RhymePhile's Rat Race

This morning I went to check out the journal of oiyaoi (*waves*) who had added me as a Friend. I like to poke around and see who people are before I friend back (which I almost always do, unless we have nothing in common, which happens sometimes).

Anyway, oiyaoi had this bizarre John Barrowman clip posted, as seen below (um, sexual double-entendres abound, so kinda NSFW):



Since it wasn't listed exactly where this was from, I followed the little YouTube scroll after the vid and found the comedian was Al Murray, who is popular in the UK for a character he created known as the "Pub Landlord."

So, being American, the first thing I had to do is figure out what the hell a pub landlord was. Then I checked out YouTube for where Al Murray's Pub Landlord was most popular, a talk show called Al Murray's Happy Hour. Here's an episode where Al interviews John Barrowman.

According to Wiki, The Pub Landlord character is a "stereotypical working class British nationalist." He looks like a football hooligan to my American eyes, which I suppose is the look he's going for. John Barrowman is always great to watch when he's interviewed, and Murray is a very quick wit.

Anyway, the whole point to this rambling post is that I didn't believe the Horst Schwul (yes, Wiki told me what it means) character seen in that YouTube clip and the Pub Landlord character were the same guy! Then I spent like two hours poking around YouTube watching bits from the Happy Hour talk show, his stand-up routines, and sketches from Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder, his new show (where that JB clip was taken from).

Why can't we have clever, funny hosts like this on American TV? Why do we always have the boring 2-minute celebrity bullshit interviews with the Jay Leno's and the Dave Letterman's, who, I'm sorry to say, aren't really that funny?

Thank goodness for YouTube, and new Friends introducing me to new, better, Britishy things!

Huzzah! This time one of my reviews for Big Dot Com actually made it through with nary a period nor comma changed! IS IT THE APOCALYPSE? It's your fault, Sam Winchester, you dummy!

Anyway, not many spoilers in the review, as I like to have people buy a DVD without knowing every possible thing that may happen.

Oh, and I'd also like to thank torch_wood member qaffangyrl for transcribing the Torchwood: Declassified from the DVD. I wanted to use a Russell T. Davies quote for my review, but the BBC never sent me a preview disc, the bastards. Luckily I was able to use the quote from the transcription.

( Torchwood Children of Earth DVD review behind the cut )

Has everyone seen the Fifth Gear episode where John Barrowman wrecks the $200,000 (in US dollars) rally car?

Holy crap that looked scary. He didn't seem panicky...I don't think he had time to freak out, really. Basically he's going around a turn when he hits the lip of the curve and the car's momentum propels him over a small hill into a ditch. The on-board camera was frightening to watch. Sheesh.

But he was fine and so was the host Tiff (and I'm too lazy to look up his last name).

Time for a lie-in methinks, John.

It's an anti-homophobic bullying campaign being instituted in British schools, and John Barrowman is a spokesman. For more information about the UK equality group Stonewall click on Mr. Barrowman's handsome mug below, and read more about the Education For All campaign here.

For those of you on torch_wood or barrowmanfans, you've already seen these (via poster hobbitz4peace), but I thought I would share a link for the rest of my Flist, because, hello, boy kissing!

And not just any boys -- John Barrowman (aka Cap'n Jack from Torchwood) and James Marsters (that bleach-blonde vampire Spike from Buffy and Angel, if you didn't know).

Heh, obvious spoilers for the first episode of Series 2 of Torchwood behind the cut.

( I wouldn't have minded seeing this on Angel )

I was looking around this morning for some Torchwood images because I want to make a T-shirt. (You know how I enjoy making T-shirts).

After clicking here and there and everywhere, I came across this extra unpublished bit from the OUT magazine interview with John Barrowman.

Not only does he mention kissing James Marsters (Spike from Buffy and Angel, for those not in the know) but OMG, he was on stage with both Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy) AND Alexis Denisof (Wesley from Angel, who I shall love until the end of time)??? AND HE KISSED ALEXIS???? I AM LEARNING SO MANY NEW THINGS!!! THESE THINGS MAKE ME SQUEE WITH CAPSLOCK!!!

Guh.

Yes, yes, all you UKers out there have seen, read, felt, and experienced this already, but those of us here in the States may never get to see the amazing series Torchwood without it being cut to shit.

For those not in the know, it's a spin-off of the new series of Doctor Who. For those who also don't know, John Barrowman, aka Captain Jack Harkness, is an out gay man. And since creator Russell T. Davies is gay too, there's all sorts of deliciously slashy moments in the series.

However....nothing, I mean nothing, beats this clip. It's from the second to last episode according to what someone wrote in the comments, and I suppose that it could be spoilery, but frankly YOU MUST WATCH because, OMG, mankissing.

http://afterelton.logo-blogs.com/2007/01/02/wonderful-clip-from-torchwood/#comment-1581%20

My European friends, I salute the open attitude and intelligence to which most of the countries over there think two men kissing on TV is No Big Deal. WHY can't Americans be as forward-thinking? WHY is it cause to celebrate when even the most minor occurrence of two men (or women) showing affection for each other is actually aired on our televisions without some fucking Parents this or Christian that groups freaking out?

As our most revered, mustahcioed, motorcycle-ridin', leather-wearing U.S. Marshal proclaimed: "Lips are lips."

Now I'm going to have to enter the strange world of illegalz internet downloading, which I've never done before, because if this show ever came here they'd CGI some chick into that scene or some shit. Pffft.

For everyone in the UK or those who had fast Internet connections when the new Doctor Who series began in 2005 across the pond, this will be old hat.

But for those of us who watched the Series 1 finale tonight on SciFi (and I had to whip up an icon just for this post) I have a question.

Can someone give me the history/secret behind Captain Jack? I sort of missed his two-part introduction episode, and I've heard dribs and drabs about this character because everyone seemed to love him. Of course, when he kissed the Doctor goodbye before the Dalek attack, he became a lot more interesting to me. Heh. And hello, I had a feeling he was dressed in leather for a reason!

I'm sure something like that kiss would never give British audiences pause, right? It just fit into the storyline and he was saying goodbye, correct? I get it. But then, I'm also wondering if I missed something and it was previously stated that Captain Jack was quite open-minded? Or something? Or was that kiss just a gift from the slashy gods? Because if it was, THANK YOU! Hee.

Also? I don't like the looks of the new Doctor. Maybe I'll get used to him whenever the holy hell Series 2 graces our shores, but I have a fangirl type of love for Eccleston. Totally. It must be the ears. :)