My Weekend Crush

Melissa McCarthy is having more than a moment. She is having an era. Sure, maybe not necessarily in length, but definitely in importance. Breakout star status doesn’t usually happen to 40-something, plus-sized women. And when I say “usually,” I mean ever. But here she is with a brand new Emmy on her mantel and a blockbuster comedy hit on her resume and a highly rated sitcom on every week and more movie deals and TV deals coming her way and a hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. It’s just, well, it’s just great. And I can honestly say it couldn’t happen to a more likeable and hilarious gal.

To just say Melissa was funny in “Bridesmaids” is like just saying the Grand Canyon is a big hole in the ground. Sure, it’s true, but it’s a massive undersell. She was pee, or in this case poop, your pants funny in that movie. Her Megan was a singular cinematic creature - a confident, pragmatic, butch, sexual and loveable oddball who you laughed with more than at. And out of all of that, I think the confidence of her character was the most amazing attribute. We’re used to funny women in comedies being neurotic messes. They fret and thither, over-think and under-appreciate themselves. But not Melissa’s Megan. Confidence made that character more than just the punchline, it made her a heroine.

And that all came from Melissa, who has made herself a new kind of comedy heroine for us all. Of course, some of us knew years ago when she was the sweetest little chef in all of Stars Hollow. Let’s hope her era never ends. Happy weekend, all.

EDIT: To the skeptics who doubt it when I say “breakout star status doesn’t usually happen to 40-something, plus-sized women,” it really doesn’t. Ages when they found breakout success: Roseanne Barr, 36; Oprah Winfrey, 32; Anna Nicole Smith, 26; Liza Minnelli, 26 (also not exactly plus sized at the time); Queen Latifah, 19; Nikki Blonsky, 19. Also, Rosie O’Donnell got her talk show at 34. So, no, sadly almost never.

My Weekend Crush

I can pretty much take or leave dinosaurs. And, if dinosaurs were chasing me, that would tip strongly to the side of leave. But I love me some Shelley Conn. So, therein lies my latest rub. Should I watch the new Fox show “Terra Nova” with its dinosaurs and that jarhead from “Avatar” just because the luminous Shelley is in it? Or should I skip it and just continue to troll the internet for pictures of her and rewatch clips of “Mistresses” and rewatch “Nina’s Heavenly Delights” and troll the internet some more? Like I was saying, the rub. Of course now I’ve mentioned Shelley and the word “rub” in close proximity twice and I’m going to need a moment to, uh, collect myself. Please talk amongst yourselves. Topic? Better kisser: Anna Torv or Laura Fraser? Only Shelley knows for sure.

That Shelley is lovely has never been in question. When all of Shelley’s loveliness would be readily available to US audiences has. The British import has stayed mainly on that side of the pond, until now. “Terra Nova” comes with big credentials (Steven Spielberg slumming in TV!), but still sounds a little like Jurassic Park with a time machine instead of DNA cloning. For some reason I can’t get pumped for the concept of humans traveling back in time to colonize prehistoric Earth (again, dino ambivalence). But I think I owe it to Shelley after years of coveting her deliciousness while snogging with the likes of Anna and Laura to give it at least a go. Suffice it to say, if Shelley gets eaten by a T. Rex in the first episode I will be a very, very unhappy camper. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. This photo is very much Shelley. She is just at an angle so it might be hard to tell. Trust me, I know the difference between a Shelley and a Padma.

p.p.s. No, really. It is Shelley. Really, really.

My Weekend Crush

Anna Silk is many things. Beautiful. Badass. Bold. Have I mentioned badass already? It’s like Mary Louise Parker had a younger sister who was raised by the world’s most polite Canadian biker gang. The star of the supernatural series “Lost Girl” is also unwaveringly wonderful to her fans, particularly all us crazy gay ladies who keep demanding more hot Doccubus action. Some of those fans fondly remember her from her same-sex smoochery on the Canadian comedy “Being Erica.” On “Lost Girl,” her bisexual succubus heroine Bo follows in the grand tradition of Buffy. A young woman bestowed with supernatural powers who takes up her mantel somewhat reluctantly. But then, once she embraces her strength, look out bad guys – there’s a new sheriff in town and she wears a lot of leather.

Those unfamiliar with the Canadian series will get a chance to see it from the beginning when SyFy starts airing it early next year. But those of us who are already hooked (and those of us outside of Canada who are watching along through methods we will not mention) know it’s one of TV’s most delightful new addictions. Supernatural craziness, mythological baddies and one very appealing Dr. Hotpants. What more could a gal want? In fact, I love this show so much I’m going to start writing SnapCaps (short, snappy recaps with an accompanying SnapGraph) each week for the rest of the season. You can catch up today on AfterEllen (should post in a bit) with a “Story So Far” SnapCap. And then starting next week expect fresh, feisty “Lost Girl” SnapCaps every Tuesday. I cannot wait. Bring it, Anna. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

It would be easy to love Zoie Palmer just for her portrayal of the beautiful, soulful Dr. Lauren Lewis on “Lost Girl.” Those soft, searching brown eyes. The earnestness and eagerness of her human doctor indentured to a supernatural world. And, yes, the Hotpants. In a show full of strange and super-powered creatures, she is its quiet human heart. Lauren and Bo’s relationship is why I started watching “Lost Girl” and Zoie is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with the show. She is Dr. Hotpants, how could you not? But you could always tell that under than serious demeanor something else was lurking, just dying to get out. You saw it in each deliciously sly smirk. And after last weekend’s “Lost Girl” cast appearance at Fan Expo in Canada, we all know why, too. Behind that Cheshire grin lies a total smartass.



First she delighted Team Lauren fans by saying she strategically placed herself between Anna Silk (Bo) and Kris Holden-Ried (Dyson). And then there was her dead-pan response of “Me” to the question, “What is it about Lost Girl that has this kind of universal appeal?” And when talking about how the Bo-Lauren relationship was portrayed she said it was important that “it wasn’t just, like, two chicks getting it on – which I hope you enjoy.” (See the whole panel here.) With any luck once the show premieres on Canada’s Showcase this Sunday we’ll begin to see more of that side of her in Lauren, as the producers has promised to peel back a few layers of the enigmatic Dr. Lewis this season. If we’re even luckier, the writers will make good on the promise of the “Lost Girl” season 2 promo posters that tout Lauren as “The Lover.” Oh Canada, bring on the Doccubus. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Oh, Tallulah, Tallulah. I imagine that’s a phrase she heard quite a lot, that sexy minx. Famed for her love of life and love of many lovers – male and female – she once quipped, “My father warned me about men and booze, but he never mentioned a word about women and cocaine.” And, oh, the women: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Eva Le Gallienne, Laurette Taylor, Patsy Kelly, Hattie McDaniel, Estelle Winwood, Mercedes de Acosta. Allegedly.



Witty, pretty and oh so gay, Tallulah was a provocateur of the most delicious kind. The self-described “pure as the driven slush” southern starlet came up during Hollywood’s Golden Age in the 20s. She was known as much for her outsized personality as her acting abilities. If she’d been alive today, I’d imagine her shenanigans alone could keep TMZ in business. I think she would have been a hell of a gal to know.



The film critic Rex Reed famously told a story about Tallulah and Joan Crawford that kind of says it all. Joan attended a party for Tallulah dressed in a gown covered in gold glitter. Tallulah took her up to the bedroom and slammed the door, only to emerge later – stark naked – with gold glitter covering her lady business. She went to the balcony overlooking the partygoers and announced “Guess who just went down on me?” Oh, Tallulah, Tallulah. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

I swear to the TV gods, if they kill Jessica I will never watch “True Blood” again. That’s a little dramatic, I know. But it’s all because of Deborah Ann Woll. Her baby vamp Jessica is the Willow of “True Blood.” Put her in danger and it causes instant fan heart attacks. It’s only fitting that Deborah plays someone supernatural. That milky skin. That flaming hair. She’s so pretty it has to be supernatural. Jessica’s evolution has been subtle and fascinating to watch. Her love for Hoyt, her struggles with her nature, her claiming of her power. Deborah has made Jessica the perhaps the most sympathetic character in the “True Blood” universe. A victim who is coming into her own, a young woman finding herself. In Bon Temps’ tangled web of switching allegiances, constant power struggles and complicated romantic couplings, Jessica’s fate is the one that tends to worry me most. So, as I was saying, get the fuck up off the ground and do something, Jason. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Some of you noted when disclosing my tendencies toward dark-haired, impossibly cheekboned, deliciously accented women of the UK of late that I had left a certain lady off my recent crush list. Well, actually, I left several ladies off. But, truth be told, I left out one purpose. You see, I wanted to save Jaime Murray all for the weekend. Certainly, she ticks all my categories: hair, check; cheekbones, check; accent, check. And, she has something else – where she goes, something gay often follows. First in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” and now in “Warehouse 13,” Jaime has caused her female cohorts pulses to quicken – both overtly and covertly. Of course, how could they not? Just look at her. And besides just being just outrageously gorgeous, Jaime brings a delightful dose of sass to her roles. It’s a rare combination, really. You don’t usually get to be so endearingly cheeky when you’ve got the body of a femme fatale. But it’s that very combination of an aristocratic face and a devilish charm that makes her so wickedly intoxicating. I mean, anyone who gets to make out with Lucy Lawless and give significant sideways glances to Joanne Kelly clearly has some serious game. But then, as I’ve said – just look at her. (That link is so NSFW and so worth it.) Happy weekend, all.

p.s. HG returns Monday night on “Warehouse 13.” Who else has purchased a first-class ticket on the Myka/HG love ship?

My Weekend Crush

Each time I see Sasha Alexander, she’s a little more gorgeous than the time before. Which, considering how gorgeous she is to start with, is pretty near impossible. But there she goes, each time anew, making me think – “No, this is the most gorgeous I have ever seen her. This.” She has a sophisticated sereneness about her that plays perfectly off of co-star Angie Harmon’s coltish kinetic energy. But outward gorgeousness, even the exponentially increasing kind like hers, is really nothing when not coupled with inner beauty. And by all account Sasha has that as well. And with each new interview, my respect for her increases as well.

Being one of the leads on a hit new TV show about a crime-fighting pair that even your grandmother has started to wonder aloud if they’re LLBFFs with benefits must be somewhat overwhelming. The flood of fervent fangirls. The flood of are they or aren’t they questions. But rather than pish-posh fans or squash speculation, Sasha has been universally magnanimous about the gay talk. She told TV Guide that the subtext discussion was “a great compliment. Angie is a beautiful woman, and I can't say we don't make a hot pair.” And she told Jimmy Kimmel that “Everybody’s a little bit more gay these days…. Best friends can be very gay.” Her embrace of the fans and our love for these characters and their chemistry is refreshing. She doesn’t just tolerate us, she truly appreciates us.

And speaking of that Kimmel interview, can we just talk for a second about that dress? Sweet merciful Zeus, that dress. I’m pretty sure the laws of physics dictate that she had to be poured into it that dress. And her hair – her shiny, perfect, luminous hair. And that laugh, that throaty delicious laugh. That’s it – this is definitely the most gorgeous I have ever seen her. That is, until the next time I see her. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

When thinking about life’s big questions, the ones that keep us up at night and make us get up every morning, we humans always assume we are the only ones doing the thinking. Man’s dominion over nature is even written into that good book. So then it always shakes us when Earth’s other creatures display what we consider to be purely human behaviors. How can that be? We rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.

But they do, all the time. All creatures great and small surprise us every day with their ability to both love and be loved. It is the elephant in the room and, in this case, a real one – two of them in fact. I’ve never had a crush on an elephant, though I did ride one once as a child in a zoo. And what I remember most from that very brief encounter was the elephant’s trunk. It was prickly, not smooth, and expressive, like a human lips and arms all in one. So yesterday, while lazily loafing online attempting to avoid life’s bigger questions, I met Shirley.

The PBS series “Nature” chronicled Shirley’s long road to freedom at The Elephant Sanctuary in a piece in 2000. I will only warn you once, find Kleenex before you click play.

Shirley the Elephant, Part 1 & 2

You don’t have to be human to show humanity. Aside from the basic need of food and shelter, perhaps what really makes us all truly alive is the shared desire to be loved. We all just want to feel a little less alone on this strange chunk of rock that circles a slowly dying star. They say that elephants never forget, but today possibly the best think they can do is remind us to be a little kinder to all that walk or fly or swim with us on this lonely planet. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Today, something important ends for millions and millions of people across the globe. Something that has been with them for 14 years. For some, it’s been their entire childhood. For others, it’s a reminder that the joy and wonder of childhood applies at any age. But today, that ends. Except, of course, it doesn’t. The true magic of the Harry Potter series isn’t really in the wizardry. Sure, it’d be mighty handy to be able to accio our keys when running late for work. But, no, the real magic is that this story and these characters have meant to people. For a children’s series it has defied almost everything that is traditionally meant when something is considered “childish.” To quote Stephen King: “Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.”

That the Harry Potter series has been able to build itself around bravery, honestly, loyalty and strength is no small feat. This isn’t a romance where the handsome prince saves the beautiful princess. This isn’t a superhero story or based on a toy line or a built off of an amusement park ride. Sure there is a hero, but he is only super because of his friends. And those friends include so many richly drawn, non-stereotypical female characters that you could never truly call this a boy’s story. Just try to think of a better popular current role model for young girls than Hermione Granger. Damn near impossible it is. So now to see these characters lives played out on screen for the last time, well, that’s something quite extraordinary. And while I am not the person who dressed in costume to get the books or stood in line in dead of the night to see the films, I still feel the loss of saying goodbye to these old friends. But the beauty of even this goodbye is that these stories will never truly leave us. With each new generation, each new reader, each new fan, the magic starts all over again. And the boy who lived lives on forever. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Angie Harmon’s voice is sex. It’s a deep, raw, primal growl of a thing. She’s got so much rasp to it you’d think you could grate parmesan on her vocal chords. So when you combine that voice with that face and that body and that hair and those big brown eyes… Jesus. I am helpless against the hot. Do I have problems with her politics? You betcha. I cannot condone or even slightly endorse her conservative stances. But, you know what, some people are conservative. I don’t like it, but that’s our right in this country – to believe what we want to believe and say what we want to say. Since she has emphatically expressed her love for The Gays, I’ll begrudgingly agree to disagree with her on her other political proclivities.

She could also exercise a tad more tact sometimes when addressing the giant “are they or aren’t they” elephant in the “Rizzoli & Isles” bedroom. But I think that’s just her. She’s not one for subtly. What she seems to have instead in abundance is a goofy sense of fun and fierce sense of loyalty. Admit it, she seems like she’d be blast to have a cocktail, or six, with. That her chemistry with co-star Sasha Alexander is so electric it’s visible from space doesn’t hurt either. And, Lord, can we get back to her voice? My body reacts almost involuntarily to it, like Pavlov’s dog and that bell – complete with drool. Look, I don’t have to like Angie’s politics to love her on “Rizzoli & Isles.” And I do, I really, really do. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

I’ve had this photo of Carole Lombard sitting in my archives for what seems like ages. And each time I stumble across it again, usually while searching for some other photo, I have to stop. In one photo, it’s everything that Hollywood should be. Beautiful. Glamorous. Seductive. It’s perfect. Carole Lombard is perfect. I can’t stop staring at it. I never want to stop staring at it. It mesmerizes me anew each time. In fact, I’ve been a little selfish keeping it to myself all this time. It’s so perfect, I almost don’t want to share it. Like when you caught your first summer firefly, but then didn’t want to share it with anyone because the light was so pretty in your hand. That’s how this photo makes me feel.

As one of the biggest stars of the 1930s, Carole earned more than five times the President of the United States in her heyday. Her gift for comedy and flare for life were legendary. She had that almost impossible combination of humor and elegance. It earned her an Oscar nomination for 1936’s “My Man Godfrey.” She had a string of famous fellas after her, and married William Powell and Clark Gable. Not bad for an Indiana gal. But her life was cut tragically short at age 33 when after returning home to Indiana for a war bonds rally at the start of WWII, her plane home crashed killing her, her mother and 15 soldiers. So just like the photo, Carole remains frozen in time. Forever beautiful. Forever glamorous. Forever seductive. And always able to make us stop in our tracks and say, my God, she’s gorgeous. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

If femme Evan Rachel Wood could date butch Evan Rachel Wood, I think they just might make the hottest lesbian couple on the planet. I mean, come on, look at them. Evan debuted her new short crop at the “True Blood” premiere this week to the delight of gay ladies everywhere. She paired her new dapper do with some tailored men’s wear and a cocksure attitude, which is practically a guaranteed formula for weak knees.

There’s just something about Evan Rachel Wood. There always has been, from the moment sensitive Jessie Sammler first realized she may like girls, and kissed one, I knew. She’s different – and not just in that “I used to date Marilyn Manson”-way. She’s different because she never seemed to want to be the next Julia Roberts. She never seemed too concerned with box office potential or landing the next big blockbuster franchise. Yet she still did good work. From “Thirteen” to “The Wrestler” to “Mildred Pierce” and now “True Blood,” she has a knack for finding her own way and making it shine. You want to follow her career because you know it’ll be interesting. It has to be, just look at her – especially in her vest and slacks.

Now you truly believe what she told the Esquire interviewer earlier this year when she came out as bisexual – that the North Carolina gentleman comes out in her when she’s with a woman. “I’m the dominant one. I’m opening the doors, I’m buying dinner. Yeah, I’m romantic.” Honey, you can buy me dinner anytime. Happy Pride Weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

The thing about equality is we’ll never get it on our own. There simply aren’t enough of us. The truth we sometimes like to forget is that the vast, vast, vast majority of the world simply isn’t gay. Straight peeps be everywhere, yo. Like almost any minority group, our GLBT rights depend on fair-minded people who aren’t like us championing justice over their own majority. So then when a straight (or straight identified, we’ll get to that later) person comes out and wears her support for us with pride, I can do nothing but applaud. Which is exactly what I did when those first shots of Dianna Agron wearing her now-infamous “Likes Girls” shirt on the Glee Live Tour surfaced this past weekend. All right, I might have let out something between a yelp and a gurgle in excitement instead.

Granted it also raised an eyebrow. But those questions were all answered the next day when Dianna herself wrote a lengthy post on her Tumblr about The T-shirt Heard Around the World. As she said in part:

Yesterday, during our second show, instead of wearing my usual shirt during “Born This Way” I decided to wear one that said “Likes Girls”. It should actually have read, “Loves Girls”, because I do. The women in my life give me things that the men in my life can’t. And vice-versa. No, I am not a lesbian, yet if I were, I hope that the people in my life could embrace it whole-heartedly. And let me tell you, I can easily spill (quite comfortably) what I admire, respect and think is beautiful about any of the women in my life. Piece of cake!

Last night, I wanted to do something to show my respect and love for the GLBT community. Support that people could actually see. Which is why I decided to change my shirt for the show. I happened to read a few comments that were posted on twitter. Many of you asked, “why?” This is my response. I am not asking for you to agree with what I am saying, but if you are listening, thank you. That is all I can ask. And a step further would be to take a moment to (honestly) answer the questions that I have raised. We can’t always put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. But we can try.

Now, I know there might still be some lingering gray area for some of you about exactly what this declaration meant. I know she didn’t say, “No, I am not bisexual.” But the intent, to me, seemed so pure and so heartfelt that I take it not only at face value but as a gift. We need more people like Dianna, straight-identified famous folks who are willing to be unabashed in their support for our rights. And we really need more unfamous folks, straight allies from every corner of the world, too come forward and say enough with the hate an intolerance. Face it, without them we’ll keep getting sent to the back of the bus.

We’re all born how we’re born. Gay people, straight people. We can’t help it. But we can help how we treat each other. Sometimes in this world, it seems all we hear about are the bad seeds. Those amongst us who sow bigotry and fear. But I still believe there are enough good people who can see past who we love and recognize it for what it really is – love, period. Dianna Agron, she’s one of the good ones. We need more like her in this world. Also, seriously, could she be any prettier? No, no she could not. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Before “Bridesmaids” opened to stellar box office last weekend, the prevailing critical buzz was a plaintive plea for men to see this movie despite the fact that it starred a bunch of women. It’s not a chick flick! Funny for everyone! Guys will love this! And while those things are all very, very true, it also irks me a little. Because there’s also nothing wrong with saying this either: Ladies, you will love this movie. No, really, you will love this movie. Laugh until the verge of bladder control issues. Bury your head in your friend’s shoulder from disbelief. Even, yes, maybe mist up a little. This movie is what women have been waiting for from comedies. It is the opposite of everything we hate about the movies we’re supposed to like. In place of treacle and triteness, it gives us hilarity and heart.

The industry always frets that “women’s films” don’t make money. But the truth of the matter is bad women’s films don’t make money. And, let’s be perfectly honest, most chick flicks suck. But when instead you give us quality, fleshed-out characters and whip-smart writing, and we will come to the tune of a $26 million opening weekend. And, heavens, I haven’t even started on the performances. Perfect cast is perfect. Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy. Good God, Melissa McCarthy. You all know I love Kristen to bits and pieces already, but Melissa nearly stole the show from some of the best show stealers in the business. If this cast doesn’t finally and forever put to rest the idiotic “women aren’t funny” bullshit, then nothing ever will.

I think one of the best things about this film, other than the free ab workout from the ugly snort laughing, was leaving the theater made me feel good about being a woman. Too many films make us feel bad about our womanhood. They say only the happily ever after will make us truly happy. But “Bridesmaids” reached for a different kind of aspiration, the sort that says it’s OK to let your freak flag fly. We’re too complex for the stereotypes, too interesting for the Hollywood ending. We women are weird and wonderful creatures, and it’s nice to have a film that celebrates that for a change. Boys, you are more than welcome to come along for the ride. But this movie, this movie is all ours, baby. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Hot 100

I agonized over it. I worried over it. I beat myself up over it. I nearly beat other people up over it. But finally, after painstaking deliberation and not an entirely small amount of alcoholic encouragement, here they are. My AfterEllen.com Hot 100 Top 10. This not being a presidential election cycle, it’s probably the most important vote I’ll cast this year. I kid. Sort of. But, seriously, the AE Hot 100 is always a fun time of year, something done in the spirit of respect and appreciation (and, yes, a healthy dose of flat-out objectification) for these fine women’s work.

Some of my picks are perennial favorites. (Like I was ever going to leave My Fake TV Wife off the list – or Padma.) But this year also has a smattering of new and very worthy faces. I really did agonize. I mean, Angie Harmon isn’t on the list because as much as she is hot like fire, her politics get in the way of my total uninhibited wallowing in The Sexy. Amy Poehler didn’t make the list because it almost felt like cheating on Tina. Hot Cop Heather Peace isn’t on the list because there are only 10 spots and I’m only human, dammit. Achele fans know that I came so close, but I couldn’t totally Gleeify my list.

But enough apologizing. Bring on the hotties. My Top Ten.

1. Tina Fey
2. Naya Rivera
3. Lena Headey
4. Padma Lakshmi
5. Jennifer Beals
6. Sara Ramirez
7. Kate Winslet
8. Tilda Swinton
9. Heather Morris
10. Pippa Middleton

There you have it. There are 10 of the finest, most amazing and, of course, hot women on the planet. So, I’ve shown you mine. Now you show me yours. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

There’s so much to like about “Firefly,” and as a new (yet, shamefully, belated) convert I revel in them with each episode. The chemistry, the heroism, the Jossisms. Each character is his or her own, built on an archetype yet completely their own person. Among the most interesting is Inara, the companion. Leave it to Joss Whedon to make a member of the world’s oldest profession the most serene and regal of the lot. But serene and regal she is, thanks to the subtle work of Morena Baccarin. In Inara we see a glimpse of the genteel side of this wild new verse. With her flowing dresses and even more flowing locks, she represents the romance that is sometimes lost amid the dark, endless edges of space. It’s impressive how well Morena transformed herself from role to role. Her Inara is perhaps the polar opposite of Anna from “V.” One is warm and compassionate, the other cold and, well, an alien queen bent on destroying Earth. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Inara takes both male and female clients. And, as she tells one of her female clients, while she has mostly male clients, “if I choose a woman, she tends to be extraordinary in some way. And the fact is, I occasionally have the exact same need you do. One cannot always be oneself in the company of men.” Damn, this show is good. If you need me, I’ll be in my bunk. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

This isn’t so much just a crush, since merely calling it a crush sounds silly or superficial, but an expression of deep admiration. By now, you have probably heard about CBS News correspondent Lara Logan and the terrible sexual assault she suffered while covering the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt this February. The terse yet horrifying statement CBS released at the time read that she had “suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating.” The word “sustained” chills me still. After the news broke, the same tired cycle of victim blaming began again. Women shouldn’t cover wars. Women are asking for negative attention in certain cultures. Women who are beautiful should be more careful. It’s a little-known fact that many news organizations automatically turn off commenting on stories about sexual assault and rape because the things people post are so offensive it’s beyond the pale of decency. For some reason, we haven’t yet evolved past this stigmatization of the victim. We humans can be so inhuman sometimes.

But that’s where my respect for Lara Logan comes in. I’ve written about her before, back in 2008 when her sex life inexplicably became the headline instead of her professional abilities. Now the veteran war correspondent is going public about her sexual assault, sometimes she does not have to do. The identities of sexual assault victims are not routinely publicized in media accounts. This is to protect survivors from further victimization. But in other ways, it stigmatizes them again. As if it’s something so shameful to must be carried around in secret. I’m not saying, necessarily, that this policy should be changed. But I commend women who speak up publically about what has happened to them. Rape, as we know, has nothing to do with sex. It’s about power, subjugation, dehumanization. It’s been a weapon used in war for centuries, but not one you’ll hear read bout in the history books. And it is something that female journalists have encountered again and again when working in combat zones. You may not hear about it much, but it happens and the risk is very real.

And that often unspoken reality is one of the reasons Logan said she wanted to come forward. She said she wanted to break the silence for the “millions of voiceless women who are subjected to attacks like this and worse.” She has given an interview to The New York Times and will also appear on “60 Minutes” this Sunday. You can read her account of her ordeal yourself, but it involved by her estimation a mob of 200 to 300 men. She said, “What really struck me was how merciless they were. They really enjoyed my pain and suffering. It incited them to more violence.” And that’s an important thing to note. Because by showing the lack of humanity involved in this heinous act, we hopefully wake up our own universal humanity. She has said these two interviews will be the only one she gives on the topic, because she does not want it to define her. And that’s understandable, too. But that she is speaking out at all is commendable. It’s easy to call her decision brave, which it is, but what it really is is strong. Women are strong, they can survive this and much worse, but they should never have to. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Let us talk, for a moment, about the singularly special television creation that is Leslie Knope. You see, TV hasn’t always been friendly to the Leslie Knopes of the world – especially of late. Primetime has become a place for cynics and smartasses, fast talkers and slick walkers. We like our characters to be badass or sassy or oh-so snarky. Not that there’s anything wrong with snarky – or any of those other qualities. But what makes the world so fun is the variation, the yin to their yang. And so what TV all too often lacks is the eternal optimist. The dreamer. The person who only ever walks on the sunny side of the street. Being optimistic just doesn’t seem cool. We’re a nation of pessimists that delight in the culture of fail. But we can’t all just point and laugh when things go wrong. Some of us have to believe that things will go right, and make it so. And that person, on TV, is Leslie Knope from “Parks and Recreation.”

Leslie is so many things. Amy Poehler called her “open-face sandwich. You always know what you’re going to get.” And that’s so true. There’s no great mystery to her, and that’s kind of wonderful. What we see instead is hard work, enthusiasm, dependability, compassion and hope. She’s just nice – and it’s sad how rare that has become. Leslie believes the world can be better, and that she can help make it so. Sure, sometimes she bumbles. But it’s not out of incompetence but usually lack of insider savvy. Leslie is supremely competent, and I love how over the course of the series she’s become even more so. She didn’t become Michael Scott light. She became something so much better. She’s the closer. She’s the hero – or “shero,” as she’s no doubt say in a blaze of feminist glory. She’s a source of good in the Pawnee, Ind. and the universe. She’s all that, and also adorable, infectious and the kind of gal you know you could be friends with forever. And she’s always in a blazer and you know how I love a lady in a blazer. We could all use a little more Leslie Knope in our lives. Happy weekend, all.

p.s. Oh, another thing about Leslie – she is also a human emoticon.

[Image by conanofallon.]

My Weekend Crush

Spoilers! Alex Kingston is delicious. Like eat her up with a spoon, lick the bowl clean delicious. She’s saucy and delightful, like someone you’d want to monopolize at a party because she was that much fun. She’s also one of the world’s great winkers – and that’s no small feat considering most of the rest of us poor souls look like your corny grandpa or someone in the midst of an epileptic fit while trying to pull one off properly. While you lucky folks across the pond knew her years before, most American audiences didn’t get a proper taste until her days on “E.R.” Even in scrubs and a lab coat, the charm came through along with that irresistible shock of cascading curls. Now that she’s joined “Dr. Who” as River Song, she’s doubly delicious – and packing heat. And, in two weeks, we’ll get to hear her say that most endearing of greetings again. Hello, sweetie. Happy weekend, all.