When Barbra Streisand was asked if she’d ever be on that high school musical show, Glee, she was all “not if I can help it,” which is all sorts of awesome. Instead of letting her snarky comment stand on it’s own, she backtracked and said that she really meant that she was just so busy she couldn’t do the show but of course she’s flattered that Lea Michele copies her, etc. I know when I’m overwhelmed with work I bust out the bitchy comments that are meant in all innocence.

At the pre-Grammy MusiCares event Friday night, Streisand was asked if she would ever consider doing an episode of Glee and replied, “Not if I can help it. ” Needless to say, Gleeks went apoplectic (especially considering show star and professed Streisand fan Lea Michele performed a tribute to Streisand that night).

Now Streisand is doing a quick backpedal clarification…

“When asked if I would ever appear on Glee, I should have said, ‘You never know.’ It was wrong to say, “Not if I can help it,” Streisand said Sunday in a statement to E! News.

“What I meant was that I’ve been overwhelmed preparing for my performance on MusiCares, the Grammys, recording a new album, and starting a new movie. So I couldn’t take on any more work, and besides that, I wasn’t asked. I’m so honored that a lead character on Glee is so admiring of my work. In my speech at MusiCares, I thanked them ‘for exposing young people to music they might otherwise not hear today: Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Darren Criss…you’re all so gifted.’

[From E! Online]

That’s a bogus explanation. You don’t say “not if I can help it” if you’re busy, you say if if you don’t want to be associated with something. Barbra realizes that Ryan Murphy is a formidable opponent and that there are young kids on that show who are hardworking and talented, so she’s not going to let her comment stand like that. I guess I can’t blame her but I’d like to see Ryan Murphy try and get in a bitch fight with Babs. He would end up slinking away with his tail between his leg.

Let fading stars like Goop go on Glee and get their mack on with Matthew Morrison. Barbra doesn’t make guest appearances. She gets honored without showing up most of the time. Plus I think Glee jumped the shark with that zombie episode on Superbowl Sunday. I really do. They tried to parody themselves but just made us realize how pointless the show is most of the time.

Barbra Streisand and James Brolin are shown at that Musicares tribute to Babs on 2/11/11. Lea Michele and her pose hard are shown there too. Credit: WENN.com

Did we just watch Glee jump the shark last night? It was Glee on steroids after the Superbowl with even more over-the-top drama, wooden stereotypical characters, predictable plot lines and freak outs by coach Sylvester. I found the whole thing to stink of trying too hard, but I’ve been souring on Glee lately so maybe I’m not the best one to judge. The musical numbers were fun and it had high production value, it just felt so false to me. I’m over Glee, but EW’s Ken Tucker liked this episode and called it “intentionally over-the-top” as opposed to “desperate.”

After all the brouhaha over Glee mocking Lindsay Lohan during the episode with Goop, and then the cast supposedly apologizing to Lindsay (which probably never happened) they managed to add in another burn to the Lohans this week. In a segment in which Katie Couric was interviewing coach Sue Sylvester for “loser of the year,” Katie mentioned that Sue beat “The economy, Mel Gibson, the housing market, Dina Lohan, Wall St., Tiger Woods, the Dallas Cowboys, Brett Favre’s cell phone, 9% unemployment and Sparky Lohan, who is Dina Lohan’s dog and apparently also a loser” for the title. We get it, you’re mocking Dina Lohan. Glee writers aren’t content to just make a subtle f’ing dig and let it go, like everything else on that show they have to make it large enough to get on our nerves. Dina Lohan is not amused and gave some unsourced comments emphasizing her victimhood to Popeater’s Rob Shuter. Her ex husband pointed and issued a hearty “ha ha!”

“They are all a bunch of bullies,” my source seethes. “Dina is hurt and shocked and hasn’t done anything to deserve this constant teasing from this show.”…

One person who agrees with ‘Glee’s’ sentiments is [SURPRISE!] Lohan’s ex-husband.

“As true as this might be, it is wrong,” Michael Lohan tells me. “Dina deserves a lot worse of a title after all she has done to destroy the relationships with my kids and entire family.”

Michael calls the people Dina surrounds herself with “the epitomes of losers.”

[From Popeater]

And in case you doubt that Dina Lohan isn’t Popeater’s source, writer Rob Shuter defends Dina and writes ” Pick on someone your own size, ‘Glee,’ and you too, Katie!”

It looks like Dina will have a lot more to worry about than being called out by Glee. Hopefully her daughter will be led away in handcuffs today. Fingers crossed!

Scroll to 45:00 in to see the Katie Couric segment (only plays in the US)

Dina is shown on 8/10/10. Credit: Fame

Glee’s resident meanie Jane Lynch has been outspoken and characteristically funny lately when discussing the fact that she’s gay, but she hasn’t always been as matter-of-fact about it. In an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air in November 2009, Lynch was somewhat reluctant to discuss her orientation, saying that she was out but didn’t really discuss it much. She said “As much as I… love being an actress, I don’t like calling attention to myself in that way. I don’t want to be different. I’m not a rebel. I just want to be like everybody else.” (I reference this interview all the time when I cover Lynch because she really seemed shy to me and not at all like the Sue Sylvester character she plays on TV. She’s since been much more outgoing and comfortable with the press and it’s clear this was a real change for her.)

Lynch hasn’t made a secret of the fact that she’s a teetotaler after struggling with alcohol, which she gave up in her early 30s. She’s about to cover her struggles with addiction and coming to terms with her sexuality in a new memoir, due out this October:

Jane Lynch will open up about her sexuality and battle with alcoholism in her new memoir.
The ‘Glee’ actress – who tied the knot with her long-term girlfriend Lara Embry last summer – will release her autobiography ‘Happy Accidents’ in September and Jane revealed she hopes her life experiences will help other people.

Speaking about the book, she said in a statement: “If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my 18-year-old self, the first thing I’d say is, ‘Lose the perm.’ Second, I would say, ‘Relax. Really – just relax. Don’t sweat it.’ For a long time, I was anxious and fearful that the parade would pass me by, and that someone or something outside myself had all the answers. Having finally reached a happy place – a happy accidents place- I want to share my story with others, to let them know things aren’t as bad as they fear.”

Jane’s publisher Voice added the book will focus on how “embracing her sexuality” helped Jane “find both professional and personal joy”.

Jane is also expected to discuss her long battle with alcoholism which started when she was just 14.

She has previously said: “As a kid I was convinced that deep down inside, at my core, there was something wrong with me – something fundamentally broken.

“I constantly apologised. I’d over-thank people. I’d pay more than my share. It was as if I had some kind of deficit and needed to compensate for it. Then, when I was 14, I started drinking, and I didn’t get sober until I was 31.”

[From Contact Music]

I love Lynch and find her so funny with excellent comedic timing. I’m starting to sour on Glee, though, after theincredibly childish way that creator Ryan Murphy dealt with the fact that Kings of Leon wouldn’t license their songs to the show. It seems like they’re pulling stunts every week to get viewers, what with their theme episodes and constant celebrity guest stars. Whatever happens to Glee, I hope that Lynch has a long career ahead of her. She’s the real standout on that show.

Kaiser and I are somewhat amazed that Lindsay Lohan has managed to stay out of trouble for a full let’s see… four weeks since getting out of rehab. It seems like stalking Samantha Ronson and fabricating relationships with up-and-coming actors agrees with her. Now I’m not saying that she’s in any way sober, just that she hasn’t been busted yet and for her that’s progress.

A few months ago, Glee mocked Lindsay in their Gwyneth Paltrow episode, during a segment in which Gwyneth showed off her Spanish skills. She said in Spanish “Lindsay Lohan is totally crazy right?” and “How many times has Lindsay Lohan been to rehab?” the answer to which was five and it was accurate. Lindsay’s mom Dina subsequently threatened Glee with a lawsuit and went on to say that her daughter found the segment “hurtful” and was “so upset” with Gwyneth Paltrow because she considered her “a friend.”

Well some Glee castmembers were supposedly out at dinner and ran into a completely sober Lindsay, at which point they apologized to her supposedly for that episode and those very tame remarks. Ten bucks says this story comes from Dina and that no apology was offered and Lindsay and the Glee kids just happened to be in the same place at the same time. It’s not like it’s anyone’s issue except the writers and maybe Gwyneth Paltrow, who possibly suggested the lines. (Although we haven’t heard anything about it.)

The cast of “Glee” apologized to Lindsay Lohan for mocking her during an episode last year … TMZ has learned.

Lindsay was out at dinner in West Hollywood Sunday night when she ran into the cast (minus Jane Lynch and Lea Michele) … and naturally, that episode — mocking Lindsay’s frequent trips to rehab — came up .

Sources tell us the cast walked up to LiLo … apologized for the jokes … and said they didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. Lindsay accepted their apology and everyone parted ways.

Don’t expect the same thing to happen if Lindsay bumps into Jay Leno. Or David Letterman. Or Jon Stewart. Or Jimmy Kimmel. Or …

[From TMZ]

We’re so sorry our writers called you crazy when you were in court-ordered rehab and subsequently had a meltdown and got a staff member fired. We’re sorry they pointed out the actual number of times you’ve been in rehab, which is well documented. Your mother’s persecution complex doesn’t make us more likely to believe her lies.

In other news that suggests that TMZ is the Lohan’s mouthpiece, they report that Lindsay is super worried about Charlie Sheen and is “thrilled” that he’s in rehab. She’s probably hoping to do the same at-home rehab scam that he’s working.

Lindsay Lohan is shown out shopping at Fred Segal on 1/30/11. Credit: WENN.com She’s also shown in Venice, CA shopping of course on 1/27/11. Credit: Fame Pictures

As I wrote about just a few hours ago, Ryan Murphy (creator of Glee) took to the Hollywood Reporter to call the Kings of Leon a bunch of a–holes. You can read my recap of the situation here. While the Kings of Leon seemed to issue a joint statement as a band to Us Weekly and whoever else, their drummer Nathan Followill took to his Twitter account to tweet something nasty to Ryan Murphy. His original tweet read: “Dear Ryan Murphy, let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra. Zip your lip and focus on educating 7yr olds how to say f-ck.” You see, because Ryan Murphy is gay, therefore he must wear a bra and get manicures? Or maybe Nathan is calling Ryan a woman, because Ryan bitches like a woman, and thus needs manicures and bras?

Anyway, after that, Nathan must have gotten some criticism, because he added another tweet: “I’m sorry 4 anyone that misconstrued my comments as homophobic or misogynistic. I’m so not that kind of person. I really do apologize.” But he still didn’t take down the first tweet.

So… am I still Team Kings of Leon, now that I know the drummer is rather douchey? Eh. It’s all so… childish. Ryan: “OMG, you wouldn’t let me sing your song, YOU’RE SUCH A DICKWEED.” Nathan: “No, YOU’RE GAY, go change your tampon!!!” Ryan: “YOU SUCK!” Nathan: “Your mom sucks!” That’s what it is, basically. A couple of prepubescent douches arguing.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

The cast and creator of Glee have taken this week’s cover of The Hollywood Reporter, and in the interview Glee creator Ryan Murphy lashed out at some of Glee’s critics. Or perceived critics. Apparently, last year Murphy tried to get Kings of Leon to give Glee permission to use the song “Use Somebody”. Kings of Leon refused for whatever reason, and in this interview, Murphy lashes out belatedly:

Glee creator Ryan Murphy is singing a not-so-happy tune about Kings of Leon. Last year, the chart-topping band denied Murphy’s request to use their Grammy-nominated hit “Use Somebody” on the show — a decision that mortally offended Murphy.

“F*** you, Kings of Leon,” Murphy tells The Hollywood Reporter. “They’re self-centered a**holes, and they missed the big picture.”

Charging that the band insulted his FOX smash with a “hate on arts education” message, he continued angrily: “They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It’s like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music.”

In response to Murphy’s rant, Kings of Leon told THR: “This whole Glee thing is a shock to us. It’s gotten out of hand. At the time of the request, we hadn’t even see the show. It came at the end of that record cycle, and we were over promoting ['Use Somebody']. This was never meant as a slap in the face to Glee or to music education or to fans of the show. We’re not sure where the anger is coming from.”

[From Us Weekly]

Yeah… Team Kings of Leon. There are millions of people who either don’t know about Glee or couldn’t care less about it. I am one of them, I’ll admit. The few times that I’ve watched a few minutes of a show, the whole thing left me annoyed. I like old-school Hollywood musicals too – but I find Glee to be creepy, what with all of the balding 30-somethings pretending to be high schoolers and what with Lea Michele’s face, which I just want to punch. My point is that Ryan Murphy has created a show that many people love, but the show isn’t so overwhelmingly awesome that everyone agrees with his own over-inflated opinion of himself. Not everything is some uber-tragic personal criticism – sometimes, people just have other crap to do and they aren’t thinking about his little show about glorified karaoke.

And regarding music education and all of that – eh. I think it’s nice that Glee is promoting the importance of music education in a time when music programs are being cut all over the country. BUT – shouldn’t the focus be on education overall? How about math and science and history and English?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

There was a rumor that Rumer Willis (see what I did there?) was dating Chord Overstreet, one of the new guys on Glee.

But Enquirer says it’s not Chord, but Hollywood bad boy Mark Salling that Rumer has hooked up with, and she has an agenda: She wants to be on Glee.

There’s a secret behind Rumer Willis’ hot new romance with Glee hunk Mark Salling — she wants him to get her on his show!

The 22-year-old daughter of film stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore set her sights on Mark in October, and the relationship “quickly became intense,” an insider told the Enquirer.

They’ve already met each other’s parents — and Mark has proved to be a big hit with Demi, Bruce and Rumer’s stepdad Ashton Kutcher.

But Rumer wants more than a romance. She sees Mark as her ticket to TV fame, says the insider.

Rumer Willis is shown on 10/11/10. Credit: Fame. Mark Salling is shown on 2/10/10.

“Rumer’s wanted to be a singer for years, and she thinks Glee would be the perfect vehicle to showcase her talent,” the insider continued.

…Before meeting Rumer, Mark, 28, earned a reputation as Hollywood’s “hookup king” and has been linked with Paris Hilton, The Hills hottie Audrina Patridge, Disney cutie Selena Gomez, Bachelor winner Vienna Girardi and singer Samantha Marq.

“But Rumer definitely has settled him down,” the insider maintained.

And Mark is doing his best to pull strings for Rumer with Glee execs, says the insider. So far, however, nothing has been finalized.

Said the insider: “Rumer has dreams of her and Mark becoming Hollywood’s next power couple.”

[National Enquirer, print edition, December 20, 2010]

If this article has any truth in it, Rumer sounds delusional.

First, Mark Salling is too much of a player to settle down right at the height of his fame.

Second, Mark reportedly isn’t getting along with Glee‘s producers, so Rumer would be better off dating Lea Michele to get a guest spot on Glee.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that Glee is best when it focuses on the kids and the plot instead of pandering to whatever guest star they have. The Gwyneth Paltrow episode was better than the Britney one at least, but it still seemed so focused on making Gwyneth out to be this cool actress who spoke Spanish without an accent and was down with the ‘teens. It’s a distraction when they focus on the guest star, but when the guest star is as popular as Gwyneth it leads to high ratings for the show. The Glee episode on which Gwyneth appeared, The Substitute, is currently the most viewed show this month on Hulu. Gwyneth told Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos that she signed up to do two shows for Glee and will be reprising her role as Holly Holiday.

On Glee
I’m going to do one more. I signed up for two when I did it, so I’m excited.

On the best part of Glee
Just the incredible challenge of getting off a plane, going to record four songs immediately in one afternoon and then having to learn all the dance numbers in just 20 minutes. And I love [creator] Ryan Murphy he’s an old friend of mine… and everybody’s talent and getting to work with Jane Lynch, and Matt Morrison is so adorable and all the kids and it was just great… my daughter fell in love with Heather [Brittany]

[From video on Access Hollywood]

Can I say something snarky? (Why am I asking permission like I won’t do it anyway?) Gwyneth needs some foundation. Her complexion is too ruddy, and I know because I have similar coloring and it’s a bitch to find foundation that flatters. (Damn you, Prescriptives, for going out of business.) However, I wouldn’t do a TV interview without some, and I’d also put some decent mascara on. Gwynnie is probably cultivating her “down home” image in advance of her country movie – she’s got the messy hair going too. I guess I can’t hate on her for looking less polished, but it does bug me that she’s coming back to Glee. They need to bring back Neil Patrick Harris. Now he’s a guest star that adds instead of taking away. I have to give it to Gwyneth though, she can sing and she adds something too. Maybe next time I’ll be able to focus on the show instead of Goop and her superiority.

On Tuesday night’s Glee, the writers gave Gwyneth Paltrow two Lindsay Lohan jokes. Paltrow’s substitute teacher is teaching Spanish, and in Spanish, she says “Lindsay Lohan is totally crazy right?” and “How many times has Lindsay Loha been to rehab?” Oh, and apparently the answer to that question was FIVE – not some “three” or “four” which Dina told Matt Lauer. Rather innocuous, honestly, especially considering how pretty much everyone who discusses the Lohans uses words like “insane” and “delusional” and “bitch” and “sociopath” and “crackhead”. Glee’s “jokes” were almost timid and quaint. Not to Dina! Yes, Dina spent the day on a spray tan-and-tequila bender, and she called up Gossip Cop to discuss her impending defamation lawsuit against Glee! Um… defamation what now?

Dina Loha is spitting mad at “Glee” after last night’s show featured a scene in which Gwyneth Paltrow, playing a substitute Spanish teacher, instructed her students in the language by asking them questions related to Lindsay Lohan.

In the scene, Paltrow’s character asks in Spanish (and translated via subtitles onscreen): “Lindsay Lohan is totally crazy, right?”

Then, in an effort (presumably) to teach the students the number 5, Paltrow’s character quizzes, “How many times has Lindsay Lohan been to rehab?”

And when the substitute teacher needs to talk privately with a student, she tells the class, “Please get into groups and discuss how many times Lindsay Lohan has been in rehab.”

Well, Dina Lohan is not letting this slide. She tells Gossip Cop, “Our lawyers are sending a letter” to “Glee” on the grounds that the show allegedly defamed the actress who, by all accounts, is working hard on her recovery.

A rep for Lohan adds, “Lindsay has an issue that millions of people around the world are dealing with yet ‘Glee’ is treating addiction as a laughing matter.”

[From Gossip Cop]

Bitch, addiction isn’t the only problem in the Family Crackhead. Your family is crazy. Delusional. Narcissistic pieces of crap, some would argue. Grifters. Cracked-out hustlers. It’s not like the joke was “Lindsay Lohan is crazy because she’s a crackhead.” No, the point is that Lindsay Lohan is crazy, full-stop. And not Britney Spears-style crazy, where there’s some kind of illness that can be diagnosed and medication to be prescribed. Lohan Crazy is just genetic crack hustle, compulsive delusion, incessant narcissism. And besides all that, we’re not laughing. It’s not a joke anymore. It’s just a sad, pathetic, trashy, epic, nasty train wreck.

Meanwhile – TMZ reported (before this Gossip Cop story) that Lindsay Lohan is starting to realize, in the cold, hard, sober light of day, that her mother is in fact a delusional crackhead. According to TMZ’s sources, Lindsay asked her mom not to do the Today Show interview last week, and Dina didn’t listen, and now Lindsay is “furious”. Lindsay is apparently “beginning to understand Dina’s antics are part of the reason she has so many problems.” Also, Lindsay has also come to grips with the idea that her dad isn’t quite as horrible as Dina claims, although I think a man who compulsively kicks women in the vagina is still pretty much a bastard who doesn’t belong anywhere near any person with a vagina. But good for Lindsay about the Dina stuff! That is progress. I wonder if Lindsay even knows about Dina’s latest crack hustle with Glee?

Gwyneth Paltrow was the very special guest on Glee this week. She played a substitute teacher when Mr. Schue got sick with the flu. At first it seemed like the entire show was an excuse to showcase Gwynnie’s superiority, from her skill in Spanish pronunciation, to her singing and dancing skills, to how “hip” she was with the younger generation. There was plenty of that going on, and her constant preening got to be a little annoying despite how good she was. The show and Goop redeemed themselves toward the end, when her character’s vulnerabilities came out and she in turn seemed more human too. The Goop is a good actress when she gets out of her own way. Here’s a recap from The Stir, which just loved Goop. Most of the reviews I’ve seen are similarly very positive about Gwyneth’s turn on Glee, with EW and The NY Daily News raving about her, and BuddyTV a little more neutral.

It’s the Gwyneth Paltrow episode, finally! Of course, though we’ve all been frothing at the mouth for this day, Glee has upped the ante by promising a wedding next week. And Carol Burnett! Maybe I’m the only one excited about that. But still! But wait, we’re on this week’s shizz. Here goes.

Shue gets the flu. His horrible ex comes by to take care of him, but he throws her out when she declares her love for him with a Vaseline-covered anal thermometer in her hand. She woos him throughout the episode, revealing she’s on meds and continuously remembering all the little things he loves. Dirty little trick.

Meanwhile, who’s in charge of Glee Club? The same substitute who’s a hit covering his Spanish class … Holly Holliday, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. (Oh my, she says she’s the cure for the common class… is that a Mad Men reference?)

Does this count as Musical Number #1? We see how beloved Holly is when we see that she sang “Conjunction Junction” when she was covering an English class.

She immediately wins over Vocal Adrenaline New Directions by asking them what they want to sing, then grants Puck’s finest desire (while he checks out her butt) by singing Musical Number #2, Cee-Lo’s “Forget You” (we all know what the real words to “Forget You” are). Everybody kills it. The Cheerios sparkle, Finn almost looks animated, and Rachel’s furious! Hooray!

Musical Number #3 is an amazing dream sequence: inspired by the “Singin in the Rain” DVD Terry left for him to comfort-watch, dream-Shue and dream-Mike-Chang do “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Gorgeous and fun, though nothing beats the original. He wakes to Rachel tattling on the fun substitute.

Musical Number #4 is Holly’s way to woo the only member of Glee Club resistant to her charms, Rachel, by pairing with her to let her do her must-desired number, “All That Jazz” from Cabaret “Nowadays” from Chicago. It’s terrific! Rachel is too sparkling to be annoying, and Gwyneth is charming. I’m bothered, though, that their names don’t appear in the lights after they machine-gun them like in the movie.

Did I mention Sue Sylvester has replaced the principal in a coup d’etat? Shue tries to return to school, but Sue has been hard at work. She’s had the principal fired; she’s fired Shue and sends him packing. She takes tater tots off the school menu, inspiring a coup.

But Holly realizes she’s in over her head when Mercedes gets in trouble for shoving tots up the tailpipe of Sue’s LeCar. Holly tearfully turns up at Shue’s place and bemoans the way she didn’t know what to do in the face of crisis. Terry storms in and goes all “OMG, I’m his wife!” (and btw, they totally did it) and Shue sends her packing.

Sue abruptly gives Shue his job back, after the LeCar/tater tot debacle. The Glee club gives him a hero’s welcome, though they’re bummed that he returns to his tradition of old song choices with a song from “Singin’ in the Rain.” He calls in Holly to make “it more relevant,”and they close the episode with Musical Number #5, a mash-up of “Singin’ in the Rain” with Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” It’s visually stunning, but the mash-up doesn’t work for me. But honestly, it’s too fabulous across the board, so giant thumbs up for Gwyneth on Glee. Gleeneth

[From The Stir]

Gwyneth was good, but I just got the feeling that Glee was pandering to her like they did to Britney. It was all about making musical numbers to suit the guest talent, instead of focusing on the kids. Glee is best when the kids shine, like on last week’s Never Been Kissed. I know they rely on celebrity appearances for publicity, but they could do without the stunt casting.

Ironic line of the week from Goop: “It’s a terrible economy and good teaching jobs are hard enough to get, let alone in the arts… I can’t turn this opportunity down.”

Favorite putdown. Goop: “I’m Holly Holiday”

Will’s ex wife “Are you a porn star or a drag queen?”

You can watch this episode of Glee on Hulu if you’re in the US.