Janet Jackson graces the cover of the new INSTINCT magazine. Have never been a huge fan (must she whisper in EVERY song?), but she has had some great singles over the years -- "When I Think of You," "The Pleasure Principle," "Love Will (Never Do Without You)," "That's the Way Love Goes" and "Someone to Call My Lover" to name a few. My favorite song of hers, however, is "Together Again" -- the tribute she wrote to friends who had recently passed from AIDS -- which I'd say is one of the finest songs of the 1990s. (Had no idea it was one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, though!)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
INSTINCT Does Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson graces the cover of the new INSTINCT magazine. Have never been a huge fan (must she whisper in EVERY song?), but she has had some great singles over the years -- "When I Think of You," "The Pleasure Principle," "Love Will (Never Do Without You)," "That's the Way Love Goes" and "Someone to Call My Lover" to name a few. My favorite song of hers, however, is "Together Again" -- the tribute she wrote to friends who had recently passed from AIDS -- which I'd say is one of the finest songs of the 1990s. (Had no idea it was one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, though!)Osama bin Latent Tendencies
You just knew those TSA pat downs were gonna be pinned on the gays, didn't ya? Click HERE for maximum crazy!Christmas Check List
"Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" on television? Check. Lights on the tree in Rockfeller Center? Check. (Bonus points for including Kylie Minogue.) Now the only thing stopping this from officially being Christmastime is seeing Darlene Love sing "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" on Letterman. Checking the sked now ...
Madonna's Hard Sell
Madonna cut the ribbon yesterday in Mexico City for her new chain of fitness centers, Hard Candy Fitness. What I find most bizarre about this ill-conceived and horribly named venture is that I've never once in all the years she's been famous heard someone say they thought she had a "good" body. When she looked normal, everyone liked to point out her baby fat. Then she moved to Los Angeles and became a creepily thin superstar who would rather be shot than have an ounce of body fat and she's been railed on for that ever since. Something tells me the gym would have been more aptly called CAUSE + EFFECT.
World AIDS Day at Borders
In recognition of World AIDS Day, Borders books has generously agreed to donate a percentage of all sales on Wednesday, Dec. 1 to Lifebeat, the nonprofit that uses the power of music and the music industry to help educate young people about HIV/AIDS prevention.
People can download a voucher at www.lifebeat.org/borders and use it at any store in the U.S. on Dec. 1 and Borders will donate up 25% of the total purchase made. Or you can use the promotion code LIFEBEAT on Borders.com and Lifebeat will receive the donation.In addition to the shopping promotion, there will also be celebrity in-store signings all over the country, as well as in-store performances. In New York City, The Superions (Fred Schneider's new side project), country lez Chely Wright, Jo Weldon and Rachael Sage are all slated to perform free shows, plus there will be signings with Ronnie "Will I Be Lucid" Spector, Carol Channing, Mike Birbiglia, and the cast and director of "Bear City."
There's also a panel of LGBT authors -- featuring "Fabulous Beekman Boy" Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Frank Anthony Polito and Elliot Tiber -- moderated by Lambda Literary and a pair of major comic artists (Chris Claremont, who created Wolverine, and Peter Davis) signing graphic novels.And that's just New York! Around the country on Wednesday, there will be signings by Hilary Duff, Lisa Rinna, Harry Hamlin, Hal Sparks and many others.
Click HERE for a complete list of events/locations.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Scotland Yard
Scotland has been hit with an early snow storm causing many problems to transportation links across the country, but not everyone seems to mind the interruption.
Evie Harris Recounts the First Time She Drank Dom
Lady reporter Damiana -- sort of a less butch version of Lara Spencer of "The Insider" -- pays a visit to
Evie Harris to get the scoop on the Hollywood legend's upcoming cabaret showcase at the Mar Vista Community Center. Things get a bit derailed, however, when Damiana discovers upon arrival that Evie's still in bed recovering from last night's bender.
'Never Mind'
Matt Siegel -- aka The Unabashed Queer -- has an Emily Litella moment while taping a video for the It Gets Better campaign. Watch HERE.
On the Rag, Vol. 115
A weekly look at what's making news in the free gay magazines:
Next features "Brokeback Mountain" star and LGBT advocate Anne Hathaway, who discusses her mediocre new film, "Love & Other Drugs." (Making a film with multiple nude scenes of Jake Gyllenhaal "mediocre" is a dubious honor, I might add in case the director is reading.)
How big of a gay icon is Cher? Odyssey New York abandoned its strict porn-star-model-on-the-cover policy for the legendary performer, whose new film, "Burlesque" didn't entirely bomb over the weekend. While I figure people like Cher, Dolly Parton and Madonna have plastic surgery feeling like their fans want them to keep looking a "certain way" -- I think Cher has even said as much -- staring at the former Mrs. Bono's kabuki mask on the silver screen, I couldn't help but think about how much I miss the Cher I fell in love with as a child, with the snaggly teeth and big(ger) nose. (And what about that missing rib?!) Wouldn't it be fun if she had surgery to look like that again?
Michael noticed copies of Just Us Boys in one of the gay shops on Eighth Avenue. The magazine is a spinoff of the popular adult Web site, and features porn star Conner Habib, who was named "best newcomer" at the 2010 Gay VN awards.
Conner -- whose writing background (he's also taught college-level literature courses) belies his, um, entertainment career -- blogs about the experience of taking home the golden cock HERE.Sunday, November 28, 2010
Federer 'Upsets' Nadal for Season-Ending Title
Roger Federer looked invincible all week in London. But somehow it doesn't ever seem to be enough against Rafael Nadal in the last couple years, so it was a bit of a relief to see him continue his dominance after dropping the second set to the Spaniard in London, taking his fifth season-ending title, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. A lot of analysts are making a big deal out of this victory, but truthfully I am not. While it was a big deal in the sense that a loss for Roger would have been completing demoralizing for the aging legend, the loss for Rafa -- who has proven he no longer loses in Grand Slam finals -- means very little. Sure, it's a huge boost for Fed, who was probably beginning to wonder if he was even capable of beating Nadal at all. But Rafa still ends the year way ahead of the pack -- with the last three Grand Slam titles and a No. 1 ranking that is leaps and bounds ahead of the No. 2 spot. And although triumphant, Roger goes into 2011 having to defend his points from the Australian Open, played on the surface where Nadal brought him to tears when they played in the final in '09. The fact that Roger has only been able to beat in Rafa in best-of-three matches is also very telling, and speaks volumes about his prospects of winning another Grand Slam title that Rafa is healthy in. History has shown that a surprise win at the season-ending title rarely guarantees it's a harbinger of things to come. Just ask Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, David Nalbandian or Alex Corretja.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tobias Kamke Named ATP Newcomer of the Year
As Tommy Haas inches his way toward retirement, it's nice to see a handsome new German rising in the ranks. Tobias Kamke won the ATP Newcomer of the Year award this year -- presented last week during the ATP World Tour Finals in London. Given that he's already 24, I'm not sure what his long-term prospects actually are, but he is awfully nice to look at while it lasts! Incidentally, he won his second career challengers title this year by defeating rookie Ryan Harrison in the final. At 18, the equally handsome American's outlook might be more promising, even if he did blow a big opportunity at this year's U.S. Open.
Kamke in actionCATch of the Day!
This little cutie somehow got stuck in the sewer out on Long Island. Luckily for the calamitous critter, the Baldwin Fire Department was quick on its toes!Friday, November 26, 2010
Star-Spangled Boner
It seems not everyone is thrilled about the Singapore water polo team's sporty new patriotic swimsuits.Marilyn Monroe's LOOK of Love
It's amazing -- and wonderful -- to me that nearly 50 years since her death, never-seen-before photos -- and recipes -- of the great Marilyn Monroe keep surfacing. The Hollywood Reporter recently posted these shots by photographer John Vachon -- then of LOOK magazine -- who in August 1953 was granted access to Marilyn on the set of "River of No Return" in Banff, Alberta. The negatives have been filed away for nearly 60 years -- until now, with the release of "Marilyn, August 1953: The Lost LOOK Photos" from Dover Publications.
The Naked Cowboy
Dying to see "Love & Other Drugs" this weekend. The reviews are so-so, but something tells me I'm gonna like it anyway. ...Music Box: Cher
After a nice Thanksgiving dinner with Michael and his sister Rosie, we went directly to see "Burlesque" (natch). It was everything I thought it would be -- a two-hour cliche -- and I loved every minute of it. (Three words: Wagon. Wheel. Watusi.) I can never get enough Cher: it probably has something to do with her reminding me so much of my mother -- personality, not looks -- and that my mom and I used to dance to Cher records in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom in our old house on Tawas in Madison Heights, my favorite memory from my early childhood. After the movie I came home and started ripping all my old Cher CDs so I could add more material to my iPod. In doing so, I was reminded that her first solo hit was a charming cover of Bob Dylan's "All I Really Want to Do" (it was solo, despite Sonny's totally being on it with her) and then a perfect version of the Oscar-nominated "Alfie," which played during the closing credits of the U.S. release of the film.
Cher's chart-topping '70s and '80s heyday -- not to mention 1998's "Believe" craze -- tends to be what fans think of first. But her '60s repertoire is definitely worth a listen, and will leave you wondering why she wasn't Bacharach's muse -- "A House Is Not a Home" sure sounds like it was written for her -- or Goffin-King's first pick for "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
Wolfman Jacked
I'm a big proponent of beards. But I must say that David Beckham -- who looks like he's trying to replace Hugh Jackman in the next "Wolverine" film -- might wanna rein it in a bit.Something about the unshaven neck and the quasi-snaggletooth just don't go together.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Kylie Minogue: Impossible Float Princess
Kylie Minogue braved the cold -- on a duck float! -- in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and gave a fierce lip-syncing of "Get Outta My Way."