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Ask the Flying Monkey (October 7, 2008)
Q: Whatever happened to Gordon Warnecke,
Daniel Day-Lewis’ lover from My Beautiful
Launderette? He was adorable.-- Megan,
New York
A: My Beautiful Launderette, of course, made huge stars of Daniel Day Lewis and director Stephen Frears. But what of co-star Warnecke? Sadly, he never repeated the success of his debut role. He does continue to act, but mostly on stage and on U.K. television. It’s hard not to conclude that Warnecke’s non-whiteness played a part in his acting struggles. My Beautiful Launderette’s matter-of-fact multiculturalism was decades before its time.
Gordon Warnecke (left) & Daniel Day Lewis in My Beautiful Launderette Q: I am a big reader, and lately have been looking for more novels that have gay characters. This would be a lot easier if most gay fiction being published was any good. The young adult novels that I've read have been great, but I'm looking for something written for an older audience. For some reason gay novels written for anyone over the age of 16 always turn into a murder mystery or porn or both. I was just wondering if there were any other novels out (big horror and romance buff) that you would recommend. -- Bobby A: The Monkey feels your pain. With gay fiction, sometimes the choice seems to be between pretentious/indecipherable literary fiction or poorly-executed genre stuff that never would have seen the light of day had it not been “gay.” For atmospheric historical fiction, try The God in Flight by Laura Argiri or As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann. For humor, try My Lucky Star by Joe Keenan or Christopher: A Tale of Seduction by Allison Burnett. For romance, try anything by Michael Thomas Ford, most recently Changing Tides. For horror, try Frontiers or Firelands by the Monkey’s partner Michael Jensen, the editor of this site!
The Monkey recommends these gay novels Q: Okay, so I saw the touring company of Spring Awakening in San Francisco in previews. I fell completely in love with Blake Bashoff. I know he played gay in Judging Amy. Can you tell me more about this hot young actor? – William, San Francisco, CA A: Blake, now 27, is a former child actor (Bushwhacked, Big Bully, The New Swiss Family Robinson) who seems to have transitioned into adulthood without robbing any video stores or dealing any drugs. As you note, from 2001 to 2003, he played an abused gay teenager in a reoccurring role on Judging Amy. Spring Awakening was his Broadway debut and he’s now joined the national tour of the play. “It tackles themes that are timeless,” Blake says of the play. “The themes of the 1980s that affected teens still affect teenagers today. The first sexual stirrings, love, death, loss. But [the play has this] modern rock music, this indie rock score. So it’s contemporary that at the same time it’s classic.”
Blake Bashoff The Monkey did love the energy of the cast of Spring Awakening and much of the music. But he didn’t know what to think of the hackneyed, clichéd 1891 play that is its source material. Is it supposed to be ironic? Satirical? They seemed to be playing it straight. So ultimately all the awards and rapturous reviews left the Monkey kinda baffled. Have a question about gay male entertainment? Ask the Monkey!
Submitted by on Mon, 2008-10-06 21:23.  Nothing beats Isherwood's "A Single Man"Submitted by
David Ehrenstein (7805 points) (1725 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 10:13.and I do hope Tom Ford doesn't go through with his threat to film it. That Besson novel sounds great, Joseph. Patrice Chereau (the greatest living gay filmmaker) made a superb film of Besson's Son Frere with Bruno Todeschini and Eric Caravacca. James Purdy is gay oiterature's greatest least-sung master. Edward Albee tried (and failed) to make a play of Purdy's Malcolm. It would be perfect as a film, as would I Am Elijah Thrush. Will & Grace was indeed a pre-jumped shark. I kept tuning in just to see how they would flub or avoid gayness every week. The best however was their live episode starring the great Alec Baldwin. Nothing to do with gayness, Just sheer genius sophisticated comedy performing.  PurdySubmitted by
WilderR (35 points) (7 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 10:42.I've heard about the Malcolm flub. I've also heard that Jim Sharman had planned to film Narrow Rooms before he died. Would have been interesting. The only Purdy adaptation I've heard of actually being filmed was the 1988 version of In a Shallow Grave with Michael Biehn and Patrick Dempsey. Wasn't very good but did introduce me to Purdy's genius.  A country singer who hasSubmitted by
AbqGWM (505 points) (107 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 10:14.A country singer who has been around for a while is Mark Weigle here is his website http://www.markweigle.com/
Also a great book for older audiences is Back Where He Started by Jay Quinn  The Beloved SonSubmitted by
Samuel Gillespie (1090 points) (206 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 12:05.by Jay Quinn. I received this through InsightOut, though it may have been because of a recommendation or review here, and I found the book quite good. Certainly of "re-read in five years time" quality.
 "Welcome, welcome, 'mancipation!"Submitted by
afhickman (3740 points) (775 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 13:17.afhickman "The mountain has wings." The best gay novel in recent years has to be "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon," by Tom Spanbauer. What a film that would make! I am also fond of Jean Genet's "Our Lady of the Flowers" and Alan Hollinghurst's "The Swimming Pool Library." I have to disagree..Submitted by
j U d E (3101 points) (797 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 14:13... and I know I am a minority, but I liked Will's Will&Grace the most. Never liked Karen at all. Jack was funny and Grace was annoying. There are plenty of episodes that were pretty bad (hated everything with Woody Harrelson - don't like him at all), but they 'saved' the show at the end with hooking Will up with Vince (yummy yummy Bobby Cannavale). Another novel - though it's French Canadian (but it must exist in English) is "Le Coeur Découvert" by Michel Tremblay. ----------------------------------------------------- R.I.P. - Heath Ledger [1979 - 22 January 2008] R.I.P. - Sayif [2006 - 12 June 2008] - my cat, run over by a car..  "Comfort and Joy"Submitted by
Knickie (4010 points) (818 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 14:16.If you want a beautifully written, tender, and true story, try Jim Grimsley's "Comfort and Joy." The relationship is wonderful -- both men are at different places in their lives, but they come together in a way that is heart-wrenching, but perfect. A keeper.
 More on Will (Moron Will)Submitted by
Defft (1408 points) (292 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 14:48.W&G was a run-of-the-mill sitcom never intended to be anything more than the standard fare we have become used to. It was an update of the I Love Lucy format (crazy couple, wacky friends). It only took on extra significance for us because we were looking for the first gay lead character in a sitcom (if you overlook Hello, Sidney or whateverthehell that Tony Randall thing was called) to be everything we had ever hoped for. It was a serviceable, middling, typical sitcom, but we shouldn't criticize it any more than we do King of Queens or According to Jim. And for the record, I think whenever the supporting characters garner more audience interest (and eventually equal screen time) as the leads, your show is toast.  I can see thatSubmitted by
Cat (715 points) (143 posts) on Wed, 2008-10-08 17:33.I Love Lucy. Never thought of it that way but you're right down to the red head. Though I'll always think of Will and Grace as the queer Amos 'n Andy.  karen was absolutely fabulous...Submitted by
french frie fan (55 points) (12 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 16:33.in my opinion. megan mullaly really was the highlight of this show. I only watched it because of her. I think Will was okay but a bit boring (except for his sexy scene with stuart townsend,yummy^^). Grace was just hysterical and nerve-wracking. I also didn't like the storyline with their baby and the finale.
while I'd love to see megan mullaly again I'm not sure whether a spin off is such a good idea.
she is such a talented woman, she can do better than reprise her signature role.
Gay country singersSubmitted by
WW (740 points) (165 posts) on Tue, 2008-10-07 19:46.Tom Andersen, Scott Coulter and Tim Di Pasqua - three out award-winning singers - teamed up a couple years ago to do ''Southern Comfort,'' a country-music revue in New York City, and got rave reviews and won Nightlife and Bistro Awards. Tom and Tim are also songwriters, whose tunes run the gamut, but they penned a lovely country song, ''Every Night I Sleep With an Angel,'' which was recorded by John Davidson. Tom on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZc5DyjDrBs Tom's last CD, ''Who Knows,'' is largely country-pop, and includes Hugh Prestwood's ''Ghost in This House'' and an amazing reinvention of Patsy Cline's ''I Fall to Pieces.'' If you prefer showtunes, Tom also does an amazing job with Rodgers & Hammerstein's ''Ten Minutes Ago'' from ''Cinderella.'' Stephen Sondheim once heard Tom at Weill Recital Hall and said Tom's singing was so beautiful, it made him cry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvvjouMWbQ
 I love the books of Timothy James BeckSubmitted by
WyGuy (20 points) (5 posts) on Wed, 2008-10-08 03:55.I enjoyed reading the books by 'Timothy James Beck' - four authors who write togenther! They are called: IT HAD TO BE YOU, HE'S THE ONE, I'M YOUR MAN, and SOMEONE LIKE YOU.
 More BooksSubmitted by
Paul (171 points) (42 posts) on Wed, 2008-10-08 16:20.I would also add "Fellow Travelers" by Thomas Mallon and "Almost Like Being in Love" by Steve Kluger. The first is a really excellent novel set in DC during McCarthyism (I think this site reviewed it), and the second is a love story that manages to be completely sweet without ever being cloying. Read the first one and feel sad, then the second one to pick you up :-). www.wdwsmmaos.blogspot.com
 Hey Paul, get outa my head!Submitted by
Dave (2088 points) (433 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-09 11:01.I swear I was going to recommend both those same books (I've posted previously that I thought Fellow Travelers was the best novel of 2007)! I also have to add The Dreyfus Affair (another novel I've recommended on this site in the past) by Peter Lefcourt; it's along the same lines as Almost Like Being In Love in that it's a little lighter fare, but it is sweet and witty and enjoyable.
Dreyfus Affair!Submitted by
Paul (171 points) (42 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-10 11:13.I love The Dreyfus Affair! Great story, and I kind of love baseball (or the Mets at least) so there you go. And it occurred to me that even though they aren't fiction, Dan Savage's autobiographical books The Kid and The Commitment are some of the most entertaining reads I've ever enjoyed. I Heart Dan SavageSubmitted by
Dave (2088 points) (433 posts) on Sat, 2008-10-11 15:33.Sounds like we have very similar reading tastes; I bet we could match our libraries book for book.  Tales of the CitySubmitted by
JC (1426 points) (299 posts) on Wed, 2008-10-08 18:59.Try Armisted Maupins books, Tales of the City. I did enjoy the P.N. Elrod Vampire detective series. Light reading but thouroghly enjoyable.
 Hey Brent! An in-depthSubmitted by
octobercountry (1368 points) (311 posts) on Thu, 2008-10-09 10:34.Hey Brent! An in-depth article on gay-themed literature would be great, though I'm also hoping that you will break the books down into genre. I have a particular interest in juvenile/Young Adult lit. Just read a great juvenile last night titled The Manny Files by Christian Burch. Very funny! The book is told from the viewpoint of a nine-year-old boy who is almost certainly gay, though he hasn't really started thinking about things like sexuality. The male nanny (of the title) also happens to be gay, and throughout the book you get a sense of his growing attraction to the protagonist's Uncle Max; these two end up together at the end of the book. I loved the book, and will certainly be reading the sequel, Hit the Road, Manny.
I'm like a superhero, with no powers or motivation... Will & GraceSubmitted by
Charles (471 points) (94 posts) on Fri, 2008-10-10 10:17.I first started watching Will & Grace when I came out in 2001, when the show was wrapping up it's third season. Unfortunately for me, the show really started to go downhill at the beginning of it's fourth season. Not even Jack and Karen could keep me interested in it. It seemed that show relied on bad puns, overreaching stereotypes and really bad acting and writing which was such a startling contrast to it's first three years on the air. To this day, I hold that show to be a dark spot on our community. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
by 
As Meat Loves Salt...
A "Jump The Shark" moment
Three of my fave novels for gay adults
Top of the list, of course, is The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox, which bridges history and fantasy as a Burgundy vintner literally falls passionately for a male angel, spanning several decades of French history, from Napoleon I to Napoleon III; sadly, not in print here in the U.S., but hopefully the upcoming big screen version starring Gaspard Ulliel and my beloved Jérémie Renier will change that.
Philippe Besson's In the Absence of Men is a short but thoroughly rewarding tale of a young gay man who befriends Marcel Proust while falling for a servant's son, a poilu on leave from Verdun during the First World War. A beguiling tale that builds to a stunning climax.
Finally, Colm Tóibín's The Story of the Night, about a gay man and his experiences in love and politics in Argentina in the 70s and 80s is a wonderful, quietly disturbing read.
Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/
Great gay novels
I can strongly recommend two novels by gay Australian author Christos Tsiolkas: LOADED (which was adapted for the screen as HEAD ON, starring Alex Dimitriades) and DEAD EUROPE (a confronting exploration of race hate and ghost stories, among other things).
The other amazing gay novel I've read, and quite possibly the best gay novel I've ever encountered, is the touching AT SWIM, TWO BOYS by Irish author Jamie O'Neill. The first chapter is heavy going, but it soon settles into a lyrical realism; and it moved me like no other novel I've read in the last 10 years.
At Swim Two Boys
Will & Grace
Good luck to him
I wish the guy luck in defending his sexuality. Will he be harassed like Aiken? I hope not, but I'm sure tongues will wag and Parasite Hilton will stand ready for a big reveal.
In Rolling Stone back in 2003 Clay Aiken had said this: "One thing I've found of people in the public eye," Aiken says, "either you're a womanizer or you've got to be gay. Since I'm neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me." That didn't stop the gadflies and set up his fans.
However, in the recent People cover story he reveals he knew he was gay in college and the first person he told was Kim Locke, a fellow Idol alum with whom he shared a house in L.A. after the show.
He also claims in People that he just never talked about it publicly. This is not supported by the facts. Tellingly, they didn't ask about the allegations of trolling for sex online which dogged him for a couple years. I suspect that was Aiken's doing.
I would've liked to hear more from him on his self-realization. He said he felt as if he hadn't gotten through puberty yet, that he was still waiting for it (and a presumably lust for women) to happen to him. I think this description is quite apt for those from that sort of religious background.
The thing is though, Tokio
The thing is though, Tokio Hotel only made it to where they are by a) jumping on the emo bandwagon (inexplicably, Germans tend to have awful taste in music outside of metal), and b) riding on the style coattails of Japanese 'visual kei' rock bands, which are slowly getting a considerable following in North America and Western Europe, especially in Germany.
Bill's super-effete look just follows the Japanese visual kei aesthetic - the Japanese guys who started and continue the movement are practically all straight themselves (and very comfortable in their sexuality, since they know gay panic is a little dumb in that line of work), and they and their promoters/companies know that girls (90% of the fans) really dig pretty guys wandering around in heavy makeup and fantastic hair. A ton of money is made off having dudes strutting around like saucy girls, and Tokio Hotel is shrewdly taking advantage it.
With that background, I'd believe Bill in saying that he was straight - minding that he is barely 20 at this point. :P
Oh, sure, Bill's straight...
afhickman
"The mountain has wings."
...but what about twin brother Tom?
That right there ...
... is a photo manipulation. Unlike the infamous Daniel Radcliffe full-frontal photomanip, this one's author actually cops to doing it.
With hearts over her 'i's.
Duh!
afhickman
"The mountain has wings."
Yes, the fact that it says "Photo Manipulation" in big letters at the top of the page would seem to be a giveaway. Your point?
Books
One more for the reading list
Some books - older favorites
- I love most any novel by Mark Merlis - An Arrow's Flight, American Studies, Man About Town, probably in that order.
- I find Stephen Macauley novels reliably entertaining if sometimes light.
- Andrew Holleran's writing is gorgeous.
Holleran
How the bloody hell could I have forgotten Andrew Holleran? The first book with gay characters in it I read was 'Dancer from the Dance'. I was 16 - up til then all I had for *role models* was the crap wheeled out on tv - the kind of one-dimensional, one (unfunny) joke stereotypes British tv excelled at back then. 'Dancer' was not only a revelation but a lifebelt to a drowning man.
Great topic and agree Joe Keenan is hilarious!
Thanks for mentioning Joe Keenan's My Lucky Star -- he is hilarious, and was the head writer for Frasier -- so if you like door-slamming farce and people's selfish lies snowballing into hilarious predicaments and farce, go for it! It should be noted that that is the third book in a Trilogy:
1) My Blue Heaven - a gay guy and straight girl get married -- for the gifts!
2) Puttin' On The Ritz - They agree to compose a vanity musical for the untalented wife of an evil, thinly-veiled Donald Trump
3) My Lucky Star - They sell a screenplay to Hollywood (Casablanca! LOL) and move into the land of sun, spas, and massages with Happy Endings!
Read all 3, recommended.
This is a great topic: are we gonna vote in AfterElton's Greatest Gay Books?
AfterElton's Greatest Gay Books!
Ha! Great idea! I know compiling the lists is a TON of work, but I do hope we can do such a list someday. I tend to read more non-fiction--history and biographies--so I'd hope those could be included as well.
Oh, and I just remembered another fave gay novel, well, it has homosexual elements: Marguerite Yarcenar's The Memoirs of Hadrian. Simply magnificent.
Check out my blog: http://radicalsexy.blogspot.com/
It's possible, just
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com no votes
It would be great to have them
I could be wrong, but I