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Founder of White Nationalist Group Proud Boys Defends Using “Faggot”

Gavin McInnes (screen capture)

A group of Proud Boys, a homophobic, white nationalist group, took to the streets of Manhattan last Friday after attending a speech by the group’s founder, Gavin McInnes at the Metropolitan Republican Club.

Several members of the racist group (the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies the Proud Boys as a hate group) were captured on video after the event beating and kicking three individuals.

During the attack, one of the assailants can be heard yelling, “You’re not so brave now, faggot.” Another member of the group calls one of the victims “a f**king foreigner.”

In the aftermath, the New York Police Department, which had already arrested three of the protesters, has said it believes it can bring charges against nine Proud Boys who took part in the attack.

McInnes, though, took to his podcast on Sunday to defend the use of the word “faggot” by his followers.

As reported by Media Matters, McInnes says the incident began when a protester attempted to steal one of the Proud Boys’ MAGA hats.

“You know, someone jumps you, steals your hat and then gets beaten so bad that the kid, the antifa kid they beat up was in tears. He was crying. Now, while this person is crying, I’m sorry, but faggot is a handy term. It’s very rarely used against gays. In fact, Louis C.K. has this whole bit about how I would never call a gay a faggot because you don’t call homosexuals faggots, you call faggots faggots. It means someone — it means a man who is crying, basically. In fact, most gays I know are a lot tougher and more alpha than most straights.”

In an appearance on the conservative media outlet Newsmax, McInnes tried to say the word “faggot” is just a term used when hyped up in fist fight.

“When someone’s adrenaline is pumping, he’s going to say, ‘Are you brave now, f-word?’” McInnes said. “He didn’t mean it like it was some sort of homosexual attack.”

He also put the blame on the protesters, known as Antifa, for getting the Proud Boys so wound up that they had to use the word “faggot.”

Here’s more background on Gavin McInnes and his Proud Boys:

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‘The Connors’ Premieres (Sans Roseanne) To Strong Ratings

Last night saw the highly-anticipated premiere of the Roseanne spin-off, The Connors, on ABC.

Roseanne Barr’s rebooted sitcom was cancelled earlier this year after the comedian tweeted racist messages about former Obama administration adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Barr eventually agreed to step away from the show and characters she helped create so dozens of jobs associated with the sitcom could be saved.

And so, we have The Connors.

(Warning – Spoiler alert)

As previously reported, Roseanne’s character was killed off in the debut episode via an opioid overdose. Longtime fans of Roseanne have seen the show tackle several controversial issues, like the current opioid epidemic, over the years.

The issue was treated with the seriousness and gravity that it deserves.

The episode opened three weeks after the passing of Roseanne’s character and the family members are still pretty much in shock. Especially husband, Dan, played by John Goodman.

When the cause of death is revealed, Dan remains in denial saying he knew he’d flushed Roseanne’s prescription pain killers.

But a pill bottle belonging to a neighbor (played by Mary Steenburgen) is soon found in a coat pocket. It seems the uninsured neighbors traded prescriptions occasionally to help each other out.

Dan initially blames and shames her for giving the pills to Roseanne, but soon even more hidden stashes of pills are found.

“She was going to do what she was going to do,” admits Dan in a line that easily could have been directly about Roseanne Barr herself. “She never listened to a damn person in her life.”

This being network sitcom-land, the family comes to a landing of sorts by the end of the half-hour, but not before the always dependable Laurie Metcalf delivers the “moment” of episode. Her affecting, layered, measured performance is definitely worth the watching.

For her part, Barr, who earlier had told the world she would move to Israel rather than stay in the U.S. for the premiere, tweeted in classic Roseanne fashion, “I AIN’T DEAD, BITCHES!!!!”

Later in the evening, in a lengthy statement issued through her longtime friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Facebook, Barr called the decision to kill off her character with opioids in “The Conners” debut episode “grim and morbid.”

“While we wish the very best for the cast and production crew of The Conners, all of whom are deeply dedicated to their craft and were Roseanne’s cherished colleagues, we regret that ABC chose to cancel Roseanne by killing off the Roseanne Conner character,” the statement read in part. “That it was done through an opioid overdose lent an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show.”

According to CNN, the premiere of The Connors drew about 10.5 million viewers, which is on par with the last four episodes of Roseanne last season.

Writing for Vanity Fair, television critic Sonia Saraiya praised the evolution of the show and its characters.

The Conners felt richer, after one episode, than the revived Roseanne season did after nine. Barr’s personality took up a lot of space on the Roseanne set. Without her, the cast and the characters have a chance to breathe. And the result is an unlikely, appealing family sitcom with a motley crew of characters all held together by the same loss.

In advance of the premiere, the producers of The Connors released this featurette yesterday.

What do you think, readers? Do you plan on watching The Connors?

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Manafort Ordered To Wear Orange Jumpsuit To Sentencing Hearing

Paul Manafort

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort requested, through his lawyers, if he could be allowed to wear a suit to his sentencing hearing later this week.

The request was denied.

It looks like Manafort will be donning a crisp shade of orange for his next court appearance.

From Politico:

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Paul Manafort’s request to wear a professional suit during a hearing later this week about his sentence, noting the former Trump campaign chairman is now a convicted felon who has lost the right to wear street clothing in all his court proceedings.

“This defendant should be treated no differently from other defendants who are in custody post conviction,” U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III wrote in a sharply-worded order.

The decision and its tone signals Manafort may be facing a very different environment when he returns Friday to the same Alexandria, Virginia, courtroom for a hearing to discuss his ongoing cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller and to begin the process of setting a sentencing date.

I hear the president is fond of orange, no?

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After Massive Tax Cuts For The Rich, GOP Senate Blames Rising Deficits On Medicare/Social Security

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Remember when the Trump tax cuts were not only going to pay for themselves but lower the deficit?

Yeah, not so much.

From Bloomberg News:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed rising federal deficits and debt on a bipartisan unwillingness to contain spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and said he sees little chance of a major deficit reduction deal while Republicans control Congress and the White House.

“It’s disappointing, but it’s not a Republican problem,” McConnell said Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg News when asked about the rising deficits and debt. “It’s a bipartisan problem: unwillingness to address the real drivers of the debt by doing anything to adjust those programs to the demographics of America in the future.”

McConnell’s remarks came a day after the Treasury Department said the U.S. budget deficit grew to $779 billion in Donald Trump’s first full fiscal year as president, the result of the GOP’s tax cuts, bipartisan spending increases and rising interest payments on the national debt. That’s a 77 percent increase from the $439 billion deficit in fiscal 2015, when McConnell became majority leader.

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Julián Castro “Likely” To Run For President In 2020

Julián Castro (image via Facebook)

Finally a guy who doesn’t pussyfoot around.

Julián Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio and secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration, tells Rolling Stone Magazine he’s “likely” to make a run for president in 2020.

For months, the 44-year-old Castro has been hopscotching between Nevada, Florida, Arizona and other battleground states to campaign for Democrats ahead of the 2018 midterms. He dutifully trekked to the Iowa State Fair in August for a turn on the famous political soapbox.

On the subject of his presidential aspirations, he gave the clearest indication yet about his plans for 2020. “I’m likely to do it,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I’ll make a final decision after November, but I’m inclined to do it.”

Many in the Democratic Party have been looking for younger blood to infuse the Dems with some youth and energy.

With the Hispanic community becoming the fastest growing minority in the country, a Latino candidate could provide a lot of energy.

We shall see. Get to know Castro better at the Rolling Stone link.

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Trump Calls Stormy Daniels “Horseface,” Daniels Responds Pointing Out His “Shortcomings”

Stormy Daniels

After a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by porn star Stormy Daniels against Donald Trump alleging he had defamed her by calling her claims of a one night stand a lie, Trump took to Twitter to call the adult performer, among other things, “horseface.”

Trump tweeted, “Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.” @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!”

You may notice that last misplaced comma basically shows Trump calling himself “a total con.”

But Stormy Daniels is not one to stand down. The porn star slapped back with her own biting critique addressing him as “Tiny.”

For his part, Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti also jumped into the fray:

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Funnyman Michael Henry Explores “Pretty Privilege”

Michael Henry isn’t so convinced of the downsides to ‘pretty privilege’

Back in August, I covered psychotherapist Matthew Dempsey’s YouTube video breaking down the concept of “pretty privilege.”

In other words, what he calls ‘unearned advantages’ some folks are born with like being white, straight, male, cisgender, and yes, attractive.

Comic Michael Henry decided to take a crack at understanding “pretty privilege” by chatting with a ‘privileged gay man’ (played in the video by Eduardo Sanchez-Ubanell).

According to Eduardo, the term is “a scientific term used by doctors.”

“It’s what happens when you have a really great face, a full head of hair, sexy eyebrows, tight ass, quarter-sized nipples, eight inch penis…” explains Eduardo in rapid fashion. “All the traits that gay men unanimously like, and I happen to have all of them.”

But even for those lucky enough to find themselves born to “noblesse oblige,” it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

Oh no, the list of ‘disadvantages’ to pretty privilege can be long, as Eduardo explains:

“I’m always invited to sex parties I don’t have time for, people just offer me drinks, drugs, jobs, I always have to update my Amazon wish list because it keeps getting fulfilled, money just gets Venmoed to me randomly, people always ask me for my Only Fans page and I don’t have one – yet!”

But Michael Henry isn’t so convinced about the “disadvantages to the privileges and advantages” that Eduardo says he receives thanks to his looks.

“Honestly, I think you sound like a moron,” declares Henry. “I don’t feel bad for you, I don’t think that you’re privileged and I don’t think you should be whining about your perceived advantages to which you think is better looking than other people.”

Hooray! Our hero, Michael Henry!

Check out the funny (but pointed) exchange below. And you can find more from funny man Michael Henry at his YouTube channel here.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham: “Sanction The Hell” Out Of Saudi Arabia

During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham promised never to work with Saudi Arabia again as long as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often referred to as MBS) is in charge of the country.
Sen. Lindsey Graham

As the scandal revolving around the disappearance and death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues to grow, some former supporters of Saudi Arabia are feeling like they’ve been played.

During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham promised never to work with Saudi Arabia again as long as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often referred to as MBS) is in charge of the country.

Graham made a point to say how often he’s defended the country on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Graham also said he intends to “sanction the hell” out of Saudi Arabia.

“This guy has got to go. Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening, there are a lot of good people you can choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself,” Graham told the TV audience.

“I can never do business with Saudi Arabia again until we get this behind us,” Graham announced. “That means I’m not going back to Saudi Arabia as long as this guy is in charge.”

This is all while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is currently meeting with Saudi leaders in an effort to get clear on what actually happened to Khashoggi.

Meanwhile, after Donald Trump initially told the press that Saudi Arabia denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s death (which poses some questions about the Trumpster ‘believing’ who he wants to believe), now he’s putting some distance between himself and the Saudis tweeting he has “no financial interests” with the country.

But, then there’s this…

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It’s A “Good Romance” – Lady Gaga Engaged!

Lady Gaga (image via Instagram)

Not only does Lady Gaga have a big, hit movie with A Star Is Born as well as a newly-christened #1 album with the film’s soundtrack, she’s also shared the news that she’s engaged!

Addressing the audience at Elle’s 25th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration in Los Angeles Monday, the “Poker Face” singer casually dropped the news by thanking “my fiancé Christian” during her speech.

“Christian” would be CAA talent agent Christian Carino, who’s clients include Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Simon Cowell.

InStyle reports that the couple may have been engaged back in the summer of 2017 but had not made the news public.

But back in January of 2017, the couple were seen being affectionate at a Kings of Leon concert, and were also spotted on the field of the Super Bowl that February.

Gaga was previously engaged to actor Taylor Kinney (Chicago Fire) after he popped the question on Valentine’s Day 2015, but the couple went their separate ways by July 2016 after five years together.

She may sing about a “Bad Romance,” but with Carino, Gaga appears to feel pretty safe.

“Christian is a good, grounding force and understands her career,” PEOPLE quotes a source close to the couple. “She’s in a great place now.”

“When I went backstage, Christian was by the stairs making sure I was okay,” Gaga told the New York Post’s Page Six back in September of 2017 after her concert at Citi Field. “The best part about being in love with someone is having them there to catch you if you fall.”

Other than in love, though, Gaga doesn’t appear to be “falling” anywhere.

Referencing the enormous success of A Star is Born at the Elle bash Monday, Gaga told the crowd, “Never within my wildest dreams would I think my life would become what it has.”

Mother Monster has fallen in love and it’s a “good romance!”

Congratulations to the happy couple!

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News Round-Up: October 15, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Big congrats to my buddies, The Chippendales, for their big win this weekend as The Best of Las Vegas’ “Best Male Revue” and “Best Bachelorette Party.” If you’ve visited me in Vegas, you’ve probably gone to Chippendales with me at least once 🙂 #GoodTimes

• Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian met and exchanged gifts with the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. You may recall Museveni signed into law the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act which provides for life in prison in Uganda for being gay.

• If you watched the Donald Trump 60 Minutes interview last night, you saw this painting actually hangs in the White House. By artist Andy Thomas, the image portrays a gathering of Republican presidents in one place. #goodgod

• The New York Police Department announced Monday that it has enough evidence to charge nine members of the right-wing group Proud Boys and three protesters with various counts of rioting, assault and attempted assault that took place last Friday.

• Donald Trump has now nominated openly gay Patrick Bumatay to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This would bring Trump’s gay judicial nominees to a total of two.

• Regular readers of The Randy Report know I’m a huuuuge fan of Coldplay. And now there’s a new documentary film headed our way titled, A Head Full of Dreams.

The film, shot over 20 years of Coldplay history will stream on Amazon Prime Video starting November 16. For more info, click here.