Editor’s Note: Whether on screen or off, Hollywood can always be counted on to keep us entertained. This is especially true when it comes to politics. Join us each week as we shine the spotlight on Tinseltown’s A-listers and their whacky and sometimes inspiring takes on today’s current events.
Playboy’s Gay Male Bunny Not a Success
Playboy, a magazine that turned digital last year, is known for its pictures (and stories, right?) of naked women. It appeals mostly to heterosexual males, but this month, its cover feature is a gay male in full bunny regalia – and fans are none too happy about it.
Bretman Rock is the first gay man to be on the cover. He is shown wearing black tights and a leotard, high-heeled boots, and the ever-famous bunny ears. Dubbed “Da Baddest Bunny,” the new addition is a 23-year-old Filipino American who lives in Hawaii and is an influencer on YouTube and Vine. The “men’s sophisticate” magazine has only had two other males on the cover: Hugh Hefner himself and Bad Bunny, a Latin pop star. Rock tweeted out his glee at being the cover to his nearly 18 million followers:
“For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community, for my brown people community and it’s all so surreal. A total ‘is this even f—ing happening right now?’ type of vibe. And I’m so pretty.”
In the TwitterZone, not-so-happy fans reached out. One posted: “Yeah I dont get the point of this. Like, playgirl magazine is already a magazine with naked dudes in it.” And another said, “Who could have thought that an audience of almost entirely straight men wouldn’t want to see a gay man on the cover.”
Handmaid’s Tale Banned From Women’s March
Speaking of being woke, the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2 didn’t want anything to do with Handmaid’s Tale. The Hulu series starring Elisabeth Moss is based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel that revolves around a society that treats women as property of the state. Organizers of the march banned any clothing or costumes that represented the show, writing:
“The use of Handmaid’s Tale imagery to characterize the controlling of women’s reproduction has proliferated, primarily by white women across the country, since the show has gained popularity. This message continues to create more fragmentation, often around race and class, because it erases the fact that Black women, undocumented women, incarcerated women, poor women and disabled women have always had their reproduction freedom controlled in this country. This is not a dystopian past or future.”
The Handmaids Army DC group intentionally wears the costumes to highlight limited reproductive freedom. In a response to the Women’s March’s ban, they said: “It is clear that while we share some goals and principles with the organizers of the Women’s March, we also have increasingly divergent agendas and methods.”
Captain Kirk Finally Headed to the Final Frontier
William Shatner
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
William Shatner, AKA Captain James T. Kirk, will finally get to experience space travel and will become the oldest human to go to space. Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced the actor will blast off on Oct. 12 from West Texas.
“Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’” the 90-year-old Star Trek actor announced on Twitter. “It’s never too late to experience new things.” The ten-minute flight will launch Shatner’s capsule about 66 miles high before returning to Earth.
Bezos is a fan of the science fiction series and even had a cameo in the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond as a high-ranking alien. His company invited Shatner to take the trip. “I’ve heard about space for a long time now,” the actor said in a statement. “I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”
Cheers and Jeers
Sometimes, HollyWeird players make headlines for silly or bizarre happenings, so here is a collection of newsworthy doings — honorable and dishonorable — by the tenants of Tinseltown.
The New “Karen” Movie
It’s happened. There is now a movie about a “Karen” out, and it’s billed as a thriller. It stars Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black) as the privileged white woman, who, ironically, has been accused of being a Karen in real life.
Taryn Manning
(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
The heroes of the movie, played by Jasmine Burke (Saints & Sinners) and Cory Hardrict (The Chi), move into a predominantly white suburban neighborhood in Atlanta, GA, which, of course, Karen takes exception to. The neighborhood is called Harvey Hill Plantation after a Confederate general, by the way, and Karen’s house is decorated with the Confederate flag and other “racist” material.
Karen speaks to the heroes saying, “I just love how your people … you guys … come up with the most interesting names!” She attends their housewarming party and announces, “There she is, slaving away in the kitchen” in reference to Burke’s character preparing food for the party.
Later, she is at a homeowners’ association meeting and says, “What happens is, it starts with weed. Next thing you know we have criminals coming into our neighborhood. Then we’ve got pimps and prostitutes. Then you’re having black babies, can you imagine? You know how these people are.”
Karen was released in September. You can view the trailer here.
Nirvana’s Controversial Cover May be Changed
As Liberty Nation reported, Spencer Elden, the naked swimming baby on the cover of Nirvana’s Nevermind album, has filed a lawsuit for the use of his image, which he says has caused him all kinds of turmoil over the years. The band is set to release a special 30-year edition of the album, and Dave Grohl, the drummer, has hinted that the cover may get a makeover as well. He told the Sunday Times: “I have many ideas of how we should alter that cover but we’ll see what happens.”
Maggie Mabie, one of Elden’s lawyers, told the Associated Press that the artwork needs to be censored before any new releases. “If there’s a 30th anniversary re-release, he [Elden] wants for the entire world not to see his genitals.”
Eric Clapton’s Anti-Vaxx Song
Eric Clapton has released an anti-vaxx song called “This Has Gotta Stop,” which you can view here.
Celebrity Tweets
Celebrities say the darndest things …
Scott Baio and Richard Marx
Apparently, Scott Baio (Happy Days) and singer Richard Marx have been having one heck of a row on Twitter. About four years ago, Nicole Eggert, who starred in Charles in Charge with Baio, accused him of sexually abusing her when she was underage. Marx apparently keeps bringing it up, calling Chachi a rapist after Baio tweeted about #FakeMeToo, calling Eggert out for supposedly lying. Baio tweeted:
“Marx has no character! He should be super happy with Biden in office. Instead he trolls on Twitter 24/7 digging up a 4 year old 1 sided article to hurt me and my family while his followers pile on. He knows what defamation is and he knows I’ve proven her to be a #fakemetoo liar.”
To which Marx responded:
“You won’t even @ me, you gutless worm. You went after me the day after my mother died; you called grieving parents ‘crisis actors’; you went on Stern and ‘rated’ women you claim you screwed. Tell us more how you’re the arbiter of anyone’s character. But first look up ‘arbiter.’”
“Brave” Wolf Blitzer – CNN
Wolf Blitzer, the anchor of CNN’s The Situation Room, posted about visiting the site of the Jan. 6 “insurrection,” and the responses were pretty hilarious. Here are just a couple:
Nine months ago today – on Jan. 6, 2021 – an angry mob attacked the U.S. Capitol. I walked around the complex today and it was very calm. As you know, the perimeter security fence is gone – at least for now. pic.twitter.com/RnZux8JNpX
— Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) October 6, 2021
Ben Shapiro: “Intrepid reporting. Much journalisming. Stunning bravery that is both brave and stunning.”
Dean Cain (Lois & Clark) simply said “Brave,” followed by a laughing/crying emoji.
Fun times!
Tune in next week to see what else Tinseltown has planned.
~ Read more from Kelli Ballard.
