Not too long ago, I sort of looked at beauty pageants as a shallow part of our society; after all, people, trans or not, are more than just their looks -- and to me, pageants of this sort rank very low in the grand scheme of things. Indeed, shortly after the Jenna Talackova saga first surfaced, I wrote a blog titled "The ruckus surrounding Canadian trans beauty contestant Jenna Talackova burying other trans stories." Here's what I said:

All the hype and hoopla in the mainstream media over the Jenna Talackova booting has pretty much wiped out coverage of other transgender-related stories for nearly an entire week. Those in the news business will know exactly what I'm talking about -- with all the space given to the Jenna Talackova story, most everything else goes unreported. Indeed, there were a couple of stories I happenstance across by sheer luck -- something that would not have happened during normal times.

I did not expect this reaction to my post:

Jenna's story has opened the door for me to tell my story of transition struggles, so i'm very happy with her story going viral. i was invited onto mainstream tv to interview about her ... the longer we can keep her in the news, the better! she's a great example to show the world of what being transitioned is all about.

And this:

...truthfully, how many trans related stories are in maistream media at any given time? Even the recent horrific murders went underreported and the victims were mocked or misgendered. Jenna is getting us good press and an opening for others ... I say the longer Jenna Talackova is in the news, the better!

There were dozens of such comments from social media, where my blog article was reposted.

The kicker, though, was looking my blog stats: In the weeks that followed, the number of people visiting my blog via the keyword "Jenna Talackova" was simply stunning. That keyword outdistanced the previous high by a factor of 3. The people drawn to these pro-transgender blogs were given an opportunity to learn things -- human things -- they may not learn elsewhere.

Trans people who oppose pageants still have valid arguments, for example:

...not fantastically excited about further being regarded by society as ... a parody of the most stereotypical view of women in the first place. Like ... congratulations we're allowed into one of the lowest forms of entertainment ... this is about one step higher then Ru Paul's drag show...

For me, personally, however, I've now an eye on the big picture: winning the hearts and minds of those not quite on board with trans people. If this involves embracing something seemingly shallow, so be it. It's not like we are playing on a level playing field to begin with.

My hat goes off to Jenna for opening some doors we couldn't have done easily otherwise.

Their movie is "The Way," a crowd-pleasing indie production starring actor Martin Sheen and written and directed by his son Emilio Estevez. In the film, a father tries to connect with a deceased son by taking up his spiritual pilgrimage to northern Spain.

Their book is "Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son," an equally engaging dual memoir by Sheen and Estevez that explores their lives and their intense relationship. Punctuated with humor and unusual frankness, the emotional highs and lows they share will resonate with fathers and sons.

One of 10 children raised in a blue-collar neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio, young Ramon Estevez found lots of love at home but little support for his ambition to perform for a living. With a loan from a priest, he moved to New York City and took the stage name Martin Sheen. He was just 21 when Emilio, the first of his four children, was born in 1962. Immature as a father and as an actor, Sheen would struggle in both roles.

A starring part in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "The Subject Was Roses" in 1964 was Sheen's big break. More film and television roles came over time – "Badlands" (1973) and "The Execution of Private Slovik" (1974) were particular standouts. Selfishly, he brought his family to film locations, whether in Colorado or Italy or Mexico. He admits he needed them as he coped with the frustrations and insecurities that fueled a drinking problem. For years they coped with his drunken rages until he embraced sobriety.

For a teenage Emilio Estevez, being separated from school and friends was no longer a welcome adventure. After months and months in the Philippines while his father worked on "Apocalypse Now" (1979), he'd had enough and wanted to go home. One night they came to blows, the fracas loud enough to draw Marlon Brando to their door. Building on that low moment, they would come to a new understanding – not for the first time and not for the last.

Estevez found himself taking on the role of father as unexpectedly as Sheen had – and at 21, just like his dad. His acting career was taking off with the filming of "The Breakfast Club" (1985) when his girlfriend had their baby. Now he, too, would face the conflicts of being an actor and being a parent.

Sheen and Estevez write as much about family and spiritual matters – the recent antics of son and brother Charlie Sheen are not included – as they do about their work. "Along the Way" offers the promise that our differences don't have to divide us if we keep love, respect and forgiveness in our hearts. That would be a comfort on any journey.

___

Douglass K. Daniel is the author of "Tough as Nails: The Life and Films of Richard Brooks" (University of Wisconsin Press).

Creator Ryan Murphy previously revealed that the sophomore season of the divisive FX series will be set in an insane asylum. But in a recent interview with Vulture, in which he discussed everything from his personal life to his other series "Glee" and next season's NBC comedy "The New Normal," Murphy spilled some more details about Season 2.

"The new season is set in the 1960s and Chloe Sevigny, for example, plays a character who was put in an asylum because she was a woman who likes sex," Murphy told Vulture in the in-depth interview. "At the time, you were able to put people away for that. Another character is institutionalized for being a lesbian. To me, there's nothing more scary than somebody coming to you and saying they're going to take you away and put you in a mad house and you have no legal rights and there you shall stay till the end of your days. That is a real horror."

Though there were no further details Season 2 star Jessica Lange, Murphy did reveal that Evan Peters, who played "ultimate badass bad boy" Tate Langdon, will be "the hero of the show" in Season 2. "It's not like the actors are playing similar parts. They're going to look different, they're going to sound different, they're going to have different accents," Murphy explained to Vulture. "It's a different time period. The actors are so excited to do that and hopefully their enthusiasm will translate."

In addition to Lange and Peters, Season 1 stars Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson will be back for Season 2. Sevigny, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and James Cromwell will also join the "American Horror Story" cast for Season 2. A relatively unknown French actress named Lizzie Brocheré will be playing a femme fatale named Gia.

And although Season 2 hasn't even started yet, Murphy is thinking ahead. "I even know what the third season would be," he said. "There are very, very many different kinds of haunted houses in our culture."

For additional details from Ryan Murphy on "American Horror Story," "Glee," "The New Normal" and more, click over to Vulture.

She told the anchors, “Of course we're sad. But, we've been through a lot together and it's been seven years. We've had two new babies, two new kidneys, engagements, so we've all been through a lot together.”

Not only have the cast and crew of "30 Rock" been through a lot together, they've also seen their show honored with a significant amount of critical acclaim. "30 Rock" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and a Golden Globe Award for Best Series - Musical or Comedy in 2009. Krakowski, who plays self-obsessed Jenna Maroney on the show, was herself nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2010.

Although "30 Rock" will be heading to a series finale sooner than many fans hoped, they can still look forward to 13 more episodes of Liz, Jenna, and the rest of the "TGS" gang next season.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Some said Dianna Agron and Amber Riley won't be returning and in a recent interview with Vulture, creator Ryan Murphy let a little bit of Season 4 information slip.

While Murphy is staying relatively tight-lipped on what's to come for the New Directions crew in Season 4 of "Glee," he did offer a few teases. "Many of the characters will be starting over as underdogs, which is a good thing for the show," he told Vulture. "I really made an effort, talking to all the regulars about it."

So what about who's staying and who's leaving? "We've become like a family," he told Vulture. "I said to them anybody who wants to stay on the show will stay on the show. I asked all of them, 'What do you want to do? What are you interested in doing?'"

"A lot of people have been writing Dianna [Agron]'s character off the show, Amber [Riley]'s off the show," he continued. "They're not off the show."

As for whether or not Mr. Schu (Matt Morrison) will finally tie the knot with Emma (Jayma Mays), Murphy said "no" to the nuptials.

"He doesn't get married ... We have really good things planned for Matt [Morrison]," he told Vulture. "Matt has to have a new challenge and a new thing. We did not want to repeat the formula we've done. The show will be very different, but I think very satisfying."

For more on "Glee" Season 4, click over to Vulture.

The season finale of "Glee" airs on Tuesday, May 22 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

"If Michael's estate had left control to a family member, it would have been a disaster. These matters need to be handled by trained professionals and lawyers, not someone that married your brother," a music manager tells me, referring to Whitney's sister-in-law and manager, Pat Houston.

This weekend at the Billboard Music Awards, it was Pat Houston who took the stage next to the late singer's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to accept a Millennium Award on the star's behalf. Pat is also the driving force behind and star of Lifetime's forthcoming reality show "Houston Family Chronicles."

"After years of being in the shadows, this seems to be Pat's moment in the spotlight," one family insider tells me. "But she needs to be careful about what she wishes for. As Whitney knew too well, being famous and all that it brings isn't always good."

In addition to Pat and Bobbi Kristina, the Lifetime show will also follow Pat's daughter, Rayah; Whitney's brother, Gary; and Whitney's mother, Cissy.

Paul gets his old buddy Harry to come down and see him. Harry's skeptical but his reaction is great when introduced to Mother Lakshmi, he looks at Paul, "oh I get it." And it turns out he does get it. Paul's a fake follower who's not really at peace but just wants to be with Lakshmi and wants Harry to pass his Star Trek spec script called "The Negron Complex" on to execs at NBC. The script is terrible but Harry really wants to help his friend who's clearly gone off the deep end. Mother Lakshmi turns out to be a psycho and shows up at SCDP to seduce Harry and tell him to leave Paul and his sci-fi fantasies alone. He's her best recruiter and she needs him focused, randomly spitting out "you want to make him into a gross materialist when he's living in the spiritual world." But neither of them are really living in a spiritual world. Paul is still an insecure, struggling writer and Lakshmi is an ex prostitute named Janet who changed her name only to trade her body for silence instead of drugs. It's just a different kind of currency. Harry realizes he needs to get Paul away from this nutjob and tells a little white lie to send him packing. He tells him the execs in LA loved his script, it's just a no-go this time and offers him $500 to move to LA and start over. Harry channels Don when he tells him, "this failure, this life, it'll all seem like it happened to someone else." Paul agrees to go. They hug. It's touching. Turns out wise-cracking Harry has a heart, after all.

The other significant piece of information we get is Roger finally owns up (to us) to being Joan's baby daddy. It was unclear what level of acknowledgment was going on when she brought the baby into the office and he blew smoke in his face and called him a dud, but Hawaiian shirt-wearing, Pearl-Harbor-Day-slurring Roger tells us it's openly acknowledged. She said she hasn't asked for the money, but he tells her, "no, and you shouldn't have to, and you don't, and you keep sending it back." At least he's sort of trying. He says he'll cover Kevin through college. Joan tells him if he's not careful "Uncle Roger" won't even be a "family friend." Roger starts up with his "I had an experience" and "we made a baby together" but Joan shuts him down: "and now it's some other lucky girl's turn."

And then there's Lane. Lane, Lane, Lane, WTF is going on. He's in some sort of tax trouble with the UK and needs to come up with $8000 in two days. This desperate search for cash frames this episode that deals with consumerism, showing the true evils of money and its ability to turn a law-abiding, tightfisted accountant into a book-cooker. After Mohawk's suspension breaks down his not-bad bonus plan, Lane breaks down and breaks into Joan's office, steals the checks and (rather skillfully) forges Don's name. So much about this just felt wrong. Why wouldn't Lane ask any of the other guys, especially Don, for help? He knows Don covered for Pete last season. Or why not just hit up the office cash cow, Roger? Why wouldn't he try to take out a personal loan? This just seems very out of character. There's no chance Lane won't get caught. Will Joan cover for him when she figures it out?

A few other things:

It's December 7th- Pearl Harbor Day

In many ways, this felt like a more classic Mad Men episode. Flirting, sexual tension, illegal activity and the uncertainty of fate--those are all of our core concepts that have kind of fallen away with Don and his "happy" marriage.

Don's been moping around about Megan leaving SCDP. He tells Joan, "I feel like the office misses her." But Megan finally talks some sense into him, reminding him that he loved his work before he ever met her. She always seems to get through to him and we see his attitude shift as he comes back in the end with an inspirational speech to rally the troops: "Prepare to swim the English Channel and drown in champagne." He's ba-ack.

I've just started to laugh when Megan throws a temper tantrum. They're kind of really funny. She throws a plate against the wall and orders him to eat dinner. She's upset he was gone all day and didn't call. He should've called. I get why he thinks she's just trying to heat things up, her real mad is the same as her sexy mad, how's he supposed to know what she's doing?!

Jon Hamm and Christina Hendricks play the progressing levels of drunk pitch perfectly at the bar, from reserved to giggling to googly-eyed.

Pete says, "meeting, Cooper's office" which means stand outside the bathroom--hahaha.

The Don-Joan scene was reminiscent of Don and Peggy last season in "The Suitcase," finally fleshing out a connection we knew was there.

"I want to fly but I think we're gonna drive"--Lane's banker said this about his trip to Florida but applies to the episode--Mohawk's suspended and we're going after Jaguar.

What else? Thoughts?

“Kate had no idea it would be this difficult to sell another show based around her and her family,” one TV executive tells me. “It's hard to be on the cover of magazines one week and just a few months later not have people return your calls.”

On Monday morning, Kate revealed on the "Today" show that her kids are doing great, but admitted they do miss filming.

“They've recently been saying, ‘When are we going to go here or there? We miss the crew,'" Kate said. "We're hoping our TLC contract is over -- so we're hoping to move forward and do more fun projects. Fans are begging, 'They've grown up, they've turned eight, what are you doing?' and so we're hoping to put that out there for them.”

Unfortunately for Kate, fans don't green-light TV shows, network executives do.

“Once you have a show canceled, it's almost impossible to sell the same idea to another network,” a TV insider tells me. “TLC is the non-Hollywood network and the perfect home for her. If they no longer want her, I'm not sure which other network will.”

A spokesperson for WE tells me Kate will not be calling that channel her new home, and Oxygen and Lifetime insiders says they have no interest in Kate either.

Fingers crossed for a "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" season, Kate.

An engineer for electronics company Zenith, Polley passed away on May 20 at the age of 96. His Flash-Matic invention dates all the way back to 1955.

Take a look at the revolutionary device:

As its ad shows (view below), this huge technological development was all thanks to a "beam of magic light," which enabled remote users to change channels and turn TV sets on or off without having to move from their sofas. Bloomberg explains further that the "magic" beam of light projected from the Flash-Matic connected to four photo cells located in the corners of the TV's screen, allowing users to change channels, adjust the volume and turn the picture on or off.

LOOK:

According to About.com, Zenith had released the Lazy Bone remote control five years prior to the Flash-Matic in 1950. While the earlier remote could turn sets on or off and change channels, it was inconveniently connected to the TV with a cable. "It turned out that consumers did not like the cable because it caused frequent tripping," writes About.com.

What do you appreciate most about the remote control? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Furthermore, the success of shows is defined by a number attributed to a range -- specifically, the 18-49 demographic. Shows live or die by this outcome, and it's astonishing that with all the technology available to us a more definitive method hasn't been established. The differences between those who are closer to 18 than 49 is large, and creating something with that mass appeal is borderline impossible now. The Nielsen company gather ratings primarily based on live viewings, but so many people are not watching live. They're watching via DVR, Netflix, Hulu and furthermore talking on Twitter and Facebook -- the visibility of shows are now endless. But that doesn't mean they're not watching. It doesn't mean they don't want to watch. Television shows live and die by overwhelmingly pointless numbers. If a show doesn't attain "good" numbers, they're cancelled in favor of other programs, with often little regard for creative conclusions. As excellently explained in thisNew York Times article, with just the onslaught of new programming -- with various options not just on the major networks but with cable and pay-per-view -- it's impossible to watch everything that we want to watch. For example, Sunday evenings alone are a treacherous decision-making conundrum for TV Viewers: Mad Men and The Killing on AMC; Girls, Veep and Game of Thrones on HBO; Once Upon A Time and Desperate Housewives on ABC, not to mention the reality hits Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo and any one of the endless Kardashian installments on the E! Network. Bottom line: something is going to get missed, but that doesn't mean it isn't valued.

The competition is ruthless, and Nielsen is a take-no-prisoners kind of killing machine. Television is suffering because of this outdated ratings system. Cougar Town, for example, was snubbed rudely by ABC's marketing team, but the show is no stranger to the Twitter world. After the show was put on an unexplainable hiatus and given a decreased episode order, Bill Lawrence fought a courageous campaign on the social networking site -- in addition to viewing parties hosted around the country which he funded out-of-pocket -- to bring awareness to the production that he helms. Additionally, Community faced a similar struggle when his show was placed on the backburner by NBC in the middle of the normal television series. Both shows are critical darlings with huge cult followings. Cougar Town suffered with it's time slot placement last year: it followed Last Man Standing on Tuesday evenings, which has a completely different demographic than Cougar Town. It's move to TBS will herald the audience it so desperately needs, and appeals to. There is no doubt Mr. Lawrence has redefined the way we view and support television, and it's going to be a model for things to come.

Understanding that viewing no longer takes place on just a television is unequivocally the first step in making this change a reality. We are in a golden age of television, but this rating system would have you believe otherwise. While a rating system is indeed important, the methods by which we reach these numbers are outdated and inaccurate. "When television is good, nothing -- not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers -- nothing is better" Newton Minnow, head of the FCC said in 1961. The truth in this statement is astounding, so it is unacceptable of us to slack in ways to make it the best medium there is.

The 29-year-old reality star opened up to MTV News about how he became addicted to prescription pain killers and his experience in rehab.

"My addiction was prescription painkillers. At first, I'm sure I thought that it might give me energy. I thought it helped me, because it's a painkiller so you're not tired anymore," he explained. "Then after a while you're like 'Oh maybe this is going to help my schedule out.' I for sure made a mistake by picking a substance over what I previously chose, which was fitness."

Given that prescription painkillers aren't generally known for their energetic properties -- but rather for inducing a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and sedation -- Sorrentino's vehement denial that he had a problem with alcohol and other substances like cocaine seems somewhat suspect.

"It was strictly painkillers and I never mixed them either, even on 'Jersey Shore,' which obviously people have seen me with a drink in my hand and I was never drunk. I was the guy that was the ladies man. You know, you can't get girls if you can't speak to them. So drinking was definitely not an issue for me," he said.

The reality star, who spent only three weeks in treatment at Cirque Lodge in Utah, also recounted his first few days inside the rehab center.

"Your first day [in rehab] is detox. It's not a pleasurable experience at all. ... In the beginning, for sure, when I was [at the facility] in Utah, I'd wake up and just be extremely disappointed with myself. Like, 'I can't believe I got here. How did I get here?'" he said.

For more on Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's experience in rehab, click over to MTV News.

More stars who've struggled with addiction:

OK, so Shaki didn't actually perform with the Cuban heartthrob on last night's “Dancing With the Stars” finals, but William and his partner Cheryl Burke did perform one of her songs, “Objection," for their sexy cha-cha-cha.

The sexy performance, which featured William how we like him best (with his shirt wide open), is hands down Levy's sexiest performance of the entire season. There was plenty of bumping and grinding, hip shaking, and pelvis thrusting action, and the body contact between Levy and Burke was insane.

But despite how hot the performance was, judge Len Goodman didn't care for it, and called it “predictable."

“I liked it. I liked the lifts, I liked the changes of rhythm from tango into salsa, but for me, it was too predictable," he said. "All you do is shake your butt and get the women screaming. I didn't want a salsa with lifts," he added.

Ouch!

After last night's show, the usually reserved Levy fired back at Len for his criticism, telling People.com he wouldn't change a thing a{about the performance} if he had to do the dance all over again.

"It [was] the freestyle," Levy said. "It's free. We can do whatever we want. It wasn't supposed to be something that Len was looking for. You don't have to do whatever he says. We picked samba, who cares?"

Levy also told Access Hollywoodhe stands by the performance.

“I feel this was an amazing dance, and [an] amazing routine,” he said. “I think it was a really good freestyle routine. It's freestyle and we had a lot going on… lifting here, lifting there, dancing over here, moving over there. That's what it's all about, you know?”

As for whether he wins or loses tonight, Levy says he gave it his all last night. “We gave it our all… I mean, whatever happens, it's gonna be good because I know we gave it [our] all,” he told Access Hollywood. “We got 59 out of 60, and right now, it's up to the fans. I'm pretty amazed [by] what we did. We did a good freestyle, we did a good cha cha and I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I feel like a winner right now," he said.

CHECK OUT THIS SLIDESHOW OF WILLIAM LEVY THROUGH THE YEARS

The "Glee" star showed up to the "Late Show With David Letterman" on Monday with just some of her ankle ink (and lots of non-tatted skin) showing. That's because most of them are hidden away.

"I have 14," Michele told Letterman, "But they're all so little that you don't see it. That's why I'm done, though, because all my secret hidden spots are done. Like, my real estate is over."

"You have 14 secret spots?" Letterman laughed. "That's exciting."

Oh, David. Watch the video above to hear about Lea's tattoo addiction and her tattoo-loving family ("Listen, some people go hunting for eggs [on Easter] and we go get tattoos").

See more celebrity tattoos below:

The Emmy winner guest-stars on the season 3 premiere of "Rookie Blue" as Henry McLeod, and as ABC's press release describes him, he's "a belligerent drunk driver with a haunting secret." Punching Dov (Gregory Smith) in the face, while reeking of whisky? Definitely. But there's so much more to his character. More on that in a bit.

I've loved "Rookie Blue" since it debuted two years ago. I have a real fondness for the stars, who I've spoken to on numerous occasions (whether it's on location or in a fancy hotel suite), but there's something about the series that makes me proud. Sure, it's a Canadian/U.S. co-production but the series' references to all things Toronto -- from the shots of TTC streetcars or landmarks, or its mentions of familiar streets -- gives us Canadians something to look forward to. Ultimately, what I like best is that the police drama has a real knack for being funny and bumbling, which provides a nice break from its more serious storylines.

The season three return kicks off with Andy (Missy Peregrym) returning to 15 Division after a three-month suspension -- for "conduct unbecoming an officer" -- and preparing to face a tribunal that will determine if she will be reinstated to active duty. That doesn't happen till the end of the episode, where -- SPOILER ALERT, and well, DUH ---all goes swimmingly on that front; it's the in-between that's meaty. When we last left Andy and Sam (Ben Bass), he asked her, "You want to try being normal together?" After both of them got suspended, her messy breakup with Luke, and the fact that Sam is her former training officer, Andy justifiably replied, "How are we going do that?"

Fast-forward three months (which Andy spent alone, presumably, in North Bay), Swarek picks her up from the airport, and he attempts to take her home and away from any drama when, BAM! They're involved in a multi-car collision. The cause? Henry McLeod. The injured? Himself, a random lady in another car, and the driver of a van (Pat Mastroianni, aka "Degrassi"s Joey Jeremiah). But it's what (or should I say, who) is in the back of said van that takes the multi-car accident into creepy territory: a girl, with whom Andy connects, of course. It's the kind of case "Rookie Blue" does so well -- suspenseful, but not too grim; a nice balance of gripping and entertaining without going gory. The show allows viewers to use their imaginations and it's up to us if we want to think the worst.

I won't divulge much more about "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life," but it's an up-and-down, roller-coaster ride, what "Rookie Blue" is noted for. For the next several episodes, it's clear Traci (Enuka Okuma) and Gail (Charlotte Sullivan) will both be vying for a detective role, though based on the photos and ads I've seen from Season 3, I don't think the show is keeping it a secret. Dov's insecurities surrounding his relationship with Sue (guest star Mayko Nguyen) continue to plague him, and Noelle (Melanie Nicholls-King) and Frank (Lyriq Bent) are on their way to parenthood. There's also a new rookie in 15 Division: Nick Collins (Peter Mooney, "Camelot") is an ex-soldier who spent four years in Afghanistan, but has ties to one of our favourite (or not-so-favourite) rookies. And, by the end of the episode, we find out if Andy and Sam can get back to where they once were.

But even with all that, it's Shatner who steals the show. Henry has a serious grudge against police, and the big reveal on why is not to be missed. Shatner proves why he's got a mantle filled with awards, but it's his "RB" character that will have people talking. I'm calling it now -- don't be surprised if Shat gets recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series). Then "Rookie Blue" can add "Emmy nominee/winner" to its resumé.