Planet Homo

HX Magazine Sold

From the Advocate: Putting to rest rumors that long-running New York-based HX Magazine was on its way out, New York Press confirmed with owner-founder Matthew Bank on Tuesday that the magazine had been sold. 

Bank, who built the magazine from a publication he distributed for free into a multimillion-dollar business, released the following statement to New York Press:

"HX Magazine and the website hx.com have been sold. The new owners of HX Magazine will be releasing details and information on their plans for the future of the title shortly. In the meantime, Bank and HX Magazine publisher Gary Lacinski will be assisting them in the transition. HX Magazine issue 931 dated July 10th, which will be released on July 3rd, will be the last one produced by HX Media and its staff.

"We've had an incredible time creating what we feel is the best local gay magazine the world has ever seen," says Bank, "and I am proud that even in this difficult economy we were able to ensure that this magazine that is dear to the hearts of so many readers will be able to continue under capable new ownership."

The terms of the transaction remain confidential.

HX Media LLC still owns and operates the New York Blade newspaper and its Expo division, which produces the HX Gay and Lesbian Travel Expos, HX Gay Life Expo, and HX Gay Erotic Expo. These businesses were not part of the sale.

In addition, it is now reported that Window Media proprietor David Unger has resigned his role with Avalon Equity.

 

Cover Boy

'American Idol' runner-up Adam Lambert is not only openly gay, he is planning a Rolling Stone cover to confirm it after months of speculation, reports the NY Post.

'Idol' judge Kara DioGuardi is on a pretaped 'View' airing Friday, and during her sit-down she says he is out.

"I don't think that Adam was ever in [the closet]," she tells the ladies. "I think he was always openly out."

Meanwhile, Friday's NY Post reports he will be on the cover of next week's Rolling Stone.

    "AMERICAN Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has steadfastly refused to talk about his sexuality despite photos of him on his Web site tongue-kissing men and dressed in full drag -- but not for much longer. A well-placed magazine source tells Page Six that Lambert will be coming out officially on the next cover of Rolling Stone.

Genre Magazine: 1991-2009?

It was warm inside on a cold evening in December 2008, when with the help of V2 Vodka and Travelocity,  Genre magazine threw a party for itself. In the spirit of holiday celebration Genre Publisher William Kapfer & Editor-in-Chief Neal Boulton invited loyal readers, advertisers and friends to share some cheer and give thanks.  Over 400 party goers poured into East Village hot spot DTOX for creative libations powered by V2.
Much has changed since that night. Neal recently quit to pursue his other interests, as varied as they are, leaving the magazine just as it was unable to deliver its December issue to subscribers (oh that party money!). Yesterday, amid speculation, publisher William Kapfer delivered an eloquent note indicating that he was leaving the magazine as of March 27th.

The death of any magazine is not to be celebrated. Genre began in 1991 by founder, Richard Settles. In July 2003, the magazine was sold to Window Media, which owns the Washington Blade among other publications. It was a time of transition as they moved from Los Angeles to New York City, with a new editor and publisher. The editor, a clueless copywriter was quickly dismissed. The publisher, soon thereafter was found to embezzling money and he fled to the arms of his lover in Australia. New editors and publishers came and went with the seasons. In May of 2007, fitness editor Neal Boulton was named the new editor-in-chief. Neal arrived like a star, complete with page six gossip that he was Roller Stone publisher, Jann Wenner's lover. Neal, a self-proclaimed bisexual (is there any other kind?) decided that gay men were about sex and fitness and promptly molded a magazine similar to his last job at Men's Fitness, only sexier.

In January 2007, William Kapfer was appointed vice-president and publisher of Genre magazine. Bill, as he is commonly known, was already the Vice President of Marketing for Window Media where he was responsible for all cross-platform marketing efforts and overall web strategy. Before joining Window Media, Kapfer was the Merchandising Director for Travel + Leisure magazine and Harper's Bazaar. Previously, Kapfer had served as Director of Marketing for the Seattle International Film Festival. He began his career as a publicist for Miramax Films and as a newsroom coordinator for the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.

People seem to love and /or hate both these men. The fact is, nearly every publication is hurting, and gay publications in particular as the average gay reader is more likely to use the Internet for information. It was curious that the website Genre created for itself, seemed to have little do with the publication. In fact, not a recent cover or  story from Genre could be found anywhere. It was an odd "marketing and web strategy" to be sure. They also passed on some media treasures for reasons quite unclear. Academy Award winner, Dustin Lance Black was photographed for the February cover in November by photographer Michael Davis. It has never seen the light of print for reasons only Neal Boulton can explain; nor have any of the recent photographers been paid for services rendered. It may be the elephant in the room: they are broke.

If you have any experience in publishing these are all troubling and moribund indications. Advertisers, especially under the current economic circumstances, will not spend money on a product that they suspect will be gone in a few short weeks. The naming of a new editor from within the ranks of your own company only adds to the suggestion, they are keeping their day job.

Naff Named New of Genre Magazine

Troubled homo publication, Genre magazine, which recently saw its editor-in-chief Neal Boulton leave to pursue to "other interests", has named a new editor via this press release: NEW YORK, March 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Genre Magazine, a division of Window Media LLC, the nation's largest gay publishing group, today announced the appointment of veteran LGBT journalist Kevin Naff as Editor-in-Chief of Genre Magazine. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic planning for the magazine, while continuing his post as Editor of Washington Blade -- the nation's oldest, largest and most respected gay newspaper -- celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009. The announcement was made today by William Kapfer, Genre Publisher and Window Media Co-President.

Naff joins Genre after more than six years with the Washington Blade, including nearly three as editor, where he has overseen a senior team of editors and reporters responsible for covering some of the country's most historic political events and its leaders. Naff is an award-winning journalist, columnist and blogger known for his provocative approach to analyzing the news. In addition to recurring guest commentator spots on Sirius/XM satellite radio and National Public Radio (NPR), he has been tapped for national appearances on such shows as Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor," CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" and CBS' Logo network. That is Naff on the left, navel-revealing fan is unknown.

Almost Famous: Justin Gaston

From stylist.com/blog comes this tantalizing piece about Justin Gaston, Miley Cyrus's boyfriend who is making quite an appearance on EY! magazine. Ben Widdicombe files this report: Celebrity magazines have been reporting that Justin Gaston, Miley Cyrus's 20-year-old model boyfriend, has moved into the Cyrus family home so that dad Billy Ray can "keep an eye on him." But it seems the young fella has been slipping out of the compound.
Away from the Disney-sanitized environment that attends a hit commodity like "Hannah Montana," young Mr. Gaston is getting quite the reputation for racy photo spreads. First came a series in the Spring 2009 issue of V Man, an edgy men's fashion magazine which posed him awkwardly straddling a tennis net and grabbing his crotch.

Now he is on the cover of the even more avant garde Electric Youth! magazine, a frankly homoerotic remix of the teen-mag Tiger Beat genre dedicated to up-and-coming male models. (Although the new issue does also feature a handful of young female models, including Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith.)

Electric Youth! (or EY!), named after the Debbie Gibson hit, is the brainchild of a Madrid-based creative director named Luis Venegas. Each model is interviewed in the style of a teen idol and the text, in contrast to the revealing photos, is positively restrained. Gaston is only referred to as Miley's "best friend," for example, and the aspiring musician is allowed a generous plug for his MySpace demo page. Dakota Johnson's famous parents aren't even mentioned.

EY! does not have a web site and you won't find the ad-free mag on news stands. Although it nominally has a US cover price of $18, in reality it is stocked by only a few trendy European boutiques or distributed privately among the fashion media. To purchase head here.

Frontiers and In Magazines Merge

As media outlets continue to face a decline in advertising revenue and other recession-induced realities, two of Southern California’s largest LGBT publications have merged.

IN Los Angeles and Frontiers co-publisher David Stern announced in a letter to readers last month that he and co- publisher Mark Hundahl would combine the two magazines into Frontiers-IN Los Angeles. The revamped publication hit newsstands and online on Feb. 25.

“I will not be so bold as to think that anybody reading this [letter] doesn’t also know that the current and temporary state of the economy was a factor in helping us make this decision,” Stern said. “Of course it was, but as you can tell by everything you’ve read above, it was certainly not the [only] factor.”

He added that he feels combining the two publications is the right decision.

“As we move into this realm of combined content and we look at the print editions of IN Los Angeles and Frontiers, it only makes sense that they combine also,” Stern said.

Frontiers launched in April 1981 while IN Los Angeles debuted in March 1998. IN Publications purchased Frontiers Publishing in 2007.

Karen Ocamb and Dana Miller are among the reporters and columnists whose work has regularly appeared in IN Los Angeles over the last decade. Ocamb said she feels optimistic over the merger.

“Given the economy and the new website we expect to debut this summer, I think this move to merge Frontiers and IN magazines is a good and logical one,” said Ocamb. “Frontiers launched just before the CDC announced what became the HIV/AIDS crisis and has an historic resonance. In recent years, it became more lifestyle oriented. IN Los Angeles was newsier and with more entertainment, so the combined editorial is essentially the best of both worlds in a magazine format."

Neal Boulton Bolts from Genre Magazine

Neal Boulton has quit as editor of the gay magazine Genre to pursue his dream of becoming a best-selling author. Boulton recently sold his motorcycle-trekking book, "Sex Across America," and is working on a memoir about being a married bisexual dad of two with a switch-hitting wife. "I made the hard call to leave my friends at Genre. It's been a good run," Boulton told us. "Hell, Anna Wintour had to close Men's Vogue - we're still standing." He adds that his lifestyles Web site, BastardLife.com, has been "seriously approached" by "Penn & Teller: Bull[bleep]!" director Star Price about doing a show called "BastardLife NYC."
Boulton's tenure as editor was marked by, publicity for Boulton, as his legendary partying was chronicled by insiders. As editor, he did little to elevate the magazine beyond formulating that "sex sells".  An example would be the mostly curious Genre website,  which completely lacks acknowledgment that a magazine actually exists, which to all extent and purposes is doubtful (maybe he saw the future). To further annoy readers, the last issues of the magazine have not been mailed to the few existing subscriber's which was eventually blamed on "the printers." No blame has yet to be assigned to be the numerous photographers and writers who have not received payment for their services.

The Advocate: This is news?

The Advocate is a self proclaimed news magazine and their website is "The Award-Winning LGBT News Site" so it’s a little strange when you see on their pages yesterday this "news" story about the former lover of  Portland mayor, Sam Adams accepting to pose, naked of course for, you guessed it, Unzipped magazine. Cross pollination is nothing new, but rarely this shameless.

Happy Valentine's

Yes it is.

http://www.obviousmag.com/

New Junior

The new issue of brazilian gay magazine JUNIOR has hit the streets and the emails. With Rodrigo Calazans on  the cover, the magazine has Carnival as inspiration. Rodrigo was photographed at Acadêmicos do Salgueiro square, in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most important samba clubs from Brazil.

Print Envy

A magazine we love is MAO MAG. This month's issue features fashion icons Carrie Donovan, Veruschka, Donyale Luna, Bill King, Herb Ritts and more. Founders Mauricio and Roger Padilha launched MAO MAG in September 2003. It is published bi-annually, coinciding with New York Fashion week, and explores the worlds of fashion, both past and present, commercial and underground. In its first 8 issues, MAO MAG featured profiles on varied Industry professionals such as Carine Roitfeld, Bob Richardson, Bert Stern, Polly Mellon, Scavullo, Peggy Moffit, Antonio Lopez, Arianne Phillips, Joe Dallesandro, Giorgio Di Sant Angelo, Way Bandy, Candy Pratts Price, Donna Karan, Edie Sedgwick, Jay and Jed Johnson, Chloe Sevigny, Ara Gallant, Pamela Anderson, Fiorucci, Francisco Costa, Bob Mackie, Thierry Perez, Jeremy Scott, Paul Morrissey, Liza Minelli, Nina Hagen, Isacc Mizrahi, Betsey Johnson, Mamie Van Doren, Amanda Lepore and Raquel Welch. Check out the great display of layouts. MM can be purchased at these bookstores.

Are you a B Boy?

How the Economy Works

 

The Ellie Awards

NEW YORK, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) bestowed the industry's most prestigious editorial honors tonight at the 43rd annual National Magazine Awards. The black-tie gala at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, gathered more than 1,000 editors, publishers, industry professionals and guests to celebrate 25 winners across 20 categories. Named after the Alexander Calder Stabile "Elephant," the 2008 "Ellies" drew a record-setting 1,964 entries from 333 print and online magazines.

The 2008 National Magazine Award winners are: 

 

• National Geographic for General Excellence (over 2,000,000 circulation)
• The New Yorker for General Excellence (1,000,000 to 2,000,000 circulation)
• GQ for General Excellence (500,000 to 1,000,000 circulation)
• Backpacker for General Excellence (250,000 to 500,000 circulation)
• Mother Jones for General Excellence (100,000 to 250,000 circulation)
• Print for General Excellence (under 100,000 circulation)
• Popular Mechanics for Personal Service
• New York for Leisure Interests
• National Geographic for Reporting
• The Nation for Public Interest
• Atlanta for Feature Writing
• Vanity Fair for Profile Writing
• New Letters for Essays
• Rolling Stone for Columns and Commentary
• The Atlantic for Reviews and Criticism
• Conde Nast Portfolio for Magazine Section
• The Virginia Quarterly Review for Single-topic Issue
• Wired for Design
• Gourmet for Photography
• National Geographic for Photojournalism
• Vanity Fair for Photo Portfolio
• Harper's Magazine for Fiction
• RunnersWorld.com for General Excellence Online 
• BusinessWeek.com for Personal Service Online
• Bicycling.com for Interactive Feature

Death of a 106 year old magazine

House & Garden magazine will cease publication with its December issue, it was announced today by Charles H. Townsend, President & CEO of Condé Nast Publications.  The website, houseandgarden.com, will also be shut down. 

"House & Garden has a long and venerable history within Condé Nast," Mr. Townsend said. "This has been a difficult decision to come to but we feel it is one that must be made at this time. I would like to thank Dominique Browning and the entire staff for their award-winning efforts throughout the years. House and Garden's intelligent and graceful editorial attracted a loyal readership. We were proud to publish it.

"With the unexpected departure of the publisher of the magazine, we decided to take a serious look and re-evaluate the title," Mr. Townsend said. "Our investment in House & Garden throughout the years has been substantial and we no longer believe it is a viable business investment for the company."

Condé Nast will continue to be a leading publisher in the home and lifestyle category with magazines including Architectural Digest, Domino, and Vogue Living (which will increase its frequency in 2008).

Genre Magazine

GENRE Magazine, an affiliate of Window Media LLC, the nation'€™s  largest gay publishing group, today named Neal Boulton Editor-in-Chief of GENRE Magazine. The announcement was made today by Window Media  Chairman David Unger.       

  Boulton, author of Obesity Diaries, joins GENRE after  three years as editor-in-chief of Men's  Fitness and as the corporate development editor for Shape and  Natural Health, along with a string of critical and commercial  successes at other Weider Publication titles. Prior to his consecutive  leadership roles at Weider, Boulton successfully re-launched Outside  Magazine, L.A. Times Outdoors and Life Magazine.   

    William Kapfer, GENRE Vice President & Publisher of GENRE and Window Media Co-President says: GENRE is  committed to being the complete lifestyle sourcebook catering to today's  smart, stylish and tuned-in gay man. Our readers and advertisers want  and deserve the best, and this appointment underlines our determination to continue to produce the most top quality magazine in our category.   
   
   Boulton graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and  was appointed an Associate in Journalism at Columbia University with a  focus on the role of design in journalism."  I see a great opportunity to intensify all of GENRE's  strengths,€ said Boulton. €œAnd  additionally, I seek to build upon them with new ones."
   
Boulton succeeds Christopher Ciompi who served as GENRE's  Editor-in-Chief for the past two years.

And now the Scandal (from the not so distant past): NEAL Boulton, the Men's Fitness editor caught canoodling with Jann Wenner last week, says he and his wife, Clare, are "probably splitsville" now that his close friendship with the Rolling Stone-US Weekly publisher has been bared. We talked to Boulton from St. Vincent's Hospital yesterday where he's recuperating from possible food poisoning. "Never eat sushi," he quipped. Clare, who has two kids with Neal, refused to comment, but said of her hubby's kiss with Wenner, "It's so stupid. It was nothing between them." Meanwhile, Wenner has been in couples counseling with boy-toy designer Matt Nye, with whom he lives and has a son - although apparently the sessions have been crashed by Wenner's long-estranged wife, Jane. Wenner couldn't be reached.

Word has it that much of the staff at Genre has split.

A Look Back

Nothing can make feel older than seeing your work on the web, decades later. The Advocate is featuring this cover and the interview conducted by Don Shewey from a 1991 issue. Read the inteview if you wondering what was on Madonna's mind back in 1991.
As for the cover, editor and diva-in-chief, Richard Rouillard was extremely aware of her popularity among gay men and after hours and days of negotiations with Liz Rothenberg, Madonna's publicity master, the interview was finally setup. We asked and were denied a photo session (how fun that would have been) but presented with a series of "stock" images. We chose this one, for no particular reason. The cover, the story, the issue became on the best selling copies of The Advocate.

The Gay Cover Up

Gay magazines. Who buys them anyway? They are more talked about then actually purchased, one suspects. They are not doing well. Yes, I know, the circ numbers...as a veteran of the magazine business I can personally assure you those numbers are bogus. They are created, spinned and conjured to simply suggest to advertisers that there is a BIG audience out there, waiting to spend your gay dollars. To suggest that they are popular is a bit like saying the US Postal Service is doing well since the advent of email. More and more people get their kicks, their information and their entertainment on the flickering screen of a computer monitor than at a magazine kiosk. And much has to do with relevance. How relevant are gay magazines to our lives? What can they do, that a blog cannot? To explore these questions, we had to turn to the most current issues and their covers.

Covers are like posters, they should reveal quintessential information about the magazine...they are in essence, like a handshake, a first impression. Here's my impressions: Instinct: who is he? Who in the hell styled that? "zap! pow! snikt!" Huh? This is a really atrocious cover. Genre: sex sells and they are selling it. As bodies go, this model is as good as it gets, but darling, why so unhappy? The model appears to be in doctor’s office before a testicle exam. It's a wish cover: I wish I could touch that, I wish I could look like that. We call that wishful thinking. Out: oh dear, a boy on a horse. The boy is model Chad White of Dolce & Gabbana fame. Presumably straight (aren't all models?) we are tantalized with the coverline, "only my young master can ride me!" which is presumably the horse talking. Sexy indeed. And the photos by Francois Rousseau are magical, unique and ah, very equestrian. I have no idea why a straight man riding a horse should be on the cover of something called "out". It's a sexy mystery.
The Advocate: it's gay pride issue, though the thought that every issue might have some pride springs to mind. And what an interesting choice, the lovely T.R. Knight, an actor who came out, not gladly (or glaadly), but seemed to embrace the attention with a nice mixture of humility and honesty. Strapped to his shoulders is presumably his best friend, the dog. Woodsy, butch, unshaven and canine loving, yes I'm proud.
Four covers, four different demographics and you know what? I can't relate. I don't want to be over styled wearing that silly belt, even if I am visiting Palm Springs. I salute any man that has that much time and devotion to his abs, and I would certainly be smiling. I will only see Equus if Chad White is starring in it; that little Harry Potter guys means nothing to me, now. And T.R., I'm sorry you failed that big test Grey's Anatomy, and honestly, I don't get your relationship with Callie AT ALL. But we both love dogs.
Not one of these covers takes a risk of suggesting anything about GAY LIFE. Everyone is alone or with their favorite pet. There is no romance, no love, no hint of what it is that makes me a homo: I love men.
You know what I don't get to see enough of: affection between men. Men kissing. Oh, I'm sorry, Calvin won't advertise although he has spent most of his life kissing men? Oh, how about a story about Calvin Klein, there's a man with a story, REALLY interesting story. Oh, you need those underwear ads, ok, sorry to ask. That's right, what I want on the cover of my GAY magazine are men kissing. Good looking, hot, shoving it down the throat, kiss my ass polite society kinda kissing. I want my models touching. Screw the modeling agencies and their queen managers who "protect" their models. Good enough for fashion shots, but strictly TNT (tight no touch)?  I don't want straight models are who are "tolerant". I want to see something interesting and interested in my lifestyle. Everything has become so god damned safe. You might argue that the interior fashion spread of Chad White is pretty daring for an American magazine. We see buns; we see hints of pubic hair. Fine. Let me see another man touching those buns.

Magazines can never compete with sexual imagery on the net. But magazines do have one thing that blogs do not: they are palpable. Touching paper is not like touching the screen, nor is reading for that matter. It's about the package and I don't mean that package. It's about how you showcase it. And with few exceptions, most notably fantasticsmag.com, few blogs showcase anything other than words and pictures confined to small squares. It's not the same. So while editors and publishers ponder their next career move, we are left with magazines that seem frightfully bound to advertising constraints. It is about the money. And until someone decides that gay men want more than sexy pictures of straight men or gay men with their pets, until someone decides to write about something really controversial (outing is so 80s) or enlighten, explore and reveal some nuance to gay life that we haven't already seen, we are going to keep reading our blogs, not your magazines.

The End of Print?

Magazine junkie? You actually read? Archaic. As magazines seem to slip and falter, watchdog website, magazinedeathpool.com takes a funny, candid and somewhat bitter assessment of the situation. High on the list and it isn't even published yet, is Conde Nast's Portfolio. Other magazines high on the likely to see-the-end-soon list  are Jane, Hollywood Life (what will that cranky publisher do next?). Home and/or House Beautiful.
The editor of the site writes: "Although many are still in denial, the golden age of magazines is over. Advertising is being sucked like a vacuum cleaner to the Internet and television. Newsstand sales are in freefall and there's no sign of stopping. Junior would rather IM and download music than read a magazine or a newspaper. Time inc. is laying off and taking buyouts.

There are some magazines which simply have no excuse for existing anymore. Even if the world of publishing was as peachy as a Good Housekeeping cover, they just do not have a reason to live.

And there are some magazines which, as good as they are, are bound for the padlock, with poor unfortunate editors, writers and sales reps joining the unemployment line, wondering if there will be another job waiting for them. There are no buyers coming to the rescue in time, cost can't be done fast enough and poof, it's a sad demise."

The upside? Not a gay magazine in the forecast. The Advocate (soon to be given a face lift by a now famous designer), Out, Instinct and Genre seem to have escaped the list, for now.

Frontiers magazine is sold!

LA insiders are abuzz today as the news that In Magazine has purchased Frontiers. Both magazines enjoy enormous popularity as they are distributed freely at gyms, restaurants, bars and bookstores throughout the Southern California region. Started in 1981, Frontiers has a long history as a news magazine that has serviced the local gay population. In Magazine, created in 1998, was seen as the more lifestyle publication with an emphasis on sexier covers.
As to what the implications are for Frontiers, "we don't expect to see anything change," said one insider.

You're Either In or You're Out

As Glenda, the Good Witch of the South once suggested, “come out, come out, where ever you are.”

In the upcoming May issue of Out magazine, gossip writer Michael Musto takes it upon himself to act as the Good Witch, and out people who live in the “glass closet.” The glass closet is where people live comfortably, with a presumption of being gay, but it has never been formally announced.
Musto will do the announcing.
It’s a boon to Out magazine which hasn’t managed to attract any public attention while readership dwindles as more and more people get their entertainment and news from the Internet. For Musto, who has enjoyed a long career writing for the Village Voice, it is his fifteen minutes of fame.
Outing has a long history dating back to The Harden-Eulenburg affair of 1907-1909, where left wing journalists outed prominent members of Kaiser Wilhelm II cabinet in an effort to associate and disgrace the German Emperor.
Decades later, writers like Michelangelo Signorile, would make outing an art beginning with Malcolm Forbes.
While outing has had certain political strategies, outing politicians who were essentially hypocrites, of late, it is celebrities, and therein lies the problem.
Why actors like Neil Patrick Harris or JT Knight are outed, in this case from Perez Hilton, can only be considered matters of commerce. For Hilton, it is one of the sources of his fame and explains in many ways why he describes his blog as “Hollywood’s Most Hated Site.” For Hilton, there is delight in outing, it's bitchy, apolitical and meant only to cause consternation in one’s personal life. When asked about celebrities who preferred not to come out, Perez offered this caveat:  "Then I'll make them come out," he avers. "I'll do it for them. If I have to drag someone kicking and screaming out of the closet, then I will! There's nothing wrong with being gay, and if 'little people' can come out and make that statement, then Hollywood hypocrites earning millions every year sure can. They have a duty to come out!"
"Some people say I'm just a trashy gossip columnist," Hilton went on. "And I am. But I'm also doing a community service! The only way society is gonna change is by people coming out of the closet - and if those people are celebrities, even better. Face it - we live in celebrity-obsessed times. When a politician speaks, no-one cares. When Mother Teresa speaks, no-one pays any attention - she's dead now, anyways. But when a celebrity speaks, people listen. They hang onto their every word! If a celebrity is saying 'I'm gay and that's OK', then that makes a difference."
Thus, outing singer Clay Aiken would be a community service.

What we all tend to forget is that Perez, and the "fearless" Michael Musto are nothing less than the Hedda Hopper's of our day. Does anyone sense anything political in any Perez Hilton outing? It would seem the idea is a little more narcissistic. They both have enjoyed careers as gossip columnists, this is how they make their living. And we, as the media-starved public want to know every detail of anyone who has crossed that line, called celebrity.
At least Hilton is honest. Hilton himself admits that the motivation for his website is far from altruistic. "Because it's fun, and it's easy, and it makes me lots of money, and I get to hang out with celebrities," is his response when asked why he does it.
Out magazine, is owned by the same company as The Advocate. The Advocate is a news magazine, Out is the trendier, more fashion conscious arm of the organization. Aaron Hicklin has been the editor-in-chief for a year this month. In that year, he failed to make an impression. It is the job of the editor to get a buzz going about their publication, in this, Hicklin has finally succeeded.
But the targets are easy. Jodie Foster and Anderson Cooper have long been suspected of being gay. For whatever reasons, they have chosen to remain silent. Would their coming out be helpful? Yes. They are both powerful, influential media celebrities.
But when someone who writes a column called La Dolce Musto or Perez Hilton is the author, motivation really has to come under scrutiny. This is not a political or even social service, despite Hilton’s earlier contention, it’s fun, it’s easy and it services their careers.
And as for outing Clay Aiken? Don’t ask.

WOW!

From one of our media fans, this just in from the new Genre magazine. Model Nic B. photographed by
Kevin McDermott.

Gay Monkey Evolves

here!, America's premium gay television network, along with here! Interactive Media, is pleased to announce the re-launch of Gay Monkey magazine as here! Magazine. The first issue of here! Magazine is now available in 30 major cities across the country.

Starting with the March 2007 issue, Gay Monkey, the country's largest freely distributed gay print publication, is being re-branded as here! Magazine. The top print source for gay entertainment news and reviews will now carry the distinctive entertainment affiliation and brand of here! while continuing to bring the latest in style, travel, health and fitness to the LGBT community.

Mario Vasquez Sued

It was has been one of the great American Idol mysteries, just why did Mario Vasquez leave the show suddenly? The answer came today from tmz.com, which announced that a lawsuit has been filed against the singer from an employee affiliated with the show. In the lawsuit, Vasquez is said to have masturbated in front of the employee in the American Idol restroom. The employee, Magdaleno Olmos, claims that "Vazquez stared lasciviously, smiled lasciviously ... and on one occasion followed him into a bathroom ... knocked on the door of the plaintiff's stall and made eye contact through the space in the stall door." The lawsuit continues, Vazquez pushed Olmos "further into the stall and continued masturbating with one hand and trying to pull down Olmos' pants with another hand." Vazquez then allegedly asked Olmos "if he wanted oral sex." In the suit, Olmos claims that he tried to report the incident to a superior named Eric LaPointe, who allegedly responded by telling Olmos that "he was crazy" and "repeatedly threatening to fire" him. A few months after the incident, Olmos claims he was "terminated."

For Magazine Junkies

Goodmagazine.com has compiled a list of the 51 Best Magazines Ever. While giving away no spoilers, let us say the list is controversial. Not a gay magazine to be found, not even Out in its salad days, the mid 1990's, though plenty of gay editors and art directors. With a forward by Vanity Fair's  Graydon Carter, the history of magazines is surveyed with intelligence and knowledge, though frankly, art directors seem like second thoughts, which is ironic given that many of the magazines are visually driven. But it is a list, not the truth.

New Adler Ad

Nice to see decorator Jonathan Adler selling Aquos in the upcoming March 11 issue of The New York Times Magazine. Where's Simon? The dogs a nice touch, but where's your boyfriend? Together for over a decade, Adler and Doonan are a power couple. Doonan is creative director for Barney's New York, and  Adler is famous for his pottery, interior design and recent not so charismatic stint at Bravo's Top Design as a judge.

Tyler Brulé's New Child

Tyler Brulé created a sensation in 1996 with the launch of his new magazine, Wallpaper. Stylish, influential and always international, the magazine went on to become required reading for anyone curious about cultural trends. Brulé went on to sell the magazine for $1.63 million. Never one to rest, he then went on to host a weekly BBC TV show called, "The Desk". With the
creation of his new advertising agency, Winkcreative, he gained fame when the agency took on the task of designing the interiors for British Airways airlines. Last week, Brulé revealed his newest passion, a magazine called Monocle, a 242-page magazine about international affairs, culture and design.
Editor-in-chief Brulé reportedly raised £3.3 million ($7.5 million) from a variety of international sources to finance the ambitious start-up. The first issue has an 18-page cover story, lavishly illustrated with original photos, about the Japanese navy, which has quietly grown into the second largest in the world. Another big story deals with Chinese imperialism in Africa. There are reports on the Sundance Film Festival, and the first story about U.S. director Robert Logevall's film based on Haruki Murakami's short story All God's Children Can Dance.
An openly gay man, Brulé came in 37th in last years pinknews.com.uk, list of most influential gay men.

Some People are Never Happy

Vogue magazine, that illustrious beacon of fashion endurance and all things current, or vogue, is being criticized for its choice of cover image. The March issue, which features the Oscar-likely Jennifer Hudson, (curiously the first African-American singer to grace the cover of the American version) is being called "messed up" by websites such as Pop Black Entertainment."Why did they pick that photo as the cover? That was messed up! Not one of these pictures are flattering. WTF was Annie Leibovitz smoking that day?" Adding, "It is terrible. It's worse than I expected. What is she doing with her mouth? And why isn't she looking at the camera? I think shes posed like that so that her collarbones stick out, which gives the illusion that shes 'thin'." Perhaps Annie was using the new HP Photosmart camera, which features a new slimming filter, which is said to take off at least ten pounds from any image. Actually, the slimming filter is simply an elongation lens which make you not only thinner but taller. If it can do this for fat, imagine what it can do for other parts of your anatomy?

Venus Becomes Penis

Venus magazine, a publication out of Chicago that targeted the Black gay and lesbian community is changing. Completely. Its publisher, Charlene Cothran, recently announced that she has been “redeemed”; is no longer a lesbian; and is changing the mission and direction of the magazine.
The mission of Venus Magazine has, of course, completely changed to one that will “encourage, educate and assist those who desire to leave a life of homosexuality.” Publisher Cothan: “But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believe of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.”
As for readers of Venus Magazine, according to Cothran, only six have cancelled their subscriptions so far. In just one day last week, four online readers unsubscribed. According to Cothran, there hasn’t been a mass drop-off of readers; moreover, she said that she’s gaining subscribers in the form of parents of gay and lesbian children, and others.

A New Attitude?

Pinknews.co.uk is reporting that there will be a new Attitude. After weeks of speculation, a MySpace posting announced that the magazine would be back on the newsstands this Friday. Only last week one staff member was reported to have said, "We're in the dark about what's happening while the management waits for investment."  As to where the funds came from, no one at this point knows. Maybe Sir Elton chipped in.
The MySpace posting says: "The best gay magazine in the world! We're back, back, back baby.

"With a bang! The February issue features a naked McFly, a pissed off Diana Ross and a world exclusive as Kele Okereke of Bloc Party discusses his sexuality. Plus boys, boys, boys."

V Men

The Spring issue of V, featuring cover exhibitionist, Janet Jackson and British trannies (above) on sale now.

He Magazine

What is it about European magazines? Oversized, glossy and perfectly simple, European magazines always make American magazines look like, well, rags. From Copenhagen comes He magazine, rapturoulsy elegant, fashion forward and modern.

No More Attitude?

Attitude, the award winning British gay lifestyle magazine seems to have closed its doors. The website is gone, the phones are not being answered and the January issue has failed to appear. Anyone with magazine experience knows this usually portends the end. Created in 1994, Attitude was a stylish magazine for young gay men. Many celebrities have appeared on the cover including Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Elton John, Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake, Heath Ledger, David Beckham, George Michael, Will Young, Christina Aguilera and the Scissor Sisters. Several of these covers have been world exclusives as in the case of the December 2005 issue, which featured Elton John and David Furnish's only major joint interview about their wedding. In that same year, Atttude made publishing history as attitude editor Adam Mattera won Best Men's Magazine editor of the year at the BSME awards. It was the first time that a gay magazine had competed and won the prize. The magazine, owned by British company, Remnant Media, has reportedly locked the doors.

Qr: Quite Ridiculous

"Qr is our readers' magazine... It's a user-generated product for a user-focused era. The boys who read Qr also drive MySpace and YouTube - they know the value of producing content and enjoy seeing themselves in print. Qr is a magazine for gay youth because we're the only magazine that won't talk down to you... We speak to the pierced, the punks, the skaters, the geeks and clubaholics who feel ignored by gay media."
This nonsense from publisher Eric Bogs of the new Qr magazine, aimed primarily at the younger gay man a la XY magazine, which last time we looked does exactly the same thing. In fact, many staff members of the new Qr are from XY. And in every press release they never fail to mention "their ages" least anyone suspect that a magazine for teens was being published by anyone over 30. Presumably, Eric has a year left on his contract. What seems lost on the publishers is that their readers are actually online, and not reading their magazines. What exactly do you get in magazine that you can't get online? Boys kissing? (they will be presenting a monthly feature of just that). XY and its sister Qr have always felt slightly bogus. While contending they are magazines for youth, one can certainly imagine its the older gentleman who likes youth who is really viewing the magazine. And can we discuss art direction?
Why is it every magazine that aims for a teen market has to look the same? The spread here looks exactly like the spreads in Sixteen magazine, although the slightly Arabic lettering adds to the mystery of what the title is...maybe only teens know. And has any teen magazine every seen a primary color they didn't like? Why bad graphics are suppose to suggest a youthful energy is any body's guess. Bogs goes on to say "The current top U.S. gay publications are mostly aimed towards an older gay and lesbian readership, and lack the authenticity and punch that Qr delivers." Careful Bogs, you will soon be entering that demographic yourself.

Let's Rate the Covers!

Does anyone read magazines anymore? We hope so because it wouldn't be smart to take a laptop the bathroom. Here in the US we have three national magazines that beg for our attention. Each month editors and art directors pin up numerous images trying to find the one that will "sell". For what is a cover if not the poster child of the magazine; the calling card to be seen at newsstands everywhere, hopefully drawing us in with images and words that will compel us to lay down the dollars.
These are three covers pulled from their websites, so hopefully they are current and presumably dated December 2007.  Here is the analysis:

Out: We had to look up James Purefoy to remember who he was. This is a terrible picture. Distorted, ashen and extremely unsexy, the logo is overwhelming the image. He would have helped to pull him in front of the logo. The coverline, "Is the Pope Gay" is provocative enough and who doesn't want to see nude gladiators wrestling.

instinct Quite a change to see a 53 year old man on the cover of the usually boy-baiting, perpetually sassy instinct magazine. Monochromatic to a fault it is nonetheless quite elegant but seems a radical departure. For those unfamiliar with Project Runway this may not have a draw.

Genre  While it could be argued that it takes little imagination to agree that sex sells, in this case, it does. Where does your eye go? To that body, with its perfect six pack. And with some playful colors and its suggestive "Best Fit for Your Boys" pointing to the gay epicenter it is certain more people would likely pick this up at a newsstand.

Until next month, happy page turning.