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  • Here’s what your family are likely to fall out over this Christmas

    Millions of families will be feuding this Christmas – over what to watch on the TV, it has emerged.

    RobinHiggins / Pixabay

    A study of 2,000 families revealed tempers are most likely to run high over which TV special or film to watch after Christmas dinner.

    Similarly, who does the washing up after the feast is another topic likely to cause rifts on December 25th.

    Other arguments will which blow up over the Christmas period will involve who gets which bedroom to stay in, who gets to host the family and who sits where around the table on the big day.

    Steve Reid CEO of sleep technology company Simba, which commissioned the research, said: “Lots of factors can raise tensions at Christmas time.”

    “Whether it’s the pandemonium of having everyone under one roof, packed social calendars, losing the amount of quality sleep we get, or stress about the big day fraying our nerves, each can keep us from being our usual calm, well-rested selves.”

    The study also found three in 10 Brits believe they will have an argument with their loved ones at least once a day over their Christmas stay.

    Thankfully a Christmas argument is rarely a long-standing affair with 44 per cent of the bust-ups fizzling out in less than 10 minutes.

    And over a third think Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a festive feud between friends and family.

    Tempers are likely to be frayed for two in five Brits, who regularly spend their Christmas away from home at someone else’s house.

    Of these, 40 per cent said their sleeping arrangement was usually uncertain, and only 48 per cent thought they were guaranteed a comfy bed on their stay.

    Two-thirds of Brits spending Christmas away from home said their sleep suffers over this period, and 36 per cent thinks this leads them to become more irritable.

    Despite this extra discomfort, a third of Brits would much rather be an invited guest over Christmas – rather than overseeing the festivities as the host of their own gathering.

    One in seven think having to appear to be in a good mood all the time is the worst thing about Christmas, and one in eight believe the season is marred by the lack of sleep they are able to get.

    The average Brit will get just six hours of sleep on Christmas Eve when anticipation is at its height, and one in 10 manage just three or four hours of slumber.

    Reid added: “These findings show that it’s natural to feel both ecstatic and exhausted at the prospect of Christmas.

     

    THE 12 FEUDS OF CHRISTMAS

    1. What film or TV show to watch

    2. Who washes up

    3. The temperature of the heating

    4. What time to open presents

    5. How much alcohol to drink

    6. How long to spend at each relatives house

    7. People arriving late

    8. How much to spend on each person

    9. What time to eat Christmas dinner

    10. Staying off phones at the dinner table

    11. Who won the board game

    12. Political conversations, such as Brexit

     

    TOP 10 CAUSES OF A SLEEPLESS NIGHT AT CHRISTMAS

    1. Overindulgence

    2. Stressing about preparation

    3. Drinking too much

    4. Excitement causing me to stay awake

    5. Wrapping presents late

    6. Waiting for children to sleep in order to put presents out

    7. Staying at a relative’s house

    8. Heartburn and indigestion

    9. Children waking up throughout the night

    10. Having guests stay over

     

    HOPE BASTINE’S TOP FIVE TIPS FOR KEEPING THE PEACE THIS CHRISTMAS

    PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

    1. Be prepared: Reduce tension on the big day by getting yourself organised ahead of the time. Christmas Day is loaded with expectation, from the presents to the food to the company, and you can do yourself a favour by ensuring you are calm and organised, whatever role you aim to play in the festivities.

    2. Everything in moderation: Christmas is a time to unwind and let go of some of the pressures which have built up over the year. It’s a time to catch up with others and fill our social calendars, but this can come at a cost to our health. Rich food and drink can be enjoyable in the short-term, but over an entire season of goodwill all that excess can have an effect on our health, our mood, and our sleep.

    3. Consider your wellbeing: Christmas is a disruption of routine. Gym sessions are replaced with staff parties, salads are swapped for roast dinners and a sensible bedtime is traded for late-night movies. It’s important in this hectic time to remember the essentials, to make time for yourself and to ensure you get good rest.

    4. Set realistic expectations of others: Everyone wants their Christmas to be perfect, but the faults and foibles of your family are never more apparent than when gathered around a table together. Grumbles are likely to rise when all those personalities, who might not see each other for the rest of the year, are forced into close proximity, stuffed with turkey and marinated in Bucks Fizz. In moments like this it’s important to take a breather and, keep some perspective, and remember that Christmas is supposed to be fun!

    5. Be proactive in tough spots: Just as the festive season is a great time to catch up, it is also an equally good time for prying relatives to have a nosy in your business. Expect and pre-empt these questions. Changed jobs? Moved homes? Broken up with a partner? Try to identify subjects of conversation which are likely to come up which might be mishandled and lead to tension, and consider ways to limit the damage they could do ahead of time. Be proactive, not reactive to tough or uncomfortable conversations.

  • Your new gay read is here, just in time for Christmas

    A new season of Boystown is released

    “Your wait is over,” BOYSTOWN creator Jake Biondi told fans of his series. “It’s been ten months since the release of Season Eight and I think you’ll find Season Nine to be worth the wait.”

    BOYSTOWN Season Nine was officially released on December 14, ten months to the day after the debut of the previous instalment.  “Season Eight was appropriately released on Valentine’s Day.

    The ninth book is a very special one and a Christmastime release seemed appropriate,” Biondi told BOYSTOWN readers. “The events of the ninth book take place during the holiday season, so the timing is perfect.”

    “I decided to mix things up a bit in Season Nine,” Biondi explained.

    “While the twists and turns that fans have come to expect from the series are absolutely present, the ninth book employs some different story-telling techniques and explores some of the characters’ relationships in a deeper way. And the ending? Well, it will blow readers away!”

    Available on Amazon

  • Theatre Review | Kiss Me, Kate – Crucible Theatre

    ★★★★☆ | Kiss Me, Kate – Crucible Theatre

    Written by Cole Porter in the 1940’s, Kiss Me, Kate is a delightful, old-fashioned musical, combining the classic elements of mistaken identity, a will they/won’t they love story, a bit of swindling and a bunch of likeable characters all interwoven with an appealing collection of songs by one of the best composers of the era.

    Porter’s tale stages a play within a play, telling the story of Fred Graham, an actor and director who casts his ex-wife as his co-star; and finds himself in hot water when one of his other leading men signs off a gambling debt in his name. He tries desperately to keep his musical production of The Taming Of The Shrew on track, as a couple of inept gangsters show up to collect the debt and Grahams relationship with his ex-wife sways between love and hate. But as everything falls apart and the backstage bickering starts to mirror the story on stage, Graham does everything he can in ensuring that the show must go on.

    The songs from Kiss Me, Kate are some of Porter’s most sterling work, with an overarching jazzy vibe which made the musical numbers delightfully catchy. The songs still sparkle and fizz with wit and humour, and there is a show-stopping number at the opening of each act. “Another Openin’, Another Show”, “Tom, Dick or Harry” and “Too Darn Hot” were all proper toe-tappers, and the multiple reprises of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” were delightfully laughter inducing.

    Edward Baker Duly and Rebecca Lock were superb as the quibbling couple, whilst Dex Lee was criminally underused as Bill and his triple threat status certainly makes him one to watch; but stealing most of their scenes were Delroy Atkinson and Joel Montague as the ham-fisted mobsters. Paul Foster directs with a steady hand, whilst Strictly choreographer Matt Flint keeps the musical numbers light and fun. Only the costume and set design let the show down slightly, with too much of a cartoonish feel to both to really work.

    Kiss Me, Kate is firmly established as a classic, traditional musical and this is a fun, frenetic and frivolous production which, as a sucker for an old-fashioned musical, I found very hard to resist.

    Kiss Me, Kate is at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 12th January 2018. Visit their website at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets.

  • These straight guys are giving each other advice on taking it up the butt and it’s very very enlightening

    These straight guys are giving each other advice on taking it up the butt and it’s very very enlightening

    The article contains NSFW content. Click here to continue and agree that you are over the age of 18.

    Pages: 1 2

  • Former Real Housewives star: “A gay son is a curse”

    A former Real Housewives star launched a vile attack on gay people via social media.

    Jim Marchese who starred in season 6 of Real Housewives of New Jersey launched a vile attack on the gay community saying that he thought that a gay son was a “curse” and robbed a family of its “heritage”.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Marchese, who starred alongside his wife, Amber in season six of Real Housewives of New Jersey published his tirade on Twitter to support Kevin Hart, who stepped down last week as the host of next year’s Oscars after historic homophobic tweets emerged.

    Taking to Twitter, in front of his 197,000 followers, Marchese wrote,

    “So true NO STRAIGHT MALE wants his son to be gay. A gay son is a curse that takes away your #family traditions #heritage #lgtbiq is a parents nightmare that destroys families,” Jim tweeted. “Ruins holidays like #Christmas #KevinHart we support you! #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder.”

    He then went on to suggest that Europe was “importing Muslim men” because the LGBT+ community had caused a population growth “crisis”.

    He then dug further to say that being gay was an act of “sexual deviance” and that no one was born gay – likening it to a “choice like being vegan”.

    via GIPHY

     

    Jim and his wife Amber decided to leave the Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2015.

  • This university asked a comedian to sign a “behavioural agreement” contract

    He said nope.

    Pexels / Pixabay

     

    A University in London has a behavioural agreement contract which it is asking performers to sign before they are allowed to perform on stage.

    Comedian Konstantin Kisin was asked to sign the agreement and told about the universities “no tolerance policy” on a raft of issues including sexism, transphobia and homophobia.

    The unpaid gig was supposed to be hosted by the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) at the University of London on behalf of university society Unicef on Campus, which has since apologised for the contract and said it “believes fully in freedom of speech”.

    Konstantin Kisin shared the contract with Radio 1’s Newsbeat and said that it nearly made him “puke”. He then posted the contract on social media saying,

    “I just think it reflects an attitude among a group of people, people at university particularly, where it seems that they have become places of indoctrination rather than learning,

    “Students are being taught to prevent offence rather than to seek truth and pursue experiences.

    “Universities used to be all about that, but now it seems they’re places where students are being taught to be woke.

    “I think it reflects a broader issue, where increasingly there are people who value safety, or what they perceive to be safety.”

    The full list of banned topics listed by the organisers were “racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia or anti-religion or anti-atheism”.

    The contract said: “It does not mean that these topics cannot be discussed. But it must be done in a respectful and non-abusive way.”

    Apologises

    Unicef on Campus told Newsbeat, “Given that Unicef is a children’s charity, we wanted to make sure it was an appropriate event for the cause. We would never wish to impose that guests would have to agree to anything they do not believe in.

    “We apologise for the misunderstanding.”

     

  • Here are the sports stars who came out in 2018

    2018 has been a whopping year for LGBT sports people. More and more stars feel comfortable to be their true selves in public.

    Here are some of the sports stars who have come out in 2018.

    Abrahm DeVine

    Embed from Getty Images

    US swimmer, Abrahm DeVine came out as gay in an inspiring interview in Swimming World Magazine. Before coming out to his teammates, 22-year-old DeVine described his worry about how they would react on hearing the news. He said, “I’m a gay athlete. There aren’t too many of us, so when I came out to my college team, that was a really tough time for me.”

     

    Collin Martin

    Twenty-three-year-old Collin Martin came out as gay, wrapped in a pride flag. Amen to that. He becomes the second Stateside pro footballer to do so. Robbie Rogers was the first in 2013.  He made the announcement via Twitter, writing “I am announcing for the first time publicly that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer, June is Pride month, and I am proud to be playing for Pride, and to be playing as an out gay man.”

     

    Hurley Haywood

    Embed from Getty Images

    US Racing Legend Hurley Haywood came out at the age of 69. He addressed his sexuality in his autobiography, Hurley! From The Beginning.

    Jake Atlas

    Pro Wrestler Jake Atlas came out in Feb 2018 saying, “I am proud to fulfil my promise of coming out publicly about my sexuality to be a voice for those that struggle with this issue like I have for many, many years.”

    Karina Manta

    Embed from Getty Images

    US Ice Dancer Karina Manta comes out as bisexual. Karina is a professional skater and she shared the news (and her girlfiend) with the world in a video.

    Mel Reid

    Embed from Getty Images

    Six-time Ladies European Tour winner and LPGA golfer Mel Reid has come out in an interview with Athlete Ally. She said, “I fell in love with a girl and I was excited about it, so I told my sister who was completely cool about it, and then my brother,”

    “My parents are older than most, but they couldn’t have been better about everything.

    “They just assured me that as long as I love a good person, it doesn’t matter what race, gender or background they come from. I was very lucky my entire family is very liberal and embraced it totally.”

    Nir Rotenburg

    Professional Wrestler Nir came out as gay in July. Speaking to WDG, Rotenberg, who boxes professionally as Rixon Ruas said, “I understood the extent of the responsibility and the influence that my actions have now that I am a champion, and I knew that it was time to come out of the closet in public.”

    “If I had a gay role model as a young wrestler, the fears I’ve had in the past would have been avoided”.

    Robert Páez

    Embed from Getty Images

    Venezuelan Olympic diver Robert Páez came out as gay in a column with Outsports. He competed in the London 2012 Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the column he wrote, “Growing up in Venezuela, I knew from a very young age that I was different, despite not knowing what exactly that meant.

    “It’s a difficult road, to know at a young age that we feel something that makes us believe we are not “right” in the eyes of society. Yet the truth is that if I was born that way, it was because God created me and he wanted it that way.

    “When I finally came to believe that, that’s when I understood that I should accept with pride and courage…”

    Tadd Fujikawa

    Embed from Getty Images

    US Open Golfer Tadd Fujikawa came out as gay in September 2018. Writing on World Suicide Prevention Day, Fujikawa said, “So…I’m gay. Many of you may have already known that.

    “I don’t expect everyone to understand or accept me. But please be gracious enough to not push your beliefs on me or anyone in the LGBTQ community. My hope is this post will inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving towards one another.”

    Todd Harrity

    American squash player Todd Harrity revealed that he was gay in a heartfelt Twitter post in April. He said, “It has taken me a long time to accept myself as I am. But now I have, and am ready to put all of this behind me and move on with my life.”

    Zack Leader

    British Gravity Biker Zack Leader came out as gay in 2018. The biker who was 19 at the time came out in an emotional post on social media. He wrote,

    “For about six months now, this is how I wanted to start the new year. A fresh start. No more hiding, no more lies,

    “To some of you this won’t be news, but to a lot of you, I imagine it won’t have even crossed your mind. Some of you may have thought about it I imagine. What I’m trying to do is come out and say I’m gay.”

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Band

    ★☆☆☆☆ | The Band


    The new show The Band is not, as you might think, a musical about Take That – but it damn well should’ve been.

    What we get is a show about four forty-something women who reunite after not having seen other for a long time to see their favourite boy band (now of course no longer a boy band) at a reunion tour concert in Prague. Why Prague you might ask? Because one of the women won a competition to see the band perform there. Why couldn’t one of them have bought tickets to a more local show if they loved the band so much? Well, that would’ve been too easy and would’ve left out one of the major plot points of this show – a broken penis.

    Yes, a broken penis. You see, while the women are in Prague, they get a bit carried away and break the penis off of a priceless statue. Now, if this would happen in real life the women would’ve gotten heavily fined, and perhaps jail time. But when said penis, which is attached to a statue that actually does come to life (before the said penis is broken off), with the penis visible for all the audience to see, it makes for one of the most unintentional laughable moments in the West End. It’s not just laughable – it’s shockable! Who signed off on this scene? And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take That’s big hit ‘Relight My Fire’ is sung while the characters (while still schoolgirls) are on a bus heading home from a concert, with the carefully hand-picked cast of the boy singers dressed up in bondage gear (with horse helmets). And then all of a sudden out of nowhere one of the girls is killed. Hmmm?

    Another head scratcher is when the song ‘Never Forget’ is sung by the fab five in an airport lounge. There is also a bit of fat shaming in the show (one of the women is obese). Did I mention that the boys can’t really hold a tune and sing in harmony? Or in tune? Not once is the band introduced as characters, meanwhile, they glossfully sing in the background to scenes that have no real connection to the songs.

    This is a jukebox musical that is as empty as a machine with no quarters in it. Sure the songs are great (who doesn’t love a Take That song or two), and one of the women happens to be lesbian, and AJ Bentley has the strongest vocals of all, but what do you expect from a musical show where the singers (boyband) were chosen from a reality television show?

    Whoever signed off on this mess should be really ashamed of themselves. Robbie, Howard, Gary and Mark – you listening?

    The Band plays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Book tickets now

  • What’s Cuffing Season? – here’s a dating term you need to know

    What’s Cuffing Season? – here’s a dating term you need to know

    New dating terms are happening all the time and apparently, it’s “cuffing season” but what does it mean?

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    Seventy Thirty‘s team looked at today’s dating terms and let us know what cuffing is and who’s doing it.

    Cuffing season; refers to the winter months, when people who are usually happily single start to seek a committed relationship.

    With the days getting shorter and the nights longer, the temperature dropping and the trees becoming bare, it’s the perfect time for cosy nights in with your loved one, building a relationship. It is the optimal time of year for past partners to creep up on you, too.

    Be on the look out for your single exes!

    rawpixel / Pixabay  Will you on be on your ex’s booty call list? 

    If an ex-partner is single, they might try to come back you to spend these cosy nights in with you.

    Clinical psychologist Seth Meyers explains that “our energy levels are lower during the colder weather and we are moodier’” so we have less motivation to organise interesting dates.

    This, coupled with poor winter weather, means we have fewer places to go and things to do. This makes us seek out an easier option, such as a past partner.

     

  • These are the top 20 things Brits forget during Christmas

    These are the top 20 things Brits forget during Christmas

    Buying batteries, wrapping paper for last minute gifts and a card for the mother-in-law are among the top 20 things Brits forget every Christmas, according to research.

    geralt / Pixabay

    A study of 2,000 adults reveals many struggle to remember everything in the lead up to Yuletide.

    Buying sellotape for presents, tin foil to wrap the turkey, and trimmings such as cranberry sauce and gravy for the table are among the most forgotten tasks at Christmas.

    While others don’t remember to buy a relative’s favourite tipple or crackers to pull over lunch and one in six won’t fill the ice cube trays in preparation for festive drinks.

    One in 20 Brits have even forgotten to take the Christmas presents with them when visiting family and friends away from home.

    Unsurprisingly, more than half of those polled claim to feel their stress levels rising as the big day approaches.

    Gary Kibble of Argos, which carried out the study via OnePoll.com, said, “December can be one of the busiest months of the year, as in addition to preparing for Christmas many adults are juggling work commitments with social arrangements and obligations to go to the children’s nativities, school fayres and church ceremonies.

    “It can be almost impossible to fool proof Christmas completely, and yet Brits place so much emphasis on this one day of the year, we want to do everything we can to help.”

    The study shows Brits will forget to purchase nice napkins for the dinner table, presents for extended relatives, and even toilet roll to cater for the extra guests.

    One in 20 have been known to forget to switch the oven on altogether, while the same percentage have neglected to leave a mince pie out for Father Christmas.

    Researchers found more than half of adults have been known to make an emergency trip to the garage on 25th December to pick up some forgotten items.

    Batteries, milk and bread are the items most likely to be bought at short notice, closely followed by a bottle of wine, box of chocolate – and sellotape to help wrap last minute presents.

    Free-Photos / Pixabay

    Four in 10 adults admit to worrying about the stress and expense of Christmas, so much so over half will avoid hosting the event altogether.

    Women are the most likely to worry, with 60 per cent saying they are simply too busy in the lead up to the big day to remember everything, and 32 per cent attribute their forgetfulness to working long hours.

    Men on the other hand blame nights of partying for their lapses in memory, with a quarter saying they have too many Christmas parties to attend – leaving little time for shopping – and nearly a third claim they have too many people to buy for.

    Gary Kibble added: “For many hard-working families, the festive season doesn’t come cheap or easy, so we wanted to give people a helping hand with our £15,000 giveaway so Brits can fool-proof their Christmas.”

    This year, Argos is coming to the rescue by sending out 600 of its ‘Fools’ – replicas of the mischievous elves featured in this year’s Argos Christmas advert – across the high streets of the nation wearing £15,000 worth of vouchers to help ‘fool-proof’ Christmas.

    “Our Christmas advert has gone down a storm with the public, and now people have the chance to capture a Fool of their own and make sure they don’t wreak havoc on the big day.”

    All bargain hunters need to do upon finding one is to tweet a photo of the Fool to be rewarded with a voucher to spend on any of the thousands of incredible products available at Argos.

    The Fools will be released in five cities across the UK and some might find their way into some of Argos’s Fast Track same day deliveries – so keep your eyes peeled. Argos’s Twitter and Instagram will be giving out clues about where to find them.

    TOP 20 ITEMS BRITS ARE MOST LIKELY TO FORGET
    1. Buying batteries
    2. Buying sellotape
    3. To fill the ice cube trays
    4. Wrapping paper for last minute gifts
    5. Tinfoil for the turkey
    6. Napkins for the dinner table
    7. Christmas crackers
    8. Buying presents for extended relatives
    9. Forgetting to buy the turkey trimmings – cranberry, apple, mint, bread sauce
    10. Matches
    11. Toilet roll to cater for the extra guests
    12. To buy / put on the Christmas jumper
    13. To take the Christmas presents with you when visiting family / friends
    14. The gravy
    15. Relative’s favourite tipple
    16. To leave a mince pie out for Father Christmas
    17. A vegetarian option
    18. Getting a card for the mother-in-law
    19. Forgetting to turn the oven on
    20. Forgetting to put the vegetables on

    ITEMS BRITS ARE MOST LIKELY TO MAKE A DESPERATE DASH FOR:
    1. Batteries
    2. Milk
    3. Bread
    4. A bottle of wine
    5. A box of chocolates
    6. Sellotape
    7. Gravy
    8. A Christmas present
    9. Wrapping paper
    10. Bread sauce

  • FILM REVIEW | 1985

    FILM REVIEW | 1985

    ★★★★★ | 1985

    The year is 1985. AIDS had already started to rear its ugly head. It’s also the year that Adrian comes home for perhaps the last time.

    1985 is a tear-your-heart-out film about one New Yorker’s journey back home to see his family at Christmas. Cory Michael Smith is just incredible as Adrian, a young man going back home to Texas after a three-year absence to see his father, mother and little brother. But it’s really not a festive time for him – for all the lies and deceits that Adrian tells his family – that his life in New York is just amazing, with a good job and great friends, all this couldn’t be further from the truth. Adrian’s friends back in NYC are all dying or dead – including his partner. Adrian has been to six funerals in that year alone, and he faces the grim fact that he is not immune to the disease that has slowly crept up on gay men like himself. With a doting mother who takes care of all his needs while he is at home (a graceful and saintly Virginia Madsen), a tough religious father who lives his life by the Bible (Michael Chiklis), and a soft younger brother who is into theatre (Aidan Langford), it’s up to Adrian to secretly say goodbye to everyone (including his best friend Carly, played by the wonderful Jamie Chung).

    Directed and co-written by Yen Tan, 1985 is a small film that packs quite a punch. It’s one hour and 25 minutes that will hold your attention throughout, with gripping performances, and an equally stunning soundtrack, and will have you reaching for the tissue box many times. Reminiscent of Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only the End of the World (where a terminally ill writer (assumed sick with AIDS) returns home to tell his family he is dying), 1985 is a much much better film.

    With a perfect cast, including Madsen who is just simply amazing, as well as Chung, 1985 is a great film in every sense of the word, and excellently captures that time in 1985 when President Ronald Regan had yet to utter the word ‘AIDS’ and when hundreds of young men were dying and there was no treatment available, nothing could be done for them. Tan, along with the cast and crew, in a film beautifully shot in black and white (by Hutch, who also co-wrote the film), has pulled off quite an achievement with this film. Every gay man under 50 really needs to watch this film to understand what gay men over 50 were dealing with in the 1980s and early 1990s.

    Order this film now from our online shop and support THEGAYUK

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