C.J.: David Young is TV's gay judge, and he's just plain happy, too

For a split-second, TV Judge David Young wanted to snap, as in dress me down, but his judicial temperament prevailed.

Young is one of the new judges with a nationally syndicated show that airs at 2 and 2:30 p.m. weekdays on Fox 9. He's also the openly gay judge, providing "justice with a snap," as the TV spots say, and sometimes a song.

I had lunch with Young at Chambers last week; he was on a promotional stop in the Twin Cities.

When asked if finger snapping in the commercial was stereotypical, an expression that was not as affable as most of our encounter flashed across his face. Really now, why does the gay judge have to be the one snapping? (I have it on video.)

"I did it on my own and then they saw that and they said, 'Hey, justice with a snap,'" Young said. "The reason I don't think it's stereotypical is because to every person it means something else. The diversity of it is wonderful."

OK, your honor.

An extremely engaging guy, Young had a great legal résumé before stepping down for a TV bench. He was a law clerk at F. Lee Bailey's firm and served as an assistant state attorney for former U.S. Attorney Janet Reno when she was the state attorney general in Florida. As a Florida judge, Young was noted for creative sentences, his share of high-profile cases, a sense of humor and, ah, bursting into song from the bench.

While his assistants were handling business at Chambers' front desk, Young broke into "Love Is All Around" explaining, "This town just brings out the song in me."

I'd say it brings out the Mary Tyler Moore in him. "Oh, honey, of course," he replied.

To be honest, Young wouldn't last a verse at an "American Idol" audition. But he does have the timing for NBC's "Last Comic Standing."

On a previous trip here, Young was told that it would take him three days to explore the Mall of America. "I said, 'I'm gay and Jewish; it will take me three hours.' I timed myself; three hours. I've got a J.D., a Ph.D in shopping, a master's in everything else." Oh, boy.

Back for more at 4?

Mark Ginther, a former KSTP manager who now works in Dallas at WFAA-TV, interviewed for the news director job at WCCO-TV.

Marjorie's TV goals

Marjorie Johnson has two goals for her Halloween appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

No. 1: She hopes she'll remember to mention her website, blueribbonbaking.com, so she can track how many hits it gets and whether sales of her cookbook "The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking with Marjorie" were influenced by the national exposure.

No. 2: She would like to be the one who bakes the finished product, seen on TV, instead of the show's food stylist: "When she made the coffee cake last time, it was [too] brown. I like a more golden brown."

It's how you say it

I'm told by someone who's an expert on these things that "The Year's Greatest Pronunciation Blunder" took place Wednesday morning on WCCO-AM.

A MnDOT official was being interviewed about the Interstate 35W bridge project when talk turned to main contractor: Flatiron.

Danger, danger, Will Robinson, should you dare to pronounce this word the way it's spelled. The first syllable rhymes with "play," as in Flay-tie-ron.

"I was half-asleep, so I can't swear which of them said this, but I believe it was Mondale," wrote a tipster known to me.

My first guess would have been Eleanor Mondale, who can be a bit of a MangleMaster. But after listening to the tape, I must report that Susie Jones did it.

Was Chan chewing?

A friend's friend reported spotting Jackie Chan eating at Hoa Bien in St. Paul on Friday afternoon.

The friend's friend was with others, who confirmed the sighting. Hmmm.

The guy answering the phone at Hoa Bien said Chan was not there. "Someone would have recognized him." But someone ... oh, never mind.

Tried to shoot an e-mail to Chan to discern his whereabouts on Friday, but Jackiechan.com is for outgoing info only.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.