Two for two and none for all

I was disappointed to read the comments of "Fabulous Beekman Boys" Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge when they were asked about why their romance was undercover on The Amazing Race. They said, in a Facebook posting:

"Of the five legs shown thus far, four have been in Muslim countries and homosexuality is illegal in every country we’d visited or passed through. Since we are guests in these countries, we chose to not embrace or kiss for practical and respectful reasons.

"We were literally relying on the kindness of strangers and cab drivers and challenging their beliefs would not have been strategically smart nor neighborly. To be completely fair, perhaps many of the great people we met along the way wouldn’t have had any issues with our relationship. But unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to get to know them better personally."

I totally understand the fact that they're in a competition to win money. In that regard, it is wise and cunning to conceal their homosexuality in countries or in any situations in which it might not benefit them.

With thanks to Daniel: Google-feed fail.

A couple of Madonna's recent promo images, as they have been altered for Muslim territories. This one still shows ample cleavage.

Madonna has responded to the hoopla over her comment that Obama is "a black Muslim," saying it was meant to be "ironic" and his religion shouldn't matter. She really needs to be taught the definition of irony one of these days! Heart was in the right place, but good that she addressed it and...moving on.

Hate to say it, but in spite of lots of good sentiments ramping up to the ending, Madonna makes a bit of an ass of herself in this, um, passionate speech that is ostensibly in support of President Obama by calling him "fucking Obama" and by identifying him as a "black Muslim." She may have a Muslim in her secret garden, but the one in our Rose Garden is actually a Christian, something I would expect a liberal Obama-supporting diva to know by now. The idea that he has Muslim heritage may be a plus for her and for diversity, and may be a minus for many voters who are anti-diversity, but regardless of either—it's not true.

She's not stupid, though—she made this speech in D.C. (and touted Obama in New York and Chicago, not sure of anywhere else) but I betcha you won't hear her making it on her Kansas stops.

I agree with the sentiment that becoming violent over a movie that insults your religion is savagery, but I'd like for the New York Post to take this "get over it!" tack when Christians freak out over things like Corpus Christi.

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, 52, has been killed at the consulate after a wave of violence swept the region in response to wingnut Terry Jones's film depicting Mohammad as a homosexual pedophile and liar. He is the first ambassador killed in the line of duty in more than 30 years.

There's a fascinating feature in (of all places) The Sun showing the above 53-year-old women baring their nipples a la Madonna on her MDNA Tour, with each explaining why they're in support of the icon's widely derided self-exposure.

I agree with much of what they say and disagree with some, too (one of them raves about Madonna's all-natural body and how real it is), but mostly I have to agree with Andrew, who sent it to me, that it's beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the comments under the story are ugly—so many pathetic people bitching and moaning about the horror of seeing a not-20-year-old nipple. It's self-hate in advance 'cuz we're all going to be 53 one day if we're lucky enough, or wish we were 53 again if it's in the past.

Andrew also sends me this laughable, arch-rightie piece on how Madonna's tweaking of Christianity is something she'd NEVER DARE do regarding Islam. Except, as Andrew points out, bitch already did:

Back to ageism, check out this take on Nipplegate 2.0, which includes the following passage:

"Older women simply can't win. And despite the fact that Madonna is a veritable goddess of excellent pop campery, she is, to her detriment, also 53. Which is about the same age as my mum. Now, I'm not suggesting that my mum should start flashing people in Buckingham Waltrose, but that's because she's not a multimillion-dollar recording artist under pressure to keep things saucy. Madonna is, and if she chooses to flash her half-a-century-old nipples, by God, I defend her right to do it...Madonna is not desperate. She is sensational."

Finally, a brief editorial on why ranting about Madonna's age is getting ollld.

In summation, this is how you do relevance kids—you do something seemingly insignificant and it becomes a worldwide hot-button issue.

Via Joe.My.God.: Michael Lucas, seethingly anti-Muslim homocon-artist, contributes yet another bullshit article to The Advocate on how the PC police are ruining everything. And of course his bio at the end describes him as being in "erotica" instead of saying he prostituted himself for a living (that is what porn is—it's sex for pay) or makes pornography. Not judging either, but if you're going to decry PC, don't use it yourself.

Andrew Embiricos, the grandson of Rita Hayworth (and a direct descendant of Muhammad, in case you want to go that far back), has apparently committed suicide at age 24. Embiricos was notorious as "Andrew Sauston," a twink with no-holds-barred bareback videos on Xtube and other sites. A sad ending for someone who must have had his share of emotional hurdles in this life. (Pictured with his mother, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan.)