JLo at Super Bowl LIV
Shakira at Super Bowl LIV
JLo & Shakira Slay But Conservative Hypocrisy Rages
RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! Slays The Las Vegas Strip
Opening night cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! (all photos: Denise Truscello)
The finale of the show pitted Kameron Michaels and Miss Vangie lip-syncing for their lives to “Bang Bang.” The score for the production features RuPaul’s hit songs from the past 11 seasons of Drag Race, plus original show-stopping numbers created especially for this residency. The atmosphere of the show is interactive and encourages audience members’ participation as if they were attending a live episode of the world-famous competition. 
Opening night attendees were greeted by a special welcome from RuPaul himself, who directed the show with award-winning choreographer and filmmaker Jamal Sims. And in this stage version of the long-running TV show, the Pit Crew boys do more than look pretty – they act as the back-up dancers for the queens. The Las Vegas Pit Crew includes Dallas Eli, AJ Watkins, Nick Lemer, Filip Lacina, Sebastian Gonzalez, and Michael Silas. 
RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! performs Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 p.m. Tickets starting at $49, plus applicable tax and fees, are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com/dragracevegas.
Out Music: Gia Woods ‘HUNGRY’
Gia Woods (photo: Alex Michael Kennedy)
The Randy Report: “HUNGRY” is definitely edgy, violent and a ’take-no-prisoners’ kind of visual story. What was the inspiration for the song and/or video? Gia Woods: People have a lot of opinions about every aspect of your career, especially in the entertainment industry! Obviously, there are some people who I want feedback from, but a lot of it is unsolicited and unnecessary. I was frustrated about it all one day, so I wrote this as sort of an “eff you” to unwanted opinions. TRR: Is there a reaction or take-away you have in mind for listeners of “HUNGRY?” GW: I just hope it inspires people to trust their intuition and to not be afraid to take risks because there’s no such thing as “living” if you’re always fearful or dependent on opinions — you’re better off when you trust your gut. And that’s with everything. 
TRR: Lil Nas X just won a couple of Grammy Awards after having the longest run ever on the top of the Billboard chart. Are things getting better for LGBTQ music artists? What’s your experience? GW: I think using one artist as the token for an entire community is kind of strange. Overall, we’re seeing more LGBTQ representation in music, but I don’t think Lil Nas X’s sexuality has anything to do with his accomplishments, nor should it. Talent should always come first, but I am very lucky to live in a time where the industry isn’t forcing artists to stay in the closet. TRR: What do you do outside of music that contributes to your creativity? GW: Every song of mine comes from personal experiences and that comes from spending time with my friends and family, so when I’m not doing music I’m spending time with them. And then I always somehow have something I want to write about. TRR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? GW: Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable.
Click here for my previous coverage of the formidable Ms. Gia Woods, and make sure you check out the music video for “HUNGRY” below. You can follow Woods on Facebook here, Instagram here and Twitter here.
Podcast: Gay Rom-Com For V-Day, Billy Porter On Sesame Street, HRC Ranks States On LGBTQ Life
In this week’s podcast: • A Kentucky high school is being sued for outing a queer teen • Professional ice hockey player Zach Sullivan comes out • The Human Rights Campaign issues its annual States Equality Index • Freeform channel previews upcoming gay romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day “The Thing About Harry” • Billy Porter is taking a stroll down Sesame Street • LGBTQs and their allies score at the 2020 Grammy Awards All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Jonathan Van Ness Stars In Pop-Tarts Super Bowl Spot
Super Bowl commercials aren’t just for drag queens, don’t you know? Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness stars in a new spot for Pop-Tarts Pretzels set to air during the second quarter of the big game on February 2. If you’re “struggs to snack,” Van Ness wants you to know Pop-Tarts ‘fixed that for you.’ “From ho-hum to so-yum, Pop-Tarts Pretzel is the perfect combo of sweet and salty,” extols the exuberant hairstylist. But wait – there’s more!
The Street reports that immediately after the ad airs, Pop-Tarts plans a live giveaway for fans who follow @PopTartsUS to win gifts like the sparkly jersey Van Ness wears in the commercial and more. Look for more LGBTQ representation during the Super Bowl. • RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Miz Cracker and Kim Chi will star in a spot for Sabra hummus plus: • Openly lesbian Katie Sowers, an Offensive Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers, will be featured in a Microsoft ad • Transgender actresses Trace Lysette (Transparent) and Isis King (When They See Us) appear in a Turbo Tax spot • Bisexual Lilly Singh (Late Night with Lilly Singh) in an Olay commercial • And talk-show queen Ellen DeGeneres will star with wife Portia de Rossi in an advert for Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa.
Ellen Surprises Teen Told To Cut His Dreadlocks With $20,000 Scholarship
Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Texas high school senior DeAndre Arnold to her show today, who made national news after he was told by school officials that he had to cut off his dreadlocks in order to return to classes. DeAndre sat down with Ellen to share that as it now stands he won’t be allowed to walk at graduation and why he has stood his ground. DeAndre shares that his father is from Trinidad where men wear their hair long as part of their culture. The high school student says he’s surprised schools won’t embrace other cultures outside of Texas. 
“Like, I’ve worked for this all my life. I’ve strived for this. I deserve this moment, to walk across the stage and enter into life. My parents deserve this. Like, they’re the ones who, you know, they got me through anything. And you know, they just taught me everything. They deserve to see me walk across the stage,” Arnold said. DeGeneres made an on-camera appeal to the Texas school district, asking them to do the right thing. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Ellen without a surprise. Alicia Keys shows up to surprise Arnold with a $20,000 scholarship from Shutterfly. Happy Hump Day!
Official Trailer For Gay Rom-Com ‘The Thing About Harry’
L-R Jake Borelli, Niko Terho (images via Freeform)
Doja Cat’s ‘Boss B*tch’ Destined For Drag Greatness
Doja Cat (photo: David OD)
Michael Henry On The Issue Of Labels “I’m Not Gay”
L-R Michael Henry, Eliot Mac (screen captures)
The admitted ‘smooth bottom twink’ shares that he wants to live in a world “where one can be fluid and just explore and never have to know what word they are.” His plan is to “explore forever – you don’t have to land on a letter.” Watch the exchange, directed by Paul McGovern Jr., above. What do you think, readers? Are labels useful for understanding the world we live in? Or are people more complex and ever-changing than a letter in an acronym?
Documentary Explores Impact Of International Male On Men’s Fashions & Masculinity
(Image via Facebook)
More than outrageous fashions, hunky models, and scandalous undies, ALL MAN is a journey across three decades of the International Male catalog’s lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay rights.
With revenues at its peak of $120 million and circulation of over 3 million, the catalog successfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences.
For gay men, the images of sensually dressed men were a gateway into a fantasy world providing an escape from the AIDS crisis and widespread homophobia.
For straight men and their female admirers, the catalog gave permission to take fashion risks and enjoy a more carefree expression of sexuality without threatening their masculinity and sexual appeal.
ALL MAN: The International Male Story is designed as a tribute to the catalog’s unique aesthetic and cultural relevance. The film mixes exclusive never-seen-before photographs and videos, interviews with super fans and celebrities, and creative re-enactments of the infamous photoshoots, and more!
The cast includes Carson Kressley, Jake Shears, Brian Buzzini, David Knight, Steve Lyon, and Robert Goold. Speaking to NewNowNext, the film’s directors Jesse Finley Reed and Bryan Darling share that International Male helped give men permission “to look at each other and themselves in a way where sexuality is open and the body is something to be celebrated and looked at.” As Carson Kressley says in the teaser video below, “International Male really capitalized on putting masculine guys in some pretty ‘not’ masculine outfits. The very start of the metrosexual movement – where you can wear clothes just to have fun.” 
I can remember when the IM catalogs were practically seen as gay porn hiding as a fashion catalog. 
I also remember when the clothes featured by International Male eventually went so over the top they became something of a joke making their way into primetime TV sitcoms like Seinfeld (above). You can find more information about the upcoming film at the project’s website here. Watch the teaser video below.