Cyndi Lauper Offers Her True Colors to Luke and Noah on ATWT

Cyndi Lauper taped a special gay pride episode of As the World Turns on May 27 which is set to air on July 3rd. It's a first-of-its-kind moment for daytime TV, and it's hard to argue for a better advocate than Lauper to come swinging through Oakdale.

Lauper told Entertainment Weekly: "'I think they're young, these guys, and they're sweet. They're taking their time and struggling with the heart issues, which is even more endearing than just being like the straight couples, half-naked and having sex all over the place. The best way to people is through the heart, and that's why I think it's kind of interesting the way they've done it. It's about love."

I've transcribed her brief interview for Entertainment Tonight and clipped it, AFTER THE JUMP: "I'm here to do an intervention for true love. And uh, I think true love should always win out. I think it's actually a monumental show that I'm on. And I think CBS should be commended. Noah and Luke are in love, so I'm just gonna say 'Hey, you gotta be there for each other because you walk away from your chance sometimes. you don't get that back.' As the World Turns is really doing something monumental. It's including a community of people who are our extended families. You know, it's our uncles, our cousins, our sisters, our brothers. It's about opening your heart and understanding that people are different and perhaps your kids aren't always going to be exactly who you want. They're always oppoiste. It's always your Achilles heel. But you love em. And see, that's the heart. And these two, they're in love with each other, and that's how they've nurtured each other, and I'm proud to be included, you know. I think it's a great thing."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

And if you haven't heard Lauper's new single "Into the Night Life" yet, it's her best in years and deserving of plenty a play on the dance floor this summer.

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Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann Offer Kissing Lessons

As the World Turns' gay couple Luke and Noah recently offered contestants on CBS' unscripted casting series InTurn lessons on how to make out for the camera.

AFTER THE JUMP, watch the clip (via GLAAD's CineQueer)...

Nuke Give Casting Contestants Kissing Lessons [cinequeer]

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News: Polaroid, McGreevey Trial, Banksy, Van Hansis

Anti-gay evangelical preacher stabbed to death in Perth, Australia.

Photographers, artists bitter over Polaroid's demise: "'Now what the hell am I supposed to do?' asks John Waters, who’s shot a Polaroid of each person who’s come into his apartment since 1992—friends, interviewers, deliverymen, everyone. 'Digital isn’t instant gratification, and those cameras don’t make that sexy sound.'"

Self-described 'YouTube Superstar' Tricia Walsh-Smith may join The Real Housewives of New York City.

Is Jake Gyllenhaal getting Nailed?

Till death: McGreevey divorce trial begins Tuesday. "Legal analysts expect New Jersey's former first couple will approach new lows, even for divorce court. 'I'm not going to tell you this is going to be the worst case ever in the history of New Jersey divorces,' said Charles Abut, a matrimonial lawyer who operates the New Jersey Family Law blog. 'But I think if you asked longtime matrimonial lawyers, 'Give me the your top 10 worst,' this one is going to appear on everyone's list.' The proceedings, which are expected to last up to six weeks in Elizabeth's Union County Courthouse, have been divided into three sections. Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy has said she will rule separately on each part: Custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter, Jacqueline; the amount of child support and alimony McGreevey must pay Matos McGreevey; and, finally, Matos McGreevey's claim McGreevey defrauded her, tricking her into a marriage of political convenience even though he knew he was gay."

In March I posted about the appointment of Yale music professor and singer Richard Lalli to Yale residential college master, one of the school's highest recognitions. Now the Hartford Courant has profiled Lalli.

Frank Rich wonders why the media is ignoring John Hagee...

Indiewire talks to gay filmmaker Arthur Dong: "As a gay Asian American filmmaker I'd be naive to think that anti-gay bigotry and racism has not affected the opportunities or lack thereof in terms of my work. But the way I confront it is to first acknowledge whatever factors I think might be there, and then forge ahead anyway with that knowledge. We all have thrust upon us unwanted external forces that we have no control over, whoever we are, and if we allow them to be barriers (excuses?) to our goals, then we may as well give it up because perseverance, passion, and stamina is a must for independent filmmakers."

Inside Banksy's CANS Exhibit.

John Mayer asks for hair Haikus.

T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelsen already planning for children. Knight: “I wouldn’t rule [adoption] out at all. I think it would be adopting versus any other route. But yeah. I mean, there are a lot of kids who need homes.”

FOX News radio host John Gibson mocks MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, lesbians.

As the World Turns' Van Hansis reportedly dating fellow actor Tyler Hanes.

Australian Capitol Territory forced to back down on civil partnerships: "The ACT decision comes as the deeply religious Mr Rudd faces growing attack from Christian groups over his Government's decision to remove discrimination against gays from all other federal laws. Mr Corbell yesterday accused the Rudd Government of breaking a commitment to the states and territories to allow them to legislate as they saw fit. The legislation, which was quashed by the Howard government in 2006, would have allowed gay couples to have their relationships recognised in a legally binding ceremony."

Gay powerlifter Chris Morgan reaches World Championships.

Israeli court denies restraining order against gay man's former partner because nation's family and domestic violence laws do not apply to gay partnerships: "The complainant told the court that the former lover, a younger man who had lived in his Ramat Gan home with him for two years, was abusing him psychologically. He argued that as common-law partner he was entitled to the protection of the family court."

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News: Jim Neal, Ronaldo, Gay Sauna, Smiley Face, Charlie Crist

AFA asks followers to bombard Procter & Gamble with complaints over Luke and Noah's kiss.

Brazilian footballer Ronaldo caught up in tranny hooker extortion plot: "He told police he knew they were hookers, but didn't know they were dudes. He took the three trannies to a motel where he discovered the truth. He offered them around $600 each to leave. Two of the trannies accepted, but the other tranny, Andre Luis Ribeiro Albertino (above), demanded $30,000 or else."

Out has an exclusive excerpt from John Barrowman's new autobiography, Anything Goes.

Hillary Clinton supporter set up Reverend Jeremiah Wright appearance at National Press Club.

HRC refusing to support gay candidate Jim Neal in North Carolina...

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter appoints liaison to LGBT community. Mayor: "For the first time, the LGBT liaison will actually be operating out of the mayor's office, working across city government to advocate for the needs of Philadelphia's LGBT community."

Australian forum hears calls for gay-friendlier nursing homes.

Male autograph seekers mob Lance Bass outside Villa nightclub.

Police raid gay sauna in Israel: "The association's chairman, Mike Hammel, said that 'the sauna is a meeting place for men looking to meet men.' Hammel received many complaints from the sauna's visitors accusing him of slander. The sauna is viewed as a recreational place for gays around the world. In Tel-Aviv, for instance, there are three running saunas. A. established the sauna in Haifa a few months ago, investing large sums of money, and has run it ever since. This is the only place in the north serving as a meeting place for the gay community. 'Saying that this place provides prostitution services, is simply ignorance and stupidity', he said to Ynet. 'Only in Haifa can they come to a place for gays, remove people as if they were a herd of animals, and simply place them under investigation for prostitution.'"

Smiley Face: Investigators discover common link between 40 murder cases of young men across the country. "Gannon and Duarte have done something that no other law enforcement agency has ever done in this case -- they looked at the big picture and visited each site where the young men disappeared. While most local investigations focused on where a body was recovered, Gannon and Duarte tried to figure out where the body went into the river. City after city, when they'd find the spot where the body went in, they would find something else: The symbol of a smiley face."

Cher reminisces about affair with Tom Cruise: "It could have been a great big romance because I was crazy for him."

Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley doing what he does best.

Military responds to disgusting video of conditions at Fort Bragg: " Frawley's 10-minute video shows still photos from throughout the building, which appears to be falling apart and filled with mold and rust. Paint -- which Frawley said is lead-based -- is chipping. Ceiling tiles are missing. A broken drain pipe allows sewer gas into the building, while another one has tissues stuffed into it in an apparent effort to stop the gas from coming in. Photos from the communal bathroom show some of the most disgusting images. In one, a soldier stands in a sink to avoid what Frawley describes as 3 inches of sewage water that filled the floor when toilets overflowed."

Letter from Bible beater to underwear company condemns "evil, immoral clothing that will keep souls out of the holy, heavenly kingdom."

Who knew? Florida Governor Charlie Crist has a wife (or at least some want him to be seen that way).

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Luke and Noah Kiss: Long National Nightmare is Over

As the World Turns' Luke and Noah fans were pleasantly surprised yesterday when their seven-month wait for a kiss between the characters came to an end.

Earlier this month, CBS execs denied their strategy for the characters was homophobic. Said daytime chief Barbara Bloom, "The only thing you're going to get out of me is that the pacing is slower with Luke and Noah than it is with other romances on ATWT. But that's good storytelling. We're in the business of getting people to watch more."

Which makes the lack of promotion for the kiss all the more surprsing. Normally, a scene like this would have been teased relentlessly but producers apparently decided on an ambush this time. Surprise!

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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CBS Exec Says 'Luke and Noah' Strategy Not Homophobic

CBS daytime chief Barbara Bloom responds to TV Guide about the outcry from gay As the World Turns fans and the ongoing complaints that CBS treats the love between gay characters Luke and Noah differently than it treats the heterosexual couples on the show. While the show has presented a groundbreaking storyline, fans say that while heterosexual couples are given graphic love and kissing scenes, Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah's (Jake Silbermann) affection takes place mainly off-screen, and passionate kisses are few and far between. Meanwhile, "pro-family" groups are campaigning to have the couple removed from the show.

Says Bloom: "I can assure you there is no homophobia on the part of the network, nor are we pandering to any group. We have not censored ATWT or asked them to hold back in any way. I really hope the show will continue to evolve the Luke and Noah story, and that they culminate their relationship the way all couples in love do. I understand why all this makes people scream. The only thing you're going to get out of me is that the pacing is slower with Luke and Noah than it is with other romances on ATWT. But that's good storytelling. We're in the business of getting people to watch more."

Daytime Boss Addresses ATWT's "Nuke" Fallout [tv guide]

Previously
Luke and Noah Kiss, or Lack Thereof, Getting Loads of Attention [tr]
Fans Protest Bias Against Gay Affection on As the World Turns [tr]
As the World Turns to Get First Teenage Gay Kiss [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #267

LOU DOBBS: Ranting about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's remarks that America still has race issues, Lou Dobbs nearly calls her a "cotton picker". Dobbs: "Not a single one of these cotton...these just ridiculous politicians should be the moderator on the issue of race."

COUGAR CAMP: Camp is in session.

LUKE AND NOAH: Van Hansis interviews Jake Silbermann.

MCCAIN GIRL: Remember "It's Raining McCain"? Well, one of the weather girls isn't too happy about some of the comments left by viewers. (warning: language NSFW)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Luke and Noah Kiss, or Lack Thereof, Getting Loads of Attention

The fan protest over CBS treatment of gay characters Luke and Noah on As the World Turns has been getting loads of attention, since word of the online petition broke in late February.

Monday night, Showbiz Tonight ran a segment on the protest featuring gay PR man Howard Bragman head-to-head with conservative radio talk show host Ben Ferguson. Listen to their debate AFTER THE JUMP...

The American Family Association has issued an "action alert" against Procter & Gamble, the show's owner and main sponsor.

Said Randy Sharp, AFA's director of special projects: "What Procter & Gamble has done by not having a neutrality policy on any controversial issue [is] they've now put themselves in the middle of this battle between homosexual activists and those who aspire to more traditional family values -- especially on network TV in the public forum."

OUT magazine sent a reporter behind the scenes at As the World Turns to get some answers.

Popnography reports: "Even the show's straight supercouple is calling foul: 'Austin Peck (Brad) and Terri Colombino (Katie) -- whose steamy, straight sex scenes are by far the most racy on the show -- don't mince words when asked about the Nuke cool-down. 'ATWT got scared off because there were two men,' Peck tells Out. Colombino says there's one simple reason her character's sex life won't suffer the same fate: 'I have a vagina.'"

Though actors on the show suggest the producers are building up to a Luke-Noah kiss during the all-important sweeps week. Said the actor: "There's an old saying in soaps -- make them wait. And perhaps that's been their intention all this time. Soaps are dying, and losing audience every day -- and they've been handed a life jacket. We'd be dumb not to put it on."

Check out the clip from Showbiz Tonight, AFTER THE JUMP...

Exclusive @ Out.com: Behind the scenes at ATWT [popnography]
Their soap smooch made history. Fans ask: Will it happen again? [boston globe]

Recently
Fans Protest Bias Against Gay Affection on As the World Turns [tr]

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Fans Protest Bias Against Gay Affection on As the World Turns

A group of As the World Turns fans have started an online campaign aimed at the show's producers and Procter and Gamble claiming that CBS treats the love between gay characters Luke and Noah differently than it treats the heterosexual couples on the show. While the show has presented a groundbreaking storyline, fans say that while heterosexual couples are given graphic love and kissing scenes, Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah's (Jake Silbermann) affection takes place mainly off-screen, and passionate kisses are few and far between.

The L.A. Times reports:

"It all started last Christmas, when Luke and Noah, the young gay couple on 'As The World Turns,' were about to kiss. Though fans had seen them kiss before, this time the camera panned up to the mistletoe. Over the next few months, while heterosexual couples were kissing, Nuke (as fans call the couple) was restricted to holding hands, playing with one another's neck scarves and sharing meaningful looks. Ensuing complaints of discrimination to CBS and the show's producer and sponsor, Procter & Gamble, had no effect. And the last straw apparently arrived on Valentine's Day, when every other couple but Nuke shared a kiss. They hugged instead. Online fans began a nationwide media blitz on Feb. 20 to bring attention to the show, which has been twice nominated for an award from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). 'Presenting a gay couple on television only to relegate them to insulting hugs and slaps on the back is the 21st century version of putting African Americans on the back of the bus,' wrote one disgruntled fan named Tony. 'We're simply supposed to be happy that we got the ride at all. This is 2008, and yet CBS and Procter & Gamble are clearly stuck in the past.' GLAAD media spokesman Damon Romine agreed with them that, 'while tremendous strides have been made on soaps, it's clear that we're not at a place where gay and transgender people are treated the same on daytime as they are on prime-time or cable.'"

AFTER THE JUMP, a fan-created video called "Luke and Noah: (A Distinct Lack Of) Passionate Kisses" set to "Passionate Kisses" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

The fan who created this video wrote on its YouTube page: "This is a protest video of sorts for the way that Luke and Noah have been treated on As the World Turns. The show's continued intimation that affection between two gay guys in love is shameful is itself shameful. I chose this song because the lyrics say it all, whether they are construed as being from one boy to the other or from the fans to the show."

Support Luke and Noah [official site]
Soap fans claim bias against gay characters [la times]

Previously
As the World Turns to Get First Teenage Gay Kiss [tr]
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #160 [tr]
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #159 [tr]
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #150 [tr]
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #141 [tr]

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News: Norway, Spice Girls, Talan Torriero, Gregg Araki, Taipei

University of Virginia attempts to deal with anti-gay football chant: "After a Cavalier touchdown, the marching band strikes up what, to an outsider, sounds like 'Auld Lang Syne.' But, to its tune, students and alumni sing the 'Good Old Song,' its lyrics written by Edward A. Craighill in 1895, its mention of all being 'bright and gay' a throwback to when 'gay' meant 'happy,' the line a launching pad for what’s since become a university tradition of negating the word 'gay' with gleeful (often drunken) shouts of 'not gay!'"

Spice Girls lipsync their way through Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Is Laguna Beach's Talan Torriero the next Aquaman?

Norway's Lutherans vote to allow clergy in same-sex partnerships to serve: "The compromise decision reflected the realization that the church may have to live with a deep split over the issue. After an anguished week of debate at its annual meeting, the church's 86-member governing synod voted 50-34 to make the change. Two members abstained. The meeting, which ended Friday, was held in the town of Lillehammer. The decision means that six of Norway's 11 bishops are likely to open the pulpit to gay clergy in partnerships. In a vote earlier in the year, those six bishops voted in favor of easing the ban. The church already allows gays to serve in the clergy as long as they are not living in a homosexual partnership."

Amherst College students apologize to five Hampshire College students who "were allegedly called names, threatened, spit at and were blocked from leaving the dorm" following a gay party at which they were guests: "Dozens of students gathered outside Valentine Dining Hall at the college yesterday carrying signs that said 'We're Sorry Hampshire' and "I don't want to be 'tolerated.' They also asked passers-by to sign a banner that said 'Please Come Back.'"

IndieWire chats with filmmaker Gregg Araki about his film Smiley Face. We previewed a couple John Krasinski stills from the movie in October.

AfterElton talks to Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann about their gay storyline as Luke and Noah on As The World Turns. Hansis: "My parents are so proud of me it sort of embarrasses me. My mom cried on the red carpet at the Emmys this year when she was asked about how she felt for her son to be nominated. It was actually really nice. It’s great to see your parents so proud of your accomplishments. Both my parents now go through the soap magazines at the grocery store and point to pictures of me and tell the cashier 'That’s my son!' They are generally busy during the day so I think they watch the show online. But they have always been my biggest fans and I couldn’t ask for anything more."

From the just-don't-get-it dept: Taipei restaurant gives a completely new meaning to potty-mouthed.

Esteemed design group Pentagram takes a look at the redesigned Advocate: "Today gays and lesbians are no longer an ignored minority, and the younger generations have experienced a saturation of media both from and about the community. Activism, while still important, is less in the mix, and issues like gay marriage, medicine and civil rights have shifted to the mainstream press. At the same time, the circulation of newsweeklies is changing as news and information is more readily available online. The magazine’s redesign reflects these transformations. The new Advocate is modern and vibrant while continuing to confront politics and difficult LGBT issues. Impressively, it manages to successfully straddle the line between opinion leader and entertainment magazine without losing its journalistic integrity and with a tone that is sophisticated, but not frivolous."

Rod McCullom on HuffPost: John Edwards and Barack Obama make mistake of repeating Republican talking points to attack one of their own. "...something funny happened to Senators Edwards and Obama on their way to Las Vegas. Maybe the high-roller suites have complimentary testosterone and egos on the pillows, or, possibly they bumped into Elvis, who told them, "A little less conversation and a little more action." They lost their mojos. Instead of throwing the hungry audience sound bites that were wrapped in juicy, red meat, the two candidates tossed stale, Republican talking points at frontrunner Hillary Clinton and the audience booed and hissed."

Without fanfare, Nicaragua drops anti-sodomy laws: "In adopting a new national civil code on Monday, the Nicaraguan National Assembly sidestepped the longstanding law that penalized sodomy between members of the same-sex with up to five years in prison by overwhelmingly voting to approve a new civil code that simply did not mention it."

Bah Humbug: The Bill O'Reilly Christmas Store is now open!

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On the Stage: Speech & Debate and Die Mommy Die!

Please welcome Kevin Sessums, who adds to his recent reviews of Cyrano de Bergerac, Rock 'n' Roll, and Fuerzabruta with a look at two new productions.

Now that the stagehand strike on Broadway looks to be longer than at first anticipated I thought I’d let you know about four productions not affected by it. Two are comedies and two are dramas. Take your pick or pick all four. They are all to varying degrees worth a visit. Today the comedies. Tomorrow the dramas.

Each season there is a breakout hit off-Broadway that theatre mavens flock to. A few seasons ago it was Avenue Q at the Vineyard Theatre, which moved to Broadway and beat Wicked for the Tony for Best Musical in one of the biggest upsets in years. It was ingeniously directed by Jason Moore who has done another ingenious job this season mounting Speech & Debate as the inaugural production at the Roundabout’s new Black Box Theatre downstairs at its Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre at 111 West 46th Street. (Moore is currently busy putting together the Broadway musical version of Shrek.)

He has cast this play-with-music about cyberspace and sexual secrets and teenage angst — written by Brown graduate Stephen Karam — with his usual keen eye. Susan Blackwell in the dual roles of the teacher and a local reporter finds different ways to be kindhearted and yet officious in each role. The two male leads, Jason Fuchs and Gideon Glick, as the high school gay nerds, Solomon and Howie, can be cruelly awkward and caustically funny and eccentrically sexy all at the same time. But it is Sarah Steele who is the revelation of this production as Diwata, the female drama queen of the high school. Steele played Adam Sandler’s daughter in James Brooks’ film Spanglish a few years back, but now almost all grown up she is heartbreaking and hilarious and rightly full of bravado. It seemed at times watching the brilliant Steele as if she had boarded some sort of theatrical time machine and Charlotte Rae were playing one of her own charges in The Facts of Life. Steele is so good she keeps your head spinning trying to come up with such concepts to describe what she’s accomplishing in this production, especially when, as a character from The Crucible, she really does board some sort of theatrical time machine in her character’s fertile mind to perform in a musical she has written in which she meets up with Abe Lincoln.

Speech & Debate is more than utterly delightful. It is in its confounding simplicity a profound little gem of a play about the complexities of difference.

T T T (out of 4 possible T's)

Speech & Debate, Roundabout Underground, Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th Street (between 6th Ave & Broadway), New York. Ticket information here.

***
DIE MOMMY DIE!

Charles Busch is back where he belongs — on a stage and bewigged and batting around, like only he can, the finely honed bon mots he has written with his own manicured hand.

In his latest production, Die Mommie Die! at New World Stages, he plays Angela Arden, a washed-up singer circa 1967. On a sumptuous set that captures the Hollywood hyper-hacienda aesthetic, Busch and his talented co-stars gleefully mug their way through a murder mystery he has so expertly concocted to showcase his singular talents. Busch is more than a drag queen. He is an accomplished male actress — arch and chiding and chillingly funny. He presides over his plays like a latter-day Lynn Fontaine played by Alfred Lunt.

The supporting cast in this outing can match him laugh for laugh. The hillbilly maid is played by Kristine Nielsen. Ashley Morris, newly graduated from North Carolina School for the Arts, is making her New York debut as Angela’s daughter Edith and she is a perky, sexy delight. Chris Hoch plays the well-hung gigolo, Tony Parker. (I think the play pre-dates Eva Longoria’s marriage to the basketball star with the same name, but every time his name was mentioned in the play I kept wondering if the real Tony Parker — and hence, Eva — were both so blessed.) Angela’s movie producer husband, Sol, who can’t believe he’s lost financing for the Billie Holiday story starring Elizabeth Taylor, is played by Bob Ari (Frank Langella’s understudy in the recent Frost/Nixon) who lends a bit of his legit stage chops to the parodic proceedings.

And for you Towleroad readers who have watched the YouTube clips posted here from the soap opera As The World Turns of the teenage gay character, Luke Snyder, there is Van Hansis. He plays Snyder on the soap, but nothing could prepare you soap fans for the outrageousness of his portrayal of Lance, Angela’s gay son who has been cast as Ado Annie in his college production of Oklahoma.

For those of you disapppointed in the film version of Die Mommie Die! — and I count myself among you — don’t let it deter you from this 90 minute intermissionless version. It’s much better than the movie. And you should never miss the opportunity to experience Charles Busch onstage. Busch is in a league of his own.

T T 1/2 (out of 4 possible T's)

Die Mommie Die!, New World Stages, 340 W. 50th Street, New York. Ticket information here.

Next up: Things We Want and Peter and Jerry

Recent Reviews
On the Stage: Cyrano de Bergerac
On the Stage: Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll [tr]
On the Stage: Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll and Fuerzabruta [tr]
On the Stage: Black Watch [tr]

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It's Ryan Phillippe Flashback Time

I've posted a few clips of the Luke and Noah gay teen love story currently taking place on As the World Turns. One of our soap-loving tipsters has pointed us to a clip from One Life to Live from 1993 (on the right), which is remarkably similar to a scene that played out on As the World Turns just last week in which a dad confronts his gay son.

One Life to Live was one of Ryan Philippe's first acting jobs, which brings us to the second half of this post.

After the jump you'll find a clip shot by David LaChapelle for Armani featuring a very young, and very nude Ryan Philippe, as well as Amanda Lepore in her first video appearance for the director. Probably not safe for work for some, due to a brief cameo by Ryan's heiney.

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As the World Turns to Get First Teenage Gay Kiss

A preview of tomorrow's (Friday) As the World Turns, which is set to feature daytime's first same-sex teenage kiss. The show's storyline between Luke and Noah has been building up to this moment. Van Hansis, who plays Luke Snyder, was nominated for a daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Younger Actor" earlier this year.

Previous clips we've featured can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

You may have missed...
Van Hansis Grabs Emmy Nomination for Portrayal of Gay Teen [tr]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #160

INVISIBLE: New Hillary Clinton campaign spot to begin airing in Iowa tomorrow.
(source: slog)

AIDS: The latest from Chris Crocker.

VACATION: Clip from Fahrenheit 9/11. Bush on track to become the 'vacation president': "The presidential vacation-time record holder is the late Ronald Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. At 418 days, and with 17 months to go in his presidency, Bush is going to beat that easily."

GAY PANIC: The latest from As the World Turns' gay storyline between Luke and Noah.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #159

MARKET MELTDOWN: Mad Money host Jim Cramer flips out over the crash of the housing market. Cramer explains his meltdown...

NOAH AND LUKE: The latest from the gay storyline on As the World Turns.

GAYS FOR GIULIANI: Odd tactic. Activist attempts to trot out stereotypes to scare Republican base.

GAY MARRIAGE on THE VIEW: Elizabeth Hasselbeck actually says something sane. (source: good as you)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #150

GREAT AMERICAN GAY ROAD TRIP: A new film from NYC promoter and Dlist.com's Daniel Nardicio.

LUKE AND NOAH: The gay Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silberman) story line, from the past few weeks of As The World
Turns, in 9 1/2 minutes.

iPHONE: Will it blend?

KATHY GRIFFIN: Makes a visit to the Arizona State Penitentiary. (source: virtual matter)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #141

PUBLIC LYNCHING: Paris Hilton hung out to dry by Sarah Silverman at the MTV awards.

VAN HANSIS: Luke (Hansis) meets his future boyfriend Noah (Jake Silbermann) on last Friday's As The World Turns.

BEN AFFLECK: Speaks the truth about the weak Democrats on Bill Maher.

SURFIN' USA: A summer distraction.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: Sanjaya Ponyhawk, Alberto Gonzalez, Iowa, Billy Bean

The Iowa state Senate has approved a bill prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians: "Backers of the bill, mostly Democrats, pushed it to passage on a 32-17 vote. They portrayed the legislation as a needed strike against discrimination that would also make the state more economically attractive. The bill, Senate File 427, would add the words 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity"' to the Iowa's Civil Rights Act, which currently bars discrimination based on age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion and disability. The act specifically targets discrimination tied to employment, housing, public accommodations, education and credit." The bill has been sent to the House.

Sanjaya and the ponyhawk rule American Idol, plus: "Gwen Stefani can't mentor worth a damn! What the hell kind of advice was she giving...yeah no advice! She just stood there and smiled and then told us what she really thought of your no-talent asses behind their backs!"

Radar lines up out gay athletes John Amaechi, Billy Bean, and Esera Tuaolo for a roundtable on life in the locker room. Bean: "I was actually once asked if I was a top or a bottom on a radio show, and that was the first time that I think I was embarrassed in public. When you become public, when you "come out," when you invite the public into your private life, there is a sense that you deserve to be asked that question."

No, nothing to hide: Alberto Gonzalez directly contradicts his own statements about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

Wingnut and Earth-hating Senator James Inhofe vows to stop Al Gore's global warming concert from taking place on Capitol grounds.

Cristiano Ronaldo: balcony underwear flasher.

Dina Matos McGreevey prepares to speak and a once-married gay man has a few things to say about it: "When a gay man finally decides to come out to his wife, it's a moment he's prepared for, in some cases over the course of his entire life, but in all cases, he's worked up to it, he's had time to prepare for this new reality. In most cases, he's chosen the time and the place, he's rehearsed the scene many times in his head. Furthermore, he sees it as the beginning of a new life, a mentally healthier life (or so he hopes,) the pursuit of wholeness as a human being. He goes into it prepared and on his own terms."

John McCain calls media a bunch of "jerks".

Van Hansis, who recently was nominated for a daytime Emmy for his role as a gay teen on As the World Turns, is about to get a boyfriend (on the show). (Show clips...)

Burger King set to make "historic advance" in animal welfare: "...the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said Tuesday that it would begin buying eggs and pork from suppliers that did not confine their animals in cages and crates. The company said that it would also favor suppliers of chickens that use gas, or "controlled-atmospheric stunning," rather than electric shocks, to knock birds unconscious before slaughter. It is considered a more humane method, though only a few slaughterhouses use it."

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Van Hansis Grabs Emmy Nomination for Portrayal of Gay Teen

Congrats to Van Hansis, who was just nominated for a daytime Emmy for Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of gay teen Luke Snyder on As the World Turns. Towleroad correspondent Alan L. created this reel of some of Hansis' scenes.

Hansis told AfterElton in an interview last year: "As far as playing a gay character, it's nothing that I've ever had any negative feelings about. I love my character. In the end, I'm really glad they made my character gay. I'm able to do so much more than the average soap guy gets to do...One of the really interesting things when the speculation started that Luke was going to come out of the closet was the audience was saying on some of the message boards, “I'm not going to watch this show anymore”. Then after the story line got going and people got into it and people thought the show was going to backpedal and make Luke bi or straight, again that's when the fans again said no, no, no. He should be gay."

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