Prison ain’t a picnic. But for those convicts in the gray area of gender identity, hard time becomes harder.

Should transgender felons be put in men’s prison or women’s prison? Should they be matched by their genitals or their gender identities?

Those are a couple of the thorny questions raised in “Cruel and Unusual,” the riveting, sometimes shocking, documentary that examines where transgender individuals fit in, both in and out of prison.

The film is part of the Birmingham Shout lineup for Saturday.

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Festival season is upon us. The newest of the spring crop is Birmingham Shout, a two-day showcase of films with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes. So far, so good: Friday’s opening night film/party is already sold out, and Saturday’s lineup looks intriguing.

What can you expect? Dramas, documentaries and dancing. And likely, a few surprises.

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The flavors of hip-hop continue to multiply. Old school, Dirty South, gangsta rap, crunk, East Coast, West Coast, hardcore, trip-hop.

And now, homo-hop.

The 2005 documentary “Pick Up the Mic” attempts to put down queer stereotypes (gays can be rappers, too!) while introducing various pioneers of the form. While steady in its all-inclusive approach, the film feels almost quaint in presenting another look at Artists Who Happen to Be Gay and Who May or May Not Want Their Orientation to Color Their Message.

It’s part of Saturday’s lineup at the inaugural Birmingham Shout film festival.

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Springtime, and a young Idol finalist’s fancy turns to love songs. Gushy singer Andrea Bocelli and gushy songwriter David Foster were there to help put the six finalists in the mood. Did Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks feel the love?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with video, elimination.

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Birmingham native and super-Friend TV multimillionaire Courteney Cox has popped up in town again, this time on a billboard campaign for the Ronald McDonald House. No, that’s not where the fast-food clown prince goes to recover after a special sauce bender — it’s a great charity that provides housing to families in town with children undergoing medical treatments.

But because we’re incredibly shallow people, all we care about is our CeCe.

Love that arty shot. Black-and-white photo = classy. But clown nose = lame. And the “nose” pun, ugh. We’d like to think nostril humor has still has flare, but maybe it’s mucus to your ears. Those corny billboards … looks like we’ll just have to septum for what they are.

(Get it???)

Join us as we look at Courteney’s past campaigns in the world of advertising …

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For those who think “American Idol” lacks standards, we counted at least seven tonight. Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks and the other six finalists took their shot at the classics, with a helping hand from Rod Stewart.

And the competition just got a little tougher.

Recap after the jump …

Updated with video, elimination.

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Can Queen, a band with such a dynamic presence and catalog, liven up the “American Idol” competition? And would Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks emerge as a champion … or just go crazy?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with multimedia, elimination.

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Taylor Hicks kicked off country night on “American Idol.” Even with Kenny Rogers’ help, could the soul man get his twang on?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with video, elimination.

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Far too much dancing, not nearly enough prancing.

Cirque du Soleil has brought its artsy acrobatics for a two-night performance at the BJCC Arena, but with a heavier emphasis on music and choreography. Is its road show “Delirium” an arena event or Cirque lite?

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“American Idol” singers provided a 21st-century fix, but the future’s not so bright for our 10 finalists, as performance after performance fell flat. Could Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks avoid trouble?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with multimedia, elimination.

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Cooperation is the watchword.

At least, it is for 2006. I haven’t seen so much intergovernmental cooperation in as long as I can remember. Granted, it’s not exactly hugs and rainbows, but it’s a start.

What’s particularly striking about this quiet revolution is the young professionals movement. Not content to let the oldsters continue to run Birmingham into the ground, YPs (preferable to yuppies or some other media-friendly term) are beginning to organize, speak out, actually assert themselves and participate in the ongoing experiment of democracy.

(Hell, even MTV Spring Break 2006 is more about altruism then alcoholism, volunteerism over hedonism. Sad sad sad.)

Birmingham doesn’t stand at a crossroads — it’s been roadkill for a while. But YPs could breathe new life into old ways of governance and getting things done.

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“His name was Barry, he was a show guy, with 11 singers on the air and a ’50s theme, beware …”

Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks took on a Buddy Holly classic, with middling results during rehearsal. Could Barry Manilow save the day? It’s back to the ’50s for “American Idol.”

Updated with multimedia, elimination.

Recap after the jump …

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Weekend multimedia roundup:

Fellow RLCer and neighbor Duane Pontius talks with WBHM (90.3 FM) about his work on a research team that may have found life on one of Saturn’s moons. He’s an assistant professor of physics at Birmingham-Southern College. (related story)

It’s Alabama (10) vs. UCLA (2) in round 2 of the NCAA men’s tournament. Tipoff is at 7 tonight on CBS 42. And as predicted, I’m dead last in the contest pool.

Muscle Shoals native and country singer/guitarist Gary Nichols has his debut single, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” on iTunes, a free download (through Monday). You can check out “HomeGrown,” “Unbroken Ground” and “Southern Girls” at his MySpace page.

The good folks at Scripps Howard News Service have picked up this profile on Taylor Hicks for the news wire. (Thanks, Karen!) Meet Brad Hicks, Taylor’s father and best friend. And learn what Taylor has in common with “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard.

Look for it in print and online in your favorite news sites, such as the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel, the Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune, the Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News, ABC 15 (Phoenix), the (Wichita Falls, TX) Times Record News, the Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times, the Decatur Daily and the (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette.

And be sure to kindly ask your local newspaper and TV station to run the story from the Scripps Howard News Service.

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The 12 “American Idol” hopefuls sang the praises and phrases of Stevie Wonder live. And Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks brought the house down. How did he stack up against the other finalists?

Recap after the jump …

Updated with video, elimination.

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