Return of the SPB

After a month away, SPB is returning to blogging. Sorry about the delay, been crazy with life, and trying to sort out a bunch of things. But decisions have been made; Tims have been tied; Spring is upon us. Watch out world, it's a brand new day...Can you feel it? Read more...

Bigotry Begins At Home

Over at the website Queerty, the editors investigated the ways in which many businesses and their owners discriminate against their gay employees by not allowing partner's benefits or supporting anti-gay legislation. They think you should know who the worst offenders are so you don't accidently give your hard-earned cash to one of them. It's an interesting mix. And a few surprises. 

What do you think? Click here to see the list.

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WayBack Wednesdays: The Brady Bunch

Quote of the Day: "Something always happens whenever we're together/We get a happy feeling when we're singing a song..." "Come On Get Happy" by The Partridge Family



For some reason over the last few days, I haven't been able to get the lyrics to the Brady Bunch song "Time to Change" out of my head. I think it's because I was flipping through an old journal recently and I came across an entry I wrote a coupla years ago about devastatingly blonde Eve Plumb and a memory I had about her Brady-busting role in the classic TV movie/cautionary tale Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (not to mention her command return performance in the sequel Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn.) But I digress...

So I'm walking across campus the other day, singing "When it's time to change you've got to re-arrange, who you are into what you're gonna be! Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (sha-na-na-na-na)!" Then last night a buddy of mine compared himself to Marcia Brady to make one of his pop culture-saturated points about life and--coincidence? I think not--I knew that meant that WayBack Wednesday had to be a salute to the singing/dancing/superstar sextet who, if nothing else, taught us one of life’s biggest and best lessons--always be nice to the maid/nanny and never take her for granted. Otherwise you’ll get a mean, emotionally-empty, fun-hating lady named Kay to take her place and always sternly remind you, “But I’m not Alice. I’m Kay.” But again, I digress…

The Brady Bunch sang or put on a show as often as they could (remember that absurdly post-modern Snow White they performed in the backyard to raise money for retiring schoolteacher Mrs. Whitfield?) but it was with their wannabe pop group moments that they left their deepest impression on my suburban heart and mind. So I give you the Brady 6, getting down and funky as America's (not-quite) Next Pop Star Family...

* "Dough Re Mi" from Season 3, in which Greg writes a song for the kids, but Peter's voice starts to change right before they're meant to go into the studio and launch Greg's pop career--which wouldn't have been a problem if they had Pro-Tools, right?--so Greg rewrites the number (such a nice big brother!) to incorporate Pete's pubescent croaking into the mix...(They also sing a cute little ditty called "We Can Make the World a Little Brighter" in this episode). Don't you just love Cindy's white boots? And Greg's so-mod-it-hurts suede jacket? I begged my mother for a suede fringed jacket after seeing Greg in his. She said no, because 5th graders didn't suede fringed jackets to Ludlum Elementary School--what would the other mothers on the PTA think, for Christ's sake? So I got back at her years later and bought one sophomore year at Brown, charging it to the credit card that I was only supposed to use for textbooks. I ended up slipping down in a Charlesfield Street puddle three days later and ruining my precious purchase. Suffice to say, after that, I started calling my mother "Mother Nature"   because I was sure that my fall was her sorcery at work all the way from Long Island. (But, naturally, I digress...)

* "Ameteur Night," from Season 4, in which the Brady 6 morph into The Silver Platters, in order to win a talent show and buy their wonderful understanding parents an anniversary present. I love Alice's excited convo with Mrs. Brady: "The kids are on TV," she shouts. "What kids," says Mrs. Brady. "Yours!" shouts Alice. "His! Ours!"

Here's the actual performance on the Talent Show. They lost. I think it was because 1) this song was NOT as good as the one they used to audition (see above!) and 2) those atrocious track-suit/twin sets they donned made them look like a lost Olympic team in search of an event. Such wasted potential...

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Brand New PET SHOP BOYS single...

I used to love the Pet Shop Boys. "Being Boring" is, to me, one of the finest pop songs of the last 20 years. Their new single is no "Being Boring"--or even a "West End Girls" or "What Have I Done To Deserve This"--but it makes me love them again...It's a real cutie, catchy as hell, ethereally bouncy, sincere romantic fun...Sorta goes against the 80-style material-whirl excess of "Opportunities" ("I've got the brains/You've got the looks/Let's make lots of money..."), but maybe the Boys have grown up, after all...

Enjoy:




See you tomorrow for the WayBack Machine on WayBack Wednesdays...Bring your dancing shoes!!! Read more...

One More Thing about Tantrums...

Quote of the Day: "Button your lip, baby/Button your coat/Lets go out dancing/Go for the throat..." "Mixed Emotions" by the Rolling Stones

I know the Christian Bale rant is sorta old news, but it still makes me laugh like a deranged, masochistic 4-year-old getting tickled by his favorite aunt.

This clip combines two of my favorite things, Christian Bale's on-set breakdown and The Family Guy.

This is remix culture at it's best, as far as I'm concerned, snide, funny, a little mean...fabulous!

Listen up!



I promise, after the original, after the lady in the airport, and now today, there will be no more tantrum posts...Well, not until the next one...! Read more...