"This is what I live for, so bring it. This is how I write my act."—Kathy Griffin answers Elisabeth Hasselbeck's very pointed question on whether the redhead worries about being a guest on "The View" after saying things about the show that are "a ) untrue and b ) not so funny." Of course, comedy is completely subjective, and usually the targets are not laughing.
With L.A. Pride 2010 a thing of the past, I zipped back to Boston—a little hoarse, a little congested, but mighty happy. And proud. For the 40th anniversary of L.A. Pride, our celebrity grand marshals were Sharon and Kelly Osbourne—certainly no one could argue their support of our community. The Osbournes even got the chance to show how passionate they are about gay rights. Shortly after the parade started, they were heckled by some homophobic twits. Sharon and Kelly unexpectedly found themselves faced with some anti-gay signs in addition to some choice bits of profanity. However, someone cleverly made sure that the Osbourne float was equipped with a microphone and sound system. Sharon burst into action and berated the bullies, screaming "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Kelly joined in and took offense to one picket sign by saying, "My God loves gays!" Then Sharon got the crowd of supporters to chant "God loves gays" over and over. The nasties departed and the Osbournes enjoyed the rest of the day—reminding us all why we love them.
Sexy Ronnie Kroell, from the current print edition of Playgirl, was at the parade and later came by to see me hosting the mainstage. He wanted to thank me for publicizing his modeling gig—and his pledge to give a portion of all money he makes from selling autographed copies to local gay charities. I was delighted that he brought a special copy for moi, but even more excited when someone slipped me a special something that I'll share with you in a future column. Let's just say it will prove conclusively whether or not Ronnie's dick was Photoshopped!
The weekend was really stolen by our headliners. I've heard wild reactions from crowds when I've brought out Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton-John, Belinda Carlisle, etc. But nothing prepared me for the reception that greeted En Vogue—the crowd went insane! I already knew Cindy Herron from Dreamgirls in Atlanta ( she played Deena opposite Miss Holliday two summers ago ) , but Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones and Terry Ellis could not have been nicer or more gorgeous. Then they hit the stage a capella, showing off their amazing voices, and did a show that ultimately put everyone else to shame—past, present and future. The charisma, the presence, the voices, the choreography, the outfits—everything was fantastic. And when we presented them with a proclamation naming that day En Vogue Day in West Hollywood, they were genuinely touched.
Sunday's star was Kelly Rowland. She obviously doesn't have the catalog of hits that En Vogue does. But she's stunning, sexy and can sing her ass off. No, she's not Beyoncé. But who is? Turn off that wind machine and even Beyoncé is lacking. Kelly did a great set that wisely included a medley of Destiny's Child songs in addition to her own material. Bravo to Rowland for flying in from Miami just for us. After we came offstage, she pulled me aside and said, "Thank you for including me in your 40th anniversary Pride celebration. I'm very honored." I had nothing to do with her being booked, but that didn't stop me from saying, "You're welcome!" I'll run a variety of photos and videos from L.A. Pride on BillyMasters.com .
While all this was going on in LA, the Tony Awards were happening in NYC—not that anyone was watching. Every year, the question is not "How were the ratings for the Tonys?," but it's "How low were the ratings for the Tonys?" Blame it on the Celtics and the Lakers—yeah, 'cause it's such a similar audience! It was also against the season premiere of True Blood—something tells me there's a little overlap there. Anyhoo, ratings were down 8 percent from last year. It could have been worse. ( In fact, it was—the ratings this year did beat the record lows in 2008. ) Sean Hayes managed to keep the show moving without any disasters. Kudos to our own Levi Kreis for his win.
Combining a bit of skin with theatre, Tony presenter Paula Abdul ( huh? ) took in the Broadway revival of Hair. Why? Because it stars American Idol alums Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo. ( The show closes June 27. ) Since the cast traditionally brings members of the audience onstage during the finale, it wasn't surprising for Paula to be up dancing without much coaxing. And this gives us the perfect opportunity to respond to the numerous e-mails I've received asking if Ace does the nude scene. Come on—do you honestly think Ace Young would pass up an opportunity to be naked? When he first joined the cast, he told everyone how "freeing" he found the nudity. My spies tell me that not only is he free, he's also hung—so hung that he's actually swinging during the finale to the first act! Although no full-frontal footage of the abs-olutely fabulous Ace has materialized, we have a number of shots of his delectable torso and his ass. Oh, yes—that ass is something to behold. Those pics will be posted on BillyMasters.com . You might want to keep checking back—never know when something will pop up!
Lastly, a teen heartthrob was just outed as a lesbian! Last week, there were numerous sightings of Justin Bieber drinking in an Ocean City, Md., bar. This got people into a tizzy—including one person who called the police to report the 16-year-old was indulging in underage imbibing! The cops showed up only to find the Bieber was actually a 27-year-old woman! When questioned, Katie ( who is referred to in all of the stories as a lesbian ) laughed saying, "This happens all the time." Turns out Justin is in the Bahamas with Kim Kardashian. What do you think the chances are that alcohol isn't involved? Or that a lesbian would be able to show Kim a better time?
When Kathy Griffin pissing off a conservative is news, it's definitely time to end yet another column. You know, she actually talked about it quite a bit on Howard Stern's show. Maybe I'll post that clip as a podcast for your listening pleasure. I'm now jetting off to yet another undisclosed Eastern European country for adventures that I'm sure will find their way into future columns. But no matter where I am, I'm only just an e-mail away. Send your questions to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before we get reports of Bieber Fever in Kardashian's beaver ( which I believe can be cured with a combination of Vagisil and Kwell ) ! So, until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
