Celebrity Male Crush of the Month for June

For info on the Celebrity Male Crush of the Month guidelines, go here. Despite the delay, I didn't forget about this month's CMCM. It simply took me a while to decide who to give this great honor. The decision was not easy. Paul Rudd had so much steam going into this month I felt to honor him would be too obvious, although he is definitely worthy. This month's recipient was my choice at first but then I was sold on someone else for a while. At the last minute I felt I should go with my gut and switch back to the original choice. I wanted to honor a man who truly is a Celebrity Male Crush we can all be proud of.

So, without further interruption, I give you the June Celebrity Male Crush of the Month!

Andy Richter

To me, Andy Richter exemplifies the great qualities of CMCM. He has immense talent and his likability factor is through the roof. Let us start first with his personality. What guy would be better to hang out with than someone who actually did that for a living? As the loyal sidekick to Conan O'Brien for 7 years he was great at comedic banter and interjecting interviews with repartee. He would be the perfect choice to kick back and watch some lame television or movies whilst making funny comments.

If his positive qualities ended simply at being witty and a nice guy then he would fall short of this position. However, he used that wit and charm to create a respectable career. Andy enjoys high critical success despite the continued failure of many of his projects. Instead of letting the cancellations get him down, Andy dusts himself off and tries again.

Andy's big break was. of course, his biggest gig to date. On Late Night with Conan O'Brien he was the perfect match for Conan. Their sketches reached legendary status. But a genius the level of Andy can only remain in the sidekick role for so long. At some point he must reach for his own glory. Since his departure in 2000 it has not been an easy road for Andy.

In 2002 Andy scored his first television show as the lead. It was the underrated Andy Richter Controls the Universe. The show relied on Andy's charm and extreme likability and a first rate supporting cast. Unfortunately, as would be a theme with quality television, Fox failed to give the show adequate time to grow a loyal following.

Andy's next big television project was a step backwards. In choosing to make Quintuplets, Andy in my opinion was trying to at last gain that commercial success he had longed for. But he sacrificed quality material for a grab at good ratings. Sadly, for Andy, even this attempt failed to produce positive results. Yet another show of his was axed by Fox.

It is amazing and a true testament to his fortitude that he ever wanted to have his own television show again. Like so often before he decided to give it another shot. He went back to his roots and what works well for him. His newest project would greatly rely on his charm and perceived innocence. It would be his finest work to date. What helped set Andy Barker, P.I. apart was that it also had Conan as a producer and writer. The tag team of O'Brien and Richter were back together to kick ass and take names!

Could it be that Andy's chance at success was finally here? He switched networks to NBC and was again surrounded by a stellar cast, most notably the brilliant Tony Hale. Surely the American public would rise up and see how brilliant this show was. Alas it was not meant to be. Once again Andy is facing uncertainty.

It seems that Andy's career as a leading television man is doomed for failure. We can only hope that changes in the future. However, Andy has found success in one area through the years. He has made cameos in numerous television shows and movies. Although the parts are mainly small they do make an impact and reinforce his ability to inject comedy in any situation. He has been involved in such notable shows as Arrested Development, Strangers with Candy,
Ed and Monk. Upcoming he will have a role in the Will Ferrell comedy Semi-Pro. With luck he will find another television show that matches his talent.

Celebrity Male Crush of the Month

I am humbled by the incredible juggernaut of 80s nostalgia posted before me. My only hope to match the brilliance of the previous entries is to go in a different direction. Thus I introduce a new monthly feature I was thinking about.

For straight men there are really only 2 major criteria for a male celebrity crush:

• The celebrity must have talent. However, talent alone is not enough. He must use that talent in the best possible way by choosing only quality projects.

• The celebrity must be a guy that you think you could hang out with. There has to be an average guy feel to him. Basically if you could see yourself hanging out, drinking a beer, shooting the shit and watching a movie or the game then it's a good sign.

What is key is that the jealousy factor does not play a role. If you truly wish you were the celebrity and pine for every hot actress/singer he dates then it just doesn't work.

Now that the rules are out of the way I'd like to introduce May's Celebrity Male Crush:

Zach Braff

So just why exactly does Zach deserve such a high honor? Well let us start with the resume. There is of course his longstanding run on the fantastic Scrubs. And then he wrote and directed a gem called Garden State. He also was behind the brilliant soundtrack that accompanied that film, which was one of the best albums of that year.

I hear you asking, "James, why now? Why May? Why the inaugural choice for this honor?" Zach has many things lined up this month. Scrubs will deliver a season finale that hopefully will help get the show renewed for one more year. May 11th The Ex will hit theaters. To cap it off he will be hosting the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 19th. He will also be on Conan tonight in case you have the time. And anyone who was even considered to reprise the role of Fletch is impressive by my book.(He was unable to do it due to a scheduling conflict)

Obviously he brings some serious game when it comes to talent. What about the hang-out factor? Is he an average guy? If by average guy you mean a freak like us then yes he is. First of all, he spends way too much time on the internet. He is a self-confessed youtube addict. Plus he takes the time to blog on his myspace page about more than just upcoming projects(though they do get mentioned). He is also obsessed with music as well. Plus the guy gets nervous, which is nice to see. He was on Leno recently and he was obviously a bit on edge. Basically the guy is pretty relatable.