The Broccoli Blog

It's Almost Good for You

Kevin Broccoli

Kevin Broccoli
Location
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Birthday
July 19
Bio
Thoughts, musings, ramblings, and occasional insight from the outside.

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Salon.com
MARCH 26, 2013 1:18PM

The Facebook Fishbowl

Today I'm thrilled to see so many people with red Facebook pictures demonstrating their belief in marriage equality.

Seeing all that red would normally make me start to believe that this is an indication of a changing tide.  In all actuality though, it might just mean that everyone I… Read full post »

This seems to happen to me all the time.

I post what I perceive to be an adorable little status that I'm super proud of--the same way a third grader might be proud when he makes his first q-tip snowscape.

The status either contains a wittyRead full post »

JANUARY 4, 2013 2:31PM

Sobriety Tests Can Be Fun!

I don't really drink, and by "don't really" I mean I never drink.

Ever.

And when you don't drink, people try pressuring you into drinking.

For years, I looked for that glowing moment when something would happen to show me that not drinking all these years has been a good… Read full post »

JANUARY 3, 2013 10:20AM

Sobriety Tests Can Be Fun!

I don't really drink, and by "don't really" I mean I never drink.

Ever.

And when you don't drink, people try pressuring you into drinking.

For years, I looked for that glowing moment when something would happen to show me that not drinking all these years has been a good… Read full post »

JANUARY 3, 2013 3:11AM

The Jekyll and Hyde Drinking Game

If you happen to see the production of Jekyll and Hyde that's currently playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center, you should consider playing the following drinking game.  Most of these rules, however, should work with whichever of the eighteen versions of the show you may see./… Read full post »
FEBRUARY 14, 2012 4:56PM

Attention is the New Currency

Last week seemed to feature a victory over ignorance, when JCPenny refused to fire Ellen Degeneres as their spokesperson because a group called One Million Moms threatened to boycott JCPenny because Ellen is an out-and-proud lesbian.

People were outraged. Apparently, there are a lot of homosexual… Read full post »

FEBRUARY 2, 2012 2:34PM

Can You Choose to Be Gay?

Cynthia Nixon recently got everybody in an uproar when she announced that she has chosen to be gay.

In other words, she's been with men and when she was with them, she was straight, and now she's with a woman, and she's gay.

I tried to find out if Anne Heche… Read full post »

JANUARY 30, 2012 3:48PM

Gays, "Comfort," and Theater

Right now, I'm in a play with naked men.

I should rephrase that.

I'm in a play that features nudity (not my own) and a bunch of guys showering.

Homosexuality also plays a part in the script, but it's not directly connected to the nudity.

These are two things you need… Read full post »

JANUARY 27, 2012 4:05PM

"Nice" and "Polite"

I often run into this situation with strangers--mostly in a professional context.

I'm polite.
The other person says or does something stupid.
I'm no longer polite.

People are always surprised when they're rude only to find that I'm going to be rude right back.

Usually their response is--

"You're not… Read full post »

JANUARY 26, 2012 2:47PM

The Atheist Doesn't Mind

Recently, a prayer banner was taken down at a local high school in the state where I live. The girl who wanted it removed is an atheist, and invoked separation of church and state. Obviously this set a lot of people off. Rhode Island is… Read full post »

JANUARY 24, 2012 1:47PM

Thoughts on the Oscars

Today's the day!

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced, and this is one of the most surprising ballots in recent memory.

Let's start from the top:

Best Supporting Actor

The big shocker here is Nick Nolte. He gave a great performance in a movie, but that movie… Read full post »

JANUARY 23, 2012 1:24PM

Masc/Fem

Nothing sets me off faster than hearing a gay guy say the following:

"I'm just into masculine guys. If I wanted to date girls, I would."

This usually tells me one of the following things about the speaker:

1) They've been out of the closet for less than five… Read full post »

JANUARY 20, 2012 12:55PM

How the Globes Are Different

This is the time of year when we all revel in the Golden Globes fall-out.

"Meryl beat Viola?! Kelsey Grammar won for Lead Actor in a Drama?! Why was Madonna there?!"

It always surprises me that people forget the one Golden Rule of the Golden Globes:

It's all about goodRead full post »

JANUARY 19, 2012 12:02PM

On "Shame" and Piracy

I wanted to write something about SOPA/PIPA, but it seemed like it could turn into this epic essay on artistic property and politics and censorship, and frankly, I don't have the strength to write something that massive, so instead, I just want to confess to taking advantage of… Read full post »

JANUARY 17, 2012 1:30PM

Onlooker Traffic

I've done it.

Wait, hold your applause. Let me tell you what I've done first.

I have come up with a solution for one of society's biggest nuisances.

No, I'm not talking about salad forks, although goodness knows I wish I were.

I'm talking about--

Onlooker Traffic

How frustrated do… Read full post »

The following is a semi-factual conversation that may or may not have happened between myself and a guy I had a relationship/fling/thing with at some point.

Let's join this paraphrased, quasi-real conversation already in progress.

ME: ...So you slept with the guy?

MAN: Yeah.

ME: Um,… Read full post »

JANUARY 12, 2012 10:51AM

Lunch with the Boys: Making the Call

I was having my first lunch of 2012 with the boys, and, as usual, Scooter was telling us about some guy whose soul he had just destroyed.

SCOOTER: So then we spent all night together and I told him how much I liked him.

Wait for it.

SCOOTER:… Read full post »

I've been a Democrat my entire life. Whereas some people might weigh their beliefs and come to a decision about which party they feel best exemplifies those beliefs, I was simply drawn to the Democratic party like a thirsty rhino to a watering hole.

Yes, I've wavered… Read full post »

NOVEMBER 2, 2011 4:03AM

Writing on Afghanistan

In the introduction to the latest volume in the Best American Short Stories series, guest editor Geraldine Brooks, author of the National Book Award-winning novel March, makes an interesting point about the stories she read as she was trying to select the ones that would ultimately end up in the book… Read full post »
MAY 19, 2011 1:12PM

The Return of James Frey

As Oprah Winfrey counts down to her final show, she's been settling old scores with the likes of Jonathan Franzen, former talk show hosts, and other notable guests.

Only one of these memorable people, however, gets a two-episode spread:

That distinction (honor? not so much) goes to James Frey,… Read full post »

Editor’s Pick
MAY 2, 2011 4:05AM

The Death of Osama Bin Laden: Emotional Confusion

It's now become a fact of life that when a major news event happens, you can stroll through public opinion simply by scrolling down on your Facebook feed.

As I saw my friends react to the Osama Bin Laden's death, it seemed more and more that the overall feeling was… Read full post »
Editor’s Pick
APRIL 29, 2011 1:31PM

Mortifying Disclosures: I Love Soap Operas

My heart sank when I heard the news.

ABC had dropped the axe after years of declining ratings, and was going to cancel the long-running soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live.

To the surprise of everyone, including myself, I was devastated.

It was like finding out an… Read full post »

APRIL 28, 2011 12:35PM

Simon Cowell Attacks "The Voice"

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly regarding his new show, an American version of the British hit The X-Factor, Simon Cowell commented on the newest hit talent show The Voice on NBC.

He said that it was silly to do a show that prized talent over appearance since the music… Read full post »

Thank goodness for Veronica Mars.

And thank you Netflix for bringing her to me.

In many ways, she saved my soul.

I had just been through a terrible break-up, and was back living at my mother's house. Break-ups are never a fun experience, but when they end with… Read full post »

APRIL 25, 2011 1:47PM

Why I'm Giving Up on "The Killing"

It happened last night.

I was twenty minutes into "The Killing" and I found myself checking the clock on the television for the fifth time to see if it was anywhere near done.

That's when I admitted to myself that I don't like this show.

I've been force-feeding it… Read full post »