The Geek Talk boys, Marc and Lee, are back and geekier than ever. Actually, they're just a little jet-lagged from their trip to Scandinavia, but the untrained eye can easily mistake punch-drunk for an extra side of geek. Regardless, the fellas chat about video games (including Rock Band, which excites me in ways I never thought possible) and Joss Whedon and speak of their vacation-related DVR backlog in hushed tones of sheer terror. Next week should be fun!
Actually, this week is fun, and you can check it out after the jump...
So, are you watching Nip/Tuck? I am, but often through my fingers — and not because of the plastic surgery scenes. I want to see Portia de Rossi and Joely Richardson as often as possible (who wouldn't?), but every time they show up, I wince and fear mishandling of the story line.
[Warning: Mild spoilers]
Last week, I really liked Julia's heart-to-heart with Sean. She seemed like a woman who's not really embracing or rejecting anything just yet. And she was kind to her ex-husband, which is always a breath of fresh air on a show that has come to rely on exposure (of every sort) and betrayal for drama. It wasn't always like that — the first couple of seasons of Nip/Tuck were richer and more complex, still soapy but not always taking the easy way out.
And the easy way out is what worries me. Right after Julia's forthrightness warmed the cockles of my heart, Sean and Christian played cock of the walk, tossing around epithets and bravado until I felt sick. So I don't know whether to be optimistic about the Julia/Olivia relationship — well, I know I shouldn't have high hopes for a happy ending, but will we even get to enjoy a few short weeks of romance and hotness? I'm a fool to believe, and Liz (Roma Maffia) would be the first to tell me so.
For NBC's "Green is Universal" week, Bravo's Andy Cohen had a video chat with designer Todd Oldham and Amy Sedaris about being green friendly. The mix of Sedaris and Oldham turns out to be pretty cute, blending silliness with some serious eco-talk.
Sedaris, BTW, came to the chat wearing a cute green skirt she got while filming a music video with a monkey for Dolly Parton. That's right, there's a Dolly Parton video coming up that has both Amy Sedaris and a monkey.
Both Sedaris and Oldham make finding ways to turn waste products into a craft. Oldham turns an old plastic bag into a snowflake and a bathroom tissue roll into a toy for her pet rabbits. (Unsurprisingly, Sedaris also reveals a love of making the Land-O-Lakes butter mascot flash her top.) Sedaris seems to be able to find a new use for everything.
On a more serious note, the trio compare a lot of little ways they try to reduce the strain they put on the environment. Oldham requests a pitcher of water instead of bottled water. Top Design's Goil also calls via phone in to bring up the impact of buying locally (and then he and Todd discuss renewable building materials).
It's all cuter and a little more fun than I would have expected when I checked it out. You can see it for yourself at Bravo's web site or watch each clip individually after the break:
In the latest episode of Lesbian Weeds Watching, Emma and Jen talk about the Tegan and Sara concert, about the difference between Zooey Deschanel and Denise, and of course, about Weeds! (What WOULD happen if Nancy became pregnant!??)
Jen and Emma also want you to know that the prop they're using is notebook paper, and the season finale is next Monday. Enjoy!
The Commercial Closet Association, which monitors gay representation in advertising, have named American Express and Absolut Vodka as the "gold standard" for sensitive LGBT portrayals in their advertising. The CCA praised the two companies for great work in the past year, but also for a history of supporting the gay community. These sponsors' support includes not just marketing to gay customers and advertising in gay media, but also sponsoring and participating in community events.
American Express' history includes ads using out celebrities in such as Tom Ford, Ellen DeGeneres and Queer Eye producer David Collins. The company's has also addressed LGBT concerns with ads that bring up the different financial issues same-sex couples face.
It's all about bad lesbian TV in this week's Who Thought THAT Was a Good Idea?, as Lori and I count down some of the worst lesbian story-line decisions on American television — starting with Serena Southerlyn's coming-out on the way out of Law & Order, and ending with ... well, you'll just have to watch and find out for yourself.
Give us your thoughts on the worst lesbian moments in American TV history in the comments — and if you missed it, check out our favorite lesbian moments in last Friday's episode of She Made Me Watch This!
In this Very Special Edition of She Made Me Watch This!, Lori and I discuss some of our favorite lesbian episodes and moments on American television in the last 20 years. Relive the glory days when there were actually lesbians on prime-time network TV, as we discuss (and show clips!) from lesser-known shows like Dark Angel, Once and Again and Wonderfalls, and more popular ones like Buffy, Xena, ER and The L Word.
Let us know your favorites in the comments — and look for a countdown of our least favorite lesbian TV moments in Monday's episode of Who Thought THAT Was a Good Idea?
But let's at least enjoy these clips for what they are: The Office-esque making-ofs...and they are pretty funny. The homos can not pull off straight to save their lives, but Federline of Love sounds like a fantastic show idea. I would DVR that the day it premiered!
As we mentioned in Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. last week, there's a new interactive web series called How Do I Say This? I'm Gay on the mtvU website. The project was inspired by an email from Lilly, a college student seeking advice on how to come out to her family. Here's a snippet from her email:
"I’m in college and about to go off to my second year. That’s not the problem. I’m gay, and that’s not a problem either, it’s that I don’t know how to tell my mom and dad. I can go off to school and be who I really am, but I don’t want to have to hide it from my family."
Readers respond via video clips and images — so far the responses include a coming-out story in which "gay" is distinguished from "eccentric," and an animated short that captures the concept of taking "baby steps."
Take a look at this clip, in which a reader describes one of those awkward mom moments:
The nominees for the 34th Annual People's Choice Awards were announced last night, and among them is out actor Neil Patrick Harris, in the "Favorite Scene Stealing Star" category. He's up against Chandra Wilson of Grey's Anatomy and Richard Belzer of Law & Order: SVU. Needless to say, it would be awesome to have an out, proud actor win a popular vote like this one, so be sure to click the link at the bottom and cast your ballot! Here's a rundown of the other gay-significant noms...
Celebrities: Gay-faves Sally Field and Katherine Heigl nabbed noms for "Favorite Female TV Star", Jodie Foster is nominated for "Favorite Female Action Star" and Queen Latifah and Drew Barrymore are nominated for "Favorite Leading Lady". Ellen, Whoopi, and Wanda Sykes make "Favorite Funny Female Star" the best category of the bunch, by far.
Vote for For the Click List: Ultimate Sexiest Video!
The Logo channel needs to stay in touch with Gay America...especially when it comes to something like music-video sexiness. So Logo wants your opinion for the Click List: Ultimate Sexiest Video: You can vote on LOGOonline right now, and the winners will air on the channel at midnight on November 16. Of course, you can watch and enjoy all of the videos on LOGOonline.com as well.
So the nominees go way back, like Olivia-Newton-John-"Physical"-way back, and although I can't tell you how Click List-ers chose their nominees, (Don't you dare vote for "Faggoty Attention!") there is some definite sexy on that list.
My picks are Beyonce and Shakira "Beautiful Liar," Kylie Minogue "Slow," Fiona Apple "Criminal" or Pussycat Dolls "Buttons." Those were some hot-ass videos...But don't listen to me - get out and vote!
This week on Shot at Love, something miraculous happened: Tila kissed Dani! And it was hot!
In honor of this momentous moment, Sarah P. and I focused pretty much all our attention this week on Dani — our favorite Shot at Love contestant, as well as Sarah Shahi's Dani Reese on Life.
If so, and you live near Burbank, CA, this is your chance to explore strange new worlds — like the set of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie. Open casting call is this Saturday, November 10, 2:30–5 p.m., at 3108 Magnolia Blvd., across from Pinocchio's Restaurant.
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."
In an interview in the current issue of Instinct Magazine film composer Marc Shaiman (best known for his musical scores to quirky films like The Addams Family, Down With Love, and the brilliant music and lyrics for South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut) and his partner, lyricist Scott Wittman announce that they've been signed to write the long-rumored musical episode of ABC's Ugly Betty for the end of this season. The pair previously won the Tony Award for Best Score for writing the music and lyrics for the musical Hairspray.
This announcement further solidifies Betty's title as "The Gayest Show On TV". As Shaiman himself says in the interview:
"It's great we're talking to a gay magazine, because where else can you say 'How much gayer can it get on TV?' Only with c*cksucking on TV could it get any gayer."
Tonight on the new Biography Channel series Final 24, Janis Joplin's last day is ... well, celebrated? Dissected? I'm not sure what the tone will be. I don't think I like the idea of a "last day in the life" series in the first place. I'd rather let Janis rest in peace.
But I did enjoy the TVGuide.com interview with Sam Andrew, the guitarist in Janis' band Big Brother and the Holding Company. Actually, enjoy might not be the right word there either. I was shocked to learn that Janis was more than willing to sell her soul to be a star:
I remember driving on the Hollywood freeway one night and she said, "I'll sell out. I'll do anything they want me to do to be famous. Just show me where to sign my name on the contract." It was kind of an epiphany. I was very surprised. But from a very early age, she knew where she was going and what she wanted. The rest of us were just hippies stumbling around.
This is like watching Debbie Harry disgrace herself on the Today show. I want my lady rockers to be anti-establishment badasses. Must we share Janis' darkest secrets in posthumous profiles? I kind of doubt she'd want us to know some of this stuff. Or maybe she wouldn't care, if it meant more fame:
The other day I was perusing new movie posters when I came across the first one-sheet for the upcoming Katherine Heigl film 27 Dresses. Writing in lieu of her body; that’s kind of clever. But then I thought, hey, haven’t I seen that somewhere else recently? And voila: the new poster for The Women.
Since everything old is new again, I thought I’d dig a little deeper. And voila, again. Take a look at the German poster for the 1955 Marilyn Monroe classic The Seven Year Itch. Gee, if I someone had only told me that words made such good clothing, I could have stopped going to the mall years ago.
Here's a look at some other poster-alikes by category.
So, is a kiss just a kiss when straight people lay one on each other? Obviously, they can’t appreciate the fun involved, so there have to be certain motives behind such a dirty deed. We’ve broken down the main reasons those calculating straights go gay for the cameras...and here they are!
The Gimme My Oscar Gay Kiss! – Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger; Charlize & Christina Ricci
In the same way a fake nose, an adopted accent or some new weight-gain can facilitate an Oscar nom, so can a gay kiss! How devoted those actors are to their craft! Our personal faves (although Charlize was the only one from this crew to actually win an Oscar) were Heath and Jake as Ennis and Jack in Brokeback Mountain and Charlize and Christina as Aileen and Selby in Monster.
And those straights really went at it! Either in an alley behind a bar or against a house with an out-of-the-loop wife looking on, these actors definitely played their cards right.
Check the rest of our list...and take our poll...after the jump!
In one of the oddest ideas for a film I've heard in a while, plans were announced for Hatter, starring Alan Cumming and gay fave Rebecca Romijn, working together for the first time since X2. Early details on the film are sketchy, but Varietyreports that the plot is based off of the Tea Party scene from Alice in Wonderland, with Cumming (who is also producing the film) playing Matt Hatter, a "hedonistic" fashion designer who is confronted by a journalist (Romijn) with dark secrets from his past. Hatter will be directed by James Killough, making his feature film directorial debut. The film will begin shooting on location in Europe in spring of 2008.
The role isn't Cumming's only recent foray into classic children's literature; he's also playing the part of the scarecrow in the Sci Fi Channel's miniseries, Tin Man, a "twisted, psychedelic" take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Judging from the trailer the film looks visually interesting, if a little cheesy, which is par for the course for most of Sci Fi Channel's original movies. Tin Man is set to air in December.
In an effort to expand the audience of its sketch comedy show The Big Gay Sketch Show, Logo decided to experiment with turning it into The Big Straight Sketch Show, and sent us these short behind-the-scenes/making-of episodes.
My favorite part so far is in the second episode, when the network exec informs the cast of the change: Julie Goldman flips them off, Kate McKinnon ignores it all and just keeps chatting with Lance Bass on her cell phone, and Erica Ash rants, "In America, this is what we call some bulls--t!"
Check this blog post for a new episode each weekday (except Fridays) through Nov. 15.
This week in dumb celebrity and entertainment news: Angelina Jolie gets CGI'd in Beowulf, some desperate TV exec gets the bright idea to remake the '80s series Knight Rider, and Dog the Bounty Hunter's racist tirade isn't the first dumb move he's made (that would be having twelve children, and then pissing one off enough that he rats you out to the media).
Plus, Pierce Brosnan and the paparrazi, what Silk Stalkings and Different Strokes have in common, and an update on how minorities are faring behind and in front of the TV camera (bottom line: white people still run everything).
Are you sitting down? It's been long, long over due, but at last Hollyoaks has finally won an award! The show was a worthy winner at the 2007 Stonewall Awards, having been named Broadcast of the Year, thanks to its sensitive depiction of the gay love affair between teenagers John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) and Craig Dean (Guy Burnet).
The Stonewall Awards, which took place on November 1 at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum before an audience of more than 400 people, praised the show for its "sympathetic and convincing handling" of the "gritty and emotional" storyline.
Whenever I turn on my TV these days, I get the strange urge to pull a Paul Revere in my living room and start screaming, “The British are coming! The British are coming!” Until I realize, oh wait, they’re already here. This season a brigade of British actresses are breaking out their best American accents to star in new prime-time shows. Among them are a bionic woman, an undead girl, a Terminator fighter and a vampire helper. Here's a look at the U.K. actresses making time on American TV screens.
I think you’ve already met Bionic Woman Michelle Ryan and her abs. In the last episode, they put her real accent to good use undercover as a British exchange student. An Englishwoman playing an American girl pretending to be a British student? It was like Victor/Victoria with accents instead of gender.
Not surprisingly, Halloween week gets people talking about horror movies. Dorothy Snarker recounted the horror background of various actresses this week. And recently, Jamie Lynn got hoards of you reminiscing about the horror films of yesteryear. I'm not a big horror aficionado — I blame a babysitter who, in an ill-advised move, allowed me to watch Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. However, I stumbled across a horror movie “best of” list this week that intrigued me.
Time.com counted the 25 Best Horror Movies from 1896 to the present. I was surprised to note that I had seen 10 of the movies. I was even more surprised to note that Bambi was one of them. Not Bambi Meets Godzilla. Bambi. You know, “You can call me Flower if you want to.”
I'm pretty sure Bambi's inclusion was the result of a double dog dare, but here's what the list-maker had to say:
“Amazing that the first movies parents took their tots to in the '30s and '40s were the early Disney features. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo all exploited childhood traumas. Parents disappear or die; stepmothers plot the murder of their charges; a boy skips school and turns into a donkey. Kids were so frightened by these films that they wet themselves in terror. Bambi, directed by David Hand, has a primal shock that still haunts oldsters who saw it 40, 50, 65 years ago.”
Earlier this week, the linster blogged about the Mad Money of Katie Holmes, and now fellow Dawson's Creek alum Michelle Williams is getting her own headlines. Williams will star inMammoth, the first English-language feature by Lukas Moodysson (Show Me Love, Together).
The Swedish director describes Williams as relaying "intelligence, poise and presence in every character she plays," and I wholeheartedly agree. I'm happy to see her making news for something besides her recent split with Heath Ledger, and not only because it gives me a chance to post pictures of her looking ridiculously adorable — though that is a decided bonus.
No, the main reason I'm happy about this news is that I admire both director and star. I've been watching Williams' career ever since Dick, If These Walls Could Talk 2 and Me Without You proved that she was headed for life after Capeside (I was a devoted if slightly embarrassed Creek fan, but really, not for the acting chops).
Attention, Joss Whedon fans. I want you to look around before reading this post. I mean it: Please take careful note of your surroundings. Be on particular lookout for small children and the elderly. If you see either, I want you to find a pencil, put it in your mouth and bite down. This will prevent you from making loud, delirious and possibly profane pronouncements of joy that could frighten and/or alarm the young and weak-hearted. Because believe me when I tell you that this news is going to make you scream. Are you ready? Pencil in place?
Joss has a new TV show. And — chomp down a little harder — he is bringing Eliza Dushku back to TV with him.
I know, right?! When I heard this, I made an involuntary part-squeal, part-screech, part-strangled chicken sound that scared the cat. Joss and television are like bacon and a cheeseburger. They’re both great apart, but together they’re nothing short of genius. To wit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly. Stop me if you’re familiar.
LOGO's Big Gay Sketch Show: Get Your Season 1 DVD!
I should probably just let the Tranny 911 sketch speak for itself (check the player below!), but I will let you know your chance to own this gay magic on DVD is coming up! LOGO'sBig Gay Sketch ShowSeason 1 will be available at BestBuy starting Tuesday (Nov. 6), and, if you need that extra security, you can pre-order your copy at the LOGOonline store right now.
In addition to a roundup of the entire first-season, the DVD will include bonus sketches, cast interviews, behind the scenes footage, Julie
Goldman's Celesbian Interviews and Jonny McGovern's music video (you'll know who they are soon enough).
Come on, you love Nanny Chocolate Puddin' and Nanny Heaven...
Check out more clips on LOGOonline - including, gay werewolf, the gay Facts of Life - and All in the Family and Honeymooners gone gay!
Boo! Did I scare you? No, well, fine. But I do know a scary secret. Lean close, I'll tell you. Closer. A bit closer. Boo! OK, come on, that time I had to scare you, just a little. Actually, this news is probably only truly terrifying to the actresses whose dirty little secrets I’m about to spill. You see, before they were screen queens, these ladies were all scream queens. Sure, they’re all big Oscar winners, A-listers and TV stars now. But at the start of their careers, they were just glorified bait. Here's aa look at 10 actresses' horrific early careers.
Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, 1978): Like mother, like daughter. Jamie Lee followed in her mom Janet Leigh’s bloody footprints by squaring off with a Psycho killer. But at least Jamie got to live to fight another day, albeit two decades later in Halloween H20.
You gotta love New York-based comedian/actor/gay Billy Eichner. He's one half of the amazing comedy duo Creation Nation, and he's also the guy behind "Jen's Vlog," that freakily genius chronicle of one dishy office girl's rants, raves and meltdowns. And he's a sweet guy, too.
But this whole Halloween thing? I mean, really... What the f**k??? No worries. Billy explains it all above...
We've got a new video blog starting today that looks at all things geek from a gay perspective. Right now it's called Geek Talk with Marc and Lee, but in their first installment they put a call out for suggestions for a snazzier title. Along the way they discuss video games, television, Katee Sackhoff, and more. Enjoy, and drop your title ideas in the comments!
This week on ANTM (Episode 9.6), something unprecedented occurred. [Spoiler alert!!] And no, it was not a thoughtful discussion between the contestants about the problematic nature of accurate representation on reality television. The twist was that when Ambreal and Ebony found themselves in the bottom two and Ebony was spared, she quit the show anyway! Whaaaaat? Quit? Would you be surprised to know that Tyra hates quitters? Neither were we.
This week, we discuss:
The universal appeal of Tyson Beckford (1 out of 3 lesbians agree!)
What (extra virgin) olive oil, caulk and kiełbasa have in common
Why spokesmodels shouldn't have to write their own scripts
Also, in another We're Getting Nowhere bonus feature, we'll see a very special PSA from the "lost" ANTM contestants, Loquacious, Lorelai and Natalia. How does one turn public service into an opportunity for fisticuffs? Watch and learn.
Natalie Portman in Parade: Go With Your Gut, Don't Show Your Butt
Almost-too-beautiful, Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman recently told Parade magazine (for which she's a contributing writer, apparently?) she regrets doing a nude scene in the short film, Hotel Chevalier. (Check here for her gorgeous photo shoot with Parade.)
She said..."last year I did something that I wasn’t comfortable with, and I’m really sorry I didn’t listen to my intuition. There was a scene in a movie that felt inappropriate for me, but I didn’t want to make waves. So I let myself get talked into it, even though it shook me up. From now on, I’m going to trust my gut more."
It's OK, Natalie...you kind of went nude in Closer and you were fantastic!
The movie in question, a short prequel to the upcoming The Darjeeling Limited, features Natalie as Jason Schwartzman's ex-lover. The pair have sex in a hotel room. Intrigued? You can download Hotel Chevalier on iTunes right now and judge for yourself if Natalie dropped the ball on going nude.
So tonight marks the launch of a new show on LOGO called Alien Boot Camp - but don't let the name fool you (not that that name could really fool you into anything), this show is for all you gay techy-sci-fi fans out there...like me!
It's actually a bit broader that that: The program's designed to be a "gay fusion of Adult Swim and G4." Alien Boot Camp compiles videos for fans of video games, animation (and anime), sci-fi, comics, horror and tech...all with gay leanings. Not that those worlds' weren't pretty gay-friendly to begin with, but they can always be gayer.
Pics from Oedipus N+1 and Drawn Together...a few of many ABC offerings.
Alien Boot Camp will premier tonight at 10 p.m. EST, and in the meantime, check out this animated short (available on www.alienbootcamp.com...along with a bunch of others) called Dad, I'm Not Gay...
Another (geeky - kinda kinky?) clip after the jump!
Oprah Winfrey may not be gay, be she and her team are savvy and cosmopolitan enough – adjectives that no doubt describe all gay people – to air the program, “Gay Around the World,” tomorrow. How timely of her, on the heels of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran's comments last month about the non-existence of gays in his country, to present the face of the global gay community in that introspective, sensitive way that only the Queen of Talk can deliver.
In addition to a glimpse behind the lavender veil of Tehran, the show's trailer promises that viewers on Wednesday can expect to see the United Kingdom’s John Amaechi, the former basketball player who came out after his career in the NBA; the Indian prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil, who came out to the consternation of his royal family last year; and the feminist spoken word poet, Staceyann Chin, who will explain that being a lesbian in Jamaica made her so fearful that she moved to a different country, aka, New York City.
Thanks to Oprah for showcasing that gay people do exist outside American vodka and airline advertisements, appreciated though those may be, and to the brave individuals who stepped forward to tell their stories in these dangerous times.
There's Something About Miriam to Show on Fox Reality!
And that “something” is: She’s a man, baby!
So, someone might be able to argue that shows like this don’t do anything for the transgender community, but that’s not going to stop me from watching (actually I’ve already seen clips online; the show originally came out in 2004). And now, the controversial UK reality series is coming to America, courtesy of the Fox Reality Channel.
So There's Something About Miriam (originally titled Find Me a Man) follows (just) six men, as they pursue Miriam while vacationing in Ibiza, Spain - and none of the men know Miriam was born male. Miriam's a 21-year old Mexican model, and the boys are none the wiser until she confesses her secret on the show’s (incredibly drawn-out) finale.
The prize included 10,000 pounds and a week-long vacation on a luxury yacht. What, Miriam wasn’t enough? Maybe that was extra incentive for the winner if he was turned off by the idea of dating a M2F...?
The guys were all into Miriam before the news...but a group of them filed a lawsuit against the show after it ended. (They settled for an undisclosed amount.)
Things We Lost in the Fire a Big One For Halle Berry?
As Afterellen.com posted, Halle Berry may begin work as Nefertiti sometime in the near future, but fans of the Oscar-winning actress will find a bit more instant gratification from Halle's new movie, Things We Lost in the Fire (opening this weekend).
Check out the trailer below...the movie features Ms. Berry, of course, along with Benicio Del Torro, David Duchovny and that creepy guy from Zodiac, John Carroll Lynch. It looks like Halle's going to be great, but - I don't know - it seems a tad Monster's Ball-ish: Halle again plays a grieving widow and mother who finds support in and has an affair with a man connected to her dead husband.
Well, OK - Halle's character is a little different this time: Her husband (David Duchovny) dies, and Halle invites his friend (a former lawyer and drug-addict) to live in her garage ... to help her cope with her loss and to be a presence for her two children. Could be great, if done well - we'll have to wait and see...
A bit of Rickie Vasquez still lives in Wilson Cruz.
“When I was little I, like, worshipped Halloween. And truthfully, part of me still does. 'Cause it's your one chance all year to be someone else.”
Like, who hasn’t missed 15-year-old Angela Chase since Claire Danes portrayed the character in My So-Called Life for a few fleeting months in the mid-90s? The highly influential ABC series presented teen angst realistically as it explored heavy issues like homophobia, homelessness and teenage alcoholism in scenarios refreshingly devoid of clear resolutions. Though as painfully short-lived as a prom season romance, the show launched the careers of out actor Wilson Cruz, who portrayed gay biracial teen, Rickie Vasquez, and Danes. The latter this month makes her Broadway debut in Pygmalion with I Am My Own Wife’s Jefferson Mays.
Now, anyone who could not get enough of Angela, Rickie, Rayanne and the rest of their fictitious Pittsburgh suburb, Three Rivers, can celebrate Halloween in the subtly troubled style of Liberty High School. Shout! Factory will release My So-Called Life: The Complete Series DVD on October 30.
The new release includes six discs featuring all 19 episodes of the series that aired from August 1994 to January 1995, and bonus material such as interviews, episode commentaries and archival footage. Also included is a 40-page color book with Janeane Garofaloamong the contributors. If only the liberal comedian would reveal what it was like to work with lesbian theater dynamo, Cherry Jones, on the upcoming season of conservative-leaning television series, 24.
LOGO Hits Up Gaylaxicon Sci-Fi Convention in Atlanta!
-- by Marc Leonard, Sr. VP of Multi-Platform programming at Logo
It’s no secret that there are legions of big, homo sci-fi/fantasy/horror and gaming fans out there. And as evidence, this past weekend saw the 19th annual Gaylaxicon—the three-day international LGBT sci-fi, fantasy, horror and gaming convention—take over the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in downtown Atlanta. Hundreds of gays were on hand to meet up (and dress up!) for panels, dances, films, live music, and gaming.
Some of the queer and queer-friendly celebs appearing as guests this year included David Gerrold, a veteran sci-fi writer whose initial claim to fame was scribing the famous “Trouble With Tribbles” episode of Star Trek. (John and Joan Cusack will star in an already buzzworthy film based on Gerrold's book about his own adopted son, called The Martian Child.)
Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein Moves from Guitar Strokes to Jokes
Watch Brownstein and Armisen get naked. 'Just keeeeeeding!'
Fans of the post-riot grrrl sonic sensation, Sleater-Kinney, certainly weren’t laughing when the acclaimed indie rock band announced its indefinite hiatus in June 2006. Their departure, followed shortly afterward by the likes ofLe Tigre, delivered a musical loss for politically attuned women and the sensitive men who admire them.
Despite Sleater-Kinney’s weighty reputation, or perhaps because of it, it’s refreshing now to see the lighter side of Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist with the wildly expressive gestures who once dated the band’s other co-founder, Corin Tucker. These days, the thrift-shop heartthrob based in Portland, Oregon has teamed with Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen to film comedic shorts that should appeal to viewers who pedal, fixed-gear or otherwise, in geek chic.
So wipe the smudges from your horn-rimmed glasses, brush the lint off your cardigan and get ready to tickle your tubesocks with Brownstein and Armisen’s new project, called ThunderAnt. Their video clips show that, in addition to guitar licks, this duo pulls no punch lines toward hipsters whose skinny pants may have likewise pinched their personalities a little too tightly. Don’t miss “Feminist Bookstore,” the segment where they portray two intense employees who use consensus strategy to deliberate which fliers are acceptable to post on the public board.
Even the compost heaping, “apartment-dwelling queer vegan” they skewer must be chuckling at himself, which is evidence of a joke, if not a burger, well done.
CMJ Film Festival: The Thinking Man's Screen Source
Interview with the interviewer: Go ask Anderson at the CMJ Film Festival in October.
Try to imagine the fall season without the annual upsurge in crisp entertainment offerings. The tastiest bobbing apple of them all might be the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival, which takes place this year in New York City’s Greenwich Village from October 16-20. Industry players, dedicated fans, and some damned lucky interns will be among those who get to swallow a roster of gourmet musical performances that rivals Steve Albini’s list of recording projects.
Amidst the panels, showcases and late-night revelry devoted to the coolest in new sounds, this year the film line-up also looks positioned to thrill a certain kind of viewer. Opening night of the CMJ Film Festival brings Frank and Cindy, a documentary about a wife’s desperate attempt to resuscitate the career of her husband, a washed-up New Wave rock star. The lovably geeky Ira Glass, star of radio and television’s This American Life, will lead the post-screening Q&A at the Museum of Modern Art. Go ahead and make some passes at boys who wear glasses.
Also on the festival bill is CNN’s Planet in Peril, the forthcoming investigation of the unfolding environmental crisis. Anchorman Anderson Cooper will be on hand to present this feature and provide Q&A after the screening.
Gay-TV hating rapper Ja Rule with his bud, Brokeback Mountain's producer James Schamus.
Remember rapper Ja Rule? He's got a new album dropping soon, so he's been doing interviews and pr to promote it, like any performer does. And nabbing all kinds of notice in the last 24 hours are comments he made in a web interview with Complex Magazine, in which he randomly goes off on how gays in the media are contributing to the "f**king up" of America. Huh?
The exchange begins with the reporter asking Ja Rule about the upcoming September 25th Congressional hearing examining the lyrical content and imagery of African-American women in hip-hop.
And Ja goes off:
There's a f***ing black kid right now about to get 25 years for having a fight with some white kids over hanging the nooses over the white tree, lets get to that. Let's get into sh*t like that, because that's what's tearing up America, not me calling a woman a b*tch or a hoe on my rap songs.
And if it is, then we need to go step to Paramount, and f****ng MGM, and all of these other motherf**kers that's making all of these movies and we need to go step to MTV and Viacom, and lets talk about all these f***ing shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this sh*t. Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid afternoon. Let's talk about sh*t like that! If that's not f***ing up America, I don't know what is.
Okaaaayyy... I don't know where this comes from, and yes, issues of racism and hate-based violence against African-Americans is abominable, but... Where's this anti-gay rant come from? And does he really think his sexist lyrics are harmless? Mercy me...
I'm just going to send you to blogger Jasmyne Cannick, who offers up a pretty extensive analysis of all of this, from her point-of-view as a gay African-American woman. Simply put, she calls him out succinctly.
Jon Stewart pointed the finger at Hollywood in 2006.
Remember when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its very lesbian Oscars ceremony last February? Comedian Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 79th Annual Academy Awards, rock star Melissa Etheridge pocketed the coveted gold statue of a bald-headed man, and actor/director Jodie Foster (wink, wink) presented an award.
So imagine the collective gasp at the local food coop when it was announced yesterday that Daily Show brain Jon Stewart had been invited to host the Oscars for a second time. The 80th annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on February 24.
Get more Oscars talk - past, present and future - after the jump!
Sean Penn to Play Murdered Gay-Rights Activist, Harvey Milk
It's been a while since I've seen the Oscar-winning documentary The Mayor of Castro Street - but to me, like to so many people, it was infuriating, saddening and inspiring all at once, so I can't wait to see what's in store for the upcoming film based on the Harvey Milk documentary. In casting news, Sean Penn is pegged to play the assassinated politician, while Matt Damon will take on the role of his killer, Dan White.
More on the upcoming docu-turned-movie...after the jump!
Legally Blonde Comes to the Small Screen...With Ashley Tisdale?
Blonde-power, yeah!
Disney’s been shaking their High School Musical money-maker long enough! After the made-for-TV sequel’s ridiculous success, I can just see the “we have to do whatever Disney is doing” meeting over at MTV.
Well, it looks like they’ve come up with something to tap into that generous tween market – MTV signed with the Broadway showLegally Blonde to air the full Rialto production on their channel starting September 29. This is the first time a production’s been shown on TV uncut while it’s still running in Gotham’s Palace Theater.
What's Sharpay got to do with all of this? After the jump...
CRUISING Returns to Theaters! Offensive? Hilarious? Nostalgic? Hot? All of the Above?
"Cruising" brings its old-school leather drag, alarmist storyline and nostalgic view of NYC back to theaters. For a week. Say hey to Big Gay Al!
Today in NYC, L.A. and San Francisco the 1980 film Cruising opens in movie theaters. Yes, it’s THAT Cruising, starring Al Pacino and directed by William Friedkin, that sparked protests from the gay community when it was released.
The film is a thriller set amid the gay S&M/fetish scene, wherein Pacino—a cop—goes undercover as a gay leather queen to catch a serial killer. Back in the day, protests arose over the depiction of the gay community as a pervy, oversexed world full of killers and victims. That was way back before Will & Grace or The Birdcage or Logo or Brokeback Mountain or hardly any mainstream media depictions of gay life, so... You can understand why the film may have ruffled some gay feathers.
These days, the film’s worth checking as a cultural time capsule, as it documents a sliver of pre-AIDS New York that’s long gone, but also as a glimpse into how cinema tried to depict gayness. And as director William Friedkin has said of this film, they meant well. And here’s a bit of commentary on the film—and the world it depicts—from the New York Sun newspaper today:
With over 72,000 AIDS deaths in New York to date, it stands to reason that a large slice of the men you see in the club scenes [in "Cruising"] are no longer with us. But here in their disco grottoes, behind their mustaches and muttonchops and leather, behind their tough-guy masks, they're smiling. They've found a place in the world where everything finally makes sense. Putting the serial-killer portion of the movie aside, Mr. Friedkin has made a movie about people having fun. It's touching and it's sweet, all the more so because, outside of "Cruising," it's lost forever.
The film is also finally coming out on DVD on September 18th, so this little theatrical run is just to get the buzz revved up for that. Watch a preview for it here!
I saw the film a couple of weeks ago, so I’m gonna offer up my own reasons as why you should give it a look. Just let me get my harness adjusted first...
MySpace Star Tila Tequila's New Bisexual Dating Show on MTV!
Tila: The Bi Bachelorette! I'm already obsessed.
Well, this is a big step for MTV – not only did they just greenlight their first serialized, weekly dating show (as much as I love Next, it doesn’t count), but they’re putting out, to my knowledge, the first ever bisexual dating show. (Well, there were a few gay episodes of Next, now that I think about it…)
Now that’s progress! MySpace sensation Tila Tequila will make her Bachelorette-style network debut on her show called A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila. MTV ordered 10 episodes of the dating reality show, which will air October 9.
In case you don’t know who she is, Time magazine called Tila The Madonna of MySpace...she was one of the first ever MySpace subscribers and now has over two million friends – a level of fame that led to a bunch of magazine covers, singles and a fashion line.
Wilson Cruz may be one of the best gays alive. Yes, he’s a totally cute actor who pops up in lots of great gay-themed shows and films (Logo’s fun Rick & Steve and Noah’s Arc, movies like Party Monster, All Over Me...), including his breakout role as Ricky, the gay teen on My So-Called Life with Claire Danes. Remember that holiday episode where it was revealed that Ricky was living on the street after he was kicked out of this family’s house for being gay? It was pretty major.
And it was apparently a scenario Cruz knows well, as the same thing happened to him as a youth. Which is maybe why the gifted actor is also such a tireless activist for queer causes, and it always willing to reach out and help gay teens.
Watch the above video and see Cruz make a pitch to raise awareness about homelessness among LGBT youth. The clip is sponsored by Tylenol PM, and it seeks to clue us all in to this massive problem. And if you go to the Tylenol PM site, it will lead you to two amazing organizations—the Ali Forney Center in New York City, and the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center—which provide housing and resources to homeless queer kids. Both are awesome organizations. Think about donating some money to them... Just a few bucks can really help provide a safe place to live for someone who’s been kicked to the street by their family.
Openly Gay Judge David Young Gets His Own Courtroom Show!
The judicial system just got a whole lot gayer!
Well, the daytime-TV judge-show world did, at least. On September 10, Sony Pictures Television will premiere Judge David Young, the first courtroom show with an openly gay judge.
Sony, who’s behind shows Judge Hatchett and Judge Maria Lopez, seems to have no problem playing up Young’s fabulousness! and networks don’t have a problem with it either (91 percent in the country have cleared the show to air). Sony describes Judge Young as a man “known for his fierce intelligence and occasional bursts into show tunes.”
Check out the AfterElton.com interview with Judge Young here. (He promises he is no Jack McFarland, but admits he does, in fact, bust out show tunes from time to time.)
To quote the greatest thing that ever happened to reality TV: "New York is in the motha-f***in' house!"
Again! Check out these new pics from the upcoming Vh1 show, I Love New York 2, which premieres October 8. And seriously, that day cannot come soon enough; the show's title is very fitting for me - the love I have for New York, a.k.a Tiffany Pollard, is hard to put into words.
Well, I'll let these pics of New York's recent partying and Vh1's decorating job do it for me.
Cate Blanchett is definitely one of those people that…if I ever I met her, I couldn’t be responsible for what I would do. I just wouldn’t be able to wrap my head around being in her presence – even though I’m not her hugest fan or anything.
Well, my musings aside! Check out these new clips from her upcoming movie in which…She’s a man, baby! Yup, Cate will play Bob Dylan in the upcoming movie I’m Not There; she depicts the songwriter during his younger days in the ‘60s, when Dylan switched from his style from folk style to electric rock.
The clip linked here addresses Dylan’s shift: "That film is about the hounded artist," co-writer and director Todd Haynes said. "And around that time, Dylan was being hounded: Why isn't he protesting? Why is he being so weird, and why are the songs so incomprehensible?"
Daily Buzz Bits: Ne-Yo on Britney, Meryl's "Mamma," and Dolly's Broadway Date
Ne-Yo tells tales on Britney, Meryl takes her "Mamma" out in Greece, and Dolly's hitting Broadway--in two years.
Ne-Yo sounds off about the songs he wrote for Britney, then sold to Pussycat Doll Nicole for her solo debut. That’s why they call it the music business, okay?
Work is underway in sunny Greece on the Meryl Streep-led movie version of the Broadway musical Mamma Mia! It costars Christine Baranski and Julie Walters as the best gal-pals, and Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth as her former lovers who might just be her grown daughter’s daddy. Fun, fun, fun!
That big 9 to 5 stage musical that Dolly Parton’s been hard at work at? It’s headed to Broadway in 2009. Hurrah, Dora Lee!
AND...
Oh, yeah... Ellen DeGeneres picked a new DJ for the new season of her show. It’s L.A.’s Ted Stryker (no, he’s not a porn star) who’s other day job is working at KROQ. Busy!
So if you’re Amy Winehouse and your life is sort of a mess, what would help sort things out? Getting pregnant!!??? Word has it she wants to have a kid.
Fashion vs. Showbiz: Elton John is gonna play for Dior’s 60th anniversary bash in Paris; and Chloe Sevigny’s debuting a line of her own at NYC’s Fashion Week. Oh, the glamour of it all...
And in L.A., you can buy a creamsicle from the ice cream man and then belt out a tune, too? Yep, it’s karaoke on your local ice cream truck!!! Which is either genius, or really annoying...
Tim Gunn, front and center. And getting giddy with super-fab ProjRun survivor Laura Bennett.
In an interview today with those savvy lads over at AfterElton, TV style guru Tim Gunn talks a bushel about his new Bravo series, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style which premieres next week, and about his role as an unintentional celebrity and as a gay role model. He’s charming and self-deprecating as always.
But the interview gets personal in the second half as the interviewer, James Hillis, grills Gunn on why a smart, nice-looking, TV-star like himself doesn’t have a man, or doesn’t seem to be in the market for one. Here’s what Gunn has to say, and it’s pretty revealing:
I have the greatest respect for people in relationships and people who are married. I do. I have to say this though … If I were going to have a relationship, it requires time. And I don't have any. So in order to have a relationship, I would have to give something up, and I don't know what that would be.
More personal revelations from Gunn after the jump!
Gay Curmudgeons, take note! If you were a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the new movie I Want Someone To Eat Cheese Withsmacks of the same comedy as the hilariously deadpan series, and was written and directed by series' favorite Jeff Garlin (you know, the large best friend), who also stars in this film. (The movie comes out in NYC on September 5th, in L.A. Sept. 14th and then pops up around the country in subsequent weeks.)
Cheese follows a few weeks in the life of James Aaron (Garlin), a heavy--ok, fat--struggling Chicago-based actor who lives with his mom. James and his friends wander through the days hanging around town, eating, engaging in witty observationaly dialogue. One fateful day James meets Beth (Sarah Silverman) over an offer of free ice cream and a "hoagie shack," and you'll have to see the film to find out what THAT means. Call it Curb Your Development or Arrested Enthusiasm, either way if you appreciate this genre of comedy you'll appreciate what feels like a two-hour episode of this kind of series.
Yes - anyone can say what they want about High School Musical, and it doesn’t matter because it just makes so much money (it did come in as the highest rated basic cable broadcast of all time, after all). And last night at the Teen Choice Awards, the made-for-TV movie totally dominated: The audience lost it for the HSM opening number and Zac Efron took home Choice Hottie.
But yeah – speaking of Zac (and I’m not saying he’s gay), there are a couple of gays out there who would like to point out HSM’s “gay subtext,” or at least its super gay-friendliness.
Try this quiz courtesy of Radarmagazine.com to see if you…appreciate just how gay High School Musical really is. (I, apparently, do not. I’m as out of it as Sharpay – damn!)
Meet Your Daemon or How The Golden Compass Is Going to Rule
Well, I’m officially excited about a movie. (It really feels so rare these days.) Here’s how it happened: Well, I read the His Dark Materials trilogy many years ago and repurchased them recently and have been lending them out to friends. They are amazing. They blow Harry Potter out of the water. Luxuriously rich in detail and philosophical gooblidigook, they make for rich dreams and hours spent imagining what your own daemon would look like.
So this morning I just happened to check by one of friend’s Myspace pages and low and behold, there is a little box with her daemon. (It was a chimp). What’s even better is it let me answer a few questions to determine whether her demon was correct and I turned her into a beautiful white cat (which was perfect) and then something that looked like a combination between a dog and a ferret. (Oops.)
So of course I went and got my own daemon. That's mine up above. It was a rat to begin with, but feel free to mess with it. And then go get your own daemons. Wasting time on the internet has never been so spooky and fateful feeling.
Justice League Movie! Ryan Reynolds as The Flash? Wishful Thinking?
Please let me at least do the voice of The Flash.
There's lots of frantic, uncorroborated buzz floating around the Internet about a new Justice League movie, (You know, the super friends: Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, etc.) and even though it's all kind of all speculation at this point, I've got to do a little recap.
First off, the movie's definitely happening - there are just certain logistical issues to work out. Mainly whether or not it will be real-time or CGI and the fact that there are already Superman and Batman movies in the works.
I'd be all for CGI - to me, Justice League always had a over-the-top, campy appeal to it. I think it lends itself more to a cartoon than most other comics. Which is good, since Christian Bale (who plays Batman in the new movies and refuses to play the part under a different director) and Brandon Routh (Superman in Brian Singer's movies) are not going to be in it.
More on the movie and Ryan Reynolds 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!
Diane Lane and Chris Evans Star in Upcoming Movie, Fierce People
Last week I got to attend a screening of the movie Fierce People, which stars Diane Lane and Chris Evans. The late-‘70s drama follows a drug-addicted New York mother, Liz Earl (Lane), and her teenaged son, who move to a rural, wealthy suburb to live with the Liz’s sugar daddy when she decides to get her life on track.
The title refers to a tribe in the Amazon called the Ishkanni; the movie parallels the brutal politics of the wealthy community the Earls enter into with the practices of the primitive tribe. Personally, I was most excited to see Chris Evans – since I understood he was taking on a part unlike anything he’d done before – and…he’s Chris Evans.
The film, directed Griffin Dunne, comes out September 14.
Was it fierce? My thoughts on the movie...after the jump!
So many reasons to watch: For one, too much lesbian, teen angst is never enough, and two, who better to dish about crazy dramatics than with fellow fanatics from AfterEllen.com?
The new hilarious (and informative!) video blog on AfterEllen.com, We're Getting Nowhere, recaps and analyzes (or, to quote Karman, “doing what lesbians do best: processing”) each episode from The N’s South of Nowhere. The hosts, AfterEllen.com writers Dana and Karman, along with out actress Jill Bennett, will be on for a new episode tonight, so don’t miss it.
South of Nowhere kicked off its third season on The N earlier this month, and it follows the lives of the Carlin family, who have recently moved from Ohio to L.A. Teenage Spencer Carlin ends up bonding with lesbian Ashley at her new high school, and Spencer begins to question her own sexuality.
The cast of South of Nowhere - oh-so-beautiful and oh-so-brooding.
There’s plenty more drama going on, but the gayness is always the best, right? Some topics the AfterEllen.com ladies cover on their vlog: “What Spencer is doing at 16 that it took me until my 30s to do” and “How Ashley blew it with Spencer doing exactly what Jill says lesbians always do.”
And they also want to clarify: There is no rum in those cokes!
Heidi Montag’s New Single Is Fake, Her Show Is Fake…
Text message your way out of this one, you two.
Guess what else is fake? Ha!
I love The Hills – I make no apologies for that. I also know most, if not all of it, is staged; I don’t care. The Lauren-Heidi falling out, and subsequent publicity-mongering feud, makes my life...significantly better.
I’ll get to Season 3 in a sec, but first I have to talk about too-busy-back-stabbing-me-to-be-my-friend Heidi Montag’s new single. Yes, “single,”...she thinks she can sing. She and her fiancé, Spencer Pratt, appeared on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show to promote it, and he played a leak of the track, “Body Language,” shortly thereafter.
The weird thing is: Spencer and Heidi immediately told People.com they had scrapped “Body Language,” that it was not Heidi’s first single and that no one was ever supposed to hear it. Well, that’s probably a good thing if Heidi wants a singing career. The song is so ridiculous; Spencer actually raps on it…I’m not kidding.
A big shocker after the jump...The Hills is staged!
Ever wanted to add your own gay-flair to the Happiest Gay Couple casts' toy-land lives? Well, now you can write and create your ownR&S online comics, thanks to a new feature on the show's Web site!
It's super-easy to do, and it'll give all you budding writers out there the chance to make your own strap-on, twink and vibrator jokes!
And don't forget to watch the Rick & Steve recap tonight on LOGO; the first four episodes will air back-to-back for the West Lahunga late-comers!
The Musical Greats Meryl, Glenn and Barbra Battle It Out For Sunset Boulevard!
OK, this is my last ABBA-related post (for a while), I promise, but this is a battle of the greats!
Well, the greatest has already won when it comes to ABBA. And I'm talking about Meryl as she’ll be playing the lead role of Donna in the upcoming movie version of the Broadway musical, Mamma Mia!
Now this is one of the few Broadway shows I’ve actually seen, and although I couldn’t really go to bat for the plot, the musical numbers are fantastic, thanks to ABBA! So I’m totally excited for the movie.
Meryl’s actually rarely sung on camera, but I hear she’s got a fantastic voice, and she’s not going to stop after Mamma. Apparently, she’s in the running for the upcoming movie version of Sunset Boulevard (the musical), along with Glenn Close and Barbra Streisand.
ABC Gets Thumbs Up From GLAAD For LGBT Programming
ABC's America Ferrera, David Annable and Matthew Rhys do GLAAD proud...FOX - not so much.
GLAAD released its inaugural "GLAAD Network Responsibility Index" today, letting network TV know they have a long way to go when it comes to gay representation.
The report ranked TV’s LGBT portrayals (the quantity, as well as the quality and diversity), and ABC won out thanks to shows such as Brothers & Sisters and Ugly Betty.
Well, I can’t say I'm surprised at those results; I mean, who’s going to compete with them? FOX?
GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said, "While we have made great strides in the ten years since Ellen DeGeneres came out on television, this report shows where work still needs to be done.”
ABC earned a rating of “Good,” since a whopping 15 percent of its prime-time programming had some sort of LGBT representation. The CW came in with 12 percent (thanks to the Jays from America’s Next Top Model?) and CBS scored a nine.
NBC and FOX scored seven and six percent ratings, respectively.
No one got an "Excellent;" yeah, I think network TV’s representation of gay people is far from "excellent," not to sound bitter or anything. I'm not sure how much networks will pay attention to this report, but I'm happy that GLAAD is putting the voice out there.
Simon Cowell Takes On American Idol-Style Movie, Star Struck!
Simon gives the "carry on" to Star Struck, which will, thankfully, include him verbally abusing singing hopefuls.
I really think Simon should just call this American Idol: The Movie and stop comparing it to Fame. What could be better than American Idol: The Movie, anyway?
Simon Cowell took time away from producing X-Factor, America’s Got Talent and American Inventor (and Idol’s starting soon, right?) to take on a movie project, Star Struck.
Not too catchy if you ask me, but the premise sounds pretty fool-proof (and pretty familiar): Ten young, aspiring singers enter a reality TV singing competition and crazy drama ensues.
More on the reality-show-turned-movie after the jump!
Hedwig, Stellar Musicians and Courageous Queer Teenagers
Follow My Voice comes out August 7th. Sleater Kinney is just one of 75 bands on the DVD.
Follow My Voice With The Music of Hedwig, a new documentary DVD, follows the making of Wig in a Box, a charity cover album of Hedwig songs. It also includes video diaries from several students at the Harvey Milk High School. So you get pretty much the most amazing, if hard to pin down genre-wise, DVD ever.
You get to revel in performances and interviews with musicians like Yoko Ono, Rufus Wainwright, The Polyphonic Spree, Cyndi Lauper, The Breeders, Yo La Tengo, Jonathan Richman, They Might Be Giants, Sleater Kinney, Fred Schneider, Frank Black and Spoon among many others. You get to live vicariously through kids that got to do what you always dreamed of – go to a gay high school. And experience their unique perspectives on gender and queerness. And you get to relive the magical magicness of Hedwig and The Angry Inch. The DVD comes out on August 7th and you can buy it here. When you get it, you might just want to watch a little bit at a time and savor it.
I’ve missed you, Natalie! So this is what you’ve been doing.
This picture for the upcoming movie and current novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, just came out, and I’m really hoping this movie is good, because, to me, it has an all-star cast. I’m not the Number 1 Scar-Jo fan, but there’s something about her that fascinates me, and I have complete love and devotion for both Nat and Eric Bana.
This pic is also the new cover for the novel on which the movie is based, written by Philippa Gregory. Natalie and Scarlett will be playing Anne and Mary Boleyn, respectively, and Eric will take on the Henry VIII role.
More on the scheming sisters...and a gay character! After the jump...
Heroes Has A Spin-Off And A Video Game In The Works!
It's the gift that keeps on giving!
Heroes just won't quit...and the second season hasn't even started yet.
NBC recently announced that not only will Heroes be made into a video game, it will also have its own spin-off. There's also the Heroes graphic novels, mobile game and 360 Web site on the way. Milk that success!
The video game, led by game-maker Ubisoft, will add depth to the cast members' storylines, but will remain apart from actual plot of the show. Heroes writers said they wrote the series' script all along with a video game tie-in in mind.
More Heroes buzz, including the spin-off and the next season...after the jump!
I still remember when my college roommate brought home Volumes one through 12 of R. Kelly's Trapped In the Closet that she picked up in a bin somewhere for under five dollars. I also remember her making me me watch it...and then making all of our friends watch it individually.
I have seen that ridiculous, never-ending joke so many times - I'm intimately familiar with Bridget who's "f*cking a midget," with Chuck and Rufus' secret gay affair and with what Gwendolyn looks like when she's having an orgasm. I have a strong love-hate relationship with them all.
I've been waiting for someone to tell me R. Kelly was kidding with Trapped in the Closet - but I really don't think he was. Especially now that he's releasing 10 more chapters!
More on the hip-hopera's release release...after the jump!
Exclusive M.I.A. Interview! On Jamaican "Boyz," New Music, Old Love & Gays!
M.I.A. sees her new album, KALA, out next month. And she visited MTV earlier this week. And we nabbed an interview!
On Monday, I had a chance to grab a quickie ten-minute chat with M.I.A., the international rapper/singer/hot mama and just all-around supercool music artist, who combines crazy beats, political messages and irresistible goofy/jerky/fierce dance moves as she cranks out music that’s as colorful as an acid-trippy rainbow. Her work has been described as having elements of “grime, hip-hop, ragga, dancehall, electro and baile funk.” And it’s always energetic and loopy fun stuff.
She burst onto the public awareness in 2005 with her debut album Arular (hot on the heels of one of the best bootleg mixtapes ever, Piracy Funds Terrorism) and suddenly was on the lips of every savvy musicphile on the planet. She dated her collaborator Diplo, then split and she’s performed all over the place, been in magazines and basically become a representative of a contemporary, strong unique, genre-busting female artist.
Born in London and raised in Sri Lanka, she faced visa issues while working on her second album, Kala (due on August 21st), and wasn’t able to enter the U.S. until recently. Her family history is turbulent, having grown up in war zones and London projects. You can read more on all of this in press clips on her site, or on Wikipedia.
But the main deal is that she’s had two videos released recently—for “Bird Flu” and “Boyz,” both shot in far-flung locales (India and Jamaica) and both utilizing the residents of those place as their stars. She describes this process in our superbrief chat, as well as discussing gay boys, her love life, being a female in the music biz, and how she stealthily tricked the men in homophobic Jamaica into dancing and singing about “Boyz.” (Watch the video after the jump!)
“Please excuse me,” she laughed when we sat down. She’d just gotten her make up done for an MTV photo shoot. “I just had these big eyelashes put on and I can barely see you!” She speaks in a dry but lilting London accent, and she was rocking these crazy colorfully patterned tights, heels, and a big purple “Darfur” T-shirt cinched at the waist with a wide belt. She’s gorgeous! And chatty—and super nice. And here she is...
Looking fresh on the set of the "Boyz" shoot in Jamaica. Holla!
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?
Zachary Quinto Will Play Mr. Spock in New Star Trek Movie!
Zach will make pointy ears and relentless logic look very appealing.
Oh, Zachary Quinto – you’re so dreamy. I’ll just look at these pictures for a while...Oh, and these ones of you making out with a guy when you played Tori Spelling’s gay BF too.
Anyway!…In actual ZQ news, the Heroes star has officially been cast to play Mr. Spock in the upcoming Star Trek movie! Yup, they’re making a Star Trek XI – and this one’s a prequel, featuring a re-cast Original Series crew...as in Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura and so on (well, only Kirk and Spock are confirmed to be in it right now).
J.J. Abrams, who created Lost and directed Mission Impossible: III, will direct the movie; it's scheduled to come out December 25, 2008 as of now.
More buzz for the Trekkers, such as myself, after the jump!
"Cruising" Brings Killer Leather Queens Back! For Better or Worse...
Al Pacino goes undercover as a 1980 gay to catch a gay killer. But watch out for the gays! And Al's gay dancing...
Back in 1980, gays were free and easy. There was no AIDS, and NYC was a big horny playground where men would wear their teensiest Daisy Dukes and mustaches and party without a care in the world. That is, until a serial killer starting chopping them up! EEEK!
Yep, therein lies the premise of the controversial 1980 Al Pacino movie, Cruising, in which Al goes undercover as a "gay" (and yes, as a gay into leather) to find the killer terrorizing the homo community. Of course, as all cinema fans know, the result was a laughably bad, stereotyped-filled, somewhat offensive look at the gay scene. Gays are victims! They're killers! They're swishy and pervy! Now, I could debate on all of those things (on boths sides, most likely), but having it played out in ineptly onscreen ain't cute.
All that said, I've never seen the film and I'm dying to. So I'm excited to find out that Cruising is getting a theatrical re-release on September 7th here in NYC (in Chelsea, naturally). And it's coming out finally on DVD on September 18th. Frankly, I'm gonna go fetch a harness, strap it on, and go watch it in person. I love bad cinema and I'm eager to see what the fuss is all about.
Ummm... Will Al pass for gay with that old lady hairdo? And where's his mustache for gay's sake?
Sorry Laguna fans, but the party's over....Don't feel bad for Talan, though; he's dating a Pussycat Doll.
I always found something so strangely fascinating and endlessly entertaining about Laguna Beach...and I know I just lost everyone's respect.
Ah, well. That show was amazing and everyone knows it. I also really liked Season 3 with its new cast, even though it led to a serious ratings slump - which may have played into the decision to move the chronicles of bored, rich teenagers from Laguna to Newport.
MTV just announced Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County will premiere on August 15 with a cast from Newport High School to replace the Laguna kids.
Changes in the next season after the jump! Everyone's doing it - come on...
Jake oughtta be smilin'... He's the man most beloved and lusted-after by all of the gays!!!
Who’s the fairest of them all? Who’s the hunk that gets us funky? Who do gay men really loooooooove? Dither no more with such queries. Those media-obsessed gays over at AfterElton have whipped up a man-jammed rundown of the Hottest 100 Men as chosen by their readers and staff, so yes, the world can finally know who gays lust after most of all!
#1 is no big gay shocker. Jakey rules! Yep, the men who love men love Brokeback cowboy Jake Gyllenhaal more than any other male in the whole wide world. I’m down with that... Jake’s sweet, talented, always good to his gay fans and got a savvy sense of humor. What’s not to like? And he bent over and took it in a pup tent on the big screen! Surely that’s worth some kudos, eh?
Rounding out the top five are #2 flame-worthy hottie Chris Evans, studly double agent Daniel Craig is #3, Queer As Folk alum Gale Harold is #4 and movie/TV/Broadway star Taye Diggs is in at #5.
Jake G. and Chris Evans: Our #1 and #2 men...
A buff spy and a gay TV veteran take number 3 & 4: Daniel Craig and Gale Harold.
Taye Diggs is soaking up your love in the #5 spot.
Hot gays show up on the list, too. Dr. Who’s John Barrowman is #10, Robert Gant is #14, and Wilson Cruz is #72 to name just a few.
Gays like Wilson Cruz and Robert Gant made the Hot 100. And so did newshound Anderson Cooper, who even piped in a response to getting your votes. Awwww... Sweet!
And even those who don’t like to publicly comment on their private lives still got nods. Anderson Cooper ranked as #34, and even sent in this comment to AfterElton when he heard he made the list: "I'm flattered to be on the list. Clearly, they have not seen my pale skinny chicken legs. It's nice to know there is a market for pale, skinny, grey-haired people."
Oh, Coop. You’re so coy...
Check out the entire Hot 100 list... It’s fun and full of smokin’ pics. And then let ’em know who you love, and who got left out!
As our way of celebrating and paying homage to the genre, we here at Newnownext, have compiled, for your reading pleasure, an extensive list of our favorite gayest, most rockin’ movies spanning, oh, the last thirty years or so. This coincides with the occasion of the network premiere of Velvet Goldmine (our #3 pick!) on Logo, this Sunday, July 22nd. We hemmed and hawed over the exact entries on the list for quite a while, enlisting help from our siblings at AfterEllen and AfterElton. We decided to err more on the side of rock than camp (oh don’t worry, there’s some camp, see #10 Xanadu) and found the gay where some might not. We fully expect to receive your expert feedback on our final choices. So without further ado, I give you our queer rock movies, starting at #21 and moving up towards #1. I’ll give you a shiny new nickel if you can guess #1 without looking.
The musical Hair may not have made for a great film, but it was a pretty seminal event. A song called “Sodomy” celebrating sexual freedom? Button-downed military recruiters chiming in with hippie girls to sing the praises of “Black Boys,” and correspondingly, black officers smiling and cooing, “White boys give me goosebumps!” While Nell Carter sings along, even the film’s straight-boy protagonist declares, “I wouldn’t kick Mick Jagger outta bed.” Queer much?
Check this out if you’re doubting me...
Oh, the 1970s…
P.S. Back in the ’90s, the Lemonheads (with dreamy lead singer Evan Dando) did a cover of Hair’s sweetest ballad, “Frank Mills,” and in keeping with the show’s queer spirit, Dando sang of his sweet boy love for Frank. Awwww… - John
Bette Midler is fabulous -- we all knew that already. But when she channels Janis Joplin in The Rose, she goes right past fabulous and ascends into queer rock heaven. The blues! The booze! The breakdowns! It's enough drama to fill a stadium. Oh, and there's a gleeful drag show, too, not to mention a bathhouse (this is Bette we're talking about, after all). By the time you get to the kissy reunion with an old female "friend," you understand why some say love, it is a flower, never queerer than The Rose. -Scribegrrrl
If you stop reading now, your Netflix queue will remain pitifully empty and heterosexual and devoid of danger.
So, as you probably know, the '60s glitz-tastic movie-musical, Hairspray comes out today, and, really, what kind of gays would we be if we didn't discuss?
John and I actually saw the movietogether; he, the Hairspray-vet, a fan of both the '80s Ricki Lake and Broadway versions, and me, the total ignoramus, who had never seen either production and couldn't name one song.
But we both had good things to say (well, some not so good too), so check out our back-and-forth review after the jump.
But first enjoy this clip of Queen Latifah singin' the praises of being "Big, Blonde and Beautiful."
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."
Next Harry Potter Movie Casting Buzz! Joseph Fiennes, Naomi Watts and Stuart Townsend!
Joseph and Naomi will most likely join the witch and wizard brigade, but don't tell anyone.
Ohhh…the Harry Potter excitement just won’t stop! What am I going to do with myself when it’s all over? My Deathly Hallows pre-order is set to come this Saturday, and I’ve been doing my best to avoid reading leaks during my blog-browsing.
Anyway, let’s talk about the next Harry Potter movie! Yes, yes, Order of the Phoenix was fantastic, but I’m already onto obsessing about the next one. And today I read about three major castings for the Half-Blood Prince installment!
Naomi Watts, Stuart Townsend and Joseph Fiennes have (supposedly) been cast for the sixth movie. But who could they be playing?
I only put Stuart by himself because, to me, he could be one of the most beautiful humans on the planet. But only for that reason.
And now I'm going to seriously dork out speculating who these three might be playing after the jump (so, not for the faint of heart)...
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!
Simpsons Songs Featuring David Byrne and The B-52's.
Otto totally digs rockin' tunes and David Byrne a la Simpsons.
In news totally unrelated to Simpsons Movie mania, a CD with a ton of original Simpson’s music will be released to coincide with the premier of Season 19 in September. The title is simply The Simpsons: Testify and it will be released by Shout! Factory. What’s awesome about it, (besides listening to Groundskeeper Willie and Grandpa sing) is all the cool guest appearances, including: Shawn Colvin, The B-52’s, David Byrne and Ricky Gervais. Other highlights include parodies of The Sound of Music and Yentl and something called "Oh Pruny Night".
Read on after the jump for the complete track listings.
Katharine McPhee's "Love Story" Video Is Here! And An Adam Sandler Movie?
Kat pulls off a pretty difficult look in her video - how many people could rock a beret?
I never had "The McPheever" during American Idol since I missed Katharine's season - but I guess it caught up with me, because, now, she can do no wrong! I just love her for some reason! Maybe stuff like this plays into that.
But I also love Kat's album, even if she wasn't a fan of all of her pop-ier tracks, and now the video for her second single, "Love Story," is out, and Kat looks smokin'!
Check her video here - she's totally leggy and, as usual, I love her voice (even though this wasn't my favorite track of the album). Here's hoping that "Not Ur Girl" is the next single!
More McPheever buzz...including yet another movie role - after the jump!
It’s Nothing Personal, Zac Efron, But We Don’t Need a New Footloose.
It's not that I don't think Zac will be able to pull off the rope swing, it's just that he'll be singing while doing it.
Zac Efron is supposedly going to star in a remade musical version of Footloose. Also Kenny Ortega, who directed High School Musical, is in talks to direct and choreograph the new Footloose.
Okay, let’s just stop for a second. First of all, why the heck do we need a remake of Footloose? It is perfect just the way it is. Great soundtrack, great actors (big ups to a young Sarah Jessica Parker and I love, love, love Dianne Wiest and John Lithgow), a great plot and great dancing. I still own the VHS of it and still watch it at least twice a year, wearing a white t-shirt, jeans and penny loafers.
What does all this have to do with Britney Spears? Find out after the jump!
And in West Lahunga... Er, I mean West Hollywood, the totally lovely and foxy new bar and restaurant Eleven played host to Logo’s much anticipated premiere of Rick & Steve and its posse. Yep, pretty much most of the cast and crew attended, including totally fab out superstar Wilson Cruz (who lends his voice talents to the show’s twink druggie daddy-dater Evan) and Queer as Folk alum Peter Paige (squawking as title character and resident cute/dumb jock Steve), while male-hater Dana’s voicer Taylor Dooley kept the boys in line. Also in the mix were future episode guest star Mitch Morris and the show’s creator/writer Q. Allan Brocka, who all came out to support Tuesday night’s gala launch.
The "Rick & Steve" cast, including, (l to r) creator Q. Allan Brocka, Mitch Morris, Wilson Cruz, Peter Paige and Taylor Dooley. Cute!
A sneak peek at next week's "Rick & Steve" episode after the jump!
Glad to see Lauren will have a run-in with "newly-enhanced" frenemy, Heidi.
The wait’s almost over: The Hills Season 3 is on the horizon!
MTV just premiered the new trailer (the show will premiere August 13), and Season 3 looks amaaazing.
I hope after this season I’ll finally understand what everyone's favorite couple, Spencer Pratt and Heidi “too-busy-backstabbing-me-to-be-my-friend” Montag’s bogus engagement was really about.
My list of Things I'm Looking Forward To and Things I'm Not Looking Forward To...after the jump.
Which is cool. And if he's smart, he'll bring his wife, Elizabeth Edwards along for the festivities. We already know that's she's supportive of gay marriage. Maybe she can talk some sense into the rest of the crew...
Frankly, I think it might be more fun to hang out backstage with the candidate's spouses. Just think of all the fun you'd have with Mrs. Edwards, Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama. At least with Bill on hand, you know there'd be some killer food.
Munch!
I'd vote for any of these three: Elizabeth Edwards, Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama... What's not to like, eh?
Devoted thespian Aaron Eckhart... You'd make that face too if you had, er... Oh, just read the post.
Buried like a sweaty, pinched hidden treasure beneath the news about Madonna demanding eye contact from her interviewers at Live Earth came this fun nugget about stud-muffin actor Aaron Eckhart...
Turns out the strapping blond guy is serious about getting into his roles. So much that for his turn in the film Bill (opposite Jessica Alba) he put clothespins on his privates (not his schlong, but his balls, y'all... er, can I say balls?) to fully appreciate his character's discomfort.
Sez the committed Eckhart: "“I had to pretend that my nuts hurt, so I put a clothespin on my nuts,” Eckhart told Men’s Journal. “...Because that’s what I do for a living.”
Whoa. You gotta admire a man who'll work that hard for his craft, eh? Um, somebody cast him in a big, trashy gay role, fast!!! Please???
Logo Hosts Clinton, Obama (And Others?) for a Presidential Coffee Klatsch
Who's confirmed so far to chat up the gays in the first-ever LGBT-sponsored Presidential Forum on Logo? You'll get two guesses...
Head's up you political minded gaysters! Logo's just announced that on August 9th(9pm EST/6pm PST) its gonna co-host (along with those civic-minded minions over at the Human Rights Campaign) the first ever all-gay, all-the-time live Presidential Forum, wherein those candidates jockeying to become the next leader of the free world will come and sit down for a sassy gab-fest about queer issues.
So far, the two leading Democratic contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (that's listed alphabetically for you sensitive types) have signed on. (UPDATE: John Edwards has confirmed and will participate, too!) And I guess we'll wait and see if others like Dennis Kucinich (who actively supports same-sex marriage) or Bill Richardson or John McCain or Mitt Romney (not bloody likely) or Rudy Giuliani end up participating. And what about Law & Order and Curly Sue star Fred Thompson? Bring on Mr. Showbiz! I say, the more the merrier!
John Edwards should come. We could talk about the importance of fierce haircuts. Kucinich can school the other candidates on gay marriage. And Rudy... Er, can offer makeup tips? Or not...
More on this historic LGBT-centric political wing-ding, after the jump.
Evidently, Mariah Carey’s next flick Tennessee is, like, totally gonna win her the Oscar. Which would be amaaaaazing. I thought she should have won for that catfight with herself in the ladies room in the “Heartbreaker” video. Bitch was robbed!
That's Feist and Grizzly Bear's Ed hitting the Bonnaroo scene last month.
I do have a soft spot for indie bands led by out gay frontmen. So, here's some new stuff by two of the year's hottest and loveliest.
Grizzly Bear is headed up by tall and smart Ed Droste, who lives around the corner from me in Brooklyn, and whose band just finished a string of shows with Feist, and is currently touring (this weekend, they're in Denmark; next weekend, they're in Chicago for the Pitchfork music fest). They're busy boys; yesteday AfterElton featured an interview with Ed. And today, the band has had their arty/freaky/lovely new video for their song "Central and Remote" debut on MTV's Subterranean blog.
The clip is a dreamy and strange photo/animation mix involving lots of flowers, autumnal meadows, a guy who looks like a WWI solder with a big faded flower for a face, and a spooky tall hair creature with a creepy fleshy crater mouth/face. Like I said, it's weird. But rather compelling... And the music is classically melodic, moody ambient Grizzly Bear esoterica.
After the jump, dish on the new tune from Deerhunter, another indie band ya oughtta know...
Speaking of Madge, you can still get to London for Saturday’s big Live Earth show to catch her onstage. And here’s the set list of who will be playing when there... And what they’ll play! (“La Isla Bonita?” Really? Urf.)
Wanna see some gritty women who kick butt and lez it up, noir-style? Check out the rockin’ GirlTrashseries now up on AfterEllen. Pow!
Darren Hayes' New Video: Graphics, Tron & Janice Dickinson
Former Savage Garden star Darren Hayes is seeing his new video debut on the information superhighway today. The openly gay pop singer's latest, "On the Verge of Something Wonderful," is the first single from his forthcoming album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, and the video is a animated, graphic bonanza of imagery, retro-props and computer animation. As Arjan (thanks for the tip!) points out, it's got a nod to Tron in there, amid all the video gamey, technoid antics. Personally, I kind of think it's more Max Headroom-y (which is sort of retro-retro-futuristic. Ish.).
And yes, that animated wonder Janice Dickinson appears toting shopping bags and looking excited. Because... Why not?
Hayes feeling "Wonderful": Kind of like Max Headroom meets a "Just Jack" sort of thing here... But cooler.
Gotta admit, I'm not totally in love with the song, but I give Hayes kudos for exploring some ambitious territory in the tune. It seems to be a rumination on the heady, hyper whirl of modern life. And I do like his black suit and red tie combo. Check it out, why don't ya!
Emma Watson's Gone Diva...Plus New Harry Potter Footage and Interviews!
Emma Watson a.k.a. Hermione Granger at the Order of the Phoenix premiere Tuesday at Odeon Leicester Square Tuesday in London.
When did Emma Watson become such a fox? Oooh…she’s only 16. Well, she certainly will be a fox. And that Chanel dress she has going on? Nothing but good things!
But apparently Emma’s getting a bit diva-licious in her old age. Emma has considered dropping out of her role as Hermione for the last two movies, but signed on after reportedly securing a four million dollar paycheck. I read she was having issues with the director, insisting she shouldn’t have to go through as many takes as the other actors do.
Just-released interviews and clips from the upcoming movie after the jump!
Okay, I’ll give you there’s nothing inherently gay about cross-dressing. There are plenty of straight cross-dressers out there. But there is Definitely something gay about playing a character that Divine played. I mean come on. And I know Hairspray is PG and all, but it’s still a John Water’s creation. It can’t be totally un-gay. What’s next? Saturday Night Fever and Urban Cowboy weren’t gay either? (Well, they were in all our fantasies, John, and you can’t change that.)
Now the protestors who were already displeased are really going to get their panties in a twist. Denying the gayness, John, is far worse than just admitting that it’s a little weird that you, a scientologist, are going to be in Hairspray as Edna Turnblad.
Will the Doctor be able to resist Kylie's cyborg-hotness? I'm assuming Kylie's character will be hot, of course.
Dr. Who is the longest-running science fiction series in the world - over its 40-year running, 10 different actors have played the leading man. And now the show can add a Kylie Minogue appearance to its impressive history!
Kylie will join the British sci-fi drama as a sexy cyber-woman for a special Christmas episode; shooting will take place in July. I sure hope she seduces lead actor, David Tennant.
I read that Kylie’s stylist, who I am assuming is gay, encouraged her to take the part. Dr. Who is actually very gay-friendly; one of the show’s characters, Jack Harkness, is bisexual and flirts with everyone. He was also popular enough to earn his own spin-off, Torchwood.
It actually turns out Jack is from the 51st century, making him an “omnisexual,” who views categorizing sexual orientation as “quaint.” I need to start watching this show!
David Tennant and Freema Agyeman (who plays The Doctor’s
friend Martha Jones) at the Dr. Who screening to promote Season 3. The Daleks
are out to “Exterminate!”
More on Kylie's acting career and what Dr. Who's actually about after the jump.
From now until then, at the revamped convenience stores from Seattle to Orlando (including one here in NYC; “Woo-hoo!” as Homer might say...) you can even go in and get a box of Krusty-O’s cereal and some Buzz soda (and other legendary Simpsons goods). Pink donuts anyone?
That’s all well and good, but how about some dive bars getting rebranded as “Moe’s,” eh? I know more than a few folks who’d line up for a taste of some real live “Flaming Moe’s.”
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’.
One Little Scientologist Won't Stop German Filming of WWII Documentary After All
Tom's financing the project, so it's not like he had much choice, but director Brian Singer can now stand by his lead actor and his Scientology ways.
So I read some reports that German officials planned to ban director Brian Singer from filming his upcoming World War II documentary, Valkyrie, in German government facilities because the movie's star, Tom Cruise, is a hardcore Scientologist.
Rumors flew that Germany's defense minister feared even the presence of a Scientologist on German soil because, as Variety reported, Germany "does not recognize Scientology as a religion and sees it as a dangerous
cult with totalitarian aims as well as an exploitative, profit-based
business." Hmm. Well, you guys said it.
I'm glad the movie's moving forward, though; it sounds interesting and it has some nice gay representation, mainly Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard (who's actually straight but loves cross-dressing) and director Brian Singer. I think Brian's a great director, and he's totally open about his sexuality (he even added a little gayness to the wonderful X2). And...did I mention Tom Cruise is in it too? Cool.
What is this Valkyrie movie anyway?...After the jump.
Ladies of the EVENING: Redgrave, Streep, Danes & Gummer...
If they were fighting, I'd call this photo "Evening Shade." But Danes and Gummer like each other... Which is cute.
The movie with this summer’s most mega-Oscar-caliber-female-star-packed cast, Evening, opens tomorrow. Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Natasha Richardson, and Eileen Atkins all are in it. And yes, Meryl Streep turns up, too. And so does Mamie Gummer, Streep’s real-life daughter, who plays the young version of her mom onscreen. Man-props Patrick Wilson and Hugh Dancy also bring some guy action to the festivities.
The film’s written by gay Pulitzer-Prize winning author Michael Cunningham (The Hours), and based on the novel by Susan Minot. And yep, there’s a gay plotline in the film, but this one’s really all about the ladies... The story is a dying woman flashing back to a weekend decades earlier that changed her life. There was a wedding, drama, love lost, lives changed. And some regrets and memories that must be sorted through by mothers and daughters. All done in lovely New England locales with bracing coastlines and airy houses and nice florals prints everywhere.
More on the movie, and it's cast of superwomen, after the jump.
iPhone mania has even struck amid those stoic types at The NY Times. Hillary wants to woo the gay voters; hanging with S-Jess is always a smart tactic. And Tocarra's gonna have her "Cake" and eat it on BET.
iPhonehype is all over! The NY Times weighs in! And gets cute about it with a fun video. But why does their tech dude have an Aaron Carter album on there? Whatevs. It looks pretty killer.
It’s hot and gross in NYC today, so I thought I’d post pics of two folks looking cool as cucumbers. Their from the world’s most elegantly stylish photoblog, The Sartorialist. He’s in Milan for the fashion shows at present, and just shooting super-dashing folks over there. Don’t these two look sharp? Can I be them when I grow up?
Daily Buzz Bits: Mo'Nique's Award Show, Rodney vs.Wendy & Moz's New Music
Mo'Nique brings it to the BET Awards tonight; Rodney Chester (with onscreen bf Gregory Kieth) brought it to Wendy Williams; and Moz brings it to Letterman this Friday. Busy, busy, busy...
Finally, a truly embarrassing reality dating show for lesbians? Oh my... Not sure if it’s insulting (or any moreso than Boy Meets Boy), or just weird... It’s called Venus Envy.
Small-Town Teen Angst Is Put To Song in Colma: The Musical!
This Colma dive may be small, but how many bars have regular breaks for musical numbers?
I'm not the biggest musical guy, but I was a pretty puzzled/kind of intrigued by the premise of Colma: The Musical; it's a low-budget movie about small-town, high-school grads who don't know what to do with themselves...but it's a musical. Definitely not like any movie I've seen recently.
The movie opened on Friday in San Francisco and opens in New York July 6; I was able to see a screening last night, and I'll give Colma this: It wasn't what I expected (although I didn't really know what to expect).
Colma is a small town outside of San Francisco known for its many graveyards (the dead outnumber the living 1500 to one), and this movie follows three friends, Billy, Maribel and Rodel. Rodel is gay and is played by the movie's writer and music-composer, H.P. Mendoza, and he and his friends kind of putz around their hometown after their high school graduation, bursting into song now and then.
Maribel has the least ambition of the three; she just enjoys dragging the two guys to college parties and ends up scoring them some fake IDs. Billy, an aspiring actor, lands a part in a local summer production and is the only college-bound one of the trio. Finally, Rodel just kind of hangs out and gets really drunk and belligerent since he has so many emotional problems and a crackhead ex-boyfriend.
My take on the hometown movie-musical after the jump!
Daily Buzz Bits: Britney to Join True Colors Tour?!!
Britney's gonna show her "True Colors" onstage in L.A.!!! And Cyndi and Rosie are sure excited!!! Meanwhile, Wentworth Miller's got his own showbiz concerns...
Amy Winehouse Rumored To Sing The New James Bond Theme!
Is Amy introducing Daniel Craig's newest 007 endeavor? Seems that way.
So, I have to say I’m so excited for the next James Bond movie that I need to do a little buzz recap – and I’m not even a James Bond fan. The only one I ever really liked (of the ones released in my lifetime, anyway) was the most recent one, Casino Royale.
But along with Daniel Craig, who I think is so amazing, still being on board for the next movie, I’ve heard two more developments that, in my book, are working in the movie’s favor.
First off, Amy Winehouse will supposedly sing the theme song! That would be so cool, right? I remember reading a few months back that producers were allegedly interested in her as a Bond girl – I never bought that rumor, but her singing the opening sounds totally legit.
Amy hasn’t confirmed she’s got the theme job (only that she had been approached about it), but I’ve read many a rumor that it’s only a matter of time before she signs on. The Bond composer for the past four movies, David Arnold, is supposedly rooting hardcore for Team Amy, as he was in love with her Back to Black album.
The Ultimate Queer Music Video? Keo Nozari Answers the “Question”
Keo cleans up in the "Ultimate Queer Video" poll. Who doesn't love a good soapy video, eh?
Hey queer music listeners! This past Friday, Logo’s The Click List music video countdown show unveiled what got voted as the “Ultimate Queer Video” by its audience and the result may surprise you! The big winner was Keo Nozari, whose video for “Question of Monogamy” features the NYC-based songster dealing with a slippery boyfriend -- and some slippery shower action, too. Mac users: You can watch it on his MySpace page.
Nozari’s saucy video bested efforts by other legendary music icons like George Michael, Elton John, k.d. lang, RuPaul and Melissa Etheridge. And he also scooted atop a list of cool fellow grass-rootsy out artists like Ari Gold, God-des, Deadlee and Jonny McGovern. In fact, the #2 spot was filled by Ari Gold's "Wave of You," which also features scantily clad folks getting splashy (on a beach however)... Looks like Click List viewers respond to skin. Gay shocker!
So, go Keo! You can check out the list of the top 20 vote-getters and see which of your faves made the cut (or not). Leave a comment if you’ve got thoughts about the results; or just go and spend the afternoon watching vids...
Here's Keo in a shirt, just in case you're into that. Buddhists Punks??? Who knew?
Who are the Hottest 100 Men? Jake, Taye and Mr. Meloni are just the tip (yes, just the tip) of the iceberg...
Following AfterEllen’s lead, the guys over at AfterElton want you to nominate your picks for their Hot 100 List of the, well, hottest men around. Jocks, movie stars, pop icons—even politicians! Sound off! I did. The hard part? Keeping your list down to 10!
True Colors Tour: Shiny Behind-the-Scenes TV Special! Tomorrow!
I've posted lots here about the totally fun True Colors tourthat's currently charging around the U.S. with Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, Margaret Cho, the Dresden Dolls and other cool artists like The Gossip, Rosie O'Donnell, Rufus Wainwright and The Cliks. Heck, maybe you've seen it already!
No matter. Either way, you'll dig Shining Through: Behind the Scenes at True Colors, a special airing tomorrow on Logo that takes you backstage during the tour, chats up the stars and offers fun interviews with everyone involved. Margaret Cho hosts and, like I said, it's crammed with fun conversations and concert and rehearsal footage, all shot backstage in Vegas as the tour launched. Dresden Doll Amanda talks about costumes, Erasure talks about being gay pop stars, Debbie Harry talks about fighting for civil rights and Cyndi's just all-around awesome.
Get some video tastes of it above (the teaser/trailer) and below (exclusive excerpts with Cyndi!), and check it out on TV tomorrow night at 8pm EST.
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!
Who made the Ultimate Queer Video? Among those in the running are (clockwise from top left) Sophie B. Hawkins, Culture Club, Jonny McGovern, God-Des, RuPaul, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Ari Gold and Deadlee. Cast your vote, NOW!
It’s Pride time, and The Click List-ers at Logo want you to vote on which queer artist (ya know, a pop star who’s out and proud these days) has made the “Ultimate Queer Video.”Like, what’s your favorite clip made by an LGBT starlet? Above are a few of the candidates, old-school and new... Sound off by voting, like now! Results will air on Logo this Friday night at midnight!
Britain’s Got Some Kind of Talent, Indeed...The Kit Kat Dolls Disqualification Scandal.
Even though they rocked the stage, judges disqualified the Kit Kat Dolls from BGT.
“Gimme a break,” legions of British viewers must have thought over the weekend when Britain’s Got Talent decided not to break itself off a piece of the Kit Kat Dolls. The group of nine transgender performers had been favorites to win the first season of BGT, the amateur talent competition on ITV created by Simon Cowell of American Idol fame.
Scowling Simon, upon seeing the Kit Kat Dolls perform this rendition of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha,” had gushed, “Great act. Love the attitude!”
Then came the allegations and the semi-finalist Kit Kat Dolls’ last-minute removal from the competition.
It seems that Kit Kat Dolls’ lead singer Vanilla Lush, and members Alekssandra and Toni, are sex workers. Lush, in fact, offered to sell sex to a reporter from the tabloid that broke the story.
Kind of suspicious that a reporter would interact with the contestants this way, don’t cha think?
Morning Tearjerker: Idol Contestant Alaina Alexander's Video Takes on Hate Crimes
Alaina Alexanderwas a finalist on American Idol this past season, but her latest effort is certainly making me a bigger fan than any prime-time howl-off for Simon Cowell's amusement ever could.
Via those good guys at AfterElton, I learned that the singer has posted a new video for her single "Believe" on her MySpace page, and it's a moving tribute to those individuals who were the victims of deadly hate crimes. Give the video a look and brace yourself, it's a heartbreaker. Sure, the editing and production isn't top notch, but the video has the best intentions and a big, big heart. It may even snap you out of any Gay Pride jaded-ness you might be feeling.
Alaina Alexander: Doing her part for hate crime awareness.
Hurrah! This summer’s series of free rock shows at Brooklyn’s McCarren Park Pool have been announced. Some good stuff planned (Blonde Redhead, TV on the Radio, Yacht, Erase Errata)... And they’re free!
Want the Sopranos' kitchen set? Maybe those cute little sugar and spice containers?
Attention Sopranos fans! A little birdie who's a Sopranos insider tipped me off that this "Movie Company Set Dressing and Warehouse Sale" that's currently listed on Craig's List is actually a sale hawking all of the props and furnishings and scenery from The Sopranos. Really!
Maybe you can snag some of gay Vito's New Hampshire diner props, eh?
The sale is in Long Island City (that's in Queens, NYC) starting tomorrow! Bring cash and an affinity for nouveau Jersey mobster chic. And a moving van, as "plenty of furniture, lamps, rugs, antiques, books, kitchen and bathroom accesories etc." will be on sale.
Yep, you can finally own your own Bada Bing stripper pole! Or that lamp that had the FBI bug in it! Or the cappuccino maker that Paulie gave Carmela! Or maybe there's still of those onion rings left over from the finale?
Disco's fairy godfather, Mel Cheren, circa 1972; and hanging with casual friends like Grace Jones at Paradise Garage. These people made disco possible.
So last week at the NewFest I saw an interesting new documentary film about a very interesting man and his pioneering work as founder of West End Records, the legendary disco music label. Like a good queen, I love that hot disco beat, so this doc, entitled “The Godfather of Disco” was right up my alley. Based on Mel Cheren’s equally fascinating autobiography “Keep on Dancin' : My Life and the Paradise Garage", the films chronicles Mel’s journey from the pre-disco music industry through disco’s hey-day in the late 70’s and early 80’s New York, and up to the present. Through interviews with dance music heavyweights like Jellybean Benitez, Ultra Nate and Junior Vasquez the film paints a picture of a singular man who is responsible for much of the greatest club music ever produced.
And whoa. The music was pretty amazing!!! Cheren’s label West End released classic, seminal disco slammers like Karen Young’s “Hot Shot”, historic funk/dance jams like Taana Gardner’s “Heartbeat” (which was sampled extensively in Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hot Stepper”, and that’s right, I said, “historic” – it’s more than classic), and gay anthems like the Reverend Carl Bean’s super-legendary “I Was Born This Way” (who can argue with lyrics like “I’m happy, I’m carefree, and I’m gay”?).
Taana Gardner = Disco Royalty. Can we start dancing now?
Yes, this woman was raised in the wild. By Hungarians. She'll explain...
FYI, those of you who like comedy stuff and happen to be in Los Angeles. Lesbian comedian Elvira Kurt(she who hosts First Comes Love, that "Ack-I'm-getting-married-show-and-I'm-freaking-out!" show on Logo) is doing some of her deliciously twisted stand-up next weekend in L.A. She'll be skewering all aspects of queer life, from politics and pop culture to... er, penguins! Really!
The show is called "Elvira Kurt. Raised in the Wild." And it's next Saturday night (June 23rd at 8pm) at the Renberg Theater at The L.A. Gay Center's Village in Hollywood. Tix are just $20, and it's a benefit for the Center. Nice, eh?
And if you're really into Ms. Kurt, she's hosting a special on Logo on June 26th, Cruising the Caribbean with Olivia. Meaning Olivia Cruises, not like, Olivia Newton-John. Though that would be fun, too.
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...?)
Steve Buscemi's movie on gay life in NYC will be getting a cinematic makeover.
Every now and then, even the prettiest faces in LGBT cinema appear a little tired and in need of rescue from age-inducing free radicals. That’s why Outfest partnered with the UCLA Film & Television Archive to create the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation.
Parting Glances, the first classic film to be fully restored under this arrangement, will have its world premiere on July 16 as a special event at Outfest 2007: The 25th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
One of the first films to address AIDS, Parting Glances authentically depicted the lives of gay men in New York City at the beginning of the pandemic. Released in 1986, it was the feature debut of director Bill Sherwood, who succumbed to AIDS in 1990 before he could make another film.
More on the story behind Parting Glances after the jump.
Daily Buzz Bits: George Michael A Joke? Mariah Does Gay Paris...
George wowed Wembley... But not Muse? And Mariah's gonna throw down for Elton's charity at a big homo bash in Paris. Ooh la la, y'all!
So, George Michael totally sold out the new, revamped Wembley Stadium on Sunday. And it was a big smashing success. But dudes in the band Muse are calling it a joke. Those Brits can be soooo bitchy!
You might consider a trip to Paris on June 29th. Mariah Carey is gonna headline One Mighty Party (yep, it used to be held in Orlando), a big gay dance party benefit for Elton John’s AIDS Foundation. That’s pretty gay. Or “le gay” as they say in France.
Well, that part is still a maybe, but Jen is for sure producing a musical-movie with DreamWorks called Goree Girls. I didn’t know she was a producer! Here I was wondering what Jen did all day...
Goree Girls will be based on a true story of female prisoners in 1940s Texas. Apparently, eight women in the Goree Prison Unit formed one of the first all-female country acts in the U.S. – and went on to be very popular and even pardoned for their crimes.
Jen, or Jen's people, became interested in the story thanks to a Texas Monthly profile on the girls. And no one’s said for sure, although it’s definitely possible, if Jen will star in the musical. That would be so weird...but I hope she does!
The Olsens are legal! And they are steppin' out...on their own.
Forget Paris. Mary-Kate Olsen sure wishes she could, given Hilton’s betrayal of boyfriend theft. Too bad the intense focus on that jailed hotel heiress makes it so easy these days to disregard Mary-Kate and her slightly older, slightly taller twin sister, Ashley. This pair of tabloid trailblazers, who’ve been in the spotlight since they were six-months old, paved the way for hundreds of millions to care about Paris and her antics.
And now they’re all grown up.
Today, the Olsen twins can vote, try and probably fail to sign up for military service, and legally drink alcohol in the United States.
More on the twins' diverging futures after the jump.
Keith Boykin’s person of the week is a formerly homeless just-graduated college man, Leoule Goshu. Pretty damn impressive. And now he’s off to Harvard to work for gay causes and help people. Ummm... Is he single?
Johny makes nice with co-star, Nikki Blonsky. But some gays still aren't pleased.
So a few of the preeminent gays are completely against the upcoming Hairspray movie.
Well, the managing editor of The Washington Blade is, at least. Kevin Naff wrote on his Blade Blog,
“At first I thought the whole thing was a joke, but later realized that John Travolta really is playing the Divine role from the John Waters original…And Travolta as Edna Turnblad?!? Divine is spinning in her grave.”
Ouch. I have to say, I watched the trailer for the movie, and although it looks like a lot of fun, John appears to be the weak cast member…even less funny than Amanda Bynes. Check it out...
But it’s not just John’s acting the Blade editor takes issue with. You guessed it: It's his extreme Scientology ways.
Naff goes on to say,
“Travolta, a prominent Scientologist, has no business reprising an iconic gay role, given his cult’s stance on gay issues. It’s well known that Scientology rejects gays and lesbians as members and even operates reparative therapy clinics to “cure” homosexuality. Travolta’s role in the film is even more galling given all the gay rumors that have followed him for years.”
The Dresden Dolls are busy little bees. They're presently out touring the big gay U.S.A. with Cyndi Lauper on her True Colors tour. And frankly, I wasn't too familiar with them before seeing them on the tour this past weekend, but I sort of fell in love.
Lead singer Amanda Palmer is a lanky, louche, and lovely (and super-talented) musician and chanteuse. Her co-Doll Brian Viglione is tall, stringily muscular and supremely, quirkily talented, too. And he wears a nightie like nobody's business. Together they comprise one of the most interesting, unpredictable and original outfits creating cabaret-tinged, saloon-ready, theatrical pop-rock out there now. See them on the True Colors tour, if ya can.
I wish they all could be Dresden Dolls...
And now, after viewing this David Lee Roth inspired video for their latest, "Shores of California," I love them even more. The clip is truly fab. And watch for the smoochy cameo by Kelly! It's brilliant!
Chuck and Larry Vows Cheap Laughs at Whose Expense?
Adam Sandler and Kevin James fake a little pride in Chuck and Larry.
A big-budget comedy about same-sex marriage tailored for straight audiences? Just like the momentum for same-sex marriage itself, it was bound to happen. Question is, What does the joking mean for queer people?
Universal Pictures’ forthcoming, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Jessica Biel in a tale of two firefighters who pose as a gay couple so that they can secure domestic partner benefits. Granted, when Chuck and Larry commit the fraud, it is for the sake of the widowed Larry’s children. On the other hand, involving kids to some extent only heightens the fears of exploitation surrounding this controversial film.
Watch the trailer here, and be sure to just laugh yourself silly when the two groomsmen smack each other to prove their affection at their commitment ceremony. Really, how is that any different from the violent Snickers commercials that aired during this year’s Super Bowl?
Or, like Oscar Wilde quipped, is it better to be talked about poorly than not at all? Perhaps a major motion picture about same-sex marriage does show some kind of progress for the queer community.
More on the faux gays, and on the movie's director, after the jump.
Rick & Steve Are Happy, Gay, Hilarious and Totally Wrong!
Watch the trailer for Rick & Steve. This oughtta get good...
I’ve gotta plug one of Logo’s forthcoming shows for a second. Remember when you first saw the “Jesus vs. Santa Claus” clip (that later became what we now know and love as South Park) years ago? It was freaky and rude and blasphemous and brilliant. Well, believe it or not, Logo has a show coming that reminds me of that.
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is scheduled to premiere on Logo on July 10th at 10pm. But today (right here! above!) you can watch a totally sick and fun trailer for the show. Yes, it’s bringing some perky animated cuteness that just happens to pack a knee to the crotch of deliriously rude (yet sweet) humor.
Former pro-baller John Amaechi rides a wave with those rad Curl Girls at a big pre-Pride party, Friday night at the L.A. Sofitel.
John Amaechi was all over L.A. this weekend, whooping it up at Gay Pride events. He tall, smart and fabulous! (see above photo) And here’s a newsclip that’s got some fun pics and quotes (as well as dragster “Freida Laye.” Love her!) for all the Pride stuff. Plus more pics below after the jump!
And speaking of Rufus Wainwright... Vanity Fair has a totally great article about his entire family. They're intense! And they write brutal, beautiful songs about each other. And Rufus is sort of like, Queen Bee, natch.
Kelly Clarkson is totally rad. And not taking any sh*t. Go Kell!
Yo Majesty are some hot “Out Musicians to Watch!” (last page of the article)
So Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg are married. They’re “best friends.” But will 60 Minutes ask about Diller’s sexuality? Not really... But hell, I’d marry Diane Von Furstenberg, too. She rules.
The men of Noah's Arc are all up in John Amaechi's stuff. Whoa! He's so big he makes Trey look shrimpy! From left, Christian Vincent, Jonathan Julian, Benjamin Patterson, Amaechi and Gregory Keith.
More pics from L.A. Pride (Curl Girls, Noah's Arc, Joan Jett, Sharon Stone) after the jump!
Through Thick And Thin Documentary Puts A Face On Immigration For Gay Couples
The U.S. often leaves no way to stay for gay non-citizens...and no future for their relationships.
I never get too heated when it comes to the gay marriage debate, but I watched a documentary directed by Sebastian Cordoba, Through Thick and Thin, that made me appreciate at least one consequence of the injustice.
I’m sure that was Cordoba’s goal – putting a face on the results of a flaw in our government, even if it’s a flaw I was already aware of.
The documentary chronicles seven gay couples' lives, and in each relationship, one person is not a legal U.S. citizen. And since gay partnerships mean next to nothing to our government, the non-natives aren't able to get U.S. citizenship through marriage.
The documentary aired last week in New York as part of NewFest.
Cordoba himself faced this problem: a native Argentinian, he had to end a happy relationship with a New York man because of his uncertain citizenship. Cordoba went on to earn a masters degree in documentary production.
The film definitely made me angry, which I expected. In our government, in this day and age, to have the bureaucracy, the mistreatment of minorities, the backward thinking still so prevalent...it's so ridiculous. And this documentary was definitely a reminder; I felt right there with these couples' frustration. In interviews, just speaking on the subject brought most of them to tears.
More on the Through Thick and Thin couples after the jump.
Gina Gershon makes time for the little people in Delirious's look at celebrity obsession.
Right on schedule for the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana’s untimely demise, a captivating new tale about paparazzi and the cult of celebrity has secured U.S. distribution for August. Delirious, a film by director Tom Dicillo, stars the eccentric Steve Buscemi, pretty boy Michael Pitt (no relation to Brad) and “Bound” babe, Gina Gershon. The movie looks and feels like Midnight Cowboy with hints of All About Eve.
Buscemi plays Les, an imbalanced but good-hearted paparazzo in New York City who ironically suffers from star-struck episodes when he meets idols like Elvis Costello. He reluctantly invites Toby, a homeless aspiring actor played by Pitt, to be his assistant and to live in his stylishly grungy apartment. “Always grab the goodie bags” is his advice to the youngster when they attend events in search of the perfect photo, what Brooklyn native Les calls “the shot heard round the world.”
Nice folks, living "Real" lives. Josh & Brian just wanna get hitched. And Elroi and Aly are feeling committed, too. Awwww... They're in tonight's "Be Real" episode.
As ya know, it’s Pride month, so you’re probably getting deluged by messages of gay good will and stories of cool queer proudness. Which is great!
Logo’s always pushing the good, prideful gay stories at its viewers, and right now there’s a real-life series running that isn’t a reality show about competing homo hairdressers, musical twin pop stars or GLAAD award-winning celebs. The series Be Real (presented by those nice folks at Stoli vodka) is a smart and charming look at real people all across America who, yes, just happen to be gay, and who are living lives that are a testimony to the (cue the feel-good music) the bravery and nobility of the human spirit. What I like about the show is just the down home, simple way it presents real gay Americans who are fighting their own battles and being courageous in everyday ways.
Tonight’s episode is themed “Commitment” and showcases two couples (gay boys Josh & Brian, and queer gender rebels Aly & Elroi) who just wanna love each other and be recognized as such. What’s more elemental than that?
Lindsay Knows Who Killed Her...Career. Just Kidding!
She just can not catch a break, can she?
I’ll admit I was one of those people who watched (more than once) those tiny, grainy, I-don’t-want-to-pay-for-porn level clips of Lindsay Lohan’s stripper scene in her upcoming movie.
But now, I’m happy to say, I’ve seen the actual clip, and I’ve bothered to find out what movie it was from. For those who don’t know, it’s called I Know Who Killed Me, and it premieres July 27.
The movie's been creating Internet buzz with a set of short, pseudo-trailers on YouTube with narration from the serial killer in the movie who kidnaps and tortures Lindsay. Some of the clips are actually really creepy! (I’m astounding…)
And hey! She’s not difficult to work with - They only had to pay the Apple Farm hotel a cleaning fee for Lindsay “constantly smoking in the smoke-free hotel” and only had to give Lindsay one rehab break in January!
