The Royal Wedding! Selena dating Jen’s ex! Kanye West says something stupid! Ever notice that the more heinous things get regarding the economy, wars, presidential scandals, etc., the more intensely the media ignores the real news to concentrate on either celebrity scandals or deviant crimes? Sometimes I wonder if there’s a grand conspiracy regarding celebrities as well. What if celebrities are nothing but programmed Manchurian candidates, Stepford performers, who are hypnotized and controlled by secret government handlers who then program them to do silly crap to distract the masses every... Read More

By now, I’m sure all of you have heard about the controversy surrounding Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention, which, as countless memes and articles have pointed out, bears something of a more than passing resemblance to a Michelle Obama speech from some year that I don’t feel like Googling right now. But, Melania, stay sweet, girl. I feel you. Tonight, I will give my speech at the Republican National Convention. I know, I know, you might not have heard about this. Perhaps this is because the Trump people or the RNC have wanted to keep my appearance hush-hush, perhaps... Read More

From David Bowie to Boy George to Caitlin Jenner, gender blurring and androgyny has made for provocative entertainment and social commentary, and perhaps no production has been more bombastic or incisive in recent years than “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” which makes its area stage debut this weekend at Rock Island’s Speakeasy theater. The show, an unrepentantly over-the-top musical and dramatic extravaganza about a transgender singer that explores themes of love, freedom, gender identity and social politics, was critically acclaimed, showered by awards and a box office smash since its 1998... Read More