Miscellaneous
An irreverent Christmas
John Waters, Kinsey Sicks visiting D.C. and Baltimore with holiday tour stops
John Waters
‘A John Waters Christmas’
Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
The Birchmere
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, Va.
Tickets: $45
Birchmere.comDec. 21 at 8 p.m.
Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric Theatre
140 W. Mt. Royal Ave.
Baltimore
$30-$80
ticketmaster.com
lyricoperahouse.com
dreamlandnews.comKinsey Sicks
‘Oy Vey in a Manger’
Tonight at 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Creative Alliance at the Patterson
3134 Eastern Ave.
Baltimore
$27
creativealliance.orgDec. 24-36
Theater J at the D.C. JCC
1529 16th St., N.W.
Washington
$60
boxofficetickets.com
kinseysicks.com
John Waters plays the Birchmere Sunday and closes his tour Dec. 21 at the Lyric in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Gorman; courtesy John Waters)
They’re both gay, they’re both giving holiday show tours, they’re both playing D.C., they’re both also playing Baltimore, they’re both known for irreverent and raunchy humor and love lampooning societal norms — and without even knowing the Blade has paired them together for a roundup, one even mentions the other out of the blue during a phone interview this week.
Ben Schatz, who plays Rachel in the Kinsey Sicks (they’re at the Patterson tonight in Baltimore), makes a pun when describing their act.
“We’re not watered down at all,” Schatz says. “We might be John Water-ed down, but that’s it.”
Schatz admits Waters, who’ll be at the Birchmere Sunday then Baltimore’s Lyric on the 21st, is a comedic hero.
“Because he’s so unapologetic,” Schatz says. “He does what he thinks is funny and it attacks who it attacks. So many performers, they’re demographically based, they cater to a particular crowd. We just do the material we find interesting, funny, provocative and challenging and there’s almost nobody who isn’t bothered by some of it.”
There’s no ostensible connection to the two shows and interviewing Waters — on a very tight media blitz in mid-November — and Schatz, who wearily phones from Puerto Vallarta Monday night where he just landed and called at his publicist’s behest despite being “totally wiped out,” is a study in contrasts.
Both are happy to roll with whatever comes up. Sure, we get in several questions about their respective shows, but it’s also fun to dart around — especially with Waters — and try to excavate some topical gems that haven’t been covered ad nauseum. The man’s been interviewed so much, he has his own volume — just out — in the “Conversations with Filmmakers Series” from University Press of Mississippi. “John Waters Interviews,” edited by James Egan, covers the years 1965 to 2011 and, ironically, arrives at the Blade office the day the Waters interview is scheduled. We start with that.
“I’m very proud (of the book),” Waters says. “I haven’t read them. It’s like listening to your own voice when you do voiceovers on a film. I don’t do that either. But yes, I’m very proud to be part of that series. I have a lot of the other books they’ve done. I’m doing an event at USC. I don’t sign it because it’s not really my book to sign, but I am helping to promote it.”
And is its arrival today coincidental?
“I don’t believe in divine providence,” he says. “I believe in Divine, but I don’t believe in divine providence. I don’t really believe in karma either. I know so many wonderful people who have died unfairly and I know other people who are the biggest assholes you can imagine and they’re still doing great, so I don’t know. I do believe in fate. I believe in genes. I believe in mental health. But I don’t think life is fair at all. I mean basically it’s conspiring to get us from the moment we’re born.”
Waters, who’s said in other interviews that economic woes and lack of backing have kept him from filmmaking in recent years, is well into the holiday spirit even though, at the time of our conversation, it wasn’t yet Thanksgiving. It’s all part of his “Christmas obsession,” which he’s used as fodder for his annual “John Waters Christmas” tour the last near decade.
Christmas cards?
“Oh God, yes,” Waters says. “I’ve been making my own for the last 25 or 30 years. And if I ever see anybody selling it on eBay, they get cut off. I send out a ton. About 2,000. I’m about half-way through signing them now. And I don’t believe in e-mail Christmas cards. I mean come on, you can’t mail your own cards at the post office? What’s up with that? And now they’re thinking of not even having mail on Saturdays? What’s that about?”
Waters says he gets a lot in return because people want to stay on his celebrated list. He keeps about 20 of the best each year, the rest are recycled.
There’s no tree in his house. He always puts lights up on the Divine statue and the electric chair — his trademark decorative accents — but not until about the week before Christmas. He’s busy touring his show until then.
And what does this self-professed Christmas fanatic think of others who take the holiday to extremes? He says it’s OK to leave Christmas decorations up all year as long as one uses a real tree.
“Because then it’s sure to look hideous,” he says. “I’ve never seen anbody do that with a live one, but I think it would be quite funny to have the needles everywhere on the floor in the dead of summer.”
And is it tacky to decorate before Thanksgiving? Is Waters offended by Christmas creep? He says he finds good taste far more obnoxious then creep or excess.
“It’s not so much the when, it’s the how,” he says. “If you decorate with no fun or make it too Hallmark-y, then I think yeah, you can do it too early. But if it’s done with humor or irony, I think you can do it anytime. … I hate those tacky decorations, those big inflatable ones although they’re kind of funny when you see them, like in Baltimore, people will go around and puncture them so you have the three wise men lying in a puddle on the lawn. I think that’s really great.”
The Kinsey Sicks also has Baltimore and Washington performances scheduled of its holiday show, ‘Oy Vey in a Manger.’ They’re at the Patterson tonight. From left are Trixie (Jeff Manabat), Winnie (Irwin Keller), Rachel (Ben Schatz) and Trampolina (Spencer Brown). (Photo by Maurice Molyneaux; courtesy the group)
Kinsey Sicks also brought its “Oy Vey” show to Theater J last year. Their silly storyline is built around the original manger being foreclosed upon and how Rachel and the other girls — Winnie, Trixie and Trampolina — handle the crisis. For those who haven’t seen the show, Schatz says it’s “the ‘Golden Girls’-meets John Waters-meets Comedy Central-meets the Manhattan Transfer,” with lots of Jewish (two members are Jews) and gay humor thrown in.
So how gay is it?
“Oh my God, are you kidding,” Schatz says. “This show is so gay it makes Richard Simmons look butch.”
And if the MPAA had a say, what would the rating be?
“Well, despite our best efforts, there is no full frontal nudity,” he says. “I think we’d get an ‘S’ for scandalous … We get very, very naughty. We have jokes that I will not repeat right now, but particularly in the holiday show, this is the kind of stuff the people on Fox News are campaigning about. We just came from Pittsburgh and it was a very old, very Christian sort of a crowd. And you could just tell they had this overwhelming sense that they were laughing in spite of themselves. Like they knew they should be appalled and offended but they seemed to love it anyway.”
And we just can’t let Waters go without asking about Edith Massey, the long-gone, but much-beloved Baltimore icon who was a staple of Waters’ early films (she died in 1984). Was she in on the joke? Did she understand her appeal?
“I don’t think it was a joke,” Waters says. “I think she was an outstanding comedian and she understood why people liked her. I don’t think it was a joke because she played amazing characters.”
But was it sort of a Mrs. Miller — the famously off-key singer whose recordings were so bad they became cult hits — appeal?
“I talk about her in my show and how much I wish she had done a Christmas album,” Waters says. “I can kind of see how somebody might think it’s the same kind of humor, but I don’t think I ever asked you to laugh at Edith. I think it was always us laughing with Edith.”
Schatz agrees humor takes finesse to pull off, walks a fine line many times and not just everything that gets a laugh deserves to be in a show.
The group members, who, like Waters, write their own material, says their show is “constantly devolving.”
“We’re constantly debating what should be in the show and tweaking it all the time,” he says. “Like right now, we have a Coach Sandusky joke. We were kind of debating if it was too over the top, but we said, ‘Let’s try it.’ I think people know we’re going to take chances and so not every single joke works, but that’s better than not taking enough chances … It’s really fun to see the audience reaction from the stage. Some people are laughing with shocked expressions, some people have their heads in their hands, some people don’t want to laugh but can’t help themselves, some people are almost looking up waiting for lightening bolts to come down from the sky. When you look at all that juxtaposed together and they don’t walk out, then you know you’ve done your job.”
Miscellaneous
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Five easy tips to help you avoid common risks
Your home is more than just a place to eat and sleep; it’s your safe haven. As much as you might cherish your home, you should probably also recognize the potential hazards within its familiar walls. Accidents can happen in an instant, yet with a little foresight and some simple adjustments, you can transform your house into a safer haven.
Accidents can happen anywhere, and with a few simple tweaks, you can lower risks in your space. Below you’ll find five tips for each room in your home to help prevent injuries, falls, and other mishaps. In short, home safety.
This article was inspired by a shower in a rental we managed that began leaking through the kitchen ceiling below. If only the landlord had installed grab bars, right!? Below, we’ll guide you through the steps to fortify your bathroom, making it a place of relaxation without the fear of slips and falls. Then, we’ll venture into the room where the magic happens, where proper planning can ensure great nights and peaceful mornings. We’ll show you how to prevent accidents while you experiment becoming the next Gordon Ramsey. And we’ll include a few surprising solutions for those other rooms that hold their own unique hazards, offering solutions to safeguard against unexpected mishaps.
Bathroom Safety
Install Grab Bars: Adding grab bars near the shower and toilet can provide essential support for family members of all ages. Not only can they help with getting in and out, but they can help provide stability when washing. Make sure they are securely anchored to the wall.
Non-Slip Mats: Place non-slip mats inside the shower and bathtub to prevent slips. They’re a small investment that can save you from falls and head injuries.
Adjust Water Temperature: Ensure your hot water is set to a safe temperature to avoid scalding. The hot water heater should be set to around 120°F (49°C)l, the middle setting on many water heater settings.
Medicine Cabinet Locks: If you have young children, use childproof locks on your medicine cabinet to keep harmful substances out of reach.
Proper Lighting: Ensure there’s adequate lighting in the bathroom to avoid trips and falls during nighttime visits. Nightlights can be a simple and effective solution.
Bedroom Safety
Clear Pathways: Keep pathways in the bedroom clutter free to prevent tripping. Ensure there’s enough space to move around comfortably, particularly getting around the bed. Be aware where all furniture is when walking around to avoid stubbed toes, particularly at night.
Secure Rugs: If you have throw rugs, use rug grippers or double-sided tape to keep them from slipping. Loose rugs are a common trip hazard.
Bed Rails: For anyone at risk of falling out of bed, consider installing bed rails to provide extra support and prevent falls.
Nightstands with Drawers: Opt for nightstands with drawers to keep essential items. This reduces the need to get out of bed at night, minimizing the risk of falls, as you race to grab what you need and not lose a moment’s rest.
Fire Safety: Install battery-operated smoke detectors in the bedrooms if there are none. Make sure to install them 36 inches away from an air vent or the edge of a ceiling fan. Also six inches away from the joint between the wall and ceiling. And test smoke detectors regularly.
Kitchen Safety
Non-Slip Flooring: Choose slip-resistant rugs in the kitchen, especially in areas where spills are common. Mats near the sink and stove can also help and you can often buy them fairly cheaply at Costco.
Childproof Cabinets: If you have little ones, use childproof latches on cabinets and drawers to prevent them from accessing potentially hazardous items.
Anti-tip brackets: Install an anti-tip bracket behind the range. These are often used when children are in the home. Although they are less likely to open the oven door and use it as a step stool to get to the stove-top, adults can also benefit from installing these.
Adequate Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial in the kitchen to avoid accidents. Under-cabinet lighting can illuminate work areas effectively.
Secure Heavy Items: Ensure heavy pots and pans are stored at waist level to prevent straining or dropping them from high shelves.
Sharp Object Storage: Keep knives and other sharp objects in a secure drawer or block. And handle all sharp items with extreme care, even when washing and drying. These steps reduce the risk of accidental cuts.
Other Safety Tips
Furniture Anchors: Secure heavy furniture, like bookshelves and dressers, to the wall to prevent tip-overs, especially if you have young children.
Adequate Outlets: Check for damaged outlets and replace them promptly. Avoid overloading circuits with too many devices. Install placeholder plugs in outlets to prevent young curious fingers (or tongues?) from going inside an electrical outlet.
Stair Gates: If your home has stairs, install safety gates at the top and bottom to prevent falls, especially if you have toddlers or pets to keep them off of the stairs when you cannot monitor them.
Emergency Escape Plan: Develop and practice an emergency escape plan with your family, including a designated meeting place outside.
Carbon Monoxide Detector: If your home burns any fossil fuels for heating or appliances, install carbon monoxide detectors in common areas of your home to detect this odorless gas. The D.C. building codes require this if you use a fireplace or if you have an attached garage. In essence, if there is any potential source of carbon monoxide in the home, be sure to install these detectors.
Remember, a safer home not only prevents accidents but also provides peace of mind for you and your family. Implement these simple tips to create a secure environment in every room of your house.
With these practical tips and a few adjustments, you can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and falls in your home. Enjoy peace of mind in your now much safer haven.
Scott Bloom is owner and senior property manager of Columbia Property Management.
When Lizzo sings “If I’m shinin,’ everybody gonna shine,” in her hit song, “Juice,” she means it. Proof of that came this week on Instagram when the LGBTQ ally announced the first winner of her annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign is the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, a national nonprofit based in Richmond, Calif., dedicated to the protection and defense of Black transgender people.
And she did so in song: “On the first day of Juneteenth, Lizzo gave to me,” she sang in her video, posted Tuesday, as she revealed her $50,000 gift to MPJI.
“That’s right, we know who Marsha P. Johnson is. We know what Marsha P. Johnson has done for the LGBTQ, emphasis on that ‘T,’ Q community,” said Lizzo to her 13.5 million followers. “Thank you so much to the people at the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. You deserve this, and I hope this helps you so much as you help protect our Black trans family.”
“What the Marsha P. Johnson Institute does is protects and defends the rights of Black transgender people. They do this by organizing community, advocating for the people, and creating an intentional healing community, developing transformative leadership and promoting collective power,” she said.
“We are overjoyed for the shoutout from Lizzo today, the generosity of her sharing her platform and the recognition of MPJI and its work,” said Elle Moxley, MPJI’s executive director. “The resources from this campaign will ensure the protection and defense of Black transgender people continue at a time where it is so vitally needed. We are so grateful for the support of Lizzo and her fans.”
As one of Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year for 2019 and a 2023 Grammy winner, Lizzo is more than a pop star but an inspiration to millions of fans for her body-positive attitude, her self-confidence on stage and in her videos, her empowering music and her activism. She’s also the founder of her own clothing line, Yitty. In 2021, she made headlines when she publicly corrected a paparazzo for using “she/her” pronouns and misgendering Demi Levato.
As part of her campaign, now in its 4th year, Lizzo recognizes Black-led grassroots organizations and businesses and encourages her fans to join her in supporting each of the five organizations she highlights this week. Fans who take action by donating are entered into a drawing for an all-expenses paid trip to see her perform at Fuji Rock in Japan later this year.
This week’s other nonprofits receiving gifts are: Black Girls Smile, Sphinx Music, the University of Houston and Save Our Sisters United.
Find out more about Lizzo’s 4th annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign by clicking here.
Celebrity News
Anne Heche dies after removal from life support
Actress dated Ellen DeGeneres in late 1990s
Actress Anne Heche died after she was removed from life support on Sunday, nearly two weeks after her Mini-Cooper crashed through a two-story house in Los Angeles’ Mar Vista neighborhood. Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department believe she was intoxicated at the time.
She sustained a severe anoxic brain injury along with severe burns and was being treated at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital, near Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.
The 53-year-old actress who was a star of films like “Donnie Brasco,” the political satire “Wag the Dog” and the 1998 remake of “Psycho,” had been declared legally dead under California law on Friday, however, her family kept her alive long enough to be an organ donor.
In a statement Friday, the LAPD announced that: “As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case. Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.” LAPD detectives had previously made public that investigators into the crash found narcotics in a blood sample taken from Heche.
The actress’s family released a statement on Friday:
“Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact,” the statement added.
Heche was married to camera operator Coleman Laffoon from 2001 to 2009. The two had a son, Homer, together. She had another son, named Atlas, during a relationship with actor James Tupper, her co-star on the TV series “Men In Trees.”
Laffoon left a moving tribute on an Instagram reel in which he also gave an update on how their 20-year-old son Homer Laffoon is coping with the loss of his mother.
“I loved her and I miss her, and I’m always going to,” he said adding: “Homer is okay. He’s grieving, of course, and it’s rough. It’s really rough, as probably anybody can imagine. But he’s surrounded by family and he’s strong, and he’s gonna be okay.”
“Rest In Peace, Mom, I love you, Homer,” the actor’s 20-year-old son, Homer, said in a statement after Heche was declared legally dead on Friday.“ My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom,” read the statement. “After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully, my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom. Over those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”
Tupper, a Canadian actor who starred alongside Heche in “Men in Trees,” had a 13-year-old son, Atlas, with her. “Love you forever,” Tupper, 57, wrote on his Instagram post’s caption with a broken heart emoji, which shared an image of the actress from Men in Trees.
Between 1997 and 2000, Heche was also in a relationship with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
“This is a sad day,” DeGeneres posted on Twitter. “I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love.” The year after her break-up with the comedian, in September 2001, Heche recounted in her memoir “Call Me Crazy,” about her lifelong struggles with mental health and a childhood of abuse.
KTLA’s entertainment reporter Sam Rubin noted that over the past two decades, Heche’s career pivoted several times. In 2017, she hosted a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Jason Ellis called “Love and Heche.”
In 2020, Heche made her way into the podcast world. She launched “Better Together” which she cohosted alongside Heather Duffy Boylston. The show was described as a way to celebrate friendship.
She also worked in smaller films, on Broadway, and on TV shows. She recently had recurring roles on the network series “Chicago P.D.,” and “All Rise” and was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.”
People magazine reported that several of Heche’s acting projects are expected to be released posthumously.
These include “Girl in Room 13,” expected to be released on Lifetime in September, “What Remains,” scheduled to be released in 2023, and HBO Max TV series “The Idol,” created by Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.
In her Instagram post from earlier this year Heche stands between her sons Atlas, 13 and Homer, 20.
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