Daily Buzz Bits: Michael Stipe's Still Gay, Madonna's The Dolla

Does Madonna’s wrestling belt for Hard Candy suggest her next reincarnation: "M-Dolla?" - Towleroad

Scarlett Johansson’s album is ... still happening, apparently; here are some promo shots for Anywhere I Lay My Head, due May 20. - ONTD

LCD Soundsystem has a new video for "Big Ideas," which will be on the 21 movie soundtrack. - Pitchfork

Tim Gunn called Project Runway winner Christian Siriano the Marc Jacobs of the new generation. He was always so obsessed with him, wasn't he? - Queerty

The trailer for Blueberry Nights, posted here, doesn't thrill me, but it’s Natalie Portman as a down-on-her-luck gambler, so I can't argue. - ONTD

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe came out ... again? Accelerate is due April 1, and Michael told Spin magazine, 'Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there.' - Dlisted

Guest Starlets Britney And Paris Vie for Ratings

-- Dorothy Snarker from AfterEllen.com

Ratings are God. OK, let me rephrase that before someone chucks a Bible/Koran/Torah/Vedas/dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged at my head (what, no radical individualists here?). In the world of television, ratings are God. Sure, good writing and strong acting are minor gods. But the Big Kahuna is, and always will be, ratings. In the quest for more and bigger ones, television has a long and sordid history of sacrificial offerings stunt casting. Though, sometimes when you consider who they’re offering up, you wonder if we the audience aren’t the ones being sacrificed instead. Case in point:

Oy. Two well-regarded (if not on my must-see list) shows, How I Met Your Mother and My Name Is Earl, are bringing on guest starlets Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, respectively. Both shows are no doubt relying on the high-profile cameos to help them build buzz for their new episodes as they return post–writers' strike. And, dagnabbit, if it hasn’t worked. Still, as the doomed character in any sci-fi film would say, “Dear God, what have we done?!”

Leona Lewis Sings "Bleeding Love" on Oprah!

And I'm still bleeding Leona! Skip to the 2:30 mark to miss Oprah's air-kiss to The X Factor winner and just watch her performance. She's such a ridiculously-amazing singer; she needs more good songs!

Yes, I have a personal obsession with "Bleeding Love," and yes, I met Leona and think she's sweet (read the interview with Leona Lewis here), but you heard Simon! He's pumped a ton of money into her at this point, so he really can only say good things, but "one of the best voices in the world"? That's serious praise. He's not sayin' that about Archuleta!

That was just a quick version - and all that mist was distracting - watch the official "Bleeding Love" video after the jump ... along her Oprah interview.

Do You Take These Men, For Better or For Worse?

-- snicks from AfterElton.com

Out actor (and #31 on The AfterElton Hot 100 List) Chad Allen is set to star in the new wedding comedy For Better or For Worse. He plays the jilted ex of one of the grooms, and brings his new boyfriend to the wedding, played by Melrose Place stud Patrick Muldoon. Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and Shelter star Brad Rowe appears in the film, and is also the producer.

Interestingly enough, the actual grooms of the "screwball gay wedding comedy" have not been cast as of yet, but the wedding party is filling up fast. Along for the ride are such gay friendly stars as Rebecca Gayheart and Janeane Garofalo (who isn't in nearly enough movies). Best of all, the lesbian minister presiding over the ceremony is none other than Soleil Moon Frye!

Hilarity Clinton Political Video Blog: Spitzer And The L Word

-- Sarah Warn from AfterEllen.com

Kate takes on Dick Cheney and John McCain’s "Spring Break" visit to Iraq; money and mortgage woes; and the downfall of NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Plus, her thoughts on The L Word...

Oh, Snap! GLAAD Media Awards in NYC Red Carpet Pictures!

This past week, West Coast-ers played host for the HRC Gala, but last night, not to be outdone, New York welcomed its own wonderfully pro-gay event: the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards - one of them, anyway. And it was a pretty ... attractive evening, judging from these red carpet photos.

Here we have Law & Order's Mariska Hargitay and Xanadu on Broadway's Cheyenne Jackson. I hope Mariska is asking if she can touch Cheyenne's rippling thighs. I mean, that's what I would do if I ever met him...

Martinis, y'all! As The World Turns' continually-stifled gay couple Van Hansis and Jake Silberman chill out with ... who? Tala Ashe? ...some other girl on the show, it would seem.

More gay pictures from the carpet after the jump...

NewNowNext NOISE Interviews Gay Pop Act Hey Willpower!

For this A.M., we've got another NewNowNext NOISE gay-artist interview for ya! Recently John Polly cornered gay musician Will Schwartz of hey willpower before his Brooklyn show and asked the boy some major questions - mainly, if being a musician gets him extra action!

OK, there was more to the interview than that - and Will is a total sweetie ... and he's touring like crazy! Here's hey willpower's latest music video, "Hundredaire" - which features the in-your-bedroom dance moves Will mentions in his interview.

And watch the video interview with Will after the jump...