Tennis Tuesday

 

This big boy didn't realize tennis was so "hard." More BELOW

Billboard Malpractice

 

This would have been great fodder for my erstwhile Song of the Day series. (I would add the Go-Go's, who hit No. 2 with "We Got the Beat" as well as four other Top 40 singles.) A corollary would be artists whose No. 1 songs weren't their most-remembered -- let alone their best -- like Duran Duran ("A View to a Kill" and the [gag] "Reflex"), Huey Lewis and the News (what the hell is "Jacob's Ladder"?) and don't get me started about "Maneater" by Hall and Oates! I’d also add Yes (“Owner of a Lonely Heart”), Starship (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”), Chicago (“Look Away”), Cheap Trick (“The Flame”) the Beach Boys (“Kokomo”) and Steve Miller's god-awful "Abracadabra." 

Friday Night Sights

 

Caption me.

Remains of the Day (08/07)

B-Gay: Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ “The Shards” revisits the author’s closeted adolescence at the dawn of the AIDS crisis

Greg in Hollywood: Remembering the great Lucille Ball, who was born 115 years ago

KIT212: Tom Brady caught with one hand down his shorts 

NYT: Woman who killed husband two decades ago admits to murdering her wife

Saturday 'Stache: This cop is corn-fed, for your pleasure

Pitchfork: William Orbit, the visionary producer who helped Madonna reinvent herself with the landmark “Ray of Light” album, has died at 69

Out: "In the future, everyone will be a sex worker for 15 minutes."

Instinct: Male model the internet dubbed "Pedro Pascal's boyfriend" sets the record straight

NYP: An "erratic" naked man, a bloody bathtub and an apparent gay hookup are at the center of a bizarre murder case in Long Island City 

Speedo Sunday: French model Killian Belliard in a little red number, and less

Boystack: Jason Patric revisits the steamy 1990 neo-noir “After Dark, My Sweet” at a special screening -- see what he looks like 35 years later

GMA: Gay celebrities share the advice they wish they could give their younger selves about coming out, finding love and embracing who they are

MNPP: Tom Selleck's huge ass in a pair of plaid shorts is something you probably need to see

Us Weekly: Angelina Jolie’s brother James Haven comes out as gay at 53, decades after his eyes did  (I guess his sister was just a beard back when.)

Stolen Holiday: Mary Pickford shines as a scrappy tomboy in the recently rediscovered complete version of the 1915 silent classic “Rags"

Hot Cat of the Day: This little cutie-pie was said to have been found in Hamilton Heights. If you're missing a furry loved one, visit the NextDoor app for details. 

Donate: Help preserve the legacy of Gilbert Baker, creator of the original rainbow flag, by supporting the foundation that protects its history and meaning

On the Rag, Vol. 919

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Kevin de la Cruz, Jack Martin, Michele Morrone, Lorenzo Lamas, the return of the Bathhouse Betties and more BELOW.

 

Remains of the Day (08/05)

People: Good news/bad news for those who are sweet on Gus Kenworthy: The bad news is that he's no longer in the market for a husband. The good news is it probably won't decrease your odds of having sex with him. Cheers, boys!

Outreach: The hidden stories of China’s LGBTQ Catholics

Opened Heart: I must say, 1986 me is eating up the love from fellow Madonna fans! (follows appreciated)

MetroWeekly: Gregg Araki talks "I Want Your Sex," his punk-rock roots, and nearly four decades of uncompromising cinema

Wrestle Wednesday: When your T are nearly as big as your A

Greg in Hollywood: I finally finished Michael Ausiello's "Spoiler Alert" (nine years after starting) and then watched the 2022 film adaptation, which is now streaming on Netflix. I immediately wrote to tell Michael -- who is way cuter than Jim Parsons -- how much his story meant to me (Damian and I were wailing by the end of the movie, which I had done plenty of with the hardcover). It's rare for LGBTQ people to have our stories portrayed realistically -- anal warts and all -- so do yourself a favor and track this one down.

YouTube: Speaking of gay lives, always fascinating to watch candid video recordings of other gay men

BAR: California school districts are pulling back from a statewide survey on LGBTQ-inclusive policies, with participation dropping to its lowest level yet as educators face mounting political pressure and federal scrutiny. 

The Caftan Chronicles: Tim Murphy recounts an emotional whirlwind of a week in Provincetown, where moments of joy, friendship and celebration collided with heartbreaking news, leaving him reflecting on grief, gratitude and the importance of showing up for the people we love

Instinct: Russell Tovey explains why every queer has a "bio" and a "logical" family

Extra: Good for them -- and their fiancé too

Washington Blade: LGBTQ advocates optimistic about D.C.’s expected new mayor

PinkNews: Older gay couple together for 53 years has people crying with love at first sight story

GCN: New York state lawmakers propose bill to fully legalize bathhouses again, which I'll only support if Erik Bottcher poses in nothing but a towel

Out: François Arnaud teases more Scott and Kip in "Heated Rivalry" season 2. (Time for some product placement!)

Hot Cat of the Day: Civil disobedience, feline edition.

Song of the Day: The Chantels' immortal girl-group classic "Maybe" gets the full Brian Ferrari treatment, tracing the song's history, enduring influence and emotional power across the decades

Oops

Left to Our Own Devices: Yes, you were very wrong. If people actually think the Michigan electorate is another New York City, has this native son got news for them: The Wolverine state is not Ann Arbor. 

Last night's primary there highlighted the party's ideological divide: while progressive candidates won key races, the combined vote totals suggest a majority of Democratic primary voters backed more moderate alternatives. If Dems pick up seats in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and/or Texas this fall with more moderate candidates but also lose the one they currently hold in Michigan, they could still forfeit control of the chamber -- effectively guaranteeing our current "leader" one or more additional Supreme Court appointments. 

P.S. Good to know that doing a New York Times puzzle is essentially tantamount to murdering trans people (please tell me this was an isolated heckler); agreeing with the International Olympic Committee, the Women's Tennis Association, the No. 1 female tennis player in the world and countless other women's sports bodies is cause for dismissal; and that releasing a song that expresses support for a people who have experienced genocide on an unimaginable scale -- including 1,200 on the day of a music festival in 2023 -- will get you booted from a DIY online music distribution platform. I should be happy because I once dreamed that others would be as progressive as I am. But instead of this development pushing things in the right direction, all it's doing is giving fellow liberals MORE REASON to not vote straight-ticket Democratic, because no one can ever be pure enough for these types. And this "toe the line on every issue or you're out" mindset is consistently turning off middle-of-the-road voters, who otherwise tend to agree with our policies, rendering us powerless. God help us all.

UPDATE: 

Should No. 4 ranked Coco Gauff lose all of her endorsements because she agrees with the WTA policy on transgender athletes? Answer: Of course not.