News Round-Up: July 17, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Steve Raider and Ocan Jan (above) barely fit in the same photo. #TheresTheBeef

• CBS News: The House voted 230-198 to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress for obstructing a probe into the administration’s failed bid to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

• Twitter: A gay teen, Brandon Austin, slayed the inter webs with his graduation 'death drop' on Twitter, which has now been 'Liked' over 230,000 times.

How to graduate like a pro pic.twitter.com/fdPahK9Nrz

— Brandon Austin (Sophia Stardust) (@sophia_stardust) July 12, 2019

• NBC News: A Florida man is in custody for allegedly using a pair of scissors to cut off the penis of a man he suspected of sleeping with his wife, according to a police report.

• Axios: The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) projects the federal deficit will surpass $1 trillion this year, the first time the U.S. deficit has surpassed the $1 trillion level since the 4-year period following the Great Recession. In 2016, Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to wipe out the deficit and also the entire federal debt, which has surpassed $22 trillion.

• Netflix: The streaming giant gave a giant slap to the folks at the upcoming 'Straight Pride' event for using their logo and claiming Netflix was a 'possible' sponsor. In their cease and desist letter, the legal team for Netflix wrote, "Our legal department is here, its queer, and its telling you to steer clear."

• Out Music: Carly Rae Jepsen teamed up with Jordan Alexander and Bud Light for a performance of the 'Pride Remix' of her single "Feels Right" at Toronto Pride. The single is from her fourth album, Dedicated, out now.

News Round-Up: February 27, 2019

Bruno the wonder dog

Some news items you might have missed:

• It's the one year mark since Bruno the wonder dog crossed over the rainbow bridge. I'm celebrating his life today. My remembrance of The Brun here. He was the best dog I've ever worked for.

• The United Methodist Church on Tuesday voted to strengthen its ban on gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex marriages stating that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

• Results of a new survey indicates if you watch more porn on a regular basis, you're more likely to be bisexual.

• Openly gay jujutsu fighter, William Seth-Wenzel, just became a world champ as his boyfriend cheered him on.

• Handsome gay college football player Cy Hicks shares with Outsports how coming out made him feel empowered.

• The House passed what many say is the most significant gun control measure in more than two decades on Wednesday when it approved the first of two bills aimed at strengthening the federal background check system for firearms purchases.

• "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen proves she's soooo not a one-hit-wonder dropping two new tracks today: "Now That I Found You" and "No Drug Like Me."

Check out the totally banging dance track "Now That I Found You" below, and click here for "No Drug Like Me."

News Round-Up: February 13, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• Donald Trump may think having a dog could make him look 'phony,' but InstaHunk Naor Yazdan says he's already found his Valentine's date, and this looks like true love to me.

• Out actor/singer Jussie Smollett will give his first interview since he was attacked in Chicago last month to Robin Roberts on GMA Thursday morning.

• Netflix's upcoming 'Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City’ is set to debut at the San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theater on April 10. The series will arrive on Netflix this summer.

• Donald Trump said today that his proposed border wall will be harder to climb than Mount Everest.

• After Ellen Page called out movie star Chris Pratt for promoting his church, virulently anti-LGBTQ Hillsong Church, Pratt finally took to social media to defend the church saying it "opens its doors to absolutely everyone." Let's just say it didn't go over well with the Twitter people.

• Season 3 of Netflix's Emmy Award winning 'make better' series, Queer Eye, is set for release on March 15, and the streaming giant shared the news with a Valentines-themed video clip accompanied by a new track from pop star Carly Rae Jespen, "Now That I Found You."

After two seasons in Atlanta, the series is changing locations to help our folks in the Kansas City area. Hit play below for the upbeat vid.

View this post on Instagram

WE'RE BAAACK HENNYS! Get ready to 💗 L<3VE YOURSELF! 💗 Queer Eye 3 launches March 15. HUGE thanks to @carlyraejepsen for this exclusive preview of her *NEW BOP*, "Now That I Found You.” 😘

A post shared by Queer Eye (@queereye) on Feb 13, 2019 at 7:55am PST

"Call Me Maybe" Hunk Wasn't Happy Playing Gay For The Music Video

Holden Nowell in "Call Me Maybe"

We all recall the huge reception Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" music video received when it was released in 2012.

Fans hit the video up to the tune of over 1 billion views.

The light-hearted story for the video featured Carly Rae pining for the hunky, shirtless guy next door, but in the end he gives his phone number to a male member of her band.

Well, it turns out the actor who played the hunky neighbor, Holden Nowell, wasn't all that thrilled with how the music video turned out.

“It’s what people began to recognize me as and know me as, and it was only that,” Nowell recently told iHeartRadio Canada. “It was really difficult for me and really frustrating.

“I was always the ‘Call Me Maybe' guy, everywhere I went, and after awhile I got really sick of hearing that."

And a big part of his unhappiness came in having to play gay at the end of the video.

“The fact that they had to make me gay at the end of the video … it was all very … I didn’t like being known as the gay guy in the ‘Call Me Maybe’ video. It was just something I wasn’t used to,” Nowell recently told iHeartRadio Canada.

According to Nowell, the original script for the video called for "hunky neighbor" to kiss Carly Rae's band guy. And Nowell was not having it.

“I was like, ‘I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m not going to kiss a guy, especially for $500.’ I said, ‘I really don’t think I’m comfortable kissing a guy for a music video.”

Nowell says it was his idea to end the video with handing his phone number to the band member.

The 29-year-old also seems a tad bitter he was never paid any royalties for his one day of work on the video. “I don’t know who ended up making my money, but I never saw a single penny for it,” says Nowell.

The actor also shares he hasn’t spoken to Jepsen since the video premiered. “I personally don’t have anything positive to say about Carly Rae,” he said. “She won awards because of that video and she never reached out to me.”

He also doesn't have many fond memories of working in the modeling industry.

“‘Gay for pay’ is literally what runs the male modelling industry and I don’t get down like that. I think people should be allowed to love who they want to love, but I love women. There’s no amount of money, no amount of fame that could ever make me… I couldn’t do something that didn’t feel right in my soul.”

Now, Nowell's mad about how the interview ended up because he feels it paints him in a homophobic vein.

He posted the url to the interview on his Instagram saying, "I guess it’s true what they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity... but man, this is pretty bad... Apparently I’m a narcissistic - bitter - slanderous gay bashing - Hitler loving - free thinking - outspoken - “conspiracy theorist” who bags on his pops... Wait, but, aren’t you?!?! I mean, aren’t I?!?! 🤪#GottaLoveJournalists “Thanks for the support, Asshole.”

This is where folks have to learn that everything that comes out of their mouth in an interview can be read by millions of people.

BRAND NEW INTERVIEW!!! CLICK THE LINK OR COPY & PASTE THE URL FOR FULL INTERVIEW AND ARTICLE... http://www.iheartradio.ca/news/exclusive-holden-nowell-tries-to-move-past-call-me-maybe-1.3876622 ...I guess it’s true what they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity... but man, this is pretty bad... Apparently I’m a narcissistic - bitter - slanderous gay bashing - Hitler loving - free thinking - outspoken - “conspiracy theorist” who bags on his pops... Wait, but, aren’t you?!?! I mean, aren’t I?!?! 🤪#GottaLoveJournalists “Thanks for the support, Asshole.” #iAmWhateverYouSayiam #IfiWasntThenWhyWouldiSayiAm #OnThePaperTheNewsEverydayIAm #iHeartRadioWontEvenPlayMyJam

A post shared by Holden Nowell A.K.A. SixXx’Tre (@holdenelijanowell) on Jun 7, 2018 at 9:39pm PDT

Nowell released his debut album Fade II Black on June 6 under his rap alter-ego SixXx’Tre, and feels confident about the work.

“This is going to be the most groundbreaking iconic hip hop album since probably The Marshall Mathers LP," says Nowell. "I know my worth as a human being, as an artist. This is my calling.”

New Music: Carly Rae Jepsen "Cut To The Feeling"

Dance into the weekend with the latest from Carly Rae Jepsen, "Cut To The Feeling."

Featured in the upcoming animated movie LEAP!, the song is classic Jepsen: upbeat, euphoric, dance-around-the-room pop.

The video pairs light-hearted behind-the-scenes footage with a high-energy sound studio performance shot in black and white.

You can also catch the popster tonight when she appears on Bleachers' MTV Unplugged episode filmed at New Jersey's famed Stone Pony venue.

Carly Rae Jepsen Covers Wham!'s "Last Christmas"

Multi-platinum, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen releases her cover of Wham!'s 1984 holiday hit “Last Christmas” today on all major digital outlets.

And next up, Carly will star as iconic Pink Lady, “Frenchy,” in GREASE: LIVE which airs Sunday, January 31st on FOX.

Music Video: Carly Rae Jepsen "Your Type"

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen premieres the video for her new single “Your Type” today on Vevo.

Directed by filmmaker Gia Coppola, the video was shot at Los Candiles Night Club in Los Angeles.

Jepsen will hit the road for a fall headlining tour in support of her critically acclaimed new album E·MO·TION. The tour kicks off on November 9th in Washington DC with stops in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.

Additionally, Carly will also star as the iconic Pink Lady, “Frenchy,” in GREASE: LIVE which airs Sunday, January 31st (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Jepsen joins the cast which includes Julianne Hough (“Safe Haven,” “Rock of Ages”) as “Sandy,” Aaron Tveit (“Graceland,” “Les Miserables”) as “Danny,” Vanessa Hudgens (Broadway’s “Gigi,” “Spring Breakers”) as “Rizzo,” Carlos PenaVega (“Spare Parts,” “Big Time Rush,” DWTS) as “Kenickie."

Check Carly's new video below.

New Music: Carly Rae Jepsen "I Really Like You"

Carly Rae Jespen - of "Call Me Maybe" fame - is back with her latest single "I Really Like You."

Who knew a song with 6 "reallys" in a row could be so contagious?

Or is it Carly Rae's easy to love music video co-star?

Check it out below.

Carly Rae Jepsen - "No" to the Boy Scouts, "Yes" to the White Party

Carly Rae Jepsen, the "Call Me Maybe" singer, dropped out of the Boy Scout jamboree earlier this month because the organization bans out scouts and leaders.

HOWEVER - she did say 'yes' to headlining the White Party T-Dance.

Jeffrey Sanker's website made this announcement: "This isn’t a maybe, it’s official! White Party Palm Springs producer Jeffrey Sanker announced to today that "Call Me Maybe" superstar Carly Rae Jepsen is performing LIVE at the Sunday T-Dance, happening Sunday, March 31."

The T-Dance is one of the highlights of the enormous gay bacchanal, held every spring in Palm Springs, Calif. Jepsen will be joined by singer Icona Pop and performer Carmen Electra for the T-Dance.

Jepsen is certain to be greeted warmly by the crowd. Watch her latest video, for "Tonight I'm Getting Over You," below.



(via Advocate)

Carly Rae Jepsen Sings Joni Mitchell - "Both Sides, Now"

So...

I really love this song. The song.

Joni Mitchell was channeling serious wisdom when she wrote this. And over the years, Joni's performance of the song has only grown exponentially deeper.

Bless her little heart, but Carly Rae Jepsen really shouldn't be singing this song for another decade or two. The only line I believe her singing is "I really don't know love at all."

Not her fault but this song is about living life. Life you have to have lived first.

But she does have a very nice voice.

And the biggest song of the year. So she can be content with that.

"Call Me Maybe" video spoof by US Marines

U.S. Marines stationed in Afghanistan dance, lip-sync to Carly Rae Jepsen's hit song.