The duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke have been making techno-pop for decades now. Formed in the mid-80s after Clarke’s successful turns in both Depeche Mode and Yaz, Erasure never quite got the respect they deserved. Which is odd for a band that has scored multi-platinum albums on both sides of the Atlantic.

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How To Find A Masculine Halloween Costume For Your Effeminate Son

The Onion is rather hit-or-miss these days. But the above video really made me laugh. And as a gay guy, who was once an effeminate little boy, it also resonated. All over this great land of ours on Saturday night moms and dads will try to butch up their girlish sons. It’s part of growing up gay in the USA and also why we see so many grown gay men, myself included, dressing up as princesses and stewardess and nurses in adulthood. It’s what we always wanted.

As a child of the 80s I was obsessed with three things: Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Vanity Smurf. Um, yeah. You do the math.

Out Magazine has listed the The Gayest Cartoon Characters of all time. And, yes, Vanity Smurf is represented on the list.

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Absolut has never been a stranger to courting gay dollars. The Swedish vodka maker featured Keith Haring in ads in 1981 long before marketing teams saw dollar signs at Gay Pride rallies. I don’t care for the stuff (strictly a Ketle One drinker here), but I have always admired their ad campaigns and attitude. Very, very gay.

The Moment Blog found out that “in honor of its 25th anniversary, Absolut Vodka will unveil No Label, a limited-edition, label-less and logo-less bottle that will make its global debut (though not in the United States). No Label is part of “In an Absolut World, There Are No Labels,” an ambitious initiative by the vodka manufacturer to question prejudice and established norms of sexual identity.”

This is remarkable for a few reasons to me. The first is just how iconic the bottle has become. Its simple design and shape is instantly recognizable without the bold blue typeface. It will make a charming petal vase. I am also looking forward to their “24-page magazine, in collaboration with Fantastic Man magazine, that will feature personal interviews on the subject of labels and prejudice with London-based creative types.”

Of course the bottle is not available in the US and I will need to have a Londoner friend ship me one. This is a shame since this is a place where such a statement still needs to be made.

JRs? Social House? The Dug Out? Do these fine establishments sound like your local gay bar? Or your neighborhood steak house? Hmm.

Since you’re only one day into the week and already cruising blogs rather than focusing on your work, I suggest this site as a way to spend (waste) your time. It lists the names or either gay bars or steak houses. You need to pick which is which. Test your knowledge. Whether you know the answers or not one thing is for sure. There’s a plethora of meat at all these joints.

Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

The gay indie rock band Grizzly Bear are darlings of the press and members of Radiohead consider them the best band in the world. While not your typical gay music, the band’s songs are layered and melodic and float in beautiful ways. It’s complex pop-rock with lyrics that are unabashedly gay.

It’s unique then that a fan of the band, a straight married man, has crafted a video for the song “Two Weeks” as gorgeous as the music. It’s much better than the record label official video. Gabe Askew’s animated creation is lovely.

Since Sundance Channel shows so many GLBT-themed films, I’d be remiss to not point out After Elton’s recent list of iconic gay movie roles. They based their inclusions on cultural significance and cultural impact, spotlighting “10 performances that we believe changed the popular perception of gay men in some important ways.” The list is thorough and thoughtful.

Obvious mentions like Tom Hanks in PHILADELPHIA and Heath Ledger in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN are included. But it’s the more obscure inclusions that have me rushing to my change up my Netflix queue. Those mentions include Daniel Day-Lewis & Gordon Warnecke in 1985’s MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE and Colin Farrell in A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD.

But it is Bruce Davison’s turn in LONGTIME COMPANION that I find the most compelling. Released in 1990 it was still ahead of its time and the actor rightfully deserved his Oscar nod.

Thanks to the folks over at World of Wonder we finally have proof of what most gays have presumed for years. Now if only someone somewhere would make this movie.

Many thirtysomething men are anxiously awaiting today’s release of GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA. We grew up in the 80s, obsessed with the action figures, and the film offers another chance to feel young again.

While GI JOE is a macho Hollywood film, the toys themselves were always a bit homo. Think about it. Action figures? Butch word for dolls. And when your bad guys include a British tranny in leather, a man in a silver mask, a pair of muscled twins, and a guy who wears lots of eye shadow, you know there is a homosexual subplot. Heck, GI Joe may have helped make me gay!

The testosterone soaked Gunaxin blog has a run down of the top ten bad guys in GI Joe. (Ed: the guys at Cracked recently ran a related and hilarious list themselves.) I’m just glad even this straight guy sees the gayness, fruitcake.

From Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to Bruno, the portrayal of gay men and other members of the LGBT community in popular culture almost always include a healthy dose of materialism/consumerism. Seattle’s OUT for Sustainability doesn’t necessarily exist to challenge those stereotypes, but its mission of “[bringing] the LGBT community together with social and environmental sustainability” could have that effect.

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Gay penguins everywhere must be upset over the news out of San Francisco this week. Harry and Pepper, once a happily coupled gay duo, have split up according to zoo officials. And no, the reason does not seem to be another man. Another woman has gotten between the love birds.

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