7 Positive Ways to Get Out of Your Big Gay Rut
- August 17, 2015 - 1:03pm
1. Diversify Your Group of Friends
I’ve never been keen to surround myself by mostly gay friends, yet I see it all time within the gay community, especially those in urban areas – which, of all places, offers the most diversity. The inherent problem with this practice, as you might image (or experience, if you’ve fallen into this trap), is that when everyone has similar interests and tastes and personalities, it makes it hard to feel like an individual who brings value to the group. If I’m talking about you, maybe it’s time to take a break from the Broken Hearts Club and spend an evening or two with a few folks who are vastly different from yourself. You don’t have to give up your gay besties for good, of course, but enjoying conversation and activity with equally fantastic friends who don’t want to yammer on about last night’s Grindr conquest might help put your friendships in better perspective.
2. Self-Impose a Hook-Up App Hiatus
I have a love/hate relationship with Grindr and other hook-up apps, as I’m confident most LGBT people do. On one hand, they help you satisfy those cravings for instant gratification when all goes according to plan, but on the other, they’re a catalyst for feelings of loneliness, self-loathing, and sadness when nothing pans out. Especially when someone in whom you’re interested is being way harsh (no need to be rude, gentlemen!) – and who the hell needs that? If your constant presence on these apps is keeping your head hung low – for reasons that aren’t physically satisfying – take a break and roll your dice in the real world for a while.
3. Ditch the Toxic Bang Buddies
We’ve all had that bedroom buddy, at some point in our lives, who’s always down, always has something negative to say, and, as a result, always tries to bring you to their very unhappy level. If there’s a person in your life currently that fits these characteristics – and it’s adversely affecting your own attitude – you’ve got to cut your losses. Talk to the person first and explain how they’re coming off – maybe they just don’t realize it. But if this is a chronic issue that doesn’t improve, make a clean break and move on with your life. Pessimism begets pessimism, and that’s no way to wake up every day.
4. Give Yourself a Mini Getaway
When I’m at my breaking point, fed up, had enough, I know it’s time for a vacation. It doesn’t have to be a grand getaway or an expensive escape, but a change of scenery is sometimes required. In some cases I like to check into a nearby hotel to veg out and relax while other times I’ll head back to my old stomping grounds to kick it with my homies. If you don’t have that much time to spare, at least set aside a few hours to treat yourself, like with a massage or just silent time at home, for instance. Either way, a mini-getaway helps me put the pressures of life aside for a minute, de-stress, and think of healthy solutions on how to addresses whatever issues I’m experiencing.
5. Reevaluate Your Adult Priorities
What do you want in life – and are you pursuing those goals in a way that doesn’t compromise your integrity, morals, finances or future? It’s easy to get caught up in all the noise of the world – like relationships and careers that are going nowhere, binge drinking and drugs, and lamenting missed opportunities – but, trust me when I tell you, in hindsight it’s all a waste of energy. Considering that, then, why not just skip the BS and focus on what actually matters – your own wellbeing. Learn to love yourself and you’ll be less susceptible to making poor decisions, both personally and professionally.
6. Step Up Your Fitness Game
It’s scientifically proven that exercise makes you feel better, think more positively, and enhances your own body image – the latter of which, whether we like it or not, is helpful in the gay community. Over the past year, I’ve completely transformed my body from a sedentary lump into a tight-and-fit powerhouse with confidence to spare. It’s quite incredible, actually, how your perspective on life changes when you commit to your own health. Winks from sweaty, built boys don’t hurt either.
7. Present Your Best Self in Every Way
Aside from your physical and mental fitness, there are other ways you can boost your self-confidence, including how you dress and how well you keep up your personal hygiene. A fresh haircut can go a long way to help you stand taller, as can a great outfit. Further improve your appearance by keeping facial and body hair trimmed (if that’s what makes you happy), clipping nails, splashing on cologne and tanning safely (I prefer professional spray-on versions). When you greet the world feeling awesome, everyone around you will notice. Play on, playah.
Deep Inside Hollywood:Maggie Smith, Archie, Terence Davies, James Franco
- August 17, 2015 - 12:20pm
Maggie Smith is living in a Van
The Lady in the Van is quite the departure for Maggie Smith. Lately, she’s become more well known than ever for her appearances in the Harry Potter films, her sassy dowager on Downton Abbey, and her cranky retiree in the Marigold Hotel films. In Van, Smith plays Miss Shepherd, a real-life woman who decided to park her van in the driveway of English writer Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The History Boys), and live there. For 15 years. During this time, Bennett simply allowed her to continue doing so – that British politeness at work – and both of their lives were, naturally, altered by the experience. Filmed at the real locations, this idiosyncratic story from Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and almost certainly be hitting theaters around award season. How could it not?
Archie sings again
Let’s say you’re old enough to remember The Archies, the early ’70s fake rock group invented for the animated Saturday morning version of Archie comics. Each episode of the series ended with a song from the “band.” They even had whoppingly popular hit singles such as “Sugar Sugar” and “Jingle Jangle,” very much like the fake live-action TV band, The Partridge Family. Well, writer-director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) remembers it so well that he’s taking the Archies to Broadway in a brand new musical. And who better to describe the action plan than the man himself: “Archie represents a bygone era of America. And like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone. This will be a musical that deals with both those realities in a bright, colorful and slightly demented way.” McKay will write the book, but that’s all the information known at the moment. We assume McKay will include Riverdale’s gay teen Kevin Keller and at least some cameos from Josie and The Pussycats and Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Right? Please?
Davies’ Sunset Song
Veteran gay filmmaker Terence Davies is a master of the quietly intelligent British period film. He has long explored the fate of individuals caught between their desires and duties during England’s shifting historical framework, as in The House of Mirth and The Deep Blue Sea, and the results are always moving. For his latest, Sunset Song, based on the novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, he follows acclaimed Scottish actor Peter Mullan and model/actress Agyness Deyn as they navigate the hardships of rural life in that northernmost U.K. country. The film has its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September and a theatrical release will follow, wherever movies for grown-ups (aka the ones lacking superheroes, robots and dystopian futures) appear near you.
Porn in the U.S.A. with James Franco
David Simon. Know that name? No? Well, he’s the TV genius who created the acclaimed HBO shows The Wire and Treme. And after his latest miniseries, Show Me a Hero, airs on the pay cable channel, he’s got a new project in the works, a pilot for a series currently known as The Deuce. It’s set in the notorious and much-missed Times Square of the 1970s and 80s, a place of vice, sin, drugs and crazy porn theaters that showed X-rated movies round the clock and boasted wild titles on marquees for all to see (they usually included words like “nympho” in case you’re too lazy to chase down Google Images). In other words, it’s going to look amazing. It will also star James Franco, whose presence signifies weirdness and probably some homosexuality. There’s only a pilot order for the moment, but Simon’s relationship and history with HBO tends to point to this going to series. We’re very excited and also somewhat horny now.
Joy Without Judgment: the Bird and the Bee
- August 17, 2015 - 11:53am
Greg Kurstin and Inara George, collectively known as the Bird and the Bee, are standing at the doorway of Webster Hall in New York City, where they’re about to take the stage. Kurstin, 46, raves about the free chocolates he’s about to take full advantage of, and George, 41, will probably have a glass of wine. “I’m the booze bag of the group,” she readily admits.
Best known for their 2006 dance hit “Fucking Boyfriend,” Los Angeles-based Bird and the Bee is on tour to promote their first album in five years, Recreational Love, yet another synthpop pleasure from the duo that will have you wishing you were sipping a summer cocktail in the sun.
You’re about to hit the stage – do you expect there to be a big gay turnout?
Inara George: What we love about our shows is we have people from all over the place, and yeah! I feel like we do have a pretty good gay following.
Greg Kurstin: Hey, we’re happy if anyone shows up! We’ve been away for five years, so we’re just happy that people are still coming out. When you go away for that long, you just hope people remember you.
When in your career were you first aware of a gay following?
Inara: I just had a flashback. I remember having an interview with a gay magazine right after “Fucking Boyfriend” – the dance track version – and thinking, “Oh my god, that’s amazing.” I’ve always felt like the gay community has pretty good taste, so I was obviously excited about it. The Bird and the Bee (in 2007) was the first record where I kind of got it.
What’s the significance of the title of your new album, Recreational Love? What does “recreational love” mean to both of you?
Inara: I came up with the title of the record before I really knew what it was about. I think of it as a play on words: recreational drug / recreational love. As a young woman, I always have the sense that I could have recreational love; for me, it really exists without some emotional attachment.
Greg: (Laughs) I can’t say that I have a lot of recreational love now that I’m married. I’ve definitely done my share of dating, and I’m just happy that I don’t have to date anymore because it’s so nerve-racking. But I’m married, and so it’s like, “Ahh, finally; I don’t have to worry about it.” It was a lot of stress for me! But yeah, the song is a fantasy song in a lot of ways.
Inara: It’s not like that’s what I’m doing anymore; it’s a commentary on how I miss it.
You guys have been making music together for a decade. How does such an enduring relationship influence the music over time?
Greg: We’ve just been good friends for a long time, so I feel like we feel comfortable around each other. It’s great to work with someone who you feel comfortable around, and you can really experiment in the studio and not worry about doing something ridiculous where someone’s gonna judge you. I feel very free with Inara, so we can just explore and try different crazy things. If we wanna do something that’s a funny ’80s love ballad or a disco song or whatever, we can. We can go in any direction and we won’t judge each other because we’re friends.
How does that relationship compare to other female artists you work with, such as Kelly Clarkson or Pink?
Greg: Everyone’s different, but I’m lucky. I’ve narrowed it down to working with only people I do feel comfortable with, that I really do get along with. If I worked with someone and it didn’t feel natural, then we probably wouldn’t work together. With Inara, and because I’m a member of the group, there’s a certain kind of freedom where we can do whatever we want. We don’t have to make a commercial record if we don’t want to. When I work with certain artists, there’s a big label behind it, and I feel like I really need to deliver.
Do you try to separate the sound you bring to Bird and the Bee from other artists you produce?
Greg: Yeah, I definitely consider that and try to keep the Bird and the Bee consistent. When I started doing the Bird and the Bee, I didn’t really have other stuff going on, so I’m very aware of that, and I want the Bird and the Bee to have a special place and a consistent sound. I have to kind of compartmentalize a bit.
Inara, do you have a favorite song that Greg’s produced outside of Bird and the Bee?
Inara: I love that new Beck one he just did… what’s it called again?
Greg: “Dreams.”
Inara: And I love the stuff he did with Sia – it’s amazing. I thought that Christmas record with Kelly Clarkson was really good. He does a lot. I’m always really impressed. It’s funny, when a song comes on the radio, I’m like, “Is this Greg?!” The thing that’s so amazing about Greg is he can be a chameleon and he has so many different styles. Unless you come see him play live, I don’t think anyone quite knows how good of a player he is.
As a gay man, I couldn’t help but read into the line, “I don't care if people stare / People stare at all the wrong things” on “Will You Dance,” as pertaining to the LGBT community. What inspired that?
Inara: I think you’re right about that line. I think the things that are most beautiful, like two gay men together dancing or somebody dancing for just the joy of it or somebody – people stare at all the wrong things. Why aren’t we staring at the homeless person on the street when you walk on by them? The joyful things are sometimes the things that people are most judgmental about.
The title track alludes to the fact that love is a universal human need. It especially struck me given the recent Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. What prompted you to explore the universality of love on that track?
Inara: When I was a 20-year-old girl, there was the prospect of casual love, like you can be so intimate with someone and yet have no idea who they are. I think that was the thing. We all need this love and we all want to end up feeling secure and open. It’s all about pushing against being vulnerable, I suppose.
How often have people confused you for a couple?
Greg: It happens. We’ve been doing interviews for this record and Inara is like, “and we have kids...,” and then she’s like, “...but separately!”
Inara: (Laughs) There was one guy who would not believe us.
Greg: A writer from England was like, “Are you sure?!” We could not convince him we were not a couple!
Obviously you both share a mutual adoration for music. What don’t you have in common, though?
Inara: We’re pretty much like Chip ’n’ Dale.
Greg: You listen to more podcasts than I do! You’re like, “Check out this podcast, check out this podcast!” I have a list of, like, 30 podcasts.
Inara: (Laughs)
Greg: I listen to more music. I think Inara might read more than me?
Inara: No – that’s not true at all. I pretend. I leave all the music stuff up to Greg. I can’t keep up with music today, so I’ve sort of given up. I let Greg keep up with all the current music, and I keep up with all the podcasts!
You notably did a Hall and Oates tribute album called Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates. Who will you cover for Volume II?
Inara: Well… we have decided on one, but we are not telling anyone yet.
Greg: We have to leave the particulars to ourselves. I get a lot of suggestions of things we should cover. We talked about maybe covering different eras, like an ’80s kind of thing or ’70s rock.
Inara: We talk about it a lot.
Greg: We have something in mind. It’s a person, but we don’t want to say who because…
Inara: It doesn’t always work out. But as soon as we have time, then we’ll start on it.
So 20 years from now?
Inara: No! We have a standing date every Friday for a couple of hours.
If you could be any creature apart from a bird and a bee, what would you be?
Inara: I like dragonflies!
Greg: Maybe some sort of bird… a tropical bird…
Inara: The Dragonfly and the Toucan.
Downtime Detox: Healthy Ways to Revive Your Summer Spirit
- August 14, 2015 - 3:53pm
We’re just about halfway through summer, and chances are you’ve worn yourself out – even though you don’t dare show it. Secret’s safe, playboys (and girls). But here are a few healthy ways to recoup and reenergize just in case.
Cut Back on the Booze, Hound
If you have even a smidge of a social life, you can find a shindig just about every weekend during the summer – whether it be at your BFF’s barbecue, hanging by the pool at a friend of a friend’s, or dancing the night away at your favorite club. And what’s a party without a few cocktails, right? The problem is that too much of a good thing will start to take its toll on your body, and fast. Not only will the alcohol and resulting hangover make you sluggish, but you’ll interrupt your normal sleep cycle, make poorer food choices, and likely skip the gym. If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s time to cut back on the booze – or go cold turkey for a week (I did it for four months; it’s not that hard!) – and find more productive activities in which to engage that don’t involve inebriation.
Replace Go, Go, Go With No, No No
Along with all those parties, there’s a million other things you probably enjoy during the summer – like exercising outside, taking the dog on adventures, hitting the beach and shopping summer sales – but every now and then you need to slow down. Life doesn’t have to move a mile a minute from May to September just because it’s warm out. Believe it or not, it’s perfectly acceptable to tell your friends that you won’t be going out for the fourth night in a row. They’ll survive your absence – trust me – and you can enjoy time to yourself catching up on your DVR, reading your magazines, or whatever it is you like to do to unwind when you’re alone. Perv.
Stick to Clean Eating as Best You Can
Personally I find it much harder to eat clean in the summertime than I do the winter because I’m out and about more often. During the winter months, I’m generally nesting at home, and since I cook for myself, I’m able to make healthy choices on a regular basis. Fast-forward to summer and my eating habits get a bit iffy with more junk food thrown in the mix.
Some of that junk is a result of those poor food choices I mentioned as a result of being hungover, but I also find it hard to resist the burgers, hot dogs and other cookout goodies that are readily available most weekends. Because who wants to eat a boring salad when there’s a bacon cheeseburger calling your name? At some point, however – like when your abs start to fade into one summer gut – you’ve got to put down that bag of potato chips and remind yourself that it’s easier (just not tastier) to get laid on a diet of lean protein and produce. What more motivation do you need?
Turn Off the Electronics and Catch More Zs
Studies show that our addiction to technology and electronic devices are negatively affecting our sleep patterns – when we let it. If you’re feeling run down, overwhelmed or like you’re about to implode from social-media overload, turn off your devices for a while. One night won’t kill you, and you can use the disconnect to catch up on some much-needed rest without any pings, whistles or chirps interrupting your nappy time.
Sit Back, Relax, and Listen to Soothing Music
This summer has produced a few hot bangers – tracks from The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, Fetty Wap and Silento are among my faves – but one can take only so much bass pounding their face. When the volume turn up too much, flip the switch and find a new, more demure Spotify station. Create a low-key playlist of smooth jazz; classical summer (look it up!); boutique hotel lounge; or the “Most Chilled Songs Ever,” which, based on the title, should mellow you right out.
Schedule a Massage or a Yoga Class
Now that you’ve successfully reduced your alcohol intake, cut the crap food and had a good night’s sleep, it’s time to purge your body of all those toxins you’ve been filling it with over the past several weeks. One perfect feel-good way to do that is with a massage or a yoga class that’ll help the mind and body come together as one. If you go to a halfway decent gym, yoga classes are likely offered, so check the schedule for a session. As for the massage, well, you can go about that however you’d like, though I’ll always recommend a happy ending.
Smiles for everybody – that’s my motto.
The De-Gaying of Xavier Dolan
- August 14, 2015 - 11:44am
Xavier Dolan is fulminating against the gay tag that typically accompanies his revered art films.
Though indies such as Laurence Anyways, I Killed My Mother and Mommy have earned Dolan substantial queer cred, sexuality-based pigeonholing has been irksome for the 26-year-old cinema prodigy. Surely, however, it hasn’t stopped him from moving beyond those perceived barriers.
His big break is just around the corner: Dolan has two projects in the hopper featuring Hollywood notables. Marion Cotillard is taking on the role of Catherine in Dolan’s It's Only the End of the World, while The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which he’s also directing, attracted Oscar winners Kathy Bates and Susan Sarandon.
But first he’s making his press rounds for Tom at the Farm, an eerie drama centered on a young man (Dolan) asked to keep his sexuality on the DL while staying at his dead lover’s mother’s farm.
Tom at the Farm mingles grief with sexual desire. Why do you think sometimes these two emotions converge, and what drew you to explore that hybrid on screen?
I’m glad you’re bringing that up because I remember on set saying it’s gonna be an extreme mixture of violence and emotion. I feel like when you watch a thriller you are not emotionally stirred – you are anxious or you are scared – and then when you watch an emotional movie, you are rarely scared or freaked out. I saw that it could be an interesting way of approaching a thriller, to combine these emotions, not that I think this film is especially emotionally stirring, but it’s a little morose, a little blue, in the beginning. Characters are indeed grieving, and there are moments of sincere emotions toward the end with the mother. It was all about finding a balance. I think that happened quite organically on set, and it was pretty clear to me when was the right time for which emotion.
There’s a real sexual intensity between Tom and the brother in this film, and this lingering feeling that they’ll get it on.
You know what? It was originally planned as such. We shot a scene, but I feel like in the end it wasn’t what the movie was about. It wasn’t about romance; it was about something else. It was about a theme that is larger than sexual desire, even though it’s cool and, you know, sort of a nice supporting narrative to add tension, but it wasn’t something that needed closure or needed to actually happen for real.
It’s the big tease of the movie. Was that gay / pseudo-straight attraction influenced by any real-life desirability of your own?
(Laughs) I wish! My life is not that exciting. I honestly wish that I had known that sort of barbaric, savage, brutal tension... with such a man... on a farm. But, unfortunately, no; I’m afraid my romances are much more urbane.
Why were you drawn to Tom at the Farm?
I saw the play and the cinematic potential was just very, very obvious. I immediately saw that this could be a very exciting thriller and a very exciting endeavor for me. The story itself was fascinating and very interesting, but then I was excited to explore something new – the newness in everything was what was most appealing.
And it strays from your typical style.
It’s sort of an outcast in the rest of the ensemble. But you know what? I’ve been dreaming about doing another thriller. I really am looking right now.
One of your next projects is The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, starring Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Chastain. Isn’t that like the ultimate gay filmmaker’s dream?
I mean, Kathy Bates, Jessica Chastain, Susan Sarandon – it’s a dream come true. Kathy Bates is just, honestly… who doesn’t love her? She’s an icon. She’s so, so good. Same goes for Susan Sarandon. Both were part of my childhood. And Jessica is literally the first actress who reached out to me and said, “I want to work with you,” and who showed me kindness and generosity in a very surprising and rare way. She is an infinitely kind person and a truly compassionate woman. She is socially engaged. She’s just eloquent and beautiful and, over the past year, a true friend. I’m excited to get to know the other actors I’m about to work with as well as her because obviously I don’t have a relationship with all of them. I don’t know them that well. I know Kit (Harington of Game of Thrones). We’ve hung out a couple of times and he’s a sweetheart, and I’m extremely excited to work with him.
You have two projects with big names on the horizon; aside from John Donovan, you’re directing It’s Only the End of the World with Marion Cotillard. How are you feeling about what lies ahead when it comes to your film career?
I’m very excited. I’m just hoping I can shoot John Donovan like I wish to shoot it in that we’ll be able to bring that movie to life, see it take shape and then share it with the world. The movie speaks again about diversity, and as much as I want to think of it as very commercial and appealing to a broader audience, I’m having a hard time convincing people of that.
You have said that your hope is that the line between “gay” films and non-gay films disappears. With that in mind, how do you feel about Tom at the Farm being touted as a “gay thriller”?
I’m not infinitely pleased. Let’s just try to fathom how a community would react if we’d call it a Jewish trailer or a black thriller. Tags and ghettos are not exactly my speciality.
How do we overcome these labels?
We just drop the word “queer” or “gay” and call it a thriller, that’s basically how we do it. It’s a very, very simple thing to do and we are extremely reluctant to do so. To stress the ghettos and labels and tags to which movies belong – I can hardly imagine what the positive impacts of those gestures of marginalization are. I can hardly imagine how those impacts can be positive. I’m trying to understand what exactly it’s doing to give a movie an award – a queer award – like the queer Palmes. In Cannes you can win a normal Palme and then you can win a gay Palme. The problem with ghettoization is that there are ghettos and we don’t blend in and people are taught to see others as outcasts. The place that queer themes and queer characters should be occupying is not a marginal or an independent place.
It seems that those intrigues can only unfold on the independent scene, but the rest of the world is ready to see gay characters and gay themes on the commercial scene without stressing that they are gay or queer. You know, every once in a while (including) a gay character who isn’t some sort of sassy boss in fashion or annoying first AD on a set or other unimportant gay best friend to the bridesmaid. These tropes stem from a very contrived perception of homosexuality and diversity. With that being said, the problem is obviously much larger than just for LGBT or queer culture – it’s for anything that’s not generally white and anglophone. There is a place out there for difference, but the problem is that there is no place for difference – there is a place. There shouldn’t be a place. There should just be more place.
I’m glad you’re taking such a passionate stand on this issue.
You know, this sort of speech is perceived as homophobic by many, many people, and it’s just exasperating. (People think) you are ashamed about your sexuality and you’re coy about it, and it’s so not what it’s about – it’s that I’m striving for a greater understanding and welcoming and acceptance of new standards of new ways of living. Not only by a community of people who are already convinced – this is about bringing one culture into another one.
The Long, Duff Road
- August 1, 2015 - 1:51pm
“I’m like the dorky kid on the bus who’s like, ‘Hiiii.’”
Wait a minute. Is that you, Lizzie McGuire? Maybe? No.
It’s Hilary Duff, razzing on her cold-ridden, congested-sounding self as she does a nasally nerd impression. And though Duff is known to millennials (and their moms) for originating the dorky Disney icon in 2001 – which, she admits during our interview, has been “torturous” – the 27-year-old is ready to move on. Actually, she’s been ready. It’s the rest of the world that just can’t seem to let Lizzie go.
During an insightful and surprisingly candid conversation, Duff spoke about her career as a whole just hours following June 26’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, which granted full marriage rights to LGBT Americans. The child star-turned-music maker also talked about her latest album, Breathe In. Breathe Out., eight years in the making; the long break she took to find her true self; and not knowing how to be a “totally normal girl who doesn’t give a fuck.”
You’re a longtime ally of the LGBT community, and you also have many gay friends, so you must have been thrilled about the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. What does that momentous moment mean to you?
Oh my gosh. I’m so excited. What a big day. It’s a huge step toward equality. Everyone should be able to be who they are, love who they want and marry who they want. It’s 2015; for us to still have judgment about people being gay is ridiculous, so I can’t believe it’s taken this long. It’s definitely a big day in history, and I’m just so excited.
Considering you’re not feeling well, you probably won’t be celebrating just yet.
Actually, I do have a party happening at my house tonight for my assistant / best friend. We just worked through her birthday during album release week, and I feel so bad, so we’re finally celebrating at my house tonight. But we’ll be celebrating (marriage equality) as well, I’m sure. It definitely deserves a big toast. Do you have a partner?
I don’t have a partner, no. Is being on Tinder key to finding “the one”? Perhaps you can give me some dating advice. What are Hilary Duff’s tips for finding a husband?
(Laughs) Obviously, I haven’t been so lucky. No – I don’t know. I would not, uh – I would not go with me on Tinder. I don’t know! God. Geez. Maybe the right thing will be in the air tonight.
Lately you’ve been a Tinder enthusiast; have you experienced Grindr?
Well, I haven’t physically actually experienced it, like I don’t have it on my phone or anything, but it’s basically the same thing as Tinder, right? I know because my makeup artist, who’s one of my best friends, has used Grindr a lot and he’s told me all about it. I get to hear all the stories.
And what are those stories?
(Laughs) I mean, I don’t wanna put him on blast. You know what’s crazy is, I feel like you guys hook up a lot more freely. I don’t know if that’s just me because I’m a little more cautious, I guess. I don’t know what it’s like to be a totally normal girl who doesn’t give a fuck about anything.
Because of your celebrity status?
I think so, yeah. And also, I’m a mom and I’ve always been a relationship girl. I’m always surprised when he’s like, “Yeah, I was just in France and I met a dude on Grindr and went over to his house,” and like, they got it done. I’m so fascinated by it.
Are you still on Tinder?
I’m not still using it. It was really fun for me for a minute; I wanted to experience something totally normal and also shock people. No one thought I was really on it – and I _was_ really on it! So I integrated that into my video (for “Sparks”) and showed a side of me that’s really real, really normal. I strive for normalcy in my life every day.
Do your gay friends ever set you up?
Not so much. We go out a lot together, but honestly, when I go out I’m not on the prowl. I just wanna go out and have a good time, and a lot of times I feel like having someone I don’t know around would interfere with that. I only have a certain amount of time to enjoy myself.
What’s a good night for you?
Being with four or five really good friends that all know each other, so we all have a lot in common. Laughing a lot, having a few drinks and maybe dancing a little bit. Having a good meal. A lot of times we go to the Hollywood Bowl – that’s always a good time for me. There’s something about that place that’s magic.
Speaking of venues, will you be touring for this record? It’s been too long.
Yes, I will tour. It took me so long to make my record because it wasn’t where it needed to be. When I started making the record, I wasn’t like, “I have to get it out at this time”; I was like, “It’s gotta be right – after seven years, why be in a rush now?”
Halfway through the process of making my record I signed onto the show Younger (on TV Land) and that was really good for me because I think it helped get me out of – you know when you just need to shake it up? I was terrified. My son had just started school and obviously I was going through a separation and I was like, “I can’t just up and continue work,” and then I was like, “Actually, I can and I’m going to.” This is a great project, and I love New York and it was really good for me. I put a pause on the record and then came back to it after Christmas; it was a great thing for me. It helped turn the record into a proper direction, so now _Younger_ got picked up for a second season. I’ll shoot from September until December and then I’ll tour after Christmas.
A world tour?
I think it’ll be a world tour. I don’t know if I can set it up like how I used to for five months at a time. Obviously my child is my number one priority, but I think I can do a month at a time and then come back and then go back out for a month. And it’ll have to be a world tour because some of my biggest markets are in South America and Australia and Asia, so we’ll see. No promises, but that’s what I want to happen.
Your 3-year-old son, Luca, is so cute, by the way.
He’s naked right now and covered in tattoos.
If he were to come out to you one day, what would you tell him?
Oh my gosh. I would be so accepting. I just had a long conversation with one of my adult friends who has grown children who are about to go off to college, and he’s like, “I haven’t really had this conversation yet,” and I’m like, “You better do it now because if a kid doesn’t feel accepted by his family, and they’re getting ready to move into a new town, it will just create a divide. He’ll go find his life and you won’t be a part of that. He’ll go find where he is accepted.”
Ah, it could almost make me cry. I feel like... that must be such a lonely place if you don’t feel accepted by your family. I can’t imagine. So, 100 percent, I feel like I would notice all the signs and be the first one to bring it up if I had to, and I would want him to wholeheartedly be himself and know that that was accepted by me.
What advice do you have for youth who want to pursue showbiz?
Honestly, I don’t know. It’s a really hard road, to be honest. To make a transition from that is… I feel like even more so now than it was, your youth is totally taken away. You see these girls dressing like they’re 20 when they’re 14. With Instagram and all this – it’s a youth-sucker. Being 14 in 2015 is intense. I don’t know what I would’ve been like if I had all those outlets to pay attention to and all that babble shit. It’s kind of scary. It scares me raising my kid.
The industry is very fickle, and you just do what you can and know that all this stuff doesn’t mean anything. I mean, obviously, appreciate the opportunities and work hard, but there’s so much more to life. This industry is a tough one to crack, but then I look at someone like Miley, and as crazy as people might think the whole thing is, I commend her. She’s so wholeheartedly being herself and is unapologetic about that and she’s doing a great job.
By just being herself, she’s become an idol for the queer community. She loves who she loves unapologetically, and that’s a huge statement, don’t you think?
Yeah, I do. And she’s wickedly talented, so there’s that. As much as people wanna hate on her for wearing this or doing that or whatever it is people hate on her for, I think she gets the last laugh. At the end of the day, her talent backs it all up. I don’t always relate to everything that she’s doing, but I love that she’s unapologetically herself.
Your show, Younger, revolves around a single mom who realizes the effect age has on starting a new career. But how about maintaining a career, because you started young. You’ve been in this business for more than half your life. From your own experience, what is it like to maintain relevancy in an ever-changing business like show business?
Yeah, gosh. There is no secret code that works, as lovely as that would be. I think I have a few things working in my favor. As torturous as it has been at some points in my life to be Lizzie McGuire, I think that when that show came out, it was such a part of who I was, I didn’t feel like I was playing a part. The writers all knew me so well and were writing things that were happening in my life and things that I would say, and I was dressing exactly like I wanted. It was so me.
For whatever reason, that show grabbed people at a time in their life when they really needed her or related to her, so obviously I think I got a lot of fans from that who followed me into my music career. I’ve always been a very open and reachable person for them to relate to, but that’s one thing that has really tied us together and why I’ve kept fans for such a long time who have really followed my career and stuck by me and grown up with me.
In what regard was being Lizzie McGuire “torturous”?
I don’t think during the filming it was torturous. I loved it during the filming. I just didn’t know what a success the show was gonna be, and after that – four years, five years after that – and I was still Lizzie McGuire to people and that was super annoying. Now it’s not. I don’t care now. I’m grateful for it.
What would Lizzie be like now as an adult?
She’d be pretty rad. She would have stayed in school a little bit longer, and I feel like she’d be a sous chef or working at an architectural firm trying to make her way up but still fucking up at all times. (Laughs) I feel like she’d be cool – she wasn’t always a nerd! She was just, like, a nice girl. I feel like she’d still be that same way, but I think she would be getting drunk and doing normal things that everybody does.
Is getting drunk a normal thing you do?
Yeah, on occasion, of course. You gotta let your hair down every once in a while.
After Lizzie McGuire, was it hard to make the next move? Is it still hard to make the next move?
It is hard. Instead of me trying to calculate how to do it and how to be successful at it – a lot of people chose different ways than I did, like Lindsay Lohan and the Olsen twins and even Miley Cyrus – I just chose to bow out for a minute.
Why bow out?
I really needed it personally. I grew up in the spotlight and on tour and with everyone just knowing me and knowing me a certain way. At some point I was like, “I don’t even know if I’m that person anymore, and I don’t even have the time to figure that out.” I was just making records and touring and making movies, and then doing it all over again. I basically did a cycle of that four times, and by the end of it, I was like, “I’m done. I don’t enjoy this anymore. I’m not who I wanna be.”
So, I just took a break. Everyone thought I was just absolutely nuts because I was really successful and making a lot of money. And it _was_ scary, because there was no guarantee that my career was still gonna be there. I think, personally, it was very healthy, and I’m proud of where I am now. My new record being top 5 on Billboard after working on it for eight years – I’m proud of that. I don’t need to be No. 1. I need to just do things that fulfill me and make me happy and hopefully connect with people at a certain level.
Desperation is a dangerous road, isn’t it?
Yeah. And having a child, too, puts a lot into perspective. I’m definitely grateful to still have a spot, and I wanna be an actress too and do a show. I can’t be where I used to be. I just have to be who I am now and be grateful for that. It’s good. I’m happy.
Hey Mickey, You Do Hair So Fine
- July 30, 2015 - 1:47pm
Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish might be the washed-up star of her own show, but it’s her trusty hairdresser, Mickey Deane, who makes her look like one.
For two seasons of HBO’s sharp reality-show satire, The Comeback, Mickey Deane, played by Robert Michael Morris, has endured the plights of humiliation right alongside Valerie herself – all in the name of friendship. From season one’s cupcake fiasco to Val’s tasteless improv riffs after his cancer diagnosis during the second installment, the manny-pack-wearing Mickey’s seen it all… and, well, so has “Red,” as he affectionately calls her. She once walked in on him in bed, sprawled out, naked.
As the entire 21-episode series (so far) hits DVD, the Kentucky-born Morris phoned to chat about how that emotional finale was “all in Lisa’s eyes,” his former career as an English teacher and why he decided to bare his butt during the show. And no, he doesn’t do hair.
I just watched the season two finale for probably the 15th time. I can’t shake it. Those last few minutes are some of the most brilliant minutes in television history. What was the vibe of the cast during the finale shoot?
Well, I was away for most of it. The hospital scene – they were shooting other stuff, but I was just waiting in the hospital bed, so for me it was very easy. Just lie there! (Laughs) We didn’t wrap that last scene until 4:20 that morning, so it was quite late in the day. I keep using the word “honest,” and that’s the thing I always appreciated about the show. It seemed to me to always be so honest, and the relationship between Lisa and I really crystallized in that last moment.
That’s true. By the end of the second season, Valerie realized what really mattered.
Oh, she always realized it. It’s like you can’t walk away from a sick child, and when Mickey, who had always been with her forever – 25 years longer than her marriage – seeing him on his way out became the priority for her. I have got to get to him. I have got to get to him. When she gets there and finds out it was the medication and he’s just a frightened mess in the bed – and she’s comforting him for a change – it really revealed the depth of their relationship. A lot of times we skate on the surface, and it’s only when the rubber hits the road that you can plumb the depths of what it is.
Nothing has been confirmed regarding a third season of the show. And seeing it took nearly 10 years for a second season, it could be that long before we see a third. Did the uncertainty of the show’s future make shooting this past season emotional?
Oh, I don’t think that played into it – it certainly didn’t play into it for me. You hear actors say a lot of times they have to be in the moment, and if you’re playing something for effect, it rings false. HBO has always loved the show and they were incredibly supportive of this show. Well, the current HBO people. I think the first HBO person – whomever he was – didn’t get it. It was also, at that time, the only show that HBO had where there was a female lead. They were all male leads. And (the show) is about the business, which for them was uncomfortable.
I feel pretty confident in saying that there is gonna be a third season. There will be a third one, I’m almost positive. Lisa has already said in many interviews there will be, and (co-creator) Michael (Patrick King) has said there will be, and HBO has said we’re leaving the door open. It takes a while to write something of quality, and I think that’s what they’re doing now. But they know what they want. Michael said to me, “We wanna make sure the next time is something worthwhile, that it’s something that will be what people wanna see about Valerie.” Lisa’s already said, “I’m not done with that character.” I don’t know where she can go: Oscar? Tony?!
You must have been over the moon when Lisa recently received an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
Oh, I was thrilled to death! I emailed her right away and she got right back to me and said, “Thank you.” But this gives you an idea of the kind woman she is: She said, “...however, it’s bittersweet because they overlooked two other Michaels.” She’s a neat lady.
How would you like to see the relationship between Valerie and Mickey evolve during a potential third season?
Oh, I don’t know. She’s seen me bleeding, she’s seen me naked, she’s seen me laid out on a hospital bed scared out of my mind. It can only go up from there!
When your character was first developed, how did you find the Mickey that we came to know by the end of the second season?
I know that Michael and Lisa did not want a screaming stereotype. Mickey was just a human being and he didn’t think of himself as gay. Remember in the first episode he says to her before he went to the restaurant, “Did you tell Juna I was gay?” Now anybody with half a brain – or Stevie Wonder who can’t see – knew he was flittin’ around. But he was just being him, so he couldn’t imagine why Juna would think that he was gay. And the look on Lisa’s face – her take on that was, I thought, masterful. So he finally decides by the end of that season to come out, and he’s a little long in the tooth to be coming out, but he decided to come out. He brings his boyfriend Robert to the party and kisses him on national television – or on the reality show, anyway – and Lisa’s only comment is, “Well, that’s out of the way.”
Can you elaborate on exploring Mickey’s sexuality during the series?
I think it’s a common thing – well, maybe not common, but it’s not so extraordinary that men who do have a sexual preference for men don’t believe anybody knows. I’ve heard stories of people who were major celebrity types who like to crossdress but they don’t think anybody knows it. I mean, what exactly makes somebody gay? Now they’re all saying it’s the way you talk. Other people say it’s the way you walk. In high school, one of my dearest friends was effeminate, and effeminacy is not the same as being gay. In fact, there was a marvelous Saturday Night Live skit with Dana Carvey where his kids all thought he was gay because he liked to do interior decoration and arrange flowers, and maybe he had a bit of a stereotypical speech pattern, but his own children thought he was gay, and he wasn’t.
It’s a very complicated issue, and what I liked about it (on the show) was that they didn’t want the same kind of approach to it that is often used. Right away it goes to the humor and not necessarily truth. Then after he comes out or announces on the show that, in fact, he is (gay), I think there’s a kind of freedom in him, but you’ll notice he doesn’t noticeably change. He doesn’t start wearing loud colors. I mean, he really likes jewelry, but what’s wrong with a little personal adornment?
In what ways are you and Mickey alike?
Well, I do like wearing jewelry, although I go through phases. (Laughs) A lot of the jewelry that was used in the show was mine. I brought it all in. In fact, as we started doing the show, I bought a lot of stuff on eBay.
Do people expect you to know a lot about hair?
Yes, they do… and I don’t! I ran three college drama departments, and I was always pretty much a one-man band, so I had to learn how to do everything. I had to learn how to sew – not well, but at straight seaming I’m a whiz. And I don’t really know fabrics that well – I’m not really a tailor. I also had to learn how to do wigs. A lot of Mickey is based on some people that I know who were hairdressers who helped me out when I was teaching college. When we first started the show, I would sit and watch Lisa’s hairdresser style and do her wig for her. I watched what he did and I just tried to do that without screwing up what he had done. I think actors observe. You have to watch people, and I think you have to know what you’re doing or it rings false. I take it as a great compliment that people think I was or am a hairdresser, but it couldn’t be further from the truth!
Have you ever worked with a Valerie Cherish type?
No; most of my life, I was primarily a teacher. I taught for over 25 years. I had no intention of doing show business because I had done very little television. I did one under-5 (a character who has fewer than five lines of dialogue) for All My Children so long ago that Erica Kane still had her communion money, but I was working there after the teaching thing ended. I was working for my brother and Michael King called me on September 19 – I remember the date – and he said, “I’m working on a show with Lisa Kudrow, and there’s a part I think you would be really right for.”
You see, I had known Michael for a long, long time, and my brother would always say to me, “Why doesn’t he get you on Sex and the City?!” I said, “Look, I would never ask a friend for anything like that. To me, a friendship is more important than a job. He knows what I can do and when he can, he’ll do something.” And I told that to Michael. He said, “Oh, I could’ve used you, but it would’ve been a one-shot deal. I wanted to wait for something with more substance.” So I went to the audition for The Comeback and then the call back and, to my surprise, I was hired. It was my first audition in Los Angeles; I hadn’t worked with anyone else. This is really my TV baptism.
Looking back at the show’s two seasons, what scenes that you shared with Lisa stand out most to you? I mean, aside from that naked scene where your behind is on full display – because I imagine that’s a real highlight!
(Laughs) I said one time in a meeting, “Everybody thinks that he’s a bottom anyway, so that makes perfect sense to me.” That’s what people think being gay is all about. “Top or bottom? Which one are you?”
But let’s see. I always love her when she’s befuddled, when you can see her mind racing, like, “What do I do? How do I make this work?” And then, of course, that last scene I really love. And that’s all Michael and Lisa, I must tell you. They know what they want and everything is in Lisa’s eyes. When she looks at you, she’s bare. She’s a very, very honest performer.
How did that help you connect with her during that final hospital scene?
There would be no scene if that wasn’t there. I remember one time someone asked Meryl Streep that (same question) when she did Sophie’s Choice and she said it was always in Kevin (Kline) and Peter MacNicol’s eyes – that’s where she got her performance. And I think that’s true for me – it was all in Lisa’s eyes. You’ll notice, if you watch it for the 16th time, because there are no cameras around, she’s not performing. To me, it was an amazing thing.
Clea DuVall, Luke Evans, Grace Jones, 'Rainbow Family'
- July 30, 2015 - 1:30pm
Clea DuVall in the director’s chair
Lesbian fan favorite Clea DuVall, star of Argo, American Horror Story and, back in the day, the queer indie cult hit But I’m A Cheerleader, is stepping into a new role: director. She’ll take the reins for an untitled feature film currently in pre-production. The cast is set – Melanie Lynskey (Togetherness), Natasha Lyonne (Orange is The New Black, and DuVall’s Cheerleader co-star), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) and Cobie Smulders (Avengers) – and apparently so is the original script, written by DuVall, but nobody’s talking about that just yet. That’s right, fanticipators, no title and no plot details, the way they did it before the Internet spoiled everything all day long. You’ll just have to wait. Unless you’re down with Hollywood’s power-lesbian In Crowd, that is; they probably know all about it by now.
Luke Evans: The gay action star
Here come three new Luke Evans movies, Three Seconds, High Rise and SAS: Red Notice. Unsurprisingly, they are all action thrillers about one crime or another, with co-stars like David Oyelowo, Tom Hiddleston and Elisabeth Moss. That’s where this rising star lives, usually, in the land of The Fast and the Furious films and big action spectacles like The Hobbit movies. But what makes Evans unusual is that he’s navigating action film stardom as a gay actor. You may remember him as the actor who was totally out of the closet, then shoved back in by weird marketing/publicity folks, and who is now kinda-sorta re-emerging from that bizarre moment. Either way, it’s fairly unprecedented for any openly gay actors to continue being cast as top-tier talent in the tough-guy action genre, so this man with a lot on his plate is something of a pioneer, no matter how PR-challenged his journey has been. The three films are in various stages of production, so look for them sometime in 2016, around the moment when his turn as Gaston in the live-action version of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast hits theaters. Yes, the tough guy sings, too.
Grace Jones: Silent film star
“We had faces,” said Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, describing her long-ago glory days as a silent film siren. Well, they still have them, but silent films – The Artist, notwithstanding – aren’t exactly on anyone’s green-light agenda in 2015. This makes it the perfect time for a film like Gutterdammerung to stand alone in the spotlight. Already being referred to as the “loudest silent movie on Earth,” it’s a project from Belgian-Swedish director Bjorn Tagemose and will be scored with some very loud rock music, but no talking. It’s about Satan’s guitar, naturally, and it will star Iggy Pop as a punk-rock angel, Henry Rollins as a priest, and Jesse Hughes from indie band Eagles of Death Metal. The film will also feature towering, glowering, gay icon Grace Jones – speaking of giving good face – as a supernatural entity that controls all the testosterone in the rock ’n’ roll world. Perfect casting. We can’t wait.
Rainbow Family: Deep Inside Banned Chinese Hollywood
Usually, we like to keep you informed about what’s coming soon. But sometimes projects – gay sitcoms from China, for example – don’t have a lot of buzz surrounding them until they hit and make a noise heard round the world. That’s what’s happening with Rainbow Family, China’s first sitcom focusing almost entirely on gay characters (Think broad comedy like Will & Grace, but in Mandarin). It’s about a young, closeted, gay man in graduate school (actor Xie Kezan), his “flamboyant” roommate, and his best queer friends. Sounds groundbreaking, right? Well, it is, which is why the Chinese government banned it from TV. Now, if this were 20 years ago, everyone would be out of luck and the entire project would become a hard-to-find urban legend. But because of the magical invention called the Internet, the series (with helpful English subtitles) has earned over 24 million views online, censorship be damned. To quote the song, you can’t stop the beat. Go check it out and beef up those numbers.
Backyard Box Office: Screen These Essential Summer Movies From Your Outdoor Theater
- July 30, 2015 - 1:20pm
There are few things more enchanting, relaxing and memorable than private movie screenings in your own backyard. This summer, skip the blockbusters playing at the multiplex and keep it simple with a projector-and-screen setup showing one of these essential summer classics.
The Setup:
There are outdoor TVs that you can permanently install on your patio – however a bit pricey – or you can kick it old school with a professional projector and screen available at your local electronics retailer, like Best Buy, or online at Amazon. You can skip the screen altogether and hang a white sheet on which to screen the movie, and in lieu of a projector you can turn your smartphone into a home cinema for as low as $1 using online resources.
The Snacks:
I prefer fresh-popped corn – from a machine, not the microwave (the former is just as quick as the latter, by the way) – and theater-style candy to nosh on during my summer movies. Your local convenient store will carry boxes of the good stuff for $1 or less, or you can stop by a nearby warehouse club if you have a membership and pick up bulk candy for as close to wholesale as you can get. Sharing is caring, after all.
The Movies:
Jaws
There’s still something in the water – and it’s still scary as hell. Especially if you’re on the East Coast this summer.
Wet Hot American Summer
Critically panned upon its release in 2001, Wet Hot American Summer has somewhat of a cult following – so much so that Netflix debuted a series based on the film on July 31. Plus, Bradley Cooper and Michael Ian Black bang – just in case you needed more convincing.
An American Summer
So few people have seen An American Summer, starring a very young Brian Austin Green and my adolescent crush Michael Landes, that there’s no Wiki page or Rotten Tomatoes rating for it. But there are shirtless dudes, and beggars can’t be choosy.
Summer School
All you slackers out there will rejoice in (or resent?) reminiscing about your summer days spent in class. Though I doubt it went down anything like it did under Mr. Shoop’s watch.
The Sandlot
There wasn’t a kid in the ’90s who didn’t want to be part of this team of baseball-playing misfits. Equally, we all had nightmares about “the Beast,” too.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
A worthy entry in the teen-slasher renaissance of the late 1990s, I Know What You Did Last Summer made us look at fishermen and Ryan Phillippe’s abs in a whole new light.
The Endless Summer
This seminal surf documentary put South Africa’s Cape St. Francis on the map, and subsequently earned a place in cinema history when the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
The Parent Trap
The Hayley Mills original – not the one with that little red-haired girl.
Dirty Dancing
Nobody puts Baby in a corner. Except a shirtless and sweaty Patrick Swayze.
American Graffiti
This 1973 coming-of-age dramedy asks, “Where were you in ’62?” Hopefully having the summer of your life like this crew.
Stand By Me
Be honest – how long were you afraid of leeches after seeing this for the first time?
National Lampoon’s Vacation
Clark: Can I do your back, honey?
Ellen: I’ve already done my back.
Clark: Could I do your front?
Ellen: Go do your own front.
Do the Right Thing
Brooklyn was burning hot in the summer of 1989, and racial tensions were high. Spike Lee’s joint is just as relevant today as it was a quarter-century ago.
The Broken Hearts Club
The first gay film I saw, and it made me feel like there was place in the world for me. It also introduced me to “Meanwhile…” and the beauty that is Andrew Keegan.
Grease
Danny and Sandy go together with summer like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.
Back to the Future
This film mostly takes place in November 1955, but it was the biggest blockbuster of summer 1985. Today it’s a summer staple of free outdoor movie screenings in communities across the country.
The Goonies
Mikey and Bran were cute enough, but bad-boy Troy could get it.
Dazed and Confused
Frankly, it baffles me how much my pothead friends know about this stoner comedy starring a young Matthew McConaughey.
The Great Outdoors
Bats, bears and the Old 96’er (plus hilarious turns by John Candy and Dan Aykroyd) make this raucous-but-mixed-reviewed comedy deserving of a spot on this list.
Summer Rental
John Candy sure knew how to bring the laughs to a summer vacation. Even with the worst. sunburn. ever.
American Pie 2
Though not as refreshing as its predecessor, at least we get some man-on-man make-out action in this still-comical sequel.
Friday the 13th
It was a warning to us all: Never mess with a momma’s boy.
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
An entire summer without any parental supervision? My house probably would’ve been burned to the ground, but we’d have had a blast.
Weekend at Bernie’s
Basically me on the beach on a hungover Sunday. #Dead
Independence Day
Widely considered the best entry in the alien-invasion genre. It made Will Smith a movie star and Harry Connick Jr. a heartthrob.
Boy II Man
- July 27, 2015 - 3:44pm
The falsetto is gone.
When Boy George sings now, a rich tone resounds. He refers to it as “the voice of experience.”
The voice, once fluttery and high, can be traced back to the early ’80s by way of a long, glittery trail that George blazed as the front man for Culture Club. The band formed in 1981, at the onset of a second, MTV-aided British invasion, and the foursome turned out a treasure trove of sonic gold, most notably “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”
Within a few years of their emergence, Culture Club was a bona fide act of great significance. Instantly, they became the first band since The Beatles with three songs from their debut album, 1982’s Kissing to be Clever, to reach the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. And it wasn’t just music they were influencing.
It was fashion. It was politics. It was gender. It was the queer community as a whole.
Now, Culture Club is back. After more than 12 years apart, the original members of Culture Club are reuniting for a tour and their forthcoming LP, Tribes, their first album together since 1999’s Don’t Mind If I Do.
George, 54, recently rang to sound off on a smorgasbord of topics: Culture Club nostalgia, the Madonna vs. Lady Gaga rivalry, his massive hat collection and the lack of any pop star “stand outs.”
Why is now the right time for Culture Club to reunite?
The idea first started about four years ago. With all the different management, and just so many complications, it’s taken this long to actually get everybody together. When I suggested it four years ago it seemed like a really simple idea; it turned out to be quite complicated! (Laughs)
Now we’ve gotten into rehearsing, and we recently did Today, although we didn’t have Jon (Moss) there, but it was our first live thing together in a while. The thing about Culture Club, but also just bands in general: The fun is always the playing and the recording and the writing. It’s the other stuff that’s kind of boring.
Culture Club makes the most sense when we’re on stage and concentrating on what we’re doing musically. (The tour is) gonna be interesting. It’s as much a surprise for me, but obviously, we know there’s a lot of affection out there for what we are collectively.
Do people expect you to be the same band you were 20 years ago? Are you still the same band?
I don’t think anybody expects me to be what I was 20 years ago. If they do, they’re deluded. (Laughs) I’ve never spoken to anybody who said, “You’re nothing like you were 20 years ago.” There are some people in the world who believe you could be suspended in animation, I think (laughs), but we all get older and we all develop. And, in fact, I think I’m a very different performer. I actually prefer what I do now.
Why is that?
I like the noise that I make now because I feel like I’ve earned it. I feel it’s a voice of experience. I feel I’m more connected to what I do. Vocally and emotionally I’m more connected to my life, full stop, and I’m kind of happy with who I am.
There’s always room for improvement, of course, but I don’t have the sort of insecurities that I had when I was a younger man. People say to me, “You were so confident!” I probably appeared confident but, perhaps underneath, I wasn’t. I think life is about growing into yourself, accepting who you are and maybe having a better relationship with who you are, sort of liking yourself, and I think I’m closer now than I’ve ever been.
How long did it take you to reach that point?
It takes a long time to get there, but you know, some people just don’t get there. And I don’t know how you get there, and I don’t know how you know you’re there, but you operate with a sense of peace. In life, it’s very easy to do what you’ve always done. It’s very easy to slip back into bad attitudes, bad habits and personality traits.
Speaking of bad habits, you’ve been very vocal in discussing your drug and alcohol use early on in your life. These days, what’s the wildest you get? What’s a typical night for you like now?
Obviously I don’t think of those past things as being wild days – I just think of them as being quite negative. I was talking about this last night at dinner. I think what you learn as you get older, if you’re smart, is that the joy is in the mundane things – the small things, like being with your family, taking a walk, having coffee with friends, having meals with friends, good company. It’s like that saying, “the devil is in the detail” – sometimes I have the most fun when I’m just walking around with no set plans. Because there’s so many special effects in my life in terms of the career thing and traveling and all of that kind of excitement, I counterbalance it with sheer ordinariness in a way, and that’s where I have the most fun sometimes.
How did your signature look come to involve hats?
Going to clubs as a kid, we were always trying to over-exaggerate our look – a hat is definitely a way of over-exaggerating an outfit! Back then I was sometimes doing a kind of Carmen Miranda thing (laughs) and wearing a turban. It was just basically plundering every kind of theatrical idea you could imagine, and hats – I just love hats. Hats have to wear you. You can’t buy somebody a hat because that’s like buying somebody a haircut.
How many hats would you say you have?
I have quite a few that I can’t wear anymore because they’re damaged, but I refuse to let them go. (Laughs) I have about 40 wearable ones, and I’m always adding new hats to the collection.
You must have a hat room.
They’re scattered around. Also: They’re a really good thing to give to auctions. People are always asking me for things for charity, so I’m always giving them to people to sell.
How many different hats do you wear on stage?
At the moment I’ve got a few that I’m gonna try out. The thing about stage costumes is, they seem like a great idea until you put them on. Trying to dance around in them in the heat – the hat makes that decision for you. But I’ve got some quite fierce looks for this tour, and I’m gonna up the ante. I think it’s quite important, because at the moment everybody looks like everybody else. Everybody in a band seems like they’re in the audience. You look at a band on stage and you say, “Oh, it’s really nice that they’re on stage and they’ve wore their gym clothes to the gig.” (Laughs) There aren’t really many artists – just a lot of backroom boys pretending to be artists. A lot of producers who become pop stars. But there really aren’t many artists around or anybody that stands out. It’s a weird time for pop culture, and I suppose you can only measure current pop culture by what it was like when you were doing your thing. So, I’m always gonna measure it by what I’ve grown up with: David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Prince, Madonna… Of course I’m gonna measure it by that, and I don’t see any of that around at the moment. I mean, Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna – they’re working a bit of a hot look. More the girls.
What do you think it says about the current state of the music industry that Gaga ended up toning down her image?
Actually, what I think is interesting about Lady Gaga is she’s an incredible theatrical vocalist. She has a whole Judy Garland / Liza Minnelli thing going on, and I’m actually more of a fan of what’s she’s doing now than… I mean, I loved what she did in the beginning. It was great. I remember seeing her on TV and thinking, “What’s she got on now?!” (Laughs) But in terms of her musicality, what she’s doing now is amazing.
I was in bed a few months ago – I had to get up really early the next day – and there was an advertisement for Gaga and Tony Bennett. There was a show on TV and I said, “Well, I’ll watch a bit of it and then I’ll go to sleep.” I ended up watching the whole thing and being gobsmacked by how great she was.
How fair are the comparisons to Madonna?
I’m not saying this to diss Madonna at all – I mean, Madonna doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone; she’s Madonna! – but I really felt all those comparisons were a bit stupid. Of course someone like Lady Gaga, who’s younger than Madonna, is gonna be influenced by Madonna. It’s a complete compliment. That’s how you have to view it. Whenever I see anybody working a look that I might’ve had back in the day – I’ve done it. Why do I need to get upset about it?
As someone who’s always stood for gender fluidity and gender expression, what are your feelings on Caitlyn Jenner?
I think it’s amazing, but there are a lot of other people being overlooked, like Candis Cayne. Caitlyn Jenner is getting the limelight because of the Kardashians, but there are a lot of people who have made that transition – her transition – possible.
I feel in a way we’re starting to, in part, live in a world I always wanted to live in. When I started my career, I was very naive. I wanted to change the world. I wanted to live in a world where it didn’t really matter if someone was gay or straight, transsexual, lesbian, whatever – and we’re certainly getting closer in some areas.
You gotta remember that myself and Caitlyn Jenner live in a celebrity bubble to a certain extent, and there are different rules in that celebrity bubble. But I think it’s great. I think it’s always wonderful when someone is allowed to be who they wanna be no matter how long it takes. I think that’s a beautiful thing to watch. When I saw that interview with Diane Sawyer, I was quite tearful.
I have to say, though: There’s a daisy chain of people who affected change long before I was around, like Oscar Wilde and Quentin Crisp. There are people no one knows about from the Victorian time. I’m always kind of coming across drag queens and Bohemians who were around 100 years ago who were a part of that daisy chain. So, I think it’s amazing that we’re edging toward the kind of liberalism that I always dreamed of.