Popnography is going offline for the long weekend in honor of the founding of our great country, but before we go we thought we'd share a new online game from our favorite genius pop star performance artist, Lady GaGa. Surely she's exactly the kind of sexy, brazen, outspoken, and fearless creature the forefathers were hoping for when they imaged future generations sprouting from the the blood, sweat, and tears they poured into making this land ring with freedom and liberty and eventually, pop music.
Give GaGa's Lovestick a spin and see where it lands. No matter what -- you're in for some fireworks.
There is a stretch of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue scares the bejesus out of me. It's so densely packed with chain restaurants, souvenir stores, and massive clumps of tourists trying to decide whether they should first get a photo taken of themselves by a street vender who will then artfully photoshop them to look like slutty cowgirls or stop off for a basket of mozzarella sticks at TGIFriday's that I can rarely make it halfway down the block without a panic attack.
Still, there is one place among the madness that's worth the trip: Madame Tussauds. The New York outpost of the world famous wax museum lets visitors rub elbows with some of the most notable celebrities in the world. Not only are the statues incredibly realistic, but where else can you ogle Brad Pitt for minutes (or hours -- it's up to you) at a time without him fleeing on foot or having his bodyguard discreetly crush your man parts? The museum also offers the infamous American Idol stage where you can play Adam Lambert for a day and audition in front of Simon Cowell (only this time he can't make any wisecracks).
Now, to celebrate Gay Pride in the month of July, Madame Tussauds is featuring figures of beloved LGBT icons like Elton John, Billie Jean King, Lance Bass, and RuPaul (OK, OK -- not all of them are exactly "icons," but for the sake of celebrating Pride, let's just pretend, eh?). Before you head to the museum to check out the waxy gay celebs, get in the mood by playing the Madame Tussauds New York's Gay Pride Trivia Game online. Once you've boned up on your homo history, use reference code PRIDE5345 to receive a free adult admission to the museum when you buy one adult ticket (now through July 31).
Madame Tussauds is located at 234 West 42nd Street (b/w 7th and 8th Avenues) in New York City's Times Square. The museum is open from 10am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. For more info and tickets, visit www.nycwax.com or call (800) 246 - 8872.
> Gray's Anatomy has lost T.R. Knight forever, but it's OK because he's in a better place now -- Broadway. Knight is set to star in a revival of Lend Me a Tenor opening in February 2010, in a role that once earned Victor Garber a Tony nomination. Actor Stanley Tucci will be making his directorial debut with the production, a comedy by Ken Ludwig about a night at the opera gone awry.
> TLC's T-Boz says there's a new TLC album in our future, though details are still sketchy about when it will happen and how the lost recordings of Left Eye will or won't figure in. Until then, we'll always have Shock Dat Monkey.
> Speaking of 1992, R.E.M. is dropping a new EP next Tuesday on iTunes, featuring live versions of four songs that were recorded at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 2007. It'll be followed this fall by a two-disc album from the same session.
In the words of draq queen extraordinaire Chandelier, "There is nothing that makes me want to commit a hate crime more than a million gays on the street. So thank god they are in here."
On Saturday June 27th, Nokia Theater in Times Square hosted the largest (and most gorgeous) freak show on earth, Love Ball (produced by The Saint At Large). From vogueing reality TV stars to porn legends who recently debuted in the music scene, the all-night affair was a feast for young twinks and elderly bears alike. Though the evening began with an empty dance floor and a full bar, by the midnight hour one could barely navigate the crowd. In one room: Michael Jackson. In the other: remixed Lady Gaga. No matter age, sexual fetishes (which were made known via free hankies handed out by Manhunt.net), or fashion aesthetic, Love Ball burst with positive energy.
However, the real star of the event were the drag queens. I am not talking about the glamour queens who leave events with smeared lipstick, a broken heel and a cracked voice. These drag queens were the creme de la creme of the ostentatious. When approached, the conversations became more about ice cream than Pride, as many were a little too tired and a little too hungry. Acid Betty swears by "Key Lime Pie by Ciao Bella," while another ranted about her obsession with "Daiquiri Ice" by Baskin Robbins.
Though many mics experienced technical difficulty and some of the men were surprised by the bald scene, Love Ball was an oddly placed event (whoever thought they'd head to Times Square to party? -- besides tourists) complimented by good booze, good jams, and good stories. As T-Rex swooned, "The back room is filled with preps, ladies, birds and queens and of course they all have dicks. Love Ball is nothing short of another queer magazine, but this is ours."
The trailer for the documentary anticipated by fashionistas everywhere has finally leaked.The September Issue, dubbed by critics as a sort of real-life The Devil Wears Prada, follows Vogue head honcho Anna Wintour and her staff as they create the magazine’s largest issue ever. A official selection for both Cannes and Sundance, the doc opens in theaters August 28, 2009. Gird your loins!
Farrah Fawcett has died at the age of 62 after a long and much-publicized battle with cancer. To pay proper respect, we suggest you take the rest of the afternoon off and watch a Charlie's Angels marathon. The entire first season is available free on YouTube.
Today in total randomness, it's rumored that Amy Winehouse, who's on a kind of perma-vacation in St. Lucia, has signed a deal that would result in a line of greeting cards and wrapping paper themed on her songs of heartbreak and woe. Says the ever-reputable Sun, "The first item in the Winehouse range will be wrapping paper with
the chorus of Rehab emblazoned all over it. The Amy-branded cards are classy too. You Know I’m No Good
is best for heartfelt apologies and Back To Black, with an appropriate
wreath, will be the respectful response to a bereavement."
Obviously the "going (or not going) to rehab" gift market has been heretofore lacking in appropriate paper goods. How good (and by good we mean "not good") would it be to give somebody a failed-intervention consolation bottle of Hennessey all done up in "No, no, no" paper!? This is one of those "news" items that invokes two simultaneous and confusing responses: "This is far too ridiculous to be true," and "OMG, I'd totally buy that."
Remakes, revisions, and do-overs are all the rage in Hollywood these days, and I've been doing some thinking. Forget Fame, Heathers, and Ghostbusters III. What the world really needs is Showgirls 2.0. But, like, toned down a bit for the pre-teens. Oh, and with the gay cranked waaay up.
Well, God exists and he must be a queen because he has bestowed upon us ... Burlesque. Variety reports that Steven Antin (Goonies actor and gay brother of Pussycat Doll–master Robin) will direct this musical cinema tour de force, which begins production in November. Set not in the seedy strip clubs of Las Vegas but in a neo-burlesque joint on Sunset Boulevard, it swaps out Elizabeth Berkeley for Christina Aguilera as a midwestern girl with big, overblown vocal dreams and Gina Gershon for Cher(!) as an aging dancer with the (good? evil?) power to make them come true. It's Cher's first movie role since 1999's Tea with Mussolini, and yes, she will be singing too. Presumably the plot hinges less on troublesome themes like the nutritional value of dog food and soul-prostitution, but that remains to be seen.
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