Gina Bling, one hilarious half of the hip-hop/pop duo Team Gina explains the appeal of the Seattle-based act, thusly: "We noticed there was definitely a niche that needed to be filled in music when it came to white girl lesbian rappers so we filled it."

Bling and Gina Genius hit town tonight to take over Mary's in East Atlanta for an 8 p.m. show, featuring selections from their just-released second album, "Products of the Eighties."

True to its title, on the legwarmer-loving pair's MySpace.com/TeamGina page, the 20-something singers cite Debbie Gibson, Janet Jackson, Tiffany and 1980s-era TV "Jem and the Holograms" and "Saved By the Bell" as influences. They describe their sound as "two hyper fly ladies with verbal dexterity and excellent taste in shoes."

But the pair's probably not going to throw down with T.I. over lyrical content anytime soon.

Team Gina's video for their 2007 single, "Butch/Femme," has received more than 40,000 hits on youtube.com. The song comically details the disparity between feminine-looking lesbians and their more masculine counterparts.

The duo's follow-up for "Products of the Eighties" is their latest single, "Wife Swapping." It covers similar same-sex societal insights.

Explains Bling: "It's really a song about how there are really only 12 lesbians in the world and we all date each other's exes." While lesbians love the act, its appeal is actually wider than one might expect. Hundreds of Atlantans of all sexual orientations have piled into past shows at Eyedrum downtown.

On Monday night, for example, half the crowd at Hangovers in Myrtle Beach, S.C. consisted of fraternity brothers.

Reflects Gina Genius: "Anytime we receive high-fives from straight frat boys, we consider that a good show!"

One warning, Atlanta: Tonight, Team Gina is expected to break out matching neon Spandex outfits.

Says Bling: "We travel with one laptop and six trunks of costumes. It's awesome!"

Or as SF Weekly recently described the duo's live act: "Hotter than the opening credits of 'Barbarella.' "

A Beijing victory lap

It's big enough to be deemed a "News Bulletin" at Marist.

"Kathleen Hersey '08 to compete in summer Olympics," flashed across the Atlanta private school's Web site Monday morning.

That's right, while the rest of us were easing into a long holiday weekend of eating our weight in hot dogs and dogpaddling around the hot tub, the Roswell teen swam her way onto the top-ranked American squad that will descend on Beijing next month. With her parents, Brian and Regina Hersey, and various SwimAtlanta cohorts looking on, Kathleen, 18, finished second in the grueling 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic Team trials in Omaha, Neb.

Even better, it seems, the University of Texas-bound swimmer achieved every teenager's fondest dream: Rendering her parents absolutely speechless.

"We became like two stone statues," Regina Hersey laughingly recalled about Thursday night's tense finals. Like any self-respecting veteran swimming parent, she had all the necessary stat sheets to monitor her daughter's progress during the race, but: "I never checked them once. I couldn't tell you anything that happened!"

A four-time gold medalist at last summer's Pan Am Games and the 2007 national champion in the 200 meter butterfly, Kathleen's Olympic berth was somewhat predictable. Then again, American swimming's talent pool is so deep (sorry!) that upsets sank several favorites at the trials that concluded Sunday night.

"It wasn't a given 'til she hit the wall," said Regina, adding that she and Brian hoped to be able to travel to China. "I have the scratches in my arm to prove it."

A radio cure for Philbin's throat

If "Live With Regis & Kelly" co-host Regis Philbin's throat is improved on-air today, he may owe Q100's Bert Weiss a thank you note. During a live interview with "The Bert Show" Tuesday morning, an ailing Philbin apologized for the condition of his voice. Weiss then recommended Throat Coat to Philbin, a product radio folks use. Minutes later, during "Live," Philbin gave the product a plug in front of millions when he told Kelly Ripa: "I was talking to Bert Weiss in Atlanta and he said I should use Throat Coat." Ripa then informed Reege that the product does indeed work for her as well.

We learned about the less-than-scintillating cycle of events when we heard the interview live on Q100. Then we watched "Live." And then we received a text from Weiss.

And a follow-up e-mail.

Buzz was tempted to reach into our desk for our own handy work-related remedy: Ego Away ...

OVERSCENE

Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and his team taking in an early morning workout at the Peachtree Center Athletic Club in downtown Atlanta before his town hall meeting in Cobb County Tuesday.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Actor Richard Roundtree is 66. Actor Jimmy Smits is 53. Actor Tom Hanks is 52. Singer Courtney Love is 44. Actor Scott Grimes ("ER") is 37. Actor Fred Savage is 32. Actress Georgie Henley ("The Chronicles of Narnia") is 13.

Contributing: Jill Vejnoska and news services