HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN TIMEBERLAKE!

He's still just a baby! JT turns a ripe old 32 today, and he is on his way back to the top of the music biz, y'all! Justin, of course, started as little twinky so-and-so as a member of NSYNC, but soon conquered the world as a solo artist. Then he started doing a bunch of "movies" and stopped making music. ESANDALO! Well, we can all calm down and take out our dancing thongs again, cuz girl is BACK! Here, for your earhole pleasure, is some of the best of Justin to shake it to this afternoon. Don't hurt yourself.

PERHAPS THE MOST ROMANTIC SHORT FILM EVER, PAPERMAN

Disney has really outdone itself with the Oscar nominated short Paperman. Just six minutes long (so watch it) it is a love story with an adorable twist. It's Disney, so the animation is amazing, but it is truly so sweet and so adorable that it will melt your heart. Watch and fall in love...

FLASHBACK: THOMPSON TWINS

One of the biggest, quirkiest British bands to invade the US during the 1980s were Thompson Twins. Named after the detectives from the The Adventures of Tintin comics, the group actually consisted of three members: Tom Bailey, Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie. The group formed in 1977, but their big break didn't come until 1981 when the song In The Name of Love hit #1 on the US Dance Chart. More mainstream success came in the UK with their 1983 album Quick Step and Side Kick and the top 10 hits Love on You Side (#7 UK) and We Are Detective (#9 UK). It also placed their first song on the US Hot 100 when Lies hit #30. Their next album, Into the Gap, released in 1984, would prove to big a huge international hit, placing Thompson Twins in the top 10 in the US and UK with the undeniable classic Hold Me Now (#3 US, #4 UK) and vaulting Doctor! Doctor! (#11 US, #4 UK) up the charts. Another hit from Into the Gap, and one of my personal favorites, You Take Me Up was their biggest UK hit to date (#2) but just missed the top 40 here (#44). Thompson Twins next album, 1985's  Here's To Future Days, kept their streak of chart hits running in the US, but saw a slump in the UK. First single, the excellent and gospel tinged Lay Your Hands on Me, and the second single King for a Day both reached the top 10 in the US hitting #6 and #8 respectively, but only #13 and #22 in the UK. Don't Mess with Doctor Dream was released in the UK only and reached #15, but their cover of The Beatles' Revolution failed to reach the top 40. They managed two more top 40 hits in the US; 1987's Get That Love (#31) and 1989's Sugar Daddy (#28) before the group disbanded in 1993. With a very distinct sound and look, Thompson Twins left an indelible impression on 80s pop culture and made music that stands the test of time for sure. So here are Thompson Twins biggest hits and some of my most beloved 80s pop songs. Enjoy!!

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: SLAVE TO LOVE - BRYAN FERRY

There's nothing quite like an 80s new wave ballad to set my heart aflutter. In 1985 Roxy Music lead singer Bryan Ferry released Slave to Love as the first single off of his solo album Boys and Girls. Perhaps his best known solo single, Slave shot to #10 on the UK charts becoming one of his biggest hits. The sexy video for the single was shot by acclaimed director Jean Baptiste Mondino, but I knew the song from it's inclusion in the super erotic film 9 1/2 Weeks starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. GAWD I love that movie. As a bonus, I included a fan made video with clips from the movie below the official video. Uh, you're welcome! Anyway, this song has pretty much stayed on my playlist since 1985 and I make no apologies for it. It's a Humpday classic, so get to it, people!!

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ARE BACK WITH REMIX (I LIKE THE)

They may not be "new" or "kids" anymore, but with this track they are back on the block. THE boyband from the 80s, NKOTB, are switching things up a bit and  hitting it a little harder with their new single Remix (I Like The) and it's pretty great. The song the lead single off of their upcoming album 10 which drops April 2nd and the boys are going on tour with 98 Degress (what?) and Boys II Men (what?) starting May 31st. Enjoy and let me know whatcha' think.

FLASHBACK: MY MUSIC IN 1985 - JANUARY 27TH

This week sees some significant movement by a few songs on the chart and some notable debuts. Prince & The Revolution bookend the chart with two of my fave songs they have ever done that contain the letter "U". Duran Duran has one song on the way out and another classic song debuting. Band Aid and Chicago take some pretty big plummets while Foreigner starts off high in the top 30.  Will Stevie Wonder or New Edition make it into the top 10 finally this week? I mean, it's only been three weeks into the year, so maybe I shouldn't be so dramatic yet. Oh well. Take a gander at who was rockin' the charts this week in my world of 1985. A couple of the video links, by the way, may NOT be the original video but a live clip from that time. Check it.

30. Take Me With U - Prince & The Revolution (with Apollonia)
29. I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore - REO Speedwagon
28. Wild Boys - Duran Duran
27. Cool It Now - New Edition
26. Save a Prayer - Duran Duran
25. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
24. Private Dancer - Tina Turner
23. California Girls - David Lee Roth
22. Misled - Kool & The Gang
21. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition
20. The Heat is On - Glenn Frey
19. Operator - Midnight Starr
18. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
17. You're the Inspiration - Chicago
16. Solid - Ashford & Simpson
15. Call To The Heart - Giuffria
14. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry
13. Mistake #3 - Culture Club
12. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates
11. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
10. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr.
09. Jungle Love - The Time
08. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters
07. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
06. Boys of Summer - Don Henley
05. I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
04. Like a Virgin - Madonna 
03. Loverboy - Billy Ocean
02. Careless Whisper - Wham!
01. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & The Revolution

MADONNA FRIDAY: JUSTIFY MY LOVE (LIVE GIRLIE SHOW)

Madonna really shook up the game with the release of her 1990 #1 single Justify My Love. It's icy sexiness set the tone for what was about to be, at that point, the most controversial time in her career, her Erotica era. Justify My Love was a spoken word, stark song about Madonna's yearning for a lover and that she was willing to be with him anywhere. Hot, right? Well, she NEVER performs the song in concert, mostly because she doesn't believe it lends itself to a live performance, but in her 1993 Girlie Show World Tour, Madonna pulled out all the stops and gave us a My-Fair-Lady-by-way-of-the-60s inspired number that will knock your bra off. The mix of the song is a little different , in a great way, and of course Madonna looks so amazing I want to rip my face apart. The girl knows how to put on a show, people. She just does. Watch the clip below and if you don't like it then you don't like living. Totally not kidding, so think hard about your reaction. Smiley Face. Enjoy this and the rest of your Madonna Friday.

FLASHBACK: FOOTLOOSE SOUNDTRACK

Back in 1984 it was impossible to get away from Footloose. The movie was a surprise blockbuster and the soundtrack was a non-stop ass-shaker with hit after hit. Writer/Producer Dean Pitchford collaborated with about a dozen songwriters to come up with an eclectic mix of pop music that somehow formed a cohesive soundtrack with a little something for everyone. From rockabilly to R&B, hard rock to new wave, all bases were covered. The record produced two #1 songs on the Hot 100 (Footloose and Let's Hear It For The Boy), another top 10 hit (#7 Almost Paradise) a top 20 hit (#17 Dancing in the Sheets) and two more top 40 charters (#22 I'm Free(Heaven Helps the Man) and #34 Holding Out For a Hero), but I think most people who were alive and listening to pop music would agree that every song was A-MAH-ZING! If they don't agree, quite frankly, they must be destroyed. The album has gone on to sell in excess of 9 million copies in the US alone to date. Sweet! So to salute one of my fave albums of all time, here is the track listing of the original nine-song album and the videos for all the songs that were released and links on the songs that didn't have official videos. Enjoy and cut loose, bitches.
1. Footloose - Kenny Loggins
2. Let's Hear It For the Boy - Deniece Williams
3. Almost Paradise - Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
4. Holding Out For a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
5. Dancing In the Sheets - Shalamar
6. I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man) - Kenny Loggins
7. Somebody's Eyes - Karla Bonoff
8. The Girl Gets Around - Sammy Hagar
9. Never, Never - Moving Pictures

NEW MUSIC: PRINCE - SCREWDRIVER

WORK! Just listen to Prince at work.

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE

Little Red Corvette is not only sexy, it's right down dirty, y'all. "She had a pocket full of horses: Trojans and some of the used.." WHAT? Oh, my. Prince was just breaking into mainstream pop in a huge way upon the release of his phenomenal album 1999 and Little Red Corvette became his sexiest, and first, top 10 hit to date, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course, in a year-and-a-half Prince would release his masterpiece with his band The Revolution, Purple Rain, but Little Red Corvette remains one of his most beloved songs to date. The B-Side to the song is worth mentioning too as a sexy song; Let's Pretend We're Married. The title speaks for itself. Anyhoooo, here is the video for not one, but TWO Humpday Sexy Songs. Yes, I'm giving you both, girl!!! Little Red Corvette and Let's Pretend We're Married. HUMP!
Prince_And_The_Revolution by classics007

Prince (Let's Pretend We're Married) Vidéo NPGMonaco sélectionnée dans Musique

FLASHBACK SPECIAL: MY MUSIC IN 1985 - JANUARY 20TH

Heading into the third week of 1985 a few things come to my attention. Isn't it interesting how your feelings about certain songs change over the years? For example, I had NO idea what the song Relax was about in 1985. That shiz is D-I-R-T-Y!! Ha. I linked to the original, ÜBER GAY, banned version of the video below. I apparently loved the song You're the Inspiration in 1985. I can't stand to listen to it now. Interesting indeed.... Also so many songs stood the test of time like Boys of Summer and I Would Die 4 U while others, like Careless Whisper and Jamie, did not. At least not for me. Prince & The Revolution kept the top spot this week while his protégés, The Time, sneak into the top 10 for the first time with Jungle Love. Another Prince discovery, Sheila E., is also still on the charts at #16. This was THE Prince era, after all. Also, I'm sure I had a crush on Glenn Frey in 1985. Just sayin'. Okay, check out the links on the songs below and relive your childhood...or discover a different era if you're too young...bitch. Enjoy! Here is my top 30 the week of January 20, 1985.

30. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
29. Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson
28. Private Dancer - Tina Turner
27. Wild Boys - Duran Duran
26. Cool It Now - New Edition
25. California Girls - David Lee Roth
24. Operator - Midnight Star
23. Misled - Kool & The Gang
22. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition
21. The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
20. Call to the Heart - Giuffria
19. Solid - Ashford & Simpson
18. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry
17. Easy Lover - Phil Collins and Philip Bailey
16. Belle of St. Mark - Sheila E.
15. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
14. Mistake #3 - Culture Club
13. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates
12. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
11. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr.
10. Jungle Love - The Time
09. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters
08. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
07. Boys of Summer - Don Henley
06. Careless Whisper - Wham!
05. Do They Know It's Christmas Time - Band Aid
04. Loverboy - Billy Ocean
03. Like a Virgin - Madonna
02. You're the Inspiration - Chicago
01. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & The Revolution

BEHIND THE SCENES ON FAB MAGAZINE'S "SEXY BEARDS" ISSUE

WHAT? YES!!!! Sexy men, sexy beards? What the hell is not to like? Here is the behind-the-scenes footage of Canada's Fab Magazine's sexy beards issue. I mean...... I really, really, really wish I could grow a decent beard. Poor me. Oh, well. I will have to bask in the glory of others'. At least my husband can grow a beard. Yay me!!!!

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SADE!! TWO-FOR-ONE

Practically the queen of the sexy song, Sade Adu, lead singer of Sade, turns 54 today. Still putting out the sounds that make underwear hit the floor all over the globe, Sade has the soulful voice and easy sex appeal that keeps her in the bedroom of millions of people a night. Oh, and did I mention she is drop-dead gorg!!??!! Cuz she is. Since hitting the music scene is 1984, Sade have sold over 50 million albums worldwide, won four Grammy awards, including Best New Artist in 1986, and all of that is from releasing only six studio albums!! Not a bad average, huh? Here are some of Sade's sexiest, most hump-worthy songs over her long career. Enjoy and don't forget to hump a little today.

THE STUPID KELLY OSBOURNE/LADY GAGA/SHARON OSBOURNE FEUD ALL IN ONE POST FOR YA. UGH!

Putting it all in one place for you! It seems Lady Gaga and Kelly Osbourne, and by default Sharon Osbourne, are feuding these days. Kelly had noted Lady Gaga's weight gain, speculating it might be a possible pregnancy, recently on the hilarious Fashion Police on E! and started receiving all sorts of nasty comments and death threats via various social media sites from Lady Gaga fans. To be fair, Gaga had admittedly packed on some pounds recently. Kelly tweeted, " have been told to die, suck dick, get raped & that i look like i have aids by @ladygaga fans no wonder they get called bullies". Kelly did say that she doesn't hold anything against Gaga and is a big fan of the singer. Later on, Osbourne did criticize Gaga for not engaging fans on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Well, Gaga decided to respond on behalf of herself, her mother Cynthia and their Born This Way Foundation in an open letter to Kelly. Here is Gaga's reply.

"Dear Kelly,
While I wish you had reached out to me personally, as the head of the Born This Way foundation with my mother Cynthia we would like to respond. Everyday, through my music and public voice I choose to be positive and work towards a kinder and braver world with our community of followers. I encourage them to ignore criticism, stand up to bullies, know their own value and see that we are all the same and no one person is worth more than another. I know I’m perceived as a wild child, but in reality I am woman that deeply cares for humanity. I have empathy for you Kelly, but I feel it culturally important to note that you have chosen a less compassionate path. Your work on E! with the Fashion Police is rooted in criticism, judgment, and rating people’s beauty against one another. “Appearance” is the most used reason for bullying in the world. Your show breeds negativity, and over the years has even become comedic in nature. It glorifies you and Joan Rivers pointing in the camera, laughing, and making jokes about artists and celebrities as if we are zoo animals. What about your body revolution? It used to make me truly sad when I would hear people talk about your weight when you were younger, as I was bullied too. To see you blossoming into a beautiful slender woman who makes fun of others for a living is astounding. Why not help others? Why not defend others who are bullied for their image and share your story? I am pointing this out not to take a crack at your character, as we’ve met before and you’re lovely. However, I urge you to take responsibility and accountability for the example that you are setting for young people. They look up to you because you are famous, and if you treat others that way on TV, many adolescents at home on twitter assume your actions are acceptable: well if she does it, why can’t I? I cannot control my fans, and I discourage them from any negativity and violence, because that is wrong and hurtful — and I do feel baldy that your feelings were hurt. However, we can all do our part in the media to set a standard of respect, compassion, and love. I wish for you to be treated with the kindness and respect that everyone deserves. While some of my fans have learning to do, most of them share the same values as I, and it’s what bonds us together. And that bond is strong.
Sincerely,
Gaga and Cynthiawww.bornthiswayfoundation.org
PS. And to any media or celebrities that happen to find this letter in their path, I hope you, too, consider the power of your voices. Lets work together and make 2013 a year of unity."

Okay. First of all, LEAVE JOAN OUT OF THIS! Ha. SO Kelly's mom, the never-shuts-up Sharon Osbourne has returned fire in an open letter to Gaga. In her defense, she has every right to defend her daughter. Here is Sharon's reply.

"Ms. Gaga,
I am responding to your open letter to my daughter Kelly, and I am perplexed as to why you would go public with an open letter. Regarding this current situation; Kelly didn’t contact you, I was the one that contacted your manager today and the email is attached below for your reference. I reached out to him as Kelly’s manager and mother to ask him if you could address your “little monster” fans and stop them from writing libelous, slanderous and vile comments about my family, including death threats to Kelly. Your open letter is hypocritical and full of contradictions. And as your mother Cynthia supports you, I support my daughter Kelly. I must say your opinions on what is politically correct and acceptable totally differ from mine, but that is what makes the world so interesting…we are all different. How sweet that you have empathy for my daughter, as you feel that she has taken a less passionate path in life. You say her work on E! with the Fashion Police is “rooted in criticism, judgment, and rating people’s beauty against one another.” Welcome to the real world. Example, when I saw you wear a dress made out of raw meat, I was sickened. When I see you wearing fur, and using it as a fashion statement, the fact that defenseless animals have been killed so you can get your picture in the press is abhorrent to me. Shouldn’t you be teaching your “little monster” fans to respect animals and life? I don’t feel I have to justify Kelly’s choices in life to you. By your actions to Kelly right now, you have shown me that you are nothing more than a publicly seeking hypocrite and an attention seeker. You know it would have been much more dignified of you to do this privately. I am calling you a bully because you have 32 million followers hanging on your every word and you are criticizing Kelly in your open letter. Are you so desperate that you needed to make this public?

You state “Everyday, through my music and public voice I choose to be positive and work towards a kinder and braver world with our community of followers.” Well this obviously is not translating well to your fans, as a large portion of them have not only been vile to Kelly, but also other celebrities such as Madonna, Adele and Rihanna. “You say a kinder, braver world” I don’t know what world you live in, but supporting disgraceful fan comments doesn’t fall under the words “kinder and braver.” It comes under the heading of bullshit.

In closing, stop wearing fur, stop looking for publicity, and stop using your fans to belittle not just Kelly but an endless stream of celebrities. A word from you would stop all the hideous, negative and vile threats from your “little monsters.” Let me know if you want to continue this debate. I’m an open playing field for you my darling.

Sincerely,
Sharon Osbourne
1/10/13
3:39 pm"

I didn't attach the aforementioned email from Sharon to Gaga's manager because I didn't feel like it. So there! Ha. What I find fascinating is that, while all of these celebrities have points (I guess), there is a lot of whining, especially by Gaga and Sharon, about themselves as opposed to the real issue of cyber-bullying and why it's wrong to threaten people with violence in general. I know that celebrity feuds are always stupid and usually fake, but this one is especially dumb, IMHO. A lot of high-and-mighty talk being thrown back and forth here. The last words so far were posted by Gaga on her facebook page and spoken by Sharon on her show The Talk. First Gaga.

"The 'real world' can be cruel, why not try to change it into a better place? I am an activist. Nobody takes adolescents seriously, I do. My letter to Kelly Osbourne was open, because her statements on cyber-bullying were public & as a youth activist I'm compelled to be involved."

And now Sharon:
"Why haven't you, as a responsible young woman, said, 'No violence on my website, no violence, no threats, no violence'. However, everything is guns, guns, guns ... Cut to her first performance on this new tour. She's wearing two guns coming out of her breasts."

Overall, I'm going to go with Kelly on this because, in the scheme of things, she's said the least. Ha. But seriously, stop arguing with one another and just keep the talk going on gun violence. THAT is what really matters.

YOU CAN LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG NOW, SO DO IT!

I've decided to take off the comment moderation on my blog. I did it for a while to keep the bullying off, but I trust my readers now to keep it civil. So please, if you see something, write something. If anything gets out of hand, I'll step back in. Don't worry. I'm too busy to moderate anymore anyway. Go.

NEW JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!!! SUIT & TIE

A few days after announcing his upcoming return to music, Justin Timberlake releases his new anxiously anticipated single with Jazy-Z, Suit & Tie. After a not so promising intro (what is a shit tie and why would anyone wear that?), we are finally treated to some sweet, sweet goodness from possibly the only male solo artist in music these days that I give even a half-a-f**k about. Well done, JT, you sexy thang. Suit & Tie has a very nice, 90s, Janet Jackson kinda groove going on and, as usual, Justin is in fine voice. AND something tells me this video is going to be H-O-T! Welcome sexy-back, Justin. Keep it coming. Justin's next album, The 20/20 Experience, will be released later this year.

WHY I THOUGHT JODIE FOSTER'S SPEECH AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES WAS BEAUTIFUL AND RIGHT ON

(Video of full speech at the end of this post) Jodie Foster won the Cecil B. DeMille award last night at the Golden Globes for her lifetime achievement in the field of entertainment. After a weird, insider-joke filled intro by Robert Downey, Jr. and a wonderful montage of Foster's 47-year career in Hollywood, Jodie took the stage and gave a speech that, in my opinion, was a much-needed, honest and emotional look at what we, as a society, expect from public figures today. Foster didn't come out because, as she pointed out, she came out "1,000 years" ago. She had lived as a gay woman with her family and friends and people she had "actually met" for years. She even thanked her former partner for an extended period of time, not just last night, but FIVE YEARS AGO while receiving a Women in Entertainment award. Yes, Jodie Foster talked publicly about being a lesbian in 2007. Anyway....the fact that Foster never said "I am gay" or "I am a lesbian" is totally and completely irrelevant to me. We all knew what she was talking about, right? Hasn't everyone gay person, people who follow entertainment or people with heads known that Jodie Foster was gay since the 80s? I mean, really? She's not exactly the modern-day Marilyn Monroe, is she? Now, a few of the points Jodie was making didn't seem to make sense to people.....inexplicably.  I'll focus on one. Why reference Honey Boo Boo? Well, the whole point of the speech, as I understood it, is that "entertainment" as it stands now is all about train wreck reality and/or whores who get famous for making amateur porn. What Jodie and everyone else being honored in that room last night do is not the same thing. They don't need you to know every aspect of their life because it actually plays against what they do. Does Meryl Streep call a news conference every time she has sex or makes a life decision? No. It's none of my bee's wax. That's why we can see her play anything without a pre-conceived notion of who or what that character is already. Would Jodie Foster have been allowed to play all the roles she played if the public in general had known that she was a lesbian? Sadly, probably not. Not in the 80s or 90s for sure. Probably not even now. Yes, that sucks. But what Jodie Foster was saying last night was basically, I'm gay, but it's none of your business. I'm not going to argue with that. I don't know Jodie's life or Jodie's mental state or Jodie's anything. Maybe it would have been psychologically damaging for her to come out as a young person. Maybe she had financial responsibilities that she had to prioritize. Maybe lots of things. Who knows? Sure, it would have been great for you or someone else if Jodie Foster, double Academy Award winner, had come out in 1992, but is she obligated to do what's best for you? And now that she has been more open, vulnerable and human than she has ever let herself appear off-screen in her career, are we as a community going to dismiss and ridicule her for it? Is that where we are? If so, I'm not joining us there. I think Jodie's speech was moving, funny (I'm 50!), honest, brazen and, above all and perhaps most importantly, human. Again, this is my personal opinion. I know that brave men and women fought for the rights that we as a gay community enjoy today. We are still fighting now, but I am not going to deny others' right to privacy at the expense of my personal happiness. You're not impressed by Jodie's speech? You don't care or think it's too little, too late? Good. Stop talking about it then and let those who are moved or inspired by it take what they want from it. IF you really don't care. I have a feeling you do. She was clearly nervous and vulnerable. I think Jodie was brave and lovely. I'll leave off with my favorite part of Jodie's speech, and the most relevant to what I'm writing about in this blog. I think this sums it up quite nicely. "If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler. If you'd had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against all odds, then maybe you too what value privacy above all else."

FULL LIST OF GOLDEN GLOBE WINNERS.

I was especially excited about Lena Dunham's wins last night and Tina and Amy's hilarity, but here is the full list of last night Golden Globe winners. Read it.

Movies
Drama
WINNER: Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Comedy or musical
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
WINNER: Les Misérables
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Director
WINNER: Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Actor, comedy or musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
WINNER: Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Ewan MacGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson

Actress, comedy or musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Actor, drama
WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Actress, drama
WINNER: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Supporting actor
WINNER: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Supporting actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
WINNER: Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Screenplay
Chris Terrio, Argo
WINNER: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Original score
Alexandre Desplat, Argo
Dario Marianeli, Anna Karenina
Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, Cloud Atlas
WINNER: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
John Williams, Lincoln

Best Original Song
Keith Urban, For You (Act of Valor)
Taylor Swift, Safe & Sound (The Hunger Games)
Hugh Jackman, Suddenly (Les Misérables)
WINNER: Adele, Skyfall (Skyfall)
Jon Bon Jovi, Not Running Anymore (Stand Up Guys)

Animated feature film
WINNER: Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Foreign film
WINNER: Amour
The Intouchables
Kon-Tiki
A Royal Affair
Rust & Bone

Television
Miniseries or TV movie
WINNER: Game Change, HBO
Hatfields & McCoys, History
The Girl, HBO
The Hour, BBC America
Political Animals, USA

Drama
Boardwalk Empire, HBO
Breaking Bad, AMC
Downton Abbey, PBS
WINNER: Homeland, Showtime
The Newsroom, HBO

Comedy or musical
The Big Bang Theory, CBS
Episodes, Showtime
WINNER: Girls, HBO
Modern Family, ABC
Smash, NBC

Actor, drama series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire, HBO
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad, AMC
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom, HBO
Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC
WINNER: Damian Lewis, Homeland, Showtime

Actress, drama series
Connie Britton, Nashville, ABC
WINNER: Claire Danes, Homeland, Showtime
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey, PBS
Glenn Close, Damages, DirecTV
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife, CBS

Actor, comedy or musical series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, NBC
WINNER: Don Cheadle, House of Lies, Showtime
Louis C.K., Louie, FX
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes, Showtime
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory, CBS

Actress, comedy or musical series
Zooey Deschanel, The New Girl, Fox
WINNER: Lena Dunham, Girls, HBO
Tina Fey,30 Rock, NBC
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, HBO
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation, NBC

Supporting actor, series, miniseries or movie
Max Greenfield, New Girl, Fox
WINNER: Ed Harris, Game Change, HBO
Danny Huston, Magic City, Starz
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland, Showtime
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family, ABC

Supporting actress
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville, ABC
Archie Punjabi, The Good Wife, CBS
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story, FX
WINNER: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey, PBS
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family, ABC

Actor, miniseries or TV movie
WINNER: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys, History
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock, PBS
Woody Harrelson, Game Change, HBO
Toby Jones, The Girl, HBO
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn, HBO

Actress, miniseries or TV movie
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn, HBO
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story, FX
WINNER: Julianne Moore, Game Change, HBO
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals, USA

DESTINY'S CHILD RELEASES NEW SONG!!

Destiny's Child is back, y'all! Kelly, Michelle and, yes, Beyonce are reuniting for a new compilation album, Love Songs, that will be released sometime soon. As the title would suggest, it's a bunch of their old love songs jammed onto one record, but they did get together with Pharrell Williams to record Nuclear. It's good, you guys! Smooth sound, a mid-tempo beat and most Beyonce's recognizable voice. Listen and tell me what you think!

FLASHBACK SPECIAL: MY MUSIC IN 1985 - JANUARY 13TH

Wow. Memory lane is a weird street to walk down sometimes. To actually see these songs that I apparently knew so well in 1985 and can't even remember now is super strange. For instance, I can't sing one word of Call to the Heart or Jamie now, but I guess I was dancing around in my parachute pants to them in the mid-80s. Who knew? This week sees the debut of the first solo single by Van Halen's former/future/former/future lead singer David Lee Roth. Huge crush on him then! AND Tina Turner's first appearance of 1985 on my little chart. I also reluctantly, after 7 weeks at #1, gave someone else Madonna's spot, but even now I have to admit it was time for this week's song at the pinnacle to have it's "purple reign". See what I did there? Another thing that strikes me is that now music seems to be ruled by exclusively women, but on these old lists I used to keep men, women and groups seemed to be more even in my estimation. I miss those days. Okay. So here is the Top 30 songs for the week of January 13, 1985. Enjoy, nerds.


30. Private Dancer - Tina Turner
29. Centipede - Rebbie Jackson
28. California Girls - David Lee Roth
27. Operator - Midnight Star
26. Misled - Kool & The Gang
25. Call to the Heart - Giuffria
24. Solid - Ashford & Simpson
23. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition
22. Cool It Now - New Edition
21. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry
20. Bruce - Rick Springfield
19. Wild Boys - Duran Duran
18. Mistake #3 - Culture Club
17. Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson
16. Belle of St. Mark - Sheila E.
15. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates
14. Jungle Love - The Time
13. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
12. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr.
11. Easy Lover - Phil Collins & Philip Bailey
10. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters
09. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
08. Careless Whisper - Wham!
07. Boys of Summer - Don Henley
06. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
05. Loverboy - Billy Ocean
04. Born in the USA - Bruce Sprinsteen
03. You're the Inspiration - Chicago
02. Like a Virgin - Madonna
01. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & The Revolution

MADONNA FRIDAY: MADONNA'S TWO GOLDEN GLOBE/OSCAR SONGS

In honor of the Golden Globes this weekend and the Oscar nominations being announced yesterday, here are a couple of movie classics associated with our beloved Queen of Pop. Madonna has performed (but not always written) several songs that have been nominated for and/or won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Among them was Sooner of Later from the motion picture Dick Tracy. Written by Stephen Sondheim, the song won the Oscar in 1991 but lost the Golden Globe to Blaze of Glory by Jon Bon Jovi. Madonna performed the song at the Oscars that year in full Marilyn mode and brought down the mutha f***in' house, y'all!! The next song struck gold twice. Andrew Lloyd Webber penned a new song for the film version of Evita, You Must Love Me, and it won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes and the Oscars in 1997. Madonna performed the song at the Oscars that year as well. Here are both of the performaces by Madonna. Madonna was also nominated (but didn't perform) in 1988 for Who's That Girl (Golden Globe), 1993 for This Used To Be My Playground (Golden Globe), 1995 for I'll Remember (Golden Globe), in 2000 for Beautiful Stranger (Golden Globe), 2003 for Die Another Day (Golden Globe) and WON in 2012 for Masterpiece (Golden Globe). Don't forget to watch the Golden Globes this weekend!!!

B-SIDES: EURYTHMICS COVER SOME CLASSICS

I am a life-long (almost) fan of Eurythmics. As an embryo (ahem, what?) I bought their album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and I never quit loving those bitches. Some of their songs are among my faves of all time: Love Is A Stranger, Who's That Girl, Here Comes the Rain Again, Would I Lie to You?, There Must Be An Angel (Playing with My Heart), Missionary Man, Angel, I Need A Man, Thorn In My Side, Don't Ask Me Why, Peace....etc. Convinced? So today I want to share with you some Eurythmics songs that only some diehard fans would know about: B-sides!!!! Yes, songs that were not on albums but on the "b-side" of singles. See how that works? Sometimes I just feel the need to spell it out for you. These are covers that Annie and Dave did back in the day and I thought you might like to hear how Eurythmics interpret others' work. Well, what do you think? Here ya go.

My Guy (Originally My Girl by The Temptations)


Hello, I Love You (Originally by The Doors)

Come Together (Originally by The Beatles)

Fame (Originally by David Bowie)

2013 OSCAR NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Although my favorite film of the year by miles, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, was not nominated in any category (shocking, because I'm always right) there are some great movies and great performances nominated this year at the 85th Academy Awards. Of the pictures nominated I would say my favorite overall was either Les Miserables or Silver Linings Playbook. It's hard because they are so different. Lincoln leads the list of nominees with 12 nods, followed by Life of Pi (which I did NOT care for) with 11. Oh, and Academy, PLEASE give Robert DeNiro an Oscar just for the fact that he finally did a REAL movie and some REAL acting again in Silver Linings Playbook. PLEASE! Anyhoo, HERE is the complete list of nominees. My picks are in bold below.

BEST PICTURE
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
John Gatins, Flight
Michael Haneke, Amour
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David Magee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Chris Terrio, Argo

THE #1 SONG 25 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS....

....So Emotional by Whitney Houston. Taking the top spot on January 9, 1988, Whitney racked up her 6th consecutive #1 song with So Emotional. The song was the third single and third #1 from Houston's second album, Whitney, and one of my all time favorite songs by "the voice". The song was written by the amazy song writing team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg who wrote, among other hits, , I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders, , Alone by Heart, True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, Eternal Flame by The Bangles, and Like a Virgin by Madonna. Not too shabby, fellas. So Emotional stayed in the US top 10 for 14 weeks and became ranked #6 on the Billboard year-end chart. Whitney was on FIRE, guuurl. Anyway, get up, warm up your muscles and dance around to the #1 song 25 years ago today, Whitney's So Emotional. "I don't know why I like you. I just do..."

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - CRIMSON AND CLOVER

Joan Jett is one of the hottest broads to ever walk planet earth. She has an androgynous sexuality to her that even makes MY loins tingle. There, I said it. In 1982 Joan and her band did a cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells' 1968 hit Crimson and Clover, shockingly leaving all the "her"s in the lyrics way before Joan had come out as a lesbian. Hot! The song was a hit, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' second top 10 hit. Her version is my fave of all time, closely followed by Dolly Parton's, but that's a whole other post for the future. Joan is , of course, a rock and roll legend, but Crimson and Clover showed her softer side, gaining and keeping many fans for years to come. Classic. Here is the super sexy Joan Jett and the Humpday Sexy Song, Crimson and Clover.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID BOWIE. OH, AND THANKS FOR THE NEW MUSIC!!

Music legend and all around cool guy David Bowie is 66 today. WHAT? 66? Yes, 66. Ziggy Stardust is getting up there in years, but he is still on top of his game, as evidenced by this lovely, melancholy, Beatles-esque track, Where Are We Now? The Thin White Duke is still cutting an attractive frame as well. From his earliest recording in the late '60s through today, Bowie has changed and evolved and kept us interested in a way few artists had done before him. He ushered in the '70s Glam Rock era, popped the top of the pop charts in the '80s, dabbled in electronica, with a little help from Nine Inch Nails (sigh), in the '90s. From the sound of his new single, David is feeling nostalgic these days. The new album, The Next Day, will be released in March. Sit back, relax and enjoy Bowie's birthday present and some classic tracks on this, his 66th birthday. Now let's dance.

FLASHBACK SPECIAL: MY MUSIC IN 1985

I recently stumbled upon something of a personal treasure while visiting my mother back home. (Yes, I'm aware that sentence was very formal, but I'm in the middle of a Downton Abbey marathon.) When I was a boy I used to keep my own personal list of my favorite top 30 songs every single week. I had a lot of time on my hands and I LOVED pop music then as much as I do now. I thought for the next few months I would share with you the musings of a young gay boy from Texas in 1985. Madonna was just starting, Duran Duran was starting to cool. Two Jacksons that were neither Michael nor Janet were on the charts!! Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen were the most tubular things around and George Michael was straight. Well.... Some of the songs will bring back memories and some I barely remember, but here we go. My top 30 songs for January 6, 1985, which, like January 6, 2013, was a Sunday. Take THAT coincidence!! We start with our #1 song in its 7th week at the top. Go.... OH! I won't put in a link to all videos, just some rare ones to please myself and hopefully you. Feel free to comment on memories you have. I'd love to know if you remember these gems too. AND yes, that's what I looked like in 1985. AWKWARD!

30. Operator - Midnight Star 
29. Tender Years - John Cafferty 
28. Call of the Heart - Giuffria 
27. Misled - Kool & The Gang 
26. Solid - Ashford and Simpson
25. Mr. Telephone Man - New Edition 
24. Foolish Heart - Steve Perry 
23. Bruce - Rick Springfield 
22. Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates 
21. Cool It Now - New Edition 
20. Mistake #3 - Culture Club 
19. Jungle Love - The Time 
18. Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder 
17. Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters 
16. Wild Boys - Duran Duran 
15. Centipede - Rebbie Jackson 
14. Belle of St. Mark - Sheila E. 
13. Jamie - Ray Parker, Jr. 
12. Easy Lover - Phil Collins & Philip Bailey
11. Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper 
10. Careless Whisper - Wham! 
09. Boys of Summer - Don Henley 
08. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid 
07. Loverboy - Billy Ocean 
06. Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson 
05. Run To You - Bryan Adams 
04. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen 
03. You're the Inspiration - Chicago 
02. I Would Die 4 U - Prince & the Revolution 
01. Like a Virgin - Madonna (7th week at #1)

KATHY GRIFFIN WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR TRYING TO KISS ANDERSON COOPER'S SARDINE

In case you missed it on NYE or you haven't seen the footage of Kathy Griffin trying to...well....go down on Anderson Cooper on live TV on CNN (playfully of course) you will get a glance of it during this hilarious clip from her recent appearance on David Letterman. Much like her legion of gay and lady followers, Kathy couldn't be fed a line from a reporter about kissing a sardine and not take the next logical step, faux-fellate a respected news anchor live on the air. DUH!! As is not a tradition every year, Kathy joined the Silver Fox on CNN to ring in the new year and tries her darnedest to make him blush, giggle and be generally uncomfortable in the best possible way. In her Letterman interview Kathy assures us that she will NOT be apologizing for her antics, and in fact was just doing it for the fans. THANKS, KATHY!!! Watch and laugh.

FLASHBACK: SIMPLE MINDS

In the mountains of acts from the 1980s that had hits on the Billboard Hot 100, one stands out with a particularly iconic hit from a particularly iconic teen movie. Simple Minds were unknown in the U.S. before John Hughes, in 1985, decided to use their song Don't You Forget About Me for the soundtrack to the ultimate 80s teen movie, The Breakfast Club. That song shot to #1 on the charts, putting Simple Minds in the bedroom stereo of all of us Molly Ringwald worshipers. FUN FACT: The song was not  written by or originally intended for Simple Minds. It was written by Keith Forsey for Billy Idol who recorded it years later for a greatest hits album. ANYHOO...Simple Minds was on the map in the U.S. As what usually happens, the band got some success and then started to unravel. The next few years saw turmoil and band changes, but frontman Jim Kerr remained the voice of the band. And what a voice he has. Simple Minds struck again pretty big in 1985 with the first single from their album Once Upon a Time, the #3 Alive and Kicking. This song is pure anthem and, IMO, their finest single. They followed with Sanctify Yourself (#14) and then started their gradual fade from the American music scene. These three songs alone stand the test of time and certainly keep Simple Minds from being considered a one-hit wonder. I mean, you get one iconic hit under your belt and your gold, three distinctive songs is practically legend in 80s pop talk. Also, remember when you didn't have to be super good looking to be a pop star? Just saying. But again, what a voice! So here are the three goodies in question. Feast your ears and enjoy.

TAYLOR SWIFT SINGS IN THE NEW YEAR ON DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE

Country princess Taylor Swift swooped in on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve to perform hits for the crowds freezing their asses off in Times Square. The one-woman Match.com sang her new single I Knew You Were Trouble and her smash We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together much to the joy of her fans. It's also reported that Taylor shared a midnight kiss with One Direction's Harry Styles, who is her December 2012 boyfriend. I think this may be the one that lasts. (side-eye)The show, by the way, won Monday night's battle of the countdown shows conquering coverage on the other networks. I'm sure Taylor helped with that. Anyway, here is some T-Swizz for your work day.