Ask the AfterElton Flying Monkey! (June 10, 2008)

Q: Dare I ask: Who do you think was the hottest U.S. President? -- Wendell, Austin, TX

A: They say that power, like green M&M’s, is the ultimate aphrodisiac. But a glance at the mugs of most of the 43 U.S. Presidents sure puts that lie to shame pretty darn quickly, doesn’t it?

Not to be impolitic, but oh, my gawwd, get a load of James Monroe, William. H. Harrison, or *shudder* Richard Nixon! James Buchanan looks like Darth Vader after they take the helmet off in Return of the Jedi!

Clockwise from top left: James Monroe, William. H. Harrison,
James Buchanan, and Richard Nixon

Basically, the paltry list of presidents who didn’t shatter mirrors and who won’t eventually find their bones sold to Michael Jackson boils down to: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and, as truly difficult as this is to admit, George W. Bush.

But the hottest one? I’m going with the forty-fourth president of the United States, Barack Obama.

Clockwise from top left: John F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson,
Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama

Q: I confess, I’m a little surprised by how the internet can get us interested in shows that play in other countries (Verbotene Liebe, Alles Was Zahlt, and Les Bleus). What effect, if any, do you think the internet has had on the popularity of the actors portraying the gay characaters? – Maxime, Montréal

A: An enormous effect, and I can say with absolute certainty that these actors are all well aware of the Internet phenomenon, specifically AfterElton.com. When Jo Weil, who plays Olli on Verbotene Liebe, emailed us to tell us how flattered he was to have been chosen for the AfterElton.com Hot 100, he also said, “I know your [website] and that you support us. Thank you very much.” We even heard from Weil’s co-star Thore Schölermann (he plays Christian, Olli’s love interest) who dropped us a note after making the list’s top twenty, saying, “Just want to thank you for your interest in our story on Forbidden Love! For us it is nearly incredible that you guys in the US like our story! It makes me little bit proud.”

Jo Weil (left) & Thore Schölermann with Weil

We hear this time and time again; the Monkey heard it last month when he interviewed Veronica Mars hottie Max Greenfield.

In fact, it’s not for nothing that Jo Weil and Thore Schölermann along with rising stars Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann (from As the World Turns), all made a point to respond to us regarding the news that they’d made this year’s Hot 100. As nice as all these guys seem to be, they also clearly understand the impact that the Internet, and gay fans, will have on their future careers.

It’s a cliché, but we gay folks have a habit of picking future stars — see Dan Savage’s early trumpeting of Ashton Kutcher, and the New York gay community’s “discovery” of Bette Midler. And the Internet has given us more power than ever to shape the media landscape — so much so that we’re no longer limited even by country!

Next page! Hot actor Cameron Graham. And don't assume anything about Rip Taylor!