Bobservations

Carlos and I have an ongoing joke-battle about the kinds of TV shows we each watch. He likes a lot of what I call The Nerd Shows—How It’s Made, Monster Ship, Contact, etc.—while I like dramas and scary shows and what he calls Stupid Tv—like most, but not all, Real Housewives shows. Not that they aren’t all stupid, it’s that I don’t watch all Housewives franchises. New Jersey? Atlanta? Fuhgeddaboudit.

One show we agree on is Jeopardy, and this week, watching an episode, a question in the category ‘Ferdinand’ was this one:

“With a pick axe blow in 1859 Ferdinand de Lesseps began construction of this.”

And I quickly answered:

“The Suez Canal.”

And I was correct. So, I paused the show and said to Carlos:

“You know how I knew that? Well, on one of the Stupid TV shows I watch, way back about ten years ago, was The Real Housewives of New York, and Luann, the Countess de Lesseps was one of the housewives and told the story of how one of her husband’s grandfather built the Suez Canal!

“Not so Stupid TV now is it?”

Sometimes, rarely, but sometimes, Stupid TV is a better educational tool than Nerd TV.

Just sayin’.

I’ve had a crush on actor Tuc Watkins since he was on One Life to Life a hundred years ago, and I find actor Andrew Rannells brilliantly funny and talented.

And I love the fact that these two are a new couple, who’ve announced their Coupledom via social media.

I find them adorable. I find Tuc’s pecs adorable, too.

Speaking of adorable, Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew has received a $1 million offer from adult cam website Cam Soda because Minshew is ALLEGEDLY known for doing his pre-game stretching in a jock strap or nude and Cam Soda would like to film it.

And I’d like to sign up for it.

The day the transcript of _____’s call to the Ukrainian president was released, the White House emailed talking points to allies of the president; talking points meant to show that he isn’t the biggest lying cheating traitor ever.

But, since this is the _____ White House, and shit hits the fan at a record pace, the email was also sent to many, many House Democrats who are set to start an impeachment inquiry.

Seriously? This White House is the hottest mess ever!

I didn’t do an Emmys recap because half the shows that are nominated or win I have never seen because we don’t do Netflix and Hulu and Amazon and whatever other streaming channels exist. And, also, the show as boooooooring, except for this …

Kim Kardastrophe and her sister Kendall Jenner were to present an award and instead, well, this happened: the Category was Reality TV Host and Kim started by saying:

"Our family knows first-hand how truly compelling television comes from real people, just being themselves."

And before Kendall could recite her lines, the audience … laughed.

Kardastrophes. Real TV. Bwahahahahaha. And boy did Kim look confused, while Kendall looked pissed.

I kept backing up the DVR and listening, and laughing, again and again.

Don’t hold your breath that this will turn out the way it’s written, but NBC has acquired a comedy about a gay father and son from writers Nick Lehmann and Matt Hubbard.

This new show, called Like Son, Like Father will center on Nick, an out and proud gay man, who finds himself in the unenviable position of being his newly out father’s gay mentor and roommate.

I won’t hold my breath that the show will run as written because NBC has a history of “straightening” gay characters, as they did a few years ago with Rise, a story inspired by high-school teacher Lou Volpe, who was closeted and eventually came out later in life. In the NBC show they made the character straight because, well, some bullshit reason about stories because, you know, we gays don’t have stories.

Just sayin’ NBC.

Alaska now joins Nevada, South Carolina and Kansas in cancelling the GOP presidential primary in 2020 because they don’t want to annoy, bother, make fun, show the world that some Republicans hate,_____.

So, if you’re a Republican in those states and you want to cast a vote for anyone one else, the GOP is taking your vote away.

How wonderful for you, eh?

Bruno Endler. He’s a Brazilian model with a face to die for … I mean look at that profile!

And Bruno can wear a suit, even a birthday suit, better than anyone else.

And he can rock the briefs. Thanks Bruno, I needed that.

Just sayin'.

I Didn't Say It ...

Robbie Rogers, LA Galaxy soccer player, on his "first time" ... with a girl, and then with a guy:

"First time with a girl was in high school. I think it was my junior year of high school. Still friends. It was actually alright, you know I'm a gay guy. I don't know how she enjoyed it or if she enjoyed it as much as me...First time with a guy was actually not until I was 25, after I came out. Super awkward. I mean, can you imagine dating and hooking up with a guy after your coming out, after 25 years? I'm sure he was like, 'What is going on?' I think I've gotten a little better at doing all that stuff so hopefully those embarrassing moments are over."

He is so adorable and all I could think was, ‘Lucky bitch’ and ‘Lucky dude.’

Tuc Watkins, openly gay actor known for his roles on Desperate Housewives and One Life To Live, on his displeasure with Cam and Mitchell on Modern Family:

"Hmm. I think “Modern Family” is clever, hilarious, even terrifically subtle at times. But, for the most part, I have a hard time laughing at the gay guys. In fact, I kinda cringe. It feels a little bit like the gay equivalent of “blackface.” It doesn’t feel “modern” at all. Sure, people come in all shapes, sizes, etc. So why are we fed such 80s stereotypes every week?"

I see it differently, though; first up, Cam is the diva-acting, show-tune-singing, openly gay football coach while Mitchell is the legal fussbudget.

Hardly stereotypes, really. And when Carlos and I watch it, we actually see ourselves in each of those two characters at different times.

Methinks Tuc had nothing better to do that day.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, to Tuc Watkins’s opinion of Cam and Mitch:

"Sorry you feel that way Tuc. I know lots of guys who are just like Cam and lots of guys who are just like Mitch. We can't be expected to represent every gay person. We can only represent these two people. Also, Mitch is basically a version of me … so I never know how to take it when people say that he is stereotypical. And in defense of Cam, I still can't figure out how a clown and a football coach who also happens to be gay is a stereotype. When all is said and done, it's a family sitcom. I feel our writers do a fantastic job of servicing 11 characters each week in just 22 minutes. I am incredibly proud to play Mitch and I have a lot of pride in our show. As a closeted kid of the 80's I would have loved to have had a show like Modern Family to watch with my parents. It would have meant a lot to me to see who I secretly was reflected on television. TV has come a long way and it continues to forge new ground. I am thrilled with the work that you did on Desperate Housewives. It opened the door for shows like ours and hopefully we can hold that door open for many more shows to follow us. At the end of the day we can't please everyone ... and we shouldn't try to. Kinda just like life, right?"

JTF said it best.

Shonda Rhimes, on the racist Sony emails between Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin, speculating about which movies President Obama might like:

"Calling Sony comments 'racially insensitive remarks' instead of 'racist'? [You] can put a cherry on a pile of sh*t but it don't make it a sundae."

Why is it that the rich and powerful are ‘racially insensitive’ while common folk are racists? Racism is racism no matter the size of your bank account or position in life.

Robbie Rogers, LA Galaxy star, on the decision by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association [FIFA] to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar—two countries with very poor records on LGBT rights:

“I would never pressure anyone into speaking about the issue but it is absolutely insane. If you look at the next few World Cups, they are in places where, if I were to go, I could possibly be imprisoned or beat up or stoned to death. It is pretty ridiculous. There is going to be number of gay fans that will go to watch the sport. Of course there is going to be another gay footballer there. So I think it is an issue that needs to be spoken about and discussed with FIFA because every player should feel safe when they go to a World Cup.”

If a player is not safe in the host country, then that country should not be the host. Plain and simple.

Sidenote: Robbie is dreamy.

Random Musings

So, Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon decided to renew their wedding vows; apparently they have done so each of the five years that they've been married, a la Seal and Heidi Klum--and we know how that worked out.

Still, it's kind of sweet, you know, reaffirming your love and commitment, but ...

And you just knew there had to be a but.

Carey and Cannon renewed their vows at Disneyland in California, and had the entire park shut down for their ceremony. Then they invited "journalists", like Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell, and sold pictures to the magazines of Carey dressed like a princess, Cannon dolled up like Prince Charming, and their two kids in storybook costumes.

So, the question is, is this love or self-promotion? Or, as the cynic in me wonders, is it an attempt to say 'Look at us, we're so in love' when they actually might not be?

Asking for a friend.

Remember when Right Said Fred was 'too sexy for his shirt'? Yeah, well he's got nothing on one Omar Borkan Al Gala. He's too sexy for Saudi Arabia and has been deported for being too hot.

You read that right ... deported for hotness.

It seems that Saudi Arabia was a'scurred of what Omar might do to their women-folk--and perhaps some of their men-folk--and so they ALLEGEDLY had the man kicked out of their country and sent back to Abu Dhabi. 

I have tried to find Omar because I think he's just sexy enough for Smallville.

While we're on the topic of hot men ...

One Life To Life and Desperate Housewives hunk, Tuc Watkins, has officially, and publicly, come out as gay. Though he never hid the fact, he also never spoke of his personal life. Still, the pingpingping of the Gaydar was right this time.

Life imitates art, and vice-versa. When Watkins joined Desperate Housewives as Bob Hunter, one-half of a gay couple--with Kevin Rahm--their storyline included one about adopting a baby.

The plotline hit close to home, because Watkins was going through the same thing--albeit as a single dad--in his real life. He recently welcomed twin sons, Catchen and Curtis, via surrogate.

He said, of being gay and being a father:

"A lot of people at some point in their lives think, 'Am I going to be a parent? Do I want to be a parent?' And when I was young, I knew three things: I knew I was gay, I knew one day I was gonna be a dad, and I knew that Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was going to be the best movie of all time. So far, I've been right about all three."

Hot Funny Gay Daddy.

Congratulations on both events!

On the Broadway front, I smell a bomb of epic proportions. Or, a big smash if craptastic gets butts in seats.

See, ahem, Rocky is going to be a Broadway musical.

This production--which recently premiered in Germany--brings together Tony Award-winning writer Thomas Meehan--The Producers and Hairspray--with composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens--Ragtime--director Alex Timbers--Here Lies Love and the musical-play hybrid Peter and the Starcatcher--with fight choreography by Steven Hoggett--Once--and dance choreography by Kelly Devine--Rock of Ages. That's quite the list of talented folks working on the musical, but I keep thinking one of the big numbers has to be Yo, Adrian and I get a little queasy.

For his part, Sylvester Stallone, who penned the original Rocky and plied him through four sequels, says, “I couldn’t be more proud or more excited about this production and how my original story of Rocky Balboa has been brought to spectacular life onstage.”

Yo, Adrian.

And speaking of Broadway, the four child actresses who rotate in the title role of the Broadway musical Matilda will not be eligible for a joint Tony Award nomination for best actress in a musical this spring.

The decision is noteworthy because it sets aside a precedent that allowed the three teenage boys sharing the lead role in Billy Elliot to be eligible for a joint best actor nomination; and the three did win the Tony.

The producers of Matilda had sought joint eligibility for the four girls--Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro--but, instead of granting the request, the Tony committee announced that the actresses would receive a special award, a Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater, “to recognize their outstanding performances this season.” 

It's a shame that the girls couldn't get the same treatment as the boys.

I think we're going to see The Great Gatsby this weekend. I think it looks amazing, though, for the life of me, why they have a 3D version is beyond me.

But, it's directed by Baz Luhrman, who directed Moulin Rouge so I imagine it will have that same sense of flash.

Speaking of Baz, I have had a wee crush on him since the first time I laid eyes on him and it keeps going and going and going .... The gray hair, that accent.
I am a sucker for a man with an accent.

Texas Governor, and Not Gay, Rick Perry, got his granny pants ion a twist last week when the Sacramento Bee ran a cartoon that showed Perry boasting about booming business in Texas in one frame, than showing an explosion in the next.

The cartoon ran a week after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 14 people in a Texas town and Miss Ricky says she wants an apology from the newspaper on behalf of the town:

"While I will always welcome healthy policy debate, I won't stand for someone mocking the tragic deaths of my fellow Texans and our fellow Americans. Additionally, publishing this on the very day our state and nation paused to honor and mourn those who died only compounds the pain and suffering of the many Texans who lost family and friends in this disaster."

The Bee's editorial page editor, Stuart Leavenworth, responded that the artist, Jack Ohman, "made a strong statement about Gov. Rick Perry's disregard for worker safety, and his attempts to market Texas a place where industries can thrive with few regulations. … It is unfortunate that Gov. Perry, and some on the blogosphere, have attempted to interpret the cartoon as being disrespectful for the victims of this tragedy. As Ohman has made clear on his blog, he has complete empathy for the victims and people living by the plant. … What [Ohman] finds offensive is a governor who would gamble with the lives of families by not pushing for the strongest safety regulations. Perry's letter is an attempt to distract people from that message."

What Ohman showed was not disrespectful to those who died, what he showed was that, if not for Perry’s political dealing, with low taxes and no regulation—the plant that exploded had not been inspected in seven years—this might not have happened.

And he’s right. Miss Ricky should be ashamed of herself.

Miss Ricky is such an asshat. A Texas-sized asshat.

Sometimes I love South Carolina.

We live in "Smallville" which is about forty miles--as the crow flies--from Columbia, the state capital. And this week, in Columbia, a new billboard went up that is causing a stir and some giggles.

The controversial new billboard, by AshleyMadison.com--a dating site, designed for people already in relationships who want to have affairs--features our very own Appalachian Trail Hiking ex-Governor, and current candidate for the House of Representatives, Mark Sanford.

It says "Next Time Use AshleyMadison.com To Find Your Running Mate."

Again, sometimes I love South Carolina.

I didn't watch the Amanda Knox interview on ABC though I saw bits and pieces as it was promo'd to death. And, I didn't really follow the story too closely as her murder trial went down in Italy, so, well, to be honest, I may be wrong but ....

She doesn't seem to have any emotion about the murders--whether she's guilty of them or not. In fact, she seems aloof and detached and, well, not quite truthful.

Just sayin.

Speaking of TV interviews, the other night Piers Morgan interviewed Jason Collins' ex-girlfriend of eight years Carolyn Moos about her reaction to the news that he is gay.

She said: "He actually called this past weekend and we spoke a couple of times on Monday, so it's really fresh in my mind. It's going to be a process, absolutely, and it just takes a lot of perspective, and a lot of understanding, and a lot of open conversation."

Then Morgan asked, "Did he apologize to you?"

Moos replied, "I think he's in the process of taking ownership of the here and now which is actually coming out. That can be very – I assume – overwhelming."

Urn, again, I may be wrong, but why does he need to apologize to her because he's gay? Is it because he kept that secret from her? Perhaps not, because maybe he wasn't ready to face the fact that he was gay and thought being in an opposite-sex relationship would be the thing to do.

Perhaps he thought he was bisexual, and interested in Moos at the time.

And perhaps he was interested in her, but was still working through his own ‘stuff' and didn't know what to say and do.

But he doesn’t owe her an apology the same way a man who dates a woman for eight years, breaks it off and then marries another woman doesn't owe the first woman an apology.

By asking if he apologized, Morgan is playing up some notion that Collins lied, and tricked, Moos into being in a relationship.,

Last I checked she's a grown-assed woman and she made the choice to be there.

Apologize? Never.

Speaking of Jason Collins....TWEET OF THE WEEK: