Monday, August 20, 2012
Madonna Sued By Russian Anti-Gay Hate Group
Anti-gay groups in Russia have sued Madonna for more than $10 million for "moral damage suffered by St. Petersburg residents" during a recent concert in the city, according to Reuters and a report from Ria Novosti, Russia's state news agency.
Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer representing one of the suing parties, told Ria Novosti that attendees of the concert and those who have seen videos of her performance have suffered "psychological stress and emotional shock" because of her "promotion of homosexuality." Pochuyev also said that the pop star "trampled down" an Orthodox cross.
According to Human Rights Watch, the parliament of St. Petersburg earlier this year passed a law that bans “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.”
In March, Madonna called the law a "ridiculous atrocity" and said on her Facebook page that she'd speak about it during her upcoming show.
During her August 9 concert, the singer, who turned 54 last week, told the audience that she was "here to say that the gay community and gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love," according to a video posted on her YouTube account.
As she was speaking, members of the audience held up pieces of paper depicting rainbow flags with the words "NO FEAR" written across them.
She also asked members of the 25,000 person crowd to hold up their arms "to show your love and appreciation of the gay community."
"Maybe someone does not see the link but after Madonna's concert maybe some boy becomes gay, some girl becomes lesbian, fewer children are born as a result and this big country cannot defend its borders - for me it causes moral suffering," Alexei Kolotkov, one of the people who filed the suit, said, according to Reuters.
The gay community in Russia has suffered a series of setbacks recently. Moscow, Russia's capital and largest city, last week banned gay pride parades for 100 years.
This is not Madonna's first brush with controversy during her international tour, dubbed MDNA. The singer sparked outrage last month at a concert in Paris when she showed a video depicting the leader of the far-right National Front party with a swastika on her forehead.
Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer representing one of the suing parties, told Ria Novosti that attendees of the concert and those who have seen videos of her performance have suffered "psychological stress and emotional shock" because of her "promotion of homosexuality." Pochuyev also said that the pop star "trampled down" an Orthodox cross.
According to Human Rights Watch, the parliament of St. Petersburg earlier this year passed a law that bans “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.”
In March, Madonna called the law a "ridiculous atrocity" and said on her Facebook page that she'd speak about it during her upcoming show.
During her August 9 concert, the singer, who turned 54 last week, told the audience that she was "here to say that the gay community and gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love," according to a video posted on her YouTube account.
As she was speaking, members of the audience held up pieces of paper depicting rainbow flags with the words "NO FEAR" written across them.
She also asked members of the 25,000 person crowd to hold up their arms "to show your love and appreciation of the gay community."
The gay community in Russia has suffered a series of setbacks recently. Moscow, Russia's capital and largest city, last week banned gay pride parades for 100 years.
This is not Madonna's first brush with controversy during her international tour, dubbed MDNA. The singer sparked outrage last month at a concert in Paris when she showed a video depicting the leader of the far-right National Front party with a swastika on her forehead.
Director Tony Scott Dies
Tony Scott, director of such Hollywood hits as "Top Gun," "Days of Thunder" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," died Sunday after jumping from a Los Angeles County bridge, authorities said.
The 68-year-old Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Joe Bale said.
Several people called 911 around 12:35 p.m. to report that someone had jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles Harbor, according to Los Angeles police Lt. Tim Nordquist.
A dive team with Los Angeles Port Police pulled the body from the murky water several hours later, Nordquist said. Scott's body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner's office.
One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed to traffic during the investigation. Cargo vessels moved at reduced speeds through the east side of the port's main channel during the search, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
Investigators found a note in Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on the bridge, according to the Los Angeles Times. That note listed contact information. A suicide note was later found at his office.
The British-born Scott, who lived in Beverly Hills, was producer and director Ridley Scott's younger brother. Distinct visual styles mark both siblings' films – Ridley Scott mastering the creation of entire worlds with such films as "Gladiator," "Blade Runner," "Alien" and this year's "Prometheus," Tony Scott known for hyper-kinetic action and editing on such films as his most recent, the runaway train thriller "Unstoppable," starring regular collaborator Denzel Washington.
Tony was the first of the Scott brothers to enjoy blockbuster success with "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise, the top-grossing film of 1986 at $176 million. Scott teamed with Cruise again four years later on the hit "Days of Thunder." He also had a sequel to "Top Gun" in development.
But Ridley Scott later managed more and bigger hits than his brother and earned a level of critical respect never achieved by Tony Scott. "Gladiator" won the best-picture Academy Award for 2000 and earned Ridley Scott one of his three best-director nominations; Tony Scott never was in the running for an Oscar, and critics often slammed his movies for emphasizing style over substance.
The two brothers ran Scott Free Productions and were working jointly on a film called "Killing Lincoln," based on the best seller by Bill O'Reilly. Their company produced the CBS dramas "NUMB3RS" and "The Good Wife" as well as a 2011 documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg for the History Channel.
Besides "Unstoppable," Scott worked with Washington on four other movies: "Crimson Tide," "Man on Fire," Deja Vu" and "The Taking of Pelham 123."
In a tweet Sunday, director Ron Howard said, "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day."
Other Scott films include "True Romance," written by Quentin Tarantino, "The Fan," with Robert De Niro, and "Enemy of the State," starring Will Smith.
Scott was married to actress Donna Scott, who appeared in several of her husband's films. They have twin sons.
Completed in 1963, the 6,060-foot Vincent Thomas Bridge links rises 185 feet at its highest point above the Los Angeles Harbor. Many have taken their lives by jumping from the span.
The 68-year-old Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Joe Bale said.
Several people called 911 around 12:35 p.m. to report that someone had jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles Harbor, according to Los Angeles police Lt. Tim Nordquist.
A dive team with Los Angeles Port Police pulled the body from the murky water several hours later, Nordquist said. Scott's body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner's office.
One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed to traffic during the investigation. Cargo vessels moved at reduced speeds through the east side of the port's main channel during the search, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
Investigators found a note in Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on the bridge, according to the Los Angeles Times. That note listed contact information. A suicide note was later found at his office.
The British-born Scott, who lived in Beverly Hills, was producer and director Ridley Scott's younger brother. Distinct visual styles mark both siblings' films – Ridley Scott mastering the creation of entire worlds with such films as "Gladiator," "Blade Runner," "Alien" and this year's "Prometheus," Tony Scott known for hyper-kinetic action and editing on such films as his most recent, the runaway train thriller "Unstoppable," starring regular collaborator Denzel Washington.
Tony was the first of the Scott brothers to enjoy blockbuster success with "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise, the top-grossing film of 1986 at $176 million. Scott teamed with Cruise again four years later on the hit "Days of Thunder." He also had a sequel to "Top Gun" in development.
But Ridley Scott later managed more and bigger hits than his brother and earned a level of critical respect never achieved by Tony Scott. "Gladiator" won the best-picture Academy Award for 2000 and earned Ridley Scott one of his three best-director nominations; Tony Scott never was in the running for an Oscar, and critics often slammed his movies for emphasizing style over substance.
The two brothers ran Scott Free Productions and were working jointly on a film called "Killing Lincoln," based on the best seller by Bill O'Reilly. Their company produced the CBS dramas "NUMB3RS" and "The Good Wife" as well as a 2011 documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg for the History Channel.
Besides "Unstoppable," Scott worked with Washington on four other movies: "Crimson Tide," "Man on Fire," Deja Vu" and "The Taking of Pelham 123."
In a tweet Sunday, director Ron Howard said, "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day."
Other Scott films include "True Romance," written by Quentin Tarantino, "The Fan," with Robert De Niro, and "Enemy of the State," starring Will Smith.
Scott was married to actress Donna Scott, who appeared in several of her husband's films. They have twin sons.
Completed in 1963, the 6,060-foot Vincent Thomas Bridge links rises 185 feet at its highest point above the Los Angeles Harbor. Many have taken their lives by jumping from the span.
Friday, August 17, 2012
A Message From President Obama
I just got back from Iowa, where we are being outspent 2 to 1 on the air. Voters there mentioned it to me more than once.
We expect Mitt Romney and the Republicans to outspend us.
What I will not abide is getting outspent by a margin that negates all the hard work our volunteers are doing -- talking to voters, knocking on doors, making calls.
We are in control of that outcome, but our time to close the gap is dwindling. After three consecutive months of being significantly outraised, it couldn't be more urgent.
Will you make a donation of $3 or more?
https://donate.barackobama.com/Outspent-in-Iowa
If we win this election, it will be because of what you did.
I don't get to tell you enough how grateful I am.
Thank you,
Barack
P.S. -- In a few weeks, I'll accept our party's nomination for president onstage in Charlotte, North Carolina. I wouldn't be there without you. Any donation you make today automatically enters you and a guest for a chance to join me and Michelle as VIP guests of the convention. Hope to see you there.
We expect Mitt Romney and the Republicans to outspend us.
What I will not abide is getting outspent by a margin that negates all the hard work our volunteers are doing -- talking to voters, knocking on doors, making calls.
We are in control of that outcome, but our time to close the gap is dwindling. After three consecutive months of being significantly outraised, it couldn't be more urgent.
Will you make a donation of $3 or more?
https://donate.barackobama.com/Outspent-in-Iowa
If we win this election, it will be because of what you did.
I don't get to tell you enough how grateful I am.
Thank you,
Barack
P.S. -- In a few weeks, I'll accept our party's nomination for president onstage in Charlotte, North Carolina. I wouldn't be there without you. Any donation you make today automatically enters you and a guest for a chance to join me and Michelle as VIP guests of the convention. Hope to see you there.
Lacefront Revolution....errr....Intervention Part 2
Kelly, now you know that part in the photo below ain’t even right or realistic. Your very large or very long wigs smother too much of that beautiful face, and the end results are never flawless. As we know from your early days in Destiny’s Child, short haircuts are your best friend. Show off that good bone structure and burn these wigs.
Nicki, I know part of your schtick is to look a mess, but these wigs aren’t fooling anybody. Sometimes they’re cute and colorful, but as you can see above and below, sometimes they’re sitting just a few inches above your eyebrows and look like a cap. And let’s not forget the glue on that purple wig that barely finished drying. Clearly this isn’t your
It’s been a while since you reached for a lace front, Tyra, and that’s probably for good reason. Back in the day, everybody and their mother knew you were rocking a lace front thanks to those edges. Nowadays, you rock shorter and much cuter looks that utilize your own hair, and gave these wigs a semi-permanent break. Kudos to you, boo. Because this look wasn’t working.
Jennifer, now you know you’re my girl. But according to my friends, you’re a repeat lace front offender. I don’t know why though. Maybe it’s because the hair often looks like a helmet when you wear it, and it’s probably because of the glue and makeup used for the front of your forehead where the wig sits, but either way, you need to lay off the look for a while.
Possibly the queen of the lace front since it really started making waves, Kim, you’ve been killing me softly. Brushing down the baby hair to make these wigs look more real hasn’t worked in the way you planned, and the end result is often a look that reminds me of the head of one of my babydolls from childhood. As you get older, less space is being left between the wigs and your eyebrows and I’m scared for you, ma. Let go and let those edges breathe!
The 21st Century Riot Grrrl, Pussy Riot Found Guilty
A Moscow judge sentenced three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot to two years in prison on hooliganism charges on Friday following a trial seen around the world as an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent.
The trial inspired a wave of small but raucous protests across Europe and North America in support of the feminist rockers, who have been dubbed prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. Hundreds of Pussy Riot supporters waiting outside the Moscow courtroom chanted "down with the police state" when the sentence was announced. Dozens were detained, including several opposition leaders.
The three women were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral where they high-kicked and danced while singing a "punk prayer" pleading with the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia's president two weeks later.
Judge Marina Syrova said in her verdict that the band members "committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred." She rejected the women's arguments that they were protesting the Orthodox Church's support for Putin and didn't intend to offend religious believers.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, stood in handcuffs in a glass cage in the courtroom for three hours as the judge read the verdict. They smiled sadly as the judge recounted testimony of prosecution witnesses accusing them of sacrilege and "devilish dances" in church and said that their feminist views made them hate the Orthodox religion.
Tolokonnikova laughed out loud when the judge read the testimony of a psychologist who said that her "active stance on social issues" was an anomaly.
The three women remained calm and kept smiling after the judge announced the sentence. Someone in the courtroom shouted "Shame!" They waved at relatives from behind the glass.
Samutsevich's father said he met with his daughter before the court session and she was prepared for a prison sentence. "We tried to comfort her," said Stanislav Samutsevich.
The charges carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, although prosecutors had asked for a three-year sentence.
Putin himself had said the band members shouldn't be judged too harshly, creating expectations that they could be sentenced to time served and freed in the courtroom. This, however, would have left the impression that Putin had bowed to public pressure, something he has resisted throughout his 12 years in power.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin couldn't intervene in the judicial process and refused to comment on the sentence.
"Putin has doomed himself to another year and a half of international shame and humiliation," said Boris Akunin, one of Russia's most popular authors, who was among the Pussy Riot supporters outside the courthouse. "The whole thing is bad because it's yet another step toward the escalation of tensions within society. And the government is absolutely to blame."
Defense lawyers said they would appeal the verdict, although they had little hope that it would be overturned. "Under no circumstances will the girls ask for a pardon (from Putin)," said Mark Feygin. "They will not beg and humiliate themselves before such a bastard."
Outside the court, police rounded up a few dozen protesters, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who is a leading opposition activist, and leftist opposition group leader Sergei Udaltsov.
When a prison bus drove the three women away, hundreds of supporters cheered their support.
Amnesty International strongly condemned the court's ruling, saying it "shows that the Russian authorities will stop at no end to suppress dissent and stifle civil society." Governments including the United States, Britain, France and Germany denounced the sentences as disproportionate.
President Barack Obama was disappointed by the decision, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "While we understand the group's behavior was offensive to some, we have serious concerns about the way that these young women have been treated by the Russian judicial system," he said.
The Pussy Riot case has stoked the resentment of opposition partisans who have turned out for a series of huge anti-Putin rallies since last winter.
Alexei Navalny, a key leader behind those protests, condemned the verdict as a "cynical mockery of justice" and said the opposition will step up its protests.
Even some Kremlin loyalists strongly criticized the verdict. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said it has dealt "yet another blow to the court system and citizens' trust in it." "The country's image and its attractiveness in the eyes of investors have suffered an enormous damage," he said.
Mikhail Fedotov, the head of a presidential advisory council on human rights, criticized the verdict and voiced hope that the sentence will be repealed or at least softened.
And Mikhail Barshchevsky, a lawyer who represents the Cabinet in high courts, said that the verdict had no basis in Russian criminal law
The Pussy Riot case has underlined the vast influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although church and state are formally separate, the church identifies itself as the heart of Russian national identity and critics say its strength effectively makes it a quasi-state entity. Some Orthodox groups and many believers had urged strong punishment for an action they consider blasphemous.
The head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, has made no secret of his strong support for Putin, praising his presidencies as "God's miracle," and he described the performance as part of an assault by "enemy forces" on the church. He avoided talking to the media as he left Warsaw's Royal Castle following a ceremony in which he and the head of Poland's Catholic Church called for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation.
The judge relied extensively on the testimony of church laymen, who said they were offended and shocked by the band's stunt. "The actions of the defendants reflected their hatred of religion," Syrova said in the verdict.
The Orthodox Church said in a statement after the verdict that the band's stunt was a "sacrilege" and a "reflection of rude animosity toward millions of people and their feelings." It also asked the authorities to "show clemency toward the convicted in the hope that they will refrain from new sacrilegious actions."
The case comes in the wake of several recently passed laws cracking down on opposition, including one that raised the fine for taking part in an unauthorized demonstrations by 150 times to 300,000 rubles (about $9,000).
Another measure requires non-government organizations that both engage in vaguely defined political activity and receive funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents."
The trial inspired a wave of small but raucous protests across Europe and North America in support of the feminist rockers, who have been dubbed prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. Hundreds of Pussy Riot supporters waiting outside the Moscow courtroom chanted "down with the police state" when the sentence was announced. Dozens were detained, including several opposition leaders.
The three women were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral where they high-kicked and danced while singing a "punk prayer" pleading with the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia's president two weeks later.
Judge Marina Syrova said in her verdict that the band members "committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred." She rejected the women's arguments that they were protesting the Orthodox Church's support for Putin and didn't intend to offend religious believers.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, stood in handcuffs in a glass cage in the courtroom for three hours as the judge read the verdict. They smiled sadly as the judge recounted testimony of prosecution witnesses accusing them of sacrilege and "devilish dances" in church and said that their feminist views made them hate the Orthodox religion.
Tolokonnikova laughed out loud when the judge read the testimony of a psychologist who said that her "active stance on social issues" was an anomaly.
The three women remained calm and kept smiling after the judge announced the sentence. Someone in the courtroom shouted "Shame!" They waved at relatives from behind the glass.
Samutsevich's father said he met with his daughter before the court session and she was prepared for a prison sentence. "We tried to comfort her," said Stanislav Samutsevich.
The charges carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, although prosecutors had asked for a three-year sentence.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin couldn't intervene in the judicial process and refused to comment on the sentence.
"Putin has doomed himself to another year and a half of international shame and humiliation," said Boris Akunin, one of Russia's most popular authors, who was among the Pussy Riot supporters outside the courthouse. "The whole thing is bad because it's yet another step toward the escalation of tensions within society. And the government is absolutely to blame."
Defense lawyers said they would appeal the verdict, although they had little hope that it would be overturned. "Under no circumstances will the girls ask for a pardon (from Putin)," said Mark Feygin. "They will not beg and humiliate themselves before such a bastard."
Outside the court, police rounded up a few dozen protesters, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who is a leading opposition activist, and leftist opposition group leader Sergei Udaltsov.
When a prison bus drove the three women away, hundreds of supporters cheered their support.
Amnesty International strongly condemned the court's ruling, saying it "shows that the Russian authorities will stop at no end to suppress dissent and stifle civil society." Governments including the United States, Britain, France and Germany denounced the sentences as disproportionate.
President Barack Obama was disappointed by the decision, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "While we understand the group's behavior was offensive to some, we have serious concerns about the way that these young women have been treated by the Russian judicial system," he said.
The Pussy Riot case has stoked the resentment of opposition partisans who have turned out for a series of huge anti-Putin rallies since last winter.
Alexei Navalny, a key leader behind those protests, condemned the verdict as a "cynical mockery of justice" and said the opposition will step up its protests.
Even some Kremlin loyalists strongly criticized the verdict. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said it has dealt "yet another blow to the court system and citizens' trust in it." "The country's image and its attractiveness in the eyes of investors have suffered an enormous damage," he said.
Mikhail Fedotov, the head of a presidential advisory council on human rights, criticized the verdict and voiced hope that the sentence will be repealed or at least softened.
And Mikhail Barshchevsky, a lawyer who represents the Cabinet in high courts, said that the verdict had no basis in Russian criminal law
The Pussy Riot case has underlined the vast influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although church and state are formally separate, the church identifies itself as the heart of Russian national identity and critics say its strength effectively makes it a quasi-state entity. Some Orthodox groups and many believers had urged strong punishment for an action they consider blasphemous.
The head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, has made no secret of his strong support for Putin, praising his presidencies as "God's miracle," and he described the performance as part of an assault by "enemy forces" on the church. He avoided talking to the media as he left Warsaw's Royal Castle following a ceremony in which he and the head of Poland's Catholic Church called for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation.
The judge relied extensively on the testimony of church laymen, who said they were offended and shocked by the band's stunt. "The actions of the defendants reflected their hatred of religion," Syrova said in the verdict.
The Orthodox Church said in a statement after the verdict that the band's stunt was a "sacrilege" and a "reflection of rude animosity toward millions of people and their feelings." It also asked the authorities to "show clemency toward the convicted in the hope that they will refrain from new sacrilegious actions."
The case comes in the wake of several recently passed laws cracking down on opposition, including one that raised the fine for taking part in an unauthorized demonstrations by 150 times to 300,000 rubles (about $9,000).
Another measure requires non-government organizations that both engage in vaguely defined political activity and receive funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents."
Actor Ezra Miller Comes Out
Actor Ezra Miller came out as queer during a recent interview with Out magazine.
Miller, best known for his roles in "City Island" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin," is not only preparing for his debut in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," but he is also ready to reveal his true self to the world.
In the candid interview with Out, Miller said:
The writer of the article, Shana Naomi Krochmal, tells The Huffington Post she routinely asks interview subjects to describe their sexuality in their own words, but was surprised by how Miller made the first move.
"We played a little phone tag before actually getting on the phone, and in one voicemail he left me, he actually said, 'I’m excited to talk to you about being out of the closet. It sounds fun,'" Krochmal told HuffPost Gay Voices. "I still wasn't sure if he was serious or joking around about the interview being with the gay magazine. But when we started talking, he immediately opened up about his feelings for other boys as a kid and how he was targeted by other kids for being gay."
Krochmal, adds, "Though I'll happily accept just about any label someone throws my way, I consider myself queer, too. And I loved how gender inclusive he was -- for him talking about being queer seemed to inherently mean thinking about not just boyfriends or girlfriends but also a genderless or genderqueer zefriend."
Earlier this year, Miller divulged that he had had gay encounters as a youth.
“I’ve had many, you know, ‘happy ending sleepovers’ in my early youth,” he told Next Magazine in January. “My period of exploration -- I think that’s essential. Anyone who hasn’t had a gay moment is probably trying to avoid some confrontation with a reality in their life.”
The 19-year-old's coming out will surely not overshadow his upcoming role in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," out Sept. 14. Although his resume might not be too lengthy just yet, Miller has been touted as a "star on the rise" since last year, and that star is about to shoot a whole lot higher.
Miller takes on the role of Patrick, the gay stepbrother of Sam (Emma Watson), the object of main character Charlie's (Logan Lerman) affection and a girl way too out of his league. Patrick is gay but closeted and keeps his boyfriend a secret.
The film touches home for Miller, who was mocked as a child for having a speech impediment and then for his sexuality.
“I was trying to kiss boys in school,” Miller he told Out's Krochmal, before revealing how a best friend he had fooled around with turned on him. “He had some macho realization that led him to believe that I was the problem. So I went from having a stutter to being a totally gay little opera singer to being, like, a really confused queer adolescent.”
“I just want kids in all situations to hold on," he added. "A lot of [adolescence] left me wanting to end my own life, just give up. It feels like the whole world -- because it is. It’s your whole world. But, man -- life is a really, really cool ride. It’s really amazing the type of shit you can get up to if you endure. Like, you can do anything you want if you can survive.”
Miller, best known for his roles in "City Island" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin," is not only preparing for his debut in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," but he is also ready to reveal his true self to the world.
In the candid interview with Out, Miller said:
I’m queer. I have a lot of really wonderful friends who are of very different sexes and genders. I am very much in love with no one in particular. I’ve been trying to figure out relationships, you know? I don’t know if it’s responsible for kids of my age to be so aggressively pursuing monogamous binds, because I don’t think we’re ready for them. The romanticism within our culture dictates that that’s what you’re supposed to be looking for. Then [when] we find what we think is love -- even if it is love -- we do not yet have the tools. I do feel that it’s possible to be at this age unintentionally hurtful, just by being irresponsible -- which is fine. I’m super down with being irresponsible. I’m just trying to make sure my lack of responsibility no longer hurts people. That’s where I’m at in the boyfriend/girlfriend/zefriend type of question.
The writer of the article, Shana Naomi Krochmal, tells The Huffington Post she routinely asks interview subjects to describe their sexuality in their own words, but was surprised by how Miller made the first move.
"We played a little phone tag before actually getting on the phone, and in one voicemail he left me, he actually said, 'I’m excited to talk to you about being out of the closet. It sounds fun,'" Krochmal told HuffPost Gay Voices. "I still wasn't sure if he was serious or joking around about the interview being with the gay magazine. But when we started talking, he immediately opened up about his feelings for other boys as a kid and how he was targeted by other kids for being gay."
Krochmal, adds, "Though I'll happily accept just about any label someone throws my way, I consider myself queer, too. And I loved how gender inclusive he was -- for him talking about being queer seemed to inherently mean thinking about not just boyfriends or girlfriends but also a genderless or genderqueer zefriend."
Earlier this year, Miller divulged that he had had gay encounters as a youth.
“I’ve had many, you know, ‘happy ending sleepovers’ in my early youth,” he told Next Magazine in January. “My period of exploration -- I think that’s essential. Anyone who hasn’t had a gay moment is probably trying to avoid some confrontation with a reality in their life.”
The 19-year-old's coming out will surely not overshadow his upcoming role in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," out Sept. 14. Although his resume might not be too lengthy just yet, Miller has been touted as a "star on the rise" since last year, and that star is about to shoot a whole lot higher.
Miller takes on the role of Patrick, the gay stepbrother of Sam (Emma Watson), the object of main character Charlie's (Logan Lerman) affection and a girl way too out of his league. Patrick is gay but closeted and keeps his boyfriend a secret.
The film touches home for Miller, who was mocked as a child for having a speech impediment and then for his sexuality.
“I was trying to kiss boys in school,” Miller he told Out's Krochmal, before revealing how a best friend he had fooled around with turned on him. “He had some macho realization that led him to believe that I was the problem. So I went from having a stutter to being a totally gay little opera singer to being, like, a really confused queer adolescent.”
“I just want kids in all situations to hold on," he added. "A lot of [adolescence] left me wanting to end my own life, just give up. It feels like the whole world -- because it is. It’s your whole world. But, man -- life is a really, really cool ride. It’s really amazing the type of shit you can get up to if you endure. Like, you can do anything you want if you can survive.”
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Burning Of The Bridge Award: Trolls
I have had it up to here with people. Not all people, but just enough to make me want to crawl into a hole and stay for a while.
Years ago, I came up with the idea of creating an award for cutting ties with those that mean me nothing but harm. This award is called The Burning of The Bridge Award and the first award will go to an unnamed person. I don't want to be sued, but the forthcoming descriptions will be crystal clear:
First award goes to the trolls I know who like to act like they're sex symbols. And maybe to some people they are sex icons, but not in the eyes of free thinking, clear minded people with good eyesight. They create drama to place themselves in the center therefore feeling needed, wanted and worthy of faux attention. It's high time they understand that they should feel privileged to have decent, truly good looking people even glancing in their direction. Most of these people are borderline illiterate and are bombarded with a few physical deformities they use as the catalyst for sympathy. Get over it. Exercise. Stop smoking five cigarettes at a time and fumigate your apartment. Or you'll end up like the character in 'Metamorphisis', turning into the cockroach you are. And to think you've ever read such a classic book. Silly me. The most these people ever read are answers to their pathetic requests to have someone sleep with them out of pity or just needing a toothless mouth to give them head.
Trolls of the world unite upon this bridge and watch it burn.
May the bridges I burn, light the way......
Years ago, I came up with the idea of creating an award for cutting ties with those that mean me nothing but harm. This award is called The Burning of The Bridge Award and the first award will go to an unnamed person. I don't want to be sued, but the forthcoming descriptions will be crystal clear:
First award goes to the trolls I know who like to act like they're sex symbols. And maybe to some people they are sex icons, but not in the eyes of free thinking, clear minded people with good eyesight. They create drama to place themselves in the center therefore feeling needed, wanted and worthy of faux attention. It's high time they understand that they should feel privileged to have decent, truly good looking people even glancing in their direction. Most of these people are borderline illiterate and are bombarded with a few physical deformities they use as the catalyst for sympathy. Get over it. Exercise. Stop smoking five cigarettes at a time and fumigate your apartment. Or you'll end up like the character in 'Metamorphisis', turning into the cockroach you are. And to think you've ever read such a classic book. Silly me. The most these people ever read are answers to their pathetic requests to have someone sleep with them out of pity or just needing a toothless mouth to give them head.
Trolls of the world unite upon this bridge and watch it burn.
May the bridges I burn, light the way......
Happy Birthday, Madonna!
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Mad-Eyes © 2001-
2012 Bart
Vanmaele
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Azealia Banks Doing the Most
Fire up your "OMG, scandalous!" or your "Big deal! Who cares?" buttons: British fashion magazine Dazed & Confused has finally released its controversial Azealia Banks cover.
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Dazed & Confused tweeted last week that the cover of its September issue, which reportedly featured hot new rapper Azealia Banks smoking a condom like a cigar, had already been banned in seven countries, before it had even been released. How's that for hype?
On Wednesday, the magazine dropped the bomb and released the image. As promised, the Sharif Hamza-shot cover features Banks posing with an inflated bright pink condom between her lips like a giant cigar with the cheeky headline, "Azealia Banks Blows Up."
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