Living Out Loud with Darian

Entertainment Tonight catches up with Janet along with L.A. Reid on the red carpet at the L.A. premiereof her new film Why Did I Get Married. Janet as usual looks incredibly beautiful ! Audience reaction from advance screenings has been overwhelmingly positive. Tyler Perry believes this movie is his best work. I know I'll be running to the theater opening weekend. Janet also tells us when we can expect new music from her. Get ready for 2008 because I know she's gonna bring it!

Make sure you check out the following upcoming Janet appearances:

Oct. 11 - Good Morning America
Oct. 12 - Live with Regis & Kelly
Oct. 12 - Late Nite with Conan O'Brien (at midnight, Oct. 13)
Oct. 17 - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Trouble viewing the video? Click here .

Labels: Entertainment

Family Business from The African -American Collective Theater in Washington, DC. I love this clip! There's nothing like seeing same gender love on stage. Get into it !

Labels: Entertainment

Lord have mercy if I wasn't married I would be in a lot of trouble after watching this video! Britney never looked so good ! Thanks Steven.

MiMi PlaStIque DnT pLaY!!

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Warning! Do not play this video at work if you want to keep your job.

Suga MaMa

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Damn he looks so good I wanna buy him a short set ! -Beyonce

Labels: Entertainment, Video Blog

My dear friend Jeff sent me this youtube video yesterday of a very talented 2 year old doing her best impression of Jennifer Hudson. Could their possibly be an Oscar in her future? Get into the video and see for yourself. Have a great weekend until we meet again on Monday.

Labels: Entertainment

I'm going to make this short and quick because every newspaper, magazine, and blog is ripping poor Britney Spears to shreads today. Like the rest of the world I'm extremely disappointed in her performance and her out of control behavior off stage. I was really rooting for her and I thought she was going to take this opportunity to show the world that she could still perform. But what we got was an out of shape( ok I'll cut her some slack, she has birthed two kids), low energy, disconnected Britney. It was painful and embarrasing to watch, especially if your mind drifted back to 2000 when she left the VMA audience speechless with her sexy striptease. Somewhere K-Fed is laughing his ass off.

I wish she would have listened to Timbaland and waited until she was really ready to come back. Will somebody please force her to go back to rehab and actually complete the program! I'm not ashamed to admit that I own all of Britney's albums and I've actually enjoyed her through the years, she may be a mediocre talent but she almost always kept you on the edge of your seat during her live performances... those days are over.

And is it me or has the VMA's fallen into the category of awards shows that are boring as hell and a complete waste of time, aka The Oscars? Every aspect of the show was weird even down to the Golden Globes setup with the tables and industry only audience. Who's dumb ass idea was that? The energy of the fans down front was missing and much needed. MTV needs to take Justin Timberlake's advice and start playing videos again. I think we've officially come to an end of an era. Britney Spears as we once knew her is no more and MTV has completely lost it's edge. I guess that leaves us with the wonderful programming on BET(rolling my eyes). If you want to see Britney "rehearse" Gimmie More during the performance check out the clip below.

Labels: Entertainment

Allow me to share with you a tribute to one of the greatest entertainers that ever walked the face of the earth, Ms. Janet Jackson. You all may be asking yourself why in the world am I doing another post on Janet. It was not my intention to write about Janet, at least not until her new movie comes out next month, but Clay Cane got me all riled up. Somehow his readers got it all wrong by voting Janet's career and musical influence second to Madonna's. Pleazzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeee!

I will not get into all of Janet's groundbreaking moments over the 20 years she's been in the business or all of the artists she's influenced that we love today. There would have been no Aaliyah without Janet. There would be no Beyonce today without Janet! Let's be honest for a second, we all know that Janet is everything that Beyonce wants to be(cue the Beyonce fans to leave me nasty comments) . Mya, J.Lo , Britney, Christina, everything that these girls are doing Janet invented.

Madonna may have pushed the envelope with her sexuality before Janet, but when it comes down to each artists overall contribution to the music industry and their impact on people all over the world, Janet wins hands down. Maybe I'm a little bias because Janet started a Rythmn Nation in my house long before I ever heard of that other girl. What's her name again? Oh...Madonna.

So Ms. Jackson may not have gotten her just due over on my friend Clay's site, but over here she will always reign supreme. And if you need a reminder of just how fierce she is look no further than below.

Labels: Entertainment

Do you guys remember the black gay tv show that many of us tuned in to watch on LOGO on a weekly basis called Noah's Arc? You remember the show that was cancelled abruptly after two seasons despite it being one of the most popular shows on the network...yeah that one. LOGO quietly announced in January that the show would not be returning by soothing the anger of black gay men everywhere by promising to transition the series into a major motion picture due in 2008.

I wrote about my disappointment with LOGO and the promise of a film that would most likely never see the light of day shortly after the announcement and today my feelings have not changed, especially after reading a blog written by Jensen Atwood . According to Jensen the crew is scheduled to go into production this month but he still has not been approached to reprise his role as Wade, instead actor Shemar Moore is rumored to be playing the role that put Jensen on the map. Read it for yourself here .

Other actors have been said to be in contract disputes therefore stalling production. I hate to be the pessimist,(in this case actually I don't ) but until I see a script and some behind the scenes video footage I'm not believing for one second that the production of this film is a reality. Hopefully those die hard Noah's Arc fans aren't holding their breath for this Patrick Ian- Polk baby to be born because they will surely be disappointed. Now maybe I'm wrong, but my gut tells me otherwise. I guess it'll just take LOGO to carry out their promise and make me a liar...we'll see.

Labels: Entertainment

Aretha Franklin has cancelled her September 1st show scheduled during Atlanta's Black Gay Pride weekend due to the hot summer temperature in Atlanta. Zandra Conway, an In The Life Atlanta board member, said the organization will refund money to ticket holders who purchased seats through ITLA. Ms. Franklin also cancelled a performance in Detroit earlier this summer citing the same reason.

Word of Franklin’s decision reached the city of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs, an organizer of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Wednesday afternoon, according to director Camille Love. Early reports that Franklin’s show had merely been postponed are inaccurate, according to Love, who said that her office offered Franklin the use of the Atlanta Civic Center as a substitute for Chastain. “We understood her concerns about her health and the temperatures. With respect to that, even though there was an air-conditioned stage at Chastain, we chose to offer her a different venue that was inside, air-conditioned, and comfortable in a great venue,” Love explained.

So unfortunately all of the Aretha fans will be dissapointed next weekend. But forgive me for asking this question, but who cares??? We know the kids were not running out to purchase tickets to hear Aretha sing R-E-S-P-E-C-T when they'd rather hear Beyonce sing "Get Me Bodied" while she pops her coochie into a wardrobe malfunction! I can think of over a dozen artists that would have shown up and gave the kids life! I think Mya and Kelly Rowland are both looking for gigs right now.

Labels: Entertainment

It's been seven years since Janet Jackson exercised her acting muscles in the Eddie Murphy blockbuster The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps, while she has always expressed interest in pursuing an acting career it has always taken a back seat to her music. After being chosen for the lead role in a film based on the legendary singer Lena Horne and subsequently released from her responsibilities following the infamous wardrobe malfunction, many of her fans wondered if we would ever see Janet on the big screen again. But Halloween won't be the only thing we'll have to look forward to in October, because on the 12th Janet along with Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, and Tyler Perry will star in "Why Did I Get Married".

A film based on Perry's stage play by the same name that takes a look at a group of married couples who gather every year to re-evaluate their relationships. Tyler Perry had this to say about the two leading ladies Janet and Jill on his website, "Can I tell you that I love Jill Scott? That is the kind of woman that can smile and end a war. Really she is unbelievable. And Janet Jackson has to be the most professional superstar that I have ever worked with. She was the first one there and the last one to leave--always on time and no drama. These women put it down!"

Janet plays an author and college professor named Patricia and according to Tyler she definitely has the acting chops for the role. I'm extremely excited about having the opportunity to see Janet in this movie. Say what you want about Tyler Perry's film's, they're not masterpiece theater but at the very least they're entertaining. I'm sure with major stars like Janet Jackson and Jill Scott on board this film will dominate the box office opening weekend. I personally can't wait! But I'm sure you guys know Janet could be starring in an infomercial and I'd watch it...lol! Check out the trailer here .

Labels: Entertainment

I did something over the past couple of weekends that I rarely ever do, I actually broke my boring homebody routine and went to the movies. Last Saturday I saw Hairspray and yesterday I went with my boyfriend to see I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Chuck and Larry stars Adam Sandler as Chuck Levine and Kevin James(King of Queens) as Larry Valentine. The two are best friends who have worked together for years as firefighters in Brooklyn, New York. Chuck is a typical sex-crazed heterosexual bachelor and Larry is a widower with two kids, a girl and a boy who has a strong inclination for tap dancing and showtunes. After Larry saves Chuck's life during a fire, Chuck vows to repay him for his act of bravery. Larry finds the perfect opportunity to take him up on his offer when he's unable to add his children as beneficiaries on his life insurance because of legal red tape. The best friends then decide to enter into a domestic partnership making Chuck the legal beneficiary and guardian in the event of Larry's death, and that's when all hell breaks loose.

I've read a lot of reviews for this film and most critics have panned it giving it two out of five stars. I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the writing and how gay men were going to be portrayed, and in the vein of most Adam Sandler movies it had it's macho frat boy homophobe moments, but it also had some poignant moments that served as lessons to a homophobic society. Don't get me wrong, this movie is not a piece of important work that will further advance equality for LGBT people or start a major dialogue in this country around sexual orientation, but it does succeeed at reaching an audience that probably would have never gone to see Brokeback Mountain or Brother to Brother.


I've often asked people who believe that being gay is a choice what they would do if they had to walk a day in the shoes of an LGBT person, and usually I get a blank face from those who actually take the time to think about the question or more hate speech from the more volatile individuals. This is exactly what happens to Chuck and Larry when they pretend to be gay and they experience first hand the rejection, discrimination, un-equal treatment, and often times violence endured by same gender loving people . In a touching scene Adam Sandler tells a crowded room not to use the word faggot although he used it repeatedly in the past because he now understood that it was hurtful.

Jessica Biel also turns in a good performance as the couples attorney and provides a beautiful body for Chuck(Adam Sandler) to grope in an effort to without a doubt please his hyper -masculine fan base. Ving Rhames ( Holiday Heart ), a black actor who is no stranger to playing gay roles also appears in the movie as a firefighter with a secret of his own. His character is one that could have easily been taken from an In Living Color skit, stereotypical and dissapointing but not bad enough to ruin the film. There's also a cameo from Lance Bass of N'SYNC that's surprisingly quick.

Overall, I thought I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was a good movie. I wasn't as offended as I thought I would be and although some jokes were predictable I was still moved to laughter(ok...so it might not take much). But nothing compares to knowing that this film in it's own unique way gives a lesson on tolerance, respect, and understanding for anybody that society deems abnormal, especially LGBT people. So grab a date and go and see it for yourself.

Labels: Entertainment

Over the past week I've started to feel my passion for dance resurface slowly but surely. I kinda entered into semi-retirement once I made the move from L.A. to Atlanta(it actually began once I met my ex...long story). But once a dancer always a dancer. The next step is actually getting off my butt and from in front of my computer and back into class regularly(maybe I'll drop the 10 pounds I've gained over the past 6 months too).

Last weekend I found inspiration unexpectedly from the film Hairspray and from one of the dancers that has ironically named me as one of his inspiratons. I grew up dancing with Stephen "Twitch" Boss in Montgomery, Alabama at summer theater camps at ASU and the Alabama Dance Theater. He later gained national attention after appearing on Star Search, The Wade Robson Project and recently the new movie Hairspray. Stephen is a living example of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication. The above video is of Stephen freestyling to Amerie's "I Just Died". Brace yourselves for this dance break from Stephen "Twitch" Boss.

Labels: Entertainment

Last Saturday night I made a last minute decision to go and see Hairspray and let me tell you it was the best decision I made the entire day. For those of you who are not familiar with the storyline click here . Hairspay is filled with campy dialogue and musical numbers and I loved every minute of it! I've never seen the original movie starring Ricki Lake as Tracy Turnblad so I was able to enjoy every minute of the film without comparing the two.

Nikki Blonsky who plays the lead role of Tracy in the current film is a star in the making. She commands the screen from the first line of the opening song "Goodmorning Baltimore" and reels the audience in with her surprisingly "soulful" dancing ability. Rounding out the cast are stellar performances from Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, and Amanda Bynes. But besides Nikki'sperformance as Tracy the actors that really stood out for me were John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, and newcomer Elijah Kelley as Seaweed.

Many people in the LGBT community have objected to Travolta playing the role of Edna Turnblad because of his affiliation with Scientology and the belief that he's homophobic despite having to dress in drag for this role. Well I was able to put the politics aside for two hours and enjoy his performance because he was actually quite convincing as the overweight homebody Edna. Queen Latifah turns in another great performance as Motormouth Maybelle and grabs the opportunity to show off her vocal skills in a gut wrenching gospel number that turns out to be one of the only serious moments in this light-hearted film.

But the person that almost steals the film is sexy newcomer Elijah Kelley as Seaweed. This man has a voice that will tear the roof off of any broadway theater and the charisma to make any woman or man swoon. In the few minutes that it takes him to sing his showstopping number "Run and Tell That" he manages to leave a lasting impression as someone to look out for. His role is also being played by Tevin Campbell in the broadway compan(pictured above).

Normally most reviews have at least one negative thing to say about the production but I honestly cannot find any fault in this movie, there was never a dull moment. Kudos to Adam Shankman for the direction and choreography, and also to my friend and Montgomery native Stephen Boss who appears as one of the dancers (pictured above on the left of Queen Latifah). Hairspray is definitely the feel good movie of the summer and one that I will own on dvd. Run and don't walk to see it!

Labels: Entertainment

On December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theater in New York City a star was born and her name was Jennifer Holliday. The show was Dreamgirls and it would become the catalyst for the careers of some of today's most respected and beloved performers. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Holliday were among hundreds of talented black performers in New York City, but they were the lucky ones to be cast in the new Michael Bennett musical that would change the sound of musical theater forever.

Those theatergoers in 1981 who witnessed Jennifer Holliday's heart wrenchng signature song "And I Am Telling You(I'm Not Going) all agree that they were not prepared for what they saw and count it as one of the most magical moments in musical theater history. After winning 6 Tony Awards, one for Jennifer's performance as Effie and a Grammy Award for "And I Am Telling You", 25 years later Ms. Holliday brings her star making role to the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.

I attended the opening night performance last night at the Fox Theater and I have to tell you seeing Jennifer perform Effie live was unlike anything I've ever experienced at the theater. 25 years later Jennifer Holliday still manages to perform the role as if it were her first time. It's clearly obvious that she's the star of the show and a huge reason why people are flocking to the theater to see Dreamgirls post the success of the film. But she is supported by some of the most talented performers in the business. I would be remiss not to mention the vocal prowess of broadway diva Brandi Chavonne Massey (Wicked, Aida, Hair), who plays Lorell, Cindy Herron (formerly a member of En Vogue) who plays Deena, Devon Watson who plays C.C. , and broadway veteran Eugene Fleming who plays James Thunder Early.

This is the second live production that I've seen of Dreamgirls, the first was the amazing cast from Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia. Although the Atlanta production was good it sometimes suffered from slow pacing and sound problems, all of which I'm sure will be resolved as the run continues. Rumor has it that this may be Jennifer's last time performing the role she created 25 years ago. I honestly don't even want to think about that, but if it's true she has definitely given us a performance that people will be talking about for another 25 years.

I also had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer backstage after the show, and although she was obviously worn out after her three hour performance she still took the time to speak with me and pose for photographs which you can view above.If you are in Atlanta between now and July 29th make sure you get a ticket to see Dreamgirls, you won't be dissapointed.But for those of you who can't make it I have something extra special for you, just click here .

Labels: Entertainment

Rumor has it that Beyonce aka Beyonce Knowles (when she's acting) is in talks with Disney to play the title role in the film version of the Elton John and Tim Rice musical Aida. I'm going to attempt not to make this one of those Beyonce hater posts because I think Clay Cane does such a good job when it comes to reading Ms. Knowles, but when I heard this news I wanted to personally shake all of the Disney executives involved in this decision. I swear I love Beyonce on most days but it's too much to even think about her playing the role that won Heather Headley a Tony award for her performance as Aida on broadway.

I was fortunate enough to witness Heather Headley perform the role on stage every night on broadway when I sold t-shirts and mugs at the Palace Theater as a broke college student when I lived in New York, and not only must the actress playing Aida having an amazing voice but serious acting chops.

I have to say Beyonce has impressed me over the years with her vocal range but her acting is beyond questionable. It's obvious that this decision is not based on artistict merit but Disney's bottom line and although this is the nature of the business it makes me sick. Basically Beyonce is a pretty face with a big name that is sure to attract major consumer dollars. Nevermind there's hundreds of talented actors that may be more deserving of the role, has Disney forgotten about Heather Headley, Deborah Cox, and even the forgotten Destiny Child's member Michelle Wiliams who also played the role on broadway?

It seems Beyonce is determined to secure her Oscar nomination and win before she turns 30. If winning an Oscar will get this workaholic to take a much needed break then I say give it to her, just not for her performance in Aida ! I have an ill feeling that around this time next year we will be bombarded with Disney promos starring Ms. Knowles as Aida and all we will have left is the original cast album and youtube videos of Heather Headley executing what Ms. Knowles will surely fall short of.

Labels: Entertainment

You may be wondering what the deal is with the title of this post. Well it was my intention to write a full review on the BET Awards because I was sure it was going to be an amazing show, but this year I was extremely dissapointed. I wish they would have warned me that I could have switched the channel to LOGO and watched reruns of Queer As Folk for the thousandth time after the two Jennifers left the stage. It's a damn shame the opening number was the climax of the entire show, even despite Jennifer Hudson screwing up the timing and the lyrics to a song I'm sure she could sing in her sleep. What happened this year?

I was so dissapointed that I missed baby Janet's performance...I mean Ciara. I guess I'll have to catch it on youtube. Gone are the days when artists like Michael, Janet, Prince, LL, and even M.C. Hammer gave you a reason to tune in to watch these dreadfully long award shows. I found myself looking for any sign of Janet just to experience a little bit of excitement.I hope she's in the studio creating a masterpiece that will finally drive Beyonce into early retirement and silence all of the haters.

I can't believe BET got it wrong this year. I guess it was too much to ask of them seeing how they got it right on Meet The Faith last Sunday. The straights are still reeling from Keith Boykin and Sheryl Lee Ralph's performance and the good Bishops lack thereof. As for the BET Awards I guess there's always next year.

Labels: Entertainment

The wait is almost over. Out gay filmaker Maurice Jamal's critically acclaimed film Dirty Laundry will arrive in theaters nationwide this August. Dirty Laundry is an amazing story about family with a gay twist. The film stars Loretta Devine, Rockmond Dunbar, Jennifer Lewis, Terri J. Vaughn and comedian Sommore. Dirty Laundry won numerous awards at film festivals all over the country including an award for Loretta Devine's leading performance at The American Black Film Festival.

I was fortunate enough to see Dirty Laundry at the L.A. film festival last summer and although I was sick with the flu I was determined to see this groundbreaking film. I encourage everyone to run and see this movie along with their family when it's released. It's the kind of film that will open up dialogue and heal wounds between LGBT folk and their families.

Maurice recently sat down with a reporter in Tampa, Florida to discuss the upcoming release of his second film and why the story is so important. As usual he is very open and funny. Get into the interview and exclusive clips from the movie here .

Labels: Entertainment

There is a new television show on the horizon and I'm so excited about this project I had to share it with everyone.

Our Lives Exposed is a new reality show that follows the relationship of Tony and James , a gay couple in Illinois who have been in a committed relationship for over six years. I spoke with Tony via e-mail yesterday and this is what he had to say regarding the show's concept.

We are two gay men that are lovers, friends, business partners, consolers, TV buddies, tennis double partners, and most of all humans. We want to educate the world. We may not be considered the norm, but we should have the same rights as the rest of America. We do not want to be treated any differently than the average heterosexual couple, we just want to be recognized for being strong minded, tax paying, law abiding, African American citizens.

Like the small handful of Black gay television shows that proceeded Our Lives Exposed, this show will definitely be entertaining and groundbreaking at the same time. Check out a sneak peek of the trailer here .

Labels: Entertainment

An artist knows they have a hit song on their hands when millions of people are singing along even when they don't know the words or when they hate the song but can't stop themselves from singing the infectious hook. When I first heard Rihanna's number 1 single "Umbrella" I was hoping the rain would stop so she could put the umbrella away! But after seeing the video for the first single off of her third studio album "Good Girl Gone Bad" I was hooked.

I find myself singing Umbrella numerous times throughout the course of the day, and if you know me then you know there's always music or choreography in my head, but lately it's just been Umbrella. Oh my God! Am I becoming a Rihanna fan?

I caught her performance on the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday and although she has a hit she still needs some polishing on her performance skills. Was it just me or was it extremely weird to see Jay-Z on stage without Beyonce? I swear I was waiting for B to come on stage and give us one good ole' African dance!

Rihanna is beautiful and I give her props for singing live despite her limited vocal ability, but the performance never seemed to climax. Rumor has it that she wants to dethrone Beyonce. I would want nothing more than to see someone send Beyonce on a long vacation, but Rihanna is going to have to step up her game if she wants to achieve Beyonce's status.

Clay Cane writes a hilarious but accurate review of Rhianna's new cd here . You can also check out my second favorite single "Breakin Dishes" off of her new cd here . Wow! I'm really turning into a fan...HELP!

Labels: Entertainment

There are very few things in life that I regret, meeting my ex-boyfriend would definitely be one and not attending Sizzle this year in Miami would be second. I actually had the weekend off with flying benefits and a VIP card thanks to my boss, but I chose to live vicariously through my friends who were basking in the beauty of thousands of black men on the beautiful sandy beaches of Miami.

This crazy decision definitely qualifys me for a "what in the hell were you thinking award"? . But I know I wasn't the only person absent from the festivities, so if you didn't make it down to Sizzle I'm bringing you the hottest recap of the weekend's events thanks to an anonymous guest blogger. Pictures courtesy of Lonnell Williams .

10 Things You Should Know

This year I had the opportunity to attend Miami Sizzle's 6th Annual event in sunny Miami, Florida, and to call it pandemonium would be a true understatement. CEO Dwight Powell and his team (Lorenzo Turner, Cordell McClary and Luis Medrano) launched one of the highest-octane and activity packed holiday weekends I've ever been apart of.

Miami was the perfect backdrop for this sexy, ultra-classy affair where I received eye candy that will have me running to the dentist for a fill in. In a twist this year the 4 Star Hyatt Regency Miami happily welcomed the 'gay dollar' as it acted as the host hotel instead of the satellite hotel from previous years. The city welcomed the black gay community with open arms as the mayor of the booming metropolis, Carlos Alvarez, delivered a personal welcome letter that was included in the events brochure.

Droves of same gender loving men and women came from all across the world to be a part of an event that is catered to us-and most importantly by us. From The Sizzle Booze Cruise, The True Queens Of Comedy, The Haulover Beach Control, Carnival, and everything in between. The Sizzle organization executed the daunting task of providing interesting yet sexy events flawlessly.

But don't think the Memorial Day weekend was just about parties and clubbing because it wasn't. When I needed to get away and relax I strolled on over to Sizzle Village and lost myself in the movie lounge, caught up on some emails in the Cyber Café, and just laid back in the hospitality lounge. There was a fascinating open-forum discussion on online hook-ups and sex moderated by Derrick L. Briggs. Andre Mizrahi, in association with Sizzle Miami, presented the Bring It Ball where contestants competed for a cash prize of $7, 500.00.

Since this was my inception to the ultra-elegant, five-day excursion I'll have to admit that there were a few things I did right, and a few things I did wrong. I thought that I would compile a list of do's and don'ts that will guarantee you the best experience possible while you make Miami your destination for next year's first Summer holiday weekend.

1. Purchase a VIP card! Sizzle offers different VIP access cards that secure your admission to every Sizzle sponsored event. There's no waiting in line, no worrying about getting into a party, nothing. I had one and I got the chance to see everything while my friends weren't so lucky. If you're a true baller might I suggest the VIP Black Card!

2. Rent your own vehicle and book your own hotel room!! Let's face it, friends are great and you want to experience a great time while in their company. But when it comes to hook-ups, and late night adventures, it's best that you have your own accommodations so that you don't have to answer to anyone or wait for anybody when you're out and about.

3. Leave the attitude at home! Listen, everybody knows that we gays can be some shady bitches, however, when you're coming to a gay event you need to be as open to meeting as many people as possible. In the long run you're only hurting yourself by walking around acting like your shit don't stink.

4. Safe sex is very important, but I think it's pointless to waste your money on condoms upon arriving. Every place I went over the weekend seemed to have free condoms (yes, even the ones to fit us blessed downstairs bruthas). I didn't even get a chance to crack open the fresh box of Magnum XL's I brought with me.

5. LEAVE YOUR BOYFRIENDS AT HOME!!! I can't stress this suggestion enough. This event, as classy as it is, isn't for couples. There are so many scantily clad men walking around that are bound to approach you with things other then "getting to know you" on their mind. Just don't play yourself by bringing your significant other. There are bound to be issues! I personally witnessed three couples break up while in attendance. I'm not advocating cheating, but I am sure that you're better off declining an advance on your own rather then in the company of your mate.

6. Don't get an attitude with event employees, hotel staff, or security. It's a crazy ass weekend and everybody is trying to accommodate everybody. Try to take into consideration the daunting task everyone is attempting to deal with to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.

7. Tip your bartenders! That doesn't need further explanation.

8. Bring enough money to cover your own expenses. This is another rule that I can't stress enough. With it being a holiday weekend, things are going to cost a little more than normal. Make sure your budget can accommodate you so that you don't have to impede on anyone else's finances to support your fun.

9. Don't leave your drink unattended for any reason! I had a friend fall victim to someone slipping a substance into his drink which had us rushing him to the hospital. If you put your drink down and walk away from it for any reason, consider it a wash and just purchase another one.


10. Have fun, be responsible, and make it a weekend to remember!

Labels: Entertainment, People

MTV'S LOGO network has licensed the short film "On The Low" by writer/director Luther Mace to be shown as apart of The Click List: Best In Short Film . "On the Low" explores the emotional consequences of a hush-hush intimate relationship between two African-American hugh school boys. It tells the story of a young man Ty Evans, played by Deondray Gossett(The D.L. Chronicles) who is coming to terms with his sexuality and the inner conflict he experiences. The true extent of Ty's relationship with his classmate, Kevin Banks, begins to trouble him when the boys get into a schoolyard shoving match.

As the tension between them escalates, Ty realizes what began as innocent curiosity and experimentation has blossomed into something deeper.

The cast also includes the talent of Tommy Ford , widely known for his portrayal of the character Tommy from the nineties sitcom Martin .

I was fortunate enough to catch a screening of On The Low last year and it did not disappoint. I just wish it could have been longer than fifteen minutes. Luckily, a feature film version is in the works. I'm sure after you get a chance to see the short you're going to crave more. Catch "On The Low" on Wednesday night on LOGO.

Labels: Entertainment