Theater set to air on TBS on June 27th at 9 PM. It seems like she is there to promote a project and her show– the goodies from which, including some New Year’s Eve-style blowers and t-shirts, she handed out enthusiastically. Afterwards, she asks “when will this air?” and is disappointed that the fact that it is airing live means she has to keep her language G-rated (“This is live? I was going to curse and everything!”). After asking the weatherman “why do you have weather?” at all, Ellen helped out in delivering the broadcast:

(h/t TV Newser)

The panel last night consisted of the Eisenhower Institute’s Susan Eisenhower the Weekly Standard‘s Matthew Continetti and Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, who dressed up for the occasion in a gaudy American flag tie that even Maher had to quip about.

While Continetti kept the immigration conversation close to the political sphere, arguing that social and immigration issues could drive the recent influx of independents into the Republican party away, Maher and Grayson considered the bill a product of a dying form of racism and a response from people who are still “upset about the outcome of the Civil War,” which, while radical, was at least a relevant point to make in light of the racial profiling issue.

Then Maher shifted gears to discuss the Family Feud contestant that considered Degeneres anti-American, which gave Grayson the opportunity to try out a new joke in his ever-evolving stand-up routine: “she was in Finding Nemo and she played a character in Finding Nemo that couldn’t remember anything that happened more than a year ago, so I figured maybe she was a teabagger.” He’s a natural, that Grayson. Anyway, he then went on to call the man a “racist” for attacking Degeneres, to which Maher responded that the problem with America was– you guessed it– the existence of a certain race, namely “white people.”

The conversation also touches on Nevada Senate candidate Sue Lowden‘s health care bartering proposal and obesity in American youth. Watch the discussion below:

Well one contestant’s offensive answer about Ellen DeGeneres recently drew the attention of the talk show host – and she replayed the tape “Mystery Science Theater 3000″-style on her show.

The category was “something everyone know about Ellen DeGeneres,” and the Sutton family was in control of the board (via Alan Colmes‘s “Liberaland” blog). “She’s gay” had 74 responses. “She has a talk show” got 8 responses for second place. Then it was time for the family patriarch, Mike, to give his answer. “I would say that she doesn’t like our country very well,” answered Mike while the crowd gasped in horror.

Actually – the family, and crowd just clapped, as they do for every answer. Host John O’Hurley repeated it for effect. “She doesn’t like the country!” and of course, first strike. “Nope, not there.”

“Dish Network, if you could update the listings to say Ellen DeGeneres loves America, that would be wonderful,” she said after watching the clip of Mike Sutton‘s answer again. “And other countries. Actually I love the planet, just include everyone there.”

The rest of the family appeared to know quite a bit about DeGeneres, and eventually swept the category. And Mike get a chance for some redemption – she invited them to come play “Know Or Go” on her show.

This may not be the last we hear of the Sutton family, unless Mike doesn’t like Ellen’s show very well.

Here’s the clip from Ellen’s show:

> Update: As DeGeneres suggested, Dish Network responded today:

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Stelter points to the recent deal between Warner Brothers (who owns DeGeneres’ show) and NBC to air the program through 2014 as a sign DeGeneres is viewed as a logical successor to Oprah, calling it “the first big bet on the post-Winfrey landscape.” It’s easy to see why – DeGeneres might be the most Oprah-esque figure in television besides Oprah herself. She has a popular daytime show, has been performing for a long time, and has even cultivated first-name-basis familiarity over the years. She’s also increased her visibility further by signing on as a judge for FOX’s American Idol, television’s most popular show. Perhaps most importantly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show is, as the NYT article said, “upbeat and inspirational,” two critical contributing qualities to Winfrey’s unprecedented popularity.

DeGeneres’ ascent to such widespread popularity – Stelter’s article said recent surveys indicate she is actually seen as more likable than Winfrey – is remarkable considering the controversy surrounding her decision to come out as a lesbian (on her then-sitcom and in real life) in 1997. It’s a testament to DeGeneres’ appeal that she has managed to transcend what is still a hot-button social issue among many to become a beloved figure in television. Though it’s unlikely she’ll ever wield Winfrey-like power over her audience – who could? – she’s achieved something impressive just by eliciting Oprah comparisons. Starting in 2011, DeGeneres will get a chance to show such comparisons were warranted. Based on her success so far, don’t bet against her.

But the decade was not without its highlights. It’s hard to imagine that in 2000 that many would think same-sex marriage would be the law of the land in five states, that 12 states and the District of Columbia would add transgender rights provisions, and that you couldn’t turn on the television, glance at the computer or open a newspaper without seeing openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people staring back at you.

So, on to the gayest moments of the Aughts.

Gay Rights Win in Court

2003 was a very good year for the gays, at least in the legal world. First, in the biggest LGBT victory every in the U.S. Supreme Court, SCOTUS struck down the Texas sodomy law in Lawrence v. Texas. The law, which only applied to homosexual sodomy, was found unconstitutional by a 6-3 vote. A few months later, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health that the commonwealth’s marriage law violated the state’s constitution and therefore the state needed to allow marriages between two men or two women.

Gay Rights Lose in Public Votes

While the courts were good to the gays, voters were not. Same sex marriage laws were rejected in 31 states over the decade, with the most stinging defeats coming in California and Maine. The most liberal state in the country overturned the California Supreme Court in 2008 and outlawed same-sex marriage by approving Proposition Eight. Although the marriages performed before the election and after the court’s ruling would remain valid, a well-funded effort led by Mormons and other religious conservatives meant even the some of the most liberal voters in the country didn’t see marriage as a civil rights issue.

The defeat in Maine, the first big Stonewall 2.0 effort, was just as devastating. After the legislature approved gay marriage, voters in the one of the least religious and most white states in the country also rejected same-sex marriage by approving Question One, despite the pro-gay marriage forces outspending their opponents 2 to 1.

Rachel Maddow given her own show on MSNBC and Andrew Sullivan begins his blog

They couldn’t be more different, yet a wonky lesbian who doesn’t have a television at home became a major player in liberal commentary on MSNBC while a wonky gay Brit defined the political blogosphere with his conservative/moderate/liberal political commentary.

The 2008 debut of Maddow at MSNBC was a triumph of substance over style, giving the former Air America radio host a national platform for her unique mixture of serious questions, raised eyebrows, and an unwillingness not to suffer fools. Sullivan, meanwhile, had started his blog in 2000 and quickly became one of the most provocative voices in the political blogosphere. Everyone seems to dislike him — too gay, not gay enough, hypocritical, obsessed with Sarah Palin — but his blog created a genre and is one of the most linked-to sites.

Manhunt debuts in 2001

Why go out to a bar when you can hook-up online, save yourself the cover charge, and see the potential hook-up naked? Manhunt.net, the most popular online gay hook-up site (NSFW!), has changed how gay men find other guys, while helping to empty gay bars across the country. “Ordering in” cuts out the middle man, though Manhunt and sites like it were criticized for fueling the crystal meth epidemic in the gay community (gay men “tweak” while cruising online for sex; It’s called “party and play” or PNP). Either way, Manhunt and its progeny — like so many innovations online — changed the game and how it was played.

>>>NEXT: Brokeback Mountain & Milk, Andy Cohen’s Reign at Bravo, and Ellen DeGeneres, Covergirl

There’s also business. We know who’s going to be on television and when, we click links and witness debate — all in 140 characters, of course. Disparate uses of the service are to be expected; new media must be tried, twisted and broken before its function is decided and opinions vary as much as usage. Maybe to you, Shaq‘s frequent inanities are hilarious or maybe they’re a waste of time. Maybe Ana Marie Cox‘s links are educational or maybe they’re boring. But to make that judgement, thousands — and in some cases millions! — are pressing “follow.”

Twitter followers are a whole new metric of popularity: communication sans middleman with as many people as you can get to click. The directness it affords and the loyalty it indicates are just two of the reasons Mediaite includes followers as a field in our Power Grid rankings of over 1,500 media players. Followers tends to be demonstrative not only of reach and influence, but of good will.

So we’ve tallied and ranked the top 25 media figures by approximate number of Twitter followers (they go up every few seconds!) and the results, if not surprising, are telling. America’s biggest stars — many of which have impersonal, almost robotic feeds likely ghostwritten by publicists — are interspersed with internet veterans who have massive online followings, even if they lack household names.

Before we get to the list, though, some interesting observations:

• Six of the top 10 spots are occupied by television hosts with international appeal. Their feeds tend to be general and highly promotional, but their fame is immeasurable.
• For the others who managed to sneak into the top 10, two are online behemoths, one was almost president and the last invented Twitter.
• Television hosts occupy a big chunk of the entire top 25, but seem almost entirely ghostwritten, while reporters and bloggers who handle their own feeds are more rare, but more invested in the service. They are also more likely to get personal.
• Only 7 women make the list, but they’re all in the top 15 and include the proto-mommy blogger and original Wonkette.
• Fixtures of the right are nearly absent, with only one notable Republican making the top 25. Someone get Coulter, McCain and Malkin on their Twitter games!

Check out the entire Top 25 media figures on Twitter!

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/follow-the-leaders-the-top-25-most-read-media-twitters/feed/ 0 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/can-ellen-make-american-idol-watchable-again/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/can-ellen-make-american-idol-watchable-again/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:58:02 +0000 Robert Quigley http://www.mediaite.com/?p=21788 Ellen DeGeneres is replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol. Did you reach for the smelling salts when you heard of the 'shocking' pick? Are you horrified that an openly gay woman is hosting 'Merica's favorite talent show? Probably not.]]> So, collective consciousness of America: Ellen DeGeneres is replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol. Did you reach for the smelling salts when you heard of the ‘shocking’ pick? Are you horrified that an openly gay woman is hosting ‘Merica’s favorite talent show?

Probably not.

Some outlets are trying to spin this as a jaw-dropping, left-field choice, which it isn’t. MSNBC.com’s Craig Berman writes, “The first reaction to the news that Ellen DeGeneres is replacing Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on “American Idol” is easy. Has everyone at FOX and 19 Entertainment lost their collective minds?”

Aside from most people probably not knowing what 19 Entertainment is or thinking about it immediately, this is a wild overstatement. Noted arbiter of tastes Perez Hilton may be closer to the mark when he writes, ”Whosever idea this was deserves a HUGE pay raise! Inspired choice.” Perez Hilton: 1. MSNBC guy: 0.

According to the AP, Idol fans are divided about the DeGeneres pick, but only because she doesn’t have the same music industry experience as the other judges. Her sexuality is a total nonissue; the Ellen DeGeneres Show draws strong ratings in syndication. America’s gotten used to her.

And to return to the ‘experience’ point: how much do people watching Idol really care about that in the moment? People like Simon because he says mean/funny putdowns, not because of his industry experience. And Kara DioGuardi has tons of musical experience, but no one seems to like her all that much. Just 28% of respondents to a People online poll said they were happy she was coming back for Season 9. American Idol is, after all, a popularity contest, and Ellen’s wit and likability will be a welcome boost for the show.

DeGeneres might not have been an ‘obvious’ choice, but she was a creative, entirely defensible one. To use a terrible analogy from 2008 presidential politics that may get me flamewarred for a variety of reasons, Fox’s picking DeGeneres is a lot more like John McCain picking Kay Bailey Hutchison to be his VP than John McCain picking Sarah Palin.

Here’s a video of Ellen announcing that she was taking over Paula’s slot on her show yesterday:

And here is a video of Ellen dancing to Soulja Boy, because why not: