Clay Aiken Cries from the Closet on QVC?

Clay Aiken debuted his new CD on QVC Monday night and folks are buzzing that the song he performed, entitled 'The Real Me', was pretty much a cry for help from the closet.

The lyrics:

Foolish heart looks like we’re here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don’t let anybody in
Hiding my heartache, will this glass house break
How much will they take before I’m empty
Do I let it show, does anybody know?

[Chorus:]
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I’m loosening my grasp
There’s no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Painted on, life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown
I’m tired of the song and dance
Living a charade, always on parade…

The truth shall set you free! Watch the performance, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Little Britain in America: A 'Laaady' Arrested in New York!

I mentioned that HBO was adapting Little Britain for American audiences back in 2006 but I hadn't heard much until now.

The Daily Mail posts some photos of Lady Emily Howard being arrested on the streets of the Big Apple and reports on the show's progress:

"David's cross-dressing character - famous for her 'I'm a laydee' catchphrase - is manhandled by his sidekick Matt Lucas, and a hunky US cop for shoplifting in new pictures from the US version of the show. The award-winning comedy duo are introducing a number of new characters in addition to keeping the old favourites. Walliams also unleashed a new middle-aged Barbara Woodhouse-style dog trainer character. Last week the pair revealed Lucas' American schoolgirl Ellie Grace and Walliams as her mother. While other new characters have yet to be revealed, die-hard fans of the past three series will not be disappointed by the latest. They can expect to see the return of Dafydd "only gay in the village" Thomas, camp Prime Minister's aide Sebastian Love and Asbo teen Vicky Pollard. Walliams and Lucas started filming in North Carolina last month and are apparently looking for an American film star to play the role of a comedy US president. Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney is rumoured to be their first choice."

AFTER THE JUMP, an Emily Howard clip featuring Robbie Williams for those of you unfamiliar with the show...

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Olympic Athletes Unveil Ralph Lauren-Designed Team Outfits

Earlier this month I posted that the U.S. Olympic team had rejected Canadian fashion maker Roots in favor of Ralph Lauren for the Beijing 2008 Olympic team outfits. Today they were showed off by two of the American athletes.

Deontay Wilder, a boxer on the U.S. Olympic team, and Giuseppe Lanzone, a rower on the U.S. Olympic team, show off the new Ralph Lauren closing ceremonies team outfits.

Norman Bellingham, chief operating officer of the USOC and a former Olympic kayaker, told Ralph Lauren that he wanted a look that was more classic and formal, inspired by 'Chariots of Fire,' the 1981 movie about British athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Here are Wilder and Lanzone in their element.

A few more images from their shoot, AFTER THE JUMP...

You may have missed...
U.S. Goes Preppy for Olympic Wardrobe [tr]
Ian Thorpe Extinguishes Olympic Flame, Ever so Briefly [tr]
Gay Activist Peter Tatchell Detained Amid Olympic Flame Protests [tr]

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Ricky Martin Buys His Own Island

Ricky Martin has reportedly bought his own island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro:

"According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, Martin, who has had his heart set on buying the land for several months, paid nearly $8 million dollars for the private island."

Martin was in Washington DC yesterday speaking at 'Call and Live: A Campaign Against Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C.' to launch a hotline that would aid in anti-trafficking and victim protection. According to TRN, "'Call and Live' is a hotline that is used to report human trafficking violations, and has already received over 55,000 phone calls to report wrongdoings. The IDB initiative against human trafficking is meant to be used by Latin nations in order to help their efforts to 'prevent, protect, and prosecute.'"

TMZ caught up with Martin on his way to the event, noting that the Puerto Rican singer is looking fine. Martin attributed his svelte figure to Capoeira.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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ACLU Slams Tennessee Principal for Outing Gay Students

The ACLU has sent a letter to Memphis City Schools, demanding the school system implement new policies, reprimand principal Daphne Beasley of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in South Memphis, and compensate and apologize to two students whom Beasley outed in a public posted list which the ACLU says violated the students' constitutional rights to equal protection, freedom of expression and association, due process and privacy.

ABC24 Memphis reports:

"The ACLU says in September 2007, Beasley asked her staff to give her the names of students who were couples, heterosexual and homosexual, because she wanted to keep an eye on them to cut down on public displays of affection. She's accused of publicly posting the names of those students, including two boys, Andrew and Nicholas, who had just started dating. The ACLU says that in doing so, Beasley revealed their relationship to other students, teachers and even their parents."

As a result of Beasley's actions, the gay students have been the target of verbal harassment and even discrimination from teachers:

"One of the young men, Nicholas, an 11th grader who just made the Dean's List, spoke with Eyewitness News Everywhere. 'It was actually frightening,' he says, 'to see a list with my name on it where not just other teachers could see but students as well.' Nicholas says his teachers and other students treat him differently as a result of Principal Beasley's decision and that he and Andrew have both had to deal with verbal assaults. Nicholas was also not allowed to go on a trip to New Orleans to help rebuild homes because, as one of his teacher's explained, he would 'embarrass' the school by engaging in gay affection. 'I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded,' Nicholas says. 'I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outed me to my mother!'"

Said Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director at the ACLU of Tennessee: "The principal's outing of these two students to their families, classmates, and teachers is unacceptable. Its only purpose was to intimidate not only these students but all gay students at Hollis Price. Educators should be focused on educating their students and not on harassing them because of their sexual orientation or the people with whom they associate."

Memphis Principal Accused of "Outing" Gay Students [eyewitness news]
ACLU Takes On High School Principal For Discriminating Against Male Couple [aclu]
Demand Letter [aclu]

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Sun Halo Captured in Key West

Folks in Key West were treated to a rare atmospheric phenomenon yesterday afternoon when a strong halo appeared to encircle the sun. It was caught on camera by Timothy Cox at the Naval Air Station there. The effect is caused by ice crystals in cirrus clouds high in the atmosphere.

Similar events involving light pillars can happen at sunrise or sunset.

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