LGBTQ news and entertainment
A gay superspy and his scrappy LGBTQ squad fight to prove themselves to the agency that underestimated them. Today, West Hollywood…tomorrow, the world! Continue reading “Netflix Announces Animated Secret Agent Series Q-FORCE”
Sean Hayes on Seth Rudetsky’s Back to School podcast
L-R Sean Hayes of Will & Grace and Olympian Gus Kenworthy (image via Instagram)
• KIT212: It’s Tennis Tuesday over at Kenneth’s place where he always finds the hottest tennis players to showcase. Last week’s specimen will be pretty hard to top… 🙂 • Washington Post: The Senate Intelligence Committee, a Republican-led panel that has been investigating foreign electoral interference for more than two and a half years, said in blunt language that Russians worked to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton while bolstering Republican Donald Trump — and made clear that fresh rounds of interference are likely ahead of the 2020 vote. • New Music: Halsey drops the music video (nearly a million views in 6 hours) for her single, “Graveyard,” which has already amassed over 65 million streams since its release. The music video, featuring Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, begins in Halsey’s bedroom but evolves into a sweet same-sex romp at a carnival. Stereogum praised “Graveyard” as a “strong pop song about depression and co-dependence” and noted, “Halsey… can sing about stark internal stuff and still make the songs sound like they belong in an arena.”
In this week’s podcast:
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says ‘no’ to LGBTQ activists
• The Mormon Church reverses on LGBTQ parents & children
• Chasten Buttigieg makes a splash in Texas
• Sean Hayes is production a new animated series about a gay super spy
• CNN’s Don Lemon gets engaged
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
Hit the play button below. And if you enjoy the podcast, please share the link with your friends!
Happy Sunday, everyone!
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| Nyle DiMarco |
Some news items you might have missed:
• America’s Next Top Model & Dancing with the Stars champ Nyle DiMarco is asking Instagram “wyd (what you doing) on Valentines?” #MeMePickMe
• Will & Grace star Sean Hayes is set to receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on March 28. The Stephen F. Kolzak prize “is presented to a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting LGBTQ acceptance.”
• State lawmakers in Tennessee may be targeting the LGBTQ community with discriminatory legislation, but the mayor of Nashville just signed an executive order intended to help LGBTQ-owned businesses.
• Movie star Chris Pratt got called out for attending an anti-gay church. So, of course, Ellen DeGeneres couldn’t wait to invite him on her show tweeting, “Whatever @PrattPrattPratt is selling, I’m buying!”
• Donald Trump, the first president in modern times to not have a dog, says he would feel “a little phony” having a dog. With all the lies he tells on a daily basis, having a DOG would make him phony? I’ve always felt if someone doesn’t like dogs, I probably wouldn’t like them.
• Lots of folks come to together to make dance/pop bop, “So Close,” a lively, infectious track.
With Swedish producers NOTD, German DJ Felix Jaehn and vocalist Georgia Ku onboard, plus California remixers Captain Cuts, the resulting collaboration makes for upbeat ear candy. That chorus definitely has some melodic, catchy DNA.
I like the music video, although the camera work gets a bit kinetic for me. Check it out.
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| Scott Icenogle and Sean Hayes (image via Simon & Schuster) |
Will & Grace star Sean Hayes and his husband, composer Scott Icenogle, are thrilled when they get the call to be substitute teachers – of a kids’ ballet class.
The duo are instructed to put the young dancers through their paces in order to get ready for upcoming performances of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker.
But Sean and Scott soon decide that their mission is to share the true story of how the Sugar Plum Fairy got her wings, which just happens to be the subject of their new picture book, PLUM: How The Sugar Plum Fairy Got Her Wings.
It seems Hayes has loved The Nutcracker since he was just a little kid. He recently told Parade, “When I was a kid, I listened to that record over and over and over again.”
“I memorized every note of every instrument, from every song, in the entire ballet,” he adds. Hayes says the ballet’s story with interesting characters, like The Mouse King, was just too ‘trippy’ for him not to love.
So he and hubby Scott set about to create their vision of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s backstory. In their new book, Plum, a young orphan girl, is sent on an adventure to the Land of Sweets by a mysterious magician.
Overcoming obstacles along the way, young Plum eventually finds herself adopted. Not by a king and queen, but by two Kings, Patrick and Christopher.
Of course, the two funny men can’t just ‘release’ a book. There’s got to be a comedic way to share the news, so here’s the intro video for the new book:
Promoting the new children’s book on Good Morning America today, the couple shares that the book is just the latest collaboration between the married couple.
They also produce a popular YouTube channel titled, The Kitchen Sync, which has garnered over 2.4 million views and been seen by more than 250 million people around the world across social media platforms.
One the most popular is their take on the Barbra Streisand holiday track, “Jingle Bells,” which Hayes describes as “one of the funniest things because she sings it like she’s on cocaine.”
Not to disappoint, Hayes and Icenogle offer their newest Christmas lip-sync, costumes and all, for the Good Morning America audience, “I’m Getting Nothing For Christmas.”
Watch below.
And since it is officially the holiday season, let’s check out the full sugar-rush “Jingle Bells” lip-sync video from Sean and Scott:
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| Sean Hayes in ‘Will & Grace’ |
“You are exactly who you are supposed to be.”
You could say that’s one of the ineffable messages of Pride Month.
And underscoring yet again the impact Will & Grace has had on LGBTs and allies alike, this one minute video gets to the center of what has made the show such an enduring success.
Humor with heart.
The newly-released mash-up from the iconic sitcom in honor of Pride Month reminds us why the Will & Grace reboot been an amazing revival for NBC and the LGBT community.
Take, for example, the clip from the latest season between Will and guest star Ben Platt:
Will: “My coming out was pretty typical – my mom cried, my dad drank…”
Ben: “I told my parents when I was 8. They both threw me a coming out party on the same weekend.”
Will: “That’s not a coming out story. How’s James Franco supposed to win an Oscar playing that???”
While it gets a good laugh, the brief scene combines comedy and light with a subject many experienced as painful.
The quick video tribute offers coming out moments from Will and Jack, as well as the infamous “television kiss” between the two dashing urbanites.
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| Eric McCormak (L) and Sean Hayes (R) |
We’re also treated to moments of pride by parents on the show, something most of America had never seen before W&G.
And why? Because as Jack tells us, “That’s what we do in the community – we ‘gay it forward.’”
Because Pride Month isn’t just about a party, or history, or a slogan.
“The minute you forget what we went through to get here, is the minute it could all be taken away.”
Well done, NBC.
Happy Pride, folks.
(h/t The OUTFront)
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| Sean Hayes fills in on ELLEN |
Will & Grace star Sean Hayes filled in for Ellen DeGeneres today as guest-host for her talk show.
Explaining her absence, Hayes shared, “She tripped and fell and is trapped under the weight of her own wallet.” He then admitted, “I really don’t know where she is. I assume Home Depot – that’s where all the lesbians go…?”
Along the way, Hayes reminded the audience that, although he hasn’t hosted a ‘talk show’ before, he does have some experience to draw upon.
“I do know my way around a television stage – I’m on a little show called Will & Grace,” said the sitcom veteran.
“And before that, I was on another show – called Will & Grace.”
“I’ve also been on Broadway. Maybe you’ve heard of the award-winning musical, Hamilton? (Applause) I saw that, too.”
Hayes assured the ELLEN audience that he’s “not going to change” anything in the show, except for that dancing thing.
“I don’t have anything prepared,” says Hayes. “And these shoes aren’t even good for dancing.”
Annnnnd, cue the music.
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| Sean Hayes and Ellen DeGeneres |
Ellen DeGeneres and Will & Grace star Sean Hayes found themselves in a “Battle of the Gays” while arguing about each of their iconic TV shows.
Hayes: “You’ve been on the air for 15 years.”
Ellen: “On this particular show yes, I’ve also done other things in the past. So, Will & Grace, how long now?”
Hayes: “Longer than 15…”
Ellen: “How long was it the first time around before y’all got canceled?”
Hayes: “I think it was longer than your sitcom.”
Ellen: “Yeah, that’s right. I had to come out first for y’all to do that sitcom. Go ahead.”
Very funny stuff. Watch below.
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| Nick Sandell – Photo credit: Frank Marando |
Some news items you may have missed:
• Fitness model (and Randy Report favorite) Nick Sandell shares the news he’s been signed by the legendary Wilhelmina Agency. Gee, can’t imagine why… 😉
• Education Secretary Betsy DeVos won’t commit to banning LGBTQ discrimination in private schools. Is anyone surprised? Show of hands? No? No? Me neither.
• As lawmakers in the Lone Star state continue to consider an anti-trans “bathroom bill,” Texas-based Southwest Airlines gives some push-back by highlighting a transgender employee in new Pride Month video.
• Debra Messing & Sean Hayes together with GLAAD urge folks to join in the upcoming June 11th Pride Marches:
• Speaking of this weekend’s Pride Marches, the organizers of D.C.’s annual Capital Pride parade and festival, plus the Equality March for Unity and Pride on Sunday, say the total number of people participating in D.C. could exceed several hundred thousand.
• Capturing the rebelliousness, the high camp, and the joy of the annual Invasion of the Pines, renowned photographer Susan Kravitz is releasing Mascara, Mirth & Mayhem, a collection of photos and interviews from over 30 years of the annual Fire Island event.
