Towleroad Talking Points: Romney the Cheater?

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

ELECTION 2012

The fallout from Wednesday's debate continues and Democrats, Jon Stewart included, continue to be flabbergasted over Obama's performance or lack thereof. Now the question arises, did Romney do so well on Wednesday because he used a forbidden cheat sheet? Or was it a hanky?

The most quote-worthy moment from the debate may have been when Romney laid out his plan to end funding to PBS and Big Bird. Conan O'Brien has visualized what it would look like if Romney indeed snuffs out Big Bird. 

Romney's plan in the debate seemed to be to distance himself from anything he has ever said, that plan continued when he appeared on Hannity last night and was asked about his "47 percent" comments. 

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MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk has made it clear this week that he is very much against gay marriage, unlike one of his teammates. Well now he has appeared in a rather offensive video for the Maryland Marriage Alliance. Take a look if you want to be sick. 

Two more stories to make you angry. A San Francisco Episcopal Bishop who opposed Prop 8 isn't being treated with much respect from the Catholic Church. No surprise I guess. Also, conservative  Justice Scalia says gay rights cases are easy for him to decide. Not a shock either. 

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ENTERTAINMENT

Zac Efron sat down with Jimmy Kimmel last night to promote The Paperboy and discuss how he spent most of the movie in his underwear. Also take a sneak peek at the upcoming season of American Horror Story!

Two moments to celebrate today. First TV Meteorologist Sam Champion is gay and engaged!. And Tom Ford and his partner Richard Buckley welcome a baby boy!

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

The Former Fat Boys have a raunchy Chick-fil-A tribute song out. It's funny and all proceeds go to The Trevor Project. 

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I will be taking a trip down to DC this weekend to attend the HRC National Dinner, where my mother Sally Field is being honored. I have to introduce her in front of a whole bunch of people which is rather terrifying, but I am planning a report on the evening for Towleroad so keep an eye out for that next week!

The OXD Mirror: New Music for 10.5.12

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / TADEU MAGALHÃES

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

 

Woolfy vs. Projections: 'Running Around Your Love'

LA duo Simon James (Woolfy) and Dan Hastie (Projections) have been making music together since 1999. They have recently released The Return of Love, their second full length album on German label Permanent Vacation, featuring chill soundscapes that range from house to dub and balearic. The entire album is filled with extremely well-composed tracks, and 'Running Around Your Love' stands out right away with its whispered lyrics, and funky bass. Make sure to check out The Return of Love in its entirety, as the track really comes to life when heard in context to the rest of the album.

 

DCUP: 'I'm Corrupt (Viceroy Remix)'

Mostly known for the infamous club track 'We Speak No Americano,' Australian producer DCUP has a new release that sounds much less eager to be a mass dance floor hit — but is no less audacious. The song has been re-interpreted by Viceroy, who injects a "summer-all-year-long" mood into the track. By putting together a piano, a great bass line and vocals by cheerful children and you he invokes a smile from anyone who listens. In this case, it's likely to elicit a few dance moves as well.

 

Jeremy Glenn: 'Partytime (Extended)'

One the most fascinating aspects of disco music is how it is constantly being referenced and re-interpreted, even three decades past its "death." With 'Partytime,' Jeremy Glenn reminds us of the 70's when he borrows Christine Wiltshire's classic vocal performance for Phreek's 'Weekend,' but he also takes us back to the 90's by mixing it all up with some claps and classic house beats. This modern song captures the joyous energy of the 70's, making it apparent why disco provided the soundtrack for gay liberation in the United States at that time.

MORE NEW TRACKS, AFTER THE JUMP...

Ejeca: 'Horizon'

'Horizon' is the first release of young Irish producer Ejeca on one of my favorite record labels, Needwant. After a couple of EPs that helped showcase his talent for dance floor-ready music, Ejeca's brand new release is a clear indication that he could soon be placed amongst some of the best house music producers out there. This powerful work should be experienced in its full glory on a dance floor, preferably one with a great sound system.

 

Tyson: 'Mr. Rain (Mario Basanov Vocal Remake)'

Lithuanian superstar producer Mario Basanov has been constantly raising the bar with every remix and original production he releases, and his rework for Tyson's 'Mr. Rain' is no exception. Though mostly known for creating hypnotic deep house melodies (often released through Needwant Records,) this time around Basanov went down a decidely 80's-inspired path, combining synths with Tyson's scratchy vocals. Basanov serves up an iconic dance track that reminds us of producers like Pnau.

OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) curates and recommends music events to the gay community in NYC—in an effort to move the focus of the nightlife scene beyond the promoter and venue and to the music itself. OXD's goal is to educate, entertain, engage and empower the gay audience to reclaim their ability to question and experience the unknown. The OXD Mirror will serve to showcase tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear. It's music that will make you dance, dream, and most importantly, love.

TONIGHT

Occupy the Disco for Aeroplane @Highline Ballroom

Tonight we are inviting our gay friends in New York to Occupy the Disco with us as we hear Aeroplane spin at Highline Ballroom. Originally a duo (comprised of Vito De Luca & Stephen Fasano, now The Magician), Aeroplane gained tremendous amounts of buzz with their spacious cosmic disco remixes of Grace Jones (William’s Blood), and Friendly Fires (Paris). Considered a leader in the nu-disco and Balearica scene, Aeroplane’s records demonstrate a passion for soulful disco and early ’80s electronica.

Aeroplane's recently shared a preview of his remix for Kimbra, who everyone may know from her collaboration with Gotye on 'Somebody I Used to Know.' The classic disco guitar in the background adds an uplifting layer to this song, and we can easily see this one becoming as big as Aeroplane's remix for 'Paris.' Supporting Aeroplane will be Fixed NYC, DJs JDH & Dave P, as well as Catz ‘n Dogz. Bring a few friends to occupy the dancefloor with us for a night of cosmic-disco dancing, and let us know if you can attend via our Facebook Event Page.

This week's post was written and curated by Tadeu Magalhães.

For more information on OXD, check out our website and accompanying blog at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @OccupyTheDisco.

 

'The Price is Right' Chooses its First Male Model

The Price is Right announced today on its program that actor and model Rob Wilson was chosen from hundreds of entrants as its first male model:

Hundreds of hopefuls showed up to an open call for male models in Los Angeles on August 30 and had a chance to show off for the show’s producers and female models.  The field was narrowed down to 26, who then competed in a series of challenges that aired on priceisright.com.  The hopefuls were put through their paces, including writing and singing original lyrics to the show’s iconic theme music, showing their excitement as they were each called to “come on down” and experiencing the frantic pace of a costume change.  When the dust settled, Wilson, Clint Brink and Nick Denbeigh were named as finalists, with fans voting online for their choice from Sept. 28 - Oct. 4.

No word on whether Rob, whose bio and video are here, will be collecting the Plinko chips with or without a shirt.

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1224

I NEED YOUR LOVE: New dance sounds from Ellie Goulding featuring Calvin Harris.

STEPHEN FRY: Churches should be for marriage equality.

FACEBOOK: The video they released to commemorate 1 billion active members.

OBAMA vs ROMNEY: The ladies of The View discuss the presidential debate.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Thomas Roberts, GLAAD, Deportations, Dean Geyer, NOM

Apple pays tribute to Steve Jobs one year after his death.

GLAAD reports highest percentage of LGBT characters on television ever recorded.

Happy 40th birthday to newlywed Thomas Roberts, who is now "over the hill" according to his husband Patrick. And, the NYT covers Thomas and Patrick's wedding.

Mariah Carey tells Barbara Walters that Nicki Minaj threatened to shoot her.

AFER fact-checks the NOM ads running now in battleground states.

Gay Mexican immigrant denied protection in U.S.: "Efren Neri-Garcia has said he was mistreated in Mexico because he is gay and was attacked by authorities while imprisoned in Guadalajara in the 1990s. A witness told Colorado authorities gay men in Guadalajara are still being attacked and need protection. The court of appeals disagreed."

Gay Nigerian faces imminent deportation from UK: "Speaking from Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre last night, Mr Ayelokun said: 'I feel terrible, traumatised. I am very afraid they are going to kill me in Nigeria.' The 34-year-old has been trying to remain in the UK since he overstayed a visiting visa in 2003. But a removal order was made by a judge at Bradford's Immigration Court, who refused to believe that Mr Ayelokun was homosexual despite the testimony of three lovers."

Trailer: Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand go to a strip club in The Guilt Trip.

Glee's Dean Geyer, shirtless skateboarder.

Sculptor removes the growth rings from trees to show what they looked like in their youth.

Darryl Hannah arrested in Keystone XL Pipeline protest in Texas: "Hannah and landowner Eleanor Fairchild were standing in front of heavy equipment in an attempt to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline on Fairchild's farm in Winnsboro, a town about 100 miles east of Dallas. They were arrested for criminal trespassing and taken to the Wood County Jail, Bassis said. Hannah also faces a charge of resisting arrest, according to jail records."

Chris Brown, sharing too much information.

Justin Timberlake recording secret album with Timbaland? "It’s for Sony and will be released early next year. The project is being kept super tight, and will be produced quickly, perhaps as many as 'a dozen new tracks'."

'Dancing with the Stars' set receives suspicious mailing directed at Bristol Palin.

Loudoun County Board votes to investigate anti-gay wingnut Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio.

Male model who killed Portuguese writer Carlos Castro in NYC wore Castro's testicles on his wrists: “He put one on each wrist," said lawyer Rubin Sinins said. "He did this for his protection. He could also harness the power. He wandered the streets of Manhattan, touching people, because he had the power to cure people from AIDS, because he had the power to cure them."

Scientists create fertile eggs from mouse stem cells. "It's like cellular alchemy. I mean, they can turn lead into gold here. They can turn skin cells or blood cells into eggs."

Gay marriage opponents preparing yard sign assault: "The yellow-and-blue signs will read: 'Don’t Redefine Marriage. Vote No on Question One. Marriage (equals) One Man + One Woman.'"

Zach Wahls launches petition asking UPS to drop its funding of the Boy Scouts of America: "When asked by a reporter at The American Independent if UPS will continue to donate now that Boy Scouts of America have reaffirmed their policy, UPS spokesperson Kristen Petrella said 'This decision has not and will not impact The UPS Foundation’s decision to provide funding to BSA although we evaluate each funding request on an individual basis.'"

Sam Champion is Gay and Engaged to Be Married

TV meteorologist Sam Champion is gay and engaged to be married to his boyfriend Rubem Robierb, ABC News reports:

“We are thrilled and so excited and thank everyone for their good wishes,” says Champion.

Champion and Robierb met through mutual friends a few years ago in Miami, where Robierb lives. Born in Brazil, Robierb is a fine-arts photographer who shows his work in Miami, Atlanta, Santa Monica and New York.
The two plan to wed later this year.

Champion also discusses his engagement in a report on last weekend's wedding of MSNBC Anchor Thomas Roberts to Patrick Abner, published in the Vows section today:

Among the 170 or so guests at the reception was Sam Champion, the weather anchor at ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He took a turn on the dance floor with his partner, the photographer Rubem Robierb.

“We’re getting married New Year’s Eve in Miami,” Mr. Champion said in the spirit of the moment.

Mr. Robierb corrected him: “We’ll do it here officially, and then have a party in Miami.”

Tweeted Champion this afternoon: "I've never been happier to share a bit of personal news!!"

While Champion has dwelled in a so-called 'glass closet' for some time, I believe this is the first time Champion has discussed his sexuality publicly. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Congrats in any case!