OUTtv Blog » Ambassador: Donovan

Homorazzi.com Fall Trailer 2009

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:14:38 +0000

With fall in the air, there are bound to be changes. This holds especially true for several of the Homorazzi.com cast members. It’s only been 6 months since the site was launched where 16 gays began sharing their ramblings and views of the world around them. We’ve gone through some content and design changes but at its core the cast and their lives haven’t dramatically changed- that is, until now!

Due to popular demand by our viewers who want to know more about the cast members, Patrick and Donovan have decided to dedicate Sundays to more personal stories about ourselves. This fall, Homorazzi’s cast offers you a deeper look into their personal lives and what lies ahead as they take you Behind the Cast. Be sure to check out Homorazzi’s Fall Trailer below to grab a sneak peek on what’s in store for some of the cast members in the next coming weeks.

Here is the Homorazzi Fall Trailer 2009…

For a high def wide-screen version of the video, click here.

CREDITS: Directed & Edited by: Patrick & Donovan

Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Patrick & Donovan

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Arts Club Theatre: Black Comedy Review

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:33:48 +0000

“I’d like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.” How can a question so seemingly simple become so complicated, convoluted, and conflict-ridden? Well, after watching the Vancouver Arts Club Theatre’s “Black Comedy” and the short curtain-warmer “The Marriage Proposal”, it begins to make a little more sense. The father-daughter-son-in-law triangle is explored in both of these plays, each written in an entirely different time and place, yet touching on very similar themes. It’s classic in-law family dynamics at its best.

The show begins with a short one act play titled “The Marriage Proposal”. Evidently, if you are heavy into the arts scene and the history of theatre, this is a classic piece by Anton Chekov written in late 19th century Russia. The story is centred around three characters: a father, his daughter, and their neighbour who wishes to marry her. None of them, by the way, are remotely attractive, and all of them entirely desperate, which makes it all the more funny. While the story is simple, the acting is not. All three characters are larger than life, each with their own brand of wacky Eastern Europeanness. The actors are so over the top with their physical acting and their costumes; at one point I think all three were either yelling, shrieking or crying simultaneously!

“Black Comedy” takes place in a flat in London in the 1960s. Brind, the struggling artist, wants to marry Carol and he’s invited her and her father over to his flat to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Without much furniture to entertain with, Brind and Carol cleverly swap their gay neighbour’s tasteful pieces with their own while he’s away on business. Brind must impress upon his future father-in-law that he can provide a great life for Carol and is not as poor as she thinks. The same night, in a stroke of luck, a famous art collector would also be stopping by to view Brind’s works; if he sold a few pieces it would definitely prove his worth to his fiancee’s father and he’d no doubt delight in their future wedding plans. Unfortunately, about a minute into the play, the fuse is blown in Brind’s apartment building just before the arrival of their guests. The rest of the show takes place in the dark (but luckily, the audience can see just fine!) A few more visitors crop up as the night goes on that make for a very entertaining evening.

A play that is carried out in the dark is a very original concept that was executed brilliantly. The comedy was awesome. Not only were the character’s interactions and personal dilemmas dramatic, but the fact that everything was happening in darkness added another layer of complexity (and hilarity). I won’t give anything away, but there’s one scene where Brind is frantically moving furniture in the dark, trying to keep anyone from noticing he’s doing so is amazing and nearly had me keeled over.

I highly recommend the double-bill. I was in stitches most of the night, along with the rest of the audience. The characters are outrageous in personality and intensely physical. Much like “Fawlty Towers” or “Little Britain”, you’ll love this show for its characters. “Black Comedy” is Brit-Com at it’s best. If you’re in the mood for a laugh or a fun, light-hearted date-night, these are two shows you don’t want to miss.

“Black Comedy” and “The Marriage Proposal” are the kick-off to the Arts Club Theatre Company’s 46th Season and shows at the Stanley Industrial Alliance theatre in Vancouver at 2750 Granville St. until October 11. Click here to purchase tickets or to read more information about “Black Comedy”.

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Homorazzi Reviews: Tops & Bottoms

Ambassador: Donovan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:48:26 +0000

Topher and I watched the premiere episode of OUTtv’s Tops & Bottoms over the weekend, and we had quite the laugh. Tops & Bottoms is an improv comedy show featuring the best in queer improvisers, from our very own back yard. Each week, host David C. Jones releases a few more Bottoms from “the closet” and they battle to outwit each other and gain a spot in his Top team. Each improviser portrays a different gay stereotype i.e. The Bear, The Bi Hippy Chick, The Club Kid. They perform hilarious improvised sketches and at the end of the match, the homos that don’t bring the haha are sent back to “the improv closet.”

Their premiere episode, filmed before a live studio audience, consisted of The Hairdresser, The Gym Bunny (Landon‘s Adorable Ex), The Diesel Dyke, The Bi-Hippy Chick, The Bear, and of course host David C. Jones. It’s kind of like, “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” hosted by Drew Carey, but gay. It started off a little slow for me as I got used to the characters and the sense of humor of each of the performers, but very quickly I was totally laughing at everything. One game that I really like that they played was Two Lines Only. Basically, it involved three of them, but two of them could only every say two lines. The Hairdresser could only say “Is It Still There?” or “How Horrifying!” and The Gym Bunny could only say “That Feels Good,” or “Let’s Get To It.” The third person, The Bear, was a new contractor and he was seeing if he wanted to hire these two guys to work for him. He could say whatever he wanted, but the other two could only communicate by saying one of their lines. It was hilarious. My favorite character from this episode was The Bear, with The Hairdresser close behind. In the end, The Hairdresser was sent chopping and The Gym Bunny was sent hopping… back to the improv closet by David.

Find more videos like this on OUTtv Socialize

Check out Tops & Bottoms Sundays at 7:30pm ET/PT, only on OUTtv.

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Judy Shepard: The Meaning of Matthew

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:18:21 +0000

Many people have seen the Laromie Project (play originally by the Denver Theatre Company OR the HBO movie written and directed by Kaufman) or at the very least heard about the terrible hate crime/murder of Matthew Shepard that took place 11 years ago (October 12, 1998 to be exact) in Laramie, Wyoming.

Now, his mother, Judy Shepard has come out with a book/memoir about the life and death of her son called The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed. Judy is also the director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation which is involved in various initiatives to reduce LGBT discrimination and certainly hate crimes. An excerpt and interview in Newsweek sheds some light on her mission to prevent what happened to her son from happening to others. The following quote from her book describes when her and her husband Dennis first found out that Mathew, their son, was in a coma. At the time, Dennis was working in Saudi Arabia and they both had to wait a day before they could finally return to the US to see their son.

Here is the excerpt from the book:

So sad. I think the book must be a great way to get more closer on the tragedy. But it doesn’t stop there. As aforementioned, she and the Foundation are trying to impose what would be called the Matthew Shepard Act, which their website describes would be a,” “response to the unrelenting and under-addressed problem of violent hate crimes committed against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.” With Judy’s changes, The bill created by Ted Kennedy would expand existing hate crime laws to prosecute crimes based on “actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.” As it stands now, the law only classifies it as a hate crime if the victim was targeted because of race, color, religion or national origin – sexual orientation is excluded. She also hopes it could include a provision for anti-hate-crime education in schools

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Vancouver Queer Film Festival: Short Film Reviews

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:54:30 +0000

Last week I had the pleasure to attend my first Vancouver Queer Film Festival showing – ever. Honestly, I didn’t know much about the film (or short films, as it turned out to be), but I was excited nevertheless. It turned out to be 4 short films: Dinx, Q-Case, King County, and Boycrazy.

Dinx
Dinx was a short film about a young shooter boy/bar-worker who frequently has flashbacks to his past as a young homo. The film parallels his past life as a young queer and life as a shooter boy. The film was cute enough and had some amusing moments. At the start of the film, it seemed like it would go nowhere, but there were enough cute scenes and one liners to keep this light hearted film afloat.

Q-Case
As this was a Vancouver entry in the VQFF, I really wanted to like this film. That, and the director was in presence and introduced himself before the show. Although the director seemed eloquent and well put together, the film did not. The film was an X-files type parody where Mulder and Scully type characters are trying to solve the mystery of the mysteriously comatose tricks. The effects were cheesy, but not quite cheesy enough to be amusing. Compared to the other films, it was apparent that the resources and quality were not on par with the other short films. It seemed more like I was watching a film that got an “A” in their year 1 college film course, but that said, I don’t have much interest watching year 1 film. There were flashes of interesting moments, so I hope to see the director/producer give it another go. Maybe a year 2 film will be better.

King County
Between myself and the company I brought with me, King County was the most amusing short film. It was a mockumentry on a musical audition to find a Broadway hit from 1980s entertainment. It frequently poked fun at gay stereotypes in a fun, crisp and entertaining nature. I’ll never look at Top Gun the same again.

Boycrazy
Honestly, I am not a huge musical person – at all. So when Donovan told me that I am going to see a gay musical…ahh..err…open mind. Open mind. With all my fears aside, and with an open mind, I found the main event really entertaining. The musical scores were oddly catchy and well produced. There were lots of cute moments and there was no lull in movement in the mini-story. The story about a young boy, unrequited love, and a flip-flopping triangle of love and crushes. There were moments were the message gets mangled, until you realize not to read too much into the message. It’s just a fun, catchy, cute and entertaining quip of a film. If only the song would just leave my head now….

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Ottawa Gay Bashing 20 Year Anniversary Memorial

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:31:58 +0000

This week, on August 21st, a unique ceremony will be held in Ottawa to mark the 20 year anniversary of a gay-bashing, which ultimately led to the death of Alain Brosseau.

Brosseau was attacked by four individuals on Aug. 21, 1989, when walking home from a late night shift at the Chateau Laurier Hotel. He was attacked on the assumption that he was gay, when in fact, he was not. All four individuals charged were convicted with the crime, after attacking Brosseau and dumping his body over the Alexandra Bridge.

To mark the 20 year anniversary of this tragedy, Vern White, Ottawa Police Chief and Mario Harel, his Gatineau counterpart plan to march from their respective sides of the Alexandra Bridge to meet in the middle to symbolize their equal views on ending discriminatory hate-crimes. Both officers will be joined by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to publicly announce that hate-crimes will not go ‘unreported or unnoticed’.

Brosseau’s murder was the climax in a summer riddled with hate-crimes throughout the surrounding communities which lead to the creation of Canada’s first hate-crime unit in Ottawa.

CBC has been covering this story for years, with their related article found here.

In addition to this story, CBC.ca also ran a story in May, 2008 in regards to one of the men convicted of this crime. He was found dead in his prison cell at the age of 36. Due to the nature of this story, I really don’t feel much need to talk about this man’s story, as I don’t feel any light should be shed on his actions.

To read more if you chose, the write up can be found here.

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Dan

Vancouver Queer Film Festival: Ciao & Boycrazy

Ambassador: Donovan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:15:49 +0000

Celebrating it’s 21st anniversary this year, The Vancouver Queer Film Festival begins it’s 11 day run starting August 13 til August 23, 2009. The VQFF celebrates the best in independent queer film making and is the second biggest film festival in Vancouver. During this 11 day festival, there will be performances, workshops, panel discussions, parties and more.

This year, Homorazzi.com is proud to be a media sponsor for the first time. In fact, we are sponsoring two films this year at the festival- Ciao and Boycrazy. Ciao has won several awards at previous screenings at other festivals while Boycrazy screening at VQFF will be it’s Canadian premiere. The director of Boycrazy will even be at the screening as well as some of the Homorazzi cast. We will there to watch the films and document the event as well. Make sure you mark the two following dates and join in on the fun. Even if you don’t check out these two films we are sponsoring, I implore you to check out at least one of the films at this year’s film festival. A lot of hard work and effort has been put forth to produce this event as well as each of the individual films and it would great if we could all show our support. Festival tickets & individual show tickets can be purchased here.

Click on the film title to purchase tickets from the Vancouver Queer Film Festival Official Site.

Ciao: 9:30 pm, Friday August 14, 2009 @ Empire Granville 7 – $10
Boycrazy: 9:30pm, Friday August 21, 2009 @ Tinseltown – $10 (Director in attendance)

Ciao

Synopsis

Directed by: Yen Tan
Cast: Adam Neal Smith, Alessandrao Calza, Charles W. Baum, Ethel Lung

Ciao is Malaysian-born director Yen Tan’s second feature film and is the winner of the Audience Award at Montreal’s Image + Nation Film Festival in 2008.

Accolades
Jury Prize, 2008 Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Audience Choice Award, 2008 Image + Nation

Be sure to come catch our sponsored screening 9:30PM on Friday August 14, 2009 @ Empire Granville 7.

Boycrazy

Synopsis

Directed by: John Sobrack
Cast: James May, Navaris Darson, Brandon Atler, RJ Enriquez, Glen Llanes, Demetrius Thomas, Brett Alan Nelson, Sue Gisser, Amy C. Quick

Boycrazy is John Sobrack’s second short film. Sobrack wrote the script and lyrics to Boycrazy along with Trevor Cushman who composed the pieces. In 2008, he formed Nearlife Productions with producing partner Janice Walbrink.

Come down 9:30pm to Tinseltown on Friday August 21 to check out this musical. It will be the Canadian premiere for the film and the director himself, John Sobrack will be in attendance.

For a complete listing of all screenings and workshops, click here.

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Donovan

Homorazzi’s Top 5 John Hughes Movies

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:52:27 +0000

Prolific director, John Hughes, passed away unexpectedly today. He suffered a heart attack during a morning walk while on a trip to Manhattan. I’m totally dating myself here but I grew up watching Hughes’ movies and quite saddened by his death. Though most of his iconic movies were released over 20 years ago, his movies have transcended time and are still as relevant in today’s pop culture as they ever were in the 80′s. John Hughes started as a copywriter in Chicago and even created the infamous Edge “Credit Card Shaving Test” ad campaign. After growing tired of the ad business, he began to do some comedy writing and sold jokes to performers like Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. One of his early works was the basis for “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

His films have launched numerous careers and he’s had a habit of being loyal to his thespians that he’s discovered. He frequently would cast his actors in several movies. The best example of this would be John Candy, with whom he hired for eight of his projects. Others include Molly Ringwald (3), Macaulay Culkin (4) and Ally Sheedy (3). It is a dark day in Hollywood, as this revered director had such an impact in teen and pop culture. He’s worked in the industry for almost thirty years and In honor of his lifetime work, I am counting down my five favorite movies that John Hughes has had a hand in creating.

5. Sixteen Candles – Director
This movie put Molly Ringwald on the map and began what would become the first in her 80s teen angst trilogy. In this movie she played an awkward teen who struggled to get through her sixteenth birthday. Poor Molly goes through a series of unfortunate events as no one in her family has remembered her birthday due to her sister getting married the next day. OMG. That is my biggest nightmare to wake up and have no one say “Happy Birthday”. I think I would jump off the bridge, right Adam? If you haven’t watched this, I suggest watching it to see all the references modern day teen spoofs have paid homage to. In addition, the love interest is kinda hot in an 80s sort of poor-man’s Tom Cruise kind-of-way.

4. Vacation – Writer
If I could hum the first few bars of the theme song, you’d know exactly what I’d be talking about. After watching this movie as a kid, I totally wished Walley World was for real. Forget Disneyland, it was all about Walley World. This movie totally has a special place in my heart as my family used to take numerous summer road trips every year though none as eventful as Clark Griswold and co. faced. The movie was such a hit that it spawned three sequels: European Vacation; Christmas Vacation; and Vegas Vacation. A little bit of trivia here. Disneyland was actually the first option for the go-to-destination amusement park in Hughes’ original story that he wrote but then changed when the movie was made. The real-life substitute in the movie was Six Flags Magic Mountain.

3. Home Alone – Writer & Producer
Every Christmas, I make sure to plug in the DVD at least once while wrapping gifts or decorating the tree. I friggin’ love this movie. Here is yet another example of John Hughes catapulting a young career into the public masses. Who can forget Macaulay Culkin with his hands on his face during the promotional push for the movie? We all know the story of little Macaulay being left behind while the rest of the family travels to Paris. Poor Kevin has to figure out how to survive all by himself during the holidays and at the same time fend of would-be burglars who are running around the neighborhood breaking into houses. The movie was such a success that it still stands today as one of the highest grossing live action comedies ever.

2. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Writer, Director & Producer
When this movie first came out, I didn’t get all the hoopla. But after re-watching it years later, I can’t believe I wasn’t in love with it from the first showing. It must’ve been me being an uber-nerd and looking down upon Matthew Broderick for skipping school. Oh my God, I’m totally Jennifer Grey in this movie- his super uptight sister who tried to narc him out to the principal. The movie follows Ferris, his girlfriend and BFF as they spend a spring day in downtown Chicago. During the movie, Broderick even occasionally speaks to the camera explaining his thoughts and gives techniques. Fast forward twenty years and we find Broderick’s real-life wife, Sarah Jessica Parker using the same technique during the first two season of Sex and the City. Personally, I’m glad they dropped that technique as I found it annoying. I digress. Let’s face it, whether or not we’re in high school or not we still like to play the occasional day of hooky. PS. Patrick I’m calling in sick tomorrow. LMAO

1. The Breakfast Club – Writer, Director & Producer
In arguably the best teen movie ever made, where all other teen movies aspire to be. The Breakfast Club was an instant cult classic when it came out. Though a few years younger than the characters at the time of it’s release, I felt like they were my peers as I was an impressionable pre-teen. The movie chronicles a group of five high school students who are forced to spend an entire Saturday together for detention. This coming-of-age film launched the five stars into Hollywood’s A-List and were often referred to as the “Brat Pack” along with others (Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy). This often-spoofed and imitated film will most likely be the film that defines John Hughes career. Just go to Wikipedia to check out the cultural impact this film has had on our society. It’s only fitting that the movie’s theme song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is as à propos for his life as well.

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Donovan

Vancouver HSBC Celebration of Light 2009: Team Canada

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:35:07 +0000

The HSBC Celebration of Light is a fireworks festival that is held in Vancouver over four nights every summer. It has been an annual event since the early 90s and the event has grown into one of the largest fireworks festivals in the world where almost 2 million people over four nights reportedly take in the show. It is held in English Bay, on a barge just off of Vancouver’s densely populated West End, but is viewable from many points around the city and surrounding areas. My friend in Burquitlam (is that even a place?) about 30 km away, says that she can see most of the show from her condo!

With such a captivating, popular show, you’d expect people to come from near and far to take them in- and you’re right, they do. For better or for worse, the West End gets taken over by tourists and bridge-and-tunnel suburban detritus (Editor’s note: I can say that, I used to be one, but if you must cross a bridge to get to Vancouver, at least I came from one of the better ones – North Shore represent!) Haha, just a little local humour for you all. But seriously, it can be mayhem if you battle the crowds down by the beach, which is why most downtown dwellers get smart and either host or attend fireworks condo parties. It pays to have friends with great views!

Anyway, back to the issue at hand, the actual fireworks. Team Canada set their performance against the backdrop of music from the Wizard of Oz. Although I’ve missed a few nights in the past decade, and correct me if I’m wrong here, but I don’t recall ever experiencing a show that involved a musical – and it was the Wizard of Oz no less! Throughout the performance the fireworks are set to correspond with the music, so near the beginning we heard the Scarecrow’s song, the Lion’s song while a burst of yellow and gold streamed across the sky and fell in the shape of a lion’s mane. Then we were off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz as we followed the Yellow Brick Road that was splayed across the evening sky in bursts of bright yellow squares. Then the Wicked Witch appeared evoking images of dark greens as the Emerald City beckoned.

The highlight by far was the finale set to the timeless classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The build-up was slow, but it soon erupted into an intense supernova of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. All of us stood there on the deck completely mesmerized with our jaws on the floor. It was epic. I know it sounds dramatic and all, it’s just a fireworks show, but when artistry like that is paired so well with the music it elicits awe and wonder.

A few moments after the fireworks stopped you could hear the city, delayed in their emotion, erupt into applause. AMAZING.

“I can’t believe it’s this time of year,” someone said, “that means that summer is almost half over,” as we all peered from Dan’s deck out over the horizon to the setting sun behind the mountains of Vancouver Island in the distance. Who cares, take it all in. It’s summer in Vancouver and these next few weeks of fun and sun are why we crazy west coasters put up with the rain and insanse cost of living all year long. Next up on Saturday is Team South Africa!

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Stephen

Stevia: The Natural Sweetner

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:20:35 +0000

Having been raised by eternal hippies definitely had a few upsides. For one, there was somehow always a pair of small scissors kicking around the house. A second benefit, was that I was exposed to natural foods and medicines from my conception. When you get organic carrot muffins with carob for your first birthday, you know you’re in for a semi-alternative lifestyle. Being raised so, I’ve always tried to search out natural solutions to a seemingly chemical world. One such discovery is the natural sweetener, Stevia.

Stevia should not be confused with Splenda – a heavily marketed poisonous chlorocarbon which deserves it’s own, less favorable, post altogether. Stevia is a native shrub from Paraguay, which is between 10 to 15 times sweeter than sugar. It contains no calories or carbohydrates, which will help anyone cut down on those not so sweet love handles. There is also a number of reported health benefits including: inhibiting the development of plaque, stabilizing blood sugar levels, shortening cold and flu times, and aiding in alleviating addictions to tobacco and alcohol. It can be also be used in most dishes in cooking and baking as a replacement for sugar and chemical sugar substitutes.

So, why haven’t you heard about Stevia? In the United States, the FDA has not allowed Stevia to be labeled as a sweetener and is not allowed to be added to commercial products but is allowed as a standalone dietary supplement. In Japan. however, Stevia has been added to diet Pepsi, sugar free gum, and other products. Recently Coke and Pepsi have created their own blend of Stevia which has been approved and they do plan to add this to some of their fruitier blend of soft drinks – 7up and Sprite respectively – as Stevia blends better with these flavors.

In the United States and Canada the sugar lobby does hold a considerable amount of sway within their governments. With risk of losing a grand market share, this lobby group fears the mass adoption of this South American shrub. Politics aside, Stevia should be available in your local heath food store (Capers, Whole Foods, etc) and even some workout supplement stores such as GNC.

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reFRESH with Homorazzi this Sunday…

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:26:55 +0000

Homorazzi.com, in collaboration with Martini Presents invite you to reFRESH @ Republic for our mid-July T-Dance!

For those of you that have never been to a T-Dance, it’s based on the idea of afternoon tea, yet, instead of sipping Red Rose & devouring desserts, you’re drinking beer and booze and devouring boys. People don’t really dance… until that “booze” hits that is… it’s more of a mingle, meet new people, and share some laughs kinda thing. It’s a lot more relaxed atmosphere than your typical night out at the bar, allowing for the opportunity to actually converse with another hottie. I’ve been going to Martini Presents T-Dances for quite some time, personally. As a part of the Out For Kicks Soccer League and previously a board member, I’ve attended Martini Presents Soccer Fundraiser T-Dances religiously. They’re usually branded as “Trouble T-Dance,” so this time we decided to put our own twist on it, calling it “reFRESH T-Dance.” There is already a loyal crowd that goes to the T-Dances, but more and more they’re garnering new, die hard fans and to the boys that have never been to one, I’d definitely recommend you check it out as you don’t know what you’re missing! It’d be great to bridge the gap and have a bunch of fresh new faces to spice things up: reFRESH it if you will!

What to expect:

- Balcony (equipped with DJ and a bar!)
- Drink specials (mmm!)
- Homorazzi’s DJ Landon James (hot tunes!)
- Pipe Underwear Door Prizes (sexy!)
- Sexy Boys on Screen (a staple)

$10.00 at the door

Click here for the Facebook event page.

About Republic: Republic is a two-level, London-style bar located on Granville Street. The design is unique, modern and eclectic, but with a comfortable metropolitan air. The second level boasts the city’s most comfortable lounge, complete with a patio overlooking Vancouver’s busiest street.

See you Sunday!

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Patrick

Homorazzi’s Fave Michael Jackson Tracks

Ambassador: Donovan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:15:40 +0000

I, like the majority of you out there, am in complete shock hearing the news about Michael Jackson. Even as I type this, I’m in a state of denial and can’t actually believe all the media reports. No matter how much of a punch line Michael Jackson has become the past few years, he will always be that phenomenal performer we all grew up listening to. Michael Jackson was a musical genius and no one will ever come close to his “King of Pop” moniker. Period. Rather than focus on his scandals, silly antics or his plastic surgery, I’m going to focus on his musical legacy. I will never forget my awe when I first saw him do the moonwalk during the Motown 25 television special. What looks silly now, was truly magical to the millions of people watching TV that evening. I’ve decided to list my ten favorite Michael Jackson songs of all time. Though Michael Jackson passed way today at 50 years old, his music will live on.

12. Thriller – Album: Thriller – Released 1984
Okay so I lied. I couldn’t narrow it down to just ten songs. What has become a Halloween anthem of sorts, this epic video with Vincent Price’s narrative is eerily awesome. Like many of his releases, Michael Jackson’s videos often outshined the songs themselves. This one being the best example of that. The dance routine in this video has been replicated many times from movies like “13 Going On 30″ to a viral video created by a bunch of prison cellmates in the Philippines. YouTube Video: Click Here

11. Smooth Criminal – Album: Bad – Released 1988
This single took a bit for me to warm up to, but after seeing the video and the dance move where MJ and his dancers leaned to one side in unison was epic. Best part of the song is when he chants “Annie Are You Okay, Annie Are You Okay”. lol. Proving his music can stand the test of time, Alien Ant Farm did a wicked cover of this song in 2001. Make sure you google the video. They pay homage to all of Michael’s signature moves and iconic imagery. YouTube Video: Click Here

10. Remember the Time – Album: Dangerous – Released 1992
I remember the biggest gripe I used to have when this song came out was the ridiculous arguments my friends would have with each other about how the video and the lyrics weren’t cohesive. See, the video took place in Egyptian times with Eddie Murphy and Iman as the ruling couple while a lyric in the song stated something about calling Iman on the phone. My idiotic friends would argue that phones didn’t exist during ancient times… Um DUH.. This is why I no longer hang with them. lol. Anyway, Love the song. Love the video. Enjoy. YouTube Video: Click Here

9. Scream – Album: HIStory – Released 1995
Admittedly, not his best song by a mile but it’s his only duet with his sister, Janet whom I have loved since she starred as Penny in Good Times. Wow, I’m totally dating myself now. At the time, this video made big news because it cost over one million dollars to produce- the largest budget ever for a video at that point. I love how Janet played the ugly sister while Michael played the “pretty one” in the video. YouTube Video: Click Here

8. She’s Out Of My Life – Album: Off The Wall – Released 1980
Anyone who knows me knows that I love me my ballads. Brian always teases me that I am obsessed with Adult Contemporary radio stations when we do road trips. What can I say, I love to sing in the car and pretend I am good. Out of all his ballads, I had a hard time deciding which ballad I would include in this list. In the end, “She’s Out of My Life” beat out “Ben” which BTW was a love song to a rat. Creepy.
YouTube Video: Click Here

7. Man In The Mirror – Album: Bad – Released 1988
After achieving superstar status, Michael began to write socially conscious songs such as “We Are The World”, “Black or White” and “Man in the Mirror”. The latter is my favorite with it’s mid-tempo beat filled with poignant lyrics. The video shows clips of historic world events escalating in their violence to a nuclear explosion. The video end with a call out for world peace. Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality would be proud. During American Idol 7, Kris Allen did a rendition during the semifinal rounds which propelled him into the finals. The rest is history.YouTube Video: Click Here

6. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Album: Bad – Released 1987
By now you know that I love my ballads. But what I love more than ballads are ballad duets. I love singing duets by myself and and changing my voice to mimic the person singing. Yah, I know I’m a big ol NERD. When this song first got released, people couldn’t tell if it actually was a duet since Siedah Garrett and Jackson had such similar voices. I searched high and low for a video but the best I could come up with was live performance in Bucharest. YouTube Video: Click Here

5. The Way You Make Me Feel – Album: Bad – Released 1988
In hindsight, the video is actually quite creepy. Premise: This odd looking jerry-curled man follows you down the dark streets until you go out on a date with him. Done before restraining orders were the norm, MJ screams, gyrates, and hops on cars til model Tatiana Thumbtzen gives him a kiss. All joking aside, this third single from the Bad album was his best from this album. During Michael’s 30th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, Miss Britney Spears joined him on stage for a surprise duet. YouTube Video: Click Here

4. Billie Jean – Album: Thriller – Released 1983
During music class in elementary school, our teacher- Mr. Heinz- would let us sing a pop song at the end of every class if time permitted. I’ll never forget the time he let us sing this song for the first time and listened to the lyrics. Once he learned what the song was about, he immediately stopped the music, grabbed the film from the overhead projector and ripped up the sheet in front of us and began a sex-education lesson. lol. Priceless. PS. Show of hands of those who wished the sidewalk would glow as you stepped on the blocks. Sigh. Too bad life wasn’t a music video. YouTube Video: Click Here

3. The Girl Is Mine – Album: Thriller – Released 1982
Paul McCartney and Michael collaborated twice to record two great singles. “Say, Say, Say” and “The Girl is Mine”. Realistically though, “The Girl is Mine” should’ve been renamed to “The Songs are Mine” since the duo had a big documented public battle of the Beatles song book which MJ bought at an auction. If I’m not mistaken, the two never were the same after this feud which was a shame since they made a great duo. YouTube Video (It’s actually of “Say Say Say” which was another duet with Paul McCartney): Click Here

2. Rock With You – Album: Off The Wall – Released 1980
Picture It. Tacky flashing green lights. An even tackier glittered shirt-pant outfit. Sounds delicious, doesnt’ it? This video is complete camp but despite that the song is pure gold. It’s one of those songs when you hear it you immediately get into a good mood and want to hit the wedding reception dance floor. Michael was so cute back then. YouTube Video: Click Here

1. P.Y.T. – Album: Thriller – Released 1983
P.Y.T. = HANDS DOWN. BEST. MICHAEL. JACKSON. SONG. EVER. Literally, the song has been on repeat while I’ve been writing this article. Michael Jackson you will be missed. xoxo Donovan
YouTube Video: Click Here

I forgot to mention that I was fortunate enough to watch Michael in person during his Victory Tour in 1984 at BC Place. How cool were my parents that they took my bro and myself to watch Michael and his brothers perform?. We even had floor seats. What’s your favorite Michael Jackson song, video or memory?

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Homorazzi Ranks Their Top 5 Male Tennis Players

Ambassador: Donovan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:26:53 +0000

I fondly remember numerous times during the Summers of my youth spent playing tennis on Sundays with my parents and then spending weekdays hitting the courts with my friends from noon ’til the sun went down. What will likely surprise many of you, is that I use to be a hardcore sports fanatic. I use to follow the NFL, NBA and tennis Grand Slams religiously. Nowadays, tennis is the only one I check in on a weekly basis for the latest news and scores. During the Australian Open, I even change my sleeping pattern so that I can watch the games live during the 1AM-5AM telecast. Yesterday, the Wimbledon championships started and inspired me to rank my favourite male tennis players currently on the ATP tour. The Wimbledon Championships held at the All England Club have always had a special place in my heart. I love the fact that everyone looks so crisp and regal wearing their tennis whites. The championships usually take place during my birthday which allows me to catch a lot of the action since I usually take my birthday off and the subsequent days after it.

Here are my top five male tennis players currently playing on the ATP Tour

5. David Nalbandian
This Argentine first caught my attention during the 2002 Wimbledon Championships. During this fortnight, Nalbandian made it all the way to the finals only to lose to Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets. I think it was his underdog status throughout the tournament that endeared him to me. Ever since then, I’ve always rooted for him during the grand slams. Unfortunately, since his miracle run in 2002, he’s only made the semi-finals a few times and is still without a Grand Slam title. Due to an injury that required hip surgery in early 2009, Nalbandian has been sidelined for three to four months. Here’s hoping he has a speedy recovery!

4. Fernando Verdasco
Hailing from Madrid, Spain, this lefty currently ranks 8th in the world and is seeded 7th in this year’s Wimbledon Championships. He just recently entered my radar during the 2009 Austrialian Championships. During his semi-final match against eventual winner Nafael Nadal, I was hoping so much that he would defeat Nadal so that Roger Federer would have an easier road to win the tournament. But, as I cheered him on, I began to notice how attractive he was. So, for his good looks he makes it on my fave list. Apparently, I’m not the only one who finds him alluring, he’s bedded Spanish models and current “IT” girl on the WTA Tour, Ana Ivanovic.

3. Rafael Nadal
Initially, I didn’t like Rafa due to the fact that he was a major obstacle for Roger Federer. But, as the years have gone on, and the rivalry between him and Federer intensified, my respect for this Spaniard has grown tremendously. I love the fact how these two individuals consistently push each other to new levels. Their Wimbledon match during last years final has been regarded by many as the best FINAL ever. Due to a persistent knee injury, Nadal was forced to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon Championships and became only the third man in history not able to defend his title. I never thought I’d say this but I hope he recovers quickly so that we are entertained soon by Nadal and Federer’s epic matches.

2. Marat Safin
This Russian stud has two Grand Slam wins under his belt (2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open). With his great natural talent, he should definitely have more Grand Slam titles. Unfortunately for him, injuries and a quick temper have hindered his chances. Though he hates playing on the grass, he’s the first Russian to reach the semi-finals at the All England Club. Seeded 14th at this year’s championships, the Russian has a relatively easy draw for the first week and has a good chance of making the second week where he can potentially face hard-hitters Andy Murray and Andy Roddick who play their best game on the grass. There have been rumblings from him that he is retiring at the end of this year but I’m hoping he stays on. Though sometimes cantankerous, he’s also one of the most likeable players on the tour and a definite fan favourite.

1. Roger Federer
Admittedly, I have a huge hard-on for Roger. Federer can do no wrong in my eyes. Sure, he has his haters and detractors who say he’s boring and uncharismatic but there is no denying that this man is probably the best tennis player EVER- especially now that he’s finally won the French Open which completes a career Grand Slam. With Rafael Nadal out of this year’s Wimbledon, Roger is clearly the one to beat for the tournament. If Roger should win, he will overtake Pete Sampras as the all-time leader of most Grand Slam wins. I’ve never been a fan of Sampras (I always was on Team Agassi) and will be celebrating big time when Roger breaks Sampras record of 14 Grand Slam Titles. Come on, Roger… gun down “Pistol Pete”.

If you’ve never played tennis before, I highly suggesting picking up a racket and start playing today. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to get in your cardio workout. As of late, I’ve made a commitment to myself to play tennis more often this summer. Prior to dating Brian, I used to play 3-4 times a week and hopefully I am able to quickly pick up my game level to where I used to be at a few years ago [Editor's Note: Is it just me or does it sound like it's Brian's fault he doesn't play tennis anymore? Haha].

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Homorazzi Interviews Photographer Mike Ruiz

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:56:10 +0000

Homorazzi was lucky enough to grab some time with Montreal born celebrity photographer Mike Ruiz. This hunky latin stud and Homorazzi fave chatted with yours truly for an interview, but rather than your standard Q & A, it turned into two friends having a casual Saturday afternoon chat. In fact, the dialogue became casual and lengthy that I had to paraphrase a few of his answers to prevent a thesis-type article. A lot of laughing and gossiping ensued. Be sure to check the second part of our chat where we discuss his career, future goals and other juicy tidbits.

Donovan: So, you shot the awesome promo for Canada’s Next Top Model Cycle 2. How did you initially get involved with the Top Model franchise and CNTM Cycle 3?

Mike Ruiz: Initially I got involved with the ANTM franchise through Jay Manuel whom I’ve known for about 10 years. I’ve was involved with photographing the potential ANTM models during Cycle 5′s “Superhero” theme, Cycle 11′s “Hot Air Balloon Ladder” and Cycle 12′s “Ciara’s Fan” theme shoots. Jay tried to get me on board for CNTM Cycle 2, but unfortunately the network had already tapped another photographer for the panel.

(ANTM Cycle 5′s “Superhero” shoot featuring eventual winner, Nicole)

Donovan: How do you feel about being dubbed a “hotter” Canadian version of Nigel Barker?

Mike Ruiz: [When posed the question, Mike immediately burst in laughter] “I LOVE IT!!! Have I really been dubbed that?”

Donovan: As a judge what do you look for during deliberations?

Mike Ruiz: An obvious model aesthetic which includes a good body type and a great face is a major criteria for me. Beyond performing as a perfect print model, I look for someone who is charismatic, dynamic and articulate- someone who can represent the Top Model brand.

(ANTM Cycle 11′s “Hot Air Balloon Ladder” shoot featuring Lauren Brie)

Donovan: As the new judge on the panel, what do you bring that’s different from Yasmeen, Jeanne and Jay?

Mike Ruiz: Having a personal experience modeling, I believe I bring a perspective uniquely different than the other judges. My experience both in front and behind the camera gives me a certain sensitivity that I can relate to the models yet easily flip the switch and become harder as I put on his photographer hat. I’ve been a guest judge before but being a regular judge was definitely a different experience. I found myself getting emotionally invested to the girls and their passion and drive to become Canada’s Next Top Model.

Donovan. How long did the judges actually deliberate for and what happens if there is a tie?

Mike Ruiz: During the earlier rounds, the decision process comes rather quickly as it is easy to determine the weak links of the bunch. But, as the number of girls dwindled the decision on which girl to eliminate became much more difficult. Sometimes the process became so heated that they had to start from scratch and point counterpoint each other’s point until someone wavered.

(ANTM Cycle 12′s “Ciara Fan” shoot featuring runner-up Allison)

Donovan: Have you watched the previous two cycles? And, how does this cycle differ from the rest?

Mike Ruiz: Not only is there more production money involved in this cycle, but the girls are hungrier than ever and this will be evident during the latter episodes [Editor's Note: I hope the pun was intended there!]. Stay tuned! It’s not something to be missed. Considering some of the upcoming episodes: “You can’t make this shit up!”

Donovan: Which models made the best first impressions?

Mike Ruiz: Without giving away any future eliminations, Heather immediately gave me a great first impression. My initial gut said that Heather was definitely the girl to beat. During each deliberation, a new girl would capture my attention with their persuasive arguments.

Donovan: What were your thoughts on the recently eliminated contestants?

Mike Ruiz: Here’s the rundown:

Donovan: Can we look forward to you photographing the girls in an upcoming shoot?

Mike Ruiz: “Yes indeed.” It would be much later in the season, but definitely be on the look out for it!

Donovan: Who are your favourite models of all time?

Mike Ruiz: I loved Kelly Emberg, Kelly Le Brock, Joan Severance and Linda Evangelista. There was something very special about these ladies that I found very aspirational whenever I saw them in magazines when I was growing up in Montreal.

(Left to right: Kelly Le Brock, Kelly Emberg, Joan Severance)

Donovan: Who are your favourite current models?

Mike Ruiz: “Yasmeen, of course!”

Mike Ruiz: Giselle is pretty enough but not aspirational as the 80s model I mentioned prior. I would LOVE to work with Kate Moss.

Official Website: http://www.mikeruiz.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://tinyurl.com/mikeruizfb

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High Intensity Interval Training: Get Lean – Fast!

Ambassador: Donovan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:45:50 +0000

When I first started working out my cardio workouts used to be pretty long – an hour on average. I took the “more is better” approach. For the last ten years or so I’ve been doing what’s commonly referred to as high-intensity interval training, which is a “less is more” approach to cardio training. And I’ve found it to be the most effective & efficient way to burn the most calories and stay lean, particularly if lean doesn’t come naturally to you. I’ll share with you what’s involved – and why it works, if you care.

High-intensity interval training is cardio that involves alternating segments of high intensity training (where you push pretty much as hard as you can), followed by a recovery period, typically of the same amount of time. The only kind of cardio I do is outdoor running and it’s the kind I recommend for this type of training (I’ll run on a treadmill only if it’s snowing). I start my run with a slow jog for 5 minutes (my warm up). When I hit the 5 minute mark, I start the timer on my watch – I have it set to beep every 30 seconds. I basically sprint flat out for 30 seconds, and then take 30 seconds to recover, usually jogging at a slow pace. You can walk if necessary, but it’s important to keep moving; when do you a sprint your body compensates by sending more blood to your legs, and if you suddenly stop moving your legs, the blood pools there. Once I’ve completed 10 intervals I cool down for 5 minutes by jogging at a slow pace.

The workout only takes 20 minutes. If you’ve never done this type of training before, you’ll probably throw up if you do it properly. I always run on an empty stomach, but that’s just me. You probably won’t even be able to get through 10 intervals at first. But I guarantee that you’ll get results. You can technically do it with any kind of cardio, but I find that it’s difficult to ramp it up to the level you need on a stationary bike or elliptical climber. Stairclimber, or outdoor stair climbing have also worked for me.

The reason this type of cardio training is so effective, and in my opinion more effective than a long cardio session is this: although you may burn fewer calories in a 20 minute time-span than you do in a 45-minute workout, high intensity interval training increases the rate at which you burn calories throughout the day, basically turning you into metabolic powerhouse. The other benefit of interval training is because it only lasts 20 minutes, your body is less likely to go into a catabolic state, meaning that your body starts to essentially breaking down muscle for energy. Not a big fan of that.

High intensity interval training is not for the faint-of-heart. You need to be willing to push hard and get your ass kicked in return. But you will get great results if you can get through it, and stick to it. If you choose running, you’ll also end up a much faster runner. Don’t forget though, that if you’re not fuelling your body with the right energy, the impact of your efforts will be significantly diminished.

Now get out there and start sweating! Look out for me on the seawall in the morning and wave if you see me

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The Trials & Tribulations of Imperfect Vision

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:22:23 +0000

I am sure, without a doubt, that I would be killed off by natural selection if we were at a different point in time. Obviously, I wouldn’t be creating children and passing along my genes due to my relations with men, not women. But, I would personally be dead meat due to my “blindness”. I hate having poor vision.

I look good in glasses and I’m fortunate enough to be able to wear contacts, but I find them both a burden and detest them. I don’t think those who have never had issues with their vision really understand how much of a pain it can be.

1. I have to plan my day and wear my contacts and glasses appropriately. I can’t wear my contacts while staring at a computer all day and I need to wear contacts when I’m at the gym or exercising because I sweat so much. I have to be prepared for all scenarios, even just switching to sunglasses I need to have my prescription ones with me, or I need to carry my contacts and sunglasses.

2. If I stay over somewhere and the person doesn’t wear contacts, I have to sleep with my contacts in, which I hate doing, or I may resort to leaving my contacts in shot glasses with some water over night.
3. Glasses, contacts, eye appointments, contact solution and prescription sunglasses are all really expensive and a constant expense. Can easily reach $1,000 every two years.
4. It you are fortunate enough to be eligible for eye surgery, it’s really expensive, you have to agree to pointing a laser into your eye and you risk complications with your eye sight.
5. Contacts can get kind of stuck back in your eye socket and it’s a real pain in the ass to be able to retrieve them. This can easily happen just by rubbing your eyes.
6. Glasses are dust, dirt and smudge magnets. They are in constant need of cleaning.
7. When it rains, undoubtedly water will be attracted to your lenses and you can’t see. Not to mention that as soon as you walk indoors your glasses will fog up.
8. Contacts are NOT comfortable. There’s a piece of plastic, or whatever it is, in your eye. You can constantly feel it there. Your eyes get dry and irritated and sometimes the only answer is to take them out.
9. You may be blind without them. I cannot roll over in the night and read the clock unless it is really close. I can’t get out of bed and function without putting my glasses on. I even have a hard time shaving without putting my glasses on because I can’t see where the hairs are at. I don’t even have a super strong prescription.
10. When you bend over, lean over, jump, or move the quickly your glasses may fall off or move. Nothing worse than bending over and your glasses falling off, especially when wiping your butt.

So all you out there with perfect vision, be thankful that you have it easy and be nice to those of us who are inferior to you.

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Falling in Love is… Easy to Do?

Ambassador: Donovan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:24:07 +0000

Following the theme of “painfully single” that oh-so permeates my article and video contributions to homorazzi.com, today I’m looking at that elusive thing called “love”. Oh, and by “elusive”, apparently I mean abundant, bountiful, frequent and facile. Love is EVERYWHERE. But, and here’s my spin on the issue, it seems so vapidly short-lived and reboundable [see my first article on this site]. Again, I’ll start with the disclaimer of: “No, I’ve never been in love and have never had a boyfriend so likely shouldn’t talk”… but hey, it’s my blog and I’ll cry if I want to

Logging onto facebook today, I was informed that it was a friend’s boyfriend’s birthday. Her status read: “Happy Birthday Davin!!!!! xxooxxooxxoo Looooooooooooove you! 22 minutes ago”… Funny you should mention “22 minutes ago”, facebook, because I honestly wonder if that love is still there. I know I’m sounding eye-rollingly like a pessimist here, but honestly: how many times have I seen “[Insert name here] is no longer in a relationship”? While this issue applies to all genders and sexual preferences, I do think that we homos have a strong addiction to this thing called “love”. Furthermore, I think we also have a leg-up on the competition for being able to so readily fall OUT of it.

This article is less rant and more plea for an explanation from you boys (and girls) on how you can be in love as if it were some perennial flower that grows anew every spring. [Side Note: The private joke behind the use "perennial" there is that it was my handle on Manhunt for well over a year... and it definitely didn't lead me to love!] I am ALL about finding your perfect mate, but personally, I hope the first time I use the word- in that way- will be with the one and only man I say it to for the rest of my life… now who’s the pessimist?

I do understand that “things happen”- that jobs, accidents, and unpredictable conflicts arise that end the (once-assumed permanent) love. That I get. What boggles me is that you people (yeah, I said it!), are able to continually find that new “one-and-only”… again, and again, and again. I would say- and correct me if this statistic seems to contradict what you see in yourself and your friends- that on average, my 30-something year old friends have said the L-word about 4 or 5 times in their lives. Four or five “soul mates”- as I once thought the word to denote…??? That seems crazy to me. I’m reminded of a Spill Canvas song- The Tide- and the lyrics: “And he can’t understand / How everyone goes on breathing when true love ends.” I feel like the boy in that song who “sits on the dock” and waits to experience love for the first time but isn’t sure if he’ll ever truly find it since everything he’s ever heard/read about it doesn’t seem to exist in the real world.

Thankfully, I’ve got great examples from my- very together- parents, my married brother, my married sister and my other- likely soon-to-be- married sister… Still, they’ve said “I love you” so many times, to so many people over the years that I can’t help but feel that the word doesn’t mean what I think it should… Likely, the problem’s with me. Still, I had to ask.

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Homorazzi: My Olympic Opening & Closing Ceremony Audition

Ambassador: Donovan — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:47:02 +0000

It’s no secret that the Winter games will be hosted in wonderful, beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia in 2010. Everywhere you turn in Vancouver these days seems to be dripping in Olympic logos, sponsorships, or news stories. It promises to be a thrilling experience to be in the city as the event is actually going on. A lot of tourists, athletes, and press will be in town taking it all in.

I remember about a year ago there was a huge call for volunteers. I recall reading that the Olympics were going to need roughly 10,000 people to help make the events a success by donating their time and skill sets. Not having much in the way of skills, but still eager to take part I filled out my form with my preferences for what I would like to take part in and just sort of forgot about it.

To be honest, I can’t even remember what I put down as what I would be willing to help with (I don’t think hockey team towel boy was available). That’s why it came as a bit of a surprise to me when I received a phone call a couple of weeks ago letting me know that I had been selected to audition to be in the opening and closing ceremonies. Gasp! The call came after I knew that I didn’t win the ticket lottery for any of the athletic events I applied for, so I was ecstatic to know that I was going to have another chance to catch some of the action. And what better seats could you ask for, than being right in the middle of the performance!?

The caller told me when and where the audition would be, what I should wear, and what I should bring. I wasn’t allowed to bring a camera unfortunately as they want to keep as much of it secret as possible. Which also means I can’t go into too much detail of what actually happened either. You’ll just have to wait and see like the rest of the world

When I got to where the audition was held, there was a big line of people waiting to be processed. After you signed in and got your number, you sat and waited for everyone else to get signed in. It took about an hour, and they were playing clips from previous ceremonies on a huge projection screen in a waiting room. Viewing these clips is where the epic-ness of what I was auditioning for really set in. It was awe inspiring. I don’t usually watch them on T.V., so I was a little unprepared for what I ended up seeing. This thing’s a big deal! The synchronization in the clips for some of the performers was mind boggling, the costumes were super elaborate (people’s heads were on fire!) and the grandiose music was beautiful.

When everyone was ready, they explained the schedule to us, and what would be expected of us time wise if we were selected. They also let us know that since this was being televised to about 3 billion people around the world they were looking for people in the show to express how much fun they were having, so Smile! Smile! SMILE! Not exactly the easiest task for a cynic like me to hold a smile for over an hour straight (especially since I had just had my two front teeth bonded, and I wasn’t used to how they felt yet). If years of watching America’s Next Top Model has taught me anything though (it hasn’t), it’s that if you can’t do something, you fake it. And that’s what I did.

Now, I’m no dancer and I have no training or skills that would make me a superior choice over the next Average Joe, but I thought “Hey, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Just go for it!” So I smiled, I clapped, I followed the choreographers instructions and I had a blast!

I really hope that I’m selected to do something, anything, in the ceremonies. It seems like it would be an event that I would be telling people for the rest of my life. Heck, just being at one audition has given me something to share over the past few days. I can’t stop thinking or talking about it.

Say what you will about the Olympics, good or bad, it’s one of the largest gathering of people of all nations, religions, creeds, and races on the planet. I think that’s something special and I can’t wait to take part, either as a “performer” or an armchair spectator.

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Interview with Dante’s Cove’s Reichen Lehmkuhl

Ambassador: Donovan — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:01:45 +0000

(Left to right: Patrick, Reichen, Adam and Brian)

While in LA last week, we had the opportunity to interview the sexy Reichen Lehmkuhl on camera. I’m sure you recognize him from at least one of the following:

Winning the Amazing Race with Chip
Fear Factor
Days of Our Lives
Dante’s Cove
Frasier
Author of the book, “Here’s What We’ll Say”

He is a very accomplished individual – aside from the aforementioned, Reichen was an Air Force pilot, has started a club in LA called Whiskey Dick, and is writing his second book. In this interview, he reveals the name of his new book, exclusively with Homorazzi.com: “It’ll Be Great Exposure”.

(Left to right: Reichen, Patrick, Adam & Donovan)

In this first part of our interview with Reichen, we discuss the many exciting projects he is working. He discusses his role as Trevor on the upcoming Season 4 of Dante’s Cove, his upcoming movie called “Socially Registered”, going through the US Air Force and being a flight instructor, his new jewelry line called “Flying Naked“, his book “Here’s What We’ll Say” and the upcoming follow up book, “It’ll Be Great Exposure” – the title released first here in this Homorazzi.com exclusive.

In the second part of the interview, Reichen talks about the challenges of in the public eye. After winning the amazing Race, Reichen was immediately in the public eye. A while after he and Chip broke up, Reichen dated Lance Bass from N’Sync. The media and paparazzi were all over this relationship, and some things got out of hand. After 8 months, their relationship ended and Perez Hilton started spreading rumors about the couple on his blog to which Reichen responded by setting plans in motion to sue the Queen of Media.

He also talks about his website The Real Reichen, his new night “Whiskey Dick” at Fubar in LA (every Wednesday night – which we attended), and what a typical day in his life is like.

Stay tuned for the third part of our interview with Reichen talking about an upcoming comic series he is starring in…

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Patrick

My First Gay Icon: Matt Fielding

Ambassador: Donovan — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:18:05 +0000

Even before sneaking in episodes of Queer as Folk (the British version) late at night after everyone had gone to bed, before Will & Grace, before Ellen, BEFORE the Internet, I found my first gay icon. Where does a suburban kid growing up and grappling with “OMG am I gay?” go for his gay fix? Melrose Place! To be fair, David Chokachi on Baywatch was my first real crush, but he wasn’t gay. That doesn’t count.

Before Desperate Housewives, Doug Savant was “Matt Fielding” – the gay social worker who had lots of boyfriends, but never got it on. Not that we saw anyways. It didn’t matter. The mere thought of Matt and his hot manly sailor Jeffrey sneaking glances at each other, or hugging each other, was enough for a little 13 year old like me.

Matt had the swooping 90s bangs and always dated up. And best of all, he and his gay self stood up to Marcia Cross’ Kimberly like no one else could. Case in point… I present… the wig. Amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQNVNc15KrY

Poor Matt. Like all Melrose Placers, life was hard. He didn’t get any action in Season 1. Lame. He was always getting fired or gay bashed and then fighting the justice system. Sketchy. He did marry a Russian immigrant once so she and her daughter could stay in America. That was nice. Then he started dating Jeffrey the sailor in Season 2. Hot. Matt convinced Jeffery to come out and then he got dismissed from the Navy and left him. Shoot. In Season 3, Jeffrey came back… with HIV. Sad. They got back together and broke up. Argh. Then Matt started dating the new plastic surgeon Paul, who had a wife. Of course. Paul then murdered his wife and set Matt up to take the fall. That’s love. In Season 4, Paul confesses and lets Matt off the hook. Phew. Matt then becomes a drug addict. Obviously. In Season 5, Matt gets his act together and gets custody of his niece. Awww. In Season 6, Matt leaves for San Francisco to work in an AIDS clinic. Good for him. In Season 7, he died in a car accident. Shoot. But! He left behind a journal with everybody’s dirty little secrets. That’s how the gays roll!

Maybe I should have stuck with David Chokachi… more on that later.

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Written by: Homorazzi.com Cast Member: Rich