YouTuber Max Emerson offers this entertaining ‘alternate universe’ where we find out the Titanic actually played host to one of our favorite shirtless YouTubers before going down in the Atlantic.
Emerson sets the stage by sharing, “There’s nothing worse than having your flight canceled. Luckily my agents got me a sponsored trip home from England on this big new boat!”
Showing off his cabin for his followers, Emerson shares the ‘unboxing’ of his influencer swag (the Heart of the Ocean diamond, naturally) while taking several shirtless selfies with crew members.
The handsome influencer even recreates the famous ‘naked drawing sequence’ from the film, sans a ‘Rose.’ Although, when you’re as hot as Max, who needs anyone else?
(screen capture)
When the ship hits ‘something,’ (gee, what could it be?) Emerson heads out to investigate for his followers where a crew member hands him a life jacket.
“Man, these influencers perks do not let up,” exclaims Emerson to his phone camera, complete with heart emojis.
“Oh my god,” says Emerson when he finds out the massive ship is sinking. “My viewer count has never been this high! Four million viewers???”
Needless to say, we pretty much know where this is heading, complete with ‘My Heart Will Go On’ instrumentals.
Major props to the creative team especially writer Deanna Director and director David Ma.
Cute, clever, and a fun mid-day brain break. Hit play below.
By most political experts’ accounts, the second night of Democratic debates was dominated by a stellar performance by California Sen. Kamala Harris.
Consensus also agrees Mayor Pete Buttigieg scored well as the first openly gay presidential candidate to take to the debate stage.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner in polling, found himself playing defense a surprising amount of time given that this is the first Democratic debate.
Check out these highlights for both via Twitter:
Senator Kamala Harris:
“Hey guys, you know what? America does not want to witness a food fight. They wanna know how we’re going to put food on their tables.”
‘There was a little girl in California who was part of the 2nd class to integrate her public schools & she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.’@KamalaHarris called out @JoeBiden for defending segregationists & his past opposition to busing #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/ZYAtAfP36B
FiveThirtyEight teamed with Morning Consult to determine who ‘won’ the debates:
Among all 20 candidates, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro earned the highest scores for their debate performances relative to their favorability rating before they took the stage, according to the voters in our poll.
Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker also rated well, but their scores were more in line with their pre-debate favorability.
Meanwhile, voters didn’t exactly think Beto O’Rourke did badly on Night 1, but his grades were underwhelming given his popularity.
Enjoying the attention of press and camera crews at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Donald Trump was asked if he was going to warn Russian President Putin against meddling in U.S. elections.
“Yes, of course I will,” replied Trump.
Turning to Putin with a smirk, Trump said, “Don’t meddle in the election, President.” He also gestured to the Russian delegation repeating, “Don’t meddle in the election.”
They all thought it to be quite hilarious.
All U.S. intelligence agencies have agreed that Russian forces worked to influence the 2016 presidential election which delivered a surprise win to Trump.
Trump also joked with the Russian leader about what he calls ‘fake news,’ telling Putin, “Fake news is a great term, isn’t it? You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.”
“We also have,” replied Putin. “It’s the same.”
Smirking Trump jokes to Putin: don’t meddle in US election.
NBC News reports that James Alex Fields Jr., who drove his car into a crowd protesting white supremacists at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, has been sentence to life in prison.
James Alex Fields Jr. pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 hate crime charges in March in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty for murdering civil rights activist Heather Heyer and injuring more than 30 others when he intentionally mowed them down on a side street with his car on Aug. 12, 2017.
The 30th charge, which included a possible death sentence, was dropped. U.S. Attorney General William Barr directed and permitted prosecutors not to seek the death penalty.
Prosecutors have said that Fields has shown no remorse for the violence and had a history of racist and anti-Semitic behavior.
James Alex Fields, driver in deadly car attack at Charlottesville rally, sentenced to life in prison Fields pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal hate crime charges in March. Image: James Alex Fields Jr. James Alex Fields Jr. at the Unite the Right rally pic.twitter.com/gPadLikCeU— Lynnette (@Lynnett72514891) June 28, 2019
According to reports, Fields admired Adolf Hitler keeping a photo of the German dictator next to his bed.
A former classmate of Fields testified during his trial that on a high school trip to a German concentration camp, Fields said aloud, “This is where the magic happened.”
This isn’t the end of legal troubles for Fields, though.
He has also been convicted on state charges, including first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of malicious wounding and one hit and run count for injuring dozens of others with his vehicle.
He has a sentencing hearing set on July 15 regarding those charges.
The jury in that case has reportedly recommended life in prison plus 419 years.
‘Totally-not-gay’ former Republican Congressman Aaron Schock was recently caught on video tipping a go-go dancer at Boy Bar, a gay club in Mexico City this past weekend.
The Daily Mail was first to share the video footage which quickly went viral.
“The last person I would expect to see in Boy Bar is a former Republican congressman,” said the individual who recorded 37-year-old Schock at the nightclub. “I was taking a video of the go-go dancer on stage and all of a sudden I saw him.
“He looked like he was enjoying himself,” added the source.
Here’s a GIF of Aaron Schock tipping the hot go-go dancer in the Mexico City gay bar. pic.twitter.com/tY1WmL07jp
— 🇺🇸🌊 Kal-El of Krypton 🏳️🌈🌽 (@MadeOnKrypton) June 27, 2019
To be honest, I’m terrible with faces, so I don’t know that I would have recognized the former lawmaker in a gay bar in another country.
But Schock did post on his Instagram that he was visiting Mexico City over the weekend, so…
Over the past several months, Schock, who has never publicly come out, has been spotted frolicking with shirtless gay men in a number of locales including the Coachella festival and a West Hollywood hotel pool.
Long suspected of being gay, Schock angered the LGBTQ community by voting against LGBTQ rights and interests during his time in the House.
As a congressman representing Illinois, he voted against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” against adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate crime laws, and for the Defense of Marriage Act, which would have defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
To be clear, I’m never one to out a gay person UNLESS they used their position to harm the LGBTQ community while enjoying the privileges that we’ve fought for.
The Twitterverse has had a field day with the new-found video clip:
“Hey Cutie, I’m Aaron Schock. As a congressman I voted against marriage equality, the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and Equal Protections for LGBT folk. Now hold still while I shove this dollar down your shorts.” pic.twitter.com/YLGDXrW9Ei
Ladies, get yourself a man that looks at you the way Anti-Gay GOP Congressman Aaron Schock does tipping a Go-Go boy in a Mexico City gay bar pic.twitter.com/CcgL4FlPUf
There’s no shame in tipping male dancers. Lord knows I’ve done it a time or two. Then again, I’ve been out since I was 18, and have never been an anti-gay Republican congressman like @aaronschock. https://t.co/nQP5ZMBjHP
Aaron Schock: “I don’t mind male strippers being gay, I just don’t know why they have to shove it down my throat all the time.” https://t.co/fpoi2I7Msh
Speaking at the Carter Center’s retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, former President Jimmy Carter told the crowd he believes a full investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election would reveal that Donald Trump did not indeed win the presidency.
“There’s no doubt that the Russians did interfere in the election,” said Carter. “And I think the interference, although not yet quantified, if fully investigated would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
When the moderator inquired if he believes Trump is an illegitimate president, Carter replied, “Based on what I just said, which I can’t retract.”
Jimmy Carter: “[Trump] lost the election and he was put in office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
“So do you believe president Trump is an illegitimate president?”
“Higher Love” is the first new Whitney Houston music released in a decade, since 2009’s “I Look To You.”
Previously, Houston’s take on the 1986 Steve Winwood hit was available as a ‘Japan-only’ bonus track on her 1990 album, I’m Your Baby Tonight.
Music industry legend Clive Davis told Rolling Stone the decision to omit the track on the U.S. release was an effort in avoiding her being viewed as a cover artist at that time.
And so, the track has been a prized rarity among hardcore Houston fans over the years.
The Whitney Houston estate presented Kygo with the archival recording of Whitney’s version, and Kygo raced into the studio, thrilled for the opportunity to make music with one of the greatest female vocalists of all time.
“I was honored when the Whitney Houston estate reached out and presented me with the opportunity to work with one of the greatest female vocalists of all time,” said Kygo in a statement. “I reworked the song from scratch and am really happy with how it turned out!”
Recorded when Houston was in peak vocal form, the first notes from the diva feel like an old friend walking in the room. That voice – rich, robust, with just the perfect edge – is full of unbridled joy.
The production – thoroughly modern with threads of gospel choir woven in with undeniable deep beats – is fresh and exhilarating. Instead of merely remastering the track, Kygo stripped away the previous production and started from scratch to create a new track around the gorgeous Houston vocals.
“I was trying to make it sound like something that she would’ve done, but also something that’s my style,” he told Rolling Stone.
Kygo will perform the song this Sunday, June 30th, at PrideFestival Utopia in New York City.
Cyndi Lauper performs at Opening Ceremony of WorldPride NYC
By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr.
For the first time in its twenty year history, World Pride is being celebrated in the United States, as part of the Stonewall 50 celebration in the birthplace of Pride, New York City.
Last night, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center played host to the Opening Ceremonies of World Pride with enough high NRG, glitter, and sequins to be seen across the East River on Christopher St.
Hosted by fierce, long time, LGBT advocate Whoopi Goldberg, the three- hour plus extravaganza showcased entertainment, tributes to the people who fought for equality, and highlighted organizations insuring another fifty years of Pride.
The festivities began with Cyndi Lauper rising from a sparkling globe singing, “True Colors.”
What could have easily been a treacly, cliched, ‘been there done that’ moment, turned into an extemporaneous singalong. The Barclays Center awash in a dazzling rainbow, thousands of strangers gathered from around the world, were singing in one voice, as a united community.
After the opening, Whoopi took to the stage and took the house to church asking New Yorkers to welcome the “tourist next to them.” She went on telling, “everybody hold somebody’s hand as we remember those who for many different reasons are not alive and with us today,” a moment bringing unexpected silence to the arena.
Tony Award winner, and TV actress, Sara Ramirez, paid tribute to the 2019 Pride Luminaries on stage with a soaring rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Throughout the night Pride March Grand Marshals, the cast of FX’s POSE, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah of UK Black Pride, Gay Liberation Front, The Trevor Project, and Monica Helms were recognized and honored for their work.
Drag queens were in the house and werked it in a mega-production number. Each queen took her turn on the runway for moment in the spotlight, including Bob the Drag Queen. Her lip-sync of Julia “The Terminator” Sugarbaker’s speech, recounting “The Night the Lights went out in Georgia” complete with baton twirler.
Inside the Barclay Center (photo: Lawrence Pfeil Jr.)
Proceeds from World Pride Opening Ceremonies benefit three organizations:
• SAGE (www.sageusa.org) the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older people.
• Immigration Equality (immigrationequality.org) the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization, representing and advocating for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.
• The Ali Forney Center (aliforneycenter.org) the nation’s largest and most comprehensive agency dedicated to LGBTQ homeless youths
These organizations do lifesaving work every day of the year for the Community and were introduced to audience by video and with stirring remarks.
Most notable were those by Ali Forney Center’s founder and Executive Director, Carl Sicilano. He spoke of the homeless queer street kids at the time of the Stonewall Uprising who were thought of as trash by well-off people. Those kids found their own community and a solidarity amongst themselves, when “an attack on one was seen as an attack on all.
Sicilano implored those present last night to adopt that same solidarity from 50 years ago in today’s Community.
The Grand Finale was none other than the force of nature and pride himself, Mr. Billy Porter who blessed the house with an encore of his heartbreak performance of “Home” from Season 1 of the acclaimed FX series, Pose.
Porter then raised the roof old school, gospel-style, with his new single, “Love Yourself” in a glitter fabulous, rainbow Pride spectacular before sending his children off to make the world a better place.
Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots credited with inspiring the modern LGBTQ rights movement, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas was the target of an apparent arson attempt.
Jason Dinant, a reporter for local ABC affiliate KTNV, reports employees showed up to work this morning to find someone someone had started a fire outside the building.
Surveillance cameras captured video of a man trying to rip down a Stonewall banner. Failing in that attempt, the video shows him setting fire to a palm tree nearest the building.
KTNV reports a propane tank was found near the tree.
“As we enter the final week of Pride Month, the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall and major celebrations take place this weekend in New York, San Francisco, and around the world, this attempted arson and hate crime against our community reinforce the need for LGBTQ+ Pride events,” read the statement. “Our equality, rights, and our lives remain at risk.”
The post went on to say “this vengeful act reminds us to be alert, be safe, and if you see something, say something.”
“To everyone around the world attending Pride events this weekend, let this be a reminder of why you are celebrating and why our fight for equality continues,” concluded the post.
The Center’s executive director, John Waldron, told KTNVthat the organization had received “an alarming voicemail this week from a person upset about rainbow flags flying with American flags.”
Earlier this month, the Trump administration rejected requests from U.S. embassies around the world to fly rainbow flags alongside American flags during Pride Month, but there’s currently no clear evidence that guidance might have played inspired these actions.
Las Vegas police, arson investigators and the FBI are investigating the arson attempt.
And when an anti-gay fan trolled his recent tribute for Pride Month, the 37-year-old singer clapped back in smooth, country style.
Owen shared in an Instagram post, “Some of my closest friends and coworkers, are part of the #lgbtcommunity and I couldn’t be more happy for the progress they have made.”
“I’m inspired by people loving people no matter who you are,” added the Nashville-based singer. “I BELIEVE the world needs more love. No matter where it comes from.”
Owen went on to say he “googled ‘gayest’ songs of all time” to find the right tune with which to record a musical tribute for Pride Month.
“The boys and I decided to put our country spin on Cher’s ‘Believe,’” he told his one million Instagram followers. “Hope you dig.”
The singer, who’s had seven #1 hits on the country charts, closed the post with a clip of the song writing, “Stay tuned friends, and most importantly, love everyone. [rainbow emoji]”
A post shared by Jake Owen (@jakeowenofficial) on Jun 24, 2019 at 2:56pm PDT
But one fan wasn’t in the mood to ‘Believe.’
“Suddenly I feel sick that I have tickets to your show here on Thursday night,” wrote the fan.
The comment received nearly 300 responses including one from Owen.
“I’m sorry you feel sick that you have tickets to my show Thursday night,” said Owen in his reply. “Maybe it would do you good to come out, smile, laugh, sing a long with a bunch of strangers that are all going through what we call ‘life.’”
From there, Owen really hit his stride, telling her, “It’s really only you and few other ignorant people that make yourself look silly. If you make it out to my show, come give me a hug. You need one.”
He also assured the former fan that, if she decided not to attend the concert, “Trust me… we will all be okay. We like to share our shows with people that are kind, and loving.”
Suh-nap!!!
Others chimed in as well with supportive comments for Owen and his tribute.
One commenter wrote, “I’ll take your tickets!! Jake Owen is amazing!”
Another said, “Keep making your amazing music, Jake Owen! Your true fans can get enough of your country music! #lovealwayswins”
And this was popular: “Suddenly I feel sick that I might have been at that show with you. Love is Love. Accept all. Jesus did.”
Eventually, the Instagram user came back with, “I don’t hate him. I don’t hate homosexuals. I just don’t agree with their behavior and I don’t like it shoved in my face. I don’t shove my sins in their faces. I just want musicians to play music.”
