The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

That's Major League Soccer player David Testo in a still from an interview with the CBC's Radio Canada, coming out publicly. OutSports.com has the story (via). Testo, who until recently played for the Montreal Impact, was a soccer star at both the University of South Carlina and North Carolina and played professionally for the Richmond Kickers and the Columbus Crew before being drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps. He was just let go by Montreal and is looking for a new team. He says he regrets not coming out sooner and that living as a closeted gay man was "incredibly difficult" (Ya think?).

Uncle P has always thought that soccer (while boring as hell) has the hottest players. I can only hope that other gay athletes will follow Mr. Testo's lead and come out. The more that do, the easier it will get for others who are afraid, including LGBT youth who need as many inspirational folks to whom they look up, as possible. It really is getting better...

In other LGBT news, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the "Respect for Marriage Act" in a 10 to 8 vote, moving the repeal of DOMA that much closer to reality. Of course, the repeal of DOMA would pave the way for national Marriage Equality. I am sure that the morons at NOM are having apoplectic fits over this news. You can read all about it over at Towleroad.

Finally, while not particularly gay, TV's gayest show "Glee" has an upcoming mashup of gay icon Adele's "Rumor Has It" and "Someone Like You" featured on next week's episode (Hmm... maybe it's pretty gay, afterall). Anyway, gorgeous "Glee" cast members Amber Riley ('Mercedes') and Naya Rivera ('Santana') tear it up:

Wow! After this week's "West Side Story" episode, I can't wait to see next week's show. 

More, anon.
Prospero

Unconditional Love

The Most Adorable Boy on TV

I have already shared what I'm about to talk about on Facebook, but I think it deserves as wide an audience as possible, so I'm talking about here as well.

You all know I've officially declared Darren Criss The Most Adorable Boy on Television (and one of the few reasons I still watch "Glee"). Uncle P may be getting on in years, but that doesn't mean he can't appreciate beautiful (not to mention talented) things when he sees them. But this post isn't about me. Or Darren Criss. It's about two amazing parents and a very self-aware child who they love no matter what.

You may remember Nerdy Apple Bottom, the NY wife of a cop who defended her young son's choice to wear a Daphne (of "Scooby-Doo") costume to school last Halloween. Now comes this post from Gets Too Obsessed, who told the story of her six year-old son's crush on Blaine (Criss' "Glee" character) and his admission that he only wants to kiss boys. Here's an excerpt:

Then the other day we were traveling across the state listening to the Warblers album (of course), and in the middle of Candles, my son pipes up from the back seat.

“Mommy, Kurt and Blaine are boyfriends.”

“Yes, they are,” I affirm.

“They don’t like kissing girls.  They just kiss boys.”

“That’s true.”

“Mommy, they are just like me.”

“That’s great, baby.  You know I love you no matter what?”

“I know…” I could hear him rolling his eyes at me.

When we got home I recapped this conversation to his Dad, and we stood simply looking into each other’s eyes for a moment.  Then we smiled.

“So if at 16 he wants to make a big announcement at the dinner table, we can say ‘You told us when you were six.  Pass the carrots’ and he’ll be disappointed we stole his big dramatic moment,” my husband says with a laugh and hugs me.

Only time will tell if my son is gay, but if he is I am glad he’s mine.  I am glad he has been born into our family.  A family full of people who will love and accept him.  People who will never want him to change.  With parents who will look forward to dancing at his wedding.

And I have to admit, Blaine would be a really cute son-in-law.

Wow! Just... Wow! I can't imagine better parents than these two. Can you imagine how much better the world would be if every parent was so accepting, so loving and so nonjudgmental? The Ann Coulters, Rick Perrys, Rick Santorums and Michelle Bachmanns of the world would cease to have relevance. NOM, Maggie Gallagher and her supporters would be universally ridiculed and the Westboro Baptists would melt like the Wicked Witch under a bucket of love. 

And to be honest, I can't blame the boy for crushing on Blaine:

Here's the thing: No matter who or what your child is; no matter who or how they love; no matter what happens in their lives, your children are a direct reflection of you. Love your children; support your children and let them know that no matter what, you will always love them. Gay, straight, bi or trans, your children deserve your love and support no matter what.

To parents who don't get it, or think that God hates their gay/bi/trans child - you are wrong. And you know that in your heart. Please share that post with everyone you know. Love is never wrong. Hate is always wrong. Don't confuse the two. 

Another rant over.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

That's Darren Criss, currently the most adorable young man on TV. A very talented vocalist and actor who isn't too hard on the ole peepers, Criss' "Glee" character Blaine is a role model for young gay men who are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.

I think it's no secret that I'm a "Gleek." I've pretty much loved the show since it first aired, and I suppose it's because I was a high school Chorus and Drama Club geek, myself. Of course, in those days, small town gay boys were all as closeted as I was and we had no role models to tell us it was okay.

Yes, "Glee" is inconsistent in its writing (as my friend Jonathan is always quick to point out) and certainly unbelievable (as every musical ever made is). But at it's heart, "Glee" is a show about surviving the worst four years of your life with the support and encouragement of like-minded friends who, despite all their differences and personal dramas, manage to come together to produce something bigger than themselves as individuals. It's about the best in ourselves, flying our freak flags and damn everyone and anyone who thinks we're lame.

On last night's episode, Blaine and Kurt (Golden Globe winner Chris Colfer) finally shared their first and second kiss - something we Gleeks have been waiting for almost all season:

Of course, no one jumped and screamed and carried on at my house when Blaine finally kissed Kurt (except maybe in my head), but that doesn't mean other folks didn't. Check out this video (via) of some fans Gleeking out over it:

The episode also included several original songs (a first for the show), the best of which was the song that won New Directions the Regionals, while taking down their arch-enemy, Sue Sylvester (the amazing Jane Lynch) "Loser Like Me":

And in totally unrelated gay news, the Chinese may not be very progressive when it comes to Democracy, but they certainly have no problem when it comes to addressing the sexual safety of it's gay countrymen. I was blown away (no pun intended) when I stumbled across this hilariously cute Chinese condom ad (no translations necessary - may be NSFW):

Wow. There's no denying who that ad is aimed at...

Personally, I view these video clips as progress for both American and Chinese television... The LGBT community is finally starting to be recognized as something other than comedic foils on television. And that's a really, really good thing. More, please.

More, anon.

Prospero

Zombie Double Rainbow

So, regular readers already know that Uncle P is a "Gleek." And while this past Sunday's post-Superbowl episode may not have been the best ever, it sure ranked among this season's best so far.

The taunting and Slushie-dumping has gone too far, so Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Coach Beiste (Dot Jones) join forces, making the dissenting members of the football team join Glee Club for at least a week to participate in the Championship game's half-time show. Of course the football players, led by the closeted Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) rebel at first, thinking Glee Club is "gay." Meanwhile, Cheerios' coach and series villain Sue Sylvester (the always brilliant and hilarious Jane Lynch) hatches a plan to shoot poor, dimwitted Brittany (Heather Morris) out of circus canon during the Cheerleading Championship.

In the end (Spoiler Alert) the jocks relent, proving the joy of performing far outweighs the price of winning. Brittany, Santana and Quinn abandon Sue for Glee; Rachel, Mercedes and Tina take one for the team and Sue is left fuming over events completely (for once) out of her control. It was nice to see the good guys win for a change, though to be honest, in the real world Sue Sylvester would have been fired ages ago. And there was the extra-special schadenfreude of Sue getting a back tattoo of herself with her name misspelled. "It's Slyvester, right?"

Meanwhile, over at the private boys' school, Kurt and his adorable crush Blaine (Darren Criss) chime in with a completely unrelated cover of "Bills, Bills, Bills," which only went to show that Ryan Murphy and company still have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Of course, "Glee" is hardly representative of the "real world." In my high school, the football team participated in the musical (they were the Seabees in South Pacific my senior year) and I can remember the Captain of the football team (my understudy as Emile) telling me he was terrified at the prospect of going on in my place. 

The 70's were a weird time and while I can't imagine a conversation like that taking place today, I certainly hope that modern high school jocks and performers have the same kind of respect for one another. And I look forward to the day when Murphy allows Karofsky to acknowledge his sexuality in a healthy and supportive way. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy "Glee" for what it is: the first ever successful musical TV series.

More, anon.

Prospero

Weird, Wild, Adorable and Gay, All in One Post

I was having issues with Blogger last night, so this is going to a big ole combo post.

That's the teaser poster for Apollo 18, the latest "found footage" movie. It's a fictional account of a real event, the 1970 aborted Apollo 18 mission to the moon. It's listed on IMDb as being in "pre-production," but with a release date of March, I must assume shooting is about to begin any day now. Written by first-timer Brian Miller and directed by Gonzalo Lopez (the 2008 Spanish thriller Enbrion), Apollo 18 apparently posits an alien encounter on the moon. I just love that tagline: "There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon."

Of course, it's certainly not the only 'found-footage' movie scheduled for next year. We've already seen the teaser for J.J. Abrams' next film, Super 8 (what the hell is in that train car?) and now comes this super-weird bit of whackness from District 9 director Neil Blomkamp:

It sort of reminds me of the whole Montauk Monster thing from a few years ago.

Now that I've covered the Weird and the Wild, let's move on to the Adorable. I've already gone on about how adorable I find "Glee"'s newest cast member, Darren Criss. His cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" has become the fastest selling "Glee" single ever. And while last week's episode of "Glee" served to remind me of exactly why I love the show in the first place, this week's episode was actually even better. Not only did it finally address the gay-bullying issue, it had the wedding between Finn's mother and Kurt's father, which featured a tribute to the famous JK Wedding Dance viral video. And as an added bonus, the amazing Carol Burnett (who so generously donated to the JTMF 5th Anniversary Silent Auction) as Sue Sylvester's Nazi-hunting mother. Could it get any better? Maybe...

Here's a sneak peak of Criss and Chris Colfer (Kurt) performing Train's over-used "Hey, Soul Sister" (though in this case, I'm willing to listen to it again):

If I were 20 years younger...

Which weirdly brings us to the gay portion of tonight's post. Via Towleroad come these next two videos. First up, NYC drag performer Sherry Vine in a parody of Katy Perry's (why is she so parody-able?) "Firework." Here's "Firecrotch!":

And from the same boys who gave us the gay versions of Katy Perry's "Peacock" and "California Gurls," (see what I mean?) comes this version of Ke$ha's "We R Who We R:"

Did I miss anything? I don't think so...

Tomorrow will be the last Turkey of the Month posts and I think I've found something really special to celebrate the turkiest of holidays. 

I wish you and yours the very best, this Thanksgiving. Uncle P gets a bit sentimental this time of year, so be forewarned that there may be some uncharacteristic sentimentality in forthcoming posts. If you are reading this from outside the U.S. (as I know a few of my few followers are), you won't really get the turkey jokes, but trust me, here they are hilarious.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Gayest Things You'll See This Friday

Well, thanks to many factors, there was plenty of LGBT news I missed out on reporting last month, so I suppose I'm making up for it tonight.

First, you've heard me mention 'my angel,' Matty many times. Matty is one of the most talented young actors I've ever had the privilege to direct. Matty has become a very dear friend and I  have become a mentor to him on many levels. He appeared in my production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and was the Assistant Stage Manager for last summer's production of Sordid Lives. We both love Horror movies (and are seeing one together this coming Sunday); we both love the theatre and we are both writers. He's the son (in a totally non-creepy way, I promise) I never had and I love when I get to crow about his accomplishments. And crow, I shall.

Recently, Matty made headlines when he and his friend Bobby potentially broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Continuous Kiss. A student at the school where I studied Theatre (and where I 'discovered' him in a 24-hour play contest), Matty is true Force of Nature and I have no doubt he will go on to make quite a mark on the world. And part of that mark will be a new documentary called Our Lips Are Sealed, detailing the events surrounding his and Bobby's new record.

I am so very proud to know and be a friend of this remarkable young man.

In other Gayest news, its no secret that the adorable Darren Criss (pictured above and formerly of ABC's prematurely canceled "Eastwick") has been cast as Kurt's (Chris Colfer) boyfriend on Fox's megahit musical, "Glee." Thanks to Towleroad, here's the first clip of Criss singing in an all-boys high school choir and their (almost) acappella version of "Teenage Dream:"

Gay teens all over America are sighing in delight, right now.

And this past August, in another Gayest Thing post, I embedded the video for openly gay rapper Cazwell's song "Ice Cream Truck," which featured a series of NYC hotties grinding and licking ice-pops while Caz rapped about a hot boy he met in a school yard. Well, also via Towleroad, comes Philadelphia's version (for Bear-lovers and Chubby Chasers only):

Finally, Al Gore's Current TV has this to say about Reality TV Judges:

Make sure you check out tomorrow's Zombie Zone post, where I wax poetic about AMC's newest original series "The Walking Dead," among other zombie-related news. And stop back here on Sunday, where I'll be talking about the JTMF's first ever winter production, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest (and Least Talented) Things You'll See This Week

That's gay director Gregg Araki, who just won the first ever Queer Palm award at Cannes for his latest film Kaboom, which is apparently a Sci-Fi Comedy about sexual awakening. Of course, only Araki would make a Sci-Fi Comedy about sexual awakening. Araki, whose previous films include The Living End; Totally F**ked Up and the beautiful Mysterious Skin has never been one to shy away from controversial topics. In his first film as director, The Living End, a hustler and his new-found lover go on an anarchistic spree of violence and sexual terrorism. In Mysterious Skin, a young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a hustler explore their pasts, which happens to involve (among other things) alien abduction.

Kaboom stars Thomas Dekker ("Heroes;" A Nightmare on Elm Street) in lust with his surfer dude roommate (Andy Fischer-Price). There is no American release date, as yet, though I imagine an award at Cannes will change that, rather quickly. If you are unfamiliar with, but interested in seeing Araki's films, I suggest you do so one at a time, with plenty of time in-between to digest them. Some critics have described him as "The Queer David Lynch." And while there are certain surrealist moments in his films that may well evoke Lynch, Araki's personal stamp is all over ever one of his movies. Below is a clip from Kaboom:

Moving from Film to Television, here is yet another reason to love "Glee." For those not in the know, Kurt (Chis Colfer) is a gay high-schooler whose father (Mike O'Malley) is working very hard to accept his son's sexual orientation. Dad has moved his new girlfriend into their home. New girlfriend just happens to be the mother of Kurt's object of affection, football star Finn (Corey Monteith). When Finn is forced to live with Kurt, tension ensues, but Kurt's enlightened blue-collar dad steps in. I have yet to watch this week's Lady Gaga-centric episode (it's DVR'ed), but just seeing this scene was enough to make me cry (via):



Finally, as part of a post on Kindertrauma, blogger Uncle Lancifer included this clip with his review of the repulsive horror movie Human Centipede. It proves that not every member of a musical dynasty actually has talent. Please enjoy (?) Rebbie Jackson's "Centipede:"



I don't know what would be worse; sitting through a screening of Human Centipede or sitting through a Rebbie Jackson concert. Rebbie may actually be the only black woman without any sense of rhythm whatsoever.

More nonsense, anon.
Prospero

"Glee" Goes Meta

I am usually at least a day behind on my TV watching, and this week is no exception. And of course, regular readers know my theatrical origins lie in musical theatre and high school chorus, which explains my love of Fox's hit show "Glee."

Here in the East (and in the late 70's), chorus wasn't the spectacle that Mid-Western Show Choirs are today. We simply wore gold sweaters with black dickies and performed standards, classical works and show tunes on risers, grouped by vocal range. I started as a freshman tenor, but by the end of my sophomore year, was singing baritone. It wasn't until college (and a wonderful acting professor), that I developed into a full basso profundo. But that's really neither here nor there.

I've watched "Glee" from the beginning, and while it is often uneven in its story-telling, it is more often glorious in its production numbers. Yes, Jane Lynch is amazing as the evil Sue Sylvester and Lea Michele and Amber Riley are often astonishing in their vocals, but this week's episode, entitled "Dream On," featuring a hilarious guest spot by Neil Patrick Harris, totally belonged to Kevin McHale as Artie.

For those unfamiliar, the character of Artie is confined to wheelchair, due to an accident which left him with a crippling spinal cord injury. Artie's fondest dream is to dance, expressed earlier this season by McHale's jazzy interpretation of Billy idol's "Dancing With Myself." This week, encouraged by his girlfriend Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Artie had himself a fantasy sequence in which he danced in a mall flash-mob to Men Without Hats' 80's hit "Safety Dance." Choreographer Zachary Woodlee pulled out all the stops and created a number that was not only amazing to watch, but referenced the numerous "Glee" flashmobs which have been cropping up all over YouTube. How meta is that? I've embedded a rather clumsy video below, but you can see a very clear and wonderful version here.

Here's the poor quality version:

And here's my favorite "Glee" flashmob event in Rome, last December:

"Dream On" also revealed that rival Glee Club mentor Shelby Corcoran (the incomparable Idina Menzel) is actually the birth-mother of Rachel (Michele). Their duet on "I Dreamed a Dream" was nothing less than heartbreaking. Of course, the physical similarities between Menzel and Michele made this a foregone conclusion, as soon as Menzel made her first appearance on the show. Still, it was nice to see that all of the speculation was right.

To be honest, given my personal High School history, it may be difficult for me to be completely objective about "Glee," though I will be the first to admit that its plots are often far-fetched. But with guest stars like NPH; Molly Shannon; the always amazing Kristin Chenowith; Menzel; Josh Groban and Olivia Newton-John; along with some of the best arrangements of popular music (both new and old), the show's creators have managed to produce TV's first successful episodic musical. Previously, shows like "Cop Rock" "Eli Stone" and "Viva Laughlin" failed miserably, mostly because they were just plain silly. By setting their musical in a high school glee club and casting some amazingly talented (and attractive) performers, creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Fulchuk and Ian Brennan have tapped into the angsts and joys of high school life, something all of us can relate to.

Next week's episode, like the Madonna-centric episode a few weeks ago, celebrates the music of Pop's latest sensation, Lady Gaga. I, for one, can't wait.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Flashiest Things You'll See This Week

By now, you know how much I love a well-organized and entertaining flashmob event. And no one seems to do them better than Australian drag queens. And Joyce Maynge seems to be the queen of drag queen flashmobs.

Joyce was the star of my favorite flashmob of all time, the Bondi Beach event promoting Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras. Well she's back, this time in a dance-off with Decoda Secret at the Sydney Harbor. It's like the drag version of the Jets and the Sharks, down under. Personally, I think Decoda is more successful in impersonating a woman, though Joyce has a certain charm. And Joyce's "posse" seems way gayer.

Oz has always seemed to me to be one of those places where getting one's freak on was perfectly acceptable. Though what can one expect from a country founded by criminals? And that's not meant to be disrespectful to Australians in the least. I've known my share of folks from the land of koalas, wallabies and platypuses, and they've all been just lovely people. And I, for one, have nothing at all against getting your freak on. As long as those helping you to do so are in full agreement in the matter. So, without further ado, please enjoy Ms. Maynge's latest public display of affection (via):

And the "Glee" flashmob phenomena continues with this entry at OSU's Ohio Union:

And finally, there's this dance flashmob for the NJ Arts Council's ART MATTERS campaign, recently organized by my friend Jonathan at the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth, NJ:

How fun are these? I can't wait until I get to participate in an event like these.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Fox Duality Conundrum

I'm at a loss to explain the disparity between the quality of the Fox Network's Entertainment division and the utter failure of the Fox Network's News division.

The Entertainment Division has brilliantly derisive comedy in the form of shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy, smart Sci-Fi like Fringe and progressive musical dramas like Glee; while the Fox News Division has regressive morons like Glen Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly 'reporting' and commenting on current events.

I can only assume that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch is some sort of evil genius like Ernst Blofeld, Auric Goldfinger or Dr. Evil.

Honestly, it makes Uncle P crazier than he already is.

Lord knows I loves me some Family Guy and Fringe (even my mother adores Stewie Griffin), but just the sound of Bill O'Reilly's voice can send me into an almost epileptic fit. Fox News' anti-Obama, anti-gay and anti-progressive diatribes make me want to puke, while their mostly pro-gay, anti-establishment shows like Glee and Fringe make me want to shout "Yes!" every time I see them. Of course, this disparity between the two divisions makes my head want to explode in a dichotomous maelstrom of confusion. And how's that for a sentence that would cause a genius like Bill O'Reilly to run for his dictionary?

I can only imagine that the smarter folks working at the Fox Network hate their jobs, while "brainiacs" like Glen Beck and Greta Van Susteren must wonder how they became household names espousing ideals and principles left over from the 1950's.

I will continue to watch Fox's Entertainment programing, because it's usually quite good. But I will also feel guilty about it because their News programing is so crapulent. What kind of progressive gay man does that make me? I suppose a confused one, at best.

Help me, Anderson Cooper. You're my only hope!

More, anon.
Prospero