I keep meaning to write about what I've been reading and somehow I never get around to doing it! I can't even keep track of how many books I've wanted to talk about in the past few months which I haven't ended up writing a single word about.
I'm just going to do sort of a general book post today on some of the more recent things I've read.
Over the last month or so, I've devoured all five books in Ethan Mordden's 'Buddies' series, collections of short stories centered around the same group of gay friends in Manhattan published from the early 1980's through 2005, when the final one came out.
I completely fell in love with the characters in these books. In the first two books, I've A Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore and Buddies, the stories really aren't in any sort of chronological order, so things jumped back and forth quite a bit between time periods. Usually I wouldn't be too thrilled with that, just because I'm close to being obsessive compulsive about chronological order! I won't watch shows or movies (if they have sequels) out of order, and if one book is connected to another in any way, I've got to read them in the right order. I thought reading stories about the same characters that didn't really go in order would drive me mad.
It ceased to matter, though, as soon as I started reading the books. I was just enjoying them too much to be bothered by unimportant details like that. It was really nice to read books about gay men that weren't focused on hooking up or even romance (though both occur, of course), but rather on gay friendships. They're also incredibly funny books that had me laughing out loud constantly.
Starting somewhat with the third book and moving through to the last one, the stories began to flow in chronological order, but even if they hadn't it wouldn't have mattered. I was hooked. The books (the last three are: Everybody Loves You; Some Men Are Lookers; and How's Your Romance?) move the characters from the beginning of the Stonewall era through to the present day. The main characters (the narrator Bud; his best friend Dennis Savage; Dennis Savage's partner Little Kiwi; their friend Carlo, who is the epitome of Stonewall sexiness; and young Cosgrove, a street kid looking for a place to belong, along with several secondary characters who pop up throughout the series) age and change with the times, but most importantly they remain a family.
It was especially interesting to read this series, given that a lot of what I've read about this particular time period,as far as gay fiction goes, has been set in San Francisco. It was really nice to get the New York point of view.
I was so sad to come to the end of the books and to have to say goodbye to these characters! Of course, the third book was originally supposed to be the final one, but after a gap of several years, two more were written. So I can only hope that Mr. Mordden will change his mind again and add another book (or several!) to the series.
I also read Kristin Chenoweth's memoir, A Little Bit Wicked, a few weeks ago. I'm not that big on celebrity memoirs these days (back during junior high and the early years of high school, I read quite a few, mostly about golden age Hollywood stars), but I really enjoyed Kristin's book. It was a quick, funny read. Her sense of humor really appeals to me and her whole outlook on life is just one that I really respect. If you want a fun non fiction read this summer or if you're a fan of Kristin's (and if you aren't, why not?!) and haven't picked it up yet, you should look for it.
Last month (or was it in March?) I read Stephen Fry's novel Making History and wanted to write a whole post on that, but now too much time has passed. I really enjoyed it, though. Fry has to be one of the funniest men alive, I just love his wit. Needless to say, I laughed a lot while reading the novel.
I also liked the premise of the book, which is that a physicist and a graduate student in history, who is writing his thesis on Hitler's early years, team up to change history by making sure that Hitler is never born.
It turns out, though, that we should be careful what we wish for, even where the existence of Adolph Hitler is concerned! It's a really enjoyable book (with some gay characters, by the way) and if you've never read any of Fry's books, I think this would be a good one to start with.
Currently, I'm reading a collection of gay themed short stories from the Men on Men anthology series. I'm enjoying it, though walking around with the book on campus the other day did earn me a few interesting looks. I'm sure the title of the series had people picturing something quite different than literary fiction!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Rob Thomas on Same Sex Marriage
I've had a really long day, but I wanted to note this piece from The Huffington Post by singer Rob Thomas. The topic is same sex marriage and he makes a lot of good points, like the following:
I believe the fact that an atheist, who doesn't believe in God at all, is allowed to enter into the holy land of marriage while a gay Christian is not, shows that this law is arbitrary. Are we to believe that anyone who doesn't live their life according to the King James Bible isn't protected by the same laws that protect those who do? Using the same argument that I've seen on the 700 Club, that would mean that Jewish, Hindu, or Muslim weddings are also null and void.
I believe that to deny this right to the gay population is to say to them, "this god is not your god and he doesn't love you." There isn't one person who is against gay marriage that can give me a reason why it shouldn't be legal without bringing God or their religion into it. Still, I'm amazed at the audacity of a small, misdirected group of the ultra-conservative Christian right wing, to spend millions of dollars, in a recession, on advertisements to stop two men or women who love each other from being able to be married, but when you present any opposition to them, they accuse you of attacking their religion. Isn't it funny that the people who are the quickest to take someone's basic rights to happiness are always the loudest to scream when someone attacks their right to do so?
You've got to respect someone like Rob, who isn't directly affected by the issue, speaking out in support. It's nice to know that the crush I had on the lead singer of Matchbox 20 a decade ago wasn't completely misguided!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Nuke Sighting
There was a Luke & Noah sighting today on As the World Turns, the first in over two weeks. Since we last saw the guys, Luke's little cousin Eliza has been kidnapped by her own father and today's Nuke scenes started off with the two of them at the Foundation office with Damian, discussing how they will be able to postpone their cruise for sick kids without losing any money.
Wait, what happened to the Dude Ranch? Continuity error, or should we just assume that Damian has a ship free now that he's no longer smuggling meds and inadvertent guns to Africa?
The guys talked about how they can't go on the cruise while Eliza is missing and Luke chastised Damian (though in a rather nice way, for Luke) for not letting the police know what was happening with Paul and baby Eliza earlier. Apparently Damian and Meg tried to stop Paul from kidnapping the baby on their own and it backfired.
Noah, bless him, sweetly pointed out the irony of Luke getting on someones case for going on their own instead of involving the police. I mean, after being gay and wearing striped shirts, going on his own and not involving the police is like the third biggest thing Luke is known for these days!
Luke didn't quite understand why Damian was even involved in this matter to begin with and Damian explained that Luke's family is his family, but really you know that it's all about getting it on with Meg at some point. I can't wait to see Holden's head explode when Damian hooks up with his sister!
After Luke left, Noah sympathized with Damian about the 'two steps forward, one step back' nature of his relationship with his son. Then, Noah had Another One of his Brilliant Ideas: they could film Meg making a direct appeal to Paul for their daughter's return and put it on UsTube. If the video went viral, it could be seen all over the world. Noah had to explain to Damian what viral meant in Internet terms (what, is he my Grandma?!), and then they rushed off to sell the idea to the rest of the family.
Meg agreed that it was worth a try and, with Noah directing and Luke standing by for support along with Damian and Lily, Meg made her plea.
That was pretty much it for Luke & Noah. The guys didn't have all that much to do, but it was definitely good to see them again (literally: they both looked fantastic!). I always complain about storyline bubbles and the lack of interaction between characters on this show, so I was glad to see Luke & Noah involved in something that was happening to another member of Luke's family.
By the way, if you're a fan of Jake Silbermann's, he's guest starring on a new Internet series called Studio. Check it out.
Wait, what happened to the Dude Ranch? Continuity error, or should we just assume that Damian has a ship free now that he's no longer smuggling meds and inadvertent guns to Africa?
The guys talked about how they can't go on the cruise while Eliza is missing and Luke chastised Damian (though in a rather nice way, for Luke) for not letting the police know what was happening with Paul and baby Eliza earlier. Apparently Damian and Meg tried to stop Paul from kidnapping the baby on their own and it backfired.
Noah, bless him, sweetly pointed out the irony of Luke getting on someones case for going on their own instead of involving the police. I mean, after being gay and wearing striped shirts, going on his own and not involving the police is like the third biggest thing Luke is known for these days!
Luke didn't quite understand why Damian was even involved in this matter to begin with and Damian explained that Luke's family is his family, but really you know that it's all about getting it on with Meg at some point. I can't wait to see Holden's head explode when Damian hooks up with his sister!
After Luke left, Noah sympathized with Damian about the 'two steps forward, one step back' nature of his relationship with his son. Then, Noah had Another One of his Brilliant Ideas: they could film Meg making a direct appeal to Paul for their daughter's return and put it on UsTube. If the video went viral, it could be seen all over the world. Noah had to explain to Damian what viral meant in Internet terms (what, is he my Grandma?!), and then they rushed off to sell the idea to the rest of the family.
Meg agreed that it was worth a try and, with Noah directing and Luke standing by for support along with Damian and Lily, Meg made her plea.
That was pretty much it for Luke & Noah. The guys didn't have all that much to do, but it was definitely good to see them again (literally: they both looked fantastic!). I always complain about storyline bubbles and the lack of interaction between characters on this show, so I was glad to see Luke & Noah involved in something that was happening to another member of Luke's family.
By the way, if you're a fan of Jake Silbermann's, he's guest starring on a new Internet series called Studio. Check it out.
Engen Releases a Statement
Former Y&R actor Chris Engen has released a statement addressing the way he quit the soap and the accusations of homophobia that followed.
It's a long statement that, for me personally, doesn't really address the issue of why he left, other than saying that his 'visage and craft were being used to tell a story that I wasn't inspired to tell.' It's really just a very long self justification that, in the end, justifies nothing.
He also addresses the issue of homophobia:
I've known quite a few homophobic people who almost immediately proclaim, when confronted, that they have lots of 'homosexual friends'. I'm not saying that Engen is another such person, but the use of the terms 'homosexuality' and 'homosexuals' over and over, instead of the term 'gay', always sets off alarm bells for me.
As for what he says about Catholics, I completely agree that there are a lot of open minded Catholics out there (not to mention LGBT Catholics), many of whom are trying to change their Church's outlook on gays and lesbians from the inside.
At any rate, I'm not impressed with Engen's reasoning and justifications. The story he wasn't 'inspired to tell' involved him kissing another man. There's just no getting around that, no matter how many 'homosexual' friends he has who are willing to jump to his defense (and where are they, by the way?).
He also claims his former co-stars would 'speak on his behalf', too, if they weren't 'afraid of the consequences'. Yet, even the anonymous quotes we've seen from them haven't been supportive of his actions.
Engen is yesterday's news. He can try to muster up a career in which he doesn't have to play any 'uninspiring' stories and I'll be fine never seeing him on my television screen again. I'm more than ready to see Michael Muhney as Adam.
It's a long statement that, for me personally, doesn't really address the issue of why he left, other than saying that his 'visage and craft were being used to tell a story that I wasn't inspired to tell.' It's really just a very long self justification that, in the end, justifies nothing.
He also addresses the issue of homophobia:
I want to apologize to any of my fellow actors who I may have disappointed. I would also like to apologize to those of you who feel slighted by this choice, as I have been branded a "homophobe" by several members of the press. This is, of course, absurd and many of my dearest friends are homosexuals who would be more than happy to speak on my behalf. My decision had nothing to do with religion, or anything I learned at Bishop Montgomery High School. Bishop is a great institution of learning that encourages tolerance and acceptance of others. I do not ascribe to any one religious ideology but do value the truth that exists in them all. I think the unfortunate assumption that has been made is that Catholics are intolerant of homosexuals on the basis of their Catholicism. Intolerance of anything is a product of one’s underlying belief system as an experience of limitation. It is the line we intellectually draw within ourselves that prevents us from understanding those things we reject, because it defines the boundaries of who we are as individuals. We are what we are, but we are also NOT what we are not. Intolerance is a natural reaction that, I believe, we must understand in order to defeat. It is not a fire to be stomped out by an angry foot or extinguished by a inundating stream of media exposure. Homosexuality is a quality of beingness: one of many qualities that make up the rich diversity that humanity expresses.
I've known quite a few homophobic people who almost immediately proclaim, when confronted, that they have lots of 'homosexual friends'. I'm not saying that Engen is another such person, but the use of the terms 'homosexuality' and 'homosexuals' over and over, instead of the term 'gay', always sets off alarm bells for me.
As for what he says about Catholics, I completely agree that there are a lot of open minded Catholics out there (not to mention LGBT Catholics), many of whom are trying to change their Church's outlook on gays and lesbians from the inside.
At any rate, I'm not impressed with Engen's reasoning and justifications. The story he wasn't 'inspired to tell' involved him kissing another man. There's just no getting around that, no matter how many 'homosexual' friends he has who are willing to jump to his defense (and where are they, by the way?).
He also claims his former co-stars would 'speak on his behalf', too, if they weren't 'afraid of the consequences'. Yet, even the anonymous quotes we've seen from them haven't been supportive of his actions.
Engen is yesterday's news. He can try to muster up a career in which he doesn't have to play any 'uninspiring' stories and I'll be fine never seeing him on my television screen again. I'm more than ready to see Michael Muhney as Adam.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Daytime's Newest Gay Character
Oakdale is certainly becoming a mecca for gay characters, at least in Soap terms. Most soap towns, as you know, have zero gay residents. A few may have one or two. Oakdale, the San Francisco of Illinois, has had quite the gay population explosion over the last few years: there's Luke and Noah, of course; Brian Wheatley; the late Reg Addington and his ex boyfriend Tony; and a handful of day player gay friends of Luke & Noah's who pop up now and again. Heck, being gay in Oakdale is so cool that they've even had fake gays like Zac Finn!
Soon, the town will boast another gay citizen: soap star Forbes March, formerly of All My Children and, most recently, One Life to Live, will be joining the show in July as Mason. The character will reportedly be an Advisor at Oakdale U who helps Noah with his film, and it's also being said that he will not be coming between Luke & Noah.
This is interesting, to say the least. The show has hired a well known actor to play the character, which means it definitely has the potential to be a long term role, and they've written Mason as gay even though he won't be a romantic obstacle to their established gay couple. So, what is the plan for him? Will we eventually see him involved in his own romance? Or will he, despite what the show is saying, actually prove to be what Zac wasn't: the third player in daytime's first all male love triangle?
One thing would seem certain: you don't hire an actor who looks like Forbes March (below, left, with OLTL co-star John Paul Lavoisier) and then not give his character some sort of a love life!
I know that the writing on this show is so bad that I'll probably hate whatever they do come up with, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited by the idea of another gay character on the show. Time, no doubt, will prove me foolish yet again, but until that happens I'm going to be looking forward to Mason's arrival on the scene.
Soon, the town will boast another gay citizen: soap star Forbes March, formerly of All My Children and, most recently, One Life to Live, will be joining the show in July as Mason. The character will reportedly be an Advisor at Oakdale U who helps Noah with his film, and it's also being said that he will not be coming between Luke & Noah.
This is interesting, to say the least. The show has hired a well known actor to play the character, which means it definitely has the potential to be a long term role, and they've written Mason as gay even though he won't be a romantic obstacle to their established gay couple. So, what is the plan for him? Will we eventually see him involved in his own romance? Or will he, despite what the show is saying, actually prove to be what Zac wasn't: the third player in daytime's first all male love triangle?
One thing would seem certain: you don't hire an actor who looks like Forbes March (below, left, with OLTL co-star John Paul Lavoisier) and then not give his character some sort of a love life!
I know that the writing on this show is so bad that I'll probably hate whatever they do come up with, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited by the idea of another gay character on the show. Time, no doubt, will prove me foolish yet again, but until that happens I'm going to be looking forward to Mason's arrival on the scene.
Obama's First Supreme Court Nominee
President Obama announced his choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter today: Federal Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
Sotomayor would be a historic pick as the first Hispanic ever to serve on the court, as well as being the third woman (and only the second currently) to take her place as a Justice.
From what I've read so far, Sotomayor seems to be a promising pick. I was hoping that Obama would select a woman (I still think it's a disgrace that the number of women on the court is as low as it is and that the last President allowed the number to be cut in half!), and Sotomayor has a very inspiring personal story, having been raised in the housing projects of the Bronx.
She's also been quoted as saying something that I think sums up exactly what I'd be looking for in a Supreme Court Justice:
Sotomayor would be a historic pick as the first Hispanic ever to serve on the court, as well as being the third woman (and only the second currently) to take her place as a Justice.
From what I've read so far, Sotomayor seems to be a promising pick. I was hoping that Obama would select a woman (I still think it's a disgrace that the number of women on the court is as low as it is and that the last President allowed the number to be cut in half!), and Sotomayor has a very inspiring personal story, having been raised in the housing projects of the Bronx.
She's also been quoted as saying something that I think sums up exactly what I'd be looking for in a Supreme Court Justice:
"I strive never to forget the real world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government."
I want to hear more about her record, especially in relation to LGBT issues if she's presided over any cases involving them. So far, though, I'm really happy with this nomination. She isn't likely to change the balance of the court, since she'd presumably be a liberal voice replacing another such voice, but since she's only 54 she could easily serve for two or three decades, which would significantly strengthen the liberal half of the court.
California Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8
Today the California Supreme Court announced its decision upholding the constitutional amendment known as Proposition 8, which stripped California's LGBT citizens of their rights to marry their same sex partners.
The small silver lining of the decision was that the court also ruled that the over 18,000 couples who married between last May, when the court ruled that there was nothing in the constitution preventing marriage between same sex couples, and November, when the voters of the state passed the proposition, would remain legally married.
This is a setback, to be sure. It's the first time (and hopefully only) time that a state that has allowed same sex marriage has then taken away those rights.
It won't be the last word, however. Voters will vote on this issue again, and again, and again if need be. Same sex marriage will come to California, and eventually to every other state in this country. Try as they may, no one can stop the inevitable. They can delay it, but progress can't be halted, especially not when there are so many of us willing to fight for it.
Today outside the court, demonstrators immediately began chanting "Shame on you!" and that sentiment will echo at protests all across the country today.
The small silver lining of the decision was that the court also ruled that the over 18,000 couples who married between last May, when the court ruled that there was nothing in the constitution preventing marriage between same sex couples, and November, when the voters of the state passed the proposition, would remain legally married.
This is a setback, to be sure. It's the first time (and hopefully only) time that a state that has allowed same sex marriage has then taken away those rights.
It won't be the last word, however. Voters will vote on this issue again, and again, and again if need be. Same sex marriage will come to California, and eventually to every other state in this country. Try as they may, no one can stop the inevitable. They can delay it, but progress can't be halted, especially not when there are so many of us willing to fight for it.
Today outside the court, demonstrators immediately began chanting "Shame on you!" and that sentiment will echo at protests all across the country today.
Monday, May 25, 2009
More on the Engen Affair
The Suds Report has a bit more on Chris Engen of The Young and the Restless walking out on his contract in the middle of a major storyline, reportedly because he didn't want to kiss another guy:
Meanwhile, the Y&R cast is understandably upset with Engen who is walking out in the middle of a front-burner storyline during its climax. One of Engen’s co-stars tells The Suds Report that various cast members tried to convince him not to leave this meaty role. “Forget the gay thing for a moment,” says one leading man. “He’ll never work in Hollywood again because he walked out in the middle of a contract. You don’t do that.”
I'm sorry, but I'm sure plenty of actors and actresses have to do love scenes with people they're not attracted to. Hell, gay actors and actresses have been making out with the opposite sex on stage and screen since forever, and I've yet to hear of one walking out on a role because of it.
If it's a moral issue, why did Engen (who is Catholic) not walk out over the many nefarious things his character has done before this? I guess being gay is worse in his mind than driving a pregnant woman mad?
Another former co-star is quoted as saying that Engen has been 'off' for some time and that they think he's having issues that go beyond not wanting to do this storyline. Maybe so, but the fact remains that having to kiss another man was what sent him walking off the set.
Fortunately, there are plenty of actors out there secure enough to play gay or bisexual roles, whatever their own sexuality, and I'm looking forward to seeing Michael Muhney (below) take on the role of Adam and seeing what develops between him and Yani Gellman's Rafe.
If it's a moral issue, why did Engen (who is Catholic) not walk out over the many nefarious things his character has done before this? I guess being gay is worse in his mind than driving a pregnant woman mad?
Another former co-star is quoted as saying that Engen has been 'off' for some time and that they think he's having issues that go beyond not wanting to do this storyline. Maybe so, but the fact remains that having to kiss another man was what sent him walking off the set.
Fortunately, there are plenty of actors out there secure enough to play gay or bisexual roles, whatever their own sexuality, and I'm looking forward to seeing Michael Muhney (below) take on the role of Adam and seeing what develops between him and Yani Gellman's Rafe.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Change Comes to the State Department
Four months after taking office as Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton is making some much needed changes to the Department's biased policies regarding LGBT diplomats in matters of partner and family benefits.
Under the old system, the partners and families of LGBT employees working overseas were not allowed the same travel, medical benefits, or even the basic protections that the spouses of straight employees were afforded. It was so bad that LGBT partners weren't even included in emergency evacuations of Government employees and their families if one was ordered!
Clinton was asked about these policies, which were fully supported by her predecessor, during her confirmation hearing and gave a vaguely supportive answer about needing to take a hard look at this while noting that other countries had moved forward in that direction.
Now, the Secretary of State is ready to move the United States forward as well:
Under the old system, the partners and families of LGBT employees working overseas were not allowed the same travel, medical benefits, or even the basic protections that the spouses of straight employees were afforded. It was so bad that LGBT partners weren't even included in emergency evacuations of Government employees and their families if one was ordered!
Clinton was asked about these policies, which were fully supported by her predecessor, during her confirmation hearing and gave a vaguely supportive answer about needing to take a hard look at this while noting that other countries had moved forward in that direction.
Now, the Secretary of State is ready to move the United States forward as well:
In a notice to be sent soon to State Department employees, Clinton says regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families the same rights and privileges that straight diplomats enjoyed are "unfair and must end," as they harm U.S. diplomacy.
"Providing training, medical care and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety and effectiveness of our posts abroad," she says in the message, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.
"It will also help the department attract and retain personnel in a competitive environment where domestic partner benefits and allowances are increasingly the norm for world-class employers," she says.
"At bottom, the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex domestic partners because it is the right thing to do," Clinton says.
I'm glad to see that at least one person in the Obama Administration is doing something about LGBT Rights, even on a small scale. It does make you wonder what things would have been like if Hillary Clinton had won the Democratic nomination last year. Would she, as President, be dragging her feet on issues of LGBT equality like President Obama is?Friday, May 22, 2009
Two Harvey Milk Anniversaries
Today would have been Harvey Milk's 79th birthday and Chuck Wolfe of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund wonders if Harvey would be proud of where things stand today on LGBT rights. After a look at where we are and what we still have to achieve, Wolfe concludes:
This Harvey Milk Day, I think Harvey would be proud of our progress so far, but I’m absolutely sure he wouldn’t be satisfied by it. He faced a bullet. We have only to face down our own fears, come out and speak up.
Ironically, yesterday marked another anniversary related to the great Harvey Milk. 30 years ago, on May 21, 1979, the outrageous verdict in Dan White's trial for the murders of Milk and Mayor George Moscone was handed down. This resulted in the White Night Riots, in which the gay citizens of San Francisco, and some of their straight allies, gathered in protest. As their anger and frustration and loss boiled over, they chanted "Harvey dies, Dan White lies," and a riot began at the Civic Center and City Hall. For many in the country, it was the first time they saw LGBT people literally fighting back against an oppressive system.
The San Francisco police retaliated that same night by covering up their badge numbers and attacking the Elephant Walk bar in the Castro district.
The Bay Area Reporter had a really good article on the anniversary of the riots, which some consider to be San Francisco's own version of the Stonewall Riots.
Dan White robbed us of an important voice just when LGBT people needed it the most. This one man may have made a great deal of difference in fighting against the Government's complete lack of action in the early year's of the AIDS crisis and, perhaps even more importantly, in changing the ingrained attitudes of the gay community itself more quickly when it came to protecting ourselves against the disease.
It wasn't that long ago that the name Harvey Milk was, for me, someone I knew of only vaguely as a gay politician from the past who had been assassinated. Over the last few years, as I've read so much more about Harvey and his era, I've come to appreciate all that he stood for and how much he accomplished, and I know that many others have as well thanks to the recent film.
He was truly a hero. Happy Birthday, Harvey.
The San Francisco police retaliated that same night by covering up their badge numbers and attacking the Elephant Walk bar in the Castro district.
The Bay Area Reporter had a really good article on the anniversary of the riots, which some consider to be San Francisco's own version of the Stonewall Riots.
Dan White robbed us of an important voice just when LGBT people needed it the most. This one man may have made a great deal of difference in fighting against the Government's complete lack of action in the early year's of the AIDS crisis and, perhaps even more importantly, in changing the ingrained attitudes of the gay community itself more quickly when it came to protecting ourselves against the disease.
It wasn't that long ago that the name Harvey Milk was, for me, someone I knew of only vaguely as a gay politician from the past who had been assassinated. Over the last few years, as I've read so much more about Harvey and his era, I've come to appreciate all that he stood for and how much he accomplished, and I know that many others have as well thanks to the recent film.
He was truly a hero. Happy Birthday, Harvey.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Actor Quits Y&R to Avoid Gay Storyline?
According to an article at Soap Central, actor Chris Engen, who played Victor Newman's son Adam on The Young and the Restless, has quit his role abruptly after learning from upcoming scripts that his character was going to become involved with gay attorney Rafe Torres, the first LGBT character in Y&R history.
It was hinted from the start that Rafe would become involved with a major character who would be revealed as bisexual, and many fans thought it would be Adam, given the friendship that already existed between the two.
The show is said to be considering legal action against Engen, who is breaking his contract by quitting. At the same time, TV Guide has reported that the show has already hired actor Michael Muhney to take over the role.
Did Chris Engen really walk away from a role on the number one rated soap in daytime (and straight into a potential lawsuit) just to avoid having to kiss another man? If so, that's beyond pathetic, not to mention completely unprofessional. Does Engen plan on having a career after this?
Given that Y&R is a show that now employs two of daytime's three out LGBT actors (Celementine Ford and the newly returned Thom Bierdz, who is back on the show after a twenty year absence), the rest of the cast may be glad to see the last of Engen and his kind of attitude. It would be especially interesting to hear from Bierdz, who just gave a great interview to The Advocate, and Ford, who recently voiced her opinion on the Miss California controversy, on this subject. I doubt they'd pull any punches.
If nothing else, at least we know that Rafe has a storyline coming up that involves kissing another man.
It was hinted from the start that Rafe would become involved with a major character who would be revealed as bisexual, and many fans thought it would be Adam, given the friendship that already existed between the two.
The show is said to be considering legal action against Engen, who is breaking his contract by quitting. At the same time, TV Guide has reported that the show has already hired actor Michael Muhney to take over the role.
Did Chris Engen really walk away from a role on the number one rated soap in daytime (and straight into a potential lawsuit) just to avoid having to kiss another man? If so, that's beyond pathetic, not to mention completely unprofessional. Does Engen plan on having a career after this?
Given that Y&R is a show that now employs two of daytime's three out LGBT actors (Celementine Ford and the newly returned Thom Bierdz, who is back on the show after a twenty year absence), the rest of the cast may be glad to see the last of Engen and his kind of attitude. It would be especially interesting to hear from Bierdz, who just gave a great interview to The Advocate, and Ford, who recently voiced her opinion on the Miss California controversy, on this subject. I doubt they'd pull any punches.
If nothing else, at least we know that Rafe has a storyline coming up that involves kissing another man.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Idol Finale
Well, as you've no doubt heard by now, Adam Lambert came in second tonight on American Idol. I'm a little disappointed that the chance to have an openly gay Idol winner slipped through our fingers (and the fact that some bigots, such as Bill O'Reilly, were stirring up homophobia in an effort to make sure Adam didn't win makes it worse), but I have to say that I honestly wasn't that upset at all to see Kris win. I'll probably even buy his CD.
If it had been Danny Gokey standing there with confetti falling all over him, I wouldn't have been able to stand it. But Kris is such a nice guy and a really good singer, and I honestly felt like just having him and Adam both make it to the finale was the real victory. In fact, Kris & Adam's duet tonight, Queen's We Are The Champions, really sort of summed it all up perfectly.
My first thought when Kris was announced as the winner was actually a positive one: Adam doesn't have to be tied to an Idol contract or that God awful single Kara wrote; he can truly be himself and make his own music. I can't wait to see what he does! I will be buying his album the day it comes out and will be at the first Adam Lambert concert that is within three states of me.
The finale itself was really excellent. Until the other day, when I saw some of the names of the musicians expected to appear on the show, I had no idea that the finale was such an all out event. I really enjoyed it a lot.
Seeing Adam perform with KISS was wild and so much fun. Kris's duet with Keith Urban was really enjoyable, and I completely loved Allison Iraheta's duet with Cyndi Lauper on Time after Time! I adore Cyndi and Alison was my second favorite singer of the season, so I was pretty much in heaven.
Having the whole Top 13 back was interesting and even though the group sings were never my favorite part of this season, I still liked seeing them all doing Pink's So What. I also really enjoyed all the guys doing If You Think I'm Sexy, though I wish they'd had more close ups during the number! Adam's face is always so expressive and I would have loved to see it during that song. I'm sure he had his sexiest snarl on.
I think I had more fun watching the finale than I did during most of the rest of the season, not counting Adam's performances. It almost made me want to tune in next year all over again, though I don't think I could sit through an Idol episode without Adam.
What a strange ride this has been! After seven seasons of resolutely ignoring this show, I watched every episode from Hollywood Week on, and all because I happened to turn on the television during Adam's audition! Had I been a few minutes earlier or later, I could probably have gone to my grave one day still proudly proclaiming that I'd never seen an episode of the show.
And yet, having experienced it, I have to say I found it kind of endearing in its own way. I'm certainly grateful to the show for having given Adam Lambert the platform upon which he became a star. I've become a lifelong fan of his and I know countless others have as well.
As I watched Kris embracing his wife in the final moments of the season, I thought about how nice it would have been if it were Adam embracing a boyfriend on live television. Still, I think he's blown the door wide open for future LGBT contestants on Idol and perhaps changed even more than just this one show.
This was just the warm up. The best of Adam is yet to come.
If it had been Danny Gokey standing there with confetti falling all over him, I wouldn't have been able to stand it. But Kris is such a nice guy and a really good singer, and I honestly felt like just having him and Adam both make it to the finale was the real victory. In fact, Kris & Adam's duet tonight, Queen's We Are The Champions, really sort of summed it all up perfectly.
My first thought when Kris was announced as the winner was actually a positive one: Adam doesn't have to be tied to an Idol contract or that God awful single Kara wrote; he can truly be himself and make his own music. I can't wait to see what he does! I will be buying his album the day it comes out and will be at the first Adam Lambert concert that is within three states of me.
The finale itself was really excellent. Until the other day, when I saw some of the names of the musicians expected to appear on the show, I had no idea that the finale was such an all out event. I really enjoyed it a lot.
Seeing Adam perform with KISS was wild and so much fun. Kris's duet with Keith Urban was really enjoyable, and I completely loved Allison Iraheta's duet with Cyndi Lauper on Time after Time! I adore Cyndi and Alison was my second favorite singer of the season, so I was pretty much in heaven.
Having the whole Top 13 back was interesting and even though the group sings were never my favorite part of this season, I still liked seeing them all doing Pink's So What. I also really enjoyed all the guys doing If You Think I'm Sexy, though I wish they'd had more close ups during the number! Adam's face is always so expressive and I would have loved to see it during that song. I'm sure he had his sexiest snarl on.
I'm a total loser for even admitting this next part, but the final Ford commercial, which was an homage to the other 11 members of the Top 13 and all the commercials they'd done, set to Adam & Kris singing I Will Remember You, actually made me feel kind of emotional!
I think I had more fun watching the finale than I did during most of the rest of the season, not counting Adam's performances. It almost made me want to tune in next year all over again, though I don't think I could sit through an Idol episode without Adam.
What a strange ride this has been! After seven seasons of resolutely ignoring this show, I watched every episode from Hollywood Week on, and all because I happened to turn on the television during Adam's audition! Had I been a few minutes earlier or later, I could probably have gone to my grave one day still proudly proclaiming that I'd never seen an episode of the show.
And yet, having experienced it, I have to say I found it kind of endearing in its own way. I'm certainly grateful to the show for having given Adam Lambert the platform upon which he became a star. I've become a lifelong fan of his and I know countless others have as well.
As I watched Kris embracing his wife in the final moments of the season, I thought about how nice it would have been if it were Adam embracing a boyfriend on live television. Still, I think he's blown the door wide open for future LGBT contestants on Idol and perhaps changed even more than just this one show.
This was just the warm up. The best of Adam is yet to come.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Glee/Idol
I just finished watching the sneak preview of next season's best new show: Fox's Glee. Seeing all the promos during American Idol these past weeks had made me wild with anticipation, so much so that I wondered if the actual show itself would fail to live up to the hype.
As it turned out, the show was everything I'd hoped for and more. I loved it so much. Matthew Morrison was already someone I liked from his brief stint on As the World Turns, but now I kind of love him! He brought so much to the role of Will Schuester, the Spanish teacher taking over the worst Glee Club in America, and I'm not just talking about his yummy hairy chest! Though, to be honest, after waiting in vain to see a little skin during his daytime stint, it was nice to see it up front this time!
The rest of the cast is equally talented, especially the always incredible Jane Lynch as the diabolical cheerleading coach, and includes gay characters (albeit rather stereotypical ones thus far). The musical numbers were awesome, and it's no surprise to see that this is all the creation of Ryan Murphy, who once created another show set in high school, a short lived gem of a show called Popular. Oh, and some other show called Nip/Tuck.
We're in for quite a ride with this show, and I'm going to love every minute of it. I just wish I didn't have to wait until the fall season to see the next episode! It may help that I've already downloaded the cast version of Don't Stop Believin' from iTunes and will no doubt listen to it a million times before the next episode airs.
I actually enjoyed Glee much more then I did American Idol's last performance night of the season. Idol just seemed kind of anti-climatic tonight. First of all, they had Adam & Kris each choose a song they'd done earlier in the season to perform and even though they both chose my personal favorites from all their songs (Adam's Mad World and Kris's Ain't No Sunshine), it felt pretty repetitive. Adam did change up his performance, entering in a long coat and with billowing fog all over the stage, and I enjoyed that. Both guys sounded great, I guess just wanted something new song wise.
The next songs were chosen for them by the creator of the show: Adam did A Change is Gonna Come, which was the best performance of the night, and Kris did What's Going On. Two solid performances and I especially liked Adam's voice on his song and the emotional way he performed it. It felt very much like he could be singing about a time when a gay man could win the most watched television competition in America, in fact. Or about the many Civil Rights issues facing LGBT people at the moment, from same sex marriage to being allowed to serve openly in the military.
That middle portion of the show was definitely the highlight of the night. The last two performances were of the same song, something that Kara co-wrote, and I felt really sorry for both guys having to end their run on this show with that song. They did their best, but it just wasn't a good song. Simon rightly made fun of it, in fact, though not nearly as much as I would have liked him to! The rest of the judges ended up imploring the audience to vote on the whole season and not just that last performance, which really said all that needed to be said about the song.
It sounds like there will be a lot of interesting performances on the finale tomorrow night and I'm really looking forward to that. I'd like the show to end on a high note, and tonight definitely wasn't it.
If this truly is just a singing competition, there is no question who should win and there hasn't been since the start of the semi-finals. Adam Lambert has been consistently the best singer and performer on this show. Kris is cute, likable and talented, and may well win tomorrow night, but Adam will be the bigger star no matter what happens.
As it turned out, the show was everything I'd hoped for and more. I loved it so much. Matthew Morrison was already someone I liked from his brief stint on As the World Turns, but now I kind of love him! He brought so much to the role of Will Schuester, the Spanish teacher taking over the worst Glee Club in America, and I'm not just talking about his yummy hairy chest! Though, to be honest, after waiting in vain to see a little skin during his daytime stint, it was nice to see it up front this time!
The rest of the cast is equally talented, especially the always incredible Jane Lynch as the diabolical cheerleading coach, and includes gay characters (albeit rather stereotypical ones thus far). The musical numbers were awesome, and it's no surprise to see that this is all the creation of Ryan Murphy, who once created another show set in high school, a short lived gem of a show called Popular. Oh, and some other show called Nip/Tuck.
We're in for quite a ride with this show, and I'm going to love every minute of it. I just wish I didn't have to wait until the fall season to see the next episode! It may help that I've already downloaded the cast version of Don't Stop Believin' from iTunes and will no doubt listen to it a million times before the next episode airs.
I actually enjoyed Glee much more then I did American Idol's last performance night of the season. Idol just seemed kind of anti-climatic tonight. First of all, they had Adam & Kris each choose a song they'd done earlier in the season to perform and even though they both chose my personal favorites from all their songs (Adam's Mad World and Kris's Ain't No Sunshine), it felt pretty repetitive. Adam did change up his performance, entering in a long coat and with billowing fog all over the stage, and I enjoyed that. Both guys sounded great, I guess just wanted something new song wise.
The next songs were chosen for them by the creator of the show: Adam did A Change is Gonna Come, which was the best performance of the night, and Kris did What's Going On. Two solid performances and I especially liked Adam's voice on his song and the emotional way he performed it. It felt very much like he could be singing about a time when a gay man could win the most watched television competition in America, in fact. Or about the many Civil Rights issues facing LGBT people at the moment, from same sex marriage to being allowed to serve openly in the military.
That middle portion of the show was definitely the highlight of the night. The last two performances were of the same song, something that Kara co-wrote, and I felt really sorry for both guys having to end their run on this show with that song. They did their best, but it just wasn't a good song. Simon rightly made fun of it, in fact, though not nearly as much as I would have liked him to! The rest of the judges ended up imploring the audience to vote on the whole season and not just that last performance, which really said all that needed to be said about the song.
It sounds like there will be a lot of interesting performances on the finale tomorrow night and I'm really looking forward to that. I'd like the show to end on a high note, and tonight definitely wasn't it.
If this truly is just a singing competition, there is no question who should win and there hasn't been since the start of the semi-finals. Adam Lambert has been consistently the best singer and performer on this show. Kris is cute, likable and talented, and may well win tomorrow night, but Adam will be the bigger star no matter what happens.
Monday, May 18, 2009
LGBT Rights at Home and Abroad
This weekend in Russia, gay rights activists were arrested in Moscow while trying to hold a peaceful demonstration. Looking at the pictures of the attempted Pride rally and the subsequent arrests makes me feel both fiercely proud of my Russian brothers & sisters who are standing up in the face of state sponsored oppression, and furious on their behalf.
LGBT people are the one minority group that includes people of all races and nationalities, that truly stretches to every culture and corner of the world, and I think it is up to all of us to make sure that we carry the fight for equality forward not just in our own cities but worldwide.
It is so incredibly easily, living in a country like the United States, to take for granted the victories of the past forty years since the Stonewall riots kicked the gay rights movement into high gear. We still have a long way to go, of course, but we've already come so far and that is entirely due to the people who stood up and fought back against harsh authority, who refused to continue to be third class citizens in their own country. In other words, men & women exactly like those in Russia who faced the certainty of arrest this weekend but still showed up to add their voices to the call for Equality.
On the topic of LGBT Rights in the United States, our new President continues to be an overwhelming disappointment. One of Barack Obama's campaign promises, if you'll recall, was to overturn DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.
Today, Terry Eleveld, a reporter from The Advocate, asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs what the President's timeline for the repeal was. Gibbs shrugged the question off with a "I don't know the answer to that." In other words, this is another LGBT related campaign promise that is in no way a priority for the Administration.
Congressman John Conyers, meanwhile, is taking the President to task for becoming 'so conservative' since taking office and specifically notes that it's time to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy:
This is all pretty disappointing, but it's not like there weren't warning signs that Obama wasn't going to be strongly supportive of LGBT rights. I took a 'wait and see' attitude, knowing that if nothing else, he'd be a huge improvement over his predecessor and better than his opponent, John McCain, who has supported the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and recently stated that he still thinks it's working.
We have to remember, though, that LGBT people have never had anything handed to us in terms of equal rights. We've had to fight every step of the way and force the political establishment to come around. It's becoming quite clear that Obama isn't naturally inclined to be supportive of equality, but we have a far better chance of getting him to come around through political pressure and social activism than we ever did with Bush or would have had with McCain.
LGBT people are the one minority group that includes people of all races and nationalities, that truly stretches to every culture and corner of the world, and I think it is up to all of us to make sure that we carry the fight for equality forward not just in our own cities but worldwide.
It is so incredibly easily, living in a country like the United States, to take for granted the victories of the past forty years since the Stonewall riots kicked the gay rights movement into high gear. We still have a long way to go, of course, but we've already come so far and that is entirely due to the people who stood up and fought back against harsh authority, who refused to continue to be third class citizens in their own country. In other words, men & women exactly like those in Russia who faced the certainty of arrest this weekend but still showed up to add their voices to the call for Equality.
On the topic of LGBT Rights in the United States, our new President continues to be an overwhelming disappointment. One of Barack Obama's campaign promises, if you'll recall, was to overturn DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.
Today, Terry Eleveld, a reporter from The Advocate, asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs what the President's timeline for the repeal was. Gibbs shrugged the question off with a "I don't know the answer to that." In other words, this is another LGBT related campaign promise that is in no way a priority for the Administration.
Congressman John Conyers, meanwhile, is taking the President to task for becoming 'so conservative' since taking office and specifically notes that it's time to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy:
U.S. Rep. John Conyers, the Detroit Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, says it is time to repeal the 16-year-old ban on openly gay service members in the U.S. military. The controversial policy has become an issue for the White House since President Obama took office in January. During the 2008 campaign, Obama had promised to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, but recently, the president has appeared to be backing off that statement.
“Why is he becoming so conservative now that he’s got the job?” Conyers asked during an interview with Michigan Messenger at a gathering of progressive activists on Saturday. “I think he is getting a lot of pressure put on him from the right, from conservatives. And he is trying to prove to the Republicans that he is bipartisan.”
This is all pretty disappointing, but it's not like there weren't warning signs that Obama wasn't going to be strongly supportive of LGBT rights. I took a 'wait and see' attitude, knowing that if nothing else, he'd be a huge improvement over his predecessor and better than his opponent, John McCain, who has supported the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and recently stated that he still thinks it's working.
We have to remember, though, that LGBT people have never had anything handed to us in terms of equal rights. We've had to fight every step of the way and force the political establishment to come around. It's becoming quite clear that Obama isn't naturally inclined to be supportive of equality, but we have a far better chance of getting him to come around through political pressure and social activism than we ever did with Bush or would have had with McCain.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
New Jay Brannan Album!
I've written before about my love of Jay Brannan's first album, goddamned, so you'll probably understand how excited I was when Jay let us know via Twitter that he's got a new album coming out this July!
The latest is called In Living Cover and will have two original songs by Jay and seven covers. Here's the track list:
1. Beautifully (Jay Brannan original)
2. Say It's Possible (Terra Naomi)
3. All I Want (Joni Mitchell)
4. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob Dylan)
5. The Freshmen (The Verve Pipe)
6. Good Mother (Jann Arden)
7. Both Hands (Ani DiFranco)
8. Zombie (The Cranberries)
9. Drowning (Jay Brannan original)
I can't wait to hear this! Actually, if you click the album title above, the page it takes you to has his version of Zombie for you to listen to. It sounds fantastic.
Jay will also be touring starting in July and I'm hoping that I'll get to see him this time around. When he was on tour last summer I wasn't able to make the show because of work.
The latest is called In Living Cover and will have two original songs by Jay and seven covers. Here's the track list:
1. Beautifully (Jay Brannan original)
2. Say It's Possible (Terra Naomi)
3. All I Want (Joni Mitchell)
4. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob Dylan)
5. The Freshmen (The Verve Pipe)
6. Good Mother (Jann Arden)
7. Both Hands (Ani DiFranco)
8. Zombie (The Cranberries)
9. Drowning (Jay Brannan original)
I can't wait to hear this! Actually, if you click the album title above, the page it takes you to has his version of Zombie for you to listen to. It sounds fantastic.
Jay will also be touring starting in July and I'm hoping that I'll get to see him this time around. When he was on tour last summer I wasn't able to make the show because of work.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Van Hansis Nominated For Daytime Emmy
For the third year in a row, Van Hansis has received a Daytime Emmy Nomination for his work as Luke on As the World Turns. This is a much deserved nomination and I can only hope that the third time will prove to be the charm.
Unlike the first two years, however, Van is not nominated as Outstanding Younger Actor, but rather in the much more competitive category of Outstanding Supporting Actor. The fact that the industry recognizes Van's talent even amid a much wider field says a lot.
It's no secret that I thought Van was completely robbed the first year he was nominated, after some truly amazing work during Luke's coming out storyline. He should have won last year, as well, but that first loss still stings for me. Van deserves to win this year not only in recognition of his continued excellence in the face of some of the worst writing on television, but also in recognition of all the work he's done on the show for the past three and a half years.
It says a lot that As the World Turns received four nominations for the only truly Outstanding thing about it: the actors. Aside from Van, Maura West and Julie Pinson were nominated for Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actress, respectively, and Meredith Hagner was nominated as Outstanding Younger Actress. Not surprisingly, the show was not nominated for writing or for outstanding show, either of which would have made the credibility of the awards plummet.
The full list of nominations does have a few surprises for me, including seeing Days of Our Lives nominated for Outstanding Show in addition to several acting nominations. Days has been largely shut out of the Emmys for so long now that I never really expect to see it on the list.
The other surprise was that One Life to Live was not nominated for Outstanding Show, in spite of nominations for Outstanding Writing Team and Outstanding Directing Team. The show certainly has had its rough patches lately, as all soaps do, especially when faced with network interference, but I still think it was the best soap on the air for much of the past year.
Of course, the most telling thing about the awards is that they will be airing on The CW this year, a network that doesn't even have a daytime line up, because none of the other networks wanted to air a show that has seen such a decrease in ratings in recent years.
I can remember a time not that long ago when Soaps were so popular that not only were they celebrated onscreen with the Daytime Emmys, they also had their very own televised award show every year with the Soap Opera Digest Awards. Times sure have changed.
Unlike the first two years, however, Van is not nominated as Outstanding Younger Actor, but rather in the much more competitive category of Outstanding Supporting Actor. The fact that the industry recognizes Van's talent even amid a much wider field says a lot.
It's no secret that I thought Van was completely robbed the first year he was nominated, after some truly amazing work during Luke's coming out storyline. He should have won last year, as well, but that first loss still stings for me. Van deserves to win this year not only in recognition of his continued excellence in the face of some of the worst writing on television, but also in recognition of all the work he's done on the show for the past three and a half years.
It says a lot that As the World Turns received four nominations for the only truly Outstanding thing about it: the actors. Aside from Van, Maura West and Julie Pinson were nominated for Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actress, respectively, and Meredith Hagner was nominated as Outstanding Younger Actress. Not surprisingly, the show was not nominated for writing or for outstanding show, either of which would have made the credibility of the awards plummet.
The full list of nominations does have a few surprises for me, including seeing Days of Our Lives nominated for Outstanding Show in addition to several acting nominations. Days has been largely shut out of the Emmys for so long now that I never really expect to see it on the list.
The other surprise was that One Life to Live was not nominated for Outstanding Show, in spite of nominations for Outstanding Writing Team and Outstanding Directing Team. The show certainly has had its rough patches lately, as all soaps do, especially when faced with network interference, but I still think it was the best soap on the air for much of the past year.
Of course, the most telling thing about the awards is that they will be airing on The CW this year, a network that doesn't even have a daytime line up, because none of the other networks wanted to air a show that has seen such a decrease in ratings in recent years.
I can remember a time not that long ago when Soaps were so popular that not only were they celebrated onscreen with the Daytime Emmys, they also had their very own televised award show every year with the Soap Opera Digest Awards. Times sure have changed.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Results Are In- And I Love Them!
There's nothing quite as silly as a grown man jumping up and down in his living room, shouting with joy over a television show. Yet, that's the scene that would have been on view to anyone peeking in my window a little awhile ago as I watched this week's American Idol results show.
The finale that I've spent the last week hoping fervently for is actually going to become a reality! Tonight, Danny Gokey was sent packing while Adam Lambert & Kris Allen became the Top 2. They definitely deserved the top spots based on last night's performances. Adam did a beautiful version U2's One (a judge's pick by Simon) and closed on a rock note, with Aerosmith's Cryin'. Kris did a decent version of One Republic's Apologize (a pick by Randy & Kara) and then absolutely killed with his version of Kanye West's Heartless.
Honestly, if Kris Allen is the winner next week, I'd be okay with that. As I've said before, I don't think Adam needs to win. He'll clearly have a career no matter what happens next week. Kris, whom I originally noted as having a decent voice and providing eye candy, has increasingly impressed me as the weeks have gone by. I clearly undervalued his talent at the start. What's more, he's also universally acknowledged as a nice guy and obviously has no issues about being close friends with a gay man, as evidenced by his & Adam's friendship. There's nothing not to love about this guy.
I'm still rooting, and voting, for Adam of course! We're so incredibly close to having the first openly gay American Idol winner, and Adam truly does deserve to win the show based on talent alone. If, however, he comes in second to Kris, I won't be devastated. It would have irritated me to no end to see him come in second to Danny Gokey, however, and I'm glad that's no longer even a possibility.
It's funny, I only started watching this show because of catching Adam's audition by chance. I told myself that I'd only watch for as long as he was on, not thinking for a moment that it would mean months of faithful viewing, and now he's made it all the way to the finale! What I'll do with myself in the post-Idol void remains a mystery to me. I've become quite accustomed to my weekly Lambert fix.
The finale that I've spent the last week hoping fervently for is actually going to become a reality! Tonight, Danny Gokey was sent packing while Adam Lambert & Kris Allen became the Top 2. They definitely deserved the top spots based on last night's performances. Adam did a beautiful version U2's One (a judge's pick by Simon) and closed on a rock note, with Aerosmith's Cryin'. Kris did a decent version of One Republic's Apologize (a pick by Randy & Kara) and then absolutely killed with his version of Kanye West's Heartless.
Honestly, if Kris Allen is the winner next week, I'd be okay with that. As I've said before, I don't think Adam needs to win. He'll clearly have a career no matter what happens next week. Kris, whom I originally noted as having a decent voice and providing eye candy, has increasingly impressed me as the weeks have gone by. I clearly undervalued his talent at the start. What's more, he's also universally acknowledged as a nice guy and obviously has no issues about being close friends with a gay man, as evidenced by his & Adam's friendship. There's nothing not to love about this guy.
I'm still rooting, and voting, for Adam of course! We're so incredibly close to having the first openly gay American Idol winner, and Adam truly does deserve to win the show based on talent alone. If, however, he comes in second to Kris, I won't be devastated. It would have irritated me to no end to see him come in second to Danny Gokey, however, and I'm glad that's no longer even a possibility.
It's funny, I only started watching this show because of catching Adam's audition by chance. I told myself that I'd only watch for as long as he was on, not thinking for a moment that it would mean months of faithful viewing, and now he's made it all the way to the finale! What I'll do with myself in the post-Idol void remains a mystery to me. I've become quite accustomed to my weekly Lambert fix.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
No, We Can't
President Obama is continuing to be a disappointment on the issue of LGBT rights. In spite of the recent study that found the President could end discharges under the military's discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy with one stroke of a pen in an executive order, the White House has stated that the President will not do so. President Obama prefers instead to keep the policy, under which people are still being discharged, in place while he consults the Joint Chiefs and Congress for a solution.
The President has it in his power to end discrimination right now and he won't do so. That's a pretty chilling reality, I have to say. Even if he manages to get legislation in place to make a change, it's not going to happen quickly. How many will be discharged in the meantime? Even one such discharge would be a stain on President Obama's record, to say nothing of his conscience.
It's looking more and more like LGBT issues are pretty much the last thing the new Administration cares to deal with. If that doesn't change soon, the President is going to find himself without much LGBT support the next time he's looking for votes.
The President has it in his power to end discrimination right now and he won't do so. That's a pretty chilling reality, I have to say. Even if he manages to get legislation in place to make a change, it's not going to happen quickly. How many will be discharged in the meantime? Even one such discharge would be a stain on President Obama's record, to say nothing of his conscience.
It's looking more and more like LGBT issues are pretty much the last thing the new Administration cares to deal with. If that doesn't change soon, the President is going to find himself without much LGBT support the next time he's looking for votes.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Noah's Got a Gun
Today's As the World Turns was another chapter in the ongoing saga of 'Damian is a misunderstood hero', which sometimes can be found under the alternative title 'When did Holden become such an ass?'.
Today's show started with Luke's parents and boyfriend urging him to stay away from Damian until the whole smuggling thing was resolved, even though Luke wanted to know more about Damian's plan to save Lucy from a prison sentence. Noah had more or less changed his tune on Damian, striking a more cautious note and pointing out that the two of them tend to be hit by cars, kidnapped, and shot whenever Damian is around.
Luke pretended to agree with his parents' request that he stay away from Damian, but after he accompanied Noah to Java, he took off to find his biodad.
Damian, meanwhile, had the word put out that he'd be open to using the Grimaldi ships for smuggling and was immediately contacted by a guy wanting a meeting.
While Damian was waiting on the docks, Luke came along and tried to have a conversation with him. The exchange between them reminded me of a puppy running up to lick its owner's hand, only to be kicked away and yelled at. The poor puppy totally doesn't get what's happening, and neither did Luke when Damian told him to get lost in less than friendly terms.
Damian was only trying to get Luke out of harm's way before the bad guy arrived, of course. Luke pretended to leave and then hid so that he could spy on Damian (which involved walking about four steps and then darting behind a building that seemed to be right next to where Damian was standing).
The smuggler, whose name was Fredo, quickly admitted to Damian that he'd been using his ships to smuggle guns anyway, but would now cut Damian in on the profit. Damian pulled a gun but Fredo easily knocked him down with a lead pipe and was about to smash his skull when Luke came running over and jumped him.
After a brief scuffle, Damian and Luke both seemed to be at the knife wielding Fredo's mercy, when Noah suddenly showed up (man, how does he even have a job? He's always cutting out on his shift at Java after like ten minutes of work!) and picked up the gun.
Noah was perfectly calm as he ordered Fredo to drop the knife. Damian yelled for Noah to give him the gun and Fredo clearly didn't think this college kid would have the balls to shoot him. When Fredo raised the knife in Luke's direction, though, Noah shot him without blinking an eye.
I have to say, Jake Silbermann looked really hot in these scenes. As a rule, guys with guns do nothing for me, but Noah came across as incredibly sexy while he was standing there, gun aimed at Fredo.
Luke was amazed that Noah even knew how to shoot a gun and Noah told him that growing up, the Colonel made him do target practice every Saturday. Luke noted that such a skill would have been useful against Zac & Zoe, but Noah reminded Luke that they never got hold of the gun. Besides, Noah's thighs were a much better weapon!
At that point, Margo randomly strolled up, literally out of nowhere, and asked what was going on. Um, okay. Damian turned over the smuggler, whom Noah had shot through the hand, and they all headed back to the police station.
Lucy was cleared after Fredo made a full confession and she even had a scene where she & Luke were in the same room and actually exchanged words! What a novel concept! Of course, it was just so Lucy could tell Luke, in front of Holden & Lily, that Damian had helped her with the medical supply smuggling operation so that he could show Luke he'd really changed.
Holden, of course, went to confront Damian about putting Luke in danger yet again while Margo warned the guys that the next time they get involved with police business she's either going to lock them up or sign them up. Actually, after seeing him with a gun today, maybe Noah should be a cop! Imagine a uniform to go along with that gun wielding pose! Hot.
The guys headed back to Java, where they promised each other that they were done with life threatening situations and bad guys (paging Colonel Mayer... Colonel Winston Mayer...), and then Damian showed up for a heartfelt moment where Luke told him that he can stop trying to prove he's changed, because Luke believes it now and knows he's left the old Damian behind. Luke capped it off with a big hug and Damian looked pretty touched.
So, now that Damian is a recognized saint, I wonder if Luke & Noah will more or less vanish until Colonel Mayer's return next month? Then again, with the way the stories move on this show, they'd totally have time to slip in one more psycho between then & now.
Today's show started with Luke's parents and boyfriend urging him to stay away from Damian until the whole smuggling thing was resolved, even though Luke wanted to know more about Damian's plan to save Lucy from a prison sentence. Noah had more or less changed his tune on Damian, striking a more cautious note and pointing out that the two of them tend to be hit by cars, kidnapped, and shot whenever Damian is around.
Luke pretended to agree with his parents' request that he stay away from Damian, but after he accompanied Noah to Java, he took off to find his biodad.
Damian, meanwhile, had the word put out that he'd be open to using the Grimaldi ships for smuggling and was immediately contacted by a guy wanting a meeting.
While Damian was waiting on the docks, Luke came along and tried to have a conversation with him. The exchange between them reminded me of a puppy running up to lick its owner's hand, only to be kicked away and yelled at. The poor puppy totally doesn't get what's happening, and neither did Luke when Damian told him to get lost in less than friendly terms.
Damian was only trying to get Luke out of harm's way before the bad guy arrived, of course. Luke pretended to leave and then hid so that he could spy on Damian (which involved walking about four steps and then darting behind a building that seemed to be right next to where Damian was standing).
The smuggler, whose name was Fredo, quickly admitted to Damian that he'd been using his ships to smuggle guns anyway, but would now cut Damian in on the profit. Damian pulled a gun but Fredo easily knocked him down with a lead pipe and was about to smash his skull when Luke came running over and jumped him.
After a brief scuffle, Damian and Luke both seemed to be at the knife wielding Fredo's mercy, when Noah suddenly showed up (man, how does he even have a job? He's always cutting out on his shift at Java after like ten minutes of work!) and picked up the gun.
Noah was perfectly calm as he ordered Fredo to drop the knife. Damian yelled for Noah to give him the gun and Fredo clearly didn't think this college kid would have the balls to shoot him. When Fredo raised the knife in Luke's direction, though, Noah shot him without blinking an eye.
I have to say, Jake Silbermann looked really hot in these scenes. As a rule, guys with guns do nothing for me, but Noah came across as incredibly sexy while he was standing there, gun aimed at Fredo.
Luke was amazed that Noah even knew how to shoot a gun and Noah told him that growing up, the Colonel made him do target practice every Saturday. Luke noted that such a skill would have been useful against Zac & Zoe, but Noah reminded Luke that they never got hold of the gun. Besides, Noah's thighs were a much better weapon!
At that point, Margo randomly strolled up, literally out of nowhere, and asked what was going on. Um, okay. Damian turned over the smuggler, whom Noah had shot through the hand, and they all headed back to the police station.
Lucy was cleared after Fredo made a full confession and she even had a scene where she & Luke were in the same room and actually exchanged words! What a novel concept! Of course, it was just so Lucy could tell Luke, in front of Holden & Lily, that Damian had helped her with the medical supply smuggling operation so that he could show Luke he'd really changed.
Holden, of course, went to confront Damian about putting Luke in danger yet again while Margo warned the guys that the next time they get involved with police business she's either going to lock them up or sign them up. Actually, after seeing him with a gun today, maybe Noah should be a cop! Imagine a uniform to go along with that gun wielding pose! Hot.
The guys headed back to Java, where they promised each other that they were done with life threatening situations and bad guys (paging Colonel Mayer... Colonel Winston Mayer...), and then Damian showed up for a heartfelt moment where Luke told him that he can stop trying to prove he's changed, because Luke believes it now and knows he's left the old Damian behind. Luke capped it off with a big hug and Damian looked pretty touched.
So, now that Damian is a recognized saint, I wonder if Luke & Noah will more or less vanish until Colonel Mayer's return next month? Then again, with the way the stories move on this show, they'd totally have time to slip in one more psycho between then & now.
AfterElton's Hot 100
AfterElton's Hot 100 has finally been revealed! I've been anticipating this ever since I submitted my own choices for this year's list and now that I've seen the full list, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. A lot of my favorite guys made the list this year, far too many to mention all of them here, in fact. But I will call out a few that I was particularly happy about.
First of all, of course, is Adam Lambert. I think out of everyone I voted for, I was most interested to see if/where he'd place on the list. As it turned out, he did very well, coming in at number 16! An excellent showing for a guy who not very many people had even heard of just a few months ago. Cutie Kris Allen was the only other American Idol contestant to make the list, at number 98.
Another guy I was interested in was Van Hansis. Last year, he was number 7 on the list, but this year he fell to number 20! I blame the As the World Turns writers for this, mostly because I think they're responsible for all the world's ills. Still, no other American soap star made it any higher on the list. In fact, the only other American soap star on the list at all was Van's costar Jake Silbermann, who came in at number 22.
The German soaps stars, hottie Thore Scholermann and his adorable costar Jo Weil from Verboten Liebe, did better than their American counterparts, coming in at numbers 19 and 17 respectively.
Back in December, I made a list of my own, highlighting my picks for Top Five Out Hotties. I must have good taste, because all five made the AfterElton list: My pick for number five, Randy Harrison, came in at 33; My number four, Chad Allen, came in at 25; Luke MacFarlane, my number 3, came in at... number 3! Cheyenne Jackson, my number 2, was at 7; and my number one pick, Neil Patrick Harris, knocked Jake Gyllenhaal out of his two year reign at the top and came in at number one in this year's AfterElton Hot 100!
Check out the whole list, if for no other reason than to see 100 hot pictures of some very good looking men!
Obviously there are a lot of hot guys who were left off this year, but the most glaring absence for me is Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl. I truly think he's one of the hottest guys out there, especially with his British accent. His costar and roommate Chace Crawford made the list, but there apparently just wasn't enough love for Ed, even though he practically snogged a guy court side at a basketball game this year. What more does the man have to do?! Maybe a sex tape would help.
I'll be back later tonight for a look at today's Nuke scenes on As the World Turns.
First of all, of course, is Adam Lambert. I think out of everyone I voted for, I was most interested to see if/where he'd place on the list. As it turned out, he did very well, coming in at number 16! An excellent showing for a guy who not very many people had even heard of just a few months ago. Cutie Kris Allen was the only other American Idol contestant to make the list, at number 98.
Another guy I was interested in was Van Hansis. Last year, he was number 7 on the list, but this year he fell to number 20! I blame the As the World Turns writers for this, mostly because I think they're responsible for all the world's ills. Still, no other American soap star made it any higher on the list. In fact, the only other American soap star on the list at all was Van's costar Jake Silbermann, who came in at number 22.
The German soaps stars, hottie Thore Scholermann and his adorable costar Jo Weil from Verboten Liebe, did better than their American counterparts, coming in at numbers 19 and 17 respectively.
Back in December, I made a list of my own, highlighting my picks for Top Five Out Hotties. I must have good taste, because all five made the AfterElton list: My pick for number five, Randy Harrison, came in at 33; My number four, Chad Allen, came in at 25; Luke MacFarlane, my number 3, came in at... number 3! Cheyenne Jackson, my number 2, was at 7; and my number one pick, Neil Patrick Harris, knocked Jake Gyllenhaal out of his two year reign at the top and came in at number one in this year's AfterElton Hot 100!
Check out the whole list, if for no other reason than to see 100 hot pictures of some very good looking men!
Obviously there are a lot of hot guys who were left off this year, but the most glaring absence for me is Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl. I truly think he's one of the hottest guys out there, especially with his British accent. His costar and roommate Chace Crawford made the list, but there apparently just wasn't enough love for Ed, even though he practically snogged a guy court side at a basketball game this year. What more does the man have to do?! Maybe a sex tape would help.
I'll be back later tonight for a look at today's Nuke scenes on As the World Turns.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Y&R's Rafe Gets a Man! (?)
UPDATE 5/9: The source has now changed their story to say this may just be speculation. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I just read some great soap news! The Young and the Restless is giving Rafe Torres, the latest LGBT character in daytime, a love interest. As if that wasn't good enough news, the new guy is a legacy character from a core family!
Better still, the show has cast a popular soap star who was recently let go from Guiding Light to play the role, which shows they're serious about this pairing!
I'm talking, of course, about John Driscoll, who until recently played Coop Cooper on GL before the character was killed off in a car crash. He's joining Y&R as Philip Chancellor IV.
This isn't Driscoll's first gay role, either. He played the love interest of Christian Campbell's character on the short lived prime time show The Book of Daniel a few years back.
I'm really looking forward to this story now. The Young and the Restless is certainly a lot better written than As the World Turns at the moment, so there is potential for a great story here.
I just read some great soap news! The Young and the Restless is giving Rafe Torres, the latest LGBT character in daytime, a love interest. As if that wasn't good enough news, the new guy is a legacy character from a core family!
Better still, the show has cast a popular soap star who was recently let go from Guiding Light to play the role, which shows they're serious about this pairing!
I'm talking, of course, about John Driscoll, who until recently played Coop Cooper on GL before the character was killed off in a car crash. He's joining Y&R as Philip Chancellor IV.
This isn't Driscoll's first gay role, either. He played the love interest of Christian Campbell's character on the short lived prime time show The Book of Daniel a few years back.
I'm really looking forward to this story now. The Young and the Restless is certainly a lot better written than As the World Turns at the moment, so there is potential for a great story here.
Smugglers, Forgotten Relatives, and Sailor Suits
I didn't have a chance to write about yesterday's As the World Turns, so this will be a two in one post since Luke & Noah were on today as well.
Yesterday started with Luke & Noah discussing lower income child mortality rates in the United States and the poor health care system. Yes, really. Is there a way to write a serious discussion like this on a soap without it sounding stilted and out of place? I'm sure there is, but As the World Turns hasn't found it.
The guys decided to try a make a difference for sick kids using the foundation (Noah even came up with a new slogan: save one life and you can save the world) and decided to do something along the lines of a camp for sick kids to go and get the chance to have fun like other kids for a change.
Luke wanted to put his own spin on it, though, and suggested a cruise instead. Would kids really prefer being stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean to swimming, hiking, and campfires? Or whatever it is kids actually do at camp since I never went and can only base my knowledge on films, most of which indicate that camp counselors being slaughtered is a regular hazard of the job.
Luke & Noah ran the idea by Lily and wondered if the foundation could buy a yacht. Lily had an even better idea: the Grimaldis are big in shipping and have a whole fleet, so Damian could likely donate a ship for the cause. Luke didn't feel comfortable asking Damian himself, not wanting to give the impression that he was only interested in Damian's money, so Lily volunteered to do the asking.
Noah, meanwhile, was just hoping that all this meant he'd get to see Luke in a sailor suit, which lead to Luke giving him a look and a smile that totally indicated that a sailor suit would indeed be in their near future.
Damian ended up shooting Lily's request down, claiming that the Grimaldi ships were all tied up and acting very odd about it. When Lily mentioned this to Holden & Lucinda, they immediately deduced that Damian was up to something.
Meanwhile, Damian sought out Luke & Noah and offered an alternative to the cruise idea: a dude ranch in Montana where the kids could interact with animals. The guys loved the idea (Noah was no doubt picturing Luke in a cowboy hat before Damian was even done speaking) and agreed to put the plan in motion.
While Holden & Lily argued over Damian yet again, Lucinda took it upon herself to head down to the docks to investigate the Grimaldi ships. Yes, Oakdale, Illinois is apparently major world shipping port. That makes about as much sense as the wealthy and powerful Lucinda Walsh heading down to the docks herself rather than hiring someone to look into things.
Long story short, Lucinda called Holden to tell him that something was definitely up and Lily sent him down to the docks to bring her mother home safely. While they were there, an armed man marched them into a ship, accused them of spying, and told them that 'the boss' was on his way to deal with them. The boss, of course, being Damian.
That brings us to today's episode, where Damian assured Holden & Lucinda that it was all a misunderstanding. When they persisted in accusing him of being up to something, he threatened to have them arrested for trespassing if they returned.
When they got back home and filled Lily, Luke & Noah in on what happened, Lily of course believed that it truly was just a misunderstanding, while Luke was confused about what to think. Noah suggested that Luke go directly to the source.
Luke followed his boyfriend's advice and confronted Damian. Damian tried to run the whole 'misunderstanding' line again, but Luke told him that if Damian ever wanted Luke to trust him as he trusts Holden, he had to start being honest with him.
Damian admitted that there was something going on, but said he couldn't tell Luke any specifics because it would put people in danger. He asked Luke to believe him when he said he wasn't doing anything bad, but Luke wasn't sure if he could.
Luke headed to Java and confided all this in Noah, who decided that maybe he'd been wrong about Damian all along and he hadn't really changed. Luke still didn't know what to think.
Then, worlds collided. That's how it always feels on this show on the very rare occasions when people suddenly interact outside of their own storyline bubbles. It doesn't matter if the characters are family or best friends, they simply do not interact with each other on this show if they're not in the same story, unless it's Christmas or Thanksgiving. This is one of the many issues I have with the current writers.
But, as I said, worlds collided today and I actually had to stop fast forwarding a story because Damian and then Lucinda showed up in the middle of it. Awhile back, Luke's cousin Lucy Montgomery returned to town, but of course she's had zero interaction with any of her family outside of her father Craig, who is in her story bubble. There's been something going on with ships and guns and a dead guy at the docks that Lucy has been involved with... who knows, I've fast forwarded right past it all.
Damian showed up at the police station today, after Lucy's arrest, to reveal the truth of what's been happening: Damian has been helping Lucy use Grimaldi ships to smuggle medical supplies to refugees in Africa.
Um, okay. The last time Damian was in town, he took a brief break from trying to send Luke to Scared Straight camp to have a flirtation with Lucy, but once she figured out he was faking an illness to get Luke to return to Malta with him, it didn't end well. How they hooked up on this smuggling deal, I have no clue.
Which reminds me, one of my favorite early Luke scenes was the casual way he came out to his cousin Lucy back in the summer of 2006 and her equally casual acceptance of it. Here's what I wrote at that time:
How nice would it be to see Luke interact with Lucy again, to see the two of them just sit and chat about what's going on in their lives, catch each other up so that it didn't seem like they lived in completely different worlds? It will never happen with these writers, though.
Lucy did call Lucinda, the Grandmother she hasn't bothered to visit even though she's battling cancer, for help once she'd been arrested and Lucinda immediately decided that the gun smuggling (which Lucy knew nothing about) was Damian's doing.
Once he'd told the cops the truth about Lucy, Damian rushed to Java to tell Luke & Noah the truth as well and they all lived happily ever after. Or something. I don't know. When does Luke put on the sailor suit?
Yesterday started with Luke & Noah discussing lower income child mortality rates in the United States and the poor health care system. Yes, really. Is there a way to write a serious discussion like this on a soap without it sounding stilted and out of place? I'm sure there is, but As the World Turns hasn't found it.
The guys decided to try a make a difference for sick kids using the foundation (Noah even came up with a new slogan: save one life and you can save the world) and decided to do something along the lines of a camp for sick kids to go and get the chance to have fun like other kids for a change.
Luke wanted to put his own spin on it, though, and suggested a cruise instead. Would kids really prefer being stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean to swimming, hiking, and campfires? Or whatever it is kids actually do at camp since I never went and can only base my knowledge on films, most of which indicate that camp counselors being slaughtered is a regular hazard of the job.
Luke & Noah ran the idea by Lily and wondered if the foundation could buy a yacht. Lily had an even better idea: the Grimaldis are big in shipping and have a whole fleet, so Damian could likely donate a ship for the cause. Luke didn't feel comfortable asking Damian himself, not wanting to give the impression that he was only interested in Damian's money, so Lily volunteered to do the asking.
Noah, meanwhile, was just hoping that all this meant he'd get to see Luke in a sailor suit, which lead to Luke giving him a look and a smile that totally indicated that a sailor suit would indeed be in their near future.
Damian ended up shooting Lily's request down, claiming that the Grimaldi ships were all tied up and acting very odd about it. When Lily mentioned this to Holden & Lucinda, they immediately deduced that Damian was up to something.
Meanwhile, Damian sought out Luke & Noah and offered an alternative to the cruise idea: a dude ranch in Montana where the kids could interact with animals. The guys loved the idea (Noah was no doubt picturing Luke in a cowboy hat before Damian was even done speaking) and agreed to put the plan in motion.
While Holden & Lily argued over Damian yet again, Lucinda took it upon herself to head down to the docks to investigate the Grimaldi ships. Yes, Oakdale, Illinois is apparently major world shipping port. That makes about as much sense as the wealthy and powerful Lucinda Walsh heading down to the docks herself rather than hiring someone to look into things.
Long story short, Lucinda called Holden to tell him that something was definitely up and Lily sent him down to the docks to bring her mother home safely. While they were there, an armed man marched them into a ship, accused them of spying, and told them that 'the boss' was on his way to deal with them. The boss, of course, being Damian.
That brings us to today's episode, where Damian assured Holden & Lucinda that it was all a misunderstanding. When they persisted in accusing him of being up to something, he threatened to have them arrested for trespassing if they returned.
When they got back home and filled Lily, Luke & Noah in on what happened, Lily of course believed that it truly was just a misunderstanding, while Luke was confused about what to think. Noah suggested that Luke go directly to the source.
Luke followed his boyfriend's advice and confronted Damian. Damian tried to run the whole 'misunderstanding' line again, but Luke told him that if Damian ever wanted Luke to trust him as he trusts Holden, he had to start being honest with him.
Damian admitted that there was something going on, but said he couldn't tell Luke any specifics because it would put people in danger. He asked Luke to believe him when he said he wasn't doing anything bad, but Luke wasn't sure if he could.
Luke headed to Java and confided all this in Noah, who decided that maybe he'd been wrong about Damian all along and he hadn't really changed. Luke still didn't know what to think.
Then, worlds collided. That's how it always feels on this show on the very rare occasions when people suddenly interact outside of their own storyline bubbles. It doesn't matter if the characters are family or best friends, they simply do not interact with each other on this show if they're not in the same story, unless it's Christmas or Thanksgiving. This is one of the many issues I have with the current writers.
But, as I said, worlds collided today and I actually had to stop fast forwarding a story because Damian and then Lucinda showed up in the middle of it. Awhile back, Luke's cousin Lucy Montgomery returned to town, but of course she's had zero interaction with any of her family outside of her father Craig, who is in her story bubble. There's been something going on with ships and guns and a dead guy at the docks that Lucy has been involved with... who knows, I've fast forwarded right past it all.
Damian showed up at the police station today, after Lucy's arrest, to reveal the truth of what's been happening: Damian has been helping Lucy use Grimaldi ships to smuggle medical supplies to refugees in Africa.
Um, okay. The last time Damian was in town, he took a brief break from trying to send Luke to Scared Straight camp to have a flirtation with Lucy, but once she figured out he was faking an illness to get Luke to return to Malta with him, it didn't end well. How they hooked up on this smuggling deal, I have no clue.
Which reminds me, one of my favorite early Luke scenes was the casual way he came out to his cousin Lucy back in the summer of 2006 and her equally casual acceptance of it. Here's what I wrote at that time:
Cousin Lucy was also very accepting, and Luke's coming out to her marked just how much Luke was beginning to feel more comfortable with his sexuality. Instead of a dramatic coming out conversation, Luke outed himself to his cousin a bit more directly one day a few weeks ago when they ran into his best friend/secret crush Kevin at the club.
When Lucy asked Luke if Kevin was a friend of his, Luke simply said "I used to love the guy." Lucy, much like their grandmother Lucinda, barely batted an eye before asking if their break up had been 'over-coffee-friendly or breaking-furniture-messy?'
When Lucy asked Luke if Kevin was a friend of his, Luke simply said "I used to love the guy." Lucy, much like their grandmother Lucinda, barely batted an eye before asking if their break up had been 'over-coffee-friendly or breaking-furniture-messy?'
How nice would it be to see Luke interact with Lucy again, to see the two of them just sit and chat about what's going on in their lives, catch each other up so that it didn't seem like they lived in completely different worlds? It will never happen with these writers, though.
Lucy did call Lucinda, the Grandmother she hasn't bothered to visit even though she's battling cancer, for help once she'd been arrested and Lucinda immediately decided that the gun smuggling (which Lucy knew nothing about) was Damian's doing.
Once he'd told the cops the truth about Lucy, Damian rushed to Java to tell Luke & Noah the truth as well and they all lived happily ever after. Or something. I don't know. When does Luke put on the sailor suit?
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Idol Follow Up
Well, last night's American Idol dashed my hopes for an Adam/Allison finale and my dream top three after Allison was sent home and Danny Gokey joined Adam and Kris in moving on to another week.
I think Allison Iraheta will go far in her career, though, because she's got such an amazing voice. Her farewell performance last night was really great, too, and just highlighted how wrong it was for her to be leaving the show in fourth place.
Kris Allen's reaction to being in the Top Three melted my heart completely. I already really liked the guy, but now I kind of love him! He clearly thought he was going home last night and his surprise and joy were so genuine. He truly seems like the real deal, a very nice, humble guy. Simon is all over him to stop being humble, in fact, but Cowell doesn't know what the heck he's talking about in this case! There are enough people out there with Danny Gokey like attitudes, which is why a guy like Kris seems like such a breath of fresh air.
I'm putting all my hopes in an Adam/Kris finale now! If Allison's fans just rally behind Adam and/or Kris, they might be able to edge Danny Gokey out of the competition in spite of his fan base.
As for Adam, I just read that he'll be on the cover of the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. Take a look:
I love the asterisk. Of course they have to say 'Might Be Gay' because the show hasn't let Adam actually confirm it. All of this makes it even more ridiculous that the show wouldn't just let him say the word gay. Clearly, they're the only ones who care!
Still, it might also make it that much easier for the next group of gay contestants to be out, since the show has to see now how open people actually are to having a gay Idol winner. Maybe next season, someones same sex partner or spouse will be identified as such in the audience after a performance, or in the biographical video packages they show before someone sings.
It took someone as fearless and confident as Adam to be on the show without even pretending to step towards the closet, and that has broken down a lot of barriers, even if a few, like the show allowing the actual use of the word gay, remain in place.
I think Allison Iraheta will go far in her career, though, because she's got such an amazing voice. Her farewell performance last night was really great, too, and just highlighted how wrong it was for her to be leaving the show in fourth place.
Kris Allen's reaction to being in the Top Three melted my heart completely. I already really liked the guy, but now I kind of love him! He clearly thought he was going home last night and his surprise and joy were so genuine. He truly seems like the real deal, a very nice, humble guy. Simon is all over him to stop being humble, in fact, but Cowell doesn't know what the heck he's talking about in this case! There are enough people out there with Danny Gokey like attitudes, which is why a guy like Kris seems like such a breath of fresh air.
I'm putting all my hopes in an Adam/Kris finale now! If Allison's fans just rally behind Adam and/or Kris, they might be able to edge Danny Gokey out of the competition in spite of his fan base.
As for Adam, I just read that he'll be on the cover of the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. Take a look:
I love the asterisk. Of course they have to say 'Might Be Gay' because the show hasn't let Adam actually confirm it. All of this makes it even more ridiculous that the show wouldn't just let him say the word gay. Clearly, they're the only ones who care!
Still, it might also make it that much easier for the next group of gay contestants to be out, since the show has to see now how open people actually are to having a gay Idol winner. Maybe next season, someones same sex partner or spouse will be identified as such in the audience after a performance, or in the biographical video packages they show before someone sings.
It took someone as fearless and confident as Adam to be on the show without even pretending to step towards the closet, and that has broken down a lot of barriers, even if a few, like the show allowing the actual use of the word gay, remain in place.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
10% and Counting!
Maine just became the 5th current state to allow same sex marriages in the U.S. and the second state after Vermont to do so through the legislature rather than through the courts. That's a full 10% of all states in this country, which is amazing!
They might not be the newest state for long, either, because the New Hampshire state legislature is poised to send their Governor a similar bill.
These are truly exciting times to be living in, especially when you consider that the Stonewall riots were a mere 40 years ago and it has been even less time than that since being LGBT was considered to be a mental illness and an actual crime!
We've still got a long way to go, of course, but this is news that is very much worth celebrating.
They might not be the newest state for long, either, because the New Hampshire state legislature is poised to send their Governor a similar bill.
These are truly exciting times to be living in, especially when you consider that the Stonewall riots were a mere 40 years ago and it has been even less time than that since being LGBT was considered to be a mental illness and an actual crime!
We've still got a long way to go, of course, but this is news that is very much worth celebrating.
Topic Round Up
I had a busy day on Tuesday, so I'm going to do a post that's sort of a jumble to cover what would otherwise have been individual posts.
First off, I saw this anti-hate YouTube collab on Towleroad and am now completely obsessed with Lily Allen's song Fuck You. I've never really listened to Lily Allen before, but I think I'll be buying her CD soon. The collab is great, too, and one of the guys in it is Michael from the 5 Awesome Gays, which is my own personal favorite collab channel on YouTube. All five of the guys on that channel are so hilarious.
All right, Tuesday was a Nuke day on As The World Turns and it provided a few of really sweet scenes for the guys as a couple.
The guys started out relaxing on Holden & Lily's patio, with Luke telling Noah that the shoe was now on the other foot and that he'd be taking care of him. The dialogue was playful and slightly suggestive and the guys are always adorable when they're being a bit naughty (or as naughty as you can be as a gay character on daytime TV!). The conversation turned to them getting their own place soon and how much they're looking forward to that.
Holden, meanwhile, wanted to take the two of them to a Cubs game in Chicago if Noah felt up to it, and there was some painfully awkward dialogue about how Holden is friends with the ticket agent and can get tickets to any Chicago based sporting event.
As it turned out, the Cubs were playing the Mets in New York, but Holden suggested they just borrow Lucinda's private jet and go to the game in New York. The guys loved the idea and off they went.
Lily ran into Damian at the Foundation office and he mentioned that he had a meeting with a friend in New York who runs a well know and respected philanthropic foundation that might be interested in partnering with Luke's foundation. Lily agreed to go along for the meeting.
All of which, of course, just set it up so Holden could run into Damian & Lily in New York together, in a ridiculous scene where Holden & Lily were talking on the phone with each other while sitting back to back in a restaurant in a typically clueless manner.
After the game (which must have been pretty short, since they were able to fly to NYC on a whim, see the game, and still have it be the middle of the day when it was all over) Luke & Noah went off on their own to explore the city a bit and Noah was very enthusiastic about how much he loved the place and could see himself living there. In fact, he suggested that he & Luke get a place there together and finish school in New York.
Luke couldn't see himself living so far away from his family (though, clearly, it's only ten minutes away by Lucinda's magic jet), but said maybe they could do it in ten years or so. Noah was rather giddy at the fact that Luke sees them as still being together in ten years and they laughed about their role reversal, how Noah is now Mr. Spontaneous and Luke is Captain Cautious.
They went to join Holden for lunch and Luke was up in arms when he saw Damian & Lily there as well, but once they'd explained the exciting new partnership they'd arranged for the foundation he was all smiles and Noah basically said "You've got the best two dads in the world, Luke!"
Holden invited Damian to come back on Lucinda's jet with the rest of them, but he said he wouldn't intrude on them any further. After they left, he place a shady phone call to someone saying that his part in their business must not come to light.
Maybe he's working with Jean Passanante and Chris Goutman, plotting to bring an end to Luke & Noah once and for all by killing As the World Turns?
Meanwhile, Rafe was present on The Young and The Restless on Tuesday for the first time since coming out, but he only had a few scenes in his capacity as Adam's lawyer. A slow build is one thing, but we're barely seeing the guy! I hope that changes soon.
Okay, on to American Idol. This was Rock Week, a week seemingly made for Adam Lambert, and he did not disappoint! I've loved him every week, as you know, but he was really in his element this time doing Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. The guy is a rock star, there is just no question about it!
On Tuesday, the four remaining contestants each did their usual solo songs and then they were paired up for duets, which I thought was a good chance to see something a bit different.
Adam & Allison closed the show with their duet of Foghat's Slow Ride, which I completely loved! My hope all along has been for an Adam/Allison finale (with Kris coming in third) and this song just exemplified why I want that. They're the best two singers on the show and they sound incredible together.
I also just love the vibe they have going on with each other. Adam said after the end of the song that Allison was like his little sister, and that totally comes across. I also loved when Simon said that Adam may have just made it possible for Allison to move on to the Top Three and Adam mouthed "I hope so!"
I only wish Adam could also have done a duet with Kris, who was stuck with the egotistical black hole that is Danny Gokey. I'm sorry, I've tried not to be negative about any of the contestants, but Gokey drives me crazy with his smug smirk each week and his clear belief that he's God's gift to music.
The thing is, Gokey does have a great voice. He just isn't a performer, he's boring and basically does karaoke with a lot of pointing. Yet, the judges seem to love him most of the time. I honestly don't get why, when they're telling Allison again and again that she doesn't have enough personality, they're letting him slide. Maybe they're confusing self importance with personality?
Kris was paired up with Danny for the most awkward duet I've ever seen. In spite of Kris's efforts to sing with Danny, it was clear that Danny doesn't really share well. As a result, it came across as two guys who happened to be singing next to each other, more than anything else. Poor Kris looked seriously miserable by the end.
It wasn't as bad as Danny's solo, though. As I said, the guy has a good voice, but his painful performance of Aerosmith's Dream On, complete with a god awful scream at the end that Simon rightly said was like someone in a horror film, was the worst thing I've seen on this show since I started watching.
Many feel, though, that the show has been pushing for a Danny/Adam finale since the beginning, and instead of Simon telling Danny that he could be in trouble (as he's told other contestants who've done badly), Simon told him he'd probably move on to another week. That may be less Simon trying to sway things, though, than just his simple recognition that Danny seems to have a strong fan base who are going to put him through no matter what.
I voted like crazy for Adam after last week's inexplicable Bottom Two showing and the line was busy quite a bit, so that's probably a good sign. My hope is that Allison and Kris will both move on with him into the top three.
First off, I saw this anti-hate YouTube collab on Towleroad and am now completely obsessed with Lily Allen's song Fuck You. I've never really listened to Lily Allen before, but I think I'll be buying her CD soon. The collab is great, too, and one of the guys in it is Michael from the 5 Awesome Gays, which is my own personal favorite collab channel on YouTube. All five of the guys on that channel are so hilarious.
All right, Tuesday was a Nuke day on As The World Turns and it provided a few of really sweet scenes for the guys as a couple.
The guys started out relaxing on Holden & Lily's patio, with Luke telling Noah that the shoe was now on the other foot and that he'd be taking care of him. The dialogue was playful and slightly suggestive and the guys are always adorable when they're being a bit naughty (or as naughty as you can be as a gay character on daytime TV!). The conversation turned to them getting their own place soon and how much they're looking forward to that.
Holden, meanwhile, wanted to take the two of them to a Cubs game in Chicago if Noah felt up to it, and there was some painfully awkward dialogue about how Holden is friends with the ticket agent and can get tickets to any Chicago based sporting event.
As it turned out, the Cubs were playing the Mets in New York, but Holden suggested they just borrow Lucinda's private jet and go to the game in New York. The guys loved the idea and off they went.
Lily ran into Damian at the Foundation office and he mentioned that he had a meeting with a friend in New York who runs a well know and respected philanthropic foundation that might be interested in partnering with Luke's foundation. Lily agreed to go along for the meeting.
All of which, of course, just set it up so Holden could run into Damian & Lily in New York together, in a ridiculous scene where Holden & Lily were talking on the phone with each other while sitting back to back in a restaurant in a typically clueless manner.
After the game (which must have been pretty short, since they were able to fly to NYC on a whim, see the game, and still have it be the middle of the day when it was all over) Luke & Noah went off on their own to explore the city a bit and Noah was very enthusiastic about how much he loved the place and could see himself living there. In fact, he suggested that he & Luke get a place there together and finish school in New York.
Luke couldn't see himself living so far away from his family (though, clearly, it's only ten minutes away by Lucinda's magic jet), but said maybe they could do it in ten years or so. Noah was rather giddy at the fact that Luke sees them as still being together in ten years and they laughed about their role reversal, how Noah is now Mr. Spontaneous and Luke is Captain Cautious.
They went to join Holden for lunch and Luke was up in arms when he saw Damian & Lily there as well, but once they'd explained the exciting new partnership they'd arranged for the foundation he was all smiles and Noah basically said "You've got the best two dads in the world, Luke!"
Holden invited Damian to come back on Lucinda's jet with the rest of them, but he said he wouldn't intrude on them any further. After they left, he place a shady phone call to someone saying that his part in their business must not come to light.
Maybe he's working with Jean Passanante and Chris Goutman, plotting to bring an end to Luke & Noah once and for all by killing As the World Turns?
Meanwhile, Rafe was present on The Young and The Restless on Tuesday for the first time since coming out, but he only had a few scenes in his capacity as Adam's lawyer. A slow build is one thing, but we're barely seeing the guy! I hope that changes soon.
Okay, on to American Idol. This was Rock Week, a week seemingly made for Adam Lambert, and he did not disappoint! I've loved him every week, as you know, but he was really in his element this time doing Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. The guy is a rock star, there is just no question about it!
On Tuesday, the four remaining contestants each did their usual solo songs and then they were paired up for duets, which I thought was a good chance to see something a bit different.
Adam & Allison closed the show with their duet of Foghat's Slow Ride, which I completely loved! My hope all along has been for an Adam/Allison finale (with Kris coming in third) and this song just exemplified why I want that. They're the best two singers on the show and they sound incredible together.
I also just love the vibe they have going on with each other. Adam said after the end of the song that Allison was like his little sister, and that totally comes across. I also loved when Simon said that Adam may have just made it possible for Allison to move on to the Top Three and Adam mouthed "I hope so!"
I only wish Adam could also have done a duet with Kris, who was stuck with the egotistical black hole that is Danny Gokey. I'm sorry, I've tried not to be negative about any of the contestants, but Gokey drives me crazy with his smug smirk each week and his clear belief that he's God's gift to music.
The thing is, Gokey does have a great voice. He just isn't a performer, he's boring and basically does karaoke with a lot of pointing. Yet, the judges seem to love him most of the time. I honestly don't get why, when they're telling Allison again and again that she doesn't have enough personality, they're letting him slide. Maybe they're confusing self importance with personality?
Kris was paired up with Danny for the most awkward duet I've ever seen. In spite of Kris's efforts to sing with Danny, it was clear that Danny doesn't really share well. As a result, it came across as two guys who happened to be singing next to each other, more than anything else. Poor Kris looked seriously miserable by the end.
It wasn't as bad as Danny's solo, though. As I said, the guy has a good voice, but his painful performance of Aerosmith's Dream On, complete with a god awful scream at the end that Simon rightly said was like someone in a horror film, was the worst thing I've seen on this show since I started watching.
Many feel, though, that the show has been pushing for a Danny/Adam finale since the beginning, and instead of Simon telling Danny that he could be in trouble (as he's told other contestants who've done badly), Simon told him he'd probably move on to another week. That may be less Simon trying to sway things, though, than just his simple recognition that Danny seems to have a strong fan base who are going to put him through no matter what.
I voted like crazy for Adam after last week's inexplicable Bottom Two showing and the line was busy quite a bit, so that's probably a good sign. My hope is that Allison and Kris will both move on with him into the top three.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Tony Nominations
Until a few years ago, the Tonys were the one major televised award show that I paid no attention to, probably because it felt like there was no way to really root for any of the nominees when I hadn't seen the work. As my love of musicals has slowly been developing over the past couple of years, though, I've started tuning in and this year I'm especially looking forward to doing so because several of my favorite people are nominated.
Jane Fonda received a nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, while Allison Janney and Stockard Channing are nominated against each other for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Angela Lansbury is nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and Dolly Parton is nominated for Best Original Score for writing the music to the musical 9 to 5. Those are five women I really admire, so I'm excited for them all.
Here's the list of the major nominations:
BEST PLAY:
"Dividing the Estate"
"God of Carnage"
"reasons to be pretty"
"33 Variations"
BEST MUSICAL:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"Rock of Ages"
"Shrek The Musical"
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"Shrek The Musical"
"(Title of Show)"
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"9 to 5: The Musical"
"Shrek The Musical"
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY:
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
"Mary Stuart"
"The Norman Conquests"
"Waiting for Godot"
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL:
"Guys and Dolls"
"Hair"
"Pal Joey"
"West Side Story"
BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT:
"Liza's at The Palace"
"Slava's Snowshow"
"Soul of Shaolin"
"You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY:
Jeff Daniels,"God of Carnage"
Raul Esparza, "Speed-the-Plow"
James Gandolfini, "God of Carnage"
Geoffrey Rush, "Exit the King"
Thomas Sadoski, "Reasons to Be Pretty"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Hope Davis, "God of Carnage"
Jane Fonda, "33 Variations"
Marcia Gay Harden, "God of Carnage"
Janet McTeer, "Mary Stuart"
Harriet Walter, "Mary Stuart"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Gavin Creel, "Hair"
Brian d'Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical"
Constantine Maroulis, "Rock of Ages"
J. Robert Spencer, "Next to Normal"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Stockard Channing, "Pal Joey"
Sutton Foster, "Shrek The Musical";
Allison Janney, "9 to 5: The Musical"
Alice Ripley, "Next to Normal"
Josefina Scaglione, "West Side Story"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY:
John Glover, "Waiting for Godot"
Zach Grenier, "33 Variations"
Stephen Mangan, "The Norman Conquests"
Paul Ritter, "The Norman Conquests"
Roger Robinson, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Hallie Foote, "Dividing the Estate"
Jessica Hynes, "The Norman Conquests"
Marin Ireland, "reasons to be pretty"
Angela Lansbury, "Blithe Spirit"
Amanda Root, "The Norman Conquests"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
David Bologna, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Gregory Jbara, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Marc Kudisch, "9 to 5: The Musical"
Christopher Sieber, "Shrek The Musical"
Will Swenson, "Hair"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Jennifer Damiano, "Next to Normal"
Haydn Gwynne, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Karen Olivo, "West Side Story"
Martha Plimpton, "Pal Joey"
Carole Shelley, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Jane Fonda received a nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, while Allison Janney and Stockard Channing are nominated against each other for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Angela Lansbury is nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and Dolly Parton is nominated for Best Original Score for writing the music to the musical 9 to 5. Those are five women I really admire, so I'm excited for them all.
Here's the list of the major nominations:
BEST PLAY:
"Dividing the Estate"
"God of Carnage"
"reasons to be pretty"
"33 Variations"
BEST MUSICAL:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"Rock of Ages"
"Shrek The Musical"
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"Shrek The Musical"
"(Title of Show)"
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE:
"Billy Elliot, The Musical"
"Next to Normal"
"9 to 5: The Musical"
"Shrek The Musical"
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY:
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
"Mary Stuart"
"The Norman Conquests"
"Waiting for Godot"
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL:
"Guys and Dolls"
"Hair"
"Pal Joey"
"West Side Story"
BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT:
"Liza's at The Palace"
"Slava's Snowshow"
"Soul of Shaolin"
"You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY:
Jeff Daniels,"God of Carnage"
Raul Esparza, "Speed-the-Plow"
James Gandolfini, "God of Carnage"
Geoffrey Rush, "Exit the King"
Thomas Sadoski, "Reasons to Be Pretty"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Hope Davis, "God of Carnage"
Jane Fonda, "33 Variations"
Marcia Gay Harden, "God of Carnage"
Janet McTeer, "Mary Stuart"
Harriet Walter, "Mary Stuart"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Gavin Creel, "Hair"
Brian d'Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical"
Constantine Maroulis, "Rock of Ages"
J. Robert Spencer, "Next to Normal"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Stockard Channing, "Pal Joey"
Sutton Foster, "Shrek The Musical";
Allison Janney, "9 to 5: The Musical"
Alice Ripley, "Next to Normal"
Josefina Scaglione, "West Side Story"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY:
John Glover, "Waiting for Godot"
Zach Grenier, "33 Variations"
Stephen Mangan, "The Norman Conquests"
Paul Ritter, "The Norman Conquests"
Roger Robinson, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Hallie Foote, "Dividing the Estate"
Jessica Hynes, "The Norman Conquests"
Marin Ireland, "reasons to be pretty"
Angela Lansbury, "Blithe Spirit"
Amanda Root, "The Norman Conquests"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
David Bologna, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Gregory Jbara, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Marc Kudisch, "9 to 5: The Musical"
Christopher Sieber, "Shrek The Musical"
Will Swenson, "Hair"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Jennifer Damiano, "Next to Normal"
Haydn Gwynne, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
Karen Olivo, "West Side Story"
Martha Plimpton, "Pal Joey"
Carole Shelley, "Billy Elliot, The Musical"
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