"Although my career may seem to glitter with hits, it has also been splattered by plenty of trash. I don't remember who it was that said she only did things she was proud of—I've done SO much I'm not proud of. Oh, I am SO ashamed of SO much of what I've done. And yet, I persevere."—Part of Bette Midler's acceptance speech at Variety's "Power of Women" luncheon. She was honored for her work cleaning up NYC with the New York Restoration Project.
Let's start with a clarification. On a recent appearance on NECN's The Take, I did not mean to imply that Joe Biden's running mate should be Camilla Parker-Bowles. Channeling my inner Joan Rivers, I explained, "Camilla, Kamala—whatever!" You can see the full interview on NECN.com or at BillyMasters.com.
Once again, everyone is talking about disgraced former Rep. Aaron Schock. Despite all outward appearances, Schock has never once said he's gay. In fact, while in office he supported several pieces of anti-gay legislation. But politics is a complicated business and to have any power, you say what your constituents want to hear. For instance, I know my fans want to hear me call out Schock for being a closet queen, but I won't do it—no siree. There's always a chance he actually believes what he says. Plus, there are gays who support Trump and are Republicans—so, what can I say about them? Not much ... unless they're hot.
But, back to the item at hand. Schock was photographed at Coachella in a group of five hot shirtless guys who have been described as "A-List Gays," which sounds like a terrible show. Two of the buffer bods belonged to openly gay WeHo trainer Keith Anthony and his boyfriend, Tyler Tixier. Does this mean they're all friends? Or do hot gay shirtless guys with single-digit body fat somehow find each other like homing pigeons ... or bats? Then a video was leaked which allegedly shows Schock dancing with and kissing another shirtless guy. And, wait a minute—did Schock's hands disappear into his partner's pants? I think they did. I don't know who the other guy is. To be honest, from the poor lighting and awkward angle, I wouldn't bet my life on the first guy being Schock. What I can do is post the video ( and the photos ) on BillyMasters.com, and you can decide for yourself.
I would hope it's abundantly clear that I am no expert on Coachella. The last time I was in Palm Springs was for Carol Channing's memorial service, and I was one of the youngest people there. At Coachella, I'd likely be one of the oldest. You can keep the hip crowd. I prefer the hip-replacement crowd—they can't run as fast!
Ryan Reynolds is embracing his feminine side by coveting the tuxedo gown Billy Porter wore to the Oscars. Reynolds said, "I loved that guy. He was easily the coolest-looking human of that whole night." When asked if he'd consider such an ensemble, Reynolds said, "You know what? The day is young and, man, he made that look really good—so who knows?" May I be the first to yell "Cultural appropriation!" on TWO counts—gay and Black. Listen, white straight boy: Back away from the gown unless you've got a secret to share. And, no, waking up in bed with Brian Beacock does not count. If it did, scores of studs would be donning dresses right now. It would be an epidemic!
Hot on the heels of his teary interview in The Boy Band Con ( where I don't believe he actually told all ), Aaron Carter is changing his tune about Michael Jackson. Initially, he was vehemently against anything negative when it came to Jacko. And now? Carter said, "To be honest, after seeing everyone's story unfold, I was a little aggressive when I talked about it at first. Everyone has their own stories, everyone has their own situations. I really can't take away from that. I don't know. In regards to that situation. I actually have my own experience that happened with Michael, so I will be talking about that in the future." Things that make you go, "Hmmm..."
Jussie Smollett—the story that will never die. I think I can say with some certainty, neither will his Empire character. But, future career prospects are looking dim. He was allegedly in the running for a role in the Broadway revival of the play Take Me Out, which is being mounted for Zachary Quinto. While I don't know how serious the producers were, word is that Jussie is no longer being considered—something I'm told Quinto was adamant about. I mean, really, would you wanna work with him? I wouldn't even trust him doing the lunch run!
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx ( who recused herself from the Smollett situation ) compared some cases her office worked on. "Pedophile with 4 victims, 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16. On a case eligible for deferred prosecution, I think it's indicative of something we should be looking at generally. Just because we can charge something doesn't mean we should." In other words—Jussie, you're simply not worth the effort. But the City of Chicago still wants its money. If it's reimbursed for the $130K spent investigating the "crime," it could all go away. If it goes to court, the system allows the city to demand roughly three times the amount, or $390K. Tick-tock.
Last summer, the 50th anniversary revival of The Boys in the Band was a hit on Broadway. It broke box-office records and recouped its investment, thanked in no small part to an all-star cast and expert direction by Joe Mantello. The original cast made history by also appearing in the 1970 film version. This revival will follow suit when it is made into a film, courtesy of Netflix ( once again, produced by Ryan Murphy ). The entire ensemble—Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Tuc Watkins, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesus, Michael Benjamin Washington and Brian Hutchison—will spend its second summer together shooting this film in LA. It'll hit the air in early 2020.
When we're already looking forward to the summer, it's definitely time to end yet another column. Did I mention that New England Cable News dubbed me The Gossip King? So, my loyal subjects, check out BillyMasters.com—the site where you needn't stand on ceremony. In fact, I always have time for my fans. Reach out and touch me at Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Schock gets his hands out of my pants! Until next time, remember: One man's filth is another man's bible.
