Hot, Fresh Diva Dish 4/12/14

From the Billboard Dance/Club chart dated for April 19, noteworthy divas include Cyndi Lauper high and mighty at #2 with "Time After Time." In 1984, the song was a #1 Top 100 hit at Billboard. Congratulations on a rare feat well done.

A new cover version of the popular house hit, "Shiny Disco Balls," performed by Scotty B featuring the vocals of Sue Cho, perches on third place while mixes of Mariah Carey's "You're Mine (Eternal)" raise that song up to a diva-driven and dancey #6. Kylie Minogue's "Into the Blue," which peaked in first place, now rests comfy at #7 on its gradual descent.

There was a lot of of focus on our divas of t.v. this week, what with Barbara Walters announcing retirement from The View and Star Trek's Kate Mulgrew proclaiming the positively debunked Aristotelian theory that the sun revolves around the Earth.

As for Ms Walters, E! Online reported: Her last day co-hosting The View will be May 16, ABC announced Monday. To celebrate Walters' long list of achievements, the network will air a two-hour special highlighting her life and career that night.

Walters, who co-created created the morning talk show with Bill Geddie in August 1997, will continue to executive produce The View. The 84-year-old will continue to contribute to ABC News on occasion.

Kate Mulgrew is apparently in a stew! It was reported that none other than Star Trek's Cpt. Janeway was narrating a wack-a-doodle science-denier movie giving support to a "theory" (really now more of a fantasy) that it's the sun the revolves around the Earth, which is the center of the universe. No doubt, it's also flat. The flick, The Principle, is backed by anti-Semitic, far-right wingnut, Robert Sungenis. Holy Galileo!

"I was a voice for hire and an uninformed one," Mulgrew told the press. 

The Star Trek diva, who should know something about the universe, wrote on Facebook:
"I understand there has been some controversy about my participation in a documentary called THE PRINCIPLE. Let me assure everyone that I completely agree with the eminent physicist Lawrence Krauss, who was himself misrepresented in the film, and who has written a succinct rebuttal in SLATE. I am not a geocentrist, nor am I in any way a proponent of geocentrism. More importantly, I do not subscribe to anything Robert Sungenis has written regarding science and history and, had I known of his involvement, would most certainly have avoided this documentary."

Will there be a lawsuit revolving around this film, mayhaps?

Bimbo Jones' I Found Out, featuring the fabulous vocals of Beverley Knight, is a funky nouveau-disco track with various mixes available and dj-only promo tracks rumored to be coming from Sobel Nation, keeping this popular on the dancefloors throughout the spring and maybe even through Pride.

Until next week's diva dish, I wish all you divas out there a happy and healthy progress around the sun. Below, the original Bimbo Jones mix of I Found Out:

Ricky Martin Made It Cool to Come Out

Peek-a-boo!

Suddenly, the idea that coming out of the closet means death to a celebrity's career has been challenged. Do you hear that, Travolta and Cruise?

Anderson Cooper just came out. His show on CNN, 360, might even get a bounce from it. Not to be upstaged, Frank Ocean came out. That hip-hop homo may see a career boost, as I'm sure his manager already counted on. The old stigma against being gay -- or, at least, openly so -- just doesn't seem to hold in our modern age.

Martin, who had been dogged by gay rumors before coming out in 2010, pretty much appears to be the trendsetter. Of course, perhaps the person we really have to thank is Barbara Walters, whose infamous 2000 interview with Ricky turned awkward once the anything-for-a-good-cry-and-a-scoop Missy W tried to out the singing superstar.

In 2010, prior to Martin's coming out, yenta-for-pay Barbara told The Toronto Star, "I pushed him very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was. A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question."

The out-&-proud Ricky went on The View in 2010 to assure Walters he harbored no resentment. But, hell, her interview single-handedly sent his then-meteoric career into the toilet bowl for a time! He even got blowsy looking and (gasp!) put on weight! And then he came out -- and came back -- with a vengeance!

Gay daddy

Martin -- or, at least, his agent -- made gay pay. And this is the blueprint that people like Anderson Cooper had to work with. Anderson should send Ricky a "thank you" note, as far as I'm concerned.

Ricky was on the cover of The Advocate, interviewed with his family in Vanity Fair (appearing on the cover of the magazine's Spanish version), and saw his autobiography, Me, become a New York Times best-seller (debuting at number five on the Hardcover Nonfiction list). A Spanish-language edition entitled Yo was published simultaneously, also a huge hit.

Martin premiered his "Ricky's Lip Conditioner" lip balm in April 2012 as part of the M.A.C Cosmetics "Ricky and Nicki for Viva Glam" campaign. The advertisements paired him with rapper Minaj. A gigantic ad prominently went up in Times Square. Mmm, Ricky's Lip Conditioner. Now that's a beautiful thought! Ricky also hit Broadway in a broad way when he assayed the role of Che Quevera in the revival of the musical, Evita!

Ricky's 2011 album soared to #3 on the US Billboard chart (#1 US Billboard Latin chart). "Freak of Nature" was a huge hit at clubs last summer and Ricky's gay fans -- old and newly found -- were on board with that one.

So Senor Martin is a trailblazer. Closeted celebs take note. You, too, can become a beloved gay icon! Of his deer-in-the-headlights response to the Barbara Walters interview, Ricky now says:

They would say to me, ‘If you have a girlfriend, don’t say so, because your fans are going to be disappointed.’ Imagine if it had been a boyfriend! This is the mentality I grew up with. I was onstage with Menudo since I was 12 years old. To us, the most successful one was the guy with the most fans. If you moved your hips and the girls screamed, you were getting it right. Who wouldn’t want to be like Elvis or Jim Morrison!

Like Garland or, better yet, Mr. Jackson, Ricky Martin was a child star. Unlike Michael, Martin has always stayed very grounded. But, Ricky, I have a feeling we're not in Menudo any more! Just keep those hips shakin' till they need to be replaced, bebe! You're so over that rainbow!

Check out Ralphi Rosario's remix of "Freak of Nature" and take a dance on the wild side: