december 2016/january 2017
METROSOURCE
PEOPLE WE LOVE
december 2016/january 2017
Tom ford david bowie laverne cox Sarah Paulson and More
Andy Cohen
opens his diary
gift guide wrappEd attention
people we love
fuzzy business get your pet set
mugs & kisses Come in-store to get your free stuff and start your married life together.
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TIME
publisher’s letter
The People Who Break the Mold i’m so pleased to feature andy cohen on the cover of this issue of metrosource as he celebrates the release of his new book Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries. Andy is someone I’ve seen around NYC for years — from community events to the streets of Chelsea and the beaches of Fire Island. So it’s especially exciting to see his continued high-profile success when it comes to the worlds of television, radio and the printed word. What is it about Andy Cohen that strikes a chord with people? He’s so funny and yet so real. He reminds me more of a friend than most people I see on television. He seems genuinely unafraid to share his foibles and idiosyncracies, to get silly and stirred up about what excites him, to genuinely put himself out there. He’s both the kind of person that anyone could relate to, and yet admirably outspoken enough to express opinions many of us might think but would not dare to say out loud. I also can’t help but be impressed by the way his dogged determination took his career from working behind the scenes to being in the spotlight. It’s especially fitting that Andy, the only openly gay talk show host in late-night, tops this year’s list of “People We Love”because he’s the kind of person who breaks the mold. It’s something he has in common with many on this year’s list: the designer who defied expectations in order to explore his passion for film, the musicians who dared to redefine masculinity, the creators of television programs that represent our community in exciting new ways. And, in this year when trans rights have been such an important issue, I’m glad that we can champion the convention-defying achievements of leading lady Laverne Cox and cinematic storytellers Lana and Lilly Wachowski. To me, discussing the accomplishments of these unique individuals is so much more interesting than yet another story about the people we see covered in the media all the time. Who needs to hear more about the latest drama in the life of Kim Kardashian? So let us end the year by raising a glass to those who march to the beat of their own drum and who aren’t afraid to be real and just be themselves. With that, on behalf of the Metrosource family, I wish you all a beautiful holiday season and a Happy New Year. ■
celebrating with cinema
Courtesy paramount
heartstring-tugger It’s a Wonderful Life turns 70 this year, and for many, it’s become an integral part of celebrating the season. What films are an essential part of your holiday? A. Classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. B. Modern hits such as Home Alone or Love, Actually. C. Animated fare like A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. D. Cult picks such as Bad Santa or Nightmare Before Christmas. Share your favorites by commenting at metrosource.com, liking us at facebook.com/metrosource or tweeting to us @MetrosourceMag with the hashtag #MerryMetroFilms.
CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 | VOLUME 27, NO. 6
24
22 petrosource
28 GIFT GUIDE
36 ANDY COHEN
Britney Spears is in her Glory.
39 people we love
homemade treats, GPS-
holiday shopping can
OUR COVER GUY GIVES US
THEY TOLD OUR STORIES,
equipped collars, a deluxe D.C. doggie vacation and a look inside the life of Marc Jacobs’ bull terrier Neville are all a part of the furry fun in our annual salute to pets.
feel like an epic undertaking. Jump-start your imagination with options from pop culture stocking stuffers to unique home decor and the ideal gifts to give – and get.
a peek inside his celebstudded life, including what it’s like to be the only gay host on late night TV and why he’s revealing more than ever before in his latest book.
stood up for our rights, reinvented their careers, took big risks, broke new ground, endured in the face of tragedy, and made 2016 a year worth remembering.
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bring on the
editor’s letter
To Elope or Nope? as we’ve spent recent weeks finishing up this issue about 2016’s “People We Love,” it occurs to
me that this was also the year I very nearly married the person I love. It all started this August, as we were approaching the one-year anniversary of the big proposal. At the time I had not thought of a year as a long time to be engaged. My fiancé Justin and I had already been together for over five years, and at the very least, it seemed neither of us was in imminent danger of giving birth out of wedlock. Yet persistent questions from well-meaning friends and family made it seem like it had been a long time to be engaged without making more concrete plans. We’d tried. We considered venues: rolling vineyards, beautiful old theaters, a pavillion that came with its very own carousel. But nothing had quite felt right (e.g. the bathroom situation at the otherwise charming carousel space was particularly dire). We discussed themes for clothing and decor — notionally leaning toward something with a “roaring ‘20s” feel, but we hadn’t tried on suits or considered table settings. We had attempted to make a guest list, which turned out to be nearly double the number of people we had agreed was reasonable. We hadn’t even touched food or music. The more I thought about how many decisions there were to be made, the the more I felt too overwhelmed to make any. I began having visions of getting married with just a handful of guests in some sort of secluded forest glen.“I almost wish we could just get married while we’re on vacation next week,” I pouted, as we were about to head to the beach with a few of our closest friends (one of whom was licensed to perform the ceremony). It turned out that Justin thought that could be a pretty good idea, and suddenly it was “the plan.” There was, however, the small matter of finding my birth certificate. I recalled having had it for some passport-related matter a few years ago. I even had an idea of what box to look in. But I couldn’t find it in that box. Nor was it in the next box. I began frantically sorting through piles of magazine back issues and old financial documents. I emptied bags of costume pieces, unpacked childhood keepsakes, checked to see if it had gotten folded inside the pages of favorite books. I tore through the apartment — several times nearly falling from a chair on which I had perched precariously to scour high closet shelves. Justin decided to look up and read aloud to me the byzantine process by which we might potentially get a replacement copy. Finally — with the apartment a mess and my sanity in doubt — I gave up, tearfully informing Justin the universe clearly did not want us to have an impromptu wedding. The next day, Justin found my birth certificate; I’d missed it in the very first box I opened. Though glad it was no longer lost, I did not immediately declare Operation Sudden Wedding back on. The sheer heights of mania I had reached trying to find one piece of paper had helped me realize that I was not ready to face this most important of days, and that — whether we ended up saying “I do”on a beach or at a banquet hall — we needed to do it at a time and place that felt right, not simply to get out of making decisions. I also told Justin that if it did feel right again while we were on vacation, I wasn’t necessarily opposed to going for it then and there. But once we had gathered with our friends, we began having such a truly happy time that I lost all desire to turn it into something else. The situation was perfect just the way we had planned it. I hoped one day our wedding would be, too. So, while I continue to plan the big day with the guy I love, I’m pleased to share this issue dedicated to the “People We Love.” May you all have lovely holidays and head into the new year feeling happy, healthy and secure in the location of all your potentially important identifying documents. comment on this letter at metrosource.com.
publisher Rob Davis editor-in-chief Paul Hagen creative director Gayle Van Wely associate editor Kevin Phinney SEnior Designer Jayson Mena copy editor Kevin Phinney proofreader Barbara Mele Contributing writers Mathew Gross,
Matt Gurry, Madison Gulbin, Willie Ildefonso, Jeffrey James Keyes, Scott A. Kramer, Christopher Lisotta, Terence O’Brien, Kevin Phinney, Jonathan Roche, Eric Rosen, Wade Rouse, Jeff Simmons, Megan Venzin associate publisher Evelyn Vayner account manager Don Alderson Office Manager Luswin Cote INTERN Madison Gulbin For national advertising inquiries, call 212-691-5127. Subscriptions - One year (six issues): $19.95; 12 issues: $34.95. Direct editorial inquiries and subscription orders to the NY office. For local advertising contact the local sales office.
Metrosource Publishing Inc. Metrosource LA Inc. 111 West 19th Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10011 646-892-2060 Or contact us on the web at www.metrosource.com. Reproduction of any article, listing or advertisement without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The people, businesses and organizations appearing in Metrosource are supportive of the gay community. Mention of any person, business or organization is not a reflection of their sexual orientation. © 2016 Metrosource Publishing Incorporated. All rights reserved. Metrosource is a registered trademark of Metrosource Publishing Incorporated.
Printed in the United States.
DEPARTMENTS the people we love issue
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
43
culture
6 Metroscope Visit Bernadette Peters’ Jungle, Mariah Carey’s world tour, and Gay Ski Week in Aspen. All that and more...in scope!
13 TRAVEL Traditional ways to celebrate the holidays in Greece. photo courtesy Smallz & Raskind/The CW.
14 screen Gael García Bernal hunts Neruda, while Cynthia Nixon embodies Dickinson.
24 music Britney finds Glory, Kristin defines Elegance and Idina takes us on her own ride.
34 books cover photo Smallz & Raskind/Bravo
Design with Hoppen, dream with Cumming, and remember Gay Gotham.
Body 17 metro hiv We observe World AIDS Day with a salute to those who dared to speak up.
48 HEALTH Say no to gym fatigue with cool winter sports that burn up the calories.
views 27 diary Wade’s aunt teaches him that life is beautiful when you dare to be different.
52 POV Rafi isn’t sure he has what it takes to blend with his boisterous in-laws. 56 LAST CALL Carson Kressley plays games on TV — from Family Feud to the revamped Apprentice.
“Blanche transformed herself into someone new on a daily basis. One day, she’d wear a turban and arch her eyebrows like Cleopatra; the next, she would sport glittery eye shadow and fake eyelashes big as butterflies.” —wade rouse froM “my own auntie mame” in DIARY
metroscope 1} stage advice
when pierre met natasha mention of leo tolstoy’s opus war and peace is often enough to induce yawns: not this time!
Perhaps that’s because just 70 pages of the 1,225 masterpiece are chronicled in the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Its off-Broadway production won rave reviews, and the latest iteration features multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban as Pierre in his Broadway debut. Opposite him as Natasha is Denée Benton, fresh from her turn in season two of UnReal. The show finds Natasha in Moscow weighing whether to continue her dalliance with a married man as the affair threatens to ruin her reputation. Can Pierre save her from scandal before the comet arrives? Find out at the Imperial Theater. greatcometbroadway.com
IN SCOPE: mariah carey aspen gay ski week alexander mcqueen taraji p. henson More…
00
april/may 2015
metrosource.com
2} LISTEN UP
jungle fever
IMAGES - Previous Page: Josh Groban, Denée Benton courtesy Jason Bell • This Page: Bernadette Peters courtesy KATZ PR • Mariah Carey courtesy Evans Vestal Ward/NBC Universal
when a zany little comedy
about the world of classical music took home not one but two Golden Globes in 2016, it was something of a surprise as the show (though a critical darling), hadn’t reached the cultural saturation of fellow Amazon series Transparent. Nevertheless, Mozart in the Jungle returns for season three a big winner — boasting performances by Metrosource faves including Gael Garcia Bernal as a tempermental conductor and Bernadette Peters as a beleaguered board member. This year, Bernal is also slated to direct an episode, and it looks like Peters won’t be the only one showing off her impressive pipes; Spectre standout Monica Belluci is set to join the cast playing an iconic opera singer as the show’s fictional New York Symphony heads to Europe. The season debuts December 9. amazon.com
2
Last Season, Peters’ character rediscovered her voice. But will she sing again?
3} THE TV SET
sweet fantasy? ever wonder what it’s like to be
Mariah Carey? A new docuseries promises a look beyond the flashbulbs into the personal life of the “elusive chanteuse” and if the peek into her world that we got in the cult classic episode of MTV’s Cribs is any indication, there’s going to be plenty to see. Over the course of eight episodes, Mariah’s World tracks the Grammy Winner as she embarks on her “Sweet Sweet Fantasy” tour of the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. Now add to that the sure-to-bejuicy fallout of her breakup with ex-fiancé Australian business mogul James Packer. Catch the premiere December 4. eonline.com
3
Oh, that’s just Mariah Carey, sporting her casual look for day.
metrosource.com
december 2016/january 2017
YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH
That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.
What is DESCOVY ? ®
DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.
DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY? Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include: • •
•
•
Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.
Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY. Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems. Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects:
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY?
What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? •
•
•
•
Buildup of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
•
•
•
•
All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY. If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/ medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.
Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.
4} circuit shakers FIRE AND ICE
ring in the new year, hit the
slopes and meet Mr. Leather. Masterbeat 2017 December 30-January 2 Masterbeat
will
once
again
boast the biggest New Year’s Eve bash in Los Angeles with a multi-venue extravaganza that includes Arena Cafe, The Belasco, The Mayan, and Stock Exchange. masterbeat.com Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend January 13-15 January means a changing Of
the guard in Washington D.C. That’s when judges select Mr. MidAtlantic Leather 2017. In addition to the contest, the weekend always features a spectacular closing night dance party, plus leather-themed cocktails and, of course, brunch. leatherweekend.com Aspen Gay Ski Week January 15-22 The slopes are alive from the
opening night party at Hotel Jerome until the Saturday night red swimsuit pool party. Aspen Gay Ski Week will celebrate its 40th Anniversary with hot tubbing, the “Belly Up Aspen” comedy show and dance party, and a highly-anticipated Downhill Drag Costume Competition. gayskiweek.com Whistler Pride and Ski Festival January 22-29 Men from over 26 countries will
flock to Whistler for their 25th annual Pride and Ski Festival. The robust slate of programming will include daily Happy Hour events, comedy shows, late-night theme parties and specialty activities for bears, lesbians and circuit boys. gaywhistler.com
5} art beat
seams new past exhibitions at the met cos-
tume Institute have focused on geographic regions, cultural movements and important designers, but this season’s exhibition will be more of a “best of” — looking at some of the most exciting pieces acquired over the last ten years, representing fashions from the 18th century through current trends. Unpacking Fashion will present many of its pieces in boxes or packing crates as though they had just arrived — reminding visitors that even the most historic of garments were once the hottest new thing. Start unpacking November 18. metmuseum.org.
6} ink spotted in his skin
long before his death, Alexander
McQueen had ceased to be a mere name and become a brand synonymous with the extraordinary: sharp angles, jarring contrasts, animalistic rawness. But even as his pieces exuded confidence, the man behind them hid. Andrew Wilson’s Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin — recently re-issued in paperback from Scribner — explores the designer’s inner life with testimonies from friends and family of “Lee” (as McQueen liked to be called) to create a portrait of a shy youth, brother, lover, fashion visionary and troubled soul. Andrew Haigh is slated to direct a film adaptation in 2017. andrewwilsonauthor.co.uk
Text by Paul Hagen, Madison Gulbin and Jeffrey James Keyes.
6
Wilson explores the extraordinary, all-too-brief life of an iconic, fashionforward introvert.
5
This kaleidoscope of butterflies was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
BIG GIRLs NOW mark
your
calendars
for
December 7, and get ready to take a trip back to 1960s Baltimore because Hairspray Live! is about to arrive. The musical (lovingly adapted from John Waters’ film) follows plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show and ends up questioning the nature of beauty and equality. Its stellar cast will include Jennifer Hudson, Derek Hough (pictured), Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short and Harvey Fierstein, reprising the drag-extravaganza he originated on Broadway. With direction by Kenny Leon (of the critically lauded The Wiz Live!) and choreography by the always-impressive Jerry Mitchell, Hairspray’s beat just may be unstoppable. nbc.com
8
Taraji, Octavia and Janelle balance math and motherhood.
7
Hough will be singing and dancing with the stars in Hairspray Live!
8} good thing
MATH back Katherine Johnson, Dorothy
Vaughan and Mary Jackson are probably names you’ve never heard of — but without them Neil Armstrong might never have set foot on the moon. In Hidden Figures, director Theodore Melfi brings to life the story of three African American women who were crucial in the “Space Race” of the ‘60s. In addition to the fact that it features performers we love — irrepressible Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and music phenomenon Janelle Monae play the unsung mathematicians and engineers, we’re excited to see their characters get credit for contributing to history after being so long overlooked because of their gender and race. foxmovies.com
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december 2016/january 2017 metrosource.com
IMAGES - Previous Page: Sarah Burton Dress Courtesy met costume institute • Alexander McQueen courtesy Scribner • This page: Derek Hough courtesy Brian Bowen/Nbc universal • Hidden Figures courtesy fox movies
7 } can’t miss
TRAVEL
takes center stage: Vasilopita (“St. Basil’s Pie”). Similar to someone celebrating Mardi Gras with a King Cake, Greeks bake a flouri (“lucky coin”) into the sweet loaf. The head of household marks the top of the loaf with an “X” and then cuts symbolic slices to honor certain holy figures before serving everyone — ostensibly from oldest to youngest. According to tradition, whoever finds the flouri will have good luck in the new year. BEWARE OF GOBLINS Around this time of year, you may also hear some talk of kallikántzari (“hobgoblins”). These troublesome little elf-like creatures supposedly surface between Christmas and the Epiphany, when they are credited with causing mischief — overturning furniture, devouring food and finding any way they can to frighten people. To ward them off, some women sprinkle holy water throughout their houses or burn incense outside their doors.
Greek holiday
Celebrating Christmas and greeting the New Year on one the world’s most picturesque peninsulas. BY MADISON GULBIN
photo by madison gulbin.
There are times and places in life that seem
to leave an imprint on your soul. For me, that describes many moments in my recent visit to Greece — the taste of a gyro in Athens, the feeling of hiking up to the sanctuary at Delphi, the sound of laughter on the breeze in Santorini (pictured, above). Though I don’t speak Greek, communicating was never a problem as almost everyone I met spoke English and welcomed me warmly. Naturally a place with such storied history and rich culture offers reasons to visit any time of year, but I wanted to share a taste of what you’d experience if you headed to this land of great food and gregarious people during the holiday season.
jolly old st. nikolaos Fans of Santa Claus might be interested to know that jolly old elf got his start in the 4th century as the Greek Bishop Nikolaos of Myra. You’ll know it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas when the Greeks decorate karavaki (“small boats”) with blue and white lights that illuminate streets and shorelines around the country. You’ll likely hear children caroling through cobblestone streets, and see tables heaped high with delicacies like Christopsomo, a traditional bread made with nuts and raisins. LuCKY SLICE On New Year’s Day, a different Greek dish
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MASK To participate in a unique Greek holiday that’s been around for centuries, head to Kastoriá, in Northern Greece, where they recreate a threeday Dionyssian custom known as ragoutsária from the 6th to the 8th of January. Participants disguise themselves with frightening masks in order to fend off “evil spirits,” then travel house to house asking to be rewarded for their service. This takes place in the midst of a carnival atmosphere as visitors and locals join together to drink, sing and dance to traditional folk musicians playing in the streets. The final day culminates with a huge gathering in a medieval square where an assortment of bands convene to create music together. That’s less than a month of what awaits visitors to this colorful country of crystal blue oceans and verdant green mountains, where the food is like nothing you’ve ever tasted in an American Greek restaurant and the boundless joy of the people will leave you yearning to return. ■
metrosource.com
DECEMBER 2016/ JANUARY 2017
13
screen
Poetry in Motion Pedro Almadovar’s latest explores how we’re haunted by our past selves, Isabelle Huppert plays a woman with a surprising reaction to violence, and two films about poets capture the spirit of their work. by Jonathan roche NERUDA With Neruda, Director Pablo Larraín crafts a film as poetic as its subject: Nobel Prize winning writer, senator, and political dissident, pablo
Neruda. As right-wing forces are in the midst of locking down 1940s Chile, a ruthless cop named Óscar played by Gael García Bernal (pictured, above) is tasked with hunting down Neruda on charges as an outspoken and internationally renowned communist. As delicately as a beam of sunlight moving across a quiet room, the focus of the narrative shifts over the course of the film from Pablo to Óscar, whose frequent voiceovers are in many ways as sublime as Neruda’s own work. Eventually, their duelling forms of verse meld until it seems as though we may be seeing Neruda’s narrative as an author who is writing the story of his own villain — or perhaps even of two men, each having a dream about his adversary. THE WORD: The actors in both leading roles do exceptional work in a story that deepens steadily over the course of the film. where to watch: In Theaters
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december 2016/january 2017
metrosource.com
Photos: Facing page• Gael García Bernal courtesy the orchard / this page • cynthia nixon & Jennifer Ehle courtesy music box films / isabelle Huppert by Guy Ferrandis / Courtesy Sony Pictures classics
A QUIET PASSION If you’re going to make a film about the great, reclusive American poet Emily Dickinson, you’d be smart to cast Cynthia Nixon — despite the
fact that Dickinson was famously homely and Nixon is clearly anything but. Just the same, Nixon’s legacy as Miranda on Sex and the City seems to have destined her to play smart women of unorthadox beauty (such as her Eleanor Roosevelt in Warm Springs). But nowhere has she done it better than in A Quiet Passion. Director Terence Davies shows us Dickinson through a personal lens of the family life she clung to so tenaciously, offering Keith Carradine and Jennifer Ehle dual opportunities to shine as Emily’s father and sister. THE WORD: The real star here is language: both marvelously canny dialogue and eloquent quotes from the poet herself, which seem to almost become part of the film’s score. WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters
ELLE While it’s true that this film tells the story of
the life, love and inner struggles of a fabulous French woman, such appelations vastly understate the amount of sex, violence and intrigue on screen in Elle. Of course that’s to be expected from Paul Verhoeven — the director of lowbrow treats like Basic Instinct, RoboCop and Total Recall — who here serves up a savory rue of civility and savagery. Michèle, played by the exquisite Isabelle Huppert, has a beautiful life that’s suddenly upended by an act of extreme violence. As she processes her ordeal and a wealth of other intense dramas from both her past and present (with occasionally perplexing and delightfully unflappable detachment), her simultaneously icy and hot nature becomes ever more fascinating. THE WORD: Verhoeven keeps the shocks coming throughout this intelligent, often salacious, and sometimes darkly funny character portrait. WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters
JULIETA On the whole, Pedro Almodovar’s films tend
to focus on gay men or strong women. His latest, Julieta, falls into the latter category, introducing us to a middle-aged woman about to embark on a happy new chapter of her life when a chance encounter sends her on a mission to resolve an issue from her personal history. The film weaves together the stories of the title character’s present and the past, and the pair of actresses who play both older Julieta and younger Julieta (embroiled in a relationship with a fisherman named Xoan, pictured) are captivating as they unfold with Almadovar’s singular flair for colorful minutia. The plot is lent an air of authenticity from its loose ends; though their lack of resolution may sometimes feel unsettling, as in real life, not everything that happens ends up having some greater impact on the main story. THE WORD: Though the film suggests we can never truly escape who we once were, the consolation prize is that no part of us is ever truly lost. WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters
BLEED FOR THIS pattern: the hero is hungry for success but faces a defeat, and then there’s a training montage followed by a glorious victory. Bleed For This doesn’t depart drastically from this format, but somehow still manages to feel different. Credit for this goes to director Ben Younger, who chooses to tell its story simply and allow the considerable talent and charm of star Miles Teller (pictured) to do their work. Teller comes off as utterly likable as the man he portrays, a boxer named Vinnie, whose promising career was interrupted by a car accident that broke his neck. Aaron Eckhart — sporting a gut and a very high hairline — is also winning as Vinnie’s trainer; so are Katey Sagal an Ciarán Hinds as his parents. THE WORD: The nature of Vinnie’s injury may sound grim, but the film is far from it; it’s got the charisma to win audiences over and a come-back story that’s a knockout. WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters
16
december 2016/january 2017
metrosource.com
TK
Sports movies tend to follow a fairly fixed
Metrohiv
Elton John
IMAGES - Annie Lennox courtesy Lisette M. Azar/cbs • Elton John courtesy Sonja Flemming/CBS • Greg Louganis Courtesy ABC/Image Group LA
Annie Lennox
Outspoken, Surviving, Remembered This World AIDS Day, we recall the words of those who’ve continued to advance the public conversation about HIV: outspoken performers, stalwart survivors and icons we won’t forget. in recognition of the 29th annual World AIDS Day (December 1) we
pause to reflect on the high profile public figures who have spoken out about the state of the epidemic — those who dared to make audiences aware of people living with HIV, those who risked stigma by revealing their status, and late luminaries who’ve left wise words behind.
the outspoken annie lennox The former Eurthymic has been such a staunch advocate for raising awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS that even Queen Elizabeth lauded the singer/songwriter’s tireless efforts when awarding her the Order of the British Empire.“My contribution has been small,” Lennox demurred,“but my dream would be to see the end of AIDS in the not too distant future.”
ELTON JOHN The Rocket Man proved he’s a man of substance when he created the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised over $200 million for HIVrelated programs.“HIV/AIDS is a disease that not only attacks the human immune system; it also attacks the human social system. It infects our civic institutions with fear, our communities with hate... There is no medicine, no creation of science that will inoculate us (continued on page 21)
Greg Louganis
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Metrohiv (continued from page 17) from these social afflictions. That is why the cure for AIDS is a matter of educating minds and changing hearts,” he said.
said. “I’m now going to have that conversation every time I meet someone.” Pintauro is now happily married.
Madonna
Greg Louganis
Embraced by gay fans from the beginning, Madonna saw firsthand how the epidemic engendered both suffering and heroism.“When I first came up the whole AIDS epidemic was starting and the gay community that I experienced from the beginning of my career was mostly — and overwhelmingly — concerned with staying alive. ... People who were HIVpositive were treated so badly, and I was very disturbed,” said the icon. “But I also saw a lot of love and connection in the gay community.”
The Olympian did not allow HIV to hinder his being a role model. “I try to live by example — being gay, being HIV-positive — you know, life goes on. HIV taught me that I’m a lot stronger than I ever believed I was.“
the surviving magic johnson Johnson made headlines when he came out as HIV-positive in 1991 but dismissed rumors of a miracle cure surrounding his healthy appearance 24 years later:“I am not cured. I have just been taking my meds. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, and thank God.”
danny pintauro Pintauro revealed he was HIV-positive in 2015 and met the stigma of his diagnosis head-on. “There’s this awful feeling of ‘I’m never going to be able to have a good relationship, no one’s every going to want me,’” he
the remembered Keith haring Before passing in 1990, the artist warned how HIV might impact young people.“I think one of the hardest things AIDS has done is to kids growing up now, trying to figure out their sexuality in an unbiased way,” he said.“It gives so much fire to the people who are telling you that it’s wrong to be who you are.”
freddie mercury The day before the rock god and Queen frontman died, he released a statement which said in part: “I wish to confirm that I have tested HIV positive and have AIDS. ... The time has come for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me in the fight against this terrible disease.” That fight continues. (—By Scott A. Kramer, LCSW-R) ■ metrosource.com December 2016/january 2017
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petrosource celebrate the holidays in furry ways. by terence o’brien the holidays are a perfect time to cel-
ebrate your friends, including the four-legged ones. So we gathered together some treats to share with your favorite pets and pet lovers. DEAR DOGGY DIARY If you like fashion and dogs, you won’t want to miss Neville Jacobs: I’m Marc’s Dog. Nev-
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december 2016/january 2017
ille — the adorable bull terrier (pictured above) of fashion icon Marc Jacobs — has already amassed a following that almost rivals his owner’s. The book provides the kind of “pet’s eye view” into high fashion, celebrity glamour and global travel that any pet would envy. Surrounded by friends of both the canine and human variety (including supermodels
metrosource.com
CARBON COPIES Does your best friend need a best friend of his own? Petsies can transform photos of your pet into a perfect stuffed animal doppelganger (pictured, top of opposite page). Petsies can be a twin toy for your current pet, a tribute to a departed friend, or a substitute cuddle buddy for someone who loves your pooch almost as much as you do. Each Petsie is custom designed and handmade, and they’re not limited to dogs. They do cats, horses, birds, fish, and you can even sketch your own original animal creation and challenge Petsies to bring your imagination to life. All you need to do is send up to three images, and a replica of your best friend arrives about six weeks later. Petsies come in two versions: “Huggables” ($149) are more toylike, super soft and cuddly, and resemble a cartoon version of your pet.“Forevers” ($199) are more realistic, made from higher quality materials, and come fully airbrushed to match your pet’s individual markings and colorations. mypetsies.com THE WELL CONNECTED PET Every pet parent lives with concerns that their furry friends might go missing. If you fear your hound might pull a Houdini, new GPS enabled collars like Nuzzle and Whistle give owners the peace of mind that their pup can be tracked with an app on iOS or Android. Both trackers connect to the cellular network, so you’ll be able to pinpoint your pet’s location anywhere a cellphone signal will reach. Additionally — because fitness is as important to pets as humans — these col-
Neville Jacobs courtesy Rizzoli / : Petsies courtesy of petsies.com / Whistle courstsy of Whistle.com / Lord Monti courtesy JeffersonDC.com
like Christy Turlington and Karlie Kloss), Neville leads no ordinary dog’s life. It’s chronicled here in candid shots of Neville and Marc, more carefully-styled photography, and a selection of Neville’s Instagram posts. Proud pup parent Marc Jacobs writes: “[This is] a thank-you note and love letter to my beautiful Neville, who with every glance from those expressive little triangular eyes, every humanlike cuddly embrace, every spontaneous outburst of clownish silliness that makes me smile and laugh, calms me like nothing or no one ever has — and who fills my heart with the greatest happiness and joy, forever reminding me that pure goodness and true love really exist.” rizzoliusa.com
routes to explore the neighborhood with Kylie. Then, when her daddies headed out to explore museums and monuments, the staff offered to watch her, walk her, and pamper her with treats; so Jeffrey returned to a very happy girl. The Lord Monti Experience is $450 per night, five percent of which goes to PAW Rescue, an organization committed to rescuing homeless animals from high-kill animal control facilities. jeffersondc.com/dog-friendly
Petsies
lars also serve as activity monitors, essentially Fitbits for pets. This gives you a window into your pet’s fitness activity even when you’re not
Whistle
at home. Designed to fit on your pet’s existing collar, they work for cats and dogs of all sizes. How do the two compare? The Whistle (whistle.com) retails for $79, requires a monthly fee of $9.95, must be removed to charge about every ten days and only comes in gray. Meanwhile, the Nuzzle (hellonuzzle.com) is available in two colors, orange and purple, and is offered in small and large sizes. Its $189 price tag is more than double the Whistle, but there are no subscription service fees, and it ships with swappable batteries to be exchanged every five days to keep your pet connected.
source writer Jeffrey James Keyes took his dog Kylie to check out THE JEFFERSON in Washington, DC, where they’ve taken their pet program to a whole new level. Ostensibly, it’s all in the name of the hotel’s pet-in-residence Lord Monti (pictured, below), who invites canines to bring their humans to our Nation’s Capital to indulge in “The Lord Monti Experience.” Located in a Beaux Arts building just around the corner from the White House, the Jefferson is a blend of European and Washingtonian style with an abundance of historical touches that invoke the property’s presidential namesake. Kylie was warmly welcomed at the front door and ushered to a deluxe sweet, where her daddies found a bed fully laid out for her beside theirs, plus water and food dishes (including a freshly prepared meal) — in addition to treats and an enormous plush bone. The hotel was prepared with recommendations for dog-friendly restaurants and shops throughout the city and maps of the best
TREAT YOURSELF What’s the best way to know for sure what’s in your dog’s treats? Make them at home! This simple, healthy, tasty recipe for doggie cookies make a perfect homemade gift for the pet or pet lover in your life. Stir... ¾ cups of warm water ¼ cup melted butter Add... ½ cup powdered milk 1 tsp salt 1 large egg Combine with... 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup oatmeal ¼ wheat germ Roll dough into a ½ inch thick layer and, using a pet-themed cookie cutter (you can find them on fancyflours.com), stamp out shapes and bake in a 325° degree oven for 50 minutes. Lightly dust with powdered mllk, let cool completely and store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen treats. ■
INSIDE THE BARKWAY As more people bring their furry friends on vacation, many hotels are offering pet-friendly packages to those traveling with a pup. Metro-
Lord Monti
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music
Changed for the Better? A pair of divas who won acclaim together in Wicked return with albums that have them headed in very different musical directions, while a pop princess reinvents herself once again. by matt gross
BRITNEY SPEARS Glory (RCA Records) the international pop star and queen of comebacks returns with a SURPRISINGLY elec-
trifying new release — easily her strongest in nearly a decade. On Glory, Spears infuses her trademark seductive lyrics and raspy vocals with a new R&B-tinged flair — very much in evidence on the album’s lead single and video “Make Me...”This trip into Spears’ previously uncharted musical territory results in her most consistent work since 2007’s Blackout (an album overshadowed by personal struggles that played out in the public eye at the time of its release). Highlights on Glory include a bouncy and forward “Do You Wanna Come Over?” the club anthem “Clumsy,” and a reggae-themed “Slumber Party.” Spears’ wildly successful Las Vegas residency Britney: Piece of Me has also recently been extended at Planet Hollywood for another two-year run. For available dates and to purchase tickets, visit britneyspears.com.
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IDINA MENZEL idina (Warner Bros. Records) from the Tony Award-winning diva who ascended
SPEARS courtesy RCA. menzel courtesy warner bros. records. chenoweth courtesy concord music.
to new heights of superstardom thanks to a certain ubiquitous song from Frozen comes this personal, introspective, powerful release. It features production by Eric Rosse and Greg Wells — the former revered for his work with Tori Amos and Sara Bareilles, the latter a frequent Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson collaborator. The album seems to channel the last few years of Menzel’s life, which has been largely one tumult after another. On one hand, Idina made history — simultaneously achieving a Billboard smash with “Let It Go” and winning a Tony for If/Then. Yet during the same period, she was also navigating a split from her husband of 10 years, actor Taye Diggs. Her career success is reflected in tracks like “Queen of Swords” — hands down the most straightforward pop song she’s ever released. Meanwhile, the heartbreak of her divorce is expressed on tracks such as “Everybody Knows,”“Last Time” and the gorgeous album closer, “Nothin’ In This World.” For more Menzel, join her Facebook fans at facebook.com/idinamenzel.
KRISTIN CHENOWETH The Art of Elegance (Concord Music Group) The Tony and Emmy-winner shows off her impres-
sive interpretive powers — tackling classics by masters such as Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin, and Burt Bacharach — on her first major foray into the American Songbook. Produced by Steve Tyrell — who has previously worked with the likes of Rod Stewart, Linda Rondstadt and Diana Ross, Chenoweth’s fifth studio effort marries her stratospheric vocal range with gorgeously lush string-filled arrangements. Perhaps the strongest track on this newest collection is her exploration of one of Frank Sinatra’s lesserknown numbers, “I’m a Fool to Want You.” You can hear even more from the effervescent blonde when she stars as Velma Von Tussle in the upcoming NBC television version of Hairspray Live! this December. Tweet out your support to her during the broadcast @KChenoweth.
geoscope Now available on Metrosource.com, a whole new way to explore your world...
photography by edwin santiago
diary
My Own Auntie Mame Wade’s visits from his eccentric Great Aunt Blanche gave him some of the happiest moments of his childhood — and the promise of a beautiful future. Great Aunt Blanche blew into my rural childhood
world every summer. In looks and personality, she was a mix of the salty comedienne Phyllis Diller and the actress Brett Somers (who famously traded barbs with Charles Nelson Reilly on Match Game). But, essentially, Blanche was my Auntie Mame before I even knew who that was. Blanche wore makeup not to enhance her features but to transform herself into someone new on a daily basis. One day, she’d wear a turban and arch her eyebrows like Cleopatra; the next, she would sport glittery eye shadow and fake eyelashes big as butterflies. Blanche and her husband Bill annually swooped into my grandparents’ log cabin from LA — suitcases in hand (some of them dedicated specifically to cocktail fixings) — and launch into stories about attending BBQs with cousins of Lana Turner or having drinks in Vegas with Mel Torme. I was mesmerized. Blanche and Bill often visited friends and took me along to parties. Blanche taught me how to mix a proper cocktail and tell a good story. When I was with her, I drank Shirley Temples out of glasses decorated with gold-leaf flowers and transformed her friends’ straws into a“mic”to do my best impression of Match Game Host Gene Rayburn. “Dumb Dora is so so dumb...” I’d prompt. “How dumb is she?” the partiers would answer. “She was so dumb that when her mechanic told her to turn on her headlights, she lifted up her BLANK.” The well-served crowd would roar with laughter. Around this time of year, afternoon storms tended to pop up in our little hometown in the Ozarks. Concerned about tornadoes, Blanche would lead me by the hand to a nearby cave where we’d take shelter. We would sit in neardarkness — the cave walls shimmering like a disco ball, reflecting the light from Blanche’s gold lame and sequins. It was there that she taught me her most important lessons. “You listen to me, Wade,” she would say urgently — her face illuminated occasionally by lightning, jumping when thunder boomed outside. “You’re different, honey. You’ll have to leave here one day. It won’t be easy, but you’ll have to leave. Go to the city, and then you can start your life — your real life. Promise me you will. Promise me!”
BY WADE ROUSE
The urgency of her tone would sometimes scare me, but then she would soften her voice and pat my chubby knees, the backs of her big rings cool on my skin. “You may not be my child, but you are more to me than you will ever know.” “Everyone here just sees black and white, but you see a hundred different shades. I can see it; feel it in my bones,” Blanche explained. “That’s a gift, Wade. But it can also be a curse because it’s always easier to go through life trying to settle, fit in, be numb.” Blanche would pause and look at me thoughtfully. “But then you’d never see the beauty. And Wade, the world is beautiful.” I listened intently to every word — taking it in just in case I needed to remember how to live bravely one day. And then she would go back to telling me stories of runins with B and C-List celebrities from what she called old Vegas, the real Vegas, when Vegas was Vegas.” After I finished graduate school and started working as a writer in Chicago, I wrote to Blanche (who lived well into her 90s) and described my new life in the big city. I received a postcard from her in return featuring a picture of an old woman in a bikini dancing and drinking a martini. “You listened!” it read.“Ain’t life beautiful?” So nowadays when I’m in Palm Springs and happy hour rolls around, I put on some Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin, mix myself a cocktail and lift a glass in the direction of Vegas to salute the memory of my very own Auntie Mame — and all of the Auntie Mames out there. They showed us that they accepted us unconditionally, celebrated our differences and reassured us that if we were willing to look for it, someday, somewhere there would be a different kind of life waiting for us. And that it was going to be beautiful. ■ You can learn more about Wade’s writing — including his debut novel The Charm Bracelet, which is now available under the pen name Viola Shipman — at waderouse.com.
do you have an “auntie mame” of your own? share your story with us at metrosource.com.
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december 2016/january 2017
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winter wonderland trees If you know someone who’s tired of “all pine all the time” when it comes to holiday decor, add some variety to the mix with these stately birches — which range from two to nine feet and come adorned with warm white lights. (Available in five sizes from $39 to $239, restorationhardware.com)
Come bearing gifts we’ve gathered a few suggestions to help you check off your holiday gift lists, from stocking stuffers to more sizable surprises.
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holiday gift guide
Robert Mapplethorpe “the Wrestler” Plate 2016 marked an important year in the exhibition of Robert Mapplethorpe, who was given a thorough, cross-institution retrospective by LACMA and the Getty Museum. Continue the celebration with this porcelain plate by Limoges, featuring the chiselled curves of his 1989 print The Wrestler. ($97, thelacmastore.org)
barware by tom dixon Help someone tipple in style with an assist from Tom Dixon, a designer whose work has been acquired by institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the MoMA and the Centre Georges Pompidou. His “Tank” series is generously proportioned and crafted with mouth-blown glass and hand-painted copper detailing. (Whiskey decanter $110, Set of two whiskey
All images this section courtesy their brands.
glasses $70, tomdixon.net)
Great Moments at Carnegie Hall As Carnegie Hall winds down its 125th anniversary of being America’s most prominent presenter of live music, Sony fetes the hall with a 43-disc set of live recordings, spanning from 1933 to 2007. Among the hours of music are legendary moments with the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma and many more. The handsomely boxed set includes a 104-page hardcover companion book. ($118, carnegiehall.org) metrosource.com
december 2016/january 2017
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pedra coasters Gifting a host who obssesses over every detail? Keep their surfaces pristine with these coasters, which are named from the Portuguese word for “rock” and made of volcanic stone, which is hand-polished in Brazil and edged in 24-karat gold or silver. Since Mother Nature designed them, no two will ever be exactly alike. ($80 for a set of four, annanewyork.com)
Frank Gehry Wiggle Side Chair Given the twists and turns of Frank Gehry’s iconic buildings, it’s no surprise his unique side chair also cuts an unexpected silhouette. What may surprise you is that, though it’s constructed of layered cardboard, the piece remains durable and comfortable. The design hearkens back to 1969, when Gehry began designing his seriously stylish and surprisingly sturdy “Easy Edges” furniture collection. ($950, thelacmastore.org)
try the world When your favorite foodie doesn’t have time to travel, use Try the World to send them a box of world flavors — like these Mexican Hot Chocolate Tablets. To sweeten the deal for the holidays, they’ve partnered with the executive pastry chef of the incomporable restaurant Le Bernadin to create a special, Michelinthemed box — featuring international treats like truffle sauce from Italy, pineapple cake from Taiwan, date spread from Israel and toffee from South Africa. ($39, trytheworld.com)
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holiday gift guide
Looking
Santal 33
Jonathan Groff led a brave and beautiful cast through
If you could concoct a scent that’s a cross between
two seasons and a finale movie about three gay
Cary Grant and Brokeback Mountain, you might
friends navigating life and love in the City by the Bay.
come up with a fragrance like Le Labo’s Santal 33. It
Now you can share every kiss, every fight, every wild
conjures the spirit of the American West with a sheen
night and every morning after of this cinematic se-
of sophistication. Notes including cardamom, iris, and
ries along with exclusive bonus content, on Blu-ray or
cedarwood make it a scent for the rugged man who
DVD. ($49.99, hbo.com)
still has a keen sense of style. Gifters can have bottles personalized, and receivers can take advantage of Le Labo’s convenient refill program when they run out. ($75–$950 varying by size, lelabofragrances.com)
Tiffany CT60 Dual Time watch Inspired by the spirit of New York City and crafted in Switzerland, Tiffany’s CT60 series builds on over 160 years of master craftsmanship. Its gold poudré numerals stand out against a blue soleil dial, while its crystal caseback allows you to, quite literally, see what makes it tick. Shown here in stainless steel with a matching steel bracelet, other available options include a white face, a rose gold case or an alligator strap. ($6,800, tiffany.com)
aromatherapy essential oil diffuser Some people seem addicted to air freshener; offer them a healthier option for keeping their home fresh. With the PureGuardian SPA210, they can instead use a few drops of natural oil — like eucalyptus, peppermint or lavender — and let the diffuser quickly, quietly and continuously fill the room with their chosen fragrance via a refreshing, ultrafine mist. ($70, pureguardiantechnologies.com) december 2015/january 2016
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holiday gift guide
bean box
home coach
If you know a coffee lover, surprise them with a
If you know someone obsessed with air quality, pre-
gift that keeps on percolating. With Bean Box, each
pare to blow their minds. According to the EPA, the air
month they’ll receive four specialty coffees from some
in homes can be more polluted than the outdoor air in
of Seattle’s top-rated roasters, along with information
even industrialized cities. Home Coach monitors hu-
to help them play barista like tasting notes, roaster
midity, air quality, noise and temperature in any room,
profiles and brewing tips ($68 for three months,
reports them to your phone and offers suggestions to
beanbox.co)
mitigate any problems. ($99.99, netatmo.com)
vintage map cuff links Help your favorite traveler add a bit of personality to their formal attire with these lovely accessories, which preserve vintage maps from the early 20th century and mount them on solid bronze cuff links. Options include stateside locales from Aspen to Washington, D.C.; great world cities such as Paris or Rome; and NYC landmarks like Central Park or Wall St. ($95, sherrytruittstudios.com)
Frank Gehry Wiggle Side Chair Given the twists and turns of Frank Gehry’s iconic
The Complete Trio Collection
buildings, it’s no surprise his unique side chair also cuts
In 1987, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Metro-
an unexpected silhouette. What may surprise you is
source cover girl Dolly Parton made history with the
that, though it’s constructed of layered cardboard, the
release of their Grammy Award–winning Trio album,
piece remains durable and comfortable. The design
which they followed up in 1999 with Trio II. Now,
hearkens back to 1969, when Gehry began design-
three decades later, completists can indulge in the
ing his seriously stylish and surprisingly sturdy “Easy
three-disc set of remastered versions of those iconic
Edges” furniture collection. ($950, thelacmastore.org)
albums, plus a third disc of unreleased takes and rarities. ($24, rhino.com)
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december 2016/january 2017
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Go Digital.
ipad icon flavicon.com
Now you can take Metrosource with you — on your iPhone, iPAd, Amazon Kindle or Android device. Download the Metrosource app today for free to get all the benefits of Metrosource wherever you go.
we've got all the fabulous that fits — on the page, at metrosource.com, on facebook, on twitter @Metrosourcemag and now, on your tablet or smartphone.
books
You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams By Alan Cumming | Rizzoli Ex Libris; $29.95
alan Cumming once had a friend gush to Oprah that
meeting her was a dream come true. Oprah’s reply: “You gotta get bigger dreams.” From this exchange comes the title and tone of this funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating memoir in which Cumming shares personal stories via laugh-out-loud wit and wonky photography. It’s a brisk, entertaining read that makes the reader feel like Cumming is in your head relating each mischievous adventure.
Digging Deep Explore subversive cultural cliques, a performer’s personal stories, and a designer’s philosophy. BY madison GULBIN
Gay Gotham
By Donald Albrecht with Stephen Vider | Skira Rizzoli; $65
By Kelly Hoppen, M.B.E. | Rizzoli New York; $60
The imagery in this autobiography-meets-lookbook is so appealing that it
borders on too extravagant. Author Kelly Hoppen is acknowledged as a trailblazer in the world of British design; she even appeared in the designer-obsessed AbFab movie this past summer. Here her philosophy of creating order and harmony is expressed in her own words — plus a plethora of her work and a foreword by icon Terence Conran. Though it has much to teach would-be designers looking to learn, even the most casual appreciator of interiors could glance at this book and see that it’s a work of art.
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culture is riveting, and even in 2016 feels like learning the scandalous truth behind often whispered about secrets. Even those who think they understand how revolutionary ideas make their way from the LGBT underground to the mainstream will find surprises as Gay Gotham brings to light the cliques and creations of a complex subculture. Along the way, readers encounter a catalogue of timeless tastemakers, including Mae West, Leonard Bernstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Gertrude Stein.
All images courtesy rizzoli
this intimate look inside a century of gay counter-
Kelly Hoppen: the Art of interior Design
TESTING TREATMENT PREVENTION There is no cure, but when we add it all up, we can help stop the spread of HIV. Find out more at HelpStopTheVirus.com © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC3047 04/16
under Andy cohen’s covers
topping our list of people we love is a guy who’s as obsessed with celebrity as we are. Now as he prepares to release another candid look into his life behind the scenes, he offers a preview about how much he’ll dare to share. By paul hagen
photo by Smallz & Raskind/Bravo
A published diary can be an unforgiving reflection of its author,
almost daring readers to ask whether he’s leading a life worth the pages it’s printed on. For best results, it helps to have a career in the spotlight — thoroughly sprinkled with the kind of public figures that make readers sit up and pay attention. The Andy Warhol Diaries is a famously successful example of the genre, chronicling eleven years of the artist’s star-studded life and work. More recently — if its status as a best-seller is any indication — that same approach has proven successful for another Andy: author, host and pop culture gatekeeper Andy Cohen. As he prepares to release a second volume, Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries, Cohen took time to talk to Metrosource about what readers can expect from their next peek into his private pages. It turns out that Cohen is a great admirer of Warhol’s diaries; he mentions looking to them for inspiration multiple times in the course of writing his own. However he is quick to dismiss the idea that he’s carrying on the iconic artist’s legacy. “We share an interest in celebrity and pop culture; I would never put myself in his realm,” Cohen says. “Although I would like to think that he would be painting Real Housewives.” Since Warhol’s diaries were published posthumously, he likely never felt pressure to make them feel full by shoehorning more into an already packed schedule; Cohen did. “I think in volume one, [The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year], there were things I did that I might not have done if I wasn’t writing that book,” Cohen says — pointing to joining Tinder and playing in the MLB All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. “It was almost like I was on a reality show.”
Even without these additions, most would agree that Cohen’s life provides plenty of raw material. More often than not, the diaries tend to read like pages out of Who’s Who — littered with lists of celebrities with whom he shares everything from intimate dinners to epic vacations. He sums up his some of his celeb besties in just a few words: Sarah Jessica Parker? “Twinkly,” he says. Amy Sedaris? “Shockingly funny.” John Mayer? “Electric Cowboy.” Anderson Cooper? “God that’s a tough one,” he remarks, mulling over a few possibilities. Finally he settles on: “Partner.” This is before you even factor in the parade of celebs who stop by the the Bravo Clubhouse to appear on Cohen’s show Watch What Happens Live (which aired its thousandth episode this year). Some are part of the queue of Bravo reality stars Cohen helped to make household names. Others are lured by the fun of his often outrageously boozy late night chat fests. “It’s kind of an honor and cool to be the only gay guy in late night television,” Cohen says of his unique place in a genre dominated by straight guys. He says that years of worshipping radio provocateur Howard Stern and moderating memorably contentious Housewives reunions means that he can “go there” with his guests in a way that other late night hosts don’t. And go there he does: famously asking male guests about the size of their endowments and decorating the Clubhouse walls with ephemera his guests have left behind — from Julie Andrews’ teabag to a bottle of per-
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december 2016/january 2017
fume he had made from, well, a liquid Lady Gaga left behind. “I think that has to do more with my own sensibilities than it does with being gay,” he muses. Cohen also made waves late last year when SiriusXM Satellite radio shuttered its gay channel OutQ to make room for Radio Andy, which (like WWHL) is not expressly gay but meant to reflect Cohen’s point of view. “It allows me to develop content around my own kind of brand — which is an irritating word,” he admits. But it does offer an alternative outlet to Cohen’s friends like Sandra Bernhard and John Benjamin Hickey (who have shows on the channel) and affords Cohen an opportunity to reach his audience in a different way.”It’s also personally allowed me to do long-form interviews, which I don’t get an opportunity to do on Watch What Happens Live because the show is like short attention span theater, really.” With so many outlets already, why another diary now? “I had so much momentum from having written a diary for the last year, it was really easy for me to keep going,” Cohen explains. “The publisher didn’t even know that they were going to want a sequel.” Nevertheless Cohen kept writing until they finally confirmed they would move forward with it. Though the writing process was continuous, Cohen says the second volume is more mature than the first. “I went deeper into my own emotions,” he confides.“There’s definitely more about dating and romance. In the first book it was almost like I didn’t have genitalia.
metrosource.com
Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries will be available November 15 — in print, as an e-book, and as an audiobook read by the author. Watch What Happens Live airs Sundays through Thursdays at 11pm Eastern on Bravo, and you can find Radio Andy on SiriusXM Channel 102.
Can’t get enough andy cohen? you can read this article with additional bonus content from our interview, exclusively on metrosource.com.
photo courtesy bravo media.
Sean Hayes snaps a selfie with angels James Gleason, left, and David Josefsberg.
In this book, I suddenly grow a dick.” “Until this book, I have been really reticent to put stuff about who I’m dating out there,” Cohen continues. But with expectations running high for another installment, he was determined to be more revealing. “In this one, I just thought: You know what? If I have a onenight stand, I still put it in this book.” And naturally there will also be celebrities. “I mean, I didn’t get a whole new set,” Cohen says with a chuckle, confirming that many of his famed friends from volume one will return. “I will say there are also new famous people that come into the book. I mean, Taylor Swift appears — and the cast of Friends.” Also returning will be Wacha, the beagle mix Cohen adopted in volume one, who has now achieved a level of celebrity all his own, with over 200,000 Instagram followers. How does Cohen think his life would be different had he not found his pup partner? “I think I would be lonelier than I allowed myself to realize without him,” he reveals. From all indications, Cohen will head into 2017 less lonely, more productive, and surrounded by plenty of people he loves (of both the famous and less-famous varieties). But before we part company, I have to ask him about his original number one fan: his mom Evelyn Cohen, whose visits and phone calls often serve as comedic counterpoints to the diaries’ headier moments of exchanging emoji-heavy text messages with Cher and hosting awards shows alongside Martha Stewart. So what does Mama Cohen think of her son’s life among the rich and famous? “She’s amused by it,” he says. “She’s happy for me, but I think she thinks it’s all kind of ridiculous — you know what I mean? — which is good. She keeps me very grounded.” ■
PEOPLE WE LOVE 2016 THEY’RE THE VOICES WE HEARD AND THE FACES WE RECOGNIZED. THEY MADE CONTRIBUTIONS WORTH REMEMBERING AND CHANGE WE COULD BELIEVE IN. WE REMEMBER THEM HERE AND NOW, BUT THEY WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN. BY PAUL HAGEN AND KEVIN PHINNEY
LAVERNE COX
MORE THAN HER MESSAGE POISED, ELOQUENT AND BEAUTIFUL, LAVERNE COX
is a natural poster girl for the trans community, and in the years since her rise to prominence, she has been an exceptional voice for gender rights issues that many find difficult to understand. But this year also saw her break new ground as an artist. She was a powerful part of a soul-stirring season of Orange Is the New Black, during much of which her character remained locked in solitary by a system that had essentially given up on making a place for her. On the other end of the spectrum, her campy, flashy turn as Dr. Frank N. Furter in the remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show gave her a chance to embrace all the singing, dancing and incandescent razzle dazzle she doesn’t get to show off on OINTB. The sum total is an actress who can show us the lowest lows and highest highs — and still has plenty of character even when she’s out of character. METROSOURCE.COM
DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015
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PEOPLE WE LOVE 2016
LADY GAGA
PERENNIAL PHENOMENON AFTER FOUR STUDIO ALBUMS, EVEN AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE
like Lady Gaga deserved a moment to catch her breath. But being busy hasn’t stunted her creative output. This past year alone she’s collected a Golden Globe for her performance in American Horror Story: Hotel and received an Academy Award nomination for her anthem addressing survivors of sexual assault,“Til It Happens To You.”All of this presaged the release of her new album Joanne, a return to the kind of contemporary music that first got us dancing to the beat of the Mother Monster half a decade ago. Plus the announcement that she’ll headline the halftime show at Super Bowl 51 in February means she’s already given us something to anticipate in 2017.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ALLY IN THE OVAL
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN LISTS OVER 100 ADVANCE-
ments on behalf of LGBT people that took place under the administration of our forty-fourth president. He had a direct hand in some, like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Others were at least in part the result of the political climate he helped create (such as the overturn of DOMA). These steps forward continued into the last year of his presidency, which included his historic declaration of Stonewall as the first national monument dedicated to our community. Obama may not have achieved everything he set out to do, but as we look back it is clear that during his two terms our community was better off because we had a President in office who advocated for us to be protected against violence and discrimination and who recognized our equal rights in arenas from adoption to immigration. Thank you for the past eight years, Mr. President; we are proud to be part of your legacy.
Photos• Previous Page: Laverne Cox Courtesy of steve wilkie•Fox / Facing Page: Lady Gaga Courtesy Interscope records / Pres. obama Courtesy the White House / THis Page: Ryan Reynolds courtesy Heidi Gutman / Celine Dion courtesy Ruven Afanador / Chelsea Handler Courtesy Greg Gayne
RYAN REYNOLDS
professional pansexual
His
first
attempt
at
playing
a
marquee
superhero
(Green Lantern) may have been a flop, but Ryan Reynolds rebounded to
find the character he was clearly meant to play all along: Deadpool. The flick made us love him all the more — not merely for its wild nude fight scene — but because the character wears his pansexuality with comfort and confidence, making no distinction between sexuality or gender identity when it comes to potential partners. Though Reynolds has previously played gay characters, it’s never been with such casual panache. Fans of the always-ready-to-romp superhero’s adventures excitedly greeted the news that Deadpool 2 is expected to hit theaters in about a year.
CELINE DION ENDURING DIVA
Celine
Dion
had
some
happy
moments
to
celebrate
this
year. She helped gay YouTube sensation Tyler Oakley launch his new Ellen Degeneres-backed show (offering him a buzzed-about smooch) and celebrated her thousandth performance in Las Vegas at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace. In less good news, the year started in heartbreak when she lost both husband René Angelil and brother Daniel Dion to cancer a mere two days apart. Whatever your feelings about Dion’s rafter shaking voice and big ballads, the loss seemed overwhelming — certainly more than anyone should ever be asked to sing “My Heart Will Go On” after. Nevertheless Dion did go on and late this summer, she released her first new album in four years. Sung entirely in her native French and designed to reflect on the dual loss with uplifting themes, the album was appropriately entitled Encore un Soir (“One More Night”).
chelsea handler
mistress of reinvention
when handler dared leave behind her hit talk show chelsea lately,
we applauded her willingness to create something fresh. It turned out we got two new experiments from her this year. First came Chelsea Does..., in which she set aside the talk show format to plumb the depths of topics she found funny or fascinating. That was followed by Chelsea, which took some of the best aspects of Chelsea Does... (such as celebrity dinner parties designed to encourage debate over hot-button issues) with an in-studio format that’s both familiar to fans of late night gabfests, yet features an intriguing array of guests from various walks of life. Driven by a desire to help herself (and her audiences) become better-informed, Handler has referred to the show as the “college education” she never had. But since she also uses the show to advocate for LGBT-rights and subvert traditional expectations for women, it’s also the soapbox she deserves.
PEOPLE WE LOVE 2016
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS DESIGNER DRAMA
SOME OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS DOUBTED TOM FORD’S DECISION TO PURSUE
film directing, but his A Single Man opened to rave reviews and award nods. Seven years later, Ford is back behind the lens with a psychological thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) and Amy Adams called Nocturnal Animals. Ford’s effort has wowed crowds at international film festivals, who’ve called it as stylish as it is suspenseful. But what else would we expect from the man who spent the last three James Bond films draping Daniel Craig in some of the finest suits ever to grace the silver screen?
SENSE8
SIBLING SYNERGY
THE FIRST SEASON OF THE WACHOWSKI SISTERS’ NETFLIX SERIES SENSE8 WAS
a dizzying display of artistry that makes their Matrix movies seem like child’s play. The show tracks eight individuals from far-flung corners of the globe — including Mumbai, San Francisco, Berlin, Mexico City and Reykjavik — who abruptly find themselves psychically and often physically connected through a mysterious evolutionary leap. As they learn to bond and come to each other’s aid, they also discover they’re being targeted by a mysterious organization bent on their destruction. Lana and Lilly Wachowski were already iconic as filmmakers and openly trans women, but their series’ bold assertion that people can connect intimately in a way that transcends sexuality, gender and race breaks new ground.
SARAH PAULSON
MUCH MORE THAN MARCIA
YOU KNOW IT’S A GOOD YEAR FOR AN ACTRESS WHEN STARRING ROLES IN
two seasons of American Horror Story take a biographical backseat. In career news, the headline was Paulson’s raw, emotional turn as Marcia Clark in the buzzed about American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Then Paulson brought the actual Marcia Clark as her guest to the Emmy Awards, and when she won the actress used the opportunity to eloquently apologize to Clark for how harshly the world had judged her during the trial. Meanwhile in the personal sphere the Twitterati continued to be all agog over Paulson’s life-affirming romance with another great of the stage and screen, septuagenarian Holland Taylor. Two accomplished actresses who do phenomenal work and openly embrace an intergenerational, same-sex romantic partnership — what’s not to love?!
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Photos• Facing page: Jake Gyllenhaal Courtesy Obscured pictures /Sense8 Courtesy Merie Wallace•Netflix/Sarah Pauslon Courtesy Frank Ockenfels•FX/ This Page: David Bowie courtesy Rhino Records / Lee pace courtesy amc / “Crazy Ex-girlfirend” courtesy scott Everett White•The CW
in memoriam PRINCE AND DAVID BOWIE masculinity redefined
you can draw a line from the cultural relevance of Elvis in the
‘50s and the Beatles in the ‘60s to ‘70s David Bowie and ‘80s Prince. But it’s also worth noting that all of them reimagined notions of manhood. With his face paint and carrot-colored shag, Bowie delivered daring androgyny, and Prince pushed even further: “Am I black or white,” he asked in Controversy; “Am I straight or gay?” Losing them this year reminded us that they left a world changed by their presence.
halt and catch fire signs of the times
one intriguing detail of halt and catch fire is the fluid sexuality of its
visionary tech guru Joe MacMillan, played by Lee Pace (pictured). We’ve seen him hook up with men and women, face stigma from friends and co-workers, and (this season) experience a crisis of faith as he confronted the possibility he may have contracted HIV. Though the show’s main focus is still the exploration of the birth of the internet age, it’s important that it acknowledged how deeply the epidemic shook up lives in the ‘80s.
Edward Albee
fearless master of the stage
Few playwrights of the last century could explore the human
condition as masterfully as Albee did in such pieces as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — one of the best plays in the English language and part of a lifetime legacy of challenging the nature of how well we know one another and how completely we can deceive ourselves. He was openly gay and never afraid to ruffle feathers — once accepting a Lambda Literary Award by insisting,“I am not a gay writer. I am a writer who happens to be gay.” But he may have saved his most beautiful words for posthumous release: ”To all of you who have made my being alive so wonderful, so exciting and so full, my thanks and all my love.”
orlando
a reminder to stand united
CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
When same-sex marriage equality became law, many wondered
unconventional couple creator
what our next community goal could be. Some even wondered if our acceptance might mean our disappearance into mainstream culture. Then came the attack on the Pulse nightclub, a chilling reminder that until homophobia is wiped from the face of the Earth, those in the LGBT community will need to continue to stand up together for each other — not simply for legal victories. But for our very survival.
with its sassy humor and unforgettable musical numbers, crazy
Ex-Girlfriend had us from the first note. Happily the show also went on to offer unexpected characters like Daryl, a middle aged man just coming out as bisexual, and hunky gay trainer Josh, who’s both refreshingly “just one of the guys” and also happily helping Daryl take his first steps in the world of same-sex dating. Here’s to them and many happy duets! ■
What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?
uYou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems
TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and malefemale sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?
Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. uMany HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. uYou must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uTo further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior. • Have fewer sex partners. • Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. uIf you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: uToo much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, lightcolored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.
if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. uWorsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP?
Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: uKidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uBone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. uChanges in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomacharea (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP?
uAll your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you
have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. uIf you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider. uIf you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. uAll the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. uIf you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI). You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
Have you heard about
TRUVADA for PrEP ? TM
The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices. • TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. • You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.
visit start.truvada.com
IMPORTANT FACTS (tru-VAH-dah)
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.
TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Bone problems. • Changes in body fat.
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. • Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain. • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex. • Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not. To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA). TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2016 © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0050 09/16
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior. • Have fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
Metrohiv
20 Years after Dying Slowly How a hip-hop masterpiece helped a community face a growing threat. By Jeff Simmons
Common
PHotos: Common courtesy NBC
Two decades ago marked the first time in 16 years
that the number of AIDS cases in the United States had dropped. Yet with that disclosure from the Centers for Disease Control came the sad news that HIV cases among drug-using heterosexuals, women and minorities were on the rise. Amid this climate surfaced an album called America Is Dying Slowly intended to heighten awareness of the epidemic specifically among African American men. It was released in 1996 by the nonprofit Red Hot Organization, whose mission is to fight HIV/AIDS through pop culture. The album, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, was hailed by critics as a masterpiece. “The real success of that record was that the title song — an acronym for AIDS — became a public service announcement on urban and hip-hop radio,” says John Carlin, Executive Producer of the album and Co-Founder of Red Hot. He tells Metrosource: “It was really hard to get people in the hip-hop community to talk about AIDS primarily because there was so much of a stigma around homosexuality in that era. It was perceived as a gay disease, and there were feelings among people of color that AIDS was a dis-
ease created by the government to kill black people.” The album showcased some 30 major artists — many of whom remain recognized as leaders in the genre, including Wu-Tang Clan, Coolio and Common (who this year starred in the Fox adaptation of The Wiz, pictured). The online music site HipHopDX recently called the collection “one of the most socially conscious recordings in hip-hop’s history.” The album’s release followed the 1995 death of Eazy-E, whose diagnosis with AIDS and subsequent death were chronicled in the critically acclaimed 2015 film Straight Outta Compton. At the time, Carlin says, Eazy-E’s death changed the perception of HIV/ AIDS from “something in the closet to something that this community needed to deal with.” The unprecedented collaboration of such boldface industry stars fueled Red Hot’s campaign to raise awareness and funds to support organizations such as ACT UP and T.A.G., the Treatment Action Group. Carlin believe the album’s message still resonates and that its impact cannot be understated. “The legacy is: we stood up and did something at a time when nobody else was and the AIDS epidemic was devastating communities of color,” he says. ■ metrosource.com
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health
Downhill Skiing
Winter Workouts Whether there’s snow in your backyard or you need to seek out higher ground, this season provides brisk opportunities to feel the burn. By Jeffrey James Keyes
again. Swimsuit season will be here before you know it and if you want to stay fit through the cooler months, prevent gym fatigue by breaking up your routine with outdoor recreation. To keep you motivated, we’ve rounded up fun facts about the history and health benefits of cold weather sporting activities — including the calories you can burn with each. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 400-700 calories per hour All skiing evolved from this classic method of
snow sliding that humans have been practicing for over 6000 years. Cross-country skiing is a sport where “low-impact” doesn’t mean “less strenuous.” It engages both upper and lower body parts for a total workout. Be sure you’re using the right kind of equipment: cross-country skis tend to be lighter and more narrow. Their bottoms are designed to glide forward while still providing traction under each foot. The
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boots allow for a movement of the heel, which helps create forward momentum, while poles assist with balance and help you fire up your core. downhill SKIING 275-600 calories per hour Modern downhill skiing started in the 1850s in
Norway, and got official when the Fédération Internationale de Ski was founded in 1924. Downhill skiing activates the abdominals, obliques, hips and the entire lower body. You can also expect that fast-paced slide down the mountain to raise your heart rate. SNOWBOARDING 250-630 calories per hour Snowboarding was developed in the U.S. in the
1960s but didn’t go Olympic until the 1998 Nagano Games. Staying upright while maneuvering the board can provide intense cardio, increase flexibility and balance; and work your core, quads, hamstrings,
photo courtesy istock.com/ dell640
If you think winter is a time for hibernation, think
ankles, feet, arms, shoulders, and calves. Though ski resorts initially scoffed at the sport, most now make special accomodations for its fervent fans. ICE SKATING 400-800 calories per hour WHETHER YOUR GOAL IS TO WORK UP TO JOHNNY WEIR-
style spins, speed through laps like Apolo Ohno or just hit the pond like cartoon strip Peanuts gang, skating provides a low-impact workout that builds endurance and strengthens the muscles that keep you stable. The Dutch are considered early pioneers of ice skating, with records documenting it back to the 13th century. Figure skating is actually the oldest sport of the Olympic Winter Games — oddly first contested at the 1908 Summer Olympic Games in London. SNOWSHOEING 420-1000 calories per hour SNOWSHOEING MAY BE THE PERFECT WINTER FITNESS
activity. Our ancestors started using snowshoes over 4,000 years ago out of necessity in searching for food. Today it’s increasing in popularity: roughly 5.5 million people strap on snowshoes in the U.S. each year. Practitioners can select from three different types of snowshoes. Flat terrain snowshoes are right for beginners since they’re lightest and designed to function best on less-challenging paths. If you’re more adventurous, rolling terrain snowshoes are a good choice for hiking and backpacking in more challenging environments. Mountain terrain snowshoes are for experts facing the steepest, iciest conditions. “Snowshoeing is the best bang-for-your-buck, fat-burning workout in winter,” attests Dr. Ray
Browning from the University of Colorado. “It’s an exceptional way to achieve cardiovascular fitness, expend energy and reduce your chance of heart disease; plus it’s low cost, easily mastered and fun.” CURLING 250-500 calories per hour CURLING IS A UNIQUE WINTER SPORT IN WHICH PLAYERS
aggressively sweep a path for a 44-pound granite stone, pitched across ice with rules similar to those of shuffleboard. It’s been part of the Olympics since the inaugural 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix, France. It requires eight players and much equipment, but it’s also an aerobic workout that strengthens arms and tones legs. Silly as it looks, people tell us they enjoy it. SLEDDING 362-850 calories per hour FITNESS MIGHT NOT BE THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO
mind when you think of sledding, but consider the workout your glutes and quads get each time you trudge back up that hill. You’re working both your uppper and lower body as you steer downhill, and. you’ll definitely feel your efforts the next day. ICE HOCKEY 550-1,000 calories per hour THE SPORT ORIGINATED IN CANADA IN THE EARLY 1800S,
got official rules in 1879 and was part of the first Winter Olympics. Playing it builds endurance thanks to constant starting, stopping and high-speed sprinting, and it requires sudden bursts of powerful force when passing and shooting the puck. As a result, it’s one of the hottest winter calorie burners around. ■
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DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017
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health
What Essential Oils Can Do For You Harness the healing in these powerful plants. By jeffrey james keyes
medicine for thousands of years. Though you might think of them primarily as tools of the trade for massage therapists, a wide variety of experts and scientists can attest to their effectiveness at addressing specific maladies using extracts drawn from the bark, fruit, leaves, nuts, roots and resins of certain plants. Tea Tree Oil Drawn from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia (pictured), tea tree oil is antimicrobial and antiseptic. It’s been known to aid in the treatment of skin conditions like acne, chicken pox, cold sores, sunburns and even psoriasis. It can also be used topically to help heal bacterial and fungal infections or to address insect bites and lice. Suffering from bronchitis or other respiratory distress? Try rubbing some tea tree oil on your chest and you’ll feel it working to break up congestion as you inhale its potent aroma. Lavender Though the color is based on the most commonly found variety of the plant, Lavandula angustifolia, there are roughly 40 species of lavender and it’s actually part of the mint family. We can trace its use back
Tea tree oil starts out as part of this pretty plant.
to ancient civilizations including the Persians, Greeks and Egyptians and it is widely considered the most popular essential oil in the world. Lavender can help relieve stress, alleviate headaches, promote restful sleep, elevate mood and even prevent infection. Many of these effects can be achieved by brewing a tea with dried lavender. Try it at bedtime to rest easy. Peppermint Use of this cross between watermint and spearmint dates back to before 1,000 BC, and it has been found in numerous Egyptian pyramids. Peppermint oil can be used internally to alleviate stomach discomfort or externally to soothe sore muscles. When it comes to dental care, its antiseptic qualities can be useful in fighting bacteria and germs (including those that cause bad breath). Apply the oil to the forehead or temples and breathe deeply when fighting stress, anxiety or migraines. Additionally, peppermint oil has been known to reduce allergy symptoms, boost the immune system, stimulate blood circulation, slow hair loss, and aid dieters by reducing hunger cravings. Eucalyptus Also referred to as “Tasmanian Blue Gum,” the eucalyptus tree is one of the fastest growing trees in the world and native to Australia. Surgeons have used its oil as an antiseptic as early as the 1880s. The oil is widely considered a great expectorant — making it one of the best ways to help kick a cold — and inhaling it can also help treat sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Plus its antimicrobial and antiseptic qualities can aid in treating burns, cuts, sores and wounds, speeding the healing process of each. Clove The clove tree is an evergreen primarily native to Asia, where its use in traditional Chinese medicine dates back to 207 BC. Clove oil can be used on cuts, insect bites, bruises and fungal conditions such as athletes foot. Clove oil can be used orally to fight cavities, throat irritations and tooth pain. Mentally, it may help treat memory loss, depression and anxiety. Plus, pesky bugs like mosquitos loathe its scent; so you’ll find it in many insect-repelling candles. ■
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photo courtesy istock.com/ srekapi
Essential oils have been an integral component of
POV
By rafi mittelfehldt
All in the Family? Rafi wonders if he’s just not equipped to deal with his boyfriend’s big family — until he realizes that he’s not the only one trying to deal. Six weeks after our first date, my eventual husband
Damien invited me to his brother’s wedding. It was a little bit early in our relationship for this sort of official family event, but things had been going great with us and he needed a date. So I figured, why not? “I have a big family,” he warned me in advance. And at the rehearsal dinner I met them — all for the first time, all at the same time. This included Damien’s parents; his three brothers and one sister; all four of their partners, plus an assortment of aunts, uncles, cousins and kids. Damien tried to keep an eye on me. He would wander off to catch up with relatives and family friends but then hurry back if he saw his siblings with me to make sure they weren’t teasing me. (They were.) When his father struck up a conversation with me, Damien hovered within earshot hoping to make sure Dad didn’t reveal anything embarrassing. (He did.) It was actually an efficient way to be introduced to a significant other’s family: swift and total immersion, simultaneously thrilling and overwhelming. I found Damien’s family to be welcoming and loving. I’m not sure they would have said the same about me. I tend to be reserved by nature, especially when there’s a lot at stake; so I instinctively kept my guard up around them. I imagined them taking note of this — perhaps frustrated that I would not come out of my shell despite their warmth. I worried that I seemed fake or uninterested or standoffish. As this dynamic continued at future family gatherings, it really began to stress me out. I wondered if I was ill-prepared to deal with them because my own family was so different. Damien’s family was large and loud; mine was small and quiet. Damien’s family always returned home to their roots; mine scattered to Houston, Germany, Brooklyn, Jerusalem. Damien regularly confided in his siblings; my brother and I rarely shared a heart-to-heart. But then my brother and his wife had a baby and we began to visit with my family more regularly. During one of these visits, we took my nephew Baby Josh to the park,
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where we spotted an unusual, dog-sized rodent. When we got home, my mother turned to the Internet to identify the mystery creature and discovered that it was called a nutria. After further googling, she casually announced to the room, “Does anyone want to see a picture of seven dead nutria?” This sent my Dad, my brother and I rushing to Mom’s side to see the photo on her phone — leaving Damien and my sister-in-law standing aside looking to each other, wondering: “What the f**k did we marry into?” Strangely enough, it was Damien telling me about this little moment of feeling like an outsider that allowed me to see the whole situation in a different light. I had spent so much time worrying that I was just not equipped to deal with the boisterousness of his family. I hadn’t really considered that Damien might be going through a similar process adapting to the quirkiness of my own. I began to understand that our experiences weren’t so different after all. Our families each had our own ways of showing affection and being playful, our own stockpiles of inside jokes and memories. But it wasn’t just me trying to get used to them; we were all trying to get used to each other. With that realization, I finally resolved to stop acting so stilted and polite around his family, and by the time it was Damien and my turn to get married, my comfort around them had grown. Nowadays I can head to my in-laws to borrow their car for the weekend and end up sitting in the kitchen with everyone: laughing, eating pizza, commenting on the news. And, even if Damien isn’t there with me, with his family: I feel completely at home. ■ Rafi Mittlefehldt recently released his debut novel, It Looks Like This, from Candlewick Press.You can learn more about it at rafimitt.com and follow him on Twitter @rafimitt.
have you ever had difficulty getting used to the family of a significant other? share your story with us now at metrosource.com.
Reimagining the Holiday Bird By Gayle Van Wely you’ve torn through turkeys, churned out chickens and maybe even gone for a goose. But when it comes
to serving up a bird for the holidays, it might be time to think bigger: ostrich. This year, we’re serving up five spice ostrich filet with pork braised apple and turnip with walnuts and trumpet mushrooms and a shallot and red wine ostrich jus. Ostrich is beef without the baggage. It has the texture and taste of filet mignon with 40% less fat. Like red meat, it is rich in protein and iron, yet lower in calories and cholesterol than even skinless chicken or turkey. As for the rest of the plate: both apples and red wine are excellent sources of antioxidants, walnuts provide Vitamin E and healthy omega-3 fats and mushrooms are rich in essential B vitamins. Find instructions for preparing the ostrich below, then head to metrosource.com for instructions on preparing the jus and other accoutrements — and to find more recipes that will keep you eating healthy into the new year.
photos by gayle van wely
ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp five spice 1 tsp cumin 2 shallots, cut in half 2 clove garlic cloves, smashed 2 sprigs of savory herb or rosemary 4 6oz ostrich fillets sea salt and black pepper garlic powder
preparation Mix five spice, cumin, garlic powder and ground black peppercorn with a mortar and pestle. Generously massage this mixture into the ostrich; then drizzle olive oil over the seasoned filets and leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for three minutes (or until softened). Add the ostrich to the pan and sear for one minute on each side. Next, turn the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and finish cooking the ostrich for two additional minutes on each side. Finally, remove from the pan and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Dress plate with accoutrement and jus as pictured. Serves four. metrosource.com
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Metrohiv
Daniel’s Lot Daniel Driffin turned his diagnosis into a chance to advocate — ultimately on a national stage — for ending the epidemic.
when he was Growing up, activist Daniel Driffin
found himself gravitating toward an after-school safe space for black gay and transgender people. “I wanted to be around other gay and trans people,” he tells Metrosource.“That was the first time I saw other black gay men in a positive role.” Years later, a college friend disclosed his own HIVpositive status, and soon after Driffin also learned he was HIV-positive. “I remember the shame involved,” he says, “and wanted to ensure that no one else would go through that process.” Those experiences fueled the Atlanta-based Driffin’s passion to help others struggling similarly. He’s since earned a reputation as a vocal advocate — bringing attention to the current state of the HIV epidemic in the U.S. particularly among people of color. Driffin, 30, founded Thrive SS, a nonprofit that offers support, advocacy and mobilization to those living with HIV. He was also Youth HIV Policy Advisor for Georgia Equality; co-chaired the Task Force to End AIDS in Fulton County, GA; and was Project Manager with the Center for Health, Intervention and
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Prevention at the University of Connecticut — before commencing his current health studies at Moorehouse School of Medicine. This year, Driffin was invited to deliver remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (pictured). This marked the first time in 16 years an openly HIV-positive speaker addressed the DNC. From the podium, he said, “Together with more than one million Americans, I’m living with HIV. ... As an organizer, as an advocate, as a black man, as a gay man, as a man living with HIV, I ask you: Go get tested, and then go vote.” Driffin also used the opportunity to call for stronger investment in research, education, treatment and prevention efforts. “It was a huge honor,” Driffin says. “A role like that does not come along every day, so it was much more impactful and important to me. I wanted — and want — the general population to know that we can truly end HIV if we ensure that people with HIV have access to medical care and medication and those people at risk for HIV have access to PrEP.” Go to bit. ly/2ekujk0 to read his full speech to the DNC. ■
Photos: Daniel Driffin courtesy valenda Campbell for Georgia Equality/
By Jeff Simmons
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LAST CALL
Kressley Lately Nearly a decade after the finale of Queer Eye, Carson Kressley is still offering style advice and serving sass on reality television — and even he can’t believe it! By Jeffrey James Keyes
How did you get involved with Miss’d America? My good friends Gary Hill and John Schultz run this organization called the Schultz-Hill Foundation and also used to own Studio Six, which was a fabulous gay club in Atlantic City. They started Miss’d America and raised a lot of money for different organizations. ... It was focused on AIDS and HIV awareness, treatment and progressive efforts to save people’s lives. The pageant went dormant for a number of years; [then] they said, “Hey, we’re thinking about bringing it back. Will you host it?” I love a good drag queen, and here we are six years later. I think they can’t get rid of me! When you were a kid, was this what you imagined doing when you grew up? No. You know, I was sitting at dinner tonight thinking, “Oh my God. in an hour, I’m going to be onstage hosting a show where Tony Bennett performed and I saw Ricky Martin here. It seems unbelievable to me. But then I get out there and just have a good time. We always have a great audience. It’s a night of celebration, a fun escape and I think there’s so many terrible things going on in the world that we need fun nights to forget about everything and just get silly. We need glamour and humor and all the things that drag encapsulates. I understand you have another book coming out. Is it your third or your fourth? It’s my fourth! I can’t believe I’m a New York
Times best seller. I can’t believe I have an Emmy. I never planned any of that. My new book is called Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?, and it’s a women’s style guide. I’ve done a men’s style guide. I’ve done a book that looped back to Queer Eye and another for kids about diversity. But I did this one because women are always coming to me asking, “Oh my God! How do I look? Is my hair okay?”So I said,“Okay it’s time to write a book.”The whole thrust of the book is that dressing shouldn’t be scary or intimidating. Clothes should be fun. We should enjoy getting dressed in the morning. It shouldn’t be a buzzkill or stress trigger. What can you say about the new Celebrity Apprentice? I can’t say a word. I get yelled at every time I talk about it. Are you sure that’s all you can say? Well I can say it comes out January 2 on NBC and ... Arnold Schwarzenegger was part of it; he was the host. And I’m my SuperGay sassy self on the show. Are you finished filming? Yes, it’s done except for the finale. We have to do a live finale, I believe. And we don’t know anything about the outcome. Did you watch the old version? Oh, yes, I did. I do like shows like that and shows like Shark Tank. I feel more like an entrepreneur than a show person sometimes. This year you also did Celebrity Family Feud. What was that like? The questions were very sexually charged and it was slightly embarrassing, but we had a great time. My family loved coming to LA for it; we
raised money for one of my favorite charities, which is the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation. Al D. was a good friend of mine who was a gay Latin actor/drag queen/show person, who didn’t have health insurance because he was in the arts. He got liver cancer from untreated hepatitis and now we try to raise money to educate people about the relationship between hepatitis and liver cancer — and what it can turn into. We screen and vaccinate people mostly in the NYC area. If you don’t develop hepatitis, your chances for liver disease are greatly reduced. Since this is our holiday issue, do you have any holiday traditions you would like to share with us? I have a rockin’ Christmas party at my apartment in New York. I have a one bedroom apartment that’s not very large, and I get about 85100 people in there: all of my old friends and fun show biz people. It always feels like the party of the year. What else? I like to go home to my family in Pennsylvania. I bought a farm there and am planning to do Christmas Eve for the first time this year and have my whole family over. I’ll make a big dinner and then food poison them all. It’ll be a new tradition. ■
carson dishes his queer eye days, offers style advice for winter and reveals his wishes for 2017 as this conversation continues on the free metrosource app and metrosource.com.
photo by ranier hosch.
We caught up with TV style maven, fashion designer and author Carson Kressley backstage in Atlantic City. He was there as host of the Miss’d America Pageant at the Borgata, but eager to discuss his new book, his adventures in reality television and this holiday season’s food poisoning prospects.
last call extra
As we chat on, Kressley helps us smarten our winter wardrobes and orders a boyfriend from a passing waiter. BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES
Are you familiar with Metrosource? Yes, of course. What do you know about it? I know there are hot dentists who have ads in there. And usually famous people on the cover ... and that it’s a resource for the gay community. Are there hustlers in the back or is that a different publication? No. I always try to add them, but they don’t let me. It’s refreshing. Have you done all six years of Miss’d America? I missed one or two. I think there were scheduling snafus. I was filming or doing something and wasn’t on the East Coast. I’ve done almost all of them. What keeps bringing you back every year? It’s super fun. It’s a great cause. They support so many charities — ranging from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to the South Jersey AIDS Alliance. It’s a fun group of people. I love a good drag queen. And it gets better each year.
IMAGE - COURTESY Charles Sykes/Bravo.
How did you get started on Queer Eye? It’s all been happy accidents. I was always jealous of the people who were like:“I want to be a dentist!”And then you go to school, have your residency, open a practice, and — bam! — you’re a dentist. I never knew what I wanted to do. I’ve always loved being creative. I worked for Ralph Lauren for a while. I love the fashion business; I still design clothing. All these different things just prepared me for these opportunities. Queer Eye was serendipity because they were looking for someone just like me: someone that was a fashion expert but also an out gay man who had a sense of humor. It was a perfect fit: my National Velvet — I think that’s what Elizabeth Taylor was discovered in. I’m a firm believer in what I think is called “the Shatner theory” of showbiz: you say yes to everything. I almost always say yes to things that come in front of me and I get to do fun things, whether it’s reality television, Broadway stage things, or hosting.
Queer Eye was popular at a time when it didn’t seem like a show like that would take off. Why? None of us had ever done television. Even our producers, who had a fantastic concept for a show, they had never done network television like this before. I think that was part of the magic: We didn’t know what we were doing. We didn’t have expectations, and I think that’s what was subversive about it. We weren’t doing politics or demanding this right or that right. We were just going on television and doing what we did — fashion, styling, interior design — and helping these straight guys get the look or get the girl. It
Kressley also judges queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Philanthropy is clearly something that is very important to you. I understand that for Celebrity Apprentice you’re working with the True Colors organization. Yes. I feel like I’m so lucky and it’s just good karma to give back. I know that sounds schmaltzy but every day I hope I don’t piss anyone off in heaven because I’ve been so blessed in so many ways. I always want to gay it forward. Moving into the winter, as a style expert, what should we add to our wardrobe? In LA we have cars, and in New York we have coats. Invest in a great piece of outerwear: you’re going to be wearing something every day, and it should look stylish. You’ll see a guy in a great outfit, and then he goes to put on his coat, and he has some schlubby old ski jacket with lift ticket tags on it. Mmm... no! That’s not going to work. Invest in a high quality winter
coat. It can be great wool or cashmere, even nylon. They make chic almost-ski-jacket coats now that look sophisticated; I think that’s great. Get an amazing pair of boots, too. Anything else to add to our shopping lists? Signature dark denim — we see a lot of lighter looks in the spring and summer, and fall is when we go back to darker and more sophisticated denim. I also think people don’t know what sweaters to get. They get one — maybe it’s an ugly sweater their grandmother gave them — and they have to wear it. Come on! There are so many great cashmere and knit sweaters. Even Zara has some that aren’t too expensive. There’s nothing more adorable than a handsome guy in a big chunky cuddly sweater. Looking forward toward 2017, do you have any hopes for the new year? I think the world is very sad and scary in a number of ways. We can learn to be a little more kind. Everyone has their own view, and they don’t understand the other person’s. We see it from all over: religion, terrorism, gay rights, human rights. We need to be more kind to each other and listen, really take the time to understand one another. I’d also like a hunky Latin boyfriend. Yeah? Is that too much to ask? [to a passing waiter] Can we get that too, please? It’s ordered. Maybe two? I don’t want to be greedy.
■
IMAGE - COURTESY LOGO
became very empowering in a subversive way. A lot of the [audience] had never met a gay person before. In the first season, there was a TV station in Oklahoma that would not air our show and they were airing old episodes of Coach. After three weeks, they were finally like, “Okay, enough of Craig T. Nelson. Give us the gays.”It became a nationwide thing, where people were meeting us. Television is an intimate medium: we’re meeting them in their homes; families were watching together. It gave people who didn’t know gay people a gay friend: “Oh, I know them! They’re not scary! Why are people homophobic?” If gay rights issues came up, they started to think,“Wait, I know somebody who’s gay. That’s important to me.” It’s the power of being out.
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