Billy Masters 10.20.22
"I can't tell you how many times I have heard that young queer kids used to do the Wonder Woman spin when they were closeted. Whether you're out and proud now or you're still living with a secret identity, you are a superhero in my eyes. Happy National Coming Out Day."
— Lynda Carter, aka "Wonder Woman".
I was just the victim of the ol' bait-and-switch. I went to see a film the US distributors called "Blessed Boys"—allegedly an LGBT film from Italy. My Italian is good and I'm gay, so it sounded like a match. It's my own fault that I didn't look up the name of this film in Italian. So, color me surprised when I got to the theatre and what came on the screen was "La Santa Piccola"—literally translated as "The Little Saint" or "The Miracle Child". Since the words "santa" and "piccola" end with an "a", the saint or child in question is a girl. No boys, no blessed, no nothing! In fact, there's barely a gay storyline. Still, I made the best of it, even if I continue to believe I was bamboozled—which I don't believe easily translates into Italian!
The Anthony Rapp/Kevin Spacey trial is continuing along, and several juicy revelations came out of the courtroom. I was shocked to hear the name John Barrowman. Turns out, he was with Rapp when he met Spacey. But there is a discrepancy in the two lads' memory. Rapp states the first time he went to Spacey's apartment was for a party (where the "incident" occurred); Barrowman states it was the first night they met, after going to a gay bar—and I feel obligated to remind you that Rapp was 14 and Barrowman was 19 (they went to the same high school). According to Johnny, Kevin was "flirty" and gave John a "gentle push" onto his bed. He said that something sexual "might" have happened—except Rapp was there. Stay tuned.
Everyone is paying tribute to Angela Lansbury, who died just five days short of her 97th birthday. But, fear not—you haven't seen the last of Angie! She'll be back on the big screen before the end of the year in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery". And she'll be in good company—also in the cast is the late Stephen Sondheim! We don't know if they appear together, but we do know they appear as themselves.
It bears noting that Lansbury was one of the first celebrities to join forces in the fight against AIDS. Way back in September of 1987, she headlined the first big AIDS benefit in Chicago which raised over $1 million—and, trust me, not a lot of stars were speaking out in the '80s! She also sent out Christmas cards for "Aids for AIDS", saying (in part), "This illness is robbing us of our friends and our futures. This disease knows no discrimination".
I have one Angela Lansbury story worth sharing. My friend Rick McKay was making his acclaimed documentary, "Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There". When he would come to LA to interview people, he would stay with me. One day, he went to Angela Lansbury's house for an interview. He was a bit early and no one was home. He returned to the car to wait and, shortly thereafter, saw Angie pull into her driveway and get out of the car with a gorgeous array of roses. He waited a few minutes and then returned to her front door and rang the bell. Still no response. He rang again, and Lansbury appeared—in gardening gloves and holding pruning shears. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you—I was in the backyard cutting some flowers for our interview." And then she proceeded to arrange the roses he had previously seen her walk in with! Well, a big Broadway star needs props!
On last week's "Billy Masters LIVE", Michael Musto and I caught up on current events and discussed the disappointing box office numbers for "Bros". After our talk, it occurred to me—Luke Macfarlane was also Michael Urie's love interest in Hallmark's gay holiday flick, "Single All The Way". This begs the question—is Luke Macfarlane the only potential gay leading man who has a little bit of a name? We also chatted with author James Gavin about his fantastic biography about George Michael. You can pick up "George Michael—A Life" where fine books are sold. And if you buy the book, you'll read some juicy anecdotes which include yours truly!
Our next "Billy Masters LIVE" has a bit of a twist. I'll be chatting with singers Nicolas King and Seth Sikes, who are touring as "The New Belters" (look it up). As you know, our show typically airs live on Thursdays at 3PM Eastern. But this week, I have a scheduling conflict. I considered pre-taping the show...but then it wouldn't be "live". So on Tuesday, October 18th, we'll be live at 6PM Eastern. And if you miss it, we'll re-run it on Thursday at our usual time. BillyMasters.com/TV or on YouTube.com/BillyMastersTV. See you there!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So Jonathan Bennett decided it was time to get a mammogram! This is not as far-fetched as you may think. One in every 100 breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men. Bennett's spouse, the lovely Jaymes Vaughan, had such a scare a few years ago. Since early detection is the best protection, Bennett thought an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So he plopped a pound of pecs in a vise and had them checked out. You can see the process on BillyMasters.com. P.S. He's fine.
Madonna made some headlines last week via TikTok (which all the kids love). She was preparing to throw a pair of pink panties into the trash can. The caption on the screen said, "If I miss, I'm Gay!". And then she appeared to miss the trash can on purpose. Oh, that little minx. None of this was news to Cassandra Peterson, who always surfaces around this time of the year. Elvira's alter ego said, "I wasn't shocked. She has always painted herself as sexually fluid. Madonna actually hit on my girlfriend in the past!" I have so many questions—the current girlfriend? And how far in the past? Eh, I've already lost interest.
The pandemic did not slow down The Go-Go's. A documentary. A new single. A couple of books. A tour. Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It's been a busy time for rockers who have twice announced retirement plans. But lead singer, Belinda Carlisle, has also enjoyed a successful solo career—far more prolific than the band, in fact. That she rarely tours in the US is due to her living abroad (to say nothing of her obligations as a Go-Go). Happily, she didn't forget her hometown and included Los Angeles as part of an upcoming mini-tour. On October 27th, Belinda will appear at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills—one of the area's best concert venues. There is not a bad seat in the house. Belinda's opening act will be my bon ami, Gabe Lopez (who, in addition to being a performer, also produced Carlisle's last few efforts). Grab your tickets at WhereMusicMeetsTheSoul.com.
Gloria Estefan is celebrating a landmark. She's now in the company of people like Cher, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and even Queen Elizabeth II. Yes, Gloria Estefan has her own Barbie doll! "Overjoyed is pretty much the word. I've gotten every award that you could possibly imagine. But somehow this was so incredibly special for me, maybe because I played with Barbie since I was a kid, a little girl, and she's an American icon!" It was important to Gloria that everything about her doll be perfect. "I actually sent them my thigh high boots and my jacket so that they could see the detail. That jewelry, the microphone, we made sure the hair was right, that she represented me in the way that was important to me. And I'm just beyond thrilled."
Those clever people at Mattel are always thinking. Just when you thought they'd done it all—complete with 2019's Wheelchair Barbie—they've unveiled a new line that fills an untapped market. We now have Barbies and Kens who wear hearing aids, have prosthetic limbs, and even suffer from vitiligo! According to a spokesperson, the Barbie sporting an over-the-ear hearing aid is the most requested of the variety.
Quando parlo di bambole (when I'm talking about dolls), it's definitely time to end yet another column. Why doesn't Mattel come out with a Jada Pinkett Smith doll? Then you've got a doll of color that has alopecia. A win/win. Just a thought. Before someone slaps me, check out www.BillyMasters.com—the site that won't cost you an arm or a leg. If you have a question, send it to [email protected] and I promise to get back to you before Anthony Rapp uses a Barbie to show where Spacey touched him! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.