Arts & Entertainment
‘Love Connection’ teaser with host Andy Cohen released
the game series premieres on May 25


(Screenshot via YouTube.)
FOX has released a first look at the “Love Connection” reboot with host Andy Cohen.
The dating antics have returned with Cohen helping singles find their match. Just like in the classic game show hosted by Chuck Woolery, contestants will get three chances to make a love connection.
While the show aims to bring people together, the preview shows there are plenty of mismatches before some contestants find the one.
āIt was perfect. He had it all going on. Then he started talking,” one woman tells Cohen of her date.
Cohen also offers plenty of his own advice to contestants telling one man he has dating problems because he’s been ādatingā his cat for the last three years.
“Love Connection” premieres May 25 on FOX.

Friday, April 4
āCenter Aging Friday Tea Timeā will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].Ā
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Community Social in the Cityā at 7 p.m. at P.F. Changās. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Saturday, April 5
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Community Brunchā at 11 a.m. at Freddieās Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including Allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space the strives to be safe and judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.Ā
āSpark Sapphic Socialā will be at 8 p.m. at Spark Social House. This weekly sapphic social is an opportunity to mix and mingle with other sapphics in DC’s newest LGBTQ+ bar. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Sunday, April 6
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Community Sunday Funday Social and Gamesā at 4 p.m. at Moxy. About 20 LGBTQ folk are expected. It’s free to attend. More details are available on Eventbrite.
āThe Chateau Drag Brunchā will be at 12 p.m. at Chicatana. This event will be hosted by Charlemagne Chateau. There will also be fabulous Mexican food and cocktails andĀ entertainment from a rotating cast of the DMV’s best drag performers. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Monday, April 7
āCenter Aging Monday Coffee & Conversationā will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].Ā
Tuesday, April 8
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans* people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. It also welcomes all who identify under the trans* umbrella or are unsure, and seek to continually reinforce our principles of respect, acceptance, and protection through ongoing input from our attendees. For more information, email [email protected].Ā
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the groupās Facebook.Ā
āGay Sip and Paintā will be at 7 p.m. at Green Lantern. To celebrate three years of these events, event organizers encourage guests to get in their sexiest fit and paint together! Thereāll be a live model, drinks, and all the supplies ready for a risque, creative time. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Wednesday, April 9
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking ā allowing participants to move away from being merely āapplicantsā toward being ācandidates.ā For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 10
The DC Centerās Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.Ā
Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Communityās website.

āThe Cost of Fearā
By Meg Stone
c.2025, Beacon Press
$26.95/232 pages
The footsteps fell behind you, keeping pace.
TheyĀ wereĀ loud as an airplane, a few decibelsĀ belowĀ the beat of your heart. Yes, someone was following you,Ā and you shouldnātĀ have letĀ itĀ happen.Ā Youāre no dummy. Youāre no wimp.Ā Read the new book,Ā āThe Cost of Fearā by Meg Stone,Ā and youāre no statistic. Ask around.

Query young women, older women, grandmothers, and teenagers. Ask gay men, lesbians, and trans individuals, and chances are that every one of them has a story of being scared of another person in a public place. Scared ā or worse.
Says author Meg Stone, nearly half of the women in a recent survey reported having āexperienced… unwanted sexual contactā of some sort. Almost a quarter of the men surveyed said the same. Nearly 30 percent of men in another survey admitted to having āperpetrated some form of sexual assault.ā
We focus on these statistics, says Stone, but we advise ineffectual safety measures.
āVictim blame is rampant,ā she says, and women and LGBTQ individuals are taught avoidance methods that may not work. If someoneās in the āearly stages of their careers,ā perpetrators may still hold all the cards through threats and career blackmail. Stone cites cases in which someone who was assaulted reported the crime, but police dropped the ball. Old tropes still exist and repeating or relying on them may be downright dangerous.
As a result of such ineffectiveness, fear keeps frightened individuals from normal activities, leaving the house, shopping, going out with friends for an evening.
So how can you stay safe?
Says Stone, learn how to fight back by using your whole body, not just your hands. Be willing to record whatās happening. Donāt abandon your activism, she says; in fact, join a group that helps give people tools to protect themselves. Learn the right way to stand up for someone whoās uncomfortable or endangered. Remember that you canāt be blamed for another personās bad behavior, and it shouldnāt mean you canāt react.
If you pick up āThe Cost of Fear,ā hoping to learn ways to protect yourself, there are two things to keep in mind.
First, though most of this book is written for women, it doesnāt take much of a leap to see how its advice could translate to any other world. Author Stone, in fact, includes people of all ages, genders, and all races in her case studies and lessons, and she clearly explains a bit of what she teaches in her classes. That width is helpful, and welcome.
Secondly, she asks readers to do something potentially controversial: she requests changes in sentencing laws for certain former and rehabilitated abusers, particularly for offenders who were teens when sentenced. Stone lays out her reasoning and begs for understanding; still, some readers may be resistant and some may be triggered.
Keep that in mind, and āThe Cost of Fearā is a great book for a young adult or anyone who needs to increase alertness, adopt careful practices, and stay safe. Take steps to have it soon.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
a&e features
Creator Max Mutchnick on inspirations for āMid-Century Modernā
Real-life friendships and loss inform plot of new Hulu show

Itās been a long time ā maybe 25 years when āWill & Graceā debuted ā since thereās been so much excitement about a new, queer sitcom premiering. āMid-Century Modern,ā which debuted on Hulu last week, is the creation of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the gay men who were also behind āWill & Grace.ā
Set in Palm Springs, Calif., following the death of the one of their closest friends, three gay men gather to mourn. Swept up in the emotions of the moment, Bunny (Nathan Lane) suggests that Atlanta-based flight attendant Jerry (Matt Bomer) and New York-based fashion editor Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) move into the mid-century modern home he shares with his mother Sybil (the late Linda Lavin). Over the course of the first seasonās 10 episodes, hilarity ensues. That is, except for the episode in which they address Sybilās passing. The three male leads are all fabulous, and the ensemble cast, including Pamela Adlon as Bunnyās sister Mindy, and the stellar line-up of guest stars, such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Richard Kind, and Cheri Oteri, keep humor buzzing. Shortly before the premiere of āMid-Century Modern,ā Mutchnick made time for an interview with the Blade.
BLADE: Iād like to begin by saying itās always a delight to speak to a fellow Emerson College alum. In ways would you say that Emerson impacted your professional and creative life?
MAX MUTCHNICK: I think Emerson was the first place that reflected back to me that my voice, my thoughts were good, and they were worth listening to. I developed a confidence at Emerson that did not exist in my body and soul. It was a collection of a lot of things that took place in Boston, but I mean we can just put it all under the Emerson umbrella.
BLADE: Before āWill & Grace,ā you co-created the NBC sitcom āBoston Common,ā which starred fellow Emerson alum Anthony Clark. Is it important for you to maintain those kinds of alumni relationships?
MUTCHNICK: Because Emersonians are such scrappy little monkeys and they end up being everywhere in the world, you can’t help but work with someone from Emerson at some point in your career. I’m certainly more inclined to engage with someone from Emerson once I learn that they went to my alma mater. For me, it has much more to do with history and loyalty. I don’t think of myself as one of those guys that says, āLoyalty means a lot to me. I’m someone that really leans into history.ā It’s just what my life and career turned out to be. The longer I worked with people and the more often I worked with them, the safer that I felt, which means that I was more creative and that’s the name of the game. I’ve got to be as comfortable as possible so I can be as creative as possible. If that means that a person from Emerson is in the room, so be it. (Costume designer) Lori Eskowitz would be the Emerson version. And then (writer and actor) Dan Bucatinsky would be another version. When I’m around them for a long time, that’s when the best stuff comes.
BLADE: Relationships are important. On that subject, your new Hulu sitcom āMid-Century Modernā is about the longstanding friendship among three friends, Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer), and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham). Do you have a friendship like the one shared by these three men?
MUTCHNICK: Iām absolutely engaged in a real version of what we’re projecting on the show. I have that in my life. I cannot say that I’m Jerry in any way, but the one thing that we do have in common is that in my group, I’m the young one. But I think that that’s very common in these families that we create. There’s usually a young one. Our culture is built on learning from our elders. I didn’t have a father growing up, so maybe that made me that much more inclined to seek out older, wiser, funnier, meaner friends. I mean the reason why you’re looking at a mouthful of straight, white teeth is because one of those old bitches sat across from me about 25 years ago at a diner and said, āGirl, your teeth are a disaster, and you need to get that fixed immediately.ā What did I know? I was just a kid from Chicago with two nickels in my pocket. But I found three nickels and I went and had new teeth put in my head. But that came from one of my dearest in the group.
BLADE: Do you think that calling āMid-Century Modernā a gay āGolden Girlsā is a fair description?
MUTCHNICK: No. I think the gay āGolden Girlsā was really just used as a tool to pitch the show quickly. We have an expression in town, which is āgive me the elevator pitch,ā because nobody has an attention span. The fastest way you can tell someone what David (Kohan) and I wanted to write, was to say, āIt’s gay Golden Girls.ā When you say that to somebody, then they say, āOK, sit down now, tell me more.ā We did that and then we started to dive into the show and realized pretty quickly that it’s not the gay āGolden Girls.ā No disrespect to the āGolden Girls.ā It’s a masterpiece.
BLADE: āMid-Century Modernā is set in Palm Springs. Iām based in Fort Lauderdale, a few blocks south of Wilton Manors, and I was wondering if that gay enclave was ever in consideration for the setting, or was it always going to be in Palm Springs?
MUTCHNICK: You just asked a really incredible question! Because, during COVID, Matt Bomer and I used to walk, because we live close by. We had a little walking group of a few gay gentlemen. On one of those walks, Matt proposed a comedy set in Wilton Manors. He said it would be great to title the show āWilton Manors.ā I will tell you that in the building blocks of what got us to āMid-Century Modern,ā Wilton Manors, and that suggestion from Matt Bomer on our COVID walks, was part of it.
BLADE: Is Sybil, played by the late Linda Lavin, modeled after a mother you know?
MUTCHNICK: Rhea Kohan (mother of David and Jenji). When we met with Linda for the first time over Zoom, when she was abroad, David and I explained to her that this was all based on Rhea Kohan. In fact, some of the lines that she (Sybil) speaks in the pilot are the words that Jenji Kohan spoke about her mother in her eulogy at the funeral because it really summed up what the character was all about. Yes, itās very much based on someone.
BLADE: The Donny Osmond jokes in the second episode of āMid-Century Modernā reminded me of the Barry Manilow āfanilowsā on āWill & Grace.ā Do you know if Donny is aware that heās featured in the show?
MUTCHNICK: I don’t. To tell you the truth, the āfanilowā episode was written when I was not on the show. I was on a forced hiatus, thanks to Jeff Zucker. That was a show that I was not part of. We don’t really work that way. The Donny Osmond thing came more from Mattās character being a Mormon, and also one of the writers. It’s very important to mention that the writing room at āMid-Century Modern,ā is (made up of) wonderful and diverse and colorful incredible humans ā one of them is an old, white, Irish guy named Don Roos who’s brilliantā¦
BLADE: ā¦he’s Dan Bucatinskyās husband.
MUTCHNICK: Right! Dan is also part of the writing room. But I believe it was Don who had a thing for Donny, and that’s where it comes from. I don’t know if Donny has any awareness. The only thing I care about when we turn in an episode like that is I just want to hear from legal that weāre approved.
BLADE: āMid-Century Modernā also includes opportunities for the singers in the cast. Linda Lavin sang the Jerome Kern/Ira Gershwin tune āLong Ago (And Far Away)ā and Nathan Lane and the guys sang āHe Had It Comingā from āChicago.ā Was it important to give them the chance to exercise those muscles?
MUTCHNICK: I don’t think it was. I think it really is just the managersā choice. David Kohan and I like that kind of stuff, so we write that kind of stuff. But by no means was there an edict to write that. We know what our cast is capable of, and we will absolutely exploit that if we’re lucky enough to have a second season. I have a funky relationship with the song āLong Ago (And Far Away).ā It doesn’t float my boat, but everybody else loved it. We run a meritocracy, and the best idea will out. Thatās how that song ended up being in the show. I far prefer the recording of Linda singing āIāll Be Seeing Youā over her montage in episode eight, āHereās To You, Mrs. Schneiderman.ā We were just lucky that Linda had recorded that. That recording was something that she had done and sent to somebody during COVID because she was held up in her apartment. That’s what motivated her to make that video and send it. Thatās how we were able to use that audio.
BLADE: Being on a streaming service like Hulu allows for characters to say things they might not get away with on network TV, including a foreskin joke, as well as Sybilās propensity for cursing.
MUTCHNICK: And the third line in the show is about him looking like a āreluctant bottom.ā I don’t think that’s something you’re going to see on ABC anytime soon. David and I liked the opportunity to open up the language of this show because it might possibly open the door to bringing peopleā¦I’m going to mix metaphorsā¦into the tent that have never been there before. A generation that writes off a sitcom because that language and that type of comedy isn’t the way that they sound. One of the gifts of doing this show on Hulu is that we get to write dialogue that sounds a little bit more like you and I sound. As always, we don’t want to do anything just to do it.
BLADE: It didn’t feel that way.
MUTCHNICK: It’s there when it’s right. [Laughs] I want to have a shirt made with Lindaās line, as her mother always used to say, āTime is a cunt.ā
BLADE: āMid-Century Modernā also utilizes a lot of Jewish humor. How important is it for you to include that at this time when there is a measurable rise in anti-Semitism?
MUTCHNICK: I think it’s important, but I don’t think it’s the reason why we did it. We tried very hard to not write from a place of teaching or preaching. We really are just writing about the stuff that makes us laugh. One of the things that makes something better and something that you can invest in is if it’s more specific. We’re creating a character whose name is Bunny Schneiderman and his mother’s name is Sybil and they made their money in a family-run business, it gets Jewy, and we’re not going to shy away from it. But we’re definitely not going to address what’s going on in the world. That doesn’t mean I don’t find it very upsetting, but I’m writing always from the point of view of entertaining the largest number of people that I can every week.
BLADE: āMid-Century Modernā has a fantastic roster of guest stars including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Billie Lourd, Cheri Oteri, Richard Kind, Rhea Perlman, and Judd Hirsch. Are there plans to continue that in future seasons?
MUTCHNICK: Yes. As I keep saying, if we’re so lucky that we get to continue, I don’t want to do āThe Love Boat.ā Those are fine comic actors, so I don’t think it feels like that. But if we get to keep going, what I want to do is broaden the world because that gives us more to write about. I want to start to introduce characters that are auxiliary to the individuals. I want to start to meet Arthur’s family, so we can return to people. I want to introduce other neighbors, and different types of gay men because we come in so many different flavors. I think that we should do that only because I’m sure itās what your life is and it’s what my life is. I’ve got a lot of different types. So, yes, we will be doing more.
BLADE: Finally, Linda Lavin passed away in December 2024, and in a later episode, the subject of her character Sybilās passing is handled sensitively, including the humorous parts.
MUTCHNICK: We knew we had a tall order. We suffered an incredible loss in the middle of making this comedy. One of the reasons why I think this show works is because we are surrounded by a lot of really talented people. Jim Burrows and Ryan Murphy, to name two. Ryan played a very big role in telling us that it was important that we address this, that we address it immediately. That we show the world and the show goes on. That wasn’t my instinct because I was so inside the grief of losing a friend, because she really was. It wasn’t like one of those showbizzy-type relationships. And this is who she was, by the way, to everybody at the show. It was the way that we decided to go. Let’s write this now. Let’s not put this at the end of the season. Let’s not satellite her in. Letās not āDarren Stevensā the character, which is something we would never do. The other thing that Jim Burrows made very clear to us was the import of the comedy. You have to write something that starts exactly in the place that these shows start. A set comedy piece that takes place in the kitchen. Because for David and me, as writers, we said we just want to tell the truth. That’s what we want to do with this episode and that’s the way that this will probably go best for us. The way that we’ve dealt with grief in our lives is with humor. That is the way that we framed writing this episode. We wanted it to be a chapter from our lives, and how we experience this loss and how we recover and move on.
-
Movies2 days ago
Sexy small town secrets surface in twisty French āMisericordiaā
-
Federal Government3 days ago
Mass HHS layoffs include HIV/AIDS prevention, policy teams
-
Maryland4 days ago
At transgender visibility celebration, Moore called out for lack of action
-
Arts & Entertainment4 days ago
āThink of those who have not been seen,’ Cynthia Erivoās powerful message at GLAAD Awards