Black and White: Two White House Sitcoms On TV

There have been a lot of ads and hype recently about the new NBC sitcom 1600 PENN, a family show set in the White House which debuts this Thursday night.  Starring BOOK OF MORMON's Josh Gad as the unruly son of a sitting president, it could be entertaining as Gad is a pretty inventive comedian. But the show already has some competition as it is actually the second White House sitcom to debut this television season.  And the other sitcom is somewhat more true to current history in that it features a black family in the White House.

THE FIRST FAMILY premiered last September as a syndicated show (it airs in NYC on MyNetwork TV) and I randomly saw an episode of it last week when flipping channels. The president has a rambunctious extended family which notably includes Jackee Harry as his wacky sister.  The show, however, seems to have been beamed in from the 1980s and, despite its unusual premise, is bland and unfunny. I'm amazed the show hasn't gotten more attention given the reflection of the Obama White House (though this fictional family hails from Detroit!) but then again, it is just not that good. We'll see if 1600 PENN can be any better.

Anna Wintour In The News; Potential Ambassador, Interview Terror

My neighbor Anna Wintour is in the news this week in a big way; there is a report in the Washington Post that she is being considered for an ambassardorship to either the UK or France. Wintour has been a vigorous supporter of the President and ardent fundraiser as well, throwing fancy dinners next door to my apt that once even had the President on the guest list.

Also, there's a great story in New York magazine about how Anna inspires fashion terror in the hearts of those who are called in for a job interview at VOGUE. The magazine has compiled a list of 13 anonymous women (and 1 man!) who had varying degrees of panic re; the question of what to wear when going in to see the great  Wizard of Conde Nast. The stories are great and it's interesting to note that those who wore vintage clothes (read "not this season") were not hired!

Diane Sawyer Steals Spotlight On Election Night

If you happened to watch any of ABC's election night coverage, you got to see the odd sight of Diane Sawyer seeming a bit drunk as she slurred her words, made weird hand gestures, and said very odd things for a network news anchor co-hosting live coverage of a Presidential election.  Things like "OK--I wanna--can we have our music because this is another big one here? Minnesota. We're ready to project Minnestoa rrrright now. Well, tonight we know that President Barack has won Minnesota." Party on Diane!

With behavior like this, she quickly became a trending topic on Twitter  and even inspired a couple insta-feeds too. Oddly, ABC's election studio lost power for about 20 minutes, at which point they went to crowds in Time Square. After that, apparently Sawyer's performance seemed a little less embarrassing and more sober. But it turns out that this is not the first time she's had incident like this. During Obama's inauguration she was also seemed a bit tipsy as seen above (maybe she just loves celebrating the Obama's victories?). And, in another crazy YouTube video below from the 1990's, she is seen drinking wine and popping pills on the set of her old show Prime Time Live.

ABC said she was exhausted and Sawyer, on her Twitter feed, seemed to have a sense of humor about the whole thing. She was back on the air, as normal, on World News last night sounding more like a network anchor.

Before Romney/Obama Round 2, Mitt Debates Himself

As Mitt and Barack make their final preparations for their second debate tonight, there's some great videos circulating on the web of Romney debating himself. In the first debate, in a desperate effort to make himself a moderate, Romney contradicted a number of his previously stated positions.  In some cases he said the exact opposite of what he had said on the campaign trail months and even weeks before that debate.  So someone at Daily Kos put together this handy video where Romney debates himself on a number of these issues.  

So far this video and a subsequent one have nearly 3 million hits. Let's hope that with this and a stronger debate performance by the president tonight that the truth about Romney's positions will become evident to the voting public.  There was much criticism of President Obama's performance in the first debate but honestly I think he was in a state of shock as he found himself debating an opponent whom he literally did not know. Hopefully he can clarify some of this tonight and make it clear to the public who the real Romney is.

SESAME STREET Tries To Get Out Of Presidential Politics

The biggest surprise of the general election has been the emergence of Big Bird and public television as a major issue.  Who would have guessed that, after Romney's winning the debate, the biggest take away would be his comments about the bird?! Though it all sounds silly on the surface, it really isn't and I think it's great that people are finally being enlightened to the ridiculous notion (one Republicans have harbored for years) that cutting things like federal support for PBS (and the arts in general) will somehow take a dent out of the deficit.  Of course, the percentage of these programs as part of the budget is less than 1/10th of 1 percent and now, with Romney's infamous line, hopefully the voting public has been educated about this issue.

However, on the flip side, the folks at SESAME STREET are somewhat queasy about being drawn into the battle between Romney and Obama.  They reluctantly OK'd a Big Bird appearance on SNL with some revisions to the script that made the spot more funny than political.  But, after the Obama campaign released an ad with Big Bird, the folks at the Children Television's Workshop said enough is enough and today asked that the ad be removed from circulation. The ad itself is sort of a riot but it's also understandable that CTW does not want to be in the fray of the election. But they are in it now.... whether they like it or not.

Stand-Up Comedian Punks Fox News In Live Interview

With 50 days to go til the presidential election, I am growing weary of all the political talk on TV about the race.  So this clip brightened my day a bit.  A standup comedian named Max Rice somehow made it onto Fox News for a live interview segment where he was supposed to be a young man who voted for Obama in 2008 and has now switched to Romney.  Fox News had a script--that young voters were having second thoughts--and this guy fit this suit, as it were.  Problem was, though, he was just conning them to get on the air and make a few jokes.

Rice says that the producers at Fox News were so desperate to find someone to personify their narrative that they got him on the air, with little questions asked (at least beforehand). The interview is awkward and goofy and a nice little reminder to those out there at news organizations with an agenda about this election. My advice to Fox and all broadcasters for that matter is to report the news rather than trying to make it up.

  

Zach Wahls Addresses The Democratic Convention

Over the last couple weeks, I've avoided posting much about the conventions, both Republican and Democratic (hough I was certainly tempted to post Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair, that's for sure!). But I do want to draw your attention to the short but powerful speech of Zach Wahls. This is the young man from Iowa raised by two lesbian moms who turned out to be an Eagle scout, straight (!) and a remarkable young speaker.

I've posted about Zach before when he spoke at the GLAAD Awards here in New York. Now, with his debut speech at the Democratic Convention today, he really makes his point about the importance of family no matter what the definition of that is.  This is his first time speaking at a political convention and I doubt it will be the last.

ONE TERM MORE--Musical Video In Support of Obama

This has been making the viral rounds today, in support of Obama's reelection. It's called a musical parody but it seems pretty serious (including an odd cameo by Trayvon Marin), though there are a few hysterical/clever rhymes as well. Was this funded by a Democratic superPAC? Or maybe the actors just chipped in. Either way, it's well done and almost stirring too at the end.  That picture of Obama in Rosa Park's bus seat helps.  One Term More--to the barricades, Broadway!

President Obama's Remarkable Record On Equality

There has been a lot of cranky complaints from gay activists since President Obama took office; that he was not doing enough, that he was not moving quickly enough, and that he was just paying lip service to the support of the LGBT community and the cause of equality for all.  However, when you truly look at this president's record, it's remarkable what has actually been accomplished in less than four years.  I would go so far as to say it's astounding. His administration has made it clear over and over again that gay rights are civil rights. Nothing more and nothing less. And that is revolutionary.

This progress is made even clearer in a new video released by the Obama campaign today which summarizes the president's bona fides for the cause of equality.  Is there room for improvement? Certainly.  That's what a second term is for. People seriously need to start looking at how this glass is more than half-full and get to work on re-electing the LGBT community's greatest Oval Office advocate in history.

The White House Gets A Colorful Paint Job For THE NEW YORKER

THE NEW YORKER has created another one of their striking and bold covers for next week's issue. To commemorate President Obama's historic support of marriage equality this week, artist Bob Staake gave the South Portico a rainbow-colored paint job that mimics the colors found in the rainbow pride flag.

There's a nice little quote on THE NEW YORKER site, explaining his work. "I am honored to be doing this cover. It’s a celebratory moment for our country, and that’s what I tried to capture. (I don’t especially like those rainbow colors, but they are what they are—I had to use them.) I wanted to celebrate the bravery of the President’s statement—a statement long overdue—but all the more appreciated in this political year. We are on the right side of history."

Celebrating Obama's Historic Statement On Marriage Equality

President Obama made history yesterday by publicly announcing his support for marriage equality. While there was some grumbling that it took so long and that he has not vowed to make it federal priority, there was also a great deal of joy and excitement that he took to his bully pulpit to take a stand for equal rights for all Americans when it comes to marriage.  The bottom line is that there is no diminishing the historic importance of the President's announcement in support of marriage equality, which remains a highly contentious political issue. There were some comparisons to LBJ's embrace of the civil rights movement (and, famously, its language) when he spoke to Congress in 1964.  

Needless to say, it was a day and night to celebrate.  Some did it offline in New York last night.  While others did it online.  I was delighted to get a link sent to me of a celebratory Tumblr called "When Obama Endorsed Marriage Equality." It's a lively mix of photos and animated GIFs capturing moments of elation, happiness, and sheer joy.  Check it out and celebrate this historic moment before it gets dragged through the mud in the upcoming presidential slog...I mean, campaign. 

Zach Walls Is Not Running For Office But He Has Written A Book

In April, I attended the GLAAD Media Awards here in New York where one of the best speeches of the night was given by 21 year old Zach Walls.  In early 2011, Walls shot to YouTube fame when he spoke before the Iowa Judiciary Committee about being raised by two lesbian moms and gave an impassioned defense of his upbringing, summarized in this line: "the sexual orientation of my parents has zero effect on the content of my character." At the GLAAD event, Walls spoke so clearly and passionately that the buzz at our table was wondering when this articulate young man would be running for office.

In an interview over at Queerty today, Walls says he has no plans to run for office right now and is focusing on finishing his college studies in environmental engineering.  But he has not ruled it out and, in fact, could be seen as taking the first major step for any political candidate these days--he has written a memoir.  MY TWO MOMS, out in time for Mother's Day of course, is about growing up with his now semi-famous family.  Each chapter is headed with one word taken from the Boy Scouts oath (thrifty, brave, reverent, etc.).  Now if that isn't a savvy politician in the making!  Let's hope the book, in stores today, becomes Zach's DREAMS FROM MY FATHER...and that we'll see him on the national stage in 2028.

A Place At The State Dinner Table

This is a photo of columnist Andrew Sullivan and his partner Aaron Tone arriving at the White House for the U.K. State Dinner last night.  Sullivan and Tone were just one of an estimated 10 or more gay couples on the guest list, as reported over on Towleroad.  

Though there have been plenty of complaints about Obama's record on gay/lesbian issues, I think this picture is the equivalent of a thousand positive words about how remarkably things have changed in just 3 years since his predecessor left office.  On top of that, it's just a wonderful photo in general....two guys strolling hand-in-hand through the White House foyer, just like any other couple attending what is the pinnacle of social events in Washington.  

Historic Speech By Clinton On International Human Rights Day

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an historic speech yesterday on International Human Rights Day. Speaking before an audience at the UN in Geneva, she stated unequivocally that "gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights." The speech coincided with a remarkable statement that President Obama released yesterday as well (which you can read in full here) which also tied future U.S. foreign aid to how countries around the world deal with their gay citizens.

This comes at a time when human rights violations against gays and lesbians are on the increase internationally, especially in Muslim countries like Iran and some African countries where death is the government-sanctioned punishment for being openly gay. Even in nations like Poland and Russia, there have been recent upswings in violence against gays and lesbians and government actions to ban gay groups and even public discussions of the topic, like in St. Petersburg.

Clinton's speech got scant coverage in the NY TIMES but more comprehensive and nuanced coverage in the Chicago SUN TIMES.  You can also watch Clinton's speech on Towleroad, which did a lot to publicize this major story.  For all the complaints about President Obama on the left, it's safe to say that this sort of statement would never have come from any of the Republicans currently challenging him.  It's clear the President is not only on our side, but on the right side of history.  So liberals better man-up and get behind the President who is taking bold actions domestically and internationally so that gays and lesbians are treated equally.

My Favorite Meme Re: The Death Of Osama

On TV, the networks have now branded Sunday's extraordinary raid "The Killing of Osama Bin Laden" and, two days later, keep promoting their "continuing coverage of the death of Osama Bin Laden".  Really?  Continuing?  I think he's still dead last time we checked. Meanwhile, over on The Internets, things are a little lighter as memes continue to grow in the wake of Osama's demise.

I think this one above is my favorite because it actually gets at something true.  Meanwhile, GhostOsama continues to rack up followers on Twitter and has surpassed the 40K mark.  Also on Twitter, the most popular retweet was something @Jesus had to say about the terrorist/mass murderer's death; "You're at the wrong gate, Osama."  Classic.

Good News: DOMA Almost Dead, Bad News: GOP Rep Still In Closet

This week President Obama finally came to his constitutional senses and directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which was increasingly being challenged in courts across the country because, well, it's unconstitutional.  It was great news and a sign that the President is coming to understand that marriage equality is a civil rights issue and not a moral question.  According to his spokesman, even his position on gay marriage may be evolving.

Anyway, in other news, Rep. Aaron Schock came out with a statement saying he was "disappointed" by the President's call.  This would not be news from an average Republican in the House of Representatives.  However, most Republicans do not share his sense of fashion or his remarkable six-pack abs.  Looking at the picture here on the left (nicely posted by Andy Towle on Towleroad yesterday),  Rep. Schock is the fellow on the right, in the tourquoise belt, tight white jeans and lavender gingham print.  Seriously.  Like, whatever Mary!

Rep. Schock has repeatedly denied he is gay but, coming from a large family in which he is the only remaining single sibling, the writing is on the bathroom stall wall as a certain former Senator might say.  It's funny but also a bit sad really.  Which basically describes my feelings about closeted gay Republicans in general.

My Brother's Photograph Is Part Of LIFE's Best Of 2010

I've linked a few times here on the blog to the newly reinvented, online version of LIFE magazine.  They've done some great photo essays over the past year and have released some historical photos too, like some never before seen shots of Hiroshima after the Bomb.

Yesterday, I found out that my brother, who is a photojournalist based in Washington with AFP, had one of his photos of President Obama selected for LIFE's Pictures Of The Year.  It's a shot of the very tall commander in chief being positioned for a summit photo by the hands of a hidden South Korean presdient.  It's a somewhat comic but also suprising pic as it's not often you seen the President of The United States being manhandled into position....except on healthcare.  Badump-chik! Thank you folks....I'm here all week and don't forget to tip your waitresses!  :)

But seriously folks, it's a great honor for my brother to be included in this compilation. And it's a stunning collection of photos in general.  To check out the whole visual recap of the year that was, it's on LIFE.com.

Franklin Kameny, Age 85, Witnesses History

Yesterday, President Obama made good on his promise to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the US military.  It was not easy and the President deserves a great deal of credit for his persistence and tenacity in making this hateful policy history.  It was a landmark day for civil rights in this country.  And on hand to witness it, along with hundreds of servicemembers and activists was an 85 year old man that not many people took note of....Franklin Kameny.

If you don't know his name, you should as Kameny is one of the true founding fathers of the gay rights movement.  After being dishonorably discharged from the Army for being gay in the 1950s, he fought and argued his case all the way to the Supreme Court making his the first civil rights claim based on sexual orientation.  After losing, Kameny didn't give up. He staged some of the first protests and pickets for gay rights way back in the early 1960s.  Wearing his trademark white shirt and tie, Kameny's daring attempts to bring the discrimination against gays and lesbians to the nation's attention was bold given the times he was living in, when homosexuality was a crime in many states and homosexuals considered mentally deficient deviants.

There were surprisingly few mentions of Kameny's presence in national articles today about the signing ceremony.  But only one, Washington's nightlife mag MetroWeekly, actually got a quote from him and it was a good one: "I didn't think I'd live to see it." Frankly, I doubted it myself at times this year.  But finally "it's done," as Obama said slapping the table as he put down his presidential pen.  And now that we can fight and die equally for our country, you can bet the chorus of voices who will want to live and love equally will continue to grow.  How wonderful would it be for Franklin Kameny to see marriage equality in his lifetime?

My Night At The White House Christmas Party

I made my way down to DC last Friday to attend a Christmas party at The White House.  I got the invite via my brother Tim, who works as a photojournalist for AFP.  He's been going to these parties for years and, actually, had previously invited me a couple times during the Bush years but I politely declined.  But this year when I got the call, I was thrilled to accept and partake in a little East Room egg nog as well as get a chance to meet Barack and Michelle too.

The evening began in line outside the Southeast Entrance to the White House compound.  We were ID'd and checked off the guest list 4 times before we even got to the metal detector. My brother says this is a new routine for all social events post-Salahi.  But once we ran the gauntlet we were greeted inside by the all-male singing stars of GLEE's "Warblers" aka The Beelezebub's from Tufts University.  I heard them doing the Katy Perry song from the show and I was like, it couldn't be them....but it was!  That was the first big surprise of the night.

The second was all the food.  Such incredible snacking!  There were huge spreads in the State Dining Room, which is where we started with some salmon, steak, cheese, and veggies.  There was an even larger table in the East Room.  After checking out the decorations (so many trees!), we then had some pie.  The White House pastry chef has become very popular with Obama for the pies he makes and I can totally see why.  We sample the apple and pumpkin which were both superb....I especially loved the apple.  The crust was just amazing!

Then it was downstairs to the Diplomatic Reception room for our photo op with Barack and Michelle. This involved a wait in line that was akin to waiting for a ride at Disney World. They'd clever set it up all windy, through different rooms and nooks so that you never realized how damn long the thing was til' you reached then end.  And when we got the Obamas for the picture, the whole thing was run like clockwork....they have it down to a science. Everyone gets about a minute with the first couple, which makes roughly for 120 people an hour.    

As we came around a dressing screen set up in the middle of the circular room, we could see Barack and Michelle and suddenly we were 8 people away.  From there, it was just surreal.  Michelle glittered in a black sprakly floor length number....no famous biceps poking through.  Barack was in a suit with a slivery tie.  As we got closer, the dressed-up Army folks who manage the line told us the order to greet them and where to stand but I wasn't really listening.  And then suddenly, there I was as Barack turned towards me, hand outstretched and I said about all I was going to say..."Hello, Mr. President".

Both he and Michelle were quite chatty with us, however.  Barack recognized my brother from the photo pool and then commented on the fact that we were brothers but with very different hair.  LOL.  "What's up with that?" I think he said, smiling his famous smile.  Then we all turned to the photog for the pic.....my deer-in-headlights moment.  Then Michelle got involved in the chatting, saying "oh...you two are brothers." Like...uh-oh, that means trouble. And in true mom fashion, she told us to not get up to any mischief at the party.  Which was ironic as a few moments earlier, I had discovered a secret door in a panel and was trying to pry it open, much to my brother's chagrin.  He was like, "I've been working here 12 years but you come in here for a couple hours and you find the secret door."

After our presidential meet/greet, I was in a daze.  Truly.  What can I say other than they are both superstars, truly larger than life personalities.  Barack is nearly my height but Michelle is about 6"1".  Everyone kept telling us that, given our height, we were lucky and we'd have a good picture.

In the anteroom where we were guided to after the photo, I noticed there were two women standing by a bookcase who seemed upset.  I was confused by this scene until we got upstairs and others told us how this was happening all night; after meeting the President and First Lady, women had been crying afterwards as they were so moved by the chance to meet them.   I found this to be the most fascinating and telling detail of my short visit with the President.  You can disagree with him, dislike his policies, or even hate what he stands for but you can't deny he is remarkable man whose journey to our nation's highest office still inspires such deep emotion.

Tomorrow, I will have lots more pictures and even some video too.  And then (hopefully) on Friday, I'll have the money shot: my picture with Barack and Michelle.  Stay tuned!

Musical Mondays With President Barack Obama

I saw this posted up on FB yesterday...a clever Gilbert & Sullivan spoof song about President Obama.  The chorus bits are the best.  Maybe this sort of infotainment may help Barack and the Dems make their case for the midterms better than all those negative ads.