Repressed Homosexuality in North Carolina

The so-called National Organization for Marriage constantly claims that equality opponents are bullied and their yard signs defaced by evil homos who want to destroy marriage.  Check out this "traditional marriage" supporting Tarheel reacting to a pro-equality yard sign in North Carolina:


via Joe.My.God

Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor

Apparently it's true that Lindsay Lohan has been cast to play Elizabeth Taylor in an upcoming TV bio-pic.  Planet Hiltron imagines how this will turn out.

Oh come on, Elizabeth never looked that bad, even at the end of her life when she was in constant pain.

Via Kenneth in the 212.

Quote of the Day

"It's tough because a lot of my friends in normal life, a lot of my friends in the entertainment business, and a lot of my friends in teh wrestling business are gay...just to say something sptieful and hurtful, I dont' get it...if it was true and Iwas gay, I'd embrace it, and I'd tell you guys about it and celebrate it." 

--Hulk Hogan, in response to his ex-wife's allegation that he had a gay affair.  She has since retracted.  The Hulk is a class act.  

Monday's Man: Adam Senn

It almost seems unfair to feature a professional model as a Monday's Man, but when I opened Sunday's New York Times and saw this full page ad, fairness went out the window.  

T
This is the definition of hotness.  

Adam is from Texas where everything's bigger.  

In case you want to see Adam in action, take a look.

NY Times: "Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay"

Sunday's New York Times featured an article by two of the authors of the recent study that found a correlation between homophobia and repressed homosexuality.  I'm glad to see this study getting more publicity.

"In this month's issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, we and our fellow researches provide empirical evidence that homophobia can result, at least in part, from the suppression of same-sex desires."

Read it all here.

I'm Baaaack!

Not my sister's house, but representative of Ponte Vedra.

I'm back from the last of my April travels.  This time, I went to beautiful Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida to visit my sister.  She and her family own a little slice of paradise there.  After all this traveling, I'll be busy and broke in May, but it's been great.

It seems that every time I got out of town I missed something big.  When I was in Corpus Christi, I missed the deaths of Jonathan Frid and Dick Clark.  This trip, I missed this bombshell:

 "The Fatal Flaw in the Study – There was no way to judge the credibility of subject reports of change in sexual orientation. I offered several (unconvincing) reasons why it was reasonable to assume that the subject’s reports of change were credible and not self-deception or outright lying. But the simple fact is that there was no way to determine if the subject’s accounts of change were valid.  I believe I owe the gay community an apology for my study making unproven claims of the efficacy of reparative therapy. I also apologize to any gay person who wasted time and energy undergoing some form of reparative therapy because they believed that I had proven that reparative therapy works with some “highly motivated” individuals."


--Robert Spitzer, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Columbia University.  Professor Spitzer has repudiated his notorious 2001 study which found that a few "highly motivated individuals" could change sexual orientation.  His study has been cited often by anti-gay crusaders who would like to eliminate all of us.  Spitzer was also a key figure in removing homosexuality from the list of disorders in the DSM. 


Don't hold your breath for the various anti-gay "family" associations and "ex-gay" scams to recant their use of this study.      

SmashCaps: Smash Goes to Bollywood!

This week's episode is supposedly all about Movie Star Rebecca Duvall and her new found fascination with Karen Cartwright but it's really all about Bollywood!

It all begins with Karen arriving early to the rehearsal space for a secret meeting with Derek in which he tells her she'd be a "brilliant" Marilyn.  He knows this because he's had visions of her as Katharine McPhee with a blonde wig Marilyn.  Derek really needs to take a break from Bombshell and find a nice rest home somewhere.

Naturally, Ellis the conniving - but straight! - assistant and Ivy both see Karen and Derek whispering and they start plotting together.  I wish Ivy wouldn't connive with Ellis, but what can you do when it's in the script?  Ellis tells Rebecca's agent, super-cute Tony Nominee Sean Dugan, about the whispering.  This is the same super-cute agent Ellis literally screwed over last week, so he's in no mood for Ellis' shit, but Ellis says he needs to talk to him "seriously," and he relents.  Doesn't take much with the agent.

Rebecca the movie star stops Karen as she's leaving rehearsal and says "Hey, wanna go out?"  "Um, sure, OK."  So, Karen goes out with Rebecca the movie star and the paps snap their pics at all the hot spots. Rebecca tells Sean Dugan "I want to check out the competition," meaning Karen since she's such an amazing singer and Derek was whispering to her.  This is all the explanation we get as to why Rebecca is treating Karen like her new best friend.  Just go with it.

Rebecca takes Karen to a super-chic night spot where some band that is either fake-famous or famous in real life and I've never heard of them, is playing.  Rebecca says "Hey Karen, wanna stand in?" and, with no rehearsal, Karen takes the mike and performs a generic pop song flawlessly with this band that has never played for her before this moment.  The entire sophisticated New York nightclub crowd is transfixed by Karen's brilliance.  Rebecca tells Karen "You're a star!"  She gives Karen lots of cast-off expensive clothes.

Rebecca is enraptured by Karen's star quality.  Totally cute Sean Dugan isn't so sure.

Raza Jaffrey, fully dressed, meets Hot Iranian Girl at a diner, not the world-famous WestWay.  HIG shows him her iPad with Karen's picture on Page Six.  Raza is pissed for some unexplained reason.  HIG is stirring the pot and working Raza's shit.  HIG is my hero.

Meanwhile, at Julia's arena-size New York home, sullen son is missing!!!  Can't really blame him for splitting.  He's probably off taping a Sean Cody scene, or he would be if I were writing for this show.  Julia and the wasted Brian d'Arcy James find him, he comes home, they have dinner and a good laugh.  That's the end of the runaway drama.  Obvs, Brian is going to reconcile with Julia, as if we care.

BEST MOMENT OF SMASH SO FAR COMING UP!!!

Uma Thurman, Sean Dugan and a couple of my ex-boyfriends in the Bollywood number. 

Raza and Karen have dinner with Rebecca in an Indian restaurant with flatscreens showing Bollywood movies. Pay attention to the flatscreens.  Rebecca arrives late and mentions like 10 times that she has a peanut allergy and she's afraid there might be peanuts in Indian food.  This peanut allergy thing has already been mentioned several times.  We get it.  Somebody's going to slip her some peanuts.  Sublety, thy name is not Smash.  Raza acts all culturally offended at the idea that there might be peanuts in Indian food, but I kind of think there are.  Anyway, Rebecca says some wildly inappropriate things about Karen and Raza's relationship that nobody in her position would actually say in real life.  Raza gets pissed and Karen stares off at the flatscreens like she's in a trance.  Remember how I told you to pay attention to the flatscreens?  Suddenly, we're transported into a full-out Bollywood song and dance number starring Raza Jaffrey!  The star of Bollywood Dreams himself!  Why hasn't he been singing and dancing in every episode?  Shirtless?  I swoon before my next husband (don't tell my current husband).  Everybody in Smash is in the extravaganza which is over the top and worth every moment I've spent watching this show.  And here it is!  





Next week, Raza auditions for a revival of Oh! Calcutta!  Or he would if I were writing for this show.

After that, who cares what else happens, right?  But your loyal scribe remains on the job.  Next up, Tom and Julia write a new song called "Second Hand White Baby Grand" which is all about how Marilyn's mother was a mean bitch or something.  Rebecca thinks Karen should sing it because Karen's such a Stah!  Ellis and Ivy connive to get Karen to leave rehearsal early.  Don't worry about the details, just understand that no chorus girl in her right mind would leave under those circumstances, especially when she's about to do her big solo.  But she does so Ivy gets to sing it.  Naturally, she nails it because she's Megan Hilty and she's a Real Star.  As she sings, we see a love making montage featuring Eileen and Rough Trade between the sheets.  We don't actually get to see them make Hot Rough Trade Monkey Love but we would if I were writing for this show.  Eileen looks mighty satisfied and Rough Trade looks mighty hot.  We also see Tom and Sam the straight acting gay lean over a bed and exchange a brief, closed mouth kiss.  I think we're supposed to assume that Sam has decided that he's waited long enough to make Holy Love to Tom.  Next week, we'll see the whole humptastic Man Love scene, or we would if I were writing for this show.

This episode was called Publicity because of all the paps snapping pics of Karen and Rebecca, but it should have been called Smash Goes to Bollywood!

The End.  

President Obama Slow Jams the News

Pell Yeah....

CNN Gives Platform to Hate

To the extent CNN has ever been a journalistic organization, it ceased to be today when it made the decision to give a great big microphone to certified hate group spokebigot Brian Fischer of the so-called American Family Association.  Fischer, who always reminds me of those studies linking homophobia with secret homosexuality, was on CNN to rail about Mitt Romney's hiring of (gasp) an openly gay man as his chief spokesman on foreign policy.  Apparently the AFA views hiring a gay person as controversial.  Host Kyra Phillips made an occasional stab at Fischer's string of ugly lies and fever dreams, but it was R. Clark Cooper of the Log Cabin Republicans who carried the water for the sane community.  Watch if you have a strong stomach:

No Rained Out Parades Today

It's hard to believe but today marks 70 years of Barbra Streisand living and living now.  Let's celebrate with this TV Special clip in which a lovely Barbra performs one of her many iconic songs:

Monday's Man: Jake!

It's been a while since I've featured His Jakeness, but once I heard that he's about to make his New York stage debut, I knew his time had come again.

Mr. Gyllenhaal's adorable self will star in the Roundabout Theater Company's off-Broadway production of If There Is I Haven't Found it Yet, with performances beginning August 24.  

If there is such a thing as male perfection, I have found it yet and you're looking at it.

The play will be at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theater/Laura Pels Theater on W. 45th St.   LC NY Bureau Chief Doug has my permission to use the LC Black AmEx for tickets.  

Buffy Cleans House

I was taking a walk in my neighborhood today when I came across this box among a pile of trash bags and cast-off furniture in front of an old house.  I had no idea they made Mrs. Beasley dolls "Featuring the voice of Cheryl Ladd." Apparently Mrs. B was re-issued in 2000 as a charity fundraiser.  They're still available on-line for a hefty price.  The box was empty, otherwise I'd be the proud owner of a Mrs. Beasley right now.  

Back and Blogging

I'm back and will hopefully catch up on my blogging.  I was at a conference in Corpus Christi, TX this past week.  When I go out of town, I don't like broadcasting it on the internet until after I return.  I had never been to Corpus before and it was nice to breathe the sea air and eat some fresh seafood.  Dallas can feel so landlocked.  I received a nice welcome at The Hidden Door, which may or may not be the only gay bar in town, but it's definitely the friendliest.  The owners bought me a drink and I had a lovely evening on their newly-landscaped patio.  I only wish I had been there on a weekend so I could have enjoyed their upstairs piano bar.  Check it out if you're ever in town.

I also visited the Selena memorial and the flagship What-a-Burger, both on the waterfront.  Apparently the locals are proud of their burger chain.  There's a big sign in the airport that says "Welcome to Corpus Christi, Hometown of What-a-Burger."  The "What-a-Burger by the Bay" is a two-story edifice with terrace, bay side seating.  Pretty nice for a fast food joint.  The menu's the same old same old, so don't get too excited.  

The Selena Memorial.  I promised a co-worker I'd visit and take pictures.  

This is Farrah Fawcett in her 1965 high school portrait from Corpus Christi's W.B. Ray High School.  There's no Farrah memorial yet.  Somebody should go work on that (thanks for the reminder, Mike).

I couldn't leave out Miss Corpus Christi 1998, Eva Longoria.  Naturally, I found a way to add a pageant reference.  

SmashCaps: Do It

The Movie Star has arrived.

I'm baaaaack and ready to SmashCap.  This is last Monday's episode.  Sorry about the delay.

We open in the rehearsal room where Julia is tired of all the flirting going on between Tom and Sam the straight acting gay so she tells them she's made a dinner reservation for them so they can just go ahead and go on a date, already.  They try to argue with her but she says "Do It!" and she means it.  Will they finally do it?

Meanwhile, the new Movie Star, Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) has finally arrived from Cuba and rehearsal starts with "I Want to Be Your Star." Rebecca is terrible.  She can't sing.  Gosh, I couldn't see that one coming a mile away or anything.

Derek, Eileen, Julia, and Tom have panicked meetings about Rebecca's inability to sing and Derek convinces the gang to bring back Ivy as the understudy.  "The Cartright girl is too green."  I'm not sure how it fixes the Rebecca-can't-sing-problem, but it gets Ivy back in the game.  So, Ivy reappears at rehearsal and Karen is nervous.  It's never announced that Ivy's the new understudy or anything, that's just left hanging.  Ivy tries to buddy-up with Karen and they sort of bond over Rebecca's bad singing.  Ivy's got something up her sleeve.

Derek is Stunned by his vision of Karen as Marilyn.  

Derek calls Karen over to talk and he has another vision of her as Marilyn.  For some reason, the Marilyn vision sings "Our Day Will Come" in the style of Katharine McPhee with a blonde wig and a tight dress.  Derek is thunderstruck by this hackitude vision of Marilyn perfection.

Cut to Raza Jaffrey sitting on a park bench in the rain talking to Karen on the phone, lying about his whereabouts.  Did he get fired?  Did he quit?  Whassup with Raza?  BTW, he's fully dressed.  Since it's raining, swimwear would be appropriate, but do you think they listen to me?  Do you realize how long it's been since he's appeared shirtless in this show?  At least two episodes!

Julia has an uncomfortable meeting with the wasted Brian d'Arcy James who's still royally pissed that she's a lyin' cheatin' whore.  Sullen son is now failing calculus, as if we give a shit.  Julia and Brian meet with the school principal and Brian tries to maintain some dignity by not airing all the family laundry, but Julia blurts out that they're separated because she cheated on him.  Later, they have a meeting with sullen son and promise that he can meet Rebecca Duvall if he gets a B+ in calculus.  What does this have to do with Broadway?  Nothing.  Do we care about this storyline?  No.  Moving on.

Rebecca's agent is hanging around and Ellis, the conniving - but straight! - assistant is flirting with him.  You may remember that Ellis fucked the agent a couple of episodes ago, even though he's straight, just so he could get a leg up (pun intended) with Eileen and snag a meeting with Rebecca.  Just go with it.  The agent is smitten with the little prick for some reason.  The agent, by the way, is a totally cute ginger played by Tony nominee Sean Dugan.  In real life, he wouldn't give the time of day to conniving little shitheads like Ellis, but this isn't real life.

Totally cute Tony Nominee Sean Dugan calling his agent to get him a better gig.

Suddenly a hot bad boy bursts into the rehearsal room looking for Rebecca!  Drama!  Rebecca yells at him to get out but he won't.  Some chorus boys restrain him and slip their numbers into his jeans and Eileen steps up with mace and tells him to leave or she'll blind him.  She's working a mini skirt and boots like she just  stepped out of Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill, and I mean that in a good way.  Will we see more of the hot bad boy next week or was this just a one-time thing?

Karen decides to go by Raza's office and some other guy is in there!  It turns out Raza didn't get promoted to press secretary after all.  Apparently, he's been demoted to a cubicle job and Karen catches him chatting with Hot Iranian Girl.

Cube dwellers Raza and Hot Iranian Girl.

Karen's all hurt and stuff and Raza's clearly tired of her shit.  Rebecca has invited the gang to a free screening of her new movie Casual Friday 2, so Karen invites Raza to come along in a desperate attempt to recapture the magic.  He says he will, but you know he won't.  Hot Iranian Girl is moving to Bollywood, if you get my drift.  

Rebecca's cute ginger agent invites Ellis to the screening but he overhears Ellis talking on the phone to someone (maybe his hot girlfriend?) calling him a looser.  Keep in mind that this is an assistant calling a major movie star's agent a looser.  Agent tells Ellis to fuck off, or words to that effect.  Hopefully, he'll use his clout to get Ellis fired.

Surprise!  Raza stands Karen up at the screening.  Gee, I couldn't see that one coming a mile away.  Instead, he goes to a chic bar for drinks with - guess who? - Hot Iranian Girl.  Ivy takes Karen to the theater bar for a drink and she's a total bitch about Karen getting stood up.  "Trouble in paradise?"  "If you're not comforting him, someone else is."  Karen storms off.  I love Ivy.

BTW, the movie theater appears to be Grand Central Station.  Seriously.

Tom is about to suffer a massive case of blue balls. 

Tom and Sam the straight acting gay have their date and end up at Tom's place, sipping cocktails.  Tom kisses Sam rather chastely and Sam says "whoa, I like to take it slow." It was one closed-mouth kiss.  From Sam's reaction, you'd think Tom dropped his pants, bent over and handed him the lube.  It turns out that Sam is an old fashioned guy who goes to church and feels that sex is holy.  He kisses Tom again teasingly and leaves.  Tom rubs one out.  OK, that didn't happen on screen, but it's a safe assumption.

Rebecca calls a meeting with Eileen, Derek, Tom, and Julia to discuss her latest suggestions for the show.  She's been a total pain in the ass the entire episode, asking for more dramatic scenes and less music.  But, just when you think she's going to ruin the musical, she comes up with sensible suggestions like lowering the keys and hiring a vocal coach.  Maybe she's going to work out after all.

Eileen has drinks with her hot Rough Trade bartender boyfriend.  She tells him she's had a PI investigate him and discovered some mob connections or something.  He's not pissed in the slightest, instead he probes her psyche and gets her to admit her fears.  Rough Trade is a sensitive guy.  

There's a new number about the Actors Studio and Rebecca nails it.  The entire episode has been about her inability to sing, yet she's amazing in this last number.  Ivy and Karen are pissed.

The previously-untalented Rebecca discovers her amazing singing voice.  

This episode was called The Movie Star.

The End.

Brief Blog Break

This will be a heavy week at work so I am anticipating that I won't be able to do any blogging.  Unfortunately, LC doesn't pay as much as my real job.  Sorry about that and see you again this weekend.

Monday's Man: Andrew Rannells

Wes and I just got back from a high level new-media conference with LC NY Bureau Chief Doug, but we did manage steal away for a bit to see The Book of Mormon starring the handsome, talented, dynamic Andrew Rannells.

I believe, Andrew! 

Working the tank and the hint of chest hair.

From the Tumblr blog The Hair of Andrew Rannells.  Note adorable castmate Rory O'Malley in the background.  

Photo shoot for WWD

Here he is on Jimmy Fallon, spreading the charm:



The Book of Mormon really is a must-see, so get to NYC ASAP and get a ticket any way you can.  Or, you could wait for the national tour starring Gavin Creel.  I recommend doing both.

Not That I'm Evesdropping, Ed Begley, Jr.

Ed is as tall as he is talkative plus he can still work a pair of jeans.

I was recently in New York engaging in some high-level New Media brainstorming with my NY Bureau Chief Doug, and Wes and I grabbed some late night grub at Joe Allen, the theater district institution. The hostess sat us next to none other than Ed Begley, Jr. and Jeff Goldblum and three other attractive people.  I'm sure the hostess assumed we were all friends, but actually I've never met Ed and Jeff.  So, I did my best New York cool bit and didn't stare or secretly take a picture with my phone. 

But Ed talks so loudly that I couldn't help overhearing him.  I promise I wasn't eavesdropping.  I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing.  Anyway, Ed went on and on and on about the environment and "cap and trade," and "Steven Chu Nobel Prize Winner" and "North Korea," blah, blah, blah.  Poor Jeff could hardly get a word in edgewise, particularly when Ed started in on his recovery from alcoholism (apparently Ed gave up drinking and became a bore).  It was like going to a 12-step meeting, except he was sharing his story in a loud voice in a public restaurant.  I won't elaborate, however let's just say Cindy Williams once saved his life.  As if you needed another reason to love Shirley Feeney. 

Saint Shirley

A very good-looking male table-mate with a magnificent ass was apparently trying to talk Jeff into opening a play (perhaps "Seminar" in which he is now starring on Broadway?) in LA because, if he does, "everybody will come because it'll be a big deal."  You heard it here first, Angelinos. 

Tall and handsome in person.

Smashcaps: Come On Eileen

Eileen pours out her troubles to Rough Trade Bartender Boyfriend

This episode was hyped as the week when the Movie Star would be revealed. What a come-on.  More later.

The show began with a group of whiny-ass investors in the rehearsal space bitching and moaning because the promised Movie Star wasn't there.  Eileen tells them that her flight was cancelled from Cuba and she'll be there ASAP.  She tells Derek that the Movie Star won't leave Cuba without her Cuban assistant who can't get out of the country.  No really, that's the story.  Cuba.  

Derek, Eileen, Julia and frog-faced Tom make Karen the understudy to Marilyn and tell her she gets to rehearse as Marilyn until the Movie Star arrives.  Ivy is, of course, not even considered for this after her drug and booze binge last week.  Speaking of which, Ivy is now out of Heaven and Earth and  Frog-faced Tom tells her that she can't get arrested in this town anymore, or words to that effect.  Ivy seems to be plotting her return although it's unclear just how she'll manage this.  Meanwhile, she's not too sad because she's banging Derek regularly and he's being totally sweet to her since he's not directing her any more.

Gorgeous John the Republican boyfriend sees Tom have a laugh with Sam the straight acting gay.  Tom touches Sam on the arm in a really butch way. 

Gorgeous John at the moment when he realizes his frog-faced boyfriend loves a straight-acting gay.

Gorgeous John immediately knows that Tom loves Sam and not him.  Don't ask me why, I don't make the rules of soap opera.  Later, after seeing fake Broadway show End of Daze, John tells Tom that he knows he really loves Sam and "lights up like a candle" when he's around Sam.  Sam club members always bring that out in guys.  It's a burden.  Anyway, Gorgeous John immediately leaves, presumably to find a better-looking boyfriend who's actually good in bed.  

Julia and sullen son talk about Brian d'Arcy James, who left the cheating bitch last week.  Julia is swilling down a fishbowl-sized glass of red wine.  When sullen son leaves the room, Julia snoops in his iPhone to get Brian's number.  Whore.

Later, Julia and Tom go to see a production of their first show, Three on a Match, in some high school gym somewhere and Julia runs out dramatically because she's so upset over Brian leaving her.  Whatever, I'm upset that Brian d'Arcy James is so wasted in this show.  Why isn't he singing?

Raza Jaffrey officially looses the press secretary job, probably because he kept his shirt on throughout the interview process.  If he had vowed to conduct all press conferences shirtless, he'd be Mr. Press Secretary right now.  Actually, Shirtless Press Secretary Starring Raza Jaffrey is a brilliant idea for a spin-off! Wait, even better, "Press Secretary by day, Stripper by night, Raza Jaffrey stars in Press This!"  I really should pitch that to NBC.  

So, Raza is feeling down on himself since he didn't get Press Secretary and he comes home to find Derek just leaving their building!  Derek made a special trip to their apartment just to apologize to Karen for coming on to her in the first episode.  It's totally out of character but the writers had to figure out some way to get him and Raza together.  Raza punches out Derek, spewing testerone all over the place.  Later, Raza asks Karen if she would leave New York with him if he got a job in another city.  She says "New York is where my dream is," or whatever and he gets pissed and storms out.  What an asshole.  He keeps his shirt on the entire time. 

Eileen humiliating distinguished Broadway investors.

Eileen's investors are getting all pissy because the Movie Star is still in Cuba (just go with it)  They're threatening to yank their money, making demands, and generally stressing out Eileen.  She goes to her favorite Lower East Side dive bar and pours out her troubles to her hunky, rough trade bartender boyfriend.  Rough Trade reaches behind the bar and pulls out a gigantic block of cash.  It wasn't in a safe or anything, it was just on a shelf in the bar, next to the olives.  He says that "a bar has to be liquid in more ways than one."  She is thrilled and totally ready to do him (as am I), but she's enough of a tease to tell him this isn't enough for her to be rid of the investors.  Rough Trade just happens to know a legendary rocker dude named Randy Cobra.  No really, that's his name.  Randy Cobra gives her a gazillion dollars without hesitation because Rough-trade is tapping her.  Eileen calls the whiny-ass investors down to the dive bar where she doesn't just burn her bridges with them, she goes all Bride on the River Kwai on them.  Randy Cobra literally sets their contracts on fire in front of their very eyes, violating God knows how many fire codes, while doing something vulgar with his tongue and generally humiliating these distinguished Broadway investors in public.  Apparently, Randy Cobra will finance every show Eileen will ever try to mount in the future because no other investor will ever work with her again.  But hey, she's got the bucks for Bombshell and she's fucking a hot bartender, so Win Win!    

      

Finally, when there's like 10 seconds left to the episode, the Movie Star appears!  It's Uma Thurman, but you knew that already.  

This episode was called The Understudy, and I get it.   

Study Finds The Obvious: Homophobes are Homosexuals

A recent study which analyzed four separate experiments in the US and Germany, has provided empirical evidence that homophobia is a manifestation of repressed sexuality.

"Individuals who identify as straight but in psychological tests show a strong attraction to the same sex may be threatened by gays and lesbians because homosexuals remind them of similar tendencies within themselves."

--Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex in England, the study's lead author.

This isn't the first scientific study to find a link between homophobia and repressed homosexuality, but in this age when anti-gay crusaders shamelessly spread their ugliness on TV on a regular basis, but it's nice to see further evidence of their pathology.  Read all about it here.   You can read about the 1996 University of Georgia study here.

The take-away for the closet cases?  The best cover is an open mind. An outspoken homophobe might as well wrap up in a rainbow flag and call himself Mary, it's that obvious.

   

Quote of the Day

"What has happened since 1960 is that organized groups, like the Southern Baptist Council and other religious groups, have in fact become self-consciously political.  They have become fused with one political party, the Republican Party - a party that is now defined by a particular religious faith, evangelicalism or far-right Catholic hierarchy. And that is making many people feel that faith in Jesus is about politics and power and partisanship, in ways that's turning off an entire generation.  The biggest growth in any belief sector in this country has been atheism."

--Andrew Sullivan, speaking on yesterday's Face The Nation on the merging of politics and religion and the resulting rise in atheism.  Here is the clip:

Via Raw Story

Monday's Man: Camilo Villegas

I was watching the Masters coverage this weekend, so I was in a golfing mood when selecting this week's Monday's Man.  I thought about Louis Oosterhuizen or Bubba Watson, and they're great golf champions, but they're really not that cute.  Then I came across this picture of Colombian Camilo Villegas and knew I had a winner:

No wonder ESPN Magazine chose him for the Body Issue.  

Apparently this is a signature move of his.  I'm guessing he's into yoga.  

There's one more, and it's even less safe for work than the first one, so I put it below the jump.  Click and see for yourself:

Happy Easter!

I hope your bonnet wins first prize!

JC Penney Lays Off 600

The JC Penney company has announced that it is laying off 600 people at its Plano, TX corporate headquarters. This is all part of a major corporate reorganization which includes their new retail strategy.  The company is planning to reduce expenses to 27% of sales by 2015.  I know a few people who work there and my heart goes out to them.  Even if their jobs are safe, it's incredibly stressful to work at a place during major layoffs.

Of course, the One Million Minus 960,000+ Moms will blame it all on Penney's decision to hire Ellen as their spokeswoman.  Wait for a post out of Colorado Springs gloating that 600 people have lost their jobs due to Penney's "promotion of the homosexual lifestyle."  Never mind that JC Penney has been in trouble for years, and this reorganization may be the company's salvation.  

Actually, I went to a new JC Penney store recently and they had some really cool stuff at incredible prices.  It was my first time in a Penney's in years and I plan to go back.  I appreciate how the company stood up to the bullies and stood by Ellen.

Are Smart Glasses in our Future?

Google has posted several pictures on Google + of cute people wearing so called "augmented glasses," ie, glasses with sort of a heads-up computer display.  Here's a video:


Will this be the next big thing in technology?  Will they be super cool like the iPhone?  Or, will they be uncool like, well, Google+.  I think I'd find them annoying. Remember those bluetooth ear pieces that only ever worked on Lt. Uhura?  They were supposed to be super cool, but instead they became the hot ticket for middle aged real estate agents.

They may be available as early as later this year and could be priced like a smartphone.

If they make everybody who wears them look as cool as this guy, they'll be a smash.

The danger is, they might make us look like this guy.  Got to keep in touch with those hot used car prospects.  

MIttmentum

Romney swept Wisconsin, Maryland, and DC last night.  Can we stop pretending that it's a contest anymore?  The press has already started ignoring Newt Gingrich, when will they do us all a favor and stop acting like Santorum has a chance?

SmashCaps: Go Ask Ivy

When she's ten feet tall.

I know most of you probably got the "White Rabbit: illusion in the title, but I thought I'd hit you over the head with it until you've lost all ability to discern subtlety, in the spirit of Smash.

This week's episode was entitled "Hell on Earth" and for once, I get it.  First off, Tom discovers that gorgeous John the lawyer and perfect boyfriend is a Republican!  Talk about hell on earth!  So much for being a perfect boyfriend.  I actually don't buy John as a gay Republican because he doesn't seem at all self-loathing or closeted.  John talks Tom into going to a gay Republican fund raiser which was attended by roughly 50 times more tight-assed gay Republicans than exist in captivity, much less New York.  Hell, I live in Dallas and I know maybe one gay Republican, and his ass is anything but tight, but I digress.  John introduces a handsome young man who is a gay Republican actually running for Congress.  Have these writers not been paying attention to the GOP primaries?  If they'll boo a gay soldier in Afghanistan, what will they'll do to a gay Congressional candidate?  Exorcism?  Crucifixion?  When was the last time you heard of a gay person running for office as a Republican?  And I don't mean closeted.

So, Ivy and Sam the straight acting gay go to dinner and a gazillion prescription drug bottles fall out of Ivy's purse.  Remember how sensitive she was to antibiotics?  Well, overnight she's Neely O'Hara with a bag full of DOLLS.  Sam is concerned.  He's a good guy, like everyone in the Sam Club.

Ivy arrives late for an orange juice commercial audition - because of the DOLLS!  She literally bumps into Karen Cartwright because New York is such a small town, you know.  A voice off camera says of Karen, "she really nailed it."  Curses!  Foiled by Karen again!  When they bump into each other, they drop their Jackie O sunglasses and accidentally switch them.  If you think this will prove to be a crucial plot point, you've been paying attention.

The wasted Brian d'Arcy James figures out that Julia's been cheating on him because he finds a particularly emotional new song she's written.  I know, but just go with it.  He confronts her.  She cries and feels really guilty.  He stalks out of the house which takes a while because their New York home is the size of San Simeon.

Michael Riedel of the New York Post has a surprisingly well-acted cameo as himself.  Eileen invites a new director to dinner and Michael just happens by.  Naturally, it's in the Post the next day and Derek is totally pissed.  That Eileen.  She knows how to grab a man by the balls.

Do you read Michael Riedel in The Post?  You really must because he's deliciously bitchy.

Ellis, the conniving - but straight! - assistant, has now become Eileen's full-time assistant.  Eileen and Derek are looking for a star to play Marilyn.  Ellis realizes he knows the gay manager of a star they're considering.  Ellis offers his body to the gay manager in exchange for a phone call from said star to Eileen the next day.  We don't see Ellis debase himself, much to my dismay, but we know it happened because the call happens.  Ellis tries to use this as leverage to convince Eileen to make him a producer on Marilyn the Musical instead of an assistant.  Eileen tells him to fuck himself, or words to that effect.  I love Eileen.  She doesn't fire him, though, which she totally should.

Ivy is back in the chorus of Heaven on Earth and she's got an attitude problem.  Backstage, she takes more DOLLS so you know trouble's brewing.  Just in case you haven't figured out that Ivy is becoming Marilyn Monroe, she gazes into the mirror, holding up a prescription bottle, while a picture of Marilyn stuck in the frame looks back at her.  Get it? She's Marilyn!  She's on drugs and she's destroying herself, get it?  Get it?  Can I hit you in the head with a 2X4 just to make sure you get that Ivy is Marilyn?

Ivy passes out, face first on the dressing room floor that she shares with several other chorus girls, none of whom are there, conveniently.  There's pounding on the door, OMG she's about to miss her cue!  She rallies, giggles like Marilyn (have you noticed that Ivy is Marilyn?).  She staggers around the stage and falls again.

The Heaven on Earth star (played by actual star Norbert Leo Butz) hisses "get the hell off my stage", and Ivy runs out of the theater.  This is a neat trick, considering she was unable to stand seconds ago.  Oh yeah, remember the sunglasses?  Karen chose that exact moment to return Ivy's sunglasses, backstage, during the show.  Karen saw Ivy's ultimate humiliation.  Bad luck, Ivy!

Karen follows Ivy out of the theater and they walk around Times Square.  Ivy is still in her wings and halo which isn't particularly unusual in Times Square.  Ivy heads for a liquor store and Karen gives her money for vodka, which is what anyone would do for an obvious addict who just hit rock bottom.  They walk around Times Square swilling vodka for a while, then they break into a song and dance number.  No really, that's what happened.

I hope to hell they don't become friends.  Eventually, Karen takes Ivy home and sees her safely to bed.

During all this, Tom gets a call from Sam the straight acting gay about Ivy's crisis.  This rescues him from the gay Republican fundraiser because he has to go help her.  He never actually does.  Instead, he and Sam sit and talk at an all-night diner. They're dying to get into each other's pants, but clearly we're going to have to wait another episode or two.

The wasted Brian d'Arcy James confronts leading man Michael outside the Westway Diner.  LC NY Bureau Chief Doug slouches in a booth, taking notes, enjoying an egg salad sand (I recommend it).  Michael lets slip that this isn't the first time he and Julia have had an affair.  Brian slugs Michael.  Brian goes home, packs his bags, then confronts Julia.  She's all crying and shit but Brian is in a righteous rage.  He dashes out of the house with his bags, which again, takes a while because their living room is like two football fields.

Julia channels her grief into finally creating a title for the musical. All along you thought it was title Marilyn, the Musical, didn't you?  It's now called Bombshell.  It took them this long to come up with the most obvious name possible for a musical about Marilyn Monroe.  

The end.

True Blood, You're Such a Tease

Here's the first teaser trailer from True Blood.  It looks like the big news will be the return of the ambiguously gay Fellowship of the Sun preacher, who is now a creature of the dark, and he's set his sights on Jason.

Anything Goes With Jonathan Groff

One of the best things I've ever seen on stage was Sutton Foster in Anything Goes.  Apparently, super-adorable Jonathan Groff loved it as much as I did.  Check him out, along with a bevy of dancing boys and girls, taking on the 8-minute, show-stopper that closed the first act:

Monday's Man: Kim Ji Hoon

I was casting about, wondering who to feature as this week's Monday's Man when I came across this picture:

This is Korean actor/underwear model Kim Ji Hoon.  One glance and I knew he'd be a mighty fine addition.   Besides, "Actor/Underwear Model" is my favorite job description.

Like all young men in South Korea, he had to serve an enlistment in the Army.  I do love a man in uniform.  I wonder if his training included this?  He's due to be discharged in May, 2012.