Eagle-eyed fans spotted a huge difference between the UK and the US version and here’s why that is.
Fans of the US version of RuPaul’s Drag Race are used to hearing the names of various sponsors during the show. However, the UK version was devoid of any sponsor names.
When a contestant wins a challenge or the runway, a sponsor usually backs a gift or a cash prize, however, last night’s show was devoid of a sponsored-back prize.
In fact, the main prize for the eventual winner of Drag Race UKisn’t even a cash-prize unlike the US version.
(C) BBC/World of Wonder – Photographer: Guy Levy
In the US, winners can look forward to a $100,000 payday, however, the winner of the UK version will star in their own “digital tv series” according to Ru, which will be filmed in Hollywood.
One of the reasons why there are no sponsors mentioned on the show is because the broadcaster of this year’s series is BBC Three and as the BBC aren’t allowed to have sponsors or advertisers attached to their programming.
Even the small prizes aren’t backed by a company – this week’s catwalk winner won a “RuPeter Badge” rather than a luxury or cash prize.
Since I first interviewed Corvyx 2 years ago, he has gone from strength to strength, Jumping from under 20,000 subscribers to over 63,000 now and while also headlining the 2017 Frightfest in Six Flags Amusement Park.
So I was excited when he got in contact with me again recently to have an exclusive listen to his new original single Planet 9, due for release on October 4th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2fecH6FYow/
Lauded for his brilliant cover songs, and recently being awarded as the 2019 winner of the Fandemonium award for Unsigned artists, Corvyx is releasing original material for the first time in 4 years. His last foray into original music, Become the Night has made way for a wildly different yet still very much with the aesthetic of a Corvyx music piece that will be a great listen for anyone who likes music to be a little more out there
Describing his newest venture into original music, and named for the relegated ninth planet Pluto, in this sonic and visual body of work Corvyx parallels the barren wasteland of a forgotten planet to the aftermath of losing ‘star-crossed’ love. Recreating sound-waves sampled from Pluto, Corvyx found solace and companionship in the mournful cries of the ice planet using them to inspire ethereal and minimalistic verses paired with gut-wrenching, unorthodox lyrics. Anthemic in its nature, “Planet 9” is a record equal parts pain and power.
Earthshaking cinematic drums engulf the Corvyx signature powerhouse vocals while juxtaposing the vulnerability of lyrics like “When planets aligned, it was you and I”. Known for his visionary prowess, Corvyx innovated a record that will rival the visuals of anything he has released prior. From Cloud 9 to Planet 9, we are all a little less human after we
lose love of astronomical proportions. But we are not alone in this Universe and Corvyx’s newest single speaks the cosmic language that makes us certain there’s something greater than us all. Music.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3F8PLrAKBM/
The Corvyx style is very much present, and I for one am looking forward to the accompanying music video that is sure to maintain the wonderfully visual and artistic vision that Corvyx is known for. So I would highly recommend checking out Planet 9 as soon as it’s released on digital download on October 4th.
You can follow Corvyx on Instagram & Twitter and also subscribe to his YouTube channel to listen to his other music. You won’t be disappointed
The BFI London Film Festival has started and us here at THEGAYUK.com want to highlight the LGBT films that will be shown during the festival. It’s best to book earlier rather than later as some of these films will surely be sold out.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
At the end of the eighteenth century Marianne, a young painter, is commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman to be used to elicit marriage proposals. Knowing that the woman, Héloïse, has previously refused to sit for portraits as she does not want to be married, Marianne disguises herself as a lady’s maid in order to gain her subject’s trust only to find herself inadvertently falling in love with her. Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel.
And Then we Danced
Merab has been training from a young age at the National Georgian Ensemble with his dance partner Mary. His world turns upside down when the carefree Irakli arrives and becomes both his strongest rival and desire in this film that is a Swedish-Georgian production.
Death Will Come
Two women are face-to-face with mortality when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Refusing treatment, they move to a small house in the woods where they rediscover a love lost to routine; all the while death waits outside the cabin’s walls. This Chilean stars Julieta Figueroa and Amparo Noguera.
End of the Century
Two men meet in Barcelona and after spending a day together they realize that they have already met twenty years ago. From Argentina, and with male frontal nudity we are told.
Matthias & Maxime (pictured above)
A kiss between two childhood friends has dramatic repercussions in the eighth film from Xavier Dolan. He also stars – with his character having an ugly scar on his face.
Walking with Shadows
A man has to come to terms with his dark secret and choose between keeping his family or accepting a life of possible loneliness and rejection. Made in Nigeria.
This is not Berlin
In the 1980s, an outsider gets invited to a mythical nightclub where he’s unleashed to punk, sexual liberty and drugs. This Mexican film has yet to have a UK release date.
Yves Saint Laurent: The Last Collections
A documentary on Yves Saint-Laurent and the legendary fashion designer’s final show.
Mystify: Michael Hutchence
A documentary about the troubled heart and soul of Michael Hutchence, lead singer and songwriter of INXS, and overall wild man who died at the young age of 37.
For information on these, and other films at the film festival, and to buy tickets, please go to:
Recently the BBC was attacked for teaching children that there are over 100 different types of gender. This move from the BBC received widespread criticism from the right-wing media (as expected) and unfortunately when a gender spokesperson on Good Morning Britain was interviewed on the matter they struggled to explain the differences when challenged by presenters on what the 100 genders stood for and why some of them were ‘genders’ and not simply aspects of their personality.
It was, put bluntly, a car crash and did nothing to explain to your the majority of UK viewers what the move was about.
Don’t get me wrong, I have my issues with Piers Morgan, but that interview was a car crash and made the gender argument look ridiculous. Love him or hate him, Piers won that round and inflicted serious damage on the public perception of gender freedom.
It left even those of us in the LGBT community that weren’t aware of 100+ genders before now baffled and unsure of what was expected of us as allies?
As someone that has worked with the wider LGBT+ community, I found the statement that there are 100+ gender staggering. It might easier for a child to get their head around, I can’t say as I’ve not been a child for quite some time now, but if we even struggle then how on earth is wider Society meant to cope? So I went looking to see what on earth the 100+ genders are and what they could mean.
I found this list from Tumblr which has listed around 116 different types of genders. Some I recognise and some have just baffled me. Many of them, especially those where they say they aren’t ‘Male’ or ‘Female’, but they aren’t anything else either until you ask them, then they say they are X or Y based on that moment. That is not a ‘gender’ type, that’s an attitude or personality trait. At most that is gender fluid, so what’s wrong with being gender fluid?
For a community that claims to despise labels and being put in boxes are we really telling the wider world that we now have 100+ labels for ourselves, a fair majority of which are based on our mood and situation at any given time?
Me: “I don’t want you [Society] to label me, we should be beyond labels”
Also Me: “Here are 100+ more labels, many of which depend on my mood on any given day. You wanna label me, ha I’ve just made it 100 times more difficult.”
People have to remember that we are a community, built and based on social interaction. This 100+ list of genders and associated pronouns has just put a massive barrier up to other human beings communicating with us/them.
If you have no idea how to address someone (as even ‘they’ wouldn’t work for some of these) then surely that person is simply not going to address you, and just avoid you completely as it’s the path of least resistance (easier). They don’t mean anything by it, they aren’t out to ‘get you’ or ‘oppress you’ they just have no idea how to interact with you because of this mind-boggling wall you’ve put up and have 1001 things to deal with other than how on earth to say hello to you and ask how you are.
The rise in gender fluidity and the challenge of the traditional masculine and feminine associations is something to be celebrated, especially if it means we get closer to achieving true gender equality, eradicate sexism and truly accept into Society transsexuality and gender re-assignment. However, with saying to the world that there are now 115 different genders, many of which are based on circumstances and mood, are we at risk to invalidating and demeaning that freedom we have enjoyed as it is coming across as ridiculous and unrealistic?
A friend of mine recently ‘came out’ as pansexual. For those unaware, pansexuality, or omnisexuality, is the sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity.
Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others. Unlike Bisexuality, pansexuals tend not to see gender and just see the person/personality.
Recently Sam Smith (not the friend mentioned above) also came out as non-binary and raising awareness of gender descriptives within our language. Smith has a valid point and if we are truly to be 21st-century race then more accurate command of the language is a good thing. The abuse Smith received from the LGBT community was completely uncalled for.
However, the 100+ genders issue raises the question, are we using gender identity as a smokescreen for our own personality traits and rising trend to be identified as something and to use that as a banner against oppression? It’s almost as if the community has achieved a level of acceptance (which we have on the whole) but now we want evermore? Or to put it another way, have we just gotten so used to being oppressed and that feeling of ‘fighting the machine’ that we now seek new battles and new demands for acceptance?
If some of our allies and the community itself are struggling to keep up with the notion of 100+ genders and pronouns, and find they have to ask what someone’s gender is in order not to offend, are we just simply creating a society where no one can get it right because I’ve used the pronouns for gender 67 but actually you are gender 68 which causes you offence and now I’m the oppressor? Surely we want a world where gender isn’t even factored into someone’s decision making. But this seems to want to enshrine even further it into everyday life and make it yet another thing people can use to beat you over the head with.
Personally, I don’t see the argument for creating any more genders beyond the 6 the NHS currently uses and recognises. Or at least, certainly not for creating 100+ pronouns. I shouldn’t need to know your gender, simply what pronoun to use. For those unaware, the 6 genders the NHS uses are currently male, female, gender-neutral, non-binary, gender-fluid and gender-queer. Being referred to as ‘they’ should be perfectly acceptable for the majority if not all genders. I’ve not seen any of the 100+ that aren’t simply a very subtle variation of 1 of the six (with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions).
If you do identify as one of the 100+ genders then you don’t need my validation to exist. You certainly don’t need my confirmation of your gender so seeking it from others is a fool’s errand.
If you can look me in the eye and can honestly say that you are peace with the fact that you identify as whatever-sexual, I’ll believe you and quite happily accept for you that. But if you honestly think this does anything for reaching a stage where gender means nothing to Society then you are deluding yourself. This turns the gender discrimination and bias argument into a completely different beast, a beast you are very unlikely to master.
There are a number of resources out there on Gender Freedom and Identity. I would encourage everyone to read more on the issue, starting with Mermaids charity so you can understand more around Transsexuality and wider issues. There are also some good resources from the BBC on gender identity and pronouns.
Here I have simply asked the question and posed some issues that we need to find answers to. Do your own research and come to your own conclusion, but remember this is a debate the nation should have. Not prejudice, or an attack, or an invalidation.
The organisation which runs a lobby, publisher, legal clinic and academy have used Twitter to “choose hate”.
The organisation which runs a book publisher, legal centre and lobby has used twitter to attack the LGBT+ community.
Christian Concern, the organisation which is currently supporting actor Seyi Omooba sue her former agency and a theatre after a backlash against a “homophobic” Facebook post she posted in 2014, took to their official Twitter to claim that “homosexuality is not right”.
On the 30th September 2019 Christian Concern took to Twitter to write,
Another user questioned, “Why do so-called “Christians” get so hung up about gay sex? Seems an odd thing to focus on when there’s so much more bad stuff going in in the world (like mindless shootings, racism, xenophobia and the like) where people are actually getting hurt. Maybe sort your priorities?”
Why do so called "Christians" get so hung up about gay sex? Seems an odd thing to focus on when there's so much more bad stuff going in in the world (like mindless shootings, racism, xenophobia and the like) where people are actually getting hurt. Maybe sort your priorities?
The organisation which is funded, in part, by the charity Faith, Truth and Hope often uses social media to comment on LGBT+ legal issues, as well as abortion and legal issues surrounding Christianity.
The actor who was dropped from a production of The Color Purple after the discovery of a Facebook post, in which she said she didn’t think homosexuality was correct, is suing the theatre company and her agency.
@Seyiomooba Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately. pic.twitter.com/GK2xbzZYgy
— Aaron Lee Lambert (he/him) 🍉 (@aleelambert) March 15, 2019
The Facebook post from 2014, went viral earlier this year when actor Aaron Lee shared a screenshot on Twitter saying Omooba owed an explanation to the gay community for her words.
She refused to appologise for the post, in which she wrote, that she does not believe people “can be born gay”.
She added, “I do not believe homosexuality is right, though the law
of this land has made it legal doesn’t mean its [sic] right.”
At the time, Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome released a statement saying that Omooba “will no longer be involved with the production” after admitting that the post had “caused significant and widely expressed concerns”.
The actor is now suing the Curve Theatre in Leicester and her agency Global Artists saying that her career is in ruins after the backlash against her.
Christian Concern released a video saying that Seyi had in a “cruel turn of events… found herself in uncharted waters”
There’s a lot to take away from Michael Moore’s brand new documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 from the Flint Water Crisis, school gun violence the rise of Trump and how maybe the democrats aren’t as people-friendly as you might hope.
It’s the day after watching Fahrenheit 11/9 and my mind is still whirling. Michael asks (of Trump’s presidency) at the beginning of the film, “How the fuck did we get here?” and it’s a question many are asking.
But Moore’s troubling documentary takes us through history lessons and finds a way to link a number of big button issues and it doesn’t quite work, but you’ll be left with an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach.
In the two hour and a bit film, Moore manages to squeeze in the water crisis in Flint Michigan, the Parkland School shooting, the Bernie Sander’s vote scandal, the teachers’ strike, President Obama’s undermining of US citizens, Bill Clinton’s republicifcation, The New York Times‘ political bubble and of course, the rise and rise of Donald Trump.
It’s pretty full-on and you may be left with a sense of foreboding for the future of civilisation, but Moore doesn’t disappoint with the breadth of research undertaken for this documentary.
Fiat’s big 500 crossover SUV has been with us now for over 5 years. 2019 saw some changes to the line-up along with some updates. The 4WD model is no longer offered and power comes from a choice of 3 and 4 cylinder petrol engines.
THEGAYUK was given the 1-litre turbocharged 120hp Firefly engine in the Cross Look for a week. A more urban looking 500X with the chunky looking bits of an SUV.
Driving
The first thing to strike you about the new engine is its brio of power. On paper, it doesn’t appear spritely. In use, it really is. Keep it boiling at 3000rpm and you’ll find it useful. This way it is always ready for action the moment the pedal is pushed down. Anything less and it’s all a bit lethargic with a touch of lag.
What helps making it go forward is the slick gear change. The clutch and gear action is a joy to slot around when you want to get a move on. And this is good. Recently we had the platform sharing Jeep Renegade in with a diesel engine. That didn’t encourage any form of enthusiasm. The Fiat set up high lights the joys of the chassis.
What it can’t do however is mask the ride quality. In the city, it is simply too hard. And this translates into a choppy ride. You can’t have it all though. At speed, it becomes taught and agile. That said, however, at night on the motorway, you can see the headlight beams jiggling around.
Inside
For a relatively cheap SUV, prices from £18,500, it’s well put together. The front door cards are nicely contoured and there is storage for bottles and the like in both front and rear. The rears are a bit different in that they are made from hard sturdy plastic whereas the fronts have a soft touch feel to them as is the norm for this segment.
It took me some time to find a suitable driving position. You certainly can’t say there isn’t enough adjustment for the seats and steering wheel. There is a position for all body shapes. What hampered this was the front seats lack of both under-thigh and bottom support. They were a little flat.
Living With It
There are a few things that catch you out about the 500X. Firstly is its size. It feels much bigger from behind the wheel. You do tend to be over-cautious when fighting for space in the urban jungle. In actuality, it isn’t as big as you think.
This is also true of the boot. It’s not class leading and not totally useless but if you want your 500 to be a lot more useable than the 3 door city slicker from Fiat, this is for you.
The verdict
I wanted to like the 500X. There is much to enjoy about the new engine and the way it drives. It’s light and buzzy without feeling that you want more. Using the 6-speed manual gearbox is a joy and all the controls feel right. It is that ride that I find so disagreeable.
You won’t drive it on every occasion with the spirit in which it can carry you. It’s illegal to travel at 70mph around town. So the rides sportier set up is somewhat pointless in this car.
Speaking of 70mph, it would seem the traffic sign recognition sees everything as a 70mph challenge.
There were too many times it would show the national speed limit on the dashboard for it to be a one off. Perhaps this Fiat could do with a little bit of Abarth magic. It certainly feels like it wants to.
However Smith’s reveal attracted a certain amount of criticism.
Taking to Instagram, the “How Do You Sleep” singer quoted, Rent writer and creator Jonathan Larson, saying, “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be and more of a woman that you’ll ever get”.
The quote received quite a large reaction with over 1,200 comments with artist, Jeremy Kost saying, “Sam, you’re the star the world needs right now… Outrageously talented, loving yourself, and unafraid to be who you are.
People need to all be less judgmental and if they don’t like something, move on without being an as*hole”
Enter the world of ABBA, and Greece, by attending MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY at The O2 London – it’s the best in immersive theatre. And what a great idea!
Yes, it’s the 02, but once you enter you are transported to a Greek-style courtyard (on the Greek island of Skopelos no less) where it will make you forget the horrific Jubilee Line ride that took you there.
It’s a romantic courtyard that seats over 200 people with tables scattered on top of balconies, lower levels, stage level and the ground floor – surrounded by Greek-style leaves hanging down from the walls. And at the centrepiece of all this is the water fountain in the middle of the room. You have to see it to believe it – it literally stops you dead in your tracks when you enter the room where you automatically want to start snapping photos and selfies with you and your friends.
But as it’s a party, there is food and drink involved, as well as great singing and dancing, performed by a cast that belongs in the West End! But it’s the East End – far from the West End, but never mind – for three hours you will forget this and suddenly Greek language will spew forth from your mouth.
And the show that is performed right before your very eyes is the story of Nikos and his wife Kate who run this exotic and wonderful restaurant together with their family and friends. Told through dialogue and ABBA songs, it’s a warm, romantic and funny story which evolves and unfolds during the evening, taking place around the guests as they sit at their tables enjoying a delicious Greek meal. The evening ends with the main floor bring transformed into a 1970’s disco where audience members are welcome to stay and dance.
On arrival, you’ll be greeted with a smile and a complimentary welcome cocktail, after which you are welcome to purchase drinks from the several taverna bars.
The London cast includes Fed Zanni as Nikos, Steph Parry as Kate, Joanna Monro as Debbie, AJ Bentley as Adam, Julia Imbach as Konstantina, Elin König Andersson as Bella, Kimberly Powell as Nina, Pauline Stringer as Grandma, Gregor Stewart as Fernando, with Linda John-Pierre playing Debbie at certain performances and Allie Ho Chee playing Bella at certain performances.
In between all this are yummy starters such a mezze selection followed by succulent meat dishes paired with tempting sides, and it all ends on a deliciously sweet note with authentic Greek desserts.
Ticket prices start from £135 per person including VAT.
This includes a welcome drink, a set four-course meal, a show and an ABBA disco at the end of the evening.
There are different types of tickets to choose from: Premium, Band A, Band B, Band C (on some performances) and Band D. Premium and Band A ticket holders are seated at tables on the ground floor in the Courtyard and on the Terrace levels, and Band B and C ticket holders are seated at tables in the Terrace levels and Balcony. Band D seats, which offer a partially restricted view, are located in the Terrace levels.
MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY has music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (some songs with Stig Anderson), and a story by Calle Norlén, Roine Söderlundh and Björn Ulvaeus, adapted for the UK by writer, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.
However, there are three things that could be improved.
1.) The queue. Arrive early as you will be waiting at least 30 minutes to get inside. Doors open at 18:30 (12:00 for daytime shows) but you definitely want to be seated sooner rather than later and before the food starts to arrive. Any later and you might miss the first course. Get there at 6 so you can be one of the first in, and then you can soak up the room before it fills up.
2.) The heat inside the venue. We were very warm the whole night and didn’t feel any air. It could be cooler in the venue – perhaps they can create a nice beach breeze to make the too a bit more bearable and comfortable temperature-wise.
3.) The food. We were a table of 4 and received the same portions of food as the single guy sitting at the next table (and he had the best seat in the house). If they can proportion the food according to the table size that would make much more sense.
These quibbles are valid quibbles, but they won’t ruin your night. And while the show is not cheap (prices from £130 to £218) you will get your money’s worth, whether or not you like/love ABBA. ‘You are my Dancing Queen…..’.
