Tag Archives: The Perks of Being A Wallflower

GLAAD announces nominees for 24th annual media awards

Posted on

GLAAD announced the nominees for its 24th annual media awards. Presentation of awards takes place on March 16 in New York, April 20 in Los Angeles and May 11 in San Francisco.

Among this year’s nominees are Frank Ocean, Adam Lambert, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, ParaNorman, Cloud Atlas, Keep the Lights On, The New Normal, Smash, Modern Family, How to Survive a Plague and The Amazing Race.

In the category of Outstanding Film — Wide Release, the nominees are Cloud Atlas, ParaNorman, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Your Sister’s Sister.

Outstanding comedy series recognizes five shows from network TV — The New Normal (NBC), Glee (Fox), Go On (ABC) Modern Family (NBC) and Happy Endings (ABC).

Outstanding TV movie or mini-series is all cable — American Horror Story: Asylum (FX), Hit and Miss (DirecTV) and Political Animals (USA).

Continue reading “GLAAD announces nominees for 24th annual media awards” »

—  David Taffet

The gay interview: Ezra Miller

Posted on

In the print edition this week, we have Larry Ferber’s interview with The Perks of Being a Wallflower writer-director Stephen Chbosky; here, our celebrity hunter Chris Azzopardi sat down with one of that film’s stars, Ezra Miller. Miller talks about the cathartic experience of being a confident teen, his happy upbringing and why he’s never met a straight man.

The perks of Being Ezra Miller

Twenty is a young age to have already played two unique characters — from the dark to the fearless. But Ezra Miller —  who was Tilda Swinton’s evil son in We Need to Talk About Kevin and plays Patrick, the lovable outsider with swagger in the film adaptation of the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, opening Friday in Dallas — the boy every gay person wishes he could be. Even Miller.

The young actor talked about not being that kid in high school, breaking label barriers and coming from a “whole queer-ass family” — who dressed him in drag.

Dallas Voice: What was your high school experience? Were you out then?  Ezra Miller: Yeah, definitely. But I wasn’t shouting it out. I was unabashedly me. I was always having to leave high school, though, because I started working, so that was pulling me out of school. When I’d come back, there was a certain resentment: “You are no longer one of us. You have betrayed our pack.” And I dropped out of high school when I was 16 years old because, first of all, the form and function of the schooling system never made any sense to me in the context of education, but also there was some ostracizing at play. At that point in my youth experience, I knew that feeling all too well. I immediately realized that I had just turned 16 and that it was best, and technically legal, for me to flee.

How was it playing a character that you wished you could’ve been in school?  I came out of the movie feeling like I had a bunch to learn from the character I just played, and then I came to the unfortunate conclusion that he was a fictional character and he didn’t exist. I mean, to be able to hold your dignity and your pride, and to be able to empower yourself and love yourself in high school, is a feat.

Continue reading “The gay interview: Ezra Miller” »

—  Arnold Wayne Jones

After three 'straight' years, 'Tango' drops to #2

Posted on

and-tango-makes-three

For three — if you’ll excuse the expression — straight years, “And Tango Makes Three” has been the most banned book on the American Library Association’s list of most banned books.

The children’s book by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell tells the story of two male penguins at New York’s Central Park zoo who share a nest and hatch an abandoned egg.

This year, Tango the penguin with two gay dads, got knocked off the list by a series of books written in the style of instant messages.

Taking the No. 1 spot is writer Lauren Myracle series including “ttyl.” Drugs and offensive language are the complaints. The books don’t promote drugs. They just deal with them a 21st century realities for kids. Kewl.

Of the top 10 banned books, a few others are listed for LGBT content. “Tango” holds the #2 spot.

“The Perks of Being A Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is #3. The main character has two gay friends. In “My Sister’s Keeper” (#7), the sister is a lesbian.

The books are in good company. J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” perennially makes the list (#6 this year). Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” is #9.

Note to Border’s on McKinney. You did a good job of putting other bookstores in Oak Lawn out of business. I buy this book along with “Heather Has Two Mommies” for any friend who has a baby because I believe children should be raised with good children’s books. PLEASE STOCK THESE WONDERFUL BOOKS.

—  David Taffet