The Associated Press continues to revel in gay Idol fever.

Today, the news agency asks whether or not the public can handle having an openly homo American Idol contestant. Former participant and current queer Jim Verranos insists the show's moving closer toward a closet-free environment, "It feels like we're closer now than ever to having an openly gay contestant on the show…I feel like there are some definite possibilities for this to happen this year." Well, yeah. It's not as if former stripper Daniel Hernandez can deny his homosexuality now, right? (And don't front like he could be gay-for-pay. We're not buying it.)

Homo-journo Michael Jensen of AfterElton flame isn't so much concerned with Americans' reactions, but with the show's internal attitudes:

The show hasn't seemed very conducive or gay friendly to contestants coming out. Simon and Randy have not hesitated to mock effeminate contestants and crack the occasional gay joke. It has not communicated to contestants that it would be a good place to come out.

That's definitely a valid point, although some of those queens make for such easy punchlines!

Idol producers told the AP that they don't comment on contestant's personal lives, but the news agency reminds readers that Idol thrives on weekly back stories. Why none of those have been pink-tinged remains a matter of contention.

Marcus Patrick admits that he loves publicity, even when it's bad. And you can bet he got plenty of it after posing for Playgirl last year. Not only did some tabloids rake him, but he wonders whether the fill frontal spread cost him his job on Days of Our Lives. Producers say otherwise.

Regardless, the British born actor has moved on and is currently in New York to promote the DVD of his most recent flick, Descent, which also stars Rosario Dawson. As part of his publicity tour, Patrick will be appearing at the mind-numbingly popular Splash Bar in New York this evening, where he'll shake his money maker for many-a-homo.

We're not ones for slip and slide, so our editor opted to meet Patrick at a nice, sanitary office earlier this super Tuesday. Old Belonsky braved Patrick's devastating good looks, fruit munching and not-so-subtle crotch caressing to get to the thick of Marcus Patrick. The results are - expansive.

Patrick discusses his boy band days, being kidnapped, Britney Spears, blow jobs and his fascination with "real life" - after the jump, of course.

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During an interview on Howard Stern's Sirius radio program, Simon Colwell predicted the three finalists for this season of American Idol:

"Let me tell you who's gonna be in the finals," Cowell said. "The bald-headed kid (Chris Daughtry) and the guy with gray hair (Taylor Hicks)."

A few minutes later, he added, "I think the top three will be the two I mentioned and Kellie Pickler."

While Simon is trying to portray himself as the all-knowing soothsayer of music competitions, we presume he can read the weekly reports on how many votes are cast for each contestant. So he would know who has been in the lead so far. It's not that fancy a prediction.

Although when we TiVo Idol, we do fast-forward through comments by "Uhhhhhh, it was alright for me" Randy Jackson and "Your light shines from within" Paula Abdul, and only watch Simon's snappy critiques–unless Paula is drunk/high, in which case we watch her comments over and over. Cracked-out Paula is the best. But Simon's opinions aren't inherently any more accurate than the other judges: remember, in the preliminary audition stages, he gave "no" votes to both Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks. Suddenly, he's changing his tune?…

Simon picks Idol finalists