Arts & Culture

Year of the Queer: Hollywood and Homosexuality

Feb 27, 2006
Truthdig's Larry Gross, a pioneer in the field of gay studies, argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality. "Hollywood and much of the media may be awash in liberal self-congratulation," Gross writes, "but they--and we--are also soaking in the familiar hypocrisy of homophobia." Update: Down to the WireGross argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality.
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Arianna Smacks Down Hannity and Coulter

Feb 22, 2006
We stood up and cheered when we saw this one: Sean Hannity needles Arianna Huffington about something Alec Baldwin said, and Arianna throws it back in his face by listing some of the indefensible and "toxic" things Ann Coulter has said over the years. Good one, Arianna.

Jon Stewart Runs on CNN International

Feb 20, 2006
OK, all you expatriates probably already knew this, but Truthdig didn't: "The Daily Show" runs on CNN International outside the U.S. Think about that: Millions (perhaps billions) of foreigners get Jon Stewart's version of America on a relatively straight-news-oriented channel. Depending on how you feel about Stewart's sensibility, that's either wonderful or troubling. (This snippet of news comes near the end of a hilarious article about Stewart's upcoming gig at the Oscars.)

Jon Stewart Roasts Cheney

Feb 15, 2006
"Don't let your kids go hunting with the vice president. I don't care what kind of lucrative contracts they're trying to land or energy regulations they're trying to get lifted. He'll shoot them in the face." | video

The More Things Change…

Feb 8, 2006
In 1983, Ed Asner, then president of the Screen Actors Guild, spoke to the Golden Gate Business Association, a gay and lesbian business and professional organization Asked about his advice to gay and lesbian folk not to come out of the closet in the entertainment industry, Asner replied, "Out of my own gut instinct, I [do] not consider this wise I know that within the gay acting community itself, many of the agents who are aware of the conflict, the bind, the grief that occurs with actors who cannot proclaim their sexual preference, [know] there's a lot of suffering and a desire to be open about it And these agents and actors support me to a very large extent in advising non-publicization"