Glee

At some point this year, Ryan Murphy is hoping to combine two of pop culture's most buzzed-about recent phenomenons.

The Glee creator is on record as saying he hopes Susan Boyle would consider a guest-starring role on his hit Fox show. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Murphy says Boyle wold make an ideal lunch lady in a December episode:

“I think Kurt would just die to give her a Christmas makeover. I don’t even know if she’s interested, but it’s been pitched."

In real life, of course, the Britain's Got Talent finalist has already undergone a makeover.

Less than a full season into its run, Glee has already welcomed such guest stars as Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris and Molly Shannon.

Would Boyle be a good fit on the show? Should she be next?

In last week's edition of Newsweek, Ramin Setoodeh wrote an article that made one controversial statement and asked one controversial question:

First, he said, gay actors cannot pull of straight roles. Then, he asked: Why is there no A-list gay movie star?

Kristin Chenoweth fired back at the essay, citing Setoodeh's examples of failed straight roles (e.g. Cynthia Nixon as Miranda in Sex and the City) as "sloppy," and referring to the entire piece as "bigoted and factually inaccurate."

Now, Glee creator Ryan Murphy has taken his critique of the article even further: he's written an open letter, asking everyone to boycott Newsweek. In it, he says:

This article is as misguided as it is shocking and hurtful. It shocks me because Mr. Setoodeh is himself gay. But what is the most shocking of all is that Newsweek went ahead and published such a blatantly homophobic article in the first place…and has remained silent in the face of ongoing (and justified) criticism.

Would the magazine have published an article where the author makes a thesis statement that minority actors should only be allowed and encouraged to play domestics? I think not.

Today, I have asked GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios to stand with me and others and ask for an immediate boycott of Newsweek magazine until an apology is issued to Sean Hayes and other brave out actors who were cruelly singled out in this damaging, needlessly cruel, and mind-blowingly bigoted piece. An apology should also be issued to all gay readers of the magazine…steelworkers, parents, accountants, doctors, etc…proud hardworking Americans who, if this article is to be believed, should only identify themselves as “queeny” people (a word used by Setoodeh in the article) who stand at the back of the bus and embrace an outdated decades old stereotype.

Give me a call, Ramin... I’d love to hear from you. I’ll even give you a free copy of our Madonna CD, on which we cover “Open Your Heart,” a song you should play in your house and car on repeat.

Our take on Setoodeh's viewpoint?

Putting aside homophobic rhetoric and anything of that nature, he's simply incorrect. Off the top of our heads, we can come up with numerous gay actors that are widely accepted in straight roles (Nixon, Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother, Cherry Jones on 24, Lily Tomlin on Damages).

It's difficult to make a serious point of any kind when your thesis is misguided. What do you think about gay actors in straight roles? Do you have any problem taking them seriously?

Would you like to see an all-Britney episode of Glee?

After a 13.5 million viewers tuned in to the hit show's Madonna-themed episode April 20, Britney Spears' manager, Adam Leber, began a campaign for a Brit equivalent.

In a blatant attempt to capitalize on Glee's popularity and have his client associated with it, he Tweeted, "Do you guys want to see a Britney Spears episode of Glee?"

Glee spoiler alert: It's not happening anytime soon.

Asked about the possibility recently, Glee cast member Matthew Morrison said: "That's a rumor her manager started. I hope our show doesn't go along that route."

Ouch! But hey, you gotta give Matt, who also knocked Justin Bieber down a peg recently, props for being honest. A Britney episode wouldn't fly for many reasons.

She lacks the raw number of hits as Madonna or raw singing talent of a Lady Gaga. Breathy mouthing of sexual double entendres does not a Glee episode make.

Seriously, listen to Britney's version of "Telephone." Case? Rested.

Britney Spears. Glee. Her manager wants to make an all-Britney episode happen ... or is just desperate for publicity and trying to leech off the hit series.

Whatever the motivation, Adam Leber is lobbying for a Glee-ful Britney bonanza, Tweeting: “Do you guys want to see a Britney Spears episode of GLEE?”

No word if this ploy will ultimately work.

The show definitely had a hit with its Madonna tribute, and a Lady Gaga episode is in the works (according to Glee spoilers we've read), but no Brit. Yet.

Not sure how we feel about this. Does Britney Spears really have an appropriate repertoire for the Glee club? It seems better in theory than actuality.

Then again, how can you not pay homage to this:

We're on board as long as Lea Michele dresses like this.

With a lot of heart and plenty of soul (or just '80s pop), the Fox series has become one of the year's top freshman programs, so it's hardly a surprise Madonna approved of its tribute to her Tuesday. What do you think? Should Britney be next?

A few days before Glee airs an hour dedicated to Madonna, featuring the cast performing a number of Material Girl singles, the iconic singer sat down for a sneak peek at the episode.

What did she think?

"I thought the Madonna episode of Glee was brilliant on every level. The dialogue and the entire script was genius. I completely appreciated the layers of irony," she said in a statement.

Adding that she likes "all the messages about the boys being respectful to girls," Madonna continued:

"The entire cast was amazing. They're all so talented. I especially loved Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and Kurt Hummel's (Chris Colfer) characters. [Show creator] Ryan Murphy did a great job bringing all these elements together.

[Daughter] Lola loved the show too. I wish I went to a high school like that...If only."

Members of the Glee cast make like Madonna in these scenes from the 4/20/10 episode of the Fox show.

This is an amazing video.

While Glee returned to Fox last night with a new episode, the Internet is buzzing today over the song that aired after the installment itself concluded.

Featuring Jane Lynch as her character of Sue Sylvester, and along with a couple other Glee cast members, the show actually put together a shot-for-shot recreation of Madonna's "Vogue" music video.

It's elaborate, it's entertaining and it's incredible that a TV show went to this length in order to promote an upcoming episode (tune in next week for a lot more of the Material Girl!).

Seriously, if this doesn't make you a Glee fan, nothing will. Sit back and watch the video below.

Tonight, Glee returns to Fox with its first new episode of 2010.

But fans of the musical comedy are already looking ahead to next week. That's because the April 20 installment of the show will feature nothing but Madonna singles, from "Vogue" to "4 Minutes"

The cast covers the latest issue of TV Guide and shares with the publication a few of its earliest Madonna memories. For instance:

• Lea Michele attended Madonna’s Drowned World Tour three times and styled her hair like the Material Girl when she went to Bat Mitzvahs as a teenager.
• Said Chris Colfer: "I was not allowed to listen to Madonna when I was younger... My mother and grandmother had all the CDs but didn’t want me to hear about sex.”
• The newly-engaged Jane Lynch, pictured below in an iconic cone bra, recalls “sitting at a bar all drunk on Long Island ice teas watching her ‘Material Girl’ video and thinking, ‘How Ballsy.’"

As for Glee spoilers involving the episode itself, fans can look forward to...

... Sue Sylvester starring in her own “Vogue” segment, which also involves Mercedes and Kurt.

... Mercedes and Kurt singing "4 Minutes," as part of the Cheerios.

... A rendition of “Like a Virgin” that focuses on three couples trying to lose their virginity.

Moreover, the show will release a CD full of these Madonna singles. It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

Love or hate the health care reform bill, Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing:

The White House made the right decision when it invlted the Glee cast to perform at this weekend's Easter Egg hunt.

Led by the adorable Lea Michele, and the rumored boyfriend of Taylor Swift, the lead actors/actresses from this Fox comedy performed a number of hit singles in front of a packed house. Errr, lawn.

Check out our two favorite renditions below:

White House Performance

Later this spring, the Glee cast will honor Madonna with an episode based around Material Girl singles.

To milk that unique installment as much as it can, the show will subsequently release a CD - on April 20, titled "Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna" - comprised of these songs. Sung by Glee's actors and actress, they'll be:

1. Express Yourself
2. Borderline/Open Your Heart
3. Vogue
4. Like A Virgin
5. 4 Minutes
6. What It Feels Like For A Girl
7. Like A Prayer

As previously announced, the cast of Glee is going on tour.

Starting on May 18, you can catch Lea Michele and company in the following cities. Tickets go on sale on March 12 at Ticketmaster.com:

• May 18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
• May 20 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
• May 21 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
• May 25 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
• May 26 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
• May 28 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
• May 29 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall

The Glee cast will sing favorites such as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Jump,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” Sweet Caroline" and "Somebody to Love." Watch its rendition of the final song listed below:

Somebody to Love Performance