'I think therefore I am.'  Descartes            'I AM THAT I AM.'  Exodus.3.        'I am what I am.'  La Cage aux Folles

25 August 2012

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingall O'Flahertie Wills Wilde
' I was a man who stood in symbolic relations to the art and culture of my age...The gods had given me almost everything. I had genius, a distinguished name, high social position, brilliancy, intellectual daring; I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art: I altered the minds of men and the colour of things: there was nothing I said or did that did not make people wonder...I treated Art as the supreme reality, and life as a mere mode of fiction: I awoke the imagination of my century so that it created myth and legend around me: I summed up all systems in a phrase, and all existence in an epigram.'  Wilde
The Look
'The most striking thing about the poet's appearance is his height, which is several inches over six feet, and the next thing to attract attention is his hair, which is of a dark brown colour, and falls down upon his shoulders...When he laughs his lips part widely and show a shining row of upper teeth, which are superlatively white. The complexion, instead of being the rosy hue so common in Englishmen, is so utterly devoid of colour that it can only be described as resembling putty. His eyes are blue, or a light grey, and instead of being 'dreamy', as some of his admirers have imagined them to be, they are bright and quick--not at all like those of one given to perpetual musing on the ineffably beautiful and true. Instead of having a small delicate hand, only fit to caress a lily, his fingers are long and when doubled up would form a fist that would hit a hard knock, should an occasion arise for the owner to descend to that kind of argument...One of the peculiarities of his speech is that he accents almost at regular intervals without regard to the sense, perhaps as a result of an effort to be rhythmic in conversation as well as in verse.' New York Tribune, 3 January 1883
The Life
    Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland in 1854. His mother was a poet who wrote under the pen name Speranza and his father was a famous physician. At Oxford he won a poetry award and discovered the notion of "art for art's sake". From 1878 to 1881 Oscar Wilde became famous for being famous, without having any substantial achievements. He became part of "the beautiful people", wore outrageous clothes, passed himself off as an art critic and aesthete, and built a reputation for saying shocking and amusing things. Known for his velvet coat, knee breeches, silk stockings, pale green tie, cane, shoulder-length hair and loose silk shirts and the lily he carried.. In 1882 he went to New York and toured North America for a year giving lectures. When a customs inspector asked him if he had anything to declare he replied, "Nothing but my genius." One of his first stops was to the poet Walt Whitman at his home in Camden. They drank homemade elderberry wine milk punch and talked for two hours... "He is the grandest man I have ever seen, the simplest, most natural, and strongest character I have ever met in my life..." said Wilde and later revealing "the kiss of Walt Whitman is still on my lips..."
When he returned to England he adopted conventional dress, toured, wrote two unsuccessful plays and a collection of children's fairy tales, married, fathered two sons and wrote literary criticism for a magazine Woman's World. Two years later he resumed his life of parties, friends and lovers. From 1890 to 1895 Oscar Wilde reached his peak as poet-playwright and social star. His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray shocked with its thinly veiled allusions to homosexuality. In the same year he came out with The House of Pomegranates and the great plays Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, and The Importance of Being Ernest, the first modern comedy in English. Wilde's plays forced Victorian society to re-examine its hypocrisies. In 1895 the mad Eigth Marquess of Queensberry, culminated his public harassment of  Wilde for his relationship with his son Lord Alfred Douglas. When Wilde sued him for the misspelled note ‘For Oscar Wilde, posing as a somdomite’ it backfired; the Marquess was acquitted and Wilde's got two years of hard labour. While in prison he wrote a 30,000 word letter to Bosie, published after his death as De Profundis, that is regarded as possibly being his most important and mature statement on life and art in general and his own life and art in particular. In concluding, he tells Douglas, You came to me to learn the Pleasures of Life and the Pleasures of Art. Perhaps I am chosen to teach you something much more wonderful, the meaning of Sorrow, and its beauty.
Bosie
           For   two years, Wilde's primary love-interest was Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas. Bosie's father was  severely repressed and repressive and remembered as the originator of the "Marquess of Queensbury rules" in boxing. The Marquess was livid over his son's relationship with Wilde, and determined to bring Wilde down. He tried to disrupt the premiere of The Importance of Being Earnest, but Wilde had the Marquess denied entrance. So a few days later, on February 18, he left the calling card at Wilde's club which began the saga leading to his cruel fall.
The Trial
'The 'Love that dare not speak its name' in this century is such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made as the very basis for his philosophy, and such as you find in the sonnets of Michaelangelo and Shakespeare. It is that deep, spiritual affection that is as pure as it is perfect. It dictates and pervades great works of art like those of Shakespeare and Michaelangelo, and those two letters of mine, such as they are. It is in this century misunderstood, so much misunderstood that it may be described as the 'Love that dare not speak its name', and on account of it I am placed where I am now. It is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of affection. There is nothing unnatural about it. It is intellectual, and it repeatedly exists between an elder and a younger man, when the elder man has intellect, and the younger man has all the joy, hope and glamour of life before him. That it should be so the world does not understand. The world mocks at it and sometimes puts one in the pillory for it.'  Oscar Wilde, at his first trial, 26 April 1895.
'It is no use for me to address you. People who can do these things must be dead to all sense of shame, and one cannot hope to produce any effect upon them. It is the worst case that I have ever tried... That you, Wilde have been the centre of a circle of extensive corruption of the most hideous kind among young men, it is equally impossible to doubt. I Shall, under such circumstances, be expected to pass the severest sentence that the law allows. In my judgement it is totally inadequate for such a case as this. SHALL, The Sentence of the court is that you be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for two years.' Mr. Justice Wills, pronouncing sentence after Wilde's second trial, 25 May 1895.'And I? May I say nothing, my Lord?'  
Oscar Wilde's last words of  his second trial, 25 May 1895. 25 May 1895.  A hundred years later the British Government overturned this ruling.
Prison
In Pentonville prison had to walk a treadmill for six hours every day, and to sleep on a bare board. He was allowed no communication with the outside world for three months. He lost twenty pounds in the first month. A chaplain wrote:
    'When he first came down here from Pentonville he was in an excited flurried condition, and seemed as if he wished to face his punishment without flinching. But all this has passed away. As soon as the excitement aroused by the trial subsided and he had to encounter the daily routine of prison life his fortitude began to give way and rapidly collapsed altogether. He is now quite crushed and broken. This is unfortunate, as a prisoner who breaks down in one direction generally breaks down in several, and I fear from what I hear and see that perverse sexual practices [masturbation] are again getting the mastery over him. This is a common occurrence among prisoners of his class and is of course favoured by constant cellular isolation. The odour of his cell is now so bad that the officer in charge of him has to use carbolic acid in it every day.... I need hardly tell you that he is a man of decidedly morbid disposition.... In fact some of our most experienced officers openly say that they don't think he will be able to go through the two years. '
He was moved  to Reading, the subject of his "Ballad of Reading Gaol", where he wrote his   De Profundis. Released finally on May 18, 1897, Wilde moved to France.
Paris
After his release from prison, he wandered around Europe for three years.. He sank deeper into a life of sex and absinthe. His wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a gripping account of prison brutality, with a plea for prison reform.
On 30 November 1900, in Hotel d'Alsace in Paris, he died of cerebral meningitis.
His remains were originally buried in quicklime in the insignificant Bagneaux Cemetery. This was done to reduce the corpse to bone, but when  unearthed his body he was well preserved and his hair and beard had grown longer. His body was moved to Père Lachaise on July 19, 1909. Not until 1914 was the tomb (above) erected. I visited his tomb in 1975.  Originally thought indecent a plaque served as a fig leaf but was hacked away in 1922 (possibly by students). They removed a little more than just the plaque. On the back of the tomb there's a quote from The Ballad of Reading Gaol:
'And alien tears will fill for him Pity's long broken urn For his mourners will be outcast men And outcasts always mourn'

Letters from or about Oscar
Bobby,
Bosie has insisted on dropping here for sandwiches. He is quite like a narcissus -- so white and gold. I will either come Wednesday or Thursday night to your rooms. Send me a line. Bosie is so tired; he lies like a hyacinth on the sofa, and I worship him.
Yours, OSCAR.
My Own Boy,
Your sonnet is quite lovely, and it is a marvel that those red-roseleaf lips of yours should be made no less for the madness of music and song than for the madness of kissing. Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry. I know Hyacinthus, whom Apollo loved so madly, was you in Greek days. Why are you alone in London, and when do you go to Salisbury? Do go there to cool your hands in the grey twilight of Gothic things, and come here whenever you like. It is a lovely place and lacks only you; but go to Salisbury first.
Always, with undying love, Yours, OSCAR
Dearest of all Boys, 
Your letter was delightful, red and yellow wine to me; but I am sad and out of sorts. Bosie, you must not make scenes with me. They kill me, they wreck the loveliness of life. I cannot see you, so Greek and gracious, distorted with passion. I cannot listen to your curved lips saying hideous things to me. I would sooner be blackmailed by every rent-boy in London than to have you bitter, unjust, hating. You are the divine thing I want, the thing of grace and beauty; but I don't know how to do it. Shall I come to Salisbury? My bill here is 49 pounds for a week. I have also got a new sitting-room over the Thames. Why are you not here, my dear, my wonderful boy? I fear I must leave; no money, no credit, and a heart of lead.
Your own OSCAR
Alfred, 
Your intimacy with this man Wilde. It must either cease or I will disown you and stop all money supplies. I am not going to try and analyse this intimacy, and i make no charge: but to my mind to pose as a thing is as bad as to be it...
Your disgusted, so-called father, Queensbury
Dearest Boy,
Your father is on the rampage again -- been to Cafe Royal to enquire for us, with threats etc. I think now it would have been better for me to have had him bound over to keep the peace, but what a scandal! Still, it is intolerable to be dogged by a maniac. What purple valleys of despair one goes through! Fortunately there is one person in the world to love.
Ever yours, OSCAR
My Dear Robbie, 
This is my first day alone, and of course a very unhappy one. I begin to realize the terrible position of isolation, and I have been rebellious and bitter of heart all day. Is it not sad? I thought I was accepting everything so well and so simply, and I have had moods of rage passing over my nature, like gusts of bitter wind or storm spoiling the sweet corn, or blasting the young shoots... I had hardly any sleep last night. Bosie's revolting letter was in the room, and foolishly I had read it again and left it by my bedside. My dream was that my mother was speaking to me with some sternness, and that she was in trouble. I quite see that whenever I am in danger she will somehow warn me. I have a real terror now of that unfortunate ungrateful young man with his unimaginative selfishness and his entire lack of all sensitiveness to what in others is good or kind or trying to be so. I feel him as an evil influence, poor fellow. To be with him would be to return from the hell which I do think I have been released. I hope never to see him again... 


I want some pens, and some red ties. The latter for literary purposes, of course... 
Oscar

My own Darling Boy,
I got your telegram half an hour ago, and just send a line to say that I feel that my only hope of again doing beautiful work in art is being with you. It was not so in the old days, but now it is different, and you can really recreate in me that energy and sense of joyous power on which art depends. Everyone is furious with me for going back to you, but they don't understand us. I feel that it is only with you that I can do anything at all. Do remake my ruined life for me, and then our friendship and love will have a different meaning to the world.
I wish that when we met at Rouen we had not parted at all. There are such wide abysses now of space and land between us. But we love each other.
Goodnight, dear. Ever yours, OSCAR

Lord Alfred Douglas: Two Loves From The Chameleon, December 1894.
Click photos to enlarge
I dreamed I stood upon a little hill,
And at my feet there lay a ground, that seemed
Like a waste garden, flowering at its will
With buds and blossoms. There were pools that dreamed
Black and unruffled; there were white lilies
A few, and crocuses, and violets
Purple or pale, snake-like fritillaries
Scarce seen for the rank grass, and through green nets
Blue eyes of shy peryenche winked in the sun.
And there were curious flowers, before unknown,
Flowers that were stained with moonlight, or with shades
Of Nature's wilful moods; and here a one
That had drunk in the transitory tone
Of one brief moment in a sunset; blades
Of grass that in an hundred springs had been
Slowly but exquisitely nurtured by the stars,
And watered with the scented dew long cupped
In lilies, that for rays of sun had seen
Only God's glory, for never a sunrise mars
The luminous air of Heaven. Beyond, abrupt,
A grey stone wall. o'ergrown with velvet moss
Uprose; and gazing I stood long, all mazed
To see a place so strange, so sweet, so fair.
And as I stood and marvelled, lo! across
The garden came a youth; one hand he raised
To shield him from the sun, his wind-tossed hair
Was twined with flowers, and in his hand he bore
A purple bunch of bursting grapes, his eyes
Were clear as crystal, naked all was he,
White as the snow on pathless mountains fore,
Red were his lips as red wine-spilt that dyes
A marble floor, his brow chalcedony.
And he carne near me, with his lips uncurled
And kind, and caught my hand and kissed my mouth,
And gave me grapes to eat, and said, 'Sweet friend,
Come I will show thee shadows of the world
And images of life. See from the South
Comes the pale pageant that hath never an end.'
And lo! within the garden of my dream
I saw two walking on a shining plain
Of golden light. The one did joyous seem
And fair and blooming, and a sweet refrain
Came from his lips; he sang of pretty maids
And joyous love of comely girl and boy,
His eyes were bright, and 'mid the dancing blades
Of golden grass his feet did trip for joy;
And in his hand he held an ivory lute
With strings of gold that were as maidens' hair,
And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute,
And round his neck three chains of roses were.
But he that was his comrade walked aside;
He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes
Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide
With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs
That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white
Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red
Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight,
And yet again unclenched, and his head
Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death.
A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold
With the device of a great snake, whose breath
Was fiery flame: which when I did behold
I fell a-weeping, and I cried, 'Sweet youth,
Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove
These pleasant realms? 1 pray thee speak me sooth
What is thy name?' He said, 'My name is Love.'
Then straight the first did turn himself to me
And cried, 'He lieth, for his name is Shame,
But I am Love, and was wont to be
Alone in this fair garden, till he came
Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill
The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.'
Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will,

I am the love that dare not speak its name.'
An all male Salome production

Geoffrey Rush recently played Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Ernest. It is a role to die for and just as many men appear to take on the role as do the great women of the stage. Many years ago I saw Rush in another production with the great Australian National Treasure (now deceased) Ruth Cracknell as the imperious Lady
To me, perhaps the best or at least the most memorable has always been Dame Edith Evans whose performance is stunning. 



21 August 2012

Sexy American Politics

Great to see a sexy political romp. I need the relief. If it were not so serious it would be just plain gorgeous, but we are all at risk of indifference so cheers to a new way of fighting the good fight. I can  not vote in this election, but it does have repercussions throughout the world. Pity!
Just as homophobia is sweeping the Australian electorates, the shouting bigots come out of the woodwork in other countries when a vote is held and the media love it. Corruption is considered a byword for politics these days and money buys any thing, law or person you desire.
Vote for ethics, equality, truth, but mostly for humanity not profit.

In Australia it is compulsory to vote and this I think gives a slightly better chance of true representation of the masses than a lazy electorate who can't be bothered, but the oft used appeal to greed or xenophobia can so easily sway the part time citizen and make their vote invalid in my opinion. Democracy as we understand it and practice it today is not the sacred cow it is made out to be. There is a need for truth, education, understanding, generosity and far too many things that are absent in our societies. It is no more than snapshot of one days majority appeal and leaves so few protections for the minorities that make up our true world.
Some examples of films where American politics and gay life intersect.
Choose Connor or The Politician is a film about an idealistic 15-year old Owen who gets the chance of a lifetime to be the youth spokesman for U.S. Senate Candidate Lawrence Connor, only to be exploited in a fierce campaign of TV and radio ads, posters, interviews, and speaking engagements in the cut throat media-image-is-all world of American politics.
Outrage is a documentary about closeted gays in US politics. 
Horror in The Wind is a silly cemedy about an airborne formula that changes the sexual orientation of anyone it reaches.

17 August 2012

Boylesque

What is Boylesque?
I scanned the Internet and came up with various ideas, but no firm definition. No one really knows what it is but it certainly is here. Some relish the term and other dismiss it. Here are some extracts of definitions or discussions.

Male Burlesque, namely done by boys under 30 with tight stripper bodies and stage moves. Not to be confused by Merlesque (which is men over 30 doing burlesque)

What makes boylesque different to burlesque? Is it different at all? If much of burlesque is about celebrating and enjoying being a woman, should boylesque be about celebrating and enjoying being a man? Should it be hyper-masculine in the way that burlesque exaggerates femininity?

He feels boylesque should be men dancing and teasing as men and not impersonating women. Not to say that there isn't a place for drag acts or transgendered acts. I dont' know what the definition of boylesque is.

In the 1920s, there was no such thing as male burlesque. But in 2012, something called ‘boylesque’ exists.  “ Basically to be burlesque you’ve gotta take off your clothes. I think that burlesque is inherently political as well as sexual. Its roots are really in political satire, and the original concept was a woman getting on stage and controlling her sexuality.”.... “What I want to showcase is that there’s a lot of diversity to how masculine gendered performers are approaching burlesque – including people who identify as trans or various others. It’s about exploring masculine sexuality.” So while no solid definition of ‘classic’ male burlesque exists, plenty of performers are working on it.
Popping up around the world from New York  to Sydney and Adelaide are Boylesque festivals as either stand alone events or part of more widely attributed Burlesque or Cabaret festivals. Boys are taking their place in an old tradition.
My Suggested Keywords
click to enlarge
Boylesque can often be Naked.
Boylesque can be very Theatrical.
Boylesque can be amazingly Athletic.
Boylesque can almost always be Sexy.
I admit the word came to my attention only recently and now I see it everywhere. I general image of  young sexy male entertainers taking full advantage of their talent and sex appeal. It is more than comedy or drama, it is not just music. it is more then dance or gymnastics. It is in your face cute, beautiful, gorgeous and erotic..
Videos
They did this for a Command Performance in front of The Princess Royal (London)


The Graceful and Wonderful David Pereira.
Famous Male Fan Dancer Cherry Loco from Scotland
Jett Adore


Mark Winmill
An article by Katherine Feeney about the spectacular local Brisbane Boy and now international sensation. Publised in The Age and The Brisbane Times in July 2011
With more sparkle than Kylie, and costumes that could shame Lady Gaga, “second generation carni” Mark Winmill is rapidly making a name for himself worldwide.
Winmill recently became Brisbane's hottest export to the Las Vegas glitter strip, or at least his alter ego did - Captain Kidd, a cheeky sailor adept in the art of removing clothing – his own.
Last month Captain Kidd was crowned Reigning King of Boylesque at the Vegas Burlesque Hall of Fame's annual Tournament of Tease, as well as wresting the title of 'most dazzling' from the competitive American field.
Winmill said it was “not bad for a boy from Brisbane” where the culture of boylesque was less developed than in the US.
Though burlesque for women has achieved considerable local success in recent years, thanks in part to events like Miss Burlesque Australia and the Burlesque Ball, Winmill said boylesque was still developing.
Reigning King of Boylesque, Mark Winmill, aka Captain Kidd.
Among the first performers of the art in Brisbane, Winmill said there'd been significant growth since he first “stripped for show” seven years ago at The Family nightclub in Fortitude Valley as part of a performance for popular gay club night Fluffy.
“There's a massive history of boylesque America that traces its history right back to the '70s,” Windmill said. “It followed on from the burlesque originals in the 1950s, and it's been enjoying a resurgence for about the last 10 years.
“There's been an underground movement here for a while, but we're starting to see the boys on the larger stages.”
Winmill's troupe Briefs is an all-male performance group that combines circus, dance, variety, theatre, video and burlesque with a political bite.
Following his individual Vegas success, the troupe has secured a place at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
“I reckon it'll be excellent,” Winmill said. “Any money we make we'll put back into the show.”
Having learned tumbling from his circus performer father, Winmill said live shows were "in his blood”.
His eclectic performance history includes time with Circa, Strut and Fret production house, French chason Meow Meow and Australian opera singer, performer and cabaret star Ali Macgragor.
And Winmill is likely to keep his unique brands of performance art in the spotlight as a lead circus trainer at Flipside Circus, a Brisbane-based youth circus.
“The trade off is that boylesque will become less of a gimmick,” he said. “We were talking about it in Vegas and we all agree, with a new generation of performers coming through, we'll all have to start trying a bit harder.”
For now, he is still the “most dazzling” of them all.
http://elvisdifaziopeople.blogspot.com.au
A Mark Winmill brilliant sexy performance.



Reigning King of Boylesque, Mark Winmill, aka Captain Kidd.
Among the first performers of the art in Brisbane, Winmill said there'd been significant growth since he first “stripped for show” seven years ago at The Family nightclub in Fortitude Valley as part of a performance for popular gay club night Fluffy.
“There's a massive history of boylesque America that traces its history right back to the '70s,” Windmill said. “It followed on from the burlesque originals in the 1950s, and it's been enjoying a resurgence for about the last 10 years.
“There's been an underground movement here for a while, but we're starting to see the boys on the larger stages.”
Winmill's troupe Briefs is an all-male performance group that combines circus, dance, variety, theatre, video and burlesque with a political bite.
Following his individual Vegas success, the troupe has secured a place at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
“I reckon it'll be excellent,” Winmill said. “Any money we make we'll put back into the show.”
Having learned tumbling from his circus performer father, Winmill said live shows were "in his blood”.
His eclectic performance history includes time with Circa, Strut and Fret production house, French chason Meow Meow and Australian opera singer, performer and cabaret star Ali Macgragor.
And Winmill is likely to keep his unique brands of performance art in the spotlight as a lead circus trainer at Flipside Circus, a Brisbane-based youth circus.
“The trade off is that boylesque will become less of a gimmick,” he said. “We were talking about it in Vegas and we all agree, with a new generation of performers coming through, we'll all have to start trying a bit harder.”
For now, he is still the “most dazzling” of them all.

Winmill said it was “not bad for a boy from Brisbane” where the culture of boylesque was less developed than in the US.
Though burlesque for women has achieved considerable local success in recent years, thanks in part to events like Miss Burlesque Australia and the Burlesque Ball, Winmill said boylesque was still developing.
Reigning King of Boylesque, Mark Winmill, aka Captain Kidd.
Reigning King of Boylesque, Mark Winmill, aka Captain Kidd.
Among the first performers of the art in Brisbane, Winmill said there'd been significant growth since he first “stripped for show” seven years ago at The Family nightclub in Fortitude Valley as part of a performance for popular gay club night Fluffy.
“There's a massive history of boylesque America that traces its history right back to the '70s,” Windmill said. “It followed on from the burlesque originals in the 1950s, and it's been enjoying a resurgence for about the last 10 years.
“There's been an underground movement here for a while, but we're starting to see the boys on the larger stages.”
Winmill's troupe Briefs is an all-male performance group that combines circus, dance, variety, theatre, video and burlesque with a political bite.
Following his individual Vegas success, the troupe has secured a place at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
“I reckon it'll be excellent,” Winmill said. “Any money we make we'll put back into the show.”
Having learned tumbling from his circus performer father, Winmill said live shows were "in his blood”.
His eclectic performance history includes time with Circa, Strut and Fret production house, French chason Meow Meow and Australian opera singer, performer and cabaret star Ali Macgragor.
And Winmill is likely to keep his unique brands of performance art in the spotlight as a lead circus trainer at Flipside Circus, a Brisbane-based youth circus.
“The trade off is that boylesque will become less of a gimmick,” he said. “We were talking about it in Vegas and we all agree, with a new generation of performers coming through, we'll all have to start trying a bit harder.”
For now, he is still the “most dazzling” of them all.


My post on Briefs The Second Coming 
with Mark Winmill and the Boys

11 August 2012

Sci-Fi and Superheroes.


It seems to be obvious that one reason Sci Fi, Fantasy and Superhero films and TV shows are popular is that today the cast are selected more often than not on their degree of beauty, cuteness, hunkiness and any superficial definition of attractiveness you care to imagine. This genre of entertainment is exactly that - entertainment. There is sometimes a more profound message in the story in the rare, well written stories, but not always so. It is escapism and I for one prefer my escapism to be pleasant to look at. A good looking star is easier to spend my time with then a dour and miserable character. When I want a profound emotional experience I will generally look elsewhere. If I want great and complex literature I will generally look elsewhere. This is not to say that there are not several masterpieces that can and do inspire. The general earth born space character are just and moral and verging on superhero status. Over all it shows a certain xenophobia by the inhabitants of this planet. To me that sense of automatic superiority in spirit if not technology is more indicative of the attitude of a Los Angeles writer. It is the alien who is most likely to be devoid of any respect for life, any code of ethics and although they are advanced in science they are primitive in social development. Also so many often look like they are just out of school, which is so easily explained by them regularly being a precocious genius of some sort. Once again it is unlikely. but it does remain entertaining. Of course I am a huge fan of Sci Fi and Fantasy. Like many gay people I believe I find an affinity with stories that take you out of the reality of life which may not always be pleasant for all of us all of the time. A world of make believe for those who have, for a long time, had to create a fantasy of their life to appease the mood and beliefs of others. It is a cliché, but a trip down the Yellow Brick Road does get you out of Kansas. 
Below are a tiny selections from the hundreds of films and series I have collected under the banner Science Fiction and Superheroes. Some rare and unusual.
Sci Fi and a Gay Audience
It is believed that Science Fiction finds a special affinity with the gay population. Perhaps it is the fantasy life. A life where equality and justice prevail. There are boys who get bullied at school for one reason or another and this happens to gay youth. The dreamers and the quiet and timid more then most. Like Jerry Siegel, a young Jewish boy whose father was a victim of crime was bullied, it is easy and comforting to imagine what it would be like to have superpowers and live in a world of justice. Siegel used that imagination and invented Superman at the age of 18. He and his friend, the equally shy Joh Shuster had worked on cartoons since they were 16.
Australian Series 'Outland' about gay Sci Fi geeks.
Check out more on outlandtv's channel on Youtube
I hear that the Green Lantern has turned Gay and the X Men have had their first gay wedding. They are not the first. Now we see several independent films introducing gay stories into Science Fiction or Science Fiction into gay stories. Mainstream is also including gay characters as a matter of course as well. Of course the middle of the road or slightly right of the road audience find it hard to cope with a lead gay character. For Hollywood they are still a stereotype and generally a bit like the old style token black guy who gets bumped off first. Advertisers and money makers involved with mainstream film still prefer homophobic language and an ugly stereotypical or unhappy gay guy. You can not have any romance unless you are fat, a fairy and able to be ridiculed. By the way I like my gay characters to come in all flavours of age, height, weight, colour and levels of testosterone. Just not a simple characterture.
Judas Kiss
Judas Kiss is a great film by J,T. Tepnapa with a bit of time travel from Richard Harmon (his other Sci-Fi roles -Continuum, Flash Gordon, Caprica, Fringe, Tower Prep, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) and a great cast, including Charlie David, Timo Descamps and Sean Paul Lockhart (gay adult superstar Brent Corrigan and actor in Milk, I Was a Teenage Werebear, Sister Mary, The Big Gay Musical, Another Gay Sequel).
 
Star Trek Hidden Frontier
J T Tepnapa  was responsible for and appeared in some of the 'Star Trek' fan made series. These series introduced gay love affairs unlike the original TV shows. They are available for download at  Star Trek;Hidden Frontier. The first episode to include gay characters is below.

and from a later series episode Blood and Fire there is a love making scene.
While on the Star Trek theme do find the send up independent film 'Star Wreck- In The Pirkinning' from Finland. Brilliantly made with great special effects and very very funny.
Way back in 1975 I saw Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek, Next Generation) live in a play with The Royal Shakespeare Company. He looked exactly as he has looked ever since.
Surge of Power
An accident in the Lab and and out and proud gay boy becomes a superhero. A fun gay film that appeals to every boy who wonders. Wonderful support given by guest appearances from Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk) and Noel Neill (began playing Lois Lane in 1948 and has appeared in Superman movies and series until 2006). This is the Trailer for Surge of Power.
Torchwood
John Barrowman as Captain Jack in Torchwood with a couple of his lovers. Ianto Jones played by Gareth David-Lloyd was his lover until he was killed in an incredibly moving episode and in the latest series 'Miracle Day' he has sex with an old lover Angelo played by Daniele Faville and another with a barman (below) he picks up.

Deadly Skies
Antonio Sabato Jr in Deadly Skies. Asteroids are falling and the gay scientist is trying to save the earth.

Dreamship Surprise
Dreamship Surprise - German send up of everything Sci Fi with a  bunch of gay Star Trekkers and Star Wars characters battling invading Martians with the fabulous Til Schweiger. 2004
Star Appeal
'Star Appeal' by Zi'en Cui from China 2004 is about a naked boy who appeared from Mars and has an affair with the boy who finds him while discovering human love.
Hit by Lightning. Gay Superhero at the pub and Probing Alien Abduction.
Flesh Gordon
An ultra B Grade sexy send up of Flash Gordon. Well worth a laugh. Prince Prescious fancies Flesh Gordon and everyone is affected by the Sex Ray. You can buy the DVD or preview The Full Movie on Youtube
Superman
The greatest and most enduring superhero is Superman. He was first created in 1932 by Jerry Siegel (stories) and Joe Shuster (artwork) and after mush rejection it first appeared in Action Comics in 1938. The first human face of the comic-book Superman was- Ray Middleton at the World's Fair in New York in 1940.
There have been numerous radio  voices, animation voices and some low budget film and TV appearances but not all are worth recording here. Superman has always given hope to mankind. He was a righteous man (well a Kryptonian) who was steadfast and always saved the day. He was strong handsome and wore a skin tight, body hugging outfit that was the closest thing to underwear or painted nudity as you could get. Somewhat similar to how Tarzan got away with almost nudity for decades as well. The publishers at one point did worry that he looked too gay.
The faces of Superman that are in my vast collection. Well the new guy on the end Henry Cavill will be, when the newest film gets released.
 The sexy Justice League of Superheros from Smallville. 
A Non Superhero
The best body on television (see True Blood and the pic on the right not from this film) the Australian actor Ryan Kwanten in a charming film 'Griff The Invisible' about a guy who thinks he has the power to become invisible and becomes a superhero. He doesn't, but there is simple belief. A lovely film.
Naked Science Fiction
The earliest nudity in a Sci Fi film that I remember is Geoff Goldblum in The Fly back in 1986 Since then we have lots of bare bodies in Sci Fi movies and TV series. Below are some:-
Geoff Goldblum in The Fly
 Peter Firth from 'Equus' never failed to show his butt and does so again in a couple of great Time Travel films 'The Flipside of Dominick Hide' 1980 and 'Another Flip for Dominick' 1982.
Bruce Davison in great futuristic film 'The Lathe of Heaven' 1980.
The Terminator 
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick. Iconic arrivals as naked Terminators.
Kyle XY
The adorable and now out gay actor Matt Dallas as the test tube boy 'Kyle XY'. No bellybutton?
Starship Troopers
Casper Van Dien's often displayed beautiful butt in Starship Troopers -1997.
Misfits
The gorgeous and so talented Robert Sheehan and outstanding Iwan Rheon in the brilliant series Misfits. Superpowers without conscience or heroics.
Firefly
Matt Fillion in Joss Whedons space adventure Firefly
Supernova
Peter Facinelli (Twilight) in Supernova (2000). He has shown his great body in several films. He is just one of the naked actors in Supernova 2000.
William Hurt in Altered States by Ken Russell  and  Watchman
Universal Soldier
Glen and Randa
Glen and Randa, Post Nuke War, avant guard, Sci Fi 1971 film with lots of nudity. The actor playing Glen - Steve Curry was in the 1968 cast of Hair so nudity was not unknown to him. You can find the whole movie on Youtube now or buy the DVD like I did.
On the Silver Globe
On The Silver Globe, 1988 by Andrzej Zulawski. Banned, halted partly destroyed by Polish officials. Hallucinations and cosmic explorers on a distant moon. A fragmented masterpiece so worth searching for. It is available.

Unexpected Encounters
A boy raised by Aliens on a distant planet in this 1994 Czech film 'Unexpected Encounters'. So many handsome characters. A true rarity.
The Quiet Earth
Alone on the Earth in 'The Quiet Earth' New Zealand 1985.
Virtual Sexuality
'Virtual Sexuality' The stunning Rupert Penry-Jones involved in a sudden change of sex at a Virtual Reality club. It is so much fun and quite beautiful to watch. I actually went to a virtual reality night at a night-club at Brixton in London in 1993. 
Plug in virtual booths, 3D Glasses, performance and music. A rare experience. 


Weird Science

'Weird Science' 1985 with a naked Bill Paxton and an oh so young Anthony Michael Hall. Young boys sexual fantasies lead to making a perfect woman!
Love Wars (Star Wars)

Press box for full screen
http://www.superherofan.net/
The new face of a happy director.
Great joyous smile from Lana Wachowski who dirested The Matrix series of films, the upcoming and highly anticipated Cloud Atlas and several other Sci-Fi greats with her brother Andy. Lana has just completed a sex change and was previously known as Larry.
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