Thursday, October 31, 2024

On the Rag, Vol. 832


Fitness tips from Mr. Bradford; why it’s not a compromise to elect "imperfect allies"; Ethan Slater goes to Oz; and more in this week's rag 'n' mag roundup BELOW.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

'Twas the Night Before Halloween


This is news to many -- the night before Halloween has a name in two places in the country? -- from a Devil’s Night originalist who married a Mischief Night man.

Remains of the Day (10/30)


















Hot Cat of the Day: "I'm my own worst critic," says Brian Eno. "Not while I'm alive," says cat. 






Seattle Times:The folks in Jeff Bezos' former hometown show him how it's done. P.S. It was never about the actual endorsement -- it's about the fear and deference

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Happy National Cat Day!


A picture of my two loves for this most purrfect of holidays. xo


Learn more HERE.

Teri Garr, Star of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ Dead at 79


I've been meaning to mention that the early '90s gem "Dream On" is now streaming on the Roku Channel -- God it's good! -- and now I'm remembering to do so with the sad news of the passing of the inimitable Teri Garr, who stars in a memorable arch at the beginning of the third season of the HBO series. Rest in peace, funny lady. I will love you forever in "The Conversation," "Oh, God!," "The Bob Newhart Show," "One From the Heart," "Tootsie," "After Hours" and so on. And I'll think of you each time I use my plaster of Paris bagel and cream cheese paperweight. xo


My condolences to David Letterman, who had this to say about his favorite guest:
"Teri Garr’s many appearances on 'Late Night' gave it a cache and importance not possible without her. She was a first class actor and comedian and a lovely human being. A bright star and a real friend to the show. I was lucky to know her. She elevated all, and I’m sad she is gone."

My friend Scott (of "So Help Me Todd" fame) remembers her on his Instagram page:
I had the honor of directing Teri Garr’s last feature film. When I first went to meet her, she walked up to me in a restaurant and said “I’m looking for Scott Prendergast?” I was so stunned to be standing in front of her – to be hearing my favorite actress say my actual name – that I was unable to form a coherent reply. 

I had a small but pivotal role for her in my tiny indie movie (KABLUEY). She would play Suze, a woman mysteriously terrorized by a blue mascot costume. The casting made sense to me, because Teri Garr often played women dropped into “zany” situations: a woman whose husband saw God (OH GOD), a woman whose husband saw aliens (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS), a woman whose boyfriend dressed as a woman to get work (TOOTSIE), a woman whose boyfriend was attempting to resurrect the dead (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), a career woman watching her husband unravel at home (MR. MOM). 

In all these films, she stands in for the audience, witnessing strange behavior and reacting like we would – with disbelief, with concern, with flummoxed rage. Her characters were the everywoman, the perfect All-American Mom, your favorite off-beat girlfriend. A reporter once said about her, “She wasn’t quite the girl-next-door, she was more like the girl-next-door to the girl-next-door.” Something unusual happened to that girl, to all her characters, and she had to muddle through, to put up with it, had to smile and play along. She had a way of giving a wry and skeptical look to insane behavior, a look that said “Well…OK.” 

Tonight, on a loop, I'll watch her shriek reaction to Dustin Hoffman "telling her the truth" in TOOTSIE, and her masterpiece "you idiot" look to Randy Quaid in OUT COLD -- a singularly perfect comic moment, singled out by Pauline Kael in a review that propelled college-age-me down to a theater on St. Marks Place in New York to see the film. I went to see every Teri Garr movie. I always stayed up to see her on Letterman. Hearing her name in random conversations throughout my life I would feel a swell of love and pride, like someone had mentioned my hometown. 

She was Teri Garr. She was our Teri Garr. And we will always love, cherish and remember Teri Garr.

And Sandra Bernhard writes:


S.P. Burke remembers:

Tennis Tuesday


With a grip like that, of course he has an OnlyFans. See more including his before-and-after pics BELOW.

Monday, October 28, 2024

Countdown to a Cure?


Well, this is finally happening. I'm an Election Day kind of guy, but I know a lot of people like to vote early. Have you?


P.S.


The U.S. presidency is going to be awarded to the person who wins razor-thin margins in a quirky combination of states rather than the candidate who GETS THE MOST VOTES from the American people. How can the world's leading democracy carry on like this? I’m convinced that if the system were changed, the Republican Party would push the extremists currently running it knowing they would need to be more appealing to the masses. (As hard as it is to believe sometimes, Democratic policies are far more popular.) And as a result, none of us would have to feel like Election Day is a life-or-death situation. Yes, we would still strongly prefer our chosen candidate. But the structure of government would remain intact either way. While this is an incredibly sad and low bar, it’s something we currently are without. 

And you know what might increase voter turnout? Instead of using a system created to accommodate slave-holding states, make each person's vote count equally. People in blue California and red Alabama get complacent thinking "my vote doesn't count." Get rid of the Electoral College and suddenly they all would.

Weekend Tennis Roundup (10/28)

 

Trophies for Draper, Mpetshi Perricard, Zheng and Danilovic. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Tricks 'n' Treats: The Best of Gay Halloween 2024


See the boys dressed up as everything from Paul Mescal and Agador Spartacus to a naughty Obi-Wan Kenobi and 15 slutty electoral votes for Kamala BELOW.


Friday, October 25, 2024

Remains of the Day (10/25)



















Hot Cat of the Day: When your kitty is a work of art 


Despite having been quasi obsessed with the Menendez case as an Angeleno at the time, I don't have strong feelings about it now. However, I would be much more comfortable with their possible resentencing if they had used an existing weapon -- in the "heat of the moment" -- rather than having driven 134 miles each way to purchase 12-gauge shotguns (with a fake ID after attempts to buy hand guns failed) two days before using them to blow their parents away. Their alleged abuse definitely should have been allowed in the second trial -- and yes, men can be raped. But having lived through it all, there are so many details that I think the TikTok generation -- and even Rosie O'Donnell -- are sweeping under the rug that just don't pass the smell test. 


"Our Dad, Danielle" is the story of a larger-than-life IP lawyer in Sugar Land, Texas, who at 57 came out as a trans woman and is now navigating LGBT issues while fighting for trans rights, as she and her family challenge the idea of what modern love looks like. Watch trailer HERE.




Details HERE.

Thursday, October 24, 2024

On the Rag, Vol. 831

 

Hunter's white party for one; Cynthia Erivo is ready to be "Wicked"; transgender Utahns tell their stories; and more in this week's rag 'n' mag roundup BELOW.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Wicked Good

 

Chris Stein writes: Just found this. Andy and Margaret Hamilton w Debbie portraits.


View the contact sheet HERE.


 From Warhol's "Witch in Myths" series (1981)


As seen in “Margaret Hamilton From Cleveland, Ohio to the Land of Oz,” the first-ever book dedicated to the late actress.


(Photo by Victor Bockris)

In his Aug. 12, 1980, diary entry, Andy recalled:

At 12:00 I had an appointment to meet Debbie Harry at the office (cab $4). I was early and Debbie and Chris were on time. We worked all afternoon. Debbie was sweet, every picture came out perfect. Vincent was taping her for the Andy Warhol's TV show and he had Lisa Robinson there interviewing her and Chris. I sat in on it so that I'd have a higher profile on the tape for the show. Lisa is a good interviewer. They were there till 4:00.

And I've decided that I'm not going to call girls anymore and invite them places because they're too difficult. I called Sean Young, the really pretty actress who I met with Linda Stein, because I thought that Richard Weisman would like her. But she wouldn't give me her number so I could call her back and it's too hard. I asked her if she wanted to go to a baseball game and she said she'd been to one already. She's in some James Ivory movie that's about to come out.

I had to leave early because I invited Bianca to the Peking Opera, she said yes, and I invited John Samuels, too. We ran into the Met Opera House and just missed the curtain so we had to wait with Chinese people screaming why couldn't they go in. ... 

Then after ten minutes we could go in. Fran Lebowitz was there with Jed. The opera was boring. Good costumes, lots of tumbling. Drag queens.

I saw Margaret Hamilton, the witch in "The Wizard of Oz," and got so excited and went over to her and told her how wonderful she was. She does the Maxwell House commercials now. She's really small.

Remains of the Day (10/23)





















“I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent,” she said. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.”  

"This is a point in time where you speak your conscience no matter what." 


Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Be a Pal, Will Ya?


Happening now on 6th Avenue and 48th Street. I'm told it's a "pro" Palestinian protest, which I'm assuming means they're protesting the way their elected government subjugates Palestinian women and routinely terrorizes and murders Palestinian LGBTQ people for existing. Am I close? 

UPDATE: Based on some of the thoughtful messages I have received, I'd like to amend this.

Now I realize these people are simply requesting that the biggest genocidal attack on Jews since the Holocaust be overlooked. Thank you for clearing this up for me, guys!