drag

Start your engines! We've been holding on to this spectacular video for awhile now. As many of you dedicated fans know Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race has begun! And if you are a bad homo and missed it last week, you can check out the season premiere right here!

But that's not why we are here. Oh no sir. While you all were frolicking around this past summer, we at HOMOPOP were sniffing out where the fabulous gay celebrities are. And on such a sweltering weekend in August, Mike and I climbed into his un-airconditioned car and headed to Washington DC to spend 24 hours with the illustrious and beautiful ,Shannel and Jade from Season 1! I caught wind that they were going to be performing at one of the hottest gay hotspots in DC called EFN Lounge. (Good thing I know the owner.) We basically got to ride around DC with Jade and Shannel in a giant SUV and record their every move! Sounds creepy, huh? On the contrary. We had the loveliest time filled with touristy attractions, 5 Guys hamburgers and shopping for supplies. The day went by so fast because of our absolutely wonderful conversation filled topics like coming out, putting our HOMOPOP hunk in drag and political satire. Then later that night we were givent he exclusive privilege to film them performing our our site... but not without catching them out back in the porta-john. (I'll leave your minds run wild on this one.)

And on a final note... I know what you might be thinking because TV doesn't lie and we all remember how bitchy these ladies can be, but I want to say don't judge a book by the cover! Jade and Shannel, you are two very classy ladies and thank you so much for our fun little adventure!

Who knew Jude Law could make such a fierce drag queen? Granted, we've seen the uncut actor "hanging out" (so to speak) previously, but this time (s)he looks as though (s)he's done this sort of dress-up thing before - horrific Amy Winehouse-ish wig notwithstanding.

Before you get your manties in a bunch, it's not like he's doing some full-scale musical revue somewhere or has come out screaming "It's Raining Men." No, the (by all accounts) heterosexual actor gets swirled up for his appearance in director Sally Potter's new film Rage.

The plot centers around a young blogger at a New York fashion house shooting behind-the-scenes interviews and footage for some project he's working on. By all accounts it's a bit of a snore-bore (rather shocking, coming from the woman who brought us the rapturous Orlando), but it does also feature such luminaries as Dame Judi Dench, Steve Buscemi, John Leguizamo, Dianne Wiest, and the familiar-with-drag Eddie Izzard, all interspersed among some oddish newcomers you'll probably never hear from again.

Vapid I know, but we recently discovered a trailer for Gaze, which is this documentary being made right now! Ok we really didn't discover it but we feel its really worthy to post. Why? Here are 4 reasons:

1) It's GAY folks.
2) Rebel filmmaker Matt Riddlehover (Watch Out) sent it to us.
3) It features 20 of the hottest gay artists (photographers, fimmakers, etc...) who put their ass and work on the line for the sake of gay visibility.
4) Because it looks really fucking sexy and we want to help out our gay brethren.

Gaze profiles amazing artists like Adam Bouska (he is responsible for the photographs of the "No H8" campaign), decadent illustrator J. David McKenney and of our favorite fucked-up avant garde filmmakers Bruce La Bruce, (Otto; or, Up with Dead People, Hustler White) just to name a few.

I do think Matt is touching on something important here and that beauty is not only defined by washboard abs, even though we love our HOMOPOP boys Dwayne's and Mike's abs; rather it is define by what you think is beautiful. Hmm, insightful if I do say so myself.

This does lead me to this past weekend when Mike and I traveled to DC to hang out with Jade and Shannel from "RuPaul's Drag Race". Talk about two beautiful people - seriously. For those who thought these ladies were bitches, well there is more to them than what meets the eye. We had a blast following them around to the White House and then shopping for beauty supplies. I can't wait to get up the video of our trip. They really are two classy ladies even though later that evening we caught them hanging out in a back alley and then coming out of a port-a-john. Hey, to each there own, right?

The world is decidedly a much less fiercer place than it once was, with the confirmed passing of Octavia St. Laurent. For those of you children not in the know, Miss Octavia was one of the legendary stars of director Jennie Livingston's fan-fucking-tabulous award-winning documentary Paris is Burning. (Many of you will recall her on-point gagger during the film's credits, when she nonchalantly tossed off the entire male species with one very cunty quip).

I had heard of her passing over the weekend, yet didn't want to post anything until it was confirmed. This is going to be a very personal post: I worked very closely with Miramax back in the day upon the film's release, and was house manager and booker at one of the only theatres to be given access to some of the film's stars - complete with limo rides, private fund-raisers, and late-nite after-hours parties with some true legends, including the late Dorian Corey and Pepper LaBeija - both of whom I miss. Octavia transformed herself over the years, even appearing later on in the unofficial Paris sequel How Do I Look.

Octavia's passing marks another loss in the list of the film's stars who are no longer with us. There has never been (IMO) a more defining, life-affirming, gay-positive, quotable, fuck-the-haters, gender-and-race stereotype destroying, or important doc than Paris, and thank fucking Christ it finally came out on DVD. (Click here to read an amazing review of the film.)

I privately told RuPaul the sad news other day, as he and I kee-kee over the flick constantly. The Supermodel of the World said: "Oh, shoot. Well she had a fabulous run. And she'll [always live on and] be remembered by you and me." Well, Keeneye here is going to make sure y'all remember her, too. (A big shout out to the New York Times for their coverage.) As Dorian so eloquently put it at the end of Paris - "If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high? Hooray for you." Well, Miss Octavia shot her arrow, alright - straight to the hearts, minds, and souls of all future legends. Honey, you're now as free as the wind on that beach, and your voice will always still be there.

Thank you for sending this to us, Chi Chi! xoxoxo

Here you go faggots and faggotettes - your first look at RuPaul's new video for "Jealous of My Boogie," the second single off his new album Champion (which you can get from Ru's website). And we got the version starring Chi Chi LaRue! Are you gagging yet? Hello!

My favorite parts?
Chi Chi with the TV remote, Chi Chi having his Paris Hilton moment on the floor, and Chi Chi biting Ru's head off. What're yours?

Click here for the original version of the vid, featuring a very well known str8 porn face. (Hi, Tommy Gunn!)