OCTOBER 25, 1996 GAY PEOPle's ChroNICLE 27

ON THE AIROFF THE PRESS

Ellen DeGeneres toys with her 'Lebanese' identity

by John Graves

The October 4 edition of Entertainment Weekly featured a special report on the possible coming out of the ABC sitcom Ellen's title character, and the emergence of other lesbian and gay characters on TV. Media pundits are still buzzing about Ellen Morgan's possible coming out, but I think the Cleveland Plain Dealer's "Minister of Culture" columnist Michael Heaton summed up the issue nicely in his column urging Ellen to

come out.

"Then problem I had with Ellen was one of credibility," Heaton wrote. "Why, I wondered, was this possible lesbian stand-up comic playing a single woman in search of a man? I know what you're going to say. She's an actress playing a single woman in search of a man. I beg to differ. Like so many people in television these days, she's a comedian playing a single woman in search of a man. There's a big difference. All comedians know that only truth is really funny. Deeply funny. Truly funny. Which is why it's my theory that Ellen DeGeneres [who plays Ellen Morgan] is behind this whole idea...She knows she's run out of gas faking her way through a heterosexual role."

When she was interviewed on the Rosie O'Donnell show, DeGeneres quipped, “We do find out the character's Lebanese." O'Donnell, who has been outed herself in the tabloids lately, replied, "I could be Lebanese myself." DeGeneres replied, "You know sometimes I pick up that you might be Lebanese. Half of Hollywood is Lebanese."

All My Children's openly gay schoolteacher Michael has begun dating a new boyfriend named Brad. The October issue of Out magazine reports that Kevin, a gay teen-

ager who appeared on All My Children last year, will rejoin the soap opera later this season. The show can be seen on ABC weekdays at 1 pm.

Ru Paul's new talk show has debuted on VH-1.

Two older lesbians reunite 30 years after they broke up on one episode of Women: Stories of Passion, a new Showtime series of romance stories written and produced by

women.

Xena and her loving companion Gabrielle have begun a new season of adventures on the lesbian cult classic, Xena, Warrior Princess. Although Xena's sidekick is usually overlooked in stories about the show, a report in the October 12 edition of TV Guide indicates that Renee O'Conner, who plays Gabrielle, is like Xena in real life. According to the report, O'Conner is into hiking, climbing, martial arts and is currently on safari in Africa with her mother.

USA Today reports that Melissa Etheridge has been picked to star in one of two upcoming film biographies of the late bisexual rock star Janis Joplin. Etheridge's film was written by her life partner Julie Cypher, and will be produced by Lakeshore Entertainment, while the other film will be produced by TriStar Pictures.

Dr. Shutt, on CBS' Chicago Hope, has teamed up to do research with a gay physician who had a crush on him last season. I saw the program and it seems Shutt is starting to deal with some coming out issues of his own. Find out how this situation develops by watching Chicago Hope on CBS Mondays at 10 pm.

The so-called "Jenny Jones” murder trial got under way this week. Jonathan Schmitz who is accused of murdering Scott Amedure

after Amedure revealed a crush on Schmitz on the Jenny Jones talk show last year. The trial has attracted national attention because both the prosecution and the defense have tried to shift blame for the murder from Schmitz to the Jenny Jones show. The Triangle Foundation, a Detroit lesbian and gay activist organization, will attend the trial and issue statements to remind the public that the crime was really an anti-gay hate crime caused by rampant homophobia in our country.

Triangle Foundation spokesperson Jeffrey Montgomery told the Detroit News, "People don't want to admit that gay people

are at such risk. People will go to any lengths to find other reasons to explain away the existence of anti-gay murders."

On October 11, Comedy Central aired encores of Out There and Out There II, two of its all-lesbian-and-gay comedy specials which were presented in honor of National Coming Out Day for the last two years. This year, unfortunately, Comedy Central did not produce a new edition of Out There. Let's hope Comedy Central and Out magazine, the show's principal sponsor, can get a show together for Pride Month or National Coming Out Day next year.

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