It's Britney Bitch! The Gay Appeal of Ms Spears

Pop culture train wreck or one of the world's greatest artists? You decide. But like her or hate her, there's no denying the gay appeal of Britney Spears. Just ask rabid fan Alasdair Duncan. 

I like to consider myself a rounded, rational and relatively sane adult, but here's the thing - I'm also a rabid Britney Spears fan. I'm not exactly thrilled about that, but there it is. A lot of gay guys I know are the same way - otherwise level-headed individuals who hold down grown-up jobs and cast a cynical eye over the detritus of pop culture who abandon all restraint and common sense at the mere utterance of 'oh bay-bey bay-bey, how was I supposed to know?' My boyfriend is the only one I know who pretends to be immune to this particular sirens call, but I'm working on breaking him down, by playing choice cuts from the singles collection until he finally gives in. I'll let you know how that goes, but in the meantime, the question if clear: why the hell is Britney Spears so damn fascinating to gay dudes? 

For me at least, part of the appeal is the narrative that threads through her pop career, it's so deliberately-wrought, it could be a novel. Well, okay, maybe not a novel, but definitely a cable series - something edgy, like you might find on Showtime. Early single like Sometimes presented Britney as a naive girl, curious about the possibility of adult sexuality, not quite ready to jump in, even if the Baby One More Time video made it clear this might not be for long. As she grew up in the public eye, she shed her girlhood with a series of calculated musical gestures, moving from titillating but still somewhat wholesome teen pop of Oops! I Did It Again to the grinding, club-ready come-on, I'm a Slave 4 U. When she freaked out and suffered an epic public meltdown, there were songs to address that too, not least of all the paparazzi-baiting Piece Of Me. The story of Britney's pop career is essentially the story of an innocent being corrupted by the big bad world. It's not all that nice a story, but it's dramatic, and we gay dudes definitely appreciate a little drama. 

Part of it may also be a consequence of said epic public meltdown. From 2006 through to pretty much the present day, it's been hard to read a gossip website - and really, what else are you going to do to kill time at work? - without some mention of Britney Spears latest exploit. There she was falling in love with a noxious, backwards cap-wearing back-up dancer, only to have her southern heart smashed into a million tiny pieces; there she was again going on a bender, getting sloppy drunk and flashing her most intimate parts at photographers. That's to say nothing of Britney chopping off all her hair and being carted off to rehab on a stretcher, or the various unsavoury producers and hangers-on who came forward to see sex stories to the tabloids. The story is ongoing, but so is her career, and that's kind of the point. Britney Spears has made a career of being a survivor, and for gay dudes who might have spent a not-inconsiderable chuck of their lives feeling marginalised, if not outright persecuted, there's a specific and powerful resonance to that story. 

Not least of all, there's the music. Feel free to be sceptical if you want, but Britney's phenomenal run of singles has been written and produced by some of the canniest minds in pop, from Swedish hit-makers Max Martin and Bloodshy & Avant through to The Neptunes and Nate 'Danjahandz' Hills. There is no listening to tracks like Toxic and Piece Of Me without appreciating that, whether or not Britney's delivery is you're thing, they're really, really, well-constructed songs. Her latest album, Femme Fatale, arrived last month, produced by Martin along with sinister-pop-genius-of-the-moment, Dr Luke. It leaked well ahead of its release date, but being the upstanding citizen I am, I did the right thing and fronted up to JB Hi-Fi when it came out. And it's pretty great - a hook-filled and damn-near-irrestible collection of tracks. Man cannot live by pop songs alone, but trying to resist them is futile. Is my appreciation of Britney Spears perhaps a little blinkered, keeping me from coming to grips with the tackier elements of her music and public persona? Possibly. Will I still be following Ms Spears well into her dotage? Almost definitely. 

Source: SX News 

Lady Gaga, Child of Diversity, Decries Intolerance

Rome - Lady Gaga sang a few bars of her smash hit Born This Way and demanded an end of discrimination against gays as she proclaimed herself a "child of diversity" at a gay pride rally Saturday night in the ancient Circus Maximus. The star, who Born This Way album recently topped one million sales in a week, delighted tens of thousands of people at a brief concert in the vast field where the ancient Roman masses would gather for spectacles. Wearing a green wig, she played the piano and sang a few numbers, But she devoted much of her appearance after the annual European gay pride parade to denounce intolerance and discrimination against gays and transgender people, Among the places she cited was the Middle East, Poland, Russia and Lithuania. Lady Gaga told the crowd she is often asked, "How gay are you, Lady Gaga? "My answer is: 'I am a child of diversity.'"

She also proudly citied her Italian roots - saying she was really named Stefanie Giovanni Angelina Germanotta. And she told fans her costume - a sleek black top with one bare shoulder and billowing plaid skirt - were from the last collection of Gianni Versace. Decrying intolerance of homosexuality, Lady Gaga lamented that young who are gay are susceptible to "suicide, self-loathing, isolation". Many in the crowd had participated in an hours-long parade of colourful floats and brightly costumed marchers through Rome's historic centre before the rally. The events were part of the annual EuroPride day to encourage gay rights on the continent. Lady Gaga praised her audience for its "great courage" which she says inspired her.

EuroPride organisers hope the event will draw attention to discrimination gay face in many parts of the world. The US ambassador was among those who invited Lady Gaga to Rome. "I am so honoured to be here," Lady Gaga said, recalling how, earlier in the day, she lay naked in silk sheets in her hotel room and enjoyed the din of adoring fans and packs of photographers in the street below. Organisers said Rome was a significant choice of venue, since it is home to the Vatican, which staunchly opposes legislation that would recognise same-sex marriage or adoption by gay couples. Others hoped the turnout would send a message to Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian leader and billionaire media mogul who has caused much outrage at times from gay rights groups.

Source: Google

Britney to Porn: Transformation of Chris Crocker

Remember Chris Crocker? He's the androgynous twink who once made a weepy, shouty YouTube please for people to Leave Britney Alone! Well he's grown up into a sexy, scruffy 23-year-old who's now telling Britney to stop doing stage performances because everything she's done since the Circus era has sucked. Way harsh, Chris. But what's this? He's also gonna film a porn movie with ChiChi LaRue? No .... really? Crocker has apparently been posting nudes on his Tumblr site and announced "I am doing a full-lenght porno this summer. Deal is in place." Furthermore, he's been trading tweets with sext top Brent Everett and porn directress ChiChi LaRue, so maybe it's gonna happen.

Of course, he's been getting flack from people who feel their digital childhood being torn apart from his doing porn, but he's grown into a man who can make his own decisions. Here's some of his responses to fans telling him not to "degrade himself': "There is a double standard. I am just an 'internet celebrity'. I am just showing my dick on a computer. It's not glamourised. Therefore, I am just 'throwing it all away'. If bitches would think for 1.2 seconds, they would realise how hypocritical their judgements are", and this "I was born an exhibitionist (Ooh, big words for such small minds. And an even bigger concept). My earliest memory is me telling my Grandmother, 'NO! I don't want jeans! I want shorts, to show off my sexy legs." Plus, "Then when I became a teenager and discovered a digital camera - it was on from there. I have always been an inherently sexual person. Quit looking for explanations. Quit overanalysing. I am what I am, and one thing is for sure: I am sexual. You can call it for attention, sure, but ultimately, I am getting the attention and that is what bothers others." And finally, "I am not degrading myself by showing my body. Clothes are man-made. My body was designed by the universe, and nudity is my style of choice.

Now, Zack Sire at The Sword says that Crocker needs to pack on 20 pounds of muscle before he's porn hot ... and Zack is right. But remember, plenty of now hot porn stars started out as a skinner twink. Seeing how hot Chris has become since his Leave Britney Alone days, we're sure he'll only improve with age. Of course, Crocker also has fans who support the idea. "I don't get how people can say they used to love your videos but now they're so disappointed or pissed or whatever now that you are posting nudes. You'd think if they were actually fans of your video's they'd be able to grasp what you've been saying all along - accept yourself, be who you are, do what you want to do, don't give a f**k what others think. Do they expect you not to take your own advice? Whatever, keep being you and don't listen to these idiots."

Source: QueerClick