{"id":496,"date":"2015-01-05T02:36:49","date_gmt":"2015-01-05T02:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.billymasters.com\/custom\/?page_id=496"},"modified":"2026-07-12T14:17:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:17:49","slug":"active","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.billymasters.com\/custom\/active\/","title":{"rendered":"Active"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\"BMFont\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 
\n 
\n 
\n  <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

13 July 2026<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I, you know, had to hire a
\nprofessional to teach me how to bottom.<\/em>\u201d 
\n\u2013 <\/em>Billy Porter<\/strong> admits that in his younger years,
\nhe was a total top (mostly a \u201cfear-based response\u201d). 
\n\u201cBut by 30, I was ready to be versatile.\u201d  And he never looked back!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, people started talking about the Emmys<\/em><\/strong>, which begs the question \u2013 is it time for the Emmys <\/em>already?  Nope.  They don\u2019t take place until September 14th<\/sup>.  But they announced the name of the host \u2013 Mariska Hargitay<\/strong>.  Out of left field?  Perhaps.  But she is a bona fide <\/em>television star.  One might call her an icon (although I wouldn\u2019t be that one).  She just wrapped her limited run in the Broadway<\/em> production of Every Brilliant Thing<\/em><\/strong>, replacing Daniel Radcliffe <\/strong>\u2013 talk about range!  Every Brilliant Thing<\/em> is now starring Tracee Ellis Ross<\/strong>.  I shudder to think…<\/p>\n

Back to the Emmys<\/em>.  Nominations were announced, and one nod took me aback (which I typically like) \u2013 Connor Storrie<\/strong>.  Talk about a back!).  Sure, he made a splash on Heated Rivalry<\/em><\/strong>, but this nod was for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series <\/em>stemming from hosting Saturday Night Live<\/em><\/strong>.  Again…range.  What about Heated Rivalry<\/em>?  The show was shut out for good reason \u2013 since it was a Canadian production, it didn\u2019t qualify.  I know many of you will ask about other foreign shows that have won Emmys<\/em>.  But they only qualify if they\u2019re a co-production with a US company.  While HR<\/em> is on HBO Max<\/em>, it was made for the Canadian network, Crave<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This leads to an inevitable Hudson Williams <\/strong>story.  He has a tiny cameo in a short film wearing a skimpy costume.  The flick, Human Nature<\/em><\/strong>, premiered at the Run N Gun Film Festival <\/em>\u2013 my invite clearly got lost in the mail.  Williams\u2019 appearance in one of those Borat <\/em><\/strong>\u201cmankinis\u201d helped the snippet to win the coveted Audience Choice Award<\/em>.  That\u2019s the good news.  The bad news is that Hudson was removed from a Peloton <\/em>ad campaign after a photo of him as a teen surfaced where a bunch of symbols and slogans are drawn on his face \u2013 including a swastika and the word AIDS.  The underaged Hudson claims he was completely unaware of what his friends had drawn on his face.  \u201cThe markings do not and have never reflected Hudson\u2019s beliefs, values or character.\u201d  If we\u2019ve learned nothing, please remember \u2013 friends don\u2019t use Sharpies <\/em>on friends\u2019 faces!<\/p>\n

Another of our favorites made a stir in a short film.  Zane Phillips <\/strong>appears in Something Still<\/em><\/strong>, which features the hunk in a steamy three-way.  Like I always say \u2013 stick with your strengths, Tracee!  Although the short has turned up at a few film festivals, and some footage has appeared on lesser sites, the full flick has found its way to BillyMasters.com<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.  You\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cher<\/strong> is poised to become an animated character.  And who didn\u2019t see this coming?  She is in talks to team up with Bob Geldof <\/strong>(of Live Aid <\/em><\/strong>fame) to participate in an animated feature called Fly Squad \u2013 First Strike!<\/em><\/strong>.  It\u2019s about three insects who enter a chemical plant to find an antidote to a toxin that could kill them all.  Perhaps they should have called it The Last Roundup<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 but perhaps that\u2019s too on the nose.  Cher\u2019s character would be the mother of the main insect, while Geldof plays an insect rocker organizing Insect Aid<\/em><\/strong>.  Why not ask Joan Collins <\/strong>to reprise her memorable role in Empire of the Ants<\/em><\/strong>?  I smell a hit \u2013 or maybe it\u2019s just citronella!<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One of my favorite performers is the luminous Susanna Hoffs <\/strong>(both as a solo artist and with The Bangles<\/em><\/strong>).  She\u2019s announced two gigs that couldn\u2019t be more different.  From September 10-16, she will be opening for Billy Idol<\/strong>\u2019s It\u2019s a Nice Day To…Tour Again<\/em><\/strong> tour.  Then, from September 21-26, she\u2019ll be at the famed Caf\u00e9 Carlyle <\/em><\/strong>in NYC.  For a singer-songwriter who enjoys connecting with an audience, this is a perfect gig (her colleague Belinda Carlisle <\/strong>was announced for a two-week run at the legendary venue \u2013 Carlisle at the Carlyle<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 during the summer of 2020, which was cancelled due to Covid).  Here\u2019s another coincidence \u2013 back in 2022, The Go-Go\u2019s <\/em><\/strong>were announced to open for Idol on a UK tour.  That tour was cancelled due to Idol\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Belinda, she just wrapped up as a special guest for Take That<\/em><\/strong>\u2019s The Circus Live<\/em><\/strong> stadium tour in the UK.  But, fear not \u2013 she\u2019s got some special stateside gigs coming up.  She returns to host and perform at her annual Belinda Carlisle\u2019s Animal People Alliance Christmas Party <\/em><\/strong>at The Abbey <\/em>in West Hollywood.  The show is a bit early this year \u2013 December 3rd<\/sup>.  But, you know, she\u2019s a busy gal!  Also appearing at the gig will be Debbie Gibson <\/strong>and Carson Kressley <\/strong>\u2013 forever thwarting rumors that they are the same person.  Back to Belinda \u2013 she\u2019ll then do a few shows on the east coast as part of her Heavenly Hits<\/em><\/strong> tour.  On December 30th<\/sup>, she\u2019s at Palladium Times Square <\/em>in NYC.  On New Year\u2019s Eve, she\u2019ll be at the Ridgefield Playhouse <\/em>in CT.  Then she\u2019s in Bethlehem, PA on January 2nd<\/sup>.  Get your tickets early.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

For the past couple of months, we\u2019ve been monitoring the precarious health of Bonnie Tyler<\/strong>.  Back in May, she was hospitalized in Portugal, which led to intestinal surgery and a medically induced coma.  At the time, doctors were optimistic for a full recovery.  She even reportedly awoke from her coma.  Alas, last week her condition deteriorated.  She passed away at 75.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

We already told you about the Atlantis<\/em><\/strong> cruise that was banned from Turkish ports \u2013 much to the ire of Miss Patti LuPone<\/strong>, who has never been one to go quietly into that good night.  Due to the scheduling snafu, the ship added stops in Cairo and Crete.  Alas, even that was not smooth sailing.  Cruisers woke up to this notice: \u201cEarly this morning, we were informed that Scarlet Lady <\/em>has been denied entry into Egyptian waters, and, as a result will no longer be able to call into Alexandria today.  I know how much this visit meant to so many of you.  We successfully sailed a similar itinerary last year without issue.\u201d  Our very own Todrick Hall <\/strong>was on board and was not amused \u2013 \u201cWe\u2019re stranded in the middle of the ocean,\u201d he said, as if he was on the Costa Concordia<\/em>!  We\u2019re told that the cruise continued to Crete, where I assume the Greeks were far more accommodating.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

Parliament House <\/em><\/strong>in Orlando, Florida was a legendary complex known for accommodating gents of all ethnicities since 1975.  Like many other things, Parliament was a casualty of Covid and shuttered in November of 2020.  Since then, there have been numerous announcements of a new location, a grand reopening, a new chapter.  This is another one of those stories.  The new Parliament House <\/em>will allegedly open at 29 South Orange Avenue in Orlando \u2013 less than two miles away from the classic location on Orange Blossom Trail.  This venue was formerly a comedy club, and while many things happened at the original location, laughter was rarely one of them (except when my play Hollywood Uncovered<\/em><\/strong> ran there in 2002).  More details are slated to be announced \u201csoon\u201d \u2013 a date I don\u2019t have on my calendar.  But we do know that the new location will not be a hotel\/resort \u2013 it will simply be a nightclub.  The owners cited the Pulse Nightclub <\/em>massacre and said, \u201cWe\u2019re going to make it very special again and give them, hopefully, what the community wants and makes them feel safe again.\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

Sometimes things come back.  And then there\u2019s the DataLounge <\/em><\/strong>\u2013 a somewhat notorious gossip website that started about a year after I began writing this column (things that make you go hmm).  It\u2019s been so many years since I\u2019ve heard anyone mention it, I just assumed it went the way of the Big Wheel <\/em><\/strong>and Perez Hilton<\/strong>.  So color me Barbra <\/strong>when the site announced an imminent closing next month.  This inevitably brings up that philosophical question \u2013 if a website nobody goes to suddenly shuts down, has anything actually even happened?<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

Our Ask Billy<\/em><\/strong> question is about something you\u2019d expect me to know nothing about.  Henry <\/strong>in Chicago writes, \u201cWhat do you know about the gorgeous captain of the Norwegian soccer team?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Picture it \u2013 Billy Masters <\/strong>sitting down to watch not one but two soccer games in their entirety.  That was how I returned from Europe.  More shocking \u2013 I enjoyed myself.  And not because of the hot men (shock number three), but because I enjoyed the game.  Where else can you watch 90 minutes of continuous action and end with a score of zero to zero?  Talk about a nail biter!  Of course, the Norwegians scored points during the FIFA <\/em><\/strong>quarterfinals thanks to Erling Haaland<\/strong>.  The blond god is 6\u20195\u201d and turns 26 on July 21.  While Henry didn\u2019t ask, Erling is reportedly straight and has a girlfriend.  He also has an enormous collection of Herm\u00e8s <\/em>bags, including Birkins<\/em>.  Maybe it\u2019s a Nordic thing \u2013 like the horns or the man bun!  Sexual preference aside, I suspect Haaland would be quite flattered by your attention, so why not flatter him some more with some hot photos on BillyMasters.com<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"colorbar1\"<\/p>\n

When we\u2019re revealing a Viking\u2019s hammer, it\u2019s time to end yet another column.  Looking at those photos, I\u2019m inclined to hammer in the morning and the evening all over this land.  Fun Fact \u2013 who knew Vikings were circumcised?  That\u2019s just one of the things you\u2019ll discover on BillyMasters.com<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 the site that can be seen…even during a total eclipse.  As we went to press, news of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham <\/strong>was announced \u2013 I believe by his close business associate, Benji<\/strong>.  See?  Unlike other defunct outlets, we cover everything.  So send your questions along to Billy@BillyMasters.com<\/a><\/strong> and I promise to get back to you before Atlantis <\/em>schedules a Scandinavian excursion!  So, until next time, remember, one man\u2019s filth is another man\u2019s bible.<\/p>\n

\"email.gif<\/a>Email to Billy<\/a><\/p>\n

Billy Masters
\nCopyright \u00a92026
\n2Go Communications<\/a>. All rights reserved
\nRevised: Jul 12, 2026 @ 2:17 pm<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n