Okay, so here’s a “little gem” I found on YouTube. An Expose reunion. Who woulda thunk? Complete with a “dreamgirl-like” opening. There were never just three Expose chicks.... it was always four. Does anyone remember when Kelly Moneymaker stepped in when Gioia fell ill? Well,if you do then you were paying way too much attention during the 80s (actually, not because Moneymaker didn’t join the group until 1992). Another little known fact about Moneymaker is that in real life she is married to actor Peter Reckell, better known as Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives. And I know this because I spend way too much time looking up random stuff on IMDB.
This clip was filmed at L.A. Pride 2009. I guess some California suburb was short four soccer moms that day.
So let’s talk about something that’s racing through the pulse of the gay blogosphere at this very moment. Today is the day we’ve all been looking forward to. This is the day that Madonna WINS the Super Bowl. Oh, I’m sorry. Was that reductive? Yep, I looked it up and I’m still not certain what reductive means or the context in which to use it. However the best definition I could find on Google is “Tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form.”
That aside, in just a few short hours Madge will take the stage and perform live before what will be perhaps her largest audience ever. Thus, reclaiming the thrown as the reigning Queen of Pop (Lady Who?). So what do you think of her new single Give Me All Your Luvin’?
When I first heard the bouncy little tune I thought it sounded a bit reminiscent of an early 80s Go Gos/Toni Basil mashup. Of course, this is a genre that Madonna helped define - lord Kabbalah only knows she was there! Upon second listen I started to sing along. And now, after a weekend of hearing Give Me All Your Luvin’ all over the place it’s running through my head like an ear worm. Thank God it got that Selena Gomez song off my mind.
It’s interesting that Interscope Records has invested so heavily in promoting this single. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that KISS FM stations are playing the tune every hour on the hour? No, this isn’t by mistake. The program managers haven’t decided to cut Rihanna’s airtime in favor of a 54-year-old mother of four who has yet to lose her blonde ambition. It’s obviously some sort of media buy Interscope did with Clear Channel (does Clear Channel own KISS? I have to fact check that one) and perhaps the most ingenious example of good old-fashioned payolla I’ve seen in my lifetime. This heavy airplay is necessary because mainstream audiences expect to hear something familiar when an artist as iconic as Madonna plays an event this major. Papa Don’t Preach and Like A Prayer don’t pair well with nachos and chili cheese sauce, so there goes the set list. Fans need to be able to walk into that stadium knowing the lyrics and bopping their heads to Give Me All Your Luvin’ in order for this performance to work. As for Madonna’s gaybie fans? Well, she could start voguing to Oh, Canada on the fifty yard line and we’d call it reinvention. (Then we’d all grab our passports and head north. Hhhmm.... not such a bad idea come to think of it, ay?)
Now how about that music video? I like it! Finally, Madonna’s gotten back to doing videos with a theme. Video releases from her last two albums have been quite disappointing to say the least. I mean, watching her mug for the camera in front of a white screen song after song is hardly entertaining let alone inventive. For Give Me All Your Luvin’ she’s cleverly played out a football cheerleader theme (again, giving me some Toni Basil), and it’s refreshing to see her reprise her “Marilyn” persona. But most of all, Madonna looks absolutely unbelievable. If she sold her soul to look like this at age 54 then even the devil wouldn’t recognize her (haha... get it? Hard Candy album reference here). If that’s what yoga and macrobiotic diets do for a body, then Touch-to-the-Down and sign me up!
Clearly, it must have been naked male model night over at CBS tonight. First Ashton Kutcher in the premiere of Two and a Half Men (which clearly his schtick is being naked on the show) chased by former Gucci model Noah Mills in the series premier of 2 Broke Girls (clip below). Needless to say, I’m A-Okay with objectification of the male sex on the main stream boob tube.
Believe it or not these two pics are of the same person. And, what’s even more beyond belief is that person is none other than Chris Crocker of the “Leave Brit Brit Alone” infamy. Damn, I have to say, dude is hot in or out of drag. And he’s pumping iron in preparation for his first porno, where, believe it or not, he will be an exclusive top. Here’s the official press release on the porno (see, I don’t make sh*t like this up) which is set to be directed by Chi Chi Larue and here’s a spot where you can see more hot pics of boy Chris. And that’s your believe it or not story of the day.
Lately, I have somehow become strangely obsessed with finding the Madonna reference in everything. Like this spread of Katie Holmes (above) shot by Tom Munro for the August issue of Vogue España. Wanting... Needing.... Waiting.... for you to.... (I just couldn’t help but go there).
Here's Lynda Carter riding high on a float in Saturday's NYC pride parade as spotted by BoyCulture blogger Matthew Rettenmund. Believe it or not she will turn 60 next month! Amazing!!!! Do you think she's had work done, or is she really an ageless super power from a lost isle in the Amazon jungle?
Now that summer is officially underway what better way to kick-off “Flashback Fridays” (a new blog feature celebrating my quirky adoration of 80s/90s pop music) than with this little diddy from Italian pop queen Sabrina? This is probably the gayest video a straight man would ever want to watch. And for some reason, not even I can take my eyes off the center of the screen.
Okay, so I know it appears as though as a blogger I should have posted about this the moment this video came out, but give me a break. It's only been out two or so weeks, and it seems as though the singles from this new album are releasing in rapid fire. But speaking of GaGa's Madonnaisms I couldn't help but to notice the hot blatino-ish dude playing Jesus here. Somehow this casting doesn't seem nearly as controversial as it did 22 years ago simply due to the fact that Madonna already went there and did that. Or perhaps it's because unlike Leon Robinson, this modern day rendition is light, bright, and damn near white. Anyways, this is one of my favorite GaGa vids. I love its gothic darkness, bad ass motorcycles, and the gay Jesus/Judas kiss.
Okay, I tried as long as I could to stay off the Lady GaGa/Madonna comparison bandwagon, but this I just couldn't resist. Something about Mother GaGa's Born This Way performance on SNL last night looked oddly familiar.
Not only the hair, but Lady GaGa is now drawing fake beauty marks on her cheek and referring to herself as "Mother GaGa."
That said, it looks like Nickelodeon poptart Ariana Grande is two steps ahead of what we are all thinking with this Born This Way/Express Yourself mashup. Enjoy!
It only makes sense that you outlive your childhood icons, right? But just like losing a parent it’s an event in which one is never prepared. I am in utter shock over the news of Michael Jackson’s passing. This is huge. He is perhaps the largest icon in the history of popular culture. And to have been a child of the 80s, living in a time space in which this icon defined not only himself, but MY generation is an incredible piece of history to have witnessed. It’s not difficult to hear his influence in the industry today. Just listen to a cut from the latest Britney, Justin, or Rhianna album and you know you’ve heard that sound before. What’s most powerful about Michael Jackson’s legacy is its staying power. His contributions will undoubtedly influence many generations to come.
Love him, hate him, the sentiment of my opinion today is not one of judgement. This is a person who lived his entire life immersed in a shroud of controversy. That is a part of his HIStory. Today’s sentiment is about recognizing how this loss impacts my world. All you children of the 80s know what I’m talking about when we’re out at the club and the DJ spins his “old-school” mix and the base line from “Billie Jean” or “Rock with You” comes pumping through the speakers. That feeling we get is indescribable. Hearing this music today and having it take you back to a time and place in which it’s like you’re hearing it for the very first time all over again… yes, that’s the feeling I’m talking about. And isn’t it amazing that it still makes you feel that way? Just amazing. Yes, Michael Jackson is a part of my history, a contributor to the soundtrack of my life, and today it will never sound the same.
I've said it once and I'll say it a million times. I am an 80s pop
music freak. So if you don't like the sound of the 80s, don't press play, because this is undeniably 80s! I lifted this video
from Boy Culture author Matthew Rettenmund's blog where he recently posted an interesting article about the background of this song. Recorded in 1986, Each Time You Break My Heart was
one of Madonna's first efforts behind the scene as a producer (did I
mention I'm a Madonna freak as well?). Written and produced by Madonna
and Stephen Bray the song was performed by British model Nick Kamen.
In his blog post, Rettenmund notes the similarity of the chord
structure of the song to Madonna's hit Causing a Commotion, but
I believe I hear a little Pet Shop Boys influence in the lead vocals.
The video is slightly homo-erotic, and I'm not certain what the kid is
supposed to add to the story, but yes, it is the same kid (Felix Howard) who appeared
in Madonna's Open Your Heart video.
Whether you’re a fan of her experimental music, or think she’s responsible for the breakup of the Beatles, you simply can’t deny Yoko Ono’s spot in Rock-n-Roll history as one of its most significant first ladies. Over the years she’s championed her late husband’s vision of peace, harmony, and love around the world. In her first GayRadio.com interview Ono not only talks about her music, but also discusses the upcoming "Imagine Peace Tower,"a tribute to John Lennon, her love of gay dance clubs, and the sympathy she feels for gays, lesbians, and anyone persecuted for daring to be themselves.
The podcast also features some hot dance tracks from her latest album, including a remix of her controversial Open Your Box thatmakes Donna Summer’s Love to Love You sound as wholesome as a Sunday morning church hymn. Hear the podcast at GayRadio.com.
When my friends over at GayRadio.com emailed me a heads up on their exclusive interview with Yoko Ono, it brought back a fond memory of a chance encounter I had with the icon myself.
It was the summer of 1995 and I was a geeky 19-year old public relations intern at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. I made a whopping $6 per hour making copies, faxing media alerts, and fetching coffee. To me, it was an exciting time to be there because it was the summer just before the museum opened, and celebrities were always stopping by for private tours. They were typically brought in the back entrance and up through the executive offices. I got to see a lot of famous faces up close and personal – Sheryl Crow, Little Richard, Natalie Merchant –oh, and, I’ll never forget the time I literally ran into Paula Abdul and sent a stack of press releases flying in the air.
But it was the day of the museum’s grand opening that I would come face-to-face with one of rock’s most influential living legends. Industry moguls and celebrities like Ahmet Ertegün, Jann Wenner, and Martha Reeves had arrived with entourages that whisked them off to the area designated for the ribbon cutting. Once the ceremony was underway, I headed back inside to retrieve some extra press kits when I spotted this striking petite Asian woman in a tailored white pant suit and struttin’ the cutest pumps. She was simply wandering around the main lobby by herself. A sort of uncomfortable silence filled the air, and I was uncertain as to why all the other staffers were just standing still with their mouths wide open. After all, we were opening a museum here and there was work to do! As I stepped onto an escalator the woman followed right behind me. She lowered her big dark sunglasses to give me a quick up and down with the eyes, and uttered a sharp “hi”. A moment later, one of the other interns pulled me to the side and whispered “You do realize that you just rode up the escalator with Yoko Ono.”
In a recent posting on his blog, Keith Boykin asked the
question “Why do gay men love female divas?” If I had to guess I think it might be because many of us have witnessed
the strength of remarkable women in our childhoods and have been attracted to them ever since. As a child of
the 80s my single mother raised my sister and me with Kraft macaroni and cheese
on the stove and the TV tuned to Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Christian network,
The Praise The Lord Club (PTL). At that time I didn’t understand my attraction
to this bubbly, painted woman who raised her hands and rejoiced with tears in
her eyes and mascara running down her face. I now realize I was fascinated by her because no amount of
makeup could mask Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner’s unbelievable courage. As I write this post I’m saddened by the news
of Tammy Faye’s passing. It’s as if a
bit of my childhood has died with her. I watched in utter awe as Jim Bakker’s
scandals brought down the walls of the PTL Club. It is a part of pop culture and Tammy Faye
became an icon.
What makes Tammy Faye such an iconic diva? She entertained and amused us for
decades. She wore her makeup and fake
eyelashes proudly and unapologetically. She wasn’t afraid to poke a little fun at herself from time to time (The
Surreal Life). She survived the PTL scandal
unscathed and went on to live a life in the limelife. She was one of the first televangelists to
reach out to people with AIDS when no one else would even broach the
topic. She embraced the gay community
and never came across as a person who passed judgment regardless of what her
personal views may have been. It was
obvious that Tammy Faye believed first and foremost that God is love.
This past Thursday, just a day before her death, a gaunt 65
pound Tammy Faye appeared on Larry King Live – in high spirits and in full
makeup. According to Larry King she
requested the interview. It’s as if she
wanted the world to hear her last words and witness her faith to the very
end. I’ll miss her. May she rest in peace.
View more of Tammy Faye Messner's final interview on YouTube:
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