Bobservations

Programming Note:

As of 5PM EST, I am gone. For the next five weeks, I will be in Oregon helping my Dad recover from surgery. He’s having a new ankle installed and needs several weeks of rehab and until he’s cleared to drive, I’ll be playing Nurse Ratched.

Sadly, and seriously sadly, Carlos cannot come along. He’s filed a claim for disability because of his eyesight and we don’t know when his hearing will be scheduled and so he needs to be in Smallville; plus, the idea of boarding our dog and cats for over a month seemed just too painful, so this is, not for the best, but how it is. I haven’t spent more than a few days away from Carlos and that’s the part that has me most verklempt. But we’ll soldier on, we’ll call several … many ….times per day and may even videochat via Facebook.

I have a few things planned for my absence, but don’t know how much, if any time, I’ll have to read or respond to blogs. So, please, play nice, resist, Vote Blue, speak up, stand up, fight, love.

A few weeks back I posted about LGBTQ straight ally, Cody Barlow, who became internet-famous after decorating his pickup truck in a rainbow flag to show that “not all country boys are bigots.” Well Cody drove his truck in Oklahoma City’s Pride parade recently and shared his experience via Facebook:

“It was truly an honor to be part of the Oklahoma City Pride Parade. I really appreciate the opportunity to support such a wonderful community of people.

I saw people laughing, smiling, and radiating happiness. It was all about expression, love, and supporting others. A beautiful sight.

I was glad to have the opportunity to spend time meeting the people that this had a positive impact on. It gives me a chance to actually shake someone's hand, give them a hug, and feel their emotion when they tell me how this impacted them. Social media is too impersonal, so I like having that human connection when I speak with people.

I apologize if there was anyone that wanted to talk to me, or take pictures, and did not get a chance to. It means a lot to me to try and speak to as many of you as possible. I know it is not easy to tell your stories, especially to a stranger like me, so I appreciate that.

…

Much love to you all!”

As I’ve always said, the march goes on, but it’s nice to see some of our straight allies take us further by truck.

The owners of Plush Daiquiri Bar and Grill in Houston are defending a server who described a customer as a “fat” and “gay” on the customer’s receipt, saying:

“It was just her way of describing him. It wasn’t anything against him or anything personal. It was her way of referencing back who to deliver the food to.”

They said she didn’t realize he would see it and she was disciplined.

Bull.Shiz.

Former GOP congressman and severely self-loathing homosexual Aaron Schock was filmed slipping cash into a go-go dancer’s tiny briefs in a gay bar in Mexico City.

I need little Miss Hater to go away. We didn’t want her when she was spreading anti-LGBTQ ;legislation around town and we don’t want her now that she’s decided to let us all in on the secret we already knew she’s queer, dear.

Skin care company Nivea has been using ad agency FCB for nearly 100 years until last week when FCB presented a new ad for skin cream that featured two men touching hands. At the mere suggestion of that ad, a senior Nivea executive allegedly said:

“We don’t do gay at Nivea.”

FCB has dropped Nivea as an account.

Note to Nivea: homophobia is bad for your skin. Look in a mirror.

In another case of showing his stupidity,  _____ recently claimed credit for homelessness, describing it as a “phenomenon that started two years ago.”

Two.Years.Ago.

In an interview with Fox News’ Racist Misogynist Pig Tucker Carlson, _____ brought up the issue of homelessness and “filth” in America’s cities in comparison to major Japanese cities:

“It’s very sad. It’s a phenomenon that started two years ago. It’s disgraceful. I’m going to maybe, and I’m looking at it very seriously. We’re doing some other things, as you’ve probably noticed, like some of the very important things we’re doing now.”

He then failed to mention one single important thing he’s doing now, but did say:

“You can’t have what’s happening, where police officers are getting sick just by walking the beat. I mean, they’re actually getting very sick.”

He then failed to cite one single provable instance of an officer getting sick while walking a beat.

He then claimed, again without one single shred of evidence, that he has ended homelessness in DC.

Fuck.Off.

New Summer Shows … New Hot Men …

Top row … the gorgeous Brit Adrian Lester on Starz’ The Rook. Two episodes in, and two episodes of Adrian’s gorgeous backside. I don’t even care what the show is about. Then we have Lincoln Younes on the sudsy Grand Hotel. Typical soap opera, but Lincoln does find time to appear shirtless in most of his scenes; Chris Warren is also in Grand Hotel and is not nearly as shirtless …someone needs to rectify that.

Bottom row … Ronan Raferty is also in The Rook and just oozes sexuality while keeping his clothes on. What? Aldis Hodge is in Showtime’s City on a Hill and is just plain dreamy beefcake. Lastly, Latino Shalim Ortiz smolders on Grand Hotel and was half of a man-on-man kiss on the show, though his character, for now, is not gay. Too bad.

Hopefully that will keep you all satisfied until my return

WTF Nivea? White Purity? Really?

I’ve always been fascinated by advertising; the slogans, the jingles, the little catchphrase that instantly tells you what product is being talked about. And I’ve always been equally fascinated by ignorance and the fact that most people don’t listen when they hear something.

I mean, how else do we explain that Nivea’s new deodorant ad seems marketed solely at the white supremacist in your family?

Nivea—and in case you don’t know, it’s a skin care company from Germany—has a brand new underarm deodorant ad campaign sure to please the Aryan in you:

“WHITE IS PURITY.”

And that photo up top is the photo that the company is using to market their deodorant in ... wait for it, it’s priceless ... the Middle East. To be fair, Nivea pulled the ad when people with brains that fire on more than one cylinder asked the question:

“What the f**k?”

The ad was intended to promote Nivea’s “Invisible for Black and White” deodorant and depicted the back of a woman’s head with long, wavy, dark hair that tumbled over a white robe toward that slogan—in all caps; and a caption on Nivea’s Facebook post read:

“Keep it clean, keep bright. Don’t let anything ruin it, #Invisible.”

Oh, so it was an ad for a deodorant that doesn’t leave marks and residue on colored garments, thereby showing the world that you use deodorant. But then someone in the ad department came up with the slogan ...  “White is Purity..” ... and thought nothing, NOTHING, about it.

Many instantly condemned the ad on social media:

“What the HELL is this? White Purity?”

“Shame, Shame, Shame on you. Fire your marketing person and anyone who approved this ad.”

But others to praise the ad, like a white supremacist group that posted on Nivea’s Facebook page:

“We enthusiastically support this new direction your company is taking. I’m glad we can all agree that #WhiteIsPurity.”

“Nivea has chosen our side and the most liked comments are glorious.”

Naturally, Nivea has issued apology after apology, but it still begs the question: how many people sat in a room and heard, read, and saw, the line, “White is purity” and didn’t bat an eye?

And then there was an earlier, so-called “invisible”, ad on Nivea’s Middle East Facebook page declaring that:

“Black Stays Black. White Stays White.”

Seriously. I’m hoping heads will roll because of this, both at the ad company and at Nivea.