Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo. Smoke on the water… Marc filled up the entire apartment with fog for Halloween.

Marc got the idea from our friend Michael Lehet who found this cheap $5 do it yourself fog trick video.

that other guy (lots of love, Marc).

And I plan to celebrate the uncelebrated qualities of these incredible men that don’t quite come through your earbuds.

Starting with Marc.

He has the incredible control of slight mannerisms to show exactly what he is thinking. This awesome skill reminds me of the famed silent movie actor, Buster Keaton who is known for  his facial control of the same stoic expression no matter what happens. I guess that makes Marc the Bizarro Buster Keaton.

And Fausto! When something interesting comes up, his complete attention goes not only to communicating how he feels about the topic, but also how the idea will affect the contributors/listeners of Feast of Fun. You couldn’t ask for a better audio overlord.

And if you thought they gave great advice on the podcast, definitely make the pilgrimage to one of the Feast of Fun meet-ups.

You never know how important a couch may be in solidifying your long term relationship.

More next Monday.

This year, I decided to draw Marc and Fausto for Valentine’s Day.

Fausto was nice enough to suggest I post it here

2007 was the year we also launched our video podcast “Show Me Now” which just got nominated for a Queer Verve “Best Video Blog” award. I also managed to land an interview with THE supermodel to the world, RuPaul. It was like a dream come true when she personalized her famous mantra for us by shouting “You Feast of Fools Bitches Better Work!”

And work we do: I put out a new talk show five days a week because I see it makes a difference in my audience’s lives. The Internet is wonderful way to bring people together. When I came out of the closet at 18 I only knew a small handful of gay people. But now our audience alone shows the wide range and variety of gay life that is out there and accessible to everyone.

Our daily talk show provides entertainment, comfort and insight about the gay experience to many different kids of people. We share with our audience the joy, wonder and laughter of a journey of discovery.

We got a letter from one of mature lesbian listeners, Barbara who lives out in California. She wrote to say that she sees the positive impact our show has on young people. She donated to offset our production costs saying, “you may not be a charity, but you do good work.”

But the most intense moment of 2007 for me personally was my father passing away. In the middle of March my elderly father was moved into intensive care for problems with diabetes and was obviously not in good shape. Knowing this would be my only chance to say goodbye, I took a couple of days off work and jumped on the next plane down to Puerto Rico.

I will never forget looking into my father’s sad eyes, both of us crying, knowing it would be the last time I would ever see him alive. I’m so thankful that I was able to tell him that I loved him and that I owe so much of who I am to him. I thanked him for being my dad. My dad was never very close with any of his sons, but I told him that I forgave him for any distance that there was between us.

I returned to Chicago and several days later I got a call from my sister that my father was about to die. My partner Marc and I tried to fly right back to Puerto Rico but a volcano explosion on the neighboring island of Montserrat delayed our flight. Of all the things in the world, who would have thought that a cloud of volcanic ash would have kept us from flying that night? The next morning we took off only to discover that my father had already passed away by the time we got there. I was OK though, I had said goodbye.

Years ago my father picked out for his service one of the strangest funeral parlors in Puerto Rico, the Celestium.Maybe he discovered it in a local architectural journal because of its unusual structural design: a monolithic domes, arranged in a triangle. A monolithic dome is a structure that is built much like a large-scale piñata, where fiberglass rods are glued onto a large inflated bubble and upon curing are reinforced by spray-on concrete. Not only is it cheap to build, it also withstands hurricanes and looks a like a fabulous concrete spaceship.

My father, the architect and UFO fanatic, would have been enthralled.

This unusually designed crematorium was was home to an equally strange staff: a group of Puerto Rican new-age lesbians who could have even been off-worlders themselves.

My father surely would have loved the “Sleeping Beauty” like plexiglas case in which he was displayed. His glass coffin was guarded by a butch female attendant who would pull back a lace shroud allowing you to peer inside. A gutsy folk singer sang proudly with her guitar songs of lost love and forgiveness.

When my sister Talia and I were in our teens, one day after school my dad looked at us in the eye and said with a very serious tone: “My children, when I die I will go on to live on other planets in outer space and enroll in the great University of the Cosmos in order to learn about many wonderful things.” As you can imagine, my sister and I were stunned. But that day, it totally made sense. My father would have enjoyed seeing us mourn his death in the spaceship Celestium slash funeral parlor, contemplating whether he indeed made it to outer space and what wonderful things he may be learning.

I remember my father by doing my talk show. Whether here on Earth or in Outer Space: to love, learn, entertain, inform and raise consciousness is the most important thing of all.

Don’t we look lovely? Gay Chicago Magazine posted a political cartoon of us by a mysterious man they call Gabe. I’m not sure they got my ears right, but Marc’s Groucho Marx-like eyebrows are spot on.

Overview:

“We all know the stereotypes…But how gay do you want to be today?”

Welcome to 50 F*ggots – the groundbreaking, new, online documentary series educating, exploring and celebrating how individual effeminate gay men survive and thrive in today’s American queer communities!

50 F*ggots educates audiences with the unprecedented access to the lives and experiences of effeminate male activists, artists, professionals and educators – perspectives rarely discussed within most cultures.  The series addresses the dearth of self-acceptance among effeminate men, young and old, with humorous anecdotes, important wisdom, and inspiring models of resilience. By offering individual alternatives to dominant constructions of American masculinity and heteronormative gay lifestyles, this film illuminates the on-going issues relevant to queer communities.

The first season, located in the urban neighborhoods of Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York City, dedicates two years to documenting the stories of ten effeminate gay men. These men discuss their professional and personal lives, often in contradiction to communities that demand a rigid and binary definition of gender, particularly valuing patriarchy and an “appropriate” presentation of “straight-acting” masculinity. Regardless of each man’s assertion of their own authentic self, specific dominant ideologies construct the societal assumptions of these men’s presumed personalities, sexualities and behaviors.

This documentary series celebrates the differences among urban and rural environments, along racial, religious, and intergenerational lines. While the series allows each man to discuss the ways their personal effeminate expressions are negotiated in career, relationships, and communities, this documentary project creates national dialogue around the diversity of ways to truly “be” a man.

Looking around the SXSW Interactive’s first-ever LGBT panel, “Engaging the Queer Community”, [sic] I saw a shrunken pink-haired woman wearing steel-toed platform boots and green stockings walking past a large-nosed horn rimmed kid with horse teeth and acne scars, and I realized that even though we’re all adults now, we very much remain the theater fags and lunch geeks we were in high school—conflicted and sightly scared people looking for a voice. But why then are our personal stories so often trumped by the like of homophobic senators and, bless her, Lady Gaga?

–Read the rest.

In cased you missed the live taping of our podcast from Steamworks, Chicago photographer Jason Smith put together this high definition assortment of clips from the event.

The video imagery is luscious, and it’s always a great whenever we can incorporate George Takei into the video.

The live show was taped at Steamworks in Chicago March 5, 2010. Guests include: Teri Yaki, Cameron Esposito, Keith Ecker and Stephen Leonard. Camera and editing by Jason Smith.

There were a million lights and laughs at our live show Friday night at Steamworks. Here is one amazing photo of Fausto taken by Curtis Jensen. Stay tuned, more to come!

A birthday celebration between two friends, Marc and Michael goes into a dark place as they blow out the candles.

One funny thing about doing this shoulder excercise, front lateral raises is that if you do it with a plate, you can play “peek-a-boo” with yourself in the mirror.

Here’s my attempt with a 45 lb plate to demonstrate the “peek-a-boo” effect. Please be kind! I know my form isn’t great, so please use Scott Herman’s video for form, not this one.

It’s been great having all this free time over the holidays to sleep in and work out at the gym, and I guess the results are showing. I posted some pics of myself after my workout on my Facebook profile, and it got quite a response. So the next thing I knew, my pics wound up on the sexy (and not safe for work) site guyswithiphones.com – Am I sexy enough for this site? Yeow!

You know the holiday season can get a little chilly, so I put together this fabulous medley of tacky Christmas music and my own original songs to help make things nice and hot.

Although this video was created two years ago, I know a lot of you still haven’t seen it, so I decided to post it up again. Thanks to the amazing Taylor E Ross who produced the music, as well as helped me arrange and compose the song.

Summer is here! For many people, this is an anxious time as we wonder how to go to the beach. How do you pick the right swimwear and protect yourself from the sun?

Today we’re talking to Eric Schwers, the CEO of Baskit, one of the largest manufacturers of swimwear and underwear for the gays.

Eric shares with us some tips on picking the right trunks for your junk and which styles are the most popular.

Listen as we talk about underwear fetishes, undies designed to make your package look big and plump and whether men ever use that y slot in the front of their briefs.

We’re later joined by our favorite New York City skin-care expert Enrique Ramirez, of Face to Face New York City Day Spa, to answer your questions on summer skincare, including protecting your hair and some easy ways to get rid of those blackheads.

Also in the news:

Me! We’re thrilled that an old photo of Fausto dressed up as a Star Trek alien posing in a bathroom stall went viral, making it to the top of two big websites – Dlisted and Cracked. Listen to some of the captions given to my wild photo.

Spokesmodel for the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh blames President Obama on Michael Jackson’s death.

The Sears Tower’s scary glass ledge, a directory of violence on Gay Pride and actor Karl Malden, best known for his American Express commercials and his roles in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Streets of San Francisco dies at the age of 97.

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Last weekend we had an awesome time hanging out at Andersonville’s Midsommarfest Street Festival, where you are sure to find hundreds of hunky guys, lots of fried food and 80s music tribute bands. Ain’t nothing but a good time and it doesn’t get much better than this!

Camera: Michael Lehet

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International Mister Leather (IML) is an international conference and contest of leathermen and leatherwomen held annually since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois. Always full of a huge assortment of leathermen and sexual fetishists of all shapes and sizes, IML is really a great place to soak in some of the more wilder sensibilities of human sexuality. It’s like being Jane Goodall, only these chimps wear leather!

Come join me and Marc Felion as we take a quick look at some highlights from the vendor floor at this years International Mr. Leather Conference 2009.

Produced by: Outworld.tv

Nine years ago, we were doing our show as a musical variety show chock full of colorful performers and drag queens here in Chicago, Illinois. I’d begin every show with a little fire-eating ritual to “clean” the space and sing a song, accompanied by Taylor E. Ross on the piano.

In this video I’m singing a spanish version of “Aquarius” and eating fire.

Camera: Mindy Hilt.

For a high quality version, subscribe with: YouTube

After the taping of today’s show, Jason Smith got everyone to pose for what we thought was a photo, which turned out to be a video. In the moving picture, Michael Lehet, Marc Felion, Fausto Fernós and Mike Mohney.

Writer Larry La Fountain shows us his new book “Blue Fingernails” and loves to laugh! Click here to listen to the entire podcast interview.

Camera & editing by the wonderful Jason Smith.

Be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel, Feast of Fun. | Vimeo | iTunes

After we taped today’s show, our good pal Jason Smith shot this cute video of us wondering why lebsians love the Terminator movies so much.

We just had so much fun with “Brooke Knows Best” Reality TV star Glenn Douglas Packard after the taping of the podcast, we put together this quick little video, I hope you enjoy it.

After taping today’s show, our good friend Jason Smith made this cute little video. Yes, we’re that nutty.

Flipping snarky catchphrases with insightful quips on celebrity news and popular culture, Connecticut based Michael Buckley’s video blog “What the Buck” bitingly comments at lighting speed on the nature of celebrity and the ridiculousness of fame.

His quick-paced, insightful take on popular culture rivals the best of entertainment based television programs and is completely written, produced and created by the man himself.

Michael Buckley works several hours every day writing, editing and taping his award winning videos and still manage to juggle a day job and a husband.

With over two million views every month and over 100 thousand regular subscribers, Michael’s high speed commentary has put him on the map and on Fox News as a regular commentator.

Buckley beat out Chris Crocker’s “Leave Brittney Alone” video to capture a 2007 YouTube Award for best commentary with his “LonelyGirl15 is Dead!” which tears apart the notorious web series starring a young girl stalked by some freakish cult.

Where does Michael’s seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm for making fun of celebrities com from?

Listen as Michael shares his secrets on how he makes his award winning videos, the universal appeal of scatological humor and our fascination with tragic female celebrities.

We take a look at Miley Cyrus as she’s working a double shifts filling the gaping media hole left by the skanks of 2007 Britney, Lindsay, Paris and Nicole who have left the spotlight in search for a better life.

Also why Enrique Iglesias embraces his gay male fans and who Michael thinks is going to win this seasons American Idol reality TV singing show.

To find Buck’s latest videos as well as daily blogs focusing on celebrities, the online community and anything else that comes his way visit Buckhollywood.com

The podcast you just have to have- Feast of Fools.

[Originally posted on: 05.15.08]

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The internet helped him connect with the greater world around him when he couldn’t create a gay-straight alliance in his school and he left to be home schooled. To grow up a gay, eccentric and flamboyant teen has never been easy especially in a small conservative town in Tennessee.

If it weren’t for the internet where would Chris Crocker be?

Today Chris is one of the most watched and imitated video bloggers online. His iconic video of himself weeping and imploring the public to “Leave Britney Alone” made him a household name.

Chris’ videos represent the dramatic change we’re seeing in how we create and consume media. Chris’ videos are just as popular as the YouTube Presidential debates or the evening news. For millions of people everywhere, his opinion matters.

Despite this, old media companies are threatened by Chris popularity because of his bold desire to express himself at any cost. They can’t control him and he doesn’t need them.

It’s easy to question the authenticity of Chris’ videos because he’s just that good. He’s eerily in touch with his dark emotions and quickly cuts through the hypocrisy of the “haters” with his wit and words.

“Leave Britney Alone” proves to be one of the most emotionally over the top videos I’ve ever seen online. I believe Chris cried not so much for Britney Spears but rather to express the pain and suffering he endured having gone through the hell of homophobia as a teenager. In many ways, Chris Crocker represents the tortured gay youth who fought back and lived.

Chris Crocker really is a huge fan of Britney Spears, even though she has conservative leanings and a complete lack of interest in gay rights of any kind. Remember, she was FOR the War in Iraq and said in many interviews that we should “stand by our President” despite his reckless policies.

Chris sees something bigger inside of Britney. He believes her to be a liberal person trapped by the conservative world around her.

People can’t leave Britney alone or any other tragic celebrity for that matter because they help us cope with our everyday problems. When we see someone richer, more attractive and more powerful than us struggling to hold on, it makes it easy to come to peace with our place in the world.

On today’s show Chris Crocker joins us to talk in-depth about his popular video blog, his passion for following people’s horoscope and how he may team up with Puerto Rican TV astrologer Walter Mercado to reach a hip, young new audience. We also talk with Chris about how he personally deals with the vicious hate online and offline, what he thinks of all those parody videos of his work and where in Los Angeles you should hang out if you want to hook up with Chris.

And we put to rest the rumors surrounding Chris’ HIV/AIDS conspiracy as a government biological weapon gone wrong and being vilified for simply being himself and being good at it!

[Originally posted on 05.08.08]

Your broken beer bottle in the bar fight against homophobia- Feast of Fools.

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I believe you Enrique, but we still need visual confirmation.

About six years ago, Enrique joked in an interivew that he couldn’t find condoms small enough to fit his manhood. Now, he’s sick of being called Little Dicked Enrique, so he told Showbiz Spy says, “I said I had a small penis as a joke. And they took it literally when it is not the truth. So when people find out it’s not the case they are pleasantly surprised.”

Notice he said “PEOPLE” and not “WOMEN.” I wonder why is he playing the gender game with that neutral word “people.” If he’s into chicks, why not just say “So when girls find out” and not use the word people? What’s up with that Ricky? Are you easing out of the closet door? Because if you are, I can help you sacar la presion!

Here’s a concept we talk about on the show- Art Abuse. People who create art based on their personal issues and force others to struggle with them.

The artist thinks they created the art to enlighten audiences, but in reality they punish their audience because they think the public isn’t as informed as they are. In the end nobody wins. It’s just another turn in the cycle of abuse.

Yale university student Aliza Shvartz claims to have inseminated herself and forced herself to miscarriage “as many times as possible” over a period of nine months. She intends to smear the bloody results on hundreds of feet of plastic sheeting and wrap it around a large cube suspended from the ceiling in order to “draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman’s body.” Yale says that the induced pregnancies and miscarriages are just a hoax and that they are part of the whole performance piece. Aliza insists that “No one can say with 100-percent certainty that anything in the piece did or did not happen.”

On a more inspiring note, Amy Burrow, a senior high school student in Independence, Missouri has caused quite a commotion with her installation art – a glass case filled with anti-gay posters designed to look like the ones used by protesters from Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church on top of it the words “LOVE CONQUERS ALL.”

Despite the shock to students, the school is standing by Amy, who’s work has gotten some negative responses from students.

Controversy is not a stranger to this real-life Lisa Simpson, who in the past has created and displayed artwork at her school about abortion and smoking. Remember the story of “Fag-Bug” owner Erin Davies? I’m always amazed by the way people react negatively when they see their own hate speech displayed back at them.

Some people rather bee seen as drug addicts than be gay. CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals and a sex toy in his boot. This guy knows how to party! When he was caught he quickly told the police about the drugs hoping they wouldn’t catch on that he was hustling for gay sex.

A poor German farmer married a woman he met on the internet only to discover on their wedding night that she had a penis. Hot. We aren’t sure what she was thinking but she must not be listening to the Feast of Fools, because if she was, she would know that you should always disclose what you got down below before you take your wedding vows. To do otherwise only leads to confusion and hard feelings. Be open and honest and find people who want you for who you are.

Do you believe in life on other planets? Steven Hawkings thinks there is. As reported by the Huffington Post, he believes life on other planets is very common but that intelligent life is probably very rare.

He thinks we need to get off this planet if our society is to endure. He thinks great things will come if we are willing to explore the universe. And of course, he got a little sample of what space travel is like in zero gravity last year.

The podcast that comes with a spicy surprise in every bite- Feast of Fools.
[originally posted on 04.22.08]

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Cascarones are a Mexican Easter tradition of smashing colored, eggs filled with confetti.

Check out as we chase my niece Victoria with a confetti filled egg. Who knows why we do this, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s probably for good luck. Weird traditions are always about luck.