September 30, 2007
Iran Rerun
In case you missed the SNL Digital Short last night (we did – James told us the show was a repeat), here it is again.
Queen for a Night
Although St Louis, Missouri, high school senior Aaron Zaggy looks more like Flip Kelly than Billy Bloom, it seems James St James' young-adult book Freak Show, in which a gay high school boy runs for homecoming queen, may in fact be more of a how-to manual than a novel. When Zaggy campaigned to become homecoming queen at University City High School "just for fun," he actually won the crown on Friday, pissing off loser Brittany McNairy. "The queen should be a girl," she sniffed, "and king should be a dude." Marcel Coleman, the dude who won homecoming king, just shrugged. "It's no big deal," he said, but the thought of slow-dancing with Zaggy had him somewhat stressed. (StLtoday)
September 29, 2007
Recently Dead
Richard DuBois, a Mr America and Mr USA who in the '50s and '60s was a popular AMG model for physique magazines, died Wednesday of undetermined causes at a health center in Santa Monica. He was 74. When DuBois won the title of Mr USA in 1957 at the Shrine Auditorium, Muscle Power magazine swooned over his "good biceps" and "well-proportioned figure." As Richard Sabre, he appeared in the Debbie Reynolds movie, Athena, and as DuBois toured with Mae West as an Adonis in her stage act (and it's said she toured his body). Later, the muscleman turned to Jesus, and for the last 19 years he served as pastor at Gospel Lighthouse in West Los Angeles. (Source)
Shameless Plug
Help World of Wonder and Ovation TV celebrate the launch of the new series Art & the City with its host, David Keeps, at a party in WOW's Hollywood Boulevard headquarters on Wednesday, October 3, from 6 to 8PM. So what favors can we expect Keeps to bring to the party? We asked. "Much like the character I play on Art & The City," he said with a pixilated grin, much like the one he has on TV, "I will be torturing, oh, sorry, that is to say, treating, my hosts and guests to an impromptu performance-art installation." Meaning? "There will be a display of my artwork that's featured in the groundbreaking television event, along with special new work that I am busily preparing. And, if there is a live microphone and some open floor space, I may be persuaded to re-enact some of the songs and interpretive dance sensations that are about to sweep the nation." We're very afraid, but we'll be there.
Bush Baby
It looks like President Bush is once again sending out his womenfolk to buck up his abysmal approval ratings. But instead of First Lady Laura Bush, it's the Baby Bush's turn. Jenna Bush, who up till now was mostly known for her underage drinking and penchant for sticking her tongue out, has recently written a book about an HIV-positive teenager from Panama, and set forth on a media blitz to promote her new all-grown-up, mature image. I really would like to think that maybe young Jenna has matured, and that she really cares about the plight of HIV-positive and underprivileged people. But there is another part of me that just wants to scream: THIS IS SO HYPOCRITICAL I WANT TO VOMIT! To use the suffering of people with AIDS to polish up her image is really a new low for any Republican, not to mention a member of the Bush family. Jenna has recently become engaged, and the powers that be must figure she needs some good press if they're going to pull off a White House wedding. The lengths they will go to, it's sad really. And the band plays on....
– AguynamedWayne
21st-Century Vox
In the world of entertainment, audiences and executives alike are constantly on the lookout for the next triple threat, that special person who is phenomenally talented at everything they do. But as pop diva Madonna has proven time and time again, being talented in one field doesn’t necessarily mean your talent will transcend to the world of acting.
This week, I made the horrible mistake of seeing the film Game Plan, starring former wrestler turned actor The Rock. He plays a star quarterback who suddenly finds out he has an eight-year-old daughter to take care of. Although Dwayne Johnson has made a string of somewhat successful movies over the past few years, it's apparent that his talent as an actor is much less the cause for his success than his name recognition. Filmmakers are counting on that name recognition to help propel the movie or television program by creating the buzz that will equal dollar signs at the box office, but sometimes sports figures should stay just stay on the court. Everyone from ice diva Nancy Kerrigan, to football god Brett Favre has picked up the acting bug at one time or another, so here is a little examination about just “what happens when sports stars act.”
More...Meow
At left, Tori Spelling getting ready to host the Pussycat Dolls performance last night at Pure in Las Vegas and, at right – Showtime! (Photos by Chris McKim)
Judyism
Like every other gay in Los Angeles, I attended the Rufus concert at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend along with the boyfriend. For my dollars, Wainwright seemed under prepared vocally and then turned flippant when it didn't go as planned, which is the antithesis of the way Garland handled seemingly insurmountable obstacles. However, the boyfriend, who's co-owner of Akbar, which has one of the better-programmed jukeboxes – Spoon, Imperial Teen, Mott The Hoople, etc – and who proclaimed, "I will NEVER put Madonna's Confessions on the juke box," has shockingly been converted to "JUDYISM" (his term). Seriously, he's gone totally gay for Judy. I downloaded Garland's Carnegie Hall concert following the Rufus show and the man has been listening to it non-stop and talks about it constantly. (It's rather like the friend who's always a little behind the technological times and finally buys an iPod and won't shut up about it.) The boyfriend's favorite song is "Do It Again," which is probably one of the sexiest pieces of music ever written. So, guess who's being added to the jukebox? The poor bartenders are gonna hear "Do It Again" again and again and again and again.
– Ray Cochran
It's Picture, Bitch
The first photo from last night's "Just Britney" art show opening at WOW's storefront gallery (most of the photographers are sleeping it off). It's Thairin, bitch, with freshly shaved headstyle (an electric shaver hung from the gallery ceiling), chatting above the ruckus with movie star Vincent Gallo, who didn't want his picture taken. (Photo by Austin Young)
September 28, 2007
Buried Treasure
While searching for something else entirely just now, we came across Apache Half Breed, a WOW Report post from mid-June, 2004, that we still find mesmerizing.
Press Here
Steven Corfe, co-curator of our "Just Britney" group art show, got quoted in a Yahoo! story today about the show. We tried to get a quote from him just now about being quoted but he couldn't be reached for comment.
Art, Worked
Holly Woodlawn and Constance in London for the exhibition of new paintings of Woodlawn by Sadie Lee at the Drill Hall Gallery. (t/y Robert; photo: Rupert Smith)
Recently Doody
Frank Paris, a puppeteer who created the original Howdy Doody marionette, died of lung cancer earlier this month at home in North Hollywood. He was 70. Paris created puppets in the images of such stars as Carmen Miranda and Sonja Henie and performed with them around the world. His original Howdy Doody marionette debuted on the kiddie show in 1947, but was taken off after six months due to a contract dispute with NBC. A new Howdy was created by a former Walt Disney artist. Which brings us to Velma Wayne Dawson, the woman credited with making the marionettes for the Howdy Doody show from 1948 until it went off the air in 1960. She was discovered unresponsive on her bed at home in Palm Desert yesterday. She was 94. She recently was honored by the Pacific Southwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for 50 years in TV.
Who's Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?
Not loaded businessman Jason Winters (above), whom the 75-year-old tireless AIDS-research champion is eyeing to be the ninth Mr Taylor. "Jason Winters is one of the most wonderful men I've ever known and that's why I love him," she said last night at the Macy's Passport 2007 AIDS event in LA. "He bought us the most beautiful house in Hawaii and we visit it as often as possible." (Daily Mail; photo: LFI)
For Whom the Bell Rang
Here are highlights from Chris Crocker's tour of Ring My Bell duty (and his hair). Every last highlight is NSFW, which is just how we like 'em. Meanwhile, don't forget to meet Crocker tonight at the open-bar reception for WOW's "Just Britney" art show.
Podcast 9-26-07
Randy, James, and Lydia welcome you to this week's podcast. The new TV season anyone? Chuck. Bionic Woman. Private Practice. Randy could not care less about the new season, and can't believe people are still watching television. Take Grey's Anatomy, for example; nothing is believable on it anymore, so why would he care about a spinoff? Discussion ensues. Is Kate Walsh really a star? Here's a shocker: Randy, who gets to meet a lot of stars, says the biggest star he's met in a long while is Chris Crocker. Discussion ensues. Tim Gunn, his show. James wants to know, "Do people tire of faggots quicker than they do of other people?" Are they better is small doses, adding a pinch of flavor to other shows? Discussion, as you might imagine, ensues. Do we know too much about our celebrities. The celebrity buffet. James explains why fans have different reactions to meeting movie stars, TV stars, and writers. Is Britney our new Judy? How on earth was the song "Heaven" written? VH1's The Pick-Up Artist is despicable; Hogan Knows Best is not. Kid Nation and the big problem with little children becoming reality stars. J-Lo's new single. Robin Thicke's album – Randy figures him to be a drag queen. And finally, David Keeps and his Art & the City series. Suddenly, and by all accounts, he's a... STAR! and it hasn't even aired yet.
Less Is 'More'
Eric and Todd's excellent acoustic version of Britney's "Gimme More." Maybe they'll be at our "Just Britney" group show tonight. Love the disturbing trompe l'oeil T-shirt. (t/y John)
The Doctor Is On
On today's Oprah, the topic is "Born in the Wrong Body," and she has as one of her guests Dr Marci Bowers, the surgeon (and herself a transgender) on WOW's six-part docuseries, Sex Change Hospital, currently running on Channel 4 in the UK. In this clip from the series, we see Vicki, two days after genital reassignment surgery, checking out the results.
All in a Gay's Work
After experiencing a cartoon version of the alternative lifestyle in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Adam Sandler might start dabbling in activism. The actor told reporters at a news conference for the movie in Mexico, "If I can help anybody in any way, I certainly would." Costar Kevin James, responding to remarks that the film has been criticized for its homophobia, said, "Of course, we didn't want to offend anybody or hurt anybody. If we can help people too along the way, that would be great." So they're up for holding signs at GLAAD rallies? "I don't think that's gonna happen, dude, certainly not," said Sandler. "If I was a gay man, I wouldn't want me to represent the gay community." (Comcast; t/y Ross)
Blips on the Radar
On Radar magazine's list of Overrated People, Places, and Things, Posh and Becks come in at number one. And we're assuming they're people, not things. "Let's face it," the mag remarks, "he's an overpaid soccer star; she's a pointless collection of body parts." Cupcakes are number two ("infantilizing"); three is Brad Pitt ("hollow Adonis"). The list goes on....
Itemizing
• How many people comprise a party of "fucking bitch"? (Page Six)
• Ben Stiller, who is not a doctor and hasn't played one on TV, says that Owen Wilson is fine. "He's doing really well," Stiller tells Ellen DeGeneres on her show today. (People)
• Nude heels are so in for fall. Is nude ever out? (Off the Rack)
• Dr Ruth heads off to Egypt to teach sex to the Muslims. The short version. (Page Six)
• Joey Fatone implores Britney Spears to come live with him. (People)
• Angelina Jolie's face failed to sell business suits to the likes of Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, even after A Mighty Heart. (OK!)
Fairy Tale
You know how they are always finding frames of pure filth in Disney films? Well, a friend recently sent me this book to read to my child. It's called Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens. OK, it's probably just me, but look at the cover: The bear has its ass in the air, obviously an insatiable bottom, while the hare, a frisky top, looks on while wielding a corn cob with lewd intent. The flap explains that the story "has roots in European folk tales and slave stories of the American South" and "celebrates the trickster tradition of beating hardship by using one's wits." Stevens is also the author of Plaidypus Lost. Like they always say, don't judge a book by its cover.
– Fenton Bailey
The Girl Is Not His Wife
Did Michael Jackson marry his nanny, Grace Rwaramba, back in 2005, as reported yesterday in the Nat'l Enquirer? "Wide-spreading reports regarding Michael Jackson being married are not true," Jackson's resident mouthpiece Raymone Bain said in a statement to E! News. "Documents stating otherwise are a hoax." Documents included a bit of real-estate paperwork that listed the Gloved One as being a "married man." The Enquirer quoted a source supposedly close to the couple as saying Rwaramba had been happy to swap vows. "She's always been devoted to Michael and has raised the kids since the day they were born. Michael knew she'd make a perfect stepmother." But, seriously – would Jackson marry a black woman? Bottom line, girls, is that Jackson's still up for grabs.
September 27, 2007
There Is Nothing Like a Dame
When actress Helen Mirren made that remark about nearly falling "arse over tits" at the Emmys podium, she seemed almost wistful. The much-awarded Dame Helen admits to being a bit of a nudist, and from the looks of her nude, we're glad she is. "I am a nudist at heart," she says, bless her. "I have been on many nudist beaches. It is amazing how quickly feelings of self-consciousness disappear. Of course it only works if everyone else is naked, too." And it seems the actress is intent on stripping forever. "I have never said 'never again' to nudity and I'm not going to." (Source)
J Tee
You can't fight over 17,000 fans mentally willing you to take off your shirt, as Justin Timberlake discovered at the end of his show Tuesday night at the Arco Areno in Sacramento, California. We doubt that T-shirt will end up on eBay. (via Just Jared)
Of Interest
Jill Clayburgh, Letitia Darling on Dirty Sexy Money, and Susan Sullivan, Kitty Montgomery on Dharma & Greg
Lips Service
"I wanted Sesame Street on acid and that's pretty much what I got," says Cazwell of his new video, "Watch My Mouth." If this danceable confection doesn't get under your skin and live there, you might be a party pooper and should get that checked out. Packed with some of Cazwell's New York nightclub friends, like Amanda LePore, Ladyfag, Rainblo, DJ Adam, and Raquel Reed – not to mention the best set of lips since the opening credits of The Rocky Horror Picture Show – the video is directed by Mike Lowe and Francis Legge. (Cazwell website)
Frito Be You and Me
Jamie Boling's 6'x10' Snake Charmer painting, depicting a special moment in Britney Spears' eventful life, has just arrived with the artist from Virginia, where not long ago, you'll remember, Barack Obama stopped by a gallery where it was hanging and handlers had it covered up for fear the pol might be photographed in front of it. The curators of the "Just Britney" show suffer from no such phobia. "I can understand why a politician wouldn't want to be photographed in front of Britney Spears' crotch," says Boling, "but I wish that Obama would have been more fearful of censorship than the possible fallout of an unfortunate photograph. He could have used the whole thing as an opportunity to defend free speech instead of making a move to cover and remove the painting." Watch the clip and see Boling re-stretch Britney's vagina.
The "Just Britney" group show of paintings, drawings, and sculpture by 47 artists inspired by Britney Spears opens Friday, September 28, with an open-bar party at WOW's storefront gallery, from 8PM to midnight. Sponsored by Svedka Vodka.
About [redacted]
• I love the moon, I am a "Moon Freak".
• I love VW's, I have two, 1966 bug & 2001
• I love to go camping in our 38' motorhome.
• I love AOL and you can catch me there.
• I love to twist my hair, drives hubby crazy.
• I love Marvin Martian, my hero!
• I must have socks that match my shirt!
• I love to listen to Neal Bortz on 750 WSB.
• I work at our retail computer store.
• I did work for the United States Postal Service.
• I hate computers, did I mention I love the Moon?
• I hate red lights they always seem to stop me.
• I hate the rain, I know we need it.
• My kids are grown... YES!
• I hate to cook, hubby does it better.
• My favorite song, That Old Time Rock n' Roll by Bob Seager.
• My favorite color is blue of course.
• I must have a high level of testosterone because I love sex and I hate to SHOP!
Grant's Doom
Foolish, floppy-haired Hugh Grant, who is rumored to be back with girlfriend Jemima Khan, ventured into Boujis, a South Kensington nighclub popular with Princes William and Harry and their ilk, with three young female companions in tow, hoping for a night of discreet fun. Of course, the place was swarming with photographers and the four had to make a mad dash back into the taxi before they were spotted. Too late. But one of Grant's dates covered his face sufficiently enough that Khan will be none the wiser. (Daily Mail)
Blonde on Blonde
They've done it before – Denise Richards in 2004 and Pamela Anderson more times than she can count up to – but not together. Now Playboy is offering the bimbos $1 million each to pose naked again, but this time cheek by jowl. The two became friends recently on the set of Blonde and Blonder and are said to be seriously considering taking up the magazine's kind offer. If her slutting it up for Playboy helps Charlie Sheen in his bout with Richards, we hope she goes for it.
Thirsty on Wednesday
Despite the judge's order for Britney Spears to undergo drug and alcohol testing twice a week so she stands a chance to keep her kids, she was seen by more that 50 photographers leaving a recording studio in Burbank yesterday and getting into a car with a margarita. Not only is that stupid, it's against state law. "Possession of Open Container in Motor Vehicle in California. Section 23223 (b) No passenger shall have in his or her possession, while in a motor vehicle upon a highway or on lands, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 23220, any bottle, can, or other receptacle containing any alcoholic beverage that has been opened or a seal broken, or the contents of which have been partially removed." (via Celebslam; photos: INF Daily)
Love Stuff
If anyone is still watching the medical drama ER, this might be interesting. Our friend Louis Cannizzaro, who used to work in the VIP library at the Limelight in New York during nightlife's '80s heyday, has since made quite a name for himself in Los Angeles as a romantic poet and painter whose slim books of love stuff (pictured below) are the guilty pleasures of women everywhere. On last season's ER, 12 of Cannizzaro's paintings were featured on the episode in which Abby and Luka got married, and this season the newlyweds will have one of them (above) hanging in their house the entire fall. Watch out for it tonight on NBC at 10PM.
A Good Yarn
She was the Paris Hilton of her day, lampooned for her vacuity, scorned for her useless celebrity. Vanna White. In the early '80s, the fragrant and charming letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune was a critics' piñata. She was everywhere, even – in spite of her whiter than whiteness – in Playboy (billed as "A Real Nice Layout of the Wheel of Fortune Queen"). In 1987 she launched her autobiography, Vanna Speaks, yet has been all but mute ever since, dutifully turning the letters for 25 years.
But she has not been idle. White has quietly spun a second career as an expert on Afghans – of the crocheted rather than the ethnic variety (though Vanna's Afghans All Through the House conjures many exciting possibilities). And now to celebrate, presumably her longevity, she has launched, Vanna's Choice, her own line of yarn. To me, it's like something out of a fairy tale. I want Cirque Du Soleil to knit me a river.
– Fenton Bailey
Quote Unquote
"Uh, you know, I just turned 40, so yes, I’m trying to be a little bit healthier now and trying to eat a little bit more sensibly. And also, with traveling so much, you know, it’s tough when you’re in Iraq to do anything, so I try to work out when I’m here. This is really… I sound ridiculous." – Anderson Cooper to New York magazine's "Intelligencer" when asked if he's been going to the gym
September 26, 2007
Snap!
First names in entertainment, kd, Elton, and Uma, at the AmFar event to benefit AIDS research, at the Puck Building in New York. (via dlisted)
Station to Station
RuPaul goes back to her roots and returns to Atlanta, Georgia, to screen his sexploitation comedy Starrbooty at Out on Film, Atlanta's LGBT film festival, on October 18. The Starrbooty train will keep chugging with a live DVD release/signing party in NYC at the Virgin Megastore on October 30, and then rolls into Chicago to screen Starrbooty at REELING, the Chicago Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, on November 14. But right here, right now, you can watch the fun-filled 14-minute, totally NSFW promotional preview of Starrbooty on WOW TV.
– AguynamedWayne
If at First You Don't Succeed, Try Try Again
The jury in the Phil Spector murder case was hung after a 44-day deliberation and should now be hanged. They could get no further than 10 for guilty and two for not. Judge finally called a mistrial. Everybody's back in the pool on October 3. If he doesn't shoot himself before the retrial, we should expect Spector to be sporting a glorious new, heretofore unimagined array of tonsorial delights in the courtroom. Perhaps strawberry blonde this go-round. Or Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour-era Sonny Bono. Oh, and by the way, if it should ever happen that we're accused of murder and we really did it, we'll make sure we're tried in Los Angeles. (News)
Getting to the Art of the Matter
Slightly more than a week from today is the exciting premiere of Art & the City, a series of half-hour visits to such cultural hubs as Chicago, Paris, New Orleans, Los Angeles, London, and New York. Actually, not "such as," but those actual cities. What makes the series extra appealing, apart from its travelogue aspect, is its host, the playful and irrepressible writer David Keeps, whose off-the-cuff comments on the museums, paintings, and artists in each city are more scandalous than scholarly, but always informed. The series starts next Sunday, October 7, with two episodes, Chicago and Paris, back-to-back at 8PM on Ovation TV. Click on the behind-the-scenes outtake from the Chicago episode and learn one of the perks of hosting a TV show.
We Are Amused
How does a 19-year-old fifth-in-line-to-the-throne princess get a part in a film about Queen Victoria that stars Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend? Her mother, the Duchess of York, would have to be producing. Although, because she's Victoria's great-great-great-great granddaughter, putting Princess Beatrice in The Young Victoria in the non-speaking role of lady-in-waiting to the queen seems not only a shoo-in but also rather like stunt casting, wouldn't you agree? (Ripley&Heanor; photo: Damien McFadden)
They Didn't Cross the Borderline
It's sad but true that Madonna and Sandra Bernhard never actually yodeled in each other's canyons. Not even once. Stories that they were bumpin' p long ago were purely speculation by a pre-Internet press eager to make something out of their friendship. (Oh, how times have changed.) Out lesbian Bernhard, 52, now confesses she enjoyed every minute of the gossip. "It was awesome at the time. We had a really funny friendship and kind of played with the press and the media." But not with each other. (Contact Music; photo via Rad Report)
French Fry
There is much ado afoot now that five-year-old Maddox Jolie-Pitt has started school at the Lycée Français de New York on the Upper East Side, and his very well known parents are escorting him there everyday. Brad and Angelina have had to stagger the arrival and pickup times of their small fry to "ensure the security" of the other students and students' families, according to a letter from the school that was sent to concerned parents. (via NY Observer; photo: Humberto Carreno/Startraks)
Popular Science
Ladies, start your nipples. A British scientist has come up with a blueprint for judging breast perfection post augmentation. After laboring though hours of intensive study of models' mams in mags and other locations, Patrick Mallucci came up with "a template around which to plan a breast augmentation and set a standard of aesthetics." The key aesthetic elements are nipple position and the proportion between the upper and lower halves of the breast. The best boob, he discovered, is one that has a nipple pointing upward and an upper half just a bit smaller than the bottom half. Got that? "The ideal is a 45 to 55 percent proportion; that is, the nipple sits not at the halfway mark down the breast, but at about 45 percent from the top," he says. We could have told him that and saved him all that work in the lab. Nevertheless, using his yardstick, he has determined that model Caprice Bourret (on the left) has the best boobs in the business and Victoria Beckham (right) the worst. Another no-brainer. But she has Becks. (M&C)
Absurd Is the Word
Two portraits of Britney Spears by the gorgeous artist 14 at Gallery of the Absurd, who will be contributing the works to our "Just Britney" show and has a post about it today.
For Whom the Bell Rings
This morning's Ring My Bell guest is Chris Crocker aka the YouTube guy who implored us to LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE! Chris is in town courtesy of Onch Movement jewelry, and will be attending WOW's "Just Britney" art show this Friday the 28th, in which he is a featured artist. Call 323 603-6312 between 11AM and noon today to talk all things Britney with Chris, and watch him live on the Ring My Bell webcam.
Sarah the Insult Comic Dog
The cloying, vulgar comedian Sarah Silverman, who relies on cheap shots and obscenities to get laughs, is no Triumph (although she looks a little like him). Her remarks about Britney Spears immediately following the pop tart's disastrous performance at the VMAs were hurtful, which might have been acceptable if they'd been funny, but the response sounded as if the audience was comprised mostly of crickets. Now the 36-year-old is apologizing, without actually apologizing, for her sophomoric barbs. In the next issue of Us Weekly she says, "The joke that everyone was upset about – me calling the kids 'adorable mistakes' – was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that would be deemed hurtful or over the line. I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." (AP)
Quote Unquote
"The Tony I knew is not the same smiley Mr Nice Guy the world knows. [...] Tony is not much of a gentleman compared to Joe [DiMaggio]. Some years after Joe divorced Marilyn Monroe in 1954, I was with him on and off for many years until I met Tony. Joe was a lot more of a gentleman than Tony – I guess I married the wrong man. I am very happy to be free at last, and good luck to his current wife. But maybe it's the opposite and I should wish him luck. There's no fool like an old fool. I have very little feeling for him anymore." – Tony Bennett's recent ex, Sandra Grant Bennett, to Page Six
