Scotty McCreery Is “Not In Politics,” Won’t Cancel N. Carolina Performance
Daily Archives: May 3, 2016
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: The Final Lap
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: The Final Lap
On the one hand, I feel like this season has gone way too quickly. On the other hand, I feel like I’ve been waiting for Derrick’s elimination since the day I was born. The fact that everyone comments on how surprising it was to actually like her is so delicious that I don’t even need to write a joke about it. But after Bob washes away her final message (which took more lipstick to write than she wore in the past eight episodes combined), the Britney impersonator is forgotten forever. She’ll have to reintroduce herself to everyone at the reunion in two weeks. Speaking of which, that finale is looming large. Everyone’s going over their strengths and weaknesses in their confessionals. Did I win enough? Did I lip sync too much? What does Ru want?! And then Bob gives Naomi tips on how to have uglier make-up and again, I don’t even need to write a punchline. If the meta-commentary continues at this level, I’m going back to bed.
Day two begins with everyone looking mighty comfy in bathrobes and slippers. Maybe their main challenge will be a delightful trip to a local spa. Who can look most serene after a relaxing massage? Yes, that must be it. Ru has brought this hot, burly gentleman here for some totally non-agonizing reason. If we were shooting a music video, surely Mathu would have shown up. Just kidding, of course we’re shooting a music video. (Mr. Andersen is absent presumably because he was unwilling to say “floatography” over and over on camera.) For the first setup, the ladies are either lying on their backs trying to look graceful or puffing up the fabric out of frame because World of Wonder can’t afford stagehands, I guess. Also, since mental torture apparently isn’t enough for her, Ru also wants to put the girls through as much physical pain as possible, forcing them to dangle their legs off a box until their abs quake just because she can. By Season 10, the show will just be American Ninja Warrior with better outfits.
The second segment is supposed to feature “avant garde” creations, though the girls generally interpret that as “whatever outfit you couldn’t shoehorn into one of the other challenges.” Bob’s getup doesn’t do much to shatter fashion expectations, but she does think outside the box by using construction paper for her blush and brows. Then again, given her history with make-up in this competition, maybe it’s best that she start on kindergarten crafts and work her way up. Still, she gets credit for making death drops fun again after Laganja ruined them in Season 6. Having struggled with the floating portion (I didn’t write a joke about it because BTDQ’s “upside-down turtle” observation was perfect), Kim Chi redeems herself with her “Big Bird at Burning Man” couture. Naomi, having run out of clothes, quickly whips up a hooded bathing suit out of some fruit roll-ups from the craft services table. She may as well play with her food; Lord knows she’s not eating it. And the producers are so eager for anyone to show weakness that they act like Chi Chi squatted and took a dump on set when she snags her heel in her dress. (This whole problem could have been avoided if Derrick were here to hem it.)
For the third setup, Kim Chi steals my thunder by making the joke about Bob fisting mines. Stop mopping my steez, people. I don’t come to your city and put on good drag shows. It’s fine, her punishment for stealing my gig is to film her mirror interaction in a poorly-lit corner of a garage. This entire section goes by pretty quickly, presumably because no one horribly botched it. You know if they did, there would be Nancy Grace levels of sensationalism about it. Instead, we remain at Acid-Betty-as-Nancy-Grace levels of relative calm. To cap things off, Bianca wanders through just so Ru can prove that she still owns her.
The next day in the workroom is also their last, and the queens take time to reflect on what they’ve learned since they’ve been here. Ever the multitasker, Bob somehow turns her confessional about self-loathing into a humblebrag about her beautiful teeth (and thus, indirectly, an advertisement for Crest Whitestrips). Kim claims to have learned only recently that she has a lisp and can’t walk in heels. How did these facts escape her? Did she not exist before the show? For the first time, I worry that she is indeed from North Korea: they have sent an evil glamdroid to steal our homosexual prize money and weaken our resolve! Naomi and Chi Chi talk about accepting who they are or whatever, but I’m over it. I know Ru loves all the “journey to personal discovery” shit, but if I want cheap self-help advice, I’ll fast-forward through episodes of Bad Girls Club until that fake life coach pops up.
The runway theme of “best drag” is less show-stopping than one might anticipate. This is true even of RuPaul, whose make-up suggests that Mathu still has not shown up to work. Someone check his apartment and make sure he’s alive. Bob says that she wanted to wear a tuxedo for the final look, so it’s a shame she didn’t have one and instead had to make do with this Blanche Deveraux costume she fished out of the dumpster behind the studio. Sitting at home, Naysha Lopez is distraught to learn that Chi Chi did not wear the garment she left behind for this exact purpose. (Do you guys remember when she said that? Go back and watch her elimination. I feel the need to explain myself now.) Kim’s continued commitment to feathered outfits makes me wonder if perhaps she’s just growing them directly out of her flesh at this point. Everyone back up in case she goes full Black Swan on us. And then Naomi comes out looking a lot like Cher for some reason? Maybe she wants us to remember that she’s as polished as Chad Michaels, but only a third as old.
To earn the crown, the contestants had to give a couple speeches. First they all reassure childhood pictures to believe in themselves, forcing me to imagine a world in which drag queens burst through time like the Terminator just to tell first graders to be who they are. I assume Ru already has her best people researching that technology. Then they give speeches on why they should win and the others shouldn’t. Of course, if they can learn to love Derrick, then you know they’re too nice to tear each other down during the final judging. Finally, even though they just spent the entire episode doing this already, they all lip sync to “The Realness” again.
Since a chop has to be made, Ru axes Chi Chi. It’s sad, but makes sense: while she’s grown immeasurably during the competition, this isn’t Ms. Charles’ School for Girls. I’m sad to see her go, but also, let’s be real: when they gave Bob her phone back after filming, she probably already had a Venmo notification about that $100,000. Tune in two weeks from now to watch everyone pretend to be surprised about it!
Chris J. Kelly performs under the drag name Ariel Italic and can be seen as one of the cohosts of Nobodies Hosting Drag Race every Monday night at Eastlands in Brooklyn, NY.
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/c7EOs2PAelA/rupauls-drag-race-recap-realness-final-lap-20160503
10 Reasons Why ‘Fun Home’ Should Be on Everyone’s Broadway Bucket List
10 Reasons Why ‘Fun Home’ Should Be on Everyone’s Broadway Bucket List
Fun Home, the hit Broadway musical, is based on the graphic memoir of the same name by Alison Bechdel, and is the autobiographical journey of a family run by a tyrannical father, who also happens to be a funeral director and a closeted gay man. It’s also a celebration of sexual awakening, an emotional detective drama of sorts, and an at equal times jubilant and heart-rending production.
Below, we list our top 10 reasons why Fun Home is a must-see for any musical or theater lover who finds themselves Broadway bound.
10. Alison Bechdel is a genius
Alison Bechdel, the cartoonist who is at the center (literally) of Fun Home, was awarded the ‘Genius Grant’ in 2014, also known as the $625,000 MacArthur Fellowship. But this was before Fun Home was widely-known as a musical. She’s also the author of the long-running comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For, from which emerged a famous cultural test popularly used to ascertain gender bias in films. The Bechdel Test is simple: does the film feature at least two women who talk to each other about anything other than a man? Less than half of films reportedly pass the test.
Fun Home takes Bechdel’s insights, humor, and emotional truth-telling and transposes it beautifully to a theatre-in-the-round production.
9. If You’re L, G, B, or T, It Helps Your Family Understand Who You Are
Have you had that conversation with your parents? You know the one we’re talking about, where you ask them if (and when) they knew you were gay? Or the one in which they realize how tough it was for you as a kid? Or the one about struggles that you had when they forced you to wear clothing that didn’t match who you are inside? Or the one about your school crushes? If you haven’t had those conversations, it’s certainly understandable. There are a million things we haven’t talked about with our parents yet. Or wish we did when we had the chance.
They’re tough conversations to have and everyone has them at their own pace. But Fun Home will crack the door a little to that dialogue, or at least give your parents some insight into some of the struggles and triumphs that are unique to LGBT people.
8. It Lets You Relive Your ‘Aha’ Moment
As gay people, we all can pick out that flash of recognition in our childhood when we saw a picture in a magazine, saw something on television, or felt a rush of excitement upon seeing a person who made us feel different inside, who spoke to our inner gay selves for the first time. For the main protagonist of Fun Home, that “aha” moment comes as an 8-year-old when she notices a butch woman in a diner with a ring of keys hanging at her waist.
That woman and her ring of keys was Alison’s “aha” and stands as one of the defining numbers in Fun Home. It certainly rang true for the NYC Youth Pride Chorus, who perform the song and talk about its power in this touching video:
7. It’s Decorated!
Fun Home won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical and the Obie Award for Musical Theater. It won three Lucille Lortel Awards including Outstanding Musical, won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, and it won the Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical.
Jeanine Tesori (music) and Lisa Kron (book and lyrics) were the first female writing team of all time to win the Tony Award for Best Original Score!
6. It’s Culturally Historic
Fun Home is the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist. Never before has the story of a gay woman (or a gay man for that matter) been told in such a complex, achingly touching way.
From childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood – the coming out process is unique for everyone but there are universal truths and they shine through in this often-hilarious, developmental labyrinth of a production which follows the progression of a young girl from her refusal to wear a dress to her sexual awakening in college to her maturation into the woman who sees her family’s struggles with the humorous clarity of a queer cartoonist. The show does away with the lazy stereotyping we often see about gay people – and it’s for everyone.
5. Edie Windsor Says So!
4. It Will Remind You of the First Time You Fell in Love
At one center of Fun Home – and it has several – is a song that brings to life a sexual awakening so profound that it brings Alison’s college-age character to change her major. And every gay person who has ever been shaken to the core by first lust and self-discovery has been there. The feeling of never wanting to leave the safety of your lover’s embrace is perfectly realized as is the naive rushing headlong into that first relationship.
3. It’s Having a Global Impact
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power brought 17 of her fellow international envoys from Australia, Vietnam, Namibia, Norway, Mexico, Uruguay, Russia and other nations to see a production of Fun Home in February because of the more than 70 countries that have anti-gay laws on the books around the world.
Said Power: “So we had a big, glorious, cultural tapestry unfolding before us that I think has left all the ambassadors changed.”
2. It Will Help You See Your Own Family Better
Every family has issues – and the family in Fun Home is no exception. The show is one of heavy topics – sexuality, infidelity, suicide, and you can probably add a couple more to that list – but it is also ultimately about hope, resolution, and coming to peace with the difficulties in our lives. Is there a tyrannical father in your life? A closeted parent? An alcoholic mother? And what are the moments in your childhood that brought you great joy? Was it when you and your siblings produced your own TV show? Or in Fun Home‘s case, your own commercial?
When you realize your parents’ flaws and how they contributed to where you are in your life you are better able to move forward, and Fun Home shows us that everyone’s family is the same in that nobody’s family is perfect.
1. The Music, The Music, The Music
At the end of the day, a musical is nothing without sensational music and Fun Home is no exception. You might not think that a show set in a funeral home that tackles such heady issues would be filled with insatiable, smirk-inducing songs, but Fun Home perfectly balances its emotional wallops with joyful showstoppers. It’s the music which helps to provide the uplifting and inspiring takeaway from a show that doesn’t hold back when it comes to delving into the darker spots of life.
The post 10 Reasons Why ‘Fun Home’ Should Be on Everyone’s Broadway Bucket List appeared first on Towleroad.
DVD: “Joy,” “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,” “Waiting In The Wings: The Musical,” & More!
DVD: “Joy,” “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,” “Waiting In The Wings: The Musical,” & More!
It’s a week of revolution in home entertainment – at least as far as the steps these characters take to make their dreams come true, from a real-life housewife turned inventor in Joy (above) to the queer teenage son of a preacher in Henry Gamble’s Birthday to a male stripper and musical theater geek pushing their limits in Waiting In The Wings: The Musical to a vain actress who will do anything for immortality in 1992 cult classic Death Becomes Her.
Without further ado, scroll down for the trailers and details!
($39.99 Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD; 20th Century Fox)
Director David O. Russell re-teams with the stars of his Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle — Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Bradley Cooper — for this disjointed, somewhat gonzo tale about a totally dysfunctional family and the woman at its center, Joy, whose miracle mop invention launched her into the stratosphere. Extras include a featurette and Times Talk Q&A with Lawrence and Russell.
($24.95 DVD; Wolfe)
Taking place on the 17th birthday of Henry Gamble, writer/director Stephen Cone’s (The Wise Kids) latest drama sees the titular son of an evangelical preacher grapple with his sexuality and other personal issues. A pool party, this birthday sees guests including a gay friend with en eye (and more) for Henry and some adults from dad’s congregation, and no doubt more fireworks than just candles.
Waiting In The Wings: The Musical
($24.99 DVD; Border2Border)
Winner of numerous LGBT film festival prizes, director Jenn Page and writer Jeffrey A. Johns’ musical comedy sees a hot stripper, Tony, and a dorky musical theater lover, Anthony, at the wrong end of a casting error due to their similar names. The former ends up in an Off-Broadway musical while the latter, of course, lands a stripper gig. Zaniness, scant wardrobes, and of course songs follow!
Death Becomes Her: Collector’s Edition
($34.93 Blu-ray; Shout! Factory)
Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis and Isabella Rosellini camped and vamped it up in this effects-filled darkly comic 1992 cult classic, now receiving a Blu-ray revival courtesy Shout! Factory. Streep and Hawn play friends turned rivals who vie for the affections of Willis’ plastic surgeon guru. Their catfight soon gains a supernatural twist when Rossellini’s mysterious vamp brings immortality into the fray. Extras include a new retrospective featurette and a vintage making of doc.
ALSO OUT:
Top Gun (30th Anniversary Steelbook)
The 5th Wave
Remember
Glassland
400 Days
Painted For Filth: The 20 Fiercest Drag Queen Looks Of April
Painted For Filth: The 20 Fiercest Drag Queen Looks Of April
May is here and all we can say is, “WOW!” The queens really brought it in April with some seriously fierce makeup looks.
From alien realness to corset couture, April slayed with these looks. Enjoy the 20 amazing looks and then leave a comment letting us know whose look you think was the best.
Plus, if you love our monthly drag queen makeup photo lists, then you’ll love our new Painted For Filth web series, created in partnership with our fabulous friends at Hey Qween! Watch episode number two below, which features some of the amazing looks from last month’s photo list, and then don’t forget to subscribe to Hey Qween! on YouTube for more great content.
Without further ado, here the fiercest drag queen looks of April. Enjoy!
20. Eva Young
Simply gorgeous! ? @evayoung_ #drag #dragqueen #makeup #queen #gorgeous #fierce
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
19. Saline
Guuuurl. *jaw drop* @thesaline #drag #dragqueen #makeup #fierce #gorgeous
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
18. Loris Queen
Intergalactic goddess @lorisqueen #dragqueen #drag #outerspace #makeup #alien
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
17. Milk
This photo does a body good! ? @bigandmilky by @adamouahmane #dragrace #rpdr #rupaulsdragrace
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
16. Adore Delano
Big hair and beautiful eyes! ? @adoredelano by @austinyoungforever #dragqueen #afterparty #drag #dragrace
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
15. Robbie Turner
Here comes the yes gawd! ? @therobbieturner captured by @northxnorthx #rpdr #dragrace #drag #dragqueen #weddinggown
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
14. Cupcake Canne
Oh my John Snow! ???? @cupcakecanne by @chernobyl_show_design #dragqueen #gameofthrones #drag #fashion
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
13. Bob The Drag Queen
12. Trixie Mattel
No selfie control! ? @trixiemattel by @dmcoram #dragqueen #drag #dragrace #makeup #rpdr
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
11. J
Fashion queen ? @callme.j ?: @tannerabelofficial and @graham.tyler #dragqueen #drag #fashion #dragfashion
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
10. Trinity Taylor
Goddess! ? @goddesstrinitytaylor by @thedragphotographer #drag #dragqueen #makeup #dragmakeup
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
9. Detox
What a transformation! ? @theonlydetox painted by @thealexisstone #dragrace #drag #rpdr #dragqueen #makeup
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
8. Mathu Andersen
Gag-ging!!! ??? @mathuism #dragqueen #drag #makeup #queen #fierce
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
7. Alyssa Edwards
Get up into this gig! ? @alyssaedwards_1 captured by @wdphotoinc #dragqueen #rpdr #dragrace #rupaulsdragrace
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
6. Alaska Thunderfuck
Dark lady, laughing, dancing ?? @theonlyalaska5000 by @thomasevansphotography #dragqueen #dragrace #rpdr
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
5. James Majesty
Werk it out, @jamesmajesty! ? #drag #dragqueen #makeup #dragmakeup #fierce
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
4. Kim Chi
True talent ? @kimchi_chic by @adamouahmane #dragrace #rpdr #drag #dragqueen #makeup #dragmakeup
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
3. Raven
Yasss! ? The goddess Raven captured by @mostlyjune_ #dragqueen #dragrace #rpdr #drag
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
2. Plastique Tiara
Can you believe she’s only 18?! ? @plastiquetiara #dragqueen #drag #makeup #fierce
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
1. Pearl
Gagging! ??? @pearliaison by @ginagaran #rpdr #dragrace #drag #dragqueen #corset
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
Related: Painted For Filth: The 20 Fiercest Drag Queen Looks of March
BONUS: Fiercest Group Shots
4. Deendjers
Beauties! ? @deendjers #dragqueens #makeup #drag #queens #Brazil
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
3. Violet Chachki & Adore Delano
Beauties ? @violetchachki and @adoredelano for @alrightdarling_zine #drag #dragqueens #dragrace #rpdr #makeup
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
2. RuPaul and Little Women: LA
Mama Ru and the gorgeous gals of Little Women LA! ? #dragrace #rpdr #dragqueen #littlewomenla
A photo posted by Dragaholic.com (@dragaholic) on
1. Acid Betty, Bob The Drag Queen & Thorgy Thor (a.k.a. #TeamNewYork)
DOUBLE BONUS: Phi Phi O’Hara’s Fiercest #365DaysOfDrag Look
[ 111/365 ] #365DaysOfDrag “80s CARTOONS!” #InspectorGadget
A photo posted by Phi Phi O’Hara (@phiphiohara) on
Rachel Maddow says Bernie Doesn’t Have a Chance, Asks for Hate Mail from Sanders Supporters: WATCH
Rachel Maddow says Bernie Doesn’t Have a Chance, Asks for Hate Mail from Sanders Supporters: WATCH
Rachel Maddow last night looked at Bernie Sanders’ continued insistence that there will be a contested Democratic convention while Hillary Clinton has moved on and is campaigning in Ohio tomorrow even though the primary is done there – “she’s busy trying to campaign already in general campaign swing states.”
The Clinton campaign has been downplaying expectations in Indiana, according to Maddow.
RELATED: Bernie Sanders Says Democratic Convention Will Be Contested – WATCH
Says Maddow:
“The implications of that strategy are getting more and more stark…The real radicalism of what Senator Sanders is proposing for how this campaign is going to end…And the Sanders campaign is increasingly insistent on this point now – there had been a little confusion…but now the candidate himself has made it clear in increasingly insistent terms, that what they are going to do is fight to win that nomination – at the convention – in Philadelphia – in July – no matter how far ahead Hillary Clinton is. And they are increasingly insistent about it but it is honestly fantastical – which is not the same thing as fantastic…But barring a wholesale shift in the race – like an earth-shattering shift in the race, Secretary Clinton’s lead by any fair measure should be seen as insurmountable at this point.”
Adds Maddow: “Please send your hate mail to Rachel at MSNBC.com. Your accusations and swear words do hurt my feelings, but they also make me stronger.”
Watch:
The post Rachel Maddow says Bernie Doesn’t Have a Chance, Asks for Hate Mail from Sanders Supporters: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Anti-LGBT Bill in Alabama “Dies” in House Rules Committee
Anti-LGBT Bill in Alabama “Dies” in House Rules Committee
Post submitted by Eva Walton Kendrick, Alabama State Manager
Alabama’s most contentious anti-LGBT bill of the 2016 legislative year, H.B. 158 – the Alabama Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act, is officially “dead” after failing to advance to the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives. While other Southern states, such as Mississippi, have advanced horrific legislation targeting the LGBT community this year, fair-minded Alabamians can claim victory in stopping this attack on our community.
H.B. 158 would have allowed state-licensed and funded foster and adoption placing agencies to deny services to Alabama’s youth and families based on the agency’s religious beliefs. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rich Wingo of Tuscaloosa, had explicitly stated throughout hearings in the House Health Committee that he introduced the bill targeting same-sex couples as a direct response to the Supreme Court’s June 2015 marriage equality decision.
HRC Alabama staff and statewide pro-equality partners worked closely with our bipartisan allies throughout the three-month legislative session to successfully kill both H.B. 158 and its companion bill in the Senate, S.B. 204.
This legislative victory for Alabama’s youth and families is in great part the work of thousands of HRC Alabama constituents who responded overwhelmingly to action alert requests around stopping H.B. 158. The flood of attention these constituents brought to the discriminatory nature and long-term harm of H.B. 158 helped secure its defeat and ensure that all foster and adoption placement agencies in the state of Alabama should recognize same-sex families as equal options for placement of the more than 5,500 children currently awaiting loving, stable homes.
The Alabama Legislature will adjourn sine die on Wednesday, May 4. HRC Alabama staff expect that all anti-LGBT pieces of legislation will fail to pass this session.
PHOTOS: London’s Biggest After Hours Party Is Simply Beyond
PHOTOS: London’s Biggest After Hours Party Is Simply Beyond
Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 – Episode 9 ‘The Realness’: FULL EPISODE
Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 – Episode 9 ‘The Realness’: FULL EPISODE
Here’s this week’s full episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UNTUCKED.
After the last chance runway, it’s final four time in the Untucked Lounge. The queens critique one another’s final speeches to the judges and one queen gets a herstory lesson. But do they all believe the most deserving queens made it to the top four?
Untucked is also available on iTunes.
The post Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 – Episode 9 ‘The Realness’: FULL EPISODE appeared first on Towleroad.
PHOTOS: The Men and Boys of Taipei
PHOTOS: The Men and Boys of Taipei
www.advocate.com/photography/2016/5/03/photos-men-and-boys-taipei
