BreakOUT News
Sexy Boyfriend Loves Bass
July 31, 2006
''Lance is happier than he has ever been,'' said smoldering Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' ''Amazing Race,'' about his boyfriend Lance Bass's big-news coming out.
''It has been a long ride and it's a huge relief, and I couldn't be happier for him and I couldn't be more proud of him,'' Lehmkuhl, 32, said.
Good to know. But did anyone think Bass would have come out withOUT his boyfriend’s blessing?
''I think it is always best in your career to be honest," says Lehmkuhl. ''He is going to have more support and more happiness and more freedom than he has ever had before and it is going to be a liberating experience. I guarantee it.''
Well, of course it helps that Lehmkuhl is g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. and made a name for himself posing half-naked. Check that. Almost-totally naked.
Also OK with Bass's "out" burst: Justin Timberlake, who said: "Lance is one of my great friends. I support him and wish him all the happiness in the world."
Gays Love Games. We Love k.d.
July 31, 2006
Last week Chicago. This week Montreal.
Confused? We were, until we did a little research. So if anyone asks you why there are two homosexual sporting events within one week of each other, the answer follows....
In 2003, there was some tension between the Federation of Gay Games and the group responsible for choosing Montreal as the site. After some hemming, hawing, processing, and meetings about everyone’s feelings, the Canadians took their ball and went home, starting a rival “gay sporting organization.”
Because that’s what gay rights is all about: solidarity.
But all seems to be fine, and not surprisingly there are enough homosexuals in the world for two big events.
But at the opening ceremony, there were issues.... Even in liberal Canada.
The audience was forced to resort to chanting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at a Canadian Public Works Minister who was sent as a stand-in for conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the grumpy old man recently elected to the post. Not that the gays really wanted him there. After all, he’s the guy trying to overturn gay marriage in the one place we all hope we can move to one day.
Lesbian hero k.d. lang lashed out at Harper: ''It's a sad statement that the national leader of a country that's one of the most progressive countries in the world chooses to support intolerance,'' lang told a news conference at the stadium.
But lang said the gay community shouldn't take Harper's absence personally.
''It's our job to see that as an unfortunate ignorance, rather than as a statement against us,'' she said. ''It's just that he hasn't got there in his heart.''
A spokesman for the prime minister said there was nothing political in Harper's decision to skip the Outgames.
''The prime minister receives hundred of invitations to attend several events at the same time,'' said Dimitri Soudas. ''He simply can't be everywhere at the same time.''
Yeah, right.
Boy George Sentenced
July 31, 2006
Boy George will perform his court-ordered community service by picking up trash on city streets in the August heat, a NYC sanitation spokesman said.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Should be certainly unpleasant.
But what the non-famous, non-rich, non-white drug addicts? Are they getting “trash duty” as their punishment? Somehow we doubt it.
The one-time Culture Club singer will be issued a shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves when he reports Aug. 14 for five days of work, said department spokesman Vito Turso.
And it has been damn hot in New York, so George will be sweating bullets.
''This is the epitome of community service,'' Turso told the Daily News for Monday editions. ''It's not like he's going to be working in an air-conditioned office.''
Born George O'Dowd, the 45-year-old singer has struggled with drug problems for years. He was ordered to do community service after pleading guilty in March to false reporting of an incident. He called police with a bogus report of a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment in October, and the responding officers found cocaine inside.
Turso's statement was the first indication of what sort of work the singer would be given. He could be assigned to pick up streets in Chinatown, Little Italy, Nolita or parts of the Lower East Side.
This is interesting. How did he get the coolest neighborhoods in town? Then again, some of us at OUTzone live down in those “cool neighborhoods” and they’re disgusting.
Stamos Is Steaming Hot
July 28, 2006
Is it us, or is the former “Full House” star looking smoldering hot after a few years out of the media glare?
Or maybe its just excitement that his career is picking up steam again.
Or course, at OUTzone, we’re most excited about the gay wedding planner he is playing in an upcoming movie for A&E called “Wedding Wars.”
E! online has a full story (too long for our short attention spans, but check it out).
Stamos is planning the wedding of the daughter of the governor of Maine. But then when the governor comes out AGAINST gay marriage, he decides to not work on the wedding. All sorts of craziness ensues (we hear, we haven’t seen the work … yet).
The single and “I want children” star is also becoming a regular on “ER.” Yeah, we’re over that show, too. But it’s still hugely popular. And maybe with Stamos, it will become the new “Grey’s Anatomy.”
And Stamos can become the new Patrick Dempsey.
Okay, now we’re dizzy.
Harry Potter Rides Horse Naked
July 28, 2006
Got your attention, didn’t we? But it’s true. Potter film star Daniel Radcliffe will make his London stage debut in “Equus,” the superhomoerotic play.
The 17-year-old, currently making the fifth Harry Potter film, will star alongside Richard Griffiths, who plays his grumpy uncle in the wizard sagas.
Radcliffe will play Alan Strang, a stable boy who is interviewed by a psychiatrist after he blinds six horses with a metal spike. In Peter Shaffer's controversial play, the role requires the actor to ride naked on his horse.
"This is an extraordinary play and, yes, there is a scene of nudity in it, but that's not what the play is about," said Radcliffe's publicist Vanessa Davies.
"He finishes shooting 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' in October or November and rehearsals are starting in January," she added. The play is expected to open in March.
OK, after we write this, the entire staff at OUTzone is going to Orbitz to buy tickets to London. Bye!
Brokeback Actor is a Joker
July 28, 2006
Admittedly one of our favorite things at OUTzone news is to make fun of Brokeback Mountain.
The last time we wrote about it -- even in a nice way -- the hate mail poured in. So forgive us for jumping on this casting rumor.
Heath Ledger, who won acting accolades for grimacing through Brokeback, is slated to play The Joker in the new Batman movie. The role, made ridiculous by Jack Nicholson, in the hands of a stiff-as-a-board handsome guy must be a joke. The joker, a joke? Please.
Although, Brokeback Mountain lovers are probably already fantasizing about Heath Ledger in tights, we think you’re crazy. Good crazy. Fun crazy. But crazy.
Project Runway Goes to the Dogs
July 27, 2006
So, Katherine Gerdes is out. Which, oh, well … we can't be too upset about. She did design a kind of boring dress. But the little green hoodie on the dog … come on! It was adorable!
Folks at OUTzone like Katherine a lot. And not just because of her shoulder tension sweetness. Seriously, she’s like the girl-barista you want to be friends with when you’re getting coffee, but you just don’t have time to make the effort.
(We should add that even though Bravo owns OUTzone, they don’t tell us a thing. We have to watch the damn show just like everyone else. They guard those episode with their lives. Almost scary.)
After last night’s Project Runway, we feel we should go on record as casting our vote for axing that screwball Angela next. That outfit was a bit of a disaster that would land anyone on a weirdest dressed list. Furthermore, Vincent should have gone in round one with that hat. That HAT? Are you kidding? I know we’re not supposed to mock the afflicted, but even the mentally ill can be jerks.
For more on this, you should check out Tim’s blog. He makes more sense than we do. That’s why he’s on TV, and we just write about it.
"Chicago" Celebrates Birthday
July 27, 2006
Attention ShowQueens! It’s the 400th anniversary of “Chicago,” the musical. Okay, so it’s only 10, but doesn’t it feel like more?
If you weren’t lucky enough to catch Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, James Naughton, and Joel Grey, in the revival of “Chicago” ten years ago, now’s your big chance. To celebrate their status as America’s longest running Broadway revival, the “original” cast is reuniting for a special 10th anniversary performance on November 14th.
The 1996 “Chicago” revival earned six Tony Awards, but the show originally ran on Broadway in 1970’s, starring Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon. So even some of the original original cast will be there.
No word yet on whether Renee Zellweger or Catherine Zeta-Jones or Richard Gere (or god-willing, Queen Latifah!) will be in attendance. Oscar-winning kudos notwithstanding, this is Broadway: Show a Tony or leave.
Bloggers Drive Bass Out of Closet
July 26, 2006
''The thing is, I'm not ashamed,” says form N’Sync boy Lance Bass in the new issue of People magazine. “That’s the one thing I went to say. I don't think (being gay is) wrong. I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy.''
Thank goddess. Finally. And shame on the bloggers.
Not that Lance shouldn’t have come out years ago... But after all the outing anxiety in the gay community over the last 20 years: Don’t we know it’s a tough call? That he should have been allowed to come out whenever he wanted?
Really. He’s not Donald Rumsfield, a man who is actively destroying gay lives and so should be outted (if he was gay). Unfortunately, bloggers, even some we like, wouldn’t leave the boy-bander alone as he ventured further out of the closet. Over Fourth of July weekend, just days ago. He was blogged about, photographed, and videotaped.
We nerds at OUTzone would have come running out of the closet, too.
Now, off our soapbox. Here is the official story:
Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a ''very stable'' relationship with a reality show star.
Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.
''I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything,'' he tells the magazine.
'N Sync is known for a string of hits including ''Bye Bye Bye'' and ''It's Gonna Be Me.'' The band went on hiatus in 2002. Bass has also found headlines for undertaking astronaut training and failing to raise money for a trip into space.
Bass says he wondered if his coming out could prompt ''the end of 'N Sync.'' He explains, ''So I had that weight on me of like, 'Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did.''
The singer says he's in a ''very stable'' relationship with 32-year-old actor Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' ''Amazing Race.''
Bass and Fatone, 29, are developing a sitcom pilot inspired by the screwball comedy ''The Odd Couple,'' in which his character will be gay.
Melissa Etheridge is Back!
July 26, 2006
The lesbian songstress is back in action. Big time. And we couldn't be happier -- not just because her tickets are so much cheaper than Madonna's.
Performing at Madison Square Garden in NYC only days after Madge left town, gays in NYC have been all atwitter for the past two nights, as the brave rocker is winning unbelievable reviews. Fans say she’s on top of her game in a way that she hasn’t been since the early days.
Remember, she survived coming out, girlfriend, baby, losing girlfriend to man, cancer, chemo, hairloss. Girl is one tough cookie.
Word is that Etheridge doesn't take a break during the three-hour-long concert. Even the band takes a break, but Melissa keeps on, accompanying herself on the piano until they’re back.
Best of all, Melissa seems to have a way of building community more than any other performer. All the instruments onstage are being auctioned off and the proceeds donated to breast cancer research. She’s doing tributes to Matthew Shepard. She’s stumping for Al Gore’s movie.
Says fan Valerie Heller, “She’s talking about truth. She’s saying we find people, and we want to change them, but we should just love the person we have in front of us. I would say she’s back one thousand percent.”
Gay Marriage Postponed
July 26, 2006
If we were straight, we’d be totally worked up over the snorefest that is Christie Brinkley’s husband. But we’re not, so that f’ing decision in Washington pisses us off.
I mean, how many courts gotta diss us before we revolt?
And now George Michael?
Our favorite Wham-ster has cancelled his lavish, Elton-John style wedding to Kenny Goss. We were imagining a lot of feather boas, maybe lube fountains with glitter, and all Wham music all night long.
But the couple is “reassessing their relationship,” after George’s recent indiscretion in the bushes. Pictures of an old troll believed to be George Michael’s tryst are online. But we like the guy, so we see no reason to propagate such nonsense.
On his way from the bushes, George was reported to have said to the British Tabloid “News of the World”: “I don’t believe it! F*** off! If you put those pictures in the paper I’ll sue!”
Uhm, even though we love George Michael, is this a problem? After all, first the cop in Beverly Hills, now this. What’s up dude?
Loony-ticks at The Movies
July 25, 2006
It’s a blockbuster week for crazy gays at the cinema this week. Opening tomorrow, is the Sundance hit, Little Miss Sunshine, and Friday, Another Gay Movie.
Really, it’s a super-gay week.
Not that either film will be winning any awards, or even critical acclaim, although Little Miss Sunshine has tickled critics while Another Gay Movie has frightened them with its audacity.
But … in LMS, we get Steve Carrell (love him in “The Office” and 40 Year Old Virgin) playing a suicidal Proust scholar. And Toni Collette (Murial’s Wedding, hello!, the gayest movie of Ms. Collette’s career until she smooched Julianne Moore in The Hours. Okay, that was maybe her gayest movie moment. Oh, damn. There was that drag-ish flick Connie and Carla, no? Maybe Ms. Collette is the queerest straight girl in movies today?)
In Another Gay Movie, we get four high school kids living in a perfectly queer world where being gay is cool. It’s a rather fun, totally cool set-up. The guys bet each other to see who can lose their “virginity” first. Funny idea, so over-the-top it hurts in the execution department.
Guest stars abound, Graham Norton, Richard Hatch, Lypsinka, Scott Thompson and porn star Matthew Rush.
It’s hard to complain about so many gay movie options in one week, but we here at OUTzone have ridiculously high standards. So we are going to be holding out for more!
No Vibrators, Anal Sex or Lesbian Rabbits
July 25, 2006
There’s trouble over at “The Good Night Show.” Of course you’ve never heard of it. It’s a show designed to put its audience to sleep.
And it’s on PBS.
Melanie Martinez and her sleepy puppet friend Star “were” the hosts of the three hour cabal of sleep-inducing cartoons and stories. Until Melanie was fired this week because it turns out she did some previous acting work in some really tame mock-PSA’s telling girls how to avoid pregnancy by using anal sex and/or vibrators. All good things, we think. Educational. Like PBS is supposed to be!
YouTube has them here. VIDEOS
This comes on the heels of last years “Postcards from Buster” fiasco, wherein the head of the network was fired for allowing the show to air an episode about a cartoon rabbit visiting a household with two lesbian mommies.
Is it us, or is this level of craziness reaching a new low?
Melanie Martinez is clearly a smart, funny actress. She’s the mother of a toddler. She went to the producers on her own free will and told them of the spots, which were produced before she got the job.
And they fired her!
For videos that aren’t even all that funny!
Preaching to the Converted
July 25, 2006
A lot of money was wasted, we mean SPENT today in the New York Times by advocates of gay marriage.
Now, some of our best friends are advocates of gay marriage. But really, is a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, the paper of the state that just nixed gay marriage in a high-profile court ruling, really going to help?
The ad is part of a spending spree by GLAAD and NGLTF that’s being touted as “the largest ad campaign ever by the gay lobby.”
Oh, that should help, too. The conservatives will TOTALLY be convinced. We can just hear it now. “Yes, yes! Get married because you know how to buy ads in the newspaper.”
Evan Wolfson, the lawyer who did such good work getting us kicked out of the Boy Scouts forever (he won the case in New Jersey then lost at the Supreme Court), told the Associated Press: “This is a long-term conversation. Our job is to make sure people hear about gay families and why marriage matters, and not be drowned out by the horse race of the moment."
And we can’t argue with the sentiment. But the methods are lame.
We need to PERSONALLY let people hear about our gay lives and our gay families. Anyone out of the closet knows what kind of impact coming out has on your friends and family. It’s virtually impossible to be homophobic when someone you know and respect is gay. Coming out is what this is all about.
So let’s save our $$$ and work on something we can do: getting everyone out of the closet.
Cyndi Lauper Saves Gay Games
July 24, 2006
Well, that might be exaggerating, a little. But she is being credited with saving the Closing Ceremonies Saturday after last week’s Opening Ceremonies received terrible reviews.
12,000 athletes took part in the games in Chicago this year. And the torch was passed to Cologne Germany, which will play host in four years.
But it was the very end of the event that is being remembered most fondly. Out from the dugout at sold-out Wrigley Field walked Ms. Lauper to have some fun. She dressed at the Statue of Liberty but her gown was sewn from Rainbow Flags. Lauper sang “True Colors,” and the audience went crazy.
Just how we like it.
Madonna to Confess on Television
July 24, 2006
We love Madonna -- don’t get us wrong. But we're pissed.
If we had known she’d be broadcasting her latest tour on NBC, we would NOT have shelled out hundreds of bucks to see the show live.
Not that going to see her wasn’t fun -- hanging with friends and dancing to Madonna is always fun -- but the concerts themselves are canned. No encore; they’re choreographed to death; nothing is “live” in the sense of being impromptu or spontaneous.
And the tickets are crazy-expensive!
So we would rather have saved our money and waited to watch the concert from London that NBC will air this fall. A two-hour special will be taped this summer at Wembley Stadium in London and shown in November on NBC. ''Madonna is one of the greatest artists of our time and never fails to generate excitement,'' NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said Friday. ''We think this is going to be a big event for television.''
The network is billing Madonna's special as the first-ever broadcast network performance by the Grammy-winning singer. The special will feature songs from Madonna's latest album, ''Confessions on a Dance Floor,'' along with some of her greatest hits.
But still. What about the HUNDREDS of bucks we shelled out on tickets only to sit all the way across Madison Square Garden? We were about a mile away!
Richard Hatch, Full Frontal, and Off to Jail
July 24, 2006
On Friday, the blur will be lifted. Watchers of “Survivor” and fans of the super-out-performer Richard Hatch will get to see it all when Another Gay Movie opens in theaters.
In the film, fans can see hatch's twig and berries without network “censorship.”
No, it was censorship. OUTzone has seen the ridiculous and terribly unsophisticated film. But it was worth sitting through to see that Richard Hatch is downright average in the manliness department. For a while there, we thought he had to be particularly well-endowed to be so proud to run around naked all the time.
Now we know: He just likes to be nekkid.
In other Hatch news, the guy began his 51-month prison sentence this weekend with a trip from Massachusetts to Oklahoma.
It wasn't immediately clear why the 45-year-old was moved or whether he will serve out his prison sentence at the facility, which is a hub for prisoners transferring through the federal system.
A federal jury convicted Hatch in January of failing to pay taxes on the ''Survivor'' prize and other income. He was sentenced in May to 51 months in prison by a judge who said the reality TV star had lied repeatedly on the witness stand.
Hatch had previously been held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts.
He would prefer to serve his sentence near family in Rhode Island or in Florida, said his lawyer, Michael Minns.
''He should be in a camp,'' Minns said. ''The camps are the most comfortable of the uncomfortable. They are still jails, but they get to see the sky and be outside. It's bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person.''
Oh, excuse us. As much as we stick up for the gays, the guy was convicted of stealing. He doesn’t get to “enjoy the great outdoors.”
Gays Flock to San Diego for Comic-Con
July 21, 2006
They have rippling muscles, perfect teeth, secret lives on the side, and a huge gay following. And names like He-man.
And they're in San Diego this weekend for Comic-Con -- the superheros and their gay fans.
The convention features a large and terrifying display of collectibles, Star Wars memorabilia, and lots of people in spandex living out their super-fantasies.
Of particular interest is this years “Gays In Comics” panel moderated by Andy Mangels -- who not only writes Star Trek novels, but directed the He-Man and She-Ra DVD documentaries. He is one hot gay nerd.
Also, if you can't get to Sunny San-D, the Postal Service (not the band) is releasing a series of superhero stamps featuring Superman, WonderWoman, and the impossibly dreamy Aquaman. 14 other superheroes will get their own stamps, including Batman and Robin.
We’re not sure, but this might be the first gay couple to ever appear on a postage stamp.
St. Matthew of Sexiness
July 21, 2006
Mr. McConaughey has always had his gay fans -- even before he started hanging tight with Jake and Lance.
You just can’t be that cute without recruiting (intentionally or not) from both teams. Then there was that naked bongo-playing with his “best friend” incident. But really, he’s straight.
That doesn’t mean that he is not considered the hottest potato in Hollywood. Check out these tallies.
What male celebrity do you think has the best body? Matthew with 33%. Only Brad Pitt came close.
What male celebrity do you think would make a good personal trainer? Matthew in second place to Will Smith, but only by 10%.
The poll was conducted as part of a promotion for Bravo’s “Work Out,” the new show starring the sexiest lesbian trainer ever. Talk about gay programming. Even the New York Times gave Bravo (who also owns OUTzone) a rave for being such a cool gay channel.
But back to McConaughey. Best celebrity six-pack abs? Matthew with 45%.
Bosom Buddies, That’s All!
July 21, 2006
Don't think for a second that any of us here at OUTzone thought Jake or Heath were convincing gay cowboys. Come on. Producers can't cast two of the biggest rising stars in Hollywood and expect us to believe in such fantasies.
Not that we didn't think Brokeback wasn't a fine movie with gorgeous scenery. We just don't think watching they gays get their come-uppance is cool. At all.
Okay: Off our high horse, so to speak: We finally have comment from Jake about his rather public friendship with spandex-wearing, Tour de France-winning Lance Armstrong. Gay gossips have been chattering on and on about how "gay" they are. Then there was the whole tacky anal sex joke at the ESPY awards (they're a sports thing, on ESPN, that channel below Bravo with games on all the time).
Just kidding! We don't pander in stereotypes here.
Anyway: sorry to bust your bubble, but...
"We became friends just recently, a couple of months ago," Gyllenhaal told The Associated Press. '"He's a pretty straightforward guy. He called me the other day and said like, 'You wanna go riding?'"
(Okay, so the "said like" sounds kind of gay, but really, it sounds like Southern California.)
Gyllenhaal took up cycling seriously three months ago, he said, as training for a new film. He says he could keep up with the 34-year-old Armstrong—oh he with one nut because of that damn cancer — until they hit a real hill. Matthew McConaughey is now in the mix. They are all ridin' friends. And the rumors continue. Two words: wishful thinking.
"When we first started riding it was pure adrenalin that kept me going," Gyellenhaal said. "Then, up the hill, across the way, you could see him like a plane in the sky, he was moving so fast."
Final thought. Let's leave the guys alone. Jake and Lance are both single, recently out of long complicated relationships (Gyllenhaal with Kirsten Dunst, and Armstrong with Sheryl Crow), and like to ride bikes.
BFD. (Big F-ing Deal)
Savage Love
July 20, 2006
We LOVE a gay that comes out, gets married AND blogs about it on his website.
Darren Hayes, former frontman of rock band Savage Garden is not only coming out — in a lovely letter to his fans — but he’s tied the knot. Yep, he married his partner, Richard, on June 19th in London.
The newly-out, newlywed is currently spending his honeymoon in the studio making what he hopes to be “the best record” of his career. We hope so too. We need some new queer savage in our garden.
And we’ll be buying the album, that’s for sure. Anyone who can come out in these dark days of hetero-fascism has our money. Not that we didn't love us some Savage Garden. They were crazy good and Australian. We always had a feeling it was the queerness that made us like them.
Thanks for finally confirming the suspicion. And awesome website.
Congratulations to Darren and Richard!
Ze Minks, Zey Are Happier in Sweden
July 20, 2006
Brigitte Bardot is pretty cheesed off, again, this time over France's insensitivity to the plight of minks. She says Sweden's point of view is more animal-friendly, and so she’s considering moving.
Citing an icon of much greater icon-ness, Bardot said: ''To the contrary of Greta Garbo, who left Sweden to finish her days in the United States, perhaps I will leave France to finish my days in Sweden. Today, I feel much closer to Swedish sensitivity than to the French insensitivity,'' said the 71-year-old former film star, who runs a foundation for animal rights.
Bardot wrote a letter Wednesday to Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson calling his nation one of only a few countries ''that takes into consideration animal well-being.''
''The intervention of my government makes me ashamed, ashamed to be French,'' she wrote.
Is Brigitte channeling the old Anne Heche?
More importantly: Why do we care?
Mad About The Girl
July 20, 2006
Anne Heche famously broke our Ellen’s little heart—right after they waltzed across America showing how cool (and hot!) lesbian love can be.
Remember them at the White House? Seeing them felt like history was being made before our very eyes.
Then, of course, Anne lost her mind and became straight. Now, she’s back, on ABC this fall playing the role of a relationship counselor on “Men in Trees.”
(We have no idea what the title means. We’re hoping it’s a joke.)
Not to give Heche her dues. She has some serious acting chops. Heche has guest-starred on ''Nip/Tuck,'' ''Everwood,'' and ''Ally McBeal.”
She still acting. In a promotional interview, Heche said: ''I've stumbled through and made so many mistakes, I'm pretty good with where I am…I ‘m a person who takes a lesson from hopefully everyone I meet.''
Up to and including some imaginary angel- people, aliens in a ship, and Steve Martin. Remember her “performance” with Barbara Walters. That was Oscar-worthy.
You know the one. Where she said that she and God were on a first name basis? Where she revealed to us her alter-ego, Celestia, who spoke to God in a special made up language that only they understood?
So yes, the world is crazy … because that same woman is going to be handing out (albeit fictional) relationship advice on TV.
Should we care?
Gay Writer Returns to Wisteria Lane
July 19, 2006
ABC promises us a better third season of "Desperate Housewives." And they're putting their money where their mouth is buy hiring openly gay series creator Marc Cherry to head up the salvage operation.
Thank goddess. Because Cherry wrote for ''The Golden Girls.” So he can do anything.
During the second season, the show bumped into creative stumbling blocks and lost viewers. However, all of the third-season episodes are arriving ''through Marc's typewriter, which...is a great thing," said folks at ABC.
Uhm… yeah. Because that typewriter produced gay make outs, Alfre Woodard, and all those shirtless... oh we love that typewriter.
Congratulations Marc. This is the best news we’ve heard in a while.
The Most Fabulous Women Unite
July 19, 2006
Lauren Bacall and Emmy-Winner Blythe Danner will receive the first ever “Katharine Hepbun Medals” at Bryn Mawr College. This will surely be a fabulous event. We here at OUTzone can smell the perfume and hear the gravelly impersonations already. 'Cause Ms. Hepburn may be the straight lesbian icon ... ever.
Will Cate Blanchett, who won an Oscar for imitating Ms. K., dole out the awards? We hope so.
The medal ''recognizes women whose outstanding lifework and achievements embody the intelligence, independence and drive of Katharine Hepburn.”
The Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center at Bryn Mawr was established to honor the American screen legend and four-time Oscar winner.
(Here we will mention Dragonseed for the second day in a row … because we can.)
The center also honors Hepburn's mother, also named Katharine, who was an early feminist activist and 1899 Bryn Mawr graduate.
If anyone out there can score us an invitation, we’ll totally write about you.
House of Fools Fails
July 19, 2006
Even with no chance for success—thanks to the Senate voting down a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage last week—the House of Representatives voted anyway. And the measure lost.
Thank heavens. Except that the only reason there was a vote was so that conservatives could go back to their districts and say they were doing all they could to “protect marriage.”
There is nothing funny to say about this. But two of our favorite, OUT congressmen spoke eloquently.
Barney Frank (D-Mass): "I do not understand what motivates you. I don't tell you who to love."
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin): "This hateful and unnecessary amendment is unworthy of our great Constitution."
‘Nuff said.
O Well. O-prah Not Gay
July 18, 2006
So Oprah and her gal-pal Gayle are not lesbians. Even if they say things like: “Whatever this friendship is, it’s been a very fun ride.”
And that is just fine. Seriously. We didn’t really think they were. Her boyfriend, Steadman-something...well, now, that’s a different story.
Yet, in the August issue of O Magazine, Oprah and Gayle claim that if they were gay, well, good heavens, we’d be the first to know. And they would tell us because, “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
Amen.
Life After Playing Gay and Gay-Adjacent
July 18, 2006
The stars of NBC's ''Will & Grace,'' with eight successful seasons behind them, are counting on more success post W&G than the sadly cursed stars of “Seinfeld.” Instead of immediately aiming for a spin-off or rolling the dice with another sitcom, Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally are diversifying their roles, by starting production companies to control their own projects.
Sean Hayes has started “Hazy Mills” with Todd Milliner. Eric McCormack named his “Big Cattle Productions” and Megan Mullaly named hers “Ton of Bricks.”
Mullaly has a project on tap first. She will host a syndicated talk show “The Megan Mullaly Show.”
And Debra Messing…she’s gonna be just fine. Emmy winner in 2003 and a current nominee as well, she wants to return to the stage. Messing feels her career has already diversified because she was ''lucky enough'' to star in (and frankly, be the most entertaining part of) several romantic comedies on the big screen while ''Will & Grace'' was still on the air.
But the odds that Messing and the others will ever attain the same level of success they once had with ''Will & Grace'' are not in their favor. Let us consider the likes of poor Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. For that matter, we are still mourning the loss of Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback.” And speaking of friends, wasn’t there a show about…Joey?
'Kari Lizer, co-executive producer for three seasons of ''Will & Grace'' and now the creator and executive producer of Ms. Dreyfus's ''The Old Adventures of New Christine,'' raises a good point: The affection fans have for a ''beloved character” is key.
Our money is on Megan Mullally’s talk show: We’ll watch anything that resembles the boozy hopped up ramblings of Karen Walker.
The Devil Speaks Chinese
July 18, 2006
There is nothing Meryl Streep can’t do. This, we know.
After blazing through this scorching summer in The Devil Wears Prada and Prarie Home Companion, Streep is signed on to play the cheerful war profiteer in Mother Courage—live—in Central Park in August.
But for those outside Manhattan and its environs, look for Streep next year in Dark Matter, director Chen Shizheng. It’s an “exploration of US-China relations.”
Don’t get too excited. Meryl will not be playing a white lady playing a not-white lady a al Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Katharine Hepburn in Dragonseed. And while she could most certainly pull a move like that off, it turns out that Meryl plays the wealthy benefactress.
Let’s be clear, though- she could totally pull it off.
Chicago’s Gay Games Begin
July 17, 2006
A streaker ran nekkid through the Opening Ceremonies. But because they were for the Gay Games, one naked guy doesn't exactly stop the show.
The audience that packed Soldier Field was more excited about seeing 12,000 athletes, hearing from Chicago mayor Daley, who gave an awesome pro-gay speech, and then there were the marching bands, dance troupes and costumes.
Now, the heat wave. While the competition takes place this week, the entire eastern half of the United States is sweltering.
Perhaps the contestants should take a lesson from the streaker—and from the ancient Greeks—and perform naked. It sure would be cooler.
George Costanza? Echk!
July 17, 2006
It seems straight people read Entertainment Weekly, too.
The magazine held a contest to see who readers thought was the “Greatest sidekick of all time.”
Johnny Carson's longtime couch-warmer, Ed McMahon won. And George from “Seinfeld” came in #3.
Which can only mean one thing. Gay people did not vote very often.
How else to explain that the most classic, revered, and queer sidekicks of all time came in 2nd, 4th, and MIA.
Robin (Batman’s boy wonder) is two. Han Solo’s bear-boyfriend Chewbaca is four. And Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s reliable “best friend” and “life partner” didn’t even make the list.
The only saving grace: Ethel Mertz came in fifth place for her role as Lucy Ricardo’s partner in crime.
Porno-man v. Michael Jackson: The End
July 17, 2006
The jury has rendered its verdict. And the plaintiff's previous career in gay porn did not matter.
No matter what the state of gay marriage is in this backwards country currently is, Firday was an awesome day for gays. The jury in Michael Jackson's latest courtroom drama said: ''F. Marc Schaffel's life is his life and Michael Jackson's life is his life,'' she said. These issues did not effect our decision in the case.
Schaffel sued Jackson for breach of contract. He won $900,000. (But had asked for $1.4 million.)
Jackson counter-sued, and the jury awarded Jackson $200,000 from Schaffel.
Two lessons, as far as we can see. First, only sue if you really, really have to. Because you might get very little cash-o-la. And two, there are at least 12 people in the world that are not so virulently homophobic that they let the Jackson and Schaffel’s personal life effect their judgment.
Hooray.
More Gays Will Race Amazing-ly
July 17, 2006
A gay couple has won before. And a gay couple will get the chance to win again.
Tom Rock, 39, and Terry Cosentino, 45, a gay couple from New York City, have been named as one of 12 teams for next season’s “Amazing Race.”
They join an Indian-American husband and wife, two Muslim friends, a woman with an artificial leg, and two male models.
Did casting producers worry more about eye candy? (We hope so! Or, we’re glad they did.)
The three-time Emmy-winning reality show is moving to Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on CBS. Its 10th season will start in Seattle, with the teams traveling westward for the first time and stopping in China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Kuwait and Madagascar, among other countries.
They will travel more than 40,000 miles in under 30 days in pursuit of the $1 million prize.
''This cast is as different as it's ever been,'' executive producer Bertram van Munster told the Television Critics Association's summer meeting. ''It's meltdown city on this trip.''
Van Munster said the language barrier made traveling difficult for the teams, along with 130-degree heat in Kuwait and filming in Communist countries. In Vietnam, the government insisted on viewing daily footage but didn't request any changes or cuts.
''The show worldwide is extremely popular and that has helped us,'' he said.
Coors Chairman Busted For Drunk-Driving
July 14, 2006
After a 30-plus years of antagonism between Coors Brewing Company and the gay community, forgive us a little schadenfreude.
Pete Coors, chairman of the company, was caught drinking and driving. He joins the list of conservative do-gooders in recent years who have fallen prey to the sins they so often spout nonsense about. (See Bill Bennett with his gambling problem, and Rush Limbaugh with his drug addiction.)
With Coors, the irony is rich because as a family owned-company, Coors has a long and lucrative relationship (they give away a lot of money) to anti-gay organizations such as the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, the so-called Free Congress Foundation, and Castle Rock, all considered bad, bad, bad by progressives of many stripes.
Each in their own way has been accused being anti-gay and anti-women. So starting in the 70s, the gay community began to boycott Coors. Yet their anti-gay stance continued. Pete Coors and his cohorts fought Amendment 2 in Colorado, which the Supreme Court had to ultimately nullify. They worked in Hawaii against gay marriage when it looked like that state would become the first to offer equal rights to gay men and lesbians.
But the boycott worked, and so Coors conservatism went undercover and the company started buying advertisements in gay magazines. Now you can’t go to a gay fundraising dinner without seeing their name as a sponsor, all in the name of PR.
Yet their conservative agenda continues.
So like watching Rush and Bill reveal their hypocrisy by admitting their addictions, let’s all take five minutes to chuckle at Pete Coors.
And then stop. Because drunk driving in serious and he could have hurt someone, badly. We are glad he didn’t.
On the Coors website, they advocate the harshest punishment for drunk drivers. It will be interesting to watch Pete Coors get a taste of his own medicine.
As for the rest of us here at OUTzone, we prefer wine.
San Francisco Mayor Speaks OUT
July 14, 2006
The City by The Bay strikes again. Mayor Gavin Newsom tells Rolling Stone magazine that most democrats support gay marriage but don’t have the balls to say so.
Surprise, surprise.
It’s been the dirty little not-so-secret that democrats see nothing wrong (or even want) gay marriage. But they cower at the altar of conservative America.
“As long as we allow this to be dangled in front of us because of our unwillingness to say publicly what so many of us are saying privately,” Newsom told RS, “it will haunt the Democratic party.”
Read the full interview here. And then send it to all your gay friends.
Is it too late to recruit Newsom to replace Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC. Ever since his yell-that-ruined-his-campaign, Dean has not been the gay advocate he once was.
Gayest Reality Show Ever?
July 14, 2006
In the beginning it was a guilty pleasure of fashion designers. Then it became a fave show among anyone fascinated with fashion. Every gay man in America?
Now Bravo’s “Project Runway” is going mainstream, so to speak.
After it’s record-breaking premiere on the cable network this past Wednesday, NBC announced that it will air the first two episodes July 17 and 24.
Such "collaboration/synergy" is not unheard of ... “Queer Eye” benefited from a one time play on the Network. And let's not forget that for NBC to play that then-groundbreaking show, it was a revolutionary act.
(Full Disclosure: OUTzonetv.com is owned by GE/Universal, which also owns Bravo.)
Season Three’s premiere on Wednesday was the channel's highest rated show this year. And our sister site Bravotv.com was flush with traffic by fans ready to dish on the designers. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the network, not exactly basking in hits this summer, would want a piece of the action.
It will be fascinating to watch and see how the gay characters, of which there are half-a-dozen of all shapes, size, attitudes and classes, play in Peoria.
Queen Madge Reigns $upreme
July 13, 2006
And not just in our hearts. She's crawled into our wallets and pocketbooks, too.
Her current concert is the most expensive and most lucrative of all summer tours.
Translation: her tickets are expensive, and she’s raking in cash.
Last week she made $5,508,398 ($3 million more than anyone else). Not all of it went to her, we know. There are dancers and stage managers and all those “little people” who take their share.
But equally eye-popping was that her average price per ticket (retail), which was $186.20. That is almost $100 more than any other performer's. Only Cirque du Soleil (acrobats with taped music are a concert?) came close at $92.41.
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were second, earning $1.7 million.
Bottom line: Madonna may be more amazing than we give her credit for being. The woman makes only a decent album, not a break-out hit record or #1 single on it, and she can still make more money than god.
Well, almost. The last time god toured, records were not kept.
Homophobic Singers Get Axed, Again
July 13, 2006
First they got the boot in Britain. Just last week a concert featuring Beenie Man and T.O.K was cancelled after protests.
Now the ax has fallen in New York City.
Organizers said the concert in question was going to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, a noble (and important) cause. But how that would work when the scheduled performers are notorious homophobes ... well, that's just crazy.
LIFEbeat came under immediate attack after announcing the Jamaican dancehall artists were scheduled to perform during a July 18 concert at Webster Hall. Protesters asked that the artists be dropped or forced to denounce controversial lyrics in their songs.
LIFEbeat executive director John Canelli said the group had been flooded with calls, some of them threatening, in recent days and was concerned safety would be an issue at the concert.
Uhm, hello. Mr. Canelli. But gay men are worried about their safety every day with homophobes getting sing about roughing up gay men. You're worried about safety just at the concert?
''The possibility of violence at the concert from the firestorm incited by a select group of activists makes canceling the event the only responsible action,'' said a statement from LIFEbeat.
Board member Tim Rosta said the motive behind the concert was to raise awareness about AIDS and its impact, especially in Caribbean communities, but the uproar made it clear how deeply people were hurt and offended by the lyrics of the artists' songs.
''I think that we misjudged the depth of the hurt around some of the issues that are raised by some of the lyrics,'' he said.
Beenie Man and T.O.K. have released songs that deride gays through slang terms. One Beenie Man song calls for a lesbian hanging, and a T.O.K tune suggests gay men be burned.
''The idea that they would invite artists who encourage murdering gays and lesbians is so outrageous, insulting and unbelievable,'' activist Keith Boykin said before the announcement of the cancellation.
Earlier this week, the concert organizer rejected the anti-gay lyrics but said including the artists would help reach a larger audience thanks to the popularity of their beat-driven dancehall music.
''By both artists agreeing to perform at an HIV/AIDS prevention concert in 2006 shows they have recognized the devastation this disease has had on their communities and that they want to effect some positive change,'' Canelli said. Cannelli added that the artists, who are not being paid, agreed before the protests not to use any ''potentially offensive lyrics'' at the show.
In statements earlier this week, T.O.K. said it had ''matured over the years,'' and Beenie Man said, ''AIDS is an epidemic that doesn't discriminate. It's not a gay or a straight thing, it is a fight for life.''
Sorry, Beanie Man. Sometimes just being gay is a “fight for life,” especially with folks like you making it worse.
Gays Can Save "Housewives"
July 13, 2006
GLBT viewers have always loved “Desperate Housewives.” Not least because the drama featured a gay kiss in prime time (a pathetically small thing that is still ridiculously rare on television, but that's another story).
When Andrew Van de Camp (Shawn Pyfrom) liplocked, hearts swooned.
For the first few years, the drama was campy and wicked and sexy and felt like “Sex & The City,” almost, but without the fashion or The City.
Now, the show is hurtling down in the ratings—this summer, reruns are attracting tiny audiences. The Emmy nominations just came out and only Alfre Woodard received an acting nod. (Last year, almost all the ladies were nominated, and Felicity Huffman won.)
Now, as audiences stop watching, critics are starting to lament (and dissect). “The sense of place and mutual entanglement that bound the residents on 'Melrose Place' or 'Knots Landing' is missing here," wrote one unhappy critic.
Hmm… are we alone in noticing that those other shows were also “loved by the gays?"
Maybe they should look back and ask why? Campy, sexy drama. That's all.
In earlier seasons of "DW," houses were burned down to light up the screen and give the show a new twist (and a clean lot to build a new house and plot).
We recommend they burn several of those hideous houses down and let a few completely queer couples from “The L Word” -- or even the old losers from “Queer As Folk” -- move in and redecorate before the new season begins.
Will Gays Rise on American Idol 6?
July 12, 2006
Say what you will about Clay Aiken. He certainly did not ride on any Gay Pride parade floats this year. Not that he has to; it’s not a rule that everyone needs to be “proud.”
But in the entertainment industry, of which “American Idol” is a HUMONGOUS part: Isn’t it time for an openly gay man or lesbian to take a significant place at the table? A singularly out and proud, queer, unique gay man, lesbian, tranny, dyke or fag?
Well, now is the Fox Network’s chance to pick a gay than can compete with the best of them. Auditions for season six begin Aug. 8 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Tryouts will also be held over the following five weeks in San Antonio; East Rutherford, N.J.; Birmingham, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; Minneapolis and Seattle.
Field vs. Flockhart
July 12, 2006
Sally Field is coming back to television — and not just because she gets to go head-to-head with skinny Calista.
Gidget is joining the family intrigue on ''Brothers & Sisters,'' a new show set to air this fall on ABC.
The drama — something Field excels at, we know — follows a close-knit family socially and financially intertwined by love, business, and secrets. Field will play the mother of five adult siblings.
The series also stars Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty and Patricia Wettig.
Field, 59, won Oscars for her roles in 1984's Places in the Heart and 1979's Norma Rae. She's won two Emmys: for ''Sybil'' in 1977 and for a guest role on NBC's ''ER'' in 2001.
And she knows we love her. We really love her.
Awesome how that joke never gets tired. Or is it so tired that it never gets un-tired?
Kathy Alleges Ex-hubby Is a Thief
July 12, 2006
Now that Kim Jong-il of North Korea isn’t clogging Larry King's airwaves, Kathy Griffin got her say on his chat show. There she explained why her 4½-year marriage ended in divorce. Griffin says that it came to an end because she discovered her now-ex-husband taking money from her bank accounts.
The comedian accuses Matt Moline of taking $72,000 over a period of time.
''My ex-husband, without my knowledge, was sneaking into my wallet when I was asleep in the mornings and taking my ATM cards of my own private accounts and withdrawing money,'' Griffin alleged. ''That money totaled $72,000. ... over about a year and a half.''
He ''admitted it and apologized,'' she said. They went to couples therapy, but couldn't ''get beyond the trust issue.''
In a statement released to CNN, Moline said he was upset about Griffin's comments: ''Since our divorce, I have not made any public comments about my ex-wife or our marriage,'' he said. ''It saddens me that she would choose to make such accusations at this time. I have no intention of engaging in a public debate over private matters.''
Griffin and Moline were married in February 2001. She filed for divorce last September, citing irreconcilable differences. They have no children.
''Eventually, I end up putting everything into the act,'' Griffin, the star of our parent company Bravo's ''My Life on the D-List,'' said. ''I kind of turn tragedy into comedy and I find that that's a great way for me to kind of deal with it.''