2009 Thanksgifting Holiday Gift Guide: Books by Funny Women like Kathy, Chelsea, Lisa... And Sarah.
By Selena Watkins
Welcome back to our Thanksgifting holiday gift guide. Yes, turkey day is less than a week away. EEEK! And to get your holiday shopping started, we've got more fun ideas for stuff to buy. This time, books! (Yes, people still read them. Or at least they give them to each other.)
Obviously, a good book is a classic necessity for train rides and plane rides, when there's nothing on TV, when you can't fall sleep or when you want to ignore the people around you. Soooooo handy!
And because of technology, you don't have to carry around a whole book shelf every time you hit the road. Well, that is, whoever you are buying for this holiday season won't have to...
If you have no idea what the Kindle is, you’re out of the loop. It’s like an iPod, for your books.
Basically, you don’t have to turn the page anymore, at least not physically. You can purchase books for a cheaper price than you would in a bookstore, download them to your Kindle and Voila! Every book you buy is right there on your hand held device.
I know, I almost peed myself when I first heard about it too. I don’t know if this makes us lazier than ever as a society, or extremely cool...
Majority rules. It’s cool. And whoever you buy it for will be too.
And if digital books are a little bogus to you, a regular book with real pages is always a great gift. Check out some of these funny ladies, after the jump (Hint: Kathy! Chelsea! Lisa! Sarah???):
Levi Johnston Keeps It Covered; No Full Frontal Shots for Playgirl. Hmph.
Levi Johnston: Close, but no banana.
The fact that I'm annoyed that after all the hype, we apparently don't get to see Levi Johnson's schlong full-on in the Playgirl spread shot last week, is silly, of course. Did it really ever seem likely we would? Is that really something a fully functional adult should care about? Probably not.
But, come on! They said we'd get to see it!!!! Or, um... They made us think we would! So, like a kid promised a toy only then to have a fickle parent yank it away, there'll be no Levi wang to play with, folks.
Playgirl's Daniel Nardicio told the NY Daily News: "He did not give 'full frontal' as his manager Tank (Jones) reported he would. We're thrilled with the photos we got, and are confident people will love them, but although there may be glimpses, we did not get full on frontal nudity."
So, cue the big Debbie-Downer-ish "Waaah-waaaaahhhhhh."
Meanwhile, babymama-in-law Sarah Palin commented on Levi's almost-nude spread while on Oprah Monday, mocking Johnston's newfound fame and referring to his Playgirl photo shoot as a "kind of heartbreaking" venture into "porn." Hmph. If only!
Keeping the exchange sassy, Johnston fired back on Palin's comments on Oprah: "You could tell by her laugh she was full of it," Johnston said.
Maybe Johnston's Playgirl pics will still be hot? Just not as meaty as we thought. They're supposedly due out this coming Saturday... We'll see.
Outspoken Adam Lambert Leads the OUT 100! Plus, Wanda Sykes, Cyndi Lauper, Will Young, Ongina & More!
The heads of the big gay "Class of 2009."
The annual roll call of the queer who's-who and who's been sassy beyond belief in 2009 known as the OUT 100 has been unleashed on the public, officially. Ready?
Gracing the cover of OUT Magazine for this annual celebrity handjob/tribute is... Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes, movie director Rob Marshall, legend Cyndi Lauper and "Don't Ask Don't Tell" warrior Lt. Dan Choi.
And f-word happy Adam Lambert has some great quotes in his profile...
Glambert on fame & pleasing gays:
“I’m doing the best I f*cking can, you know?” Adam Lambert asks, as if there’s any way to satisfy all his critics or fans, none of whom even knew his name a year ago.
On his American Idol performance:
“It’s about making a good TV show. I just wanted to be really careful that it didn’t turn into a f*cking pageant. I can sing my face off. All this other stuff is part of a personality, a persona.”
On coming out:
“I didn’t want to acknowledge [being gay] as a mistake or something I was ashamed of — I’m not. It’s part of who I am, but because our nation is the way it is, it’s an announcement. If I lose some fans, f*ck it. I need to be happy too.”
On sexuality:
“To some people, me being sexual is really offensive because I’m gay. They’re like, ‘He’s being really gay.’ And I’m like, actually, ‘No, I’m just being sexual.’ Male sexuality is frightening to America [but] female sexuality is all over the place.”
Adam Lambert: Breaking out, breaking it down...
You can view all of the fab photos and read the profiles on Out.com. It's got a big high-school superlative theme. Cute. But I know you just wanna see some visuals, so scroll down and peek after the jump for more fab pics of Wanda Sykes, Cyndi Lauper, Will Young, Bebe Zahara Benet and more!
Levi Johnston Playgirl Shoot Updates: He's Got a Smooth Butt! And We Have Hockey Stick Action!!!
OK, I admit it. Levi looks darn good at the Fleshbot Awards in NYC last night.
Right now at the Eagle Studios in NYC, over at 30th Street and 8th Avenue, Levi Johnston is airing out his man-parts for Playgirl photographer Greg Weiner, and soon, for all of the free world to enjoy. It's happening!!!
I'm getting reports from Playgirl's Daniel Nardicio that Johnston is doing great. And here are few more tidbits:
I made a joke yesterday about Johnston's "hairy butt." But I've gotten updated text messages from Nardicio stating to the contrary, that Johnston's backside is "smooth, like a Sade song." Amazing.
When I asked how the now-much-questioned Johnston weiner is looking, Nardicio gallantly responded: "They partitioned it off. The nude part [of the photo shoot]. Not his wiener."
And then this update: "WE GOT HOCKEY SHOTS! NAKED WITH THE STICK!"
This is beyond silly and insane... More after the jump!!!
CANDY: A New Uber-Glam Trans Fashion Magazine Launches! Sweet!
Lovely Andy over at Towleroad put up this above gorgeous magazine cover of Madrid-based uber-photographer Luis Venegas' new project, Candy, and I'm in love. The magazine is being touted as the first-ever "transversal style" fashion magazine; which means it's all about transexuality, androgyny, transvestism and more. That may be a cloudy bunch of not-necessarily complementary topics (if we get into semantics), and the results look largely fluffy and less in-depth and/or serious... BUT, I'm loving it.
Watch the gorgeous promo video below. You'll get a glimpse of the major talent involved. Icons like Lypsinka and Joey Arias share page-space with young mavericks like Andre J and Hercules & Love Affair's Kim Ann Foxman. And the shooters are big-time greats like Bruce Weber & Terry Richardson, and the style comes from visionaries like Christian LaCroix, Rodarte and V Magazine's James Kaliardos.
There are only 1,000 issues of this dreamy Candy mag, so scramble and get one now!
Maybe the next issue will feature more FTM topics? Photos by Catherine Opie? And I would live for a huge, multi-page uber-glam spread featuring the likes of Justin Bond, Our Lady J, Glenn Marla and other brilliant NYC trans talents... We'll see.
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Shoot Just 8 Days Away! Plus, Classic Playgirl Covers: Travolta! Gere! Duchovny!
This just in: After getting his fake Twitter tweets mocked on The Tonight Show last night, Levi Johnston is moving forward and getting all set to drop trou and wave his babymaker at all of gaydom (and presumably a handful of interested straight females) in about 8 days! Yep, Levi's gonna whip it out for the Playgirl magazine cameras at a photo shoot slated to occur in NYC on either November 13th, 14th or 15th, says Playgirl spokesman (and NYC party-meister) Daniel Nardicio.
“We’ve finally finished working out the details, and we’re very excited to have Levi in NYC for a series of shoots- some nude, some semi nude.” Says Nardicio. “I’ve been scouting locations for the shoot, and have found some unique and exciting spots. And to the question of whether or not there will be nudity, we have been assured that yes, there will be nudity.”
Earlier today, Nardicio sent out an email also stating: "As to locations, Playgirl will remain mum, so as not to cause any problems during the shoot." And as to the report in today's Page Six about Johnston speaking to the magazine about the size of his penis, Nardicio waves that off as "rubbish." "We've never spoken to Levi about the size of his penis and trust me, we have no concerns as to whether it's big enough and if we did, we wouldn't be telling Page Six about it," says Nardicio.
Handy factoid: Levi's spread (ahem) will be shot by esteemed photographer Greg Weiner. Yes, Weiner.
Levi's got some big yellow thongs to fill if he's gonna measure up to hairy-lipped Playgirl studs of yesteryear... Classic!
After the jump, a ridiculous trip down memory lane of past Playgirl covers. Stallone! Travolta! Streep! Fonda! Duchovny! And lots of Lorenzo Lamas.
Adam Lambert Gropes, Suckles Naked Lady Model for Details! See the Hot Pics! And the Photo Shoot Video!
Um, Adam... That's not her head. You might wanna turn her... Oh, never mind.
Oh hell... Not sure if fussy gay purists are gonna get their knickers twisted over this, BUT I for one am loooving the smutty/arty pics of Adam Lambert getting all smoochy/sucky/gropey with a pretty lady model in the pages of the new Details magazine.
"Wha...? We have our one big new gay pop Idol and they have to make him conform to some hetero-cheeseball rock 'n' roll frat-boy fantasy???" Whatevs. I'm happy that Lambert can have some fun with his image. And he looks hot as hell in the pics. Plus, in the behind-the-scenes video, you can see him having a good laugh at the silliness of it all. How does he describe the shoot? In a word: "Heterosexual..." he laughs. Go Adam!
Check out the video and all the pics... Awww, isn't media riciculous-ness fun?
In the video, Lambert discusses early crushes on Madonna & Paula Abdul, but fear not gays: the openly Jewish star also openly encourages male fans to toss their jock straps on stage. F*ck, yeah!!!!
Dig all the foxy NSFW photos after the jump! And goodness, I haven't even read the cover story yet. Probably oughtta do that.
Lady Gaga Celebrates Halloween Early in Out Magazine! See the Pics!
Bloody Fabulous: Gaga in OUT Magazine. Slurp!
The new, September issue of OUT Magazine features gay icon newbie Lady Gaga in a fiercely insane/spooky Ellen von Unwerth photo shoot... It's hard to realize that this time last year, Mizz G was still doing shows in gay bars (she even performed at an underwear party on Fire Island), right? Now she's global!
And maybe it's a True Blood thing, or it's just Gaga's own Goth tendencies, but the photo shoot is total b-movie retro horror fabulousness. And racy, too!
After the jump, see more pics... Summer just got a bit scary, y'all!!!
Hot QB Tom Brady Shows Us His Details: Nice New Pics!
Big September issues of fashion mags are coming, which means a 9,397-page issue of Vogue (and that's during this recession; usually the thing has 37,842 pages!) and also nice big issues of the men's fashon mags.
Football season is coming, too... So Details is celebrating this sporty occasion and the oncoming return of flannel-wearing season with their September issue. Yep, they've got big hot man-pony (and Gisele-accessory) Tom Brady on the cover. He looks dreamy, if a bit cardboard somehow... Not that I'm complaining.
More pics after the jump! Touchdown! Pics via NY Post PopWrap.
Kathy Griffin is excited to find out everything what was truly fabulous this week! So excited...she stripped!
By Cory Stottlemyer
Ladies and gentlemen, this wonderful Friday, I am going to go through with you the list of the most fabulous things that happened this week! Whether it be a piece of news, a bit of celebrity gossip, or just a picture of a hot man, check out this post to find out the top 5 hottest things from the past week!
5) Project Runway reveals the designers and models!
God, as if I wasn't excited enough for the new Project Runway season and the All Star special coming up, Lifetime has gone and revealed all the designers for the upcoming season! If you head on over to their website, Lifetime has a bunch of little videos for each designer, as well as for the models too. And did you know that there's going to be a companion show that's all about the models' experiences on the show? How freaking FABULOUS is that?
After the jump, check out more Kathy Griffin and shirtless men!
Queer Uber-Photographer Catherine Opie Q&A in Vice Magazine
"Pig Pen" by Catherine Opie
-- Lauryn Siegel
While I always appreciated the wild candid photographs of skater boys with visible erections found on the pages of supposed über-guide to hipster culture, Vice Magazine, I sorta lost interest after hearing that their former editor was a strident Republican sympathizer a few years back. Plus, I grew tired of reading a constant stream of low-grade misogynist and homophobic-ish slurs validated by their overall “ironic” tone. That said, I knew that a bunch of the writers and editors housed in their Brooklyn-based offices were, in fact, raging homos and feminists themselves. Jeez, the irony just doesn’t stop!
It looks like one of those Vice-workers, Amy Kellner (famed feminist and creator of "The Cute Show" on Vice’s TV Network, vbs.tv) has grown tired the Vice norm as evidenced by her recent interview with seminal queer photog Catherine Opie, who recently had a massive retrospective at The Guggenheim. This informative Q&A finds Opie candidly reflecting on her former life within the SM community in light of her newer role as mother, partner, tenured professor and art world megastar. The article also features a great sampling of Opie’s spellbinding photographs of superhot butch dykes and girls with needles stuck in freaky places. Go Amy...and, umm, go Vice!?
Video: A Visit to Butt Magazine's Big BANG Party in NYC!
A few weeks ago, everyone's favorite artsy/risque gay mag BUTT Magazine threw a big party here in NYC, hosting a slate of some of the most raucously cool up-and-coming bands, including Hunx and his Punx, Salem, and the rappin' freshness that is Sissy Nobby and Big Freedia.
We went to the sweaty, sexy, trashy BUTT BANG affair and we took a camera along to record some of the madness. Have a look! And you'll hear from BUTT Mag's own Michael Bullock and Adam Baran -- and the performers -- about why BUTT is something you can never get enough of!
Awwww, you gotta love sexy/dirty/cool NYC.
Sissy Nobby & Big Freedia came to celebrate, Kids! Salut! Photo courtesy of Althea Smith, via ButtMagazine.com.
Also, big props to our intern Gina Valvo for shooting & editing the above video, too!
BUTT Goes BANG with a Big, Possibly Trashy Concert in NYC
Everyone's favorite artsy and always risque gay mag BUTT has decided to offer a pre-pride concert at New York's Knitting Factory to bring a more modern spin on the month's rainbow-hued festivities called "Bang!". Taking place this Friday, the concert will feature three up and coming new bands: goth-juke band Salem from Chicago, garage punk band Hunx and his Punx from San Francisco, and New Orleans bounce rapper Sissy Nobby. Expect trashy boys rocking out with their, er... festive bits out.
The boys of Salem, Hunx and his Punx and Sissy Nobby want to "BANG" you. That's cool, right?
The always classy BUTT, the smart and savvy pink-paged magazine published out of The Netherlands, always aims to combine the titillating with the thought-provoking. It's a brilliant mix of Marc Jacobs and male hustlers; of raunchy man-action and high-end culture. Or something like that. Order your tickets now at Ticket Web before they run out. Something tells me this is going to be one scandalous (meaning excellent) concert.
Time for another round of Liz Dahmen and John Polly sounding off in a new vloggy mini-series called Amazing Gay Stuff, which you'll find here (and as part of Amazon’s Gay & Lesbian Store), and which will serve up fun rundowns of the best gay-related movies, DVDs, music, books and just about anything else that you need.
This week, John and Liz go broad when talking about "The Gay Essentials." What are some big basics you need to complete your gay world? Glad you asked! John and Liz touch upon books, movies, music, kitchen appliances and even some techie stuff that you need! From rice cookers to Harvey Milk to gender politics to lesbians toting guitars, they've got it covered!!! And like last time, all of the good stuff you hear about here can be found at Amazon.com.
New Simon Doonan Vlog: "Beautiful Moments" Advice! Style! Speedos!
From left: Jonathan Adler & Simon Doonan give good face; and model Jason Morgan (photo by Greg Vaughan) shows you the right way to dress for summer!
Greetings, Pumpkins!!! It's Memorial Day Weekend, summer is starting! And a hot new adorably fabulous show is coming to Logo next Tuesday, May 26th. It's the fab comedy Beautiful People, which follows the life of a young Simon Doonan (based on his book) as he grows up in kooky, hard-scrabble Britain! Think the Wonder Years meets Ab Fab and you've got it!
And today brings the debut of a new weekly vlog, "Beautiful Moments with Simon Doonan" in which the super-fab Simon gossips, talks about his lovely life, the show, and most importantly, offers advice on how you too can live beautifully!
Today he explains "How to Have a Beautiful Summer!" and it's not about being demure. When it comes to beachwear, for example, Italians do it better! Less is more! Show off what you've got!
Watch and learn. And come back next week for more!
Amanda Palmer & Neil Gaiman Pair Up for Housing Works Show in NYC
Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer isn't content to just be a spirited, wildly talented, weird and queerly cool music artist. She's also all about creating theatre and visuals and stories and all flavors of twisted art and media. Her fans know this already of course...
And so does author/sci-fi god Neil Gaiman, as he's a fan and the pair have collaborated on the book version of her sonic opus "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?". Fans of both (or either) will be tingling to hear that the pair will unite for an event at NYC's Housing Works Bookstore/Cafe (where Bjork is performing this Friday) on June 3rd for a reading/performance, which is certain to be trippily fantastic.
Anne Hathaway to Play Judy Garland on Stage and Screen
Anne Hathway's taking it over the rainbow. Good luck, Honey!
In a few short years, Anne Hathway's already established herself as a blossoming gay icon. She got her start playing princesses (like we all do, in our minds), then broke out big-time sparring with a legendary movie diva in a movie filled with fashion, attitude and drama about "finding yourself" (The Devil Wears Prada), then she even scored an Oscar nomination playing a addict struggling to find redemption (Rachel Getting Married). Along the way, Anne's graced the cover of Out Magazine, gushed about how awesome her gay brother's wedding was, and even starred in the most gay-beloved and truly important gay-themed film of the last decade, Brokeback Mountain. She even sang and danced with studly Hugh Jackman onstage at the Oscars. Get it? She's already a gay icon...
But now she's bringing out the big guns. Hathaway has just signed on to play the mother of all gay icons (literally and figuratively), Judy Garland. Yep, Hathaway is going to star in the film version of "Get Happy," Gerald Clarke's biography of the screen legend and history's greatest tragic homo icon. As if that weren't enough, a stage version of the project is in the works, too.
Um, wow. Can we just go ahead and give her the Oscar? And the key to gay-land? And our undying devotion?
The magaziney gays over at OUT have a new issue ready. And I'm happy to say it's got nice pics of scantily clad guys, shot by famous photogs, mocking classic beefcake/physique shots. What's not to like?
Visit OUT.com to see more pics by super-snappers like Jack Pierson, Pierre et Gilles, James Bidgood and more. Hubba!
Best Silver Surfer ever? Photo by Doug Inglish for OUT.
Sometimes a list is so close
to the hearts of AfterEllen.com readers that all a blogger has to do
is tell you about it and sit back to watch the fun. So, I was tickled
to find this list in the Los Angeles Times
of the "Women of Whedon." The Times asked Joss Whedon
to name his five favorite female creations. I was less tickled once
I perused the list, however, thanks to at least one dreadful omission.
(Get ready to be indignant.) Where's Willow?
While your ruffled feathers
relax a bit, let's look at the women he did name. I certainly can't
quarrel with the first.
Since March of this year, many Buffy fanatics have been Glory-ing (I couldn't resist) in the Season 8 comic book resurrection of Buffy and the Scoobies — both proper and fringe. The last three comics have been devoted to our favorite uber bad girl hero, Faith. And now, three-fourths of the way through the four-issue Faith story arc nihilistically titled "No Future For You," we've got ourselves one heck of a cliffhanger.
Even if Faith's head is not precisely poised on the chopping block, Lady Genevieve Savidge (aka Gigi) is wielding a mean-ass ax and feeling more than a little betrayed. How, oh how, will Faith extricate herself from this pickle? We'll find out when the current Faith story line wraps up in issue No. 9, due out Dec. 5 (with the best. comic. cover. ever.). Until then, let's discuss how she got to this point in the first place, shall we?
Unless you've been sequestered as part of jury duty or marooned on some deserted island for the past two weeks, you've already heard about the recent Hogwarts outing. On Oct. 19, author J.K. Rowling outed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. She didn't decide to wave a rainbow flag and shout it from the mountain tops or anything. She simply answered a question regarding whether Dumbledore ever found true love. Rowling answered by saying, "Dumbledore is gay." She went on to explain that he had been smitten with Gellert Grindelwald.
Naturally, entertainment reporters (being reporters) have felt it necessary to seek out reactions to this announcement from the folks who embody Rowling's characters on the big screen. Daniel Radcliffe found it amusing. Rupert Grint was surprised. But my favorite reaction came from the face of Hermione Granger, Emma Watson.
Watson seems to think this really shouldn't be any big deal.
"This is the 21st century! I just could not believe the amount of fuss that was being made over Dumbledore being gay."
Your Good, Gritty Fall Read: Hack by Melissa Plaut
I mean I’m just assuming Hack - How I Stopped Worrying About What to Do With My Life and Started Driving a Yellow Cab is going to be good, since I haven’t read it yet. (It just came out today.) But that fantastic Kubrickian title, plus the fact that I have frequently read Melissa Plaut’s blog over the last two years, is surely proof enough. Besides, what’s not to like? You get your reality from the vantage point of a gay, Jewish and female cab driver in New York City. I’m not sure if I could conjure a better perspective.
From the book flap:
“With wicked wit and arresting insight, Melissa Plaut reveals the crazy parade of humanity that passed through her cab – including struggling actors, federal judges, bartenders, strippers, and drug dealers – while showing how this grueling work provided her with empowerment and a greater sense of self. Hack introduces an irresistible new voice that is much like New York itself—vivid, gritty, profane, lyrical, and ineffably hip.”
More advanced praise and info on the book after the jump.
Melissa Auf Der Mauer's Got the Whole Package - New Album, Comic and Short Film in the Works!
Being the sci-fi dork that I am, the fact that former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur networked at Comic Con to get her new musical project going makes me automatically like her.
But the project the Canadian musician was pitching sounds so cool, I can’t imagine those nerds not wanting in. Well, I should so it sounds cool if you’re into Vikings and time-travel. But who isn’t?
Melissa has recorded her sophomore solo album, called Out of Our Minds, but wants to present it as part of a multi-disciplinary project which includes a short film and a comic book. Today’s marketing is all about multiple platforms, after all.
More on MADM's new too-artsy-for-you package...after the jump!
Pat Benatar Goes Acoustic, Writes a Book, Sells Jell-O
I bet the new acoustic album won't have a cover like this.
In some ways, this news seems like a strange attempt to translate her music for people who don’t like rock. Which sucks, because Pat Benatar is so incredibly rockin’. But then I thought about being really hungover and how it might be nice to throw on the acoustic version of “Love is a Battlefield” or “Hell is For Children” and it would make me feel nice without hurting my head. So I decided it’s cool after all.
In other news, she and her guitar-playing husband, Neil Giraldo are also writing an autobiography about Pat’s start in the music business, exposing the sexism that goes on. I’d be interested to read that, it sounds totally feminist.
And just because they’re not busy enough with all that, they’re also writing a song for a Jell-O commercial, called “Passion”. I mean both the Jell-O and the song are called that.
My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way Publishes His Own Comic Book, Umbrella Academy
Dubbed X-Men gone emo?
Did anyone know Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance originally wanted to be a comic book illustrator? And despite a busy tour schedule in support of his band’s latest album, The Black Parade, Gerard has found time to reunite with his original love. The singer recently announced a September release for his new comic book series, Umbrella Academy - but, since I find this hilarious, let's first discuss this venture's unceremonious beginnings:
“I finally started to get my footing after being clean and realized I had nine hours of free time a day. I was up when everybody was still passed out, and I was drawing in the catering room.”
Well, nothing like constantly hung-over friends to get your creativity rolling. I take back what I said about "busy touring." ... Nine hours?
New Book Sums It Up: Paris + Lindsay = 'Dumb and Irresponsible' Squared
Danica McKellar figures high-profile antics hold little absolute value.
Which is greater? The average amount of time socialites spent in jail this year, or the median number of days rock stars attended rehab? One bright chick has calculated how to get even, more or less.
Math Doesn’t Suck, a new book aimed at young women by numerically gifted actor and author, Danica McKellar, flashes hip examples to encourage math achievement while it teaches that A-list misbehavior amounts to less than zero.
"When girls see the antics of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, they think that being fun and glamorous also means being dumb and irresponsible," said McKellar, 32, who famously portrayed Winnie Cooper, the nerd-friendly but sexy girl next door on the hit late 80s dramedy, The Wonder Years. "But I want to show them that being smart is cool,” she explained to Newsweek.
Math Doesn’t Suck, to be published this Thursday, subtracts from teen rags like Tiger Beat and Seventeen to impart lessons and tips through personality quizzes, horoscopes and profiles of attractive mathematicians. McKellar, no Ugly Betty herself, majored in math at UCLA, where she coauthored a theorem that bears her name. She claims that as a student her role model was child star turned scholar and adult celebrity extraordinaire, Jodie Foster.
If an equation’s got you stumped, or you’re just plain hot for teacher, McKellar fields questions on exponents, factoring and other operations at her fan site, minus the mug shots.
Rope is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. I watched To Catch a Thief last night and it really pales in comparison. I don’t just love Rope because of the homoeroticism, but, well, I love the homoeroticism. Hitchcock did an astounding job of making it plain as day but slipping it by the censors. What’s even more interesting is that the writer and both the stars were queer.
Farley Granger’s new memoir Include Me Out, which came out in March, states pretty unequivocally just how queer he is. Which is ultimately very bisexual, even though he’s lived with his male partner since 1963. He talks about affairs with the likes of Ava Gardner, Leonard Bernstein, Shelley Winters and Arthur Laurents, as well as friendships and meetings with Richard Burton, Kay Medford and Stella Adler. I love reading about this time in Hollywood (the gossip, the drama!) and I especially love a memoir from an interviewee in The Celluloid Closet. Old gay Hollywood never ceases to captivate me.
Two of Granger's famous lovers: Ava Gardner and Leonard Bernstein. Is it wrong for me to hope that Ava was bisexual too?
Daily Buzz Bits: Introducing Kate Nash, Harry Potter Review & More!
You'll be jumping too when you hear Kate Nash's killer tunes. Hurrah! And the NY Times dissects the new Harry Potter. Can you take it?
Ready for this summer’s next big Brit female pop star? Move over, Lily Allen. Back up, Ms. Winehouse... Here comes Kate Nash. And she’s got a song called “D*ckhead.” Har! Disconap explains it all...
Michiko Kakutani reviews the new Harry Potter book for the NY Times. Kakutani says it ends the series “with good old-fashioned closure: a big-screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation and an epilogue that clearly lays out people’s fates."
Steven Spielberg Will Direct Upcoming TinTin Movie...But Not The Racist One.
TinTin's a bit more of an icon in Europe than he is here, but he'll be on the big screen soon enough.
I’m a hugeTinTin fan. I know the comics are often considered kid’s books, but I don’t just love them because of nostalgia. I still think they’re great now - I’ve even been TinTin for Halloween, since he's a fellow redhead.
I also think TinTin was gay, but that’s another story.
I couldn’t really defend the original comics Herge wrote in the 1930s through the '70s, though, as I’ve never read them. I’m only a fan of the ‘90s cartoon that aired on Nickelodeon, which is supposedly a loyal adaptation.
And even though the comic is over 70-years old, the stories of the mystery-solving Belgian reporter are causing controversy today.
This week, Borders stores moved one, just one of the 24, TinTin comics out of the children’s section because British groups accused the edition of containing, ''imagery and words of hideous racial prejudice.''
More on TinTin's not-OK depictions of Africa...and the TinTin movies after the jump!
Cyclizen poster boy and Lynn Breedlove in the film Godspeed.
Jim Provenzano has written a new novel chronicling the escapades of a queer bike messenger involved in AIDS activism, corporate espionage and, of course, romantic entanglements. Cyclizen takes place in New York City and each chapter heading includes the street corner where the action takes place. (A nice touch, in my opinion.) Plus the guy on the cover is a hottie and I think we should all make an effort to have more “attractive” books on our shelves.
While I’m not sure about the title (it sounds like a pharmaceutical), the content sounds right up my alley. I loved Lynn Breedlove’s Godspeed(another queer bike messenger manifesto) so much. I remember my friends and I reading it aloud on a road trip and spazzing out ecstatically. Godspeed also premiered in film form at this summer’s Frameline festival in San Francisco. I haven't seen it yet, but it looks pretty smokin’.
New Order of the Phoenix Pictures, Interviews and Buzz on Potentially Scarred Children Everywhere!
The Hogwarts students enter their fifth year. And yes I could list the names of each of the characters off the top of my head, but why give away all of my mystique?
I apologize to the non-Harry Potter dorks in the audience, but I need a little check-in. And you know what? You haters can listen too, since it's just a $3.5 billion industry and all.
First off, I just found this picture of the Hogwarts students who follow Harry into the D.A. And I have to say, it looks like the casting directors got Luna Lovegood, the blond on the right and my personal favorite from the books, just right!
And please enjoy some fun interviews with the supporting cast we never really get to hear from (I've seen enough of Daniel Radcliffe nude), including little sister Ginny, love-interest Cho, spacey, newbie Luna and soft-spoken Neville.
Rumors of Harry Potter's death in the final book and producers turning the Paris subway into Hogwarts Express ...after the jump!
This is your next party topic: Are you more Buffy, Willow, Xander, Angel or Cordelia? Finally, you can know for sure... A cocktail might help the research.
Summer reading needn't be a solitary exercise. The festive new tome, Who's Your TV Alter Ego? (which is self-described as "The Ultimate Television Character Personality Test") by elusive author Noah Lusky, is a book meant to be shared. Out loud. With friends. And if cocktails, snacks and rowdy attitudes are prevalent, all the better.
The book offers up the chance to (sort of) scientifically define which of your favorite TV characters you're most like. Meaning, if you were a character on Grey's Anatomy or Ugly Betty, who would be? (Of course, if T.R. Knight and Michael Urie are reading this, they know already...)
There are over 52 TV shows to choose from, from Gilligan's Island to Scooby Doo to Seinfeld to 90210 to The Sopranos to The Simpsons to Heroes. I took the quiz with a bunch of friends while hanging on a sailboat cruise a couple of weeks back. From Sex and the City? I'm Samantha. From The Golden Girls? Blanche. Heyyy... I can't help it. I'm friendly! (Though from the Strangers With Candy crew, I'm Mr. Jellineck. Wha...?)
Dina McGreevey: Waaaah! Blames Ex for Bad Gay Sales?
Mrs. McGreevey is not happy that her book ain't selling to gays... Meanwhile, hubby Jim is gaying it up! Oh, saintly Judith Light, resist his ooky charms, please!
This is just kooky. There's an article out today about how Dina Matos McGreevey is raging mad (and possibly planning a lawsuit) against her former husband, gay ex-governor Jim McGreevey, because his claims that she's homophobic have harmed her career. Turns out that Mrs. M says that due to all of the ex-gov's claims that she doesn't like gays, her tell-all memoir Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage has been selling poorly, especially to one of its key target audiences: Gay men.
Wha...? Ummm, okayyy. When will both of these McGreevey people just go away? It's bad enough that us gays have to now endure minister-to-be Jim out and about at nice gay events (He shows up at everything and talks to cameras and we're supposed to pay attention. Urf...). And now the Mrs. has gotten into the act. Were we supposed to care about her memoir? I mean she got to do Oprah (who liiiiives for those tales of wives done wrong by their gay husbands, which is creepy enough). I mean, if she can't sell her book after that, she's screwed.
You all heard about Out Magazine's big gay cover story for their May issue, that features a cover story that sort of outs Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster? Yep, those tough customers at Out just aren't about to allow any celebs to remain in the closet who are really gay, but don't want to state it officially.
But then I heard in an off-handed way from someone behind the scenes that Out has conducted a cover story interview with rising pop star Mika (left) for an upcoming issue. Maybe that was the photo shoot that delayed Mika's in-store gig at the Borders here in NYC a couple of weeks ago (as reported by Queerty)?
So, is Out putting him on the cover anyway? Are they promoting him and interviewing him even if he's not willing to discuss his sexuality? Or has Mika perhaps decided to talk frankly about his sex stuff in Out? Or maybe this is all a bunch of rumor and poppycock?
Stella Got Her Groove Back. Now She Wants $40 Million.
Terry McMillan and her gay ex-husband, Jonathan Plummer. It's payback time!
This gay guys marrying straight women and then coming out and having a messy divorce thing may be an old, time-worn tradition, but it’s also a costly one. Jim McGreevey’s ex Dina is all up in his "gay American" grill penning a book about her side of the marital meltdown, and now the estranged spouses are set to go to court to battle over custody of their kids. Meanwhile, Terry McMillan, the author of Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, has decided to sue her gay ex-husband for $40 million, claiming that he tried to sully her reputation during their much publicized 2005 divorce. (Although, she chose to go on Oprah with her ex, Jonathan Plummer, to talk about it. Which doesn’t seem like the most discreet way to handle such a matter.)
McMillan is also claiming that her young ex, Jonathan Plummer, who is Jamaican, only married her to gain U.S. citizenship. (Frankly, if you’re a young gay guy in Jamaica, you better do something to get the hell out of there. It’s not nice. However, marrying a woman under false pretenses is probably not the best way to go about it.) This ought to get interesting. And how could a high-profile suit and the publicity that will come with it not just make things worse for McMillan publicly? Maybe she should just do this to get even. (the clip really gets good from the 2:12 mark...)
Rest easy, folks. Aquaman and Superman are on hand to make sure NY Comic Con goes smoothly. And really gayish-ly.
This past weekend legions of men in tights and women in sensible shoes wielding Buffy paraphernalia took to NYC's Jacob Javits Center. Yep, it was time for NY Comic Con and esteemed homo writer extraordinaire Lawrence Ferber was among them.
Comic books aren’t just for geeks anymore, although there were certainly a hearty share of them on hand at the New York Comic Con. In between the husky Jedi's urgently twirling their light sabers in friendly battle, and spandex-clad superheroes and Star Wars characters striking poses for impromptu photo calls, all shade of queer navigated the aisles of comics, big movie displays and previews (for the likes of Fantastic Four 2, Hills Have Eyes 2, and Hostel 2), celebrity signing booths, and, well, seriously hot nerd boys and girls.
The 100 Greatest Love Songs... Ever! As chosen by the NY Daily News. I think the list is a bit lame. (Where’s The Cure? Where’s Leonard Cohen? Where’s Ciara?) But your mom and dad might like it.
Another shot of Ellen during the shoot. Fashion-y!
Anyway, check out this fun video that Ellen took behind-the-scenes of her W cover shoot. Dani, Yoanna, CariDee or Naima ain’t got nothin’ on Ellen. And you’ll love how the audience howls and cheers when Ellen gets sexy in the clip. It’s all very girl-on-girl, sisterhoodly-fabulous.
And the fab end result...
This whole silly bit also reminded me of the short-lived, nighttime soap (circa 1984) Paper Dolls, all about oversexed teen models and the women who controlled them. The cast included Mimi Rogers, Brenda Vacarro, Lauren Hutton, a very young Nicolette Sheridan and “Morgan Fairchild as Racine.” Watch the lengthy opening credits...
Former NBA player John Amaechi is coming out! Welcome to openly gay-land, sir!
Okay, I should really say FORMER NBA player comes out, since John Amaechi retired from his last stint with the Utah Jazz in 2003 (he also played with the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers), but nonetheless, it’s kinda cool. He’s the first NBA player ever to come out as a gay. (Plus, he’s big, tall, good-looking and has a cool British accent. What’s not to love?)
Amaechi shoots for the English team at the Commonwealth Games a few years back.
Amaechi tells his story in Man in the Middle, to be published by ESPN books and which hits stores on February 13th (or on Feb. 20th; reports are conflicting). Turns out that the British b-baller is really frank about his life as a closeted pro athlete. And it’s cool to report that’s he’s very graceful, smart, self-deprecating and witty in how he tells his tale. Turns out that after his initital post-collegiate stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Amaechi spent three years playing basketball in Europe, where he dated and had a regular boyfriend in England for a while (awwwww...). He came back to the NBA in 1999, and remained celibate until he joined the Utah Jazz. Then, as Outsportswrites:
His guaranteed contract with the Jazz set his mind at ease, and it was there that he began venturing out to gay establishments and building a mostly gay circle of friends (the first wide circle of friends of his life, according to the book).
"Those grumpy social conservatives who continue to insist that gay life is lonely and unhappy have obviously never met my friends," Amaechi wrote.
In fact, it turns out that Amaechi has been in touch with OutSports’ Cyd Zeigler for the past few months, and Zeigler even helped him hook up with publicist Howard Bragman, who also steered the coming out process for other pro jocks like WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, NFL-er Esera Tuaolo and golfer Rosie Jones.
This is gonna hit bookstores in the next week or so. Get it!
You can hear more from Amaechi directly this weekend. He’ll be the subject of ESPN's weekly talk show "Outside the Lines" this Sunday, February 11th at 9:30 a.m. ET. The book will also be excerpted next week on ESPN.com and in the next issue of ESPN: The Magazine.
Does this mean we can expect bad puns on the term "swish"??? (Which usually references the sound a ball makes when it goes through the net...) Oooof.
Yep, glamazons... That's gaydom's own Ellen DeGeneres looking glossy and gorgeous on the cover of the next issue of W Magazine. The oversized fashion tome dresses up the talk show queen (and Oscar host), and features a great in-depth interview with the lesbian superstar--and her girlfriend Portia de Rossi, too.
In the interview, Ellen talks a bit of fashion...
"I usually wear Jil Sander, or I wear Marc Jacobs, or I wear Viktor & Rolf.... I love Raf Simons, but I didn’t know he was even doing the [Jil Sander] collection. I like Neil Barrett. I love clothes, so when I wear clothes, they’re usually somebody’s. You know, I’m not wearing Kmart."
And she talks about how in red-carpet scenarios, she feels a bit overlooked:
"Whenever Portia and I are on the red carpet, they’re yelling out for her to tell them what she’s wearing. But nobody cares [about what I’m wearing] because I have a suit on, even if it’s a Gucci suit. That to me is frustrating, because I put effort into getting ready too. But I guess it’s not as important, and I’m not as dressed up somehow."
But don't think she's gone all totally glam on us:
"It was fun [for the shoot] having somebody do that to my hair, and do that makeup. But would I want to do that every single day? No. "
Further in the article, she offers her take on the newest generation of comics like Sasha Baron Cohen (she loves), Sarah Silverman (she also loves) and Kathy Griffin (er... not so much.)
Norman Mailer Goes Gay! Really! (Okay, Fictitiously, But Still…)
Perhaps Norman Mailer is imagining some "bounteous" German buttocks?
Norman Mailer’s latest book, The Castle in the Forest, is an imagined version of the youth of Adolph Hitler. But that’s not all, folks… For the first time ever, the notoriously macho/surly man's-man author Mailer has included some gay action in the pages (very authoritatively voiced, one might add). No, it’s not young Adolph getting it on, same-sex-style. It’s his older brother who gets frisky with a guy.
Included in the juicy pink prose are lines like “happy blood-filled organ” and a rear end described as a “bounteously endowed temple.” Woo-hoo!
Does this mean Mailer and Gore Vidal might find a common ground over which to kiss and make up after decades of feuding?
Buzz Bits: Ford's Gay Hero, Capt. Jack's Wedding, Wentworth In Oz
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!
Buzz Bits: Rosie/Donald Snarl-Fest, Harry Potter & NJ Makes It Legal!
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?
I enjoy deliriously splashy shelter magazines (you know, Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, O (as in Oprah) at Home. But I gotta say, this month the good old warhorse mag, House & Garden, has outdone themselves.
Yes, there’s the usual jollity about $750 wall sconces, raffia-hewn wall coverings and a Barbara Barry sofa you really ought to have (for $6,400+). It’s like decorating porn, and it tends to skew pretty traditional. But for the January issue, the mag shakes it up.
First off, NYC’s indie film princess Chloë Sevigny (who’s starred in such gay-flavored fare as Boys Don’t Cry, Party Monster, 3 Needles and If These Walls Could Talk 2) is on the cover, grinning madly, in a crazy long pink princess-y gown, as she wheels a tea tray across a rose-laden terrace. Bonkers! (I can’t help but think that Chloe’s Brown Bunny costar, Vincent Gallo, is looming just out of frame, wielding his own tea-time offering. Ack!) Inside you’ll see Chloe’s smart little NYC pad, and it is pretty sweet.
But also inside, you’ll see the truly amazing lower Manhattan house inhabited by super-cool gay photographer/film director Carter Smith (he made the awesomely spooky thriller short film, Bugcrush; and he shoots major magazine and ad spreads—and, he also shot the French Rugby Dieux du Stade skinfest a few years ago). His home, a four-story wonder, is pretty awesome. (Antlers over the bathtub! Massive staircases! A John Derian lanscape painting! Cowhide stools, even!) I’m always pleased to see a young queer person with nice digs. Oh, the apartment-envy...
The issue also has lots of movie-centric pieces, including a great rundown of the top “25 Fabulous Movie Interiors” ever (think 50’s fun with Auntie Mame; 60’s swank with The Party; a sumptuous Venice a la The Wings of the Dove; and the rowdy mod-ness of A Clockwork Orange).
Anyway, fans of cool design and barmy home interiors magazine, will be very pleased.
BLEU, the brand new (they’re just on their second issue) magazine created by and for gay African-American readers, has changed colors for their spiffy new December issue. To honor and pay tribute to the importance of World AIDS Day, “Bleu goes Red.” Meaning, they’ve traded their blue logo for a red one as a nod to the current global Join(RED) campaign developed by Bobby Schriver and Bono. As the magazine’s founder/publisher Devon Christopher sez: “...It's time to fight and get active. BLEU targets young African American gay men and their friends, we wanted to address this issue in an empowering way. Our red logo is a wake-up call.”
The "red" issue's fashion flip cover, and it's smokily sexy model, Bobby, inside.
The current issue features a double/flip-image cover, too. One half is Joy Bryant, one of the stars of the new film Bobby, and inside she gets interviewed by Brian Keith Jackson—“in bed!” The issue’s also a “fashion issue,” featuring foxy men (including the cover boy Bobby--who also just happens to be the hunky dude who Beyonce gives the boot in her "Irreplaceable" video), and a bit of playing dress-up with pop starlet Mya (who serves up an interview previewing her early 2007 release Liberation). And there’s a sharp article examing the 25th “birthday” of AIDS, and specifically the epidemic's effect on the black gay community.
BLEU examines the 25th year of AIDS. A not-so happy birthday...
Courtesy of Andy over at Towleroadhere’s a look at the brand new, redesigned Out Magazine (or the cover anyway). The recently appointed editor, Aaron Hicklin (formerly of BlackBook) is shaking things up, and I have to say I like the design change. A little more Euro-styled, and I even like the Butt-Magazine inspired coverline treament (the tag: “Supermodel and actor Jamie Dornan strips, discusses Chekhov” is a total Butt-story sub-head).
Of course, Hicklin’s not the first Brit to take over Out Magazine, shake up its design aesthetic, and make waves. Back in 1998, the magazine experienced a shake-up when the late (and pretty cool) Sarah Petit was ousted (or resigned—I was never sure) and Brit James Collard (of Attitude Magazine) was brought in. Collard totally up-ended the magazine, shifting if from a mass-appeal, accessible lifestyle mag (which had also gotten pretty generic) to a design-savvy, retro-posh 'zine. Even back then, I approved of the changes. Then, a few months into the gig, Collard made some statements about how society had gone “post-gay” and became the target of all kinds of rigorous fuss and venom. I liked Collard's cheeky attitude, even if I didn't totally agree with him. But that's all in the past. That was then, and this is now.
I’m eager to see the actual magazine (which should hit newsstands soon), but so far it looks like Hicklin’s doing nice work. And yes, cover boy Jamie Dornan, is an uber-hottie to watch out for. And sure, he’s another straight boy model/actor on the front of a queer magazine... But at least he’s a fresh face. And he's in a band, too—so he’s kind of a renaissance stud-puppy (doesn't that count for something?) In fact, I sang Dornan's praises on this very blog months ago. Check it here. And if you want to read more from inside Out about Jamie Dornan, the interview’s already up online here.
Jamie Dornan, as seen in the new issue of Out. Photo by by Marcus Mâm. Styling by Gregory Wein.
The one thing I don’t agree with about the new issue of Out? The cover line: “Gin Is a Martini’s Best Friend: Vodka Is Just an Impostor.” Excuse me? Don’t you be knockin’ my vodka, now... Them’s fightin’ words!
This past weekend, the latest issue of NYC’s Next Magazine featured a rousingly fun interview with Kirsten Dunst, all about the starlet’s upcoming role playing the bewitching and bewigged French royal Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola’s next film. Adding a bit of zing to the chatfest is the fact that drag legend Lady Bunny is the one charged with chatting up the gal who used to be Jake Gyllenhaal’s main squeeze.
In their chat, the garrulous gals discuss hugely pressing issues, like the stress of wearing wigs and the urinary customs of 18th-century France (sez Kirsten on this those legendary royals' hygeinic habits: “They were filthy! They used to go to the bathroom wherever they were standing most of the time!”).
Dunsten also jokingly references the current-day party-going antics of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan (“There are a lot of ‘Marie Antoinettes’ running around!”), and when Bunny brings up Dunst’s gay-beloved ex, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kristen gamely laughs it off with “I know how to pick ’em, right?” It’s way cute.
In Deep: The men of The Line of Beauty (Oliver Coleman as Toby, Dan Stevens as Nick, and Alex Wyndham as Wani Ouradi)
Politics, drugs, sex scandals... One could be talking about the news of the day. At the moment, in the realm of politics and sex scandals we’ve got the emails and exploits of Florida Congressman Mark Foley to keep the news media buzzing today. (Note: Whether you’re an elected official or not, it’s never a good idea to send salacious emails to 16-year-olds.) On the drugs side of things, we have out pop icon George Michael again getting in trouble as a result of alleged drug use.
Or for a good juicy (and literate) tale of sex, drugs, gay issues, politics, AIDS and even Margaret Thatcher you could also tune into Logo in two weeks when the channel will air the very well-adapted, BBC-produced mini-series, The Line of Beauty, based on Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize-winning 2004 novel.
Leo (Don Gilet) and Nick (Dan Stevens) meet, circa 1983.
It’s drama set in 1980s London, with handsome Dan Stevens taking the role of Nick Guest, a young gay chap just out of university who moves in with a glamorous, rich political family (Dad’s an MP) whose son he’s befriended at school. Of course, Nick’s sort of crushing on the son, Toby, while helping to look after the crazy daughter Catherine (who has a history of cutting herself), and generally ingratiating himself with this powerful Tory family. Things build with Nick later rubbing shoulders with Margaret Thatcher, doing large amounts of cocaine, partying hard, getting involved with a rich playboy, and ultimately getting embroiled in some rather timultuous tabloid-ready scandal. You’ll also get lots of splashing about sprawling country estates, scene-making in London, a view of the onslaught of AIDS, a thumping 80’s New Wave soundtrack (New Order, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet!), and loads of pomp and circumstance. And, of course, gay angst galore!
Dig these sumptuous shots, and tune in to catch the first night of this on Sunday, October 15th at 10pm, with the subsequent two parts airing on Sunday, October 22nd and October 29th, also at 10pm.
The rich Fedden clan, and the rest of The Line of Beauty's smart set.
Toby + Nick + helicopter = posh!
The Line of Beauty's Wani Ouradi (Alex Wyndham). He's loaded (literally and figuratively).
Yes, people do tan in England. Sort of.
And all is well and good until scandal ensues. Bloody paparazzi!
The second 'zine in my three-day look at supercool arty queer 'zines (as inspired—or ripped-off—from an article in the current issue of V Man Magazine) today brings you a look at photographer/artist Conrad Ventur’s cheekily titled Useless Magazine.
The back (featuring Stephin Merritt) and front covers of Useless, issue no. 1.
NYC's Misshapes graced the cover of Useless, no. 2.
Now, on its third issue, Uselessis a downtown NYC-fueled publication full of edgy, stylin’ folks who are setting today’s agenda for arts and design. It’s published tri-annually, and is a big tabloid-sized affair (only the premiere issue was normal magazine-sized). Photographers, musicians, celebutantes all get irreverently profiled in Useless’ pages, as well as folks like musician Stephin Merritt, comedian Margaret Cho, designer Zaldy (the current issue’s cover boy) and so on! In fact, his first issue’s launch party was attended by the likes of Dior Homme’s Hedi Slimane and Yoko Ono (!).
Designer Zaldy keeps it breezy (and hairy!) on the cover of Useless, no. 3.
Avid Useless readers.
Ventur himself (based in Brooklyn) is a one-man art industry. As a photographer (think Wolfgang Tillmanns, but younger and fresher) he’s shot for other magazines galore, maintains his killer website, and is currently living and studying in London, working on his MFA. So, yes, he’s currently moved Useless to the U.K.
Useless founder Conrad Ventur, hard at work. Might a desk make things easier?
Right now, you can catch art from Useless on display in NYC’s Visionaire Gallery (in a big, fat retrospective of innovative magazine art through the decades), the mag was just featured in Publish and Be Damned, an indie magazine expo in London , as well as a show at the Liverpool Biennial, and Ventur’s currently gearing up for his next issue’s launch party in London, which will be part of the Frieze Art Fairwhich is looming.
Ventur with Publish and Be Damned's Sarah McCrory in London.
Flip Flop, by Conrad Ventur.
So check out the work of Conrad Ventur online, and check out Useless. What’s in a name, anyway?
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