The Malcontent

When All Else Fails, Blackmail

What else can be made of Mike Rogers' clumsy, pseudo Bond villain threat to a sitting U.S. Senator over Justice Alito's confirmation vote?

Mr. Senator:

Tomorrow you will be faced with a vote that may have the longest aftereffects of any other you have cast in your Senate career.

Tomorrow you will decide if your political position is worth more than doing what is right for others like you. For others like you, Mr. Senator, who engage in oral sex with other men. (Although, Mr. Senator, most of us don't do in the bathrooms of Union Station!) Your fake marriage, by the way, will NOT protect you from the truth being told on this blog.

How does this blog decide who to report on? It's simple. We report on hypocrites. In this case, hypocrites who vote against the gay and lesbian community while engaging in gay sex themselves*.

When you cast that vote, Mr. Senator, represent your own...it's the least you could do.

Michael Rogers
blogACTIVE.com

*While votes on many matters are considered, votes "FOR" either the Alito nomination and the Federal Marriage Amendment are enough to qualify legislators for reporting on this site.

As noted by Mal and myself, Samuel Alito has a mixed record on gay rights. There is no substantial, objective basis for gay rights groups and others to charge Justice Alito with homophobia or any other anti-gay attitudes. Instead, they must resort to cherry-picking cases in order to provide cover for their blatant Democratic partisanship.

In one fell swoop, Mike Rogers' has unmasked himself as truly unconcerned with gay rights as much as he wishes all to adhere to one partisan ideology, or else they must be destroyed. As this man reached unhinged some time ago, I'm at something of a loss in providing him with a new adjective to describe the level of delusion and crazy involved in trying to blackmail a U.S. Senator.

Perhaps starting a list of medications as suggestions wouldn't be out of place.

h/t Ace (because I sure as shit don't read over there)

Riddle Me This

By now you've no doubt seen the news about the Oscar nominations, including the eight nods for "Brokeback Mountain," on one of our many sister sites.  It is indeed an impressive haul for the pokin' cowpokes.

But I was struck by one oversight: How can the winner of the Golden Globe for "Best Original Song" not even merit an Oscar nomination?

Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin's gorgeous "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," hauntingly sung by Emmylou Harris, moved me more than any other movie song I heard last year.  And I hate country music.

Sure, maybe it wasn't everybody's cup of tea.  But how is it, then, that the Academy was able to find only the minimum three nominees for "Best Song" instead of the usual five?  Did they hear something that I didn't?

By Popular Demand (and a Plea) ...

"I'm a little teapot ..."

Apparently some of y'all are just a wee bit obsessed with this whole "Brokeback Mountain" thing.

The requests have been pouring in for more, more, more of anything that is even remotely Brokeback-related.

On Friday we posted highlights of Oprah's interview with the cast.  But you wanted the whole thing, and here it is:

[Watch video – 24:52, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 24:52, WMV format, low bandwidth]

The picture accompanying this post, of course, comes not from that interview, but from Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards.  As I mentioned yesterday, I kind of lost interest in pulling any SAG Awards clips when I found out that "Brokeback" had been shut out.

Ah, but some of you were interested even in the brief glimpse we got of Jake and Heath presenting BBM's nomination for "Outstanding Movie Cast."  You say jump, MalcoVision asks, "How high?"

But what was it with those two?  Were they nervous?  Hopped up on something?  I thought Heath especially was inappropriately giddy, even giggling through Jake's scripted comments about "tragedy."  And with that bizarre pose he had struck, I expected him to show us his, uh, "spout."

[Watch video – 2:02, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 2:02, WMV format, low bandwidth]

PLEASE READ THIS:

You probably wouldn't notice this if I didn't tell you, but the discerning eye will discover that the largest of the four clips linked above is hosted on a different server than the others.  That is because, as I have been warning for a while now, I have completely tapped out MalcoVision's ISP.  There should be enough bandwidth for the clips that are already there, but I have exhausted our storage space and had to scramble to find another alternative.

That, of course, meant another substantial investment in this site.

I can't think of another blog (at least one that is run part-time, and as a hobby) that requires the kind of investment in hardware, software and server space that The Malcontent has made.  We do it because we enjoy it, and because we want to provide a sort of virtual "hearth" for the gay community and our allies.

It is still my intent never to put a "tip jar" on this site.  But I do want The Malcontent to continue as a worthwhile home to the advertisers who help defray some of our costs.

So PLEASE, if you enjoy this site at all, and especially if you are a regular reader, make a mental note to click on our advertisers' ads on a regular basis.  If you keep them happy, they'll keep us happy, and the bandwidth spigots will continue to flow.

And while I have your attention, why not show them some love right now?:

The New School Bachelor's Program: "Design your own path of study, choosing from a wide range of courses, and building on all the important things you've achieved so far. "

David Rich Fitness Naked.com: "Imagine having two of the hottest DNA and Playgirl cover models teach you their secrets to developing a body that looks great naked."

Jeff Cook for Congress: "Put your voice in Congress."  And consider sending a little scratch his way too.

Fat Old Jewish Guy Who Lives In The Projects: "He's entertaining and angering at times too. 200+ visitors a day can't be wrong, right?"

And last, but most certainly not least, Gay.com: "Find a Valentine's date and SAVE over 50% when you subscribe to Gay.com Premium Personals. Meet hot guys online. Millions of active members."

This concludes the Public Service Announcement.

Alito To Be Confirmed

Since I suffered through all the senatorial huffpuffery, I may as well note it. Cloture on Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination just passed 72-25. The filibuster attempt wasn't even close. Alito will be confirmed tomorrow morning around 11 AM EST.

That howling you hear just over the horizon is every moonbat and left-wing interest group revving up to tear their own political party apart. That is what will be a little strange about this. Now that the filibuster has failed (and hard), it is the Democrats who have much to fear from their base. Go figure, eh?

I'm a little disappointed in Hillary as well. Normally she chooses her issues with great care in regards to positioning herself in the center. Certainly, by supporting the filibuster, she had some reason to believe the vote would be remotely close. Major uncharacteristic misstep here. Unless, of course, she has begun to fear her chances in the primaries.

The Malcontent's "Survivor 12 Gaydar Challenge"

With the premiere of "Survivor: Panama – Exile Island" just days away (Feb. 2), it's time once again to pull out the ol' Survivor Gaydar™.  Because we know there is always at least one.

Armed with only the castaways' photos, biographies and my Google toolbar, I was pretty successful in my prognostications last time, having "nailed" Rafe, so to speak, before the first episode even aired.  As for Brian, I think he still just doesn't quite know it yet.

So without any further ado, your guide to what is (potentially) gay about the men of "Survivor 12":

NAME: Aras Baskauskas WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: This Lithuanian cutie, who played professional hoops for a time, has come down with a slight touch of Gayface.  His condition is serious but isn't necessarily considered to be heterosexuality-threatening. "Currently single."  Opened a "donation-based yoga studio" in South Africa. "In 2003, he was named one of UC Irvine's 'Most Eligible Bachelors' in the student newspaper."  Do they mean "eligible" in a George Clooney kind of way? Has dabbled in the faux-hawk.  Cites favorite actors (John Cusack, Dustin Hoffman), but no actresses. Favorite scent: "Lavender." Favorite fruit: Banana.

NAME: Austin Carty WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: Austin is my No. 1 seed in the Survivor Gaydar Challenge. Pretty boy.  Model and actor.  Educated in "speech communications," a field dominated by the 'mos.  Has worked in retail, is currently "single" and has a beauty-pageant sister.  Attended that hotbed of man-love, Liberty University.  Also has a bit o' the Gayface. Austin is also a (self-)published author, having written "Somewhere Beyond Here" (available for $13.59 at Amazon.com).  It is described as the story of a young man who "transforms into a young boy whose only ability is to depend on the one lady who'll always be there for him: his mother. ... Forgetting his faith, his friends, and his fiancee, Gray lets go of it all to spend time and grieve with his mother. " As one reader said of Austin, "I think the author may in turn suffer from an Oedipus complex."  And, of course, an Oedipal complex is just a short ferry ride from Moville. Favorite colors: Blue, green.  I sense a pattern here. The clincher for the numerologist in me, of course, is that Austin's birthdate is April 29, or 4/29.

NAME: Bobby Mason WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: He's not.  And judging from his life in South Central and all the tats he is sporting, he might just kick my ass even for suggesting otherwise.  (Did I say "tats"?  Hmm, wait a minute ...)

NAME: Bruce Kanegai WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: Has the gayest name in the bunch, in the absence of a Scott, a Brian or an Amanda Lepore. Knows how to handle a snake. But he has a fifth-degree black belt in karate.  Could also probably wipe the floor with me.  Hassan Chop!

NAME: Dan Barry WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: Is a scientist, a profession not known for its ability to attract dates, but is also a former NASA astronaut, making him a virtual pussy magnet.  Was on the first mission to dock with the International Space Station, as hetero-coital a metaphor as there is. However, Dan enjoys a good showtune and has spent time in "Woods Hole." Is from the state of gay marriage, Massachusetts, but has been in a straight marriage for 24 years. Favorite alcoholic drink: Frozen strawberry margarita.

NAME: Nick Stanbury WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: Because we really, really want him to be. "Currently single."  Enjoys "Nip/Tuck."  Actually believes Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen to be "actresses." Grew up in Riverton, Wyo., the same town that Ennis and Alma moved to (and just down the road from where I grew up).  I'm thinking that whole state might be something of a queerifying vortex. Probably the most enigmatic castaway, nothing unrelated to "Survivor" shows up on Google for Nick.

NAME: Shane Powers WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: Excessively butch moniker recalls Homer Simpson's ham-handed name change.  Uncanny resemblance to Kenny Loggins makes us even gayer just looking at him. Favorite color: "Scarlet."  Not red.  "Scarlet." Favorite flower: "Lavender." In an act of over-compensation, claims one of his favorite scents to be "girls that get the perfume right." In an act of extreme over-compensation, has fathered a son.

NAME: Terry Deitz WHY HE MIGHT BE GAY: That shirt.

Playing for the Other Team

I had been hoping to bring you at least one Brokeback Mountain-related acceptance speech from last night's Screen Actors Guild Awards, but the film fared much more poorly than it had at the Golden Globes, getting shut out in the four categories in which it was nominated.

This still leaves Heath with wins only from the Las Vegas and Phoenix Film Critic Societies.  The movie's next major test will come with tomorrow's announcement of Oscar nominations.

The good news today is that, in lieu of that, I give you Tom Brady naked!

The bad news is, it's a cartoon Tom Brady.

The smokin'-hot, star NFL quarterback lent his voice talents to an episode of Fox's "Family Guy" in which the corpulent Peter Griffin somehow gets a spot on the New England Patriots' roster.

But more importantly, after a long hetero-trending streak, it gave us two more "Stewie is gay" references.

[Watch video – 1:41, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 1:41, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Dear God, Let It Be So

Cindy Sheehan said she is considering running for the U.S. Senate against Dianne Feinstein, not exactly a John Birch Society member herself.

Sheehan made her announcement in the country run by Hugo Chavez, the America-hating, self-styled "second Fidel Castro of Latin America."

I am not making this up.

I'm Going In!

I've had this on my desk since Christmas and haven't had a chance to get around to it. However, I've an entire Sunday I feel like destroying pointlessly, so it's getting installed.

Besides, where else can I live out my right-wing, crypto-fascist fantasies by spreading Christianity mercilessly and bringing the world of Islam to heel? I'd like all my favorite commenters to rest assured that I shall bring all cultures and civilizations not to my personal taste to the brink of extinction because my American Lighthouse of Alexandria will be uber in a way only ancient American wonders of the world can be.

For now, the Hanging Gardens of Detroit await. See you in about two months.

But What Does He Think of Sam "Alito"?

Writing on DailyKos.com, or what James Taranto brilliantly describes as "the Mos Eisley of the Angry Left," John Kerry said:

"Do I support a filibuster? The answer is yes.  Yesterday Senator Kennedy and I spoke with our colleagues about it. I don't have a shred of doubt in my opposition to Sam Alto's nomination."

Who is this "Sam Alto," and is he somehow related to Tony Soprano?

Quote(s) of the Evening

"Rarely is the question asked, 'Is our children learning'?"

— George W. Bush, March 29, 2001

"Everyone knows there is not enough votes to support a filibuster."

— Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Jan. 27, 2006

Frankly François

It's always nice to drift into a weekend with a little eye candy, and there are plenty of pieces scattered about Steph & Alek's interview with candyman photographer François Rousseau.

Rousseau says he finds many of his subjects in everyday settings, so pump up, guys: He could be coming to a gym near you!

Some of his more provocative pieces mix the erotic and the ecclesiastical.  Hmm, kind of sounds like The Malcontent!

Check it out ...

Didn't They Already Do This in 1996?

Oh, that's right.  They wanted something more bigoted-er than DOMA.

Fuschia Alert!

Earlier this week, Josh pondered whether he was "gay enough."

One would think all he would have to do to get the answer is to look at whom he was snogging.  Nevertheless, thanks to modern technology, I now have definitive proof of my own gayness level:

I'm sure I would have scored even higher, were it not for that pesky language barrier.

[HT: Whiskey Wednesday]

Oprah Goes Brokeback (UPDATED AGAIN)

Living in Chicago, it goes without saying that Oprah is our queen. When not berating authors who've duped her highness, she's also airing her show in my hometown long before it reaches the rest of the country.

As a result, we get to bring to you something of a MalcoVision exclusive. This morning, the stars of Brokeback Mountain graced the most famous couch in America to discuss the movie, making the sex scenes, gay marriage, stereotypes, and working through homophobia.

See what Jake Gyllenhaal did the night before getting naked with Heath, and what Heath had to offer.

Video clips deleted at demand of Jeffrey Friedman, attorney for Oprah Winfrey

---

UPDATE:

In the show's second half, Oprah brought out Tyler Perry and his alter ego, Madea Simmons, to promote the upcoming movie "Madea's Family Reunion," which is scheduled for release on Feb. 24.

Video clips deleted at demand of Jeffrey Friedman, attorney for Oprah Winfrey

Much more on Tyler/Madea at Rod 2.0 ...

Do Me a Favor

Vote for Rod.

Pounded Like Clay

If you hadn't already heard about the former "American Idol" star from your friends who've been anywhere near a chatroom in the last couple of years, the gossip sheets are spilling the beans on "Gayken":

"CLAYMANIACS" are out for blood now that a former Green Beret has gone public with his claim that he had a gay sex romp with "American Idol" superstar Clay Aiken.

Alleged Aiken love toy John Paulus has been deluged with death threats from the singer's fervent fans ever since his name was leaked onto the Internet as the man who was blabbing to the National Enquirer that he had sex with their beloved "Idol," who's repeatedly denied being gay. The story is in the Enquirer issue out today nationwide.

Quote Asshole of the Day

"You look at the social impact of the countries that have engaged in homosexual marriage.  You'll know 'em by their fruits."

— Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), in a Rolling Stone profile

Cuomo Stonewalls Dem Club

The Stonewall Democrats of New York City have asked Andrew Cuomo, son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to answer charges that he was involved in the distribution of anti-gay signs in his father's first gubernatorial campaign.

Signs reading "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo" surfaced during Mario Cuomo's 1982 primary battle against Mayor Ed Koch.  The younger Cuomo, who is running for New York attorney general, appeared to duck questions about his involvement in the episode during a candidates' forum.

Some in the audience were even left with the impression that Cuomo was questioning whether the signs had existed at all.

[Newsday: "A discord from Cuomo's past resurfaces"]

When Ursines Attack

We plan to post Oprah's interview with the cast of "Brokeback Mountain" after it airs today in New York.  (I think an Oprah interview warrants a reassessment of my BBM fatigue.) 

UPDATE: I forgot that Robbie was my Chicago "ace in the hole."  (Duh.)  He lives in a market where Oprah airs live at 9 a.m. CST, so we should have the clip up long befoer it airs in New York.

But in the meantime, here's a gem I picked up last night.

"Nick at Night" has been running one of the funniest and most random promos I have seen in a long time, for its reruns of the ABC show "Full House."

[Watch video – 0:34, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 0:34, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Norah, Norah, PR Scorer

Norah Vincent is getting the kind of publicity normally reserved for people like William Ginsburg.  (Remember him?)

Last night she was on "The Colbert Report" and CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" hawking her book, "Self-Made Man."  And tonight she will be on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

[Watch video – 9:05, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 9:05, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Andraé 3000 Faces

If there's one thing on "Project Runway" more reliable than the crying jags, it is the fact that the producers love, love, love to cut away to Andraé Gonzalo's reaction shots.  Andraé is constantly mugging for the camera, reacting with astonishment even to banal announcements such as "I bought you some Splenda" as if he had just hit the Powerball.

His designs have been pretty strong, especially last night's "dirty-gutter dress," which I thought should have won.  But if Andraé's fashion aspirations are dashed, he could be the next Buster Keaton.  He pulled the following faces on last night's episode alone:

And my personal favorite, this shot taken after Zulema announced a "walk-off" to select her new model:

Andraé wasn't reacting to the walk-off.  He was actually unhinging his jaw in preparation for feeding time:

Ozone > People

This reminds me of that Michael Crichton article on how radical environmentalists were more concerned with bald eagle eggs than human beings. When people thought eaglets were at risk from DDT, such a storm and thunder was unleashed upon the world that we saw the light and banned the substance as quickly as possible.

And probably killed tens of millions of women, children, and elderly along the way. So, we should feel extra-special. We're a globally thinking people. That'll learn those third worlders to threaten our eagles! It almost reads like a Colbert Report sketch.

Anyway:

Millions of Americans, particularly children, suffer from some type of asthma. For close to 3 million, over-the-counter asthma inhalers, like Prmatene Mist, help them to breathe a little easier. But an advisory panel to the FDA doesn't really care and has voted to essentially ban OTC inhalers.

Most people would assume this was because some health concern. The inhalers were causing cancer or something of the sort. No, they continue to improve the lives of millions of people helping them to alleviate symptoms of asthma, but they might possibly hurt the ozone.

I never thought I'd say this, but just what is the hold up on President Bush packing the FDA with a bunch of Bible-thumpers?

Let me relate a personal story. I was with an ex who is asthmatic. It was one of those post-coital 5 AM mornings, him lightly dozing, me sitting at the window, studying a gray sky. While still sleeping, his lungs suddenly closed on him. Still unconscious, he began writhing on the bed, grasping, clawing, flailing about desperately for the slightest sliver of air. It was quite honestly the most frightening five minutes of my life. Had he not had his OTC inhaler nearby, I don't want to think about what might've happened.

Dear FDA - Go fuck yourself and the radical environmentalists you rode in on.

h/t Ace

Always Low Intelligence. Always.

Proof that stupidity knows no partisan divide.

Eighteen months after the Chicago City Council torpedoed a South Side Wal-Mart, 24,500 Chicagoans applied for 325 jobs at a Wal-Mart opening Friday in south suburban Evergreen Park, one block outside the city limits. Of 25,000 job applicants, all but 500 listed Chicago addresses, said John Bisio, regional manager of public affairs for Wal-Mart. "In our typical hiring process, you're pretty successful if you have 3,000 applicants," he said. "They were really crowing about 11,000 in Oakland, Calif., last year. So to get 25,000-plus applications and counting, I think is astonishing."

Allow me to translate for the corporate spokesman. "Look at all the unemployed people! Woo hoo!"

Don't worry, though. A reliably lefty city council that is reflexively against all things Wal-Mart managed to mangle the whole affair.

"I always tell people I'm not for Wal-Mart, but I am for that project coming into the city and to my ward. We can't beat them," said Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. (21st). "The same things they talk about Wal-Mart doing to Small Town U.S.A when they build on the outskirts of town is the same thing they have done to the City of Chicago without fanfare. Nobody distinguishes that if I cross Western Avenue at 95th Street, I am no longer in Chicago. For all practical purposes, Wal-Mart is in the city of Chicago without us receiving any benefit. You're going to see the parking lot filled with cars with Chicago city stickers."

Say what you will of Wal-Mart (and if you must, targeting that assclown of a spokesman would be an excellent start), but it does have a way of reinvigorating run down areas within cities. It may not be ideal, but it's revenue, and it's a start. Instead, the people who needed it most (city folk vs. suburbanites who are doing just fine) were shafted once again because the politicians made the cardinal error of signing onto the national zeitgeist (against Wal-Mart) rather than adhering to the best interests of their actual constituents.

One last bit of bonus stupidity:

"We will monitor the situation and see if additional lanes or turning lanes are appropriate," Sexton said.

Evergreen Park (which has neither evergreens nor parks) is not an open suburb. It's closed, clustered, claustrophobic. They just planted a giganto store in the middle of their town. Think they might possibly need additional turning lanes? Hey, let's take a wait and see approach. They'll know the time is right in, oh, three months when the residents form a tactical death squad and attack city hall in a frenzied lust for aldermanic blood.

And, I'm all about parentheticals today for some reason.

What Do You Say When Your Ideas Lose Elections Even in Canada?

"You're ugly!"  (Memo to Joe: The kettle is on line 2.)

Josh Asks:

What is "gay enough"?

On the Getting of Frank

Bizarre Guevara-like imagery accompanies fawning film

One is hard-pressed to think of a better defender of Bill Clinton during the 1998 impeachment proceedings than Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)  Whether in his countless TV interviews or his dogged defense of the President on the House Judiciary Committee, Frank flexed his formidable intellect and talent before the American people.

Of course, Frank was also ideally suited to run interference because he, like Clinton, had previously been involved in a sex scandal of his own making, which nearly resulted in the end of his political career.

And thus unfolds the tale upon which rookie director Bart Everly hangs his 2003 film "Let's Get Frank," a documentary that is now airing on Logo.

Everly uses the 1998 committee hearings that ultimately resulted in articles of impeachment against Clinton as a dramatic device to frame his portrait of Frank.  But it is a portrait that both supporters and detractors of the congressman will probably find lacking in many ways.

Bow Down, Paula

In the immortal words of Roseanne Barr, "I want to see freaks. Freaks! All the god damned time. I want to feel good about myself."

American Idol producers have certainly latched onto that aspect of viewers' sensibilities and not so subtly shifted the rougher patches in the garden of humanity from accidental amusement to center stage, replete with theme songs, rhinestone graphics, and extended tours into the psychological hell of delusional contestants.

Last night, Ryan Seacrest mustered fanfare normally reserved for a twink in a WeHo bar for the coming of Rhonetta Johnson - singer, dancer, psychic friend, and fashionista. Part grotesque, part parody, there is little denying the strange sort of fascination that sets in as she skips onto the stage in glittering silver boots, unloads in a raunchy, extended rant, and finally wanders off into traffic in the most hilarious ending to an AI segment in a long time.

Not to be denied, however, is Simon's best birthday gift ever and the most dissonant constellation of images to go along with "It's Raining Men" in gay history.

[Watch video – 11:55, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 11:55, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Cowboys Ridin' Angry Beef

Last night, the Daily Show tackled one man's lament over Brokeback Mountain's effect on the modern cowboy.

Chaps, boots, cowboy hats, tight jeans, spurs, bucking, riding - can traditional cowboy culture withstand an organized homosexual assault via gay rodeo?

Dan Bakkedahl investigates.

[Watch video – 4:46, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 4:46, WMV format, low bandwidth]

"Daniel" Is Traveling Tonight

Reader Miosha points me to Totally Joshness's post about the cancellation of NBC's "Book of Daniel."

Having aired only three times, "Daniel" didn't get much of a chance to register on the MalcoVision radar, despite having a queer character and writer and the publicity tidal wave generated by its subject matter.

To be honest, "Daniel's" ho-hum viewer reaction (ratings have fallen nearly 31 percent since its premiere) and assessments by critics I normally respect (Tom Shales: "There ought to be a worse punishment than cancellation for a show that tries this hard to be offensive and, even at that crass task, manages to fail") didn't exactly send me rushing to the DVR.  The ratings free-fall had the show drawing only slightly more than my beloved, and putatively canceled, "Arrested Development" has in its current season on almost-network Fox.

AFA, which takes credit for the sunrise, is naturally declaring victory.  But until I see evidence to the contrary, I am inclined to believe NBC when it says this was motivated not by wing-nut pressure and instead by a lack of viewers for a show on a network that desperately needs a prime-time overhaul.

Giant Sucking Sound

Gays in America had about $500 billion in spending power in 2004, if you take the oft-cited 1999 figure of $450 billion and adjust it for inflation.  That is more than the purchasing power of all but the 25 wealthiest nations in the world.  (Some have alleged it to be much higher.  But if you assume that a conservative 5 percent of Americans – or 15 million – are gay, then $500 billion would give you a per capita income of about $33,000.  So I certainly don't think that figure is too high.)

So how much did opponents of anti-gay-marriage ballot propositions spend to defeat them that year?  $6.5 million.  $6.5 million.  That is a paltry 1.3 percent of our income.  And less than half of that ($3 million) came from the same gay-rights groups whose job it is to run interference for us on issues like this.

"Our" side was nearly even in financial terms with the "black hats," which raised $6.8 million.  Yet 13 state bans on gay marriage were passed in 2004 by a 3-to-1 margin.

Now, I don't know what the total revenues or advocacy budgets of the umpteen-thousand gay-rights groups are, but they have set up the debate over gay marriage as the great civil rights test of the GLBT movement, and all they could scrape together among them was $3 million?

Gloria Steinem, with whom I probably disagree on nearly everything, got at least one thing right when she said: "We can tell our values by looking at our checkbook stubs."

So what does this say about our values?  That we would rather spend our money on a night at the clubs, saunas or on drugs than we would on politics?  And what does it say about the GLBT organizations' rights?  Where is their money going, anyway?  "Gala dinners" to pat ourselves on the back and then raise more funds that we will squander?

Clearly, we need to spend more, or at least spend smarter.

(More at Boozhy ...)

Less Than Zero

What do you think of when you see the letters "CW"?  Conventional wisdom?  Country and Western?  Chemical warfare?  Well, now it stands for CWality!

That's because CBS is shuttering the WB and UPN netlets, and will reopen them as the "CW" Television Network.

I think I can honestly say I've never stopped on the WB network for longer than the time it takes my finger to frantically click to the next channel over, and UPN is close behind it in the battle for my viewing affection.  Thankfully, CW is now my one-stop shopping destination, making it even easier for me to ignore their programming.

Show With Many, Many Gays Homophobic?

There's a new poll on the right sidebar.  I'm curious what everyone makes of the kerfuffle GLAAD kicked up over remarks Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson made last week on "American Idol."  Do you think what they said was homophobic?  (The main comments cited involve telling one contestant to shave his beard and "wear a dress," while another male contestant of severely ambiguous gender was asked if he was a girl.)

We posted a little video on this here.

Meet Canada's New Boss, Same As the Old Boss?

Employing a tactic that worked so well for John Kerry, Paul Martin decided to run against George Bush, and he lost.

While some are raising concerns about how gays will fare under Canada's new Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, Reuters feels otherwise, seeing "little chance he will bow to demands from some in his party to clamp down on gay marriage and abortion."

Meanwhile, the Bloc Quebecois, which has an openly gay party leader, lost a net two seats in Quebec.

Quote of the Day