Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R)Just hideous. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) took to Twitter on Friday to proudly declare she’d killed a bear for her “Instagram story.” Continue reading “South Dakota Governor Kills Bear For Social Media Content”
Flag of the Bear community (image via Wikimedia/Fibonocci)Some news stories you might have missed:
• LGBTQ Nation: A teacher in South Carolina was fired for discussing an article on gay bear subculture to students in her class. Continue reading “News: Teacher Fired For Discussing Gay Bears In Class + More”
Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss has been extolling the virtues of hirsute plus-sized gay men for years, and now he’s back to celebrate those gay geeks with fuzzy cheeks with ‘Nerdy Bear: The Markaholic Remix.’
The new single and music video revisits Goss’s popular ‘Nerdy Bear’ release from last summer but reinterprets the tune from the bear perspective.
The original track was a pop track with sultry R&B vibes, but the new release (by LA-based producer Markaholic) raises the BPMs and features Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese.
Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’Franzese, one of the gay community’s ultimate ‘nerdy bears,’ says the idea to remix the song was his.
“When Tom’s original came out last summer, I was like ‘OMG, it’s about time we got an anthem of guys pursuing us in song,” says Franzese. “We should do a remix of this track where the bear responds that he’s down to party—and I should rap on it!’”
And that’s exactly what happens as Franzese drops some rhymes that weave sexual connotations with 80s arcade game references.
“If you like whips and chains, we can do the Double Dragon,” referencing the martial arts game. He continues with “I’ll follow you down your Oregon trail and hitch on to your wagon.”
Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’Along the way, the music video touches on the cherries in Pac-Man, shapes from Tetris and the mushrooms in Mario Brothers.
Like Tetris when I’m finished, I dream of your shape for hours
Beat your big boss baby, your Gannon, your bowser
Give your boy a mushroom and I’ll grow like I’m supposed to
Love a Harry pothead, winggarda levioso
Grab a joystick, come get closa, scoot-a cross da-sofa,
Chew and chomp these cherries Pac Man, don’t worry, I won’t ghost ya
The idea behind the music video is to convey the confidence Franzese and others in the gay bear community have built by not only accepting their girth, but embracing it. “It’s fun to find unique ways to amplify body positivity and happiness,” says Franzese.
Plus, Goss brings a few smiles of his own in the video, throwing down his own brand of stripper moves. It’s all big fun with some big beats.
Tom Goss in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’Franzese has collaborated with Goss before having played the singer’s husband in a series of videos from Goss’s album, Territories. “It’s always fun to work with Danny, and at this point it seems like we’re just making up opportunities to work together,” Goss laughs.
Tom Goss was 22 and in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest, when he realized his strong attraction for plus-sized men, known as “bears” in the gay community, and nerdy ones to boot. “‘Nerdy Bear’ is authentic to my experience and relays my unique perspective that beauty doesn’t fit a standard mold,” he says.
‘Nerdy Bear: The Markaholic Remix’ is available on all major digital platforms.
You can check out the music video below and follow Tom Goss on Instagram here.
Some news items you might have missed:
• Monday Mancrush: Throwing back to the hottie above from this past summer. It turned out he’s a model used by the t-shirt company, but I still like looking 🙂
• Pink News: Despite warnings of a homophobic boycott, Strictly Come Dancing scored its best ratings for a first live show in years this weekend as millions tuned in to see Nicola Adams and her partner Katya Jones make history by becoming the first competitive same-sex couple to take to the Strictly ballroom floor.
• Boy Culture: From this weekend’s all-star streaming concert, I Will Vote, Academy Award-winner Cher chirped this lovely rendition of “Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe,” with some specialty lyrics to honor Joe Biden. From the 1943 classic movie, Cabin in the Sky, the Yip Harburg/Harold Arlen tune was nominated for Best Original Song at that year’s Oscars.
• People: Felicity Huffman has completed her full sentence, which included 11 days of jail time, 250 hours of community service, and supervised release for one year. In May, Huffman pleaded guilty to paying disgraced admissions consultant Rick Singer $15,000 to have a proctor change her daughter Sophia’s answers after she took the SAT test.
• CBS News: Soldiers and police in Mexico seized an industrial-scale meth and fentanyl lab that was so big it startled investigators. The lab had chemical preparation vats about two stories tall that could process 11,000 pounds of raw material at a time, said Felipe de Jesus Gallo of the federal Attorney General’s Office.
• Bear World Magazine: In 2005, I had the absolute pleasure of performing in the Reprise Series’ revival of the musical Applause with the oh-so-talented and woofy Kevin Chamberlin. Fast forward to today, and the 3-time Tony Award nominee is about to appear in the Netflix screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Prom, with Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells.
Tom Goss and Jason Villegas in ‘Nerdy Bear’ (photo: Catalin Stelian)It’s always nice to start the day with a smile 🙂
So, I was happy to see an email this morning from award-winning, guitar-toting, singer/songwriter Tom Goss announcing, “Nerdy Bears are the cutest bears! Naturally, I wrote a song and made a video about it.”
While Tom has spent much of the past year promoting his latest album titled, Territories, a moody, richly-layered synth-pop collection exploring the complexities of love.
But now, he’s back in fun mode with this homage to those plus-size gamer guys.
(screen capture)“Given the hot mess that is 2020 I thought the world could use something light and full of fun, ” says Tom. “And what’s more fun than a ‘Nerdy Bear?'”
Nerdy bear, behind them glasses you’re a dirty bear.
So shake that a** in daddy underwear, and let me sneak into your secret lair.
Tom’s handsome co-star, Jason Villegas (Chubby Tanuki on Instagram), is totally ‘game’ for the role.
You can find my previous coverage of terrific Tom on The Randy Report here.
Back in 2013, over 200 bears joined together to make Tom’s super-fun video romp, “Bears.”
Complete with lots of robust, hirsute men playing with Super Soakers, careening down a slip and slide, and dancing in a club (usually in slow motion), the video celebrates all the furry goodness.
Patricia and Mark McCloskey (screen capture)Some news items you might have missed:
• Bear World Magazine: During a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has rightfully taken up space on our news feeds, a conversation has opened up again in Bear spaces about the lack of diversity and inclusion, and the silence of White gays when it comes to the lives of Black people and People of Color. But, it’s a conversation that many White Bears still seem to not want to have.
• Local10: In early April, openly gay Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy Shannon Bennett was the first South Florida first responder to be killed by COVID-19. His family was crushed by the loss. Now, they feel like they’ve been dealt another blow after the AIG insurance company denied their claim for accidental death in the line of duty.
• NY Post: Mark and Patricia McCloskey (above), the St. Louis lawyers who brandished an AR-15-style rifle and a silver-colored handgun at protesters marching past their home on Sunday, are being investigated for possible criminal charges. The couple insists they were “victims” of threatening trespassers who entered a gated community. Nothing says ‘tough’ as much as a pink polo shirt tucked into a pair of khakis, no?
• AOL: Remembering back to 1993 when Mattel released ‘Earring Magic Ken,’ the accidentally gay version of Barbie’s bf that was just about every ’90s gay stereotype in a chiseled hunk of plastic.
• Washington Blade: Amid concerns the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City may close due the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Gill Foundation announced on Sunday it will match contributions of up to $250,000 to protect the business from closure.
• Twitter: This Dallas-area ‘Karen’ threw a temper tantrum when she was told she had too many items for the Express lane. She also refused (surprise!) to wear the face mask she’s holding in her hand. #smh
Dallas, Texas:
Lovely young Karen throwing a fit over being asked to wear a mask… pic.twitter.com/CnxRFMvMqf
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) June 28, 2020
This made me laugh… 🙂
(image via Instagram)Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunks: It is #BeefDip Bear week in Puerto Vallarta (above) and our favorite PV spot, Mantamar Beach Club, is where the action’s at.
• Advocate: Chicago man arrested for robbing Grindr dates armed with a taser.
• Epoch Times: Cute deaf dog adopts cute deaf guy #DogsRule
• The Wrap: The ratings for Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night were not boffo, down 26% from his first two SOTU addresses.
• Instinct Magazine: The man behind the March on Washington, who helped organized multiple bus boycotts, and served as a mentor/advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. has been posthumously pardoned of his anti-gay arrest charge.
• ABC News: Iowa caucus update – with 86% of precincts reporting, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg had 27% of the vote and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had 25%. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren had 18%, former Vice President Joe Biden had 16% and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar had 12% of the vote.
(graphic via ABC News)
UPI reports that the Newman family of Pennsylvania discovered home security camera footage of a bear exploring their porch and ultimately stealing a box of dog food from mail-order company Chewy.
After sharing the footage with Chewy, which is operated by PetSmart, the company offered to send a replacement box of dog food.
Pride Month includes all of our diverse communities, so I love sharing this music video.
Back in 2013, over 200 “bears” joined together to make guitar-toting Tom Goss’s super-fun music video for “Bears.”
Complete with lots of robust, hirsute men playing with Super Soakers, careening down a slip and slide, and dancing in a club (usually in slow motion), the video celebrates all the furry goodness.
Prominent figures in the “bear” and LGBTQ community star in the film including model and Bear World Magazine’s “Bear of the Month,” Miles Windsor (a.k.a. Lumberjack Bear), Charger Stone (DC Bear Crue), and well-known drag queen, B’Naka.
Aside from his personal tastes (his husband since 2010 is a self-professed Bear), Tom wanted to showcase the diversity of the gay community in a high caliber production.
“We are overrun with images of perfect men, in perfect clothes and perfect bodies, and as a result, many people doubt their self-image,” says Goss. “This video showcases what it means to be beautiful and sexy, regardless of size,” he continues.
Even before it’s formal release, the buzz both online and through the production had already resulted in Goss receiving dozens of emails from men thanking him for boosting their self-image.
All things Tom Goss can be found at his official website here.
