Thursday, September 30, 2010

Million-Dollar Bodies

Models Sean Sullivan and Marcus Hill turn up the heat in the new issue of INSTINCT magazine, photographed by Vincent Dilio at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. As a special treat to (212) readers, Fashion Director Sean Krebs sent over two exclusive outtakes, which you can see HERE.

Gayby Halloween Costume Ideas

This Cher wig would be so perfect for my pal Lavi's little girl, Lily!

Morning Wood

I've always been a sucker for Dylan McDermott's baby blues. But who knew about the hot bod?

'I Saw Him Making Out With a Dude. Yay'

Like I'm sure most of you, I'm sickened and saddened about the news of a third gay youth committing suicide after being taunted about his sexuality, this time Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the GW bridge after his pathetic roommate secretly taped and streamed live on the Web footage of Clementi fooling around with another guy, "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay," Dharun Ravi tweeted. 

 The minute I saw the breaking news headline that the "invasion of privacy victim" at Rutgers was a man -- I had somehow assumed it was a woman and that a man had done this to her, not and man/woman team -- who had taken his own life, I had a sinking feeling that there was a malicious gay angle involved. The blood of every gay-bashing, gay-baiting and gay-oppressing politician is all over this poor kid. 

 These senseless tragedies are a real wake-up call to me -- and I hope a lot of us -- that even in the post-"Will & Grace," "Glee"-and-Lady-Gaga-are-on-top era, the belittling, humiliating and dehumanizing of LGBT youths is every bit as cruel and vindictive as it was when we were kids. Kudos to Dan Savage and his hubby, Terry, who made a touching video for the It Gets Better Project. I've always felt like being a successful openly gay man was my way of doing "my part" in this matter, but suddenly I feel like we all must do more. 

 

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

RIP, 'Lone Star'

As expected, "Lone Star" was canceled yesterday -- after just two episodes -- making it the first casualty of the 2010-11 television season. I suppose it's better now than later, but am I the only one who remembers that it took "Seinfeld" several seasons to even crack the Top 30 and wasn't No. 1 until Season 6? And let's not even talk about how inferior the later "must-see" years were compared with the "unpopular"seasons.

The biggest show of "the '90s" actually began in the '80s, as "The Seinfeld Chronicles."

Chelsea Girl

Anthony Barboza reminisces about the afternoon in September 1979 when he shot Debbie Harry for Crawdaddy magazine, which produced one of my all-time favorite photos of the Blondie goddess, below. His recollections seem a bit off -- "At this point, Harry was a rising star in the growing New York punk/New Wave music scene and was on the verge of going worldwide," he says, even though Blondie had not only already had a slew of huge hits overseas by then, "Heart of Glass" had hit No. 1 in America earlier that year -- but no less fun to read. Turns out his studio is on 18th Street, right down the street from my apartment -- I was only 19 -- or six, depending on how you look at it -- years too late!

Design of a Decade

Decadence: 2000 vs. 2010

And speaking of being over 40: In the process of renewing my just-expired passport, I couldn't help but realize the two photos were taken 10 years apart to the month. Although I probably have a picture of myself from every year of my life that I could line up to watch myself age -- I think I've read about some blogs that are even documenting doing that -- there was something particularly, um, intense about seeing 10 years fly by in Kodachrome.

Will Bercik: Still Cookin'

The October issue of INSTINCT magazine poses the question, "Are Gay Men Over 40 Invisible?" The obvious answer is, "It depends what they look like." Still, I can't hear any debate about the viability of the 40-and-over crowd without thinking of my mom's friend Shirley, who marked the big milestone in the early '80s by parading around in an "OVER 40 AND STILL COOKIN'" T-shirt, which conveniently matched her tote bag, her coffee mug, her notepads, and just about everything else she owned. Even at the time I thought it was ridiculous -- it's not like her appearance changed the day she hit 40 -- but one could hardly blame cover guy Will Bercik for rockin' one of Shirley's T's at 46! No wonder he started his modeling career in his 40s.

The Gloves Come Off

Fishnet stockings or not, Oscar De La Hoya was looking awfully fetching yesterday at a clinic for teenage boxers at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

Morning Wood -- C O R R E C T I O N

A kind reader sent in this alternate pic of yesterday's "but his face" Morning Wood subject to inform me that my photo was just a "bad shot" of his mug and that the hot-bodied young man is actually quite handsome. I blog corrected.

Stewart Does Letterman

It was awfully fun seeing Jon Stewart chatting it up with my former fave on the "Late Show" last night. The politics were great, but the Oprah stuff gives Kathy Griffin a run for her money!

Oh, and Dave's Bobby Heenan observation about Glenn Beck has me thinking the Hoary Hoosier has a little funny left in him yet.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Nick Youngquest in Black & White

More of the sexy rugby stud HERE.

'Lone Star': The Best Show on TV You're Not Watching

So I caught the first two episodes of "Lone Star" -- the critically acclaimed new Fox series starring James Wolk as a con man living dual (and duel?) lives in Texas -- and I'm completely hooked. The blogosphere was buzzing that Wolk was like"Kyle Chandler's little brother" -- which sounds incredibly hot -- but, in fact, he's really way more like a young George Clooney, minus the mullet and the smugness. (And there's certainly nothing unhot about that!) The show reminds me a lot of "Friday Night Lights" -- another intelligent series with minuscule ratings that requires your full attention to fully appreciate its nuances -- and sadly that's not all it has in common with "FNL": after just one airing, "Lone Star" is reportedly already in serious danger of being canceled due to disappointing ratings! (I'm hearing that if last night's numbers do not improve -- which normally they go down after the premiere -- the show will likely be shelved.)

It would be yet another shameful move by television execs to not let us see where this one is going -- Wolk's wounded con man with a conscience is an original, and the entire cast -- including "FRL" alum Adrianne Palicki as Wife No. 1 -- is magnificent. I liked it better when I wasn't a fan of The Best Show on TV You're Not Watching -- "Party of Five," "Arrested Development" -- and could just delve into them later knowing it was a finite treat ("My So-Called Life" and now "Freaks and Geeks"). (More shirtless Wolk HERE.)

This cast has Emmy written all over it

The buzz is all Chandler, but this con man's all Clooney


Fun Couple

 
 
I guess Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal really are thick as thieves -- Rafa's still talking to him after seeing this sendup with Viktor Troicki -- even if the sexy Serb isn't quite as thick as Shakira.

Morning Wood

But his face?

Michael C. Hall's Killer Suit

You really gotta hand it to Michael C. Hall for having a "second act" in Hollywood. It's not very often someone is on an enormously successful TV show, and then can turn around and play an entirely different character on another hit. It's so remarkable that I might even forgive him for this shiny suit he wore last night on David Letterman.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Sexy and the City

I'm not sure if The New York Post is correct that these are the 10 Sexiest New Yorkers, but they're definitely on to something with these three:

Mark Marques 26, fireman
Resides: Yonkers

Carlos Velasquez 33, personal trainer
Resides: Upper West Side

Donny Cornell, 23, construction estimator
Resides: Long Island

'Social' Butterflies

Although I'm the least "into" Facebook of anyone I know who's on it -- I update my status frequently through Twitter, but don't really find FB.com all that entertaining (what does it DO?) -- I must admit I can't wait to see "The Social Network." In addition to being fascinated by how a site that is virtually the same as its two widely known predecessors (Friendster and MySpace, of course) could become such a phenomenon, the backstory of how nerdy Mark Zuckerberg became a billionaire by "ripping off" the pretty boy Winklevoss twins is better than anything you could dream up on your own. Photos from the New York premiere at Lincoln Center reveal that if nothing else, the film will be very easy on the eyes.

Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake

Joseph Mazzello, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake

Armie Hammer and his body double Josh Pence (with a face like that, how good must his bod be to only use it?)

A Single Man (or Two): Producer Kevin Spacey and Teddy Sears

Faye Dunaway and Rashida Jones

Jane Krakowski and Gina Gershon


Happy Ending

Congratulations to Kelly McGillis and Ali McGraw lookalike Melanie Leis, who were recently civil unionized in New Jersey. I had no idea the former Hollywood leading lady had been through so much -- gay shame, rape, drug and alcohol abuse -- leading up to this wonderful moment. Read HERE.

Morning Wood

On the Rag, Vol. 107

A weekly look at what's making news in the free gay magazines:


Next magazine looks at the rising rates of body dysmorphia in the gay community (BTW: does this blog make me look fat?)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Barking Up the Long Tree?

Flamingly anti-gay Bishop Eddie Long says he will fight the accusations by four men who say he lured them into sexual encounters. And truth be told, with Tyler Perry(!) on his side, how could he be guilty? Besides, who hasn't gotten a photo like these e-mailed to them from their clergyman?