Warning... this is an adult site. If reading or viewing things about what gay men do sexually with one another bothers you - you should not read this blog. This blog is a reflection of my adventures and thoughts. Some are fun, some not so pretty. I won't name names, or kiss and tell... but I will live to tell. And baby, trust me - I am gonna spill it all over your pretty little party dress. Enjoy!
Up first? Channeling some major 1950's girl group vibe, its the always-entertaining, amazingly prolific Miley Cyrus with the sweetly euphoric, misty-eyed End of the World.
Then, ever full of surprises, it's everyone's favorite musical nerd Ed Sheeran going full Ibiza with a shuffle beat that would make Michael Jackson proud, on the irresistibly danceable Azizam.
And finally, soaring over the dance floor with a bit of old-school house drama, its dance wizard Alesso more than ably assisted by Becky Hill in true diva mode on the ethereally propulsive Surrender.
All in all, a trio of destined-to be-classic diva turns.
Spotlighting some newly-minted classic diva turns on the part of three of our faves, each ably assist by another artist of note.
I must say, you are in for quite the treat.
Up first? Miley Cyrus (channeling a vintage Jane Fonda look) with Pharrell Williams bringing us the cure as she burns her way through Doctor (Work It Out).
Then we have the fierce Charli XCX, making it rain panties with the help of pal Billie Eilish on the beat savvy Guess.
And finally, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars rip a page from the life of Tammy Wynette and George Jones in the achy-breaky Die With A Smile.
All in all, a trio of destined-to be-classic diva turns.
Midweek hump?
Feeling in the dumps?
Here's some music to make your heart jump!
- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque
Doctor (Work It Out) - Pharrell Williams & Miley Cyrus
Hump day? Well, I'll give you something to ponder.
Yes, it's time for Wednesday's Question Of The Day.
Each Wednesday, a new question to give you the opportunity to do a bit of self-examination. Think of it as a way of getting to know all about you and a chance to learn a little more about me.
That's right. You know me; spill that tea! For I am the king of over-sharing!
Oh, and please leave your responses in the comments section.
Why, think of this as a little blogging kiki!
Okay! Ready, set...
Here's today's question:
Have you ever revisited something (a book, a movie, etc.) and found it hasn't aged well? What and how?
Sex In The City (the series)
I was cat-sitting for my sister while she was in Japan for ten days. I had very little to do. I ran three miles every day. Wrote a lot. Ate super healthy. And cleaned her house.
I also started re-watching Sex In The City, which was originally shown on HBO.
My memories of it are very fond. I adored Samantha's sexual exploits and the candidness with which the women would discuss sexual matters. I adored Miranda's stubbornness, drive to achieve, snarkiness, and desire to remain independent. Charlotte was always problematic for me because I can't relate to WASPs. Her prudishness and disregard for reality, while playing well against her more pragmatic cohorts, left me cold. It would seem that the writers also had no idea what to do with her, for they took great joy in placing Charlotte in the most humiliating circumstances possible, something meant to be humorous, but now strikes me as passive-aggressively sado-masochistic.
And then, there was Carrie.
I used to think she was cute and adorable. Like a puppy, mindlessly bounding about with enthusiasm, in need of protection. I wanted to share her lust for life.
Carrie hasn't aged well.
She's myopic; everything is about Carrie. Carrie's latest crisis. Carrie's latest need. Carrie's romance. Carrie, Carrie, Carrie.
The bitch is exhausting.
After a point? I wouldn't be inviting her to join us for brunch anymore.
She whines. All the time. She makes excuses - it's always someone else's fault. She never learns. She never grows. There is a surprising lack of maturity and self-awareness hobbling about the streets of New York City on those Louis Vuittons.
The third time she strays back and reattaches to Mr. Big? You want to take her by both shoulders and shake her like a ragdoll. Honestly? What are you thinking? Have you no self-respect? Are you really this needy? This stupid?
And then there's her relationship with Aidan. The first thing out of her mouth is a lie and she simply continues to lie from that moment on. He's so sweet. He's like a cuddly, loyal yellow Labrador Retriever. And he can fix things! Carrie is a damn fool.
Then there's the matter of what these women actually do. Oh, they are all super-successful - owner of a successful PR firm, manager of a hip, cutting-edge art gallery, partner at a powerful attorney's, firm, and the writer of a popular, salacious newspaper column. But, what do we see them do? They go to restaurants. They go to bars. They go to clubs. They go to art gallery openings. They go to fashion shows. They go shopping. They buy designer shoes. Their homes are little more than places to sleep, have sex, and to store and change clothes.
It's a mind-numbing. repetitive existence.
They do walk the streets of New York City - in Carrie's case, frequently looking like a three-dollar hooker.
I don't fault the actresses. Or the writers, for that matter - although one can only imagine how scripts were written and story arcs determined without anyone raising the possibility that these women were capable of growing and evolving as human beings.
The thing which I adored about the series? The fact that these women formed this tightknit circle, one where everything was on the table. They spoke with a candor which I found refreshing, and still do. It's what I wanted for myself. It's what we all want for ourselves.
Well, that closeness remains evident. But, post-COVID, it strikes me as little more than a quaint idea, an ideal whose time has passed me by and been rendered a relic. I can't imagine spending that amount of time with the same three people. I now require a lot more privacy and alone time. My days of yearning to adopt a pack mentality have vanished along with my sense of personal safety, appreciation of technology, and desire to tell people what they need to do or be.
In a way, it's a shame.
Revisiting this series? It's as close as I'll ever come to going to a high school reunion. For the longest time, these ladies were my best friends, relationship archetypes I attempted to recreate in real life. Well, you can imagine how well that went, huh?
In the end? Watching this series again was exactly like going to said reunion. You find yourself surrounded by people you once knew intimately, relied upon constantly and appreciated greatly. But life moved on, and so did you. They're strangers to you now. And all you have in common...
...is the thought of what you used to think used to be.
In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to what can only be described as...The True Divas. These are ones who may do many things in life, but from the moment they opened their mouths to sing they became the one thing they were meant to become: a true diva.
One such magnetic enigmatic soul?
Miley Cyrus!
The sparks that fly off this one! Woah! She's a lot to digest.
She grew up before our eyes, but she's no Disney princess.
And the thing is... she's just coming into her own. This flower has only just begun to open.
During her time in the spotlight, this diva has charmed and shocked and awed and astounded.
She's a chameleon. A quick-change artist. A songwriter. And the voice of a generation.
Her performance at the latest Grammy Awards, bringing her version of some top grade Jane Fonda fierceness, would seem to prove that wherever all that beauty, style, poise, wit, energy, drive, and talent are springing from, there's more to be revealed.
And I, for one, can't wait to see what happens next.
The gospel according to her?
Well, here are three from the hip, falling from her lips.
The topic? What's Important.
"I always say the minute I stop making mistakes is the minute I stop learning and I've definitely learned a lot."
"Every career thing I do can't be perfect and sometimes my decisions are wrong."
"I don't want to be perfect, but I do want to be a role model. My mom always tells me that imperfections equal beauty. All of us are imperfect."
"I told my mom, 'I'm not buying another magazine until I can get past this thought of looking like the girl on the cover'. She said, "Miley, you are the girl on the cover,' and I was, like, 'I know, but I don't feel like that girl every day.' You can't always feel perfect."
"You can't live a positive life with a negative mind and if you have a positive outcome you have a positive income and just to have more positivity and just to kind of laugh it off."
"I am so excited to let fans in on how important my relationship with my family is to me. I hope to motivate mothers and daughters to build lifetimes of memories together and inspire kids around the world to live their dreams."
"The only people that you really have, that I learned, are your family, because they love you no matter what."
"I would say I'm a nice person, and I take pride in the fact that I treat everyone really well, so there's no reason for anyone to ever come at me because I only want the best for everybody else."
"With yourself, I think you have to decide the kind of person that you really want to be, and for me, it's just a sweet girl."
Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus
Midnight Sky - Miley Cyrus
Flowers - Miley Cyrus
And one last parting shot...
"It's so much easier to know who you are when there aren't a thousand people telling you who they think you are."
"I hate being thought of as a product."
"I'm pretty outspoken."
"I know what I'm doing. I know I'm shocking you."
"People like controversy because that's what sells."
"Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29th every year. Ccelebrated in honor of the three archangels, Angel Michael, Angel Gabriel, and Angel Raphael, on Michaelmas, people spend the day doing good, dancing, singing, and at the end of the day, sharing a feast of freshly baked bread, roast goose stuffed with potatoes, veggies, and herbs. It’s also the season for picking blackberries!"
