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March 31, 2006

McKinney's Basic Instinct

Malbug_13As I write this, Cynthia McKinney and her fellow race hustlers are pleading the notoriously anti-Semitic congresswoman's case in her cop-smacking incident at a news conference before a hallelujah chorus at Howard University.  The case being, naturally, that the cop she physically assaulted was racist (and a far cry from her much more conciliatory "official" statement).

I'll leave my personal feelings about the congresswoman aside for the moment, or the cast of characters backing her up that included the America-hating Harry Belafonte, but I was struck by at least one thing:

Two rationales were provided for McKinney's behavior.  First, that the Capitol Police should be better trained to know who the Members of Congress are because it has a bearing on their safety.  (I'd add that a 10-year political veteran of D.C. like myself also can no longer recognize her after she ditched her trademark braids for a radically different 'do.)  I have also personally witnessed something similar happen to a white senator.

And second, Team McKinney is alleging that the police officer knew who she was and was harassing her merely because of her race.

Now, if you're going to mount a defense in advance of what is reportedly her potential arrest, shouldn't you at least be sure that the two reasons you give aren't directly contradictory?

For the Love of God, Please Hide Your Freak Flag

Jack Malbug_13"WILL & GRACE" SPOILER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS:

Those of you who are upset that you didn't get to see Britney Spears last night on "Will & Grace" weren't missing much, except maybe for your chance to savage her thespian-lesbian act.

Surprise, surprise, the ultra-conservative co-host of "Jack Talk" was a dyke.  But her acting chops were so weak that I wouldn't have believed Britney as a lesbian, even if she had given Karen Walker's carpet the ol' steam-cleaning.

On the other hand, the character Britney was reportedly supposed to play might have been infinitely more entertaining.

The overnight rating (5.6) was a bit above the 4.0 average "Will & Grace" had been pulling in January, but the episode was a cringe-fest.  I think I laughed once, and that was probably at something Wanda Sykes said.  (I didn't include her in this clip, though.  Gotta cut somewhere.)

I know there are only a few episodes left, but can they drag this thing out behind the barn with a shotgun now?

[Watch video – 9:56, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 9:56, WMV format, low bandwidth]

"A" Is for Alcohol "Adam"

Adam_logo_1 Malbug_13If you're a New York 'mo and you find yourself heartily applauding this guy (at least until his thesis goes all agnostic at the end), then read no further.

But if you're like me – a young-ish professional looking for more ways to meet quality guys in low-pressure settings, and without DJs whose main goal seems to be wreaking permanent damage on your central nervous system – then listen up:

In November, I attended the launch of the Adam New York social network, which was founded by a pleasant young Brit named David Marrinan-Hayes.  There is an online component to Adam at the soon-to-be upgraded website, but there are also monthly real-world get-togethers for those of us who can sever our cyber-umbilicals for a few hours.

The group is open to anyone who lives in, works in or just wants to visit Manhattan to meet like-minded professionals.  It is diverse, friendly and not particularly cruisy – an environment that, ironically, probably makes the cruising easier.

The first Adam gathering started with about 20 people, which has since grown exponentially, leading David to move it to a larger venue in the ultra-swanky Soho House.  David was kind enough to allow The Malcontent to extend 100 invitations (and possibly more if demand is great) to the next get-together:

7 to 11 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12
"The Library" at
Soho House
29-35 9th Avenue
New York, NY  10014
  [mapquest]

If you would like to attend, you can either register directly online at www.thisisadam.com or email david@thisisadam.com, and remember to drop our name.  The first 50 attendees get a free glass of bubbly.

Be there, and maybe you'll launch your career as gay New York's next It Boy!

Her Gardener is a Big Fan

After the long-distance bashfest between Joy Behar and Star Jones Reynolds, I've been leaving the View idling in the background whenever I'm working at home. There is something tantalizing about the possibility of seeing people disdained by all of America tear each other to shreds.

As America's Most Famous Glitter Maiden is still recovering from mammary elevation, the girls are joined by a special guest co-host. Today, the lymph is being generously supplied by star Hispanic journalist, Myrka Dellanos.

All the hosts are being very complimentary of their guest . . . and then Barbara Walters opens wide and eats a pump:

"You are such a star in my house, because I have Spanish-speaking . . . *sudden realization* ah, people *mumble* *rapid change of subject*"

Oh, yes. Observe.

[Watch video – 1:00, WMV format]

Gay Bits, Not That There's Anything Wrong With That Edition

Malbug_13The Mayor of West Sacramento comes out.  I knew I had seen him at Faces!  [h/t Andy]

Malbug_13"Hostile society" leads to gay depression.  I guess I'll have to start snorting my Wellbutrin now.

Malbug_13The constitution DeBased: Sen. Mike DeWine will co-sponsor anti-gay marriage amendment.

Malbug_13Vin Diesel "slams" but does not deny gay rumors, saying he comes from the "Marlon Brando ... code of silence."  Nice alibi, dude.

Malbug_13BMW is spending its ad bucks in the gay rags, but there's still no pleasing the crybabies.

Malbug_13Robbie's hometown rail authority is just daring the homophobes to stand up and be counted.

Alexis vs Krystle Cage Match! Live! Live! Live!

Dynasty Though I was little more than an embryo at the time, even I knew watching Alexis Colby go tits over stilletos off a balcony was a seminal event in any young gay man's life.

Yesterday, Entertainment Tonight caught up with former Dynasty stars Linda Evans and Joan Collins as they prepare to hit the boards - and each other - in a touring production of the two-woman show, Legends.

The "Dynasty" divas are currently in rehearsals for Legends, a theatrical comedy about two fading movie stars who hate each other, but are forced to work together because they need the money. It's déjà vu all over again for fans of Alexis and Krystle, as Sylvia (Joan) and Leatrice (Linda) exchange heated barbs and trash-talk each other. Of course, no get-together of the queens of the catfight would be complete without a little mano a mano, and Legends is no exception.

In addition to the ten city tour, a Dynasty reunion special is in the works, expected to air early next year. Though some members of the cast are bowing out (Waiting on that lucrative contract for the next Swamp Thing, Sammy Jo?), the two empresses of enmity have eagerly signed on to star.

[Watch video – 3:29, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 3:29, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Happy Gay Day

TODAY IN HISTORY (March 31):

  • 1889 - The Eiffel Tower opened in "Gay Paree."
  • 1918 - Daylight Saving Time went into effect throughout the United States for the first time.
  • 1943 - The show "Away We Go" was renamed. It has been known ever since as "Oklahoma!"
  • 1945 - Tennessee Williams’ play, "The Glass Menagerie", arrived on Broadway in New York City.
  • 1976 - The Florida Supreme Court overturned a conviction of "open and gross lewdness" in a 5-2 decision. The defendant, a waiter in a gay bar, had been accused of fondling a customer's pubic area. In the written decision Justice Sundberg wrote that the conduct had to be extremely indecent and offensive, and that in "the dark and crowded recesses of the Yum Yum Tree at 2:00 a.m." it was unlikely that anyone was offended.
  • 1980 - Ontario Provincial Police constable Paul Head is suspended from duty and charged with discreditable conduct after it was discovered he was gay.
  • 1981 - Nancy Reagan told The Globe that gay pride parades are appalling because gays have nothing to be proud of.
  • 1981 - Montana amended its sodomy laws to add a fine of up to $50,000. The sentence of up to 10 years was not changed.
  • 1987 - Legislation barring anyone HIV positive from entering Japan was approved by the Japanese cabinet.
  • 1988 - Marty James of Los Angeles acknowledged having assisted in the suicide of a friend with AIDS, during an appearance on the television show Nightline.

    Born on this day (a good day for musicians):

    1596 - Rene Descartes
    1732 - Franz Joseph Haydn
    1929 - Liz Claiborne
    1934 - Shirley Jones
    1935 - Actor Richard Chamberlain born in Beverly Hills, California. Long a TV heartthrobe (Dr. Kildare) and later dubbed the "king of the mini-series," Chamberlain came out at age 69 in his autobiography.
    1940 - U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Frank is the United States' most prominent gay politican, having served in Congress since 1980.
    1943 - Christopher Walken
    1948 - Rhea Perlman
    1948 - Al Gore
    1971 - Ewan McGregor
    1976 - Colin Farrell

  • March 30, 2006

    Where's Your Messiah Now?

    Malbug_13A study finds that, when it comes to illness, the power of prayer is no damn good at best, and possibly deleterious, at worst.

    In other news, researchers are still working to verify whether the Earth is 6,000 years old.

    Malconsumer Reports: "Boy Butter"

    Eyal Malbug_13The field of personal lubricant products these days seems more crowded than ever.  New entrepreneurs are constantly springing up like kudzu to claim their piece of a lube pie worth more than $6.8 quadrillion in sales in the United States alone.  Every month.  And that's just for my house.  (Ba-DUM-bum!)

    But seriously, today's savvy lube purveyor is looking for a combination of marketability and quality to help him stand out from the crowd, resulting in a host of product names that are double entendres.  Hell, most of them are so blatant, they're single entendres.

    One man who thinks his cream will rise to the top is the hunky Eyal Feldman, founder of and spokesmodel for "Boy Butter."  (By the way, anything you buy at CheapLubes.com, my retailer of choice, is 10 percent off until April 6, if you use the discount code Bunny10.)

    Recently, Eyal sent me a sample of his product to give it a test drive, claiming that it would be "life-changing."  (I know, few of you probably want to think of The Malcontent as a sexual creature, but a guy has needs!)

    So can Boy Butter make me part with my beloved Pjur Eros?  Find out after the jump.

    Continue reading "Malconsumer Reports: "Boy Butter"" »

    Hot Times

    Malbug_13It's never too early for summer at A&F.  The retailer's new summer collection is out, with the requisite half-naked men to go with it.

    Sum1

    Sum7

    Sum9

    Sum10

    Gay Bits, War on "Gay Terrorists" and Seacrest Edition

    Malbug_13What kind of asshole could figure out a way to put terrorists and gays into the same category?  Why, Antonin Scalia, of course!  [h/t Queerty]

    [UPDATE: Towleroad has more on Scalia and an obscene suggestion he made to a photographer that we're inclined to consider ourselves.]

    Malbug_13Oh, and Polish President Lech Kaczynski too.

    Malbug_13Australia moves to block gay civil unions.

    Malbug_13PAYOR wants to "leave no straight person behind."

    Malbug_13Did the Massachusetts high court just "un-marry" me and many others?  For the record, I still intend to reside in Massachusetts.  Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

    Malbug_13Seacrest ... OUT!We love Tori!  On the two writers of her new VH1 show: "They're gay and fabulous," she said. "Who better to write for Tori Spelling?"

    Malbug_13"The Evidence" features the ol' gay-boxer gambit.

    Malbug_13Do you think he threw up a little bit in her mouth?

    Happy Gay Day

    TODAY IN HISTORY (March 30):

  • 1727 - In England, Charles Hitchin, who was a regular at several molly houses, was turned in by a remorseful partner from the previous evening. He would be found guilty of attempted sodomy and fined 20 pounds, sentenced to six months in prison, and forced to stand in the pillory.
  • 1858 - Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania patented the writing device we call the pencil.
  • 1867 - Alaska was purchased from Russia for two-cents an acre.
  • 1964 - The original "Jeopardy!" debuts on NBC.
  • 1977 - "Rich Girl" (Daryl Hall & John Oates) and "Dancing Queen" (Abba) are #1 and #2 on the music charts.
  • 1981 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin.
  • 1981 - In Toronto the trial begins for the alleged keepers of Barracks steam bath begins. Includes gay activist George Hislop and four others. Charges arose from raid December 9, 1978.
  • 1985 - Ed Davis, former Los Angeles Chief of Police, publicly blasted anti-gay politicians as a "bunch of maladjusted jerks" and refused pressure from evangelical groups to refuse donations from gay organizations. He closed a letter to the American Coalition for Family Values writing "I ask you to take a few minutes to read two short documents with which you may not be familiar-The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights." He confused glb activists with his statements - he had formerly been one of the chief political enemies of gay rights in California.
  • 1992 - Debra Chasnoff thanked her lover of twelve years after receiving an Academy Award for her documentary short film Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons, and Our Environment.
  • 1992 - Jodie Foster and a host of others win Oscars for "Silence of the Lambs."
  • 1994 - Furniture chain IKEA became the first company to air a television commercial in the US which featured a gay male couple.
  • 2004 - Prudential Financial was accused of discrimination after refusing to provide benefits to the legally married spouse of lesbian retiree.
  • 2004 - The FBI and Colorado's Joint Terrorism Task Force investigates a hate mail campaign targeting gays in the Denver area.
  • Born on this day (a good day for musicians):

    1853 - Vincent van Gogh
    1930 - Peter Marshall ("Hollywood Squares"), birth name: Pierre LaCock. Seriously.
    1937 - Warren Beatty
    1940 - Astrud Gilberto, bossa nova singer
    1945 - Eric Clapton
    1957 - Paul Reiser
    1964 - Tracy Chapman
    1964 - Ian Ziering ("90210")
    1968 - Celine Dion
    1979 - Norah Jones

    OK, "Lost" Fans, Have At It

    Malbug_13WTF??:

    Lost

    [Watch video – 0:47, WMV format, high bandwidth]

    [Watch video – 0:47, WMV format, low bandwidth]

    March 29, 2006

    Idol Postscript

    Malbug_13Queerty digs up a reason why you might not want to support Mandisa.  Damn.  I used to love that BBW.

    Meanwhile, GayPatriot is on the same page with us about where "Idol" seems headed.  The husband and I were sitting on the sofa last night critiquing each contestant, as per usual, and we could predict virtually every word that was spoken by Simon Cowell, the only truly honest judge.  The song choices were baffling, the performances were shockingly bad, and even the potential winners are starting to look like losers.

    My bottom three tonight: Lisa Tucker, Ace, and Kellie Pickler (although I think America will choose Bucky).

    Whom Did She Mean To Hit?

    Malbug_13From today's Hotline Last Call (sub. only): "In a case of mistaken identity, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) apparently punched a Capitol police officer. No response yet from her office."

    W&G Q&A

    Malbug_13Question:

    Britney

    Answer: Crossroads.

    Heckuva Puzzling Interview, Brownie

    Brownie Malbug_13I was filled with a mixture of pity and revulsion as Stephen Colbert interviewed Mike "Brownie" Brown, former head of FEMA, last night.

    On one hand, he seemed completely willing to accept the mantle of whipping boy for the debacle of the response to Hurricane Katrina, despite the evident culpability of a host of characters.  On the other hand, whether he was joking or not, he seemed comfortable having the blame shifted to his former boss, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.

    Brown's glib attempts to make light of his situation and his nervous laughter were more than a little disgusting, even in the context of a comedy show.  I kept thinking about the hundreds of needless deaths, and here was this guy who was in charge of coordinating the federal response chortling away on national TV just five months later.  It merely reinforced perceptions of the ineptness that precipitated his downfall.

    Yes, FEMA was but one player in the Katrina cluster-fuck.  Compounding the mistakes of a brainless FEMA administrator were also a feckless governor and a clueless mayor.  (Katrina was a tragic "perfect storm" in many ways.)

    But if Brown's goal last night was to rehabilitate his character and integrity, then I don't think he did himself any favors.

    [Watch video – 7:11, WMV format, high bandwidth]

    [Watch video – 7:11, WMV format, low bandwidth]

    Of course, it wouldn't be a "Colbert Report" without some hilarious allusion to homosexuality.  Colbert brought out a thinly disguised David Cross as "ultra left-wing radio talk show host Russ Lieber," putatively to discuss school vouchers.

    But the interview soon morphed into a bizarre and tangled debate on gay adoption.  See for yourself.

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

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

    One Day in Her Gay-Diva Life

    Malbug_13Music blogger extraordinaire Arjan Writes has an exclusive chat with pop superstar Anastacia.  The indomitable diva discusses her exalted status among the gays.

    Choreography Gone Wild

    Ace10 Last night's American Idol . . . I have not the words. Limbs were flying.

    Paris Bennett - Mute her singing. Turn on the Milkshake song. Tell me we're not watching the creepy premonition of a nine year-old who is one golden pole away from a career in the whoring sector. What. Was. That?

    Elliot Yamin - The whitest white man this side of bleach bopping around in hip hop mode to a song that is decidedly not rap.

    Mandisa - She sings! She dances! She hails taxis!

    Ace Young - We need to have a long talk about Ace. Always tinged with slight gay voice when speaking, it has spread like wildfire into his actual singing. We'll not discuss the gay face. I swear it wasn't there when the season began, but that boy is now sunnier than Doris Day and Rock Hudson. During his rendition of "Drops of Jupiter," he sings "her hair" while fondling his own with an effeteness to threaten gravity. We'll definitely not discuss the "permanent scar" bit. Holy wow.

    As far as Paula goes . . . let's just say the dripping was audible.

    [Watch video – 7:18, WMV format, high bandwidth]

    [Watch video – 7:18, WMV format, low bandwidth]

    Happy Gay Day

    TODAY IN HISTORY (March 29):

  • 1951 - The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway.
  • 1959 - Some Like It Hot, featuring cross-dressers Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, is released.
  • 1976 - The constitutionality of Virginia's sodomy laws was upheld by the US Supreme Court.
  • 1985 - The Los Angeles Times announced its support of gay rights and urged the US Supreme Court to take a stand on gay issues.
  • 1988 - Georgetown University lost an eight year legal battle to avoid providing facilities and financial support to campus gay organizations.
  • 1989 - Jodie Foster wins the Best Actress Oscar for "The Accused."
  • 1990 - NGLTF director Urvashi Vaid interrupted a speech by President Bush, accusing him of a lack of action on AIDS.
  • 1991 - OutRage held a zap at Home Office to protest legal attempts to prevent lesbian and gay couples from adopting or becoming foster parents.
  • 1994 - Joint session of the Massachusetts legislature approves the state's gay marriage amendment. It needs approval again during 2006 in order to be sent to the voters.

    Born on this day:

    1867 - Cy (Denton True) Young, Baseball Hall of Famer
    1918 - Pearl (Mae) Bailey
    1927 - John McLaughlin, TV host
    1943 - Eric Idle
    1956 - Kurt Thomas, gymnast
    1957 - Christopher Lambert, actor
    1963 - M.C. Hammer
    1964 - Elle McPherson
    1968 - Lucy Lawless
    1976 - Jennifer Capriati

  • More Fabulous Than Thou

    While moseying around Joe.My.God, I stumbled across this post where dear Joe explodes all over gay conservatives due to a response made by one to a post.

    Yes, homophobia. Because above all, the thing that [gay right-wing bloggers] hate the most (and if you are unfortunate enough to come across any of these blogs, hate is often the Daily Special), is themselves. These are capital "A" assimilationists, mocking the mere existence of gay neighborhoods and belittling those who reside within, ridiculing the work of GLAAD and HRC, and making vicious attacks on Pride events. To some of them, people with HIV or AIDS are promiscuous, dirty drug addicts who got what they deserved. These gay right-wingers long for a world free of openly queer culture, a world where gays live fully integrated (and therefore invisible) in their picket-fenced, cul-de-sac'd McMansions. They shout that "gay is only a small part" of who they are, yet fail to see the irony in their blog titles which use words such as "gay", "queer", even "faggot". Talk about cognitive dissonance.

    Pushing the gross generalizations, full-on hatred, and stereotyping aside, the idea of assimilation struck me. Here's my question:

    If you're gay, and you live in a gay area, participate in many stereotypically gay things like drug-use and sex parties, listen to stereotypically gay music, and behave in a generally stereotypically gay manner, who's the real assimilationist? Are people who go "all in" to gay culture any different from those who eschew it entirely? Aren't the same impulses at work? Is a disdain for straight culture any different than a disdain for gay culture?

    I'm merely asking. It seems to me, plunging headlong into the gay world and becoming nothing but gay is, in fact, simply another form of assimilation. Few people fall into all one thing or another by happenstance. Be it a religion, ideology, or identity community that one is not born into, people often make a conscious decision to become that thing, to let that define them completely for a host of reasons, good or bad.

    Somewhere in the chaos of our comment section, I remarked that I tend to dwell in a social world that straddles the gay and straight divide. As gay rights advance, people around my age and younger have been granted the freedom to pick and choose what we like without letting it devour our identities. In my view, that is progress; that is the entire point of the gay rights movement. There is lot about gay culture I genuinely enjoy. I couldn't jolly well blog on a website focused around gay culture if I didn't. However, there are also parts I could do without - if not outright abhor (see: rampant drug use).

    I find it strange that people who are militant towards gay freedom seem to dislike it when that freedom is exercised in a manner that isn't pre-approved by the self-annointed homo police. You must have certain politics, you must like gay culture or else you're assimilationist, etc. etc.

    Man is a funny little hypocritical creature. Just saying.

    March 28, 2006

    Chances It Was For Al? 0%

    How long can the human population endure Star Jones Reynolds discussing Star Jones Reynolds? On yesterday's View, Joy Behar showed the world her limit (video at link):

    At one point, as Jones kept talking, Behar grabbed a pen and furiously scribbled a note, then gestured to Meredith Vieira to read the note, tapping the paper for emphasis.

    "Last Friday was my 44th birthday, but my boobs still think they're 20," Jones said - and that's when Behar heard enough. "OK, Star. That's enough about you. On to us. 'Bye," she snapped.

    Behar was bleeped when she added "Keep your [breasts] perky!" in a mock-cheerful voice.

    "I'm glad to see you haven't changed," Jones shot back. "Even today, you are still a bitch," she said before the call was abruptly cut off.

    As Josh noted, "The View is like watching a sewing circle unravel."

    Gay Men, Eh?

    Josh: I have somehow met a really cute boy online, but he lives in Colorado Springs. But I want to meet him.

    Robbie: Oooh, he is cute.

    Josh: Also a daddy.

    Robbie: He's 24. He can't be a daddy.

    Josh: He has a child. Like, literally a daddy.

    Robbie: Ohhh . . .

    Woulda, Coulda, Vlada

    Malbug_13A new gay bar that's actually north of the Garment District?  This Upper East Sider is so there!

    Paging Adults . . .

    The greatest hazard of political correctness is how easily it substitutes for thought in the mid-level political and corporate circles of America. Common sense would be refreshing. However, someone, somewhere always seems offended because they are smart enough to recognize code words and phrases they've been instructed to be offended by, but they haven't the gray matter to think critically about base distinctions like, you know, context.

    Recently, a radio personality was fired for an unfortunate slip of the tongue. While discussing the possibility of Condoleeza Rice replacing retiring NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, he remarked:

    "She's got the patent resume of somebody that has serious skill. She loves football. She's African-American, which would kind of be a big coon. A big coon. Oh my God. I am totally, totally, totally, totally sorry for that."

    He intended to say, "coup in the NFL." Coup in. Coon. Even he realized how it sounded and apologized profusely. He was still fired. To add insult to injury, he has also been dismissed from his second job at a local college as an anatomy and neuroanatomy instructor.

    Ruining lives to placate the easily and irrationally offended. We're a fun people.

    h/t Blogger News

    Liberal McCain Sells Out Conservative Values!

    Malbug_13Sen. John McCain is working against Republicans and with lefty Sen. Ted Kennedy to push through the Democrats' preferred position on immigration.  What a liberal sell-out!

    What's that, you say?  The blogs in the know today have ditched the McCain-as-maverick storyline and are labeling him as "Bush redux"?  [See here, here, here, here, and here, for starters.]  The senator's most recent "offense" was his decision to speak at Liberty University, leading one to surmise that a liberal's favorite debate is one without an opponent.

    So I guess I'm swimming up-meme today.  The blogging lefties are painting John McCain as a fire-breathing wingnut in a coordinated effort that is as laughable as it is hyperbolic.

    Look, I carry no brief for John McCain.  I don't like the guy, and I can't foresee any circumstance under which I'd vote for him.  But if we're to believe that they're just now realizing that "every liberal's favorite Republican" is a Republican, then I have some ocean-front property to sell you in Arizona.

    Captain's Quarters this morning already wrote the post that I wish I had written first:

    The trouble with McCain the Maverick is that he never existed. McCain has spent his entire political career as McCain the Center of the Universe, mostly adopting positions that get him as much air time as possible. It comes as no surprise that he now wants to suck up to the Bush contingent in the GOP [...]

    I don't know what the lefties are so worried about.  The John McCain who wants to nationalize health care, restrict gun rights, raise taxes, and curtail political speech will undoubtedly return soon enough.  All he needs is a light breeze.

    UPDATE: I should have added this guy to my list of people who are shocked – shocked, I say! – that McCain is a Republican.  And as a rhetorical aside: Exactly how many "conservatives" take their cues from DailyKos, anyway?

    UPDATE 2: Add 365gay.com to the Coalition of the Obtuse.

    DNA: The Marriage Issue (Plus Obligatory Sex)

    Malbug_13Just in time for spring, the new issue of DNA magazine is all about love and marriage.  Apropos of nothing and dropped in the midst of the nuptial bliss is one of the hot guys of menaustralia.com.

    Click to "uncensor" the image (NSFW).

    Dna1_2

    More from DNA after the jump, including why porn star Lucas Ridgeston hung up the cum-rag ... and the gay Catholic blogger who opposes marriage equality.

    Continue reading "DNA: The Marriage Issue (Plus Obligatory Sex)" »

    Jesus Loves the Straight Little Children

    Malbug_13The United Church of Christ's new "Ejector" ad targeting religious intolerance is being rejected by the four major U.S. TV networks.

    "They are saying, 'You can entertain on 'Will & Grace' and 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' but when it comes to showing you as whole people with the church, that is going to far," (church leader Ron) Buford said.

    The ads will still run on several cable networks through the Easter holiday.

    Happy Gay Day

    TODAY IN HISTORY (March 28):

  • 1797 - Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patented a device we commonly call the washing machine.
  • 1971 - Over 200 people attended Austin's First Annual National Gay Conference, organized by the Gay Liberation Front at the University of Texas Austin.
  • 1979 - Toronto's police chief and the police association president which represents uniformed officers both issue statements of apology after anti-gay article "The homosexual fad" appears in police association newsletter.
  • 1979 - Series of accidents begins at Three Mile Island nuclear reactor.
  • 1980 - Carole Ann Oetting was killed by a single shot to the head as she was parking her car at The Hollywood, a lesbian bar in Austin, Texas. Police reported that they had discovered no suspect or motive.
  • 1981 - The group, Blondie, featuring Debbie Harry, received a gold record for the tune, "Rapture".
  • 1989 - ACT-UP protested in New York at city hall. Thirty of those arrested were women, and they were all strip-searched. Later the New York City Police Department apologized for violating their own rules.
  • 1990 - Over 1,000 demonstrators protested in Albany, New York demanding an increase in funding for state AIDS programs.
  • 1990 - Cincinnati law enforcement warned the Contemporary Arts Center not to allow a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit to open. After it did, Dennis Barrie, the director of the Center, was indicted on obscenity charges.
  • 1990 - Pittsburgh mayor Sophie Masloff signed into law a gay rights ordinance forbidding discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations
  • 1990 - In Albany, New York, ACT-UP members protested at the state capitol, demanding an increase in AIDS services funding. They blocked entrances and hallways and hung a banner across the façade. Ninety people were arrested.
  • 1996 - The 7th US circuit court heard arguments in the case of Jamie Nabozny. Nabozny charged that his high school failed to take action when he was physically and verbally attacked because of his sexual orientation. Incidents included an attack in which students held him down and urinated on him, and an assault in which he was so viciously kicked in the stomach that he required surgery. The following November the Ashland Wisconsin school district would agree to pay him $900,000.
  • 1996 - The Dallas school board voted unanimously to expand its anti-harassment policy to include gays and lesbians.
  • Born on this day:

    1921 - Sir Dirk Bogarde, the "British Rock Hudson", was born in Hampstead, London. His birth name was Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde. Bogarde had a lengthly film career, spanning nearly fourty years. He won the BAFTA Awards (UK's answer to the Oscars) for his performances in The Servent (1963) and Darling (1965). He was discrete about his sexuality and moved away from his English home to live with his long-time compantion, Tony Forwood, in the south of France. He was knighted in 1992 and died in 1999.
    1931 - Lesbian Writer Jane Rule is born in New Jersey.
    1948 - Dianne Wiest (actress)
    1955 - Reba (Nell) McEntire
    1964 - Salt (Cheryl James), Grammy Award-winning rap singer from Salt-N-Pepa.

    March 27, 2006

    Paging Marc Cherry

    Malbug_13Dodge ads traditionally have been testosterone-soaked visions of trucks scaling mountains of boulders ("Built Ram Tough!") as if they were mere speed bumps.

    So is the new ad for the Dodge Caliber homophobic?  The one where the sprite who flits about trying to make a dull, gray world more fabulous is smacked to the curb, only to be derided as a "silly little fairy"?  Dodge's spin seems to be that the ad is simply eschewing all things "cute."

    I think it would be great if cute and gay were conflated in the public consciousness, but at least one mitigating factor undercuts the homophobia theory: The ad was airing on "Desperate Housewives."

    He'll Tumble 4 Ya

    Malbug_13A Malco-prize of some sort to the reader who finds us video of the gay tumbling coach porn star.

    Who's the Brokeback-est of Them All?

    Malbug_13As we mentioned a few days ago, Brokeback Mountain comes out on DVD on April 4, even while it is still taking in strong box-office returns.

    The distributors have offered us an as-of-yet undetermined number of DVDs, so we thought we would hold a contest to give them away, in recognition of how many rabid Brokeback fans are among our readership.  (It might also have to suffice as a lame way of saying "thanks" when we hit our 1 millionth visit, if I can't think of anything else.)

    So here's the deal:

    Tell us your true story about how big a Brokeback fan you are.  It can be funny, it can be moving, it can be about how the movie has inspired you, or how you have used it to change the minds of those around you.  Maybe you're such a lunatic that you camped in a tent to be first in line.  Or maybe you met your boyfriend at a Sunday matinee.

    The best stories, as determined by Boy Robbie and myself (and perhaps a handful of other readers if we find ourselves in eye-gouging disagreement), will win however many DVDs we have to give away.  It's as easy as that.

    So write your stories directly in the comments section of this post.  Or if you'd rather, email them to us.  (If you email, however, you're consenting to having it published when we announce the winners.)

    Try to keep them short, say, no more than 400 words or so.  I won't be a bitch about limits, but be warned that you'll get points off if our eyes glaze over.  The deadline for entries is midnight Eastern Daylight Time (not E.S.T.) on Tuesday, April 4, the day of the DVD's release.  Winners will be announced ASAP afterward.

    Good luck, and may the most obsessed fan win!

    UPDATE: We will have two copies of the DVD to give away.  If you don't win, I'm sure Andy Towle will have thousands of his own.  :-)

    The Bond Between Two Men When the One Is Gone

    Grief_1 I had meant to begin this post by finding a quote that neatly and accurately described the book I recently finished reading. It seemed simple enough; run a quick google search, scour few dozen sentences by famous writers, and somewhere therein find some perfectly rendered phrase that seems profound, wise, and all-encompassing.

    However, if a reader takes only one thing away from Bill Valentine's A Season of Grief, it is that coping with the death of a loved one, a life partner, is a deeply personal process. No metaphors for love and grief, desolation and despair, can ever capture the textures of the empty coat hanging in the closet, or the remembered smells of a favorite food, or the consoling tones of a record collection left behind. William Carlos Williams once remarked, "No ideas but in things." There is no grieving but in what remains: memories, possessions, connections, words spoken and not, family, loves, faith.

    Continue reading "The Bond Between Two Men When the One Is Gone" »

    I Call Dibs on Stanford

    Malbug_13HBO aims to keep the "Sex and the City" flamers burning with an upcoming reality show.

    FEC Lapses Briefly Into Sanity

    Malbug_13The Federal Election Commission has exempted almost all Internet activities from federal campaign-finance regulations.

    That's great news, even though McCain-Feingold is still a hopeless mess.

    "Chicken Little" Low on the Pecking Order

    CovaisMalbug_13Kevin Covais, the bespectacled 16-year-old from Levittown, N.Y., might have been first in the hearts of 80-year-old dowagers everywhere.  But he was also the second of the top 12 voted off "American Idol," which wasn't good enough to earn him a guest shot on Leno or Letterman.

    But also-rans of a feather flock together, so he fit in quite nicely Friday night on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show.  I think it's on VH1 or something.

    Covais was best known not for his mighty baritone, but for getting his cheeks pinched by the female contestants, and for being compared to the CGI character "Chicken Little."

    If that all weren't bad enough, when Kimmel brought the amateur songster onstage, he introduced him as "sweet, little Kevin Covais."  Thanks, Jimmy.  That'll really help him get laid.

    [Watch video – 6:54, WMV format, high bandwidth]

    [Watch video – 6:54, WMV format, low bandwidth]

    New Link

    Malbug_13Check out "Straight, Not Narrow" on the blogroll.  A straight blogger who attends a GLBT-friendly church is doing his part to put the power of God to work for good, not evil.  (How refreshing!)

    That is something with which The Malcontent can get down.

    New Rufus

    Rufus1

    Rufus2

    Malbug_13Rufus Wainwright's video for "The Maker Makes" from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack debuted at midnight last night on Logo's "NewNowNext."

    The haunting song about longing in the face of divine ambivalence is juxtaposed with images from the movie, along with simple visuals of Wainwright at a piano, and in close-up against monotone black and white backgrounds.  In a brief interview segment before the video, Wainwright explains that the song is as much about the nation's current political climate as it is a commentary on the characters in Brokeback.

    The high-res version is sampled at twice the normal bitrate.  Enjoy.  [Thanks, Celeste!]

    [Watch video – 5:02, WMV format, high bandwidth]

    [Watch video – 5:02, WMV format, low bandwidth]

    Happy Gay Day

    TODAY IN HISTORY (March 27):

  • 1860 - Raise a glass of pinot! The device which, officially, is a “covered gimlet screw with a ‘T’ handle”, or corkscrew, was patented this day by M. L. Byrn of New York City.
  • 1912 - First Lady Helen (Nellie) Taft, wife of U.S. President William Howard Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two cherry trees in Washington DC.
  • 1987 - In Newsweek magazine a reviewer of the Oxford English Dictionary complained that homosexuals have irrevocably damaged the word "gay."
  • 1998 - The National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum issued a press release condemning the homophobic and racist statements of football player Reggie White.
  • 1999 - Charles Rice, an openly gay Florida high school senior, wore a floor-length gown to the prom.
  • Born on this day:

    1899 - Gloria Swanson (actress, Sunset Boulevard)
    1924 - Sarah Vaughan (singer)
    1952 - Actress Maria Schneider was born in Paris. The highlight of her career came playing opposite Marlon Brandon in Last Tango in Paris. In 1975, for several days, she declared herself to be insane and checked herself into a Rome mental hospital. It turned it she only wanted to be with partner, American heiress Patty Townsend. When the truth leaked out she was a lesbian Hollywood dropped her like a hot potato.
    1963 - Quentin Tarantino
    1970 - Mariah Carey