"I do not think it should be used for anything BUT recreational use and health care."—Miss Iowa Mariah Cary (presumably inadvertently) supports the legalization of marijuana during the Q&A portion of the Miss America Pageant. You know you're in trouble when you're being laughed at by Brooke Burke-Charvet.
When I'm on deadline the night of an awards show, I always hold this column in case any last-minute stories need mentioning. The Golden Globes delivered just that, courtesy of our own Jodie Foster. Yes, I think we can call her "our own" since she basically came out while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award. She tested the waters by teasing of a "big announcement," only to declare that she's single (something we reported in 2009).
She then said, "I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the Stone Age—in those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family, coworkers and then gradually, proudly, to everyone who knew her." She made it clear that if anyone was expecting her to be more specific, that was their problem. She added, "There is no way I could ever stand here without acknowledging one of the deepest loves of my life, my heroic co-parent, my ex-partner in love but righteous soul sister in life, my confessor, ski buddy, consigliere, most beloved BFF of 20 years, Cydney Bernard. Thank you, Cyd. I am so proud of our modern family."
Two people you didn't see at the Golden Globes were Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler. In fact, it's pretty rare to see them turn up on the big screen these days. But in some strange occurrence not unlike Halley's Comet or a Kardashian dating a Caucasian, they both had movies in the cinema as 2012 ended. This made me wonder how long it's been since such a phenomenon last happened. As it turns out, it's been more than 20 years. In the final days of 1991, Bette trotted out For The Boys while Babs ushered in The Prince of Tides. Even though The Guilt Trip and Parental Guidance are not major additions to their oeuvre, it's nice to see two of our most beloved divas can still be relevant. (For the record, The Guilt Trip cost $40 million and has made $33 million, while Parental Guidance was budgeted at $25 million and has already earned $71 million.)
Although Bette has had a steady presence on the big screen, she hasn't appeared in a Broadway show since Fiddler on the Roof in 1969, alongside the slightly more seasoned Pia Zadora. While Pia has returned to Broadway twice since (I know—I was surprised, too), Midler's subsequent Great White Way experiences have been limited to three concert runs and as a producer of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. As I told you months ago, that's all about to change—Midler will be appearing in I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers. This one-woman show chronicles the life of Hollywood superagent Sue Mengers.
Playwright John Logan (who wrote the most recent Bond flick) admitted he was fascinated with Mengers after their one brief encounter. At a dinner party, he asked her what had changed the most since she arrived in Hollywood. "Honey," she said, "we used to have fun!" Logan added, "Later in the evening she settled back and lit up a joint. There she was: a joint in one hand and a cigarette in the other. At that moment, I knew I had to write the play." The play opens April 24.
Another gay diva plans on having a very busy 2013. Although the release of Cher's new CD has been delayed until March, the industry is buzzing that it could make quite a large impact ... along the lines of "Believe" (and not, presumably, Burlesque). Cher tweeted some details: "Lots of dance, but none are SAME KIND OF DANCE! Have Big ass choruses, some heart rippers!" The video for the first single, "Woman's World," is being shot next week. She is also planning a tour in support of the CD this summer. In the interim, Cher is dipping her toes back into television. She just signed a development deal with Logo (you remember them, the once and never gay network). She worked with writer and comic Ron Zimmerman on a potential series, which is set in 1960s Hollywood. Not only is Cher on the creative side, but she's also considering starring in the vehicle.
In some happy news, Matt Dallas just announced that he got engaged ... to a MAN! Although the former Kyle XY star has never made any formal statement along the lines of, "Yup, I'm Gay", he tweeted this news rather nonchalantly: "Starting off the year with a new fiancé, @bluehamilton. A great way to kick off 2013!" I'm sure this will lead to the inevitable question: How many old fiancés has Matt had? I'm not privy to such personal information, but I must confess that this revelation did not take me by surprise. I first met Matt when he was a bartender at Kathy Griffin's Christmas party—a sure telltale sign. Around that time, I recall hearing that he was dating one of Kathy's good friends, actor Jonathan Bennett. Previously, Bennett had been linked to Lance Bass. So once again a gaggle of gays revolves around Kathy Griffin.
When Jodie Foster coming out is news, it's definitely time to end yet another column. I should mention that Jodie did previously acknowledge Cydney while they were still together. It was back in 2007 at the Women in Entertainment Breakfast. And I know this because I looked it up in the archives of www.BillyMasters.com—the site that's always on top of things. Of course, I'm willing to do whatever necessary to please my readers. So feel free to drop a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Nick Cannon hooks up with Miss Iowa! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
