Separated at Girth?

Today I happened to come across this photo of me taken more than three decades ago at Rehoboth Beach -- I'm the one on the right -- and it got me thinking: Maybe Rafael had a point.

Remains of the Day (04/30)

Out: Needless to say I'm really excited about Benito Skinner's "Overcompensating," coming soon to Prime Video. Watch the trailer HERE.

The Randy Report: Democrats reintroduce the LGBT Equality Act in Congress

AP: Stranded man airlifted from Mount Fuji -- then rescued again days later after he returned to get his phone. (Right up there with my colleague's friend who returned to her ex-boyfriend's house who had JUST RAPED HER to retrieve hers.)

PinkNews: The leading contenders to be the next pope, and where they stand on LGBT rights

Wrestle Wednesday: It's always Ohio State

Us Weekly: It's not every day a link from low-rent People mag scrolls by and I stop to say: "Is that Justin Gimelstob?"

Greg in Hollywood: Perry King is your Morning Man Classic

Battle of the Bitches: Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert truly did despise each other!

Tennis: Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell accepts an 18-month doping ban -- but again we're to believe no one ever intentionally cheats

Ad Watch: Is it just me, or is advertising basically just softcore porn now?

RIP: Heartbroken to hear about the death of Mike Peters, who battled cancer for some 30 years. Although the Alarm weren't really "my" kind of band, I so loved them as a kid. (Was there ever a better anthem than "The Stand"?) Am forever grateful I got to see Mike with a revamped version of the group in 2004 opening for the Psychedelic Furs. What a huge loss.

MetroWeekly: The queer coming-of-age comedy "Egghead & Twinkie" gains much of its quirky appeal from a kicky soundtrack and cool animation

EW: Michael Fishman -- aka DJ -- addresses absence from "The Conners" finale

Deadline: "Brokeback Mountain" will be returning to select theaters in honor of its 20th anniversary

E! News: Terrence Howard -- who apparently is fine with reinforcing stereotypes -- passed on Marvin Gaye biopic because he didn't want to kiss a man. 

Hot Cat of the Day: It's hard not to love Lucy!

‘Valley Girl’ Premiered on April 29, 1983

 

The 42nd anniversary of something usually isn't very noteworthy. But because we live in a content-crazed world, this photo of director Martha Coolidge on the Sunset Strip in front of a billboard for her movie "Valley Girl" the day it opened back in '83 is making the rounds.

My pal Adam Sank even marked the occasion, writing:

Folding laundry while watching "Valley Girl" (1983) a forgotten treasure of the early '80s. It stars a then-unknown Nicholas Cage, alongside a cast that would remain unknown forever. This includes his costar, Deborah Foreman. She would go on to appear in a few low-budget horror films, but it was all downhill for her after "Valley Girl." 

It's a shame, because Foreman gives such a subtle, natural performance as the titular Valley girl who must choose between her vapid friends (and douchey boyfriend) and Cage's charming Hollywood punk. The whole cast is better than you'd expect for a teen romp such as this, and the soundtrack is outstanding -- including "I'll Melt With You" by Modern English and Josie Cotton's classic novelty song, "Johnny, Are You Queer?" Definitely worth a watch or re-watch.

He right, as it certainly left a lasting impression on me. (And he didn't even mention Bonnie Hayes's "Girls Like Me" or "A Million Miles Away" by the Plimsouls. The "Valley Girl" soundtrack is only rivaled by "Pretty in Pink" as the best new wave compilation of all time.) 

I wrote up my memorable experience seeing "Valley Girl" at the AMC Lakes in the summer of '83 -- movies stayed in theaters that long back then! -- with "the punk kids" from Dobson High School HERE, marked the film's 25th anniversary HERE and lamented the death of the foxy dad HERE. And I just might introduce Damian  to it this weekend -- he was 5 when it came out -- assuming he doesn't surprise me and tell me he's already watched it! 

For more humiliations, follow HERE.

(Post-)Weekend Tennis Roundup

With Madrid running into this weekend I held off posting this on Monday. But as the photo count grew -- largely due to the players' exhibitionistic behavior -- I decided it was time to pull the trigger. See the fruits of their/my labor BELOW.

Imposture Syndrome

 

Even worse: I have horrible posture and "two limóncitas" in the trunk, as my tactful Colombian ex once told me. 

For more humiliations, follow HERE.

Tennis Tuesday

 

This is what we call a service winner. Watch BELOW.

Remains of the Day (04/28)

Now Showing: "Jimmy in Saigon" is at the Cinema Village in NYC through May1. The documentary begins as a personal exploration into the mysterious death and radical life of Jimmy McDowell, an American 24-year-old Vietnam veteran who died as a civilian in Saigon in 1972, when filmmaker Peter McDowell was only 5. While investigating Jimmy’s drug use and sexuality, Peter takes us from the U.S. Midwest to Vietnam, France and back home again. In his quest to get to know his brother, he uncovers a hidden romance, new family ties and a remarkable global love story. Info HERE.

The Caftan Chronicles: Porn-sensation-cum-singer Colton Ford is a giver and desires to receive in return

The Gay Curmudgeon: The new hunks

Manspread Monday: Is this seat taken?

NYT: They found love at the airport

The Randy Report: Congrats to all of the 2025 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, particularly Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Bad Company and Musical Excellence Award winner Carol Kaye

GCN: NYC Pride announces five grand marshals for 2025

EW: "American Psycho" casting director thinks Austin Butler is too beautiful to play Patrick Bateman

Boystack: Tony Ward flexes his hustle: The iconic model, a Ritts muse, talks joining OnlyFans in his 60s, navigating his unorthodox beauty and that golden period when Madonna met her match

WCHS: Leaders in Ohio town considering making it a sanctuary city for LGBT community

HuffPost: Why is it starting to feel like Rosie O'Donnell is in a huge fight with Ellen DeGeneres only Ellen doesn't know about it and couldn't care less? (Ditto for Kathy Griffin.) 

People: K-Pop singer Bain comes out during concert: 'F**king proud to be part of the LGBT community

Hot Cats of the Day: Lovers, not fighters

"Hologram Boyfriends": Looking forward to the new audio original from Mike Albo (of Unitard, "The Junket" and "Spermhood" fame) that depicts the (lightly fictionalized) emotional roller coaster of his career and romantic love life -- and just how, in the end, he has become more tenaciously optimistic than ever. Pre-order HERE.

Meme Spirited

 

You can always count on the gays for good memes! Few more winners BELOW.

Remains of the Day (04/25)

Edge: Mario Cantone wants more than fresh baked bread to be hot on 'And Just Like That..." season 3

Boy Culture: Ex-Rep. George Santos sentenced to 7 years in prison on felony fraud charges

EW: Can you imagine if you'd flown to see Kylie Minogue -- like my friend Greg did -- and the concert was suddenly canceled because of some stupid basketball game?

The Signorile Report: On LGBT rights, Pope Francis had a political epiphany

Saturday 'Stache: When your pecs are so big no one notices your facial hair

Interview: Joe Apollonio on recurring dreams, bisexual fantasies, and his very first erection

People: A biomedical researcher who claimed he had a cure for HIV has been convicted of plotting the 2018 murder of a man he feared would expose him

TVP: Poland’s last "LGBT-free zone" officially abolished (finally some good news out of Eastern Europe)

MetroWeekly: "Senate twink," who has started a new life Down Under, finally addresses gay sex video scandal

NGE: Apple charged with "LGBT propaganda" in Russia for rainbow flag wallpaper in latest update

TV Line: I bawled through the finale of "The Conners" -- kudos to everyone involved, especially John Goodman who deserves an Emmy nod. It took me a while to re-adapt to the sitcom-ness of Roseanne's survivors. But once I got there it really did recapture the magic of the original, which no matter how vile and mentally ill its star is/was/became remains one of the best series of all time.

Queerty: Robert Osborne’s partner recalls what execs told him at the start of his TCM career

Dallas Voice: Dreamy poet Seán Hewitt’s debut novel, "Open, Heaven," deals with unrequited gay love

NYT: Karen Durbin, "fearless" feminist who edited the Village Voice, dies at 80

Speedo Sunday: When Chris Messina ran a marathon -- and got humped by a Duplass brother -- in a teeny black number and hot-pink sneakers

Hot Cat of the Day: I'd give ANYTHING for this to happen to me when I'm on vacation?!!!!

Striptease: Vinny Guadagnino says earning over $1 million doing Chippendales was the "easiest money" he's ever made and I don't doubt it for a second

Stolen Holiday: Because what kind of gay man doesn't adore Carmen Miranda?!

Song of the Day: 'Bad Dreams in Hollywood' by Carol Chapman

Musicologist Kenny Eisenberger uncovered the original version of "French Kissin' in the USA" yesterday, which was the B-side of singer Carol Chapman's one and only single back in 1985. But the real news is that the A-side -- a Julie Brownish number called "Bad Dreams in Hollywood" -- is a real ear worm, prompting my friend CS to squeal "That key change at the end!"

I believe Debbie Harry, whose version of "French Kissin'" was her only solo Top 10 hit in the U.K., where Blondie had about a dozen including five number ones -- discussed how Chapman confronted her about "stealing" the song from her, which Debbie seemed to have no idea about. (That it was Chapman's B-side -- a song that suited her far less than the actual single -- makes her irritation somewhat confounding.) 

I remember hearing Chapman's version of "French Kissin'" in late '80s films like "Can't Buy Me Love" and thinking it was a cover, which given the fact that Debbie's take stalled at No. 57 in the U.S. seemed like an odd choice! 

   

On the Rag, Vol. 854

 

This week's double-wide rag 'n' mag roundup is about as stuffed as Walton Goggins's banana briefs, featuring a sex bomb named Rustin; Carnal+ exclusive Grant Ducati; the hottest Polish American since John Krasinski; a red-headed road trip; 25 albums turning 25 in 2025; Nathan Lee Graham; Baltic babe Arnas Fedaravicius; and much more BELOW.

Come and Play at Their Door

 

If ONLY this had been a toy when I was a kid -- even if my Tuesday Taylor penthouse apartment was a million times better!

Music to My Ears

In these distressing times there's nothing that soothes the brain better for me than seeing my favorite artists perform live. (That's me very-white-knuckling it through the second Reagan administration at a Cure concert at Pine Knob in 1986, above.)

We had been awaiting the Kylie Minogue show for months -- it was a bigger-than-normal deal because my best friend was flying in from Omaha expressly for the event -- so it's almost slipped my mind that I have tickets for several others, too.

So in the interest of not repeating my mother and stepfather's "forgetting" to go to the Cher concert my sister and I bought them tickets for in 2014 (read HERE), I'm posting this reminder to myself -- which may also nudge some of you to join the fun at a venue near you:

Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill: "Long After the Fire" album release party: May 9 at The Cutting Room. I've been listening to the new LP and it's so wonderful. featuring many songs written by John's late brothers Bill and Barry Cowsill. (You may recall that the Cowsills were the inspiration for "The Partridge Family," which a 2011 documentary chronicles in harrowing detail.) In fact, I've been listening to Bill's '90s band called the Blue Shadows to hear the original versions of some of the songs and have fallen in love with those arrangements too, which have more of a Roy Orbison meets the Everly Brothers feel to them. Compare Vicki and John's "A Thousand Times" HERE to the original HERE. Normally I would be jonesing for these two accomplished artists to do their old hits. But this time I'm really looking forward to what they've created together -- Vicki's harmonies on "Vagabond" give me chills!)

Tennis: "Face Down in the Garden"/farewell tour(!): June 1 at The Rooftop at Pier 17. Was shocked that the married duo announced this would be their last album -- very Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn 1999 of them -- so am happy to get this in before the inevitable reunion 25 years from now ... when I'm 82!

Neko Case: Oct. 22 at Beacon Theatre. Clearly we're giving her the benefit of the doubt given what happened LAST TIME! I know touring is her principal source of income so am happy to support her. Here's hoping the "Thelma and Louise" Broadway musical she's been working on here in the city is a big hit too, even if it sounds like the most ill-conceived thing of all time.

Belly (celebrating the 30th anniversary of "King"): Oct. 24 at Sony Hall. I'm largely in the minority here, but I've always liked "King" better than their more successful "Star," so I'm over the moon to hear it in its entirety live! The only way this could be more fun is if Greg were to join us again, like he did when the band first reunited in 2016!

Lunchtime

 

Never a dull moment over at Men About Town. Follow HERE.

Tennis Tuesday: Fabien Sassier

 

French "model" Fabien Sassier wants you to remember that it's important to smell good while playing tennis. Watch BELOW.

Remains of the Day (04/21)

TimeOut: No, you're not hallucinating -- that "White Lotus" clip of Lek Patravadi was real. (Oh, and is the character Greg -- aka Gary -- gay?)

The Advocate: Pope Francis dead at 88: Looking back on his LGBT rights legacy

BMF: All about the Go-Go's and Bob Mizer collaboration at Coachella 2025

HuffPost: Molly Ringwald gets real about why a remake of "The Breakfast Club" wouldn't work

NYP: New Pornographers drummer Joe Seiders arrested for child pornography as "horrified" bandmates speak out

Manspread Monday: When he's a rightwinger but you can't look the other way

The Caftan Chronicles: Ross Bleckner pretends he's still an emerging artist with something to prove ... and more Tom  Chase HERE.

TruthOut: You can always count on Florida to be a caricature of itself

Extra TV: Legendary game-show host Wink Martindale dead at 91

Queerty: Matt Bomer reveals how his career was affected by Perez Hilton's outing

I Heart the UWS: Why couldn't I slip on fish guts outside Citarella?

Greg in Hollywood: Enjoy Linda Lavin's adorable bloopers on the set of "Mid-Century Modern" -- and you can now watch Miss Coco Peru's deleted scene HERE

People: Panicked banker called family asking for help before disappearing in Spain. Months later, they learned tragic truth

IG: Gus Kenworthy remembered to wish ex Matthew Wilkas a happy birthday

HuffPost: It's ironic that Penn Badgley has battled body dysmorphia because he's triggered body, hair, smile and success dysmorphia in me!

Axios: San Francisco LGBT Center executive director to step down after 22 years

NYT: Gloria Gaynor hit hard times after "I Will Survive." Now she’s back.

Attitude: Supreme Court rules that the world "woman" in U.K. law refers to biological women; notes ruling should not be seen as "a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another, it is not"

Hot Cat of the Day: When you ask ChatGPT to turn your ginger man into a human

Artist's Muse: Meet Wilbur “Billy” Pippin, a friend, lover and confidant to a circle of artists that included George Platt Lynes, George Tooker, Paul Cadmus, Jared & Margaret French (aka the PaJaMa collective).

Boystack: The memory of Roy Blakey: Your chance to help a doc, "Uncle Roy," capture a gay artist's unique legacy as a photographer and ice skating archivist

Reading List: Garrett Glaser's "Fairyboy: Growing Up Gay and Out in Pre-Stonewall New York and Beyond" looks right up my ally! 

Weekend Tennis Roundup

Titles for Rune, Zverev, Ostapenko and Svitolina; a sweaty Krajinovic flashback; plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW. 

Happy Easter!

For Christ’s sake the Walsh brothers hope you have a great holiday.