Ricky Martin has upset Wanda Rolon

It would be wrong to assume that Wanda Rolon speaks for anyone besides herself and her First Christian Church of La Senada Antigua, but her tiresome rantings about Ricky Martin aren't reflecting that greatly on Puerto Rico:

“This weekend Puerto Rico will receive a man who God rescued from hell,” Rolon wrote, referring to evangelist Nicky Cruz. “On the other hand, there is another one who wants to take people to hell! RM is its ambassador.”

When people pointed out that this was a bit - well, very - hateful, the post vanished to be replaced by one of those not-actually-sorry "explanations":

Rolon deleted the post and denied claims she was homophobic in a second post: “I never promoted hatred, but the love of Christ. ... God calls us as only man and woman because it was how He created us.”

Yeah, how on earth would anyone think saying someone was "wanting to take people to hell" was promoting hatred, eh?

Wanda had another go at explaining herself:

In an interview with Primera Hora, Rolon, a self-appointed apostle, chided Martin for being open about his sexuality, saying she worried that children will think being gay is okay.

“They continue being sons, brothers and cousins. They have always existed, but glorifying this behavior no. I do not glorify a drug addict, an alcoholic,” she said.

Right. Let's just let the whole 'comparing gay love to drug addiction' thing for now, shall we, and just wonder who was asking her to glorify anything? Couldn't she just, you know, not worry about it at all? I'm sure gay people would be happy not to seek her glorification in return for her setting aside her vilification. Deal?

Ricky Martin comes out... apparently

Ten years after Barbara Walters asked, Ricky Martin has finally answered:

According to the Associated Press, Ricky Martin, who's 38, decided he didn't want to keep any secrets in the closet. But what closet? Frankly this blogger was surprised to learn Ricky Martin was straight.

If Martin's coming out was late in timing, it was dull as hell in form. It was almost as if he hoped he could bore people away from the announcement before he got to the announcement:

A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And thisis something worth celebrating.

For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that's the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It's my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don't ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I'm at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I'm feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share.

Many people told me: "Ricky it's not important", "it's not worth it", "all the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse", "many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature". Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth. Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.

If someone asked me today, "Ricky, what are you afraid of?" I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war...child slavery, terrorism...the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith." But fear of my truth? Not at all! On the contrary, It fills me with strength and courage. This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment.

These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed.

What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment. The word "happiness" takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.

"Righto, Mr. Martin. So I'm putting down as 'man looking for men', then."

It's great that Martin has decided to come out, but there's always something a little queasy about a man pushing his was to the front of the Gay Pride floats after he's spent the last two decades firmly at the head of the "Heh! That's a personal question - let's just say I'm sexual and mention that I have so many female fans" Pride march.

Barbara Walters: "Ricky Martin should have been protected by don't ask, don't tell"

You can feel sympathy for Barbara Walters. If you were forced to try and find something worthwhile to ask Ricky Martin, you'd be hard put to come up with anything other than "so, cock's nice, innit?"

Ten years on, though, and Babs is finding her interview gnawing away at her:

"In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was," Walters said. "A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question."

Yes, that's right. It was how Ricky Martin answered one of your questions that made people wonder if he might find men sexually attractive. Up until that moment, the thought had never flitted across anyone's mind.

Equally right is the suggestion that a stuttery answer to a nosey question killed his career. The lack of having very much in the way of musical talent really didn't factor in at all. "I'd buy the sixteenth lukewarm rehash of La Vida Loca, but since he didn't give Barbara Walters a straight answer I think 'll pass."

Gordon in the morning: If you have sides, prepare to split them now

Believe it or not, in the print edition of Bizarre this morning, this is the lead:

OASIS have had a few insults hurled their way over the years but CRISTIANO RONALDO has delivered the best one yet.

The ex Manchester Utd ace, an unpopular lad in the sky-blue half of the city, reckons the band aren't a patch on Latino pop singer RICKY MARTIN.

The lead story. In a newspaper's flagship column. A newspaper which people pay money for.

Okay, it's a faintly amusing thing to say, if you're still interested in an overpaid footballer and an over-rated musician having a long-distance dryhump in the newspapers.

But for Gordon? It's like the Punch Lunch has been arranged for the Algonquin:

I have nothing but respect for Ronaldo for playing ball by chipping in yet again with a put-down Mr Big would have been proud of.

To be fair "I bet Noel Gallagher wishes he'd said that" is hardly overselling a joke, I suppose.

I can't wait for James Murdoch's pay wall. Imagine: we get all this, and we get to throw coins, too.

Gordon in the morning: On me 'ead, son

There is one, undeniable truth in life, learned young, when pinching your brother's issues of Shoot and checking out the Focus On... column: footballers have rubbish taste in music.

Oh, sure: there are exceptions - Pat Nevin and... well, Pat Nevin. But, generally, most professional footballers' entire music taste could be catered for by the CD racks in a tolerably well-stocked branch of Asda.

This is known; and it has been known since the dawn of recorded time. Or at least since the introduction of the minimum wage.

It turns out, though, that it's news to Gordon Smart:

CRISTIANO RONALDO deserves a straight red card for some of the howlers in his CD collection.

What's he got, Gordon? Renee and Renato? Nothing but Stars On 45? George Sampson's record? (Okay, that last one is just ridiculous. Nobody bought that one.)

The Man United ace has all RICKY MARTIN’s albums and admits his top track by the Latin hip-swiveller is cheesy No1 single Livin’ La Vida Loca.

It's hardly that bad. For a footballer. Is it?

Ron says: “Ricky’s tunes are very catchy. Livin’ La Vida Loca is his most catchy by far and it is my most favourite.”

What a winker.

On the other hand, Gordon: You think Kasabian are brilliant. People who live in glass houses, with Kasabian on the CD player, shouldn't... well, they just shouldn't.

Elsewhere, here's Gordon's coverage (about three weeks after it was actually news) of the Beth Ditto doll:

BETH DITTO is more sumo wrestler than delicate Barbie.

But High Street store Evans have created a slimmed-down doll of THE GOSSIP singer to mark the launch of her plus-sized clothes range.

The image of her blubbery belly squeezed into a pair of Spanx at Radio 1’s Big Weekend is burned on my memory.

But the plastic version is altogether more pleasant.

Gordon Smart prefers unnatural doll to a real woman. Again, not exactly something you'd hold the front page for.

Ricky Martin changes his colors

One of the big supporters of George Bush is now hoping we'll forget all that, as Ricky Martin throws his weight behind Hillary Clinton:

"These elections will have historic repercussions both in the United States and the world. Senator Clinton has always been consistent in her commitment with the needs of the Latino community," Martin said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign. The former First Lady stated in a press release she feels "honored to have Ricky Martin's support. He is a very important voice in the Latino community and together we will work to improve the lives of families and children across the country."

It might be unfair to suggest that Martin's sudden discovery of what a lot of good work the Democrats do is down to a sniffing of a change in the political wind. Let's just hope people don't keep mentioning that Martin played Bush's inauguration.

Shakira and Beckham take on Chavez

The cancellation of a gig by Alejandro Sanz, after he'd criticised Hugo Chavez, was meant to have been a quiet cancellation. Not now, unfortunately, as celebrities have got involved. Shakira, David Beckham and "music's Ricky Martin" have signed a letter calling on the singer to not be silenced.

Actually, though, he hasn't really been silenced - he's just been refused permission to play at a state-owned stadium. It's not acceptable that the government should cancel the date because Sanz called for a referendum on recalling Chavez from the presidency, but from the reports we've seen, he's not being banned from performing, only from performing at a venue underwritten by the state he disapproves of. It's not so much a question of censorship as whether Chavez is using state property as if he was a media company CEO.

The sudden media interest in a gig in Valenzuela was, of course, in no way an attempt to move the news agenda on from the awkward resignation of Spielberg from the Olympics.

Monkeys put a little oompah-loompah in their step

While it is, of course, interesting that while making their new album the Arctic Monkeys listend to Ricky Martin doing songs about Willy Wonka, we're not entirely sure this justifies the claim that Martin has been an "influence" on the record.

There's a bit of a distance between hearing something, and taking the thing you've heard on board and incorporating themes and motifs into your work. If simply coming into contact with something automatically influenced you, architects would have the perfect excuse for leaving their boyfriends to do the shopping: "I'm sorry, honey, but if I catch site of the Tescos building it's automatically going to influence the work I'm doing on the Scottish Parliament building..."

Ricky Martin asks you to show your hand

We're not entirely sure why he suddenly woke up and issued the statement - what the context was or, indeed, if there was any context at all - but Ricky Martin wants gays to come out:

The singer, who has often been the subject of gossip linked to his sexuality, has applauded Mexican pin-up CHRISTIAN CHAVEZ for 'coming out of the closet' recently - and insists all gay stars should feel good about telling fans the truth.

He says, "Life is too short to live closed up, guarding what you say."

Unless, of course, you live in a nation where homophobia is rife and hate murder commonplace, in which case life is too short unless you live closed up, guarding what you say.