Zombie Double Rainbow

So, regular readers already know that Uncle P is a "Gleek." And while this past Sunday's post-Superbowl episode may not have been the best ever, it sure ranked among this season's best so far.

The taunting and Slushie-dumping has gone too far, so Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Coach Beiste (Dot Jones) join forces, making the dissenting members of the football team join Glee Club for at least a week to participate in the Championship game's half-time show. Of course the football players, led by the closeted Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) rebel at first, thinking Glee Club is "gay." Meanwhile, Cheerios' coach and series villain Sue Sylvester (the always brilliant and hilarious Jane Lynch) hatches a plan to shoot poor, dimwitted Brittany (Heather Morris) out of circus canon during the Cheerleading Championship.

In the end (Spoiler Alert) the jocks relent, proving the joy of performing far outweighs the price of winning. Brittany, Santana and Quinn abandon Sue for Glee; Rachel, Mercedes and Tina take one for the team and Sue is left fuming over events completely (for once) out of her control. It was nice to see the good guys win for a change, though to be honest, in the real world Sue Sylvester would have been fired ages ago. And there was the extra-special schadenfreude of Sue getting a back tattoo of herself with her name misspelled. "It's Slyvester, right?"

Meanwhile, over at the private boys' school, Kurt and his adorable crush Blaine (Darren Criss) chime in with a completely unrelated cover of "Bills, Bills, Bills," which only went to show that Ryan Murphy and company still have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Of course, "Glee" is hardly representative of the "real world." In my high school, the football team participated in the musical (they were the Seabees in South Pacific my senior year) and I can remember the Captain of the football team (my understudy as Emile) telling me he was terrified at the prospect of going on in my place. 

The 70's were a weird time and while I can't imagine a conversation like that taking place today, I certainly hope that modern high school jocks and performers have the same kind of respect for one another. And I look forward to the day when Murphy allows Karofsky to acknowledge his sexuality in a healthy and supportive way. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy "Glee" for what it is: the first ever successful musical TV series.

More, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest and Weirdest Things You'll See This Week

Okay... I'll admit to being a bit of an Internet junkie. Having spent most of my day sleeping thanks to a nasty bug I must have picked up sometime in the last few days, I didn't get to do my usual web perusal until this evening, where I discovered both of the videos I am about to share with you tonight.

Where to start? I suppose with TV's longest-running (and dare I say, most consistently funny) show, "The Simpsons." Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are symbols of the American zeitgeist, whether we would like to admit it or not. "Life in hell" cartoonist Matt Groening has captured something so purely American in the tales of this highly dysfunctional family, that we can all find something with which we can identify. Yes, Homer is almost unbelievably stupid (I say "almost" because I speak to the unbelievably stupid almost everyday as part of the day job); Bart may be ridiculously naughty and Lisa ridiculously self-righteous and Marge may very well be the uber-hausfrau, but the show's writers are still able to tap into our collective psyches and address issues with which most of us can relate. So, do we really need this? (SFW - via):

Ew! I'm no prude and have no problem with folks who enjoy a little porn now and then, but really? Of course, hand-drawn comics porn parodies have been around since before the days of Popeye, but I really think a live-action porn version of "The Simpsons" is probably crossing a line we shouldn't be crossing.

So, let's balance that out with the latest video from Ricky Martin -- his first since coming out -- shall we? While the song may not be as catchy as "La Vida Loco" or "She Bang," it's message is far more pertinent to life in the 21st Century. Please enjoy (via) "The Best Thing About Me Is You" (something I can say about most of the people in my own life):

It's snowing here in Southeastern PA again, as I battle a very nasty virus of some kind (which may well explain my exceptionally rambling post from last night) and I am hoping for a snow day tomorrow so I wont have to use another sick day. There is already a good 4 inches of snow piled up on top of what we've already gotten in the past few days (so much for local meteorologists forecasts of 10 to 14 inches for the entire season). I hope you are warm, dry and snow-free. If you live in Australia, I hope it's not in a the region devastated by flooding. I hope no bird or fish kills have have affected your region and that wildfires, mudslides, tornadoes and other natural disasters have affected you or your loved ones.I hope none of you have the bug I have (or any other bugs, for that matter) and that your New Year is starting out the way hoped it might.

More, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

Weird, Wild, Adorable and Gay, All in One Post

I was having issues with Blogger last night, so this is going to a big ole combo post.

That's the teaser poster for Apollo 18, the latest "found footage" movie. It's a fictional account of a real event, the 1970 aborted Apollo 18 mission to the moon. It's listed on IMDb as being in "pre-production," but with a release date of March, I must assume shooting is about to begin any day now. Written by first-timer Brian Miller and directed by Gonzalo Lopez (the 2008 Spanish thriller Enbrion), Apollo 18 apparently posits an alien encounter on the moon. I just love that tagline: "There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon."

Of course, it's certainly not the only 'found-footage' movie scheduled for next year. We've already seen the teaser for J.J. Abrams' next film, Super 8 (what the hell is in that train car?) and now comes this super-weird bit of whackness from District 9 director Neil Blomkamp:

It sort of reminds me of the whole Montauk Monster thing from a few years ago.

Now that I've covered the Weird and the Wild, let's move on to the Adorable. I've already gone on about how adorable I find "Glee"'s newest cast member, Darren Criss. His cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" has become the fastest selling "Glee" single ever. And while last week's episode of "Glee" served to remind me of exactly why I love the show in the first place, this week's episode was actually even better. Not only did it finally address the gay-bullying issue, it had the wedding between Finn's mother and Kurt's father, which featured a tribute to the famous JK Wedding Dance viral video. And as an added bonus, the amazing Carol Burnett (who so generously donated to the JTMF 5th Anniversary Silent Auction) as Sue Sylvester's Nazi-hunting mother. Could it get any better? Maybe...

Here's a sneak peak of Criss and Chris Colfer (Kurt) performing Train's over-used "Hey, Soul Sister" (though in this case, I'm willing to listen to it again):

If I were 20 years younger...

Which weirdly brings us to the gay portion of tonight's post. Via Towleroad come these next two videos. First up, NYC drag performer Sherry Vine in a parody of Katy Perry's (why is she so parody-able?) "Firework." Here's "Firecrotch!":

And from the same boys who gave us the gay versions of Katy Perry's "Peacock" and "California Gurls," (see what I mean?) comes this version of Ke$ha's "We R Who We R:"

Did I miss anything? I don't think so...

Tomorrow will be the last Turkey of the Month posts and I think I've found something really special to celebrate the turkiest of holidays. 

I wish you and yours the very best, this Thanksgiving. Uncle P gets a bit sentimental this time of year, so be forewarned that there may be some uncharacteristic sentimentality in forthcoming posts. If you are reading this from outside the U.S. (as I know a few of my few followers are), you won't really get the turkey jokes, but trust me, here they are hilarious.

More, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

Have no fear, a Turkey Thursday post will follow. Rehearsals for It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play have put me off schedule a bit. And while it is officially Thursday, I haven't been to bed yet, so it's still Wednesday for me.

Anyway, yes that is a casket. And yes, it is covered in homoerotic art. Via Towleroad comes this bizarre final resting place from German designers Mike Konigsfeld and Tom Brandl. Says Konigsfeld, "People are cutting back in the recession but the one group of consumers who still have high spending power are gay couples and very few people are designing for them in this market." And I should imagine for good reason. Personally, every gay and/or straight man I know would be horrified by this tasteless thing, regardless of the images depicted. Sex and death may share a bizarre affinity for one another, but I don't know any sane person who would literally be caught dead in this box, or anything like it. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

And speaking of tacky, have you seen the latest "reality" series on Logo, "The A List?" A disgusting display of everything that middle America finds objectionable about gay people, "The A List" features wealthy, spoiled gay versions of every loathsome, stereotypical rich asshole depicted in shows like "The Hills." I hate them as straight people and hate them even more when they're gay.

If you watch "The A List," you should be ashamed of yourself (though only slightly more than if you watch any other so-called 'reality' show). Recently, Logo announced auditions for "The A List: L.A." and Current TV's hilarious LGBT commentator Bryan Safi took the show to task with his "audition" footage (also via):

Of course, no one should fault Bryan for spelling his name incorrectly... His parents are to blame for that.

More, very anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Things You'll See This Friday

Well, thanks to many factors, there was plenty of LGBT news I missed out on reporting last month, so I suppose I'm making up for it tonight.

First, you've heard me mention 'my angel,' Matty many times. Matty is one of the most talented young actors I've ever had the privilege to direct. Matty has become a very dear friend and I  have become a mentor to him on many levels. He appeared in my production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and was the Assistant Stage Manager for last summer's production of Sordid Lives. We both love Horror movies (and are seeing one together this coming Sunday); we both love the theatre and we are both writers. He's the son (in a totally non-creepy way, I promise) I never had and I love when I get to crow about his accomplishments. And crow, I shall.

Recently, Matty made headlines when he and his friend Bobby potentially broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Continuous Kiss. A student at the school where I studied Theatre (and where I 'discovered' him in a 24-hour play contest), Matty is true Force of Nature and I have no doubt he will go on to make quite a mark on the world. And part of that mark will be a new documentary called Our Lips Are Sealed, detailing the events surrounding his and Bobby's new record.

I am so very proud to know and be a friend of this remarkable young man.

In other Gayest news, its no secret that the adorable Darren Criss (pictured above and formerly of ABC's prematurely canceled "Eastwick") has been cast as Kurt's (Chris Colfer) boyfriend on Fox's megahit musical, "Glee." Thanks to Towleroad, here's the first clip of Criss singing in an all-boys high school choir and their (almost) acappella version of "Teenage Dream:"

Gay teens all over America are sighing in delight, right now.

And this past August, in another Gayest Thing post, I embedded the video for openly gay rapper Cazwell's song "Ice Cream Truck," which featured a series of NYC hotties grinding and licking ice-pops while Caz rapped about a hot boy he met in a school yard. Well, also via Towleroad, comes Philadelphia's version (for Bear-lovers and Chubby Chasers only):

Finally, Al Gore's Current TV has this to say about Reality TV Judges:

Make sure you check out tomorrow's Zombie Zone post, where I wax poetic about AMC's newest original series "The Walking Dead," among other zombie-related news. And stop back here on Sunday, where I'll be talking about the JTMF's first ever winter production, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

It's been quite a while since I've posted a "Gayest Thing" post, so I couldn't help myself when I saw the video below.

Regular readers know that my favorite "America's Got Talent" contestant this year (and probably of all of time) was runner-up Prince Poppycock (AKA the fabulously talented John Quale). Outrageous and over-the-top, Quale's vocal talents are formidable and his gorgeous voice rarely fails to send chills down my spine. He is the first ever contestant on any talent show whom I found worthy of voting for and while I never actually thought he'd win, viewers voted him through right to the end, which actually made me think that Middle America is finally ready to look past sexuality and see true talent for what it is. 

On Halloween, Prince Poppycock was made Honorary Mayor of West Hollywood (L.A.'s version of Greenwich Village) and was presented with a Key to the City. Damiana Garcia was there for an exclusive interview with His Honor, the Mayor (via):

Poppycock is currently on tour with the "America's Got Talent" finalists, though I am sure this is not the last we'll be hearing from this queer sensation.

More, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

True Horror

I'm interrupting the Shocktober posts tonight, because its happened again. That's 19 year-old Zach Harrington of Norman, OK. Towleroad is reporting that Zach took his life this week after attending "a hate-filled recent City Council meeting" on September 28th, during which adults his parents' age shouted epithets and sentiments similar to those expressed by children and teens in other recent suicide events.

I am sickened and distraught by what's happening in America, right now. Why do people still hate our community in the 21st Century? And how can anyone still say that being a member of the single most hated minority on the planet is a "choice?" Why would anyone deliberately choose to be taunted, vilified, hated and labeled as 'sick' and 'evil?' Does that make any sense to any one? I thought not.

Yes, I'm going to name the actual villain here: Religion. Blinded by what they've been told for centuries, religious leaders around the world have expounded on the 'sin' of homosexuality. Preachers, Priests, Imams and Rabbis have taught against homosexuality for centuries. Why? Because homosexual relationships (until recently) produced no children to give money and power to their cause. Of course the Pope wants you to refrain from birth control. That's that many less people to tithe. At least Lenin got one thing right when he said "Religion is the opiate of the masses."

Now I know there are plenty of LGBT people out there who still believe. And there are a few churches out there who teach acceptance. But as long as groups like Exodus continue to lie to people about being able to change their sexuality; and as long as the Catholics, Mormons, Baptists and Muslims tell their followers that being gay equals being evil; young people like Zach Harrington will continue to be hated simply for being for who they are. And they will continue to take their lives in desperation. And that is simply NOT acceptable.

This has to stop. I am asking all of my readers and my fellow bloggers to join the "It Gets Better" campaign. We have to let our young people know that they are loved, valued and needed and that their lives are worth living. 

And if you are a young LGBT person reading this, please do not give up hope. If you are considering suicide, please, please call the Trevor Project, 24/7 at 866-488-7386. You are not alone. Again, I've been there. I know how difficult it cane be. It really does get better. I promise.

More, anon.
A heartbroken Prospero

Read More......

PA Pride

Uncle P is lucky enough to live and work in Bucks County, PA. It's a really beautiful and diverse place, close to both Philadelphia and New York City, not at all far from the Jersey Shore and well withing driving distance of both Boston and DC.

The weather isn't always perfect (horrible humidity in the summer and winters that can run the gamut from mild to wild), but that's what happens when one lives in a valley. Still, the fall foliage rivals anything in New England (as evidenced by the picture of the Delaware River on your right) and the political climate is among the most progressive in the Commonwealth (the state of Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, as are Massachusetts; Kentucky; Virginia and Puerto Rico). I sometimes think of Bucks County as the Italy of Pennsylvania, given it's vague, scrunchy boot-like shape.

In Bucks, the County Seat is the quaint town of Doylestown, about 45 minutes north of where I live. The County Courthouse is located there, along with some terrific shops and restaurants. Uncle P's dear friend Q celebrated her 50th Birthday at the County Theatre in Doylestown and more than one of my co-workers live there.

By now you are asking "So what's your point, Uncle P?" Well, last week, Doylestown became the 17th municipality in Pennsylvania to adopt an official policy banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or identification (via). This means that no business in Doylestown may refuse employment or services to any person because of his or her sexual identity. Bucks has always been at the forefront of LGBT rights. New Hope (a place I've often described as "PA's P-town") has been Bucks' LGBT center for as long as I can remember and I see more rainbow stickers on the bumpers of cars in Bucks County than almost anywhere else I've traveled in the state.

And while this may not be The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week, it's certainly the best news I've shared with you in a while and yet another reason I'm proud to live where I do.

Please enjoy this brief video tour of New Hope. It should give an idea of why Bucks County is such a great place to live and work.

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

That's former "Facts of Life" star Mindy Cohn on your left. It's been a while since anyone's heard anything from Mindy, though she has a new movie coming out.

I don't know how this has missed my gaydar, but her new movie is called Violet Tendencies Apparently, it's about a 'fag-hag' (oh, how I truly hate that term, even though we all know at least one) who falls in love with a "fag-stag."

What? You've never heard the term "fag-stag?" Well, you're in good company, because I've never heard it, either. And I have to wonder if screenwriter Jesse Archer made it up for this movie. A "fag-stag" is (one can only assume) a straight boy who hangs out with gay men.

Now, to be truthful, while I have never heard that specific term, I a must admit to knowing a few (not to mention any names, initials or photo links) straight guys who may very well qualify as "fag-stags." Not (as George and Jerry will tell you) that there's anything wrong with that. I have plenty of straight male friends. In fact, I probably have more straight male friends than gay male friends, though I suspect that's a result of statistics, more than anything.

Anyway - I think the movie looks adorable and I can't wait to see it (though I imagine it will be playing festivals and art houses well out of my geographical region). Here's the probably NSFW trailer:

As for myself, Uncle P is just happy to see that Mindy can still get work.

And just for shits and giggles:

Jo was the lesbian, right?

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

Give Us a Snog Then, Eh?

I know I've talked about my "angel' Matty before. Matty appeared in my 2009 production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and served as Assistant Stage Manager for this summer's production of Sordid Lives. The last time I saw him, we had dinner and fireworks (literal, not figurative) at Seaside Heights, a few weeks ago. Matty is a very talented actor and one of the sweetest, funniest and most genuine people I know. I suspect we'll be seeing Piranha 3D together, as he is almost as big a Horror fan as I am.

Matty and his friend Bobby have become official contenders for a new Guinness World Record for Longest Continuous Kiss. And not only that - but the first Same Sex Longest Continuous Kiss. That's Matty and Bobby in the above photo (Matty's on the left, sans hat). The pic is from their official Facebook page. You can also visit their website, here. The record is currently held by a straight couple from Germany.

I'm blogging about it because A): Matty is a dear friend; B): They've managed to get an article on Queerty.com and C): Well... they're just both so adorable. The event will be taking place today (August 11th, 2010) on the campus of The College of New Jersey (my alma mater). I only wish I could be there to root them on (damn the whole needing to work for money to live thing!). Matty and Bobby are not a couple and have in fact, never kissed before, though I'm sure both young men are up to the task.

Please join me in wishing them the best and hoping that they break the current record, as well as setting a new one.

By the by... I almost titled this post "Kiss-Kiss, Bang-Bang," but thought better of it. There will certainly be no "Bang-Bang" here... Besides, the whole Guinness thing seemed to require a British reference of some kind, don't you think?

*Update (8/13) - Because of the unexpectedly large spectator turnout, Matty and Bobby's kiss-a-thon had to be re-scheduled for September... I'll be sure to keep you updated.

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Heat Is On

By now, regular readers know that Brit action star Jason Statham is at the top of my obsession list. No, he doesn't have the beautiful good looks of Brandon Routh or even loony-tune Tom Cruise. But damn! -- He is Masculinity personified... All I ask is an hour alone with him... TMI? Maybe. But posts on Caliban's Revenge about hot men are not exactly a priority. In fact, there are only 23 posts in two years with the label "Hot." Still, in my book, they don't come much hotter than Mr. Statham. Of course, aesthetic taste is completely subjective. You may find Jason Statham repulsive, for any number of reasons.

Over the past two years, I've posted about more than a few celebs who "turn my gears," as it were. Most recently, it was gorgeous Bollywood star Hrithic Roshan who caught my attention. Then there was the very hot and very gay video for Lady Gaga's "Teeth." Damn! And there was Dennis; Victor; Bradley; John; Alexander; Will; James; Ryan; Nathan; Hugh; Jake; Daniel; Cody; Adam and the one that started it all, Danny.

Needless to say, these are all fantasy men, who probably wouldn't give Uncle P the time of day if he passed them in the street. But still... you have to admit they all share an undeniable hotness for any number of reasons. And while Caliban's Revenge may not be one "those" blogs (you know the ones I'm talking about, even if you won't admit to visiting them), when I see something I like, the shrinking violet I am can't help but talk about it.

Such is the case with latest hottie to catch my eye, Isaiah Mustafah, former NFL player and star of Gillette's brilliant "Old Spice" body wash campaign. Isaiah has been all ove the web, posting video responses to Twitter tweets and blog posts about the campaign:

I don't know about ya'll, but I'd have no trouble finding Isaiah in the woods, no matter how he smelled, especially if he was only wearing a towel.



Okay, enough TMI for one night.



More Anniversary Nonsense, anon.

Prospero

Read More......

That's So Gay

Here's my question... If being gay is a choice, then why on Earth would anyone deliberately chose to be a member if the single most hated minority on the planet? Does that make sense to anyone?

"Yes, I'm gay. I want to be hated, persecuted, executed and beaten-up by straight people. I want my lifestyle to be judged by people who know nothing about me or the people with whom I choose to associate. I want you to tell me that the person I love is the wrong person to love. Tell me that God hates me because I'm gay, but loves me if I repent. I am evil because I love someone and want to express that love through sex. I am 'less than' because my love doesn't produce children who will go on to give money to a church that says I am evil." Yikes! What the hell is wrong with you people?

To date, I have 82 posts with the label "Gay;" 28 with the label "LGBT;" 53 with the label "The Gayest Thing;" 18 with the label "GLBT;" 16 with the label "Marriage Equality;" 5 with the label "Homophobia and 4 each with the labels "Gay Cinema" and "Coming Out." Of course, many of those cross-over.

So here's the thing:

Homosexuality is something that appears again and again in the animal kingdom (don't ask me to cite examples - there are far too many) and has been a part of human sexuality ever since the existence of humans. Of course, the Religious Right (which I continue to maintain is neither) and asshats like Anne Coulter and Bill O'Reilly will tell anyone who is willing to listen that being gay is sinful. On the other hand, every member of the Community will also tell you that he or she was born gay. Who should we believe? The homophobic "Christians" or the people who, through no choice, live the life?

Being gay in America, even today, means that you are "different." It means that you do not have the same rights as every other person on the planet and that who you love makes you a "bad" person.

Someday -- maybe not in my lifetime -- being gay won't be viewed as 'abnormal' or 'sinful' by the majority of people. But as long as lunatic fringe groups like NOM and Focus on Family exist, there will be people who, ignorant anything which happens in the real world, believe that being gay is 'wrong' and gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgendered persons will be labeled "perverts" and "sinners." To those uneducated, Tea-bagging morons I say "Get over it, already."

Hmmm... an Anniversary Rant. Who would've thunk? Maybe what they all need is an SGF:



More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Things We've Seen

Shane Mercado remains a very tiny footnote in entertainment history for two reasons:

One, he had a viral video hit with his home-video version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies," featuring a scantily-clad Mercado replicating the dance from the video in his own bedroom.

And two, his video was the first-ever "The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week" her on Caliban's Revenge. That's Shane and Gaga's Beyotche, backstage at a concert.

Lately (though hardly surprising and just a little sad), Mercado seems to be making money dancing for what the sex industry guys like to call the "sophisticated adult audience."

Still, as I found my voice and style (cobbled together with a few things borrowed from other -- often better -- bloggers), Mercado provided me with a running gag/recurring theme and endlessly amusing personal meme, of sorts. I suspect a straight blogger would probably be called on this... unless he or she had already established his/her gay-friendliness. But I digress. Here's the one that started it all in October of '08:

Wow! That's still pretty gay. My next TGTYSTW (that's an odd acronym that needs shortening or abandonment...) post wasn't until the following December and featured a young man playing Stripper in the Shower (until his Mom catches him). Here's MrEladdy in Britney's "Circus:"

Yeah... still pretty darn gay.

The next Gayest Thing post was a clip from the FX series "Nip/Tuck," which has since been removed from YouTube, but features yoga and a gentlemen who wants his *ahem* reduced because he can't stop *woo-hooing* it. Of course, even the straight boys will tell you that if they could, they would...

And I'll be damned if I can find the original (I'm tired), but I know I posted this adorable twink's bathroom Karaoke version of Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up" sometime in there, as well:

So cute! Since then, The Gayest Thing posts have gone on to include plenty of stories, videos and links some might find offensive. And to those people, I say "Get a Life!" Don't like what you see? Change the channel. Visit another website. Leave the theatre.* Close your eyes. Oh, sorry... that's right. They're already closed.

Here are a few more of The Gayest Things I saw and shared over the last few years:

That was Sweet and Low-down...







Have you ever seen 3 more adorable Bears?



Only my favorite Flashmob video ever! It makes me wanna dance!





Oh, Torchwood, how I miss you!



Is it sad that I totally identify with that boy?



Beautiful. But now I want a shave and a haircut...

I am... and thanks, Katie. I don't blame you...

And almost finally, the man I'm hoping will win America's Got Talent:

What a voice! And he's gorgeous...

And most recently, this dirty little Mime (is there any other kind?) video, "Silence=Filth."

Oh dear... I think I may have contracted the vapors!

More Anniversary Nonsense, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

Happy Birthday, Frances

Thanks to my dear Stephen at Post Apocalyptic Bohemian, I am reminded that today marks the birthday of probably the single most identifiable gay icon of the 20th Century, Judy Garland.

As someone who spent his adolescence in the late 70's, I've never fully embraced the whole Judy thing. I mean, I get it. She was a beautiful and talented young woman tragically exploited and enabled by the studio system into a spiral of self-destruction. A story we see again and again in real-life Hollywood. Does no one learn from the past?

According to LGBT mythology, the Stonewall riots were an almost direct result of Garland's death. The Stonewall was supposedly packed with fans who had come to mourn the loss of their heroine when the infamous raid and resulting riot took place.

I think this is the thing: Dorothy never really feels like she belongs, throughout the whole movie. When she's home in Kansas, she's dreaming of somewhere far away. But when she ends up somewhere far away, all she wants to do is go home. She makes new friends; has a glamorous makeover; kills two witches and exposes (well, her dog does, anyway) a fraud, while helping her new friends discover they've already had their fondest wishes, all along. Is there any one of you out there that cannot relate to at least one aspect of this story? I doubt it. No wonder gay men embraced this movie (and Garland) so much. And let's not even mention the Ruby Slippers...

Personally, I think Garland's best performances came well after The Wizard of Oz. I am especially enamored of her in Meet Me in St. Louis, in which she sang several of her signature songs:

And then of course, there's this from 1950's Summer Stock:

If you're a Baby Boomer, I hope you get it. If you're a Gen X'er or younger... well, you have no idea what you missed.

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

Ewwww! (with a Z)

That post title applies in so many ways, here. I was going to talk about directing again (and may still do so on Sunday), but then I came across the video below on Towleroad.

In it, Liza Minnelli talks to Joy Behar about her wedding to David Gest. First, they talk about all the celebrities in attendance. Then they talk a little about Michael Jackson. And finally they talk about the infamous kiss, in which Gest practically tongue-raped her.

The first 'Ewwwww' belongs to the kiss itself: Liza's eyes wide in terror as Gest so desperately tries to prove his heterosexuality; Gest wearing dark glasses to hide his repulsion at kissing a woman, pulling her close to him as she tries to push him away. The only worse kiss I can imagine was the one between Michael and Lisa-Marie on MTV (that spinning sound you heard came all the way from Memphis); yet another 'Ewwwww' moment.

The third 'Ewwwww' comes thanks to Liza's current face. She's had so much surgery, she looks like a parody of herself. In fact, I think she looks more like Mario Cantone* doing an impersonation of her, than like herself. Watch the video and see for yourselves:

Like so many celebrities who simply refuse to grow old gracefully, Liza has become a mockery of herself. Never a great beauty, she had a certain goofy charm in her youth, which lent itself perfectly to her Academy Award-winning performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. My father always said he thought she looked like a clown in that movie, but he was a Nazi wannabe, so what the hell did he know? He treated every minority like they were clowns. But I digress...

Sadly, Liza hasn't always had the best of luck when it comes to husbands. Mostly because, like her mother before her, she kept marrying gay men. First was Peter The Boy from Oz Allen, who went to Rio when his baby smiled at him. Then came Jack Haley, Jr. in an attempt to capture some of Mama's 'Dorothy' magic (do I detect a theme here?). Next was artist Mark Gero, whose only real claim to fame was marrying Liza. And finally, her infamous marriage to Gest, who claimed Minnelli beat him. If she did. I wouldn't blame her. She must have been on some heavy-duty meds when she accepted that proposal (and I apologize for the utter terror that clicking that last link may have inspired in you -- my last 'Ewwwww' of the night).

Among her more recent performances, Liza's guest shot as the 'Second Lucille' on "Arrested Development" was nothing short of brilliant (was anything associated with that show not?). And this all comes around to her current performance in the universally panned Sex and the City 2, performing Mario Cantone's* gay wedding and singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (I apologize for the poor quality, but this bootleg version is the only one I could find from the actual movie):

Hmmm... Maybe this should really have been a "Gayest Thing" post. In any event, I am saddened to see this once monumental talented reduced to a parody of herself. Like mother like daughter, I suppose.

More, anon.
Prospero

*Talk about 'Synchronicity.' Jung would be quite proud, I think.

Read More......

The Gayest (and Least Talented) Things You'll See This Week

That's gay director Gregg Araki, who just won the first ever Queer Palm award at Cannes for his latest film Kaboom, which is apparently a Sci-Fi Comedy about sexual awakening. Of course, only Araki would make a Sci-Fi Comedy about sexual awakening. Araki, whose previous films include The Living End; Totally F**ked Up and the beautiful Mysterious Skin has never been one to shy away from controversial topics. In his first film as director, The Living End, a hustler and his new-found lover go on an anarchistic spree of violence and sexual terrorism. In Mysterious Skin, a young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a hustler explore their pasts, which happens to involve (among other things) alien abduction.

Kaboom stars Thomas Dekker ("Heroes;" A Nightmare on Elm Street) in lust with his surfer dude roommate (Andy Fischer-Price). There is no American release date, as yet, though I imagine an award at Cannes will change that, rather quickly. If you are unfamiliar with, but interested in seeing Araki's films, I suggest you do so one at a time, with plenty of time in-between to digest them. Some critics have described him as "The Queer David Lynch." And while there are certain surrealist moments in his films that may well evoke Lynch, Araki's personal stamp is all over ever one of his movies. Below is a clip from Kaboom:

Moving from Film to Television, here is yet another reason to love "Glee." For those not in the know, Kurt (Chis Colfer) is a gay high-schooler whose father (Mike O'Malley) is working very hard to accept his son's sexual orientation. Dad has moved his new girlfriend into their home. New girlfriend just happens to be the mother of Kurt's object of affection, football star Finn (Corey Monteith). When Finn is forced to live with Kurt, tension ensues, but Kurt's enlightened blue-collar dad steps in. I have yet to watch this week's Lady Gaga-centric episode (it's DVR'ed), but just seeing this scene was enough to make me cry (via):



Finally, as part of a post on Kindertrauma, blogger Uncle Lancifer included this clip with his review of the repulsive horror movie Human Centipede. It proves that not every member of a musical dynasty actually has talent. Please enjoy (?) Rebbie Jackson's "Centipede:"



I don't know what would be worse; sitting through a screening of Human Centipede or sitting through a Rebbie Jackson concert. Rebbie may actually be the only black woman without any sense of rhythm whatsoever.

More nonsense, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

The Gayest Straight Soldiers You'll See This Week

That's Dan Choi on your right. Dan is probably best known as the most visible gay man to be discharged under the antiquated 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy adopted by the military under the Clinton administration. DADT is probably Clinton's biggest mistake -- well, there was that whole Monica Lewinski debacle, but that's really irrelevant to this discussion.

Under DADT, the applications for military service in the U.S. could no longer ask an applicant about his or her sexual orientation; nor could a superior officer directly inquire as to a subordinate's orientation. However, should an active member of the military openly admit that he or she was gay, he or she could still be discharged.

Honestly, did we learn nothing from the Greeks? Ancient Greek soldiers were often paired with their lovers, under the assumption that they would be more likely to look out for one another in combat. And that was a good assumption. I know I'd be much more willing to fight for the man I love than some Neanderthal who doesn't know the difference between a Jimmy Choo and a Manolo.

But I digress.

Here (via) is a video from a group of soldiers in Iraq, set to the Ke$ha (seriously, that's her name?) song "Blah Blah Blah:"

The good folks at Towleroad seem to think this video is in support of gays in the military, but I'm not quite sure. The clip seems much more like a dis to me. But then, I'm not in the Army. Nor am I in the Navy (or a Cop; Cowboy; Native American or Leather Daddy).

What do you think? You know I love your comments. Leave me one. For now, I'm just amazed that I've created a label for "Ke$ha." Whut?

More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......

A Monday Night Quickie

Okay - so maybe it's already been done to death by a thousand gay bloggers, but I just had to weigh in on the whole George Rekers scandal.

Honestly, it just makes me sad. While I am always happy to see a hypocrite brought down, I still have to wonder about the emotional pain that goes along with such an event.

Rekers certainly caused emotional pain in the gay men he supposedly councils to become "straight." And I imagine his family must be experiencing some pain at the revelation that the man they thought they knew is not the man Rekers apparently is. And Rekers certainly has his own pain in dealing with his own repressed homosexuality.

If you live in a cave and haven't heard about this scandal, here's a report from Newsy.com:



I'm currently directing a production of Del Shore's hilarious play Sordid Lives for the annual JTMF AIDS fundraiser. In it, one scene involves a therapist who believes she can 'de-homosexualize' gay men through therapy. Of course, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their list of recognized psychological disorders over 40 years ago. Still, folks like Mr. Rekers believe that therapy and prayer can turn gay people straight.

I'm happy (and sad for those who believe otherwise) to report that one CANNOT "Pray the Gay Away." Such so-called 'therapies' have proven again and again to do far more harm than good. And as evidenced by these recent events, lying to the world about yourself while publicly denouncing the very activities in which one engages, can only lead to more pain. As soon as the so-called "Religious Right" realizes that we (the LGBT community) are not only here to say, but aren't going to put up with their lies, the better. Of course, those who live by blind faith are doomed to live blindly. How many more George Rekers or Ted Haggards will it take before they realize the error of their ways? Sadly, I think they never will.

And here's Rachel Maddow's take on the whole thing:



I hope every person involved in the "ex-gay" movement takes a step back and re-analyzes their take on this subject. Unfortunately, I don't think they will.

More, anon.
Pospero

Read More......

Ricky Martin (Finally) Comes Out

Okay, I'll admit it. I was torn here. I didn't know what to run with tonight. It was between my promised review of "Ugly Americans" or Ricky Martin's Big Announcement. After careful consideration, the review remains, TBA...

But never let it be said that Uncle P is above some gratuitous images accompanied by legitimate social comment.

Of course, everyone in the world has run this by now, but Latin hottie and former member of Menudo, Ricky Martin, has officially come out. Entertainment Weekly broke the story (they seem to be the go-to when celebs come out) here. As they say, "double-duh." There still might have been a few delusional 30-something fangirls who had dreams of one day becoming Mrs. Ricky Martin, but the rest of us knew a long, long time ago. Straight boys (even hot Latin ones) do not move their hips like that.

Now, a real hero of mine, James Randi, recently came out as well -- at age 81! Randi, if you aren't familiar, is Houdini's heir-apparent. A former magician (The Amazing Randi), Randi has spent the latter years of his life as a psychic debunker. The James Randi Educational Foundation has a standing offer of $1M to anyone who can reproduce and/or prove the existence of psychic phenomena under true scientific test conditions. I believe several have come forward to try, but none have collected. I have known about and loved James Randi for exposing frauds and espousing truth for many years. I love him even more now that he has found the courage to finally tell the truth about himself. You can read about it from the man himself, here.

Here's the thing: Even though everyone knew (or at least suspected) about Ricky, making it official not only validates Martin's personal life, but it encourages both celebrities and average folks to do the same. Our lives matter. The people we love and who love us matter. Speak up and let them know we aren't going away. You know by now how I feel about coming out, being heard and making our voices count.

ACTUP, the AIDS activist organization, had a slogan: SILENCE = DEATH. I think we need a new one to replace it. I'm thinking: TRUTH = FREEDOM. What do you think?

"Enough with politics and LGBT issues, Uncle P! Geez you gotta a high horse!" I know - that's why its so hard to get down off of it, sometimes. I'm getting to be so political in my old age, it's starting to scare me. But I will get off my very high horse and move on to something lighter. Like some hot Latin gay booty:

Damn, that boy was pretty! And Ew; I just made myself feel like this.


More, anon.
Prospero

Read More......