Help "Where The Bears Are" Get To Season Four

One of my favorite web series - Where The Bears Are - is approaching the final week of their crowd-sourcing campaign to help fund the upcoming 4th season of the award-winning series. So, I wanted to give a quick shout-out to my favorite fun and furry Bears.

I've been watching the series since the very first episode of Season 1. Described as "The Golden Girls" meets "Murder, She Wrote" but with big, hairy, gay men, the guys at WTBA take the comedy and furry fun furr-ther and furr-ther with each new season.

Here's a synopsis of what the Bears have in store for Season 4:

Season 4 will thrust Reggie, Wood, Nelson and Todd into yet another thrilling murder mystery surrounding the upcoming nuptials of everyone's favorite bear couple, Nelson and Todd!

At the same time, Reggie's true crime TV show becomes a hit on the Inquisitive Channel and sparks begin to fly because of his new co-stars Det. Chad Winters and Captain Coley.

Meanwhile, Wood decides to start his own swimwear line called "Sporting Wood" with sidekick George Ridgemont which provides them the opportunity to audition, dress and photograph hot bear models for a living!

All while Nelson and Todd plan for the wedding of the century which is most sure to go awry! Season 4 will feature the usual parade of hot, sexy, hairy men that fans adore, the hilarious comedy everyone expects from the show, and a nail-biting climax that the show if famous for!

As I mention on The Randy Report often, I love web series. The short episodes (short attention span here), the creative spirit, and the ability to watch whenever you want makes it all fun.

And when you fund a project - and I have many times - you feel a part of the whole community of the show.

So - enough chit-chat. Take a look at the Bears' Kickstarter video below and, if you feel it, contribute something to Season 4 of Where The Bears Are.

News Round-Up - February 20, 2015

Eamon and Colin Farrell

Some news stories you might have missed:

• Colin Farrell used to kick the sh*t out of his gay brother's bullies. Go Colin!

• A Tennessee woman is charged with beating her son for acting "feminine and gay"

• Walmart has announced plans to raise their minimum wage to $10 an hour. In other news, hell has frozen over...

• Arkansas state Sen. Jason Rapert says the best way to deal with ISIS would be a “strategically placed nuclear weapon.” He doesn't include a plan to deal with the nuclear fallout that would affect allies like Israel.

• Sen. Marco Rubio has missed a greater percentage of votes over the course of his career than anyone else currently in the U.S. Senate

• The government of Chile has announced it will end formal opposition to marriage equality

• Newsflash - new study shows attractive guys tend to be jerks

• TLC raises over $430,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to produce their next album

Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins of TLC

Kickstarter project for potato salad raises $55,492

As far as I can tell, this is actually real.

Zack "Danger" Brown of Columbus, Ohio, launched a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of $10 to make potato salad. From the Kickstarter page:

I'm making potato salad.

Basically I'm just making potato salad. I haven't decided what kind yet.

The campaign page listed funny pledge rewards like "receive a potato-salad themed haiku; a potato-salad themed hat along with a bite of the potato salad; and a photo of me making the potato salad."

So, what happened? With 6,911 backers, Brown raised a staggering $55,492!

And what does he plan to do with all that money? From his latest update:

We are going to contribute a significant portion of the remaining money to the fund at the Columbus Foundation. This will create a permanent fund to help Central Ohio's non-profits end hunger and homelessness. These types of funds gain interest every year and grow over time, so, while our little internet joke will one day be forgotten, the impact will be felt forever.

We believe that humor plays a big role in making the world a better place. We plan to use some of the profit from this campaign to start an LLC, pay web hosting and buy / rent production equipment to continue making content. Our LLC will be a for-profit venture and its goal will be to spread humor and joy around the world.

We will update all backers with the exact amount of money that is spent on both the for-profit and non-profit entities. Ultimately, our goal is to be as transparent as possible!

OK, I love you all! Thank you so much for supporting us! I'm so happy we all got to laugh together.

Below was the first "Update" video posted to the campaign; a kind of "behind the scenes" approach to potato salad.

Kickstarter campaign: Short film "Discretion"

Film maker Tommy Garcia is looking to fund a new short film that brings a debate about monogamy into focus.

I want to create a debate about monogamy - both in gay and straight relationships.

Is there any one correct type of relationship? Or should everyone exercise their own "Discretion?"

I also want to show that LGBT cinema does not have to be strictly "niche," and can reach all audiences with universal conflicts and themes. As a gay filmmaker, it is my wish to begin exploring the minutiae of equality in 2014.

Garcia's short film, "Airbag," premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival - the world's largest AMPAS and BAFTA-accredited short film festival.

Check out the video for his Kickstarter campaign below.

Kickstarter Project: Do I Sound Gay?

I saw this over on Andrew Sullivan's site today.

I think this caught my attention because I've always been self-conscious about my own speaking voice. Doing a radio show for over two years helped me grow accustomed to hearing my voice, but watching the pitch video for this project, I'm aware of many of the same dynamics explored in the film project regarding gay men and our voices.

From the Kickstarter project page:

Confession: I’ve always been self-conscious about "sounding gay." It’s one of the main things that “gives me away” as gay. Three years ago, I decided I’d had enough. I knew that my anxiety came from my internalized homophobia telling me: Gay = bad, so sounding gay = bad. So, I decided to make DO I SOUND GAY?

In the tradition of funny-but-serious first-person movies like Supersize Me, Roger and Me and Good Hair, you’ll follow me as I encounter a colorful cast of linguists, historians, voice coaches, speech therapists, friends, family, and total strangers on the street, gay and non-gay, who share their wisdom and touching, funny stories about the “gay voice.”

You'll also hear intimate confessions and hilarious anecdotes from LGBT icons - Margaret Cho, Tim Gunn, Don Lemon, Dan Savage, David Sedaris and George Takei - as they open up about the "gay voice." Thanks to all the incredible people I met, I was able to embrace my authentic voice.

Click here for more info or to contribute.

Steve Grand's "All-American Boy" Kickstarter campaign raises over $326,000

With an initial goal of $81,000, out singer/songwriter Steve Grand closed out his Kickstarter campaign at a staggering $326,593!

Steve's total makes his campaign the #1 most-funded music Kickstarter by a musician not affiliated with a label.

He's the #2 most-funded music project in the history of Kickstarter.

Steve had almost 5,000 individual backers.

Congrats to Steve, and to a community that clearly CAN rally around an out artist when moved to do so.

Upcoming music: Matt Zarley - "Hopeful Romantic"

OutMusic Award winner Matt Zarley

Matt Zarley, out singer/songwriter and 2012 OutMusic Award winner for Best Album and Best Single is gearing up for his next project and he's asking friends and fans to be involved.  The woofy singer  is launching a Kickstarter project in hopes of raising funds to take his next project to the next level.

From Zarley's Kickstarter page:

I have always wanted to do an album that was purely romantic. The original concept of this album was inspired by a true love that I had experienced. I now believe in "love at first sight", cuz I lived it. When I first started to work on this, my relationship unexpectedly ended...leaving me heartbroken and confused. Since then, I've uncovered truths about myself and lessons were learned. What started as a sweet valentine to the one I loved, was now becoming alot more dimensional. Though this is inspired though my own personal experience, it's a universal story...told through an optimistic lens.

This is by far the most ambitious project I've conceived. With ambition, comes alot of costs. 100% of the proceeds from your pledges will go to the costs of producers, directors, editors, musicians, cinematographers, editors, publicity, and marketing. No amount is too small. If we're fortunate enough to surpass the goal amount, the remainder of the proceeds will still go to the funding of this project. The more raised, the better the videos look...and maybe I'll be able to do an additional song or two.

To read more and/or contribute, visit the Kickstarter project page by clicking here.

And check out his music on iTunes here

Kickstarter project: Bridging the Gap 2013

The relationship between older and younger LGBT community members is an important dynamic that gets lost in much of the advocacy discussion of our community.  Please take the time to watch this video and consider contributing any amount to help what I believe is a very worthy project.


Bridging the Gap is a twelve-week intergenerational LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) theater project.

During the course of twelve free workshops held at SAGE in Chelsea, LGBTQ group members will collaborate to create an original 45-minute play through improvisation reflecting the issues that matter to them. They will build theater skills, celebrate difference, challenge their assumptions about age and have fun! What could be more exciting than exploring the places where food, family (biological and chosen) and sexuality meet!

In New York City, LGBTQ people from different generations have had few opportunities to connect. This has robbed them of opportunities to weave a common history and share the strategies they have used to survive and thrive. Bridging the Gap brings these LGBTQ generations into the same room and uses theater to spark a dialogue between them.

Professional theater artists and community-based practitioners Timothy Connell, Maggie Keenan-Bolger and Sherry Teitelbaum are co-directing a devised, original theater piece exploring the LGBTQ community’s relationship with food. The piece will be created by the LGBTQ people who belong to Bridging the Gap, a free weekly intergenerational theater workshop that uses theater to spark a dialogue between different generations in New York City’s LGBTQ community. Ages in the group range from 19-88. SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the group’s community partner.

WHERE? The Jefferson Market Library, 425 Avenue of the Americas (at 10th Street), Greenwich Village, in the Willa Cather Great Room.

WHEN? Saturday, December 14th, 2013 at 2:00 PM.

Click here to learn more and contribute.

Kickstarter: The Young Protectors comic book

Less than 24 hours after launching a Kickstarter project to publish his gay superhero web comic The Young Protectors in book form, writer Alex Woolfson has surpassed his $14,000 goal, hitting almost $30K.

From the Kickstarter page:

The Young Protectors: Engaging the Enemy tells the story of how Kyle—a closeted, young superhero dedicated to helping everyone but himself—ascends to become one of the most powerful champions the world has ever known.

But no one ever said becoming a real hero would be easy. :)

The Young Protectors webcomic can be read for free online here.

College student designs shirt that goes 100 wearings without washing

Here's a success story for you.

You know how jeans can take a lot of wearings between washing?  You know how shirts CAN'T take a lot of wearings between washing?

Well, here's how college student Mac Bishop fixed that.  He made a shirt you only have to wash once a year.

From Huffington Post:

Along with two friends, Bishop, 24, founded Wool&Prince, a fashion startup in New York City that sells just one product. Its fine-spun wool button-down shirt is supposed to last for 100 wearings without needing a wash.

Bishop is clearly is onto something. In recent weeks, Wool&Prince has become a sensation on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site. The craze over the company's 100-day shirt started on April 22, when Wool&Prince launched its campaign with a goal of raising $30,000. The startup ended up raising more than $290,000 in less than 10 days, and now the company has capped its production run in order to keep control of the project, Bishop said.

Bishop's inspiration for the 100-day shirt came from his pants. "Guys love their jeans, [which] are low-maintenance, but there was not an option like that for button-downs," he explained in a phone call with The Huffington Post, "like something guys don’t have to worry about."

The secret behind the shirt's durability is finely spun wool, like the kind that would be used in an Italian suit. Wool doesn't get smelly -- unlike, say, a poly blend -- because it doesn't absorb sweat, which can lead to stinky bacteria growth in a garment.

With its new funds, Wool&Prince will produce 3,000 shirts at a factory in Shanghai and sell them for $98 apiece. But there's bad news for consumers interested in buying one: The 100-day shirt is already sold out due to pre-orders.

What do you think? Would you buy a shirt that goes 100 wearings without a wash? Leave a comment below.

Kickstarter project: Man-candy & Cupcakes

Now, HOW could I not post this? A Kickstarter project with brawn and cupcakes!

From the Kickstarter page:

Man Candy and Cupcakes will bring brawn to baking.

It will feature scrumptious recipes for mouthwatering cupcakes brought to you by the world’s sexiest bakers. We need money for styling, expert photography and design, not to mention whipped cream and snug-fitting boxer shorts.

We believe that there is nothing sexier than a man in the kitchen, particularly if he has a packed pantry, and we are counting on you to help us prove it.

Please give us some dough so we can get rolling!

Click here for more info.

Kickstarter success stories on The Candi & Randy Show

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects.

Last night on The Candi & Randy Show, we spoke to Emmy Award winning writer Leslie Nipkow and Broadway veteran T Oliver Reid about their success with the fund-raising program.

I've featured several Kickstarter projects on The Randy Report in the past, and so I wanted to explore the whole enchilada and find out from folks who have found success with the program what the experience was like and what tips they may have for those thinking about raising funds for a creative project through Kickstarter.

From the Kickstarter website:

Every project creator sets their project's funding goal and deadline. If the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal all backers' credit cards are charged when time expires. If the project falls short no one is charged.

Since it's launch in April 2009:
• $331 million pledged to projects
• 2.6 million people have backed a project
• 28,000 projects successfully funded

But Kickstarter is about much more than money. People come to Kickstarter to build community around their projects. It's inspiring to be supported by people you know, and amazing to connect with strangers who are discovering your ideas for the first time.

TIME Magazine listed Kickstarter as one of the Best Websites of 2011 and one of the Best Inventions of 2010.

Check out more at www.kickstarter.com

Shoshana Bean's new CD

The ever fabulous Shoshana Bean (Broadway's Wicked, Hairspray) is producing her sophomore CD, but she needs a little help.

Watch the video, and if so moved, kick in a few bucks to help a terrific, indie artist do her thing.

Someday, YOU may want folks around you to help you make a dream come true. What goes around comes around kids...

If you don't know her work, please - take a listen.

Kickstarter & The Broadway Warm-Up

I love when ideas beget new ideas and someone is continually coming up with an idea I wish I'd had. Kickstarter is the new kid on the block with a great idea.

This website a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and others to bring their projects, events, and dreams to life.

The word “project” is just as important as “creative” in defining what works on Kickstarter. A project is something finite with a clear beginning and end. Someone can be held accountable to the framework of a project — a project was either completed or it wasn’t — and there are definable expectations that everyone can agree to. This is imperative for every Kickstarter project.

The way it works is: you post your project on the site and come up with different "rewards" at different levels to encourage funding. Some "rewards" can be a simple as "At $10 you receive good karma for helping foster creativity" to "At $50 you get a copy of the finished CD autographed by the artist" to "At $1,000 you get VIP seating at the first screening of our independent movie and Associate Producer credit." You choose the most interesting "rewards" you can think of, pitch your idea on the site and go.

And here's the one caveat: If funding fails, all pledges are canceled and that's that. There are good reasons for this.

1. It's less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000, it's tough having $2,000 and a bunch of people expecting you to complete a $5,000 project.

2. It allows people to test concepts (or conditionally sell stuff) without risk. If you don't receive the support you want, you're not compelled to follow through.

3. It motivates. If people want to see a project come to life, they're going to spread the word.

There are lots of great success stories already.

A friend of mine from Broadway, Deidre Goodwin, is currently raising funding to develop a DVD called "The Broadway Warm-up" with her partner Kim Stern. Both are Broadway veterans and understand the need to warm-up thoroughly before a show. In addition to avoiding injuries, it gives you a time to center yourself before a performance. I think the idea is excellent - it's a 30 minute combined vocal and physical warm-up. Efficient and focused. The girls tell the story much better than I do. I really encourage anyone - whether you're a college performing arts student, a community theater participant or a theater professional - to check it out.

And if you feel it, donate something. I did. And it doesn't have to be a lot. Even a little gets the "producers" of these projects to their goal. And you get to be a part of someone's creative journey. AND at the very least you receive good karma in doing so.

Even if you only pitch in $15, that's the cost of a cocktail or two. I say, sometime this week when you sit down to have a drink or dinner, order a club soda and lime, send the money you saved in that one sitting to The Broadway Warm-up and toast the creative spirit of Deidre and Kim. And feel good you did something to help.

Most of the people who read this blog have some creative or entrepreneurial spirit. Kickstart someone else's dream today, then start your own. Get out there and make something happen instead of waiting for something to happen.

To see more about The Broadway Warm-up, click here. From there you can explore other projects and what Kickstarter is all about.