Michael Sam Comes Out

While we are in the midst of the 2014 Winter Olympics, the biggest sports story today comes from the world of football.  Late Sunday evening, Missouri Tiger Defensive End and SEC defensive Player of the Year came out as Gay with a simultaneous announcement on Outsports, ESPN's Behind the Lines, and in the New York Times.  Sam is a top NFL prospect and if drafted, signed and he makes it onto one of 32 NFL clubs, the first time he plays a down in a regular season game, history will be made.  Michael Sam is poised to be the first openly Gay active player in the NFL.  Phrases like "from out of the mouths of babes" and "a little child shall lead them" come to mind.  Although it would be a helluva stretch to call the 6' 1", 260 pound football play either a baby or a 'little' child, in truth he is an prospective NFL Rookie which would make him the 'baby of the family' on any club and like a child growing up, Michael would have to grow up from a Rookie to a Seasoned Veteran.  He will also lead the way for other LGBT athletes to own their own truths and come out when they are ready also.  Some grow faster than others, like Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson who led his team to a Super Bowl victory in his second season, while some struggle.  The SEC is the best conference in college football right now, and as an SEC Player of the year, I don't doubt Sam will have any trouble putting in the effort to achieve his dream of playing in NFL.  

Michael Sam has a compelling story to tell too.  Michael, from small town Hitchcock, TX, was raised in a single parent household with its share of poverty, drama and violence.  Yet he has raised himself through hard work, dedication and single mindedness to the doorstep to achieving his dreams.  He is the first to attend college in his family, much less graduate.  The events leading up to this momentous decision as well as the planning that went into the timing of his announcement and the media outlets involved are compelling also.  Michael's orientation was a more or less open secret, he told his Tiger team mates prior to the start of the 2013 season.  Yet there were some tabloid types set to try to scandalize the story which moved the time table for his announcement up a bit.  Sam says "No one should tell my story except me.  I want to own my truth.".  That whole series of events is covered in a separate story on Outsports: The Eagle Has Landed.  

Activist and blogger Jeremy Hooper from Good As You wonders which socially conservative religious whack job will be the first to lash out about the world coming to an end because there's a Gay in the NFL.  I am sure that Tony Perkins, Bryan Fisher, Peter Sprigg or Brian Brown will surface soon enough to bloviate some bull shit about this event.  As the week's pass from now until the scouting combine, Missouri's Pro Day and the upcoming NFL Draft there is sure to be lots of talk, however the timing was planned so that by the time the regular season rolls around, the story will be almost old hat and only the historical significance of his first play will be the important thing to report on and not hateful, salacious or bigoted bullshit put out by the aforementioned socially conservative whack jobs.  I for sure will be following this story closely and will bring you updates when they arise.  

This week, Monday with Mozart features his Sonata for Piano with Four Hands, KV521 with a performance by Evgeny Kissin and Martha Argerich.  You may also hear Mozart's Violin Sonata in B Flat, K454 over on my tumblr.  If you really want to immerse yourself in Mozart's Music for the Violin, then head on over to You Tube where you will find his Complete Violin Sonatas Part One and Part Two.

Now what Monday would be complete here on the pages of Nichevo without a hearty helping of muscular men lounging about the page in their Monday's Undies?  You will find this week's collection on display for your viewing pleasure below today's play list.  Be sure to check out the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr also.  Thanks for sharing a part of your Monday with me, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Controversy Everywhere

Joshua Tree National Park, California

There is so much to talk about today. Where to start, mmmm how about with Details. In a column dated March 21, 2008 Details Magazine asked "Would you really be OK with a gay kid?". The column elicited quite a lot of commentary and now PFLAG has a response to that column. In a series of posts on the PFLAG National Blog is featuring PFLAG Dads speaking out in response to Details Magazine. The first three "Father Knows Best: Having A Gay Son Is Great", "You Bet I Am" and "Nothing More Satisfying" can be found by clicking the links. It is great to see real Dads talk about real Gay Sons in such a positive way in the national spotlight. and speaking of the national spotlight, Rev Wright sure made a spectacle of himself over the weekend on every cable show around. I liked the response by Senator Obama and the story about it in the New York Times. There is also a video embedded in the article which is 27 minutes long. Senator Obama's speech is in the first few minutes then there are the endless questions asking the same thing over and over. Also in the spotlight are our bois from Oakdale, Noah and Luke. Seems the "fine folks" at the American Family Association have raised a ruckus with Proctor and Gamble about the Nuke storyline. P&G is now conducting a telephone poll regarding the Nuke storyline. I received the heads up from NukeOakdale who posts the Nuke video to You Tube in an email this morning. I have posted yesterday's episode and the Save Nuke videos just below this paragraph along with the video description which gives instructions as does the video on how to call the hot line to record your opinion. Immediately following that is a reprint from Advertising Age that NukeOakdale also sent me in the same email. He sent me something else too but more on that in a later post. Here are the videos:

Nuke 4/29




Save Nuke!

Video Description for Save Nuke

800-331-3774
UPDATE:  GLAAD just told me that P&G has APOLOGIZED and revised their
message.  It has indeed "soften."

Yesterday, it said something about ending the storyline.  It now asks
if you "support" (#1) or "have concerns about" (#2) the storyline.

BTW, you can program your phone's autodialer to and then automatically
put in 2,1.  Just make sure to put enough pauses after the 800 number.

====

ORIGINAL MESSAGE
Guys, this is an URGENT ATWT Nuke alert.  Apparently, Proctor & Gamble
is getting cold feet about Nuke.  In what may be an unprecedented
move, it has set up an automated phone poll to see if viewers want the
Nuke storyline to continue.  Note that the voice message does not say
"Luke, Noah and Ameera storyline, "just "Luke and Noah."  I am shocked
that P&G is less concerned about the immigration issue than whether
two fictional characters remain a couple.  That's pure homophobia.

In fact, this poll is unnecessary and insulting because numerous other
polls have already shown Nuke's popularity.  Nuke was voted Favorite
Couple several times in Soap Opera Digest.  And just last month, a CBS
online poll asked, "Which ATWT couple keeps you watching?"  Nuke was
first with 35% of the votes.  P&G's current unscientific phone poll is
no more valid than these previous polls so why bother?  Clearly, P&G
is hoping for different results that will justify ending Nuke.  DON'T
GIVE IT TO THEM!!!

A more optimistic interpretation is that P&G wants their own pro-Nuke
results to show homophobes.  Regardless of their intentions, this is
too important to ignore.  There are implications for all media.

Van just renewed his contract but if Nuke ends, contractless Jake will
most likely be let go.  And if the homophobes win on this, what's to
stop them from making Luke straight or asexual???

While I'm pissed that P&G would even consider this, it's important to
let your opinion known.  Call ASAP and call as many times as you can.
At first I hought the number was a hoax but Googling it leads to P&G.
Googling also shows you how the enemy is rallying their side to call.

If the enemy succeeds, they will feel empowered to continue.  That's
why even non-ATWT viewers need to call.  You can be sure that
homophobes won't end with ATWT.  So please mobilize your friends and
ask them to call fast and often.

800-331-3774

Press 2 - to choose the Nuke storyline
Press 1 - to say you want it to continue

Feel free to repost this video on your channel.  THANKS!

====================================================================

Advertising Age article

Advertising Age
Conservative Group Fired Up Over Gay Kiss on TV
Procter & Gamble Takes Heat for Same-Sex Storyline on 'As the World
Turns'

      By Jack Neff jneff@adage.com>

      Published: April 25, 2008

 BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- When it comes to gay kissing and soap
operas, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
 Just ask Procter & Gamble Co., though its long-lagging soap opera
"As the World Turns" just may be benefiting from the controversy.
 A kiss between two characters on the soap opera 'As the World
Turns' was called 'repulsive' in an e-mail from the American Family
Association's founder and chairman, Donald Wildmon.
 After being criticized for months for not allowing a gay couple on
"As the World Turns" to kiss on camera, Procter & Gamble Productions
finally allowed them to do so April 23. Now, P&G is being attacked by
the American Family Association, whose founder and chairman, Donald
Wildmon, this morning sent an e-mail message titled "Procter & Gamble
promotes explicit open-mouth homosexual kissing" and asking his
followers to bombard the company with complaints.
 First criticized for lack of kissing
 Two gay characters on the soap opera first kissed last year on air.
But it had been nearly seven months since they had last kissed, which
had become the subject of fairly persistent blog chatter criticizing
P&G Productions for treating them differently than it has numerous
heterosexual couples.
 The upside for P&G Productions: At least some people have been
watching closely for that next kiss.
 The blog AfterElton.com noted April 23 that it had been 211 days,
14 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds since gay teen characters Luke
Snyder (played by Van Hansis) and Noah Mayer (Jake Silberman) had
kissed.
 The pair, termed "Nuke" by some fans, is the only gay couple
currently on daytime TV. They last kissed Sept. 26, but subsequent
encounters met with "interruptions and pan-aways whenever it seemed
like the gay teens might kiss," according to AfterElton.
 "The CBS soap opera caught viewers off guard with surprisingly
steamy kisses between the two," the blog noted. That punctuated a
lengthy online protest, which had generated more than 12,000 blog
postings per a Google search.
 Circulated 'repulsive' clip
 It took the American Family Association more than a day to respond.
And in case any members of its One Million Moms e-mail list, a group
that has numbered in the six figures over the years, missed the kiss,
the Rev. Wildmon conveniently included a link to a YouTube post of it.
"Warning," his e-mail said. "Content is repulsive."
"Luke is a character on 'As the World Turns' [who] was born on the
show, and has grown up on the show," a P&G spokeswoman said in an
e-mail. "ATWT has been telling the story of Luke as a gay character on
the show for two years now, which has included effects on his
relationships with family and friends. As well, Luke's romance with
Noah is a natural part of telling his story which has evolved in
recent months."
 A little controversy couldn't hurt "As the World Turns," which has
generally been in the bottom half of eight daytime soaps in ratings in
the past year, but in more recent weeks has moved up into the No. 3 or
No. 4 position, according to Nielsen ratings reported by
SoapCentral.com.
 For P&G, the kiss is a marked departure from past practices. In the
mid 1990s, it pulled all its advertising from a syndicated episode of
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in which two female characters kissed, at
a time when P&G brands were practically the only sponsors of the show.
 Previous boycott
 The Nuke kiss may also signal a more assertive stance vis a vis the
AFA, which ended a boycott of P&G in 2005 after declaring victory of
sorts. At that point, the AFA said P&G appeared to have pulled its ads
from shows such as "Will & Grace" and "Queer Eye for the Straight
Guy." P&G said nothing to dispute that notion then, but a later
analysis by Advertising Age found P&G actually had increased spending
on the shows targeted by the AFA during and after the boycott.
"P&G is a company that values diversity," the P&G spokeswoman said.
"We strive to be a responsible advertiser, sponsoring programming that
enable us to connect with a diverse consumer base. ... The story of
Luke and Noah on 'As the World Turns' is intended to be an authentic
reflection of what's happening in society today. ... We recognize that
there are times when the subject matter of content P&G sponsors will
not be acceptable to all people as we strive to reach a very diverse
group of consumers."
It's unclear to what degree P&G brands either will benefit or get
hurt by the controversy, said Jim Nail, chief marketing officer of
TNS' Cymfony, which tracks online buzz.
The Nuke couple has generated moderate web buzz that appeared to
peak around Valentine's Day, he said. But the buzz "appears to be
split, not just two ways, but about five ways," he said, and he has
doubts about how much long-term impact it will have.

====================================================================

Now that we have all the politicking over and done with we can get on with the most guys favorite part of my posts, today's selections in the eye candy section. Without fuirther delay then here are your men for today. Until next time as always, Enjoy!