Pride Entertainment Online would like to make our GLTB community aware of the fact that CBS has accepted for broadcast a couple television spots from Anti-Gay group Focus on The Family. These ads will be broadcast during and preceeding the Super Bowl on Feb 07 2010. 

This news first came to my attention in an article written by Lyndon Evans for an online newspaper, The Gay Agenda, (website: www.GayAdenda.com) late last week. Evans, a former CBS employee, expresses his dismay at the actions of his former employer by saying “to sell ad time to a hate group which professes to spread the gospel and “family values” is unconscionable.” He further goes on to suppose that “if we were back in the 30’s and 40’s CBS would be selling ad time to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis”  (Lyndon Evans Gay Agenda article can be found HERE ) 

The article written by Electa Draper, a columnist for the Denver Post, that Evans referenced in his, reported that the Super Bowl ad will heavily feature 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Lebow and his mother. 

At the time of this writing there has been no confirmation from my sources at CBS, nor from Focus On The Family about the thrust, tone, or subject matter of the upcoming Super Bowl ads, the group Focus On The Family has been in the past noted for their vociferous protestations against birth control, abortion, homosexuality and gay rights as well as other issues. In their writings and adverts, their ministry frequently eschews the truth to rely on stereotype, rumour, and rhetoric to make their points. (Electa Draper’s Denver Post article can be read HERE)

As an out gay man I am appalled that CBS, who has been known in the past to be gay compassionate, if not outwardly gay friendly in their dealings with our community, would even consider these ads.

In protest I will not be watching the Super Bowl, nor CBS’s hit shows The Mentalist, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Ghost Whisperer, Medium and Numbers for quite a while unless they address and redress this issue. As an ardent fan of these six series, this is a heady sacrifice to make.

NOTE: Clay Travis of ncaafootball.fanhouse.com shares an additional viewpoint on Tim Lebow’s role in this matter HERE.

In response to the TV Squad question about Heroes; I will stick with “Heroes” for a little while longer.

Although Samuel’s character’s motivations confound me, I think he is a nice addition to the cast of characters. My questions about him would be: Is Samuel a man with good intentions, albeit misguided about his follow-through? or Is he a true villain gathering together people with powers to retaliate against those who might persecute them?  As to Sylar, I think he is a flawed hero that is also misguided and confused as to his purpose in life. (He’s just trying to find his place in the world) 

I am happy that “Chuck” will continue, although in a new time slot, as I’ve routed for him all along. Chuck has been a nice attempt to recreate the popularity of the Spy-Fi genre that was popular during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s (Burke’s Law, Honey West, The Avengers, Charlie’s Angels, The Bionic Woman, Six-Million Dollar Man, Knight Rider, Et al).

Hopefully both Heroes and Chuck might see resurgence in popularity in their new time slots. Good for NBC! After the debacles of giving up the prized 10PM slot to Leno, canceling Southland etc, its nice to see them do something positive! 

However, I am PISSED OFF at ABC, which cancelled a well written suspenseful character-driven show like “Eastwick” instead of giving it a shot on a new night like a dead-Television night (such as on Saturdays) where it could do better and ratings don’t matter as much. I have previously described “Eastwick” as a pleasurable combination of “Charmed,” “Sex and the City” and “Passions.” The three female leads when combined with the talents of  Cybil Sheppard, Veronica Cartwright and the delish Paul Gross) and have all helped to make Eastwick become “must see television” in my house. (I’ve DVR’d almost all its episodes.)

ABC seems to now stand for “Already Been Cancelled” when it comes to prime-time programming as they rarely give a show a chance to find an audience. Are “V” and “Flash Forward” next to get axed?

DALLAS FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Tanya Foster Appointed CEO/President

Michael Cain Appointed Chairman of the Board

2010 Festival Dates Announced; James Faust Named Artistic Director

Dallas, TX – January 4, 2010 – The Dallas Film Society (DFS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tanya Foster to the position of CEO/President of the Dallas Film Society and to the newly-created position of Executive Director of the DALLAS International Film Festival (previously the AFI DALLAS Film Festival). In her role, Foster will be responsible for overall management of the Film Society, as well as responsible for fundraising and program development and expansion.  Foster comes to her new role with an active Dallas community volunteer background, which most recently includes positions at The Elisa Project, the Dallas Art Ball, and the Highland Park PTA. She is currently a member of the Crystal Charity Ball, served as Chairman of the Cattle Baron’s Ball in 2008 and the Junior League of Dallas Ball in 2002.

The Board of Directors also announced today that it has elected former Dallas Film Society Artistic Director Michael Cain to the position of Chairman of the Board. Cain co-founded the Dallas Film Society, which hosted the DALLAS International Film Festival, in 2007. Cain also was founder of the Dallas Deep Ellum Film Festival, and has produced over 20 feature films, including TV JUNKIE, which was awarded a Special Jury Prize for Documentary Excellence at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and went on to be a part of the HBO Emmy Governor’s Award winning “Addiction Series.” Cain is currently in production on the STARCK PROJECT, a feature documentary and narrative film set in 1980’s Dallas and is Executive Producer on three features currently in pre-production with M3 Films including COME BACK AFRICA based on filmmaker Lionel Rogosin’s diary of the first anti-apartheid film in 1950’s South Africa.

In addition, the Board has announced that James Faust has been promoted to Artistic Director of the DALLAS International Film Festival. Faust has been with the Dallas Film Society for more than four years, most recently serving as Director of Programming. One of the founding members of the Deep Ellum Film Festival, Faust held the positions of Associate Programmer, Managing Director and Programming Director during that festival’s seven year run. Instrumental in the formation of AFI DALLAS, Faust has also served as a guest programmer with many festivals including the Austin Film Festival and is an associate programmer with the Texas Black Film Festival and was honored by that festival as Filmmaker of the year in 2009.

“We are very pleased that we have been able to put such a strong management team in place,” said Cain. “Faust will continue to bring a strong artistic focus and continuity to our Festival; while Foster will be able to expand our programming and raise the funds needed to achieve our long-term goals.”

The DALLAS International Film Festival will be held April 8-18, 2010. Festival passes are available for sale now, and more information can be found at www.dallasfilm.org.

This takes me back to when I actually watched MTV. Real World, Loveline with Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla and Daria… Daria was the original Debby Downer/Ms. Underwhelmed, she reminded my of the cartoon version of Janeane Garofalo’s high school days.

This is the Daria Tribute mad by MacClac.

<<<Last Week’s Song<<<>>>Next Week>>>

This post was written with @PerfectEnigma in min, her Emo twitter rant range from AntiHorny sexcapades to delayed Bursar’s checks and suicidal laptops. It’s like Tracy Chapman 2.0

I watch CNN all the time (it’s my default) and this commercial comes on all day. “Help feed the needy…” such and such. I’m honestly not poo pooing on the cause, just making an analysis on their delivery. A celebrity spokesperson is a given (still not hating), but why the hell does Laurie Metcalf have to look so pitiful. When Sarah MacLachlan does the commercials for the ASPCA, she’s somber, but joyous. Even when Jennifer Aniston speak on behalf of children with BRAIN CANCER for St Jude’s, she manages to still make you smile. I guess JoinPlanUSA.org intended to depress to money right out of our wallets. And then they have the nerve to put her on their site too, they might have an agreement with Paxil

This song hits you like *POW!* I first heard it on Grey’s Anatomy, it was the opener with a scene over the Sound, it was the  same episode that Street Lights was in. The entire episode is embedded in my head because of how ON-POINT their music was. It was Little Grey spills her guts, Karev does a solo surgery….»»»»

When I play this song in my house, I almost always have a broom in my hand..and you know what that means.  Private concert for the furniture.

<<<Last Week’s Song<<<>>>Next Week>>>

I have really been slacking when it comes to the healthcare debate. I have grown so apathetic towards Capital Hill, it’s not even funny. The 24 hour cable news channels are definitely to blame. YES, even you CNN. They scramble so hard to find ‘the newest, latest exclusive breaking news, it becomes micro-editing and narrow repetitive reporting. A watched pot never boilers; you can’t expect much change in a story if you follow it on an hourly basis. It’s like a soap opera: don’t watch for two months, Luke and Laura are still arguing, Olympia Snowe’s still playing hard-to-get and Lieberman’s still playing the field. I need to take a giant step back and from the news fodder. I’m waiting debate to really hit the floor. I’m waiting for something to actually get passed. (In the meantime, it’s fake names at the ER and over-the-counter medicine.)

The song is so hot, another one of those songs I heard on television and just had to have. I first heard this on the promos leading up for Damages season 2- that alone made it interesting to me. I can still remember the entire tv spot,  Ellen (Rose Byrne) steps out of the towncar, looking all sexy and devious then we see her getting dressed in some strange bedroom. That had my so hype for the season, the promo went so well with the song, Duffy’s whole album is good, especially “Warwick Avenue”.

<<<Last Week’s Song<<<>>>Next Week>>>

]]> http://coreappler.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/jake-gylenhaal-signs-on-to-star-in-balloon-boy-movie/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:20:40 +0000 coreappler http://coreappler.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/jake-gylenhaal-signs-on-to-star-in-balloon-boy-movie/

There has been word from Gylenhaal’s camp that he is, in fact, going to star in the TLC made-for-tv movie loosely based on the Stormchasing, fame-driven Heene story. It will be written as a prequel to his ground-breaking Film Noir about polymer, Bubble Boy, from a decade earlier. This is a dual role for Gylenhaal, he’s playing the father in the the past and an all-grown-up version of the Balloon Boy as the narrator.  Parts of the plot for the movie were leaked by Jon Gosselin’s camp, out of retaliation for TLC not running with his show idea. At a pitch meeting, Jon proposed “Gosselin Squares,” a take on Hollywood Squares with all of Jon’s children at the spots (Jon as the center square, of course).  He wanted OctoMom to play a Charo-like Vanna White roll, but production felt it inappropriate for a woman with 14 kids to yell, “coochie coochie coochie” on national television. Gosselin also wanted Ryan Seacrest to host, but Ryan’s out of commission until his CPU , modem and backup skinsuit are taken of off back-order from the Bayside Animatronics-Robotics Factory (BARF). Jon allegedly took the Balloon Boy script treatment as collateral. The script reads: Bubble Boy Beginnings: A Soaring Falcon. The story says that as a young boy, Falcon developed a weakened immune system from many sleepless nights stormchasing, drinking Wife Swapped breast milk and persistent anxiety-induced vomiting. Falcon thought that he could cure his ails by flying his dad’s small craft to Willy Wonka’s house because Everlasting Gob-Stopper Gum is good for immunity. Falcon did end up meeting Mr.Wonka and Umpaloompa Joompa Thiteevie as well; he was cured. Falcon was trying to give credit to Mr. Thiteevie, but Wolf Blitzer on CNN misunderstood what he said. Unfortunately the cure didn’t take because he threw up the Gob-Stopper on Good Morning America.-it’s hard focus children to stay compoosed when they’re waken up out of their beds at 3am and put  in front of the camera. Due to the fact that the Heene’s weather balloon was confiscated by the Colorado authorities, Falcon will never be able to reach Wonka again. He will have to accept his life in a bubble (and under a microscope)…the good news is that the bubble’s equipped with GPS and cameras, so it also acts as a Tornado Monitor and recorder…

“Falcon’s Funnels” is already in pre-production, slated for the upcoming midseason tv line-up. Here’s the first song off the soundtrack:

I love this song. The beat and the music kind of pull you in, like  hypnosis or a trance. All those Nip/Tuck fans out there will recognize it, and the first video. It’s their theme song, and that’s how I first heard it. They fit so well together, the song’s about trying to be completely perfect and the show’s about Plastic Surgeons.  I saw the season premiere last Wednesday, it made me think of this song and their opening credits…if only mannequins actually could turn into real people. I always picture that John Hughes movie from the 80s with Kelly LeBrock. Weird Science: when the two nerds build the “perfect woman” using barbie dolls, hocus pocus and cutting-edge 1985 gadgetry. We can manufacture the “perfect face” or the “perfect abs” now, but what if we really could engineer people? No doubt, it’ll be seen sometime this century… From Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. Christian Troy.

I came across a Final Fantasy version of the video, it’s definitely creepy and emo.

<<<Last Week’s Song<<< >>>Next Week>>>

]]> http://coreappler.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/hype-song-of-the-week-1901-phoenix/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:34:25 +0000 coreappler http://coreappler.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/hype-song-of-the-week-1901-phoenix/

This song is one of my “hype songs of the moment,” I heard it on 90210 a couple weeks back and had to look it up. (Same thing with Cobra Starship’s “Hot Mess”) After I heard it once or I realized I heard i all over the place: on like 3 car commercials, CNN Morning news, CW news…its hott! Its one of those dance-around-the-house-when-no-one-else-is-there kind of song.

>>>Next Week>>>

I dont really focus on the music that’s out today, so much of it’s about Madison Avenue placating to radio stations and music televion and visa versa, using failed actors and reality stars to fill in as musicians. I dont listen too the radio, I dont watch music television. Does MTV even play videos? They’re all about [un]Reality Shows these days. Ad sales and demographic studies drive the programming on radio and tv, I’m not going to have them define my music catalog. Music is too relevant; I find music from everywhere, it’s usually from someone telling me about it, or a websearch, or from the tv shows I watch. Grey’s Anatomy/ Private Practice and 90210/ Melrose Place have the best music on their shows week-to-week. I once spent almost an hour playing/pausing/rewinding an episode of Grey’s Anatomy so I could write down the lyrics to a song a heard in the background. Then I websearched the lyrics: “…and I know my destination, but I’m just not there, in the streets…” [A*LOST*HOUR] When I finally realized what I was looking up…I felt so stupid. I had just downloaded Kanye’s “808s and Heartbreak” about four days before, but I didn’t recognize the songs yet.

<<<More Grey’s Music<<<>>>read on to Music.2>>>