Okay, I Admit It. I Like Justin Timberlake.

Although I do try to stay on top of what’s going on in popular culture, with the exception of Entourage I don’t necessarily get very excited about many things going on in the media. Up until recently, that went for Justin Timberlake as well. I’m not a huge fan of his music, though I do like some songs

His appearances on Saturday Night Live, however, have begun to convert me to a fan. Aside from the fact that he seems to be genuinely funny and very creative – especially when paired with Andy Samberg – when I have seen him in interviews over the past year, it would appear that he has a brain too. It’s a sad statement that I find that the exception rather than the rule when it comes to celebrities.

And I guess that’s my point. Just because someone is a celebrity, does not automatically confer upon them the attributes of being smart, articulate, or having a point of view I am even remotely interested hearing about. It would seem, however, that Justin does have all those attributes, and for that I respect and admire him.

His appearance on the May 9, 2009 SNL was what made me think about this. Aside from the fact that he is so much more comfortable doing live TV than other guest hosts and that he is perfectly comfortable parodying himself for the sake of a laugh, he really seems to bring the rest of the cast along with him. There is a palpable sense that they are happy to be working with him and it showed in the output – one of the best episodes in a long time from start to finish.

No, it’s not a man-crush, and he’s not even in the top 10 of the list of people I’d like to sit next to on an airplane. I just think the guy’s got talent on many fronts and a good head on his shoulders.

One request, though. Please don’t refer to him as “JT.” There is and will only ever be one “JT” and that’s James Taylor.