Erasure’s Andy Bell had plenty to say about the duo’s latest release Pop Hits! and the formation of the group in the early 1980’s and the impact of being an openly gay (and HIV+) performer last weekend while DJing at the White Party in Palm Springs, California. Andy made a pit-stop in Los Angeles for an interview with WestHollywood.com while en-route to the dessert oasis and gay party mecca. While he didn’t discuss Erasure’s plans to re-enter the studio at the end of the year to begin work on their new album (scheduled for release in 2010), he did have some great things to say about Erasure:
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Erasure Update
Research/Polling Shows Changing Beliefs
There’s probably no better state in the nation to gauge the current barometer of social conservativism in a large populace than Texas. The state which brought us the worst president in the history of the United States is staunchly Republican and highly conservative in their political ideology and voting behaviors. This is exactly why recent polls, indicating an increasing acceptance towards equality for gays and lesbians is so important in a more national context. In 1985, Houstons business establishment and some of its leading politicians led a successful campaign to overturn its city ordinance that would have protected gay city employees from job discrimination. But now, 24 years later, according to the latest Houston Area Survey, fewer than half of Harris County residents believe homosexuality is morally wrong, 61% believe its an innate characteristic rather than a lifestyle choice, and 43% believe gay marriages should have the same legal status as heterosexual ones up from 32% just two years ago.
Rice University Sociologist Dr. Stephen Klineberg conducts the annual survey. These data show that beliefs about homosexuality and gay and lesbian civil rights issues are changing, even in areas where social conservativism has long had a stronghold. Social science and even nursing-related research has long indicated gay peoples’ “coming out” and being open and honest with their friends, family, and coworkers as a main reason most are changing their viewpoints. The research in my Doctoral Dissertation showed a strong correlation between heterosexuals’ personal relationships with openly gay or lesbian persons and decreased levels of homophobia. Perhaps summarized best by Houston gay rights activist Ray Hill, Its not about what they think about us, its about what we think about us. There is almost no reason in the world for anyone to be closeted any more. (Source: chron.com)
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Fantastic Walk Through Grey Gardens
Saturday saw the premiere of HBO Films Grey Gardens, which detailed the story of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ estranged aunts who turned their backs on being part of the socially elite to live a life in solitude and squalor in a decrepit and decaying mansion in East Hampton throughout most of the 20th Century. The film is a fantastic exemplary of just why HBO continues to show its dominance as the premier subscription cable channel and also highlights the amazing talents of its stars Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore.
Grey Gardens shows how a mother’s influence can have profound and lifelong effects on her daughter and just how powerful issues like self-esteem and self concept can create massive psychopathology among individuals who are intrinsically connected by a stringent codependency unlike any other. The movie intertwines the filming of a documentary about the pair (which really occurred in the early 1970’s) and what unfolds earlier in their lives which ultimately leads to a life that most would look upon in disdain. As I was watching Grey Gardens, I continually found myself in greater and greater disbelief. I judged these individuals’ lives in-terms of missed major life milestones and ultimately concluded their lives were perhaps vain and with very little importance and meaning.
But in the end, we are left knowing that despite the conclusions made about this mother and daughter, nothing is quite as it seems in-terms of their existence and undying love for each other. Each of these women lived for the other. While certainly mental illness and psychological disorders abound and become more obvious as the story unravels, some of the conclusions I made were completely debunked by the time the credits began to roll. Grey Gardens is beautifully photographed with painstaking attention to every minute detail of the estate both at its prime and its demise. And the score couldn’t have been more appropriate and well-orchestrated in the context of the story.
If you missed Grey Gardens, you missed quite an amazing movie that looked like it belonged on the big screen rather than the small. While the story at the root of the film proves shocking, at times frustrating, and even sometimes sad, in the end, it is amazingly moving and was put in the hands of some masterful actors and filmmakers who ensured the film could’ve easily played in megaplexes in wide-release rather than televisions and home-theater systems. Grey Gardens will repeat for the next several weeks on HBO. To check showtimes, visit http://www.hbo.com/films/greygardens/. A DVD release is also scheduled but dates have not been set just yet. This is a great movie and I would highly recommend seeing it so that when it takes home every golden statue from the Golden Globes and Emmys at the end of the year, you’ll be quite familiar with why it is earning its accolades.
The full trailer for Grey Gardens, from HBO Films:
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ragtime Opens in DC
One of the greatest musicals to ever grace the stages of Broadway is making its return at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Ragtime, which I had the privilege of seeing in New York back in 1998, was an amazingly lavish production featuring, at the time, the largest budget and cast of any show in Broadway history. Unfortunately, that led to its untimely and early closing despite winning the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, Best Orchestrations, and Best Featured Actress. Ragtime is a highly respected and loved show and producers have been trying for close to a decade to bring it back to the Big White Way.
The JFK Center production, which opens today (April 18th) and closes on May 17th, marks the first significant step forward for Ragtime‘s return. According to Playbill: “The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ production of the award-winning Stephen Flaherty-Lynn Ahrens-Terrence McNally musical Ragtime begins performances at the Washington, DC, venue April 18. Originally scheduled to play the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater through May 10, the production was recently extended for an additional week of performances through May 17. Opening night remains April 25. Marcia Milgrom Dodge directs and choreographs.”
Ragtime has a compelling story authored by EL Doctorow that highlights a turn-of-the-century classist American society entrenched with racism, genderism, intolerance, and a greedy upper class that exploits the labor of the lower classes for its own power and financial gain. According to Ragtime‘s press notes: “At the start of the 20th century, New York City was for many the land of opportunity. Through a poor Jewish immigrant selling wares on the street, a wealthy Victorian couple offering aid to a runaway, and a Harlem jazz pianist out for justice, that unique brand of American hope runs strong. Together, their stories celebrate the struggle between tradition and independence in pursuit of the American dream.”
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Keep it Up!!!
If you’ve not heard by now “teabagging protests” are being held across the nation by thousands of conservative idealists, angry because President Barack Obama is having to make very tough and expensive fiscal decisions necessary to end the economic disaster caused by George Bush and the Republicans from the previous administration. Calling Obama names like “fascist” and comparing him to Adolph Hitler, these individuals are showing not only their ignorance and stupidity, but also that they are members of an ever-dwindling minority. Obama’s approval ratings have remained quite high, averaging between 55%-59% since March. Senior Political Analyst David Gergen hits the nail on the head in this video clip. As far as I’m concerned…KEEP IT UP!!! As long as the “teabagging” events continue to show just how off-base these fringe conservatives, and largely, Republicans, are, we can all hope the populace will continue to laugh at their ridiculous sentiments.
So Long, Oscar
Longtime boxer and founder of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya announced Tuesday he is retiring from the sport. I’ve always admired De La Hoya for his athleticism, but more importantly, his down-to-earth personality, integrity, and unwillingness to sink to his opponents’ often unsportsmanlike behavior and antics. Fans got an intimate portrayal of Oscar the boxer and person in the last season of HBO’s 24/7, which followed the Golden Boy as he prepared for his fight against Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather showed his disrespect and arrogant attitude by continuously demeaning Oscar both personally and publicly; but De La Hoya never brought himself down to Mayweather’s level.
Unfortunately, he lost that fight in a very close and drawn-out battle. Oscar De La Hoya has won 10 world titles in 6 divisions. But more recently, Oscar has seen his performance decline. He has lost 4 of his last 7 fights and hasn’t beaten a top-contender since Fernando Vargas in 2002. Said De La Hoya, “This is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do. When I can’t do it anymore, when I can’t compete at the highest level, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to the fans, it’s not fair to nobody.” In the end, Oscar’s wife helped him make his decision, saying she made him “realize what life is all about.” Oscar De La Hoya will be missed. But I am sure his promotions company will continue to make an impact on the sport of boxing for some time to come.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
UCF Basketball Lands Michael Jordan’s Son
UCF Basketball is about ready to gain quite a bit of notoriety and spotlight. Marcus Jordan, son of legendary Basketball player Michael Jordan, has committed to the Knights. According to the Orlando Sentinel: “He made his decision based on two criteria,” said Tyrone Slaughter, Jordan’s coach at Whitney Young High in Chicago. “One was the ability to go in and make an immediate impact. He wanted to go in and have an opportunity to play right away at the collegiate level. Secondly, if it was place that he went to on a visit would immediately appeal to him. He immediately felt comfortable during his visit to UCF.” Jordan, a 6-foot-2 and 180-pound senior, made his decision one week after visiting UCF. He is best friends with UCF freshman point guard A.J. Rompza, who played at Whitney Young last season with Jordan. Welcome to UCF Marcus! We look-forward to yout tenure as a Knight!
An Amazing “Ball”
Monday night saw the arrival of Lady GaGa’s World Fame Ball to the House of Blues in Orlando. The show was absolutely incredible and the sold-out crowd was electric! And the three opening acts (Cinema Bazarre, Chester French, and The White Tie Affair) put on a great performance of their own. If you missed this show, you really missed out! And the critics praised Lady GaGa’s performance as well! To read Nick Masuda’s review of World Fame Ball, click this URL:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-lady-gaga-review-040609,0,337083.story
Friday, April 3, 2009
Lady GaGa is An “American Idol”
I am not a fan of American Idol so naturally, I didn’t know the emerging pop sensation Lady GaGa performed last night on the show. Her current release “Poker Face” from her album The Fame is the #1 song in America right now and her performance on Idol was pretty cool. GaGa performed half of the song acoustically while playing the piano and then completed the second half of the song in the more synth-pop version of the single. Lady GaGa has tremendous talent. In addition to writing all of her own music and lyrics, she refuses to lip-synche during live performances (despite the vigorous demands of her choreography). Watching this video definitely made me even more excited for Monday’s World Fame Ball, which many of us are going to see here at House of Blues in Orlando. Here’s the clip: