Gossip

If you were wondering if you should buy Gossip's new album, Music for Men, I'm here to tell you: YES.

If you haven't heard of them, you should first go out and get 2006's Standing in the Way of Control, an amazing album.

That album was powerful, fun, punk with amazing vocals by Beth Ditto. I saw them perform on their tour for this album. It had been a while since I'd seen a singer just totally floor the audience. Her voice is clear and beautiful, which is perfect for the disco record feel of the new album. She's an awesome performer, and I'm glad they are finally getting some serious recording money. Even though there are only three band members, these songs sound like so much more.


Music for Men is about love in a lot of different ways. Mostly about the ways it drives you crazy. A few love gone wrong songs, a few love is for everybody songs. I've had these songs in my head since I downloaded the album (legally, as in I actually paid for it, which as you know is a big deal for me!)

I've given you some of the tracks so you can hear what I'm talking about. The first three are from Standing in the Way of Control, and the second three are from the new album, Music for Men.

Gossip's video for Heavy Cross is below.

Battle for Sweet Lady

I held a baby yesterday. A 3-day old baby. I haven't held a baby that new in maybe 10 years. My friend Mark and his husband Richard just adopted a baby boy they have named Ethan. It was actually a pretty quick adoption, apparently, taking little over a year. They went through an agency that connected them to a woman who was already 6 months along. Getting to this point was difficult and full of intrusions. Someone came to check out their home, their relationship, their finances. They were required to put together a booklet of all the reasons they would be good parents and that booklet was to be sent to women who connected with the agency. Then they had to wait. Because they are a gay couple, they were told, they may have to wait a long time. Most women don't want their kids raised by a gay couple. Luckily, they found a woman who actually wanted a gay couple for her baby. She thought they would appreciate him or her all the more. Through the agency they paid for her medical expenses, nutrition, and incidentals. Then, so that the adoption would include both dads, they drove her here from Wisconsin, which doesn't allow gay adoption. Quite a trip for a pregnant lady, I'm sure.

The birth went well (he was born Sunday) and the hospital had two rooms set up. One for the birth mother and one for Mark, Richard and the baby. But the hospital had some ridiculously bureaucratic rules. There were only three ID bracelets. One to be given to the baby, one for the mother, and then one for one of the adoptive fathers. So basically, to bathe the baby, stay the night or do any of the things that involved getting past security check-points, only one dad had an ID. The reason? Because the hospital only gives out three bracelets. Ugh.

Anyway, I'm super happy for them and I was jazzed to go and meet their new little guy. At the same time, I was a little apprehensive. I have been talking about the War of Ovarian Aggression, right? Well the most intense and fearless soldier in that war is new babies. Even more intense that mother-in-laws and friends who want their friends to have babies (two of the most fearsome!) New babies smell powdery and cute. Their lips are teeny tiny and smooth. They look around very helplessly and will sleep right in your arms! Really! Right there, in your arms! Even their cries sound cute. This one was no different. He was so tiny!

It was nice to see them so in love with their kid. Even through their very tired eyes you could see the love. I have to say, I did pretty well. I was afraid my ovaries would actually jolt or I'd spontaneously lactate or one of those frightening things you hear about women who are of child-bearing age. Thankfully, none of that happened. I know that it's not a good time to have a kid, and I don't know when it will be, but we're pretty damn poor and unsettled right this minute. Actually, seeing how tired they were made me wonder how people with kids ever manage to do anything like get through college or go on vacations or even just keep up with laundry! I think my own mother hasn't had a good night's sleep since I was born in 1977. These are the things you have to tell yourself when faced with baby soldiers, whose clothes are so ridiculously cute.

Things that are Awesome

This dog, Jake, was saved by his owner on Friday in Florida. Greg LeNoir took his dog for a swim in the marina and he saw a 5 foot shark come up and attack him. So what did he do? He jumped in with fists flying, that's what he did! He punched the shark until it let li'l Jake go. Jake has a couple of bites but is doing fine. I want to send Greg LeNoir a fruit basket, dammit. Speaking of which....

Chris Crocker rules:

Side Show

Awesome Lizzie Borden figurine

I spent the weekend detoxing from the intense pressure of turning in my chapter. Saturday was filled with silly computer things (I learned about the amazingness of free pattern, action, and brush downloads for Adobe Photoshop! They are cool and FREE. My favorite). I also watched a series of History Channel, Travel Channel and Discovery Channel shows on all things weird. There was the show about creepiest tourist places (#1, Lizzie Borden murder house-now a B&B), a Salem Witch Trials show, a show about side shows during the 19th century, and a show about San Francisco hauntings. M. hates these shows because he hates re-enactments, but I find them highly entertaining. And because I know how hard it is to put together a visual representation of historical events. It takes all my effort to put together a good powerpoint, I can't imagine having to do a documentary.
The 19th century side show program was my favorite. It showcased your freaks, your magicians, and your spiritualists. Ways in which the "giants" and little people were photographed so as to exaggerate their stature. Tattooed ladies were a big draw during an era when you really didn't see a lot of the female body. Oh, and it was hosted by David Carradine for no reason whatsoever. That was the freakiest part, I think.
The show about ghosts in San Francisco was a let down. I watch a lot of these silly haunting shows, mostly because I am fascinated by the possibility of life after death, but also because I had a bad experience once and want to know what other people have dealt with. Well, one thing you don't see a lot of - any of - on these shows or in the stories passed down through urban legends is gay ghosts. What's up with that? I mean, many hauntings involve tragic sudden deaths, deaths by suicide. It is given as the rationale for haunting - a spirit that doesn't realize they are dead or does not want to "move on." I can't help but think of the tragedy and suicide that must have riddled the GLBT communities in centuries past. I said this aloud, after the SF episode ended, and M. argued that it might be a little difficult to tell your ghost was gay. True. But I think at least one drag queen is out there haunting somebody. Come on! That is a fierce haunting right there.

If I was organizing the afterlife (which I would totally try to do), I would start a petition to have drag queens and queers of all kinds haunt hate mongers. I think it would be fun. Like Divine could totally haunt Pat Robertson.

This could stretch into other hate monger areas as well. Think of the beauty and the irony of the KKK being haunted? Now this puts more fear into the world, it's true, but after a while, hate wouldn't be so popular what with the ghostly deterrent.

So basically, I turned my brain off this weekend. My new show (True Blood) starts tonight. Turn on HBO. Watch it. Give feedback. I can't wait!

clear as day

Wow, I love the polls I keep putting up. I guess most of you are really into your jobs, which is great! Many of us wish we made more, which is not so great. But in this economy, at least we're employed, right?

The ghost poll is interesting too. Such diverging answers. Either totally yes (most of you) or totally no. I'm debating whether or not to tell my true-life ghost story. I don't want to be thought of as a crazy person though. But who cares. Maybe next time.

I got news today from my eye doctor that I have permanent corneal scarring from the ulcers in my left eye. I will always see a little blurry. Very sad news. I am going to go back in a week to get my eyes tested and they might be giving me a stronger prescription for the left eye (which used to be my "good" eye by the way, prescription-wise). That might make things easier. I guess everybody needs their eyes, but I think without sight, I couldn't really do my job. I often wonder how people cope with losing sight or hearing after knowing what it is to see and hear. I guess we all move on and adjust, but for me, it would probably be the end of my career. At least as a professor who specializes in popular culture and television. But I'm being dramatic, I can totally see and will be fine. I'm just glad I caught it when I did because I'd be looking at a pretty expensive corneal transplant surgery right now if it was any worse.

Phyllis Lyon & Del Martin, 1954

In other sad news, Del Martin (on the right in the above pic) passed away on August 27th. She was 87 years old. She, along with her partner Phyllis Lyon, founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian rights activist organization in the United States. Not in the late 60s or the 70s, but in 1955. They were also the first out lesbian couple to join the National Organization for Women, and the first same sex couple to get legally married in California this past June after being together for 56 years. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome had the flags in San Francisco at half mast in honor of her passing. Think of the guts it took to have an organization like that during the Cold War. I wish I had that kind of mental and moral fortitude. They didn't stop being activists or pioneers as they got older either. Amazing lady.