|
|
« November 2006 |
Main
| January 2007 »
Are you ready to rock in 2007? Thought so...
I’m gonna end up the year with a post about what I’m going to be looking forward to musically in 2007. Seems fitting since music has always been sort of the anchor for this bloggy stuff going on here.
Here are a few queer artists, some mainstream folks, some indie festivities, and some you’ve already been hearing about... And of course, this is only a smidgen of cool stuff to come. Nonetheless, you can put them on your lists of stuff to look out for.
Have a great New Year’s Weekend! Celebrate—whether that means whooping it up a some mega-party or swank affair, or just chilling at home (which can make for a quite a sparkling evening, too).
Chris Garneau
This Brooklyn-based singer songwriter has his debut, Music for Tourists, coming out on January 23 on the Absolutely Kosher label. What I’ve heard so far is truly beautiful. He’s gonna be big, in the somewhere between Rufus Wainwright/Bright Eyes/Sufjan Stevens/Damien Rice kind of vibe. And he’s cute in the pretty awesome video for his single, “Relief,” which you can watch on his MySpace page. Get ready for him.
Courtney Love
She’s been riding a frothy media wave since this past fall, which I’m all for. And her new record (full of smart rockin’ help from Linda Perry and Billy Corgan is due in the spring). There are some clips of grainy YouTube performances (from a benefit for L.A.’s Gay & Lesbian Center) which you can watch, to hear a bit of her new stuff. I’m just stoked that she’s sober and focusing on music again. Let’s hope for the best.
Cazwell
New York’s resident party host/rap star should be a big star any moment now. He recently released his CD Get Into It, which is full of tracks that club-munchkins have been chewing on for a couple of years now. His fab YouTube-smashin’ video “All Over Your Face” was deemed too racy for Logo, but here’s hoping his next clip for the single “Watch My Mouth” will get some much deserved national TV play. Just expect more from this one. Thank goodness.
Bloc Party
Stereogum predicts that Bloc Party, boosted by the strength of their forthcoming album, A Weekend in the City, which comes out in the U.S. in early February, will be the next Coldplay. Yikes! That’s cool and all, but is it wrong to wanna keep these guys somehow within the confines of indie/slightly underground coolness-land? Whatever... You can already watch the video for “The Prayer” online. Yep, lead singer Kele Okereke (pictured above) won’t discuss his sexuality, but maybe that’ll change. (His mug was featured on the cover of the arty/queer-ish Canadian ’zine “They Shoot Homos Don’t They.”) In the meantime, I’m content to just listen to them rock out.
Deerhoof
I saw Deerhoof perform this past summer at one of the McCarren Park Pool concerts in Brooklyn. They were crazy. Weird, slammy, jerky, both melodic and noisy, both charming and abrasive. They’re experimental—and just plain mental. (Sorry, that was a bit twee...) Lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki is crazy onstage, and her cohorts Greg Saunier and John Dieterich are right there with her. And their new album, Friend Opportunity, due in January, comes with 12 different album covers. Kooky. Yay!
A Bond girl, Herr Lagerfeld and the wondrous Cat Power. Glammmmmm...
Cat Power
This past year Chan Marshall put out one of 2006’s best albums, the aptly titled The Greatest. Next year, we’re promised an album of her blissful, spare, gorgeous covers. And you can expect to see her as the face of Chanel jewelry in forthcoming ads shot by Karl Lagerfeld. Only more great stuff from this one.
Lily Allen
She’s already the most-buzzed about new artist of 2006. And her bouncy, brilliant, upbeat, snarky and solid album, Alright Still, hasn’t even gotten a proper U.S. release yet. That changes on January 30th.
Demi who?
Rufus Wainwright
The precocious genius is currently in the midst of taking his Judy Garland-Carnegie Hall show to London and Paris. But brace yourselves, ’cuz he’s gonna release a brand new studio album, Release the Stars, produced by Neil Tennant (as in the Pet Shop Boy), and it’s due in May.
 
Nick + Simon x JT = !!!!!!!
Duran Duran
These guys have been hit-or-miss over the years, but when they’re good (Rio, anyone?), they’re really good. That’s why I’m hopeful about their 2007 album. And it’s also due to the fact that Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (who produced much of 2006’s good stuff) are involved. “Flex, flex, flex, flex, flex!”
Fantasia
Her new eponymous disc came out on December 12th, and its solid. The single “Hood Boy” with guest help from Outkast’s Big Boi is spot-on, and the entire album (produced by Missy Elliott, Swizz Beatz and more) cranks, too. Finally, can this Idol get some musical props and widespread adulation. Yes, I think so.
And one last 2006 note. Superfab gay music blogger Arjan has posted his batch of top songs for the past year, and it’s a splendid bunch. Check ’em out, and chances are you’ll discover some folks that may become your new faves for 2007. Share and share alike...
And Happy New Year!
"I now pronounce you..." Same-sex couples like this one will be getting hitched in Jersey, even if local judges or mayors put up a fight. Hooray!
Overheard in New Jersey: “Um, yes you are gonna marry us!” Judges and mayors across Jersey must perform civil unions for the gays, whether they want to or not. Sweet!
AND...
The National Enquirer claims that after their divorce, Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro have both gone gay. Okayyy... I smell a new reality show: “The Gay Divorcees!” Goodness knows they’d probably sign on...
An Ohio county asks couples as they apply for a marriage license “Do you solemnly swear you are not a transsexual?" Really.
Johnny Depp to play Freddie Mercury in a movie!??? Hurrah! (Okay, it’s just a buzzing rumor, but still...).
January 8th is over a week away, and I’m already in a “New York” state of mind!
Trent’s got a little look back at gay showbizzy stuff in 2006. Anybody up for Eating Out 3?
And Keith Boykin’s got a great video tribute to James Brown up on his blog. It kicks off with the amazing clip of the Godfather of Soul from the Blues Brothers film. Rest in Peace, Sir.
Workers make sure the Big Ball is ready to drop in Times Square this New Year's Eve. Yep, I woulda thought it was bigger, too.
When it comes to New Year’s Eve, you’ve always got options.
For example, here in New York, you can whoop it up with drag king Murray Hill and his party full of lovely buxom lady performers... You can rock out at the polysexual glam-mosh fest that is Michael T. & Justine’s always raucous Motherf**ker party. You can live the dream and party with Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson and Kevin Aviance, who are gonna blow the roof off of the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Junior Vasquez-helmed One Night Only party. You can stay up all night downtown at Joe’s Pub at the New Year's RepriEVE with deranged and lovely performers like Dina Martina, Penny Arcade, trans delight Glenn Marla, writers Mike Albo and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, the Wau Wau Sisters, Bridget Everett, the Dazzle Dancers and more... And then you can dance into the daytime (or afternoon -- yikes!) hours at Crobar with super-DJ Victor Calderone...
Happy New Effie! Party with J-Hud in NYC...
Or you can just hole up with friends in your living room and pop your cork there...
And before all of that, you can head online and visit this blog’s nice sponsor, Absolut Vodka (which can also be a festive New Year’s Eve accoutrement) and vote in their quest to name the “100 Absolutes.” There, you can vote for such timely celebratory-relevant vote-getters like, “What’s the Absolute Bar?” (So far, the Hudson Bar in NYC is in the lead!) Or, “What’s the Absolute Cocktail?” (Not surprisingly, the Vodka Martini is way ahead. I approve.) “What’s the Absolute City?” (The Big Apple’s in front in this poll, too; and not even counting all the New Year’s Eve madness that tears up the city.)
And then there’s the popular poll asking, “What’s the Absolute Cocktail Occasion?” Surprisingly (or not), New Year’s Eve ranks only third. Ahead of it? “Anytime” is the strong leader. And “5pm Friday” is a steadfast second place. So, maybe every evening is New Year’s Eve for you people?
These people need no excuse for a party. But they did enjoy this particular New Year's Eve, circa 1930. Some things never change...
Anyway, go to the Absolut site now and sound off!
Meanwhile...
Other killer New Year’s Eve options...
Catch the Flaming Lips, Cat Power and Gnarls Barkley in Los Angeles!
Or rock out with Blonde Redhead, Shiny Toy Guns and Scissors for Lefty at Mezzanine in San Francisco.
Or better yet, just head to London and whoop it up welcoming 2007 with Kylie Minogue.
Just report back to me about whichever you choose!
Whoa. Can you even imagine a day a guy could rock a brown suit with a beige shirt and tan & brown striped tie? He's totally serving up a look. And dig Betty's AMAZING hair! These two are stylin'! (Evidently he was also President at one time, too.)
Former Pres Gerald Ford died, as you might have heard. And this intriguing bit of news has gotten revived, too. A gay guy saved his life during an assassination attempt back in 1975. This is just the stuff of a period movie just waiting to get whipped up now. Everyone loves 1970s true-story movies set in San Francisco (which is where the attempt occurred). Tell Jake Gyllenhaal to get those big fake sideburns back outta the cedar closet!
Here's a shot of the grooviest, blondest First Family ever. (Son Steven Ford, second from left, was on Young & The Restless for awhile years back.) Don't you just wanna play tennis with this crew, and then have a big bonfire on the beach and sing Jim Croce songs? Peace!
Gay actor John Barrowman got hitched in England. In a kilt!
American actor John Barrowman—who’s not as well-known here, but is huge in England, starring on the Dr. Who spin-off Torchwood—tied the knot with his man-lover Scott Gill in a civil ceremony there. Awwwww...
Heavy stuff comin' for the HARRY POTTER kids. A big summer mailing--and death, perhaps.
British mail is already beginning to brace for the weighty onslaught that will come when pre-ordered copies of the next (and last!) Harry Potter has to be shipped to readers this summer. Oomph! And FYI, if Harry’s gonna get snuffed in this last book, Lord Voldemort (shocker!) is the odds-on fave to rub him out.
John Edwards--in some serious casual duds--announced his run for Prez, as Katrina-suriving kids look on.
Meanwhile... John Edwards to run for President. Discuss.
Wentworth Miller turned up in Oz for the holidays. He's giving us some kind of 1940s dashingness. Nice, eh?
Wentworth Miller does Sydney! Prison Break's heading down under. Cute hair, Wenty.
Happy December 26th! Chances are you’re traveling today. Or toiling solitarily at your workplace while others are out traveling. Or you're still at home in your slippers, eating leftover ham. And you needn't really get fully back to work anyway... So, in the meantime, here are some fun, newsy bits for you. (And, I'm traveling too. Expect more posts come this Thursday! Tomorrow... Not so much.)
For the last few weeks LogoOnline has been celebrating 2006: The Queer Year by asking visitors to vote in their fun polls to rate the best (and occasionally not-so-best) moments in queer culture in this past year. You can sound off on gay reality shows, sexy movie stars, flashy pop icons, gay jocks, and celebs who came out.
So, to clue you in to the voting so far, here’s a rundown of some of the leaders in more than a few of the questions... (I’m gonna serve up the top three vote-getters for each question.) If there’s a trend, it’s worth noting that there seem to be lots of women voting, as any female nominees are garnering masses of votes. Check ’em out!
And if you wanna vote and be heard, head here to put in your gay two cents.
2006: THE QUEER YEAR POLLS
The voting so far... with the top ranking answers listed in order...
FILM
 
Imagine Me & You's Piper Perabo and Lena Headey. You like them! You really like them!
What was the best gay movie of the Year?
1. Imagine Me & You
2. Running With Scissors
3. Tie: Adam & Steve / Shortbus
See! I told you that the woman are voting strong. And who doesn't love a lesbian romantic comedy?!
 
It's X-Woman vs. Bond in a battle of sexiness!
Sexiest performance on film this year?
1. Famke Janssen in X-Men: The Last Stand
2. Hilary Swank in The Black Dahlia
3. Daniel Craig in Casino Royale
Jean Grae is whooping James Bond! (And hey... Famke was a Bond girl herself, back in "Goldeneye." Turnabout's fair play, right?)
The boys of Eating Out 2. It's NOT a porn movie, I swear!
Gayest non-porn movie title of 2006?
1. Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
2. She’s the Man
3. Inside Man
No big shocker on that one.
Most hilarious performance in a gay film role?
1. Steve Carell in Little Miss Sunshine
2. The four lead boys in Another Gay Movie
3. Sasha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights
Steve Carell can even make a manically depressed suicidal gay guy funny. Not bad, eh?
TV
Jacob & Joshua: You like to watch.
Best reality show to watch with a room full of loud, gay friends?
1. Nemesis
2. America’s Next Top Model
3. Work Out
Watch out Tyra! The Jacob & Joshua fans are a serious voting contingent!
Barb and Rosie: Bringing gay issues into daytime talk TV. Woo-hoo!
Favorite outspoken pro-gay voice on talk TV?
1. Rosie O’Donnell, The View
2. Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
3. Tyra Banks, Tyra
Rosie’s out, loud and not about to go anywhere anytime soon. Hear that Donald?
The South of Nowhere crew = hot.
Hottest lesbian(s) on TV?
1. The girls from South of Nowhere
2. The entire cast of The L Word
3. Tie: Ellen Degeneres of Ellen, and Jackie Warner of Work Out
ANTM's Kim Stolz... Got famous fast. You approve.
Best career track to become a famous gay?
1. Be “the lesbian” on America’s Next Top Model
2. Sleep with a former boy band star
3. Be a stylist on Queer Eye/What Not to Wear
This you weren't as fond of.
Most cringe inducing Project Runway: Season 3 moment?
1. When Jeffery won.
2. When Jeffrey made Angela’s mom cry.
3. Tie: Vincent flirting with Catherine Malandrino and Bradley’s Cher outfit
Ms. Rowell boarded Noah's Arc. And you were grateful.
Best new Noah’s Arc season two character?
Victoria Rowell as Vonda
Keith Hamilton Cobb as Quincy
Tie: Merwin Mondesir as Dre, and Jason Steed at Baby Gat
Amid all the hot men on Noah’s Arc, props to sexy Victoria Rowell for coming out on top!
MUSIC
 
Jake Shears: Often shirtless, always flamboyant! Photos by Kevin Tachman.
The Fiercest Band with the most hellaciously splashy lead singer?
1. Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears
2. Gnarls Barkely, Cee-Lo
3. Tie: The Gossip, Beth Ditto/Morningwood, Chantal Claret
He may not feel like dancin’, but Jake Shears always puts on a great show.
Madonna got cross in 2006.
Most diva-riffic onstage antics of 2006?
1. Madonna in The Confessions Tour
2. Faith Hill, upon losing at the CMT’s
3. Barbra Streisand cursing in NYC
Funny how a big cross and a crown of thorns is an attention-getter, eh?
Most maddeningly catchy song?
1. “SexyBack” Justin Timberlake
2. “Hips Don’t Lie” Shakira
3. “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” Scissor Sisters
Maybe you think it never left, but JT brought sexy back, in a big way.
Of the artists who’ve hit #1 on Logo’s Click List, who’s your favorite?
1. Nemesis
2. God-dess & She
3. Jason & deMarco
Twins are in!
PLUS...
Sarah Waters: You wanna READ her. In the nicest, traditional sense of the word.
Favorite LGBT author?
1. Sarah Waters
2. Augusten Burroughs
3. Terri Jentz
Your favorite gossip blog?
1. Pink Is the New Blog
2. TMZ.com
3. Perez Hilton
Perez may be the nastiest gossip queen, but you guys love Trent and his boy-next-door celeb-loving charms.
Best Drag Queen Blogger
1. Rupaul
2. Lady Bunny
3. Linda Simpson
Talk about a tasty trifecta! Go Ru!
Most-visited lesbian/bi TV fansite?
1. Spashley.com 41%
2. L Word Fan Site 30%
3. The L Word Online 18%
The South of Nowhere girls rule!
Amelie Mauresmo. World champion hotness!
Favorite Lesbian Athlete?
1. Amelie Mauresmo
2. Sheryl Swoopes
3. Martina Navratilova
Love - Mauresmo!
Most important LGBT-related news story of 2006?
1. Battle over same-sex marriage
2. Democrats gain control of Congress
3. Gay entertainers coming out
Do you take gay marriage issue seriously? Say “I do.”
Ms. Loken came out. You were glad.
Most memorable/impactful coming out of 2006?
1. Kristanna Loken
2. Lance Bass
3. Batwoman
When hot, blonde T3 stars come out, you people listen!
 
Kristanna & Michelle won you over. But when do we get to see them together?
The year’s hottest couple?
1. Kristanna Loken & Michelle Rodriguez
2. Ellen Degenres & Portia DeRossi
3. Tie: Cherry Jones & Sarah Paulson/Reichen Lehmkuhl & Lance Bass
Ummm. Lance and Reichen who? It’s all about the women, thanks.
Gays love Pink! So do bulldogs!
Which straight entertainer was our best ally of 2006?
1. Pink, for “Dear Mr. President”
2. Brad and Angelina, for not marrying
3. Tyra Banks, for everything
 
Is she straight? Not sure... But Michelle is waayyyy hot. As is Matthew.
Which straight star do you enjoy objectifying?
Female - Michelle Rodriguez (okay, we were joking... but she is hot!)
Male - Matthew McConaughey
So, it looks like you prefer to be stranded on a desert island with Lost’s Ana Lucia. And while you’re there, how about some surfing with Mr. McConaughey?
So, thanks for sounding off so far folks! See more vote-getters when you vote online.
Keep on voting!
More later this week. Now, go finish off that tin of cookies your great-aunt send you.
Joshua (in front) and Jacob, at an appearance in NYC earlier this fall. Today, they're talking about the news about getting excommunicated from their family's church, just for being gay (!). And they're, like, really nice and smart about it.
STOP THE PRESSES! EXCLUSIVE STUFF HERE!
News came out yesterday that Jacob and Joshua Miller, the gay identical twins who just happen to make up the pop-star duo of Nemesis (and who starred in their own Logo reality series this fall, Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising) have been “disfellowshipped” by their family's Jehovah’s Witness congregation back in their home state of Montana. This is a big deal.
All throughout the Nemesis Rising series, you learned how Jacob and Joshua were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses, and as they grappled with the issues of coming out and trying to make it as pop stars, they also wondered how the fact of their being openly gay would affect their family, since their parents’ religion doesn’t allow devout Jehovah’s Witnesses to associate with those who have left the faith. Jacob and Joshua haven’t been practicing JW’s for a while, since homosexuality is a big no-no. (Yep, pretty much if you’re openly gay, you’re no longer a Jehovah’s Witness.) But this new official development could, at worst, cut them off from their family... for good.
Meanwhile, news of the twins getting disfellowshipped (quite the ominous mouth-full of a word, eh?) popped up in news reports and on blogs. And it’s all rather intense and a bit fascinating. So, to find out what it all means, I managed to get on the phone with Jacob and Joshua last night. What follows (it’s a lot!) is our conversation about this strange turn of events. It’s like a crash course in theology, a “don’t ask, don’t tell” passion play, and a gripping family drama all in one.
(And yes, there’s also some news about Nemesis' impending album release!)
Anyway, read on! And give props to the to the guys for being steadfast and true to themselves.
Thanks for talking guys... How did you hear about the “disfellowship” news?
Jacob: It was so sad. One of our friends, who’s a Jehovah’s Witness in our hometown [Kalispell, Montana] was at the meeting. So, she sent Joshua a text message: “Oh my god, they just disfellowshipped you.”
Joshua: My heart dropped. It was a sudden announcement that took everyone by surprise, including our parents. And our friend, of course, wasn’t supposed to talk to us after the announcement, but she ran out of the meeting crying, and sent the text message. And that was the first I’d heard of it.
So you didn’t know this was going to be happening?
Jacob: No. Normally when they disfellowship somebody, the elders meet with them first and they talk with them about it. In this case, they didn’t; nobody made any effort to contact us. They just made the announcement.
Joshua: And they have access to us. Our grandfather is one of the elders.
Do they give you details about what exactly the grounds for this are?
Jacob: No, absolutely nothing. We haven’t even spoken to anyone. They just get on up onstage and make the announcement that “Jacob and Joshua Miller are no longer Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Is being gay in and of itself grounds for getting “disfellowshipped”?
Jacob: In short, yes. When we were 15, we got baptized, which means you have to then abide by the rules and laws of the church, and if you don’t, then they can take all kinds of actions. They can privately reproove you, they can publicly reproove you, or they can decide to disfellowship you...
When you get reprooved, it’s like receiving a warning?
Jacob: Exactly. And they’ll share scriptures with you about your wrongdoing and then you’re given an opportunity to correct the situation. But basically if you’re gay, then there is no place for you within the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
And the laws prohibiting homosexuality in the faith are Biblically based?
Jacob: They’re based on the scriptures in the Bible that say “men who lie with men will not inherit God’s kingdom.” The same verse that says also singles out murderer, idolators, adulterers, thieves, fornicators...
So you knew this could happen, right?
Jacob: We knew it would be an issue. Joshua and I moved away from our hometown ten years ago and started working in the music industry and we’ve lived our lives pretty much the same as we do today. But the TV series raised our profile as openly gay people to the point where the church felt like it was necessary for them to make a public announcement saying that we were disfellowshipped.
Joshua: We’d just always hoped it wouldn’t happen. I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out what benefit for anyone could come from making that announcement. I can’t seem to find one.
Was it like they couldn’t somehow not acknowledge it?
Jacob: Exactly, even though so much time has passed since we’d lived in that area anyway, and we weren’t interracting with the local Jehovah’s Witnesses there... And frankly, we still have a lot of respect for Jehovah’s Witnesses and the religion that we were raised in. We were raised with good morals and a strong sense of character. Jehovah’s Witness are generally wonderful people. I had just hoped that more of a tolerant message would be shown, on their part.
 
Jacob (with boyfriend Nick) in NYC earlier this fall. Joshua was there, too.
What does this all mean in terms of having contact with your family or friends at home?
Jacob: There’s no way to know. It basically means that our immediate family members are supposed to limit their contact with us, or have no assocation with us at all. And any Jehovah’s Witnesses who know us or that we might come in contact with us around the world, now that we’ve been disfellowshipped, are not allowed to speak to us. And if they do, they risk the repercussions of being taken before the elders themselves and possibly being disfellowshipped also.
But for instance, can your Mom call you on the phone?
Jacob: The short answer is yes. They don’t say that your parents or your siblings or immediate family can’t ever talk to you again. But they encourage them to limit their contact, and many parents of disfellowshipped children choose, because they believe so strongly in their faith, not to speak to their kids anymore. Now, whether or not our parents will do that, I’d like to think that that won’t happen, but there’s not anyway to know that at the moment.
So, you’re just kind of waiting to get a phone call... Isn’t that sort of maddening?
Jacob: It’s all very fresh right now. I haven’t heard from them yet, but I’ll reach out to them in the next couple of days if I don’t hear from them, and we’ll just see where it goes. I know this is all incredibly upsetting to them, because they’re in the community up there and this is a big deal to them, and it impacts their lives on every front.
Joshua: And bear in ming that we were raised in Kalispell and now for thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses there, it’s going to be painful for them, too. Even if there is someone there who wants to stand up and say “I love you both, and I’ll maintain a relationship with you,” if Jacob and I go home and are even seen with a Jehovah’s Witness there, the elders can take judicial action against that person, and they can be disfellowshipped.
How do you think your folks will hold up dealing with all of this?
Jacob: I think it’s going to be really hard for them. And the saddest thing to me is that, if you saw the show, we made sure that we didn’t say anything bad about Jehovah’s Witnesses. We wanted everybody to know that we’re proud of the way that we were raised. We were proud of our faith and our family, and how loving everyone was. And for it to all end with this, it’s just so unnecessary. There could have been a better way.
Joshua: The whole thing ends up being very painful... I don’t think there’s anything wrong with following a faith and believing in God and worshipping, but as a result of this, I think some people close to us will have their faith shaken and compromised, and that’s really unfortunate.
At some point years ago, you must have realized that you eventually probably would be leaving the faith?
Jacob: It’s difficult, because in all honesty, if you could be gay and be Jehovah’s Witnesses, I don’t have any doubts that Joshua and I still would be.
Do you still consider yourself spiritual people?
Jacob: Oh very. I’m more spiritual today than I ever was when I lived in Montana. It’s different. My sense of spirituality is broader. But I feel, for the first time, that my love for God and his love for me is a personal relationship, and it’s not something that someone can take away from you. Joshua: Right. I don’t believe in God the way I was brought up to believe in God, but I consider myself a very spiritual person.
If you would have been able to be present at that meeting in Kalispell, what would you have liked to say to the people gathered there?
Jacob: I would say the same thing to them that I’m saying to you. I would have tried to explain, from my point of view, “What choice do I have?” I have the choice to either denounce my faith, and embrace my life as a gay man who is in a loving and committed relationship now going on seven years. Or to throw my relationship away, denounce my being gay and live a lie. And I don’t understand what kind of choice that is.
Jacob & Joshua: Religious woes should soon be behind them, so bring on that new album!
Now about your music... When will your album be out?
Jacob: It’s slated for release the first week in February. I’m so excited. We’ve got shows coming up and we’ve got dates booked around the country. We’re doing everything we can to keep the music going. The record label is really working the single hard at radio and it’s doing really well. We're on the Billboard dance charts.
Joshua: Everything is done; at the pieces are in place. We’re so excited about it, so when things like this disfellowship happens, it’s not only hurful and sad, it’s a distraction. Jacob and I have been trying to do this for our whole lives; it’s our dream. So, we’re excited.
And it’s now the holiday season. I know Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas or any traditional holidays, but what are your plans for this time of year?
Jacob: Nick, my boyfriend is going to go home to Nashville and celebrate Christmas with his family, and I’m just going to be here in Los Angeles. Joshua and I will be here, and we’ll get together with friends, and we’ve gotten some wonderful gifts from friends... The holidays thing is all very new to us. After a lifetime of not celebrating holidays, when the holidays roll around I have no idea what to do! [laughs]
Joshua: I feel in the holiday spirit, I love all the lights and all the presents and everybody’s sense of giving. Jehovah’s Witnesses where we grew up would be horrified to know that I’m celebrating Christmas, that would be as shocking as the fact that I’ve been disfellowshipped. But our producers sent us over a gift that I’m very excited about.
What did you get?
Joshua: They gave us a little mini-shopping spree at Fred Segal. I can’t wait!
Well, at least throughout all of this--including the heaviness of the disfellowship stuff--at least you guys have each other for support. It’s not like you’re facing this all totally alone.
Jacob: That’s a blessing that will never go away. Come hell or high water, at least we have each other.
**************
P.S. Speaking of holidays... I’m off now for the Xmas weekend. Have a great holiday everybody. See you next week!
Happy! Merry! Greetings!
Peace.
Nemesis' Jacob & Joshua, backstage at MTV's TRL earlier this fall.
Here's a bit of lame news late on this wintry Thursday...
This pop-rocking twins of Nemesis, Jacob & Joshua, who just wrapped up their reality series, Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising on Logo, have been officially "disfellowshipped" by their family's Jehovah's Witness organization. Because being gay is pretty much not okay with the Jehovah's Witness crowd, now the twins' family (and any others in the faith whom they know or love) are not allowed to have any contact with them. Which kind of blows. And seems way harsh.
The brothers issued a press release about all of this and here's part of it:
At [last night's] meeting it was announced to all members of the Jehovah's Witness organization that we have been, as Jehovah's Witnesses would say, "disfellowshipped" (excommunicated) because of our homosexuality and our participation in our reality show, "Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising," on Logo.
According to Jehovah's Witness doctrine, being "disfellowshipped" means that we have been found guilty of unrepentant gross misconduct. Our immediate family is to have limited or no contact with us. And all other practicing Jehovah's Witnesses around the world are not to speak with us ever again.
Although we are no longer Jehovah's Witnesses, we have nothing but love for those individuals who have been asked to shun us. We will continue to be in contact with our family and those who truly love us unconditionally as long as they're willing.
Of course, Jacob and Joshua anticipated just this sort of response. Let's hope they're dealing with all of this well. They're, like, totally nice guys and deserve better.
And as Andy at Towleroad commented succinctly... "Another great example of how organized religion can be buckets of fun, love, and inclusion."
Our best wishes go out to Jacob & Joshua. Keep the faith! (Or something along those lines...)
Penelope Cruz knows why the lesbian rumors linking her and Salma Hayek keep flaring up. That’s because she’s the one fanning the flames. (Click and scroll down the link.) While at a press event posing for photographers with Hayek, Cruz says she “grabbed Salma’s ass just to keep things moving, because everyone was a little slow.” Sounds like a swell way to kill time...
And Hayek has commented: “There are magazine covers in Mexico describing us as these lesbians because of that... A lot of people were saying we were lovers.”
Frankly, I think they’d make a splendid couple. And by “splendid” I mean ragingly hot, thanks.
Awwwwww...
Whitney's keeping it in the "Family" with her new single.
The first song of Whitney Houston’s “comeback” has been leaked online! The tune is called "Family First" and it's featured in Tyler Perry’s next flick Daddy’s Little Girls. You can hear it here.
The song is a warm and fuzzy track with vocals from mom Cissy Houston and cousin Dionne Warwick, and it's (surprisingly) the first time all three have collaborated on a song together. On board is also what sounds like a choir of children singing along (and some suspect that Whit’s kid Bobbie Kristina is lending vocals on the track, too).
Basically all the elements are in line here for a big, juicy, teary Oprah reunion episode.
I’m so there.
 
Don't hold back Rosie and Donald: Tell us how you REALLY feel.
This whole Rosie vs. Trump thing is bonkers! Who knew there was some long-running feud between them? Who knew that the Donald was such a major diva? (Okay, I guess we all did.)
The video of Trump going off on Rosie is gross. The original clip of Rosie going off on Trump yesterday is excessive. But I did think that Rosie actually took the high road today on The View (who knew Rosie had a high road?): When asked to comment on Trump’s rant and the whole affair, Rosie declined to get verbal, and just simply rolled her eyes at the whole mess.
I do think it’s unlikely that Trump would have launched such a personally nasty counter-attack if Rosie’s original “snake-oil salesman” comments would have come from someone like Bill Maher or another male talk-show commentator. His whole thing kind of reeks of misogyny. And, Robin, our photo editor in the office, sort of nailed it when she pointed out, “It’s sort of bizarre to watch Trump commenting on someone being unattractive.” Ha!
But enough! Can’t this all just go away before the holiday weekend? Let’s just dump some coal in both of their stockings and move on, eh?
Speaking of which...
Desperately Seeking Susan to become a Broadway musical? With Blondie songs?
The Henry Rollins Show is coming back for another season on IFC. With regular guest op-ed commentary by Janeane Garafalo. Yay!
The name of the final Harry Potter book has been announced. Order your copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” like, now!
And in some actually useful news, the New Jersey bill legalizing gay civil unions got signed today. Hurrah!
Ho ho ho, Bee-yotches! Love, Annette!
Just about every mod/indie/hipster music website has tons of year-end lists, which is great. But just about every one of those sites is also offering links to rockin’ holiday tunes, which I gotta admit, I find way festive and giddily entertaining.
So here are some of the best...
At Pitchfork, they’ve pretty much got the underground/indie Xmas tunes thing nailed. For instance, they’ve got a link to a tune from The Knife called “Christmas Reindeer.” Need I say more? Okay... There are also Xmas tunes from The Killers, the “Joseph & Mary Chain” (ha!), Willie Nelson with a peace-y tune, and Sufjan Stevens.
Those lovely music geeks at WFMU have a massive mosh of holiday music links, too. Including “Yuletide Disco!”
And over at Idolator, they’ve crowned Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues as the rulers of the boozy-rockin’ holiday tune with “Fairytale of New York.” And they’re pretty much right. How can you argue with a tune that begins “It was Christmas Eve in the drunk tank...”???
For my money, just about the best tinsel-themed tunes is the New Wave classic “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses. You can hear it at their MySpace page, and you can go watch a video (oh, the dated glory of it all) of their hit “I Know What Boys Like”. (And you can watch a clip of some YouTube-ing girl deliver her own lo-fi homemade video of “Christmas Wrapping.")
When it comes to sheer TV brilliance, I’m not sure that anything will ever match the stunning (and very, very gay) Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special from 1988 that Pee-Wee Herman put on. The guest star list includes Cher, Grace Jones, k.d. lang, Charo, Dinah Shore, Oprah, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, the Del Rubio Triplets, Little Richard, Zsa Zsa Gabor and a fresh-scrubbed choir of singing Marines (!). Go buy it, if you don’t own it already. Or just watch the brilliance that is Grace Jones emerging from a box to sing “The Little Drummer Boy” here.
Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum!
Continuing on the old-school tip, Run-DMC rocks their classic “Christmas in Hollis”...
George Michael romances a woman (gay shocker!) in Wham’s "Last Christmas"...
Nirvana: Smells like Christmas spirit!
And, whoa! Nirvana wishes RuPaul a Merry Christmas in 1993... For real!
This one's kinda messy. But rock out with The Kinks doing “Father Christmas”...
Just in time for global warming, check out "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" by the Pet Shop Boys, performed on an Elton John holiday special....
And to take it down a notch further (talk about old-school; or just old) glum out with “Happy New Year” by ABBA. Which, apparently, is shown at every year at midnight on New Year's Eve on Swedish TV.
And if that doesn’t hold you... go here for a page full of holiday video clip mania...
Finally...
Still stumped with your holiday shopping? Give ’em what they really want?
Ash-dusted goat cheese!!! Who knew?
It's not a holiday party until the sheep get rowdy...
Madonna: But what she really wants to do is...
So about Madonna’s next movie... No, she’s not going to act in it. She’s going to direct. (Which is preferable, right?)
Supposedly, Mrs. Ritchie is going to helm the directing duties for Blade to the Heat, based on the play of the same name. It’s a boxing story based on a real fight between Latino fighters in the 1950’s--and there’s gay love-story action in it!
Is she gonna enter the directing ring?
Or at least there was in the original play... I saw Blade to the Heat (by Oliver Mayer) in Los Angeles years ago, and there was lots of sweaty guy-flesh in it. The main set for the play was a big boxing ring, and I think I remember men showering on stage. (Or maybe I made that part up.)
Of course, it’s still uncertain how official this news is. The Madonna fan site, Drowned Madonna, says it’s not happening. But RollingStone.com and The Sun tabloid are certainly implying that it is.
But somehow, Madonna directing a gay Latino boxing film does sort of make sense right? Perhaps it's a job for Carlos Leon?
Um, Honey... I'm kinda bored with this entire global pop icon thing. Mind if I take your job?
I'll keep ya posted.
 
Brandon Flowers: "Here comes Santa Claus!"
Yes, Brandon Flowers... There is a Santa Claus!
AND...
Mary, Please! The 2000-year-old virgin gets some docu-love on PBS just in time for her big holiday.
Tell us something we don’t know! Angelina Jolie says that adoptive parents make better parents. Even when she’s not directly supporting us gays, she is. Yay, Angie!
Remember all those lesbians on TV this past year? Or at least a few? (Rosie, WorkOut’s Jackie, The L-Women, and Top Chef’s Josie, and...) AfterEllen’s Malinda Lo is gonna take you back.
Speaking of lesbians, The L Word and AfterEllen’s Malindo Lo, she’s got a glimpse at this season’s female-phonic TV soundtrack. Think Pink. And PJ Harvey. And Kelis. And The Cliks.
Which poet does Jake Shears love? Who did Bill Maher out? Who sued who? Who slept with Kevin? Brush up on your gay year-end knowledge with an AfterElton quiz!
Robbie Williams must indeed be looking to sell some records. He’s now got some viral video out of himself dolled up in drag for an interview! (Thanks Arjan!) Check it out here! (Nice bob, Rob.)
In just strange news, Sharon Stone and Christian Slater are dating. Discuss.
Andrew Ridgely freaked out! Meaning, he chickened out of this past Sunday’s big Wham reunion, which was to happened at George Michael’s Wembley gig. The poor dear...
Rufus Wainwright and mom Kate McGarrigle dress up for a night at the opera, earlier this fall.
Last Wednesday night Rufus Wainwright and his family (including Mom Kate McGarrigle and sister Martha Wainwright, and others) and friends (including Lou Reed, Antony Hegarty—of Antony and the Johnsons—and Jimmy Fallon) threw their big holiday-themed concert at Carnegie Hall. Stereogum has a write-up, and several links to mp3’s and video from the event. Sounds like a fun, and pretty casual evening of music and merriment. Highlights were reported to be Rufus’ rendition of “O Holy Night” (sung in French), the frothy Rufus/Lou Reed duet on "White Christmas," and Antony’s take on “Blue Christmas.” See and hear stuff here.
In other Rufus news, his next new studio album is going to be called “Release The Stars,” and it will be his first album that he produces entirely by himself. (Go Rufus!) Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant will be the disc’s executive producer. It’s expected to come out next May.
And this Thursday (December 21st) watch for Rufus to appear on BBC America on the French & Saunders Christmas Celebrity Special. Woo-hoo! Or just watch a clip of his number (with the gals as very aggressive folkies) here! Hurrah for Loofah Wetwipe!
P.S. One review of Rufus’s holiday show at Carnegie Hall mentioned that the singer jokingly apologized to his audience for the fact that he wouldn’t be singing any Hannukah tunes. Rufus explained that he had indeed tried to find a good Hannukah song, “but there aren’t any.” Okay, so maybe there’s not a dreidl-spinning equivalent to “Jingle Bell Rock,” but here’s a link to some fun tunes from those “festival of lights”-loving gents in The Klezmatics. Shalom, all around!
  
Bassey starts the party! Twiggy shows up in a sleigh! And Pink collects some royalties! Merry!
This just in from England...
Hot on the heels of this fall's hot Bond film and just in time for the holiday season comes this recent ad for the British Marks & Spencer department store chain. It’s got Shirley Bassey singing a cover of Pink’s “Get the Party Started”—for real!—and models on snowmobiles all vamping out with Twiggy in a glam icy James Bond-esque hideaway! (Call it “Cold-finger?”)
If this is an indication of how the Brits get into the holiday spirit (Bombast! Glamour! Bassey!) can we do Christmas in London this year?
Watch the video here!
Rupert Everett sez “Reality bites!”
Call it, "I'm A Gay Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here!" That nice, tall openly gay British movie star, Rupert Everett, is over it. “It” meaning the U.K. celebrity version of The Apprentice. He’s quit the show after enduring only one day. Ouch!
AND...
Are you addicted to Guitar Hero yet? MTV’s gonna hook you hook to the wildly popular Pl
|
Recent Comments