On February 7th, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the marriage protection amendment, commonly known as Prop 8, violates the U.S. Constitution. Although it passed with the support of 52% of California voters in 2008, the court said it “serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

From where I sit, this ruling was a travesty, not only because it discarded the wishes of 7 million Californians who voted for it, but because much of the money to overturn it came from Hollywood elites who are completely out of touch with the heart and soul of America.

Honestly, watching the decision come down from the 9th Circuit was like watching Brad Pitt and Elton John stomp all ever everything that flyover country holds near and dear to its heart. I cite Pitt and John because Pitt gave at least $100,000 to “fight the proposition,” and in Jan. 2011, John played a benefit concert in Beverly Hills that raised $3,000,000 for the same cause.

Of course, these two were not alone. Steven Bing, long time Democrat Party donor and Hillary Clinton supporter, donated $500,000 to the cause, and according to Advocate magazine, Mary J. Blige and Melissa Etheridge were right there in the mix as well. Oh, and we can’t overlook old “Meathead,” Rob Reiner, who opposed Prop 8 when it was on the ballot in 2008 and who’s been “one of the biggest fundraisers behind the legal effort” to overturn it since. (more…)

Only five times in my life have I been so enamored and completely spellbound with a film, so drawn into a world that I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving, that I immediately started the movie over in order the relive the experience and lose myself in the magic all over again: “The Wizard of Oz,” “To Have and Have Not,” “Life with Father,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “The Lion King.” When it came to the latter, the year  was 1995, the format was VHS, and once the credits rolled I simply sat there stunned by what I’d just seen — an 88-minute epic in every arena, especially story, music, theme and character.

Watching the just-released Blu-ray was almost as profound an experience because the sound and picture are so vivid that — well, I won’t say it’s like seeing “The Lion King” again for the first time, but it is certainly an enhanced experience. And this is the thing I hate about Blu-ray; there are 2500 DVDs sitting in my collection and Blu-rays like “The Lion King” make me unhappy with the whole lot of them. I finish the adventures of Simba in awe of what a difference Blu-ray makes and then think of my “old” collection with the sickening feeling that I just wasted a couple years’ pay on an Edsel.

And sure, while the mind-blowing animation presented in mind-blowing high-def is certainly part of the draw, none of that means a thing without a compelling and timeless story that works on almost too many levels to count. Themes of courage, duty, manhood, and bravery are all explored through complicated (in a good way) relationships that often force our young protagonist to make emotionally impossible choices. This is heavy stuff for an animated film, but the presentation is so beautifully handled, nothing feels close to heavy.

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You might think that there’s no way young kids would be interested in Shakespeare plays, but Elton John has found a way to get their attention. By taking out all the sex and suicide, putting in a mix of two catchy new songs amid an array of his all-time greatest hits, and updating the story to focus on star-crossed lovers from warring teams of garden gnomes in modern-day Stratford-upon-Avon, he (as executive producer) has led a team of cutting-edge animators to create the 3D  film “Gnomeo and Juliet” – a fun-filled romp that should entertain adults just as much as their children.

The story focuses on the garden gnomes found in two neighboring yards, who are distinguished respectively by their red and blue outfits. Each side has been at war with the other for as long as they remember, largely due to the fact that their human owners hate each other.

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Amid the intricate worlds of each garden – which are laid out in snappy musical montages – are the two title characters, who each wonder why their side has to hate the other. They meet in cute fashion and start a secret romance, and just like in the original “Romeo & Juliet” things go awry when they are caught together, leading to a series of seemingly tragic events.

The key word here, in this G-rated rendition of the tale, is “seemingly.” For in keeping with the need to protect young minds while ultimately using the storyline to teach a message of tolerance in an entertaining rather than heavy-handed fashion, Elton John and his talented team reinvent the play’s third act to create a much happier outcome than the original. While this might upset particularly uptight purists, for most this will mean that the storyline has not only been rendered with more innocence, but with a sense of the unexpected as well.

The film is packed with amusing references to John’s musical career, including a hilarious moment in which a gnome named Benny dances on a computer keyboard while it inadvertently blasts out the opening keyboard riff from “Bennie and the Jets” and another gnome’s twisted take on “Your Song” to describe his nasty cold.  Director Kelly Asbury  (“Shrek 2”) also handles the frequent action scenes with just the right blend of mischief and danger, while also subtly wringing tears with a sad montage that details the way a lawn flamingo lost his greatest love in a gripping new John ballad called “Love Builds a Garden“ that ranks with his finest tunes. (more…)

So I know we’re all hating on NPR right now, but for a fledgling music critic who has absolutely no clout getting advance copies of albums, their “First Listen” feature is a godsend. So if we can target just, like, 98% of the org for defunding, let’s leave this part alone.* Being able to stream whole albums before their release really helps me look semi-pro.

For instance, I’m checking the First Listen site for the debut solo album of Animal Collective’s Avey Tare (it’s excellent, by the way), and I see right next to it that Elton John is releasing a collaboration with Leon Russell– whoa! (Click)

“The Union… two classic pop singer-songwriter pianists combining their talents, awesome… Elton John being a super classy guy and trying to elevate Russell’s celebrity, sweet… some top-tier production on those lead-in instruments… Wait, what the heck is Daft Punk doing in here???”

And here I find one of the two fatal flaws of the album: TOO MUCH AUTO-TUNE. I’m not averse to using this effect as a tool for pitch correction or as an instrument unto itself (the sad robot voice used by Bon Iver, Kanye West, and, recently, Sufjan Stevens can be perfectly appropriate), but if you’re using it as the former, at least be a little subtle about it! (more…)

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Opposes same-sex marriage, plays Rush Limbaugh’s wedding, refuses to boycott Israel, and now this. Does Elton John’s free-thinking apostasy know no bounds? 

Today’s Arizona Daily Star:

Elton John didn’t mince words in slamming his fellow musicians for boycotting Arizona over the controversial SB 1070 immigration law. From the stage at his sold-out Tucson Arena concert Thursday night, John savored a few choice, not-so-family-friendly words:

“We are all very pleased to be playing in Arizona. I have read that some of the artists won’t come here. They are (expletive)wits! Let’s face it: I still play in California, and as a gay man I have no legal rights whatsoever. So what’s the (expletive) with these people?”

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In an industry filled with quislings, appeasers, moral cowards, and politically correct, multicultural, progressive fascists, Rush Limbaugh’s pal is quite the breath of heroic fresh air.  You just get the sense that Elton John hates to be told what to think, which makes him a Big Hollywood kind of guy.

The Associated Press:

Pounding his piano in blue-tinted sunglasses before nearly 50,000 screaming fans, Elton John took center stage in a battle over Israel’s image.

The legendary British rocker’s concert on Thursday night followed a string of cancellations by artists like Elvis Costello and the Pixies. Resisting a growing wave of calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the Jewish state, John gave Israelis a rare reason to smile amid their increasing sense of international isolation.

“Ain’t gonna stop me from coming here, baby,” he told the cheering crowd in Tel Aviv, saying he believed music should spread peace and bring people together: “That is what we do. We do not cherry-pick our consciences, OK?” he added, in an apparent swipe at the artists who have canceled concerts in Israel. …. (more…)

“What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage… I don’t want to be married. I’m very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership… You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships.” – Elton John

Sir Elton John and his Civil Partner David Furnish

Ain’t that a kick in the pants? As it would seem, Elton John and Rush Limbaugh share the exact same opinion in regards to gay marriage. Coincidentally, so do a majority of Americans. So does this mean that everyday Americans, politicians (both Republican and Democrat), Rush Limbaugh and –gulp– Elton John all hate… the gays?

At least that’s how mainstream media would try and spin it. Most leftists in the press have simply tried to bury those less than “typically gay” quotes. Why? Well, when Elton John speaks the truth, it disrupts the sensationalized narrative that the media and Hollywood have been setting for years; If you don’t support gay marriage, you must secretly despise gay people.

It’s Hate Vs. Gay. Period. (more…)

Where else should Elvis be hanging out but at the Fort Collins Senior Center?  I saw Bubba Ho Tep?  This was the same Elvis whom my wife Ann dated before I met her and who sang at our wedding.  His name is George Gray and he is widely known as “The Greeley Elvis.” 

The large party room with stage at the Senior Center was filled to capacity by the time Elvis appeared.  He brought a ten-piece band including five back-up singers wearing black suits and ties and one black dress.  Elvis wore a dazzling white preacher’s suit with a crimson cravat.  The first half was devoted to Gospel, beginning with a stunning a capella “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” and proceeding through a remarkable set of songs including “Walking With the Spirits, “The Battle of Jericho” (which employed a heavy doo-wop style,) “Rock My Soul,” and an a capella “Johnny Saw a Big Number” that stunned.

This is much more than homage.  George Gray has a huge emotive tenor that evokes Elvis with ease.  Gray and the band worship the King and his music and it shows in every note.  Bass vocalist Charlie Spillman, from Fort Collins, anchored the chorus with freight train authority.  The first half ended with “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art.”  (more…)

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A lot of Republicans may feel that we’d be best-served to avoid this issue altogether.  As a Conservative, however, I feel compelled to explain why many of us out there are opposed to the currently proposed same-sex marriage bills and not to civil unions.  Plus, it’s not everyday that I get to put on a Leprechaun costume!

Note: No tasteless holiday parades were actually performed during the making of this video. (more…)

After a week that will go down in history as the moment Republicans finally stood up for themselves, comics are not laying off John McCain’s former running mate just yet. Bill Maher said that Iran was propped up by oil revenue and run by a religious whacko, just like Alaska. Letterman, despite frequent jokes about the amount of hate mail he has been receiving, couldn’t help mentioning that Gay Pride week was the only time of year when you can see hundreds of men dressed up like Sarah Palin.

The big topics of the week were Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the presidential fly killing:

The election of Mahmoud was compared by the talk show hosts alternately to the 2000 Presidential and the 2008 Minnesota Senate elections. Fallon claimed that now that his opponent lost, he’ll go on to make a documentary about Global Warming.  David Letterman actually did a joke almost every single night, changing the punchline from Florida voting machines, to Pat Buchanan, Al Gore, Al Franken and Jeb Bush.  Bill Maher used Norm Coleman then criticized his audience for not knowing who he was talking about. The funniest line was Ferguson’s who claimed that Iranian politics have finally gotten as corrupt as Chicago. (more…)

I’m tempted to brag about how close I was with my Tony Award Predictions and make that the biggest story coming out of Sunday’s Tony Award Show, but instead I’ll stay humble.

From the perspective of the Broadway industry (the people and companies that represent the institution of Broadway and who work in the industry tend to think in terms of studios rather than production companies), the Shubert Organization was the big winner.  The Shuberts are the happy landlord to Best Musical winner “Billy Elliot” and Best Play winner “God of Carnage.”  The Shuberts also serve as co-producer of “God of Carnage.”

From an individual show’s perspective, certainly “Billy Elliot” was the big winner with a total of 10 awards.  One major award they didn’t win was the Best Score of a Musical that seemed like a shoe-in for Elton John.  Instead it went to Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey for “Next to Normal” that show also won the Best Actress award for its star, Alice Ripley. (more…)

Over at Huffington Post, Jim David is positive Adam Lambert’s “American Idol” loss was due to widespread homophobia in America. He pins this charge squarely on the fact that, in his opinion, Lambert is the better singer and therefore should’ve beaten Kris Allen, but didn’t because of…

Yes, homophobia is alive and well, which is why Lambert lost the ultimate title. Go ahead — give me another reason.

What’s so amusing about David’s challenge is that he gives all the reason you could ever want in his very next sentence:

Yes, Lambert is over the top and screams a lot and is campier than Liberace at Radio City.

Let’s brush aside the fact that taste is relative when it comes to who has a better voice or who’s a better performer and remember that the show isn’t called “Best American Singer,” it’s called “American Idol,” and being an idol involves more than voice and performance. How about poise, which by David’s own description Lambert seems to lack? (more…)

This week’s Washington Times column:

Here we go again. The latest poster conservative for political-correctness-run-amok in a country careening downhill on left-wing, Democratic cruise control is Republican congresswoman Virginia Foxx.

Mrs. Foxx’s impropriety: The thought crime of arguing against “hate crime” laws by pointing out that Matthew Shepard – the tragic icon attached to the legislation – represents a salient argument against enacting them.

Mr. Shepard, the gay Wyoming teenager robbed and savagely beaten to death by drug-addled thugs in 1998, is the emotionally charged posthumous force behind the movement to pass hate crime laws. He got that way after a relentless, decade long mainstream media, Madison Avenue and Hollywood propaganda campaign to make his death a symbol of just-beneath-the-surface sadistic intolerance toward homosexuals. (more…)

Cancer is no laughing matter. AIDS on the other hand, can be hilarious…. But I digress.  A friend of mine went in for a prostate cancer operation this weekend. The whole ordeal lead me to a painful realization: If you get a disease, you’d better hope that it’s one with a celebrity “march for the cure.” Chances are that if Bono isn’t singing about it, you’re probably dying from it. Is anybody else as sickened by this as I am?

AIDS is still the most funded disease around (by the American taxpayer) despite its insignificance on the fatality radar and the fact that in the industrialized world it’s entirely preventable. AIDS doesn’t just “happen” to you here in the U.S.A.  You sort of have to seek out those high risk…activities.  While countless people die of other more prevalent, non-communicable sicknesses, Hollywood has made AIDS benefits trendier than torn Levi’s. (more…)