Don’t Give Up The Ship

Over this past summer, I finally gave in and sat down to watch MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and I came away from it with a few observations. They will use any reason regardless of how flimsy, to get the guys out of their clothes. Colton Haynes plays an asshole better than anyone else on MTV. And finally, the actors who play Derek and Stiles – Tyler Hoechlin and Dylan O’Brien have amazing on-screen chemistry.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my education in regards to Sterek (their official couple name), shipping and the like. Well after I posted that blog, a friend contacted me to let me know that AfterElton was running a poll regarding the most popular unofficial gay couples in media. There were some from movies like Captain America and Iron Man, a few from literature like Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy and of course television meaning Sterek was accounted for. While I did vote a few times, I was very devil may care about the whole situation. That was, until Derek and Stiles won the poll last night by several THOUSAND votes. Now in my previous entry I had mentioned that “Teen Wolf” show-runner Jeff Davis has expressed that he knows all about Sterek. He has even gone as far as to say he would consider making it a storyline if enough people were on board.

Now, I don’t want to be one of those psychos who thinks this is the straw that broke the werewolf’s back and Sterek is officially on. There are enough of those people on Tumblr. However, I do have to admit I think it’s pretty impressive that this pairing from an MTV show that brings in a few million viewers a week defeated 31 other couples. Some of whom are much more established. I do have to say though, if Jeff Davis was entertaining the idea beforehand that this should inspire him to take a much more serious look at the whole thing. Even if every fan is not on board, enough dedicated people must be. Otherwise it wouldn’t have won this poll. Regardless of what happens I am excited to see what is coming up for us in the third season of “Teen Wolf”. I recently saw Colton Haynes and Holland Roden at New York Fashion Week, but neither of them had any secrets to spill. I guess we will see what is in store for Stiles, Derek and everyone else in Beacon Hills when “Teen Wolf” returns next year. Until then… Congratulations to my fellow Sterek shippers, you big stone-cold pack of weirdos.

Catch Me If You Canon

Who would’ve guessed an MTV guilty pleasure would become my summer obsession?

As the summer winds down and I look back at the last three sun soaked months there are a few things that happened right as planned, some that went slightly awry and others that I was totally wrong about. At the beginning of the summer, I raved about TNT’s “Dallas” reboot and proclaimed it my summer show. But, then something weird happened. While I still love “Dallas” and am reeling from the Finale shocker, another show eclipsed it in the race for my heart. After meeting Holland Roden and Colton Haynes from Teen Wolf when they rang the Nasdaq Bell I decided to give their show another shot. I watched the premiere and second episode after the MTV Movie Awards last year, but it did nothing for me. However, after they were so nice, so genuine and so passionate about their show I figured what’s the harm. Well the harm was that I became completely obsessed. I burned through the 12 episodes from season one in a matter of hours. Then I caught up on the season two episodes and then watched religiously every Monday.

The show is actually good, it’s not just summer TV good. Some people I know who watch a lot of supernatural themed TV shows claim it’s easily better than “Vampire Diaries” the CW’s biggest hit but I can’t comment on that as I’ve never seen it. Based on the Michael J. Fox film of the same name, the story centers on Scott McCall. A b-string lacrosse player and all around loser, until he gets bit by a werewolf and becomes a sports superstar. He has a girlfriend named Allison who’s family hunts werewolves, a best friend played by the delightful Dylan O’Brien and an anti-hero and occasional nemesis in Derek Hale. And, while the drama surrounding them and their classmates at school is awesome I would be lying if I said it was the only reason I watched. When I started my Netflix binge I read up and saw a lot of articles discussing the show’s proficiency for partial male nudity. I figured well that’s the gayest thing about this show. But, it turns out it’s not.

This scene right here made me realize their chemistry. It wasn’t until cast member Colton Haynes tweeted something about Sterek that I realized other people had this crazy idea.

Around episode 4, Dylan O’Brien’s character Stiles and Tyler Hoechlin’s Derek spend almost the entire episode together. Derek is injured and needs help which Stiles involuntarily gets stuck providing. At some point in the episode, the mix of Derek’s nastiness and Stiles’ snark created this amazing on-screen chemistry. Later in the season, Derek ends up living at Stiles’ house and there is a lot of pressing up against walls and stripping that takes place. So before I knew it they were my favorite couple on the show. Only they’re not actually a couple. Apparently, this doesn’t matter because I’ve discovered as a “Sterek Shipper” the internet is filled with people who root for couples that are not together in the world of their show. What makes this situation interesting, is that over the course of the season two run, the cast and creator of the show have all discussed the pairing of Stiles and Derek. It came up in interviews, twitter Q&As and a packed panel at Comic-Con. At the beginning they downplayed it, with Tyler Hoechlin claiming that people are seeing things but now he says it has a 50/50 shot of actually happening. With creator and developer Jeff Davis saying that it’s something he would consider.

So, now that leads to the inevitable question… is this a good idea? Neither of the two characters are openly gay, but neither have had an on-screen romance. One character has a crush on a redhead at school and the other used to sleep with the woman who went on to murder his entire family. Something that I admit could turn anyone off of women. I think my reservations stem from the idea that this isn’t something that comes from the writers, it’s not part of their grand plan and wasn’t ever discussed. And, I fear that if it does get written into the show it will be done in a sloppy and inorganic way just to keep the viewers happy. If you think that’s fine, you should check out this show called “Glee”. Ryan Murphy constantly gives into what the fans and press say, often mistakingly thinking if they loved it once they will love it again. For examples please refer to Kristen Chenoweth, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Journey songbook and the Michael Jackson tribute episode. I worry that if the writers decide to listen to the glaringly loud cry of the fans and make Stiles and Derek a couple that it won’t work. Because, it’s not something they created or saw, it’s something that the fans noticed.

This is a scene from the video the cast made to ask fans to vote for the Teen Choice Awards… which they eventually went on to win.

Now, that being said I think if it was done correctly it could be fantastic. Aside from the two actors having undeniable sexual chemistry, it would be a groundbreaking turn of events. While a lot of shows have had gay teens or straight teens realize they’re gay, no one has had two people realize it. Plus, even shows like “90210″ who accepted all the credit for making their womanizer Teddy come out as gay put him on the back burner as soon as the press died down. Plus, since these characters are already developed we don’t have to worry about them becoming cliches. Stiles reads comic books and plays sports, which gay teens do all the time. It would be nice to have a gay teen on television who isn’t wearing bow ties and singing Barbra Streisand songs between Spanish classes. I think two gay characters who don’t fit the teen show mold of what a gay teen is supposed be would be a welcome change. And, the evolution of this relationship from worst enemies to a sort of friendship then to a romantic relationship would not only be great TV but another amazing stride in the queerification of television. Now, there are a few set backs. Stiles jokingly came out to his father when he was caught sneaking into a gay club and Derek barked for someone to get Stiles away from him when they were injured a few episode ago. But, I feel these incidents can be explained away and if the writers are stumped they should consult the heaps of fan-fiction written about the two that litters the “Teen Wolf” tag on sites like Tumblr.

Season Three of “Teen Wolf” is currently in development so that is the point of this open letter. I won’t be mad if Stiles and Derek remain heterosexuals who are trapped in a bromance. But, I will be mad if their sexual chemistry and the desire for them to get together felt by me and countless others is exploited. They recently used the pair in their campaign for the Teen Choice Awards. And, in a recent episode the gay subtext was so heavy I was surprised one of the other characters didn’t trip over it. So essentially, if you’re not going to take this storyline on and deal with all of it’s complications then please don’t wave it in my face to keep me interested. That’s called Queer Bating, and it has the same effect on me that the full moons have on Scott.

Avengers Assemble… Again

When I tell people how excited I am about “the Avengers”, or super hero movies in general they seem to be surprised. But, I would like to remind people before I was a designer clothes shopping, Adam Levine crush carrying, “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” watching gay man, I was once a little boy. And while I was born gay, my tastes didn’t catch up until adolescence. So that meant that until around 11, I had the same interests as most other boys – cars, Power Rangers, and super heroes. Now aside from being very ignorant, assuming that I was a nine year old Vogue subscriber because that’s who I am today is also short sided. Because, in my opinion super heroes are super gay. Um, big buff guys who are good people with a drive to be normal and accepted members of society but this one thing that makes them different is not accepted by others? And in turn they are labeled as freaks and treated poorly? GAY! Don’t even get me started on my theory that the X-Men is a representation of gay people in hetero-normative society. Also, Professor X and Magneto? Lovers. If you don’t believe me watch “X-Men: First Class”. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender have more chemistry on screen than most romantic comedy couples.

Who would have thought that a “Thor” movie would be so successful? Moreover, who would have thought that “Thor” himself, Chris Hemsworth would be so dreamy?

Anyway, let’s get back on track… I am super excited about this week’s release of “the Avengers”. The movie is a perfect mix to appeal to my inner child who loves super heroes and comics books. But, with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston it appeals to my gay side as well. What’s odd is my excitement over this franchise is a recent development. As a child, I was always much more of a fan of the DC comic universe. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. But, in recent years DC has been unable to get it together. A failed attempt at relaunching their Superman franchise a few years back and then the terrible Green Lantern film with Ryan Reynolds. While their Batman franchise is spectacular, I find it to be too dark. “Batman Begins” and “the Dark Knight” are great, but they’re not the kind of films I could or even would watch over and over again. As a kid I loved Spiderman, who is arguably Marvel’s biggest property. But, I was only vaguely aware of Captain America, The X-Men and the Fantastic Four. And, characters like Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye who round out the Avengers were not at all known to me. But, after watching Marvel build and develop this series over the last few years, I count myself among the millions of fanboys excited about the film.

Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. and I in 2010.

It was in 2008 with the release of “Iron Man”, that I think Marvel changed their standing all together. They took who I would consider to be a B-list character and with a little A-list talent, a well written script and a great production made a blockbuster. They then built on Iron Man’s red shoulders and developed a universe. They released “The Incredible Hulk, “Iron Man 2″, “Thor” and finally “Captain America”. Proving that if you do it right, a less popular character can anchor a huge summer blockbuster. If someone told me as a child that Thor would beat the Green Lantern and Captain America at the box office in a few years I would laugh. While all of the films are terrific in their own right, the Iron Man movies are my favorite. RDJ was born to play the role. Plus his playful but sexy chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts is just about my favorite. I was excited to hear that Paltrow would be featured in “the Avengers”, regardless of how briefly. Aside from her chemistry with Downey, she is one of my favorite actresses.

Mark Ruffalo and I earlier this week after a taping of Jimmy Fallon. When asked he told me a Hulk movie was not set in stone… yet. Regardless of what the internet says.

Now, while I am singing the praises of Marvel and their ability to build an entire blockbuster movie universe, I do feel obligated to point out the 8 foot, 1400 lb, green beast in the room. Mark Ruffalo joins the team as Bruce Banner and from what I have heard from reviews and word of mouth he is the best of the three actors who have portrayed the not so jolly green giant. However, the fact that he is the third actor, affter Eric Bana and Ed Norton is kind of terrible. Rumors have been swirling that Ruffalo has signed a 6-movie deal with Marvel and will star in a Hulk movie of his own. Well, I can reveal that is not the case… at least not yet. When I met Ruffalo I congratulated him on the success of this film and asked him if a Hulk movie was imminent. He told me “not yet exactly, it’s still in discussion.” So I guess we’ll see.

Aside from being a really nice guy, Tom Hiddleston is also amazing as the deliciously evil Loki in “Thor”.

While a Hulk movie may be a way off, the Avengers is finally here and opens tonight at 12:01 all over the United States. Reaction has been positive so far, and I am interested to see how the Avengers interact with each other. But, also how much we see of them. Four of these characters have had their own movies, will each one have their own chance to shine? Also, while he was deliciously sinister as the thorn in Thor’s side, will Tom Hiddleston’s Loki be a sizable foe to six of the world’s greatest heroes? Also with Iron Man and Thor sequels already in the works will these characters be able to stand alone after we’ve seen them stand together? If Tony Stark is having an issue, I am going to think why not call up Bruce Banner? Or set up a portal and beam in Thor for help?

Luckily, my wait for answers is down to a few hours. And, I will keep you posted on my thoughts. But, as of right now I feel comfortable calling “the Avengers” the film to beat this summer. While I am very excited about the Andrew Garfield led Spidey reboot and can’t wait to see Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in “The Dark Knight Rises”, I think that this film is the one that will end up with the biggest bounty at the box office. I just hope for my inner child and comic book nerd that DC gets their shit sorted out. I have always dreamed of a Justice League movie and think that “the Avengers” shows how possible that is. Thankfully while we wait for DC, we have what at this point seems like an infinite universe to explore thanks to Marvel.

Josh Hutcherson Makes It Even Easier to Love Him…

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I rarely revisit topics on BEST Blog, but after last week Josh Hutcherson has earned another post.

I rarely revisit topics on this blog, I think once I’ve given my views on things it’s better to move on. Unless they change, there’s no point in rehashing old things. That’s how dead horses end up getting beaten. And, as an animal lover I am unable to stand for the abuse of horses. Even if they’re previously deceased. But, I feel so passionately about this particular topic I need to revisit it. Last month when the Hunger Games premiered I posted about how charisma, talent and charm helped me go from being ambivalent towards Josh Hutcherson to really liking him. With “the Hunger Games” grossing 350 million dollars the entire cast has been in the media constantly. This has allowed me to know what Jennifer Lawerence wears to the airport, what Liam Hemsworth buys at Whole Foods and that Josh Hutcherson is the most awesome mother fucker to walk this earth other than myself.

First, I saw his indie slasher comedy and SXSW feature “Detention”. Initially after seeing the movie I was not a fan as it felt too all over the place. There was a thin explanation given about how the students were able to time travel, and a bit about a student being half-insect goes all but unexplained. However, with each passing day I came to think of the film more and more positively. I realized how many references Director Joesph Khan threw in from his years of music video directing. Then while telling a friend about the film I recalled how struck I was by the whip smart dialogue and fun on screen pop up graphics. But, the final nail in the coffin was that for days after seeing it I couldn’t stop thinking about the final scene where Josh Hutcherson and his on-screen love Shanley Caswell recreate the final dance from the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing”, to a modern remix of “Mmm Bop” by Hanson. The film is currently in extremely limited release in ten US cities, but I think once the film is released on DVD and made available on Netflix it will find its audience. I feel with it’s sci-fi, slasher and comedic elements plus a witty commentary on the cyber generation that it will undoubtedly gain a cult following. If you are lucky enough to live in one of the ten cities showing “Detention” be sure to check it out.

Wearing a three piece suit, fighting for equality, making homos swoon. All in a days work...

The other, and more serious reason to love Josh Hutcherson this week came when he was honored at the GLAAD Awards. When researching Josh for my initial post on him, I came to learn about his work with “Straight but Not Narrow”. A group dedicated to dispelling misconceptions about gay people to high school aged students. During the media’s inescapable coverage of “the Hunger Games” cast it was revealed Josh had lost two gay relatives to AIDS and was inspired by them to be active in the movement for LGTB equality. It was due to his work towards that goal and his involvement in SBNN that earned him the GLAAD Vanguard award. At first, I was nervous that the Vangaurd award might be a little premature. But, those feelings were dispelled after seeing Josh’s emotional, intelligent and heart string tugging acceptance speech. Calling for equality not just in marriage but in all aspects and even going as far as to discuss his hopes for his own children should they be gay, Josh pretty much made it impossible to not love him.

 

In addition to the GLAAD Vangaurd Award, Josh recently picked up LOGO’s “New, Now, Next Award” for Next Mega Star. So it seems that the LGTB community has just as much love and support for Josh as he does for us. I think at this point it would take a Michael Richards type racial tirade or personal attack from Josh himself to get me to not love him. Although, his rumored flirting with Emma Roberts is not winning him any points on the BEST Blog scoreboard. However, the buzz stemming from his indie films “Carmel” and “7 Dias en La Habana” will keep him in my good graces. Until their release, I will look forward to the good work I can expect from Josh onscreen and off.

GCB : Good Christian Brian

Kristen Chenoweth puts the Good and Bitch in GCB.

Last Sunday, ABC launched a new prime time soap to replace the spot placated by my beloved Pan Am. The new series starring Kristen Chenoweth, Leslie Bibb and Annie Potts is called GCB – aka Good Christian Bitches. The show details the homecoming of a former mean girl (Bibb) and the hell she faces once she gets there at the hands of her high school rival (Chenoweth) and her own Texas beauty queen mother (Potts). The show is no Pan Am, but it is pretty good. A lovely, soapy prime time dish which blends a lighter take on Desperate Housewives, an adult version of Mean Girls and throws in some of the Lord’s good news for good measure.

What makes the show most interesting to me, is how timely it’s arrival is for the events in my own life. On Christmas morning, to mark it being the day my mother passed away I headed to my local parish, Saint Margaret’s to pay respects. I realized during the mass how nice it felt connecting to the higher power that I feel is out there that I began going weekly. I will admit I am not sure exactly how much of the Catholic church’s beliefs I hold myself. But, I do believe that there is a God or a greater power that is watching over and helping me. Which is one thing the church and I definitely agree on. Something about being somewhere, where I could thank that being for watching, blessing and helping me felt great. Essentially, it felt nice to acknowledge that there was something in the universe greater than myself.

Dear God, pray for these girls and their fashion sins...

The reaction to my church going has been much like the reviews for GCB, less than stellar. Some people are mystified how I could go and participate in a service run by an organization that disapproves of gay people. Others think it’s funny that I Brian Tuft, hyper critical, materialistic, judgmental super bitch is hanging out with Jesus. I do have to say, I expected all of that. I admit there have been a few times I’ve vetoed someone’s outfit or rolled my eyes at someone being tardy to mass and thought oh Lord, please make less judgmental. But, that is something that I have been working on even before I judged former classmates for wearing sweat pants and Ugg boots to God’s house on Sunday. Some people may believe that God created the universe in 6 days, but I think it’s going to take a little longer to cure me of my judgmental ways. Unforutnatly.

And, that’s what drew me to GCB, when I learned that it was about Kristen Chenoweth and her friends who are in Church every Sunday but use their beliefs as a weapon I was struck. I think that the show is actually pretty smart for that reason, it showcases a lot of the hypocrisy stemming from the Catholic church. And seems poised to tackle a lot of moral and immoral material. Cheating, stealing and even gay husbands! Lord have mercy. Speaking of, it goes without saying I think that the Church needs to modernize a tad in order to survive. Just as it has accepted divorce, children out of wedlock and remarriages it needs to open its eyes to the gay community. I understand why their view is what it is – they’re stuck in the past. But, I know for a fact that God fully intended for me to be gay. I had my doubts at times. But, when my Republican aunt who has lived in both Dallas and the deep south told me she accepted and loved me for who I am and knew I was born that way I knew it had to be part of some divine plan.

Sometimes, I've needed to pray for the strength to not scream out in protest during mass.

Finally, my church going hasn’t been all heavenly. There was a week where the priest’s sermon was about abortion and that like chewing nails was hard to swallow. But, again I understand their views and where they are coming from, I just don’t think that’s an issue all people will ever be unified on. Overall I have enjoyed having a moment in my Sunday to go and give thanks for my charmed life and surrender to something greater than myself. And, I have tried in the past to find that place outside of the Catholic church, nothing else has stuck. I may not play by all their rules and they may preach some things I don’t understand but I don’t think I will ever find a perfect religion. No one I know has ever had the perfect relationship with any religion. So I am going to hope that God and the powers that be, help me to continue become a better, more thankful, less judgmental person but also help those poor lost souls who think wearing sweatpants and Ugg boots in public, never mind to Church, find the light. Amen!

Magic Matt

Yesterday after I posted my essay on Channing Tatum, I fell asleep and slept until late in the afternoon. Shameful, I know. I woke up to some good news; Matt Bomer, star of White Collar, the upcoming Magic Mike and my sexual fantasies had come out as a gay man. Matt Bomer’s sexuality has been a hot button issue for as long as I can remember. When his USA Network show White Collar premiered I saw the ads all over town and found myself swooning. Sadly, I didn’t get on board with White Collar and still haven’t, truth be told. But, whenever anyone discussed the show or Matt himself it seemed that the question of his sexuality inevitably came up. While most actors who refuse to address their sexuality usually annoy me, I had no problem with Matt keeping his personal life personal. Even without confirmation or denial regarding his sexuality, he continued to support all sorts of LGBT charities, causes and organizations including my personal favorite, the Trevor Project. Most times, when an actor refuses to address their sexuality they avoid the topic all together. Matt was still able to put his weight and talent behind issues important to his fellow gays, he just chose not to talk about who he went home to at night. So while I am happy to hear that he has confirmed what we all assumed, I had no problem with him keeping a few details about himself private.

But, that all changed Sunday night. While making his acceptance speech at the Desert AIDS Project’s Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards he mentioned his family. Saying “I’d really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, (and) Henry.” As a fan of Matt Bomer, and as a gay man I was excited to get this confirmation from him. But, I was even more thrilled that it was done in such a simple, understated way. No People Magazine covershoot proclaiming “YUP I’M GAY” just a simple mention of his family while he accepted an award. I think that sometimes people look at celebrities being gay as this crazy big news and defining factor. Its nice to see it addressed without actually being addressed.

Matt Bomer and I on the set of White Collar a few years ago...

I do admit Matt’s shout out was not all good news, because him having this family he loves so much means that there is like no hope for me. I will never be the one who unbuttons Matthew’s white collar Like I said earlier, I may not watch his show but I am quite a fan. Ever since a brief encounter with him one afternoon a few years back. My friend June who does watch the show had taken me with her to the set. I am not someone who usually gets nervous around celebrities but I was struck by Matt’s handsome good looks, beautiful eyes and all around charm. So him being in a relationship is kind of a blow to my dreams. However, I will take solace in the fact that a celebrity coming out was done in the most normal and understated of ways and not met with a tidal wave of publicity and a cheesy barefoot People cover shoot. Because at the end of the day, as a gay man I want the same things that everyone has. Whenever a celebrity confirms that they’re straight there is not a tabloid cover marking the occasion. Hopefully this trend of tasteful and understated coming out stories will become the norm in Hollywood. Matt will continue doing great things for the gay community when he stars in A Mighty Heart as a gay man diagnosed with AIDS and Prop 8 a stage production about the California gay marriage ban. Most importantly to me, he will be featured in this summer’s Magic Mike as I mentioned yesterday. In closing, I just want to put it out there if it doesn’t work out with you and your man, Matt please call me.