"Look, the best guess I could probably give you is that I did think Kirk Cameron was awfully cute when I watched Growing Pains. So maybe things arose then."
—Jim Parsons' response to Andy Cohen's question of "Who was the celebrity that gave you your first boner as a kid?" And people think I'm direct! By the way, I really loved Spoiler Alert—one of my favorite films of 2022.
This being our 23rd New Year's column, I don't feel the need to beat around the bush. Heck, I haven't even seen my first bush of the New Year. But I have seen my first Lindsay Wagner film. Faithful fans of Filth know I ring in each New Year watching Lindsay's latest oeuvre with friends. Believe it or not, nary a year goes by without a new release.
In 2022's When Jack Came Back, Jack (played by the sexy Mike Markoff, who has a penchant for plunging V-necks) comes home for his father's funeral and finds his mom (Lindsay) on the precipice of Alzheimer's. Don't wrack your brain trying to remember it—this flick doesn't have a distributor…yet. But I don't let little details like that stop me.
Leave it to Barbara Walters to upstage a giant Waterford Crystal ball dropping in Times Square. While not unexpected, it was sadly announced that Walters died at the age of 93. It's been whispered that she had been battling dementia for at least seven years, and was practically bedridden for the past five.
Still, one cannot say enough about her place in history. She routinely broke glass ceilings and never let the word "No" deter her. She did whatever it took—whether it was playing second banana to a chimp or wearing a Bunny costume (rumor has it she wanted to be buried in it). In later years, she created a lasting legacy in daytime television. Cheri Oteri as Barbara Walters said it best: "Some may call it a train wreck—we call it The View."
As hard as it was to say goodbye to Barbara, an even more difficult death occurred just under the wire. Anita Pointer of the fabulous Pointer Sisters passed away on New Year's Eve.
My love for the group is well-documented. Anita was on one of the first episodes of Billy Masters LIVE. While she always had an infectious laugh and a raucous sense of humor, the light inside had been extinguished since the death of daughter Jada in 2003. She admitted, "It took 90% of me away." As she was the daughter of reverends, I questioned her faith after this loss. She sadly said, "I really don't have any faith." You can watch this entire interview on BillyMasters.com . Rest in peace, Anita.
One of the events I look forward to at the end of each year is the Kennedy Center Honors. Alas, it is a shadow of its former self. While I enjoyed seeing a handful of past honorees open the show, one misses Caroline Kennedy Bouvier Auchincloss Onassis Radziwill Schlossberg ambling onto the stage with all the grace of an Old West gunslinger. Still, the segments honoring Gladys Knight and George Clooney made it worthwhile. I'll even throw in Amy Grant—who is hosting her niece's same-sex wedding: "Honestly, from a faith perspective, I do always say, 'Jesus, you just narrowed it down to two things: love God and love each other.' I mean, hey—that's pretty simple."
2022 was not a good year for John Barrowman. Reports of years ago on-set hijinx led to him losing several jobs. It looked as if he might turn things around with a 2023 concert tour in the UK.
But it was not to be: "It is with huge regret that we have decided to cancel the UK tour. Unfortunately, ticket sales in certain parts of the UK have been slow, and with the increased costs of touring, it is no longer economically viable to continue. This is a decision that has not been taken lightly, and I know many of my fans will be very upset, as am I. Personally I am devastated, and like many people, I have found the last years extremely difficult. When it gets tough, it is sometimes better to stop and re-evaluate, and that is exactly what I am going to do. I am so sorry to all my fans." He also seemed to have closed his Twitter account...but he's certainly not alone in that department!
Our first "Ask Billy" question of the year comes from Jacob in Chicago: "Why did Shawn Mendes strip to his underwear and dive into a freezing lake?"
That sounds like a riddle—except I didn't know "why." So I put on my reporter's hat and found out why Mendes took off everything else. I suspect it has something to do with being Canadian—you know they're wacky. He did indeed strip to his hip briefs for an icy plunge. But, let's clear one thing up—he didn't "dive" anywhere. He kinda eased himself into the frigid water. He later said, "I can't feel a thing"—which, in my vast experience, is no compliment. You can check the video out for yourself on BillyMasters.com .
When I'm not beating around a bush, we've definitely come to the end of yet another column. BTW, Pope Benedict was also called up to God's waiting room. He is the first person in over 600 years to hold the title "ex-pope." The last ex-pope was interviewed by, you guessed it, Barbara Walters. As always, it all comes together on www.BillyMasters.com—the site that'll have you doing pretty much the same thing. If you have a question, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Shawn shows if he has shrinkage. Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
