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Viral Sensation Trevor Moran This Week on HEY QWEEN w/ Jonny McGovern

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Viral apple-store-dancing sensation turned Youtube success Trevor Moran stops by the Hey Qween studio the week to spill the T on everything youtube, coming out and his upcoming music ventures. 

Since his emergence on the social media and online video formats, Moran has carved out a successful career finding success through X-factor before moving on to making his own music.

P.S. the adorably talented Erickatoure is in the house with some pretty cute and funny beats.

Check out the first part HERE:

Watch the 2nd part HERE:

The post Viral Sensation Trevor Moran This Week on HEY QWEEN w/ Jonny McGovern appeared first on The WOW Report.


HONEY! The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For Is HERE! Watch The “Will & Grace” Revival Trailer HERE!

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It’s happening, it’s really happening!

Try to make it through this trailer without being flooded with tears. NBC has finally released the Will & Grace revival trailer and let me tell you, we’re SO excited about it!

The trailer focuses on Eric McCormack trying to convince Debra Messing to become “Grace” all over again, and trust us, you wanna watch the whole thing.

Understandably having reservations, Will-Eric takes the stunning redhead to visit the set of Will & Grace and coincidentally you hear small chimes of the opening titles…

They arrive to discover Karen (Megan Mullally) had never left the set and Jack (Sean Hayes) is renting out the studio to a young boy-toy.

Finally, the group plays up with camp factor by performing “As If We Never Said Goodbye“. Reminiscing ensues as the leads begin to sing together, Jack puts Codine in Karen’s martini, Karen takes a jab at Grace’s outfit, and the stars promise the revival will be even better than the original series.

While the trailer isn’t necessarily a real trailer, it definitely promises nothing but happiness, nostalgia, and new storylines. I can’t wait until the Fall when the new season premieres!

Check out the trailer below!

The post HONEY! The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For Is HERE! Watch The “Will & Grace” Revival Trailer HERE! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Wendy Williams Raves About ‘Menendez: Blood Brothers’ On Her Show! Watch HERE!

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Are you excited about Menendez: Blood Brothers too?

Our awesome true-crime Lifetime movie Menendez: Blood Brothers is premiering on June 11 at 8/7c and it’s going to be here before you know it. Seriously, it’s already May 15! We’re less than one month away, folks.

Obviously, we’re really excited to premiere the film to the world, but you know who else is thrilled about the upcoming #MenendezBrothers movie?

Wendy Williams.

Yep, the talk-show queen herself took some time to discuss the film, starring Courtney LoveBenito MartinezNico Tortorella, and Myko Olivier, and turns out she’s anticipating June 11 just as much as we are!

Check out Wendy discuss her thoughts (it starts at 14:52!) and watch a sneak peak below!

Menendez: Blood Brothers airs on June 11 at 8/7c on Lifetime. Will you be watching alongside us and the incredible Wendy Williams?

P.S. Just in case you missed them, posted a BUNCH of new stills from the #MenendezBrothers film featuring all the stars! Check them out!

The post Wendy Williams Raves About ‘Menendez: Blood Brothers’ On Her Show! Watch HERE! appeared first on The WOW Report.

#ManCrushMonday: Writer, Jon Favreau

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I am talking about Jon Favreau, the svelte, handsome speechwriter, not Jon Favreau, the more substantial actor/filmmaker known for Swingers (1996), Chef (2014) or Iron Man (2008). It’s not a familiar name, so how crazy is that there are two of them in the spotlight?

Today’s Man Crush, Favreau, was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, to parents of Greek descent. He graduated in 2003 from The College Of The Holy Cross College with a degree in political science. In college, he was chairman of the College Democrats, plus he studied classical piano. In 2001, Favreau worked with Habitat For Humanity. In 2002, he helped establish a program in Boston to help unemployed people improve their resumes and interview skills, and interned for Senator John Kerry.

He joined Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign soon after graduation from Holy Cross. His job was to put together audio clips of talk radio shows for the Kerry camp to review for the next day. When the Kerry campaign began to falter at one point, they found themselves without a speechwriter, and Favreau was promoted to deputy speechwriter. Following Kerry’s defeat, Favreau became disillusioned with politics, and was uncertain with what he would do next.

But, Favreau met then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, who was running for the Senate, backstage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention as Obama was rehearsing his keynote address. 23-year-old Favreau, interrupted Obama’s rehearsal. He advised Obama to do a rewrite. That speech turned out to be one of the most famous in political history.

In 2005, he began working for Obama in his United States Senate office, and then became the chief speechwriter on Obama’s Presidential campaign in 2007.

Obama was not really interested in Favreau’s resume and instead questioned him on what motivated him to work in politics, and his theory of writing. Favrau:

 “A speech can broaden the circle of people who care about this stuff. How do you say to the average person that’s been hurting: ‘I hear you, I’m there?’ Even though you’ve been so disappointed and cynical about politics in the past, and with good reason, we can move in the right direction. Just give me a chance.”

Favreau was the primary writer of Obama’s inauguration address on January 20, 2009. Favreau spent weeks on his research. He interviewed historians and speechwriters, studied periods of crisis, and listened to past inaugural speeches. He wrote the final draft in a Starbucks near The White House. It was the most amazing inaugural speech since John F. Kennedy.

After Obama became POTUS, Favreau was appointed Assistant To The President, and he wasn’t even his son-in-law. He was also named Director Of Speechwriting. He became the youngest chief White House speechwriter ever.

At the time Favreau was dating actor Rashida Jones.

After the election of Ivanka’s daddy in November, Favreau co-founded Crooked Media, which produces the podcast Pod Save America, taking on clickbait, fake news, and whatever Trump is tweeting about:

“We promise a no-bullshit conversation about politics where you can laugh, cry, scream, ridicule us daily, share your ideas, and hopefully decide that you want to help fix this mess too. That goes for Democrats who want to learn from our party’s mistakes (which is hard because things are so perfect), Republicans ready to hold Trump accountable (fingers crossed on that one!), and everybody, everywhere who’s been asking the same question: What do we do now?”

Here he is talking about that single time we showered together at a DC gym

Favreau also writes for the Daily Beast.

In the wake of the Republican’s new, ironically titled American Health Care Act, Favreau coined the term “wealthcare”.

Favreau was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine, GQ’s 50 Most Powerful People In D.C, on Vanity Fair Magazine’s Next Establishment List, and he was featured in People Magazine’s World’s Most Beautiful People issue.

Just so you know, Favreau’s nickname is “Favs”, and he is afraid of flying.

Favreau has said that he is done in DC politics, stating:

“Anything else after Obama would be anticlimactic. Maybe I’ll write a screenplay, or maybe a fiction book based loosely on what all of this was like. You had a bunch of kids working on this campaign together, and it was such a mix of the serious and momentous and just the silly ways that we are. For people in my generation, it was an unbelievable way to grow up.”

“Trump:

1) Profited off of 9/11

2) Rooted for the housing crash

3) Ran a fraudulent university

4) Sued for tax dodging

5) Is a dick”

 

Do we think Favreau is a total dreamboat?

 

The post #ManCrushMonday: Writer, Jon Favreau appeared first on The WOW Report.

Harry Styles Opens Up About His Sexuality By Not Really Opening Up About His Sexuality

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Harry Styles, my oh my, do we love you.

Have you had a chance to listen to the self titled debut album by Harry Styles yet? Jesus, what are you waiting for? It’s basically perfection. We’ll wait.

Now that you’ve listened and you’re a bonafide Harry Styles superfan, we can discuss the most important thing ever — his sexuality. Just kidding, it’s most definitely not the most important thing, but for fans of the crooner it’s pretty important.

During an interview with The Sun the former One Direction singer opened up about his sexual orientation by not opening up about it.

Wait, what? He explained:

“It’s weird for me – everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”

When pressed even further about specifically labeling his sexuality, Harry said:

“No, I’ve never felt the need to really. No. I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself.”

You go, Harry Styles!

The focus, of course, should be on the music and the 23-year-old is doing a great job keeping it that way. Well, that combined with the fact that the debut album is freaking amazing and you’ll wanna listen to it on repeat all week. But, that’s besides the point. Obviously.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that Harry wouldn’t comment on other artists opening up. When asked about Miley Cyrus labeling herself as pansexual, he celebrated her decision.

“Being in a creative field, it’s important to be progressive. People doing stuff like that is great.”

In all honesty, we love both of these artists, so whether they’re up for being open or don’t feel like it’s something that should be discussed, the music speaks for itself.

From Harry Styles’ debut album to Miley Cyrus’s new single Malibu, both singers are our musical obsessions of the week and we love them regardless of whether they discuss their sexuality or not.

The post Harry Styles Opens Up About His Sexuality By Not Really Opening Up About His Sexuality appeared first on The WOW Report.

Watch The World Burn: Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information To Russians

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Will this be what brings Trump down?

Fingers crossed, because this is a pretty serious offense. But, let’s be real, the Republicans have been letting worse stuff happen without batting an eye so… yeah.

Anyway, the 45th President of the United States met with Russian officials the other day and do you know what he did? Groveled at their feet? Probably. Ate chocolate cake? Probably. Was confused about foreign relations and how the world works? Probably.

You know what else he did? Revealed HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the Russian foreign minister and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. in their meeting last week.

THIS. IS. NOT. NORMAL.

According to The Washington Post, sources told them that in the meeting with Russian officials last week, Trump revealed highly classified information while bragging about the intel he receives.

A source explained to The Post:

“I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,” the president said, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange.”

They then continued:

“The information the president relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said.

The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trump’s decision to do so endangers cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency.

“This is code-word information,” said a U.S. official familiar with the matter, using terminology that refers to one of the highest classification levels used by American spy agencies. Trump “revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.”

Oh, okay. Great. Can he be impeached yet? Can the Republicans stop being complicit and take action against the ridiculous clown that’s in office who is risking national security so that he can brag about himself?

For more information on the developing story, head on over to The Washington Post’s coverage of their breaking news, CNN‘s coverage of the story, or, like, anywhere but Fox News who most definitely will not be talking about this terrible story because, ugh.

[Image via Donald J. Trump Twitter.]

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Official Trailer Premiere: These Ladies Can’t Act, So They Decide To ‘GLOW’

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Have you seen the unconventional GLOW Trailer?!

Anything that Jenji Kohan touches I know I’ll be hypnotized by, so let’s all get excited for her newest series coming to Netflix… GLOW.

The official description for GLOW, honestly, speaks for itself:

“Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the 80s, GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women’s wrestling.

In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin), a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture perfect life turns out not to be what it seems.

At the wheel is Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling super stardom.”

Seriously though, as if Orange Is The New Black isn’t my favorite Summer binge, and I still regularly re-watch Weeds episodes, this is definitely going to be my and everyone I know’s next big show. The trailer speaks for itself, but here’s some highlights for your viewing pleasure.

Kohan’s not-so-subtle with her shade on the Reagan Administration.

GLOW has the diversity everyone’s been craving for!

And the #GirlPower we’re all dying for in TV!

We’re immediately set up with a rivalry, so now that Feud is over – looks like we’ll have another to dive into!

Leading Lady, Alison Brie, is also married to Dave Franco – can we all sit in a prayer circle for a nude cameo from him?!

I know Jenji won’t deny us of the EPIC rap battles at the beginning of each GLOW episode!

Check out the FULL trailer for GLOW below:

Don’t forget to watch GLOW on Netflix starting Friday, June 23rd. 

The post Official Trailer Premiere: These Ladies Can’t Act, So They Decide To ‘GLOW’ appeared first on The WOW Report.

May 16th: It’s YOUR Birthday, Bitch!


#BornThisDay: Liberace

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May 16, 1919Wladziu Valentino Liberace:

“You know that bank I used to cry all the way to? Well, I bought it.”

Here is the craziest part: The Husband and I briefly lived in Las Vegas in 1980 (long story), and even nuttier, we didn’t have an automobile. I would actually walk in the 100 degree heat to the theatre where I was in rehearsal. There were no sidewalks. It was just me and the lizards. My route took me right by The Liberace Museum. I always glanced in and I savored the camp factor, but somehow I never actually went in.

Overheard on the Portland MAX Train:

Older Gay Guy: “That guy is so gay.”

Other Gay Guy: “Totally gay.”

Older Gay Guy: “Liberace gay.”

Ironic, Liberace spent his lifetime hiding the truth and denying being gay right to the very end.

Liberace was a household name for decades, but if today’s baby gays have any interest in him now, it is simply as a distant curiosity. But, Liberace was an international superstar starting back in the early 1950s. His averaged income was $5 million a year for more than 35 years. In the 1970s, the Guinness Book Of World Records named Liberace as the world’s highest paid musician.

Liberace was born in a Milwaukee suburb to poor parents. He was classically trained on the piano as a youth. He made his concert debut as a soloist at just 11 years old. As a teenager during The Great Depression, he played piano in speakeasies to make money for his family.

In 1940, Liberace moved to NYC. His charisma and piano playing skills paid off. Within a few years he was touring the hotel lounge circuit. His tale might have ended there, except that Las Vegas and the new medium of television discovered Liberace’s considerable charms. By the early 1950s he had begun playing extended runs in Las Vegas when the city was just a small cluster of hotels and casinos. He appeared at the showrooms in the casinos regularly for the rest of his life. As Las Vegas grew, so did Liberace’s fame. Las Vegas is a place built on fantasy, superficiality and unbridled spending, Liberace’s very essence. Las Vegas and Liberace both proved the same adage: “Nothing Succeeds Like Excess”.

Liberace’s appearances on television cemented his superstar status. He had a weekly variety series, the imaginatively titled The Liberace Show (1952-1969), where he would play his elaborate piano, sing, dance a little, praise his mother Frances who was always in the audience, and make jokes about the show’s band leader, his brother George Liberace. The show was a huge hit, carried by more stations than I Love Lucy.

In 1954, the year I was born, Liberace played to capacity crowds at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl. In 1955 he opened at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas with a salary of $50,000 per week, becoming the city’s highest paid entertainer. He bought lavish mansions, remodeled them extravagantly and filled them with ornate pianos, antiques, and rococo furniture. He installed a piano shaped swimming pool.

Liberace’s musical repertoire included a unique mix of classical, film themes, cocktail jazz and sentimental ballads. He knew thousands of songs and could play almost any request from the audience. He would edit his classical pieces to just less than 5 minutes:

“I took out the boring parts. I know just how many notes my audience will stand for. If there’s any time left over, I fill in with a lot of runs up and down the scale.”

Liberace commissioned more elaborate costumes for his shows as the years went by. Eventually he was spending $50,000 each season on bigger, nuttier, ever more opulent costumes. He wore a cape made with $60,000 worth of chinchilla, a tuxedo embedded with diamonds spelling out his name, and a King Neptune costume covered in pearls and sea shells weighing 200 pounds. He had large rings shaped like a candelabra and a grand piano, each studded with diamonds. He was the Elton John of his time.

At Home with Lee

To the act, Liberace added showgirls, jugglers, singers, giant water fountains, light shows, a full orchestra, even an elephant. He flew above the stage from a cable wearing a feathered cape. He toured with a grand piano covered with thousands of glittering mirror tiles. A pre-Funny Girl Barbra Streisand became his opening act. How gay is that?

Liberace emphatically denied his gayness throughout his long career. He evidently thought that coming out of the closet would hurt his popularity. His female fans simply refused to recognize the obvious. In 1957, Confidential Magazine featured the headline: “Why Liberace’s Theme Song Should Be ‘Mad About The Boy’!” Gossip rags frequently implied that he was a homo. He successfully sued two publications that attempted to out him. He had a series of “beards” including our beloved Betty White.

Liberace’s denials finally unraveled when he was sued for palimony in 1983 by his “chauffeur” Scott Thorson who had been living with Liberace for years. Liberace had Thorson on the payroll, dressed him up like himself, and paid for plastic surgery to have Thorson look like a young Liberace. Even this bizarre scandal didn’t put a dent in Liberace’s popularity. The case was eventually settled out of court for less than $100,000.

With Thorson

Liberace was at the apex of his career in the mid-1980s. At Radio City Music Hall he had three extended engagements. From 1984-86 he sold out 56 shows in a row. He called the Radio City shows: “The fulfillment of a dream & the culmination of my 40 years in show business”.

Liberace’s fortune continued to grow. He owned houses all over the world and had all of his clothes made especially for him. He even had the front of a Rolls Royce attached to the back of a VW Beetle so he could drive both of his favorite cars at once.

Liberace was in a steady relationship with Jamie Wyatt when the world was introduced to the “gay plague”. It has never been clear when Liberace discovered that he was HIV+, probably early on, possibly as early as 1985.

In the press, he attributed his sudden weight loss to the popular “watermelon diet”. After a final tour to promote his new book, The Things I Love, Liberace became seriously sick. He spent four days in the hospital, but he decided to go home and leave this world comfortably surrounded by all his opulent stuff. He spent his last days at home with his 27 dogs, watching episodes of The Golden Girls. With his family and partner by his side, Liberace took that final bow in early 1987. Only then did the world acknowledge his secret life and his illness.

Liberace lived a life of high showmanship and utter flamboyance. Even in his own era he wasn’t hip and irony was not his shtick, but now his existence embodies the very idea. His fervor for everything fabulous and his considerable talent touched the hearts of his legion of mostly female fans. He did influence many other artists from Elvis Presley to Adam Lambert. Liberace is absolute proof that being fabulous can be a life unto itself.

Steven Soderbergh‘s film version of the Liberace/Scott Thorson story, Behind The Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, made for HBO, was easily one of my favorite films of 2013. I give it a strong A on The Steve Report Card. I strongly believed that Damon’s ass deserved an Emmy Award. When I saw it, I was in a place where I was ready for just a little sparkle in my life.

The post #BornThisDay: Liberace appeared first on The WOW Report.

LOOK AT HUH | Youtube Sensation Trevor Moran on HEY QWEEN

Casting News: Zac Efron Goes for His Oscar As Serial Killer Ted Bundy in Upcoming Movie

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Zac Efron plays against type (OR DOES HE?) in the upcoming independent drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in which he channels serial killer Ted Bundy.

The project follows the dysfunctional relationship between Bundy and his long-time girlfriend Liz. Bundy, a killer and rapist of young girls and women, was executed in Florida in 1989.

“I have been trying to work with Zac Efron for a long time,” says producer Nicolas Chartier said. “From his dramatic turn in ‘Paperboy’ to his hilarious performance in ‘Neighbors,’ he continues to impress audiences and critics alike with his extraordinary versatility and range. We couldn’t be more excited to see him in this amazing role.”

(via Variety; Photo: Photo: Pacific Coast News)

 

 

The post Casting News: Zac Efron Goes for His Oscar As Serial Killer Ted Bundy in Upcoming Movie appeared first on The WOW Report.

Cutie-Patootie “Flash” Star Keiynan Lonsdale Comes Out as Bisexual

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#BisexualRepresentaion

Keiynan Lonsdale, who plays the heart-tugglingly adorable Kid Flash on the CW series The Flash, just came out as bisexual in an Instagram post over the weekend.

“I like to change my hair, I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, & I like guys (yes), I like growing, I like learning, I like who I am and I really like who I’m becoming.” He added that he’s tired “of being insecure, ashamed and scared.”

“No one should feel like that about themselves, especially when there is so much good life to live.”

He later followed up on Twitter, thanking fans for their support and saying:

“Nothing better than happy tears,” he tweeted. “The love is beyond measurable, thank you. Don’t forget to give that same love back to yourselves.”

Read the full Instagram post below:

I like to change my hair, I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, & I like guys (yes), I like growing, I like learning, I like who I am and I really like who I’m becoming. Spent way too many years hating myself, thinking I was less valuable because I was different.. which is just untrue. A couple years ago I was able to accept myself, & it saved my life, but now I’ve gotten to a new road block & I feel kind of lost. I gotta take the next step & actually embrace who I am, which is pretty exciting. Not faking shit anymore, not apologising for falling in love with people no matter their gender. I’ve become bored of being insecure, ashamed, scared… no one should feel like that about themselves, especially when there is so much good life to live. Ya know more & more I see so many young people being their best / truest selves, it’s fucking inspiring… so what have I been waiting for!? Who knows. Everyone in their own time. I hope we can all learn to embrace who we are & not judge people who aren’t exactly the same as us. The truth is we are all family, we’re all one. Just love. Keiy. ❤

A post shared by Keiynan Lonsdale 🥀 (@keiynanlonsdale) on

I like to change my hair, I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, & I like guys (yes), I like growing, I like learning, I like who I am and I really like who I’m becoming. Spent way too many years hating myself, thinking I was less valuable because I was different.. which is just untrue. A couple years ago I was able to accept myself, & it saved my life, but now I’ve gotten to a new road block & I feel kind of lost. I gotta take the next step & actually embrace who I am, which is pretty exciting. Not faking shit anymore, not apologising for falling in love with people no matter their gender. I’ve become bored of being insecure, ashamed, scared… no one should feel like that about themselves, especially when there is so much good life to live. Ya know more & more I see so many young people being their best / truest selves, it’s fucking inspiring… so what have I been waiting for!? Who knows. Everyone in their own time. I hope we can all learn to embrace who we are & not judge people who aren’t exactly the same as us. The truth is we are all family, we’re all one. Just love. Keiy.

(Photo: Pacific Coast News)

The post Cutie-Patootie “Flash” Star Keiynan Lonsdale Comes Out as Bisexual appeared first on The WOW Report.

Watching Kendall Jenner Fall Off Her Bike Will Take Your Mind Off the Whole Trump/Russia Constitutional Crisis Thing

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Good stuff. Khloe Kardashian did what any good sister would do – She embarrassed the hell out of her little sis, Kendall, by posting a pic of her falling off her bike and eating dirt. HA!

“My work here is done,” she writes.

What the hilarity ensue below.

My work here is done….. @kendalljenner

A post shared by Khloé (@khloekardashian) on

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Sliiiiiightly Over-Dressed J-Lo Wears Cocktail Gown and Statement Jewels to 9AM NBC Event

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My grandmother is rolling in her grave.

Jennifer Lopez looked wildly out of place on the blue carpet at NBC’s upfront event, wearing a thigh-splitting, off-the-shoulder gown by Elie Saab Haute Couture, a pair of Christian Louboutin platform sandals, and a giant diamond cocktail ring from Narcisa Pheres.

Did I mention: It was 9AM.

No, no, no, no, no.

That is NOT how we do things, Jennifer. No couture ballgowns in the morning, unless your stumbling home from an all-nighter. No cocktail jewels before cocktail hour (“No sparkle before sundown” is the rule, I believe). Keep the hair simple, the thigh-exposing skirts to a minimum, and the sky-high heels in the closet till nighttime.

There is a reason why it’s called evening wear. You wear it IN THE EVENING.

Surely after being a fashion icon for 20 years now, these things MUST have soaked in.

I mean REALLY.

And don’t give me that “But there ARE no rules in fashion anymore” nonsense. Some rules can be broken. Some rules can be relaxed. But other rules are there to keep you from looking like a madwoman, and this is one of them.

And just so we’re clear: You look like a madwoman.

(Photos: Pacific Coast News)

 

 

 

The post Sliiiiiightly Over-Dressed J-Lo Wears Cocktail Gown and Statement Jewels to 9AM NBC Event appeared first on The WOW Report.

The Blumhouse Productions Gods Are Giving Us A Lesbian, Black, Horror Movie! YAS!

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                                                                                           Dee Rees & Jason Blum

I’m sweating from the excitement!

It is no surprise that I’m on top of anything and everything horror, especially the ever evolving Final Girl

I’ve been following Blumhouse for years and have been so incredibly impressed by the success they’ve had, especially with arguably the best horror film of the year, Get Out, the incomparable Split, and the straight-to-Netflix gem, Hush.

During an exclusive interview with The New York Times , the CEO and my role model, Jason Blum, talks about his newest flick with Mudhound Director, Dee Rees:

* A LESBIAN, BLACK, HORROR MOVIE IN SUBURBIA*

UMM…SERIOUSLY, GET! OUT!

While the film is currently untitled and in pre-production Rees states:

“You’ve got me and my wife, two black lesbians, and when we first moved in, we fought every day over all these little things: ‘Why is this over there? Did you move that?’ Maybe it was a ghost. Or maybe it was some other force—like us not wanting to be there or fitting in.”

Rees is a powerhouse of bringing inclusion and intelligence to cinema. Blum and the Blumhouse Team are known for turning cheap, low budget, horror films into modern day classics and, of course, gold mines as well. They are the best in the business.

I cannot wait for this movie and the ones to follow! Will I finally get my dream of a mainstream gay horror film!?

I’ve got tons of ideas, Jason! Keep a look out for my carrier pigeon full of notes flying towards you!

The post The Blumhouse Productions Gods Are Giving Us A Lesbian, Black, Horror Movie! YAS! appeared first on The WOW Report.


Hunk Alert! The New S. Korean President Has a Super-Yummy Security Guard

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There was a social media meltdown this weekend when the newly elected South Korean president Moon Jae-in appeared with his new hunky bodyguard.

Via News.com.au:

The chiselled, Hollywood good looks of 35-year-old Choi Young-jae have sparked jokes that he needs his own bodyguard to keep adoring fans at bay while he keeps the president safe.

You would think the fawning over Choi’s looks would be considered a distraction by a new administration keen to move the country forward in the wake of the impeachment scandal that ended the reign of its first female president Park Geun-hye, but many people believe beauty is all part of President Moon’s master plan.

“Netizens wittily suggest that President Moon Jae-in has hired ‘good-looking’ professionals … as the attractive public face of the new administration,” observed journalist Eom Da-sol in an article for the Korea Times.

“The first person responsible for the suggestion is Moon himself. Photos of the handsome younger Moon went viral on social media when his campaign camp first released them in 2012.

After photographs of the bodyguard appears on the internet over the weekend, President Moon’s office issued a rather coy public statement.

It said Choi was a former officer with Korea’s Special Warfare Command before adding that he was “unfortunately” married with two daughters.

The fact that Choi is taken has in no way dulled his appeal to fan girls and boys who continue to gush over pictures of him online, posting lines such as “I surrender to this ‘reign of beauty’ with no objections.”

Check out some of the internet reactions below.

The post Hunk Alert! The New S. Korean President Has a Super-Yummy Security Guard appeared first on The WOW Report.

From ‘Modern Family’ to ‘Glee’ The Revolution of the Fem-Gay Character in Modern Television

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Fun fact: the LGBTQ Community has subcultures within its letters.

Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender. Queer.

Plenty of us, including myself, represent a subgenre known as the Feminine – or FemGay. Over the last few years of television, I’ve witnessed the rise of the fem-gay and I want to talk to you about it.

In my case, I came out in the womb. Seriously, I was likely flirting with the baby boy next to me in the maternity ward. In other words, the fem-gay has always been out. We are put in something that most would describe as a “glass closet”.

We never really have to tell anyone our sexuality, since it’s obviously branded across our faces and embedded into our personalities before we learn to read or box-dye our hair for the first time.

For the last 17 years, I’ve witnessed the televised ‘Fem-Gay Revolution.’ Primetime’s gay character is no longer a closeted athlete dating the even bulkier surgeon. He’s evolved into a three-dimensional, passionate, likable fem-gay.

                    Noah Galvin, Lead, The Real O’Neals                                                                              Image via ABC

The fem-gay tends to be “outed” in Elementary School. Some share a similar story of seclusion and bullying out of the other children’s fear of flamboyancy. In dating discrimination, we hear “I’m only into men,” on a regular basis. However, this is where the fem-gay lucks out.

We’ve never had to live in fear of hiding. At a young age, we are literally forced to be ourselves: an explosion of expression. Essentially, there is nothing else we can be!

                    Tituss BurgessLead, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt                                                 Image via Netflix

What doesn’t surprise me is that each and every fem-gay I’ve encountered later in life is typically the strongest, boldest, and often, the sassiest. We’ve lived in our own skins for as long as we’ve been alive.

We had no choice but to sissy it up, yearn for Spice Girl Barbies, and embrace both sides of the gender spectrum.

                    Chris ColferLead, Glee                                                                                                        Image via FOX

However, the fem-gay has been severely misrepresented in mainstream media. Historically, television advertises a masculine, athletic man as the face of the gay community. The fem-gay is represented, but typically secluded to the rarely humanized, sidekick, or a one-off character.

Generally, we’re stereotyped as fashionistas and drama queens who are usually very loud, while also being perceived as harmless and approachable. Through this perception, we’re given the short end of the stick.

We’re the stereotype that society is most comfortable with accepting — or demeaning.

                    Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Eric Stonestreet, Leads, Modern Family                         Image via ABC

I’ve never denied my true identity. I’ve always loved being a boy who happens to be feminine. I have been thrilled at the acceptance the LGBTQ Community has been received, and continues to receive, throughout my short time on Earth.

My eyes are constantly glued to the television and mobile screens as that acceptance continues to progress. I’ve idolized out-beefy athletes, out-suave leading men, and the like because generally they’re what has been presented to the world and led me to believe they are what gay should be.

                             Conrad Ricamora, Series Regular, How to Get Away With Murder                          Image via ABC

It thrills me to finally see the fem-gays in pop culture garnering more attention and breaking away from the sidekick. We’ve stepped away from the opening act and we’re now the headliners! The stars! The debonair! America’s Sweethearts, damn it!

Together, we must continue to reassure the media that moving forward, representing all of the LGBTQ subcultures, is the right thing to do.

                    Peter Paige, Lead, Queer as Folk                                                                          Image via SHOWTIME

While everyone loves Sean Hayes‘, Jack McFarland, I truly haven’t seen a fem-gay milestone break until the appearance of Emmett Honeycutt (Peter Paige) on Queer as Folk. He never struggled with his identity. In fact, his embraced it, giving his character a segment on a News Channel due to his unforced flamboyancy.

From Emmett’s leading role to Tituss Andromedon outshining his co-stars on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Kenny O’Neal the titular character on ABC‘s dearly departed, The Real O’Neals, the media has finally begun to understand that more LGBTQ subcultures need to be represented in television.

The ten-year-old fem-gay within me lights up knowing that I finally have a bunch of pretty, girly, and fabulous on-screen characters I can relate with and it gives me hope that there will be many, many more to meet in the future.

The post From ‘Modern Family’ to ‘Glee’ The Revolution of the Fem-Gay Character in Modern Television appeared first on The WOW Report.

May 17th: It’s YOUR Birthday, Bitch!

#BornThisDay: Lyricist, Howard Ashman

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May 17, 1950Howard Ashman:

“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.

I want it more than I can tell.

And for once it might be grand

To have someone understand

I want so much more than they’ve got planned…”

Despite spending my childhood, adolescence and even young adulthood as grade A+ berserk Musical Theatre fanatic, living and breathing the musicals, collecting the original cast albums for the most obscure shows, I mostly got off that Musical Theatre ride in the early 1980s. I was less than enchanted with the offerings. I didn’t move easily into the CatsMiss SaigonPhantom Of The Opera era. I found more enjoyment in appearing on stage in a musical than listening to one on my stereo. My personal tastes moved towards Elvis Costello, The Police and The Clash.

The exception was Little Shop Of Horrors from 1982. I listened to this original cast album until the LP was worn through. I knew every song from the score and I was convinced that I could play any of the roles. I always wanted to do the tune Somewhere That’s Green in my own act, but I never got the chance to work it up. It remains a favorite musical of mine, certainly in the Top Five.

Ashman first worked with creative partner Alan Menken on a 1979 musical adapted from Kurt Vonnegut‘s novel God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. They next collaborated on Little Shop Of Horrors with Ashman as director, lyricist, and librettist. It was produced by Ashman’s own WPA Theatre. Ashman left the team only once, as director, lyricist and book writer for the 1986 Broadway musical, Smile, with music by the late, great Marvin Hamlisch.

As of yesterday, Disney’s new live action version of Beauty And The Beast has grossed $500 million in North America, with worldwide gross of $1.210 billion. With a production budget of $160 million, it is the most expensive musical ever made. It is the 10th highest-grossing film of all time. I wonder if Howard Ashman would have ever dreamed such a thing was possible.

At #BornThisDay, I honor lyricists and Ashman is one of the best. Ashman collaborated with his artistic partner Menken on three notable animated features for Disney Studios with Ashman writing the words and Menken composing the scores.

In early 1989, Disney Studios was teetering on the brink bankruptcy. New CEO Michael Eisner had threatened to shut down the famed animation unit unless The Little Mermaid, its Fall 1989 release, turned a profit. David Geffen, who had produced the Off-Broadway run of Little Shop Of Horrors, had brought the Menken/Ashman team to Disney in hopes of making a hit musical out of The Little Mermaid, originally conceived as a non-musical. It proved to be a hit, thrilling little girls and winning two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Academy Awards. Just days after he won the Oscar for Best Song for Under The Sea, Ashman confided to Menken that he had HIV/AIDS.

Ashman (L) with Menken (far R) recording the original Beauty And The Beast

His illness made him weaker each day, but Ashman never stopped writing the tunes. He managed to produce the witty and warm lyrics for another Disney animated film Beauty And The Beast, and turned out even more songs for a third Disney animated musical, Aladdin. Ashman’s last Academy Award in 1992 was awarded posthumously for Best Song for the title song of his most famous project. It was accepted by his longtime partner, architect Bill Lauch.

Menken and Ashman  accept their Oscars for Best Original Song for Under The Sea from the film The Little Mermaid (1989). Behind them are presenters Paula Abdul and Dudley Moore.
Photograph by Long Photography/AMPAS

Ashman first fell in love with musicals when his grandmother took him to see a Disney animated movie, Lady And The Tramp (1956). The financial success of The Little Mermaid ended up saving Disney Studios, but the plague had already found Ashman. Because of his failing health, Ashman decided to stay near his NYC doctors in his hometown of Fishkill, NY, 60 miles away, and the rest of the creative team had to be flown in to work. Don Hahn, the film’s producer:

“We weren’t quite sure why we were doing it. We thought, ‘Well maybe Howard’s just being a diva and he just won an Oscar, so let’s go out to work with him.'”

While terribly sick, Ashman still provided the lyrics for Beauty And the Beast’s songs; three of them would be nominated for Best Song Oscars, with that title song winning. The film was the first-ever animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, but Ashman didn’t make it long enough to enjoy the success. He never got to see the finished film.

The new live-action Beauty And The Beast offered something that the original animated film did not: Josh Gad’s fey portrayal of LeFou, the sidekick to the film’s bully character Gaston, played gay actor Luke Evans. As soon as the trailer was released and some of the footage was released, film fans were abuzz with the notion that Disney was providing its first obviously gay main character. In the Spring issue of Attitude Magazine, the film’s gay director Bill Condon confirmed that LeFou is, indeed, intended to be seen as gay. And, Condon suggested that Gad’s interruption is an homage to Ashman.

Disney had already had a history of presenting more ambiguously gay characters. The studio won the Oscar for Best Animated Short for Ferdinand The Bull, about a bull who doesn’t conform to expectations of masculinity, The Reluctant Dragon (1941) with a sissy fire-breathing main character; Peter Pan (1953), portrayed Captain Hook as a prissy dandy who is obsessed with boys. And Shere Khan, the villain in The Jungle Book (1967) seems especially queer. The Lion King’s (1994) Timon and Pumba are obviously a male couple, plus John Water’s muse Divine was the inspiration for Ursula in The Little Mermaid.

Condon said:

“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston, and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh Gad makes something really subtle and delicious out of it.”

Ashman had decided that Disney’s version of Jean Cocteau’s film of Beauty And The Beast (1946) served as a parable for the virus that was ravaging his body as he and Menken started working on their film. Forces beyond his control turned the prince into a grotesque beast. Ashman’s lyrics: “We don’t like what we don’t understand / In fact it scares us / And this monster is mysterious at least” are a nod to paranoia surrounding HIV/AIDS during Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Menken:

The period, from 1981 through 1995, was like living through a war, with unthinkable casualties and no end in sight. Something was wrong in the universe. I felt it strongly in my gut. It cropped up in dreams, before I knew what was to come. And then the avalanche hit. Directors, writers, producers, designers, choreographers, musicians. And those of us who knew and loved Howard said to ourselves ‘But, please, not Howard’ And he would reassure us all that he was fine, and we all happily believed him.”

Condon:

“Specifically, for Ashman, it was a metaphor for AIDS. He was cursed, and this curse had brought sorrow on all those people who loved him, and maybe there was a chance for a miracle—and a way for the curse to be lifted. It was a very concrete thing that he was doing.”

Ashman wrote the film’s now-famous, much loved lyrics while he was dying in his home, attended by a private nurse paid for by Disney studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg. The end credits of the animated film pay homage to his legacy:

“To our Friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful. Howard Ashman, 1950-1991”.

Ashman’s headstone reads:

“O’ that he would have but one more song to sing.”

Ashman would have been 67-years-old today.

The post #BornThisDay: Lyricist, Howard Ashman appeared first on The WOW Report.

#Breaking: Putin Says He’ll Give Congress the Transcript of Trump’s Meeting with Lavrov

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Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is ready to provide Congress with a transcript of the talks between Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Speaking at a press conference, Putin said the transcript could be provided

if the US administration finds it appropriate.

Trump has come under fire over a meeting at the Oval Office with Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (a known spy) the day after firing FBI Director James Comey. In that meeting he reportedly shared security information that two sources described to as classified.

The Washington Post first reported the allegations on Monday, claiming Trump had shared highly classified information in the talks.

Trump has hit back at the accusations, claiming it is his right as president to share information on security as he sees fit. But he did not confirm or deny whether the information was classified.

Of course, we’ll trust Russia in a matter this sensitive. They were taping the conversation…in the Oval Office?

This is a developing story… (isn’t it though.)

(via CNN)

The post #Breaking: Putin Says He’ll Give Congress the Transcript of Trump’s Meeting with Lavrov appeared first on The WOW Report.

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