¡viva la graham!

i know this isn’t news - he’s been sporting that ’stache for months now… but after seeing the new cover of nme, i can’t keep quiet any longer. i find it horribly unflattering.*

once upon a time i thought brandon was magically delicious (despite his monstrous ego), but i’m really not feeling this new look. the hipsters are definitely to blame. and what’s up with that bolo tie? i thought those were usually reserved for texas oil entrepreneurs - or nutjobs like jack white. it’s all gone to your head, man!

most importantly - where’s the eyeliner? suddenly i get the feeling that the next killers album could be awful. shall we have an intervention?

*i must mention that i’ve always hated mustaches - it’s a personal preference. but i don’t care what anyone else says, brandon looks like he’s trying too hard. definitely not hot.

this clip from the daily show is absolutely hysterical. in it, a suburban soccer mom voices her distaste for a local mexican restaurant called the pink taco. correspondent ed helms suggests the name might be less offensive is it was simply called “vagina taco.” better still, the fratboy owner struggles to defend his innocence, insisting the name comes from the eatery’s signature dish…. and the jokes keep coming. so just watch it already!

let me get this straight… american idol finalist mario vazquez left the show in 2005 for “personal reasons” - which many believed was his way avoiding the trials of coming out of the closet (as far as i know he has yet to comment on this). then he takes his sweet time getting his shit together to record his album… and when the tunes are finally unveiled, he still fails to overcome that contrived justin timberlake vibe.

i think it has something to do with this: on his debut single, “gallery,” he not only chickens out by shying away from the out-and-proud path, he delivers a half-baked slice of shite not even ricky martin would touch with a ten-foot pole. mario, you used to be so cute and promising! this is all you could come up with? what happened??

who knows, maybe mario isn’t gay (ha!). but if he is, he could do well to follow the lead of a fellow idol alum, openly gay jim verraros . while verraros might not be tearing up the charts quite yet, he still has the support and respect of his community.

i love me some natasha bedingfield, and this song is one of my current favorites. oddly enough, a year and a half ago when i first heard “single” (this week’s video pick!), i wasn’t terribly impressed. it acted as her debut across the pond, but the u.s. record company decided against that. it turned out to be a smart move, especially after the stateside success of “unwritten.” although i think both are great pop songs, i agree that “single” is the less obvious choice for american radio airplay. her recent rise should pave the way for another hit.

a highlight of the video for me is the dance break-down in the underground tunnel. cheesy, yes, but it makes me reminisce about my visits to my very favorite city in the entire world, london. i must go back there soon!

i doubt anyone remembers s club 7. they had a minor hit in the u.s. in 2001 with “never had a dream come true,” but other than that, they were mainly big in europe. (i loved them regardless!)

if you do know who they are, and you’re like me, you’ve been waiting for the coming out party for jon lee. honey, we all know you like dick. it’s ok! it could even boost your career if you work it right! come to think of it, isn’t jon kinda hot these days? i mean, i always wanted to touch him inappropriately, but now it doesn’t feel so illegal.

i just caught an episode of three’s company on nick at nite, and even though it’s a very silly little show, i found myself laughing out loud - just like when i was a kid.

jack tripper was the first gay person i ever knew when i was very young. yes, he was just a character on television. yes, his homosexuality was only a charade (so the uptight landlord would let him share an apartment with two women, of course!). regardless, jack was the first man in my life that didn’t care if someone knew (or thought) he was gay. and for that reason, i loved him.

speaking of three’s company, how awesome was mrs. roper?!?

it’s funny how a cheesy pop song can be re-imagined as a heart-wrenching acoustic ballad. travis did it several years ago when they recorded a brilliant, tongue-in-cheek unplugged version of britney’s “baby, one more time.” this time, it’s kylie minogue’s classic “hand on your heart” getting the treatment by a swedish singer-songwriter called jose gonzales.

the track is currently in rotation on the u.k.’s radio 1, and gonzales has even done a video for it. i can’t decide exactly what i think about this, especially since it seems like this guy is sort of capitalizing on the intense level of public interest in kylie at the moment… but still, knowing that the song is getting some airplay brings a smile to my face.

for old time’s sake, check out the kylie video. you know you want to.

it’s time for another inductee into the hotness hall of fame!

how could i have overlooked this shirtless wonder for so long?? joining the ranks of damon albarn and lenny kravitz. let me introduce to you yet another cocky son-of-a-bitch, brandon boyd, who is, by default, this week’s hot rocker…. if you’re scratching your head, you probably know him better as the lead singer of incubus.

anyway, mr. boyd has long been an object of my infatuation - even if the only song i’ve really ever liked by his band was “drive.” but no matter! there’s plenty more eye candy after the jump.

Continue Reading »

“that bitch christina will not steal my thunder!” you know that’s what beyonce is thinking, which is probably why her new single has already turned up on the internet. (is it three months ahead of the album?)

the review over at pitchfork leans toward the forgiving, calling the track “comfy and charming in its familiarity.” perhaps. but i think they’re more accurate when they label it “passable.”

that said, this is the first listen. beyonce tends to grow on me. so in a month i will likely be squealing like a girl when i hear this on the dancefloor. cos i’m queer like that.

in honor of kylie’s recent homecoming, i’ve chosen this clip as the video of the week. if you haven’t seen her duet with kermit the frog, you must watch their rendition of “especially for you.” it is truly touching! and it does make you wonder… where is jason donovan these days??

also… bonus points if you spot claire from steps in the audience (though not too many, she gets a close-up!).