a&e features
YEAR IN REVIEW: Top 10 pop culture stories of 2017
Epic Oscar mistake, Bette and Joan return in wild, wacky year
(Photos courtesy of the productions)
10. Aaron Carter comes out, gets busted for pot
Aaron Carter
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Pop singer Aaron Carter, at the time 29 though he’s since turned 30, came out as bisexual in an open letter posted on Twitter in August.
“There’s something I’d like to say that I feel is important for myself and my identity that has been weighing on my chest for nearly half of my life,” Carter writes. “This doesn’t bring me shame, just a weight and burden I have held onto for a long time that I would like lifted off me.”
The star revealed he has been attracted to both genders since he was 13. He also shared that he had a sexual experience with another man when he was 17. Carter claimed that Madison Parker, his girlfriend at the time, broke up with him when he told her he was bisexual. Parker denied his sexuality was the reason for their spilt. He also said that his older brother Nick Carter had not reached out to him since he came out.
Carter brought his struggles with drug addiction, plastic surgery and his family on a tumultuous September episode of “The Doctors.” On the show, Carter learned he weighed only 115 pounds at 6 feet tall. He said he feared his weight loss was due to being HIV-positive. However, he tested negative for all STDs. His drug test revealed he tested positive for marijuana, Benzodiazepines (Xanax) and opiates (hydrocodone). After initially refusing to go to rehab on the show, Carter entered rehab in October and was released in December.
9. Milo Yiannopoulos goes down
Milo Yiannopoulos (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Milo Yiannopoulos’ swift descent from rising alt-right media personality to a defamed journalist shunned even from his own conservative community was peppered with controversy.
The year started out promisingly for the British political commentator who secured an autobiography book deal with Simon & Schuster and was invited as a guest on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He kicked off a university speaking engagement tour which drew numerous protesters to University of California, Berkley. The protest became violent as protesters refused to let Yiannopoulos, who has made racist, misogynistic, transphobic and xenophobic remarks, to speak at the university. President Donald Trump even weighed in on Twitter threatening to cut the school’s federal funding for not allowing free speech.
Yiannopoulos’ success came to a halt when an old interview clip surfaced of him saying that sexual relationships between 13-year-old boys and adult men could be positive. His comments caused him to lose his job as senior editor for Breitbart News, to have his book deal with Simon & Schuster revoked and to be disinvited from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Despite the negative press, Yiannopoulos tried to keep his career afloat. His publishing company Dangerous Books published his book “Dangerous.” Yiannopoulos closed out the year on a personal note marrying his boyfriend, identified only as “John,” in Hawaii.
8. ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ ‘Tom of Finland’ among year’s best films
A scene from ‘Call Me By Your Name.’ (Photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classic)
It was a strong year for LGBT-themed movies but two especially stand out — “Tom of Finland” and “Call Me By Your Name.”
“Tom,” a Finnish biographical drama directed by Dome Karukoski, stars Pekka Strang as Touko Laakosenen, better known as the titular artist who specialized in mid-century homoerotic art. The film inspired a Tom of Finland renaissance of sorts with books and an extensive line of home products like shower curtains and throw pillows featuring Tom art.
“Call Me By Your Name,” a leisurely paced gay romance story between a 24-year-old intern (Armie Hammer) and the 17-year-old son of his employer (Timothee Chalamet) in Italy circa 1983, has drawn strong reviews for its taste and restraint.
“(Director Luca) Guadagnino and his actors emphasize tenderness and feeling capturing the magic of first-time dalliance in a way that makes it seem, if not wholly innocent, at least wholesome,” a Blade critic wrote.
It’s up for three Golden Globe Awards including nods for both its leads.
7. Season 9 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ makes ‘herstory’
(Image courtesy VH1)
It was a banner year for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in several ways. Debuting in March on new home VH1, the queens went apeshit when Lady Gaga walked into the work room and was featured as the guest judge.
Seeming to genuinely enjoy herself throughout the episode, Gaga helped series regulars Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley assess the queens’ interpretations of classic Gaga looks.
It turned out to be an unusually dramatic season, though. Latina diva Valentina emerged early on as a strong contender but was sent packing on episode nine after pissing off Ru for initially declining to remove a veil during the lip-sync against Debbie Downer Nina Bo’nina Brown. She said later she was in shock and hadn’t bothered to learn the words to the song, which all the queens are given in advance should they land in the bottom two.
The drama continued, though, on perhaps the bitchiest reunion episode of the series’ entire run with several queens calling out Valentina on her fake charm.
The finale, despite featuring no clear standout winner, went to Sasha Velour who bested Peppermint, Shea Coulee and Trinity Taylor for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.
RuPaul won his second consecutive Emmy Award for hosting.
6. ‘Wonder Woman’ lassos boffo box office
Gal Gadot (Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
Although she’d been seen in 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Wonder Woman finally got her own film this year with a June release starring Gal Gadot as the titular character and winningly helmed by Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) who won universal praise for her effort.
Filmed over a six-month period starting in November 2015 (development started in 1996), it set numerous box office records. It was the fifth highest-grossing superhero film in the U.S. and the 20th highest-grossing film ever stateside. It made more than $800 million internationally and is the best-ranked superhero film on Rotten Tomatoes. The American Film Institute called it one of the best 10 films of 2017.
Gadot plays the Amazon princess Diana, a highly trained fighter who’s been raised on the hidden island of Themyscira by her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). The island’s security is breached when American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes his plane on the island.
The Blade said it was “packed with gripping action sequences but also leavened with generous doses of comedy and deepened with serious considerations about the horrors of war and mankind’s capacity for both love and hatred.”
5. ‘Feud’ revives complicated partnership of Davis, Crawford
A scene from ‘Feud.’ (Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
“Feud,” an FX series from Ryan Murphy, devoted its maiden season of eight episodes to the rivalry of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, co-stars in the 1962 cult classic “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.”
Jessica Lange starred as Crawford and Susan Sarandon played Davis. Both were nominated for Emmys, though the show won none of the 10 Primetime Emmys for which it was nominated (it won two Creative Arts Emmys). The series was praised for its period detail and grand, sweeping recreations of pivotal moments such as a long tracking shot showing Lange walking backstage at the 1963 Academy Awards.
Though declining somewhat in ratings after a strong start, the series fared decently overall. Its debut was the most-watched program on FX that week.
The series had an unexpected coda with Olivia de Havilland, a real-life friend of Davis who replaced Crawford in their planned follow-up “Baby Jane” movie “Hush … Hush Sweet Charlotte,” sued the creators claiming in a lawsuit filed a day before her 101st birthday that she was inaccurately portrayed and her likeness was used without her permission. Catherine Zeta-Jones played her in the series.
A second season of 10 episodes devoted to Charles and Diana will premiere in 2018.
4. ‘When We Rise’ draws mixed reviews
A scene from ‘When We Rise.’ (Photo courtesy ABC)
“When We Rise,” an ABC miniseries about LGBT rights that aired Feb. 27-March 3, drew so-so reviews from the mainstream press but was sharply criticized in the gay press.
Writing for the Blade, columnist Brock Thompson, said it had serious problems.
“Though I very much appreciate what ‘When We Rise’ was attempting, I couldn’t see past its problems,” Thompson said. “Its tone was preachy. Its messages about unity and strength in diversity landed like anvils. I stopped counting the clunky cliched lines like ‘we are stronger together,’ or ‘you don’t know how strong we are,’ or perhaps ‘strength. let’s get some and be strong with it together.’ All this gave way to some melodramatic moments. Beyond that, actors were switched out to play their role’s older counterparts, making the timeline rather confusing.”
Ratings, too, were weak for the series starring Guy Pearce, Mary Louise-Parker, Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell as Cleve Jones, Roma Pauline Guy, Pat Norman and Del Martin, respectively. Its first episode drew 3.26 million viewers to come in last of the four major networks for its time slot. Viewership dropped sharply thereafter. Scheduling was shifted after President Trump addressed Congress live on Feb. 28.
Helmed by multiple directors including writer Dustin Lance Black and Gus Van Sant, the eight-episode arc was framed as an epic, 45-year survey of the entire gay rights movement.
3. Chelsea Manning makes glam debut
Chelsea Manning (Photo courtesy Instagram)
After being released from prison at Fort Leavenworth on May 17 after nearly seven years in prison for leaking 750,000 documents (some classified) to WikiLeaks, many were curious to see how Chelsea Manning would segue into civilian life.
Manning, 29, made her glam debut in the September issue of Vogue in a red Norma Kamall swimsuit and other high-fashion outfits with low-key styling by Phyllis Posnick and was praised for not being as sexualized and in-your-face as Caitlyn Jenner was when she made her debut in Vanity Fair in 2015.
“This is a far cry from the haughty, hyper-feminine Hollywood unveiling of Caitlyn Jenner,” wrote Robin Givhan in the Washington Post. She called Manning’s photos a “message of … accessibility, normalcy, calm.”
2. ‘Will & Grace’ and ‘Dynasty’ return
(Photo courtesy NBC)
After 11 years off the air, “Will & Grace” returned to NBC Thursday nights in September to launch a new, 16-episode run and ninth season.
The original cast — Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally — were back after a planned one-off mini-episode that ran last fall timed to the presidential election.
The first new episodes of the show since 2006 found the familiar gang at the White House, navigating middle-aged gay dating, Jack discovering he’s a grandfather (with a gay grandson), Will making senior partner, an appearance by Beverley Leslie (Leslie Jordan) and many more hijinks.
Ratings have been solid — averaging more than 10 million viewers per episode — and reviews have been mostly positive.
A 10th season has already been approved.
Much less successful, however, has been the “Dynasty” reboot, which debuted in October on the CW with an all-new cast featuring James Mackay as Steven Carrington, Fallon’s (Elizabeth Gillies) gay environmentalist brother. Now his being gay is no big issue to dad Blake and gold digger Sammy Jo is now a gay man. Oh, and the Colbys are black this time.
Reviews have been highly mixed with Variety saying it “barely gets out of the gate before it begins to lose steam.” Ratings have been anemic, averaging less than a million viewers per episode.
1. ‘Moonlight’ wins Best Picture in shocking envelope mistake
(Photo courtesy AMPAS)
It was supposed to be one of those nice little Oscar moments longtime fans of the Academy Awards cherish — beloved stars of yesteryear stride onstage reunited to give an award. Many stars have done it over the years — Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. This year it was Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, stars of 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde.”
On the 50th anniversary of their cinematic classic, they came on stage at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 26 to hand out the top prize of the evening. “La La Land” was announced as the winner but it quickly became apparent as its producers were giving their acceptance speeches that a mistake had been made and gay-themed “Moonlight” was the true winner.
Beatty and Dunaway had been handed the wrong envelope, a duplicate of the Best Actress envelope (“La La Land’s” Emma Stone had won that award). Upon seeing its contents, Beatty was flummoxed; Dunaway, thinking he was joshing for suspense, saw “La La Land” and announced it as the winner.
Dubbed the biggest gaffe in Oscar history, it turned out to be the mistake of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ managing partner Brian Cullinan who’d been Tweeting backstage. He and Martha Ruiz, who each had copies of the evening’s envelopes, were later relieved of any future Oscar duties though they kept their jobs.
“Moonlight” became the first LGBT-themed film and first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture.
a&e features
Have yourself a merry John Waters Christmas
Annual holiday show returns to Alexandria and Baltimore
When it comes to iconic Christmas scenes in movies, none can top the tree-toppling tantrum thrown by cha-cha heels-deprived Dawn Davenport in John Waters’s fifth full-length feature “Female Trouble” from 1974. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Waters continues to make art out of Christmas, performing his spoken word Christmas tour in cities across the country. Waters has even more reason to celebrate with the release of his new red vinyl 7” single, a cover of Little Cindy’s “Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child’s Prayer)” on the A-side, and “A Pig Latin Visit From St. Nicholas” on the B-side. If you’re still looking for unique Christmas gifts, consider this record. As always, John was kind enough to make time for an interview in advance of his tour dates.
BLADE: John, in preparation for this interview with you, I went back and listened to Little Cindy’s original rendition of “Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child’s Prayer)” on your “A John Waters Christmas” CD.
JOHN WATERS: One thing I did, if you notice, I make the same stumble in my recording that she did in the original.
BLADE: It sounded to me like she got choked up.
WATERS: No, I think she just stumbles over a word, so I stumbled over the same word. It’s appropriation, insanely.
BLADE: Is this a song you first became aware of in your youth or when you were an adult?
WATERS: When I was doing the Christmas album, I had this friend named Larry Benicewicz. He was kind of my idea man with music. He knew every single old record. I would say to him, “Weird Christmas songs,” when we were doing a soundtrack, or a song about bears, or a song about this, and he would give me all these tapes. It was one of the ones he played for me. A lot of the songs I put in my movies and on my records, I did know as a kid. I did not know this one, but I immediately embraced it. I don’t think it’s campy. I think it really is spiritual in a weird way. My doing it makes it a novelty record. I am really for novelty records, and there aren’t any anymore. Why was there not a COVID novelty record? That’s insane. The dance “The Bug” that’s on the “Hairspray” soundtrack would be perfect for COVID.
BLADE: The thing that struck me was that for a Christmas song in the voice of a child, a kind of death pall hangs over it, with lines like, “If I was good you’d let me live with you” and “they nailed you to the cross, they wanted you to die.”
WATERS: All of it! When I see children at midnight mass kneeling in front of a nude man nailed to a cross, I feel like I’m at The Eagle! It is S&M, it’s creepy. I took the same cover (photo) from her record to parody and put my face on it. The same thing I did with The Singing Dogs last year when I covered (their version of) “Jingle Bells.” I’m really into novelty records. I love them and I’m trying to bring them back. I don’t expect anybody to ever play these records. Even The Singing Dogs one said on it, “Please do not play this record” [laughs]. And the flipside, the Pig Latin version, is almost impossible to listen to.
BLADE: I’m so glad you mentioned that. “A Pig Latin Visit From St. Nicholas” reminded me of the lost art of speaking in Pig Latin. I also recall watching the PBS series “Zoom” as an adolescent and learning to speak “ubbi dubbi,” a distant relative of Pig Latin. Do you think that the time is right for a Pig Latin or ubbi dubbi revival?
WATERS: Here’s the thing, I never could pick up any language, except Pig Latin. I’ve been in every foreign country. Foreign countries have given me money to learn to speak the language. I can never do it! But Pig Latin…my parents and other parents in the ‘50s spoke Pig Latin so kids couldn’t understand what they were saying. Then my mother taught it to me, and I used it. The hardest take to shoot in “Pink Flamingos” was not eating the dog shit. It was when the cast skipped, in one take, saying “E-way, are-yay e-they ilthiest-fay eople-pay in-hay e-they ole-hay ide-way orld-way.” We’re the filthiest people in the whole wide world in Pig Latin. We had to do so many takes so they could do it once without screwing it up. In “Polyester,” Edith (Massey) answers the phone, “ello-hay.” I did a photo piece where it was all subtitled in Pig Latin. Like “osebud-Ray” (from “Citizen Kane”) or in “Streetcar,” “ella-Stay!” [Laughs] All the iconic dialogue translated into Pig Latin. My assistant who helped me do it, had never heard of Pig Latin. She really got good at it because she lived in many foreign countries and can pick up languages. But it’s not that easy to do it correctly and read it. Your computer will translate into Pig Latin.
BLADE: AI understands Pig Latin?
WATERS: I guess that’s AI. It wasn’t 100% right, but it was close. I can speak it if I look at it, but just do a bit at a time. It was a challenge that no one would possibly care about or want to do.
BLADE: I think you pulled it off very well.
WATERS: If you want people to leave on Christmas morning, you put it on. That’s how you get your guests to leave. It’s time to go.
BLADE: Ood-gay i-bay! How did your relationship with record label Sub Pop, which released 2021, 2022, 2024, and new 2025 holiday singles, come about?
WATERS: I believe the first thing I did for them was “Prayer to Pasolini.” They came to me through Ian Brennan. He’s won a couple Grammys for World Music, but he is also is one of my agents who does the Christmas tour and a lot of my shows, anything with music. He helped me arrange each one of the songs. He had a relationship with Sub Pop. It was perfect. My friends in Baltimore, (the band) Beach House, have had huge success.
BLADE: That’s right, they’re on Sub Pop!
WATERS: Yes! I’m happy to be on it. I’ve even been to the warehouse and posed for pictures like Jackie Suzanne used to do.
BLADE: Is there any chance that “A John Waters Christmas” might be reissued on vinyl by Sub Pop?
WATERS: No. It’s such a nightmare to get the rights and to renew them. You have to find the publisher and the writer, and they usually hate each other. It doesn’t matter if it’s obscure or famous, it’s hard to get. You have to make the deal. The singer doesn’t get anything unless they play it on the radio. It would be so complicated legally, and there would be such a [laughs] tiny audience for it. I hope it will come out again. The same thing with the one for Valentine’s Day. I had two of them that did quite well when they came out; “A Date With John Waters and “A John Waters Christmas.” The “John Waters Christmas” album is still the soundtrack that plays whenever I’m doing my spoken word Christmas show as people are entering the theater.
BLADE: Aside from your annual Christmas show tour, what else do you do for the holidays now, and are there any traditions that you’ve carried over from your family?
WATERS: Certainly! I have two sisters, my brother’s widow, and me, so there are four and we take turns each year to have the Christmas dinner. Mine was last year. An entire sit-down dinner. Mom’s China, the silverware, the entire full dinner. It’s pretty traditional. I don’t have a Christmas tree, but I do decorate the electric chair from “Female Trouble.” That is a tradition in my family. We do have Christmas decorations, but they’re usually weird ones that fans sent me. I have one with Divine knocking over the Christmas tree, and the Christmas tree lights up, all sorts of amazing things. There is definitely a tradition here that might be a little altered, but it is definitely a tradition. I used to have a giant party every year, but COVID ended that. I still wouldn’t want 200 people in my house breathing right now.
BLADE: I was looking at your tour schedule and wondered if there are any new cities in which you’ve never performed the John Waters Christmas show that have been added to this year’s schedule?
WATERS: I don’t think there’s a city in America in which I haven’t done one show! The only places I haven’t been to are Hawaii and Alaska. I could do it there, but it’s too long on a tour. I can’t think of a city I haven’t played in in America over the last 50 years. The Christmas show is completely different every year. It doesn’t matter if you saw it last year.
Some gifts scream practical, others whisper luxury, and a few flat-out blur the lines. From cocoa that feels ceremonial to a cologne that linger like a suggestive smirk, this year’s ultimate gift picks prove that thoughtful (and occasionally naughty) presents don’t have to be prosaic. Welcome to your holiday cheat sheet for festive tangibles that get noticed, remembered, and maybe even result in a peck of gratitude planted under the mistletoe. Consensually, of course.
Amber Glass Champagne Flutes
Pop the champs – but make it vintage. These tulip-shaped stunners in amber-tinted glass bring all the Gatsby vibes without the Jazz-age drama. Whether you’re toasting a milestone or celebrating a Tuesday, their seven-ounce capacities and hand-wash-only care make ‘em as practical as they are pretty. Pair with a thoughtful bottle of bubs and gift with a glittering wink. $18, NantucketLooms.com
Disaster Playbook by Here Comes the Apocalypse
Because the end of the world shouldn’t be a solo act, this spiral-bound guide is your step-by-step roadmap to surviving and thriving when everything else goes sideways, which might be sooner than you think. Packed with checklists, drills, and a healthy dose of humor, it’s like a survival manual written by your most prepared (and slightly snarky) friend. Whether you’re prepping for a zombie apocalypse or, more realistically, REVOLUTION!, this playbook’s got your back. $40, HereComesTheApocalypse.com
Wickless Vulva Candles
Bold, luxurious, and completely flame-free, CTOAN’s wickless candles melt from beneath on a warmer, releasing subtle, sophisticated fragrances, like sandalwood or lavender. The vulva-shaped wax adds a playful, provocative element to any space –perfect for a bedroom, living room, or anywhere you want elegance with an edge. A gift that celebrates form, intimacy and self-expression, no fire required. $39, CTOANCO.com
Villeroy & Boch Royal Classic Christmas Collection
Every meal is a mini celebration – with whimsy at every place setting – in Villeroy & Boch’s Royal Classic festive dinnerware collection that hits all the right notes. Made from premium German porcelain, it features nostalgic little toys, nutcrackers, and rocking horses in delicate relief, giving your holiday spread a playful but refined twist. Dishwasher- and microwave-safe, it’s luxe without the fuss. Gift a piece to a special someone, or start a collection they’ll use (and show off) for years to come. $22-$363, Villeroy-Boch.com
Greenworks Electric Lawnmower
You a ’hood queen who considers lawn care performance art – or just wants to rule the cul-de-sac in quiet, emission-free glory? Greenworks’ zero-turn electric mower has the muscle of a 24-horsepower gas engine but none of the fumes, drama or maintenance. Six 60V batteries and a 42-inch deck mean you can mow up to two-and-a-half acres on a single charge – then plug in, recharge, and ride again. It’s whisper-quiet, slope-ready, and smooth enough to make you wonder why you ever pushed anything besides your queer agenda. The perfect gift for the homeowner who loves sustainability, symmetry, and showing off their freshly striped yard like that fresh fade you get on Fridays. $5,000, GreenworksTools.com
Molekule Air Purifier
For the friend who treats their space like a sanctuary (or just can’t stand sneezes), the Molekule Air Pro is magic in motion. Covering up to 1,000 square feet, it doesn’t just capture allergens, VOCs, and smoke – it destroys them, leaving your air feeling luxury-clean. FDA-cleared as a Class II medical device, it’s serious science disguised as modern design. Gift it to your city-dwelling, pet-loving, candle-burning friend who likes their living room as pristine as their Instagram feed. $1,015, Molekule.com
Cipriani Prosecco Gift Set
Effervescent with stone-fruit sweetness and a touch of Italian flair, the Cipriani Bellini & Prosecco gift set brings brunch-level glamour to any day of the week. The Bellini blends rich white-peach purée with sparkling wine, while the dry ’secco keeps things crisp and celebratory. Pop a bottle, pour a flute, and suddenly winter weeknights feel like a party – even with your pants off. $36, TotalWine.com
Woo(e)d Cologne
British GQ recently crowned Woo(e)d by ALTAIA the “Best Date Night Fragrance,” and honestly, they nailed it. Confident without being cocky – smoky gaïac and Atlas cedarwood grounds the room while supple leather and spicy cardamom do all the flirting – it’s a scent that lingers like good conversation and soft candlelight. Gift it to the one who always turns heads – or keep it for yourself and let them come to (and then on) you. $255, BeautyHabit.com
Lococo Cocoa Kit
Keep the run-of-the-mill mugs in the cabinet this Christmas and pull out Lococo’s handcrafted Oaxacan versions that demand you slow down and sip like it matters. Paired with a wooden scoop, rechargeable frother, and Lococo’s signature spice hot-chocolate blend (vegan, gluten-free, with adaptogenic mushrooms), this holiday kit turns Mexi-cocoa into a mini ritual you’ll look forward to. Perfect for anyone who loves a little indulgence with a side of ¡A huevo! energy.
Manta Sleep Mask
Total blackout, zero pressure on the eyes, and Bluetooth speakers built right into the straps, this ain’t your mama’s sleep mask — but it could be. The Manta SOUND sleep mask features C-shaped eye cups that block every hint of light while ultra-thin speakers deliver your favorite white noise, meditation, or late-night playlist straight to your ears. With 24-hour battery life, breathable fabric, and easy-to-adjust sound, it turns any bed (or airplane seat) into a five-star sleep suite. Perfect for anyone who treats shut-eye like an art form (or just wants to escape their roommate’s late-night bingin’ and/or bangin’). $159, MantaSleep.com
Shacklelock Necklace
Turn the industrial-chic vibe of a shackle into a sleek statement. Mi Tesoro’s platinum-plated stainless-steel necklace sits on an 18-inch wheat chain, featuring a shackle-style latch pendant that’s waterproof, tarnish-free, and totally fuss-les. Beyond style, it nods to a classic gesture in the queer leather community: replacing a traditional Master lock with something elegant to quietly signal belonging to someone special. Wear it solo for a minimalist edge or layer it like you mean it; either way this piece locks in both your look and your intentions. $90, MiTesoroJewelry.com
Parkside Flask Mojave Edition
Wine nights get a desert glow-up with Parkside’s limited-edition 750-milliliter all-in-one flask draped in sun-washed bronze and badland hues like sage, sand, and terracotta – with magnetic stemless tumblers that snap on for effortless shareability. It keeps your vino chilled for 24 hours, pours without drips (no tears for spilled rosé, please), and even lets you laser-engrave your own mantra or inside joke. Perfect for picnics, surprise rooftop clinks, or gifting to your favorite wine (or desert) rat. $149, HighCampFlasks.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with him on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
a&e features
Meet Mr. Christmas
Hallmark’s Jonathan Bennett on telling gay love stories for mainstream audiences
Jonathan Bennett believes there are two kinds of people in the world — those who love Hallmark movies and liars. And in Season 2 of Finding Mr. Christmas, which the Mean Girls star co-created with Ben Roy, Bennett is searching for Hallmark’s next leading man.
“It’s so fun for people because everyone in their life has someone they know that they think should be in Hallmark movies, right? The UPS driver, the barista at the coffee shop, the dentist,” Bennett says. “So we’re testing their acting abilities, we’re testing who they are, but we’re also looking for that star quality — the thing that makes them shine above everyone else. It’s almost something you can’t explain, but we know it when we see it.”
Season 2’s cast includes a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, a few actors, and a realtor. The 10 men compete in weekly festive-themed acting challenges, one of which included having to ride a horse and act out a scene with Alison Sweeney. The contestants were chosen from a crop of 360 potential men, and Bennett gives kudos to the show’s Emmy-nominated casting director, Lindsay Liles (The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise).
“She has a tough job because she has to find 10 guys that are going to be good reality television, but also have the talent to act, carry a scene, and lead a Hallmark movie eventually,” he says. To be the right fit for a Hallmark leading man, Bennett singles out five key characteristics: you have to be funny, charming, kind, have a sense of humor, and you have to do it all with a big heart.
Of course, Finding Mr. Christmas wouldn’t be Finding Mr. Christmas without its signature eye candy — something Bennett describes as “part of the job” for the contestants. “I can’t believe Hallmark let me get away with this. I dressed them as sexy reindeer and put them in harnesses attached to a cable 30 feet in the air, and they had to do a sexy reindeer photo shoot challenge,” he says with a laugh. “This season is just bigger and bolder than last. People are responding to not only all the craziness that we put them through, but also comparing and contrasting the guys in their acting scenes when we do them back-to-back.”
Season 1 winner Ezra Moreland’s career has been an early testament to the show’s success at finding rising talent. On seeing the show’s first winner flourish, Bennett says, “Now to watch him out in the world, just booking commercial after commercial and shining as an actor and a model, I think the show gave him the wings to do that. He learned so much about himself, and he took all that into his future auditions and casting. He just works nonstop. I’ve never seen an actor book more commercials and modeling gigs in my life.”
Bennett has been a star of plenty of Hallmark movies himself, including the GLAAD-award-winning The Groomsmen: Second Chances, which makes him a fitting host. Among those movies are 2020’s Christmas House, which featured the first same-sex kiss on the network and had a major impact on Bennett’s career as an openly gay man. “Hallmark’s been so great about supporting me in queer storytelling. But again, I don’t make gay movies for gay audiences. I make gay love stories for a broad audience, and that’s a huge difference, right? We’re not telling stories inside baseball that only the gay community will understand.”
He continues, “The backdrop of a Hallmark Christmas movie is very familiar to these people who watch. And so when you tell a gay love story, and you tell it no differently than a straight love story in that space, they’re able to understand. It’s able to change hearts and minds for people who might not have it in their lives.”
While Hallmark has become a major staple of Bennett’s career, he started off wanting to be a Broadway actor. And before the first season of Finding Mr. Christmas aired, Bennett took a break from TV to make his Broadway debut in Spamalot, replacing Michael Urie as Sir Robin and starring alongside Ethan Slater and Alex Brightman.
“That was my dream since I was five years old – then I booked a movie called Mean Girls, and everything kind of changes in your life. You no longer become a person pursuing Broadway, you become a part of pop culture,” Bennett recalls. “And to be honest, when I hit 40, I was like, ‘I’m probably never going to get to live that dream.’ And that’s okay, because I got to do other dreams and other things that were just as cool but different. So I honestly never thought it would happen.”
Bennett is still determined to make his way back on Broadway with the right role — he calls Spamalot the “best experience” of his life, after all — but he’s got another Hallmark show lined up with Murder Mystery House, which he co-created. The show was recently greenlit for development and intends to bring the Hallmark mystery movie to life. “It’s kind of like our version of The Traitors,” Bennett admits.
Looking back on both seasons, Bennett says that what makes Finding Mr. Christmas stand out in the overcrowded reality TV landscape is that everyone involved makes it with heart: “This isn’t a show where you’re going to watch people throw drinks in each other’s faces and get into big fights. The thing that has amazed me so much about this show, the more we’ve done it, is that every season, 10 guys come in as competitors, but they leave as a family and as brothers. That’s something you don’t get on any other network.”
Finding Mr. Christmas airs every Monday on Hallmark through December 20, with episodes available to stream on Hallmark+.
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