New Walls are always about me

Hmmmmmm. I'm beginning to think somebody has inside information on new walls. Panther, I demand a fully independent judicial enquiry!!!!!!

This was really touching, to see such a bond between a straight guy & gay guy. When Darren's message was played & David started crying when he said he loved him (as a friend of course), it bought a tear to my eye too.
Straight guys can really bond & connect with gays, & it's great to see that shown on tv where there are normally stereotypically depicated as being like oil & water.

Has anyone else noticed that David often wears a t-shirt with "good mates" written on it? I think this is a t-shirt from an ACON campaign a few years back. How's that for publicity!

For more details:

http://entertainment.news.com.au/story/0,10221,19829581-7484,00.html

Congratulations to Darren Hayes on his marriage, and also for admitting at long last what we all thought we knew, all along. Here's to a happy union for them both!

Something about the timing of this doesn't fit right with me, but it just may be my cynical side showing.

He "parts ways" with his record company the week before, which is industry speak for getting dumped. Then suddenly come out and has this whole new audience ready to embrace him and his new album (which also got announced as coming out whenever, I forgot).

Yes he may be gay and he's married now and I wish them all the best, but it does feel a bit too staged for my tastes.

The gay sex on this show is getting really raunchy- first Bree's son is kissing & sleeping with his "buddy" after playing computer games in bed, ..... now he's seduced her adult friend & A.A. "coach" (himself a reforming alcholic & bisexual sex addict). Although only kissing has been show so far & the bed scenes, it's still been pretty intense. I was a bit shocked though to see her son seduce her adult friend....no wonder she then kicked him out of the house!

I can't imagine anyone rushing to get civilised (joined in a civil union) after something as majorly stressful as being dumped from a record contract.

My guess is that it was the other way around. That the record contract forbade him from announcing his sexuality, so he had to get out of the contract before he could come out.

Darren, I hope you have a long and happy union.

Well, it's official, she has definitely excluded OZ from her world tour (again). Shame.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=65987

That may be the case but it wouldn't be the first time a fading celebrity got married for publicity.

When Eltons career started to tank in the 80's he played the marriage card. The only difference here is now his mass appeal had waned, Mr Hayes now has the unsuspecting gay community lining up to support his career.

Gay for pay is one term that comes to mind.

Just noticed the ABC is selling DVDs of the Australian Story gay cowboy episode from earlier this year. Anyone who missed this when it was on and wants to enjoy something a LOT more intelligent and uplifting than what is on offer on Big Brother should have a look!

http://www.abc.net.au/programsales/s1657430.htm

Another pop star comes over to the dark side ;o)

See the article here: http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=5587

Now all we need is for Robbie Williams and a Backstreet Boy to come out and every boy-band of the 90s will have a gay member!

will someone from the jackson five come out?

Do you think that David will win?

To see David sit there & say in the diary room footage that he would like nothing more to go back to living on his farm, with a husband, then to be evicted & reunited with his boyfriend Sherif was a fantastic sight. The way they hugged & kissed & cuddled while the nation stood still to watch was a blast.

David might not have won the game, but he absolutely stole the show. Seeing him and Sharif reunited on stage was fanfuckingtastic.

Re: Is anyone watching Big Brother?
David might not have won the game, but he absolutely stole the show. Seeing him and Sharif reunited on stage was fanfuckingtastic.

- Sun 30 Jul 2006 22:02:29 Replies: add

Au contraire. Seeing the guy go the pash with a bloke he met THREE WEEKS before he went in the house and declaring how much he loved him only confirmed how tacky and contrived the whole exercise is. The bloke exploted himself, then his parents by having the most personal and intimate conversation imaginable with them ON NATIONAL TV without preparing them for it - unforgivable to my way of thinking - then his most recent bonk (i cant bring myself to call an acquaintance of 3 weeks a boyfriend or partner) strips down to his jocks for a gay rag so he can get his share of the action, then they parade themselves on the box last night as if they were celebrating their silver wedding anniversary after being kept apart for years by the Berlin Wall. And this is all sposed to be a good advertisement for the gay community? One thing I suspect it might confirm for the wider world is that if given marriage rights, we'd be frocking up and marching down the aisle every couple of months with whoever it is we last picked up at the Shift.
It don't get any more crass and tacky and cheap than this.
But I guess if you take as your starting point, as so many do these days, that it's all about fame, attention and money, then they have succeeded admirably in their goals.
Leaves me just feeling in need of a good scrub.

will someone from the jackson five come out?

- Thu 27 Jul 2006 15:46:07 Replies: add

Er, I think if Michael Jackson came out any further he'd have made it around to the back door and have to go back in again.

I think David and sherif contrasted nicely to the little sooks that were jamie and katie who both "chucked a huge wobbly" (to use david's ockerism) when they both came up for eviction.

"but i'm going to lose jamie!!!!" shrieked Katie. "what if he runs off with some other girl whilst i'm still in the house!!"

meanwhile David had someone waiting for him the whole time he was in the house! He managed to survive the supposed nightmare Jamie and katie were getting so worked up about.

I thought Ten's attempts to deal with the issue of coming out were admirable (if alittle naive ie. Gretal asking David why it's such a big deal to come out. David's answer "because we run the risk of getting bashed" - like it wasn't obvious gretel).

I also note that the camera angle changed quite quickly and awkwardly every time David and Sherif went to a lip lock. But hey, they still managed to make a gay man a fully fleshed out person, with hopes and fears.

I'm sure more than a couple of young gay boys took courage from what they saw of him. And perhaps even a few fence sitters were convinced to take the side of decency and understanding and not homophobia.

I really wished David had won, but then his final interview and reunion with Sherif wouldn't of taken centre stage the same way it did last night if this all happened after he was announced as the winner.

And as someone said further up this wall, he may not have won, but he really did make a difference.

"This is the man I am going to marry," David said.
"We are intensely in love and it's not a fleeting infatuation, it is the most incredible thing I know of and anyone in my family has ever seen ... pretty intense."
The lovebirds were reunited on national television, following a live double eviction that attracted a national viewing audience of 1.5 million people."
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,19971859-2,00.html

... Hope to see David & Sherif at the National Day of Action on August 13th & the simulataneous Mass Gay Weddings across the country.

Yes I don't deny it would have made a difference to some and in that sense cant be derided completely. But really - you have to wonder about the motivation. Devoid of class, self-respect or respect for his family... and as for the "boyfriend" who unbeknowns to his imprisoned "boyfriend" got his gear off for a gay magazine to make his own quid from the shabby exercise.... enough said. All driven by money. Big Brother contestants, by definition, are self-selected show ponies from that segment of society that craves attention, fame and cash as their reason for being. 99% of the population would not go near the thing, and with good reason. Dignity, for one. And let's not get carried away by the gay farmer thing - the guy used to be a fashion model.
I think it's time for a new name for the generation that is enchanted by it all and who are so dumbed down that they find this nonsense uplifting and rewarding: forget generation x and y. Taking into account the pursuit of celebrity and money and the endgame of being famous for no other reason than that they have appeared on television without ever actually achieving anything, perhaps its time to christen them Generation Paris.

... Hope to see David & Sherif at the National Day of Action on August 13th & the simulataneous Mass Gay Weddings across the country.

Mark - Mon 31 Jul 2006 20:36:44 Replies: add

Oh dear me. I think if a gay contestant from the least respected program in the history of television were to "marry" someone he has known for 3 weeks as a form of protest it would set back the cause 100 years. But keep dreaming -

The least respected program in the history of television??

now who's being the drama queen!

I thought that was Melrose Place!

Knot's Landing, surely!

"I think it's time for a new name for the generation that is enchanted by it all and who are so dumbed down that they find this nonsense uplifting and rewarding: forget generation x and y. Taking into account the pursuit of celebrity and money and the endgame of being famous for no other reason than that they have appeared on television without ever actually achieving anything, perhaps its time to christen them Generation Paris.


YAY!!! That's me in a nutshell baby!!! Count me in as part of Generation Paris. Woo hoo!!

"I think it's time for a new name for the generation that is enchanted by it all and who are so dumbed down that they find this nonsense uplifting"

David went onto the show to specifically highlight the issues & discrimination faced by gays. He's on Rove Live tonight & said he's be back on the farm on Friday. The younger generation are very demanding & they demand respect & above all they demand equal rights & equal choice. To be honest they make some in the older generation look like whimps. (albeit thick skinned, cranky old whimps, who were happy to settle for second class citizenship by not looking beyond decriminalisation & segregation).

GMA with Bert HAS to be TV's worst program of all time.

It is good david raised certain issues in the house,but it would of been better if he had been better informed.Also what put it off for me was he tried to hetrosexualize himself ie saying about hed like to do the girls but hes gay and how hes the man and gives not recieves but is a full bottle on how it feels to receive?.David get over yourself and you will be a better person.The wedding to his boyfriend its obviously attention seeking,theyd met at mardi gras before david went into the house-would you marry someone you hardley know.

"theyd met at mardi gras before david went into the house-would you marry someone you hardley know."


You've obviously never been in love now have you....

Sure David is naive in saying that he and Sherif will be together forever etc etc - but isn't it nice that he's actually showing love and affection to another man? and that so many heterosexual people are following it and more importatnly applauding!

have a visit to the news.com.au website and have a read of their Big Blogger section where people write their thoughts about the show. YOu'll see that whilst there is still homophobia in this country, there is a slow change happening and lots of people are on our side! they've been following the show and very much enjoyed watching David be reunited with his bf - even if he is only a boyfriend of 3 weeks - hey didn't katie and Jamie get "married" after only knowing each other for only three weeks? what's the difference in the situation apart from the fact that David and Sherif weren't stuck in a house together and just hooked up with the person who happened to be sharing a bed together.

Give David a break. he's only 26. and i think he's done a good of a job as could've been done.

HA HA

According to the newspaper today, David's eviction had higher viewership than the finale! Seems like he really was the winner - too bad it's mainly teenage girls that keep on voting a hundred times in these things.

GMA with Bert HAS to be TV's worst program of all time.
- Tue 1 Aug 2006 21:19:25

Hey if you thought GMA was bad, I wonder if you're old enough to remember Good Morning Sydney with Maureen Duval and Andrew Harwood? Now THAT was bad TV! Maureen was a sweet biddy, but so scatty she'd often forget they taped all five half-hour shows for the week on a Monday, and she'd say: "Good morning Sydney, and isn't it a beautiful day?" And the 20 or so people tuned in on Wednesday would look out the window at the pissing rain and wonder what drugs they were giving her at the studio.... and Maureen used to be the host as well as doing the Moira-type stuff, which would often go wrong. Like the time some woman was showing Maureen a battery-operated contraption to make instant coffee froth like capuccino (I kid you not), except the thing went haywire when she put it in the mug and saturated both of them. Oh, classic stuff.

Often people get to know each other only after their married. Sometimes these marriages work our, sometimes they don't. Why should gay marriages be any different?

what's the difference in the situation apart from the fact that David and Sherif weren't stuck in a house together and just hooked up with the person who happened to be sharing a bed together.

I wouldn't call that place a house, more a Holiday Camp.

re give david a break.....What the?
the only type of person that would go on big brother are seeking attention and have a degree of narccism...
We all feel for people that say theyre gay but hey some of us still have morales and standards.

...and some of us are bitter old queens who expect everyone to have an ulterior motive.

HA HA

According to the newspaper today, David's eviction had higher viewership than the finale! Seems like he really was the winner - too bad it's mainly teenage girls that keep on voting a hundred times in these things.

- Wed 2 Aug 2006 14:12:16 Replies: add

Was the lowest rating BB ever apparently - 1.5m may have watched, the other 19 million obviously had too much good taste to bother!

That would be right. The beautiful gay couple in The Bill have been 'killed' off, one literally after going to a gay bar where a serial killer lurks and the other who recently rejected him after getting into a crystal situation after shooting someone in the line of duty.

Once again, gays are only allowed on TV so long as their ending is tragic.

When are we going to be represented fairly - or maybe we are being?

There are some really cool movies showing in August with Queer Screen in Sydney.
http://www.queerscreen.com.au/j/index.php

Well, have The Bill redeemed themselves? The gay copper killed by a 'pretend' gay man working as a barman in a gay pub. Better make sure you sleep with the barman guys just to make sure he isn't a 'straight' serial gay killer. Watch out though, if he is, you may not live to to gossip about it at the Oxford next weekend. Still appears like gay tragedy to me - another waste of a once quality programme of more than 2 decades trying, and unfortunately failing badly, to deal with gay and openly honest lives.

Queerscreen's documentary festival opens in September at the Chauvel with screenings at the Newtown Dendy

actually i thought the story was really good, SAD of course that a gay guy gets killed. The story started with the gay cop going to the gay bar under cover after a crystal meth home cooking blew up. the bill always shows stories about gay cops and there exceptants among there other cops

Queerscreen's queerDOC06 will hit the CHAUVEL CINEMA and the DENDY NEWTOWN Sept 7 – 21 http://www.queerscreen.com.au/j/index.php

how nice
Xanadu on the telly

where are my legwarmers?

This week's NW cover screams: "Katie & Jamie: Already over? - Katie reveals 'I don't even talk to him'".

oh dear. and i thought they had a rock solid relationship that would've lasted forever and ever and ever.....

Even further dramas in their r'ship (from today's Daily Terror - Sydney Confidential):

"note to big brother bimbo Katie - try calling your boyfriend before you tell everyone he has dumped you".

apparently Jamie has been too busy to call her, he still loves her and didn't know what she was "banging on about" (daily terrors words, not mine).

seems that some heteros think that not seeing your partner for 3 weeks (plus the other weeks they were separated by the voting public) isn't an issue. not even a call. Not even an sms for your loved one.

but you can tell a gossip rag it's all over. man i wish i was a hetero.

meanwhile David and Sherif have been living an ordinary life together doing the sight seeing tours of sydney (Centrepoint Tower skywalk) and being snapped for some gay papers in the social section.

i know which r'ship i'm betting on to last longer....

why are their no gay charactors permanently on australian tv? Pretty sad this esp considering they have stalkers rapists murderers etc and a normal thing like a decent gay doesnt get a look in?

I'm sure a few of them are closeted if that helps.

Anybody watching Spooks on ABC? The character Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) is HOT......

I hope Nathaniel makes it to top Idol 12 after tonight's wildcard show.

Vale Steve Irwin...

Bizarre straight man and reptile rustler.

Here's Dean from Idol.

http://www.behindidol.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=29

Geez you thought that the conservatives were only picking on us because of our sexuality.

Well here is a story about how the ABC got into trouble because a documentary on furniture was "characterised by frequent and occasionally repetitive depictions of implied sex and nudity in furniture"

now they don't even like inanimate objects!!!

Full details here:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/abc-gets-a-regulatory-rap-over-knuckles/2006/09/11/1157826874630.html

What a queer looking little man. Is he gay? I hope so.

From today's Daily Telegraph.

"Sit down for the following shocking news. Big Brother winner Jamie has dumped the five-minute love of his life Katie just six weeks after their romantic Big Brother finale oncscreen reunion.

Jamie was spotted this week kising another woman in a melbourne bar which we took to mean he is now officially single. Just to make sure we checked with his agent who issued this painfully long winded statement from jamie: "I'm single. No further comment"."


Oh dear. and here i was thinking that heterosexual relationships were so much stronger than ours......

why are their no gay charactors permanently on australian tv? Pretty sad this esp considering they have stalkers rapists murderers etc and a normal thing like a decent gay doesnt get a look in?

- Fri 25 Aug 2006 18:15:08 Replies: 1, add

This is at least an improvement from the days when the stalkers/murderers etc WERE the only gay characters. At least now the bad guys are heterosexual!;o))

Computer says... click here:
http://www.showbiz.com.au/news/06/littlebritain.html

Not a bad way to start the Mardi Gras season

There was a gay storyline on H&A this week. A new character came out but i'm sure he'll very quickly disappear from the show.

However I read this interview on the H&A website , http://seven.com.au/homeandaway/feat_general_060911_deanssecret
and I must say that I am quite shocked at how someone in our community (what is a "queer/pop expert" anyway???)has had the hide to stick up for the producers when they write this character out. The specific quote i have a problem with is:





“That’s probably pretty realistic for a kid in a country town,” explains Roozi Araghi, queer/ pop culture expert......
.....As we all know, Home and Away isn’t a show bursting at the summery, sandy seams with gay characters. As Roozi points out, “It can be quite difficult to integrate gay or lesbian characters into a show like Home and Away on an ongoing basis because [the show] revolves around the romantic relationships of the characters, and so if there’s a pretty limited number of people they can date, it makes it difficult to create ongoing storylines. ”


shouldn't he have been saying something like:
*introduce more gay characters so you don't have to write the only ones out
*characters can be in more than just "romantic" storylines
*realise that having a diverse range of characters is good for all the viewers and thus make efforts to intergrate characters from all walks of life.
??????

I'm shocked that someon from our community could have such a "blame the victim" mentality. "oh the H&A stories are all romantic (like the summer bay stalker??) so you can't have a gay boy hanging around (why not?)".

Poor Dean was in the bottom 3 last night.

I'm happy to bottom him anytime.

I did say all of those things too. Ever heard of being selectively quoted?

That said, be real about what Home and Away is... it is very significantly about romantic relationships.

I guess they *could* make half the show's characters gay, but having a vaguely realistic depiction of the struggles that are faced by gay people in places like Summer Bay is a good start.

Realistically, how many young gay guys would actually stick around a place like Summer Bay? Do you want a celibate guy who hangs around being friends with everyone and eventually gets turned straight again, or do you want to have it shown to people that prejudice is sending young queers flocking to the cities?

PS. I certainly didn't call myself a 'queer/pop culture expert'. I think the writer labelled me as such because I write about pop culture and queer issues (and pop culture in queer publications).

There are plenty of storylines on most soaps that have nothing to do with romantic relationships. kidnappings and other crimes, fires in schools, natural disasters etc. There is no need to make "half the shows characters" gay. there are plenty of almost asexual characters on these kinds of shows anyway.

I wonder if Colleen is a lesbian. hmmmm....

Anyhoo, I have tix to see Priscilla this Sunday. Has anybody seen the show who might care to comment on the experience?

You'll have a ball the show is amazing. very tight & staged perfectly & f'ing hillarious. i was never a big fan of the movie but they have added so much more to this show it really is worth it. the costumes are out of this world & the extra songs added fit perfectly to the storyline, macarthur park being the highlight. other highlights being genevieve lemon's tits & the fact that when tony sheldon rips off his wig he looks exactly like his mother..!!!! hope you enjoy

people who work in media should know about selective quoting in this age of sound bites and need to modify their what they say to take that into account so you don't wind up looking like you are supporting something stupid or homophobic. people get media training about this all the time.

thanks, looking forward to it.

It's great to see a 100% Aussie production stage musical of an Aussie story.

I hope it's a stayer.

"I guess they *could* make half the show's characters gay, but having a vaguely realistic depiction of the struggles that are faced by gay people in places like Summer Bay is a good start."

- Yes, because we all know that in the real world, half the population is gay.

50%??? geez, the ghetto is alot higher than that. it'd only be 50% if you left out the LBTQI of the definition of gay.

OK, saw Priscilla today and it was fan-bloody-tastic.

Everyone should go and see it, really world class.

Tony Sheldon was brilliant, but looks like his mum Toni Lamond pretty much ALL THE TIME, which is very off-putting. When the wig comes off he looks like a cross between Lamond and his aunt Helen Reddy.

Great singing, great energy, brilliant sound, lighting, costumes etc etc.

The only song that seemed out of place was Colour My World.

I'm giving it 5 stars.

Is anyone else watching this? I used to LOVE this show when i was a kid. I still remember watching the very first episode when it first aired and I had the biggest crush on John Palmer (Peter Phelps) even as an eight year old.

But now i'm feeling like abit of a pervert perving on someone who (in the repeats) is 10 years younger than me!

Can anyone answer this question?

If you're at a venue and a TV crew shoot segments at that venue with you clearly in their shots, do they have to ask permission from you to be filmed?

Recently Queer TV visited a venue where my friends and I were and filmed various people without asking permission from anyone.

I would have thought it was at least common curtesy to ask, if not a legal requirement.

Unfortunately I have to say we were all underwhelmed by the blatant rudeness of the Queer TV crew on the night and some guys who are not out were pissed off to have their privacy violtated in this manner.

Personally I think that anything that happens in a public venue is fair game - unless it involves people who are under 18.

So you have no problems with people who are not out being flashed across TV without their permission?

Whatever happened to the right to privacy?

Well I was almost front row for Michael Jackson concert and we featured on the TV , in the video and no one asked our permission.

How embarrassed was I to have friends see me at his concert

I gave that concert 1000 out 10 though.

I think it has to do with if you are out in public then no permission needed. Look at interviews in Pitt St mall and all those people in the background etc. Impossible to ask them all if OK.

Unfortunately I have to say we were all underwhelmed by the blatant rudeness of the Queer TV crew on the night and some guys who are not out were pissed off to have their privacy violtated in this manner.


I agree with you.



Having said that, Queer TV is hardly Today Tonight.

Somebody you know who is unaware you're gay would have to:

1. watch Queer Tv when they screened that segment (most probably with no advance promo's that it'd be on),
2. pay attention to those in the background, and
3. recognise you.

I'd say the odds are 1 in 872,591.

Are any of the vets on The Pet Show gay?

Re: QueerTV
When and where was the QueerTV crew blatant and rude and how where they blatant and rude
feel free to email your complaint to us at info@queertv.com.au
and the matter will be looked into for you
Cheers QueerTV

You're in the public domain. They don't have to ask permission. Just as it's not illegal to be photographing random people in the street - as long as you're not making a profit.

"You're in the public domain. They don't have to ask permission. Just as it's not illegal to be photographing random people in the street - as long as you're not making a profit."

Photographers in clubs have to ask permission from the patrons to snap them, why aren't TV crews subject to the same rules?

At the very least it would be basic curtesy and good PR for the show involved.

I think there's a difference between "basic curtesy" and the law. If you are doing something in public and don't have a problem with people seeing it, then you should have a problem with people recording it (despite what NSW law says about filming topless women on the beach).

Besides, with mobile phone picture and video technology a tv crew is the least of your worries if you are somewhere you don't want to be identified at. Alleged rude tv crews can be tracked down and complaints made (as talked about above) - but a bitchy enemy can easily send photos of you in a gay bar to your boss, family, etc . and then you have no recourse even if you knew who it was that did it.

indeedy

A tip for all, one which I always employ - when you see a camera, move right away from it. That way your ugly mug cannot be blazoned across SX, SSO, websites or TV.

If you see someone taking photos or videos and you don't want to be in it, just go up and tell them. I am sure they will be polite and say they will make sure you don't appear.

just saw Boytown at Hoyts
very funny stuff with a nice subtle (or not) gay character
worth having a look at a local flick

Great article in the SMH:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/pieces-of-a-life-in-their-hands/2006/10/29/1162056865569.html

There are still a few tickets left for the Mardi Gras preview next Tuesday 7 Nov - $39 for the show, post show drinks with cast and a goodie bag from DNA.
http://www.mardigras.org.au/

If it's Wednesday it must be Tripping Over day. Yipppeeeee !!!!

went to a preview tonight of the new John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus
go see it!
funny, insightful, expressive and diverse
opens Thursday

It must be the Brokeback effect - coming out seems to be the thing to do these days. Following in the footsteps of Darren Hayes and Lance Bass two well known American TV stars have come out in recent weeks.

The first to come out was T.R. Knight who plays George on Greys Anatomy and the second is Neal Patrick Harris who appars in "How I Met Your Mother" but is probably best known for starring in "Doogie Howser MD". See the article at http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=b38b6ba8-a8b1-43db-ad84-03fba25474db

As a teenager knowing Doogie was gay wouldve made my life complete...sigh!

It was interesting to read that Doogie came out because a media outlet had said they he had said he was straight. I wonder if he could sue! It'd be a nice role reversal to all those people who've sued because a magazine had claimed they were gay (remember Jason "where has he vanished to now?" Donovan?)

I just can't get enough of Tripping Over.

Looks like SBS is screening QAF again starting with episode 1 this friday 13 November

It's extremely sad news to learn today of the death of Belinda Emmett. Although it is always sad when someone dies, when still so young it seems so unfinished and completely unjust. I heard her say once that when she would hear people complaining about getting old, or dreading growing older that she would think to herself 'I think that'd be really nice actually.' It's very sad that this want has not been fulfilled for her.

Stephen Dunne (a hard man to please!) gave a great review in the SMH:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts-reviews/holding-the-man/2006/10/26/1161749228028.html

"Tommy Murphy's adaptation of Tim Conigrave's memoir is an act of urgent remembrance, an unflinching, devastating, moving and funny reanimation of that awful time. It is also the story of two people in love."

It concludes:
"There's a famous slogan from that time: "knowledge equals power". It still does, but knowledge isn't just safer sex and treatment regimens. It's also knowing how the past helps prevent recurrence.

"Murphy, Berthold and the cast's tribute to Caleo and Conigrave is compelling, wrenching and essential. I laughed, and I wept. History's like that."

Couldn't have said it better myself. The season is selling out fast
- there are only tickets available for the final 2 weeks before it closes on 23 Dec http://www.griffintheatre.com.au/

Mummy why isn't the Thorpedo swimming anymore?

thats my friend...(adam the horseman)...he is a charming honest an beautiful young man with the biggest heart and a strong sense of right and wrong (after a few very hard knocks) . he could teach all of us a thing or two..
rock on adam

The original post was made ages ago so maybe this wont be read by the original poster but for what its worth I work in television and can tell you that we always need legal permission to film anyone. That includes the public, talent and extras -basically anyone that can be distinguished on screen. Out of focus or unidentifiable people in the background are fine because they can't be identified. Some doco makers have successfully argued that if a person is knowingly being filmed, such as an interview subject, then the act itself proves consent. This is not always a successful argument and so most filmmakers make sure they get signed release forms. Also, this "consent through action" argument would not hold for your situation. I suggest if you are concerned write to Queer TV and tell them they do not have your legal permission to use your image.

With the non-ratings season upon us (will sally survive?) are there any interesting and/or queer shows screening on tv over the summer period?

Love or hate queer tv it is the closest thing we have to a gay show in australia about gay australia.
You should all be more supportive of it
I work for foxel and know this show has a lot of support from the powers above, it is watched very closely as to the public reaction.
Queer tv is paving the way and doing lot more for australian tv then you all realise.
If you want a gay only channel in australia, then you need to give alot more support to shows like queer tv

From the ad to the right it looks as if Queer TV has now been on Aurora for one year.

Happy Birthday!

Caught a snippet of a new tv show last night.

Four army personnel stripped down to their jocks, dripping wet during interogation training and one of the soldiers says "Time for a man huddle" (man-cuddle?).

Another dude then said "you're safe with your mates".

Very interesting point to jump into the show....

Sorry but instead of supporting what many regard as a sub-standard production, maybe we should be demanding it be better.

Why should the show be given unconditional support? Tamara Tonight on CH31 in Brisvegas had better production values. Why should we settle for second best?

QueerTV is far from sub standard and i think you guys just like to put people down who are out having a go if you can do better then put up or shut up

what is this site all about does some know http://gaytelevision.com.au

I went to the Queerscreen premier of Tanlines on Sunday, after months of anticipation. I walked away with rather mixed feelings for and about the film.

Before I go into what I thought about the film, I was wondering what others thought of the film.

Yes, I think it's pretty much universal that the movie wasn't up to scratch.

I liked the characters and the actors were quite endearing, but they were let down by a meandering script and very poor production. If only they'd lit the set properly and focused the storyline alittle, it would've been a much more enjoyable film.

The fact that it was filmed on video and not actual film shouldn't of been a problem if they had dealt with the lighting and sound properly. there have been been plenty of good films produced on video.

I too was disappointed with the film. My friend even walked out halfway through he was so bored (granted he wasn't really interested in the film in the first place and I dragged him to it).

"QueerTV is far from sub standard "

Interesting comment. Everytime I've watched, there have been audio problems where the interviewers or interviewees cannot be heard. Added to that the mixture of stories themselves which were so heavily biased towards the lesbian community earlier in the year that I though gay men had ceased to exist.

I'm glad you think this is not sub-standard but don't expect others to have the same rose-colored glasses on.

From news.com.au

ONCE he was "the only gay in the village".

But Matt Lucas yesterday changed that when the Little Britain star "wed" his lover, television producer Kevin McGee.


The rest of the article is here:
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,10221,20947681-10229,00.html

Disclaimer:

I was awaiting the release of this movie for ever, for I am Midget, well not really Midget, but grew up a gay surfer in a small coastal town, so in true cliched terms this movie was going to speak to me from start to finish. Maybe I had hyped this movie in my head way too much.

One last thing, I never shared a bed with mother tho!


I agree this movie had so much potential, and could have said and done so much more. While there were some great moments here they were far outweighed by the bad production, the one dimensional acting and plot flaws so insurmountable as to de rail the whole movie, ie a whole town knowing about the sexual relationship between a male teacher and a male student. Not only is he still allowed to teach but in the same small community where it happened just totally inplausible. If the department hadnt removed him surely the good townsfolk would have ran him out of town with pitch forks and torches ablazing. Having said that this sordid detail evoked thoughts of what Larry Clarke mighht have done with this movie, and somehow I get the feeling that Ed was looking to Clark for some inspiration in places, (why else include the cunninglingus narrative and scenes into thsi movie? Although I have some ideas about this and the lengths Midget would go to escape his home)

Now that I have mentioned Larry Clark, who i think is a genius, i wish Clark would have a go at this script and do the film the script deserves, that is make a gritty gay teen movie, no not pseudo kiddy porn, but woven in this bizzare teenage experiences and encounters, removed some of the obvious inplausibnility, inserted some freaky shit,let the actors be who they were without sticking to a script.

Some great moments (the party scene, the orgy of bowling, the beat scenes (and for their plot twists, nothing more) but some really bad directing and production.

Im gonna sit back, go home and visit the folks for Xmas in the same small coastal town where i grew up, go to the beach where I always surfed and stare at my favourite break, and think how I can reach Larry Clark and tell him about his next movie.

anyone noticed Queer As Folk has saddled back on TV on monday nights late? Running from the earlier seasons though me thinks

According to today's Daily Telegraph, Farmer Dave and his boyfriend split up.....

It's a shame that a movie like this comes off so badly. We all know that the "entertainment industry" runs on sex, and that the casting couch is far from Hetero, but it would be quite difficult to assemble a cast of competent talent in Australia for this type of movie. Most people reading the script who had some control over their own careers would walk away because it's "not cool". One of the best ways to get a good performance out of a "bad" actor, is to shoot during a rehearsal without telling anyone--then you do the "real" shoot, and often the rehearsal is better in editing. Having not yet seen the movie, I don't know if it was shot on film or tape. Tape is cheap and allows a hundred takes to get it right. Film is not as forgiving.

As far as the gigantic holes in the plot are concerned, what you have highlighted is clearly ludicrous, because the teacher wouldn't have just been chased out of town, but the education department would have chased him out of the state.

Unless this was a one-shot to get some attention, it's quite likely that the intent of the film will be revisited in a more sound future project.

It wasn't the acting that let the movie down. it was the production values. it's as if they didn't even know how to do a manual focus and just left the camera on autofocus the whole time.

"what you have highlighted is clearly ludicrous, because the teacher wouldn't have just been chased out of town, but the education department would have chased him out of the state."

Lordy, lordy me. What a sheltered and naive life some must lead!

It was only last year that the Western Australian Crime and Corruption Commission investigated the WA Education Department's handling of teachers accused of sexual misconduct with students, where the Department would just move the accused teachers to different positions after 'counselling' them. It ultimately lead to the Department Head having to publicly resign, and the Education Minister, who used the 'nobody told me' defence in the Commission hearings, was eventually demoted.

And let's not even go near the inequity of where male teachers can get sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, whilst female teachers can get 'punished' by the courts with as little as a 2 year good behaviour bond.

I agree, teacher/student relationships are more common than people suspect. and not just when the student is in high school, but in other situations as well ie. uni student/lecturer, coach/athlete, mentor/apprentice etc. I think that this is one of the situations where both of the parties seem to get quite abit out of the relationship at the begining which doesn't always pan out because the relationship is too often stuck in the original teacher/student role.

"Most people reading the script who had some control over their own careers would walk away because it's "not cool".

I find alot of your posts rather irritating. You seem to word every post as fact with a dash of looking down your nose at the rest of us just for good measure.

Q) Do you have many years acting experience ? Producing ? Directing ? at least making coffee on set ??

I am in the "Entertainment" industry and have a number of straight colleagues and completely disagree

Wed 10 Jan 2007 12:23:37: In NSW my brother-in-law was falsely accused, and wrecked.
     Even though he has been fully re-instated, and the complainant proven a liar, the experience means that he refuses to return to teaching.
     Having to get Police clearance every year in NSW and once very 3 years in QLD limits my "experience" to those two States, with NSW being the predominent one.
     Yes, I agree that female offenders are treated more lightly than their male counterparts.

Wed 10 Jan 2007 13:51:06: I find alot (sic.) of your posts rather irritating. You seem to word every post as fact with a dash of looking down your nose at the rest of us just for good measure... Q) Do you have many years acting experience ? Producing ? Directing ? at least making coffee on set ??
     I don't usually look down my nose at anyone, but in your case I'll make an exception.
     As acting work tends to be very random, I spent 5 years chasing the dream while trying to retain a regular income, and eventually gave up because of an unreliable agent. My uni studies were/are centered on Media.
     No, I never made coffee on set; it was usually catered.

STARVED: Has anyone been watching this? It truly highlights issues surrounding "body image" problems: Hmm, that was a wonderful meal, excuse me while I nip off to the bathroom and stick my fingers down my throat, then I'll do the same for dessert...

"I find alot of your posts rather irritating. You seem to word every post as fact with a dash of looking down your nose at the rest of us just for good measure. "

The most bizarre aspect of this character and his Mitty-esque stories is that he honestly seems to be of the view that other people actually believe them.

have i missed something but when i read the book i didnt find it a good read.I found the caleo character more interesting and unfortunately conigraves bantering mainly to his own ego annoying..
please note:it is not an attack on conigrave as i do not know him but how i read the book.

I had a similar experience reading the book - i only read it because everyone around me said it was a "must read" (haven't made the same mistake with the da vinci code, nor harry potter), and I must say that conigrave didn't come off in the best light - he didn't seem like a particularly nice person to me - but that's just my interpretation of the book's events.

Speaking of TV, and books.... Say It Out Loud, bio of Adam Sutton, gay cowboy mate of Heath Ledger from Australian Story episode last year and repeated recently, is in shops March 1.

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/Books/Default.aspx?Page=Book&ID=9781741665451

AND pre-orders at:

.... http://www.thebookshop.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_books_info&cPath=65_68_72_115&cPath=65_68_72_115&products_id=2969

Gay Farmer Dave has signed up to be on the latest series of Dancing with the Stars (along with Jamie Durie).

Saw on the news today that the gay cowboy is going to be on dancing with the stars

reason why is to get paid to save his farm from drought, hope he does well

Yes! Mardi Gras Film Festival version 14.0 driven by Volkswagen, is available now. We've launched, we're airborne and we're ready to party.

Review your preferences with our diverse mix of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and heteroflexible titles. With 75 sessions including over 200 films, whatever your set-up, we've got compatibility.

Get yourself to the QUEER SCREEN WEBSITE to start browsing!

Get connected at our major events: My Queer Career and Opening Night Party at Angel Place, Queer Kino at the Chauvel Cinema and the Sydney premiere of Infamous at Randwick Ritz!

http://www.queerscreen.com.au/j/index.php

just saw the movie Beautiful Thing (i know its old)
but what a sweet movie,I wish more gay ones were like this.

Beautiful Thing was an excellent movie. I felt that it dealt with homophobia intelligently without getting tacky.

May you finally rest in peace with your son. Hopefully Howard K. Stern won't get his hands on your money.

great tragedy,probably the marilyn of this generation.
where have the fun stars gone? why be so serious now...

Yes, "her" money. The money she worked so hard for....

Went to this event last Thursday night. It was a lavish affair and very well done. Angel Place Recital Hall is by far the best venue ever for this event.

Best films:
Look Sharp - beautifully directed and acted. Fantastic script. This film really respects the audience with it's intelligence and maturity.
Prada Handbag - gorgeous production design, costumes, great energy. A funny, sad, unique and beautiful film.
Seeya Rach - great acting, simple idea executed well. Hilarious, black ending.
Filled With Water - wonderful animation with beautiful pace and tone.
The Manual - professional and well-crafted. Fantastic acting from not only the big names actors, but also the young children.
Australian Tails - a crowd-pleasing effort. Best running by a lesbian I've ever seen.

Least successful films:
Mizu - lacked emotion and clarity. Indulgent and frankly boring.
My Malaysian Trip - boring and nothing new. Terrible narration.
Salt - tryhard and not funny enough.

Most overrated:
In The Ladies Lounge - started off well but outstayed it's welcome during the dancing sequences. Went downhill quickly with bad editing and repetitiveness. Conceptually, this film is good, but the execution is really heavy-handed and show's the director's lack of experience.

It's good to finally see more lesbian films in the finals, but surely Prada Handbag deserved an award from the judges? It received the audience award, so was regarded as the most entertaining by the public. I felt that Prada Handbag perhaps deserved the Queer Portrayal award more then In The Ladies Lounge.

And "Seeya Rach" certainly deserved an award or at least an honourable commendation.

Sarah Spillane certainly deserved her Emerging Talent Award with 2 very accomplished films stretching from comedy to serious drama, and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

Look Sharp was fantastic and I can't wait to see more of Amy Gebhardt's films. I wish her all the best in October with the Iris Prize and hope she wins it!

I have to disagree about the venue. The hard surfaces and no carpeting on the floor made it abit to echoy for my tastes.

But everything else I pretty much agree with. Seeya Rach was a great film and should've gotten some kind of award, In the Ladies Lounge was self indulgent and should've been 5 mins shorter.