Smoke this!

MTV Canada's new commercial featuring a gay kiss, oddly to warn against the perils of pot-smoking.

MTV Canada has created a new commercial featuring a gay kiss, oddly to warn against the perils of pot-smoking.

The Saatchi & Saatchi created ad features a trio of young men sitting in a car in an empty car park, apparently after smoking marijuana. Two of the boys kiss, provoking a stunned response from the third. Click here to take a look.

Earlier this year a Snickers commercial featuring a gay kiss between mechanics caused uproar among the American gay lobby.

The ad, broadcast during the Super Bowl, was pulled after the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD condemned the Mars company for the commercial, which they interpreted as anti-gay.

“The makers of Snickers and its parent company at Mars should know better,” Joe Solmonese, president of HRC said.

The ad featured a pair of mechanics who end up unintentionally kissing when eating opposite ends of a Snickers bar. Horrified at what they’ve done, the pair rip their chest hair to do “something manly”.

The Snickers ad campaign was pulled within a week.

Hello Sailor!

ENO packs a punch with its joyful tale of horny seaman out On the Town.

ENO’s splendid production of On The Town returns to The Coliseum for 20 performances only and is one of the must-see cultural events of the season.

To experience this 1940’s Broadway show with the enormous forces of English National Opera’s 62 piece orchestra balanced with a cast of 62 performers is a total treat for both show queen and philistine alike. Its charm is in the simple plot of 3 sailors on twenty-four hours leave in New York City and their quest to find a date.


A scene from On the Town

“The show was light” Bernstein once said, “ but the subject was serious”. Set against the backdrop of World War II’s darkest hour, the sailor’s vulnerability and joy for life and their meeting with 3 great gals carries us through both funny and moving episodes told by song, dance, comedy and drama.

The young creators of On The Town were all in their mid twenties in 1944 and this youthful ambition and excitement of New York is captured throughout. Conceived by choreographer Jerome Robbins, the whole piece is hugely balletic and as much a visual feast as a musical one. Bernstein’s score is both sassy and poetic and its huge ambition is realised scene after scene.


June Whitfield (Madame Maude P. Dilly) / Helen Anker (Ivy Smith)

The strength of the cast added to the night’s success. What a treat to see June Whitfield hamming it up as Madame Dilly while the hoofers were spot on.

In particular Caroline O’Conner brought a Broadway edge to the show. Previously seen as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter bio-pic, De-Lovely, as Nini Legs in the Air in Moulin Rouge, and set to bring Judy Garland to the London stage in End of the Rainbow towards the end of the year, Miss O’Conner as Hildy gave her all to “Back to My place” capturing the energy of the time. It reminded me of all the reasons we love a show tune and musical theatre girl.


Sean Palmer (Chip) / Caroline O'Connor (Hildy Esterhazy)

As the American art-form the musical is often misunderstood but the sheer excellence and confidence of On The Town captures the spirit of youth in wartime using song and dance, humour and pathos and proves that great art found in the opera house can be totally accessible and entertaining across the generations.

On The Town runs from 20th April for 20 performances.

On The Town
London Coliseum
St Martin’s Lane, WC2
Call ENO's Box Office on: 0870 145 0200
Performances April – May 2007.

You can book online by clicking here.

Photos by Laurie Lewis

Let the sun shine?

Danny Boyle's science-fiction epic Sunshine hits cinemas this weekend. Is it worth the hype?

The year is 2057, and the sun is dying. As a result, all life on earth is jeopardised. The world pools together its resources to deliver a bomb, through the vessel of a space ship, designed to ‘re-ignite’ the sun. If the suicide mission is successful, mankind is saved.

After years of travelling to the sun, the astronauts on board ship are -as you would - going a bit mad. As their ship Icarus II approaches Mercury, they lose contact with earth, and pick up a distress call from Icarus I, the ship that disappeared in the same mission seven years before. After a heated debate, the crew decide to respond to the floating ship, sparking a domino of disastrous and frightening results.

I went into science-fiction thriller Sunshine with high expectations…but left deflated.

I do respect Danny Boyle’s past films and his ability to tackle multiple genres (He’s responsible for the twisted classic Trainspotting, and the gloriously horrific 28 Days Later, which as far as I’m concerned is the best zombie movie ever) but despite its impressive special effects and brilliant art direction, Sunshine doesn’t quite make the cut.

Sunshine, above all, is a sensory experience. Impressively created in London’s East End 3 Mills studios, the film features wildly imaginative visual effects. Parts of the film are absolutely breathtaking – bizarrely visceral, trippy and psychedelic. The sound and score similarly reflect a gelled and tranquil consciousness- and sounds a bit like French electronic duo Air. This kind of epic space film is designed for the big screen.

Sunshine also boasts an impressive cast, led by rising star Cillian Murphy as Capa, sensitive, yet hot-tempered scientist responsible for the decision to change the mission’s course of action. The beautiful Rose Byrne, playing scientist Cassie, possesses a charmingly vulnerable quality. Quite subtle, the characterisation of Sunshine works because they just seem like real people with real emotions. That said, they’re not particularly believable as scientists.

Sunshine builds effectively to its thrilling climax; the mood and characters are established and for a few moments, there's hope that the film will go beyond the normal conventions of the science-fiction/horror genre.

But sadly as the plot speeds up and haphazardly introduces new challenges to the crew, suspense falters and logic disappears. I’m not against horror by any means- but it can be frustrating when a film that sets out to be metaphorical and poignant, turns into a slasher flick. Why? The result is messy.

The choppy editing also makes Sunshine difficult to watch. There are so many cuts from inside the spaceship to outside and back to the sun; it becomes stress-inducingly unclear what you are looking at. Perhaps remaining calm under such circumstances is part of the talent of appreciating science fiction – but I don’t seem to have that gene.

Sunshine touches on unexpected psychotic consequences of the astronauts’ mission, but moves too quickly to develop any clarity. It also has a fair share of intriguing religious references – the end of mankind, man's efforts to change 'the course of nature'– but simply fails to give any of these ideas enough room to breathe. Another lost cause.

The last 40 minutes is nearly unbearable in its incomprehensiveness, but the unforgettable final sequence manages to round it out, and brilliantly capture the hypnotic charm of the scorching sun. Hopefully the dazzling sequences can make you forget the many flaws of this film.

Sunshine opens nationwide on Friday, April 6.

Scissor Sister Del Marquis talks

The sexy gay guitarist talks to Gay.com about life on the road...

As the Scissor Sisters sparkle through another world tour - showcasing their latest musical triumph TaDah, Gay.com caught up with them in Detroit and chatted to lead guitarist, Del Marquis. Arguably the least vocal and visible of the queer power phenomena led by song writing duo Jake Shears and Babydaddy, the 27-year old Del, aka Derek Gruen, has an understated charm and sexiness. For those of you who have witnessed the Sisters in concert, you’ll recognise Del for his high strung, matador trousers, mostly deadpan expression, and phallic guitar - often scoring a centre-stage solo. Earning a reputation of staying enthusiastic and remarkably modest, The Scissor Sisters seem unfazed by their growing celebrity. The down-to-earth Del was no exception, chatting familiarly about time-insensitive touring, absent gay groupies, his Brooklyn boyfriend, and about the band’s sisterly dynamic.

So, what did you do today?

Everybody sleeps really late because we travel on a bus. I don’t know if you’ve been on the traditional tour bus, but it’s devoid of light and any kind of natural sense of time… it drives me insane. So as soon as my eyes open I get up, and its usually around 9 am. No one gets up for hours. I just have to start my day. So today, we went to our day rooms, I went to the gym and I had breakfast. It’s really kind of monotonous, it’s not that exciting (laughs).

So how to you build up your energy up for a show?

Exactly like this, by doing something really regular, as if it’s any old day. I don’t sleep late at home so when I’m on tour, so I try to get up at a reasonable hour, eat a big meal and take a walk around the city…to some place interesting. Detroit just doesn’t happen to be that.

Yeah, Detroit’s not very exciting.

Yeah, I mean, it’s not bad. Detroit’s hard to get around in. I’m in motor city and I don’t have a car.

So I’ve read about your fan group, the Deltoids. Do you get groupies? Has anyone ever done anything really crazy?

You know what? In the scheme of rock history, I doubt it. I’ve obviously read about everything from the Led zeppelin incident to Def Leopard groupies, but I don’t think it’s that crazy for us. I don’t know if the gay fans are willing to go all the way like the classic girl groupie.

That’s interesting.

Yeah, it’s true, you might get them at a bar, but in a mixed venue, they’re a little shy. I guess we should ask people to step out a little, and be a little more daring. They’re familiar with the music, but then they might be confronted with the mixed audience, and not feel as comfortable as they would as in all gay crowd. I say, do what you wanna do (laughs).

Who are you closest to in the band?

It really kind of depends. I think we’re all such of different archetypes…are you asking if I have a specific issue I want to talk about or…?

If something heavy has happened, who would you go to?

Something heavy. I actually feel pretty comfortable going to most band members. For something heavy, I don’t think there’s any one member I wouldn’t feel comfortable confiding in .These are people that you spend so much time with, but there’s no avoiding knowing the details if something really awful had happened. You can’t hide it. Everyone ends up knowing, and that’s a good thing.You don’t wanna be a moody asshole, and everyone is like – hey, what’s up your butt? And you’re actually like, ‘Uh, My relative just died, and I can’t go home for the funeral cause I’m on tour’.

Right. So I imagine that the gay energy of the group can be really intense, especially with you guys being in such intimate quarters. How do you deal with that? Does it feel any different than if you were with straight guys?

I’ve only been in two bands with straight guys, and I would definitely take this situation over that. There are more straight men in our entourage that outnumber the gay band members, but our direction comes from the fans. We have a certain sensibility, a queer sensibility, and that extends to Ana and other people we surround ourselves with.

I don’t like to call it a gay sensibility, it’s a queer one. It’s about a sense of humour, a sense of openness…and I don’t think I could do this without it. It’s great, I could never be with anything less. There’s just such openness, everyone is really funny and witty. And they’re also really emotionally developed people. I don’t know any other situation - I just like the one I’m in.

Do you have a boyfriend?

I do have a boyfriend.

And how long have you been together?

A little over two years. We live in Brooklyn.

So is he touring with you, or is he back home?

Nah, he has his own career, he has a job and you know, does the 9 to 5. It doesn’t really allow him to travel much to meet me, but we make time to meet up. He can’t put his life on hold for me.

I saw your Myspace page, but there wasn’t any music up, and you said there was more to come. Tell me about your music.

Well obviously there’s a really strong song writing core in The Scissor Sisters, Jake and Babydaddy write most of the music. Yeah, I mean, it’s not for lack of writing songs, the songs I write aren’t always gonna be appropriate for this band, but that doesn’t dissuade me or stop me from working on music. And I’ve had stuff on the page, but because they’re demos. I take them down, and I work on them., depending how busy I am with the band. Sometimes I neglect that page (laughs).



But there will be time between the albums, I’ll hope to work on other projects. I don’t know where they’re gonna lead, but I think that what this band does is open a lot of doors. There’s a lot of possibilities.

I read that you are interested in film. What kind of films do you like?

Sometimes I like to see a really wrank kind of big Hollywood movie. It’s kind of my escapism.

What was the last film you saw?

That last thing I saw was a Netflix movie. Capturing the Friedmans. (IMDB: “Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middleclass Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes”)

Oh I saw that. Wasn’t it amazing?

It is amazing, and I was just talking about it with my boyfriend actually. The film doesn’t give you the answer, I don’t know if you go into the film thinking are they guilty..or if are they not…

It’s very weird.

They’re not particularly guilty of all the crimes, but they’re not innocent either. The film is willing to be middle ground. Everyone wants it to be one way or another, but it’s really somewhere in the middle. It was even hard for me to say well, ‘Oh they may be guilty of some things,’ but I definitely think they were overcharged. There was definitely something of a witch hunt.

I agree. So what does Elton John look like at Breakfast???

(Pause) He keeps his appearance up. I don’t really wanna comment on that.

So, you’ve have been invited to separate lunch dates. One from Paul McCartney and another from Heather Mills. Who would you go with and why?

I would go with Paul McCartney. I have nothing to talk to Heather Mills about without being mean spirited.

What’s the next single?

We just released She’s My Man, as a single and the video is out. The next single will most likely be Kiss you Off.

Oh, I really like Kiss you off!

Oh I know, I really like it too. I think it’s one of my favourite songs to play. And this means that Ana is kind of the creative driving force for the video. She has her own ideas of beauty and film, so it should be good…and different.

The Scissor Sisters tour will headline the O2 festival in London on July 26th and 27th and play the Manchester Evening News Arena on July 30th, 31st, and August 1st.

To find more tour information, click here.

Pop this pill

If drugs could make you straight, would you be tempted to take them? Don't miss the thought-provoking and clever Hard Pill

One of the most difficult, unexpected challenges about coming out is that once you do, there’s no looking back. And if you expect to find romance, or at least feel part of a community, you may end up feeling more isolated than you were before.

Would life be easier if you could be straight?

John Baumgartner’s clever and poignant Hard Pill tells the story of chronically single, average, unhappy Tim.

Working at a dead-end job, Tim’s most romantic relationship is with a doting overweight Ugly Betty. The closest thing he has to a sex life is begging a manic- depressive straight friend to graciously accept a blow job.

Despite his best efforts, Tim can’t break his lack of self-confidence, and a harsh, unfriendly gay scene further fuels his depression. Desperate for change, he volunteers for a controversial pharmaceutical study designed to make gay men straight.

While the gays and the church go head-to-head (which is brought to life through a brilliant documentary approach), Tim slips through the cracks and begins treatment – despite objections from close friends. The treatment works, and although he tries to enjoy his new life, he's faced with unexpected consequences of his decision.

Filmmaker Baumgartner’s novel idea and direction make for a thought-provoking and suspenseful drama. Conversion treatment isn’t new, and the introduction of sexuality conversion – in pill form - doesn’t seem an unlikely reality. Just last week Christian leader Albert Mohler suggested that if being gay is biologically determined – people should be “fixed” to be straight, prompting backlash from gay rights groups.

Besides the impressively provocative premise, the casting of Hard Pill is also noteworthy. There’s a very distinct ‘kitchen sink’ aspect to the characters, each imperfect and vulnerable, reflecting Tim’s troubled state of mind. The supporting cast – made up of Tim’s straight crush, a hard-partying queen, and a doting female companion - each have very precise character traits and motivations, later instrumental in Tim’s unravelling.

Susan Slome stands out in her performance of Sally, Tim’s fag hag …literally. Overweight and homely, Sally is devoted to Tim – and would “marry him if he was straight”. While she is upset by Tim’s decision to dismiss his gayness, she secretly warms to the prospect of Tim being a hot-blooded hetero.

With the exception of some briefly excessive melodrama, Hard Pill is definitely worth a watch. Refreshing and sweet, similar to the amazing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hard Pill is another rare example of a quality gay drama.

My rating? 4.5/5 stars

Hard Pill is available on DVD.

‘Idol’ alumni in cottaging scandal

Pop star Mario Vasquez has been accused of "masturbating" in front of an American Idol employee

Pop star and former American Idol contestant Mario Vasquez faces allegations of sexual harassment from a former employee of the reality show's production company.

In a lawsuit that was filed last week to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Magdaleno Olmos, an assistant accountant to Fremantle Media, claimed that Vasquez tried to cruise him in the company lavatory.

According to the documents, which were obtained by TMZ on Monday, Vasquez, who has never publicly acknowledged his sexuality, asked Olmos "if he wanted oral sex."

Olmos said that Vasquez followed him into the lavatory, knocked on the toilet stall that Olmos was using, and looked at him through the space in the stall door. Vasquez made eye contact with Olmos, and smiled "lasciviously" as he "started to rub his genitals over his pants."

Although he resisted Vasquez’s advances, Vasquez forcefully unzipped Olmos' pants and touched his "chest and stomach underneath his shirt ".

As Olmos tried to exit the lavatory, he turned and “saw Vazquez standing in front of him with his pants down masturbating".

Olmos reported the incident to his supervisor Eric LaPointe, who then threatened Olmos with termination and called him “crazy”. Olmos was fired a few months later.

In addition to suing Vazquez, Olmos is also taking FOX Entertainment and Fremantle Media to court for wrongful termination.

Shortly after the incident, Vasquez, who had made in into the final round of the reality show, dropped out of the competition citing “family reasons”.

Quashing rumours that he had clashed with Idol producers, Vasquez told morning show "Good Day New York" that his experience on American Idol was “only positive”.

Aussie pop star: I'm gay

“Yes, I am gay,” said Australian pop singer and former Idol contestant Anthony Callea

Australian pop singer and former Australian Idol contestant Anthony Callea has come out of the closet, after being accidentally outed by a Sydney radio host earlier this month.

“Yes, I am gay,” Callea told News Limited on Monday.

His sexuality has been the subject of much speculation, especially since he denied being gay in 2004 and insisted, “I'm not gay. I don't know why people say I am. A lot of people just make up rubbish.”

Callea, now 24, revealed that he is now comfortable with himself and wanted to end the rumours.

"I have no issue with my sexuality now but it has taken time to become confident with who I am and happy with who I am," he said.

"I'm looking forward to living a life with no holds barred and not worrying about having to say the right thing."

Callea's confirmation of his sexuality follows an on-air conversation on Sydney radio station on March 6, 2007, when a traffic reporter nonchalantly mentioned that Callea is gay.

Callea admitted that he regretted not coming out earlier, but felt pressure to hide his sexuality, especially during Australian Idol.

"You learn from your mistakes. I was 21, 22 at the time," he said. "I didn't want to be known as just the gay contestant from Idol.

He also discussed how growing up gay in an Italian family was difficult.

"I went through a major depression. I hated myself. I had to see a psychologist. I wasn't talking to anyone. My parents didn't know what was wrong with me," he said.

"But getting through that makes you a stronger person. It allows me to do what I'm doing now and not be affected by what's said.”

Callea currently holds the record for being the highest-selling single and fastest-selling single in Australia for his debut single The Prayer.