MISCELLANY
- I can’t say enough good things about Brian and Anthony’s debut at Le Chat. I spoke with Brian many times as he was planning the show, but even after all that, I wasn’t sure what I was going to see. I guess that between Varla and Kiki and every other drag queen who’s put together a show, I assumed Brian would create a character and a backstory for her and that Just Sing would be an exploration of her trials and travails…. But the show is much less theatrical than that–and much, much more radical: it’s Brian, in a dress, half-heartedly assuming the name “Sadie Shepherd”, but never letting you forget that he’s really Brian under all that gear. There’s not much story or backstory–just music. Like the title says, he just sings, in that breathy, magnetic, enthralling voice of his. I guess it’s like seeing Elaine Stritch or Karen Akers or any other cabaret lady, but completely, utterly different. If you’re in town, do yourself a favor and catch one of the last three shows.
- In case you missed it, Ken Foster has written another article for Salon. This one does a pretty good job of summing up how many New Orleanians–or at least Ken and I–feel about the media and the stories they want us to feed them.
- Just for the record: despite the wee frisson of schadenfreude I get from seeing Larry Craig‘s name dragged through the headlines (invariably with the sub-head “I’m not gay!”), I think the man’s getting a raw deal. If this had happened to John Edwards or John Kerry or some other queer-friendly politician, activists and the media would be handling this much differently. Hell, if it were Edwards, we might even be wrangling for a look-see at the secret footage…. I mean, I’m all for calling out hypocrisy when necessary, but c’mon: human beings are hypocritical by nature. Seriously, do you act the same way around your parents as you do around your friends or as you do when you’re alone? None of us are consistent in the things we do…. Furthermore, why does Craig get nailed for merely attempting to get it on, while his fellow family-values Republican David Vitter gets a pass on repeatedly hiring prostitutes for adulterous shenanigans? Talk about hypocrisy….
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