Israel Goes to the Polls

And as I prepare to leave for the embassy to vote, I wonder, which party does Roei represent, right here?

Tyra Banks, Gay For Pay

A few weeks ago, Tyra had a show about "gay for pay" dancers, barmen and porn stars. Two of her most high profile guests on this show were expert fucker Aaron James (AJ) and power bottom Kurt Wild of CollegeDudes247 fame. Geography meant that I missed the show, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, I could catch it online, and you can too.

I thought the show was amusing, and informative enough for a daytime TV talk show. I took real issue with Sean Kennedy's argument, though, that he felt these "gay for pay" guys were harming the gay scene. He seemed unhappy that they allowed straight guys into gay bars at all, which I find odd, coming from a member of a minority community which should know all about sexual discrimination. His notion that porn was associated with orgies, drug abuse and unsafe sex probably did far more to harm the gay community than any of these other guys could do. Kinda sad that nobody mentioned the fact that these "gay for pay" porn stars, specifically, and their studios become phenomenal safer sex advocates. Oh well, Sean, I still like your magazine.

And for those of you who just want to see AJ and Kurt in action, here's a little taster...



Or, click here.

No Regret (2006)

No Regret is the first gay feature film by an openly gay Korean director, Lee Song Hee-Il.

When I read the synopsis, I was sceptical. Orphan becomes gigolo, rich obsessive stalks him, pair fall in love, arranged marriage threatens to rip them apart but doesn't. It just seems a little too, well... gay-themed movie.

No Regret opens with Su-Min (Lee Young-Hoon) swimming in a river near his idyllic countryside orphanage. Cue ass shot, and boy, what a beautiful ass it is, too!

We follow Su-Min as he leaves the orphanage, and sets out for the big smoke, Seoul. Here Su-Min struggles to make ends meet, working two jobs to put himself through night school. It's in his job as a chauffeur that he meets Jae-Min (Lee Han), who propositions Su-Min, only to be turned down. When Su-Min is fired from his day job at a factory, we learn that Jae-Min is the son of the boss. Su-Min is rehired, only to quit again on principle. Are you following so far?

Su-Min drops out of night school, and ends up working as a gigolo in Seoul. It just wouldn't be a gay themed film if there wasn't a gigolo in it somewhere, would it? It's here that Jae-Min manages to track him down through a friend, and the two meet again. Jae-Min pays him for sex, where we're told that Su-Min doesn't take it up the ass, so we get to see this gorgeous young gigolo turn his hand to topping his stalker. Despite the childish, awkward jerking and gasping, I was still, almost inexplicably turned on by this scene. Before leaving, Su-Min threatens to kill him if he sees him again. Though, I'm not quite sure why...

And so the story goes. Rich guy stalks orphan, until finally, orphan gives in, and the pair fall madly, and deeply in love. In one touching scene, Su-Min offers up his ass to his lover, so we're left in little doubt as to the feelings between the pair. He quits working as a gigolo, and achieves some semblance of normality in his life for what, we assume, is the first time.

But of course, we know that the story can't end here. Where's the tragedy?

Jae-Min's arranged marriage, the death of one of Su-Min's best friends, and a rather dark, violent and confusing ending see to that.

But of course, Su-Min and Jae-Min both survive, and, we're led to believe, end up together by the time the credits roll.

No Regret left me with more questions than it answered, rather like a French movie. This wasn't a bad thing, though, and despite a very corny plot, Lee Song Hee-Il created a masterpiece against all the odds, which had me transfixed from the first flash of Lee Young-Hoon's rear end to the end of the final scene. Beautifully shot, cast and acted, I certainly don't regret having watched it. Definitely one of the best Asian movies I've watched.

Chinese New Year

Learn more about the year of the Ox here.

Now, where do I find a guy like this to help me celebrate?

Happy Hanukkah!

A Gay Day for the Music Industry

Boyzone apparently made the history books today, becoming the first boy band to feature a gay couple in a music video. You can see the news report and watch the music video here.

In other news, however, the US artist Trick-Trick astounded fans today, when he asked gay people not to buy his album. Trick-Trick is quoted as saying:

"I’m a go on the record right now with this. Homosexuals are probably not gonna like this album," he told All Hip Hop. "I don’t want your faggot money any goddamn way. I don’t like it. Carry that shit somewhere else."

He appeared on Wikipedia today, his page stating that he was a "Homophobic wanker, and a twat." The entry quickly disappeared, to be replaced with this.

Daniel Radcliffe

It seems like only yesterday that Harry Potter was waving his magic wand around on set. These days, he's waving it around on stage in the hit show Equus. We've all seen the promo shots, but I've never seen his naked form in motion before. Thankfully, someone in the front row of the audience at his Broadway performance thought to video it. Watching Harry Potter will never be the same again...

Obama Victory Softens Gay Rights Blow

Truly an historic day. Barack Obama has been elected the new President of the United States of America in a sweeping victory for the Democrats, the Democratic candidate receiving 349 electoral college votes, to the Republican candidates 162 electoral college votes.

Amid the excitement in Chicago, the BBC reports that one reveler exclaimed, "It means all races and creeds can live together," while another woman said that this victory meant that anyone, whatever their background, could make it.

The civil rights campaigner the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the man who once described Obama as "Not black enough," among countless others celebrate the election of the first African American President of the USA as a victory for the civil rights movement, and the American people in general. This historic victory is seen as marking the end of discrimination, and the beginning of a new era of American history.

However, a few hundred miles away in California, the news came that Californian voters had chosen to ban same-sex marriage with a 52% majority in favour of proposition 8, just months after it was legalised by the state's supreme court. State attourney General Jerry Brown has said that the thousands of same-sex marriages carried out in the state since May would remain valid, but no further same-sex marriages could take place.

Florida also moved to ban same sex marriage with a 62% majority, and Arizona with 56%. And so, while the rest of the country celebrates a victory for minority ethnic groups, the gay rights movement (representative of around 10% of the population of any country) has suffered a severe blow.

While GLBT campaigners vow to fight the measures, this has been seen as a bitter-sweet victory by many liberal Americans. While the nation celebrates the equality of all people regardless of colour and creed, it appears that sexuality has been forgotten.

Guy Fawkes Night

Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night, and to mark the occasion I'm off to a public bonfire and fireworks display with a few friends. Of course, we're maintaining the pretense that we're doing it for the kids.

On my way to work this morning I passed several groups of kids with effigies of the man himself, asking, "Penny for the Guy." The last group I passed had no effigy at all, rather it was a young boy sat in a shopping trolley, dressed in a tracksuit. Even after 5 years, I'm still amazed by this city, and it's people.

I'm wrestling with my conscience at this point. A friend of mine who made a move on me at Halloween will be there, with his wife. What's a boy to do!?

To all of you who'll be celebrating tonight, have a good one!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favourite celebrations, an excuse for a party that I never miss. This year I'm hosting my own Halloween party again. Fancy dress, of course - and it's outdoors. I'm still amazed at how many people plan on coming scantily dressed. Myself, I'm being brave and appearing as Papa Lazarou, of the League of Gentlemen fame. Three fire pits should keep people warm, even in this cold weather! Some Halloween classics such as apple bobbing have been mixed up with less traditional entertainment - whack the piñata where of course, the traditional donkey has been replaced with a ghost - and should keep people entertained. Somehow, though, I'm sure that the blood punch and hot pumpkin soup will be more appreciated. The younger, or more fragile guests have Corpse Bride, Stardust and Nightmare Before Christmas (it applies to Halloween, too!) to keep them occupied. I've even dug out some old VHS tapes of Count Duckula for backup. Weeks of planning have gone into this, and still - my pumpkin jack-o-lanterns are already looking a little blackened inside, and I've only invited a handful of confirmed homosexuals. But with a few blood punches, I'm sure all that will be forgotten... or at the very least, some of the non confirmed homosexuals should be a little more open to persuasion.

If you're not celebrating Halloween at all, I urge you to dig out a scary movie and pop open a bottle of wine, or two. Live a little! I'd be interested to hear how you all plan on spending your Halloween!

For now, I'll leave you with some apt youtube embeds to get you all in the mood!

That's so gay!

Hilary Duff and Wanda Sykes are just two of the faces of a few campaign to draw people's attention to the politically incorrect practice of assigning the word "gay" to something to give it a negative meaning (bad, stupid, ugly). You may not agree, but personally, I think this wonderful little snippet of pop culture should be restricted to the history books, much like the use of the word "Nigger."

Shanah Tovah!

Blowing the Shofar to mark the New Year
Photo by Alan46

Dusk tonight marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of Man according to the Bible, 5 days after the creation of the Earth, and is observed as the new year for people. That is, it's different from the new year for trees. I shall be partying into the night with family and friends, and this should explain the absence of this week's Hunk of the Week. Don't dispair, though. It'll be back next Monday, and I shall be posting before then. To all my fellow tribe members, chag sameach!

Bringing Sexy to the Paralympics

Oscar Pistorius, Athlete & Paralympian

That's All, Folks!

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games drew to a close today, with a spectacular closing ceremony in Beijing. I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of the pretty fireworks, so I thought I'd share some pictures of the hunkiest Olympians of 2008, in tribute to the 29th Olympiad.

I'm already looking forward to 2012...