Tag: Youtube

Posted on

Kevin Spacey Drops Another Oddly Unsettling Video

Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey has dropped another oddly unsettling video on his YouTube channel. Tending to a raging fire, Spacey appears to still be inhabiting his ‘Frank Underwood’ character from the Netflix series House of Cards as he addresses the viewer saying, “You didn’t really think I was going to miss the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas, did you?” Noting that he’s happy to “have my health back,” the 60-year-old shares that he’s “made some changes in his life” and he’d like the viewer to join him. “As we walk into 2020, I want to cast my vote for more good in this world,” says Spacey. “Ah yes, I know what you’re thinking – could he be serious?” “I’m dead serious,” he continues. “The next time someone does something you don’t like, you can go on the attack – but you can also hold your fire, and do the unexpected,” advises Spacey. “You can (long dramatic pause)…kill them with kindness.” Cue the creepy, dramatic music as the actor pauses before turning back to his fireplace.

You’ll recall Spacey last shared a similarly odd video during the 2018 holidays, again as his House of Cards persona. At the time, the Oscar winner was facing legal challenges on several fronts. One concerned allegations of sexual harassment of a male teen at a Nantucket restaurant in Massachusetts, but the charges were dropped when the teen asserted his Fifth Amendment rights. In the 2018 video, as he was just days away from being arraigned, he told the viewer, “You wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence, would you? You wouldn’t rush to judgments without facts, would you?” Another case of sexual assault was brought by a masseur in Calfornia but was dismissed when his accuser suddenly died which makes today’s advise to “kill them with kindness” somewhat chilling.

(h/t Boy Culture)

Posted on

News Round-Up: December 19, 2019

Tyler James (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Hottie Tyler James has folks’ safety in mind when he asks, “Anyone need their driveway shoveled?” Is that a euphemism…? • The Hill: The latest Iowa State University–Civiqs poll finds Mayor Pete Buttigieg currently leading the race in Iowa at 24 percent, followed by Sanders at 21 percent, Warren at 18 percent and former Vice President Joe Biden at 15 percent. No other candidate is polling above 4 percent in the survey. • Buzzfeed News: High school students in Missouri responded to Pride flags being handed out by flying the Confederate flag. After the racist flag was removed, the school decided there would be no disciplinary action taken hoping instead to “teach our students to respect each other and to respect different viewpoints on a variety of social issues.” Note – LGBTQ pride is pride; the Confederate flag stands for a war fought to keep slavery. • DListed: The highest-paid YouTuber is an eight-year-old named Ryan Kaji who has earned $26 million this year reviewing toys. • NBC News: Until Wednesday afternoon, the fictional country from the popular 2018 Marvel superhero movie “Black Panther” was listed as a free trade agreement partner of the United States by the USDA’s tariff tracker. • Des Moines Register: An Ames man was sentenced Wednesday to about 16 years in prison after he set fire to a church LGBTQ flag in June. Adolfo Martinez, 30, of Ames, last month was found guilty of a hate crime — a class “D” felony — third-degree harassment and reckless use of fire. • NY Post: While Donald Trump was hunkered down in the White House monitoring impeachment proceedings Wednesday, his predecessor in the Oval Office was hitting the links in Hawaii. Barack Obama — a native of Honolulu — was photographed on the course at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai, O’ahu, playing a round of golf under sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s.

Posted on

News Round-Up: December 13, 2019

Three bearded police officers from Norfolk Police Dept

Three bearded police officers from Norfolk Police Dept
(image via Norfolk Police Department)
Some news items you might have missed: • WSET: The Norfolk Police Department has updated its uniform policy to allow officers to grow a beard and openly display tattoos while on-duty. So, if you see me speeding through Norfolk, you know why 🙂 • The Verge: YouTube announced an expansion of its anti-harassment policy that will ban video creators from insulting individuals or inciting violence against people on the basis of their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation. But will YouTube enforce the new rules? • Bloomberg News: The share of credit card borrowers who are at least 90 days past due on their accounts will probably tick up to 2.01% next year, the highest level since 2010. • KIT212: Kenneth has the low-down on the what’s what happening the gay rags across the country. • Gaily Grind: The Senate voted to confirm homophobic nominee Lawrence VanDyke to serve as a Ninth Circuit appeals court judge, despite being rated as “not qualified” by the American Bar Association (ABA) over concerns of anti-LGBTQ past. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only GOP ‘no’ in a 51-44 vote. • Washington Blade: The Screen Actors Guild has announced the nominees for its 2019 awards presentation, and like the Golden Globes nominations earlier this week, there are multiple nods for projects with LGBTQ-relevant content and performers. • ESPN: Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced Thursday to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players’ association. • Tweet of the Day: After Donald Trump trolled 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg, saying she need to “work on her anger management” and should “chill,” former First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted her encouragement. #GodILoveHer

Posted on

News Round-Up: October 2, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Color me jealous of hottie Max Emerson (above) – after years of snuggling with my bestie Bruno, my two dogs now do not do the snuggle. And I miss it. • Playbill: Actor Joshua Henry, currently starring in the off-Broadway play The Wrong Man, was singing while an audience member in the front row was using a phone. Mid-performance and without halting, the actor, last on Broadway in the revival of Carousel, took the phone and threw it under the risers. The audience applauded his action. • LGBTQ Nation: Three YouTubers tested over 15,000 video titles and say LGBTQ keywords can trigger YouTube’s algorithm to demonetize and hide those videos. • Right Wing Watch: Pro-Trump activist and right-wing commentator Karyn Turk pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for stealing more than $17,000 from her mother’s Social Security, reportedly to pay for her own lavish lifestyle. • KIT212: Kenneth recaps the Q&A by Debbie Harry in New York City on Monday night for her new memoir, Face It. • DC Universe: Deaf, transgender model Chella Man shares the first look at his new role as ‘Jericho Wilson,’ a deaf, bisexual super-hero making his premiere on TITANS.

Posted on

Teen Homophobe Threatens YouTube After Being Booted From Video Site

Soph (screen capture)

A 14-year-old California girl who goes by the name “Soph” had her YouTube account terminated after posting an anti-LGBTQ video on July 31.

The high school freshman had amassed a following of over 800,000 subscribers via anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ commentaries before YouTube removed her account.

In the video that finally got her booted from the streaming video site, titled “Pride and Prejudice,” she mocked LGBTQ people for celebrating Pride Month.

“Unfortunately, as you know, last month was Pride, which meant we all had to endure 30-days of AIDS-carrying pedophile victims patting themselves on their backs for their lifestyles,” said Soph in the video. “I had an especially hard time considering that I live in California where there was a puddle of diseased load waiting for me whenever I dared to step out of my house.”

She went on to tell her audience that LGBTQ people criticize her and call her homophobic as a way to “detract attention away from the rates of STDs and pederasty involving homosexuals.”

The teen apparently laughs all of this off as ‘edgy internet humor.’

Soph also calls Pride a “fudge-packing fest” and tells followers to “make sure to blame me in your manifestos.” The word ‘manifesto’ refers to a kind of document left behind on far-right websites by people like the shooter behind the deadly Christchurch attack in March and the shooter accused of the recent El Paso shooting.

The account was canceled after the teen racked up three Community Guideline violations within 90 days. The Pride-bashing video violated YouTube’s hate speech guidelines.

After YouTube removed the channel, Soph tweeted a photo holding what appeared to be an assault rifle captioned, “YouTube headquarters here I come.”

The tweet was quickly removed. Then the teen wrote, “Gun tweet obviously a joke,” and seemed to ask for payments to her Bitcoin accounts.

This wasn’t Soph’s first ‘joke’ regarding violence and YouTube. In May, she threatened to murder YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki after her account was temporarily suspended and demonetized.

In a video directly addressing the YouTube executive, Soph said, “Susan, I’ve known your address since last summer. I’ve got a Luger and mitochondrial disease. I don’t care if I live. Why should I care if you live or your children? I just called an Uber. You’ve got about seven minutes to draft up a will. … I’m coming for you, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Folks, this is YouTube in 2019.

(source)

Posted on

Max Emerson ‘Goes Down’ On The Titanic

Max Emerson ‘goes down’ on the Titanic

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.

Happy Friday!

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 6, 2019

Mayor Pete Buttigieg and friend

Some news items you might have missed:

• I could not resist this adorable pic of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who encountered this little guy out on the campaign trail. “Even the littlest voices deserve to be heard.”

• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told Democratic leaders that she would rather see Donald Trump defeated for re-election in 2020 and face prosecution after he leaves office. “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison.”

• Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) says as president he would ask the Pentagon review dishonorable discharges of LGB service members received prior to being allowed to serve openly and upgrade them to honorable discharges.

• The Trump Administration has announced a new policy prohibiting government research using fetal tissue. The new policy will severely limit research done on HIV, cancers and more.

• Four U.S. Special Operations troops charged in the death of a Green Beret soldier in Mali plotted to record him being sexually assaulted as part of a plan to embarrass him through hazing.

• After two years of harassing Vox reporter Carlos Maza on YouTube for being gay and Latino – we’re talking hundreds of troll comments, doxing Maza and more – the video site finally took some action towards YouTuber Steven Crowder by ‘demonetizing’ his channels.

They didn’t stop the hater from posting his homophobic campaign against Maza, but at least he can’t make any money from it. (p.s. Maza wasn’t happy with the penalty)

Posted on

YouTube Documentary ‘State Of Pride’ Explores Pride Festivals Across The US

Raymond Braun in ‘State of Pride’

Fifty years after the Stonewall uprising, Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and YouTube personality Raymond Braun travel to diverse communities for an unflinching look at LGBTQ Pride, from the perspective of a younger generation for whom it still has personal urgency.

The results of their efforts is the new YouTube Originals documentary, State of Pride, which explores Pride festivals across the United States, and asks attendees what these events mean to them today?

(images via Michael Fullem/Rogers & Cowen)

Braun makes a point of chatting with some of the younger festival-goers who may be unaware of what “Stonewall” really was and what it meant to our history.

The creators made sure that they visited not only the big city celebrations like in San Francisco, but also smaller, younger events like those in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where organizers are still building their celebrations.

State of Pride is now streaming on YouTube here.

Official poster for ‘State of Pride’ from YouTube Originals

Posted on

Adam Rippon Launches His Own YouTube Channel

Olympic medalist Adam Rippon

Whether you know him from the 2018 Winter Olympics where he scored a bronze medal with the US figure skating team, or as a Dancing with the Stars champ, or his well-publicized sparring with Vice President Mike Pence over LGBTQ issues, Adam Rippon wants you to “get ready for something spectacular.”

The self-described “America’s sweetheart” is launching his own YouTube channel.

Rippon promises “VIP access to his life – on and off the ice.”

Mondays and Fridays will feature “anything ranging from my favorite cat show documentaries to my innermost thoughts on eating good.” Topics like travel, boyfriends, and hot takes on pop culture are all on the table.

And Wednesday’s will feature segments that are part interview and part skating lesson. Titled “Break The Ice,” Rippon will lace up his skates with his famous friends for learning, laughing and, of course, backward twerking.

With a guarantee of that “good old Scranton charm,” the 29-year-old former U.S. National champ says he’ll make it worth your while to tune in. As he admits, “I’ve got the time – I’m retired now.”

To kick things off on the channel, Rippon’s first episode tackles a Twitter ‘Ask Me Anything’ round of questions. The queries range from advice to his younger self, tips on recharging after long travel days, what are his biggest regrets, how beautiful is bff Gus Kenworthy, and more.

Rippon is definitely charming, and he can hold a viewer’s attention. We’ll definitely be tuning in to see what Rippon brings to the YouTube table.

Hit play, readers, and let us know what you think.

Posted on

Dylan O’Brien Gets Matched With A Daddy In ‘Weird City’

The pilot episode offers two men, Stu (Teen Wolf's Dylan O’Brien) and Burt (Modern Family's Ed O’Neill), who are “accidentally” matched up by a dating service algorithm.
Dylan O’Brien and Ed O’Neill in ‘Weird City’

YouTube jumps into the streaming network race with its own new series, Weird City.

The new anthology series (being offered at no charge for now) is reminiscent of Netflix’s dystopian, sci-fi show, Black Mirror.

 The pilot episode offers two men, Stu (Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien) and Burt (Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill), who are “accidentally” matched up by a dating service algorithm.

The two straight men end up in an unlikely romance, but that’s all I’m gonna say.

I really, really liked this. Hit the play button below and watch.

Did I mention I really, really liked this? 🙂