Kudos to Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph proved last night that even with weak writing, a talented comedian and actress can rise above and put on a great show. Last nights SNL provided me with some of the biggest laughs of an otherwise lackluster season. I am not so sure the skits were any better than other weeks, but the amazing Rudolph managed to get something out of each and every character and scene she was in.

Just Because: John Fugelsang

'Only in America can you be Pro-Death Penalty, Pro-War, Pro-Unmanned Drone Bombs, Pro-Nuclear Weapons, Pro-Guns, Pro-Torture, Pro-Land Mines, AND still call yourself ‘Pro-Life.’
John Fugelsang



I have loved actor, comedian, commentator and yes photographer, John Fugelsang for awhile now. Love his look, love his talent, love his story and most of all love his words. One of my favorite Fugelsang commentaries is below.

Kudos to Rick Mercer

If you live in Canada, or a Northern State that gets CBC you may have heard of Rick Mercer. Arguably the most well known, and liked Canadian comedian, Mercer has a weekly show, The Mercer Report, which is a mix of comedy, news and politics. I first saw Mercer a few years ago on The Comedy Network on a show called Talking To Americans (all of which is on Youtube). It was hilarious, and at the same time, a bit depressing to see how little most Americans know about the country above.



On this weeks Mercer Report, the openly gay Mercer took on bullying in a rant I wanted to share, kudos Mercer!

Congratulations Mario Cantone!

Although I am sure it was not as over the top as his alter ego Anthony's wedding was in Sex And The City 2 (below), it was great to hear about comedian Mario Cantone's wedding to musical theatre director John Dixon. I love Mario Cantone, I love him as he is one of very few people who can take me to tears of laughter. The ability to bring such joy is something I truly and admire and respect. I have followed the talened comedian, actor and singer since I began FH and was thrilled when Mario did an interview for FH a couple of years ago. Congratulations Mario and John!

Moist:

'Thank you, the word "moist," for being the worst word ever. I think I speak for all Americans when I say that we don't want you as a word anymore. God I hate you.'

Jimmy Fallon



In Jimmy Fallon new book Thank You Notes, he declares the word Moist as the worst word ever. Today, except my love of the Canadian band by that name, as of today, I officially agree with him.



People always say it is the humidity not the heat and I always think 'they're old'. Today, I get it. Rushing to get to brunch this morning I stepped out of the shower, into my clothes and into a moist mess. The humidity was close to 100 and I changed three times before hitting the air conditioning of my car. My wonderful friends thought it smart to eat on the outside patio. I was the lone vote for inside. By the time my steak and eggs arrived they all wanted to move inside. After a few errands and a VERY short run with the dog, I am home. A record three showers and five changes of clothes in the last 8 hours.

Kudos to Seth Meyers

Was away Saturday night but just watched the stellar season finale of SNL. Although Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga (not to mention Bill Hader) are getting all the attention I have to give it up to Seth Meyers. Meyer's Really segment lambasting Arnold Schwarzenegger featured the cream of the crop of Arnold slams. Kudos!

Kudos to Seth Meyers & Barack Obama

Kudos to Seth Meyers & Barack Obama who both took on Trump last night at The White House Correspondents Dinner with Hilarious results! You can check out the C-Span video's HERE: The red carpet video was especially interesting. Where else would you see Ian Somerhalder, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Newt Gingrich, Joan Rivers & Donna Brazile all in the same room.

Just Because: Will Forte in 'MAcGruber'

Just Because:
Even though 'MAcGruber' did not burn up the box office, I am going to miss Will Forte on SNL this fall. Will was consistently funny and on SNL consistency is important. Will miss in particular MAcGruber and Jean-George Peppers.








Thanks to Braxnis for the great caps!

Kudo's to Bill Hader and 'Stefon'

Speaking of Saturday Night, what a difference a week makes. I loved EVERYTHING about last weeks Betty White episode of SNL. I guess the writers are tired, but this week quite frankly sucked! Alec Baldwin is usually great, but the only thing to love this week was 'Stefon'.

Bill Hader is my favorite player on SNL and I love whenever 'Stefon' makes an appearance. I love how Hader and Seth Myers find it hard to keep it together. Kudos Bill for providing the only laughs on SNL last night!



Note: Video is working about half the time, so if it does not work, head to NBC.com.

Unconvential Hunk Of The Day: Gavin Crawford

Many of you might not have heard of Gavin Crawford, but if you are able to get 'Out TV' you might have seen his 'The Gavin Crawford Show' which airs multiple times a week. The show first ran for two seasons on The Comedy Network. I know Gavin from 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes' which is a sort of Canadian version of Saturday night live with a focus on news of the day. (You can watch some of 22 Minutes, as I did, on Youtube).

The adorable Crawford is a graduate of the BFA Acting Program at the University of British Columbia. Openly gay, Crawford is one of Canada's best known comedians and has created many much beloved characters. Gavin has previously performed at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, the Edmonton Comedy Festival, the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.




Below: Gavin and some of his many characters.



Below: Gavin worked with Andrew Llyod Webber and John Barrowman when he hosted the reality show 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?' the hunt for Maria for the theatrical revival of the "The Sound of Music."




Gavin in 'No Pants Religion' from 22 Minutes last fall. You can watch the whole sketch on Gavin's facebook fanpage HERE:

Kudos to Wanda Sykes

Kudos to Wanda Sykes for just being her. Much is written about the struggles of being a woman. Much is wrote of the struggles of being black. Much is written of the struggles of being gay. Wanda Sykes rises above all of the 'talked about struggles' and makes us laugh. I loved Wanda's line on Oprah this week about how being gay was her most difficult struggle. Her line about not having to sit her parents down to reveal she was black was hilarious.

Wanda is a comedian and actress who shines in every project she is in. Even in projects whose material is not up to her talent (think 'Monster-In-Law', think 'Evan Almighty') Sykes still manages to come off looking great due to her ability to deliver even a weak line well.

How great Fox is giving us a weekly dose of Wanda (in addition to her role on 'The New Adventures Of Old Christine) Saturday nights starting in November. I can think of no one better to host a talk show. Wanda has a way of wading through the bull shit and getting to the truth quickly. Kudos Wanda Sykes! What a year you have had.

Favorites Of Favorites: Mario Cantone

I am beyond thrilled the next ‘favorite’ to take part in ‘Favorites of Favorites’ is actor and comedian Mario Cantone.

Why He is A favorite:
I am a tough nut to crack when it comes to comedy. Very few comedians get me beyond a chuckle or smirk. Mario Cantone however is someone who can consistently bring me to fits of hysterical laughter. Truly in this world we live in, is there anything sexier than that!

Although I like David Letterman, I still scratch my head at anyone who would want to snooze there way through Leno each night. Maybe Leno is good at bedtime, for some I guess he is the perfect transition from being awake to being unconscious. If I were a network programmer though, I would get Mario on the air for a late night talk show Wednesday through Friday stat.


A Bit About Mario:
Mario Cantone was born and raised in Massachusetts. After graduating from Emerson College, Mario set out for New York to enter the world of show business. Cantone’s first professional role was a 5 year stint as host of a New York based Children’s show called ‘Steampipe Alley’ which he worked on from 1988 to 1993. I have heard Cantone talk many times on talk shows about his feelings towards children, (all of which I agree with), and find it ironic his first job was in a children’s programming.

Below: Mario starting out in 'Steampipe Alley'.


After ‘Steampipe’ Cantone made the guest appearance rounds appearing on shows like ‘ER’ and ‘NYPD Blue’ as well as some small parts in movies. It was during this time though that Mario focused on the stage. Cantone made his Broadway debut in 1995 in the Tony Award winning ‘Love! Valour! Compassion!’ Roles in ‘The Tempest’, ‘The Violet Hour’ and many other productions both on and off Broadway. In 2004 Cantone took on the role of Samuel in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’.

Below: Mario and the cast of 'Assassins'.



While appearing on Broadway, Cantone continued to work in television and it was during this time he took on the role that opened him to his biggest audience, that of Anthony in ‘Sex and the City’. In 2002, Cantone’s career really took off with his critically acclaimed ‘An Evening with Mario Cantone’ on HBO. It is funny, 2002 is the year I was first introduced to Cantone when I saw him on one of his frequent appearance on ‘Pyramid’. ‘An Evening with Mario Cantone’ was followed up by more stage shows including the highly successful ‘Laugh Whore’ in 2005 which was recorded for Showtime.





These day’s Cantone is in high demand. Between stage, movies, tv appearance and his talk show appearances, Cantone has a huge following. Because Cantone is also an actor, his talk show appearances are always memorable as he can work in ‘the moment’ creating memorable appearances whenever he is a guest. ‘The View’ certainly see’s this, as Cantone is a frequent guest. (Although I would say Cantone should be a regular once a week fill in for Walter’s instead of just pulled in from time to time).

Below: Mario and the cast of 'Sex In The City'.




Not sure if you can put a label Cantone’s brand of comedy. Certainly he talks about his life, his experiences. Certainly he makes fun of celebrities, not to mention his hilarious impersonations. I find unlike some other comedians, that even when making fun of them, Cantone is also honoring many of his subjects. I don’t get the feeling he would put the time and energy into someone he did not have some respect for.

I love Mario Cantone. I love that I know when Cantone is on a show, or is making an appearance I am not only going to be entertained, but I am going to laugh and laugh hard. For that I give my deepest thanks to Mario!


NAME: MARIO CANTONE

Occupation: Actor, Comedian
Recently Seen in: 'Killer Hair', 'Men In Tree's'.
Soon to Be Seen in: 'Sex And The City 2'(currently filming) and 'Dirty Movie'.
On Stage Next: Carolines on Broadway for the NY Comedy Festival Nov. 5-8
Official Site: Mario Cantone Official Site



1.Favorite Site you check out daily on the net?

Mario Cantone: NY Times.com



2. Favorite Meal?

Mario Cantone: Chef's tasting menu at Per Se


3. Favorite TV Show?

Mario Cantone: South Park


4. Favorite TV show guilty pleasure?

Mario Cantone: American Idol



Above: Cracking them up on 'The View'.
Below: Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg and Mario last summer at Broadway's 'Xanadu'. (During Whoopi's time in the show).




5. First celebrity Crush?

Mario Cantone: David Cassidy.( I'm so old.)



6. Celebrity you would go on a date with if you could?

Mario Cantone: Meryl Streep

Below: Mario with 'Sex and the City' co-star Kristin Davis.


7. Favorite Thing to do when home alone for a day?

Mario Cantone: Bake



8. Favorite Part of your job?

Mario Cantone: The actual performance

Below: Mario with some of Broadways biggest and brightest!


9. Favorite Project you have been a part of?

Mario Cantone: My one man Broadway show and Showtime special "Laugh Whore"



10. Favorite Body Part (yours or on another):

Mario Cantone: Abs


Below: Mario during his time on 'Men In Tree's'.


11. Favorite Piece of Clothing you own?

Mario Cantone: Rag and Bone jeans


12. Music that was blaring when you were a kid, when you closed your bedroom, grabbed something as a mike, and pretended to be a rock star.

Mario Cantone: Chaka Khan

Below: Mario, Barrett Foa and a dancer from 2005's 'Broadway Bares'.


Thanks again Mario Cantone!