15-time Grammy Award winner Eminem (via Instagram) The internet is buzzing after a short clip of a new track by rappers Eminem and Joyner Lucas surfaced titled, “What If I Was Gay?” With Joyner’s debut studio album on the horizon, it’s widely expected the track will arrive on that release. Rapper Joyner Lucas (via Instagram) The short 13-second snippet, first reported by HipHopNMore, includes some provocative lyrics. “What if I told you I was out of place? Wait, what if I told you I was gay?” raps Joyner. Em counters back, “What if I’m a hypocrite who’s just afraid to face truth? Wait, what if I told you I’m gay too?” Admittedly, there’s no context, but it’s certainly intriguing considering Eminem’s controversial history with the LGBTQ community. The 15-time Grammy Award winner came under fire for using anti-gay slurs on several of his early tracks like “Marshall Mathers” in 2000 and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” in 2002. In an attempt to hit the reset button, he appeared with Elton John at the 2001 Grammy Awards for one of the most memorable duets in Grammy history. The two artists performed Slim Shady’s “Stan” with Elton at the piano crooning the Dido sample from the track as Em delivered the rap. In a 2017 interview with Vulture, Eminem was asked about his homophobic lyrics:
The first time I got a taste of being called anti-gay was on ‘My Name Is’ when I said, ‘My English teacher wanted to have sex in junior high / The only problem was my English teacher was a guy.’ All I was saying was I don’t swing that way. So when I started getting flack for it, I thought, ‘Alright, you people think I’m homophobic? Watch this.’ I was trying to push the buttons of people who were calling me something that I wasn’t. The honest-to-God truth is that none of that matters to me: I have no issue with someone’s sexuality, religion, race, none of that.
This new track would be the second collaboration for Joyner and Eminem. Eminem had previously teamed up with Joyner for “Lucky You” which was featured on Em’s 2018 studio album, Kamikaze. (source: HHNM)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Instagram) With Mayor Pete Buttigieg moving up in several polls in the Democratic primary, a new survey by Politico/Morning Consult queried voters about the prospects of a gay presidential candidate at the ballot box. Voters were asked, “Do you think you are ready for a president who is gay or lesbian?” The results show 50 percent are definitely or probably good to go with a gay president (33 percent ‘Yes, definitely,’ 17 percent ‘Yes, probably’). On the flip side, 37 percent indicated they are probably or definitely not ready for a gay commander in chief (13 percent ‘No, probably not,’ 24 percent ‘No, definitely not’). Thirteen percent didn’t know how they felt. However, when asked if America is ready for a gay president, folks weren’t as confident. On the plus side, 40 percent felt the country is definitely or probably ready for a gay president (19 percent and 21 percent respectively). But 45 percent responded either probably not or definitely not (21 percent and 24 percent respectively). Similar to the initial question, 15 percent weren’t sure.
But when asked if their neighbors are ready, voters were even more pessimistic. Only 26 percent said they felt their neighbors definitely or probably could embrace a gay president (11 percent and 15 percent respectively). And 46 percent felt the folks next door were either definitely or probably not ready for a gay man in the Oval Office (21 percent and 25 percent respectively). Buttigieg’s sexuality “may be an issue for some voters as he remains in contention for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination,” said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s vice president. “Notably, 58 percent of Republicans, 32 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats say they aren’t ready for a gay or lesbian president,” continued Sinclair. Sinclair also shared the comparative figures for those Americans who are not ready for a female president which are lower and show more progress on that front: 36 percent of Republicans, 15 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats. In related news, the New York Times recently wrote that the Buttigieg campaign held focus groups in South Carolina where African-American voters make up a majority of Democratic voters. According to an internal campaign memo, “many of the 24 uncommitted black voters in the groups, men and women of ages 25 to 65, were deeply uncomfortable discussing Mr. Buttigieg’s sexual orientation, the memo said, adding that they felt the mayor was ‘flaunting’ his sexuality by the very mention of having a husband,” reports the Times. I would love to have asked those voters if they felt a straight political candidate mentioning their spouse would come across as ‘flaunting’ their sexuality. #WorkToDo (source: Politico)
Donald Trump After House Democrats released language for a resolution on proceeding with the ongoing impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump’s communications with the president of Ukraine, the White House issued this statement – the equivalent of a written meltdown:
The resolution put forward by Speaker Pelosi confirms that House Democrats’ impeachment has been an illegitimate sham from the start as it lacked any proper authorization by a House vote.
It continues this scam by allowing Chairman Schiff, who repeatedly lies to the American people, to hold a new round of hearings, still without any due process for the President.
The White House is barred from participating at all, until after Chairman Schiff conducts two rounds of one-sided hearings to generate a biased report for the Judiciary Committee. Even then, the White House’s rights remain undefined, unclear, and uncertain – because those rules still haven’t been written.
This resolution does nothing to change the fundamental fact that House Democrats refuse to provide basic due process rights to the Administration.
The White House has said for weeks the inquiry was ‘illegitimate’ without a vote by the full House, which is not required by the U.S. Constitution. Now they’re getting one.
Four ‘Evan Hansens’ sing “For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen Today, the London production of Dear Evan Hansen begins performances officially launching the fourth company of the Tony Award-winning musical to date. To commemorate the occasion, the producers released this never-before-heard arrangement of “For Forever,” performed by a quartet of Evans: Sam Tutty (London), Andrew Barth Feldman (Broadway), Stephen Christopher Anthony (North American Tour), and Robert Markus (Toronto).
The Tony Award®-winning Best Musical also continues on Broadway, in Toronto and cities all across North America. In case you aren’t familiar, from the synopsis:
A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in.
Both deeply personal and profoundly contemporary, Dear Evan Hansen is a new American musical about life and the way we live it.
The producers have released a series of videos featuring actors from the multiple companies of the hit musical. One of my favorites showcases four actresses who have played the role of Evan’s mother on Broadway and in the national touring company – Lisa Brescia, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Jessica Phillips, and Christiane Noll – singing, “Anybody Have A Map?” Like the above video, the musical team turns these powerful solos from the show into expanded quartets with new arrangements. I love seeing the actors relate to each other as only those who’ve played the roles can; there’s a knowingness present in their connections.
Tony/Grammy Award nominee Vanessa Williams & Daphne Oz (screen capture) Created by the producers of The Dr. Oz Show, The Good Dish will serve up chat and chow for a new talk show scheduled for Fall 2020. Award-winning actress/singer Vanessa Williams, Daphne Oz (daughter of Dr. Oz), Top Chef’s Gail Simmons and Jamika Pessoa (The Next Food Network Star) will serve as hosts. According to a statement, The Good Dish will offer simple shortcuts, everyday recipes, and trends that will bring families closer, save money, make life less complicated, and help them figure out what they are having for dinner. The show is a spin-off based on segments titled “The Dish on Oz” that have been featured on The Dr. Oz Show.
John Weiser, President First Run Television, SPT. said in a released statement:
We have experienced overwhelming feedback from our audiences on “The Dish on Oz” cooking segments, which have been recently featured on The Dr. Oz Show.
When Daphne Oz and this all-star ensemble were available, we recognized the opportunity for viewers, advertisers, and local broadcast stations.
We have on-air tested this format and talent for two years perfecting this show we are now bringing to market. Spinoffs have the highest success rate of converting into multi-year franchises. In fact, spinoffs gave us the great Dr. Oz straight from Oprah!
My hubby, Michael Caprio, posing with just SOME of Olivia Newton-John’s gold albums Some news items you might have missed: • Olivia Newton-John: My hubby, publicist Michael Caprio, is in Los Angeles this week with his client Olivia Newton-John, who will be auctioning off much of her memorabilia this weekend at Julien’s Auctions with proceeds going to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center. Above are just some of her gold and platinum records that will be available. And yes, the famous leather jacket and pants from the finale of GREASE are up on the block as well. #GotAMillion? • People: Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown, who was booted this week from Dancing with the Stars, says he’s “proud” of former White House press secretary Sean Spicer (who’s still in the hunt for the trophy) and feels like he’s connected with Spicer about LGBTQ issues. • Back To Stonewall: Self-loathing gays plan to lobby Congress AGAINST passage of The Equality Act. #smh • KIT212: If you happen to be appreciative of rugby butt, Kenneth has just the thing for you (below). More at the link. James Tadasco (via kenneth-in-the-212) • AP Fact Check: Donald Trump told reporters that he tried to warn people about Osama bin Laden in a book he ‘wrote’ in 2000 before the terrorist directed the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Trouble is the Donald barely mentioned bin Laden and there was no “warning.” #WeCanReadDonald • Journal Express: What is up with these ‘gender reveal’ events getting violent? A woman in Iowa was killed by flying debris due to an explosion that came as part of a gender reveal celebration Saturday. • Jimmy Kimmel Live: When Barack Obama went on TV to announce they killed Bin Laden, he spoke for nine and a half minutes. Trump yesterday, when he announced they killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, did for 48 minutes. So, for further comparison, we thought it might be fun to mash-up Trump’s speech about al-Baghdadi with Obama’s on Bin Laden.
Daniel McGraffin (image via Instagram) In a new documentary from Channel 5 in the U.K., former military service member Daniel McGraffin says he found it difficult to find a decent paying job until he discovered he could earn up to £1,000 a day as a gay-for-pay porn actor. Sharing his story in The Sex Business: Swinging Both Ways, McGraffin says he spent six years as a soldier in the artillery until one day, due to lack of sleep, he snapped. At the end of a two-week leave, he went AWOL for a year. He was sentenced to 8 months in a military prison, and upon his release went in search of a job. After working as a janitor in a gym, then as a personal trainer and a DJ, a friend (who works as a dominatrix) told him about a guy who was “totally straight but does gay porn.” She put him in contact with a producer who told McGraffin “the majority of it’s fake” and hired the former military service member for £750 for a shoot. McGraffin liked the experience – and the money – so he researched the porn industry and eventually landed a 3-year contract with Lucas Entertainment.
He says he looked into the straight porn industry but found “in gay porn, there’s way less competition, and there’s no money in straight porn. For a straight guy, there’s way more money in gay porn.” And so, he decided to work as a gay-for-pay performer. McGraffin, who goes by the stage name Geordie Jackson, pointedly shares in the documentary, “My sexual identity is straight, one hundred percent straight.” His girlfriend, Freya, appears in the documentary as well and she’s totally onboard with McGraffin’s career choice. “It’s fake,” she tells the viewer. “People say he must be a little bit gay, [but] when he gets back, he doesn’t want to think about anyone with a d**k.” Freya explains if he was working in straight porn it might bother her since there would be the potential for him to be attracted to co-stars, but with men “that risk isn’t there.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1JF-X_nbNg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link McGraffin admits there are people who say he’s gay because he looks so at ease in his videos, but he just takes that as a compliment on his acting skills. “They don’t know the tricks of the trade,” he explains. “They say ‘you look like you’re enjoying it’. And I say, ‘thanks, that means I’m a good actor.’” Asked if he considers himself an ally to the LGBTQ community, he’s unsure but shares that his brother is openly gay. He also explains the logic, at least for him, for remaining in the adult entertainment industry as a gay-for-pay performer. “I ain’t smart, academically,”he admits. “It’s either this or going to work in a warehouse, ’cause I have no qualifications. I have driving qualifications, but obviously, I’ve had one of them lifestyles where I’ve been banned from driving. So driving jobs are a no go.” “You need to make your money, man,” he continues. “I’m glad I found porn because I make more money now than I ever have. I see the perks of it now, I don’t even think about what I’ve got to do anymore, it’s that easy.” Some viewers, however, took to Twitter to express their skepticism about the “100% straight” label and also take offense at the gay-for-pay idiom. We’re not here to judge, though. How McGraffin identifies is his own business. And speaking of ‘business,’ check out some of the adult entertainer’s Instagram account below.
Donald Trump (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain) From the New York Times:
A White House national security official who is a decorated Iraq war veteran plans to tell House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that he heard President Trump appeal to Ukraine’s president to investigate one of his leading political rivals, a request the aide considered so damaging to American interests that he reported it to a superior.
Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman of the Army, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, twice registered internal objections about how Mr. Trump and his inner circle were treating Ukraine, out of what he called a “sense of duty,” he plans to tell the inquiry, according to a draft of his opening statement obtained by The New York Times.
He will be the first White House official to testify who listened in on the July 25 telephone call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry, in which Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
In another article, the Times notes that Colonel Vindman has a master’s degree from Harvard in Russian, Eastern Europe, and Central Asian Studies. He has served in the United States’ embassies in Kyiv, Ukraine, and in Moscow, and was the officer specializing in Russia for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before joining the National Security Council in 2018. He earned a Purple Heart in Iraq, had a master’s degree from Harvard, and now works at the White House across the hall from his equally accomplished twin brother. However, since he was brought to the United States as a 3-year-old child from Ukraine, right-leaning news outlets and social media have already begun a smear campaign against him calling Vindman some kind of Ukraine double agent/spy. Trump himself tweeted that Vindman is a ‘Never Trumper,’ for which there is no evidence or proof.
Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call “concerned” today’s Never Trumper witness. Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!
.@brikeilarcnn on ex-Rep. Duffy’s remarks on Alexander Vindman: It’s "anti-immigrant bigotry, and it's an odd questioning of patriotism coming from Sean Duffy, the guy who spent part of his 20s on MTV’s 'The Real World'… while Alexander Vindman spent his on foreign deployments.” pic.twitter.com/QofMhMKu58
Seriously? Wow. So shameful. Vindman is a patriot, who has served his country with honor both on and off the battlefield. He was a first rate officer at the embassy, one of the best on the team. https://t.co/IN1P5P0BLO
God forbid we should have national security professionals who can communicate with foreign officials in their native language & are country specialists. Vindman has a valid security clearance, which is more than can be said for the president & 2 of his senior advisors. https://t.co/7RXY8wKEMf
That “Never #Trump‘er witness” is a decorated WAR HERO. With a PURPLE HEART. Who SERVED his country HONORABLY for decades. Unlike you…a DRAFT-DODGING COWARD TRAITOR. How DARE you attack his character? #Vindman#WhistleblowerGate#Ukraine
The witness, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, was awarded a Purple Heart after sustaining injuries from an IED when he was deployed in Iraq. The closest thing Trump ever got to a Purple Heart was when he yanked one from Lieutenant Colonel Louis Dorfman at a Trump rally.
Donald Trump (image via public domain) From the Washington Post:
House Democrats said Monday that the House will vote Thursday to formalize procedures for the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
Democrats said the move would “ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward” as the inquiry continues.
The text of the resolution was not immediately available, but House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said it would “ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward” as the investigation continues. “This is the right thing to do for the institution and the American people,” he said.
