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News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media

The Morning Meme Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Stuff happens, when you're either sleeping or or living the fabulous and fashionable life we know you have. So we're starting your days with a few tidbits to keep you the sparkling conversationalist your friends expect you to be.

According to TheTorchOnline.com, that kid who runs around naked onstage wasn't the hero of the Harry Potter books, it was actually the old dead gay dude. While it's an impressive argument, I think he should fear for his life, because child fans are a vicious bunch. 

Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame is engaged. To a red head. It's a woman. sniff - hold on, I can finish this post, I'm OK. It's just I always felt he, Misha Collins, me, and a hot tub were destined to ride out the rapture in a hot tub in Key West.

Photographer Jeff Sheng is starting a new project related to Don't Ask, Don't Tell using real soldiers to portray the proud anonymity of soliders serving the country in silence. This is a follow on to his "Fearless" project documenting out athletes in high school and college over the last six years.

In the latest piece of my childhood to fall to a Hollywood "reimagining" we have Yogi Bear, which is going to get the live action/CGI treatment. Dan Aykroyd will voice Yogi, Justin Timberlake Boo-Boo, and Anna Faris is going to do something that I can't begin to care about. Would someone, somewhere, please have an original idea?

Speaking of a lack of original ideas in Hollywood, out director Roland Emmerich has said that the election of President Obama has inspired him to make a sequel to Independence Day. Again, from the man who says he destroys the world so he never has to make a sequel.

Anti-gay Peter Labarbera of The Liberty Counsel has called the FBI over one rude commenter on the Joe.My.God blog. Dan Savage has a brilliantly worded rebuttal to the absolutely ridiculous fears Mr. Labarbera is wasting tax dollars on. Hey, Pete - when we refer to the "Gay Mafia" we're joking. Sort of.

I would like to make a personal appeal for everyone to do some shopping at The Gap/Banana Republic/Old Navy, as they're undergoing a two-month boycott by the fundies over their decision to not make the holidays entirely about Christmas in their advertising. Personally, I don't see why signs can't mention Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Solstice in December, but since it's the American Family Association behind this, and they boycott any corporation even remotely gay supportive, from Pepsi to As The World Turns, I'm siding with inclusive "holiday" sales.

You've really got to pop over and check out #hashtag funnies, which is a series of web comics based around a trending hashtag on Twitter every morning. They're incredibly homo-friendly, and great morning laugh.

Remember South African runner Caster Semenya? Well, it seems that the Olympics committee has fired the president of Athletics South Africa, the entire board, and portions of the staff for concealing information from them and from Caster herself.

Filed under "that's a new one for me" it seems that the latest opponent to health care reform in the United States is, um, fat people. I was going to find a nicer way to say that, but the title of this article is "Fat Pride Community Pushes Back in Health Care Debate" and I was afraid of offending someone by trying to not be offensive. The gist is there might be rules to make health care more expensive for heavier people. How this is different from making it more expensive for smokers, which everyone supports, I don't know.

Good news, supervillains! Permits have been approved for Britain's first underground luxury residence. Built 50 feet underground, away from prying eyes, it's accessed by a single door in a shed-like building. Inside, the three-bedroom mansion sports swimming pools, slides, atriums, and a theater. The pictures in the article are spectacular. Piranha, shark tank, death rays are extra beyond the $3.3M asking price.

JustJared has an interview with Alexander Skarsgard, who, among other things, plays Eric Northman in True Blood on HBO. He also appears in that capacity in the erotic dreams of Lafayette, and a certain AfterElton.com entertainment blogger. 

Proving nothing but police procedurals can be on network television, ABC made some programming moves Monday night: They ordered more episodes of the forgotten, declined more Eastwick, and canceled the new Kathy Griffin-hosted Let's Dance before production even began. As they'd already killed the nearly-always shirtless Matt Dallas already on Eastwick, the dance show is the only real loss, and only then because of Kathy. 

The most expensive musical in the history of Broadway has a new producer, and a star. Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, with music by U2, has landed music vet Michael Cohl to run the show, and rocker/actor/sexy man Reeve Carney has been cast as Peter Parker versus Alan Cumming's Green Goblin.

Most days, if you're U.S. based, you probably spend some time reading Pam's House Blend, The Bilerico Project, Towleroad, and Joe.My.God as these people blog for our rights.Last night in NYC all were honored by the Anti-Violence Project for their work, and Pam's already got video up. Tony Kushner, B.D. Wong, and Michaelangelo Signorile delivered the awards. Thanks for all your work guys.

Video Meme

We've got a selection of video that didn't seem to fit anywhere else, but we felt your lives would be better for having seen.   

Because I'm tired of unhappy election news, I'm going to open with this Saturday Night Live skit of the Fox News coverage from election night. It's spot on, really. I wish it was parody.

It's already shown up everywhere, but I'm forever astounded by this incredibly mean soccer player, and the oblivious referee that failed to throw her out of the game, the league, the college, and the country.

Tilt shift photography is something I love - making real life things look like toys is fun, and anybody can do it with the right photograph and Photoshop. But doing it with video from cities around the world is really something. Which makes it a double shame that HP pulled the video from the internet. Please enjoy this piece of the Sydney Harbor instead, truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Still, everything looks like a toy, which is how life should be.

  • Ed Kennedy's blog
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  • Dave Doty's picture

    MM - Jensen, Don't Do It!

    This is certainly a spanner in the works for the RPSers. (Real Person Slashers).  Maybe they only got engaged in the understanding that she had to share him with Misha?

    My favorite response to an AFA boycott was Neil Gaiman's to the AFA boycott of Sandman for its gay characters.  He pictures hundreds of middle aged conservative Christian housewives running to the mailbox to find out if the boycott was over so they could start buying Sandman again.  In the same vein, is the AFA's membership really Gap/Banana Republic/Old Navy shoppers to begin with?

    Wasn't Spider-Man: Meaningless Words In Random Order shut down for running out of money?  Did they get a new investor along with a new director?

    Oh, and you misspelled Spider-Man's name.  Be glad I'm not my journalist friend.  He goes nuts over that.

     

    Adam Ross's picture

    I wonder if there's an

    I wonder if there's an understanding that she has to share him with Jared! Hell, make it a foursome with Misha thrown in the mix too! But in all seriousness, congrats to the lovely couple. I'm not into RPS myself, but I doubt an engagement would stop the most dedicated slashers ;) Pretty sure Jared padalecki was engaged last year too, and that certainly didn't stop them either!
    Dave Doty's picture

    Supernatural and RPS

    Supernatural draws a curious amount of RPS.  I assume it's because slashers, forced to choose between RPS and incest, decided RPS was the lesser of two evils.

    Stranger to me is RPS AU (alternate universe).  "Jensen Ackles is a gym teacher.  Jared Padelecki is his high-school student."  First of all, the characters you're writing no longer resemble either the characters OR the actors, so what's the point?  Secondly, high school coach and student is LESS creepy how?

    "Jensen Ackles is a candy maker with a small, personal business."  You know what, I can't even remember what Jared was in that one.  WTF.  I mean, really, WTF? 

    mvmfla's picture

    Reeve Carney

    I think you posted the wrong picture. the picture imbedded with the reeve carney piece is actually Jonny Lang, a bluesman, and not Carney. Although I think they did tour together a few years ago. The pic is from Jonny's "long time coming/red light" cd/single.

     

     

    Ed Kennedy's picture

    It was late

    It was late, I still had tears in my eyes over Jensen Ackles getting married, and both pics were side by side where they had performed together. My apologies to Mr. Carney and Mr. Lang. Should be fixed now.
    Crawfish Po Boy's picture

    Fearless a photography series by Jeff Sheng

    Jeff Sheng's work is amazing.

    So looking forward to his new project.

    It's a shame these kinds of documentary photo projects don't get more attention in the queer media.

     

    Kate's picture

    Comic

    Thanks for the heads-up about "Hashtag Funnies!"  I'm always on the lookout for new web comics, but they usually stay firmly in the realm of teenage straight boys (one woman just there to be wooed, the "nice guy" who the author doesn't seem to realize is an insufferable jerk, a cast full of straight white people with maybe one Black or gay friend who is only there to be Black or gay, etc.). 

    "Go, or go ahead and surprise me."  -- Rufus Wainwright

    dback's picture

    Why is there no caption/I.D. for the Meme photo guy?

    The one lying naked on his stomach reading a book.  Who is this?  What library is he at?

    Ed Kennedy's picture

    Jensen Ackles

    Hrmm. I seem to be running into a problem in these news posts where people don't connect my teaser photo to the article inside. We've never had that issue before. I need to denote it, because you're far from the first to ask in the week we've been running them.

    In any case, that's Jensen Ackles, from Supernatural, and I had to crop the photo a little to meet standards. As for the library, you're on you're own, and even if I knew, I'd be booking my own plane tickets instead of sharing that info. ;)

    Dave Doty's picture

    I knew it was Jensen!

    I'm sad like that.  Even the smallest pic of that face and I can spot it from a mile off.

    Then I went hunting for it.  It was on the TENTH page of my google search results, and I still got to it.

    SPOILER ALERT!

    He's actually wearing jeans.  They're just riding very low.  T_T

    Strangerous's picture

    I know, right..

    AE Main page had scarcely loaded and my Jackles-sense red-lined. That article about his engagement on the link is mega-bitchy though, wow, so he's not into PDA with the fiancee? Cut him some slack!

    *creepily flutters eyelashes at Dave Doty*

    and what phrase, pray tell, did you enter in the Google search box ...?

    ______________________________

    "You know when I heard Sandy wanted to write himself into a scene as Queen Cleopatra; I was aroused, and then furious.."

    Sue Sylvester, Oh, you know where it's from (!)

    Wheeler's picture

    Jensen

    I recognised the photo; I was just disappointed that it wasn't reproduced larger scale inside the article! It seems cruel to tease us with a thumbnail like that and not come through with the goods.

    (That said, I think that might be a photo manip.)

    Dave Doty's picture

    Jensen Ackles Search

    "Jensen Ackles Naked." I could have tried something more specific, but I was getting some "misses" that were pretty delightful.

    Some of those celebrity fakes with the boys... wow.  I'm just glad that Jensen has so many pics of him putting things in his mouth, for the photoshop boys to work with.  That's all I'll say about that.

    ETA:  Whoops, responded to the wrong post.  Oh, well, I'm sure it's pretty obvious what question I was answering.  Or maybe people think I just like typing "Jensen Ackles naked."  Both of these things are true. 

    afhickman's picture

    Me and Zac Efron - the Times Top 100 films of the Decade

    I was following a link to the film "Me and Orson Welles," when I stumbled across this list (no, it doesn't include Zac's new film).  You can find the complete list on the Times online site, but here are a few highlights and their ranking:

    64. "L'Enfant" (with Jermie Renier)

    53. "Milk"

    38. "Mulholland Drive"

    35. "Y Tu Mama Tambien"

    22. "Far from Heaven"

    20. "Donnie Darko"

    17. "Brokeback Mountain"

    8. "Casino Royale"

    1. "Hidden" (Michael Haneke)

    I was about to conclude this was a superior list when I came to #2, a slot occupied by two films: "Bourne Supremacy/Bourne Ulitmatum."  How can anyone say either film is better than "Brokeback Mountain"?  They don't even belong in the top 100!  What an anticlimax.  But I agree with "Hidden" at number one; it's amazing.

    "The mountain has wings."

    dback's picture

    How about a top 20? (These were some of the first I thought of)

    Brokeback Mountain
    Milk
    Up
    Erin Brockovich
    Young At Heart
    Man On Wire
    Lord of the Rings
    Good Night and Good Luck
    Far From Heaven
    Chicago
    The Aviator
    Farenheit 9/11
    Lars and the Real Girl
    Kinsey
    Under the Tuscan Sun
    Before Sunset
    Pan's Labyrinth
    A.I. Artificial Intelligence
    Away From Her
    Finding Neverland

    That doesn't include "Finding Nemo" "Hairspray" "Sweeny Todd" "Latter Days" "Volver" "Minority Report" "Peter Pan" "The Confederate States of America" "Traffic" "White Oleander" "Mysterious Skin" "Dreamgirls" and a host of others.  The Brits have interesting taste--there's a lot of outstanding stuff on their list, but also some serious head-scratchers.  ("Borat" and "Team America: World Police" are in their Top 15.  Perhaps they're trying to send the U.S. a subtle message?)

    afhickman's picture

    I like the cut of your list!

    And what about "Bad Education" and "The Dreamers" and "The Witnesses" and"Summer Hours" and a dozen others I can't think of at the moment?

    "The mountain has wings."

    dback's picture

    Oh, I went to my DVD shelf last night

    How COULD I have left out "The Station Agent" "Shortbus" and "Billy Elliott"?  I could've also made a case for "The Others" (which gets better each time I see it), "The Hours" (Nicole Kidman, we love you!), "Little Children" and for sheer laugh quanitity, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  And I need to see "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" again to see how it's held up.

    Campion's picture

    It's not just for mornings!

    Another great Morning Meme Mr. Kennedy, even if I come to it late in the day I still find 3 or 4 great articles or reads.  Had not heard / seen this tilt shift photography before. Great stuff and I'll have to look into this some more. Loved the hashtag comic. Agree that someone in Hollywood needs to come up with an original idea. Can someone be charged with starting a flivolous investigation ? What about all the terrorism that has been actually committed by these so-called Christians ?
    Rich's picture

    Ackles is the one who's lucky.

    I've never fancied Ackles, he does zero for me with his girly face. I think he's got the better deal getting Harris, she's much hotter.

     And hahaha at your Collins comment, that guy's so fug it's ridiculous.

     Give me Padalecki and Ackles if I had to any day over that fugly creature.


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