Ask the Flying Monkey (November 26, 2008)

I even made my picture look like a vampire.... I'm reading New Moon right now and totally am obsessed. Like I said, I just don't have anyone to bite... So freaking hard to find in Nashville.

Far be it from me to disagree with the monkey, but I think there is a difference between going after the Mormon Church and individual members who did not contribute to the Yes Campaign. The Mormon Church as an organization contributed most of the funding for Prop 8. It also provided much of the ground troops. More than that it engaged in practices, which for other religious organizations have gotten them into trouble with the federal government. For something as small as voter registration drives, Al Sharpton (I know not the best example) had his tax status investigated by the federal government. But-for the Mormon church being something that everyone wants to prove their tolerant of- I am hard pressed to see the difference of why they should get off as an organization. The Mormon Church is currently being investigated by California for some of its ethical practices. I am in agreement with you when you say that individual Mormons who did not contribute to No on 8 should not be targetted. But, I do see a big difference between other unorganized religions groups, and even the Catholics who did not provide this kind of backbone structure to Yes on 8. This is not scapegoating to me. To me it's the equivalent at looking at them, the Mormon Church, here as a political organization because that's how they acted. I think what obscures this is that we think of them as a religion.

In retrospect of the comment about a lack of gay romance in videos, I have to wonder if this is not in some way related to there being relatively no gay musicians in the mainstream. Now far be it from me to take away from the greatness that is the independence artist, but straight artists aren't going to be hard pressed to include gay content in their music videos. With great acts like Scissor Sisters, Sam Sparro, and the like getting no recognition in the states, there will always be a deficit when it comes to gay romance in videos.

Yea it is a shame we don't have much representation in music videos....

Which is why I don't wait around for it to happen...I make my own fan vids with clips from gay movies or soaps and put them to music...and I like to use the lyrics of the songs and put them in a gay context...

screw waiting...

From a swedish group.

Alcazar - Someday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDxabqxAlvk

There's always Ivri Lider's Jesse. It's not mainstream, but it's a beautiful video and song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X7HqhEHo4

in one of their videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShiB-oND63w

It's 'Unzertrennlich' (Inseparable) by Revolverheld (who are more or less mainstream if you go for German indie pop/rock). The two boys in the video are really cute and it caused quite the squee on my LiveJournal friendslist. *laughs*

afhickman

"The mountain has wings."

If you are talking about two boys in love, you need look no further that Sigur Ros' devastating 2001 video, "Viðrar vel til loftárása," in which the two boys, and they are indeed young boys, share a kiss. If you are talking about two women, in an adult relationship but playing it for laughs, I run the risk of repeating myself by inviting you to watch "300 Slow Days in a Row," by Marit Bergman and Titiyo Jah. Titiyo's new album ("Hidden") was just released in Sweden, by the way, and it's a stunner.

Sigur Ros: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxoJwssqe5Y

Marit and Tityo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBA3Jg_cWp8  

 Of course, there's also Bularia's Chalga King, er, Queen, Azis; everything he does is gay, including his videos:

Another great ATFM :) I realy enjoy it every week!! I agree about the music video thing - I think i mentioned it in another thread on here as well, but it does seem that visibility in music video's are quite rare, before this year the only other music video's that i rememeber having gay people in it were the Christina Beautiful video and Skunk Anansi, who are an AMAZING rockband with a gorgeous lead signer called Skin, who is bi-sexual so on her albums when she sing's about love and that you have to listen to the lyrics because depending on the song depends on whether she's singing about a male or female. The video was for her best song (imho) Secretly and it shows 3 teens 2 boys and a girl and it's pretty obvious that while 1 boy loves the girl and she loves him back, the 2nd boy is also in love with his male friend. Its a really sweet video and I think the ultimate "why don't you love me" song. (I used to listen to it back when I had a massive crush on a straight friend!!) The link for it is here;

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7M8UxZDk56o

 

I do agree with Chuckles though, I think there is a lack of gay theme'd music video's because there are no real "out" artist's. There are only a few that pop to mind straight away and they are Elton John, George Michael, Boy George and Melissa Ethridge. There was the god awful Tatu, who were just manufactured crap (although i still hum "All The Things She Said") and I even think one of the girls has had a baby!! Maybe with the likes of John Barrowman and Stephen Gately being so visibly proud of being gay and musician's things will start to change in the music industry? And while I think on - are the twilight books any good? I'm looking to get Terry a decent book for crimbo and he love's vampire/witch books *he is a HUGE anne rice fan* so if they are good I get him it for christmas :)

 

James xxx

For the info about SNL! Truly the Monkey knows all, I'd never even heard of that cast member before, very interesting about the ground he broke...

I guess she wasn't out during her stint on SNL but Nora Dunn is now. And I believe Ellen Cleghorne is openly gay too, or at least it is the topic of a lot of gossip.

My favorite episode of the Sweeney era was the sketch where the cast is making a a western on location and the actors start  coming out to one another until the whole cast and crew are all out. . Maybe it was just the fact that the two delicious nerds Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall were hanging all over each other. Yes, sir, make me a sandwich with that.

I vaguely remember a video from the early days of WHAM, sans short shorts where George Michael was in a leather motorcycle jacket being all Teddy boy until the end where it is revealed he is closing in on another guy and not being all JD. Does this strike a chord with any other AErs?

INSIDEGUY

Italian singer Laura Pausini's single I need love had a gay storyline. That is relevant because she's a devoted catolic. She is a nice girl, but i don't like her music

Maybe it's not "mainstream" but the Bright Eyes video for First Day of My Life has gay and lesbian couples in it. It's a great video, very sweet!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUBYzpCNQ1I

 

Here's another vid to add to the list. Jay Brannon's "Housewife." The official music vid not the one where he sings in his living room. Though that's good too it doesn't have the visuals requisite for a true music video. People might remember him as Ceth from Shortbus. He's the guy who sings to James and Jamie before one of the film's more infamous scenes. Brannan's a queer artist who is most definitely out and his songs about romance and relationships are always very specific to gay men. I'm a huge fan. Don't know why he isn't better known. Well, maybe because he's mostly self-produced. So here's my plug for Jay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxzFPTA1y4 OR just search YouTube - housewife official video

Bronski Beat had a pretty openly gay video back in 1984 with Small Town Boy, which got to number 3 in the UK charts. Lead singer Jimmy Somerville was lusting over a diver in the swimming pool (played by Alex Sharkey, a man with impeccable cheekbones and great body who went on to become a highly respected music and style journalist). Of course, it being 1984, the video then had Somerville being queerbashed and leaving his small town for the fleshpots of London. But there's no way anyone could miss that it was a gay-themed video. Probably, the sight of (the straight) Alex Sharkey in his speedos back then did as much to raise teenage gay consciousness as Jimmy Somerville's excellent storytelling and falsetto delivery.

Boyzone's "Better" is a cover of the original by American Tom Baxter. That video seems to feature real-life couples, including gay and lesbian couples, all touching, hugging and kissing.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJDy9vxyqo

1. I could've sworn about five years ago there was a big to-do about Seth Meyers being an out cast member of SNL, however since then I've not been able to confirm that anywhere. Perhaps just another example of my delusional thinking.

2. My understanding of how screen rights to novels work is that the author is paid a flat amount up front, and only a very few have any participation in the actual revenues from the film (even fewer get a percentage of the net profits). So boycotting a movie that is in theaters will not prevent any money from going to the author of the original source material. Are there more knowledgeable readers out there who could either confirm or correct this understanding for me?