Author: Randy Slovacek

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Why Hunky Mac Came Out On ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’

Rob McElhenney and Kylie Shea in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'

Rob McElhenney and Kylie Shea in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' With the FXX series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia set to premiere its 14th season this week, show creator and star Rob McElhenney shared the gay evolution of his character, “Mac,” in a new Rolling Stone interview. It seems Mac’s coming out in Season 11 was never really meant to be the character becoming full-on gay. Explaining that the writing approach on the show is to “take whatever viewpoint any character has to the extreme,” McElhenney said the writers came up with the gay angle because Mac “is such an arch-arch Catholic conservative when it suits him, and when it doesn’t, he drops that.” Noting that many Christian conservatives are homophobic, the creators began bouncing ideas on how to take that to the next level and satirize that. “And that’s when I thought, ‘Let’s make him gay,’” says McElhenney. Looking back over past seasons, the writers felt some of Mac’s subtext played into that storyline. So in Season 11, Mac came out during an episode involving a gay couple on a Christian cruise.

McElhenney tells Rolling Stone the intent wasn’t to create a “gay character for comedic effect, that was there just to be gay and to be funny because he was gay.” The point was to poke fun at the ‘hypocrisy’ of an arch-conservative coming out. At the end of the episode, however, Mac went back in the closet in a plot twist. But the positive outpouring from fans about Mac’s coming out made McElhenney and his team realize “we screwed it up.” So, in Season 12, Mac came out again and stayed out. “It felt good that we were recognizing a part of our audience in a way that was not pandering, that wasn’t offensive or upsetting or a caricature,” says McElhenney. And that led to the finale of last season when Mac performed a shirtless, interpretive modern dance as a way to finally come out to his father, who has spent most of Mac’s life in prison.
The dance sequence, which has become one of the critical high points of the series, was born out of “always trying to surprise people and do something different.” Explaining the show tends to stay away from “tapping into emotional resonance,” the 42-year-old actor shared that the creative team wanted to stretch and do something different. And since McElhenney had no dance experience whatsoever, the intricately choreographed dance would definitely be ‘a stretch.’ After four months of intense training and rehearsals, the challenging segment closed the season in spectacularly unexpected style. When Season 14 debuts, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will tie the 1950s family comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet for the most seasons by a live-action sitcom. Tune in to see what’s next for Mac and his irreverent bunch of misfits this Wednesday, September 25, at 10 pm on FXX.

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This industry has been so good to me. I have absolutely nothing to complain about with regards to awards. That train left the station a long time ago. But if there is anyone who deserves some Emmy recognition it’s the team of @alison_faulk @leomoctezuma and @kyliesheaxo. They took an uncoordinated buffoon and created something really special. I truly can’t dance for shit but they worked tirelessly to make it look like I could. I will be forever grateful for an incredible experience. Their patience and support and dedication will be remembered always. I don’t know much about choreography awards but if they don’t get one there’s something seriously fucked up over at the @televisionacad . #dance #emmys

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No, Billy Porter Did Not Give RuPaul ‘Side-Eye’ At Emmys

Billy Porter slams reports that he gave RuPaul side-eye during Emmy Awards

Billy Porter slams reports that he gave RuPaul side-eye during Emmy Awards Folks love to stir up stuff even when there’s nothing there. Speaking to reporters backstage at the Emmy Awards last night after his historic win as ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series,’ Billy Porter was asked about some Twitter activity that imagined him giving some side-eye during RuPaul’s acceptance speech for winning the trophy for ‘Outstanding Reality-Competition Series.’ This was the screen capture folks were bouncing around the Twitterverse:

But when a reporter from Essence brought up the minutes-new meme, Billy shut that down and quick. “Let me make this clear right now in this room to everybody. Right now. There was never a side-eye coming from me. There’s never anything negative coming from me. You’re never going to get from it. Okay. It’s all love, all love, it’s all positivity. Don’t come to me with that mess. They can catch me and it can look like a side-eye, [but] RuPaul is a friend of mine. I am so proud of him. I stand on his shoulders. I stand on his shoulders. He is doing it. He paved the way for me, so there’s never a side-eye about that.”

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Fired Homophobe Says He’s Returning To Rugby

Will Israel Folau be allowed to return to professional rugby after being fired for homophobic social media posts?

Will Israel Folau be allowed to return to professional rugby after being fired for homophobic social media posts? Rugby player Israel Folau, whose contract was terminated in May for multiple homophobic social media posts, appears to be set to return to the game. CNN reports that the Tonga National Rugby League (TNRL) announced Folau had been cleared to play for the Tonga national team at the upcoming Oceania Cup next month. In a press release, TNRL said both Folau and his 24-year-old brother, John, who already represents Tonga, “have registered to play league through the TNRL and are eligible to play in international rugby league fixtures.” Folau added, “I don’t want to bring any of my personal matters into this and I am grateful that the RLIF have endorsed my availability. What I will do now is focus on playing great rugby league and do my talking on the field.” However, the Oceania Cup is run by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) which would have to approve the decision. RLIF has publicly stated they have “not been formally asked to consider the matter.”

Folau was one of Australia’s highest-paid athletes before being sacked for social media posts that declared homosexuals are destined for Hell. Just one of the posts that still remains on his Instagram:

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Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him. _______________ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these , adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV _______________ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 KJV _______________ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Acts 17:30 KJV _______________

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After being accused of breaching the player’s code of conduct, the 30-year-old was dismissed from the Wallabies by Rugby Australia. He’s currently locked in a legal battle with Rugby Australia as he has filed suit seeking AUS$10 million ($7 million US). Folau maintains he was unfairly fired for “practicing his religion.” He attempted to raise AUS$3 million from fans through a crowdfunding campaign, but GoFundMe terminated the campaign saying they do not “tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.” The Australian Christian Lobby, an extreme religious group, stepped in to help Folau raise over $2 million to fund his legal battles. (source: CNN)

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GOP Challenger: Trump Committed Treason – Pure And Simple

Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld says Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden constitutes treason.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld says Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden constitutes treason. Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, one of the few Republicans who have announced they will try and challenge Donald Trump in a GOP primary, told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that Trump’s efforts to press the Ukrainian government into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son amounts to “treason pure and simple.” “Talk about pressuring a foreign country to interfere and control a U.S. election,” said Weld. “It couldn’t be clearer. That’s not just undermining Democratic institutions. That is treason. It’s treason pure and simple.” Noting that the penalty for treason in the U.S. is death, Weld said being removed from office would be “a pretty good alternative” for the Donald.

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Billy Porter Makes History Winning ‘Best Lead Actor/Drama’ At Emmy Awards

Billy Porter wins the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role - Drama for 'POSE;

Billy Porter wins the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role - Drama for 'POSE; “And the category is: Love!” Making history tonight, Billy Porter won the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work as ‘Pray Tell’ in the ground-breaking FX series POSE at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Quoting James Baldwin, he began his thank yous, “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here. I have the right – You have the right – We ALL have the right!” He then acknowledged the men nominated in his category which included Bob Odenkirk, Jason Bateman, Kit Harington, Milo Ventimiglia, and Sterling K. Brown: “It is an honor to be up here breathing the same air that y’all breathe.” After thanking his cast members and his team, he turned to the co-creator of the show: “Ryan Murphy! Ryan Murphy! Ryan Murphy! You saw me and believed in us! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Porter closed his thanks saying, “We as the artists are the people that can change the molecular structure of the hearts and minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don’t ever stop doing that. Please don’t ever stop telling the truth!” POSE, also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, made its mark from the get-go with the largest transgender cast in the history of television. Having won a Tony Award for his performance as ‘Lola’ in the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots, and a Grammy Award for the show’s original cast recording, tonight’s honor moves Porter just an Oscar shy of an EGOT. Watch his joyful acceptance speech below.

Afterward, Porter became emotional backstage when asked how his win can empower the LGBTQ community. “Visibility and representation are the only things that create change,” he told reporters. “It’s when we are visible that we have the power to create empathy through the way we tell stories. I know that being black and gay and out and being in this position and speaking in the position that I get to speak from is the change. I hope that young, queer people of all colors can look at me and know that they can.”

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Trump On Call With Ukraine: ‘It Was A Perfect Conversation’

Donald Trump has called his conversation with the president of Ukraine wherein he pressed the foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden, a 'perfect' conversation.

Donald Trump has called his conversation with the president of Ukraine, wherein he pressed the foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden, a 'perfect' conversation. Surrogates for Donald Trump were out this morning defending the Donald’s phone call with the president of Ukraine which the Wall Street Journal asserts Trump pressed his Ukrainian counterpart 8 times to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. Via Reuters:

Joe Biden has called on Trump to disclose the transcript of his conversation with Zelensky so “the American people can judge for themselves.”

When asked about releasing the transcript, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC News that “those are private conversations between world leaders and it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so except in the most extreme circumstances.”

The intelligence community inspector general has described the whistleblower’s August 12 complaint as “serious” and “urgent,” conditions that would normally require him to forward the complaint to Congress. Trump has characterized the complaint as “just another political hack job.”

From Politico:

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday that allegations that President Trump elicited dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, a 2020 White House hopeful, during a phone call with Ukraine’s leader are merely speculation.

“I think things are being implied that just don’t exist,” Mnuchin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Tapper on Sunday pressed Mnuchin on why the White House is withholding information.

“Conversations with foreign leaders are supposed to be confidential,” he said, adding that it would be a “terrible” precedent to release the details. No evidence has emerged to suggest Biden acted with his son’s interests in mind in regards to his dealings with Ukraine.

Trump told reporters today that his conversation with the president of Ukraine was, of course, ‘perfect:’

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

Instahunk Obaid Habibi Checking in with our favorite InstaHunks this weekend… Hunky Obaid Habibi (above), enjoying Ibiza, Spain, reminds us that it’s always beach-time somewhere in the world. Bremen Menelli is giving you spooky, black and white inspiration by photog Mark Bagang: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2sn8sMgyPy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Simon Dunn attending the Diva Awards: “The closet I’ve ever been to going on a date with the opposite sex and also the most clothes I’ve ever worn…” https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tj87HhE_4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Pierre Vuala can’t believe the summer is almost over; I can’t believe how perfect his pic from the Bahamas is: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rtgJAJLhg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link After a year of shifting perspectives, designer daddy Daniel Sheehan revisits his “Death to Limits” t-shirt: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2r90_6lmek/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Randy Kaufman celebrated the end of summer with Portland, Maine, realness: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2sHDrRhqzL/ JD Rainey celebrated National Dance Day at Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2r7PpzFJrH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Francesc Gascó is in his CrossFit happy place: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rLi0kos7B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Papa Party impresario Eliad Cohen says ‘good morning’ from West Hollywood: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2uJkCbAIq1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Warren Surges Past Biden In Latest Iowa Poll

Sen. Elizabeth Warren surges past former Vice President Joe Biden in latest Iowa poll

Sen. Elizabeth Warren surges past former Vice President Joe Biden in latest Iowa poll Folks are gagging over the first shakeup of the 2020 Democratic primary season as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) surges past former Vice President Joe Biden in the latest Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa poll. From the Des Moines Register:

Warren, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts, now holds a 2-percentage-point lead, with 22% of likely Democratic caucusgoers saying she is their first choice for president. It is the first time she has led in the Register’s poll.

Former Vice President Biden, who had led each of the Register’s three previous 2020 cycle polls, follows her at 20%.

Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont, has fallen to third place with 11%. No other candidate reaches double digits.

When you combine the numbers for first and second choice, Warren edges further ahead: • Warren 42% • Biden 30% • Sanders 21% • Buttigieg 18% • Harris 16%

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Buttigieg On Criticizing LGBT Media: ‘I Had A Grumpy Moment’

Pete Buttigieg says he had a 'grumpy moment' when he criticized the LGBT media for calling him 'not gay enough....'

Pete Buttigieg says he had a 'grumpy moment' when he criticized the LGBT media for calling him 'not gay enough....' Earlier this week, I reported on a comment by Democratic presidential contender Mayor Pete Buttigieg where he said he ‘can’t even read the LGBT media’ for coverage saying he was ‘too gay, not gay enough…’ I gave the mayor a break assuming he somehow misspoke. The vast majority of coverage by the actual LGBTQ media has been very supportive of Buttigieg and his candidacy. The articles that HAVE been negative about the mayor centering on his sexuality have been in non-LGBTQ outlets like Slate, The Outline, and the terrible piece by gay author Dale Peck that was yanked offline very quickly. While all that going on this week, I assumed it would come up at last night’s LGBTQ Forum in Iowa sponsored by GLAAD. Buttigieg was questioned by The Advocate’s editor in chief Zach Stafford at the event, but he didn’t address the issue. It turns out Buttigieg was asked that question in an interview for AM2DM by BuzzFeed News which Stafford co-hosts. Stafford tweeted out his explanation and the video clip today. “You said in an interview that you ‘can’t even read LGBT media anymore because it’s all he’s too gay, not gay enough, wrong kind of gay’” show co-host Alex Berg said in a clip posted to Twitter today. “And Out Magazine editor-in-chief Phillip Picardi tweeted this question: When LGBTQ+ journalism is dwindling despite our rights being threatened at higher rates, why come for queer media?” “I appreciate the question and the chance to clear this up,” said Buttigieg. “Just to be clear: LGBTQ media plays an increasingly important role, especially at a time like this.” “I had a grumpy moment where I was thinking abo, t some of the coverage that I do get frustrated with that seems to tell people how to be gay,” he continued. “And that’s, to be fair, happening in a lot of different sources and places online and it’s one reason why, as a candidate, it’s healthy just not to read too many clips about yourself to begin with.” He concluded saying, “But I don’t want to take away from the very important work that’s being done in the queer media right now.”

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Trump Whines About ‘Ukraine Witch Hunt’ To Protect ‘Sleepy Joe’

More details have come to light about Donald Trump’s unusual phone call wherein he reportedly pressed the president of Ukraine 8 time to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden or Trump would withhold previously promised military aid. From the Washington Post:

When President Trump spoke on the telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late July, the Ukrainians had a lot at stake. They were waiting on millions in stalled military aid from the United States, and Zelensky was seeking a high-priority White House meeting with Trump.

Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart that his country could improve its image if it completed corruption cases that have “inhibited the interaction between Ukraine and the USA,” according to a readout of the call released by Kiev.

What neither government said publicly at the time was that Trump went even further — specifically pressing Ukraine’s president to reopen a corruption investigation involving former vice president Joe Biden’s son, according to two people familiar with the call, which is now the subject of an explosive whistleblower complaint.

Trump, of course, took to Twitter to denounce what he now calls the ‘Ukraine Witch Hunt.’