The Hottest, Gayest, Weirdest Things You'll See this Week (NSFW Version)

Grrrr...

Well, several of the links maybe NSFW. Nothing visible on this post is, though.

Broadway Cares has been a major supporter of those in the theatre community affected by and with HIV/AIDS. They were major supporters of the JTMF silent auctions, providing autographed show posters and other memorabilia, as well as the many hundreds of red ribbons we gave out each year. I made my first donation directly to a cast member after seeing Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria at the Marquis. Several events have sprung from the group including the amazing Broadway Flea Market and the annual 'naughty' revue known as "Broadway Bares" (featuring some of the Great White Way's hottest performers wearing nothing - or very little more - than a smile). This year's theme is 'Rock Hard' (get it?), celebrating rock musicals. Advocate.com has the full story (featuring some possibly NSFW shots of hot boys' butts) here, if you are so inclined.

The fuzz-lovers at Accidental Bear had two items that piqued my interest. First was a video trailer for a new magazine (Ugh! That's a thing now, too? Bad enough when they started doing them for novels... but I digress) called 'Good Boys in Trouble,' which appears to be some sort of Fashion/Lifestyle cyber-magazine for Cubs. Check that out here. 

The other story that caught my eye was the weirdest and certainly most NSFW thing about this post.

Uber-hottie Ryan Gosling appeared in a rather amazing and quirky 2007 film (which I remember loving)  called Lars and the Real Girl, about an awkward young man who invents a relationship with a customized vinyl doll he purchased online. The premise is based on a real-world industry in which a subculture of introverts has come to rely on these 'artificials' for companionship. One company which provides these anatomically correct companions is Sinthetics - link NSFW - (I can't decide if I love or hate that pun). They not only have quite a broad selection of models from which to choose (including 'accessories'), they also seem to pride themselves on how realistic their products are (ew). You can see their VERY NSFW photos and videos here, again if you so inclined. I'm hoping you'd rather see Lars...

More, anon.
Prospero

World AIDS Day 2013

 I spent World AIDS day painting my bathroom. Of course, that hardly means I ignored the day, even if I spent most of it painting my bathroom.

I won't get into who I've lost or why this cause is so important to me and many people I know and love. It shouldn't really matter. HIV/AIDS is still a global killer. AIDS doesn't care if you are straight or gay; black or white; Hispanic or Asian; African or American. The HIV virus works on the same imperatives we all do: live; feed; reproduce. That's all it cares about (not that a virus actually cares about anything). 

AIDS is NOT just a 'gay' disease. HIV doesn't care or know who it infects or kills. It simply wants to follow those imperatives, and it does so, quite well.

I have personally lost at least two friends (one of them an ex) to AIDS. Some folks I know have lost more.

I encourage all of my readers to give to AIDS-fighting charities like amFAR, The Hyacinth Foundation or even JTMF (or any organization dedicated to the eradication of this insidious virus. It is my dream to see a cure/virus in my lifetime. I hope you feel the same.

More, anon.
Prospero

Sex, Lies and Pat Roberston

Pants on Fire

Pat Robertson continues to be one of the worst human beings alive. I'm not saying this because I'm gay. I'm saying this because I am a rational human being. 

Listen, I have no problem admitting I am a Secular Humanist. I also have no problem with people who are religious. I have a dear friend of over 35 years who is an Episcopal priest. My own sister is a devout Christian. Neither of them have condemned me to hell because of my innate sexuality. They take the New Testament at it's word: "Love thy neighbor as thou wouldst love thyself." They also know that many of the things in the Old Testament were written before the rise of Science and Reason.

But there are plenty of uninformed, frightened and honestly ignorant 'Christians' who fall for the kind of fear-mongering their religious leaders use to keep them in line (i.e. 'donating'). These preachers continue to use and abuse the Bible to further their own agendas, threatening their followers with eternal damnation if they don't agree with their vitriol. Among the worst offenders is Pat Robertson, who hosts the "700 Club" (founded by the very publicly disgraced Jim Bakker). Robertson's obviously loony claims include telling a woman whose husband had cheated on her that she should make a home so nice he wouldn't want to stray. But earlier this week, Robertson made what is probably his most insane claim, ever:

"The Stuff" to which Robertson refers is HIV/AIDS. And while there are admittedly a very few equally insane people who do want to infect others and even fewer and even more insane folks who actually seek out infection (more on that in another post, someday), Robertson's story about HIV+ people in San Francisco using special rings to infect innocent people with AIDS is probably the singularly most preposterous statement I've ever heard. And I'm not the only one to think so:

Thankfully, the folks at CBN (The Christian Broadcasting Network) recognized Robertson's ramblings as false and didn't air that particular segment, but that didn't stop his hateful claim from being posted online for everyone to see.

Personally, I don't understand how any educated person in the 21st Century still believes that homosexuality is a product of demonic possession; the result of sexual abuse; influenced by other gay people or a deliberate choice. Having never been possessed, abused, influenced nor having deliberately chosen my sexuality (as has no one else, ever) I find myself both alternately wanting to punch Robertson in his nose, asking him when he 'chose' to be straight and sitting down with him and explaining just how wrong he is.

Here's the thing: As long as there are superstitious, uneducated people, Robertson and his ilk will continue to influence their opinions. Using fear; threats; misinformation and outright lies to propagate prejudice, people like Robertson, Vladimir Putin, the most recent former Pope; the head of the ROC; Robert Mugabe and various Hindu and Muslim leaders will do everything they can to keep their followers from recognizing Truth.

Ignorance is not bliss, folks. It is death. Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning and with the recent SCOTUS rulings, the U.S. is well on the way toward joining the 21st Century in recognizing that LGBT people are deserving the same Human Rights as our straight counterparts. For the first time in my lifetime, I have hope that I will not die a second-class citizen, something I honestly never thought I'd live to see. The times are indeed, a-changing. 

I just hope that those who refuse to accept reality will eventually realize that if they don't grow, learn and accept the truth, they will leave a legacy of ignorance and hate for future generations to scorn and ridicule.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in Behind the Candelabra

It's been a while since I've done a "Gayest Thing" post, but I think this movie warrants one. 

I'm still not sure how I feel about HBO's upcoming film Behind the Candelabra. When I was kid in the 60's and 70's (I keep telling you I'm old), Liberace was a huge star, as famous for his diamond-encrusted pianos and feathered capes as he was for his prodigious talent as a pianist. He loved performing and loved his fans, most of whom were middle-aged straight ladies who imagined the fairly attractive son of Polish immigrants could be theirs for the asking. Liberace was so popular, he even appeared on "Batman" as concert pianist Chandell and his evil twin, Harry who goaded Chandell into becoming the villain "Fingers." In real life, Liberace was born with a twin brother who didn't survive and parodies of him often refer to his brother 'George.' His flamboyant life of excess came to an end in 1987 when he died of AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 67. Though he was sued for palimony by former chauffeur and alleged lover Scott Thorson in 1982, Liberace denied his homosexuality up until his death. Thorson settled out of court for $95K. At one time the highest paid performer in the world, Liberace supposedly made Thorson have cosmetic surgery in order to make him look like a younger version of himself. 

Director Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike; Contagion) and HBO have teamed up to bring us Behind the Candelabra, screenwriter Richard LaGravense's take on the tumultuous three-year relationship between Lee (as Liberace's friends knew him) and Thorson. Michael Douglas plays Liberace and Matt Damon is Thorson. As seen in the trailer below, Douglas went out of his way to study and emulate Liberace's iconic vocal patterns, while Damon obviously buffed up to play the flamboyant entertainer's boy-toy:

Rob Lowe; Dan Ackroyd; Cheyenne Jackson; Debbie Reynolds; Scott Bakula and Paul Reiser all have supporting roles (all of whom may well prove far more interesting to see than Douglas and Damon) in what promises to be an exploitative and over-the-top movie from one of the most innovative directors in Hollywood. Uncle P is actually considering subscribing to HBO just to see this film, though in all honestly, I'll probably wait until it's on Netflix or available on DVD. 

Honestly, does it get any gayer than this?

More, anon.
Prospero

A Painful, Personal Story

World AIDS Day 2011 is winding to a close, just as the JTMF Winter Event is about to begin. And while I am proud to be a part of the James Tolin Memorial Fund, I wish it never existed. 

James passed away in 2002, after a valiant 10-year fight against HIV/AIDS. I never knew the man, but from all accounts, we would have been great friends. And I have to mourn the loss of a potential friend, almost as much as I mourn the loss of dear, sweet Scott. When Scott passed away in 1986, there were no agencies to provide support for those afflicted. There were lots of scared people; nurses who wouldn't touch him; friends and family members who abandoned him and a President who didn't care.

About two weeks before Scott passed away, I went on my weekly visit to the hospital where I had watched him literally waste away before my eyes. I walked into the ward and had to take a breath - he was nearly skeletal, his skin covered in KS lesions and his hair almost gone. He saw me and started to cry. I walked over to his bed and kissed his forehead. "Why are crying?" I asked. 

"You're the only one..."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the only one who keeps coming back." 

Fighting back the tears, I just sat and held him for a while. When I realized he had stopped crying, I looked down and saw he had fallen asleep. I moved to the chair next to his bed and sat, watching him. It was one of the few times I'd seen him in a long time where his face wasn't wracked with pain. A nurse, wearing gloves and a mask came in and asked me if I wanted a mask. I said "No, thank you," and she woke Scott up to take a pill. After she left, he said "Why do still come? Aren't you afraid?"

"No," I said and he started to cry again.

I saw Scott twice more, after that. The first time, he'd had a bit of a rally and we spent most of the visit laughing and joking. The last time I saw him, he was in and out of consciousness; hallucinating and terrified, though he recognized me and seemed to calm down when I talked to him. When I went back the next week, his bed was empty and no one would tell me what had happened because I wasn't family. When I got home, I called his father, who hung up on me. His mother lived in Florida and I had no idea how to find her (this was before the Internet - yes, I am that old), but I finally managed to track down his sister who told me that Scott had indeed, died. He was cremated. There was no funeral; no obituary. They were too ashamed to acknowledge he'd even existed. 

I've never told this entire story to anyone. My family would have been appalled if they'd known I was visiting an AIDS ward every week. My father would have had a stroke. My sister was just too young to fully understand and my mother would have been afraid I would get sick. It was a terrible secret to keep, but I am glad I was there for Scott when no one else was.

It's been 30 years since AIDS was named, and 30 million people world-wide (gay and straight) have died from it. 30 million. 30,000,000. Think about that number.

AIDS diagnoses have been on the decline in the U.S., but continue to rise in Third World countries. President Obama gave a rather hopeful speech today, but the disease is still with us. People are still dying. I hope Mr. Obama is right and that this is the beginning of the end of AIDS. Too many wonderful, talented, loving and just plain good people have been lost. 

This isn't the post I thought it would be. I didn't mean to bring you all down. There is hope. Research and education are the best defenses against this insidious disease and every little bit you can do, helps. I know times are tough. I know that Christmas is coming. But if you have a dollar or two to spare, please consider donating to an AIDS charity, There's still so much work to be done. Here's a list of a few charities dedicated to eradicating HIV/AIDS:

AMFAR

The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation

The Hyacinth Foundation

The James Tolin Memorial Fund

Please consider making a donation to any one of these or other organizations which are trying  to make AIDS an unfortunate footnote in human history.

More, anon.
Prospero

I'm Excited

So, it's been a long, cold winter without a show for your Uncle P, though to be honest, that's mostly by choice. The older I get (no cracks from the Peanut Gallery, please - Oh, that's a give-away), the more I'm inclined to work on writing than performing. Still, the prospect of directing another show for the JTMF has me feeling young again.

As you probably know, this year's show is Del Shores' Sordid Lives, a black comedy about a white trash family from Southern Texas, gathering and preparing for the funeral of their matriarch Peggy, who died when she hit her head on a motel room sink, after tripping over the wooden legs of the Vietnam vet with whom she'd been having an affair.

A JTMF show is unlike any other I've ever done in more than 30 years of live theatre experience. Artists gather to not only honor the memory of a fallen comrade, but to raise money for both AIDS support groups and Arts Education charities. We only do three performances, two of which feature a gala reception and silent auction. All ticket sales go to the Open Arms Foundation and the James Tolin Memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community College. A JTMF show is like working with family and egos are set aside for our common goal. I have been privileged to direct 5 of the 7 shows we've done, while appearing in the first two. This is our 8th year, and we are thrilled to still be doing what we do.

Auditions for the show are this coming Saturday, and while I admit that some roles have already been cast with actors I know will give the kinds of performances I am looking for, I am always excited to meet and cast people who have something new to bring to our considerable (and ever-growing) talent pool.

Tickets to this year's event are already available at the Kelsey Theater website. If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a secure donation via PayPal, you can do so at the JTMF website, www.jtmf.org.

If you are on the West Coast or in Canada, you can also help by visiting our sister organization, JTMF West in Edmonton, Alberta. The JTMF West will be holding their first fund raising event next weekend, April 17th at the Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton.

More, anon.
Prospero

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is almost over and I sort of feel guilty... I didn't even wear a red ribbon today.

As many of you know, I am a founding board member of the James Tolin Memorial Fund , a non-profit which produces an annual theatrical event to raise money for both Arts Education and support services for NJ residents living with HIV/AIDS. In June of 2009, the JTMF will be producing Paul Rudnick's play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. The event will include a catered reception and a silent auction with loads of fabulous items up for bid. It will also honor the memory of a local actor who was lost to AIDS-related illness in 2001.

There is no denying that HIV/AIDS is a devastating illness which affects millions, worldwide (mostly in Africa and other under-developed regions). Still, HIV infection among young Americans (mostly African-Americans and Latinos) is on the rise. In Africa, ignorance, pride and fear are the greatest contributors to the disease. In the U.S., it's hubris. Advancement in medicine has greatly extended the life-expectancy among those infected, so many no longer see it as a threat. But make no mistake, AIDS kills.

When first identified in the early 80's, the Reagan administration did little (if anything) to support research and funding into its cure. That is, without a doubt, the result of the perception that AIDS is a "gay disease." The truth is, HIV/AIDS infections are higher among straights than gays, worldwide. And while education and safe-sex practices are still the best defense against this horrible disease, most people still think of it as a "gay disease." And there are still those members of the Religious Right who believe that AIDS is God's punishment for homosexuality. How sad.

So now, in the last half-hour of World AIDS Day, I urge everyone of you reading this to do something, anything, to help stop the spread of this pernicious and devastating disease. Write to Congress and urge more funding. Put a dollar in a collection jar. Attend a fund-raiser. Talk to your children about using condoms. Use a condom yourself. Every little bit helps. Just remember, the life you save may be that of someone you love (or even your own).

More movies, anon.

Prospero