Arts & Entertainment
‘Will & Grace’ showrunner donates gay bunny book to Indiana elementary schools
the showrunner hopes to counter Mike Pence’s anti-gay messages
John Oliver presenting ‘A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo’ (Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)
“Will & Grace” co-creator Max Mutchnik has donated copies of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” to every elementary school in Indiana.
The openly gay showrunner tweeted an open letter to the schools explaining why he made the donation.
“I would like to donate this copy of ‘A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo’ to your library,” Mutchnick begins.“After hearing about the book, I brought it home and read it to my twin daughters. It’s a poignant story about how love and community can rise above intolerance.”
“My grammar school library was something I always remembered as a safe haven,” Mutchnick continues. “Books allow children to dream and hope, but you know that already. Thanks to libraries and librarians like you, storytelling not only became my passion — it also became my profession. I hope your students enjoy this book as much as my family and I did.”
Blown away by @iamjohnoliver’s new book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.. https://t.co/08mUQSMUIy pic.twitter.com/ouhg6sVMkU
— Max Mutchnick (@MaxMutchnick) March 30, 2018
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Mutchnick explained he hopes by donating the books to Indiana schools he can counter Pence’s “message of intolerance.”
“Here’s why: Mike Pence has had an enormous platform in Indiana, and as it relates to gay people, he’s used it to spread a message of intolerance,” Mutchnick says. “By donating these books, I hope to counter those efforts and provide positive role models and a story of inclusion for children in Pence’s home state. If this book can help one boy or girl in Indiana love and accept who they are, I know both Marlon Bundos would be proud — even though one of them is on the down-low.”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” is a parody of “Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President,” written by Pence’s daughter Charlotte and illustrated by his wife, Karen.
The parody, written by Jill Twiss and illustrated by EG Keller, follows Pence’s pet bunny Marlon Bundo as he falls in love with another boy bunny. It became the number one best-selling book on Amazon and the number one best-selling audio book on Audible.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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