Review: Searching for Sugar Man

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

Searching for Sugar Man takes the unsuspecting viewer on an amazing journey of how a career that almost never was makes a remarkable comeback.

The documentary tells the story of Rodriguez, who after a brief stint in the music industry 40 years ago disappeared after failing to set the charts alight. However the story was quite different in South Africa as this mysterious musician, who many describe as anti-establishment, helped inspire and motivate a generation and in turn helped to aid a revolution.

This amazing story is not what I expected, when I first heard about the documentary I expected it to be just a little detail about how he apparently failed in the music industry only to be brought back years later as a bit of commodity, I couldn’t have been anymore wrong if I’d tried. This documentary takes you on a journey through the life of Rodriguez’ music, from its humble beginnings in smoke filled bars to recording his first album only to be dropped by the label when it didn’t set the charts alight. Then it takes us to South Africa where the artist made a huge and lasting impression.

Finally, after a long hunt to discover this mysterious musician – who many had thought was dead – the documentary uncovers him and brings him back into the spotlight to do what he does best, and find out what he’d been doing in his nearly 30-year musical absence.

This film is really sweet and touching as we see someone filled with talent finally make it after being discarded and discover the success he knew nothing about. The film makes you think about just how many talented individuals are out there that have succumbed to the same fate.

It’s also an excellent observation of how shallow and harsh the music business can be (Clarence Avant comes across as a less than favourable individual), and also an insight into how bad censorship can be for individuals.

Helped along by excellent and artistic looking visuals and a superb soundtrack, which is the music of the films enigmatic hero, this is more than just a documentary; it’s a real life rags to riches story twice over.

A remarkable and unique documentary everyone should see.

The Problem With Some Gay Films – Are they sold too much just on sex?

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

I’ve previously written a number of articles about gay men in films and on television, such as why it’s important that gay people are featured in the medium of both film and TV and why it is important that we have films that centre on gay people. I do believe that this is important, but as a gay man I also have a number of issues with many LGBT films.

The problem I have with many gay movies is they look just like soft-core pornography. I say this because after moseying around a branch of HMV, I came across a gay orientated film, however the synopsis and even the name of the movie have failed to stick in my mind. This is due to the fact that after looking on the back of the DVD I was greeted by a number of images of half naked men, some of which clearly depicted a sex scene, and this wasn’t an isolated incident to this one particular film.

I’ve watched and seen advertisements for a number of gay specific films that heavily feature naked men, guys wandering around in speedos or underwear, or full-on sex scenes. Now I’m not a prude or have any issue with seeing half naked men, but it does make me wonder, what happened to a good storyline? Now it’s possible these films do have okay plots, but the marketing suggests the only thing the viewer cares about is the beefcake (and quite a lot of the gay-themed movies themselves seem to think the same).

I say this because there aren’t that many films that feature primarily straight characters that are mainly sold on semi-nakedness and people having sex for no apparent reason, but it often feels that the majority of gay films seem to think titillating the viewer is necessary to get them to watch. Of course there are those films that are on late at night on some of the lesser-known movie channels that are solely about straight sex, but the less said about those the better.

Many gay films are like this, which is perhaps one of the reasons LGBT-themed films only have a very limited audience that doesn’t even encompass all gay people. They just sit on a DVD shelf in a shop and gather dust, only to suffer the fate of the bargain bin. It’s probably one of the reasons why a movie like Brokeback Mountain is such as success as – aside from having big name stars in it – it has a good plot and the sex scenes are used to push the story along.

I have a fear that until some makers of gay specific films realise that not all gay men need to see semi-naked actors parade around in tiny briefs, and would instead much prefer to see a well thought out plot and character development, that many gay films will continue to face the fate of the discount shelf. And equally, if gay movies continue to be sold purely on the sex, it undermines a lot of the good work done by filmmakers who do care about making a good film, but who then see that work ignored in favour of marketing it purely on the semi-nude men – which ensures many who would enjoy it won’t watch it, and those who do are disappointed it’s not the sex-fest the DVD cover promised.

After all, if you want to see naked men acting badly and running around in badly scripted films then, surely you can just watch porn; the sex scenes will probably be better too.

Has Reality TV Turned Us Into Audition Daters?

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

With the X Factor ending last week after four months on air, which in all fairness felt more like 10 months, and with the final of Strictly Come Dancing heading our way this weekend it looks as though the reality TV season is finally over for 2012.

However we don't have to wait long for it to start up again as I'm a Celebrity and Dancing on Ice will be back on our screens in the new year, that's if we survive the end of the world, but to be fair if 21 December doesn't kill us the monotony of C list celebrities eating kangaroo testicles and falling over on ice probably will. If we do survive this then we also have Britain's Got Talent, The Voice and more X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing to look forward to as the never ending stream of reality TV sets out to take over our lives again.

As a nation we watch these programmes religiously, I am no exception, as we get involved with the characters and storylines that the press and the shows themselves create. But one thing that has been niggling in the back of my mind for sometime is; have these shows changed the way we now live our lives?

This may sound like a strange question, but if I narrow it down to dating specifically you can see they have.

It appears that the days of meeting and dating are gone and the generation of dating auditions has begun, well it probably begun quite some time ago to be fair. The internet does play a large part in this with the huge rise in internet dating websites that now means it's easier to find a date. So you can get as drunk as you like on Saturday night as you could meet Mr or Mrs right tomorrow whilst online. Smartphones have also contributed as we can now date on the go, Grindr anyone?

But as I was saying it seems as though the X Factor audition process has seeped into the dating world, especially with online dating. Now people can spend hours trolling through thousands of profiles where they can decide if someone doesn't have the right hair, body shape or cloths size to go on a date with them, or they may decide that this person isn't right for the part after reading their profile, where they may find out they're a Satanist or maybe a little too obsessed with cats, either way this lack of sellable personality wouldn't get you through to boot camp on the X Factor or dating boot camp.

However a lucky few may make it to the online conversation where you can discuss yourself with one another, lets be honest many of those who make it to the online chat of internet dating are usually only there for the reason Jedward and Rylan got into the X Factor final, which is usually comedy value or just generally being bored.

Then if this person is lucky enough to go on a date it's like being at judges houses, where you decide to continue dating them the same way Gary would decide whether to put you into his final three. Here you can see if their personality matches up to what was online, or if the smoke and mirrors of the Internet made them appear to be something they weren't.

Either way dating in the digital age has got a set of rules, which coincidently or not mirror that of the X Factor auditioning process. Maybe this is how people have always dated, or maybe it's something we picked up because the formula worked and could be applied to other situations. Either way no matter how you look at it, Simon Cowell and all the other TV executives have changed more than just our Saturday night viewing; they've also changed our love lives.

Just Leave it for the Cleaners

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

It's a phrase most people would have heard on a daily basis at work, school, college or university. We all know the process; someone drops a piece of rubbish or leaves a stain or in some cases just flat out cannot be bothered to take their empty sandwich packet to the bin, so of course we will just leave it for the cleaners to deal with.

However the thing that many people fail to forget is that the cleaners aren't there to clean up after the workers, of course the job of the cleaner is to clean, but the job is to hoover the floor, change bin bags and ensure the place isn't dusty or unfit for human habitation, not pick up subway sandwich wrappers that have been strategically placed under chairs, in an attempt to hide them because the bin was a whole 10 foot across the room.

I myself have worked a number of cleaning jobs and on the most part they've been fine with the usual day-to-day mess that includes coffee stains on desks and floors, the odd smudge on a window and an overflowing bin that needs changing. On the other hand I've also encountered desks filled with dirty plates, with the occasional one gathering mould or even the odd half filled coffee up with mould growing on top of it. I once found a banana just left in the middle of the room as if it had tried to escape the kitchen that had been left looking like a small explosion had occurred in it, sadly the banana had just been dropped and not picked back up.

The worst part of this is that the majority of these issues were found in offices and kitchens in NHS offices. It's nice to see that a place that should be cleaner than all others like doctors surgeries are occupied by some people who don't know the practical function of a bin.

The funniest part about this is I recall a time when I was at sixth form and the common room had been left in a bit of a mess, by mess I mean a few empty crisp packets and foil wrappers left lying around the room. Because of this the cleaners made a complaint to the head of year, who promptly informed us that the cleaners job wasn't to pick up after us and if it happened again the room would be locked. A week later the room was locked.

Now is it just me or does anyone else see anything odd about this? Because a group of teenagers made a mess they were locked out of the common room and refused entry until they learnt how to keep the facilities they were using clean. However in the now adult world it appears that it is perfectly acceptable to leave a huge mess for the cleaners to deal with, without the worry of being locked out of the kitchen, sinks filled with dishes is a particular favourite in the workplace.

I also remember the question we would get asked regarding the mess in the common room, which went a little like this; "would you leave your own home like this?" to which the answer was no. So does the same question apply to adults who make mess? Or do they feel it is their right to leave copious amounts of rubbish lying around as they spend enough time cleaning in their personal lives? Which cleaners obviously don't do.

These are all questions I can only speculate on, so for the time being it looks like I may just have to suck it up and accept the fact that most work places, including those in the NHS, will be left in an almost apocalyptic looking state until the cleaner makes it fit for habitation, that is until the next work day starts of course.

Giving Thanks: Ryan Murphy

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

We’ve been giving thanks to a number of different people from behind the scenes of various television shows that have helped bring LGBT characters into the mainstream over the years, and in their own way helped us become more accepted in society.

This week we’re taking a look at Ryan Murphy, who after working as a journalist for a number of years moved into television in the late 90s. After the success of his teen comedy series Popular, Murphy then went on to create the extremely popular Nip/Tuck and also worked on a number of film projects.

During this time he created the pilot Pretty/Handsome, which dealt with a transgendered storyline, however the show didn’t get picked up and we can only assume that maybe audiences weren’t quite ready for a show like this.

However, audiences who may have been upset by this needn’t be worried, as the forward thinking Murphy soon unleashed his monster hit Glee on the world. The up-tempo original musical television series was an instant hit with audiences and introduced a whole new generation to musicals. But it is his inclusion of a number of LGBT storylines that we have to give him credit for here.

The show includes openly gay and lesbian characters and relationships and deals with the issues of closeted homosexuality – as well as being young and openly gay. Also, during the wake of the It Gets Better Campaign he created a storyline that showed audiences just how harmful homophobic bullying can be, and showed young people that they could be themselves in the Born This Way episode.

In the most recent series he has also introduced the character of Wade Adams, who has to deal with the issues that come with being trans, something that hasn’t truly been tackled on a scale like this on American television, especially with such a young character.

It doesn’t stop there though as Murphy has since gone on to create two more hit shows; American Horror Story and The New Normal. The former, despite being a nail biting, eye hiding horror story, has incorporated a number of LGBT characters throughout the first two series, and even demonstrated just how hard it was to be gay back in the 1960s during the second season. The New Normal on the other hand shows us just how far our society has come as it centres on what is by all means a new normal in society, an LGBT couple having a baby, which is told in both a funny and heart warming way.

Yes it’s easy to say that for the last few years Ryan Murphy has helped shape a number of attitudes when it comes to LGBT people in society, and has helped tackle the issues faced on a vast scale in funny, horrific, touching and beautifully laid out stories.

Review: Bjork - Bastards

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

The eccentric or, as some may put it, batshit crazy Icelandic singer Bjork returns to the music scene with the remix album of her seventh studio album Biophilia, the aptly-titled Bastards. Now credit where credit is due, anyone who names their album Bastards deserves a round of applause. Of course, Bjork has been doing that kind of thing for almost 30 years, first as part of the band The Sugarcubes and then solo.

She's done more than garner masses of applauses as well. After all, the unconventional singer has gained herself numerous Grammy Award nominations and has even been nominated for an Academy Award. However, I don't quite think that honour will be bestowed this album. I'm a big fan of Bjork's massive back-catalogue and I often find that some of her songs work extremely well as remixes. In fact, the remix of 'Army of Me' is probably better than the original version.

However, her eclectic mix of music and amazing vocals just aren't enough to save this remix record. Some tracks are OK, some are good, some are bad and some are a little hit-and-miss altogether and tend to just blend into the background, and Bjork is someone who should never blend into the background. The album does sound very worldly and mixes what sounds like Bollywood and African music into her rocky, electro sounds. While this is all well and good, many tracks sound too samey and just get lost while you're doing something else.

The best track on the album has to be 'Crystalline', which mixes Bjork's excellent vocals with an upbeat, haunting and Bollywood-inspired sound. It's not a combination you would initially put together but it works. The same thing works but not quite as well on the track 'Thunderbolt,' although there's just not enough of Bjork on it.

Other good tracks are 'Sacrifice' and 'Sacrifice Reprise' with their haunting vocals and almost minimal music, focusing on the voice, which is, as always, amazing. Both tracks are very atmospheric and melancholic, with the later making you feel as though Bjork herself has been engulfed in waves. Listen to it and you'll get what I mean. The worst track has to be 'Hollow', which is just seven long minutes of really boring music and boring vocals which don't grab your attention or make you feel anything other than bored. Basically, it's an awful track.

A special mention has to be given to 'Mutual Core', which has a number of excellent vocals. When it kicks in, it's extremely dark and heavy. However, only these parts are worth listening to - some are flat out yawn-inducing. It's a classic case of the hit-and-miss song.

Overall this album has some good mixes and some brilliant vocals. However, some parts completely miss the mark and leave you bored while only a few others pick you up. I think Bjork needs to go back to the drawing board and work on some new music, which is probably best for all of us.

Is Unpaid Work Building a Wall Around the Creative Industries?

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Its been a hot topic for some time now, how the creative industries are taking advantage of new graduates who are looking to get their foot on the career ladder. Many of us would have heard the debate about the fashion industry and how it was exploiting workers by offering them unpaid internships to help them gain experience.

However many of these interns have spoken out about how they were treated badly and made to work nearly every hour that was available, and all this for no pay. Many have spoken out about how this is wrong, but it isn't just the fashion industry that's doing it, many others are too.

For those who want to work in television, radio, PR or as journalists, they all have to undergo the same routine. For many recent graduates out there wanting to forge a career in their chosen industry doing this type of unpaid work, in some cases for up to 12 months, just isn't practical as it's just not financially viable.

To start most of the jobs in the creative industries are located in London, and as we all know the cost of living in London is pretty much unaffordable to most. Many taking part in these internship are also working part time jobs in call centres, restaurants and bars just to get a bit of money behind them, but this type of part time work isn't enough to allow you to live in the capital.

Therefore many young people who are fully qualified to do these types of roles just aren't getting their foot in the door as they either don't live in a commutable area to get to London, or their parents can't afford to foot the bill for them to work unpaid for 12 months. This is therefore preventing many people from entering work that they are qualified for, resulting in them having to take menial jobs. That's if they can get those jobs as many employers are worried that they'll leave as soon as something better comes along, which I wrote about in a previous article.

It's not just the fact that most of these jobs are unpaid, there are even websites offering freelance work that is unpaid with the hope of giving someone experience. But when you apply for any of these types of freelance work or internships the process you have to go through is very long and gruelling, and for the most part you end up with a rejection at the end.

Take freelance writing, many times I have had to undergo the sending of the application form, CV and cover letter, followed by sending some work, which then leads to an interview and a test article and in some cases even a second article, only to be told you didn't get the job as you didn't have enough experience, even though it was an unpaid entry level job. Many people endure this on a daily basis.

I've seen many job adverts from companies that say they cannot yet afford to pay people and this is why there is the offer of unpaid work. Although this looks like a way of hiring a number of people to do all the hard work in order to avoid paying someone by saying it's an internship. Now not all places are like this but you'd be surprised how many job adverts actually say this.

It only seems to be the creative industries that are getting away with this too, because lets face it, someone who has just qualified as a nurse wouldn't be asked to rush around a hospital and help save lives for no pay for 12 months, all in the name of experience. I know that student nurses train throughout the three years they are at University, but so do those who aspire to work in the creative industries, otherwise what is the point of spending the best part of £20,000 to earn a degree for that specific job?

As this issue is rife within the creative industries, and many people have already weighed in on the issue surrounding the fashion world it looks as though it's about time the remainder of the creative industries were looked at; before a generation of graduates fall to the sides as they just didn't live close enough, or have parents able to pay for them to get their foot in the door.

Review: New Year's Eve

Originally published on www.moviemuser.co.uk and www.biggaypictureshow.com

New Year’s Eve gives us a look into the way in which we all cross over into each other’s lives on a daily basis without even knowing it, amongst a combination of romance, heartache, laughter and sadness.

With an all-star ensemble cast the audience gets to enjoy the many different plots, in what reminded me of films such as Love Actually. The film is generally good and moves at a steady pace so the audience won’t get bored as they keep zigzagging through the multiple stories, some of which are much better than others.

The story involving Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron is one of the more touching, and we get see Michelle looking very dowdy, something I thought I’d never say as she gets Efron to try and fulfil her New Year wishes. Also, the interlinking story of Halle Berry nurse and Robert De Niro’s dying patient is enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.

Modern Family star Sofia Vergara has to get a special mention for her laugh out loud one-liners and superb comedic acting; she truly steals the show from everyone else. The same however cannot be said for Abigail Breslin who, aside from looking completely unrecognisable, will make you thing it’s baffling that she was once nominated for an Academy Award, as her performance is a little wooden and unbelievable.

The one negative aspect of the film has to be the fact that in two hours some of the stories don’t get as much time as others, therefore making you either forget about them or not care too much. A few are so perfunctory they’re barely stories at all.

Aside from that the film is very enjoyable, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster of happiness and sadness. There are quite a few points when you will hear yourself go “aww” or wipe a tear from your eye.

New Year’s Eve is surprisingly enjoyable, light-hearted and quite sweet at its core. It’s just a shame some stories couldn’t have been padded out more, but overall very good.

Is a Minimum Price Really a Good Idea?

Originally published on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

With the announcement that the government is proposing a minimum price on alcohol in England and Wales in order to tackle problem drinking, and in turn reduce the levels of alcohol related crime and ill health you have to wonder, is it actually a good idea?

There are many people that will say it is a good idea and some research carried out by Sheffield University shows that a minimum price would reduce alcohol consumption by 4.3%, which in turn could lead to 2,000 fewer deaths and 66,000 fewer hospital admissions within 10 years of implementing the scheme.

However you only have to look at the smoking ban and the increase in the price of cigarettes in recent years to see how this could work. Yes there will be many who have quit smoking because of the price rise and I'm sure there are those who rejoice in the fact that they no longer smell like an ashtray after a night out, but the fact of the matter is people still smoke and young people are still beginning to smoke at a young age.

Those who enjoy smoking or are addicted to it will go out of their way to find a cigarette often turning to a cheaper cigarettes or a roll ups, or in some cases buying cigarettes instead of items they need such as food. So it makes you wonder, will the same thing happen with alcohol? Will people just go to a cheaper alternative such as booze cruises in the same way that people stock up on as many duty free cigarettes as they can on their return home from a holiday, to either smoke them or sell them.

On the issue of cheaper alternatives there are also those that are much more dangerous than the odd booze cruise or suitcase filled with duty free. Ten years ago who would have imagined that we would be reading stories about people using bath salts as a drug in order to get high? Will an increase in alcohol turn people to these alternatives? Probably not but it is obviously going to be a risk that is always present and maybe a little more so if alcohol becomes unaffordable to many.

On a more positive note the increase isn't expected to affect drinks in many pubs, which could be a good thing due the decrease in people visiting their local pub since the smoking ban was introduced with people opting to stay in with a cheaper alternative. However where as pubs may get a little more custom, remember people don't really have the money to go crazy down the pub all the time at the moment. Also many shops may get less and less custom as they rely on drinks offers to secure customers, which could have a negative effect on employment if these shops where to subsequently go out of business.

But lets not forget one of the key points; this raising of the alcohol price will hurt responsible drinkers the most. Whereas a significant amount, nearly 25% of the population are drinking excessively, there is still that other 75% who aren't drinking irresponsibly and are subsequently being punished for the behaviour of others.

A minimum pricing on alcohol doesn't look as though it will have as big an effect as the government are hoping for, because as it has been proved in the past if an individual wants something then they will find a way of getting hold of it, even if it means going hungry for a little while. Yes they do have a tricky situation on their hands and some will no doubt accuse them of trying to implement a nanny state. But this is a time when most people can't afford many luxuries due to unemployment or being part of the working poor. For many the odd trip to the pub has now become a rare treat, so they've had to opt for a few drinks at home, which now looks like it may become a very rare treat for many and another of life's few luxuries they can't afford.

Review: Placebo - B3

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

It has been three years since Placebo last released a new album and over a year since their last EP. However, unlike the last one, which was a recording of a live performance, the B3 EP is a collection of five new songs to help you get excited about the next album.

With a slated release date of March 2013 for the new record, this EP gives you an idea of the direction the band are going, which seems a little different/experimental, and it appears that this will be the case on the next album as all five tracks here are completely different, in a good way.

We obviously have the heavy drums and guitars that Placebo have become well known for, coupled with Brian Molko's angst-ridden vocals, which still sound exactly the same as they did over a decade ago - quite some feat I must say. Thrown into the mix of angst, guitars and drums, we have a few synth sounds which almost make me think of space, but that's probably just because I've recently embraced my inner sci-fi geek.

The album has two tracks that stand out from the others: 'The Extra', which is slow, upbeat and rocky all at the same time, and sounds like some of their older stuff but also fresh and new. The other stand-out is the last song on the EP, 'B3', which starts with some synths before the guitars and drums burst in, giving us a blast from the past when it comes to the band - yet it doesn't get boring.

Track number two, 'Time is Money', is the only song which doesn't quite match up to the rest of them. At just over seven-minutes-long, it gets a little repetitive and boring, almost bordering on overly mopey. But I can look past that given the quality of the other songs.

With all five tracks having a different sound and feeling a little experimental, it will be very interesting to see how the next album turns out. If this EP is anything to go by, Placebo fans should be in for a treat in the new year.

The Problem with the Benefit System

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

When it comes to the benefit system here in the UK everyone appears to have his or her own take on it. There are those who believe some individuals and families are being given too many benefits and therefore an incentive not to work, and then there are those who believe that without these benefits some would slip into absolute poverty.

Only this year there was a huge debate about capping benefits for those claiming that saw an array of different opinions spouted out. I mean, who hasn't logged onto their Facebook or Twitter accounts and seen someone having a rant about supposed benefit scroungers and thieves, or that they aren't being given enough financial aid? But then what about those people who are living way below the breadline and simply cannot claim a penny?

Over the years I've been guilty myself of indulging in one of these rants about those on benefits, but more recently I have found myself without any form of support from working or through the benefit system.

Recently I published an article about how a number graduates were coming out of University and finding themselves without a job due them being overqualified or inexperienced. However in my case, as I'm sure is the case for many others, I wasn't always in this position.

Throughout my days as a student studying for my A level exams and my degree I worked. One job I had was as a part time cleaner, this was when I was 17 so any money earned was spent on clothes or going out. I then moved on to do a job that absolutely bored the living daylights out of me on a production line in a factory (which I did during my breaks from University and during the summer before.) But apart from sitting there and wishing the end of the world would hurry up I still worked, as I needed the money.

Now however I find myself without a job, without a student loan and without any rights to claim benefits, and because of this I regularly find myself without food.

Now you may be wondering why this is, because surely someone who has worked and needs to buy food, pay rent and other bills should be able to claim something? Well it turns out that whilst I did work throughout my A Levels and University, as I was a student I was exempt from paying tax, which now means that I can't claim. Secondly because my partner works full time he is expected to support me, which he does. But when one person's wages barely covers the bills where are you supposed to find the money for food and the bare essential to live?

These are issues I'm faced with on a daily basis and I'm sure there are others who have also been in a similar position. Now if I didn't live with my partner in my own house and lived with my parents I would be able to claim job seekers allowance, along with this I wouldn't have to pay rent or buy food or pay any bills therefore allowing me to do what I wanted with the money.

This all seems a little bizarre because surely someone who needs to pay bills is in more need of a little help financially than someone who isn't? Aside from this during one of my routine phone calls to find out why I was unable to claim any form of assistance an advisor told me that if my partner decided not to work then they could help us. Now am I wrong when I say this shouldn't be the kind of advice given to someone actively seeking employment, considering the role of the job centre is to get people off benefits and into the workplace?

It looks as though the benefit system in this country and its workers are a little confused on who needs help and what advice they need to give people (I have been told so many different things on several occasions by different members of staff.) Until this confusion is resolved and the claims made by people are assessed a little differently it looks as though those who are in desperate need of help will have to go without, whilst others will be afraid of entering the workplace as they will be worse off financially, therefore being left in the category of "benefit scrounger" despite the fact they probably aren't.

The Hypocrisy of Pornography

Originally Posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

For a long time now I've been thinking about the porn debate that I constantly see in the news. Whenever the debate about the negative aspects of porn rears its ugly head the public is always told about the negative effects it can have on women, such as the way it can squash the reality of feminine beauty or portray women as objects designed for one thing. On the other hand we are also told about the negative effects it can have on straight men, such as a rewiring of the brain or contributing to psychological problems.

Anti-porn activist Gail Dines has even discussed how pornography tells a false story about men and women, which ultimately lies about what it means to be male and female.

Now everyone has their own stance on pornography and with access to the Internet and cable channels, whether we like it or not porn looks as though it is here to stay for quite some time.

The reason why it has crept back into the foreground of my mind is due to a little programme on BBC Three called Unsafe Sex in the City. The programme, which is a new take on the fly on the wall documentary series that we've all become accustomed to over the last decade or two, is based in a sexual health clinic in Manchester where we are able to hear and sometimes see what many people have been up to on a night out, and believe me sometimes it isn't pleasant.

During the second episode of the show two young gay men were featured, who as well as having vey active sex lives, worked as porn stars. This got me thinking about the hypocrisy of the porn industry, especially in the world of gay porn.

As the two young men were to feature in a bareback porn movie (bareback being the act of having sex without a condom), they were sent to have full sexual health screenings. Now as many will know porn stars have to be sent for sexual health tests regularly to ensure that a breakout of something doesn't occur, and the man shooting the film explained this during the programme.

However the main reason they appeared to be getting tested was due to the nature of the film they were to shoot, which is where we get into the hypocrisy of it all. As they were to be filming a porno movie where no protection was being used then surely this is the promotion of unsafe sex?

Since the outbreak of HIV during the 1980s the general public, especially the gay community, have been made aware that unprotected sex could lead to the contraction of the HIV virus. As gay men are seemingly at a higher risk, then surely shooting a film featuring two young and vulnerable looking gay men without protection can't be doing anyone any good.

I may be wrong but in the same way it is perceived that women may think they have to act and perform a certain way during sex because of porn, then surely the same principal can be applied to naïve or impressionable gay men, which in this case could prove dangerous. Along with this the constant normalising and sometimes glamorising of unprotected sex may also be undoing much of the good work by various charities; who are trying to get people to wrap it up and prevent the spreading of this virus.

But It looks as though whilst the porn industry is acting as though they care by sending their stars for check ups they are merely doing it to cover their own backs in case anything happens to one of their performers. But when it comes to the everyday person in the street who goes out on a weekend looking for a good time, it appears they don't actually care that much as they continue to turn out pornography such as this to the masses.

Review - Elliot Loves

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

Elliot Loves explores the turbulent love life of Elliot throughout two pivotal parts of his life, as an inquisitive 10-year-old dealing with his loving yet seemingly unhappy mother and as a naive 21-year-old looking for love in all the wrong places in New York.

The initial concept of the film intrigued me I must admit, especially as I was wondering how they would mirror the two separate parts of his life. The way it was executed by cutting segments into what appeared to be chapters and by mirroring similar and important parts of his life as a child and young adult were done effectively and allow the audience to see how the character was the way he is.

The character of Elliot himself is a very intriguing one, as we have all either been in his position or know a friend that has been there. By this I mean an extremely naïve young person looking for love in all the wrong places before they finally realise you don’t find love, love finds you.

The film is funny in parts, and bittersweet and sad in others, but the scenes in the past have to be given credit as the better parts of the film. This is mainly due to the acting from Quentin Araujo as the young Elliot and Elena Goode as his mother, as they make you laugh and feel sympathy for the characters. These are without a doubt the stand out performances of the film.

Other good points of the film include the way it was shot, as it is softly focused and looks romantic in many key parts. The music also adds to the emotions of the film. One of my personal favourite parts is the animation scene, which allows them to do things they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to and it breaks the film up a bit.

However it isn’t all good, and unfortunately the bad definitely outweighs them. At the very beginning of the film I initially thought, “What the hell is this?” as it starts off a bit hammy. Even though it gets better, the present day scenes always fall into the hammy, trying too hard to be funny category, and as we all know, when you try too hard it just isn’t funny. Much of the dialogue and scenes could have been cut or shortened, as a few parts feel like they’ve been on for around 20 minutes, despite actually only being on for about five.

One major problem I had with the film is how it tries to flit between being a comedy and being a tragedy. This almost made me lose focus and interest many times. If they had made it a complete tragedy about someone looking for love and failing, or made it a comedic take on this the entire way through the film, it would have worked a lot better.

The film is ok in parts but the bad just outweighs the good. If it had been executed a little better and stuck to one theme then it would have worked a lot better.

Inexperienced and Overqualified: A Catch 22 for Graduates

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

After a regular visit to the job centre where I had to convince the person sat behind the desk that I had been looking for work on a daily basis, it got me thinking about why I was still in this predicament.

Six months after losing my job I still go to my fortnightly appointment and explain the fact that employers are still not employing me. The woman who deals with my claim told me I looked a bit fed up and maybe this was coming across at interviews. The comment annoyed me slightly as I'm not a stupid person, despite what some may say given the predicaments I've gotten myself into in the past, I'm educated to degree level and work extremely hard to try and get where I won't to be, yet I just seem to fall flat at the final hurdle.

It's not just me either; youth unemployment is extremely high these days given the current economic crisis. You only have to read BBC news and you will most likely find a story at some point during the week detailing these issues.

At the age of 22 I feel that a vast amount of people my age are caught in a catch 22 situation. That situation being; we are both under-experienced and overqualified.

From a young age we've been told we can be whatever we want to be whether it's a doctor, a teacher, a writer or even an Olympian. We have been told that education is the key. We were told to get our GCSE's and then when those were done we were told to get A-Levels, as GCSE's weren't quite good enough. Finally after a two-year slog to get those A-Levels completed we were told we needed to go to University to complete our education and secure ourselves a job.

However they never prepared us for the lack of job prospects when we left, or what to do if a situation like this should arise. I mean we can't blame our teachers for the economic crisis, but when you're told from around the age of seven that you can be whatever you want to be and this is how you do it, you never think of the negative outcomes of not quite reaching your goal.

So by this point after completing a degree you can safely say that you're qualified enough. But when it comes to applying for jobs you then have to compete against thousands of other applicants who were told the same thing as you, and some are lucky enough to get the job and others aren't.

As the clock ticks on more students finish University every year creating a new batch of competitors as you seemingly get left behind and re-join the queue at the job centre time and time again, as employers tell you; "you don't have enough experience."

Now a sensible thing to do whilst hunting for your dream job is to find something that will help you get by and live. Many go and work in bars or call centres or work as waiters, but this is where the overqualified situation raises its ugly head.

I myself had to deal with a situation like this a few weeks back when I attended an interview for a cleaning position. I've worked as cleaner before for two different companies, which were both on my CV. However the woman conducting the interview seemed more concerned with how overqualified I was than my previous experience, but as I said to a friend when you're poor and need money you'll do any job you can. Needless to say I didn't get the position.

It may have been because I was overqualified or not, and if it was I can understand where they are coming from as I may up and leave the job in six weeks time.

The simple fact is when you have friends, family, the job centre, the media and the government telling you to get off the sofa, stop watching Jeremy Kyle and go and get a job it can make you feel worthless because even though you are trying it's just not that easy and you're stuck in this catch 22 situation. As some people think you don't know enough to do one job and others think you know too much to do another. Sometimes there's just no winning but a lot of losing.

Giving Thanks: Q Allan Brocka

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

In the same way that gay characters have gained prominence in an abundance of television shows they have also gained exposure in animated television comedies. This is why the person we’re giving thanks to this week is Q Allan Brocka.

There have been a selection of gay and lesbian themed shows around the world in recent times and gay characters have gained prominence in a wide variety of television series – just look at British soaps. But one genre that has increased over the last 10 years is the animated comedy show. Initially we had The Simpsons and then South Park, and then along came Seth MacFarlane with a whole host of animated shows in the shape of Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. But there has only been one gay-centric animated comedy, and that was thanks to Brocka.

Originally born in Guam, Brocka developed a love of film at a young age before moving to America. While growing up in States he gained a Masters in film from the California Institute of Arts.

After this he directed a queer public access television show for a number of years, and then in 1999 his animated short Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In The World made its debut, when he submitted it to Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. It went on to win several awards at a number of different film festivals.

Nearly ten years later in 2007, an animated series based on the short debuted on the Logo cable network in the US and ran for two seasons. The show itself was original as it focused on a group of gay characters in an animated world. Gay characters had been used in animation before, but it was mainly for extra comic effect. This was the first time an animated comedy show centred on gay characters.

Brocka has also contributed to a number of LGBT live-action films during his career, such as the romantic comedy Eating Out and the drama Boy Culture, both of which he wrote and directed. Those films did extremely well on the festival circuits and won a number of awards. Eating Out spawned a number of sequels, including Eating Out: Drama Camp and Eating Out: The Open Weekend, which Brocka co-wrote and directed in 2011.

As well as his work for the screen, Brocka contributes a column to the gay magazine, The Advocate. It’s easy to see that over his career Brocka has dedicated himself and much of his work to proving that sexuality is an important subject that should be depicted more on both film and television, and that gay people deserve entertainment specifically made for them.

It’s a shame that his animated gay-themed comedy didn’t run longer, but then again Family Guy got cancelled before it came back, so perhaps there’s still hope.

Review: Seeking a Friend For The End of The World

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

What would you do if you knew the world was going to end in three weeks? Maybe you'd carry on with your day-to-day life, go crazy and do all the things you'd always wanted to but just hadn't had time for yet, or maybe you simply just don't know.

These are the things that Lorene Scafaria sets out to explore in this touchingly sweet, sad and laugh out loud look at the end of the world. Where as apocalyptic films in the past have looked at how the human race can save the day and prevent the world from being smashed to pieces, this uniquely original film looks at it from the everyday person's perspective as they casually live out their last days.

Top marks have to be given to Scafaria, as the film itself is incredibly well written, with doses of ironic humour set against the near apocalyptic backdrop that will have you laughing one minute, feeling touched the next and finally have you almost balling your eyes out. It does all this whilst also sending you a clear message about everyday values and life in general, where you begin to think about what you want your life to be.

The performances from Keira Knightly (Penny) and Steve Carrell (Dodge) are both impeccable as they bring their characters to life and make them so believable that you really feel for them. Not being a massive fan of Knightley's in the past, I have to say that here she is both hilarious and touching in her performance and I can truly say she has finally won me over. Carrell is also great as the awkward background person who just plods through life not really living, a role that he has played in the past but when he does it so well you can't fault the man.

Another highlight has to be the soundtrack to the film. The music used really drives the story forward and helps reflect the tone of what the film is trying to convey as it makes the movie light hearted yet serious, funny but sad and overall very very touching.

The film is a brilliant comedic take on the traditional apocalyptic movie that still gives you the dramatic, sad and touching feelings of all the others but in a much more heart warming way, and with an ending that will hit you like a ton of bricks it also shows us that life and love know no boundaries, time or age.

Is an Emotional Affair Technically Cheating?

Originally posted on www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

We've all been introduced to the world of affairs in one way or another, though television, literature, films and music the concept of cheating and breaking someone's heart is always there. Since the 90s cheating has seemingly become easier with the introduction of email, dating websites, mobile phone apps and texting or as many refer to it sexting.

With the introduction of these virtual avenues to indulge in what many may call a bit of light-hearted flirting it looks as though cheating has fundamentally changed. But something many over look is that you don't have to venture down the road of having an illicit affair or sending someone a dirty text or email to be cheating on a partner, there is also the emotional affair.

Everyone has emotions and we can become attached to someone through a whole array of different emotions, I mean we can even become emotionally attached to someone that we hate. But as most people don't intend on embarking on an affair of the emotions with no physical contact, is it technically cheating?

An emotional affair is usually described as a relationship between a person and someone other than their partner that has a high level of emotions. It can differ from the affair we've all seen in society as in this case the main object of the affair isn't sex, and a person most probably hasn't sought it out.

Emotional affairs can begin for a number of different reasons with a number of different people. We could begin them with co-workers that we see everyday or a friend that we see quite regularly, but why do they start? After all if you're in a relationship where there's no love or no sex then you may embark on an actual affair, but an affair of the emotions could begin because of a feeling of loneliness, emotional detachment from a partner or you may simply be falling out of love but are still in love with your partner.

An emotional affair doesn't have to involve sex as it's all about the feelings, it can feel like the beginning of a new relationship all over again where you get butterfly's in your stomach and can't wait to see this other person, and it doesn't feel bad as you aren't actually cheating or you may not realise that this is happening. But when the attraction does take over when does the emotional affair switch from being emotional to you wanting to rip their clothes off next time you see them? With an attraction like that bubbling up between two people, it's surely only a matter of time before this 'special friendship' you've developed changes and the real affair begins.

So when we actually sit down and think about it, even though we aren't ripping someone's clothes off and throwing them around the bedroom, by sitting with them in the nearest coffee shop or bar we begin to become emotional dependant on them and by default this is cheating. Just as many people consider the sending of a dirty text or Facebook message as being unfaithful, an affair of the emotions can be just has damaging even without kissing or touching or everything that may follow. Lets be honest at the end of the day by depending on someone else you've removed the foundations of your relationship, and without those is there any point in staying in your relationship? Because aren't you just beginning a new one? But if this isn't the case then maybe some need to take a step back and re-assess the situation they are in before it gets too late to turn back.

Giving Thanks: Alan Ball

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

This week I’m heading across the pond back to America to give thanks to one of the gay heavyweights working behind the scenes in film and television, Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe award winning film, theatre and television producer, writer and director, Alan Ball.

After finishing college in 1980, Ball began working as a playwright at the General Nonsense Theatre Company in Sarasota Florida. Although we may be skipping a few years ahead, by the 1990s he was working in television and contributed to a number of shows such as Oh Grow Up, Grace Under Fire and Cybill, which starred Cybill Shepherd.

In 1999 Ball’s first film as a screenwriter, American Beauty, exploded at the box office grossing over $350 million worldwide and won five Oscars at the 72^nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a Best Screeplay gong for Ball. Although the film was a huge success, most of a hefty gay subplot was removed from the film until the very end, which is slightly disheartening, but luckily for the LGBT community it wasn’t entirely ripped from the film.

Venturing back into television, Ball created the hugely successful HBO drama series Six Feet Under, which was a rating’s smash and ran for five series. The show included a major gay character that broke the mould of the traditional stereotype, in the shape of David Fisher, played by Dexter’s Michael C. Hall. After the series ended his next huge hit came in the shape of vampire series True Blood.

Throughout the show a number of LGBT issues have been at the forefront, with the openly gay Layfayette, a lesbian relationship involving Tara, and at the end of the latest series a blossoming vampire lesbian relationship between Pam and Tara. We’ve even seen male vampires engaging in sex together, which despite them being dead all helps towards normalising LGBT characters on TV.

The whole show has been read as an allegory for LGBT rights, with vampires ‘coming out of the closet’ and fighting for equal rights. Although Ball has dispelled this comparison as laziness, the author of the books the show is based on has said this was the case when she wrote them. Either way it’s great to be able to see the fight for gay rights being represented in a way that isn’t overly forceful on an audience.

Along with all this Ball been named one of the most impressive gay men and women in Out magazine’s annual 100 list, and has been lauded as a strong voice for the community. As he left his position as show runner at the end of series five of True Blood, it will be interesting to see what Ball does next and whether he will continue to channel gay characters on his shows and challenge stereotypes that have existed for far too long.

Review: chernobyl Diaries

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

The Chernobyl disaster happened back in 1986 and conspiracy theories surrounding the incident and the aftermath have been rife ever since. The surprising part about this is why a film such as this has never been made before.

Chernobyl Diaries follows a group of travellers as they venture into the land of extreme tourism, heading to the city abandoned and devastated by the disaster. Written by Oren Peli, who terrified most of the world with Paranormal Activity, you can't help but feel a little let down by this film as it try's to recreate what happened with the first Paranormal Activity film, but in the process becomes a typical mass of clichés.

The concept of the film is both original and intriguing, but given that most people have now heard of the disaster, the problem is you build it up too much and get left a little deflated. A bit of a slow starter at first, the film doesn't start to get interesting until halfway through when people start to die. In fact you start wanting to see the characters die, which is never a good thing.

The acting in the film overall is pretty hammy, but the actors do hold their own and they aren't the worst performances I've ever seen in a film, but it could have been better. The directing is also good, especially parts where you see a glimmer of something happening in the background, which does excite you about what may happen soon.

The film is tense in parts and like Paranormal Activity, you will be hiding your face from parts, only to discover that nothing actually happens and it's the suspense that has been scaring you. This is one thing this film is quite good at (as is Oren Peli in general).

The extras on the DVD are quite good, and in my opinion I would have been a little happier with the film if the alternative ending had been used, as it just makes more sense in the grand scheme of the film.

The film does have tense parts and makes your heart race a little, but it looks as though they have tried too hard to make a huge scare fest out of the disaster, which ultimately doesn't entirely grip you. In other words it's ok but they could have done a lot more with the material they had to work with.