Category Archives: Dazzler of the Day

Dazzler of the Day: Michael Breyette (One More Time)

Only the very exceptional artists and creators manage to be named Dazzler of the Day twice in one year (see his first crowning here), but as we are gearing up for the holiday season, I look to Michael Breyette to provide beauty and whimsy and the entertaining scenarios that make the holidays ho-ho-hot. He often makes a seasonal splash with his work, and this year’s Hallowe’en work is no exception (entitled Dr. Strangeglove, you must see it for yourself here). 

His website is a glorious repository for his work, and it offers behind-the-scenes explanations of his art and its progress – a fascinating peek into the life of a working artist. Too many people, artists especially, don’t get appreciated or honored as much as they deserve in their lifetime – may this little Dazzler go some way toward recognizing the beauty and wonder that Breyette consistently gives to the world. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Kenneth M. Walsh

Blogging is a lost art, particularly those blogs that post every day (ahem). Kenneth M. Walsh has been maintaining his magical website ‘Kenneth in the (212)’ since 2005, and it’s one of my daily visits because he offers the perfect alchemy of 80’s nostalgia and appreciation coupled with gratuitous eye-candy and other arresting sights. His memoir, ‘Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?’ is an engaging and poignant work of art – check it out here. He earns his first Dazzler of the Day for continuing to be a pretty piece of the increasingly-insufferable online world. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Florence Pugh

Currently leading the #1 movie in the country, ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, Florence Pugh has somehow risen above the backstage drama and rumors swirling behind that whole ordeal and turned it into an unqualified success. I’ve been a fan ever since seeing her in the ‘Black Widow’ Marvel movie, and if I end up checking out ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ it will also be because of her. She earns her first Dazzler of the Day feature for being so dazzling on-screen. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Nick Jonas

While this website won’t pit brother against brother just yet (I’ll do that in my own memories, thank you very much) this is the very first Dazzler of the Day that one of the Jonas brothers has earned, and that honor goes to Nick Jonas. I’m sure I’ll get around to granting each of them a spin around these dazzling parts, as I did with the now-defunct Hunk of the Day outings, so for now it’s Nick’s turn in the spotlight. See previous posts of him here, here and here for all the justification required to make him a Dazzler. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Dan Reynolds

Lead singer for Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds is the thinking person’s Adam Levine, only better. Way better. Not that it’s good to compare (comparison is the thief of joy) but Reynolds and his work with Imaginary Dragons have been a dominant force in music for the past decade. Even better is his effort in bringing the LOVELOUD music festival to fruition, which was created to help raise funds for the fight against teen suicide and in support of LGBTQ youth. A man who makes good music, and a man with a good heart, is a worthy pick as Dazzler of the Day.

 

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Dazzler of the Day: Theo Ford

Sailing on with our shirtless Sunday shenanigans, this Dazzler of the Day is none other than actor, designer and writer Theo Ford. He’s a social media sensation thanks to his robust collection of Twitter and Instagram followers, and content that highlights his piercing blue eyes. He’s traveled the world, sharing sensational photos of his adventures, and taking us all along on his spectacular journey. (He’s also Dad to a darling dog named Apollo, who has their own Instagram here.)

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Dazzler of the Day: Ronen Rubinstein, Again

When one of your Instagram posts gets flagged and removed for nudity, I know you’re one of my tribe. That was more than enough for Ronen Rubinstein to get his second Dazzler of the Day, thanks to the nude sauna pic you see below. (His first crowning can be seen here.) Of course, Rubinstein was already on my radar for being so dazzling in so many other realms, such as his environmental activism, and the fact that he’s been acting, directing, producing and writing since he was a teenager. Check out his other work in ‘American Horror Stories’, ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’, ‘Orange is the New Black‘ and ‘Dead of Summer’. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Matthew Rettenmund

The world’s pre-eminent source of Madonna knowledge and wisdom, Matthew Rettenmund is releasing an updated edition of his epic ‘Encyclopedia Madonnica’ and for that reason, among many more, he is our Dazzler of the Day (a long overdue honor). My adoration for Matthew goes back almost as far back as my love for Madonna, and so intertwined are they in my fan/stan mind, any time he does something related to her gives me a genuine thrill. (The Madonna entries on his BoyCulture website are often his strongest, and definitely some of my favorites.) 

The last update he did on Madonna was a bodacious exercise in inspiration – and the results were an art book second only perhaps to a certain tome named ‘Sex’. While I won’t be promoting the new version with my ass like I did last time, here’s the info on the brilliant revision direct from the author himself:

“Encyclopedia Madonnica” by Matthew Rettenmund
Cover design: Anthony Coombs
Cover image: © Andrew Caulfield / AUGUST / augustimage.com — 1984 “Borderline” video “Gloss” session — UNSEEN UNTIL THIS MOMENT
Inside: 674 pp, updated entry-by-entry through 9/1/22, includes new interviews (Liz Rosenberg’s first Madonna-centric Q&A in 30 years, Susan Seidelman with screen grabs from “Desperately Seeking Susan” auditions, many more)
Retail: $90 — up on Amazon now.

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Dazzler of the Day: Maya Penn

When you start your company at the age of eight, you’ve already accomplished more than most of us ever will, and such is the reason why Dazzler of the Day is likely the very smallest honor that will mark Maya Penn’s already-illustrious career. An artist, animator, entrepreneur, environmentalist, philanthropist, and the CEO of ‘Maya’s Ideas’, Penn has also given three TED talks. Check out her enchanting website here, and witness the crux of stylish sustainability and compelling inspiration. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Rosie Freakin’ O’Donnell

Currently ensconced in a social media renaissance thanks to her frank, funny, and often-enlightening Tik Tok posts, Rosie O’Donnell is one of those trailblazing entertainers who have managed to make a lifelong career in an industry that churns out and chews up even the most talented luminaries. She’s conquered television, Broadway, film, and talk shows with very few flops or foibles. She’s still a riveting on-screen presence, and her acting has never quite gotten the accolades it deserves – witness her current no-nonsense turn on the reboot series of ‘American Gigolo’. That said, it is when O’Donnell is just being her unabashed self that she truly shines. Follow her on Twitter or Tok Tok to see her in all her freaking hilarity. This marks her debut as Dazzler of the Day, yet another jewel in her luminescent crown. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Ron Zacchi

Charismatic, gregarious, and commanding on any microphone, Ron Zacchi knows how to get an agenda done while working through it with charm and seemingly-effortless panache. He currently serves as the Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for Governor Kathy Hochul at the NYS Executive Chamber, where he oversees the state’s LGBTQ+ efforts, and if you’ve been to any of the state’s Pride events this past summer you may have seen him working the mainstage. Prior to his position at the Chamber, he was the Director of External Affairs at the NYS Division of Human Rights. His impressive resume includes his role as Executive Director of Marriage Equality New York, where he played a pivotal role in bringing about the Marriage Equality Act. Since that time, Zacchi has worked on every major piece of LGBTQ+ legislation that has passed in New York State. Earlier this year he was named as part of the City and State NY 2022 Power of Diversity: Pride 100. Tomorrow he will help helm the Fall 2022 LGBTQIA+ Convening in Albany, which will present sessions on LGBTQ+ health and community issues. For now, he earns his first Dazzler of the Day thanks to an accomplished career of social advocacy and serving the state of New York to continually effect positive change. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Kathy Hochul

All my life I’ve been proud to be a New Yorker. Being born in this great state, where so many history-making moments have happened, and continue to happen, lends one a distinction that is recognized throughout the world. With that proud distinction also comes a certain degree of responsibility, especially for those heading up the governmental workings of such a wondrously-varied state. Expertly taking the helm of New York at a time when the world seems at odds with itself, Governor Kathy Hochul has made her own history, becoming the very first female governor our state has known.

I remember watching her speak at a Veterans event several years ago when she was Lieutenant Governor, and her relatable and compassionate words illustrated an understanding of what New York was, and could be. From her background in Western New York, to her legal work in Washington, DC, she has integral experience in how things work on both the hometown and federal level, and that kind of keen understanding is necessary to keep our state moving forward. This Dazzler of the Day honors Hochul for her career of service to our great state, and our country. 

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Dazzler of the Day: Kelly Clarkson

Once upon a time Kelly Clarkson was a little too perky and happy for me. I think it was around the time she won the very first season of ‘American Idol’ – but that was my own jaded refusal to simply enjoy anyone having a good time. These days, her infectious spirit and spunk is precisely what the world needs, which may account for the wildly successful results of her talk show, ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’. I didn’t need to watch to know how well she relates to the viewer, and I always knew she could cover songs, sometimes in a finer fashion than their originators (see Kellyoke). Today she earns her first Dazzler of the Day for a career that shows no signs of slowing down. 

 

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Dazzler of the Day: Leslie Jordan

He’s been sober for 25 years, and that’s more than enough to merit this Dazzler of the Day, but in addition to that footnote, Leslie Jordan has been entertaining the world for decades. He’s finally come into his own social media prominence, thanks to his surprising success on Instagram – which was no surprise to anyone who’s followed his hilarious antics. Known by many from his turn on ‘Will & Grace’, Jordan has made appearances on about a bazillion shows over the years, thanks to his wit, hilarity and natural charm and charisma. 

Actor Leslie Jordan poses for a portrait at Pan Pacific Park in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 8, 2021 to promote his new book “How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived.” (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Dazzler of the Day: Zac Efron

For someone who has been featured here so many times that he almost has his own category (something reserved for the likes of Tom Ford, Madonna, and Ben Cohen), Zac Efron has egregiously never been named Dazzler of the Day until now, and mostly for the recent shirtless Instagram photo you see here. Perhaps we just needed a reminder of his body of work, so his feature as Dazzler is up now, and you are welcome to peruse all the other times he has been featured here, such as this shirtless post, or this scantily-clad post, or this basically naked post, or this full-nude post. Take your choice

 

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