"With deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show."Bruce Springsteen cancels his concert with only three days' notice to protest the passing of HB2North Carolina's so-called "bathroom law." Could upcoming concerts by Dolly Parton and Justin Bieber be next?
With the American Idol finale, we come to the end of an era. It's interesting to see the progress of gay rights and visibility in this country over the course of the show's history. Prior to appearing on season one, Jim Verraros was an openly gay singer. Allegedly, he was told by producers to delete all references to his homosexuality from his online journal. RJ Helton was also a season-one contestant who was gay ( although not out ). Season two had Clay Aikenagain, not openly gay. We made some headway with season seven and Adam Lambert; although he was openly gay in life, he wasn't out on the show. In fact, we didn't see an openly gay contestant in the top 10 until 2010, with MK Nobilette. ( She also finished in 10th place. ) Interestingly, many "Idol" contestants have found success after the show ended playing to gay audiences at pride festivals and circuit parties. Say what you will about the show, but it offers an interesting snapshot of an era of change. Perhaps it helped that change along.
People often forget that Ellen DeGeneres spent a season as an American Idol judge. Here's something else people forgetthat at one point she was romantically linked with sexy actor Johnathon Schaech. Before he burst onto the big screen in How to Make an American Quilt, he spent a few years squiring the comedienne on the red carpet. In a recent interview, he revealed that it was all a ruse ( quelle surprise ): "My manager and her manager were the same. So my manager came and asked me to walk down the red carpet with her and hold her hand and make sure that I took care of her as if we were out together. ... We just played a little, just make sure people saw pictures. It was all about the pictures." And if you don't think that's something still happening today, then you aren't paying attention. By the by, it seems like Schaech might be a Method actor. He said, "There was a couple of sneaky kisses that I wasn't ready for and she wasn't ready for." Well, if neither of them were ready, why did they kiss?
Last week, we told you all about sexy Italian dancer Roberto Bolleand showed you every inch of him in a hot nude video. This week, Kevin Spacey appeared on Italian television ogling scantily clad male dancers. For reasons we are not completely clear on, Spacey was a guest judge on the Italian TV show Amici di Maria De Filippi. Apparently some of the "amici" were a group of sexy guys, led by Gabriele Esposito, a very hot 18-year-old dancer from Naples. While the guys were taking off their clothes and fondling their nether regions to Britney Spears' "Get Naked ( I Got a Plan )," the camera knowingly cut away to a close-up on Spacey, taking it all infiguratively, of course. We'll post the ( really HOT ) video on BillyMasters.com .
What if I told you Ruth Bader Ginsburg was gonna take a break from the Supreme Court so she could act? Well, she's got some time to kill. RBG is headed to Italy, where she will participate in the 500th anniversary of the city's Jewish ghetto. Commemorating the event will be a production of The Merchant of Venice, and Ruthie will play the judge in the Act V trial. Makes sense to meshe was probably at the play's premiere!
Last week, the MCC Theatre held its annual fundraisera concert called "Miscast"featuring performers doing numbers they would NEVER be cast in. In this case, it isn't just gender that separates them from a good song ( although, often, that's enough ). Some of the highlights were Lea Salonga singing "Why God Why," from Miss Saigon; Gavin Creel channeling Norma Desmond with "As If We Never Said Goodbye," from Sunset Boulevard; Aaron Tveit tackling "As Long As He Needs Me," from Oliver!; and Tituss Burgess showing off his witch with "Stay With Me," from Into The Woods. For me, the performance of the night was Creel and Tveit effortlessly slipping into "Take Me or Leave Me," from Rent. You can see those videos on our website, too.
After years of campaigns, General Mills has announced that Greg Louganis will, at long last, adorn the Wheaties box starting in May. Louganis tated, "Back in '95, I wasn't expecting to live very long because we thought of HIV/AIDS as a death sentence. So to be here today, now 56, the box means so much more to me than it would have then because I feel like I'm being embraced as a whole person, not just for my athletic achievement." YAY!
Our "Ask Billy" question comes from Gavin from London: "Big fan, Billy. I love your dirt about scads of people I've never heard ofbut they're definitely worth looking up. What do you know about Mario Falcone? He's big here in England. But word has it he's posed with his kit off. Any truth to that? Look into him."
Mario Falcone is a 28-year-old actor who used to be on the semi-scripted reality show The Only Way is Essex. He left the show last yearalthough some claim that he was really fired after a video leaked showing him snorting cocaine. And that's the difference between the United Kingdom and the United Stateshere, such a video would be a career boost! Over the past year, he's been lying low professionally. But something personal has popped uphis sizable penis. Why he took the fully aroused selfie is unknown, but it's certainly worth seeing on BillyMasters.com .
When Falcone could get a job with Falcon, it's definitely time to end yet another column. Even if you are reading this column in print, do check out the extended version on www.BillyMasters.com, the site that's never shy about showing off. If you've got a question for me, send an email to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before "Seacrest ... out" becomes more than just a sign-off. Until next time, remember: One man's filth is another man's bible.