Suddenly, the Republicans and Conservatives are rallying in a cry that they have to protect children from being groomed into the LGBT Community. Meanwhile, school shootings have not inspired them to do a damn thing and the Church has a long list of abusers which have gone unpunished for centuries. But a drag queen reading to kids in a library is the biggest problem that North America is having right now.
This all reminds me of the hysteria that went on in the 2004 presidential election about “Gay Marriage” and how it was going to destroy the sanctity of heterosexual relationships. George W. Bush ran on this. Hillary Clinton was afraid to support it. All this was to scare conservatives into re-electing the good ol’ boy from Texas to continue searching for those non-existent “Weapons Of Mass Destruction”.
How are we back on this tactic? Are there no new ideas in the Republican party? Has FOX News stalled in coming up with a different playbook for this dying political group? And how are they still hitching their wagons to the Trump train? At this point anyone who is still following this jackass must admit that they are just straight up racist of full of self-hate. If he’s a millionaire like he led all of you to believe, then why is he still asking you for money? What happen to all the money you gave to build his “wall”? Why do you think that he is above the law when he did everything to incite the Right Wing fanatics into storming the Capitol? How are religious leaders around the country supporting a man who pays porn stars for sex while married or calls the Proud Boys “good people”?
All of this is being spelled out very clearly and yet there are still those who refuse to believe that they have been dooped. You cain’t be nuthin’ but racist to continue to support this guy. And I believe the Republicans in Congress have invested so much into letting him be the mouthpiece and fall guy that they can’t back out now. In order to do so, they would have to admit that the “Tea Party” and Trump highjacked their party and they have lost control. So, they have spent the past 15 years gerrymandering districts to keep some control in Washington D.C. But how do they sleep at night knowing of all the evil that they have done to people of colour?
And Democrats have their problems too…DEFUND THE POLICE was probably the worst messaging to hitch their wagons onto when they should have branded it as REALLOCATING FUNDS. And giving the Republicans terms like “woke” has helped write their FOX talking points. When watching Bill Maher I feel like he’s more of an independent than a Democrat. He like to play devil’s advocate with his HBO show. And while bringing up some good points he still flexes his privilege as a white SIS man in America.
So, drag queens are the sacrificial lambs sent to slaughter this time and are giving the Far Right the slippery slope to roll back LGBT rights. Because trust me….given the opportunity Republicans will do anything to keep their base excited about them being in power. And because racists are having a hard time killing black folks right now, the LGBT Community is an easy target. Don’t get wrong .the Jewish & Asian Communities are still getting threatened and blamed but the George Floyd murder has given the Proud Boys pause with ol’ darkie. We’ll get them with some systemic racist policies once we take care of those faggots and trans-testicles.
But as I watched some of the reporting about attacks on the Jewish & Asian Communities, I didn’t hear any real support for our LGBT Community in their pleas for help and support. The truth of the matter is that we have to condemn all acts of hate and racism…together. Because if they are coming for drag queens this week, next week a synagogue is gonna be hit or an Asian neighborhood is going to have another incident.
The problem is that people want someone to blame for their lack of fortune. I’m not speaking about “misfortune”. I’m talking about folks feeling like they are owed something. They have watched reality TV and seen people getting paid for ridiculous things (and they already have money…yeah, I’m talkin’ to you, Kim Kardashian). So, idiots like Trump sell them on the idea that he can make them “tired of winning” and the best way to win is to step on these people over here. We have moved away from caring about others and only thinking about ourselves. Kids are plotting how to get rid of their parents in the hopes to get their things and properties. Not all kids…but the work ethic is not being taught like it was 30 or 40 years ago. A twitter post is supposed to do something to better their lives. Their video on YouTube is supposed to get them discovered. No one wants to do physical labour anymore. Who’s going to be the next plumber? Who’s going to be the next garbageman? Who’s going to pick the vegetables we eat? All good paying jobs but no one is trying to do them. Yet…racist will complain when Mexicans come across the border to do the jobs we won’t that “they’re takin’ our jobs!”
One of the things that really bothers me is that Democrats are acting too polite. I get why Obama kept his reactions and remarks reserved and well thought out. He was the first Black President and did not want his legacy to be marred by off the cuff comments. Cuz hell it couldn’t have been me! I would have been callin’ out muthafuckas day and night. But somebody needs to call the Republicans out for their antics. They became the “Party of NO” and held up or stop many good laws from being passed. And then when election time came around they would say “See the Democrats make promises but never deliver.” Or they create a problem and then blame the Democrats. Just once I would like to see a Democrat name names of the assholes who have blocked something that would have really helped the people.
And I’m not talking about some political ad that some group has paid. I want Corey Booker to name some names in a press conference. Stop being so damn polite. The Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Green isn’t polite. Most of the Tea Party Republicans say whatever they want and then give a half as apology afterwards but the damage is done and they said what they meant.
And I know you probably thought that I was going to bitch and moan about the bans on drag in some states, but there are enough queens doing that. We all know that the LGBT Community is not the main threat to children. Most child molesters are usually straight males and often put themselves in positions to work with kids and young people. So, think about it .how many drag queens or trans people have you read about touching children? How many have raped anyone you know?
I’m hoping and praying that more people are paying attention and are not falling for the “Drag Queen Scare Tactics” that FOX News and the Republicans are trying to use to rile up their base. And for the Log Cabin Republicans out there I hope you are remembering how Trump used the Pulse Nightclub shooting for a photo opt. Republicans didn’t really care about gay marriage. They were worried about the LGBT vote. Just like they are afraid of the young voters because there are too many of them and their party is dying off. They only have racists and self-haters left. So, that means that we have to be registered and ready to vote in the interest of protecting ALL communities…not just one. Now, go out there and support a drag queen story hour!
'It’s not what’s in the book' that some people find offensive – 'it’s what’s in the dress,' says Stuart Sanks, whose 'Drag Queen Story Time' persona is Miss Shirley
The meaningful engagement of women living with HIV (MEWA ) is not possible if there is not concerted effort made to include us. I reviewed several research arBcles and took part in a review of several research reports prior to wriBng this piece and found that, on average 20-27% of parBcipants in HIV research trials are women living with HIV. “Poverty, social inequiBes, and health dispariBes perpetuated by social determinants of health and rooted in structural racism lie at the heart of risk and acquisiBon of HIV infecBon among women and these same structural barriers and health dispariBes form the basis of barriers to inclusion and involvement in research.”
Martha Sichone-Cameron, Elizabeth Glaser Founda:on; h#ps://pedaids.org/2022/04/19/why-including-women-in-hiv-researchma#ers/#:~:text=To%20overcome%20the%20barriers%20to%20the%20parFcipaF on%20of,clinical%20trials%20to%20their%20social%20and%20health%20consider aFons
As I have menFoned in previous arFcles, I was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. One of the first Fmes I became involved in HIV acFvism/advocacy work was on a naFonal project here in Edmonton, where I live, in 1992. I was invited to sit on the community advisory group, a consorFum of community agency representaFves. At the first meeFng, it became obvious to me that I was there as a token woman living with HIV. I was expected to listen and shut up. I try to be good at listening
but I’m unable to shut up. I proposed that I chair a “Client Advisory Commi#ee”. They agreed but I’m certain they did not think I’d be able to recruit people living with HIV to be involved. Within a very short Fme, I was able to recruit 13 people living with HIV to this commi#ee. We were involved in all of the iniFaFves and demanded veto power over which iniFaFves were funded by the project. Unfortunately, as there were so few women involved as acFvists at the Fme in Edmonton, there were only 3 women who sat on the commi#ee. We ensured though that childcare was covered and transportaFon and an honorarium was given to all commi#ee members, unheard of at the Fme. They called it a “paradigm shiY”. Within a year, I started the Alberta Society for PosiFve Women, the first and only support society for women living with HIV in the province of Alberta. Unfortunately, it no longer exists. But the involvement and meaningful engagement of women living with HIV has been a passion of mine.
One of the first things I noFced was that wo men living with HIV were being leY out of research trials. At the Fme, there were trials going on for protease inhibitors and other new HIV treatments. By and large, women were excluded for many reasons. One excuse: women were excluded if they were able to bear children. I was a research parFcipant for one of the first protease inhibitors and I had to sign a bunch of documents staFng that I would not become pregnant, even though my tubes were Fed, and I was a single parent who was not sexually acFve. Another excuse was that women weren’t willing to parFcipate in research . The fact is that women were willing to parFcipate, but they were not given the support to be able to. Trials did not offer coverage for childcare and since women are oYen the primary caregivers in a family, and oYen the sole caregivers, childcare coverage is essenFal. I sFll have to remind researchers when I am on research advisory commi#ees to cover childcare. Over 40 years of HIV research and women’s needs to be able to be involved as parFcipants in research are sFll being overlooked and ignored. TransportaFon is also oYen ignored. I sFll have to ask for transportaFon to be covered if I want to parFcipate in research. I oYen have to remind researchers when I am an advisor to cover transportaFon for parFcipants to appointments if they want women involved in their research. There is plenty of research that has shown that women living with HIV live in poverty, so even having to pay for bus fare is a huge barrier to involvement.
The same issues exist for women who are wanFng to be involved as acFvists or advocates. I also have to remind places who want involvement of women living with HIV (Boards, meeFngs, etc) that they need to ensure that women have what they need to be able to be meaningfully involved. Do they need transportaFon, childcare, technological equipment (like laptops)? Why does it fall on women to have to ask for these things. Why, aYer 40 years, am I sFll having to remind people to ensure that they are offering these things? Why does the community sFll not care if women are involved? Take a look around your AIDS Service OrganisaFon. What are they doing to ensure that women living with HIV are able to be meaningfully engaged at all levels? Ask researchers what they are doing to ensure that women living with HIV are included? We will never achieve truly meaningful engagement of women living with HIV unFl we ensure that we are doing all we can to bring us to the table.
An Outside Look at HIV
Zoe Faber finds out exactly how much college students know about PrEP
PrEP Knowledge Among University Students
For this article, I set out to interview six university students, 3 men and 3 women from a variety of backgrounds on their awareness of PrEP. None of the six are on PrEP and most did not feel that it was of concern to them. Though advertisements for PrEP are common throughout the downtown Toronto core, they are not advertised at colleges and universities. Of new youth (ages 13 to 24) HIV diagnoses in 2016 in America specifically, about 80 percent were people ages 20 to 24, according to the CDC. This is particularly distinct because sixteen to twenty-four-year-olds are the age group with the lowest rate of PrEP coverage. This is a failure of the universities to prepare their students for safe sex. Many young people arrive at college having received inadequate sexual health education that excludes information about non-heterosexual sexuality. On top of this, college-age students are often navigating healthcare on their own for the first time, and may not seek out PrEP on their own. I personally have never seen PrEP ads targeting college students, though I have seen quite a few in the downtown Toronto core. Neither the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, nor York University has PrEP programs from what I could ascertain. Healthcare for those at risk of contracting HIV needs to be a higher priority for universities.
Below are the six interviews conducted and the questions they were asked.
1. How do you identify?
2. What do you know about PrEP?
3. Who do you feel PrEP is for?
4. Does it impact your life?
David1. I identify as a queer man/man-adjacent.
2. My understanding of PrEP is that it is a preventative drug taken to minimize the chances of contracting HIV from sex or sharing of bodily fluids.
3. PrEP, in my opinion, is for anybody who feels that their risk of contracting HIV is higher than normal. That could possibly include having multiple sexual partners, knowing that your sexual partner(s) already have HIV, or even if you feel you might contract HIV through sharing bodily fluids.
4. Right now I feel that PrEP does not have a significant impact on my life. However, in the past, and possibly in the future, I know that I have and might again seek multiple sexual partners, and in those cases, I would most definitely consider PrEP to minimize my chances of contracting HIV or spreading it throughout the community.
Michael
1. I’m bisexual.
2. I know PReP reduces the risks of HIV, and maybe even makes you immune. I heard it can have minor side effects and can be bought online.
3. All the ads for PrEP I've seen have really cute men, but I don't think you need to be cute or a man to take PrEP. If I had to pick a demographic, I'd pick gay men.
4. PrEP has a pretty minimal impact on my life. I've thought about taking it but I didn't think about it too hard. I'm not having a lot of sex right now so I'm not very motivated to get on PrEP, but also if I was on PrEP I'd be more motivated to have sex.
Josh
1. Queer & trans (man, he/him).
2. I Know PrEP is for HIV prevention. It’s a drug you can take to lower the risk of contracting or spreading HIV. I think it’s free? Or covered by OHIP?
3. I think PrEP is marketed exclusively towards cis gay men, but I think because HIV affects everyone, PrEP is for everyone.
4. I get so many PrEP ads, and they are extremely annoying. Otherwise, PrEP does not impact my life. I personally don’t take PrEP because I always use condoms and get tested/don’t have sex with ppl who haven’t been tested recently.
Didi
1. Lesbian.
2. I know that it’s a medication people take to prevent HIV infection.
3. People who feel that they are at risk of HIV infection however they might acquire it.
4. Not directly, but as a queer person it affects those I am in community with.
Aerin
1. Girl.
2. It’s a pre-exposure something for avoiding HIV, I think.
3. People who would like to avoid contracting HIV and are at risk.
4. Not currently because I don’t get laid.
Janine
1. Woman.
2. It’s a medication to prevent HIV.
3. People at risk of contracting it.
4. No, I don’t consider myself at risk.
In order to combat ignorance about the risks of contracting HIV, Universities need to start promoting the health and well-being of their students, including advertising PrEP. Safe sex is crucial to sexual health, and without awareness of PrEP and the risks of contracting HIV, students will continue to be at a higher risk of contracting it. Universities need to do better.
For this article and all of his blogs check out: https://marksking.com/my-fabulous-disease
Advocates Try to Halt a Wacky, Dangerous Book from an HIV Denialist
We all know the saying about freedom of speech. It doesn’t mean you have the right to yell “fire!” in a crowded movie theater. That kind of speech can risk lives.
But what if the theater is already burning on all sides, and someone tries to convince people not to find a safe exit, that the approaching flames can’t possibly harm them, or that the fire itself is a myth or a conspiracy?
Clearly, this is just as dangerous, and the very reason that a group of HIV activists and public health experts are moving to halt the publication of a book set to be released next week by a subsidiary of Simon & Schuster.
The Real AIDS Epidemic: How the Tragic HIV Mistake Threatens Us All, by HIV denialist Rebecca Culshaw, is the latest in decades of wacko musings from those who would have us believe that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS.
AIDS denialism took hold nearly as soon as HIV was identified in 1984, when our understanding of the roots and causes of AIDS were still in their infancy. It was fertile ground for people distrustful of science or government.
There were a lot of people living with HIV back then who became AIDS denialists. They’re dead.
The COVID fiasco has led to a resurgence of those same misgivings. Enter Ms. Culshaw and her new book, which reportedly covers the same ludicrous territory as so many AIDS denialists before her. These half-baked theories are not simply
unsound. They can be disastrous to public health and to the need for HIV testing and treatment.
Today, a large group of activists, organizations and public health experts released a letter to Jonathan Karp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, urging him not to publish the book and outlining its dangers to the public (I signed the letter).
From the letter:
As a robust and comprehensive coalition of HIV/AIDS advocates, organizations, and public health experts, we are writing to you with an urgent concern. Simon & Schuster (by subsidiary Skyhorse) has plans to distribute a book called, The Real AIDS Epidemic: How the Tragic HIV Mistake Threatens Us All by recognized AIDS denialist Rebecca Culshaw on March 28, 2023. In the midst of coexisting pandemics and public health outbreaks, we know the dire and deadly consequences of spreading misinformation and denialism. It is disappointing that a book like Culshaw’s is on a roster of your releases in 2023, but you still have a chance to reverse this decision. We are asking you to reconsider this book deal and stop its distribution… Furthermore, research has shown that AIDS denialism poses real health risk to people living with HIV and their sexual partners. We know that patients who fall into AIDS denialism are more likely to experience HIV-related symptoms of illness and have
higher, detectable viral loads, meaning the virus (which is real) can be transmitted to their sexual partners. By releasing an AIDS denialist book, Simon & Schuster would be encouraging vulnerable people to ignore medical directions and to stop their medications, which is dangerous to their health and is likely to lead to a higher amount of virus in their bodies.
“The rights of freedom of speech are paramount,” Jason Rosenberg, a member of ACT UP NY and one of the letter’s organizers, told me, “but when bad actors take advantage of that right and lead with science denialism and health misinformation especially through the channels of a major publication, it is important that we fight it and deplatform these bad actors with every opportunity. We’ve seen it recently from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is true with HIV/AIDS, racism, transphobia, fascism, and every public health threat.”
Shame, shame, on Simon & Schuster and their subsidiary Skyhorse Publishing for, at the least, not doing their homework, and at worst, willfully perpetuating dangerous messaging that runs counter to the facts.
It might be argued that the best plan of action would be to simply ignore the book and let it join the junkheap of similarly outrageous notions in HIV/AIDS history. But that runs counter to the very foundation of HIV activism.
We don’t ignore dangerous developments. We fight back.
Last fall I had the privilege of being a part of a short horror film produced by Casey House called "OTHERS". Really great concept to drive the message home about HIV stigma. The star of that film was out HIV+ actor, Peter McPherson. Today we will sit down and get to know him and his work.
Link to "OTHERS": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTPPSLVsdJo
AK: Hello Peter....I haven't seen you since the premiere of "OTHERS". How are you today? And thank you for taking the time to talk to me and our readers.
PM: Hey Alphonso, so good to see you again! Thank you for having me. I’m really good thank you.
AK: So, would you mind telling us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where do live?
PM: Originally I’m from a small town in the north east of England called Hartlepool, but I moved to London when I was seventeen and have been there ever since. I love it but I’ve got to say, I’ve really fallen in love with Toronto.
AK: If you don't mind me asking...how long have you been HIV+?
PM: I’ve been HIV+ since 2009. So 14 years now! Wow that time went quick. I remember it because I was in my last year of Drama School.
AK: So, was the film your first work as an openly gay out HIV+ actor or have you done some other screen or stage work? And what projects are coming up for you?
PM: I’ve always been open about my HIV+ status. I’ve done a lot of charity events in the UK, so my status has been no secret, but I’d never been cast or played a role with HIV until ‘Others'. In fact I didn’t know this until the ‘Others’ premiere, that I am the first actor in the world, living with HIV to be intentionally cast to play an HIV+ character! That’s something I’m super proud of.
I’m currently working on a feature film called ‘Sweet Brother’, written and directed by the brilliant Layke Anderson. And from 28th March a feature film I’m in called ‘In From the Side’, about a Gay Rugby team in London, is coming to Netflix.
AK: How important has it been to come out with your status?
PM: For me it’s been really important. The whole message of ‘Others’ was to tackle stigma around HIV. And what Casey House are so astute about, is knowing that fear is the root of stigma, and that silence gives stigma a place to thrive. That’s why it’s so important to be visible. To bring it into the open and take the shame and misinformation out of the equation.
AK: Are you working with any other HIV/AIDS organizations? And would you consider being a part of our "HIV Is Everyone's Business" campaign?
PM: I’d love to be part of “HIV Is Everyone’s Business”!!! Absolutely!!! Where do I sign up?! In the past I worked with ‘Make a Difference Trust’ who raise funds for HIV and AIDS projects that build awareness and provide care, support and education in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. And more recently I’ve been supporting ‘Terrence Higgins Trust’, who strive for a future where there are no new cases of HIV, where people living with HIV get the support they need and there is good sexual health for all.
AK: I'll give you more information about what and how you can join our campaign. But before we let you go...what advice would you give someone about disclosure of their status?
PM: My advice would be confide in someone you trust first. Get yourself well informed and equipped incase people have questions and make sure you’re in a good place emotionally and mentally. When I disclose my HIV status, I try and make it light, as if to say, yeah I’m proud and there’s nothing weighty or heavy around this topic. I think this sends others a subconscious message that there’s nothing to worry about either. It also helps stop the stigma, which can be the hardest part of coming to terms with a diagnosis. There is always help out there if you’re struggling with being HIV+.
AK: Well, Peter...it has been so great to learn a little more about you. Keep up the great work and I hope our paths cross again. If you have projects in the future, please let us know here at POZPLANET so we can promote it and let our readers know to look out for you. If we don't support our own...who will?
Is it Spring yet? With all the weird weather it's hard to tell. Don’t know about you but for me the weather in politics in North America is the strangest. The LGBT Community is under attack vis Drag Show laws, hate crimes are up, criminals are being protected by the Republican Party and Global Warming deniers are trying to look the other way from tornados in places that usually don’t have ‘em. I can only advise everyone to take care of your immediate world, family and friends. Can’t fix all the problems of the day. But hopefully my little mix can distract you for a few minutes while possibly learning about some new tracks, remixes or current events right now.
So, let’s get started shall we?
Up first is the lasts from Drake featuring 21 Savage, “Spin Bout”. To be honest, I’m not really feeling the vibe of Drake’s music these days. But as a working DJ it’s my job to play some things that I don’t care for. I haven’t heard a remix for this one yet….I’m sure one is coming. But I felt like somebody out there is a fan and they would probably want to hear it. The only thing I like about this song is the music video. Drake & 21 Savage get dominated by a team of women who came to rob them.
Our second track is “Boys A Liar (Part 2)” by PinkPantheress featuring Ice Spice. I am assuming Ice Spice is the next female rapper to rule the charts. Cuz she’s poppin’ up everywhere! This new single is kinda cute. I’m waiting on a remix which should be droppin’ any minute now. But as of me writing this blog it hasn’t come across my decks yet. And visually since Drake’s video features a lot of black women in control, I thought this was the perfect video to follow it.
As I often say, with the thousands of track that are released every week it is very easy to miss some tracks. So, it was no surprise to me that I missed the 2021 release of “Shake It” by Kay Flock featuring Cardi B, Dougie B & Bory 300. And since it’s the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop’s existence, I decided to include this in my mix. Plus I felt it worked well with “Boys A Liar”. It reminds me of that late 80s Miami Bass sound that was so popular with Dance Hip Hop back then.
The fourth track is another track from the past…the 2007 hit “Party Like A Rockstar” by Shop Boyz. But this is the MilesPerHour Remix. It totally shows how Hip Hop has become mainstream and expands much further than any of us could have imagined. I can remember reading articles back in the early 90s and like Madonna many critics said it was a fad and wouldn’t last. Now Hip Hop is in almost every facet of music around the world. This is a fun remix and was always a fun track.
Now we’re gonna shift gears and go completely Pure Pop with “Juicy Fruit” by Brooke Candy. Now, for some reason Wikipedia has her listed as an American Rapper. Um…I’m sorry. This abuse of the term “rapper” is why I called this “Pure Pop”. There’s no way she would even be allowed in a rap battle. Eminem is a rapper. Hell…even Vanilla Ice is a rapper compared to her. This is a Pop song and has nothing to do with Hip Hop in any capacity. It’s a cute song. Just wish they wouldn’t misrepresent what it is just because she’s the daughter of Tom Candy (the former CFO of Hustler Magazine). These NepoBabies are sumpin’ else!
And speaking of Pop Artists that I would consider a rapper…Fergie is definitely a rapper. And I was so happy to see this new Vektor & Koltens Remix of “Fergalicious”. I always loved this song and it’s nice to be able to introduce it to a new generation with an updated sound and production.
Our seventh track is Corey Craig’s Heated Pegale Mix of “Heated” by Beyoncé. Some might not think of her as a rapper but because of her writing style of cramming so many words in a phrase, I would say she is. But her latest album is far from Hip Hop. It is a total love letter to the music her late gay uncle loved. And she heavily leaned into the Ballroom scene for this category styled chant.
The eighth artist in this month’s mix is from Sweden and only 26 years but has already garnered a Swedish Grammy for her music. COBRAH originally started playing her music at fetish and underground clubs but has found herself with notable reviews from the likes of Charli XCX. The Licious The Daddy Remix of her new single “Brand New Bitch” is quite hot. I am definitely putting it in my sets. And the video is very interesting too. It feels like Lady GaGa meets Ursela. Hope you are downloading the video link at the top of this article.
I was really disappointed that there was only a lyric video available of our nineth track. Although I hate it when artists or producers rip off a hook or lyric from a popular song and rebrand it as a new one, I have to admit that “Temperature” by Matroda is FYRE! It’s a male vocal of a few lines from “You’re Making Me High” by Toni Braxton.
And getting back to some classic Hip Hop being remixed…up next is the Encore Boomye Remix of “What’s Your Fantasy” by Ludacris featuring Shawnna. I always that that there should have been a good Club mix of this song and now there is! I’m hoping to see a lot more of the Urban hits from the 90s and 2000s resurface.
Like for example, the Josh Stylez Gimme That Bounce Mashup of “It’s Goin Down” by Yung Joc and “Gimme That Bounce” by Mau P. The vibe was so good that I had to back of this mashup with the actual track. Can’t get enough of that “bounce”.
Our thirteenth selection is the Antoine Delvig Club Mix of “Drop That Low (When I Dip)” by Tujamo. I guess since it is getting warmer, I am hungry for some Club anthems to get the crowd going. This one and the Mason Flint Remix of “Lay Low” by Tiesto really have that arena sound for a Big Room.
Now, as we in North America are moving into another presidential election cycle for the U.S. I find it interesting that there’s a new Right-Wing strategy to takeover Pop Culture. It is the remixing of Country male artists. Duck Dynasty is off the air and FOX News has lost all their credibility (not that they had any to begin with) since the Dominion Lawsuit exposed what their TV hosts really thought about Joe Biden winning the 2020 election. So, what better way to get into Pop Radio and the minds of young voters than to take a good ol’ Country diddy and make it Club friendly. This is what I believe is happening in the music industry right now.
Our fifteenth track is the MOTI Remix of “Whiskey On Me” by Nate Smith. I kinda noticed that MOTI remixes were popping up a lot over the past year and they all seemed to be Country artists who strive to hit Billboard’s Pop charts. Now, I have to say that MOTI did a great job. But as the good ol’ boys in local politics in Republican states are taking women’s rights to choose away and banning drag shows I am just a little suspicious.
And our sixteenth remix is the Lavish Life Remix of “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen. So, the first time I ever heard of Morgan Wallen was back in 2020 when he got booted from performing on SNL after videos popped up on TikTok of him in a crowded bar with no face mask during the height of the COVID epidemic. Then in 2021 he got caught on video shouting the n-word while drunk after a party. Following the story coming out, he saw a 1,220 percent increase in digital album sales and a 327 percent increase in song sales. The MAGA Republicans are doing what they can to support all their racist allies.
Morgan said in an interview after the n-word incident that he hasn’t “really sat and thought about” whether Country music has a race problem. Of course, you haven’t fucker! You’re a white man in a white genre! You can’t see something that you don’t experience. And frankly the basic consensus of your fan base is that they don’t want to be reminded of what the real history of the United States is. But we as a society cannot move forward until we deal with the past. It’s time to take a good long hard look at what was done and how we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Like the Jade Elektra track, “Until We All” says “Until we all have rights, no one does”.
I almost didn’t include Mr. Morgan’s track in this set but I wanted to remind people to be mindful of what you are supporting and what side of history you are on.
In our last issue I apologized to Taylor Swift for doubting her alliance with the LGBT Community. I had reviewed the album version of “Lavender Haze”. But after including Morgan’s track in this set, I felt like I needed to cleanse my pallet with a Country artists that transitioned into a Pop star. So, I chose the Ray Rhodes Remix of “Lavender Haze” to get some good energy back into the vibe.
I don’t know if you know this or not, but The Weeknd is the most streamed artist and his songs from previous albums dart in and out of the charts. A good example is “Die For You” I’m not sure if it was included on a soundtrack recently or if he just decided to make it a duet with Ariana Grande (like he did with “Save Your Tears”) but this 2016 song is back in the Top Ten. I couldn’t find a remix of the duet version that I liked. But I did find the 2023 Dark Intensity Club Mix.
Up next for our nineteenth selection we have the Brett Brisbois Remix of “Brrr” by Kim Petras. I saw her perform this on Late Night with Seth Meyers and wasn’t impressed. The only thing I was glad to see was that she wasn’t singing about being a gold digger or about her tits. But when I heard Brett’s mix, I finally had something other than “Unholy” to play. Good production and not as much synths as he usually uses in his remixes.
Our last and final track in this month’s mix is the Danny Morris Remix of “River”. I listened to the original and hoped for a remix soon. Thank God Danny did it so quickly.
Now if only someone will go and remix those vocals from Miley’s 2017 duet with Dolly Parton for “Rainbowland”. The song has been banned from a Wisconsin school class concert because the school district says the lyrics “could be deemed controversial.”
Really? Is this where we are now in the U.S. You already have states screaming about Critical Race Theory being taught to elementary students (which it never was) and books being banned that mention slavery. Now you want to censor Dolly Parton? This woman donated a million dollars to help create the COVID vaccine! Are you fucking kidding me? The world is exhausting right now. I hope that you at least listened to the mix and read my words with an open mind and heart.
