GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

January 27, 2006

SOU

MASSAGE THERAPY

ever

Brian Keating

3052 West Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44111 216-671-0663

It's cold outside

Make some popcorn, stay in and snuggle by the TV's warm blue glow

by Kaizaad Kotwal

There is a debate in some parts of the country-driven mainly by the extreme right wing and religious zealots-about the "homosexualization" of America. They claim this is foisted upon them by the so-called liberal media and degenerate Hollywood machinery, and point to critical acclaim of films like Brokeback Mountain, Capote and Transamerica.

What they omit is that these films only reflect life as it is yes, there really are gay cowboys—and that the popularity of these films means that they are well made and obviously striking a chord.

The same could be said about a lot of television these days. As the "midseason" starts this month, culminating in May with sweeps, GLBT-related television seems to be in relatively good shape, even though hot shows like HBO's Six Feet Under and NBC's path-breaking Will and Grace are leaving the

screen.

Nevertheless, here is a smattering of shows worth watching that also happen to have GLBT-related characters and stories, or out writers, actors, directors and creators.

Comedies

Crumbs (ABC, Thursday 9:30 pm) There is no one quite as quirky or talented as Jane Curtain (Third Rock From the Sun) when she gets to do her shtick well. Here she plays a drug-addled, slightly psychotic mother of two, including one son who is gay and can't quite find his way out of the closet. He is played by none other than the cute kid from The Wonder Years, Fred Savage. Although relatively new, the show has some sharp writing and a cast that is funny.

Out of Practice (CBS, Monday 9:30 pm) An entire family of physicians is the center of this funny show starring the gay fave Stockard Channing (West Wing, Grease, Six Degrees of Separation) as the matriarch. Paula Marshall (Spin City) plays her very out and very freespirited lesbian daughter. The cast is topnotch and the new show has oodles of promise.

The show is from the fertile mind of out writer Joe Keenan (Frasier).

Love Monkey (CBS, Tuesday 10 pm) This new show starring Tom Cavanaugh as a music industry whiz kid, features one of his close friends as gay. Jake (Christopher Wiehl) is a sportscaster who dates men, but isn't out to his friends. The show features some good writing and is hip in its style and content.

Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 8 pm) After eight seasons, Will & Grace is scheduled to end in May. It may not be go-

ing out in top form, butit cannot be denied that the show has been revolutionary and still remains relevant. Even though the storylines have been uneven and the writing somewhat stale in recent seasons, Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullaly) have been inimitably funny every single moment they have been on the screen. There's a spin-off that could be pure gold.

Four Kings (NBC, Thursday 8:30 pm) From Will and Grace creators David Kohan and out Max Mutchnick, we have a comedy about four friends, one of who is in denial about being gay. But his friends are not so certain. The jury is out on whether this show will even have half the success of Will and Grace.

Desperate Housewives (ABC, Sunday 9 pm) After losing some steam in its second season, Desperate Housewives just got a shot in the arm with a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series. The gay son of Bree (Marcia Cross) is being given greater prominence on the show, which is already a hot fave with queer audiences-something out creator Mark Cherry knows how to use to his advantage.

Hot Properties (ABC, Friday 9:30 pm) This show, capitalizing on the Sex and the City infamy, features four real estate mavens dealing with love and lust in the Big Apple. Lola, one of the foursome, seems to have a penchant for being attracted to gay men— including her husband. While her gaydar may be awful, the show seems to have gay appeal all over it.

Two and a Half Men (CBS, Monday 9 pm) This hilarious show, in a frat-boy sort of way, features Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) who must struggle with his sometime-lesbian ex-wife Judith (Marin Hinkle) as they parent their son.

Charlie Sheen has come into his own as a comic star on this show.

Emily's Reasons Why Not (ABC) After only one airing, this comedy was canceled. Starring Heather Graham in the title role, it featured her gay best friend Josh (Khary Payton) who was the only African American LGBT character in a leading TV role this season. Perhaps a write-in campaign could resuscitate it. Continued on page 10

Curbside

ALL MYSELF 2005 BY ROBERT KIRBY

•FTER I READ NATHAN'S SURPRISE DEAR JOHN LETTER TO ME IN THAT MOTEL ROOM I DIDN'T WASTE TOO MUCH TIME. I GATHERED ABRA UP AND GOT THE HELL OUTTA THERE. YOU STILL LIKE ME, DONTCHA GIRL?

I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL SCARED THAT THE GANG MEMBERS WOULD BE OUT LOOKING FOR ME BUT I WASN'T REALLY, I'D KILLED THEIR LEADER, THEIR HEARTBEAT. THEY'D FALL APART WITHOUT HIM PRETTY FAST. 302

SNIFF

by Robert Kirby

BESIDES, I WASN'T PLANNING ON STICKING AROUND. NATHAN HAD LEFT ME A TRAIN TICKET AND A LOAD OF CASH, SO I FIGURED WHAT THE HEY, I'LL GO BACK WEST ALREADY. FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

DAMN.

PRR-OOW

No SMC

NATURALLY

IT'D BE RAINY IN PORTLAND THAT TIME OF YEAR BUT NO ONE THERE WANTED TO HURT ME, NO ONE CARED ABOUT ME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.. I FIGURED I COULD GO BACK TO NEW YORK EVENTUALLY; TIME WOULD SMOOTH THINGS OVER AND THE ATOMS WOULD SCATTER INTO

HISTORY.

I DIDN'T WISH ANY OF THEM HARM, NOT REALLY. THEY DID THE THINGS THEY DID ON ACCOUNT OF THAT TRIBAL UNITY DEAL THEY HAD GOING. I PERSONALLY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MORE OF A LONER, I'D BEEN MORE OF A SIDELINES ATOMS MEMBER,

CALM DOWN,

THE ONLY TRIBE I REALLY EVER WANTED TO BELONG TO WAS A TRIBE OF TWO, NATHAN AND ME, SAPPY AS THAT SOUNDS. BUT UNTIL THAT TIME I WAS GONNA HAVE TO BE A LONE FOR AWHILE. I'D BIDE MY TIME, GIVE IT A GRACE PERIOD, AND GO FIND HIM LATER.

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GIRL-

WE'RE

JUST GONNA

BOARD

NOW.

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