THE SMOKING NUN

Meat Market Sunday: Nick Ayler, Kellan Lutz & Henry Cavill

2012-01-29T00:05:00.000-05:00

Twilight actor and Smoking Nun finalist for 2011's Sexiest Man of the Year Kellan Lutz recently modeled his new clothing line for Abbot+Main, at Cali's Venice Beach, joined by model Kate Upton. While he's got an undeniably hot body—and we see how he amply fills up his undies ads for Calvin Klein—you know what I'm focusing on first, cool cats? Those beautiful white teeth...
For Dylan George’s Abbot+Main “diffusion line,” Kellan co-designed his own line of jeans... Here's the provocative print campaign the hunk shot last July, with a reminder of his Calvin wares...
Meanwhile, another of our 2011 finalists for Sexiest Man, Nick Ayler, was recently photographed on the beach in the Hamptons by photographer Richard Gerst. Man, it's getting hot in here.Why stop there? Here are the latest photos of Henry Cavill in and around the set of Superman, Man Of Steel. While he doesn't look much different from previous poses, is it possible to have too many?At LAX Airport, revealing his steel man's bod... *

VIDEO: Cyndi Lauper For New York's Powerball

2012-01-28T19:57:00.001-05:00

How hilariously irresistible is this? Cyndi Lauper pawns New York's Powerball lottery...

Friday's Fab Opening Of Spanking New Gay XL Nightclub

2012-01-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

The opening night launch for XL, New York's first new gay nightclub in 15 years, was one frigging fabulous event, indeed. Its location far west on 42nd Street and below gayborhood Hell's Kitchen was hardly a deterrent for the hundreds consistently standing in line from its opening at 10 p.m. until I made my exit after 1 a.m.

I got a tour of the XL Lounge, Cabaret and Nightclub Monday while interviewing Beto Sutter (who is launching the venture with partner John Blair [(profiled in Wednesday's New York Times]), and found it hard to imagine that in four days, the joint was going to be polished up in time for opening: Crews were still installing major fixtures and finishes.

But sure enough, XL glistened Friday, as an endless stream of men from their 20s & up, along with a multitude of drag queens and lady friends, paraded through the elegant Lounge, with its circular center bar (and the hottest bartenders this side of Fire Island), then down the corridor to the 11,000sf Cabaret & Nightclub. The one caveat: $9 for a house drink. Ouch.

The technology there is expectedly state-of-the-art, with $100,000 invested in lights, controlled by a $50,000 board, and 3D effects on the dancefloor with a giant LED screen backing the stage.

Seen: Village Voice journo Michael Musto, pop singer Kesha, drag impresarios Lady Bunny & Sherry Vine, Reichlin Lehmkuhl & Mike Ruiz from Logo's The A-List, OUT NYC founding partner Ian Simpson Reisner, former Miss Africa Nyasha Zimucha...

Time will reveal if XL matures as an ongoing NYC hip-trip, but it's off to a rousing start. *

Celine Dion Talks Madonna From Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival

2012-01-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

At her headlining performance this weekend from the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Celine Dion was asked about fellow superstar Madonna's upcoming halftime performance at next week's Super Bowl.

"That tart? She needs to back away from the mic and the Botox. Girlfriend is looking a little stretched, don't cha think?" Dion told reporters.

Okay, not really. She shared with The Trend on Zappos Couture, "I love Madonna and know her well. She's going to be great, just fine; she doesn't need any luck. She's going to do her thing, do what she does best, (and) give us something for us to remember."

Unfortunately, now that we know that Madonna's Super Bowl special guest is going to Cee Lo, I'm not so sure I agree. Ironically, he also appeared at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival this weekend.

And speaking of, bringing Celine to that event is being heralded as monumental for the locale. Jamaica Jazz and Blues producer Walter Elmore said, "Because Celine Dion has never appeared in this region nor at a music festival, this is a coup for us. We are certain her appearance will bring more visitors to Jamaica and enhance the stature of our world class event."

Conceived as a vehicle for increasing Jamaica's tourism during the low season, the Jazz and Blues Festival was launched in October 1996. *

LOOK CAREFULLY! These Are Going To Blow Your Mind!

2012-01-28T02:20:00.000-05:00

WOWSAH! Look At Celine Dion At 43!

2012-01-27T16:26:00.003-05:00

Celine Dion posted a video greeting to members of TeamCeline on webbie CelineDion.com, and may I just say, she has never, ever looked as beautiful. I am in awe... Celine has come into her own as a mature woman more so than when she was in her 20s.

'Ostrich': Look Like A Dumbass While Napping At The Office!

2012-01-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

At last there's a way to enjoy a rewarding power nap at the office without the annoyance of hearing your boss ask what the hell you're doing. The Ostrich offers a nice cozy private environment, with "cave-like interior shelters" that hide your head and hands, so you don't have to sneak off to that back room where they keep the archive issues, for a quick hangover lie-down. Um, not that I've ever done such a thing.

Hey, the sooner you get one of these, the sooner I'll be able to apply for your job when you're fired! This gizmo was designed by kawamura-ganjavian, a British architecture & design studio. *

Oh, Justin... No! No! No!

2012-01-27T07:36:00.001-05:00

A boy is never too old for his toys, but there's something waaaay off about this pic of Justin Bieber working it at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. *

EXCLUSIVE: First Look Inside NYC's New XL Gay Lounge & Cabaret Club

2012-01-26T05:30:00.000-05:00

Talk about hitting the freelance lottery... Earlier this week, I got an assignment for a press release covering the opening of XL Lounge, Cabaret and Nightclub.

It's the first phase of the $20 million OUT NYC resort complex, which, in addition to XL, comprises a posh three-story, 105-room boutique

Note that the facade spells "OUT"

hotel with three outdoor courtyards, a 24/7 café and upscale restaurant Kitchen 510, business & conference facilities, a wellness center, and function space for major events and weddings.

The 11,000 sf XL space marks the return of nightlife impresarios John Blair and Beto Sutter (with party promoters Brandon Voss and Tony Fornabaio), who have revolutionized the quintessence of NYC gay entertainment for the past three decades, including the iconic '80s Roxy, Palladium, Tunnel, Club USA, Limelight and Splash, as well as nightlife magazine NEXT, JB’s restaurant and, in the millennium, the previous XL bar in Chelsea (which closed in 2006 after five years when they lost their lease).

Located on 42nd Street between 10th and 11th avenues in the heart of New York’s theater district and flanking Hell’s Kitchen “gayborhood,” XL is the first new NYC gay nightclub in 15 years, thanks to a stranglehold on granting new bar licenses in the city.
The focus of my release was XL Cabaret, Sutter’s lovechild, and I spent a couple hours with him Monday, talking about his vision and getting a full tour of the gargantuan, space-age facility.

Here’s how a visitor’s experience progresses: XL Lounge opens at 4 p.m. Three hours later, a dramatic drape opens to reveal the expansive candle-lit Cabaret space—with seating for 200 and standing room capacity for 650—which provides entertainment until 11 p.m. The setting then transforms into the Nightclub, open until 4 a.m.

There's a lot more to the story, which I'll share after the press release has been approved and sent to the masses. Meanwhile, XL opens this weekend—which I have the pleasure of attending... that is, if I can manage to stay awake until the party gets started... at midnight. *

Mario Lopez Strips Down For Ellen To Show Off 'Rated M' Undies

2012-01-26T01:20:00.000-05:00

Mario Lopez was kind enough to offer a first-hand view of his new underwear line Rated M, while appearing on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Based on the picola here, we're giving Mario a grade of A. There's a pretty amusing video from the show here.

Adorable: David Beckham Covers February 2012 'Men's Health'

2012-01-26T00:09:00.000-05:00

Following the introduction of his eye-popping new underwear line for H&M earlier this month, David Beckham offers a downright adorable photo spread behind his cover for the February 2012 Men's Health.

And his H&M Bodywear line, thoughtfully modeled by the man himself...

The Bitch Is Back: Joan Collins Pawns Snickers Bars In Brit TV Advert

2012-01-25T09:53:00.000-05:00

A new British TV advert for Snickers launched this week in the U.K., featuring two fab '80s divas playing their bitchy best: Joan Collins (Alexis Carrington from Dynasty) and Stephanie Beacham (Sable Colby from spin-off The Colbys). Collins is pushing 80 and looking divine, while Beacham, 64, is equally delectable. Absolutely hilarious. *

Obama Addresses End Of DODT In State Of The Union Address

2012-01-25T09:38:00.001-05:00

There's plenty of blah blah blah all over the webbie about President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night. I was pleased to hear him drum home the point that gays serving in the military is the right thing for this nation...Meanwhile, From The Week: A vote for Gingrich "is a vote for an entertaining election, not a Republican in the White House," says Bret Stephens in The Wall Street Journal. "But honestly, none of the losers in the GOP field has a shot. Americans are generally eager to send Mr. Obama packing, but not for these clowns. Gingrich is winning only because voters instinctively prefer the idea of an entertaining Newt-Obama contest to a dreary Mitt-Obama one." *

'Revenge' Fame Lands Joshua Bowman In February 2012 'GQ'

2012-01-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

As the success of ABC's sinister and delicious nighttime soap Revenge burgeons, so does the fame of break-out co-star Joshu Bowman, whose handsome face, lean physique and innate elegance are making him a favorite of the print media, and in particular, fashion and fitness mags. Good thinking!

In addition to his Entertainment Weekly cover this week with star Emily VanCamp, the beautiful Brit appears on the cover of sophisticated periodical Bello, along with a fashion spread in the February GQ. Why in the world it opted to put Michelle Williams on the cover (Golden Globe, oh whatever!), I'll never know. It sure is nice to see Josh smiling, too! *

(Photos courtesy of JoshBowmanFan.com)

With All My Might, I'm Hanging Onto My 40s, Despite...

2012-01-25T00:05:00.000-05:00

Should I be feeling a little sensitive that over the course of two days, I received an email invite to join the "Senior People Meet" dating service and encouragement to become a member of AARP? For heaven's sake, I'm hanging onto my 40s for the next 247 days, and you can't stop me! *

Words To The Wise... From A Mattress On The Street

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this quite qualifies as public art, but it certainly makes a bold, forward-thinking statement. Saw this walking down St. Mark's Place in New York's Lower East Side last week... scribed on a mattress that had been tossed to the curb. Only in New York, cool cats... *

Ryan Seabreast Further Dumbs Down TV With Bravo's 'Shahs Of Sunset'

2012-01-24T14:32:00.001-05:00

Ryan Seabreast, who is responsible for bringing television to the depths of hell with his soul pillaging Kardashians franchise, is apparently determined to bring the tube to a gruesome new low. The way-too-present entertainment mogul has partnered with Bravo to exploit a group of six young spoiled Iranian socialites in—ready for this—the Shahs of Sunset.

Unsuspecting viewers will witness the half-dozen Persian-American bluebloods (read: no jobs) giggling and jiggling up and down Rodeo Drive and throughout their rich SoCal haughty nabe "Tehrangeles," while stuffing their faces with traditional Persian feasts.

But it gets really serious, too. According to Bravo, "While they're fervent on the dating and party scene, the six seek approval from their families," who allegedly want their precious little brats to settle down and marry within the community." (As if... It's pretty clear from previous rich-kid reality crap that if anyone's to blame, it's lax, enabling parents.)

Thanks, Ryan, for dumbing down TV just a little bit more. Enjoy your new Ferrari and the boy toys you cart around—while you continue to take the American viewing public for a ride. *

NBC's Upcoming 'Smash' Lenses (Again) In Brooklyn Heights

2012-01-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

NBC’s upcoming mid-season replacement Smash must be counting on a ratings boon when it launches Monday, Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. The show’s crew returned to my Brooklyn Heights nabe Monday, January 23, to film an upcoming episode.

Seen: lead Katharine McPhee, and episode guests Uma Thurman and Jerry O’Connell. The latter pair was photographed with the Kill Bill star playing a courier and landing a punch upside Jerry’s face after she handed over a package.

In case you've been underwater for the past six months, the musical series, which NBC has been teasing for months, surrounds casting and preparation for the launch of a Broadway show about the life of Marilyn Monroe. The show’s impressive cast also includes Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing and Brit actor Jack Davenport.

Behind the scenes are executive producers Steven Spielberg and Chicago and Hairspray producers Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, with original music from composers Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray).

The Smash crew was also in Brooklyn Heights last October filming scenes for the pilot episode.

For NBC’s promo, look here. iTunes is also offering a free download of the premiere here. See the Heights anywhere? *

Happiness Is: Big Apple Market, A Glimpse Of Vintage Times Square

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Monday afternoon, after an utterly over-the-top freelance interview for the opening this weekend of the upcoming OUT NYC complex's XL Nightclub in midtown (more on that later in the week), I took notice of a wondrously dingy relic of vintage New York. The Big Apple Meat Market at 575 Ninth Avenue (and 41st Street, flanking Port Authority Bus Terminal) was beckoning me to explore—and what a treasure it is. The former butcher house converted to a grocery store... think Mom & Pop meets Mafia... opened in 1992 in the former Washington Beef, which packed & sold meat wholesale for 60 years.

To the right is the grocer and on the left, a freezing cold, honest-to-god meat locker. Giant portions of beef hang from hooks, where they cut and prep everything: from steaks and chops to ground beef, pork and veal. Add in a selection of fresh chicken, turkey, cornish hens, bacon and most everything else a meat lover would savor.

I'm, of course, taking the subway home, so a full shopping excursion was a little out of the question, but I couldn't resist an enormous 2-pound turkey leg ($1.58 @ pound), a freshly made chicken pot pie ($2.50), ground beef at $2.58 @ pound (compared to my nabe Key Food's $3.79 @ pound), cheapo hot dog buns and 150 coffee filters for my snazzy new coffee maker for $1.19. It's a pauper's paradise, for sure.

By the time I left, I was so weighted down with goodies I didn't even make it to the farmer's market next door. Next time, for sure. *

Celine Dion 'Celebrates' Casear's Palace New Octavius Tower—Apropos $ince Her Ongoing Residency Paid For It | Resort Total: 3,960 Rooms!

2012-01-24T05:45:00.000-05:00

God bless the fact that Celine Dion's heart will go on after having to endure a parade of scary monsters in the name of the Chinese Lunar New Year, "the Year of the Dragon." That was the parade of folly behind the opening ceremony of the new 668-room Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Sunday night, January 22.

This latest highrise—which, let's be honest, Celine's successful residency at Caesars pretty much bankrolled—is the resort's sixth tower amid an 85-acre spread, bringing its total to 3,960 rooms and suites.

During the ceremony, Celine had the grace and humility to smile amid the customary "lion dance" for happiness and prosperity, and to paint on the eyes of the lion to awaken it. Bless her heart. *

Winter Wonderland: Rodiney Santiago Skiing (He's Hot Clothed, Too!)

2012-01-24T05:30:00.000-05:00

I don't believe I've ever been so fond of green... Doesn't our Rodiney Santiago wear it well? He recently took a trip to the great white, uh, somewhere to show off his athletic skills with a shirt on for a change, and yet he's still sexy as shit. See there: It's not all about abs and Speedos. The love affair is just as sweet with clothes on.

Celine Dion: Suddenly The Tragically Unhip Is A Celebrated Icon...

2012-01-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, to love the music of Celine Dion in the 1990s... In her hitmaking prime, we who savored every note of the skyscraping ballads, adored those gooey love songs, who proclaimed with fierce conviction that Celine was the finest vocalist alive... were the tragically unhip.

After so long, I gave up defending my love for Celine and simply savored my private heaven. One day you'll see, I reasoned...

You're talking to a guy who listened to The Carpenters and Barry Manilow when he was 10. Being the dude with cool music tastes has never been a priority. For god's sake, you'd think Celine was born to be a gay idol, but nope, even the majority of my comrades sneered she was too bombastic for a queer palette. Huh?

But there were always plenty of us out there, members of an out & proud private club comprising tens of millions of squares...

And take a look at Celine now. At age 43, with her second Las Vegas residency, she is the belle of the ball, the undisputed queen of the Strip. Following the launch of the show in March, I was stunned at critics' universal praise for Celine—and the accolades continue to roll in. Now we're reading headlines like "It's simply her time."

This is an artist who, for a decade, had barbs tossed her way by most every published writer vying to prove their "critical" tastes were too cultivated to praise the likes of "My Heart Will Go On." (Hmm, there was one certain Billboard journalist whose acclaim was framed around his praise of artists that mastered melodies and capable vocals, without regard for their hip factor.)

For heaven's sake, top pop male artist of 2011 Bruno Mars performed a cover of "My Heart Will Go On" at last week's fundraiser "Hilarity for Charity," sponsored by Seth Rogan, which flanked the society pages nationwide Thursday, January 12.

Below the jump is yet another example of how the tide has turned. This beautifully adept piece appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal January 20. I could not have put it better myself. (It's edited down; full version here). *
CELINE DION SHOW A SLICK, FRESH CELEBRATION OF LIVE MUSICIANSHIP
By Mike Weatherford
It's simply her time. "Celine" will be the single name associated with this era of Las Vegas, as Elvis, Frank and Wayne were with theirs. And there is still time to talk about it in the present tense.

If you see the singer this weekend, or again starting Feb. 22, you will be seeing her in her prime. Only video clips remain to remind us of the young power balladeer. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now?" Not anywhere near this song, thank you.

But the genius of this show is reaching beyond the star's own catalog of hits, as all good Vegas shows do. From Ella Fitzgerald to Michael Jackson and James Bond movie themes, there are songs for everyone to like.And at 43, Dion is just the right age to sing them all. She is not yet facing the years of diminishing vocal power and is still young enough to flash some leg in her stiletto heels without inciting snickers.

But this show will probably be the city's best entertainment news this year, just as it was when it opened last year. What emerges from a second viewing is how veteran TV special director Ken Ehrlich provides a visual to go with almost every song, yet it doesn't come off as overkill in the manner of Dion's first Caesars Palace opus, "A New Day." The underlying theme is a celebration of live musicianship; a flotilla of players, including a 16-piece string section, glide in and out on risers or pop up in small combinations.

Oh yes, the star. Dion's voice still tends to skip the midrange, as so many power ballads do when their whispery verses explode into Olympian choruses. Dion tells us Carole King wrote "The Reason" for her, and you wonder if that mellow singer-songwriter penned it with those very low/high/nothing-in-between dynamics in mind.

Singing Eric Carmen's "All By Myself," Dion reaches with one hand to grab that word "self" and pull it right out of her gut. And when she blows the roof off with an extended "anym-o-o-o-r-e," she treats herself to a celebratory fist pump.And yet she gamely branches into skat singing for "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)." And the peak of the evening isn't the obligatory "Titanic" theme, but the subdued French tear-jerker "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (known in English cover versions as "If You Go Away").

Some fans on this night might have been disappointed that Dion stuck to scripted banter instead of going off on a tangent to unload what's really on her mind, as she has been known to do. But they will come back. And if she does it next time, it will be one of those Vegas memories we talk about.

Friday Happiest Hour @ Old Standby Lunasa

2012-01-23T00:02:00.000-05:00

Friday eve was the grand occasion of our now-monthly Happy Hour with my long-time gang o'pepes. We gathered at Lunasa on the Lower East Side... the Irish pub where we met weekly for several years back in the heyday. This time we had—shall we say—a quality crowd of lucky seven. Add my best friend Frenchy Fries, and we're up to eight happy imbibers (she drank ketchup). *

'GQ' Tries Desperately To Airbrush Michelle Williams Into A Sex Symbol

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't seen My Week With Marilyn, I have little to say about Michelle Williams' talent as an actress... although I do remember that in Brokeback Mountain, she was a fringe presence, at best.

But one thing I'll say with certainty: There is nothing particularly sexy or even sexual about the mousy 31-year-old plain Jane, a la Mia Farrow. I have to give credit to the artisans at GQ, who airbrushed the living shit out of Williams for a cover spread in its February 2012 issue and turned her into a would-be sexpot.

While she does resemble genuinely sensual singer Kim Wilde in these pics, it all comes across as a little girl dressing up in her mommy's closet... neither sincere or convincing, if not a little repugnant... and believe me (as you cool cats should know), I am hardly a prude.

In the GQ interview, she says, "I wouldn't say (being sexy is) one of my first qualities as a human being." Likewise, she proclaimed in her acceptance speech as Best Actress at this year's Golden Globe Awards for Marilyn, that she is a mother first, actress second.

I hear that, girl. Aside from these whored up photos that look like they were taken at Glamour Shots in the local mall, "matronly" comes to mind when I think of Michelle. *

At Last: Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Resigns From Congress

2012-01-22T19:16:00.000-05:00

It was certainly tragic when Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was grievously wounded after being shot while meeting constituents outside a supermarket in Tucson, Ariz. The horrible shooting on Jan. 8, 2011, left six people dead and 12 others wounded.

Giffords should be congratulated for her service to her state and country for representation as a strong Democrat since 2007, where she voted in favor of embryonic stem-cell research, raising the minimum wage, the repeal of $14 billion of subsidies to big oil companies—and perhaps the coolest, advocating a national day of recognition for cowboys.

But it’s clear that being shot through the left side of her brain left the official debilitated with classic aphasia: virtually unable to speak, read, write, smile or sadly, to walk. She requires the assistance of a 24-hour home health provider, in addition to full-time care from her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly.

In my book, that makes Giffords unfit for public office. Yes, I admire her efforts to rehabilitate, but she was overdue to step aside and let the state—and nation—get back to its daily duties. Every Democrat needs to be on their toes, particularly as the threat of a Republican victory this fall looms ever near.

Over the weekend, Giffords announced, "I have more work to do on my recovery and so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week." She's correct. Now Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer can call a special election to fill out the remainder of Giffords' term (in John McCain's heavily Republican state), which ends in 2012. Recognizing it was time to resign is perhaps her most heroic deed. *