Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890)

This Richard Burton never met Elizabeth Taylor. He was an English explorer, spy, diplomat, scholar, and great adventurer. He was a world-class bad boy, expelled from Oxford University in 1840. He enlisted in the infantry and served in India. His enthusiastic “investigation” of gay brothels caused him to be sent back to England to cool off.

He was fluent in four languages before he was 20-years-old, and he would eventually learn 25 languages. But, he never said “no” in any of them.

Burton’s 10-volume translation of The Arabian Nights (1885) was so salacious that it had to be privately printed in London. Each volume had only 1000 copies printed, available only to Burton Club subscribers with a special television offer.

In 1853, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina while in disguise, and in 1858, he the first white dude to find the source of the River Nile, Lake Tanganika.

He was married, but when Burton died, his wife burned his unpublished translation of the Arabian sex manual, The Scented Garden. She also destroyed Burton’s 40 years of diaries, which included detailed descriptions of his gay sexploits.

Burton wrote a best-selling English translation of the Eastern guide to sexual positions, Da Kama Sutra.

Burton’s Terminal Essay (1888) was the first ever History Of Homosexuality published in English. I’m hoping for a film version with Ryan Gosling, Ryan Kwnten and Ryan Reynolds.

I think that Burton would have made an ideal camping buddy.

The post #HistoricalHottie: Sir Richard Burton appeared first on The WOW Report.

Deplorable Pride’s Brian Talbert

The group, called DeplorablePride (a separate organization from GaysForTrump.org, also located in North Carolina) applied to participate at Charlotte Pride, but got an email after submitting their application saying they were denied. According to the group, no explanation was given.

Brian Talbert of the group, says

“For a group of people to claim to want tolerance, acceptance, and give it to every single person you can imagine to give it to, for them to sit back and judge me for exercising my right as an American to choose my leader without judgment is hypocritical.

I’m very proud of my vote. I don’t regret my vote. I will vote for Donald Trump again. I’m proud of my president. I don’t think I should be vilified because I’m proud of a U.S. president as an American.“

A spokesperson for Charlotte Pride said in a statement,

“Charlotte Pride reserves the right to decline participation at our events to groups or organizations which do not reflect the mission, vision and values of our organization, as is acknowledged in our parade rules and regulations by all groups at the time of their parade application. In the past, we have made similar decisions to decline participation from other organizations espousing anti-LGBTQ religious or public policy stances.

Charlotte Pride envisions a world in which LGBTQ people are affirmed, respected and included in the full social and civic life of their local communities, free from fear of any discrimination, rejection, and prejudice.“

Talbert says they will file a lawsuit against the organizers of Charlotte Pride for discrimination,

“I don’t judge them for how they vote. I believe men and women died to give us that right to choose our own leader. They don’t extend the same courtesy to me being a gay Republican.“

Talbert launched the site deplorablepride.org to speak up about this and help raise money for his legal fees. Ken Kaiser, a commenter on Talbert’s GoFundMe page said,

“Don’t feel a bit sorry for you. I would never support someone that believes hate is acceptable. Your Vote for Rump makes a statement that hate is acceptable as long as they are not targeting me. Just as Charlotte Pride is making a statement. Voting for someone that advocates hate has consequences.“

What he said. Do you think they should be allowed to march in the parade. Is it discrimination to deny them that right?

(via Gay Star News)

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After living in L.A. for nine years, Lee Lenox wanted a West Coast vibe and found this tiny studio loft that sits on the top floor of a three-story brick building. At only 350 square feet and located in New York City’s enviable West Village, this light-filled rooftop apartment is a rare find.

His first NYC rental was a spacious apartment in Chelsea but it lacked the charm he wanted. The space can be challenging but Lee feels the size of the space allows him to be more minimal and organized while providing him.

“a space that feels complete.“

He calls it a

“Diamond in the Sky“

He used his great grandmother’s delft collection as an inspiration for the blue and white color scheme throughout the apartment. With high vaulted ceilings, gorgeous southern light, it’s not hard to see why his apartment is a favorite of his friends for parties. Lee has some advice and caveats,

“Don’t offer red wine at a gathering of more than three people, when you have a white couch — someone will inevitably spill. I learned this the hard way, one can only flip a sofa cushion so many times and cover the couch with so many throws….there’s no sofa cushion side left to hide the stains!

There’s usually an ‘Oh wow, I’ve always wondered what this place looked like,’ because they would walk past it on the street. It’s usually the height of the ceilings and the small square footage that surprises most.

And due to all the windows, my neighbors have definitely seen me in all my glory. A lot.“

(Photos, Sherrie and Oliver; via Apartment Therapy)

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Ever since Trump fired F.B.I. Director James Comey, the word “Watergate” has been on the news medias lips, every day.

In an act of kismet nobody predicted, the Watergate Hotel, which had been bought and sold several times over the years reopened one a year ago, with a $125 million renovation.

Its unexpected relevance has come with its competition, just up the road in the Trump International Hotel which just might be the symbol of a NEW D.C. scandal. The Watergate break-in is beginning to look quaint compared to Trump’s alleged conflicts and collusions.

When the Watergate made its big return last summer, the main story in most publications including this one was how the new co-owners, Rakel and Jacques Cohen. There are winky gestures in that the house pencils say

“I Stole This From the Watergate Hotel.”

But the hotel is certainly still having a moment. Is this political turmoil really good for business though? Rakel Cohen bristled at the suggestion on a phone call with Vanity Fair.

“We never take advantage of anything that goes on in the political side or even Nixon.”

Really? The keys read,

“No Need to Break In”

Anyone who’s put on hold after calling the 800 number gets to hear the Nixon’s speeches. Cohen says,

“Watergate did not become famous because of the scandal. The scandal happened here because it was so famous. All the presidents celebrated their birthdays here, celebrities were here. And that’s what we’re trying to bring back.”

Angie Fetherston, C.E.O. of Drink Company, which owns and manages several bars in the District, says

“I’m sure they get questions about the history all the time, but people go to the Watergate because it’s an awesome place to get a drink.”

Next time I’m in town, I’m going to have a drink there. Wonder if there’s “Covfefe Cocktail” on the menu? Click here for more pics and reservations.

(Photos, Watergate Hotel; via Vanity Fair)

The post #RealEstatePorn: Watergate Is a Hot Again! (The HOTEL, Not the Nixon Scandal) appeared first on The WOW Report.

Adriana Lima
Carly Craig
Dave Franco
Finesse Mitchell
Frances O’Connor
George H.W. Bush
Jason Mewes
Jenilee Harrison
Jim Nabors
Kendra Wilkinson
KevJumba
Marv Albert
Meredith Brooks
Paula Marshall
Richard Ayoade
Richard M. Sherman
Robyn
Tabitha Jackson
David Nevins

The post June 12th: It’s YOUR Birthday, Bitch! appeared first on The WOW Report.

June 12, 1858– Henry Scott Tuke was a great British painter and photographer. It is always a lovely jolt of energy when I rediscover an artist mostly forgotten by me. I found a Tuke painting while looking for 19th-early 20th century paintings of sailors for a lighthearted feature about Fleet Week here in Portland, Oregon, happening right now. No matter what you suspect, I was not Googling “Naked Male Bathers”. Yet, that is exactly what came up on my computer screen when I went looking.

He was born into a Quaker family in York, England. In 1859, the Tuke family moved to Falmouth, a pretty town on the coast of South Cornwall, where his father, a doctor, set up a practice. Tuke was encouraged to draw and paint from an early age. His earliest drawings, some from when he was just four-years-old, were published in magazines and newspapers.

Tuke studied at the Slade School Of Art on a scholarship which also provided the funds to study in Italy for a year. From 1881-1883, he lived in Paris where he was encouraged by Jean-Paul Laurens to paint “en plein air”, which doesn’t simply mean painting outdoors, but an entire style of painting formulated in France during Tuke’s era, characterized by the representation of the luminous effects of natural light and atmosphere contrasted with the artificial light associated with paintings produced in a studio.

While studying in France, Tuke decided to move back to Cornwall where the light was especially vivid and where many of his schoolmates and his Parisian friends had already formed The Newlyn School of artists. After exhibiting his work at the Royal Academy Of Art in London, Tuke began to receive commissions that brought him a nice income for a painter.

In 1885, Tuke went home to Falmouth where many of his major works were produced. The happy memories of a childhood spent on the beaches around Falmouth, watching the tall ships coming into the harbor from all over the world, helped his decision to return to Falmouth where he remained for the rest of his life.

In his early paintings, Tuke put male nudes in mythological settings, but critics found these pieces a bit too formal. Beginning in the 1890s, Tuke left the mythological themes behind and simply painted local boys fishing, sailing, swimming and diving, and also began to paint in a more naturalistic style. His technique became more free. He began using bold, fresh colors. Tuke painted some female nudes also, but for some reason, they were not as successful as his male nude paintings.

After a journey in 1892 to an island in the Mediterranean, Tuke returned with the desire to paint the naked outdoors in Falmouth. He tried painting nude bathers as early as 1885 using professional male models brought in from London, but this was expensive and the models were difficult, as models can be. Instead, he asked the local lads to pose nude for him. Tuke always paid them and treated them with courtesy and consideration, although he sometimes asked them to model outdoors as late as November, so there was a shrinkage issue. He also needed to use secluded, inaccessible beaches as he created his greatest artistic challenge: painting the nude human figure outdoors.

He became best known for his paintings of those boys, but he really was a very diverse and talented artist with a variety of subjects and using many media, including the new art of photography.

With his commission money, Tuke bought his first boat, The Ripple, which became a floating home and studio. The beaches of Falmouth were the perfect setting for painting because they faced south, bathed in sunshine. The beaches had interesting barnacle encrusted rocks and shallow tide pools for the models to stand around.

Although Tuke’s paintings of nude young men must have appealed to his gay friends and buyers, his work was never explicitly sexual. His models’ junk was almost never shown, and even in groups, the guys are rarely in physical contact with each other. Most of the paintings have the nude models on the beach facing out to sea, so only their back view is shown, which is fine by me.

Tuke used rough, visible brush strokes, at a time when smooth, polished finishes were favored by the fashionable painters and the critics. He had a strong sense of color and he was especially skilled in the depiction of the soft fragile sunlight of the English summer. Although Tuke often finished paintings in his studio, photographs of him show that he worked mainly in the open air, capturing that freshness of color and the realistic effects of sunlight reflected by the water and on the naked flesh of his models.

Unusual really for the late Victorian era, Tuke’s male nudes sold well with collectors and they were purchased by major art galleries in Europe and North America.  He was also quite famous as a formal portraitist, and he maintained a London studio to work on those commissions. I knew his famous portrait of gay adventurer/writer T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) before I actually knew of the painter.

Tuke was an associate of Oscar Wilde and others in the gay circles of London. He was a friend of my favorite painter of the era, John Singer Sargent.

Tuke was elected to full membership of the Royal Academy in 1914. He had a heart attack in 1928 and left this wretched world a year later. At the end of his life, Tuke knew that his paintings had gone out of favor. He left most of his fortune to the men who, as boys, had been his models. Tuke was prolific, with over 1,300 paintings in important collections and museums, and more are still being discovered in this 21st century.

After his death, Tuke’s reputation faded and he was largely forgotten until the 1970s, when he was rediscovered by the first generation of openly gay artists and art collectors. He is now a cult figure, especially in gay cultural circles, with lavish books featuring plates of his paintings. One of Tuke’s biggest collectors is Sir Elton John.

Catching The Light: The Art And Life Of Henry Scott Tuke (2008) by Catherine Wallace sits on the bookshelf with my other books about artists that I love.

The post #BornThisDay: Artist, Henry Scott Tuke appeared first on The WOW Report.

Photograph from Time Magazine Archives

June 12, 1967– LOVING v. VIRGINIA is decided by SCOTUS

It was not just a landmark civil rights decision, invalidating laws prohibiting interracial marriage, it also served a serious blow to the majority of white Americans that felt that it was imperative to save the white race.

Few cases were more aptly named than LOVING v. VIRGINIA which pitted an interracial couple, African-American 17-year-old Mildred Jeter, and her childhood sweetheart, 23-year-old white construction worker Richard Loving, against Virginia’s Miscegenation Laws banning marriage between blacks and whites. After marrying in Washington, D.C. and returning to their home to Virginia in 1958, the Lovings were charged with unlawful cohabitation and jailed.

The Lovings left Virginia and went to live with relatives in Washington, D.C. When they returned to visit family five years later, they were arrested for traveling together. Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Loving wrote to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for help. The couple was referred to the ACLU, which represented them in their Supreme Court case. The Court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional in a rare unanimous decision.

At issue in the Loving decision was Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act Of 1924, which prohibited interracial marriage and paved the way for a series of laws designed to prevent racial mixing. Anti-miscegenation laws had been common for centuries. But, when this act was signed into law, on the very same day, the Virginia legislature passed another act that allowed the state to forcibly sterilize people with disabilities, including people labeled with derogatory medical terms like “feebleminded”. Questions concerning the lawfulness of Virginia’s forced sterilization law led to another landmark Supreme Court decision in 1927, BUCK v. BELL, in which the Court upheld its legality with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declaring “Three generations of imbeciles are enough”.

Virginia’s passage of both the Racial Integrity and Sterilization Acts Of 1924 addressed the concern that the white race was in danger of being weakened by inferior traits and that laws were needed to promote good racial hygiene and public health. Marriage restrictions and forced sterilization were part of the popular agenda of Eugenics which used pseudo-science to urge the law to weed out groups considered to have hereditary defects like any disability, poverty, and criminality. Eugenics was practiced in many nations across out pretty planet, and used immigration restrictions, incarceration, and eventually genocides like the Holocaust. Supporters worked to encourage the growth of “superior people” of a certain acceptable class, race, and ethnicity.

Still, the redemptive power that came out of the LOVING decision paved the way for OBERGEFELL v. HODGES, the 2015 SCOTUS decision recognizing Marriage Equality.

Today is remembered annually as Loving Day, June 12. Now, one in six marriages are Mixed-Race. I don’t know if this is PC or not, but I find the children of mixed-race parents to be especially beautiful.

LOVING v. VIRGINIA is the subject of several songs and three films, including the excellent Loving (2016).

#LovingDay

The post #OnThisDay: 50 Years Ago, June 12, 1967- LOVING v. VIRGINIA Is Decided By SCOTUS appeared first on The WOW Report.

While hosting the Tony Awards last night, Kevin Spacey made a few remarkably tone-deaf jokes about the gay rumors that have dogged him throughout his career. In what is usually described as “the gayest night of the year,” the Usual Suspects star  sang a song-and-dance number referencing all the year’s Best Musical nominees, in which he made several winking jokes about ‘coming out.’ At one point Whoopi Goldberg stepped out of a closet onto the stage as Spacey performed and he asked:

“Whoopi, how long have you been in that closet?” Spacey asked.

“Well Kevin, it depends on who you ask,” she answered.

And, oh, how the audience roared.

In a later skit, Spacey asked advice from previous award show hosts. Billy Crystal appeared and said:

“If all else fails, put on a dress.”

Spacey came out moments later, dressed as Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, and and “I’m coming out,” before stopping himself.

“No, wait, no …”

Again, ha ha ha.

Still later, The Daily Beast notes:

Spacey continued his gay panic humor later in the show. Talking about his former co-star Chris Cooper, who was a nominee Sunday night, he said, “He kissed me in the garage and shot me in the kitchen. Then we did American Beauty together.” Ay-o.

These jokes did seem a little off, a tad tone-deaf, particularly at the Tony Awards. The jokes were written with the knowledge that they’d get a rise out of that audience, and that rise comes from the insinuation that coming out of the closet is a laughing matter.

It’s a particularly off-putting notion coming a year after the James Corden-hosted Tony Awards ceremony, which took place the day after the massacre at the Pulse gay club in Orlando, where 49 people lost their lives in a hate crime that targeted them because they chose to be out.

Corden was wonderful at the time, reminding viewers of the theatre, and by extension the Tony Awards, as a safe space for the LGBT community to be themselves—or, especially for young viewers, to maybe discover who they are.

“Theater is a place where every race, creed, sexuality, and gender is equal, is embraced, and is loved,” he said. “Hate will never win. Together we have to make sure of that. Tonight’s show stands as a symbol and a celebration of that principle.”

As writer Tim Federle posted on Sunday, and I can certainly corroborate, countless young people watch the Tony Awards and for the first time feels seen, which is a monumental thing for a young, questioning person. “Some kid out there who doesn’t know anything about theater is waking up right now,” he wrote. “Tonight he’s gonna happen upon the Tonys and be saved.”

Tonight, he watched the Tony Awards and saw that coming out of the closet is a joke.

To be clear, we’re not ridiculous enough to really find offense in Spacey’s jokes. Our general reaction can be summed up in our loud groan and dramatic eyeroll after it happened. Kevin Spacey joking about his sexuality at the Tony Awards in 2017 is just… annoying.

Thankfully, we had Cynthia Nixon’s beautiful speech, in which she thanked her wife and all the people who have fought back against hate in the age of Trump, right after to cleanse our palate. The Falsettos cast performed a number from their show, about how an unconventional family comes together when a gay father’s partner is diagnosed with AIDS at the beginning of the epidemic in the late ‘80s.

Moments like those are why people tune into the Tony Awards, and the message the Broadway community sends: love, acceptance, and the urgency of being yourself and fighting for what’s right. Sure, the community has a great sense of humor, too, so they—and we—can laugh at lazy jokes like Spacey’s. But we can hope for something better.

I mean, yeah, whatever. People can come out of the closet whenever they want. Blah blah blah. No pressure, dude. Of course, he IS 57 years old. And it IS 2017. And its not like it can hurt his career. He’s made his money, gotten his accolades, and will always be considered a giant in the industry, no matter whom he brings as a date on the red carpet.

As Andy Cohen once wrote:

“I still get enraged when I think about [Spacey] talking about being in love with that woman on 60 Minutes. Come out, sir.”

Exactly.

(Photo: Pacific Coast News)

The post Kevin Spacey Jokes About Coming Out on the Tony Awards Last Night appeared first on The WOW Report.

Last night, hundreds of people gathered at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando to pay tribute to the 49 LGBTQ people murdered at the club a year ago.

The attack on June 12, 2016, was the deadliest mass shooting in American history. The killer, American born Omar Mateen, was shot in a standoff with police hours after storming the club.

After midnight this morning, 49 people dressed as angels surrounded the club to shield friends and family members of a private memorial for the victims.

(photograph A/P)

The angels were wearing wide white wings and carried candle. They were said to be the same group who had shielded mourners in the days after the attack.

Pulse owner Barbara Poma told the mourners: “We have gathered in the name of love…”

The mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dye:

“You will once again once again be able to smile, and dance, and laugh. The sun always rises, the light always triumphs the darkness. I realize that gathering here in this place, at this hour, is beyond difficult. But, I also know that the strength you’ve shown over the past year will carry you through today and in the future.”

Over 1000 gathered as members of the victims’ families read the names of those murdered:

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old

Amanda L. Alvear, 25 years old

Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 years old

Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 years old

Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old

Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 years old

Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old

Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old

Cory James Connell, 21 years old

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old

Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31 years old

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old

Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 years old

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old

Frank Hernandez, 27 years old

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old

Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 years old

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old

Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 years old

Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 years old

Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 years old

Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old

Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 years old

Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 years old

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old

Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27 years old

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 years old

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old

Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24 years old

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old

Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old

Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 years old

Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37 years old

Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 years old

Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50 years old

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

Three other memorial services are scheduled for today. Bells from Orlando churches rang their bells 49 times at noon today. A music-filled late-night service is scheduled for tonight at Pulse.

Last year, POTUS tweeted that he would be the better choice for president to protect LGBTQ people from radical Islamic terrorists who condemn homosexuals to death.

The post Remembering The Pulse Nightclub Victims One Year Later appeared first on The WOW Report.

I guess you can take the girl out of FOX, but you can’t take the FOX out of the girl.

After last week’s bizarro interview with Vladimir Putin – in which she dressed like a horny bachelorette at a rose-giving ceremony and lobbed softball questions at one of the most evil dictators in the world – Megan Kelly is giving airtime to alt-right radio show host/whackadoodle conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Jones, of course, has made a career for himself out of claiming that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job, and that the parents of the 20 students murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 were actors and the deaths of the children as well as six school employees were all faked.

Via HuffPo:

Kelly was criticized on social media for what some saw as an attempt to normalize Jones and his outlandish and untrue claims. She defended herself by saying President Donald Trump had praised Jones and appeared on his show. She also noted that Jones’ InfoWars was given credibility when the site received White House press credentials.

“Many don’t know him; our job is 2 shine a light,” she wrote.

As one commenter put it: Saying Trump gave InfoWars press credentials makes them a legitimate news source is like saying Milli Vanilli are singers because their lips move in sync to music.

What next, Megan (and, by extension, NBC)? Truth or dare with Sean Spicer? A game of “Marry, Fuck, Kill” with Sean Hannity? A cooking segment with Kim Jong-un? Where does this normalizing of terrible people end?

The twitterverse is understandably rather upset with Megan.

My nephew survived Sandy Hook. I am not tolerating this. Will never watch @megynkelly or @NBCNews again if they choose to air this.

— John Glueck (@john_glueck) June 12, 2017

Here you go @megynkelly – her name is Ana Grace Márquez-Greene. Say her name- stare at this & tell me it’s worth it. @nbc #SandyHook pic.twitter.com/mKrU63KWmA

— Nelba Márquez-Greene (@Nelba_MG) June 12, 2017

20 children dead at Sandy Hook and @megynkelly is giving voice to the man who suggested it was a hoax.

This is beyond shameful, @NBCNews. https://t.co/7OPTCPQHAd

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 12, 2017

.@megynkelly.

This is Allison Wyatt on the day she turned 6. She never had another birthday party. #SandyHook pic.twitter.com/wCzIK4QjLV

— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) June 12, 2017

Boycott @NBC & @megynkelly for the @RealAlexJones interview. Jones is an incendiary conspiracy theorist who makes up news to fit his agenda

— D. Fitz Allgood (@FitzAllgoodlife) June 12, 2017

Say their names, Megyn. pic.twitter.com/JelZAobkFp

— Laura in the Bardo (@lauratron1000) June 12, 2017

Sandy Hook & Aurora families have gone through enough without giving him a platform to spew his filth. This is sickening. #ShameOnNBC

— Emily Yates (@emryates) June 12, 2017

Since Alex Jones is a self admitted “Performance Artist” what possible motivation is there to allow him to perform for you #ShameonNBC

— Anappleaday (@N_appleaday) June 12, 2017

Megyn, you’re a mom. Think of the pain you’re elevating by giving that performance artist airtime. Choose empathy over ratings. #ShameOnNBC

— Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) June 12, 2017

Alex Jones doesn’t deserve one second of air time. What a horrible lack of respect to the families of Sandy Hook. @NBCNews

— M. Ejample (@bnelvr) June 12, 2017

Megyn Kelly did this to gain ratings for a new show at the expense of grieving families. #ShameOnNBC, Jones and Kelly.

— Tina-TheResistance (@trcfwtt) June 12, 2017

Sickening that Alex Jones is going to get a primetime spot on national TV next week to spew the nonsense that has hindered the lives of ppl

— Dakota Schmidt (@Dakota_Schmidt) June 12, 2017

There is no justification for amplifying lies (or a liar), particularly about unimaginable tragedy. I hope no parent, no person watches this https://t.co/nSt1MGGM2U

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) June 12, 2017

On FATHER’S DAY Megyn Kelly is interviewing Alex Jones – a man who harasses the parents of bombing and shooting tragedies. #shameonNBC https://t.co/0tZNt04QHQ

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 12, 2017

Let NBC know that giving Alex Jones a forum on network TV dishonors the loss of the Newtown families. #ShameOnNBC https://t.co/I6hAdNt0Bu

— Intellitexan (@IntelliTexan) June 12, 2017

Giving racist bigot this huge platform is nauseating. The educational figleaf can’t disguise the ratings greed. Shame on @megynkelly & NBC https://t.co/43xlMygWFf

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) June 12, 2017

Week 1 NBC’s Megyn Kelly normalizes Vladimir Putin.
Week 2 she normalizes Alex Jones.
Can’t wait for the Week 3 normalization of David Duke!

— Sean Corcoran (@seacorc) June 12, 2017

Any story about Alex Jones should give equal time to victims and address his body count, including the people in prison bc they believed him

— Mark Agee (@MarkAgee) June 12, 2017

Megan’s interview with Jones airs this Sunday, June 16th. Yes, on Father’s day.

The post Megan Kelly Follows Up Putin Interview with Far-Right Nutball Alex Jones appeared first on The WOW Report.

Naysha Lopez  from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 joins Jonny McGovern this week on the Hey Qween couch to spill T on her recent touring adventures post-show, dating, how she got her start in drag.

Naysha also shares her experience through the pageant circuit, reveals some juicy T on her Miss Continental ’13/’14 victory and the cut-throat past of pageant competitions before her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Watch the episode:

The post HEY QWEEN | Naysha Lopez Joins Jonny McGovern and Lady Red Couture this Week on Hey Qween appeared first on The WOW Report.

Digital Technology is truly taking over the industry as Print Magazines are becoming handheld off our smart phones.

Case in point, Paper Magazine takes its first stab with a the Digital Magazine Edition and RuPaul is at front and center on the digital cover.

In the subsequent interview with Paper, RuPaul lets us know that he is: “the motherfucking drag queen.”

His statement on society’s progression with the LGBTQ community is deafening.

“RuPaul still believes that society will always be taking steps backwards. “People are more comfortable with fear than they are with love and openness, so you get this ebb and flow tide,” he explained. “It’s this pendulum swinging back and forth because that’s who we are.” He compared it to past cultural shifts. “The openness we witnessed during the disco era, where men were flaunting their bodies in ways that had, in recent history, never happened? Well, we thought that was going to last forever, but no bueno. That was shut down so fast.”

Check out the rest of RuPaul’s Interview with Paper here.

Images via Paper Magazine

The post RuPaul Graces “Paper” Magazine’s First Digital Edition Cover appeared first on The WOW Report.

During an appearance at the Comerica Theatre in which he was interviewed by best bud Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper spoke about the controversry which has all but destroyed Kathy Giffin.

“She and I have been friends for a long time and I want nothing but good things for her,” he said.

“I don’t want anybody’s career to be destroyed because they do something unfortunate and inappropriate, but yeah, I thought what she did was inappropriate,” he said. “You know, I think I said that I thought it was completely inappropriate and I didn’t approve it in any way, and I think when you’re friends with somebody you can say that.”

He’s referring, of course, to his May 30th tweet, in which he appeared to turn his back on her, He wrote:

“For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.”

Via USA Today:

Cooper appeared ready to discuss the topic [at the Comerica Theater]. Andy Cohen introduced it, perhaps preempting an audience member from bringing up Griffin during a Q&A segment that eventually followed.

“Anyway, I said that and CNN made the decision not to bring her back,” Cooper continued. “I had nothing to do with it, but I certainly understand why they made that decision. And look, I wish her well and I hope she bounces back and keeps doing what she does best, which is make people laugh.”

Cooper’s appearance comes a week after Griffin held a press conference about the photo. She teared up when she discussed Cooper, saying that they had not spoken since the photo scandal. She also choked up when she was asked if CNN pressured Cooper into sending the tweet.

“That hurt, that’s all,” she said.

(via AOL: Photo: Pacific Coast News)

The post Anderson Cooper Opens Up About Kathy Griffin: “I Want Nothing But Good Things For Her” appeared first on The WOW Report.

Between gay pride parades, resistance marches, LGBTQ Pride at various ballparks… there’s been SOOO much going on, we don’t blame you if you’ve missed some of the happenings around the country.

However, you’ve probably heard by now that last Friday night was the RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 9 finale taping at the Alex Theatre in LA. The night was fabulous and amazing and we can’t wait for the world to see the events that transpired.

Too bad you have to wait until the finale airs on VH1 Friday, June 23rd at 8/7c. But for now you can see exactly what my eyes got to see on the red carpet.

Thats right, these eyes (and now your eyes!) got to see the Season 9 Queens dazzle in the most fabulous attire that I’ve ever seen. They truly raised the ante for any award shows following this event for the rest of the year.

Check out the beauties of Season 9 below!

14th Place. Jaymes Mansfield.

Quirky Jaymes Mansfield strutted with a fox puppet and the biggest smile. Dresses with trains were a running theme with the ladies.

13th Place. Kimora Blac.

Kim Kardashian…who? Kimora Blac may have been inspired by the Mrs. West’s 2015 Met Gala gown, but…let’s be honest, Kimora takes the cake for “Who Wore It Better?”

12th Place. Charlie Hides.

Arguably the tallest queen, Charlie Hides proved that branding can get you everywhere, donning her classic, blue hair and in-your-face necklace. She proved she can move in those 10″ inch heels!

11th Place. Eureka O’Hara

Let’s all scream for Eureka O’Hara! With a commanding Elephant headdress, Eureka is letting the Drag Race Season 10 Queens know that the competition is already on before it’s even begun!

10th Place. Cynthia Lee Fontaine.

Cynthia Lee Fontaine looks as if she just jumped straight out of a comic book! The hair! That lewk! The dress! If only you could have heard her walk by…the dress hypnotized you as she passed. Cynthia should definitely be the new Oscar statuette.

9th Place. Aja.

Aja stunned in a skin-tight gown made for only the most modern of Disney princesses. Her turquoise look makes me believe in fairy tales! I’m a believer, Aja!

8th Place. Farrah Moan.

The only thing I will say about Farrah Moan‘s look is that when she walked onto the red carpet…birds…started…chirping. I’m not even lying. The animals fell in love under those pheromones!

7th Place. Valentina.

Valentina calls the shots in this fuchsia gown with long, black gloves. She’s delivering us leading lady, Telenovela realness.

6th Place. Nina Bo’Nina Brown.

Nina Bo’Nina Brown shimmied down the red carpet in a see through, mustard dress and was not shy about showing off that god damn body! Can I get an Amen?!

5th Place. Alexis Michelle.

Time to move over, Natalie Portman, we have a new Black Swan! Alexis Michelle dropped jaws when she revealed this red carpet glamour.

The Top Four:

Peppermint

Ohhh, she made me want a breath mint! Peppermint spoke with Drag Race Alum, Morgan McMichaels on the red carpet.

Sasha Velour

Sasha Velour took a page out of Bram Stroker’s Dracula, showing everyone that she came to destroy the competition.

Shea Coulee

Shea Coulee gave me such Queen Diva, Diana Ross, vibes it’s not even funny! Not to mention an amazing Coming to America reference! At this point, I’m pretty sure she could beat Diana in a Lip Synch for Your Life!

Trinity Taylor

How can Michelle Visage hate green after this?! Trinity Taylor showed that you can do right by green! #Snatched!

Which queen had your favorite red carpet look?!

Don’t forget to tune into VH1 on Friday, June 23rd at 8/9c for the grand finale, hunties!

The post RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 Queens Finale Red Carpet Recap! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Where do we even begin!?

Okay, so you’ve likely seen the unraveling drama behind Bachelor in Paradise stars Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson and the alleged canceling of the entire season…. BUT just in case you haven’t heard about the drama… here’s the tea.

According to production sources, claims of a young woman not consenting to a drunken, sexual act have completed and totally SHUT. DOWN. PRODUCTION.

The act allegedly involved Corinne, who allegedly was an interesting character on a former Bachelor season and DeMario, who was publicly shamed for having a girlfriend on the current Bachelorette season, so the reactions on social media are blowing up…. for both sides. Yikes.

DRUNKEN SEXUAL ASSAULT IS NOT PARADISE. Shame the producers not the victim!! #BachelorinParadise

— Munchies (@munchiesmmm) June 12, 2017

How I feel bout the #BachelorInParadise canceling pic.twitter.com/RPSj41BMqc

— Lauren Powell (@deafpowell87) June 12, 2017

Never watched a Bachelor episode of any kind in my life, but is media openly identifying a possible rape victim? WTF. #BachelorInParadise

— Cristina Cushing (@ccwrites) June 12, 2017

We knew Corrine was going to hook up with Demario but not under those pretenses definetly don't support that! #consent #BachelorInParadise

— M. Carr (@THEMarissaC) June 12, 2017

According to TMZ:

“Corinne Olympios claims she was in a blackout state when she got sexual with fellow “Bachelor in Paradise” star DeMario Jackson … and she blames producers for not pulling the plug and protecting her, although our sources say people who have seen the tape claim she was lucid and fully engaged.

Sources close to Corinne tell TMZ she was drunk the entire day of filming when she ended up naked in the swimming pool with DeMario.

We’re told the day after the swimming pool incident she claims fellow cast members began telling her stories of what went down with DeMario. She says several cast members told her they had voiced concern to people on the production crew that she was in no position to consent to sexual activity, but the crew did not heed their warnings.

As we reported, sources familiar with the footage say she appeared “fully engaged.” Corrine doesn’t fully blame DeMario because he too was drunk. She blames producers and has lawyered up.

“Bachelor in Paradise” has been shut down as Warner Bros investigates.”

 

Strangely enough, while on The Ellen Show Corinne told Ellen Degeneres that she would never drink herself into a blackout and make an ass out of herself. Yikes.

To make matters even more disgusting, one of the fellow contestants from Bachelor in Paradise has anonymously spoken out to People Magazine.

Per People Magazine:

“…There was an investigation going on, and that could take days, weeks or even months. And by that time, we all have lives and jobs and things to go back to, so it just wasn’t going to work out.  They told us that we’d be considered for future seasons and opportunities in the franchise, but that this adventure was probably over. 

We’re pissed that this whole thing happened. They could have stopped this before it got this far. We’re pissed off. People had planned their lives around this. Contestants quit their jobs for this. We all had to step away from our real lives for three weeks.”

Wow, whoever that anonymous narc is, should definitely stay anonymous after those cruel statements.

Sorry that an alleged assault is going to take a more traumatizing turn on Corinne’s life and it inconveniences you chasing reality television fame.

This is likely to be the Hot Topic of the week.

I’m hoping that a good outcome for this story because, honestly, this does not look good.

[Top images via ABC.]

The post ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Contestant Drama Has Shut Down Production! Get The Details HERE! appeared first on The WOW Report.

YR BOY IS BACK!!! After moving to the West Coast last year, Cazwell returns with a new sound, label, and single/video Loose Wrists. This is the first release for the gay rapper/icon, since last full-length album Hard 2 B Fresh was released in 2015. Now he’s started his own independent record label Snow Cone, and is sounding and looking sexier than ever! Watch Cazwell and crew strut around in pastel lace, 2-piece short suits (designer Hoza Rodriguez) and pink Timberlands, an homage to embracing the femininity that every man has inside of him. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Caz vid without a couple of prerequisite ass shots. Looks like livin’ in la-la land does a boy real good! Get Loose Wrists on iTunes, now!

Cazwell:

“I moved to Los Angeles a year ago and I wanted to make a song that people could drop their convertible tops down to and head bang along with. I noticed a femme pride movement brewing a few years back, but it has not been so visible until now. It’s about time we all embrace femme. We have a president that wants to take us off of the census, and a vice president that believes shock therapy will cure gayness. Whether we are gay or straight,
when men get in touch with their feminine sides, it gives a real sense of empowerment.”

Loose Wrists (Official Music Video) (Official Video) by Cazwell on VEVO.

The post WOW Premiere: Cazwell Makes America Femme Again in “Loose Wrists” appeared first on The WOW Report.

Violet Chachki
Aaron Taylor- Johnson
Ally Sheedy
Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen
Chris Evans
Christo
David Gray
Ethan Embry
Hannah Storm
Jamie Walters
Kat Dennings
Malcolm McDowell
Raz-B
Richard Thomas
Rivers Cuomo
Siegfried Fischbacher
Stellan Skarsgård
Steve-O
Tim Allen

The post June 13th: It’s YOUR Birthday, Bitch! appeared first on The WOW Report.

Lynde was found dead in his Beverly Hills home by his pal Paul Barresi on January 11, 1982. Lynde enjoyed a precarious life of men, drinking and partying. He was just 55 years old when he took that final bow. Seth McFarlane counts him as an influence. Mel Brooks is a fan and said that Lynde was: “capable of getting laughs by reading a phone book, tornado alert or seed catalog”.

The post #BornThisDay: Actor, Paul Lynde appeared first on The WOW Report.

Katy Perry & RuPaul together? What could be better?!?

To celebrate the release of her newest studio album, Katy Perry was live-streaming her entire life for 96 hours. Crazy, right? Well, for the Witness World Wide event, KP had various friends over to help show the world just what their lives are like for fans who may not know or understand the life of a famous celebrity.

Well, the one and only RuPaul stopped by the Witness World Wide house to talk to Katy about their lives, to bond over being a celeb, and even ask the iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race host for advice when she does her OWN hosting stint for the upcoming reboot of American Idol.

The pair talked for about forty-five minutes, but some of the best moments from their tea-spilling lunch were captured and put up on YouTube.

Watch the video to see the pair talk about being Scorpios, helping others who need that extra push, and honestly so much MORE!

Check out the Witness World Wide video below!

Only two more episodes left, squirrel friends! Who will take the crown? Be sure to tune in to RuPaul’s Drag Race Friday nights on VH1 at 8/7c!

The post RuPaul Stops By The Witness World Wide House For A Bonding Session With Katy Perry! Watch HERE! appeared first on The WOW Report.

What a wondrous world we live in! First there were butt plugs, to keep your bum snuggly and stopped-up all day long. Then came fidget spinners, to keep your hands occupied and help expend that nervous energy. NOW, science has COMBINED the two experiences into one amaaaaaazing contraption: The Fidget Spinner Butt Plug! WHAT FUN!

Says PINK News:

“Shop-owner GlowFyourself has promised to help people “keep that a$$ focused”.

“That’s right, help combat ADHD and get stuff done with your very own booty spinning adventure toy!” The seller wrote in the description.

It comes after artist Fernando Sosa released a Donald Trump inspired butt plug.”

The stainless steel butt plugs available in three sizes: small, medium, and greedy power bottom. The adult toy sells on Etsy for $30-50.

The post You Asked For It and the Internet Delivered! Now There Are Fidget Spinner Butt Plugs! appeared first on The WOW Report.