Towleroad Talking Points: Romney, Man Candy, and One Direction

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at some of today's stories.

Mitt Romney's tax returns (or lack thereof) have been a major talking point so far in this election season. In a new video, the Obama campaign tells us five reasons why we won't get to see any more of Romney's returns. They also have a new ad out attacking Romney's ongoing assertion that America is worse off than it was four years ago. As for Mr. Romney, he spent part of this past weekend attacking gays and women at the Values Voter Summit. And don't miss the late-breaking videos shot inside a Romney fundraiser for high rollers.

**

Everyone's favorite twink-lie boy band One Direction has had its fair share of gay rumors. One member is very tired of hearing about it. Dost thou protest too much? Someone who doesn't have a problem with gay rumors, or gay fans for that matter, is Daniel Radcliffe. Check out the Harry Potter star's Google Hangout for the Trevor Project. 

**

Clearly Fox News' pre-interviewers are doing a bang-up job. Gretchen Carlson got punk'd by a "former Obama supporter". 

GOP Senate candidate Juan Reyes made news after using a homophobic mailer campaign to try to smear his opponent. Now that he has lost he has released a statement apologizing for their mistake. Too little too late. 

**

Video of the Day: Check out the best Kickstarter project ever! Man Candy and Cupcakes!

Music Video of the Day: Watch Frank Ocean's performances from Saturday Night Live this weekend.

Toronto Blue Jays Shortstop Yunel Escobar Takes Field with Anti-Gay 'Maricon' Slur in His Eye Black

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has some explaining to do after taking the field on Saturday with an anti-gay slur printed in his eye black, Yahoo! Sports reports:

The "tu ere maricon" (sic) can be translated to "you are a faggot"...

...there is some reason to reserve judgment. Former Jays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst believes it to be a clubhouse prank — which basically just means there's a different source for such blatant homophobia. There's also the fact that Escobar sometimes wears eye black with funny sayings, so this would be out of character. (These, for instance, read "CHILLING")

Here's the thing, though: Eye black now comes in a strip or sticker form and players can write motivational sayings (think Tim Tebow) before applying themselves. There would be no need for Escobar to ask another player to write on his face. The handwriting in the "CHILLING" picture also matches the handwriting from the photo above.

Major League Baseball is investigating.

Romney Denigrates Obama Voters, Talks Candidly with Millionaires at Private Fundraiser: VIDEOS

Yesterday, Brandon posted a video of Mitt Romney addressing a group of millionaire donors posted to YouTube by a user named Anne Onymous, in which Romney tells the donors what he thinks about Obama voters.

Says Romney in the video:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.

Watch that video, plus several others that are going viral, AFTER THE JUMP...

Mother Jones' David Corn obtained a much longer recording of Romney's remarks, with footage they've blurred, and is posting excerpts, which detail Romney's response to charges that he isn't attacking Obama hard enough for fear of alienating independents. They discuss his consultants, some of whom he boasts worked for Netanyahu, his opinions on what wins an election, and what will happen to the economy if he's elected (he tells the markets will get a boost if people thinks he's going to win, and then in the following sentences he says "I can– I can never predict what the markets will do. Sometimes it does the exact opposite of what I would have expected...").

Corn adds:

Describing his family background, he quipped about his father, "Had he been born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot of winning this." Contending that he is a self-made millionaire who earned his own fortune, Romney insisted, "I have inherited nothing." He remarked, "There is a perception, 'Oh, we were born with a silver spoon, he never had to earn anything and so forth.' Frankly, I was born with a silver spoon, which is the greatest gift you can have: which is to get born in America."

Watch all the videos, AFTER THE JUMP...

Jim Messina, Obama for America Campaign Manager, sent out a statement late this afternoon in response to Romney's statement about Obama voters:

“It's shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people  view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives.  It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.” –

UPDATE: The Romney campaign responds to the 47% remarks:

"Mitt Romney wants to help all Americans struggling in the Obama economy. As the governor has made clear all year, he is concerned about the growing number of people who are dependent on the federal government, including the record number of people who are on food stamps, nearly one in six Americans in poverty, and the 23 million Americans who are struggling to find work. Mitt Romney's plan creates 12 million new jobs in four years, grows the economy and moves Americans off of government dependency and into jobs."

NOTE: Kudos and thanks to Brandon for identifying and posting the video yesterday. Some of you may have read his farewell message in the round-up yesterday. I'd like to thank him for the fine work he's done here at Towleroad as our weekend blogger, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Romney on Obama voters:

On handling Obama carefully:

On his consultants

On what wins an election:

On the economy if he wins:

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1209

SHAZAM: Lightning strikes the sea in Montenegro.

BANNED iPhone 5 PROMO: Apple is laughing all the way to the bank.

EZRA MILLER: Makes beautiful whale music.

SOYUZ: ISS crew makes safe landing in Kazakhstan.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Andra Fuller, 'Muslim Rage', Pet Shop Boys, GetEqual

Report: An Obama vs. a Romney Supreme Court.

GetEqual storms Values Voter Summit: "Activists walked into the conference carrying a simulated coffin, draped in a rainbow American flag, while reading anti-LGBT quotes from Tony Perkins (head of the Family Research Council, the main organizer of the event) and projecting the names and photos of young people who have taken their lives based on similar religion-based bigotry."

The gay Broadway wedding of Richie Jackson and Jordan Roth.

New American Idol judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj will soon be ripping each other's wigs off.

The Pet Shop Boys talk to The Guardian: "We're not embarrassed to confront age," says Tennant, who is 58. "There's the paradox of making pop music when you're in your 50s. People weren't meant to be doing that originally and yet they are. Mick Jagger [used to say] we're not going to be doing Satisfaction when I'm in a wheelchair."

Gay Coral Springs, Florida couple win $10 million lottery jackpot.

Trail to begin for model accused of murdering gay Portuguese author Carlos Castro: "Seabra has admitted turning on Castro as the two vacationing natives of Portugal argued in their room at the InterContinental hotel. But he's hoping to dodge a murder conviction and win an insanity verdict by convincing jurors that he was too crazy to know that anything he'd done to bring about Castro's death was wrong -- not bashing the older man on the head with the hotel room television and a wine bottle, or gouging out his testicles with a corkscrew as he lay unconscious on the carpeting."

Facebook's Winklevoss twins are backing a new social network.

New posters of Daniel Craig in Skyfall.

Newsweek 'Muslim Rage' cover sparks Twitter backlash.

Male model fix: Tristan Burnett.

New audio recordings implicate Robert Wagner (RJ) in Natalie Wood's drowning: "He said it appeared to him as though RJ shoved her away and she went overboard. Dennis panicked and RJ said, 'Leave her there. Teach her a lesson.' Dennis said he was very panicky that he was sitting and RJ just kept drinking and drinking. And he'd say, 'Come on, let's get her.' And he said RJ was in such a roil mood, at the point, that he then shut up and was waiting for when, when are they gonna go to her rescue, until all the sound stopped."

Report: The Boy Scouts of America provided cover for child molesters.

Mika talks about coming out: "I was scared of not being accepted by my family,’ he said. ‘No one in my family is gay. No one in my extended family is gay. It was a very foreign alien thing. You’re scared of being judged. Then you realise there is nothing to be afraid of if you are happy. I fell in love. I lost love. I got it again. I started living my life and got to a point where I was like 'You know what, I’ve lived my life and never pretended to be anything else'. I’m doing this from a place of confidence and joy. So why not? Because it is important."

Lindsay Lohan on Amanda Bynes' string of recent car wrecks: "Why did I get put in jail and a nickelodeon star has had NO punishment(s) so far?"

Andra Fuller talks about his role on The L.A. Complex: "When I accepted this role and what it entailed, my family and friends were like, ‘Why do you want to play a gay dude?’ They also wanted to know why every time a Black man is shown on TV as gay; he has to be on the down low. But they didn’t look at the ramification: I’m playing a very successful down low rapper on a network television show. That’s never happened before.”

Politico: Democrats insist House within reach.

Dan Savage accepts Creative Arts Emmy for 'It Gets Better' project: “To get a standing ovation from that crowd was flabbergasting ... I actually teared up and then I couldn’t see to read the teleprompter and I had to wing it.”

Scientology fires back at Vanity Fair article containing allegations about Tom Cruise and the auditions for his wives: "We are writing regarding your, your editor’s and reporter’s shoddy journalism, religious bigotry and potential legal liability arising out of Vanity Fair’s upcoming story about the Tom Cruise divorce...Significantly, while Maureen Orth was preparing her story, Vanity Fair ignored its staff and contributors who have firsthand knowledge of Mr. Cruise and of Mr. Miscavige and who would burden her storywith the truth."

Cook County Prosecutor Stabbed Defending Couple from Anti-Gay Attack in Chicago's Lincoln Park

A Cook County prosecutor who has not been identified was sent to the hospital after being stabbed in Chicago's Lincoln Park while defending two men from an anti-gay attack, the Sun-Times reports:

The 32-year-old employee of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office was walking by himself along the lakefront when he saw two people approach two apparently gay men and verbally assault them, state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Sally Daly said.

The prosecutor yelled at the men to stop in an attempt to prevent a physical attack, Daly said. The attackers then physically attacked him.

They slashed or stabbed the prosecutor multiple times, including cutting his face, right side and arms, Daly said. Police said the victim was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with “non-life-threatening injuries.” He remained there Friday afternoon and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez visited him at the hospital, Daly said.

“He did lose a lot of blood,” Daly said. “He is in pain but thankfully is going to be OK.”

The prosecutor works in the juvenile justice bureau. A police investigation is underway.