The Reading List: Warhol’s grave, Spike Lee and Raven-Symoné

This latest edition of The Reading List is chock full of pop-culture junkets, so let’s get started.

First, Andy Warhol. Today would be Andy’s 85th birthday, and to honour it, the Andy Warhol Musuem has posted a live feed from Andy’s grave. So much for 15 minutes of fame. You can view it here. (via CBC)

Next, Spike Lee made an interesting comment during an interview with BET.

You mentioned criticism earlier. You’ve been called a misogynist. You’ve been called homophobic. I wonder —
First of all, I’m not homophobic. Because I have a character say the word “f—-t” or “homo” that does not mean that I’m homophobic. Martin Scorsese is not racist. The characters are people he grew up with, characters in the mean streets — that’s those people talking, not him. In that world, those are the things people say. When I went to Morehouse College that’s the way they spoke, thought and talked about homosexuals.

Which brings about an interesting idea: is it Spike’s — or other artists’ — responsibility to remove homophobic or any form of bigoted language from the mouths of his characters?

Still on the celebrity tip, recently actress Raven-Symoné tweeted something on Aug 2 that, to some, was viewed as her outing herself.

In response, some people started saying that their childhoods had been “ruined.” BuzzFeed took a look at all of this and ended it all with one positive response tweet. Check it out.

Journalist, writer, blogger, producer.

Keep Reading

Collage with two hands holding a bat, swinging towards a baseball with a dollar sign on it, against a blue background with a net, baseball player and the Olivia logo on an outfield sign

Why the WPBL partnering with a lesbian travel company matters

Support from lesbian brands and bars harks back to the queer history of women’s sport leagues
Confluence cover

‘Confluence’ brings Vancouver’s queer history to life

The late Alex Turner and his husband, Lucian Childs, have written a unique and rewarding ode to mid-century gay British Columbia

Gaudy goddess: Self-described backwoods Barbie, Dolly Parton, chats about boobs, Broadway and battling hate

Revisiting Matt Thomas’s interview with the legend, originally published in fab Magazine in 2009

Dolly Parton was all of our chosen family

The superstar, who passed away at age 80, was always there for her queer fans. We collectively mourn her loss
Advertisement