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May 13, 2009
The story that just won’t die: Miss California state pageant co-
director Shanna Moakler quit today, according to a report in Us
magazine. Ms. Moakler, a former Miss USA title holder herself, said it
was “in her best interest to resign. I cannot with a clear conscience
move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe
Organization when I no longer believe in it.” The blonde beauty has
been a long-time backer of civil rights for homosexuals, including
gay marriage, having appeared as recently as April 28th in print ads
slamming California’s homophobic Proposition 8. Right on, Shanna!
Right on! Take that slap in the face, Donald Trump!
Congratulations to Wanda Sykes, black lesbian comedienne
extraordinaire. People magazine reports her wife, Alex, whom she
married October 25, 2008 in California, gave birth to fraternal twins
April 27th, a boy and girl, both healthy!
Now, for American Idol the final Top Three results:
Season six 2007 winner, guest singer Jordan Sparks, looked better
than ever but her performance proved disappointing. I couldn’t even
understand the words to her so-called hit, “Battlefield,” but then I am
old, so who knows. Katy Perry fared better with “Waking Up in
Vegas,” although I was disappointed she didn’t kiss a girl, but then
she is heterosexual, you know. I checked out her website to make
sure I spelled her name right and was blasted in the face with music
so loud I had to close the window. I hate Internet destinations with
noise you can’t control.
As for the Top Three finalists, I held my breath until Ryan Seacrest
called Adam Lambert “safe.” Whew! That was scary! On the other
hand, I was right about Danny Okey going home tonight. He was
good, but, man, this competition is a close one. Now, let’s all plan to
rally around Adam and vote, vote, vote next week! Kris Allen's killer
smile will be tough competition!
That was a real tragedy when Sgt. John Russell killed five of his
fellow American soldiers in Iraq. It was also ironic because it
happened at Camp Liberty’s Combat Stress Center. The poor,
misguided shooter was in treatment during his third tour of Iraq.
Maybe we can learn something here. Like, NO MORE WAR!
Additional George W. Bush crap that America somehow survived: A
May 12th New York Times editorial states, “During the entire Bush
administration, the Justice Department’s antitrust division didn’t
bring a single case against a big company for anticompetitive
behavior to shut out a smaller rival.” Thankfully, Obama just revived
the antitrust division of the Justice Department and instructed the
new chief he installed, Christine Varney, to get back to work on
behalf of consumers.
May 12, 2009
I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but here in
Oklahoma it’s been raining for nearly forty days and forty nights and,
frankly, my dear, I’m sick of it! Not only do I lack the where-with-all to
build an ark, I need the sun! My skin is turning pale and if there’s
anything I hate, it’s being white! Give me a suntanned swimmer or a
Latin lover over a porcelain-browed Englishman anytime!
Speaking of porcelain-faced, Donald Trump infuriates me! Not
because he allowed Carrie Prejean to remain as Miss California, but
because he said her views are the same as President Obama’s.
Maybe once upon a time the President did say marriage should be
between a man and a woman, but he wasn’t standing on a soapbox
and he certainly wasn’t preaching hate. Believe it or not, I’m glad she
kept her “royal” designation because being further stripped, so to
speak, would’ve given the right wing further adrenaline. Anyway, I
take comfort in knowing it’s the last damned beauty title the
insensitive, hate-fostering woman will ever hold in this civil-rights
lovin’ country.
Now, for American Idol, the final Top Three:
For their first numbers,
*Danny Gokey sang “Dance Little Sister.” I don’t understand why
Paula selected this song for him, because it didn’t work. It went
straight to nowhere.
*Kris Allen sang “Apologize.” Chosen by Kara and Randy, this song
left me feeling nothing, as I suspect it did Kris, save but for the
embarrassment when he hit that flat note. He still has a killer smile,
though!
*Adam Lambert sang “One.” This was Simon’s pick and it was a
great one! As usual, Adam belted out the number with true feeling.
And how about his range! Fantastic!
For their second songs, the contestants chose their own:
*Danny Gokey sang “You Are So Beautiful.” Well, he’s no Joe
Cocker and maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe not. I’m kind of
lukewarm on this one, although I have to admit he did a good job
with the notes.
*Kris Allen sang “Heartless.” I couldn’t believe it when he said he
was going to do this Kanye West number, but he performed
brilliantly. You could feel the emotion and I loved it!
*Adam Lambert sang “Cryin’.” Steven Tyler should be jumping for
joy after watching Adam do this Aerosmith classic. I love the way
Adam screams!
The overall American Idol winner for the night was Adam Lambert. I
predict Danny Gokey will be going home tomorrow night, but I have
to admit it’s hard to choose at this point.
May 11, 2009
I couldn’t believe it when the CBS Evening News reported last night
that Blue Cross and Blue Shield have retroactively canceled
hundreds of health insurance policies while the patients were in the
middle of treatment. Retroactively! Back several months! Even when
the premiums were made on time. What kind of a world are we living
in?
A reminder: Stamps are now 44 cents, as of today.
Since I cannot stand Donald Trump, I seldom watch Celebrity
Apprentice, but last night nothing else interesting was on at seven,
so I managed to tolerate the first hour before switching to Desperate
Housewives. If it weren’t for Joan Rivers, whom I love, the
Apprentice would’ve been a total bust this season. I just don’t
understand the appeal of watching people suck up to such an
unappealing, talentless smuck as Donald Trump.
Christine Aguileria, after having taken time off to take care of her
baby, plans to star in a new movie being written specifically for her,
Burlesque. In case you can’t figure it out, the “comtemporary”
musical will be about a “dancer with a big voice.” But it’ll be awhile
before we see it. Filming doesn’t even begin until January 2010.
May 10, 2009
Former Vice President Dick Cheney showed up on Face the Nation
Sunday morning to defend the Bush Administration’s legacy of
deceit and persecution. Do we really have to listen to these bold-
faced lies any longer? Watching this man rationalize was like
listening to Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann defend the “Jewish
solution.” Chilling and shameful. Never again!
On HBO’s Real Time with Bill Mayer, the always funny politically
incorrect host said Cheney believes Republicans should remain true
to their core principles: gay bashing, war-mongering, and torture.
And don’t even get me started on how Cheney doesn’t have the
moral guts to speak out in favor of his own lesbian daughter’s civil
rights . . ..
It’s with a heavy heart I note the recent passing of an old friend, Kirk
L. Bjornsgaard, a writer buddy from the legendary oblong table of
Tulsa’s Crossroads Writers critique group of which I was lucky
enough to be a member from 2000 to 2006. Kirk gave my first book,
The Happy Campers a glowing review and I’ll never forget it. He
spent the last few years as acquisitions Editor for Regional Studies,
University of Oklahoma Press in Oklahoma City. Ironically, his first
novel just hit the shelves, Confessions of a Former Rock Queen .
Check it out. It’s not what you think. He enjoyed surprising people.
May 9, 2009
The Huffington Post reports Sarah Palin telephoned Carrie Prejean,
Miss California, to offer encouragement for her anti gay views, but it
happened before the beauty queen’s (Prejean’s, not Palin’s) topless
photos appeared on the Internet. The Post also published an article
about how Palin has refused to accept Obama’s stimulus package to
help poor Alaskans winterize their homes. The governor, whose
approval rating has plummeted in recent polls, said she didn’t want
to add to the national debt. How big of her. Good luck selling that to
her constituents, who have the highest energy bills in the nation.
Tonight’s Saturday Night Live with host Justin Timberlake was the
lamest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s like the writers were on
vacation and the cast had to wing it. Not funny save but for a few
minor tidbits here and there.
At this evening's annual Washington DC comedy-fest, the White
House Correspondents' Association dinner, First lady Michelle
Obama wore a sleeveless fuchsia gown and a bold necklace. Her
husband noted that she was helping to bridge divides in the nation,
including "the right to bare arms."
The host for the evening, Wanda Sykes, the nations’s premier black
lesbian comedian, quipped, "It's funny to me that [photographers]
have never caught you smoking," she said to the president, "But
they always catch you with your shirt off. I know you're into this
transparency thing, but I don't need to see your nipples."
May 7, 2009
Did you see the Alaska governor’s daughter, Bristol Palin, on the
Today show yesterday morning? Isn’t her being a spokesperson for
teenage chastity kind of like the blind leading the blind? What’s
next? Her mother as an icon for compassionate politicians?
Speaking of Sarah Palin, you should be aware she’s leading an
Alaska campaign to gas baby wolves in their dens and massacre
seventy percent of her state’s adult wolf population by plane and
helicopter gunners. She’s against killing unborn babies but only if
they’re human. You can’t make this stuff up. Republicans just hand it
to us. If you don’t believe me, Google Palin and wolves. The Internet
is filled with info about it.
You knew tonight’s episode of Parks and Recreation was going to be
funny when Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) started the show by saying
Shawnee’s Native Americans used to make pipes out of the shin
bones of immigrants. “And that is what was so great about American
Indians,” she continued. “They used every part of the pioneer.”
WebMD.com has an article today about how artificial UVB rays cure
psoriasis. I’ve been saying for years that withdrawal from the sun is
what causes skin problems. I mean, think about it. The sun gives us
life, not vice versa. Someday the sun will be exonerated. Mark my
words.
May 6, 2009
Entertainment Tonight reports folk singer Judy Collins is seventy
years old today. Boy, does that make me feel ancient! It seems like
just yesterday we were crying our eyes out listening to her ballads in
a Denver gay bar on Lincoln Street.
Now, for American Idol, the Top Four results:
Well, I finally broke my winning steak predicting who was going
home. It wasn’t Kris Allen like I thought. At least, my man, Adam
Lambert, made it through. Thank God for that. I must say I’m
surprised the fiery, raspy-voiced Allison Iraheta got booted.
Surprised, but not shocked, considering her mediocre Tuesday
performance.
Frankly, my dear, I’m sick and tired of hearing about John Edward’s
past affair. His wife, Elizabeth, bless her soul, is busy doing the talk
show circuit pushing her new memoir, Resilience. She claims to
believe her husband is now being faithful, but how can you trust
someone who cheated on you during your darkest days of dealing
with breast cancer? I used to respect the man, but what he did was
just too low, even for an activist live and let live liberal like me.
May 5, 2009
Tit for Tat! So now Miss California has topless photos circulating on
the Internet! KTLA News in LA says: “The pictures are not sitting
well with her conservative Christian supporters.” Too bad she
offended the gay community, who would’ve otherwise supported
her in her time of need! Oh, well! Tit for tat! That’s all I have to say
about that!
Today’s installment of CBS’s The Doctors irritated the hell out of me.
In the first place, Dr. Phil was a guest host. Now if I wanted to listen
to that man’s chronic droning, I would’ve turned the channel to his
own stupid show, where all he does is berate asshole husbands. In
the second place, he is not a medical doctor, so what’s he doing on
this program? He spent the entire hour begging people not to panic
about the Swine Flu by denying (spreading, in other words) rumors
that the government is covering up the severity of the outbreak. I
don’t know what planet the man is from, but from where I sit, there is
no such “panic.” This episode of The Doctors was way off the mark
and I may stop watching it, especially if they keep bringing back so-
called “experts” who are not real doctors.
Now for American Idol, “Rock Week” Final Top Four:
*Adam Lambert sang Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” Bravo!
Once again he knocked them dead! He really knows how to belt out
a song! He’s got the pipes, baby!
*Allison Iraheta sang Janis Joplin’s “Cry Baby.” She did okay but
she’s no Janis Joplin. Of course, it’s hard to beat a legend of
superstar proportions. I just didn’t feel it. Maybe it’s because Allison
hasn’t lived long enough to know what true pain is.
*Kris Allen sang The Beatles’ “Come Together.” Nothing to write
home about, I’m sorry to say.
*Danny Gokey sang Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” A stellar performance
for a classic song!
Now for the duets:
*Kris Allen and Danny Gokey sang Styx’ “Renegade.” No, No. A
thousand times no. It didn’t work. Not only were they both flat, the
performances were extremely underwhelming.
*Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert sang Foghat’s “Slow Ride.” They
both tore the house down! An unforgettable performance indeed!
They are true rock stars!
Adam Lambert won tonight’s contest hands down! Please vote as
much as you can! Adam deserves our unwavering support. I predict
Kris Allen will be going home tomorrow night.
Dom DeLuise dead at 75. Though he may have pictured himself as
being in the closet, the homosexual community is nonetheless
aware he was a true gay icon comic genius of epic proportions.
May 2, 2009
Last night on the Tonight show, Jay Leno said Miss California thinks
being gay is a choice developed over time. “Yeah,” said Jay, “Kind
of like being stupid. You’re not born that way, but . . ..” The man
always knows the right thing to say!
Always informative Rod2.0:Beta reports a new ABC
News/Washington Post Poll shows 49% of Americans support
marriage equality. Gary Langer at ABC News said, "Take gay
marriage, legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut and now Iowa, with
Vermont coming aboard in September. At its low, in 2004, just 32
percent of Americans favored gay marriage, with 62 percent
opposed. Now 49 percent support it versus 46 percent opposed --
the first time in ABC/Post polls that supporters have outnumbered
opponents.” Check out the rest of the story here:
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2009/04/poll-56-of-americans-
want-dont-ask-dont-tell-revealed.html
May 1, 2009
Things get weirder yet! 365gay News reports Miss California is busy
thanking gay people for their apologies and support during her
ordeal. What era or planet is she living on, anyway? She also said
the Miss USA Pageant asked her to express regret for her remarks
against gay marriage, which officials deny.
Meanwhile, globally, gay progress marches forward! Social
Democrat Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, has just been elected as the
first openly homosexual Prime Minister of Iceland. This means she’s
the first out gay head of state in the world!
According to People magazine, self-professed Christian Mylie Cyrus
tweetered Perez Hilton in support of gay marriage. “Everyone
deserves to love and be loved,” she said. Now, that’s a real surprise!
April 30, 2009
NBC's Parks and Recreation continues to be funny as hell. Tonight,
Leslie Snope (Amy Poehler) opened an illegal gift basket worth over
twenty-five dollars and had to face corruption charges. Meanwhile,
the citizens of the town have begun to throw their trash in the
abandoned construction site Leslie is trying to make into a park.
It just gets weirder and weirder! Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean,
who said she was against gay marriage during this year's show, said
Thursday she plans to go to Washington to stump for heterosexual
unions on Capitol Hill. Prejean told the Today show she's joining the
National Organization for Marriage in an attempt to "protect
traditional marriages." The Miss California Pageant paid for her
breast implants. How about we gays start a campaign to save natural
breasts?
Funniest Line Ever: (30 Rock) Elaine Stritch, playing Jack’s mother,
says it doesn’t matter, after being told her beau is married: “A guy
like that—who can drive at night—you just don’t say no to that.”
April 29, 2009
American Idol the results: I was right for the sixth time in a row about
who was voted off—Matt Giraud again. This time the judges have no
votes left with which to save him so that’s that. Except he’ll be part of
the Top Ten fifty-city summer tour, of course and show up on all the
talk shows, natch.
I must say I was super shocked Adam Lambert was part of the
bottom two. He’s been the most consistently stellar performer of
them all. We need to get off our butts and vote like crazy next time,
kids!
Natalie Cole’s rendition of “Something’s Gotta Give” on American
Idol was harsh and disappointing, in spite of her new kidney. She
looked good but the vocal was flat.
What the hell was that Jamie Fox performance all about? Ryan
Seacrest says his song is number one. Whaaat? Is the title “Number
One” or is it number one on the charts? My guess is it’s only the title.
What a shame Kirstie Alley gained all that weight back. It does not
look good on her. But why in the hell did she decide to go public
with her dilemma at the same time Valerie Bertinelli debuted her new
six-pack ala bikini on the Jenny Craig TV ads? Talk about a slap in
the face!
My old straight prison camp buddy, Rick Carrasco, called last night.
He wanted an electronic copy of The Happy Campers, the semi-
autobiographical novel I wrote “about him,” for his new girlfriend.
Okay, I’m perfectly willing to let him think the whole manuscript was
“about him,” as I know it does his ego good. Plus it helps him
impress the ladies by showing his gentler, more compassionate
side, having a close gay friend who’s in love with him and all. In any
case, I always feel better after we talk. He recharges my batteries like
no one else can! Plus his sexy voice drives me craaaaaazy! It’s been
nine years since we were incarcerated together but it feels like just
yesterday. Although it may seem strange, those were the happiest
five months of my unexpectedly long, bittersweet life!
A Freudian slip—or was it?— on Oprah today as she talked to a
Nevada prostitute, after being told men sometimes pay to be
nagged: Oprah said, “I’ve been doing this since 1785 and I’ve never
heard of such a thing!” Did she mean to say 1985 or is she really the
mother of us all?
April 28, 2009
American Idol Top Five rundown:
Kris Allen sang “The Way You Look Tonight.” He did good but not
great, I’m sorry to say. Got off on the suit, though!
Allison Iraheta sang “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Having just
turned seventeen, the raspy voiced songstress paid proper homage
to one of my favorite torch songs, and I loved it! She is a major
contender in this game!
Matt Giraud sang “My Funny Valentine.” Even though Simon liked it,
I couldn’t quite get into it. Maybe it was the fedora. I kind of missed
his mole. The poor guy sang well, but I feel compelled to say he’s no
Frank Sinatra.
Danny Gokey sang “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Wow! What a
delivery! It made my heart skip a beat!
Adam Lambert sang “Feeling Good.” Maybe it was because he was
dressed like a mobster, but he killed, once again! Fantastic! By the
way, have you noticed how humongous his feet are? No wonder he
exudes so much self-confidence!
The big winner of the night was Allison, with Adam a close second. I
predict Matt Giraud will be going home tomorrow night.
As for Ryan Seacrest comparing this week’s “mystery mentor”
Jamie Fox to the Rat Pack, that was a real stretch, not to mention
misleading, even though Jamie is a great vocalist in his own right.
The comparison just didn’t make sense. Can you say convoluted?
Jay Leno blamed his hospital stay on a studio ODN, an overly
dramatic nurse, who freaked out when she discovered the talented
comic had a 103 degree temperature and chills after driving to the
set in a Model T on a cold morning without a coat. But, hell, at our
age, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I say this after recovering from a
nasty case of walking pneumonia, as my fans well know. Both of
them.
April 27, 2009
While watching Desperate Housewives last night, I kept feeling like
something was missing and then I realized it was Wisteria Lane ho’
Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan). Marc Cherry actually killed her off last
week and it wasn’t a dream. Despite rumors of a rift between the
show’s creator and Sheridan, Cherry claims the real reason he done
her in is she’d already slept with everyone possible and, besides, the
network put pressure on him to cut costs. At least, that’s what he
told TV Guide. Gee! I guess things really are tough all over!
Funniest Line Ever: (Scrubs repeat on Comedy Central) “My son is
also a fan of baseball. Well, not so much for watching as for the
designing and sewing of uniforms.”—Dr. Kelso. I know it shouldn’t
be funny, but it is!
It was fun to have Charlie (Charlie Sheen)’s stalker, Rose (Melanie
Lynksey) return as a blind date for Alan (Jon Cryer) on Two and a
Half Men tonight. I laughed my ass off.
April 26, 2009
I enjoyed seeing the rebellious Sinead O’Conner sing “Nothing
Compares to You” on BBC America’s Graham Norton Show last
night, but you’d think her hair would’ve grown out by now! I wonder
if the Pope was watching. Oh, that’s right. He’s dead. Well, maybe the
new one is a fan. Ya think?
“Plumb funny!” is the only way to describe Mad TV’s parody CSI:
Mayberry on Saturday night’s show. The characters were right on,
especially the Barney Fife impersonation!
I keep trying to get interested in BBC America’s Any Dream Will Do, a
reality show where a bunch of English chaps compete to become
the star of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical play, Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but I just can’t get into it. This,
despite the show’s host being the U.K.’s gay icon Graham Norton.
Maybe it’s the contestant’s pasty white skin or the lack of muscle or
those dreadful accents. You’d think I’d like the program, considering
I’m gay and of English heritage, but no luck. It’s all a bit strange
considering I’ve had a little experience with British chaps; I once had
a date with Elton John, something you can read about if I ever get
my book, The Happy Campers, republished.
April 25, 2009
Jay Leno has been released from the hospital. Apparently, he simply
had a mild case of dehydration. In any case, we’re glad he’s okay. At
our age, anything can happen, so it’s good it wasn’t a serious
ailment.
Oklahoma tornados, one of the percs of living in Tornado Alley,
preempted my first half of tonight’s ABC Streisand: In Concert
special, but the last half was pure pleasure. She is indeed the Queen
of Torch! The last of the great living legends. Ya still got the pipes,
Babs!
And what a treat Barbra had for her gay fans: Sebastien, David,
Carlos, and Urs from Il Divo, the operatic quartet of handsome men
brought together from different countries by Simon Cowell in 2004.
Wow! Their inclusion in “Someday” was genius! What big voices
they have! Their official website lists tour dates online. They are busy
Il Divos, I must say!
Hey, Barbra, since I missed the first half of your concert, maybe you
could send a copy to me. I could critique it for you. As a gay man, I
promise to be totally unbiased!
The world is sadder today due to the passing of another living
legend—Bea Author, from an unidentified form of cancer at 86. She
was the first truly butch women to grace the airwaves. Not only was
she deadpan funny, she was progressively enlightening! Thanks,
Bea, is all I can say.
Do you believe Crown Publishing is fronting seven million dollars to
George W. Bush for an upcoming hardback to be titled Decision
Points? The New York Daily News says the former President
promises the book will be shorter and less hefty compared to the
memoirs other former presidents have written. Duh! Do they really
think the poor guy can write? Of course, the man is living proof you
can fool some of the people some of the time. I mean, after all,
America did vote for him twice, an act that still boggles my mind. Of
course, the same can be said about Richard Nixon.
April 24. 2009
As for Jay Leno’s condition, People magazine says, “No information
has been released on the nature of the funnyman's ailment, but a rep
for the show says he's doing just fine. 'He was kidding around with
the hospital staff and running his monologue jokes by the doctors
and the nurses,' According to NBC's Tracy St. Pierre, ‘He's expected
back to work on Monday.’"
A new film is about to dramatically pull more gay Republicans out of
the closet. Chad Griffin, a former Bill Clinton aide is the executive
producer of Outrage, which will be shown Friday at the Tribeca Film
Festival. Pre-screened for a limited group of media outlets on
Wednesday, the film names politicians who have been the subject of
rumors they are Republican hypocrites—closeted homosexuals who
fight against gay rights in order to hide their own sexual orientations.
The movie opens nationwide May 8.
It’s as if Barack Obama reads this column or my mind. "The days of
any time, any reason rate hikes and late fee traps have to end,"
Obama said yesterday, regarding credit card companies’ unfair
treatment of consumers. It’s too late for me, but at least he’s doing
something for citizens who still carry cards. Bravo!
Is anybody else sick of hearing about Susan Boyle? And that
makeover! What the hell? She looks worse than she did before they
“improved” her. There’s only so much you can do with a quadruple
chin! I have to admit though, when I looked her up on the Internet to
make sure I spelled the name right, I ended up watching the now
famous YouTube clip from Britain’s Got Talent and was wowed all
over again. Then I got caught up listening to her 1999 performance
of “Cry Me a River,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=jI2DxkrgpgQ) and you guessed it, I was mesmerized once more.
Speaking of makeovers, what the heck is up with Ellen Degeneres’
new look? Her hair is shorter than Obama’s. It’s as if her ears
doubled in size. And why is she sporting so much makeup? Just
because she does the commercials, doesn’t mean she should
actually try to look like a Covergirl. Don’t take it personally, El. I still
love you. You’re the funniest woman on the planet and your new
look proves it!
Kudos to Meghan McCain, Republican daughter of Senator John
McCain, for having the courage to state her party should endorse
gay marriage. Appearing on The View as a guest host Thursday, she
also said eighty-one percent of Americans under thirty are
Democrats, which means the future will be inclusive, no matter what
the Republicans do!
April 23, 2009
Tonight Show host Jay Leno checked himself into the hospital today
after feeling ill. His representative would not give details. Thursday’s
and Friday’s tapings were cancelled, so those shows will be repeats.
The genius comic will be fifty-nine next week. I'll keep you updated
as the info comes in.
Wanda Sykes (Barb) finally returned to The New Adventures of Old
Christine last night and she was hysterical baring her soul to
therapist/friend Matthew, played with flair by Hamish Linklater.
April 22, 2009
American Idol the results: Well, well, for the fifth time in a row I was
correct about who got voted off: Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai. As for
the ancient Disco queens who appeared tonight, Freda Payne
(“Band of Gold”) was off tune, Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the
Sunshine Band (“Get Down Tonight”) also hit some sour notes, but
Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me this Way”) was the one I enjoyed
the most. Great to see eighteen year-old David Archuleta (“Touch My
Hand”) return as a guest performer. He was my favorite last season
and I still believe he should’ve won, not merely have come in
second. His fan website is up and running. It reports the loveable
crooner’s new self-titled album is a big hit and that he’ll be touring
this summer with Demi Lavato.
Re: Miss USA Pageant: I was sorely disappointed with the women of
The View, save Joy Behar, this morning when they said Miss
California shouldn’t be judged for her “political” views against gay
marriage. Would they say that if the question had been about black
civil rights? I’m sorry, but prejudice is not something I want a
representative of my country to carry around. We have every right to
judge her lack of compassion. Saying “No offense to anyone, but I
was raised to believe marriage is between one man and one
woman,” doesn’t cut it. Kudos to Perez Hilton, the judge who asked
the question about gay marriage and then gave Miss California a
zero for her bigoted answer. And bravo to Joy Behar for saying,
“You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.” And shame on you,
Whoopie Goldberg, for not standing up for your “friends.”
The New York Times reported yesterday that approval for the US to
torture came from the highest levels of the Bush Administration,
including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. I think we all know
it came from higher than that. Namely, straight from Cheney and
Bush. If the Justice Department decides to prosecute, how can they
not name all three?
Tuesday’s Oprah appearance of Ted Haggard, disgraced
hypocritical fundamentalist preacher who was having gay sex on the
side and got caught, disgusted me. He claims to be “heterosexual
with issues.” My problem with him is I have yet to hear him apologize
to the gay community he repeatedly and loudly condemned and
proselytized from the pulpit. There is nothing worse than someone
preaching against what they themselves do. The only mention he
makes of the scandal on his website is illusory. It is particularly
notable for what it doesn’t say. It reads, in part, “In the fall of 2006,
Ted Haggard suffered a personal and family crisis leading to his
resignation.” It goes on to say numerous appearances on the talk
show circuit assisted him with his “repentance,” which helped to
keep his family “intact.” His poor wife, Gayle, is naïve as hell, to say
the least.
That shirtless photo of President Obama on the Washingtonian
magazine cover is not disrespectful and certainly not new. I’ve seen
it before. It was taken by a paparazzo while Barack vacationed in
Hawaii last year. What’s all the fuss about, anyway? Is there a law
against getting some sun? I just have one thing to say to the
President about the pic: Nice tits, man!
April 21, 2009
Last night, Jay Leno speculated that runner-up contestant, Miss
California, lost the Miss USA competition because she declared she
was against gay marriage. “Apparently, she forgot who watches
beauty pageants. On a related note, her publicist announced from
now on, she’ll be doing her own hair and makeup.”
Now for my Disco Night American Idol top seven rundown:
*Lil Rounds sang “I’m Every Woman.” Although she never looked
better and performed on tune, the presentation wasn’t exciting
enough. Sorry, Lil.
*Kris Allen sang “She Works Hard for the Money.” Interesting take
on a Donna Summer classic, but basically lackluster. It certainly didn’
t sound disco. Maybe that’s why the judges liked it. I have to say,
Kris still sports a killer smile!
*Allison Iraheta sang “Hot Stuff.” The red-headed child songstress
brought new life to this Donna Summer mega hit, making it her own,
fiery and raspy. Loved the leather and rhinestones!
* Danny Gokey sang “September.” Earth Wind and Fire should be
proud. Danny hit a home run! But somebody needs to tell him to
shave and get some contacs.
*Adam Lambert sang “If I Can’t Have You.” His rendition gave me
chills, baby! He has yet to have a bad performance. Will he go all the
way? I say yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!
*Matt Giraud sang “Stayin’ Alive.” He did a great job singing a song
that could’ve been boring and cliche. Maybe the judges were right to
save him last week.
*Anoop Desai sang “Dim All the Lights.” Sorry to report Anoop
tanked with this Donna Summer song.
The overall winner was Donna Summer, er , I mean Adam Lambert,
hands down! I begrudgingly predict Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds will
be sent home tomorrow night.
April 20, 2009
It comes as no surprise that far right Republicans are criticizing
President Obama for reaching out to Cuba and Venezuela, calling
the overtures “weak.” I’m sorry, but no good ever came from
refusing to communicate with your so-called enemies. In fact, the
opposite is true. Silence creates mistrust. Kudos to Obama for
opening up new and fresh channels of dialogue.
Mario Lopez, the drop-dead gorgeous host of TV’s celebrity gossip
show, Extra, is coming out with a book soon, titled Mario Lopez’s
Knockout Fitness. The cover alone will be worth the price of the
hardback. It showcases his shirtless, muscular chest, which proves
the man knows fitness! In June of last year, Mario told People
magazine he gets hit on by men, but doesn't mind: "I'm very flattered
being popular in the gay community because they are a hip, cool
community. They're very cutting-edge, so they like me, and I think
that's great." Here’s a link to his official website: www.mariolopez.net
April 19, 2009
Funniest Line Ever: (An Audience with Joan Rivers on LOGO) “My
first sexual experience was a rape. Yes, it’s true! Luckily, he didn’t
press charges.”
I nearly cried when I read The New York Times piece entitled “The
Bigots’ Last Hurrah,” by columnist Frank Rich. We’ve come so far
from that iconic March day in 1969 San Francisco when I was fired
from my job at States Steamship Company for being openly gay.
Today’s Times article talks about how the inadvertently hilarious
right-wing TV ad dubbed “Gathering Storm” marks “a historic
turning point in the demise of America’s anti-gay movement.” It goes
on to note how several conservatives have recently changed their
minds about gay marriage. For instance, Dr. Laura Schlessinger,
who once portrayed homosexuality as a “biological error” and a
“gateway to pedophilia,” now views committed gay relationships as
“a beautiful thing and a healthy thing.” Read the entire column here.
Apparently, Alaska in general is a lot more progressive than its
compassion-deficient Governor, Sarah Palin. After it was brought to
light that Wayne Anthony Ross, her appointee for state Attorney
General, wrote a letter to the Bar Association Newsletter labeling
homosexuals as “immoral, perverse, and degenerate,” the Alaska
legislature voted to reject his confirmation. Talk about a slap in the
face of bigotry! Are you listening, Sarah?
April 18, 2009
Funniest Line Ever: (Graham Norton Show on BBC America) Self-
professed straight British comedian Frank Skinner says, “Pre-op
transsexuals have something for everyone. They are the Swiss Army
Knife of sexual partners.”
Judging from the previews of Sunday night’s BBC Idol-like contest,
Any Dream Will Do, the remaining contestants’ white, pasty skin
screams that they should’ve left their clothes on. It’s a shame when a
dozen or so young English men dressed in towels simply
disappoints. I was hard-pressed to find a muscle among them! Don’t
they work out over there?
April 17, 2009
I checked out the new CBS show Harper’s Island last night. It
reminded me of a teen slasher movie. Go ahead and watch it for the
multitude of good-looking guys, as long as you don’t mind
gratuitous violence and lame plots.
I finally caught the Kathy Griffin, She’ll Cut a Bitch and The A-List
Awards shows and both were laugh out loud funny. Now being
repeated almost daily on Bravo.
April 16, 2009
Long an admirer of Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign
Correspondent, I was delighted to see him on The Daily Show
promoting his book, War Journal, My Five Years in Iraq. Of particular
interest was his prediction that once the United States ends its
preoccupation of that country, the new government we’ve propped
up will fall apart. I’ve always said we can’t be on every street corner
handing out American dollars forever, the only reason the “Surge”
worked. Mr. Engel also had the courage to say that our invasion of
Iraq was a mistake from the beginning. All that insight and he’s eye
candy, too!
Those memos released by the federal government exposing the
Bush Administration’s permission for the CIA to torture terror
suspects in secret prisons around the world only tells us what we
already knew. Bush and Cheney believed the end justified the
means, no matter how heinous. In another era, that was called
Fascism. Can you say War Crimes? Kudos, by the way, to openly
gay Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, for his long
time work pushing for the release of these incriminating documents.
Funniest Line Ever: (Parks and Recreation) “Here’s a little something
I learned from Karl Rove: Design your questions so that you receive
the response you seek. For instance, ‘Would you rather have a park
or a nuclear waste storage facility?’”
April 15, 2009
Those so-called “tea parties” around the country designed to
protest taxes made me chuckle. It’s so obvious they were
orchestrated by disgruntled Republicans who lost the last election.
They were actually thinly disguised statements of disapproval for
Obama’s economic policies. Even ABC World News said most
Americans
don’t feel overtaxed. Only Fox News gave the protests any real
publicity.
One of my favorite comedians, Kathy Griffin, finally has a new special
on Bravo, Kathy Griffin, She’ll Cut a Bitch, to be followed by the A-
List Awards, which she also hosts. Unfortunately, her show is on at
the same time as American Idol. No worry, though, Bravo will repeat
both over and over again, as they always do, since her stuff is
always a ratings bonanza. After all, the former D-List actress is now a
superstar!
You’ve got to hand it to the three hundred brave Afghan women who
took to the streets to protest a new law demeaning women, which,
among other things, made it legal for husbands to rape wives. The
new law was signed by President Hamid Karzai, America’s so-called
ally in the war against terror. So much for our policies helping to
make the Middle East free . . . unless it applies to straight Islamic men
only.
I must say I don’t understand why Quentin Tarantino was the mentor
on American Idol this week. The man is known for making
nonsensical violent movies and little else. In any case, it was great to
see Jennifer Hudson as the guest artist tonight. I’ll never forget when
she was voted off prematurely the year she competed. I promptly
lost interest that season and stopped watching. Naturally, she had
the last laugh. As they say, success is the best revenge. And she’s
always credited her long-time gay fans with her achievements. That
said, I could have done without the Miley Cyrus appearance. That
smiley “actress” is in way too many places these days.
Well, I did it! For the fourth time in a row, I was right about who was
voted off—this time, Matt Giraud. To be honest, I was never fond of
his singing, so I was shocked when Simon saved his butt. I guess
we’ll have to keep looking at that forehead mole for at least another
week. Maybe if he put mascara on it and called it a beauty mark . . ..
April 14, 2009
The New York Times reports a study of former prison inmates adds
to evidence that stress plays a role in the development of heart
disease. Duh! I could’ve told them that!
Amazon.com says they have overcome their so-called GLBT glitch
and restored books with homosexual content to their search and
rank files, but authors of gay erotica in my Yahoo group,
HomoPromo, says it ain’t so. It appears to me that Amazon is now in
the business of censorship. I recommend people buy their books
from www.barnesandnoble.com. They have the same free shipping if
you spend twenty-five dollars or more. And don’t forget about www.
borders.com. They offer free shipping on orders over forty dollars.
American Idol’s top seven:
Allison Iraheta sang “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Her presentation
was disappointing and a little off.
Anoop Desai sang “Everything I Do For You.” He did a good job as
usual but the song was too bland for me.
Adam Lambert sang “Born to Be Wild.” Fantastic! He tore the house
down! What a range! What a statement!
Matt Giraud sang “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” Sorry,
but the performance was lackluster and some of the notes were flat.
Danny Gokey sang “Endless Love.” Another monotonous song.
Kris Allen sang “Falling Slowly.” Not only was it weak, I couldn’t
understand a word.
Lil Rounds sang “The Rose.” Gotta admire her for taking on a
powerful Bette Midler song but she made it her own. Bravo!
The big winner of the evening was Adam Lambert and I’m not just
saying that because he’s gay. Well, maybe a little bit! I predict Matt
Giraud will go home tomorrow night.
April 13, 2009
Funniest Line Ever: (How I Met Your Mother) Robin on banging Ted’
s handsome assistant: “You leave a big chocolate cake on my
counter, Mama’s gonna cut herself a slice!”
Another Funniest Line Ever: (Two and a Half Men) After Alan brags
about getting a self-winding Rolex, Charlie responds, “Put it on
your right arm and it will run forever!”
Good for President Obama! He just lifted restrictions on how often
Americans can visit their relatives in Cuba and how much money
they can send them. Plus he ended the communications embargo
regarding cell phones, satellite communications, and the Internet. It’s
way past time we moved out of the Cold War and into the twenty-first
century.
NBC Nightly News reports more people than ever are panning for
gold in California, although most make less than one hundred
dollars a day. But, hey, in this economy, it’s all good!
With Goldman Sachs now posting a $1.8 billion profit, could it be
Obama’s economic policies are beginning to work? You bet your
sweet bippy!
Katie Couric will receive the Walter Cronkite Excellence in Television
Political Journalism Award for her notorious 2008 Sarah Palin
interview which exposed Palin’s lack of competence. Well deserved,
I must say! In fact, that interview gave me a new respect for Katie as
a serious news anchor.
Amazon.com is currently embroiled in a fiery feud with the LGBT
community. In a special statement posted on their website,
Christopher Rice of the Lambda Literary Foundation said Amazon is
blaming the removal of gay books from their search engine on a
glitch. “Publishers Weekly reported author Mark Probst as saying,
‘Whatever the cause, titles like James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room
and Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain are among those that have
lost their sales ranking.’" I received a response from Amazon’s
Customer Complaint Department concerning an email I sent. Their
explanation: “This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging
error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection.
It has been misreported that the issue was limited to Gay & Lesbian
themed titles - in fact, it impacted 57,310 books in a number of broad
categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual
Medicine, and Erotica.” Amazon went on to say it was fixing the
problem one book at a time. One book at a time? Something smells
fishy! It sounds to me like they were (are?) trying to censor their list.
April 11, 2009
I’m ready to start a campaign to rid the world of those bulky
Skechers shoes! Because of a huge advertising budget, the damned
things are showing up everywhere. Unfortunately, they happen to be
the ugliest shoes in the universe! Repeat after me! Skechers are a
fashion fopaux!
Happily, tonight, the local NBC affiliate ran the Parks and Recreation
and Southland debuts that were preempted during the horrible
Oklahoma wildfires earlier in the week. The comedy
“mockumentory” Parks and Recreation stars Saturday Night Live
alumni Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope and she does a stellar job
keeping a straight face. Five stars! I like it even better than the Office,
which was created by the same people. The premier episode of the
new drama, Southland, was about a day patrolling the streets with
good-looking Ben McKenzie, who plays rookie cop Ben Sherman.
He can pat me down any day, anytime! You may remember him as
Ryan Atwood in The O.C. It’s amazing what a good uniform can do
for hotness!
30 Rock was hilarious, as usual, as well as topical. The keyword for
the frenzied episode was cutbacks. And, naturally, disaster!
What the hell is going on at ABC? They ran a 1956 movie, The Ten
Commandments, starring Charllton Heston and Yul Brynner, for
nearly five primetime hours tonight. Are things so bad financially
they can’t afford new shows on a premium Saturday?
Concerning the problems with the economy, I’d like to address a big
dilemma that Obama and Congress appear to be ignoring. There’s a
reason most people aren’t spending money. It’s because credit card
companies have systematically destroyed customers’ credit by
reducing their cardholder limits to the amount they’ve already
charged. This has screwed up credit scores because the numbers
are determined partly by how much available credit is not being
used. When you have no credit left it makes you look desperate. I
know this happened because they did it to me, even though I’d never
been late on my payments. The New York Times reported that these
cuts, by literally all the major credit card banks, exceeded two trillion
dollars. I’d planned to live on my credit for another year, after which I
was going to come into some money and pay them off. Because
they screwed me over, I was forced to file bankruptcy. That end
result caused a Catch 22 and the credit card companies were left
holding their just deserts. So, until the day banks reinstate credit to
their customers, people will not spend and therefore will not help
heal the economy. Why aren’t the so-called experts addressing this
predicament?
Speaking of the economy, I’m afraid things are only going to get
worse, at least for some time. I predict riots in the streets and looting
in the cities and not just in the USA. Worldwide! That’s what happens
when people starve. I hate to be so grim, but sometimes reality ain’t
pretty.
Although MTV’s new black teenage reality show (also playing on
LOGO), Taking the Stage, has been garnering warm reviews, it
irritates the hell out of me. Supposedly, only one of the stars is gay,
Malik (the dancer-choreographer), but all the guys appear to be
pretending they’re straight for the camera, when my gaydar tells me
the opposite is true! Come on! The show is about dancing and
reality. Give me a break!
April 10, 2009
It’s damned near official! American Idol’s Adam Lambert is gay as a
goose! Check out these mind-blowing photos on the ‘net: www.
emusicality.com/2009/03/adam-lambert-kissing-guy-photo.html and
http://dannation.org/2009/03/03/adam-lambert-is/ Because of his
huge talent, I don’t think it’ll make one bit of difference, as regards
his chances on American Idol. I hereby predict he’ll win this year’s
contest hands down!
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire on Comedy Central
debuted last night and I’m happy to report it was funny as hell,
although the sex jokes almost went too far, if that’s even possible. It
has nearly everything—a token black, a token gay, a token woman,
etc., all stereotyped. And the main male star (Sean Maguire) is cute
as any leading actor! The comedy channel is obviously very proud,
as they repeated the show several times, leading into the wee hours
of the morning.
April 9, 2009
I’m currently rethinking my previous decision to self-publish my
books, at least for now. I recently came across the websites of
several independent, gay-friendly presses and have started sending
out queries. I feel like a have a real shot this time around, mainly
because of all the good reviews, accolades, and awards I’ve
received over the last several years. Plus, since my recent near
death episode with walking pneumonia, I’ve developed a new self-
confidence and vigor in promoting my works. After two years of
being unable to write, I’m now experiencing a wave of energy.
During recent edits of old material, my stories have surprised even
myself. I have to say it, mainly because l’ve learned you have to toot
your own horn. I have produced some literary masterpieces over the
last nine years! Every day, I write new material and polish the old. It’s
like I’m driven. It feels like I’m channeling Tennessee Williams! How’s
that for Delusions of Grandeur (the title of a new book I’m currently
writing, by the way)?
Anybody else see Comedy Central’s Colbert Report night before
last? It was hilarious and heart-warming! Beautiful and intelligent
Queen Noor of Jordan knighted Stephen in exchange for his
signature on a “Global Zero” pledge to ban nuclear weapons within
the Colbert Nation. Bravo!
Unfortunately, coverage of numerous tragic Oklahoma fires
preempted the new network shows I wanted to cover, so I’ll get back
to you on those next week.
April 8, 2009
It was fun to see Frankie Avalon make a surprise visit on American
Idol. He sang his ancient hit “Venus” and looked great, obviously
fresh from a recent visit to the plastic surgeon. Nobody that old
could look that good without it, don’t ya know!
For the third time in a row, I was right about who got the least votes—
Scott MacIntyre. I like the guy but I’m afraid he butchered one of my
favorite ballads, twice, tonight and last night—“The Search is Over.”
The judges were correct not to “save” him. But the vision impaired
community should be proud; he has been and is a great role model!
The New Adventures of Old Christine proved to be hilarious when
Old Christine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) spread lice throughout her kid’s
school community. When she decided to put Richie in public school
to get away from the snobs, the boy got rejected when the principal
discovered she and her family members were lice “carriers.” Can
you imagine? Being rejected by a public school? And where the hell
is Wanda Sykes? This is at least the second episode in a row she
hasn’t been around. Is she going to be devoting full time to her
upcoming Saturday night talk show on Fox Broadcasting? I couldn’t
find anything about her absence on the Internet.
After Idol last night, I sacrificed watching cutie Simon Baker in CBS’s
The Mentalist to check out Fox’s Fringe, just to see what it was
about. It wasn’t worth it. The episode, about a serial killer and a weird
child who grew up alone in an isolated locked building, eating
insects, was just plain unbelievable.
April 7, 2009
Great news! Vermont now joins Iowa, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut in legalizing gay marriage! Lawmakers voted today to
override a veto by the governor and join the twenty-first century.
This makes Vermont the first state to legalize gay marriage with a
legislative vote rather than a court ruling.
“The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote — the minimum needed
— to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto. Its vote followed a much
easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican
governor with a vote of 23-5,” USA Today reported. “Yesterday,
Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve
the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide
them rights under federal and other states' laws.” Talk about
screwed up rationalization!
Here’s my take on the final eight of American Idol:
Danny Gokey sang “Stand By Me.” He hit a couple of sour notes and
the performance was basically lackluster.
Kris Allen sang “All She Wants to Do is Dance.” He still has that killer
smile! Good performance but I was a little disappointed in the lack of
intensity. Somebody needs to tell him to stop licking his lips.
Lil Rounds sang “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” Sorry, but she
couldn’t compete with Tina Turner. The singing was bland. On the
plus side, Lil never looked better. Unfortunately, the performance
may have been her death knoll.
Anoop Desai sang “True Colors.” He still has those huge brown
eyes! Anoop took Cyndi Lauper’s gay anthem and made it into an
original. Great!
Scott MacIntyre sang “The Search is Over.” Mostly, he did a good
job but those few bad notes bugged the hell out of me.
Allison Iraheta sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The flaming sixteen
year-old redhead took the theme song to my life and nailed it! But
that dress and that hair do! Sorry, they were trying too damned hard!
Matt Giraud sang “Part Time Lover.” Sizzling performance! But what
was up with that stupid hat? It looked like he was trying to be Frank
Sinatra. I guess somebody forgot to tell him it was a Stevie Wonder
song.
Adam Lambert sang “Mad World.” Ever notice how they always try
to save the best for last? Superb performance but the ending was a
little weak.
In my humble opinion, the winner of the evening was redhead
Allison Iraheta. I predict the one to leave tomorrow night will be Scott
MacIntyre.
April 6, 2009
I’m furious! Most of my favorite Monday night CBS comedies (How I
Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men, and Big
Bang Theory) were preempted by college basketball. When are the
networks going to realize the whole world is not in love with sports?
Another thing: The entire universe is not in love with Mylie Cyrus. I’m
so sick of seeing her toothy smile I could gag. The fifteen year-old
“Christian sensation” is all over the place. And does she have to
drag her has-been daddy with her everywhere?
I checked out ABC’s Surviving Suburbia. Stars Bob Saget (Full
House) and Cynthia Stevenson (Men in Trees) were good, but Dan
Cortese (Veronica’s Closet) as the hunky neighbor is the one who
got my attention. The show was funny but not hilarious.
April 5, 2009
Are you ready for Andy Schneider, the Chicken Whisperer? Dressed
in denim coveralls, the self-professed “backyard chicken” expert,
appears to be taking the country world by storm. He’s got blogs on
Twitter, My Space, the Farmers’ Almanac, Blogspot, and Grit
Magazine, plus a weekly radio show called Backyard Poultry with the
Chicken Whisperer.
In related news, MSNBC reports the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences
at the University of Trento in Italy has proven that “chickens are
smart.” In part, the study states, “To get them accustomed to the
experiment objects, the scientists reared the chicks with five yellow
toy balls, which the baby chickens accepted as members of their
own family.” How intelligent can they be if they think balls are other
baby chicks?
Considering country music’s long-standing reputation for
homophobia, I didn’t think Reba McEntire’s crack on the 44th
Academy of Country Music Awards about Elton John was funny at
all. She said something about George Strait and Elton John and then
had the audacity to say she never thought she’d use the word
“straight in a sentence with Elton John.” I turned the channel to
Desperate Housewives, a much more entertaining show, even if it
was a repeat. Last year—or was it the year before?—McEntire
trashed the Dixie Chicks, so I’ve just about had it with the cross-eyed
host.
April 4, 2009
The New York Times reports the “White House disclosed Friday in
releasing financial information about top officials, Lawrence H.
Summers, the top economic adviser to President Obama, earned
more than $5 million last year from the hedge fund D. E. Shaw and
collected $2.7 million in speaking fees from Wall Street companies
that received government bailout money.” Of course, that was before
Obama hired him. All I have to say is no wonder all these firms are
going down, paying outrageous fees in the hundreds of thousands
just to hear people give speeches. Waste such as this is systemic to
all these companies. Doesn’t anybody else get it?
As for all that talk about the audacity of First Lady Michelle Obama
touching the Queen of England by wrapping an arm around her
waist, give me a break! What is this, the Dark Ages? Anyway, it
looked to me like the Queen touched Michelle first. But does it really
matter? No!
I finally watched BBC’s Ashes to Ashes to see what all the fuss is
about. That and the fact that tonight’s episode promised a gay
theme. I found the heavy English accents entirely muffled any clue to
what was going on. Despite the captions displayed on the screen for
the purposely unlikeable DCI (?) Gene Hunt, played by portly Philip
Glenister, it wasn’t enough. They should have done that for the
entire cast. Anyway, I looked the series up on the Internet where I
found out that the main star, psychological profiler Alex Drake, well-
played by Keeley Hawes, finds herself transported back to 1981,
where she works as a crime investigator. Time travel is so yesterday!
The promos claim the show is number one, but they don’t say where
or in what way. For me, it’s the number one program I won’t be
watching again.
Teen heartthrob Zac Efron, star of the High School Musical trilogy
and the upcoming Seventeen Again, appeared on the BBC’s
Saturday night Graham Norton Show, and it turned out to be a hoot!
Zac was a good sport, which was no surprise. Not too long ago,
when told about gay rumors, he remarked, “If that’s all they can say
about me, I’m in good shape!”
The only positive news about Fox cancelling Mad TV turns out to be
the announcement of its replacement. I’m absolutely thrilled that
Wanda Sykes will be hosting a talk show in its timeslot. She’s my
very favorite gay black female comic on the planet! And yes, there
are several in existence!
April 3, 2009
People magazine reports that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is livid with
Levi Johnston, the 18-year-old father of her daughter's baby, for
appearing on The Tyra Banks Show, where he said he was pretty
sure Gov. Palin knew he and Bristol were having sex. Sarah Palin
also stated, "Bristol's focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing
her education, and advocating abstinence.” A little late, don’t you
think? And what kind of name is Tripp, anyway? I mean, what does
Bristol think this is, the sixties? Or maybe the baby's black?
I tried to watch Fox’s Dollhouse again, but gave up after ten minutes,
unable to make heads or tails of the strange show. Instead, I
watched Animal Planet’s Escape to Chimp Eden. It turned out to be
scary stuff when one of the older chimps nearly died from a bad
reaction to tranquilizers.
April 2, 2009
Well, they finally did it. The feds indicted Former Illinois Governor
“Hot Rod” Blagojevich today for corruption on sixteen felony
counts. They also nabbed his brother, two aids, and two
businessmen acquaintances. He still has his six figure book deal,
but that’ll hardly make a dent in his legal bill. I guess that’s it for
politics’ bad boy. We’ll have to wait and see if he can somehow make
money off of the sure-to-come movie!
365 Gay News on LOGO reports that over 13,000 gays have been
thrown out of the military under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. As for
changing the law, Defense Secretary Gates reported that, within the
reigning administration, “That dialogue has not really progressed
very far.” He then cited the priority of the economy, the wars, etc.
Meanwhile, gay and lesbians lives continue to be destroyed.
I finally watched the new ABC series In the Motherhood with Megan
Mullally (Will and Grace), as Rosemary. In tonight’s episode, she
wreaked havoc trying to unionize the nannies. Even though some of
the jokes were convoluted, in that they didn’t make sense, for the
most part the show was amusing and well-written. I’ll watch again!
April 1, 2009
Once again, I was right about who was going home on American
Idol—Megan. But I must say I was shocked that Anoop was next in
line. And once again I thought the judges were unnecessarily cruel. I
mean telling Megan they weren’t even going to consider saving her
before she “sang for her life” was downright mean.
Well, I tried to watch ABC’s new show Better Off Ted starring Ellen’s
beautiful wife, Portia DeRossi, but confess I had to switch back to
CBS’s I Get That a Lot just to see muscular Mario Lopez selling hot
dogs in a tight tank top. Now I can die ‘cause I’m been to Heaven!
Unfortunately, neither show was that good, I’m sorry to say.
Anybody else notice how Adam Lambert of American Idol seems to
be morphing into an Elvis Presley look-a-like? It's okay; he looks
good no matter if he wears his hair up or all over the place!
According to Rod of the always informative Rod 2.0 website, http:
//rodonline.typepad.com, Obama plans to delay the destruction of
the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law until next year at the earliest. In the
meantime, fine upstanding gays are being discharged and
humiliated at the same rate as they were under the previous
commander in chief. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.
March 31, 2009
According to Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, The Obama
Administration wants to change the name of the War on Terror to
Overseas Contingencies Operations. I suggest the Democrats don’t
play that game; it’s too reminiscent of the Bush Regime.
What a train wreck the new Fox show, Osbournes: Reloaded, was! I
haven’t seen anything that juvenile since President Bush dressed up
in a jumpsuit and declared, “Mission Accomplished.” And what the
hell was that white stuff Ozzie sprayed all over everyone at the end?
As for the premiere of Cupid, Bobby Cannavale, who played Will's
cop boyfriend on Will & Grace was good as Trevor, aka Cupid. The
show was kind of fun, but the jury in my brain is still out. Cute but
sappy.
American Idol was mostly dull but for the fantastic performances of
Anoop Desai (“Caught Up”), Chris Allen (“Ain’t No Sunshine”), and
Adam Lambert (“Play that Funky Music”). But did the judges have to
be so cruel to Lil Rounds (“I Surrender”)? They had her in tears.
Overall, the winner was—it’s a tie—Chris and Adam. The person I
predict will leave tomorrow night is Megan Joy (“Turn Your Lights
Down Low”).
March 30, 2009
Self Publishing Update: I’ve been researching POD (Publish on
Demand) companies, such as Booksurge, Lulu, and Booklocker and
am becoming increasingly confused. Some only sell your book
through Amazon.com, while the ones that list you with Ingram, the
brick bookstore distributor, are fighting with Amazon. Others set the
retail price too high. If anyone who reads this has had recent
experience with POD companies please send me an email and tell
me all about it.
God save us all from Glen Beck! Just when I was thanking my lucky
stars that the mad television commentator was no longer screaming
at us from CNN, I read in The New York Times that he now hosts the
five o’clock spot on Fox News—still spouting hysterical “truths,”
such as that America is “on the road to socialism” and that “God and
religion are under attack in the U.S.” thanks to Obama. He recently
wondered aloud whether FEMA was setting up concentration
camps, calling it a rumor that he was unable to debunk. I’m sorry, but
that’s going too far, even for the over the top right wing Fox News,
where they still claim to be “fair and balanced.”
March 29, 2009
Seeing Host Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) dressed up in drag like
Miley Cyrus on the Kids Choice Awards Saturday night made me
want to throw up . . . and that was because he looked just like her!
I joined Twitter at the urging of a writer friend/teacher, Carol Johnson
(www.caroljohnson.net), author of the epic novel, Everlasting, but I
still don’t get what the fuss is all about. I mean, there are already
plenty of ways to answer the question, “What are you doing?” I think
people just enjoy using the word “twitter” in a sentence, as if it
makes them cool. Anyway, I’m all in a twitter over it.
BBC’s Any Dream Will Do confirms my suspicions that England now
has a shortage of good-looking men who can sing. I mean, where
the hell did they come up with that many amateurs who resemble
Camilla Parker Bowles and sound like Rosanne Barr? I’m allowed to
disparage Great Britain, you know, what with my name (Whittington)
and all. I do have to admit that some of the final twelve, who get a
spot starring in the play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream
Coat, are actually kind of cute.
Good-looking, openly gay singer/actor John Barrowman, star of last
season’s hit BBC series, Torchwood, where he plays bisexual
Captain Jack Harkness, seems at first glance to contradict the above
generalization about the British until we learn he was born in
Glasgow, Scotland and grew up in Chicago. His special show on
BBC Sunday night explored the reason people are gay and it proved
to be interesting indeed. The Making of Me, John Barrowman
concluded that biological factors are most likely the reason for
sexual orientation. As for his availability, sorry, guys, but he’s been
happily married to handsome architect Scott Gill for sixteen years.
March 28, 2009
Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo, the gay channel, will be happy
to know the reality series has been picked up for a second season
and will hit the small screen again in early 2010. If you fashion
yourself to be a super diva with a penchant for too much makeup, go
to www.rupaulsdragrace.com (which will automatically reroute you
to the Drag Race page on www.logoonline.com)to find out when and
where they’ll be hosting the tryouts. The info is not yet posted, but
will be soon, according to RuPaul.
Give me a break! Tabloid reports that Octo-Mom used to be a stripper
are highly exaggerated. She did it for one night and then quit after
finding out she’d have to give lap dances. Leave the poor woman
alone! Take me, for example. I was a call boy in 1969 San Francisco
for two weeks, until I discovered I’d have to boink or be boinked by
the clients! Does that make me a whore? Well, not anymore, at least.
It’s hard to be a slut when you can’t give it away!
March 27, 2009
Funniest Line Ever: On 30 Rock (the best comedy on TV) last night.
Dennis, Liz’s ex, on why he had sex with Jenna: “We were pretty
torn up about Hurricane Katrina. What those people were doing to
the Super Bowl made me crazy.”
For the third Friday in a row, I’ve been forced to watch Friday Night
Lights because of a basket ball game on one channel and Super
Nanny, which I hate, on the other network station. I have to say,
Friday Night Lights is pretty much unbelievable, what with a coach
(Kyle Chandler) who foregoes a network interview for a romantic
hotel get-away with his wife and a quarterback (Jeremy Sumpter)
who, though cute, is small and sports no muscle whatsoever. It’s no
surprise that the kid played Peter Pan in the 2003 movie of the same
name.
Justin Timberlake debuted his new collaborative clothing line on
Oprah Friday. The mind-boggling name on the label? William Rast.
It's supposed to represent a cigarette-smoking alter ego of his. In my
mind that seems stupid, when he has star power he could harness.
Oh, well. I didn’t much care for the apparel anyway. It was mostly
dull. $158 for a pair of jeans that look like every other jean? Forget it!
March 26, 2009 again
Well, I was correct! Michael Sarver lost on American Idol. And rightly
so, the judges refused to save him. He gets to go on tour with the
Top Ten, so he still wins.
As for that duet Josh Stone had with Smokey Robinson, he rocked.
She, not so much. The raspy voiced singer needs a better coach or
something. I still say she’s a rich man’s Janis Joplin and that’s not
necessarily a good thing.
Stevie Wonder is no longer little. Did you see the size of his butt from
the back shots? He still sings like a canary, though. Great medley of
his hits!
March 26, 2009
Is anyone else sick of all those commercials touting the wonders of
products that don’t work? From penile enhancements to sonic pest
chasers. There used to be a time when false advertising wasn’t
allowed. Then under the Bush Administration it seems to have
flourished. I hope Obama prods the FDA or whoever is supposed to
be in charge. They need to put a stop to it . . . right after the economy
is fixed, of course.
I predict Michael Sarver will be the one to leave American Idol
tonight. I’ll post again after the show to discuss it.
March 25, 2009
Here’s my take on the final top ten American Idol contestants:
*Kris Allen sang “How Sweet it Is” The good-looking guy with the
killer smile nailed it!
*Matt Giraud sang “Let’s Get it On” Okay but I can’t help thinking he
looks and sounds like a poor man’s Michael Blueble.
*Scott MacIntyre sang “You Can’t Hurry Love” The curly-haired
blind guy was good but not good enough.
*Lil Rounds sang “Heatwave” I hated the dress and the vocal was
disappointing.
*Megan Joy sang “For Once in my Life” She sounded better when
she had the flu!
*Anoop Desai sang “Ooh Baby Baby” It was pure pleasure to gaze at
his exotic good looks and those huge dark eyes as he crooned with
that big voice. Loved it!
*Michael Sarver sang “Please Don’t Leave Me” The chunky singer
was lackluster. Period.
*Adam Lambert sang “Tracks of my Tears” I loved the suit and the
slicked back Elvis hair. His performance was good but there was too
much falsetto for me.
*Danny Gokey sang “Get Ready” Sorry, I didn’t care for it.
*Allison Iraheta sang “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” The red-head’s
presentation was okay but not exciting for me.
The over-all winner was Kris Allen!
What’s all the fuss about with another silly vampire movie, Twilight? I
find nothing erotic about sucking blood. It’s a tiresome subject, done
to death. Even Anne Rice stopped writing about it.
March 24, 2009
Okay, Obama, you know I love you but did you have to preempt
American Idol again? I admire your transparency but don’t you think
you’re over doing it a bit? You’re everywhere!
Because many publishers are going under or are cutting back
because of the financial meltdown, I’ve made a decision to self-
publish the five books I’ve completed. Soon, I’ll be getting a little
back pay from Social Security Disability and will then begin the
process. I have sent one more query to City Lights Publishing
regarding BEYOND NORMAL: The Birth of Gay Pride. They were
always my wanta-be publisher of choice, partly because they’re
located in San Francisco and partly because of their reputation for
printing books by quality rogue authors. Wish me luck! In any case, it’
ll probably take six months to a year to get the ball rolling on the self-
publishing thing. I’ll keep you informed.
Sorry to hear about Lance Armstrong’s breaking his right collarbone
while preparing for another entry into the Tour de France. But, man,
how many awards do you need for the same thing? Give it a rest and
let somebody else bask in the glory!
March 23, 2009
Kudos to fiery Swoosie Kurtz for her head-on portrayal of a lonely
lesbian on last week’s Desperate Housewives. She just keeps
getting better with age.
I googled myself yesterday and the results came back with this
insulting question: “Did you mean Dale Whittington?” What the hell
happened? I was supposed to be famous by now!
March 22, 2009
I’m sick and tired of hearing about AIG. I suggest the CEO do what
he should’ve done from the beginning: demand the return of the
bonuses and get this unfortunate chapter behind us.
Can somebody tell me why Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Computer, is on Dancing with the Stars? He has no rhythm and he
certainly doesn’t qualify as eye candy. What the hell were you
thinking when you dated him, Kathy Griffin? He’s not even gay . . . or
famous, really. Tell me it wasn’t because of the money. Tell me it ain’t
so, Kathy!
Just as I was preparing to watch The Honeymen Tribe on the Travel
Channel, a disclaimer came on warning the viewer about
“indigenous nudity.” Well, I’ll have you know I watched the entire
thing and never found any naked natives whatsoever. Talk about
false advertising!
March 20, 2009
Funniest Line Ever: Charo (real name: María del Rosario Pilar
Martínez Molina Baeza) on RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo channel): “Is
important to spoon because spooning leads to forking!”
Pope Benedict’s statement that condoms have made the HIV
problem worse shows how out of touch the Catholic Church is with
reality. Not only is the staid Roman religion responsible for
encouraging the spread of AIDS by way of its ignorance, their
addition to the overcrowding of the world is legendary. This is not
the time nor place to discourage birth control and/or disease
prevention.
Am I the only one who hates that Howie Does It program? It’s like a
one-joke show. I mean, how many times can you laugh when Howie
Mandel takes off his stupid wig and freaks out the mark? Boring!
Cancel the damned thing, already!
Not sure I like the “cool” new slang Randy tried to debut on
American Idol this week by calling a good performance “dope.”
Maybe if it were “dope without the side effects.”
March 18, 2009
Enough with those stupid “Snuggies.” They are all over the place,
from talk show audiences (Oprah, Jimmy Fallon, Ellen, etc.) to car
dealership ads. Maybe they were funny at first, but now they’re just
plain lame.
I almost laughed when the CEO of AIG told Congress he asked
employees who received bonuses to please return half. The man is
daft if he thinks we are going to let any of them keep even one dollar
of those bloody bonuses!
I love that new Taco Bell commercial where a guy in drag sneaks
nachos into a football game under maternity clothes. Hilarious!
What the hell happened to the New Adventures of Old Christine
Wednesday night? There was no Wanda Sykes and no mention of
why not. The show is not nearly as funny without her.
American Idol ended badly Wednesday night. After the judges told
Alexis, who sang “Joline,” they were thinking about saving her, they
shot her down. How cruel! But I guess I’ll keep watching as long as
Kris, Lil, and Adam remain contenders for the big prize.
March 15, 2009
I tried writing erotica but there’s not much market for sixty-second
stories.
That $165 million in bonuses AIG says it’s “contractually bound” to
give its executives is bullshit! So is Obama’s statement that nothing
can be done to prevent it. I suggest the Administration put a
retroactive stop payment on the check the government wrote to AIG
for $170 billion. The whole world should demand an immediate
reversal of this outrageous and unacceptable decision. Unbelievable!
Is it just me or is Dancing With the Stars boring this season? The
only guy worth watching is Gilles Marini, that Frenchman who looks
like the epitome of the Latin lover, even though he’s not Hispanic. He’
s hot!
American Idol is another story. Lil and Adam’s voices really excite
me, as do a couple of others. Lots of great soul in the lineup this year!
Looks like I’m finally going to get Social Security disability. The
amount is more than I expected, but is still not enough to live on.
Guess I’ll have to give up my dream of having plastic surgery to look
like Nadya Suleman, Octo-Mom!
Would somebody tell still clueless Dick Cheney to shut up? He told
CNN Obama has made America less safe. I think we all know Cheney
and the Bush Administration were responsible for making America
hated the world over. And that certainly does not improve America’s
security, does it? Why the hell isn’t the Fascist minded Cheney in
prison for war crimes anyway?
February 23, 2009
Just a quick head's up to tell you I almost died recently. I had
walking pneumonia and was hospitalized for five days. I guess crap
like that happens when you get old. On February 6, I turned 61. I'm
feeling better now and am beginning to write again.
How about those Oscars last night? I loved Sean Penn's speech
when he won Best Actor for Milk. He talked about how those who
voted for California's Proposition Eight (outlawing gay marriage)
were "shameful" and how he believed that because of our new
"eloquent" President, we will soon have equal rights for everyone,
from the federal level on down. I nearly cried!
The host, Hugh Jackman, was great. Who knew he could sing and
dance?
December 20, 2008
Hooray for Illinois Governor “Hot Rod” Blagojevich vowing to fight
to the end! I loved it! I fully expected him to break out singing that
Dream Girls Jennifer Hudson anthem, “And I’m telling you, I’m not
going . . .”
I think the evidence the prosecutors have is sparse and shoddy,
probably taken out of context. It looks to me like a Republican thing,
if you get my drift.
December 8, 2008
Since Obama is for change, let’s hope he changes his mind about
gay marriage. I’m very impressed by his efforts to prepare for the
office. He delved right in even though he’s not yet in power. Most
people would’ve taken a vacation.
I’m so gay, my pubes have highlights!
I wonder what size shoe Obama wears, if you know what I mean!
September 20, 2008
Hey, Everybody, I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaack, again! I’ve had more
comebacks than Cher! Anyway, I hope to talk more about politics
this time around, like I used to. Politicians are a lot more interesting
than other celebrities. Probably because they are more important to
the world spectrum.
I must say I’m still for Obama, but a little bit disappointed by a couple
of things. One is his eagerness to send additional troops into
Afghanistan. The other is how much of a master politician he actually
has become. But I keep telling myself that once he’s elected he’ll do
all the right things.
As far as the economy goes, my finances have been in the dumpster
for several years now, but what’s going on now scares even me.
Especially after I figured out that the 700 billion Congress is going to
approve will be a green light to the Administration (I use the term
loosely) to simply print more money. Once upon a time, our economy
was based on gold. No more. Now it’s simply based upon paper and
ink. And that’s the most frightening thing of all. I predict a depression
ten times worse the original Depression in the thirties.
I’m still looking for publishers for my works. My deal for BEYOND
NORMAL: The Birth of Gay Pride fell through with Haworth Books,
after Vern Bullough (author of Before Stonewall), the editor they
assigned me, suddenly died. Although he turned my manuscript in
just before he passed, the Haworth Book company was sold in three
sections. The new owners of the GLBT division decided to stay with
text-book type manuscripts and since mine was written like a novel,
they declined to pursue my book. When that happened, I was thrown
for a loop and have been unable to write for two years now. I think I’
m ready to get back into it. Wish me luck!
July 9, 2008
Funniest Joke Ever: Al Roker on Celebrity Family Feud last night
(Tuesday): “He was only a gardener, but he knew how to plant his
tulips!”
June 1, 2008
I’ve been busy posting so many flower photos on my other website
that I keep forgetting to update this page. Check out the latest pics
here.
Poor David Archuleta; he lost by one. Maybe it’s for the best. He’s
awfully young to be a superstar. But he can still make it big, if that’s
truly what he wants and not just what his father wants.
My flowers are not blooming as heavily now, so I’ll have more time to
post here. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot more blossoms to
come, in their own time. Like Daylilies, Oriental Lilies, altheas, and
more!
May 7, 2008
David Archuleta came through with both of his songs, so I’m rooting
for him to go all the way. Go get ‘em, David!
continued on page 5 return to page 1 2 3
| ....................SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SAY IT! Blog archives 4 By Gale Chester Whittington |
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| "What's next? The discovery that Bush is really Osama Bin Laden after plastic surgery? Finally, what Bush has done to our beloved country would make sense." --Blog Archives 7 |
Gale Chester Whittington,Gay Author
Blog!
Rant4!
Dream often,
for life
without hope
drunk
without a
beer.
for life
without hope
drunk
without a
beer.
Rant!
| "I came out of Daylight Donuts to see gas at $2.49 a gallon all over town. The thought of what this rip-off is going to do to the economy scared the Daylights out of me!" (8-16-05) Blog Archives 7 |
| Rumor on a Queer Ledger Humor with a Gay Edger A Legend in my Own Grime ==Copyright 2004-2009== (Comments are welcome: Contact Gale here) |
SOOTH YOUR SOUL! Exquisite Photos with helpful tips on flowers, aquariums, guppies, & ponds. FreeFishCareTips.c om |
| FreeFishCareTips.com |
| To understand the quality of my writing, you should know my idols are Tennessee Williams, William Goldman, and Marc Cherry. |
Adam Lambert gay kiss photo
| Photo of the greatest United States President ever, Barack Obama |
| Chief Foreign Correspondent and author of War Journal, My Five Years in Iraq |
| SOOTH YOUR SOUL |
