Boys in the Band...West Hollywood Coast Playhouse production! Runs thru May 16th...

In the heart of WeHo - at the Coach Playhouse - a troupe of actors is taking a stab at a live stage production of Mart Crowley's acid-tongued comedy "The Boys in the Band".

In a nutshell, the plot centers around a circle of gay friends, who gather to celebrate the birthday of one of their "own".

Referred to as - the frankest depiction of Homosexuality ever to hit the stage - the well-written play has become a classic over the years.

Although Crowley's cast of characters tend to be stereotypical, and often trot the boards in over-the-top cliche scenarios, it is a foray into the "gay" world worth catching.

The material was adapted for the screen and faired well in major U.S. cities where there were larger concentrations of "gay" audiences to appeal to.

For the most part, the reviews were stinging.

Among major reviewers, Pauline Kael stridently reported, that there was absolutely nothing redeeming about it.

Her critics accused that the nasty review was triggered by the fact she hated William Friedkin (who directed).

Variety said it "dragged" but had a "perverse interest."

Time Magazine described it as a "humane and moving picture."

Although The LA Times praised it as "unquestionably a milestone" - the puritanical powers-that-were (at the time) - refused to run the studio's ads in the daily.

Musings out of the gay ghetto in San Francisco (at the Chronicle) were harsh.

After labeling the project - "Uncle Tomism" - one reviewer asserted that "Boys" belonged in another time in view of the attitudes of its characters and their self-lacerating vision of themselves.

You be the judge!

http://www.thetattler.biz/

Mental Illness...show compassion!

Just take a trip to the local library, a gander at a couple of anonymous posts on a popular blogsite on the Internet, or a stroll through the streets of downtown Los Angeles (and elsewhere) and it will become obvious that mental illness is a growing problem in this country today.

Sometimes there is an elephant in the room, but no one wants to talk about it.

But the issue is a serious one.

Should we just ignore the problem - (will it just go away?) - or should we tackle the issues head on?

Today, in our complex - and at times - baffling and troubling society it appears more people are feeling alienated, left out, or just plain angry.

Many are crying out for help.

We need to listen.

Medical findings of Researchers

A mental illness or mental disorder is a clinically significant psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or a disability that is not expected as part of normal development or the culture itself.

Most agree, there has been a better understanding of mental illness over the past couple of decades.

Despite the fact - definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary - criteria listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals.

Categories which may require diagnosis include - mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, and personality disorders, for starters.

In many cases, there is no single accepted or consistent cause for mental disorders.

But, mental disorders have been found to be common in over one-third of the population in most countries that have reported sufficient data to track and document.
.
Mental health services may be based in hospitals or in the community where mental health professionals have the facilities to diagnose individuals using different methodologies.

Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options that may be worth considering.

Supportive interventions may appear to be a harsh approach, but are worthwhile pursuing, nonetheless.

In some instances, treatment may be involuntary where legislation allows.

A number of activists in the field have campaigned for changes in mental health services and attitudes about the disease - especially in view of the fact -  there is a widespread problem with stigma and discrimination.

Information provided by the National Institute on Mental Health 

Mental disorders are common in the U.S. and Internationally.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older -  about one-in-four adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older the figure translates to 57.7 million people.

Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion (about 6 percent, or 1 in 17) who suffer from a serious mental illness.

In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for the ages of 15-44.

Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for two or more disorders with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

The Impact of Mental Illness on Society

The burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated.

Data developed by the massive "Global Burden of Disease" study conducted by - the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University - reveal that mental illness (including suicide) accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies such as the United States.

This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.

*Thanks to World Health for image of "Mental Mask" featured above.

 

http://www.thetattler.biz

Miley Cyrus...paper tigress or manipulative temptress extraordinaire? Pornification not a word, folks...

Annie Leibovitz sleazy perception of Miley!

A dude can't even log off for a second or two, slip into a Thai eatery in Westwood for a feast on a serving of mouth-watering Kung Pow Chicken on a mound of white rice, or stroll under a dreamy romantic night-sky without missing a watershed event.

Miley Cyrus suggestively straddled a pole on a Fox Network Stage (not unlike a bitch on the prowl in heat) and in the throes of the scandalous coming-of-age sexual tease - shocked a scorned four million viewers- including a prudish Perez Hilton who screamed at the boob tube "slut".

But, a handful of Hannah Montana fans gave the nubile young Cyrus star the benefit of the doubt.

Oh, she was hanging onto that pole to maintain her balance, of course!

To some, she was simply a classless bump 'n grinder, a stripper with all the wrong moves.

A provocative tease, quipped an amused by-stander.

Fox TV executives - hyper-sensitive to the potential fall-out - anxiously instructed camera-operators to capture the blossoming sexpot above the shoulders to avoid a brewing controversy.

Ah, shades of Elvis.

When his swivelling hips first hit the stage on the Ed Sullivan show, critics yowled.

Church Leaders warned that the "pelvis" would corrupt the youth of American, in one fell swoop.

Miley Cyrus?

A paper tigress or temptress extraordinaire?

Some parent advocates referred to the sensual blow-out on stage last night as a sly attempt at "pornification of the culture".

Say what?

Is pornification actually a word?

Or, just an imagined scenario concocted by puritans, to put a lid on freedom of - um - expression?

A flip through the dictionary confirms it.

No such word in the English language.

Uh-huh!

For starters, hysterical folks wagging their fingers non-stop around the water-cooler during coffee break, shouldn't be tossing the blame solely on the bimbo babe.

Before her, strumpet Bridgett Bardot rocked the sexual mores of the day when she flounced across the silver screen in Lolita, if you recall.

Brooke Shields didn't escape scorn (or the glare of the searing critical spotlight either) when she left little to the imagination in "Pretty Baby" with pretty much nothing on.

Gwen Billings, editor of Cynopsis Kids (a trade publication that covers the beat for children in the entertainment industry) probably said it best when she assessed the tawdry amateurish sexual strut this way.

"I can't imagine something like this (performance) gets all the way to the stage because a teenager says this is something I want to do. Someones got to provide the pole."

It is quite possible the routine started out as a squeaky-clean tribute to Shirley Temple - and her awesome hit "The Good Ship Lollipop" - in wholesome Disney-style.

Somewhere along the line, just betcha, the lollipop was transformed into a pole for some unknown reason (you know how obsessive these musical directors can get) and the cutesy two-step dance number was jazzed up to breathe a bit of pep and zest into it.

The producers exercised a bit of harmless artistic license, that's all.

But, pornification?

Naw.

http://www.julianayrs.com

Mental Illness...show compassion!

Just take a trip to the local library, a gander at a couple of anonymous posts on a popular blogsite on the Internet, or a stroll through the streets of downtown Los Angeles - and elsewhere - and it will become obvious that mental illness is a growing problem in this country today.
Sometimes there is an elephant in the room, but no one wants to talk about it.

But the issue is a serious one.

Should we just ignore the problem - (will it just go away?) - or should we tackle the issues head on?

Today, in our complex - and at times - baffling and troubling society, it appears more people are feeling alienated, left out, or just plain angry.

Many are crying out for help...

We need to listen.


Medical findings of researchers
A mental illness or mental disorder is a clinically significant psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or a disability that is not expected as part of normal development or the culture, itself.

Most agree, there has been a better understanding of mental illness over the past couple of decades.

Despite the fact - definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary - criteria listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals.

Categories which may require diagnosis include - mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, for starters.

In many cases, there is no single accepted or consistent cause of mental disorders.

But, mental disorders have been found to be common in over one-third of the population in most countries that have reported sufficient data to track and document.

Mental health services may be based in hospitals or in the community where mental health professionals have the facilities to diagnose individuals using different methodologies.

Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options that may be worth considering.

Supportive interventions may appear to be a harsh approach, but are worthwhile pursuing, nonetheless.

In some instances, reatment may be involuntary where legislation allows.

A number of activists in the field have campaigned for changes in mental health services and attitudes about the disease, especially in view of the fact there is a widespread problem with stigma and discrimination.

Information provided by he National Institute on Mental Health

Mental disorders are common in the U.S. and internationally.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.
Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.
In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44.

Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

The Impact of Mental Illness on Society

The burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated.

Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States.

This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.

*Thanks to World Health for image of "Mental Mask" featured above.